Taking a Look at Digital Activism - 1140 Words

Digital Activism Digital activism is the manifestation of informal communication and media systems can have constructive results on the world giving strength and a voice to people when required. Yet, at the same time be utilized as a part of conflicting attitudes to rather fulfill individual needs of activists bringing on more mischief than good. Digital activism incorporates numerous sorts of new media, for example, online journals, Twitter, Facebook, and Youtube. These online networking sites have assumed a real part in different questionable political scenes. These sorts of new media have given important devices to activists looking to have a voice and to support flexibility and majority rule in government. Each instance of digital activism is its own particular story, and from nation to nation there are key elements that give the vital setting to why some social developments triumph and others fail. Digital activism has an exhibited, positive effect, particularly when the global community gathers and uses digital mediums that concentrate on the objective of changing government strategy. Digital activism, in general, is a peaceful undertaking. There are just a few situations when digital mediums have been used to empower roughness against their rivals but in general digital activism is centered on urban engagement, not hurting individuals or property. Regardless of the dangers, Ai Weiwei has provoked others in China and abroad to take the charge through tweets,Show MoreRelatedTaking a Look at Digital Activism594 Words   |  2 PagesDigital activism can be defined as the use of the internet and social networks such as various blogs, Facebook and Twitter. By using these various social networks, people are able to promote certain ideas as well as raising issues of what is happening around the world around us hereby gaining support against these matters. Ai Weiwei stated that â€Å"the internet is uncontrollable. And if the internet is uncontrollable, freedom will win.† From this statement we gather that by using the internet, weRead MoreThe Importance of Social Media to Activism Essay1706 Words   |  7 PagesImportance of Social Media According to Dictionary.reference.com, activism is the policy or action of using campaigning to bring about political or social change. A huge campaign that is well known across the world, the Civil Rights Movement, was brought about by Martin Luther King, Jr. King risked his life everyday to ensure justice and equality for the African American race. â€Å"Small Change† by Malcolm Gladwell gives insight on how activism is more effective than social media, especially from one scenarioRead MoreThe Ingredients : Why The Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted1408 Words   |  6 Pagesexpanded uncontrollably. Gladwell concludes why people would join the protest, â€Å"Even revolutionary actions that look spontaneous†¦are, at core, strong tie phenomena†¦The more friends you had who were critical of the regime the more likely you were to join the protest.†(137) Reading more deeply, we could find out that an intimate friendship is the most basic constituent to provoke a hig h-risk activism. Because friendship asks of frequent interpersonal communication, people construct trust with each other overRead MoreThe Arab Spring : Social Movements2081 Words   |  9 PagesInternet Age When it comes to the case of the Arab spring it has a lot to do with how they got their start over social media networks such as Facebook and twitter, social movements just like the Arab spring have established a platform for political activism that wasn’t there before which is what I hope to show and express in my research in the case study of the Arab spring. When it comes to the Arab spring as most know they begun as a social movement on the internet via the social media website FacebookRead MoreThe Concept Of Narcissism And Its Elements2720 Words   |  11 Pagesone’s own image construction is represented in a digital environment, incorporating the phenomenon of the selfie culture. Qualitative research, being rich, multi- dimensional and complex (Alasuutari, P., 1995) allows the in- depth exploration of the rhetoric of the self and the self- constructs in a technoculture and makes sense of the phenomenon of the human- machine connection and the creation of virtual realities that bears problematical ideas of digital narcissism. The position that this researchRead More Cultural Activism and Culture Jamming Essay5153 Words   |  21 PagesCultural Activism and Culture Jamming Cultural activism is not quite the same as traditional political activism. Within the sphere of traditional activism, there are issues like war, nuclear power, abortion and standard organizational principals and consciousness-raising strategies. Cultural activism (and more specifically culture jamming), in many ways goes beyond traditional strategies that have typified political action concentrating on issues like distribution and the public nature of artRead MoreAnalysis Of Malcom Gladwell s Small Change3404 Words   |  14 Pagesrole in revolutions had been greatly exaggerated. At this segment of the article, he moves on to discuss his second point: the reality of social media activism. Here he begins to look at what it cost the supporters of the Civil Rights Movement. He sees that some lost their homes and jobs, while others lost their lives. This type of ‘die-hard activism’, Gladwell states, is not the kind that social media fosters. It does not build the robust bon ds between a member and their cause that is needed for challengingRead MoreThe Identity And Street Art5052 Words   |  21 PagesIdentity and Street Art Michaila Forte â€Å"An empty wall is an empty population† – Anonymous Abstract Street art emphasizes communal engagement, public activism, and awareness all while being an integrated part of a city. Social media is one of the most important tools to connect people in our lives, especially in today’s youth culture. Our group is interested in investigating the relationship between identity and media. We are approaching this question in three main ways: street art, gentrificationRead MoreSmartphones And Its Impact On Society1859 Words   |  8 Pagesline of our desire from multiple books. Now we can read multiple books while sitting at our home. Although the author argues that this model of having infinite access to information all at once in front of us is harming us such as our memories, I am taking a different approach and not answering whether technology such as smartphones are making us smarter or dumber, but due to these innovative tools at our leisure we have more filters for irrelevant information while gaining access to specific informationRe ad MoreAdbusters Media Foundation: An Active Space for Participation2476 Words   |  10 Pagestruth about our surroundings behind the shadows of advertisements and large corporations. Adbusters’ largest communicative medium is their magazine, Adbusters. Adbusters also challenges mainstream messages through a practice called culture jamming. By taking popular ads from the media Adbusters challenges corporations and mainstream media by interrupting the consumer experience by revealing the underlying message and meaning behind the ad. This essay will argue that through Adbusters’ communicative practices

Existential therapy focuses Free Essays

string(344) " who have been diagnosed with dysthymic disorder will frequently claim that they do not remember not having the feeling of depression; however they may be reasonably efficient in the aspect of managing their lives, even though the indications are harsh enough to root interference and distress in their important role responsibilities in life\." Julia is a 43-year old woman who claims that she never experienced the feeling of happiness. She said that there are certain times when she had been feeling that her life is progressing well as compared to other times; however she had never remembered feeling any sense of joy in her entire life. Julia said that most of the time she had always been pessimistic on everything new. We will write a custom essay sample on Existential therapy focuses or any similar topic only for you Order Now She had never really believed that there was a man who is right for her and, apparently, due to this notion, she had remained single. It is really difficult for her to express amusement and Julia claims that she does not have the sense of humor. Often, she sighs she always has the sentiment of carrying on her shoulders the weight of the world. Julia’s has actually been diagnosed with a chronic weight problem. She has always been on a diet; however, her weight has kept going up and down the scale. She says she has a great need for sleep; however, at most times she experiences insomnia and walks around all day feeling tired. Julia perceives that the blame for this is on her energy and its chronically low level. She has always stressed up with what could have been rather simple decisions. She claims that she loathed her being indecisive. There are people who accused her of devoting 50% of her day with disagreements toward herself. Tracing back to her high school days during her junior year, the guidance counselor advised her to work on her very low self-esteem. At her age right now, Julia feels that it is too late to change, and she had already accepted the fact that she will forever stay unfulfilled and unhappy. Julia is reported to have been suffering from a mild and long-lasting form of depression classified as dysthymia. This type of depression is also considered as a minor type of depression that is characterized by its long-term effects. With this, people often suffer all throughout their lifetimes. Dysthymia is in general identified in people who have experiences of its symptoms every day within two years and without greater than two months span of having no symptoms. In adolescents and children, the principal symptom is dissimilar in comparison with the symptoms experienced by the adults. The adults initially experience extreme sadness, while adolescents and children habitually manifest defiance and irritability. The children usually tend to become inferior in school specifically during the stage of depression. Aside from the feeling of being depressed, the major symptoms should be prevalent in order to diagnose dysthymia which is overeating or poor appetite, oversleeping or problems sleeping, low self-esteem, low energy, poor concentration, feelings of hopelessness and difficulty in making decisions (Williams, Barrett Oxman, 2004). The depression known as dysthymia has been known to affect two to three women for every man, and is perceived to be instigated during childhood and adolescence stages. If this is left untreated, the dysthymia will generally carry on throughout the life of a person. People who are diagnosed to have dysthymia frequently have other associated disorders like a personality disorder, anxiety disorder or phobia (Williams, Barrett Oxman, 2004). One of the most widespread psychological problems is depression; it affects almost everybody in the course of the depression of a family member or personal experience. Every year more than 17 million adults in the US experience a phase of clinical depression. The cost of human suffering is unable to estimate. It can cause interference with the normal performance or functioning, and normally roots problems with family and social adjustment and with work as well. It can cause extreme suffering and pain not only to those directly affected by the disorder, but as well as those who are concerned with their health and welfare. Moreso, serious depression can actually destroy the life of a family and the entire life of the person suffering from depression (Williams, Barrett Oxman, 2004). Depression has tremendous impact including extreme emotional pain; as it disrupts the millions lives of people, it unfavorably affects the lives of friends and families. Likewise, it reduces the absenteeism and productivity of the individual at work and has considerably negative encompassing impact on the economy as well. Depression is considered a psychological condition which changes how a person feels and thinks and it also affects the person’s sense of physical well-being and social behavior. People have all felt sadness at certain points of time; however that is not considered depression. There are times that people have been feeling tired from working too hard or are easily discouraged when facing very serious and complicated problems. Such situations are not also considered as depression. These kinds of feelings normally pass within a period of few days or a matter of weeks, by the time the people have become adjusted to the stress. However, if such feelings seem to be present, and have intensified and have began to cause interferences in school, family responsibilities or at work then this can be considered as depression. The reality lies that depression can affect almost anyone, having been identified, majority of the people diagnosed with the psychological problem of depression have been successful with their treatments. Unluckily, depression is usually not diagnosed, for the reason that many of its symptoms imitate physical illness, like appetite disturbances and sleep. The recognition of depression is the initial step towards treatment (Williams, Barrett Oxman, 2004). The type of depression the client is suffering is the dysthymic disorder which is characterized by chronic depression, except that it has a lesser amount of severity compared with a major depression. The crucial indication for dysthymic disorder is an approximately every day depressed disposition for at least two years, although lacking the needed criteria for the type of major depression. Sleep, disturbances in appetite, low self-esteem and low energy, are more often than not a part of the medical representation as well. People who have been diagnosed with dysthymic disorder will frequently claim that they do not remember not having the feeling of depression; however they may be reasonably efficient in the aspect of managing their lives, even though the indications are harsh enough to root interference and distress in their important role responsibilities in life. You read "Existential therapy focuses" in category "Papers" It is imperative to have an absolute material to overcome any physical illnesses that could possibly be causing the state of depression. In addition, if the affected person has a chronic medical condition which seems to be the major cause of the depression subsequently the accurate conclusion may be a mood disorder because of a serious medical condition, despite of meeting the criteria of a dysthymic disorder. The argument lies as to whether the condition is the root of depression instead of creating a distress which is chronically psychological in nature that has been the cause of depression. Regardless of the long term background of dysthymic disorder, the aid of psychotherapy is helpful in order to reduce the indications of depression, and can assist the person in organizing their life more. There are people affected with dysthymic disorder who are able to respond well enough to medication with the use of antidepressants, aside from psychotherapy, an evaluation for the chosen medication is considered ideal as well, moreover consulting a psychologist is also needed (Adler, Irish McLaughlin, 2004). There are many ways in order to identify dysthymic disorder. It is greatly associated with the changes in feeling, thinking, physical well-being and behavior. In terms of changes in feelings, a lot of people feel sad for no reason at all. Some have reported that they are not enjoying things that most people enjoy. They are lacking of motivation and are on the run of getting indifferent. They usually are tired and have the feeling of slowing down. They are also irritable and are experiencing difficulty in controlling their temper, eventually it can lead to feelings of hopelessness and helplessness (Franklin, 1999). In terms of the changes in thinking majority of the people are experiencing extreme difficulty in decision making and concentration. There are also affected individuals who have been reported to be suffering with problems in terms of forgetting a lot of things most of the time and having short term memory. Thinking and thoughts of negativity are the major attributes of depression. Poor self-esteem, pessimism, self-criticism and excessive guilt are very much common and for some people affected with more serious type of depression usually have very self-destructive thoughts (Franklin, 1999). In terms of physical well-being, during depression, there are negative emotional feelings which are most of the time associated with negative physical emotions. Despite getting more sleep, chronic fatigue is also common. Most of the people have the difficulty to have normal and sound sleep, they usually stay awake for very long hours or are awaken from time to time, for some, and they sleep for longer hours, even much longer than usual and they still feel very tired. Most of them have also loss their appetite, they complain a lot on many pains and aches and they usually feel slowed because of the depression which they have been experiencing (Franklin, 1999). When it comes to behavior, the affected people feel more apathetic, simply because that is how they are feeling. They are also uncomfortable with the presence of other people and they have the tendency to withdraw themselves from society. They either eat more or eat less as a result of changes in appetite. They also cry excessively due to chronic sadness. Oddly enough, they complain about anything and they usually manifest outbursts of temper and anger. On the extreme aspect, affected people usually display negligence on how they look and much worst is neglecting their hygiene and personal care. They also tend to lose their sexual desires which leads to lack of sexual activities. As gees, a person suffering from depression is not doing much work, and what suffer are their household responsibilities and work productivity (Franklin, 1999). Based on the object relations theory, depression is due to problems which people have in terms of developing the representations of healthy and sound relationships. It is an outcome of a constant fight which people who are depressed bear for them to try and sustain their emotional contact with their desired things. There are two types that such process can follow the introjective and anaclitic patterns. Although these terms are presently not used in the DSM, there are therapists which tend to associate them with various types of depression. Using the Adlerian Therapy as a mode of growth, it emphasizes an optimistic human nature view and that people have the control on their own fate. People begin at a tender age in fashioning their very own distinct lifestyle and such style remains reasonably unvarying all the way through their lives. People are motivated in terms of formulating and setting their goals and how to deal the tasks and social interests in life. The therapist in this approach needs to compile the family history as much as they can, with these data, they can help the client to set goals and have the idea of the past performances of the client. This will help to challenge and encourage the clients. The focus of the therapist are to examine their lifestyles and the therapist will do his or her part to form a mutual trust and respect, together with the client, they will set goals and encouragement to help the client to reach the goal and the therapist can eventually give recommendations or suggestions as to how the client can achieve the goals (Psyweb. com, 2008). Carl Jung, on the other hand, thought that there is no therapist who can lead his clients further than he had gone himself. There is no such therapist who will be able to help a depressed people on the inner selves except they are incessantly struggling with their own cataleptic substance. The premise of the wounded healer is eternally valid and universal. It is archetypical. The thoughts and images which are emotionally charged have universal meanings. Existential therapy focuses on the freedom of choice in the endeavor to shape a person’s life. It teaches one to be accountable in shaping his or her own life and also involves the need for self-awareness and determination. The individuality of each person shapes his or her own genuine personality which begins from the infancy stage. Existential therapy is focused on both the present and future. The therapist in this case guides and helps the client to realize the many possibilities which are in store for him in the future. The therapist will impose a challenge to the client for them to recognize that they are responsible in what transpires within their lives. This kind of therapy is very much suitable in helping clients make good dealings and wise choices in their lives (Psyweb. com, 2008). Gestalt therapy facilitates the integration of the mind and body factors, by means of stressing integration and awareness. The main goal of the gestalt therapy is the integration of thinking, behaving and feelings. The client is viewed as having the capability to be aware of how their earlier life influences may have been the factors which changed their lives. The client is guided to be aware of their responsibility in their own selves, to finish unfinished matters, how to avoid problems, in the awareness of now and to experience things in a positive light. The therapist will take the role of helping their client to discover the awareness of each of the moments they experience in their life. They will challenge the client to gain the acceptance of their responsibilities in terms of taking care of themselves instead of relying to others. In this approach, the therapist can utilize confrontation, dialogues with polarities, or role playing to reach their set goals or by means of dream analysis. As such can improve treatment like marital or family therapy, crisis intervention, training, psychopathic disorders or children behavior problems (Psyweb. com, 2008). Rational-emotive therapy is a well action-oriented approach which deals with the moral and cognitive state of the client. This kind of therapy emphasizes the ability of the client in terms of changing and thinking on their own. The therapist in the rational-emotive approach strongly believes that people are brought to the world, endowed with the ability if thinking rationally, but can as well become a victim of thinking irrationally. The therapist emphasizes the ability of the clients to think, take action and make sound judgments. Through which, the therapist will make use of direct therapy and it is also believed that irrational thinking and irrational behavior results to neurosis. Both the cognitive-behavioral and rational-emotive therapist perceives the problems of the clients are due to their childhood as well as their belief system, which was honed during the childhood phase. The therapy will consist of methods which involve dealing and solving behavior and emotional problems. The therapist will also help the client to eradicate their self-defeating outlooks and to teach them to rationally view their life (Psyweb. com, 2008). Most of the time, antidepressant medication is very much recommended for the depression of dysthymia. For client Julia in this case study, the approach of psychotherapy is the primary step to treatment. Initially, supportive counseling will help the affected person to ease the pain and therefore the feelings of hopelessness can be addressed. Next, cognitive therapy will be utilized to alter the unrealistic expectations, pessimistic ideas and critical evaluations that result to depression. It can help the depressed person to distinguish their problems as minor or critical, and such can help them accept life (HealthPlace. com, 2000). Then the therapy of problem solving follows to address the client’s problems and later on use the behavioral therapy to help the client develop the skills of coping and to resolve their conflicts with their relationships, thus can be effective for the treatment of dysthymic disorder of depression. References Adler DA, Irish J McLaughlin TJ. (2004). The work impact of dysthymia in a primary care population. Gen Hosp Psychiatry. Franklin, D. (1999). What is Depressive Disorder. Retrieved June 9, 2008 from http://www. psychologyinfo. com/depression/description. html. HealthPlace. com. (2000). Dysthymia (Minor Depression). Retrieved June 9, 2008 from http://www. healthyplace. com/communities/depression/dysthymia. asp. Psyweb. com. (2008). Psychotherapy. Retrieved June 9, 2008 from http://psyweb. com/Mdisord/MdisordADV/AdvPsych. jsp#Rational-emotive%20Therapy. Williams JW Jr, Barrett J, Oxman T. (2000). Treatment of dysthymia and minor depression in primary care: A randomized controlled trial in older adults. JAMA. How to cite Existential therapy focuses, Papers

