The Color Purple and Shug free essay sample

Every story has characters that have their own roles of keeping the story going. In â€Å"The Color Purple† by Alice Walker, one particular character goes beyond playing their part. Shug Avery. Shug Avery herself is a symbol throughout the story, though not the main character she works behind the scenes at adding more to the story. Shug serves as a symbol of a better life in the black community in which the book is based. Though the story seemingly goes on as a flow, there are stops and goes when Shug enters the scene. Shug Avery leaves an impression on every other character. She functions as a bold flower in a dim background in the story that slowly relates and combines with what is in the background. Shug changes lives with her boldness and promotes freedom that she believes everyone deserves. Easing into the beginning of the story, Shug is used as a bold feature in a blunt background. We will write a custom essay sample on The Color Purple and Shug or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page At the start of the story the reader falls into the normalcy of the way of life and a woman always being controlled by man. Once Shug steps in however, she brings along a major contrast. Once the reader compares the differences, then the story has more of a feeling to it because there is something to compare the formal characters’ lives to. Shug is rich, a free woman and never takes orders from a man if she does not want to. In addition she is blunt, does as she pleases and sings with tight expensive clothes in public. Compared to what ‘dim background’ folk, Shug was just too special, lucky and good. Shug herself certainly felt that way. In the beginning when she arrives to live with Cecile and Mr. _ , Cecile writes, â€Å"She look so stylish it like the trees all round the house draw themselves up tall for a better look (45)†. Clearly Shug stood out and wore much more extravagant clothes than Cecile was used to seeing. Shug was definitely bringing difference and change to the house. She was very assure of herself and wanted only the best. Cecile states, â€Å"She look me over from head to foot. Then she cackle. You sure is ugly (47)†. Shug was open and her thoughts are what counted most. Clearly Shug provides a difference in atmosphere and shows a whole difference part of the world that Cecile and people in her family had only dreamed about. Shug was an outstanding contrast painting in midst of mellow paintings. After staying a while in the mellow paintings, Shug lowers her standards to her surroundings. She becomes the best friend of Cecile. Through understanding, listening and all the time she spends with Cecile, Shug changes her views of disgust to love towards Cecile. â€Å"I won’t leave, she say, until I know Albert won’t even think about beating you (75)†. Shug is constantly learning how different life is for Cecile and when she hears about Cecile being beaten, Shug takes it to change things herself. Shug herself promotes her independence and rights throughout the story. Through her own independence, she becomes a figure that Cecile and other women look up to as their fighter for freedom, or someone to learn from. A free woman is a happy woman and that is secretly what all the woman want. And Shug is the free woman to follow. At one point Sofia was put in prison for denying, and getting physical, a white woman her service to her kids. Miss Shug cuss, she come special from Memphis to see Sophia (88)†. Throughout her long stay with Cecile and the family, Shug had come to believe them as part of her own family also. Shug has become a protector too all that know her well. She might be sassy and rude at times but she now cares for this family that has multiple problems with staying together. She is now the strong glue that holds every one together, and the lady that women look up to. Throughout the book though Shug’s attitude and perspective of life stay the same, she changes others. Shug is a symbol of strength for many, especially Cecile. Shug has no strings attached to her families, sings in public with expensive clothes without embarrassment and never lets herself be treated wrong by a man. Her easiness with her seemingly stressful life puts her in a position of awe for others. There are multiple couple fights and breakups in the story, but with Shug around to support the girl, things do not get too messy and physical. When Shug announces that she is leaving to Memphis with Cecile, Mr. _ says he thought Cecile was finally happy. In reply Cecile says, â€Å"You a lowdown dog is what’s wrong, it’s time to leave you and enter into the Creation. And your dead body just the welcome mat I need (199)†. Shug had taught her that. Shug taught Cecile to stick up for herself and not let a greedy angered man always rule over her just because he thinks he can. She taught Cecile independence and that was the greatest gift to Cecile. Also, this was a turning point in the story. After the whole story having problems with men and beating, this showed that independence was not impossible. During this occasion, Sophia stands up to her husband too. When Cecile exclaims that Sophia would have never gone to prison if Harpo (her husband) had not tried to rule over her, Sophia said â€Å"A little truth in it (200)†. Confirming and standing up to what Cecile was saying. At one point Squeak decides she wants to speak and announces she is going to do so. First everyone is against it, but she is persistent with her wish and achieves it. Shug changed all these women. She brought in unity, love and strength so each could walk on their own feet. She opens their eyes and has them see that they are all equal and deserve their equal rights. Shugs boldness is like no other in the book. She does as she wants and listens to none other. Her happiness with just the way she is contagious throughout the story. Slowly other women realize that their happiness should not necessarily rest on a man’s happiness. Thus, a good change is funded through Shug. She depicts everything a woman wants and shows, indirectly, how to achieve them. Sometimes it is though the characters think pleasant kindness and simple pleasure are sin. Shug steps in and shows there is no such thing as sin besides treating another as a slave.

