American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) and Violence Against Literature review

American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) and Violence Against Women in US - Literature review Example In this paper, therefore, the dynamics of violence against women will be judged with reference to socio-economic pattern of the USA. In Declaration on the Elimination of Violence against Women, the United Nations (1993) defined violence as â€Å"any act of gender-based violence that results in, or is likely to result in, physical, sexual, or psychological harm or suffering to women, including threats of such acts, coercion, or arbitrary deprivation of liberty, whether occurring in public or in private life† (Article 1). Decoding this definition reveals the fact that violence against women includes all types of physical, verbal and sexual assaults that can cause harm to the physical body, sense of trust, of liberty and that of private life of women (Runyan & Peterson, 2013; Alhabib, Nur & Jones, 2010). In the USA, the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) was established in 1994 in order to create a protective shield, restricting rise in violence against women in the country. The VAWA (1994) defined violence as the exertion of any physical force intended to cause an injury or abuse to women. Such definitions ar e applicable regardless of nationality, age, racial orientation and ethnicity of women. In the USA, more than 2 million women are either physically assaulted or raped by their intimate partners (Tjaden & Thoennes, 2000; Matthews, 2004; Grovert, 2008). Alhabib, Nur, and Jones (2010) found that â€Å"the lifetime prevalence of domestic violence† changes significantly with that of geographic locations across the USA. For example, â€Å"the lifetime prevalence of domestic violence† is just 1.9% in Washington, while it is more than 68% in case of countryside in the USA. In the context of the USA, physical violence is probably the most common type of violence that is committed against women (Turner, 2002). In case of physical violence, one person intentionally hurts physical parts of woman that can cause outcomes such as, murder, femicide

Holy Roman Empire Essay Example for Free

Holy Roman Empire Essay The spread of Lutheranism from 1521-1555 occurred due to many reasons in addition to the lack of strong central government. Other reasons include the fact that Charles V held many roles and therefore had other priorities that were more important than dealing with Lutheranism, the role of Fredrick the Wise and other Lutheran leaders and princes, and finally the appeal and popularity of Lutheranism which ultimately lead to the strength and the growth of the Luther movement. Perhaps the other reasons would not have happened if there was not a lack of central government, which suggests that this was the most important reason; however it is clear that these reasons all interlink, for example the princes may have never supported Luther’s ideas if he did not appeal to them, thus leading to the growth of Lutheranism. Due to the complexity of the causes it is difficult to judge the most important factor, but it is fair to say that there was no stand-alone cause which led to the spread of Lutheranism, but a range of contributing factors. Firstly, the lack of strong central government in the Holy Roman Empire allowed the spread of Lutheranism to occur without prevention. This is largely due to the over 300 self-governing states, meaning that Charles’ influence was limited. This prince’s autonomy meant that the princes had acquired sovereign authority in their own territories, and Charles had little authority. So when Charles attempted to act against rulers who supported Luther he found that Catholic princes did not support him as they were fearful of an increase in the Emperor’s power. This political division ensured the establishment of a Lutheran church, and his supporters and allies were able to capitalise on Fredrick the Wises’ actions and the absence of Charles V when he was dealing with other issues. Another example of the weakness was the Wahlkapitulation. This was also very limiting for Charles, as he had to consult the Electors and the Reichstag on all imperial matters, for example in Augsburg in 1530 when the princes said no to him. It also meant that he could not bring in foreign troops, for example his Spanish troops, to possibly invade Saxony and arrest Luther. This gave Luther further protection on top of the protection he received from Fredrick the Wise. In the 1530s peoples preferred to see the spread of Lutheranism than an increase in the Emperors power, which is due to increased princely particularism. So, all of these reasons ultimately lead to a spread of Lutheranism because the fact that the princes were gaining more power meant that they could make decisions for their own territories, and it became increasingly difficult for Charles to prevent them from becoming Lutheran. Charles V was very preoccupied during the period when Lutheranism was spreading, and ultimately it was not at the top of his priority list. The conflicting priorities of Charles’ extensive yet fragmented Empire were a cause of weakness, thus linking to a weakness in the structure of the Empire. Even in cases of emergency he was not often able to devote his full attention to any cause because he had such a vast area to manage. Examples of Charles’ other priorities include Spain, France and the Ottoman Empire. Charles felt it was necessary to remain in Germany to make sure the Edict of Worms was carried out; however he was forced to travel to Spain to deal with riots that had broken out there, meaning he could not return to Germany for another 8 years. He was also preoccupied with the on-going Habsburg-Valois conflict with France, which was fought in Northern Italy and demanded a lot of Charles attention. Finally the Turks were a cause of problem for Charles, as they were threatening Charles Empire hugely. Charles’ conflicting priorities meant that he could not devote attention to preventing the spread of Lutheranism. In comparison to the structure of the empire, this was not as significant due to the spread of Lutheranism because despite it being out of control, Charles could have delegated other people to carry out his roles in other countries so he could focus on Luther, however