Sample on Lessons From Effective Business Communication

Question: Discuss about theLessons from Effective Business Communication. Answer: Introduction For many people, it always sounds simple to communicate with one another. However, in many cases, misinterpretation of information is experienced as what we tend to communicate gets lost in translation despite the best intention of the speaker. As we say one thing, the listener hears something else resulting in misunderstanding, frustration, and at times even conflicts arise. It is hence important to understand the fact that communication is more than just the exchange of information as it requires the listener or receiver to grasp the intentions and the emotion behind the information. More importantly, the success in the professionalism of different aspects requires a clear understanding of exactly what the message was intended to communicate. Professionals should learn to communicate clearly and effectively so as to efficiently connect with people, build respect and trust, and be understood well. This paper presents a personal reflection on the lessons learned while studying Effect ive Business Communication as a course. The analysis is done upon in-depth analysis from different articles provided in the modules of study as well as across other relevant literature. Module 1: Understanding the Communication Process Understanding the process of communication requires an effective communicator to understand the ethical communication skills and paralanguage behind the process. Paralanguage the concept of non-verbal communication that helps in emphasizing body language as well as voice nuances as a means of expressing feelings and thoughts. Understanding the paralanguage behind the process of communication has enabled to understand and interpret information correctly and has improved my professional and personal effective communication. Even though body language tends to convey as much meaning as the spoken words, I have learnt that a good communicator should as well have the ability of gauging how their paralanguage can affect the audience. As a result, I have learnt how paralanguage can be altered so as to affect the listeners in a manner that will gain their trust and confidence as an essential component of effective business communication. The article by Senescu et al. (2014) also contributed greatly towards the concept by identifying the different aspects of paralanguage. These include hand gesture, eye contact, tone of voice, and posture among others. In case a speaker changes any of the qualities such as tempo or volume, he can create a different meaning to the listeners. In my current job as well as the future professional career, I have learnt that it is essential to consider the paralanguage of communication process to be an effective communicator. I should thus be able to adjust my non-verbal language depending on the needs of different situations to be effective in diffusing troublesome interactions like arguments, a skill that is understood as a metacommunicative competence. From the module, I also learnt the effectiveness of ethical communication and the need to regularly communicate the concept of ethics to the employees. The article also identifies that ethical communication is helpful in setting ethical st andards in a business. From the article and the module, I have learnt that my current and future job performance requires me to ensure that an organization adopts a written ethical policy that directly deals with the expectations from the employees. It should clearly explain what the business or organization believes to be the ethical standards. The article also identifies the ethical standards to be honesty in communication, fair treatment of customers and employees, and reporting any ethical violation witnessed by the employees among others. As an effective business communicator, it is essential that I observe all the above factors. Module 2: Oral Presentations While Communicating with an audience In the module of oral presentation and communication to an audience, the two major concepts studies were the process of analysing the audience and communication apprehension. In the oral presentation module, I learnt that effective communication is a two-way-traffic that depends not only on how one conveys the message so as to be received and correctly interpreted by the audience exactly as intended. It as well involves how one listens so as to gain the full meaning of what has been communicated so as to make the full meaning that can be clearly understood. For instance, the business environment involves many presentations and communications to audiences of different levels of understanding. However, the major goal tends to be the successful sell of the business idea to all the categories of the audiences so as to influence the customers towards purchasing a particular product or service. The success of this goal majorly relies on the business communication skills of the presenters a s well as the listening skills of the receivers. It is hence vital to know how to balance the strategy of communication in a manner that all the levels of the listeners can buy the idea being passed. A study from the article by White (2015), I learnt that more than just the words we use in communication, effective professional communication needs to combine sets of skills that will promote effective interpretation. These include engaged listening, the ability of assertive communication, nonverbal communication, and stress management during communication. Also important is the capacity of recognizing and understanding personal emotions as well as that of the listeners. Professional communication hence needs to be very effective as it is the glue that helps one to deepen communications with other people so as to improve decision-making, teamwork, good working relationship, as well as problem solving. Most importantly, business requires one to communicate effectively without destroying the trust or creating a conflict as it is vital to keep good connections and trust with customers. Inconsistent or negative body language also contradicts the information flow instead of reinforcing t he message. In my current job, I will be able to use the skills learned in the class module to understand my audience and strategize on the best method of communication to use while communicating with them. In doing this, I will need to avoid major challenges that can affect communication. These include lack of focus towards the main information, always be composed and avoid stress as much as possible so as to be effective in the information am passing to the audience. From the article, I also learnt that the audience tends to be characterised by different levels of understanding depending on several factors. Some of these include the age (kids and adults), level of understanding, academic or professional qualification, language, and culture among others as identified by White (2015). As a result, analysing the audience require a clear understanding of these concepts so as to be relevant while communicating to a particular group of audience. Analysing the audience is as well essential especially in my future career as a business manager, a position that requires effective business communication skills to the employees, customers, and sponsors and donors among other stakeholders of a business organization. It was an essential module that greatly contributed to my current and future communication skills as a business professional. Module 3: Academic Writing The two major concepts that were studied in the module are the professional or academic writing, as well as demonstrating the knowledge in academic communication. In the concepts of demonstrating the knowledge of professional and academic writing and communication in business profession, there are a number of academic writing that involves or requires effective communication so as to initiate clear understanding and good communication. It is hence necessary that a good professional communicator observes the 7Cs of communication while doing either written or verbal communication with the audience. The 7Cs helps in creating effective communication so that once can be effective at all levels and make customer interaction more effective. Effective business communication needs to be concise, complete, conversional, clear, and considerate, be in check and confident as denoted by Anders. (2016). Being concise helps an individual to quickly get to the point and hence requires a straight forward language that completely gets the points across in a manner that can lead to efficient action. The communication needs to be complete and requires one to get the information to the recipient in the first time. Leaving out initial information in the initial correspondence can cause serious challenges that can take time to repair. While communicating, a confrontational tone can cause arguments and emotions. As a result, it is vital to present the information in a conversational tone that can initiate interaction rather than confrontation (Anders, 2016). Effective business communication hence presents the information in a manner that is professional and not emotional. In business communication, one may only get one chance to make a point as any misunderstanding may leave one without the opportunity for correction before the issue escalating into a problem. Be considerate especially when s peaking to customers or associates through questions for clear clarifications and ensure the information is understood before proceeding with the next conversation. At the same time, it is vital to present the data with a commanding and clear tone as indicates that the speaker is confident of the topic and its importance. Similarly, once may have very useful ideas which can lose power if the data is not checked to ensure the facts are right before doing a presentation. As denoted by the article, it is vital to understand the 7Cs of communication in any professional academic writing. For instance, the business environment involves communication through emails, letters, business reports, proposals, etc. The human resource services as well involve selection, recruitment, training, and development of employees, a vital position that hence requires effective communication skills as denoted by the article. As a result, both the article and the lessons learnt from the module are very vital in the essence of improving or sharpening my skills in my current job as well as my future career positions. Observing the seven Cs of communication will sharpen my communication skills to ensure it is effective and the customers, customers, business professionals, and stakeholder among others clearly apprehend and interpret my information. Module 4: Interpersonal Communication From the module of interpersonal communication, it came to my realization that many scholars have come up with different ideas. As some scholars suggest that interpersonal communication is a mere too used to express social reality, others argue that it is similarly a tool of creating a positive social environment. As business requires communication between two or more customers to be effective, both the concepts taught me that an effective professional communicator needs to adjust his social relationships in a positive manner that will promote positive working relationships. I have also leant that effective professional interpersonal communicator needs to adjust the style of communication depending on the person they are speaking to. For instance, it is not right for me to use the same communication style with my co-workers or my boss as well as with kids or elders even if the topic of discussion was the same. As a result, it is vital to put other peoples perspectives in mind in tryi ng to get a message across the board. When communicating with others not necessarily in a presentation to a specific audience, the module of interpersonal communication has enabled me to achieve different objectives. I have got a clear understanding and recognition of the differences between interpersonal and intrapersonal communication. Currently, I can confidently define aggressive communication and effectively identify the types of verbally aggressive messages in communication. I have understood how to define and use assertive communication as a western construct and effectively use it in finding solutions to different problems. The article by Manning (2014) in the constitutive approach to studying interpersonal communication, I learned some of the issues that one needs to avoid so as to become an effective communicator for the success of business. For instance, it is vital to avoid stress and other emotions that make us lose control especially while communicating with an individual. Interpersonally communicating while overwhelmed or stressed can make one misread other people or even create confusion that may lapse into unhealthy and unprofessional communication behavior. Taking a moment to calm down is hence necessary. Multitasking and lack of focus also result in ineffective communication. For instance, planning what you are going to communicate to others while daydreaming, chatting, checking messages, or thinking about other issues makes once to miss the essential nonverbal cues during the conversation. It is hence necessary to stay focus every moment you are preparing to communicate any business idea. Module 5: Genres of Written Business In the module, we studied different concepts on business documents as well as effective communication through the documents. I learned that a company uses documents for communication, as well as transaction and analysis of the business productivity. The examples of business documents are essential in communicating business ideas and concepts to different business stakeholders. These include business proposals, business reports, data analysis and interpretation, and presentation of business ideas among others. For instance, employment letter and resumes need to be clear so as to communicate the qualification of the candidate in a clear manner. In his article, Massaro (2015), I learned that these documents are vital as they provide proofs to the dealings of the organization. They can hence be used as points of future references, and hence they need to be well written in a manner that they can be clearly understood. For the benefit, if my future career, I learned that business concepts range from brief email messages to even more complex legal standard requirements. Others are also drafted by external professional such as lawyers and accountants. From this concept of the article as well as the concepts from the modules, I have realized that it is beneficial to balance between the documents and correctly identify what to use at certain processes of communication and business transactions. Module 6: Organizational Communication. The organizational communication module helped me in the understanding of the theory and professional Practice about effective business communication skills. In my understanding of the theories of communication and professional practice, I learned that effective communication is a learned skill and tends to be effective when spontaneous rather than being formulaic. For instance, a speech that is read cannot have the same impact as that which has been delivered spontaneously. Developing such skills hence requires time so as to become an effective communicator. As a result, communication theories have it that the more practice and effort one puts in professional communication, the more spontaneous and instinctive the communication skills become. The article by Christen et al. (2014) that presents a study to explore the communication needs of business students was essential in understanding the social presence for effective online