buy custom Pacific Quad Incorporation essay

buy custom Pacific Quad Incorporation essay The defendant in this case is the Pacific Quad Incorporation. Ladies, gentle and the distinguished jury, the testimony that is going to be presented and heard in this case, may at times prove to be complicated, but still there is some remedy to it. The rule that the judge is likely to ask to be applied at the end is rather simple: Did Pacific Quad Inc., fail to take immediate action to stop its operations manager from sexually harassing Ms. Rowe, an event that led to her wrongful dismissal? The indictment in this case sets for that the Pacific Quad Incorporations operations manager; Stanley Schmit sexually harassed his subordinate staff, Ms. Rowe. Schmit continuously made very offensive comments of sexual nature to Rower, leered at the plaintiff, brushing by her so that he could touch her, and even tried to proposition her. The defendant in this case did not plead guilty to the indictment. Therefore, it is the duty of the jury and the legal bench to prove the company guilty. And, if they prove the defendant guilty, every person with interest in this indictment must definitely find it so. The burden of proof lies on the prosecutor to precisely prove to that Schmit was an operations manager and an employee of the Pacific Quad Inc., and Walsh, the president of the company did nothing to stop him from his alleged sexual harassment against Rowe. Instead of taking some punitive or corrective action against Schmit, he simply ratified the sexual harassment claims that were brought before him. As agents of the company, both Walsh and Schmit who are in the position of authority and vested with the power of running the company, they are supposed to manage it with absolute care, diligence and profession, since they had failed in this, the company was liable to award damages to Rowe, if she wins the case. Schmit and Walsh could not be individually sued for the offense committed since they made the mistake in the course of duty. However, they can still be sued for failing to observe the professional diligence and care in the line of duty, which is against the set work standards, c odes of ethics and procedures. It would be one of the most barbarous facts, to sexually harass a lady and make her lose her employment, probably the only means of livelihood. Therefore, the plaintiff claims her lost wages, psychotherapy expenses, punitive damages, and emotional distress damages. Considering the facts in this case, relying on the presented substantive evidence, it is justified for the jury to compel the company to award damages for the loss suffered, as her compensation. Buy custom Pacific Quad Incorporation essay

Change Management in the Learning Organization Essay Example for Free

Change Management in the Learning Organization Essay Organization (1318) , Structure (56) In this paper I intend to discuss change management approaches that support the learning organization philosophy. The learning organization is defined as an organization that acquires knowledge and innovates fast enough to survive and thrive in a rapidly changing environment. Learning organizations (1) create a culture that encourages and supports continuous employee learning, critical thinking, and risk taking with new ideas, (2) allow mistakes, and value employee contributions, (3) learn from experience and experiment, and (4) disseminate the new knowledge throughout the organization for incorporation into day-to-day activities. On the other hand we have a process called change management which is defined as minimizing resistance to organizational change through involvement of key players and stakeholders. At my organization these two go hand in hand and it allows for us as a company to experience constant growth and development of our staff. Our employees are more willing to welcome change when we train them in the process. As businesses moves through the 21st century, they are becoming more dependent upon their managers to be change agents. These companies actually seek managers who can bring success to their organizations. Three of the characteristics we look for in our new managers are they must have the ability to stimulate change, excellent planning capabilities, and ethics. Over the years I have spent in management I have learned that success in  becoming a learning organization relies on a commitment to learning on the part of the organizations I have worked for and the willingness of the individuals involved to be receptive to the change process. As a manager, what we usually can change falls into basically three categories; people, structure, or technology. An efficient manager will make alterations in these areas in an attempt to facilitate change. With people the change involves adjusting attitudes, expectations, perceptions, and probably most importantly behavior. Coaching people to adjust in these areas will help employees within the organization to work together more effectively. Changing structure relates to the job design, specialization, hierarchy and any other structural variables. These usually need to be flexible and non-static in order to be adaptable to change. When dealing with technological change we are looking at modifying work processes and methods along with the introduction of new equipment. To me learning organizations support the change process just as much as change management supports the learning organization philosophy. I say that because every change calls for some sort of learning as the more comprehensive the change the more attention we have to place on learning for the individuals involved in the change. By utilizing the learning organizations philosophies companies including the one I work for are able to magnify the potential of its employees which keeps them growing. Learning in action: a guide to putting the learning organization to work/ David A. Garvin Change Management in the Learning Organization. (2016, Aug 06). We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you