the lack strong central government was a key structural issue in the empire and the determination of the princes was out of Luther’s control. The role of Fredrick the Wise and other Lutheran princes was key in the spread of Lutheranism because Fredrick not only protected Luther in the years leading up to the Edict of Worms, but he continued to work for Luther and promoted the religion that Luther stood for. He always suggested an alternative way instead of flatly disagreeing with the Emperor to still keep relationships stable. He argued that Luther’s ideas needed to be considered more carefully, suggesting that the issue should be decided in a council of the German Church. This idea was popular because of its appeal, and Fredrick was presented as a reasonable man. All of this work done by Fredrick led to the strength and growth of the Lutheran movement, as it also increased his popularity. The support of the Luther princes was less of an influence on the spread of Lutheranism than the structure of the Empire, because the Structure of the Empire allowed these princes to follow Luther’s ideas due to increasing princely particularism, and despite Fredrick’s role playing a significant part, it is still on a smaller scale than the structure of the entire empire. Finally, the appeal of Lutheranism meant that he gained popularity rapidly. This is partially to do with the failure of the church in the early 16the century, and increasing hostility due to clerical abuses, such as Simony, and poor quality of pastoral care from people’s parish priests. Luther highlighted these problems with the Church and therefore people supported Luther’s ideas of sola scriptura and sola fida. This increased popularity led to the strength and growth of the Luther movement. By the 1540’s people’s attitudes had changed, and as a whole generation of people had grown up with Luther’s ideas around them it made it incredibly difficult for Charles to eliminate Luther’s ideas, or prevent further spreading. The Diet of Regensburg in 1541 also saw a change in Charles attitude. Charles had decided military action was necessary to bring Luther supporters back into the Catholic Church, which highlights the size of the growth of Lutheranism, as he thought he needed to sort them out immediately. However things changed again in 1555 as Charles was forced to accept Lutheranism in the religious Peace of Augsburg where the impossibility of reuniting Christendom was finally recognised. It declared that, in each state there was to be one religion, either Catholicism or Lutheranism, and the princes were to decide, thus linking back to princely particularism again, and it marked a huge change for the religion of the empire. For the first times Charles accepts Lutheranism and does not try to prevent it. The appeal of Lutheranism was fundamental, because it resulted in support and without support Lutheranism would have never grown to the extent it did. However it does not seem as fundamental as the structure of the empire because it was such a large issue. In conclusion the structure of the government is a fundamental cause in the spread of Lutheranism because it has the largest impact because it affects the entire empire. The fact that Charles V had other priorities meant that he could not deal with or prevent the spread, but it did not encourage the spread in any way, the spread was encouraged due to the princely particularism that occurred because of the structure of the empire. Therefore the lack of Charles V’s attention was probably the least important contributing factor. Both the role of Fredrick and the other Lutheran princes and the appeal of Lutheranism result in the strength and growth of Lutheranism, therefore this is also an important reason, because if Lutheranism was not popular then it would have never have grown and spread. Consequently, even though there are important factors which clearly contribute largely to the spread, it is clear that the structure of the empire was the most important reason promoting the spread of Lutheranism because it encouraged princes to be independent and make their own decision, thus taking power away from the Emperor, and ultimately changing to Lutheran states.

Yeats’s Versification in ‘Adam’s Curse’ and ‘the Wild Swans at Coole’ Essay Example for Free

Yeats’s Versification in ‘Adam’s Curse’ and ‘the Wild Swans at Coole’ Essay How do the characters of Therese, Laurent and Meursault change after they have committed their respective murders? The protagonists in both the novels â€Å"Therese Raquin† by Emile Zola, and â€Å"The Outsider† by Albert Camus, ultimately commit murder. This is the turning point in both cases, and the way in which their various characters change because of this will be analysed and compared. In Therese Raquin, after the murder of Camille, both Therese and Laurent react at first with shock, Therese flying into fits of hysterics and Laurent with a rationality that seems to be his coping mechanism at first. However, as time passes, it seems as though the characters begin to relax again, although Zola foreshadows upheaval to come: â€Å"it was changing them, for a hidden process had taken place within them†. The first indication of this is their loss of passion; â€Å"love had lost its appeal, their appetite had disappeared the touching of their skin made them feel slightly queasy†. Their decision to get married brings up tortuous nightmares in L, as he imagines the corpse of Camille in the place of Therese’s body. This is the very beginning of the agonising torment that the two characters suffer as a result of the memory, perhaps even the guilt, of their crime. â€Å"Therese too had been visited by the ghost of Camille during that feverish night†. These imaginings and hallucinations, at times becoming palpable visions that convince them of the dead man’s existence, eventually drive the two characters over the brink of insanity. â€Å"The lovers’ panic grew worse, and every day their nightmares made them more demented and distraught†, before they even got married. They looked upon their forthcoming wedding as an alleviation to save them from their terrible imaginings. However, we see just how misguided this expectation is on their wedding night; they feel they are â€Å"still separated by a gaping chasm they dreamed that they had been violently separated and flung in opposite