especially in the current world where technology is the order of the day. The discussion of their studies enabled me to learn that professional practice for effective communication also depends on a clear understanding of the organizational characteristics such as the resources, structure, the experience of the audience, time availability, and the current needs of the organization. The business audience tends to be characterized by differences in educational levels, media familiarity, interaction history, norms of interaction, and knowledge of communication. All these factors affect communication in different ways and hence require a well business communication organizational structure, effective media of communication, as well as relevant formal or informal networks. For this reason, Christen et al . point out that professional communication needs to be very effective and ethical as it helps in connecting different professional communicators such as journalists, PR exponents, media professionals, and writers among other people in the dynamic business environment. It is hence a vital concept that will not only benefit from communication skills in my current job but even my future professional practice. Current Professional Skills and Strategies of Improvement From the modules and the whole unit, I have learned how to become an engaged listener who values body language during communication. I pay very keen attention to nonverbal signals, and I have as well learned to keep my stress in check. I have learned to assert myself and to be more persuasive so as to boost my confidence in communication. In many cases, I used to be very talkative and wanted to be heard more than I was willing to listen to others. However, I have learned that effective professional communication is required small talk and more listening as well so as to master the business environment and plan effectively. I have as well learned that one needs to be very composed and to ask questions where necessary while engaging the person I am communicating with according to Archee et al. (2013). Effective communication skills are essential to the effectiveness and success of many life aspects. Different jobs require strong and effective communication skills to promote good working relationships and teamwork. Besides, individuals with good communication skills tend to enjoy good interpersonal relationships with not only co-workers but even friends and family. In his study, White (2015) denotes that effective professional communication skills are key interpersonal skills which require every individual to learn how to improve for better performance. It is hence vital that both written and verbal communication maintains the familiarity with both the professional written and verbal communication. For instance, it is vital to understand the generic features of emails, reports, resumes, and application letters as they are vital in the business profession to enhance competence. As a strategy of improvement, I will ensure that I regularly attend ethical training programs to increase my awareness of effective, ethical communication skills for effective performance. As a future business manager, I will ensure that my employees are educated towards effective, ethical standards so as to boost their ethical communication skills and behavior. I have realized that I should always be the role model to the employees and I will always ensure I practice ethical behavior in both verbal and non-verbal forms. I should also be able to practice all the aspects of communication so as to be an effective communicator in my business profession. Conclusion Learning from the module lessons and the articles was an essential process in improving my effective communication professional skills. I learnt different concepts from both the articles and the modules. The concepts learnt will not only improve my skills in my current business responsibilities but even my future business management career. It was a successful learning process that made me learn new ideas towards sharpening my business communication skills. References Anders, A. (2016). Team Communication Platforms and Emergent Social Collaboration Practices.International Journal Of Business Communication,53(2), 224-261. doi:10.1177/2329488415627273 Archee, R., Gurney, M., Mohan, T. (2013). Communicating as Professionals. (3rd ed.), Australia: Cengage. Christen, H., Rae, J., Walker, M., Williams, J. (2014). Critical evaluation as an aid to improved report writing: A case study. European Journal of Engineering Education, 39(3). 272-281. Manning, J. (2014). A Constitutive Approach to Interpersonal Communication Studies.Communication Studies,65(4), 432-440. doi:10.1080/10510974.2014.927294 Massaro, D. M. (2015). Two Different Communication Genres and Implications for Vocabulary Development and Learning to Read.Journal Of Literacy Research,47(4), 505-527. Senescu, R. R., Haymaker, J. R., Mea, S., Fischer, M. A. (2014). Design Process Communication Methodology: Improving the Effectiveness and Efficiency of Collaboration, Sharing, and Understanding.Journal Of Architectural Engineering,20(1), 1-14. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)AE.1943-5568.0000122 White, A. V. (2015). Writing for the Real World: Business Communication for College Students.Journal Of Higher Education Theory Practice,15(4), 73-84.

Child and Young Person Development Essay Example

Child and Young Person Development Essay Contribute to the Support of Child and Young Person Development 1. 2 Identify different observation methods and know why they are used There are four different methods of observing a child within the nursery and they are; naturalistic, structured, longitudinal and snapshot. Naturalistic observations are observations of children which are carried out in the child’s usual surroundings. The observation allows the child to carry out tasks which they would normally carry out without any structuring being attempted by the practitioner observing the child. Structured observations are the opposite of naturalistic. This is when the practitioner has specifically set up a particular activity in order to observe how a child carries out a specific task. For example, an obstacle course could be created to observe a child’s balance and co-ordination, or a painting activity to observe a child’s fine motor skills, or seeing if a child can successfully use inset boards to observe their mathematic development. Longitudinal observations are when you have settled into a pattern of regularly observing the children in your care and recording your findings, you will begin to build up  longitudinal  records of observation, as your findings will show how the children in your care change and progress over a lengthy period of time. Each child’s set of records and observations will be their  longitudinal  record which will enable the important adults in their lives, namely you, their key worker, and their parents, to identify the important milestones and achievements in their lives. We will write a custom essay sample on Child and Young Person Development specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Child and Young Person Development specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Child and Young Person Development specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer As the name suggests, snapshot observation involves trying to achieve a ‘snapshot’ of how a child is behaving at any given period of time. For example, a snapshot observation of how a child reacts immediately after their parent has dropped them off may be helpful in trying to deal with a child who is clingy and difficult to settle.

George Washington school

George Washington school George Washington is one of the schools belonging to Elizabeth Public schools. The school has a vision that guides its employees and students. In 2011, the school adopted some of the strategies that would help it perform well in the education sector.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on George Washington School specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The vision of the school is that it will one day become a leading public school in the American nation. From the vision statement of George Washington School, it is evident that a vision serves to foster development in the school. Scholars observe that a vision is defined a blueprint that helps the school community to engage the locals in development. Through a vision, the goals and objectives of the school are developed. A vision is very important in convening the needs of students, as well as the management. Whenever a decision is made at the school level, the vision of the school is always reflected. This is because a vision offers an opportunity to policy makers to join forces with other stakeholders, such as parents. The vision of the school is put into operation through continuous assessment of various programs. This is done through championing for open communication among various stakeholders. To put into operation the stewardship of the vision, it is advisable that the school management should foster integration of students into mainstream society, but at the same time respect cultural diversity. In this regard, it should be noted that it is a complex process to develop the vision of the school. Therefore, the management should incorporate each stakeholder into the process of formulating the vision to avoid conflicts. Scholars observe that the vision would only be preserved when people are allowed to share the principles, attitudes, purposes, and objectives that guide their actions. The main abilities of the leader are to guide and supervise the activi ties of the school.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More District School Goals and Objectives Through the process, it was observed that transformational leadership is needed to improve the performance of the school. Transformational leadership is defined as a type of leadership that uses motivation to enhance the performance of employees. Leadership is a process where an individual (a leader) offers guidance to a group of individuals (followers) in an organizational structure. Leadership is one of the most important factors in any organization. Leadership and management share a number of attributes, but they differ in various fronts. Transformational leadership, as the name suggest, provides a completely new path to approaching various issues in an organization. It provides an insight the employees. One of the main aims of a transformational leader is to create a completely new a pproach in managing various issues within the organization. This is what the current world demands a firms. Emerging technologies are changing various approaches of management. The emerging trends need new approaches that can be used to provide a way in which they can be managed differently. Through transformational leadership, students would be given an opportunity to present their views before major decisions affecting them academically and emotionally are made. In particular, students will be consulted before introducing new learning materials. For instance, the school will come up with ways through which the needs of children with special needs would be convened. This demands extensive consultation because the support of each stakeholder is needed to fulfill this objective. In class, the management will discuss with teachers on how to differentiate the instructional plans. Many students perform dismally because their interests are never considered when designing existing lesson plans.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on George Washington School specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Transformational leadership would offer an opportunity of formulating policies that aim at convening the interests of all students. To ensure sustainability, the management would come up with both long-term and short-term policies. The staff will be taken through continuous training on matters related to leadership. This would be a long-term policy aimed at ensuring that the transformational leadership is adopted fully. As a way of ensuring continuity, the policies designed would be implemented in bits. A number of things would be done differently. For instance, the decision-making processes would be adjusted to suit the new form of leadership. Moreover, consultation and peaceful resolution of conflicts would be advocated among various stakeholders. Parents would be given sufficient time to express their views before fin al decisions is formulated. Teaching and Learning The main aim of the school is convene the needs of all students. In the school, there are various categories of students. There are gifted students, as well as students with special needs. The school has developed a program aimed at identifying the needs of all students. The school encourages interaction between students and teachers. In particular, students with special needs are given individualized care whereby the teacher ensures that their concerns are addressed amicably. For instance, children with hearing problems are given special lessons whereby the teacher can use instruction materials designed specifically to cater for their needs. The teacher ensures that students with hearing impairments are taken through the course content procedurally. The teacher avoids the use of verbal language and instead impresses the facial language. It is known that students with hearing problems follow the lips of the teacher. For gifted studen ts, they are given extra work after completing the allocated assignment.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This makes them busy because their rate of comprehension cannot be compared to that of an ordinary student. Through differentiated instruction, the needs of students are met. For teachers, the management ensures that they are given freedom to interact with students freely. Their needs are catered for through their union, which represents them whenever a crisis emerges. The development of the staff is productive because a trained workforce is effective and efficient. It is effective because it understands what the students want. Since it takes less time to pass information to students, it is said to be efficient. National and state standards act as the blueprint meaning that offer guidance to teachers and other stakeholders. Analysis helps in improving the performance of the school economically and academically. Through analysis, some programs are eradicated. Moreover, others are adjusted while others are formulated. Community Action Plan The family is the primary socializing agent m eaning that it is charged with the responsibility of ensuring that the child is given the much needed care and advice. The community moulds the behavior of the child through its laws and regulations. The community and the family unit play a critical role in ensuring that the child excels in academics. Families with excellent reading culture would influence the child positively while those with poor reading culture would influence the reading behavior of the child negative. Similarly, a community that cares for its members would support children to do well in class while those that value individual interests would not care about the performance of children. The communication between the school and the community is positive because the management would always brief parents before introducing new programs. Parents are supportive because they provide necessary learning materials whenever they are called upon to play their part. The school has a culture that respects diversity. This is w hy parents are always supportive. By offering an alternative leadership, which respects each person’s opinion, the communication between the school management and the community would be improved.