Internet addiction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Internet addiction - Essay Example People often tend to ask as to what internet addiction is. The focus of internet addiction can cause people to believe that they are being informed by the IAD, also known as internet addiction problem. This paper will look into the way in which internet manipulates people’s minds and distracts them, thus causing them to think about entirely different things and experience radical change in their priorities (Young, â€Å"Internet Addiction: Symptoms†). The solution to internet addiction is realization of addiction, time management, and increased family unions. Firstly, Internet addiction is a very nasty disorder that might even be more technical than the obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) that most of the world is aware about. Just like OCD, the roots of internet addiction disorder are psychological and are triggered due to a nervous system that exists within the brain. What is shocking though, is the mere fact that internet addiction problem does not get as serious as OCD and is not fatal, physically, but it is fatal in the sense that a person loses his ability to grasp priorities and change from one situation to another in a smooth transition. A person having internet addiction will always have this time crunching feeling that he needs to work on something different, something more reproductive, on the internet. For example, a person who has an assignment to compete for his college will often try to complete the assignment because he feels responsible for it. However, if that student is addicted to internet, he will often get an urge t o check what is going on when it comes to his Facebook account, Twitter account, some other social media platform account and thus get distracted immediately (Young, â€Å"Internet addiction: the†). His conscience may have been about fulfilling his responsibility but his obsession with social media platforms drives him to ruin his own work himself. Moreover, it also becomes hard for the

International & Regional Financial Regulators Research Paper

International & Regional Financial Regulators - Research Paper Example 12). The operations are put at a level playing field which ensures that banking institutions contribute an equal amount of capital. It also ensures that some set of standards are complied to. Different countries and economies are affiliated to different regional central banks and international financial regulatory institutions. Some operate at a lower cost while some at a higher cost. Depositors prefer regulatory institutions which offer services at a lower cost as compared to the ones which offer services at a higher cost. It is also evident on this extract that regulatory bodies experience a cascading effect on their financial systems depending on their policies. It can be seen that the regulatory institutions with stringent policies have their market share eroded (Quintyn & Taylor 2004, pg. 6). Financial regulation is a form of supervision, monitoring, or offering of guidelines that subject financial institutions or any other financial elements within a financial system to restriction in order to maintain the integrity of the financial system. Governments and regional financial institutions regulate financial elements for safety. Financial safety protects the depositors and share holders of all financial institutions within a financial system. Financial safety prevents financial insolvency which might in turn lead to an economic, political, banking and a social crisis. International and regional financial regulation has its own pros and cons. Regional financial regulations impose restrictions to member financial elements which in turn force them to comply with the expected standards of performance in order to achieve the set objectives (Quintyn & Taylor 2004, pg. 26). These standards at times affect the member elements negatively or positively. For instance, a regional central bank might issue orders to the member elements to sell bonds to their account holders or shareholders in an effort to regulate a looming