directions†. This signals the drastic changes to come about in their lives, and is highlighted by the dynamic verb â€Å"flung† and the emphasis on violence. They begin to believe the dreadful memory of Camille separates them no t only in their minds, but physically, feeling that â€Å"his body is still here between us, turning our limbs to ice†, and this idea stays at the foremost of their suffering – that the ghost of Camille is haunting them and making its presence felt. Zola portrays their response to this as they are â€Å"experiencing profound disturbancesthey found themselves in the grip of a common terror seized by a feverish delusion: they could touch the body, see it stretched out there like a greenish, half-putrefiedmass of decomposing humanity† which constantly stays in their awareness for the rest of their miserable lives. The physical and psychological anguish for the two â€Å"lovers† was so great that Therese â€Å"would have flung herself into the fire, had she thought that the flames would purify her flesh and deliver her from her pain† and Laurent being driven to distraction as he sees â€Å"five Camilles in front of him, created by the power of his own hands† simply because the playing of the dead man on his conscience is enough to take root in everything he does, whether it is painting or touching his wife. However, it is not clear whether the two characters actually ever feel any sense of remorse for their crime. Their terror is undeniably because of the act they committed, but probably down to the actual experience, and their fear of being discovered, than a sense of regret or guilt – Laurent even goes as far as to say that they would â€Å"chuck him in again if we had to†. Despite Laurent and Therese’s dread of being discovered, the forced endurance of psychological battering eventually causes them to confess their crime to Madame Raquin, when â€Å"Laurent had a kind of fit during which he talked like a man hallucinating†. We can question the basis of their terror of being found out by others, and whether it is guilt in that they believe they have done wrong, or simply their fear of the guillotine. However, we learn that â€Å"they were frustrated with their crime itself, and despairing that it had ruined their lives for good†, showing their utterly selfish nature in that they are repenting not because of the actual murder of a man, but because of the toll it takes on their own lives. Zola demonstrates the effects of this internal turmoil, as â€Å"it was inevitable that it would come to hatred in the end. They had loved each other like animals, with the hot passions of the blood; then, in the nervous upheaval following their crime, love had turned to fear and they had felt a physical horror at the thought of their embraces.† This acute hatred for one another takes shape as night after night, Therese and Laurent fight viciously, Laurent often striking Therese as she desperately provoked him; until their whole lives are swallowed up in this bitter feuding, a colossal irony considering their earlier passion and love, and their plotting of murder to allow themselves to live a life of luxury and sensual pleasures. Their animalistic traits are what governs them – and leads them into such a state that â€Å"they lived in a hell bitterly and cruelly†¦ trying to push each other over the brink of the precipice which they felt yawning at their feet, and into which they were in fact both already plunging†. The horror that Therese feels is perfectly depicted when she believes herself to be pregnant, and the thought fills her with such despair and dread that she â€Å"offers her stomach to [Laurent’s] blow. She allowed herself to be kicked almost to death in that way, and the next day she had a miscarriage†. Laurent, on the other hand, possesses none of Therese’s apparent rationality – he is driven to distraction, to the point that â€Å"he was literally afraid of Francois [the cat]and flung it with all his strength against the black wall†. Therese and Laurent experience these various stages of fear, hate, indifference, remorse (feigned so well that she ends up believing it) on the part of Therese, and depression. Laurent is described as having â€Å"all the lifegone out of his flesh†. The madness that they succumb to leads them to murder each other – yet, at the point of their ensuing deaths, the two discover that they need the unconsciousness of death; as it is the one place where their torment cannot follow them; â€Å"as they thought back over the past, they felt so weary and disgusted with themselves that they were filled with an immense need for rest, for oblivion. They exchanged a final glanceof gratitude, beforethe glass of poison†. There are some significant similarities with this process that Therese and Laurent undergo and that of Meurseault as he comes to terms with his murder of the Arab. In the early part of the book, the reader sees a Meursault devoid of a spoken consciousness and one who feels total adversity towards society and vice versa. Camus has juxtaposed his character against the norms of society to bring out his stark differences through the usage of Meursaults uncanny ability to register cold, hard facts. Meursault refuses to spend the time and effort required in connecting these facts. This narrative effect can be seen from the opening passage, Mother died today. Or maybe yesterday; I dont know. Here, we see Meursaults shocking indifference to his mothers death and his event stating quality. He merely recounts the dubious facts of his mothers death as plainly as the telegram had stated it. Throughout the whole process of his attending the funeral is treated with the same jarring coldness. Events and conversation are retold in a photo-journalistic like frankness, chronologically precise from the moment he catches the bus to time when he crawls into bed. Meursault is also one who has virtually no emotion, detached from basic human experiences of love and affection. This can be seen when his fiancà ©e, Marie, provokes an answer, She asked me again if I loved her. I replied, much before, that her question meant nothing or next to nothing- but I supposed I didnt. Curious, she then asks whether he would have given the same answer to another girl who had asked you to marry her, to which he replies in total honesty, Naturally. His inability to feel love is coupled with his almost