The Roman King L. Tarquinius Priscus According to Livy

The Roman King L. Tarquinius Priscus According to Livy Like the reigns of the kings of Rome who preceded L. Tarquinius Priscus (Romulus, Numa Pompilius, Tullius Ostilius, and Ancus Marcius), and those who followed him (Servius Tullius, and L. Tarquinius Superbus), the reign of the Roman King L. Tarquinius Priscus is shrouded in legend. The Story of Tarquinius Priscus According to Livy An Ambitious CoupleProud Tanaquil, born to one of the foremost  Etruscan families in Tarquinii (an Etrurian city northwest of Rome) was unhappy with her rich husband, Lucumo not with her husband as a man, but with his social status. On his mothers side, Lucumo was Etruscan, but he was also the son of a foreigner, a Corinthian noble and refugee named Demaratus. Lucumo agreed with Tanaquil that their social status would be enhanced if they moved to a new city, like Rome, where social status wasnt yet measured by genealogy. Their plans for the future seemed to have divine blessing or so thought Tanaquil, a woman trained in at least rudimentary arts of Etruscan divination,* for she interpreted the omen of an eagle swooping down to place a cap on Lucumos head as the gods selection of her husband as a king. Upon entering the city of Rome, Lucumo took the name of Lucius Tarquinius Priscus. His wealth and behavior won Tarquin important friends, including the king, Ancus, who, in his will, appointed Tarquin guardian of his children. Ancus ruled for twenty-four years, during which time his sons almost grew up. After Ancus died, Tarquin, acting as a guardian, sent the boys on a hunting trip, leaving him free to canvass for votes. Successful, Tarquin persuaded the people of Rome that he was the best choice for king. * According to Iain McDougall, this is the only truly Etruscan trait Livy mentions in connection with Tanaquil. Divination was a mans occupation, but women could have learned certain common basic signs. Tanaquil may otherwise be viewed as a woman of the Augustan age. The Legacy of L. Tarquinius Priscus - Part ITo garner political support, Tarquin created 100 new senators. Then he waged war against the Latins. He took their town of Apiolae and, in honor of the victory, started the Ludi Romani (Roman Games), which consisted of boxing and horse racing. Tarquin marked out for the Games the spot that became the Circus Maximus. He also established viewing spots, or fori (forum), for the patricians and knights. ExpansionThe Sabines soon attacked Rome. The first battle ended in a draw, but after Tarquin increased the Roman cavalry he defeated the Sabines and forced an unequivocal surrender of Collatia. The king asked, Have you been sent as envoys and commissioners by the people of Collatia to make the surrender of yourselves and the people of Collatia? We have. And is the people of Collatia an independent people? It is. Do you surrender into my power and that of the People of Rome yourselves, and the people of Collatia, your city, lands, water, boundaries, temples, sacred vessels all things divine and human? We do surrender them. Then I accept them.Livy Book I Chapter: 38 Soon he set his sights on Latium. One by one, the towns capitulated. The Legacy of L. Tarquinius Priscus - Part IIEven before the Sabine War, he had started to fortify Rome with a stone wall, Now that he was at peace he continued. In areas where water couldnt drain he built drainage systems to empty into the Tiber. Son-in-lawTanaquil interpreted another omen for her husband. A boy who may have been a slave was sleeping when flames surrounded his head. Instead of dousing him with water, she insisted he be left untouched until he woke of his own accord. When he did, the flames disappeared. Tanaquil told her husband that the boy, Servius Tullius would be a light to us in trouble and perplexity, and a protection to our tottering house. From then on, Servius was raised as their own and in time was given Tarquins daughter as wife a sure sign that he was the preferred successor. This angered the sons of Ancus. They figured the odds of their winning the throne were greater if Tarquin were dead than Servius, so they devised and carried out Tarquins assassination. With Tarquin dead from an ax through the head, Tanaquil devised a plan. She would deny to the public that her husband was mortally wounded while Servius would carry on as the king pro-temp, pretending to consult with Tarquin on various issues. This plan worked for a while. In time, word spread of Tarquins death. However, by this time Servius was already in control. Servius was the first king of Rome who was not elected. Kings of Rome 753-715 Romulus715-673 Numa Pompilius673-642 Tullus Hostilius642-617 Ancus Marcius616-579 L. Tarquinius Priscus578-535 Servius Tullius (Reforms)534-510 L. Tarquinius Superbus

The Patriot Act Impact on Law Enforcement Research Paper

The Patriot Act Impact on Law Enforcement - Research Paper Example Law enforcement is an integral part of ensuring the security of the US public is restored. This is because they are responsible for enforcing the policies recommended to restore the security of the country after this attack. The correction system also plays a crucial role in ensuring the security of a country is maintained. The security of citizens of a country is high up on the priority list of any nation. This is not any different for the US. After the devastating attacks of September 11, the American government was made to realize that measures needed to be taken to make certain that a repeat of the attacks does not occur on American soil. In order to restore security and treasure that the American public of their security, President George W. Bush signed an act into law that would significantly influence the security policies of the country. The patriot act was created in order to ensure that the intelligence community and law enforcement agencies were empowered by law, to combat acts of terror rather than be held back by it. The act reduced the restrictions that affected the intelligence agencies while gathering information on terrorist threats against the US. The act also expanded the mandate of the secretary in the treasury department to have the authority to have power over the financial transac tions, mostly those that involved individuals from foreign nationalities, and entities in order to make it difficult for terrorism to be funded within US soil. The act also aimed to strengthen its border security and control immigration to prevent the percolation of terrorists into the country (Bailie, 2012). They empowered the immigration authority to detain entrants who were suspected of having any link to terrorism. The authorities were also allowed to deport the individuals who could pose a terrorist threat to the country. This provision will ensure that terrorist elements a rode from the American population ensuring their safety.  

Issues In Policing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Issues In Policing - Essay Example The justice department issues a directive that the so called â€Å"bad apple syndrome† whereby we blame the problems plaguing the police force on a few bad elements is misguided. Consent decrees require that police are held accountable for their actions whether they are at work or anywhere else. They can also be referred to as settlement agreements, consent judgments or stipulated agreements. A consent decree originates from an order given by a judge, which expresses a voluntary agreement by all the individuals involved in a lawsuit or case. Consent decrees arise when the participating parties want to avoid a court trial. Court trials can be long, tiresome and expensive, however, consent decrees are issued because of their ability to obtain results are similar to a court trial (The United States Department of Justice, 2014). Consent decrees can also arise due to the following reasons. There are no financial costs incurred (legal fees) because both parties forgo a trial. A trial is unpredictable, and both parties try to avoid the uncertainties surrounding a court trial. It is good because the necessity of proof and guilt is not required. Consent decrees are mostly favored because the parties involved have control over the remedial plan. They allow both parties to decide on how best to remedy their issues. Consent decrees allow them to implement their agreements voluntaril y rather than by force, and since they hold the same outcome as a court trial, any disregard for the decree is seen more as a violation of the law. It is because the parties involved are bound by the consent decree. A pattern of practice refers to a lawsuit. It is whereby a plaintiff attempts to show that the accused individual(s) or defendants have systematically engaged in prejudiced activities. The plaintiff must provide proof to show that the defendant`s behavior forms a pattern within the routine practices (Pallitto & Weaver, 2007). Discriminatory activities

Christian Worldview Essay Example for Free

Christian Worldview Essay Worldview Part I What is a worldview? â€Å"A worldview, is a response of our heart or inner being; our intellect, emotion or will. It is the total framework we bring to decision-making† (Weider Gutierrez, 2011, p.51). An example is the Christian worldview. The way we as Christians behave should be in direct correlation with the teachings of Jesus as to how we should live our lives. People who hold to the Christian worldview should act as if everything they do matters. Many Christians these days do not act in a consistent manner to what their worldview is (Keener). Part II The question of Origin, Genesis 1:1 (ESV Bible) shows God creating the heavens and the earth in the beginning. â€Å"God is the infinite, personal, sovereign and good being who created the universe† (Lefebvre, 2011). Isaiah 45:18 (ESV Bible) describes how God created the heavens and formed the earth and create it and intended it to be inhabitated. The question of Identity- Genesis 1:27(ESV Bible) God created man in His own image. Psalm 139:14(ESV Bible) I am fearfully and wonderfully made. It is because we are made in God’s image that sets us apart from all other aspects of creation. This identity with God bestows upon us great distinction. We have to understand as clearly as possible what it means to be created in the image and likeness of God (Naugle, 2010). The Question of Meaning/Purpose- We as Christians believe that our purpose is to do the will of God. John 15:16(ESV Bible) we are appointed to go and bear fruit. In Matthew 28:19(ESV Bible) we are commanded to go and make disciples. Through-out the Bible, God has charged us with being the salt of the earth and light of the world, He has commanded us to go and compel them to come so that his house may be filled. As we can see our main purpose is to live a life that exemplifies Christ and leads others to Him. The Question of Morality- Romans 5:12-14(ESV Bible) sin entered the world. Romans 3:23(ESV Bible) we all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God. God is the ultimate standard of morality and because of the depravity of man we cannot live up to His standard, thus needing redemption through the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ. The Question of Destiny- it is clear throughout the Bible about our final destination. John  3:16-17, John 5:13-14 (ESV Bible) and many other verses in the Bible make it clear that if we do not put our faith and trust in God and accept the gift of salvation that we will not spend eternal life with Him but rather burn in the lake of fire. God also makes it clear that the gift of salvation cannot be earned Eph. 2:8-9. Part III A biblical worldview should influence the way you think about, treat, and speak to others on a daily basis because we should treat people how we would want to be treated, Matthew 7:12 (ESV Bible). If we are to believe that God created us in His likeness and He commands us to go out and make disciples for Him then we would have to also believe that we should think, treat and speak to others in a Christ like manner on a daily basis. To not do so would make us as Christians look hypocritical in the eyes of non-believers. †¦.treat/interact with the environment and non-human creation? In Genesis 1:26(ESV Bible) God commands us to have dominion over the earth and subdue it. This does not mean that we can ravage the land and kill all the creatures on it. We are to be stewards of what God has given us and that includes the earth and the creatures on it. References Keener, D. (n.d.). What is a worldview?. Retrieved from http://www.dkeener.com/keenstuff/wv.html Lefebvre, M. (2011, April 02). Worldviews-christian. Retrieved from http://warrantedbelief.wordpress.com/2011/04/02/worldviews-christianity/ Naugle, D. (2010, February 14). Developing a biblical worldview. Retrieved from http://www.colsoncenter.org/the-center/columns/indepth/14423-developing-a-biblical-worldview Tackett, D. (n.d.). Whats a christian worldview?. Retrieved from http://www.focusonthefamily.com/faith/christian_worldview/whats_a_christian_worldview.aspx Weider, L., Gutierrez, B. (2011). Consider. Virginia Beach: Academic Publishing Services, Inc.