Composition About Film Essay Example for Free

Composition About Film Essay The film that I saw last week is about the dangerous art of extraction valuable secrets from deep within the subconscious during sleep, when the mind is most vulnerable. The main character of the film called Cobb. He is a talented thief, the best of the best in his work. At the beginning of the film we see Cobb’s dream in which he with his wife lived in their town that they create alone in unexpected for me and I was surprising when I saw how in our dream we can see people who not existent in the reality. Then the point is that Cobb’s command received the proposition to change some events in the life of one of the richest company in the world. They had to do that this company fell down and other man who managing other company could be the first and control others. If Cobb, and his command do this he promise Cobb to help him with law, because as we know he was a thief and all police search him and that’s why he can’t returned home to his children. For this work he must to find a new architecture, because without him it will be not possible. Architect a specialist defining illusory world for another dream. The purpose of the architect when extracting designed sleep so sleep could not distinguish it from reality and create a sleeping most complex maze of sleep, from which the victim could not easily escape. The complexity of this work was that this dream consisted of three levels, that is to say they must to reach the deepest within of the subconscious to change what they want. Now their task not to steal an idea, but to implement it. If they succeed, it will be the perfect crime. I realized they done this work in the best way. To my mind this film is very interesting and exciting, but it is necessary to understand . It is fantastical, but as for me it was interesting to see what we can do when we sleep.

The Life of a Slave :: essays research papers

My name is Shaniqua and I am a sixteen-year-old girl from Mali, Africa. Everyone was nice back in my village. I lived at home with my mother, father, and my younger brother, Jamal. Life back home was great. I would help my mother around the house and take care of my little brother Jamal. Jamal and I would help mama clean and cook. I would also help my mother make clothes to sell at the market. On certain days I would go to the market to sell the clothes my mother and I made. My mother and I would take turns going to the market. Sometimes in the summer I would go to the river with my best friend. I’m the type of person that would help someone if they were in trouble. I always treated people fair. I was very happy at home. The village that I lived in was always busy; people always had something to do. There was never a dull moment in my village. We all got along in the village. It was a nice summer day so my friend and I decided to take a walk to the river and cool off. As we approached the river some strange looking men popped out from behind the bushes and grabbed us. I had never seen someone like that before; they were pale and white. They had yellow hair and blue eyes. The men shackled us to one another and forced us to walk to where there were many other Africans in a cage. I was crying and screaming but they didn’t care. I tried to get away and they hit me with a whip so hard across my back that it bled. I had no chouse but to follow them to the coast. As I was walking I saw people from my village being whipped and beaten. They were getting whipped so bad chunks of their skin were falling on the floor. There was blood gushing from their open flesh. People are screaming for help but there’s no one to help them. Some man that was shackled tried to escape, he failed. The white men killed him. As we got to the coast there were huge wooden boats waiting for us. They shoved us into the boat, then they through us into some place below decks. We are so close together we can hardly move. I see people getting thrown off the ship left and right.