animalistic mating-like quality where it is a question of when, not whom. His indifference, lack of emotion, and his way of reporting his impressions factually shows little involvement in society, as if he were an outsider, a spectator, who must judge objectively and it is from this that his estrangement from society be felt. Meursault; a middle class bachelor with a painfully simple life, is viewed as indifferent in the eyes of society. He does not care and is not ashamed of it. But his indifference is not one of callousness but stems instead from the â€Å"benign indifference of the universe† in relations to his own existence. The murder which signifies the end of Part One, unwittingly commits Meursault to the laws of society. He suddenly finds himself a victim of societal norms, the very thing he shunned. Here Meursault is obliged to accustom himself to society for his impending fate depends on it. He finds society absurd and it is through this experience that the reader comes to sympathize with Meursaults point of view and evaluates the absurdity of society. While being held, the prison guard discusses with him: â€Å"‘you’re being deprived of your liberty.’ I saw his point. Thats true, I said. Otherwise it wouldnt be a punishment.† Meursault finds this all completely baffling to the point that he has to talk with the warden to find out that prison deprives one of freedom which totally defeats the initial purpose of putting him in jail. While society tries to enforce its ideals on its Meursault, he acts in honest aloofness. In a conversation with the magistrate, In the same weary tone he asked me a last question: Did I regret what I had done? After thinking a bit, I said that what I felt was less regret than a kind of vexation. But he didnt seem to understand. The magistrate wanted to hear that Meursault felt guilty and sorry for what he had done. Instead, Meursault feels annoyance rather than regret, to the frustration of the magistrate. Faced with these challenges, Meursault attempts to make sense of what is happening around him and through it, tries to understand society. In his cell, he makes a conscious effort to learn about his new surroundings, I made a point of visualizing every piece of furniture, and each article upon it, and then every detail, so to speak: a tiny dent or incrustation, or a chipped edge, and the exact grain and colour of the woodwork. This symbolizes his willingness to acquaint himself with an entrapment which is alien to him: society and its workings. However, even on close inspection, he fails to make sense of it and this drives him father away from society. This is evident from an episode he had with his lawyer: â€Å"I wasnt to have any say and my fate was to be decided out of hand. It was quite an effort at times for me to refrain from cutting them all short, and saying: ‘But damn it all, whos on trial in this court, Id like to know? Its a serious matter for a man, being accused of murder. And Ive something really important to tell you.’† Meursault clearly feels frustration from this estrangement which fuels even more reason for his dislike of society and its morals. Through this, he gathers experiential evidence that society is indeed absurd and it does one no good to be a part of it, hence forging an even greater alienation from it. In the concluding chapters, Meursault accepts his fate which enables him to squarely face his death and come to terms with his position in this world. While undergoing this metamorphosis, Meursault discovers his independent consciousness. In prison, he relates, †¦I heard something that I hadnt heard for months. It was the sound of a voice; my own voice, there was no mistaking it†¦ the voice that for many a day of late had been buzzing in my ears. This voice he speaks of is his consciousness, spoken freely, unrestricted, and wholly accessible to his thoughts. This sudden enlightenment allows Meursault the grace of accepting his death. He rationalizes for the first time: â€Å"†¦Its common knowledge that life isnt worth living anyhow†¦ it makes little difference whether one dies†¦ the world would go on as before.† Although he does not wish his death, he embraces it as an end. It did not matter how or when he achieved this end for to him, all ends ended the same- in death. In the final moments before his death, the absurdity of society no longer bothers Meursault for now he deals with the greater elements of truth and reality. Meursault makes peace with himself, but not without a sudden purging of restrained convictions. He gets tangled in an argument with the prison chaplain who in the last moments of his doom, tries to convert him. In his rage, he reveals his ultimate assurance: that he â€Å"was sure of myself, sure about everything†¦ Id been right, I was still right, I was always right. Id pass my life in a certain way, and I might have passed it in a different way, if Id felt like it.† Meursault develops such a rational consciousness that it becomes his moral code of belief, his belief of truth. This sudden outburst gradually forces the felt but unspoken philosophy of his existence to emerge into the open, and to finally express itself in words. It was necessary too for it gave him a new sense of direction: â€Å"I, too, felt ready to start life over again. It was as if that great gush of anger had washed me clean, emptied me of hope, and, I laid my heart open to the benign indifference of the universe†¦ Id been happy, and I was happy still.† Meursault at last finds peace within himself. Alienated from society and life itself, he finds honour in death, taking nothing from this world with him, because it gave him nothing. Thus, Meursaults journey towards discovery (and, ironically, death) can be seen as a celebration of the human consciousness, grounded in the human spirit and its ability to overcome the absurd, to triumph when failure seems so imminent. Meursault finally realizes his estrangement from society and disregards what society thinks about him – as long as he is happy with who he is and what he had done. This is on a whole separate level to the feelings of Therese and Laurent: while all three find death a means of escape, and wish it on themselves, they view it as a comfort, to end their tired, self-destructive lives, whereas Meursault seems to find happiness and fulfilment in the idea that he is reaching his destination.