Free King Lear Essays: Comic Relief :: King Lear essays

Comic Relief in King Lear Combining the antics of a circus with the pomp of a royal court is a difficult task indeed. William Shakespeare's genius came from how closely he intertwined the two seemingly mutually exclusive realms to appeal to all socioeconomic groups in his audience. In King Lear, Edgar's appearance as Tom of Bedlam, Lear's insanity, and Lear's Fool provide the comic relief which slices the dramatic tension. Among these, Lear's Fool provides the closest intercourse of the two realms of royalty and tomfoolery while still maintaining their separation. Fools, as I understand them, were kept by kings as entertainment devices prior to the advent of television. Lear's Fool, how-ever, transcends the role as entertainer to assume the role of both Ann Landers and Jim Davis. Particularly intriguing to me are his witticisms and humorous tidbits which interweave foreshadowing, practical advice, humor, and characterization into a succinct, meterical saying. The Fool begins by offering his jester's cap to Kent, saying that if Kent is to follow Lear, he had better have a coxcomb, insinuating the folly of following Lear. He goes on to say that "if I gave my daughters all my property," I'd have to keep a coxcomb. The Fool is quick to juxtapose his comment against his statement that he does not have a "monopoly" on foolishness. The Fool further points out the presence of a "wise man and a fool" without saying who is who, and he criticizes Lear for "going the fools among," implying that Lear is usurping the Fool's position as one prone to lapses of judgment and sheer stupidity. He tacitly insinuates through his actions and statements that he is among the company of fools, which provides the hint of foreshadowing the audience needs to know that Lear is losing his wits. The Fool also uses argument by analogy several times. He first relates Lear to a hedge sparrow which feeds cuckoo babies, which then bit the sparrow's head off. The Fool also relates empty egg shells to Lear and his crown. Shakespeare's unique touch comes in the double meaning of the egg shells. The Fool says that Lear is left with two empty egg shells for a crown, but he also implies that Lear's head is like an empty egg, related most clearly in the comparison of the color of Lear's head to the color of an egg. Free King Lear Essays: Comic Relief :: King Lear essays Comic Relief in King Lear Combining the antics of a circus with the pomp of a royal court is a difficult task indeed. William Shakespeare's genius came from how closely he intertwined the two seemingly mutually exclusive realms to appeal to all socioeconomic groups in his audience. In King Lear, Edgar's appearance as Tom of Bedlam, Lear's insanity, and Lear's Fool provide the comic relief which slices the dramatic tension. Among these, Lear's Fool provides the closest intercourse of the two realms of royalty and tomfoolery while still maintaining their separation. Fools, as I understand them, were kept by kings as entertainment devices prior to the advent of television. Lear's Fool, how-ever, transcends the role as entertainer to assume the role of both Ann Landers and Jim Davis. Particularly intriguing to me are his witticisms and humorous tidbits which interweave foreshadowing, practical advice, humor, and characterization into a succinct, meterical saying. The Fool begins by offering his jester's cap to Kent, saying that if Kent is to follow Lear, he had better have a coxcomb, insinuating the folly of following Lear. He goes on to say that "if I gave my daughters all my property," I'd have to keep a coxcomb. The Fool is quick to juxtapose his comment against his statement that he does not have a "monopoly" on foolishness. The Fool further points out the presence of a "wise man and a fool" without saying who is who, and he criticizes Lear for "going the fools among," implying that Lear is usurping the Fool's position as one prone to lapses of judgment and sheer stupidity. He tacitly insinuates through his actions and statements that he is among the company of fools, which provides the hint of foreshadowing the audience needs to know that Lear is losing his wits. The Fool also uses argument by analogy several times. He first relates Lear to a hedge sparrow which feeds cuckoo babies, which then bit the sparrow's head off. The Fool also relates empty egg shells to Lear and his crown. Shakespeare's unique touch comes in the double meaning of the egg shells. The Fool says that Lear is left with two empty egg shells for a crown, but he also implies that Lear's head is like an empty egg, related most clearly in the comparison of the color of Lear's head to the color of an egg.