Pride and Prejudice Themes and Motifs Essay

Class is the target of much of the novel’s criticism of society in general. Austen makes it clear that people like Lady Catherine, who are overly invested in their social position, are guilty of judging that a person’s social rights are strictly defined by their class. Other characters, like the stuck-up Mr. Collins and the scheming Caroline, are depicted as thoroughly empty, their opinions and motivations completely defined by the dictates of the class system. Mr. Collins is not a part of the very high class, but driven by pride, he thinks he is. His marriage to Charlotte was his attempt to recover his pride after being rejected by Lizzy. That is what makes him so obnoxious; his focus is always on showing off himself and his situation in life. To contrast them, Austen offers more positive examples in Bingley and the Gardiners. Bingley is someone from the upper class who wears his position lightly and gallantly. The Gardiners represent the honest, generous, and industrious middle class and are examples of how even the middle class can be as educated and refined as the upper class. Austen does seem to respect the class system in a few ways, especially when it operates not as a dividing power in society, but as a force for virtue and decency. Darcy is the primary example of Austen’s ideal high-class gentleman. Though originally he seems to be an arrogant and selfish snob, as the novel progresses it becomes clear that he is capable of change. Eventually, thanks to Elizabeth’s influence and criticism, he combines his natural generosity with the integrity that he considers a crucial attribute of all upper-class people. He befriends the Gardiners and plays a key role in helping the ungrateful Lydia out of her crisis. The marriage of Darcy and Elizabeth shows that class restrictions, while rigid, do not determine one’s character, and that love can overcome all obstacles, including class. Pride Pride is a constant presence in the characters’ attitudes and treatment of each other, coloring their judgments and leading them to make rash mistakes. Pride blinds Elizabeth and Darcy to their true feelings about each other. Darcy’s pride about his social rank makes him look down on anyone not in his immediate circle. Elizabeth, on the other hand, takes so much pride in her ability to judge others that she refuses to revise her opinion even in the face of clearly contradictory evidence. This is why she despises the good-hearted Darcy for so long, but initially admires the lying Wickam. Yet while Pride and Prejudice implies that no one is ever completely free of pride, it makes it clear that with the proper moral upbringing one may overcome it to lead a life of decency and kindness. In the end, the two lovers are able to overcome their pride by helping each other see their respective blind spots. Darcy sheds his snobbery, while Elizabeth learns not to place too much weight on her own judgments. Prejudice Prejudice in Pride and Prejudice refers to the tendency of the characters to judge one another based on preconceptions, rather than on who they really are and what they actually do. As the book’s title implies, prejudice goes hand in hand with pride, often leading its characters into making wrong assumptions about motives and behavior. Austen’s gentle way of mocking Elizabeth’s and Darcy’s biases gives the impression that such mistakes could, and indeed do, happen to anyone; that faulting someone else for prejudice is easy while recognizing it in yourself is hard. Prejudice in the novel is presented as a stage in a person’s moral development, something that can be overcome through reason and compassion. Austen only condemns those people who refuse to set aside their prejudices, like the class-obsessed Lady Catherine and the scheming social climber Caroline. Austen’s work offers a powerful illustration of the damaging effects to people and to society that prejudice can inflict. Marriage Pride and Prejudice is a love story, but its author is also concerned with pointing out the inequality that governs the relationships between men and women and how it affects women’s choices and options regarding marriage. Austen portrays a world in which choices for individuals are very limited, based almost exclusively on a family’s social rank and connections. To be born a woman into such a world means having even less choice about whom to marry or how to determine the shape of one’s life. The way that society controls and weakens women helps to explain in part Mrs. Bennet’s hysteria about marrying off her daughters, and why such marriages must always involve practical, financial considerations. As members of the upper class, the Bennet sisters would have been expected to become Governesses if they did not marry. However, their father did not make sure they had a thorough education, so they are not qualified to be governesses. Yet as women they are not allowed to inherit anything. As a result, marriage is basically their only option for attaining wealth and social standing. Yet Austen is also critical of women who marry solely for security, like Charlotte. The ideal for her is represented by Elizabeth, who refuses to trade her independence for financial comfort and in the end marries for love. Love The biggest and most obvious theme of this story is love. The book is a big ole’ love story that is not just about how beautiful love is, but other aspects of love as well. Jane Austin also shows how love complicates the lives of the characters throughout the plot. Caroline Bingley’s love for Mr. Darcy makes her bitter. And Jane’s love for everyone makes her fall victim to the schemes of others. And how Elizabeth’s love for her family, make her blind to the reality of how people perceive them. Jane Austin shows that there is a difference between love and lust. She shows this through Lydia and Wickham’s marriage as well as how Mr. and Mrs. Bennett married foolishly and did not truly love each other and therefore had a bad marriage. In every true love story the lovers must separate and overcome numerous stumbling blocks, beginning with the tensions caused by the lovers’ own personal qualities. In Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth’s relationship they had many hurdles. There was the pride theme from both of them, the prejudice theme from both of them, Lady Catherine’s attempt to control her nephew, Miss Bingley’s snobbery and attempts to take Darcy all to herself, Mrs. Bennett’s idiocy, and Wickham’s deceit. In the end, love triumphs all. Through this, Austen suggests that true love is a force separate from society and one that can conquer even the most difficult of circumstances. It is not something that can be defined with marriage or similar class, etc. In each case, love seems to trump class and the other themes mentioned. Austin used these obstacles to create an ultimate love story. She also highlights this theme more by having the very first sentence of the book be, â€Å"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife,† and using the character of Charlotte Lucas, who was the one who marries the buffoon Mr. Collins for his money, to demonstrate that the heart does not always dictate marriage. By using love as the theme of her book, Austen inputs her views on love as something independent of these social forces, as something that can be captured if only an individual is able to escape the warping effects of hierarchical society. MOTIFS Courtship/Dating There are two major courtships that occur in the story—those between Darcy and Elizabeth and between Bingley and Jane. Darcy proposes twice to Elizabeth throughout the course of the novel, and Jane and Bingley’s relationship is continually deepening. There are also other less significant courtships which take place, such as the failed attempt of Mr. Collins’s proposal to Elizabeth followed by his successful marriage to Charlotte Lucas. Another example would be the Miss Bingley’s unsuccessful attempt to attract Darcy; Wickham’s pursuit first of Darcy’s sister Georgianna, then Elizabeth, followed by a rich heiress in Meryton, and finally of Lydia. Courtship therefore takes on a profound importance in the novel. Courtship constitutes the real working-out of love. Courtship aka dating, is just a way to figure out if this person likes that person. It’s a sort of forge of a person’s personality, and each courtship becomes a different type of love (or different ways to abuse love as a means to social advancement). Therefore, courtship proves to be of great importance at various points of the novel. Each courtship contains a different kind of love, with marriage usually as the ultimate goal. Journeys There are several journeys in which the characters take, even though most of the action is usually centered around the Bennet household in Longbourn. Jane when hearing word that Bingley has left town, she takes a Journey to London. Elizabeth’s first journey is to visit her friend Charlotte and Mr. Collins, however, on this journey, she encounters Mr.  Darcy and during this time he also makes her his first proposal. Her second journey is with the Gardiners, and it leads her to Pemberley, Darcy’s beautiful estate. Another major journey occurs at the end of the novel, where various people are in pursuit of Wickham and Lydia. This journey ends with Darcy saving the Bennet family’s honour, and then returning to Longbourn again to make his second proposal to Elizabeth. At the end of the novel, Elizabeth, Mr. Darcy, Jane, and Mr. Bingley get married and all live near Hunsford. Which is a big ‘journey’ from where they started in Longbourn.