Devolving Responsibility Of Human Resource To Managers Management Essay

Devolving Responsibility Of Human Resource To Managers Management Essay By devolving responsibility of Human Resource to managers, organizations are expecting to create a closer relationship between managers and employees which will be achieved by quick decision making and effective problem solving at workplace. Some organizations however have both the HR specialists and the managers who work together by bringing in expertise from their own areas. This report identifies the context, enablers and inhibitors of the involvement of management in HR function. In conclusion, the report identifies that adequate training and expert knowledge support must be provided to managers if they are expected to integrate HR responsibilities within their managerial function. Human Resource Management (HRM) refers to a collection of policies used to organise work in the employment relationship and centres on the management of work and the management of people who undertake this work (Claydon 2010). (Storey, 2007) states that HRM plays a pivotal role in strategically deploying highly capable and committed workforce by using human resources expertise to achieve competitive advantage. A strategic approach to managing employment relations which emphasizes that leveraging peoples capabilities is critical to achieving sustainable competitive advantage, this being achieved through a distinctive set of integrated employment policies, programmes and practices. (Gold 2007) Human Resource Management ensures the productive use of people in an organisation to achieve the organisations strategic business objectives. Human resource management also involves maintaining a healthy employer-employee relationship and the satisfaction of the individual employer needs (Stone 2007) Human resource policies and the business policies have been integrated together with the management function rather than a separate entity to achieve the organisations objectives more efficiently. Discussion of the context (Wilkinson M. M., 2002), states that many criticisms concerning the lack of contribution by HR specialists to organisational performance have come from line managers. The four main criticisms are first, personnel practitioners are regarded as out of touch of commercial realities and unable to comprehend much about the nature of the business, its customers, or its corporate goals. The allegation is that HR professionals base their decisions upon a set of principles and ideas, such as welfare and employee rights which have little relevance for competitive prospects. Second, HR is often thought to constrain the autonomy of managers to make decisions that they feel are in the best interest of the business. These are mainly the legal constraints of equal opportunities or individual rights and the involvement of union representatives. The third criticism is that HR managers are slow to act, always wanting to check the options thoroughly (Cunningham and Hayman, (1999). Finally HR practition ers are criticised for promulgating policies that may be fine in theory but hard to put in effect or unsuitable to their particular requirements. Legge (1995) argues that HRM is caught in a vicious circle because senior management do not involve them in the business decision making and planning as people issues are not considered at this stage of decision making. But in due course problems arise due to non involvement of HR such as poor recruits, inadequate training of staff or work disruption. When such problems are brought to HRs attention they have insufficient time to resolve the issue which in effect results in short term solutions with detrimental long term effects. HR function gets the blame for inefficient problem handling and continues to be excluded from decision making, thus completing the vicious circle. As line managers work closely with the people they manage, the problem solving can be immediate and relevant rather than having to wait for the HR department to get back to them. The solutions provided by these managers are also likely to be in congruence with the organisations goals and business requirements. Ulrich (1998) hence recommended that HR should be reconfigured so as to highlight what it delivers rather than what it does. The four recommendations for HR are, to become a partner with business and line managers for strategy formulation, to become an expert in the way work is organised and executed to reduce cost and to increase efficiency, to become a champion for employees by acting as a medium between the employees and the senior management to increase employee contribution and finally to become an agent of continuous transformation by shaping processes for successful implementation of change. The CIPD research on employee well-being and the psychological contract (Guest and Conway, 2005) established that too many managers are failing to motivate and improve the performance of people they manage. Due to the devolution of HR function to managers, their responsibilities have increased and their role in the organization has become more important. HR initiates policies and practices but it is the management which is responsible for implementing them. HR proposes but the line disposes (Armstrong 2006). It is hence important that the policies are well communicated to the manager who will implement it if it is perceived to be in the interest of the business. If managers are unaware of any laws requiring the implementation of those policies then it is up to the HR to educate the managers about this. (J.Purcell 2003) noted that well conceived HR policies and practices didnt automatically result in organisational performance improvement but the difference was made by the way in which those polices were implemented by the managers. If they used discretion in implementing HR policies then some policies will just be a set of useless ideas (Armstrong 2006) (H.H.Larsen 2003), pointed out the five main reasons why organisations want to integrate these functions; Pressure on firm costs to integrate HR function in line management role To provide a more comprehensive HRM which is achieved through this integration of line management and HR functions The growing influence of service industries where line managers are responsible for customer management HR specialists may take too long to resolve HR issues Devolution may be considered as an alternative to outsourcing the entire HR function resulting from changes in philosophy and organisational structure. Enablers for integrating management and HR functions Managers play an important role in implementing the HR policies (Gold 2007). Research has revealed that line manager behaviour has a significant impact on employee commitment, which in turn has an impact on customer commitment, which has an impact on business performance (Lazenby quoted in Purcell 2003). The enrichment of line manager roles within the organisations and their greater involvement in HR decision-making has arisen due to the increase in customer service demands and the resulting time pressure in decision making. Increasing performance requirements, transparency, flexibility and