Diversity and Inclusion an Organization Emperical Study of Hul

ABSTRACT In the last few years, the focus of efforts in companies across the land has shifted from diversity to a focus on inclusion. This sea change has happened without fanfare and almost without notice. In most organizations, the word inclusion has been added to all the company's diversity materials with no explanation. This article is a short account of why this shift has happened and what it means. Probably the most widely-read article on diversity in organizations was Roosevelt Thomas's â€Å"From Affirmative Action to Affirming Diversity,† which appeared in the Harvard Business Review in 1990.Diversity, said Thomas, was no longer about complying with a legal mandate but about seeking to create a diverse workforce because it would be beneficial to the organization. Before 1990, most large companies had an Employment Equity and Affirmative Action Officer, usually a lower-level employee who worked in the bowels of the organization compiling statistics about how many employ ees were in targeted groups, eg, people of color and women. This project covers all the aspects of cross culture to the managing diversity by HUL. This project includes primary data analysis and the end of project recommendation also to be provided.Content Abstractii Signatory pageiii Topic approval letteriv Acknowledgmentv Approved thesis synopsisvii 1. Introduction 2. company profile 3. literature review 4. research methodology 5. finding and analysis 6. recommendation 7. CONCLUSION 8. Bibliography 9. annexure – questionnaire INTRODUCTION [pic] Today, at the beginning of the 21st century, the world is submerged in a wide range of demographic trends which have the potential to radically change the demographic, cultural and ethical mixture of the population in many countries within just a few decades.Top managers often say that their company's people are its most important asset. In a tight job market and a global economy a company that puts people first – regardless o f their race, religion, gender, age, sexual preference, or physical disability – wins. Companies, especially big multinational players which have to deal with these changes, are growingly forced to react. Employees, once a homogenous group in many countries, are increasingly diverse and need to be integrated within and into working environments.Diversity can present an immense source of opportunities but it can also mean the opposite, a big threat. Diversity management is a managerial approach in response to these trends and can help companies to effectively and efficiently manage their personnel diversity, i. e. personnel made up of diverse and multifaceted people. The text argues that a diverse workforce can be regarded as an instrument of sales promotion, a marketing tool to induce customers to buy certain products or services.To be successful at creating workforce diversity program involves attracting and retaining the highest quality individuals in the talent pool. For t he HR professional it means looking beyond obvious recruitment methods and venues for good people, then learning how to manage human potential sensitively. It requires an ever-increasing awareness of how people from different backgrounds deal with authority, communication, overall business etiquette, and relate to their communities of affiliation. Promoting workforce diversity is a process that takes place in many stages and on many levels.It requires HR professionals first to recruit a competent and qualified staff, then to accommodate individual needs within the context of the work team and the organization. In today's world of cultural diversity, our business can't thrive unless we implement a workforce diversity initiative. Besides tapping into the unique abilities and talents of people from different backgrounds, we can improve our image in the community by opening up a place of business to anyone regardless of race, color, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation and disability. What is diversity? Diversity to us means all aspects in which people differ from one another.This includes both the visible and relatively easily demonstrable personal characteristics such as gender, age and ethnicity, as well as the less visible personal characteristics, such as competencies, needs and wants, work styles and character traits. Each employee has his or her own, unique combination of such characteristics. Another definition describes diversity as creating high performing organizations through valuing and using all the talents of employees of different groups. Regardless of how diversity is defined, it is an issue that is sweeping the nation.If the corporate society does not address the issue by learning how to manage diversity, they will fail. â€Å"It is very helpful to suggest that diversity is not so much an end in itself as it is a condition of our society and the condition of the World in which we live. † Frank Wong Vice President for Academic Affairs Univ ersity of Redlan Diversity Management Managing diversity is one of the most important challenges faced by managers and their organizations. In today’s work environment, co-workers are likely to be of different gender, age, religion, cultural background, race and ethnicity.They also differ in terms of lifestyle, choices available, perspectives, attitudes, value system, beliefs, behaviors, expectations, skills and experiences. These issues are not just about discriminatory practices but they modify the nature and demands placed on leadership and management and bring into prominence the concept of diversity. How well or how prepared managers are able to invest in the concept of diversity will impact not just on work issues but also on sensitivity to customer’s needs, legal compliance, business’ ethical issues, profitability and even social cohesion.Diversity management is a strategic process to manage a diverse workforce-including the fight against stereotypes, pre judice and all kind of discrimination due to the individual perceptions and assumptions- in the manner to maximize the benefit and minimize barriers of different opinions, behavior and attitudes of human beings within a company. PRINCIPLES OF DIVERSITY MANAGEMENT [pic] Categorization of Diversity Management Diversity management can be divided into two categories- 1. The internal effect has an influence on organizational structural changes within the company. 2.The external effect concerns the environment of the company e. g. customers, stakeholders, suppliers etc. The concept of diversity management is extensive; there are various components of diversity as follows: Diversity of ethnicity, nationality and cultures Diversity of demography (gender, age and experience) Diversity of competencies (educational and professional backgrounds) Diversity of organizational functions and processes Diversity of networks (i. e. relationships and communications channels and/or patterns etc. ) Misce llaneous diversity (sexual preferences, occupational disabilities, i. . handicap or physical mobility, etc. ) Work Force as a challenge First, there is an increase in the cost of training. This increase comes from costs associated with seminars, programs and lectures given to promote diversity in the corporation. These types of training are given to all levels of staff within the organization. They teach employees others. These programs also teach one how to deal with conflicts and prejudice in a professional and civil manner. A disadvantage of diversity in the workplace is an increase in conflicts.Conflicts arise when two or more individuals or groups do not see eye to eye on a particular situation. In regard to diversity, conflicts arise largely due to ignorance. Prejudice feelings or derogatory comments cause a lack of acceptance. â€Å"This can produce negative dynamics such as ethnocentrism, stereotyping and culture clashes†. The most common conflict comes from one feeli ng superior. If management ignores such conflicts, the company's performance may suffer. If conflicts can be managed and controlled creativity and performance can be increased.Employers will work harder to gain acceptance by creating a solution or invention first. Increases in labor turnover and absenteeism are another disadvantage in having a diverse workplace. Research has shown that the turnover rate for African Ameri-Ongori and Agolla 075cans in the US workforce is 40 percent greater than whites. Another study by Corning Glass stated that between the years 1980 – 1987, the turnover rate for women in a professional job was two times higher than males. Women also have a 58 percent higher absentee rate than men.Yet, another study shows that a person, who is not a member of the â€Å"inner group†, will be one of the first to leave a company (White, 1999). Some research contradicts the idea that flextime reduces these rates; however absenteeism and turnover can cost a c ompany up to and over $3 million annually. Workforce diversity increases labor turnover and absenteeism in organizations on employee satisfaction and productivity. Employees who perceive themselves as valued members of their organization are harder working, involved, and innovative.Unfortunately, minority-group members often feel less valued than do majority-group members due to stereotyping, ethnocentrism, and prejudice. Mismanagement of diversity in the form of denied access or unfavorable treatment can have negative consequences, such as inhibiting workers' abilities and motivation. Work Force as an Opportunity Managing diversity can create a competitive advantage. Potential benefits of this diversity include better decision making, higher creativity and innovation, greater success in marketing to foreign and domestic ethnic minority communities, and a better distribution of economic opportunity.Organizations with a diverse workforce can provide superior services because they can better understand customers’ needs. Diversity enhances creativity and innovation (Adler, 1997; Jackson et al. , 1992), and produces competitive advantages. Why should we strive for diversity in personnel? An often heard argument to avoid having to put energy into diversity is that it only leads to misunderstanding, undesired formation of groups, communication problems and conflicts in the work force. When put like this, paying attention to diversity seems a useless investment.But demographic developments cannot be ignored. In situations like labor shortage, organizations cannot permit themselves to exclude a substantial part of the labor force. Diversity in personnel has different advantages pertaining to business economics: Attraction for a wider group of customers: more people can identify with the organization. This could increase your turnover; More creativity within the organization: diversity leads to innovative products and services, which is necessary to compete with other businesses; An improved business image: more people see you as an ’employer of choice’.Diversity covers a wide variety of issues, including communicating with employees, whose first language is not English, helping a diverse team cope with conflict, learning which rewards are valued by different groups, and dealing with discrimination. Managers can improve handling of diversity issues by following these eight behaviors. Embrace diversity: Successfully valuing diversity starts with accepting the principle of multiculturalism. Accept the value of diversity for its own sake — not simply because you have to. You need to reflect your acceptance in all you say and do.Recruit broadly: When you have job openings, work to get a diverse applicant pool. Avoid relying on referrals from current employees, since this tends to produce candidates similar to your present workforce. Select fairly: Make sure your selection process doesn’t discriminate. Particularly, ensure that selection tests are job-related. Provide orientation and training for minorities: Making the transition from outsider to insider can be particularly difficult for nontraditional employees. Sensitize all employees: Encourage all employees to embrace diversity.Provide diversity training to help all employees see the value in diversity. Strive to be flexible: Part of valuing diversity is recognizing that different groups have different needs and values. Be flexible in accommodating employee requests Seek to motivate individually: You need to be aware of the background, cultures, and values of employees. What motivates a si0ngle mother with two young children and who is working full time to support her family is likely to be different from the needs of a young, single, part-time employee or an older employee who is working to supplement his or her retirement income.Encourage employees to embrace and value diverse views: Create traditions and ceremonies that promote diversity . Celebrate diversity by accentuating its positive aspects. But also be prepared to deal with the challenges of diversity such as mistrust, miscommunication, and lack of cohesiveness, attitudinal differences, and stress. IMPORTANCE OF DIVERSE WORKFORCE Our Nation is made up of people from diverse backgrounds, cultures, customs and beliefs. It is those differences that contribute to the richness and strength of our society. Like our Nation, the workforce Is also becoming more and more diverse.As a result, in order to recruit, hire and retain the best people from every background and community, we must foster diversity in our workforce, manage it effectively, and value what it has to offer. A diverse workforce is critical for any organization that seeks to improve and maintain a competitive advantage. Focusing on diversity and looking for ways to achieve an inclusive environment is not just a â€Å"nice to have objective,† it makes a good business sense. A diverse workforce off ers greater productivity and a competitive edge.Diversity improves the quality of our workforce and offers a higher return on our investment in human capital. Our agency’s future depends on the quality of employees we recruit today. New employees often consider an organization’s diversity efforts when deciding whether to accept or reject an employment offer. Potential candidates are usually more attracted to employers that are committed to sustaining a diverse workforce. Moreover, diverse perspectives increase creativity as they offer different perspectives, ideas and solutions. BENFITSPeople have a lot of viewpoints and having people from many backgrounds and places in life brings a lot of those viewpoints into the mix. In some situations, a lot of viewpoints give us a lot of options. Plus, since there are many different viewpoints and environments in the workers, there are many opportunities for these different viewpoints to come into the planning of strategic initia tives, allowing the firm to serve a wider group of consumers and interests. The Various . advantages of having a diverse workforce are the following; 1.It helps motivating employees. 2. It enhances the innovation and creativity of employees. 3. It helps in reducing cost. 4. It creates flexibility in the organization. 5. Immediate access to problem solving. 6. Easy transfer of knowledge. 7. Better marketing structure. 8. Innovative work environment. 9. Immediate outcomes. 10. Fulfillment of social responsibility. 11. It helps attract and retain employees. Management of Diversity in leading INC’s A manager or the superior must be aware of the background, cultures, and values of employees.The motivation factors for a full time working mother to support her two young children are different from the needs of a young, single, part-time employee or an older employee who is working to supplement his or her retirement. COMPANY PROFILE Introduction Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL), a 5 1%-owned subsidiary of Anglo-Dutch giant Unilever, has been prying its way into India since 1888. India's largest consumer goods company, HHL markets products such as beverages, food, and home and personal care goods. Its brands include Kwality Wall's ice cream, Lifebuoy soap, Lipton tea, Pepsodent toothpaste, and Surf laundry detergent.HUL markets atta (a type of meal), maize, rice, salt, and specialty chemicals, and its export division ships castor oil and fish. The company also sells bottled water and over-the-counter healthcare products. Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) is India's largest fast moving consumer goods company, with leadership in Home & Personal Care Products and Foods & Beverages. HUL's brands, spread across 20 distinct consumer categories, touch the lives of two out of three Indians. They endow the company with a scale of combined volumes of about 4 million tonnes and sales of Rs. 10,000 crores.The vision that inspires HUL's 32,400 employees (40,000 including Grou p Companies), including about 1,425 managers, is to â€Å"meet everyday needs of people everywhere – to anticipate the aspirations of our consumers and customers and to respond creatively and competitively with branded products and services which raise the quality of life. † This objective is achieved through the brands that the company markets. Business nature HUL is India's largest marketer of Soaps, Detergents and Home Care products. It has the country’s largest Personal Products business, leading in Shampoos, Skin Care Products, Colour Cosmetics, and Deodorants.HUL is also the market leader in Tea, Processed Coffee, branded Wheat Flour, Tomato Products, Ice cream, Soups, Jams and Squashes. HUL is also one of the country's biggest exporters and has been recognized as a Golden Super Star Trading House by the Government of India; it is a net foreign exchange earner. HUL is India's largest exporter of branded fast moving consumer goods. The company's Exports por tfolio includes HUL's brands of Soaps and Detergents, Personal Products, Home Care Products, Tea and Coffe Market leading brands HUL’s brands have become household names. The company’s strategy is to oncentrate its resources on 30 national power brands, and 10 other brands which are strong in certain regions. The top five brands together account for sales of over Rs. 3000 crores. Some of the big brands in Soaps and Detergents are Lifebuoy, Lux, Liril, Hamam, Breeze, Dove, (all soaps), Surf Excel, Surf, Rin, Wheel (the number one detergent brand in India, and HUL's largest), 501, Sunlight (all detergents). HUL also markets the Vim and Domex range of Home Care Products. In the Personal Products business, HUL's Hair Care franchises are Clinic, Sunsilk and Lux shampoos; the company markets Nihar oil.In Oral Care, the portfolio comprises Close-up and Pepsodent toothpastes and toothbrushes. In Skin Care, HUL markets Fair & Lovely Skin Cream and Lotion, the largest selling Sk in Care Product in India; a brand developed in India, it is now exported to over 30 countries. It has been extended as an Ayurvedic cream, an under-eye cream, a soap and a talc, in line with the strategy to take brands across relevant categories. The other major Skin Care franchises are Pond’s, Vaseline, Lakme and Pears. In Colour Cosmetics, HUL markets the Lakme and Elle-18 ranges.In Deodorants, the key brands are Rexona, Axe, Denim and Pond's, while the Talc brands are Pond's, Liril, Fair & Lovely, Vaseline and Lifebuoy. Axe and Denim are HUL’s franchises for Men’s toiletries. SWOT ANALYSIS OF HUL STRENGTHS: ? strong brand portfolio ? consumer understanding ? R ability ? distribution reach ? high quality manpower WEAKNESSES: ? Increased consumer spends on education, consumer durable, entertainment, travel, etc resulting in lower share of wallet for FMCG ? limited success in changing the eating habits of people complex supply chain configuration and unwieldy nu mber of stock keeping units (SKUs) with dispersed manufacturing locations ? price positioning in some categories that allows for low price competition and high social costs in the plantation business. OPPORTUNITIES: ? market and brand growth through increased penetration especially in rural areas ? brand growth through increased consumption depth and frequency of usage across all categories. ? upgrading consumers through innovation to new levels of quality and performance. ? emerging modern trade to be effectively used for introduction of more upscale personal care products. growing consumption in out of home categories. ? Positioning HUL as a sourcing hub for Unilever companies elsewhere and leveraging the latest IT technologies. THREATS: ? low-priced competition now being present in all categories ? grey imports ? spurious/counterfeit products in rural areas and small towns ? Changes in fiscal benefits and unfavorable prices in oils, tea commodity, etc. DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AT HUL Diversity and inclusion is about creating a work force that represents the global communities in which we live and work and ensuring an environment in which every individual’s contributions are valued.A diverse and inclusive environment challenges our way of thinking by bringing together a variety of talents, backgrounds and experiences, and serves as a catalyst for new ideas and innovation. Discovering and developing the best ways to make our differences work – for the good of our enterprise, our employees, our vendors and our communities – is an ongoing process. We believe that these contributions and differences drive our competitive business advantage, stimulate personal growth and ultimately create success for the company.In our most recent employee opinion survey, ConocoPhillips maintained a high level of satisfaction for creating an environment where people with diverse backgrounds can succeed. [pic] |2009 Global Diversity Metrics – HINDUSTAN U NILEVER | |  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Leadership  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   All Employees | |Women  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  12. 4%  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   23. % | |Non-U. S. Employees   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   12. 9%  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   33. 2% | |2 009 U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Statistics   | |  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Officials and Managers  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Professionals | |Women  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   15. 1%  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   28. %  Ã‚  Ã‚   | |Minorities  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   11. 9%  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã ‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   17. 7% | Our diversity and inclusion statement captures our commitment to creating an inclusive work environment. Managers and supervisors are instrumental in developing and progressing global diversity and inclusion initiatives. In 2008, this was reinforced and renewed by communication from our CEO to employees about the importance of enhancing our focus on people through four key areas: Development – Providing career-long learning and development opportunities that maximize every employee’s potential and performance. †¢ Retention – Valuing all employees’ contributions; and providing challenging and rewarding jobs, as well as competitive compensation that is linked to performance. †¢ Recruiting – Hiring the best talent from around the world to support our global operations. †¢ Global Outreach – Partnering with professional organiza tions that can both help us in how we approach diversity and provide us greater access to diverse talent in our recruiting efforts.Our businesses and corporate staffs incorporate People Plans into their five-year operating plans. These plans include the strategies and tactics that are needed to ensure the optimum workforce size and capability over time. We monitor the progress on our People Plans twice a year to help drive accountability. We review demographic information on nationalization, recruiting, attrition, promotion, and the identification and development of future leaders. These metrics plus the efforts taken are used to assess progress and ensure that operating plans are successfully executed.The results of these metrics and efforts are assessed and tied to the performance-based incentives for managers and supervisors. Employee network groups exist globally and play an important role toward achieving the company’s long-term diversity and inclusion objectives. Each g roup is sponsored by a senior executive and is empowered to determine their key activities, while also providing input for the company's diversity and inclusion programs. For example, in our Houston headquarters, networks are established to support women, people of African descent, Asian-Americans and Hispanics.These groups meet regularly to network, develop professional skills and support community activities. Beginning in 2009, employee network groups will be integrally involved in the company's recruiting activities. To provide further access to best practices, innovative thinking and talent, in 2009, the company has formed strategic partnerships with five diverse professional organizations representing the African-American, Asian-American, Hispanic, and female professional communities. Arrangements also have been established with six new diversity job boards.We anticipate that these partnerships and arrangements will increase our access to a more diverse talent pool, and will su pplement existing external relationships already maintained by our businesses around the world. Ethnic background of the workforce in the companies [pic] Additionally, employees have participated in external diversity programs in order to enhance their professional development, and cultivate new ideas and share them with their colleagues. In July 2008, interested employees ttended the Black Woman’s Leadership Summit, which offered a unique networking opportunity with global decision-makers, challenged attendees to further develop critical skills, and defined specific tools to use to assure their career success. The 2008 Asian Leadership Summit was attended by employees who gained insight into how global companies are leveraging and growing their Asian leadership talent. The Summit also highlighted Asia’s expanding markets and work force, and several speakers addressed how cultural traditions impact their professional and personal life.To help employees achieve balance between work and their personal health and well-being, ConocoPhillips offers a number of programs in different parts of the world, including: flexible work schedules, corporate wellness, educational assistance, local volunteer programs, the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and family-friendly corporate events. Individual locations also provide other programs based on local employee needs and cultural expectations. As an example, to promote greater diversity, inclusion and work/life balance, the Australian business unit created a work environment that provides increased employment flexibility.The program includes flexible work schedules and paid maternity and paternity leave provisions, and has been successful in encouraging more women to consider engineering, geoscience and geodata roles. In late 2008, HUL was recognized by the HUL Government with the Business Achievement Award for Outstanding Workplace Flexibility and internally with a SPIRIT Award for their efforts to promote a m ore inclusive workplace. Hindustan Lever created Shakti, a direct-to-consumer sales distribution network to reach millions of consumers in remote villages in India.Shakti taps into women's self-help groups and has been successful for both the company and women entrepreneurs. Started in 2003, the Shakti network has grown to over 45,000 micro-entrepreneurs selling products in 100,000 villages in India. The model creates profitable micro-enterprise opportunities. Armed with micro-credit, women from self-help groups become Shakti Entrepreneurs: direct-to-home distributors in rural markets. This micro-enterprise offers low risks and steady returns. The products distributed are some of the country's most trusted brands of consumer goods, nd include a range of mass-market products especially relevant to rural consumers. The company invests resources in training the entrepreneurs, helping them become confident, independent businesswomen. A typical entrepreneur earns a sustained monthly inco me of US$60 on average. As most of these women live below the poverty line in extremely small villages, this earning is very significant, often doubling household income. Further, this income is totally incremental as a woman entrepreneur spends about five hours a week on this initiative without compromising other economic activities.The company provides regular support to the entrepreneurs by providing on-the job and classroom training. Various social activities like medical camps and education programs are run with the intention of increasing the credentials of Shakti Entrepreneurs in the village and enhancing the standard of life of the rural community. After its success in India, the model was replicated in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka as Joyeeta and Saubhagya respectively, followed by a similar initiative in Vietnam, as strategic and long term cooperation between Unilever Vietnam Foundation and the Viet Nam Women Union.Hindustan Unilever also started in 2003 the Fair & Lovely Found ation, which aims at economic empowerment of women across India by providing information, resources and support in the areas of education, career and enterprise. It specifically targets women from low-income groups. The Foundation awards scholarships to women with aptitude, drive and the ambition to carve a place of pride for themselves in society who do not have the financial strength to realize their dreams. Since 2003, over 500 scholarships have been awarded to women from across India LITRATURE REVIEWThroughout the 1990's, diversity continued to be about the numbers of different kinds of people in the workforce as a whole and at each level. Diversity staffs tried to increase the number of people of color and women in their organizations. They saw this primarily as a hiring task. During that decade, the definition of diversity expanded. Diversity came to include many dimensions beyond gender and race: age, class, disability, ethnicity, family situation, religion, and sexual orient ation. Companies started to pay attention to their representation of all these groups.It became clear over the years that it was not enough to focus on hiring alone. It became important to retain â€Å"diverse† workers, as well. Some organizations were astonished to learn that after years of effort, they had fewer African Americans than they had earlier. Companies became aware that for the most part the upper ranks of their organizations remained heavily white and predominately male. These were the years when companies offered diversity awareness training and diversity skills training to help their newly diverse employees work well together.It's the culture Today, in the 2000's, as organizations try to retain diverse employees in their workforce, companies have started looking at the quality of these employees' experience in the organization. Do employees in all groups and categories feel comfortable and welcomed in the organization? Do they feel included and do they experien ce the environment as inclusive? To answer these questions, diversity staffs need to assess their environment and identify the barriers to inclusion, whether they are practices, policies, or the informal culture of the organization.Having identified barriers, the job of the diversity staff is to change the company culture and to create an inclusive workplace environment. Systems and policies As inclusion becomes the focus of diversity work, the attention switches to the systems, policies and practices of the company. Several systems influence the degree to which the climate is inclusive: †¢ Communications †¢ Work assignment †¢ Training and education †¢ Performance management †¢ Mentoring †¢ Coaching †¢ Hiring †¢ Career development †¢ Flexible work arrangements; and †¢ Managers' accountability.Companies that are known for their inclusive climate do not rely on the goodwill of their managers but work hard so that each organizational sy stem is equitable. Once barriers are identified, they take action to address them. Each system is analyzed to determine the degree to which it provides equitable access and benefits to all employees. Creating an inclusive environment: a case study Here is an example of how one company addressed inclusion issues. A division of an institute in the defense industry had the reputation of not being welcoming to women.For years, they had experienced difficulty in both hiring and retaining female employees at all levels but particularly in the highest ranks of management. For years they clung to the idea that what they needed to do was to hire two or three high-level women. But to their chagrin, as soon as they would hire a new high-level female executive, it seemed one of the other high-level women would resign. At first they explained these recurrent departures in terms of the personalities of the women – â€Å"She has family problems,† â€Å"She is too aggressive,† or â€Å"She is too timid. Gradually it dawned on them that these resignations were not about the women, they were about the culture and the organizational climate. This led to a whole new strategy. The director of the division created a Diversity Task Force to suggest and implement changes that would create a more inclusive workplace in order to support the efforts to recruit and retain women. The Task Force was supported with resources and time for its work. Guided by an organizational consultant and working in small action teams, they first conducted a series of focus groups to identify the issues and concerns of women in the division.Then they moved into action, devising a number of changes and short-term projects to address the important issues. As soon as a team implemented a change or completed a project, they took on another. Here are some of their accomplishments over the first two years: †¢ They created a buddy system for all new employees †¢ Senior Managers hos ted a series of lunches to meet lower-level women engineers and learn about their projects †¢ All brochures about the division were revised to include pictures of women †¢ They created a ebsite where articles about women in the workplace were posted †¢ They developed a special relationship with a women's engineering college, inviting students from that college to come on-site for field trips and setting up summer internships for women undergraduate engineers †¢ They instituted networking and professional development events for women †¢ Senior managers attended two training programs, â€Å"Men and Women Working Together† and â€Å"Flexibility. Two of their learnings about creating an inclusive climate were: 1) It doesn't take huge amounts of money to make significant progress; and 2) Changing an organizational culture is about doing many small things, not one or two big things. In reality, as this story attests, creating an inclusive environment is ab out a hundred small changes. As you look at your own organization, ask yourself: What are we doing, in ways large or small, to move from yesterday's diversity to today's need for inclusion?In a knowledge economy, it is people—not capital or market—who make all the difference. As talent occupies centre stage in the Indian workplace, managing and retaining manpower is becoming crucial to an organization's success. To achieve this, companies across sectors are focusing on some of the more critical HR practices. We identify 10 such trends: Leadership Development Creating a pipeline of leadership talent is key to a business' future growth.Peter Cappelli, the George W Taylor professor of management and director of the Center for Human Resources, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, says it is imperative for the top level of an organization to make leadership talent management a priority, and put its money into long-term plans, as opposed to short-term ones. If com panies are worried about their talent pipeline, they have to develop their people, says Cappelli.Also, good bench strength helps companies deal with volatility in labour supply. â€Å"Companies including Hindustan Unilever, Procter and Gamble and GlaxoSmithKline have been able to withstand attrition in key executives because they have always invested in developing leaders,† says P. Dwarakanath, president, National Human Resource Development Network. Experts say succession planning should not be seen in isolation, but as part of overall organizational development. Work-life BalanceNo company or employee has found the Holy Grail of balancing work and life, but that is a work in progress. However, multinationals, information technology (IT) and IT enabled services (ITeS) companies have been able to promote the balance between career, family and leisure-time better. Other sectors have also been increasingly promoting a work-life balance. Interestingly, most companies in India use benefits such as flexible timings, telecommuting, creche facilities and concierge services as an attraction and retention strategy. We are yet to fully buy into the fact that employees become more productive and remain motivated when companies allow them to have a life beyond work,† says Prabir Jha, global head, human resources, Dr Reddy's Laboratories Ltd. Experts say companies should see the work-life balance as a business proposition since progressive companies carry business forward with employees and families. Inclusion and Diversity With higher numbers of Gen Yers joining the workforce in India at a time when companies across the world have an ageing workforce on their rolls, conflicts are to be expected. One of the challenges companies face today is resolving conflicts among different generations,† says Pavan Bhatia, executive director, human resources, PepsiCo India Holdings Pvt. Ltd. â€Å"An inclusive and diverse workforce is the future of the workplace,† he adds. Therefore, companies are investing both time and resources in ensuring that all age groups are comfortable working together. Organizations in India have also been focusing on making workplaces more representative.For companies such as ICICI Bank Ltd, Hindustan Unilever Ltd, Vedanta Resources, PepsiCo India, Shell Companies in India and Bharti Airtel Ltd, gender diversity has become a critical area of focus. â€Å"Diversity is a business imperative since it brings diverse skills, ideas and approach to an organization,† says Pallavi Tyagi, general manager, human resources, EI DuPont India Pvt. Ltd. Health and wellness The work culture at globalized workplaces involves long working hours, frequent travel, multitasking and tight deadlines—and all this often leaves employees mentally and physically stressed. Employees are increasingly grappling with lifestyle-related diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and cholesterol, which can be checked by regular monitor ing and a healthy lifestyle,† says A. Sudhakar, executive vice-president, human resources, Dabur India. Companies have begun to realize that healthy employees contribute to higher efficiency and productivity. Apart from medical benefits, companies are also offering yoga classes and health camps and have doctors on campus. HCL Technologies Ltd, for instance, like many other IT companies, has 24/7 medical facilities in all its centres.DuPont has an Intranet-based tool, which assesses an employee's health through a questionnaire and makes recommendations based on the scores. Right Skilling Right skilling, or matching jobs with a particular level of training rather than hiring overskilled workers, is gaining currency. Companies use this strategy to tide over a manpower supply crunch and to broaden their talent base. â€Å"You don't need an IITian to supervise a car maker's shop floor or a management graduate from a premier business school to sell soaps, which largely has been the case,† says T.V. Mohandas Pai, head, human resources, Infosys Technologies Ltd. Apart from IT and ITeS firms, organizations in the banking and financial services sector, too, have been increasingly hiring graduates and training them. The upside? Lower attrition rates and wage costs. Pai explains that when you have an over-qualified employee, it is very difficult to meet her aspiration levels and, therefore, the chances of the employee moving on to something more challenging are higher. Managing Solid Citizens Solid citizens† are the second-rung performers who make up 50-60% of employees in any organization. They are the backbone of any company. Although they contribute significantly to the company's overall