accountability has increased the importance of this dual role. Involving line mangers in HR functions can be seen as a strategic approach to managing people. (Renwick 2003), has listed the main benefits that organisations can derive from such integration; HR problems are solved at source saving vital organisation resources Better change management is achieved through manager participation in policy implementation Closely working managers can make decisions at increased speed Greater scope for HR managers to focus on strategic importance of HRM HR issues get a business focus before they are implemented hence those policies will no more be created in isolation from organisational goals Since managers are aware of HR issues they cant ignore them hence leading to a better employee manager relationship Managers are more likely to be committed to their own HR decisions rather than having to implement due to compulsion from HR department Promotes local management accountability and responsibility for HR issues Reduces costs due to integration of functions Promotes the case that HRM cant always be transferred to specialists Line managers occupy an important position in the organizational hierarchy and they can directly affect the level of service delivered. Entrusting line managers with HR responsibilities will add to their existing pressures, increase workload and the need to deliver on short-term priorities. Formal administrative approaches within the departments would require line managers to display a high level of HR competence. This signifies the need for high-quality training programs for line managers to ensure that they feel confident in discharging their new HR responsibilities. Money invested in training management personnel can result in saving company from expensive litigation and in maintaining a god corporate reputation. Providing line managers with such training is very important as they are not naturally trained to deliver HR duties, which are quite different to making business decisions. Inhibitors for integrating management and HR functions (Renwick 2003), has given the following inhibitors to HR and management integration; Increased pressure to train and/or re-skill managers in HRM A need for strict HR auditing Problems and maintaining consistency in decision making Risk of falling standards or abuse of position through discrimination Problems in maintaining balance of power between management and HR specialists Potential for the HR/ER management role to be marginalised Low line capability/commitment when doing HR work Little time for managers to perform HR duties well due to operational demands on them Risks of job overload/stress as manager workloads are increased Harrison (2009) supports the argument in favour of management staff by saying that, line management is mostly faced with situations pressurising them to achieve objectives resulting in the increase in profitability or in the reduction of costs resulting in less dedication to support human resource development apart from the basic tasks. If line managers are faced with a decision to prioritize between making a key business decision or to formulate policies and procedures to improve the working conditions of employees, the priority would normally be the business decision as that would be considered as their primary responsibility and also more business focussed. Brewster and Soderstrom (1994) say that before delegating tasks or entrusting people with more responsibility in different areas, it must consider the level of knowledge possessed by the individual and the willingness of such individual to train to learn new competences, since they could already be overburdened with their current tasks making it uncomfortable for them to absorb more responsibilities. In order for the line managers to deliver their HR tasks they need to maintain a good relationship with HR specialists which could be complex at times. According to (Thomas N Garavan 2006) while the line manager is a key stakeholder in the training and development process, their relationship with the function and/or the specialist can often be negative. This could result in issues arising from lack of good communication and understanding between the departments. According to Grace and Straub (1991) training specialists often exclude line managers from training the reason for which is mainly the threat of being substituted. Some such instances as noticed by them are; Excluding line managers from the needs assessment process/program; Unwillingness to consider line managers as subject matter experts; Unwillingness to utilize line managers as instructors for training duties. This could also be due to the resistance on part of the line mangers to take initiative to train as this could entail more responsibilities for them. As (Thomas N Garavan 2006) continues the argument by saying that the issue is due to the lack of trust between the line managers and the training and development specialists. Line managers refuse to co-operate with the training specialists who makes an attempt to offer advice to improve work operations because they consider training specialists as staff as providing a service in accordance with line manager requirements and expectations. Efforts to change this role are often perceived by the line managers as an attempt to thwart line authority with the generation of better ideas. Sometimes HR professionals were even seen as policing line managers. This perception leads to inflexibility and negative responses aimed at demolishing the strengths and foundations of the training specialist. Also Storey (1992) points out that lack of training and education of line managers hinder the smooth delivery of new HR practices. Those line managers simply underestimate the need for investment in the training of their subordinates. Developing and implementing HR initiatives can become a difficult task for the managers to incorporate in their regular management function. Suggestions to improve managers as people managers (J.Purcell 2003), have suggested that managers can improve their people management skills, to deliver their HR responsibilities, in following ways; Senior management must understand the prioritisation issues that managers may face when both management and HR issues arise at the same time. Pressurising from the top will not help in such circumstances Managers must be selected considering the behavioural requirements and competencies expected from them as they would be doing HR function as well Managers need to have a clear understanding of the organisational values, goals and culture for efficient people management. A good working relationship needs to exist between staff and their manager Managers must be provided with the necessary training to enable them to deliver their HR functions such as performance management, grievance and complaints handling Although line managers can be trained to an extent to carry out the HR function, there are several key competencies possessed by HR professionals that might be difficult to incorporate in a line manager function as per (Armstrong 2006). There has been a significant change to the way in which organisations manage their