performance, they don't have the potential to become leaders. â€Å"Unfortunately, most organizations focus on the 15-20% key talent at the expense of solid citizens,† says Dwarakanath. Organizations which neglect their solid citizens are doing this at their o wn peril, say experts.Unlike star performers who are potential leaders, and therefore more likely to move out of an organization faster, this group provides stability and bench strength to an organization. Experts say companies need to take a fresh look at solid citizens and invest time and resources in managing and developing this group Instant Rewards Recognizing and rewarding performers is one of the most effective tools to attract and retain the right talent. Companies in India are looking at rewards systems more seriously, and are adopting total rewards practices that include compensation in both cash and kind.Apart from lifestyle perquisites such as a house, a car or a club membership, profit-linked incentives, deferred gratuity, and wealth-building programmes in the form of stock options and soft loans, companies are also including work-life balance programmes; competency pay packages where niche skills are compensated; and career opportunities, such as overseas assignments, new projects, etc. , to reward staff. These rewards can be tailored to suit the top performers' aspirations to achieve maximum effect. Measuring human capitalEvaluation of performance plays a key role, not just in rewarding an individual employee, but also in setting performance benchmarks. And hence, the need for a fair and transparent performance management system. A strong performance analysis helps make human resources both efficient and effective. â€Å"In today's business environment, where the focus is on increasing performance, companies must have robust systems to identify performers so that the best performers get identified, recognized and duly rewarded,† says Ganesh Shermon, partner and head, human capital advisory service, KPMG India.Shermon cites the example of oil and gas company Bharat Petroleum Ltd, which has instituted a balanced scorecard based on key result areas to measure performance. Managing Aspirations As aspirations of organizations grow, so do those of employees. And, with the changing lifestyles and profiles of the workforce, personal and professional aspirations of employees are not just varied, but are increasingly on the rise. â€Å"Since competitive advantage depends on competent people, knowing what employees aspire for could just be the way to have an edge over competitors,† says Kishore Poduri, head, human resources, eClerxServices Ltd. Experts say people as well as organizations have aspirations, and when the two get aligned, achieving business goals becomes easier. Dwarakanath suggests companies should be clear about goals of individuals as well as of the organization, and the role each needs to play. The firm should also communicate the goals, and have robust and reliable processes to execute them, he adds. 360 degrees feedback Finally, recognizing the need to make performance appraisal systems more effective, an increasing number of companies are using the 360 degrees or multi-rater feedback process.Unlike t he traditional appraisal system, which gives unidimensional feedback, this one allows an employee to give feedback to her reporting manager, peers, direct reports and others. â€Å"Multi-rater feedback not only reduces the risk of biased perceptions, but also gives you a holistic view from all the stakeholders within the company,† says Sanjay Bali, vice-president, HR, Samsung India Electronics Pvt. Ltd. While most companies started using this system as a means for performance appraisal, most of them now use the 360 degrees feedback system to identify the learning and development needs of employees.This section of the review of literature focuses on the concept of Social Style as developed by Merrill and Reid (1981). The section begins with the history of the development of Social Style through Merrill and Reid. The next section focuses on the progression of Social Style since its conception. The origins of Social Style theories are found among the American Behaviorists of the 1950s and 1960s. During this time the field of psychology underwent a shift towards behaviorism and away from psychoanalysis. This shift on the part of psychologists was an attempt to demonstrate that their research was grounded in rigorous cientific principles and worthy of serious consideration within the broader scientific community (Merrill & Reid, 1981). Behavior and interaction were easily observed, manipulated and, most importantly, quantified. The concept of Social Style developed from theories that were evolving during this time period (Merrill & Reid, 1981). In the 1950s the United States Office of Naval Research, working in conjunction with researchers from Ohio State University, articulated a theory of style as a result of their attempts to discover the components of effective leadership (Merrill & Reid, 1981).Researchers developed a list of descriptive behaviors, then asked various people to identify those behaviors they felt demonstrated good leadership. In the end, 1 50 behaviors were identified as characteristic behaviors of good leadership. Factor analysis was done to organize the terms into categories. â€Å"Next, several questionnaires were developed to determine which factor characterized the best leader, but no reliable results were obtained† (Merrill & Reid, 1981, p. 41). Fred Fiedler determined that the research was flawed because it examined eadership in a vacuum. He decided to take context into consideration. His research concluded that effective styles of leadership vary depending upon different situations (Merrill & Reid, 1981). From this background research Merrill and Reid began to study the concept of style in the 1960s. They borrowed a questionnaire that was developed in the early 1960s by James Taylor, a staff psychologist at a large corporation. Taylor developed his questionnaire by asking corporate employees to mark the adjectives that they felt described their own behavior.Through testing he narrowed his original list from 2331 adjectives to 150 adjectives. Through factor analysis of the responses to the narrowed adjective checklist, Taylor found a tendency for clustering of adjectives. He then developed five scales that took into account this clustering effect. The original five scales of human behavior were â€Å"1) self-confident; 2) considerate; 3) conforming; 4) thoughtful; and 5) rigid†. With Taylor’s permission, Merrill and Reid adapted his research and worked towards creating what is now known as Social Style.Conforming to the behaviorist thought of the day, Merrill and Reid altered the way that respondents answered the questionnaire. Instead of marking adjectives describing one’s own behavior, others were asked to report on the subject. This method would be more like clinical research in that it would provide only observable patterns of behavior. Another change Merrill and Reid made was to do a second factor analysis, where they found significant clustering around on ly three scales rather than five. The scales that would from then on determine Social Style were 1) assertiveness, 2) responsiveness, and 3) versatility.As defined by Merrill and Reid (1981) assertiveness is the tendency one has to â€Å"ask† or â€Å"tell† in an effort to influence the decisions of others; responsiveness is a dimension that indicates whether a person â€Å"emotes† or â€Å"controls† feelings. Assertiveness and responsiveness were then put together to become the two scales that form the Social Style Profile, a questionnaire designed to determine Social Style. It is important to note the third scale, versatility. This third dimension of human behavior is not affected by the other two. It often is tested separately.Merrill and Reid even provide a separate questionnaire for determining an individual’s versatility. Versatility is determined by the amount of endorsement, approval of behavior, that we receive from others with whom we int eract. Since it is a separate dimension that does not effect how an individual is plotted within the orthogonal Social Style matrix, this study will not look at the effects of an individual’s level of versatility. Further research may want to investigate the sex-role effects on an individual’s level of versatility.Psychometric properties: As discussed earlier, psychometric properties include an instrument’s reliability and validity. Because Social Style questionnaires have been used primarily in a corporate environment rather than an academic one, information regarding the psychometric properties of Social Style measures is limited and contradictory. Most corporations that sell these instruments make claims about the reliability and validity of the instruments that often are not confirmed by independent research.Although there has been little research regarding the psychometric properties of these scales, they continue to be used widely by corporations. With thi s deficit in mind I suggest that data gathered during the present study should be used to conduct tests for reliability and validity on the Social Style instrument. Only continued testing of these instruments will allow for certainty of their ability to do what they are designed to do. The next section will look at the applications of Social Style.With hot topics like globalization and cross-cultural opportunities in the Asia Pacific rim, one might think it would be easy to research the implications of cross cultural issues. Rather, what the writer found was a significant discussion all around the periphery but little in-depth analysis. Discussion prevailed on the socio-economic and technological ramifications. Others resources focused on the language issues but little work was intuitively available on the subtleties of cross cultural issues one may encounter.Based on experience working in the Asia Pacific rim for two years as a PMO Manager, and training PM’s in many European countries, I decided that understanding international socio-cultural issues encountered in business is essentially at the heart of the issues companies will encounter in globalizing operations. Therefore, the writer will approach the crosscultural issues from a personalized understanding based on his many months of first hand mistakes in understanding cultural issues encountered in Asia Pacific.I will base my observations of cross-cultural issues on my experiences in working most closely with individuals from China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan, and India. Naturally there are more countries in the Pacific Rim but these mentioned provided the most opportunity for interaction. I want to also acknowledge the contributions of my wife, Helena Shiu Leung Chow Ballow, whom I initially met in Asia. Her wisdom, coaching, and meaningful insights on the many differences between Western and Eastern business and cultural practices were, and remain till this day, illuminating, h elpful and daunting.Clearly we all understand to some degree the impact of cultural issues in communications. If nothing else, we have encountered situations where language was the barrier. But language may be the smallest of the issues when dealing with other cultures. Even when we pull out our Translation Guides or employ translators we may get pass some of the language difficulties. But from the writer’s experience, language is the least of the issues. Ingrained and systemic patterns of cultural behaviours can be so subtle as to completely deny meaningful communications.I found a really good example of just how easily cultural variances can cause communications problems. In this case the issues was â€Å"psychological filtering† of appearance or gesture. I would think is would also be easy for the reader to extrapolate this example into some experiences that may have encountered even in the West. Timofeev (2002), in an article in National Concepts and Globalization, provided the following example: â€Å"The idea or rather the hypothesis that underlies this paper was stimulated by a trivial chat with a friend of mine.Being a linguist by trade, Russian by origin and living in Finland, she is well aware of cross-cultural discrepancies and provided me with a curious example. It was a TV commercial of an international brand of Persil washing powder. Two young ladies were shown sitting in a crowded place, some restaurant or a cafe. One of the ladies notices quite a peculiar manner her friend has chosen to wear her wristwatch. It was placed above the cuff of her blouse. It turned out in a second that the only reason for placing her watch there was to cover some stain that regular detergents failed to deal with. Oh dear, you should use Persil instead! † When multinationals develop into or with other countries there may be an assumption that because everyone within the company is working for the same goals and to the same values, they will autom atically communicate, think and view the world in the same way. When multiple cultures begin working together, problems or difficulties arise that many people within these companies are not skilled or adept enough to deal with effectively. This can simply be because they've never had to deal with the issue before. Language is often the least difficult barrier to breach.When we know there may be language differences, we have a greater awareness of the potential for problems. However, much more often it's a completely different way of seeing things and an inability, or unwillingness, to see what the other person is seeing that causes the difficulties. Misunderstanding is the norm At Impact Factory we say that ‘misunderstanding is the norm'. We assume that because the other person knows our language (or we know theirs) that we speak the same language. Often we don't. Even when our ‘Mother' tongue is the same, we don't speak it the same way.When we work with other cultures, it's easy to be influenced by common stereotypes, misconceptions and prejudices about our new colleagues. Without realising it, we carry those misconceptions and stereotypes into meetings, conferences, trainings or even social gatherings that can make communication difficult and hard work. In our own culture (where we feel at ‘home'), we are all individuals with a host of differences; yet there are so many similarities that the differences can seem negligible. There appears to be more in common than may actually be so, but somehow we absorb and adjust to the differences.When we are abroad, or even in our own home territory working with others from abroad, the differences are far more apparent and it becomes much harder to see the similarities. ‘Home' is that place where we feel most comfortable. The landscape looks familiar and we know the signposts that tell us where we are. When we are away from ‘home' we may try to recreate that landscape: we surround ourselves with people who are like us; we join clubs where we're all similar; we may even try to get the ‘aliens' to be more like us so that we feel more comfortable.Not only that, if we start having difficulties with someone, it seems easier to focus on the differences and to start gathering ‘evidence' to support our case about how difficult they are, than to look for the common ground which might lead to a resolution. We might even create a hurdle out of a hillock! Changing you to change others Life would certainly be a lot simpler if other people would just shape up and see things our way! As ridiculous as that statement looks when written out, that is often what we think when things aren't going well, particularly when communication starts breaking down.We wait for the other person to change so we’ll be all right (‘If only he'd listen to me I'd be fine. ‘ ‘If only she'd be clearer I could get my work done more efficiently. ‘). All of us at some t ime or another have thought something similar. The reality is: the only person you can change is you. When you are the ‘interloper' you can't afford to wait for the other person to change and see things your way. If you are in trouble and it feels as though people won't meet you halfway, unless you change and do something different, communication will continue to disintegrate.Even if you aren't the interloper but are working at ‘home' with someone from another culture, waiting for the other person to change could mean a long wait. The really good news The really good news is that something can be done about these difficulties that doesn't require you to change everything about you. It is far easier to make small adjustments, tweaks and fine-tunings in order to become a more effective and aware communicator when working cross-culturally. On an Impact Factory Cross-Cultural programme delegates:Examine how to look after themselves whilst changing the outcome of difficult or complex communications. Practise how to be in charge of the way communication happens. Look at some of the things that separate cultures and create unnecessary misunderstanding. Discover how they can adapt their behaviour without being in conflict with who they are. A Cross-Cultural Programme looks at: †¢ Diversity of Difference Terms of Reference and Language Assumptions Projection and Perception Images (media, historical) Beliefs and Traditions Avoiding Avoidance Finding Common Ground Spheres of Influence Blame vs.What CAN I do Conflict Resolution and Negotiation (Creating Win/Win solutions) Dealing with Misunderstandings Getting what you want Delegate's specific situations and difficulties Companies that have asked us to include material on cross-cultural issues have been concerned that the vital work of their companies can get compromised (or at least, slowed down) if problems (or potential problems) are not brought into the open and addressed. For instance, Nokia Communic ations knows that there are communication issues between Finland and Britain, because in general Finns and Brits communicate differently sometimes very differently). People from each culture think they are making adjustments and accommodations to suit the other, but those changes are not necessarily the ones that are needed: they are often the ones that people assume are needed! Impact Factory would be pleased to provide a complete proposal with a more detailed outline of the course content. Naturally, a full day's training will provide a comprehensive look at the issues involved. However, Impact Factory is able to offer a Cross-Cultural Programme in a four-hour module to individuals who already communicate at a relatively high level.I will present the materials in a table format such that it may be easier to digest. A simple summary provided by Bhagat et al (2002 provides a good stepping-stone for analysis of the cross-cultural issues: Cross-border transfer of organizational knowle dge is most effective in terms of both velocity and viscosity when the type of knowledge (i. e. , human, social, or structured) being transferred is simple, explicit, and independent and when such transfers involve similar cultural contexts.In contrast, transfer is least effective when the type of knowledge being transferred is complex, tacit, and systemic and involves dissimilar cultural contexts. (p. 204) Table 1: Cross-cultural Implications – Asian (China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Taiwan, Singapore, Japan) and the West [pic] †¢ [pic] [pic] Because most of the areas discussed in Table 1 also apply to Indian culture, we will only look at a few areas that are subtle variances in implications. This time I will ask the reader to think about the implications based on a review of Table 1. Let’s see if you have started to figure it out. [pic] [pic] Applications of Social StyleAt the time that Merrill and Reid developed Social Style they primarily focused on insurance sales agents as participants when developing their Social Style questionnaires. Since the development of the concept of Social Style, researchers have focused on determining other areas to which the concept of Social Style also would apply. This section will look at the applications for Social Style. Most research has looked at how Social Style can aid in organizational communication through training, consulting, and staff development. Other social science research has taken a more academic look at Social Style.This section will be divided into the areas of corporate application and social science research. Corporate application: The