business in the recent years and hence there has been changes in the way different departments operates within it. Changes to work demands have made it difficult for the HR department to find people with required talents for the organisation. HR department is required to keep up to date with the HR requirement of the departments and ensures the human resource is able to meet new challenges and demands (Wright, 2003) A human resource manager must consider the nature of external and internal influences before selecting a particular course of action. Internal environmental influences involve the factors that are found within the organisation such as the organisational strategies, organisational culture, organisational structure and organisational systems. Several external factors influence the formulation and requirements of HRM policies. Some of the external factors facing organisations are changing nature work force, technological changes, globalisation and labour force demographics. (Stone 2007) CIPD has presented a list of core functions delivered by HR professionals as below; Business and cultural awareness: understand the business environment and the competitive pressures in the market facing the organisation, the key business activities, culture and the impact of HR policies on the business performance Strategic capability: seeks involvement in business strategy function, develops coherent HR strategies which are aligned with business strategy, understand the importance of human capital measurement to ensure efficient utilisation Organisational effectiveness: contributes to the analysis of people issues and proposes practical solutions, develops resource capability by ensuring that the organisation has the workforce with required skills, process redesigning for better utilisation of staff, contributes in the development of knowledge management processes Internal consultancy: proposes practical solutions by providing expert advice and coaches management on dealing with their department specific problems Service delivery: delivers appropriate services promptly and efficiently to requests for HR services and advice and provides guidance in HR decisions as required Continuous professional development: continuous development of skills and knowledge, to deliver the HR duties to high standards by updating the new HR concepts, practices and techniques As discussed above HR function is far more specialised in its core activities and many of its functions need specialist expert knowledge which is difficult for management to keep up to date with. HR Outsourcing has become more common in the recent years as the companies are relying on them for HR related matters. A good human resource outsourcing deal is to ensure that nearly all your transactional and basic advisory services are outsourced and that the jobs of the HR teams are redesigned so that they no longer focus on the operational level decisions but the focus would be on more complex business challenges and strategic needs. (Hunter 2007). But many organisations may choose to rather incorporate the HR function within their management functions rather than outsourcing. Conclusion HR can be seen as an integral part of a managerial post, as a manager is responsible for the performance and job satisfaction of his staff. There have been several factors over a period of time that has had an impact on the role of HR managers and practitioners. If an employee in a management positions accepts to deliver HR duties it is possible to achieve a higher level of efficiency. However, the success of any change process involving line manager HR participation will ultimately depend on striking a balance between factors favouring devolvement and those inhibiting HR involvement. While making line managers more responsible for HR may bring about a speedier resolution to workplace conflicts, clear structures need to be implemented to allow line managers seek guidance and advice, but also allow employees to repeal decisions made. In this regard, HR specialists need to proactively engage with line managers and bring about partnership HR approaches to managing employees. There are however certain boundaries to such a devolution. All of them lie either in line managers lack of specific knowledge and expertise or in their conflict with HR specialists. As devolution of HR responsibilities are taken for granted it is suggested that it is HR specialists who need to re-consider their role within organisations, while line managers are to be given an appropriate training.

Tokyo Riots Essay examples -- Papers

Tokyo Riots The heaving mass of people pushed and hurled abuse at the front line of the riot police. There were hundreds of them, some of them genuine, protesting for something they feel is right, however, others just want trouble. The police know that they can only strive to prevent a disaster, they cannot stop one, only contain it and the problem is that the rioters know this too. They also know that the police cannot kill them or even harm them, their only weapon is arrest. The wave of pushing against the police teams shields drones on and on gradually getting larger and more powerful. The police officers faces are etched with fear as they attempt to hold back the swarm of people. Their attempts were failing, they were becoming tired and sub-consciously hurt by the comments being fired at them. It wouldn't be long until their wall of resistance would be smashed. Suddenly, in the corner of the team commander's eye through his grid locked riot helmet he could just see one of his men fall to the ground as the rioters penetrated the line. This was the signal to the rioters, chaos broke out immediately, action had to be taken. Everyone began fighting each other, vandalising property and attacking the police. The police were vastly outnumbered and had to think quickly. Re-enforcements ran into action attempting to push the rioters back out and arrest the offenders. Police vans were constantly escorting arrested rioters to the police station. Overhead, a helicopter surveyed the riot searching for instigators and known criminals so as to alert the troops below. "Hotel Echo Lima India to ground patrol, main instigator and drugs... ...how, I doubt that. For you see, I'm not really hereà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦" and with that Willis wellà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ vanished. Was there a crime? Two shadows danced in the shadows as its two matching figures walked hand in hand down the dimly lit back alley. Gone was the rubbish dump but the stench of downtown Tokyo clung to the walls as though it had been burnt by the hot sun of many scorching days only to be cooled by the sticky hot nights that hid all dark and devious deeds. As the previous two figures passed under the soft orange glow of a nearby streetlamp their faces emerged from the darkness that had previously smothered their features. One was a man and one was a woman. The man in his forties, although he looked sixty-odd, and the woman had dark brown shoulder-length hair andà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦a tattoo on her left shoulder of an elaborate red dragon.

Bank Marketing Essay -- essays research papers fc

I. Introduction   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Within our society, financial institutions are becoming more abundant. Along with this present growth, the field of marketing financial services has also grown in size and scope with new entrants everyday. The relatively stable banking environment is being altered with innovation, opportunism, and government intervention. This era, marked by the government’s luminous hand of deregulation (defined as the act of removing regulations or restrictions from a specific entity), has expanded consumer options to the extent that commercial banking must now become an aggressively competing member of the financial services industry. In this new era, important marketing areas such as regulation, environment, product, competition in the market, and delivery of product can no longer be overlooked. II. What is Marketing and Its Role in the Success of Financial Institutions? What is marketing? According to the American Marketing Association, marketing is the â€Å"performance of business activities that direct the flow of goods and services from producer to consumer or user.† In the context of the financial institution, marketing is defined as the â€Å"creation and delivery of customer-satisfying services as a profit to the bank or financial institution.†(McMahon, 1986). With further examination of the previously stated definition, it can be seen that marketing is looked upon as 1) an active process (therefore, ongoing with endless possibilities), with 2) a direct focus on the customer or consumer. Initially, it can be seen that marketing plans that result in efficient returns and profits do not appear out of thin year, but are created. (McMahon, 1986). Once created, these plans must be delivered properly to the consumer. For example, a teller at a bank, with poor delivery and selling, can ultimately destroy a thoroughly thought out creati on aimed at providing superior customer service. Also, marketing is customer-oriented, meaning that it is imperative to take into account whether customers are satisfied and their needs/wants are fulfilled by the products or services offered by the bank. (Reidenbach and Pitts, 1986). Marketing, like any other activity associated with business, is goal-directed. To meet specific goals, individuals in management of these financial institutions create a marketing strategy. A marketing strategy â€Å"consists... ...esent. References Works Cited   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Benn, Alec (1986). Advertising Financial Products and Services. Quorum Books: New York, pp. 100 – 150.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hodges, L.H. and Tillman, R. (1968). Bank Marketing: Text and Cases. Addison-Wesley Publishing Company: Massachusetts. McMahon, Robert J. (1986). Bank Marketing Handbook: How to compete in the Financial Services Industry. Bankers Publishing Company: Boston.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Reidenbach, E.R. and Pitts, R.E. (1986). Bank Marketing: A Guide to Strategic Planning. Prentice Hall: New Jersey. Works Referenced   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Donnelly, J.H., Berry, L.L., and Thompson, T.W. (1985). Marketing Financial Services: A Strategic Vision. Dow Jones-Irwin: Illinois.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Kinnear, T.C. and Bernhardt, K.L. (1986). Principles of Marketing. Scott, Foresman & Company: Illinois.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Larreche, Jean-Claude and Strong, E.C. (1982). Readings in Marketing Strategy. Scientific Press: Palo Alto.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sinkey, J.F. (1986). Commercial Bank Financial Management, 5th edition. South-Western Publishing Company: New York.

frankenstein (not full) :: essays research papers

Differences and Similarities are used to emphasize certain aspects of things. This idea is commonly when a movie is made that is based on a book. The director of the movie may choose to keep details in his movie that adheres to the details in the book that the movie is based on. He may also choose to change some details from the book to what he perceives to be more fitting. In the case of Frankenstein the novel and the 1995 movie version of Mary Shelly?s Frankenstein, there were notable differences and similarities. The differences dealing with the education of the monster and the ending of the story, and similarity dealing with the turning point of the story help create a better understanding of this complex story. A notable difference between the book and the movie was the education of the Monster. They both focus around the Monster?s time spent watching the De Lacey?s. In the movie his time was devoted mostly to just watching the family and how they acted towards each other. He learned quite quickly how to speak and read and learned to understand the different emotions people possessed. The only justification of the Monster?s rapid learning process is that in a movie not a great deal of time can be spent on this or else the movie would drag on. Although not a lot of time was spent on showing the development of the Monster?s education in the movie, the book however went into great detail in describing its education. During his stay in the shack near the De Lacey?s cottage the Monster came across four books that would enlighten him and show the reader the learning of the Monster step by step. The first book was Volney?s Ruins of Empires.