Managing a Multigenerational Workforce

Managing a Multigenerational Workforce Monash University Jason Cheah Introduction A multigenerational workforce can present many challenges for organizations of today and are fast becoming a prominent issue for Australian HR managers. An ageing workforce and continual technological innovation are the main reasons attributing to the issues associated with a multigenerational workforce. To remain competitive organizations will need to utilize such a workforce to their advantage and this can be achieved through effective human resource development. The differences between generations are known to occur due to major influences in the environment in which early human socialization occurs (Macky, Gardner & Forsyth, 2008). These influences can impact on a range of factors of an individual including personality, values and beliefs, which will generally remain stable throughout adulthood (Westerman & Yamamura, 2007). The changing nature of the socio-cultural environment will also influence generational differences as individuals of different generations will have been exposed to different events and experiences during their developmental years (Beaver & Hutchings, 2005). A multigenerational workforce is an issue that cannot be ignored and the challenge then for organizations is to be able to manage, develop and maintain an effective multigenerational workforce. HR departments will need to recognize the demographics of their workplace and to implement an organizational culture that values and rewards diversity (Holland & De Cieri, 2006). This article will aim to address the issue of a multigenerational workforce and its impacts on Australian organizations and HRD. Using the case study of Mixed Ages Technology Corporation (MATC), the challenges and issues presented by managing and developing older and younger employees will be discussed. Then a brief summary of the case study will be followed by a discussion of strategies best suited for MATC to improve the morale of multigenerational workforces and HR’s role in improving efficiency between the Baby Boomers and the Generation Y workforce Issues and Challenges of Baby Boomers The global trend of an ageing workforce and government policy directions towards reversing early retirement trends raises the issue of the costs to employers with an ageing workforce (Brooke, 2003). Recently Australian government policies are being directed towards retaining older workers and reducing costs of pensions, health costs of retirees and superannuation payments; which are estimated to cost the country $46 billion between 2000 and 2031 (Brooke, 2003). This is having a direct impact on Australian organizations as an increase in age of their workforces creates an increase of the human resource costs associated with older workers, consequently making older workers more expensive to employ (Patrickson & Hartmann, 1995). However another worrying factor of a mature age workforce force is that with the impending retirement of the baby boomers; organizations will lose a wealth of experience, knowledge and skills that will be extremely hard to replace (Jorgensen, 2005). Difficulty in replacing such skill and experience can be attributed to Australia’s low fertility rate, and therefore a reduced supply of younger workers joining the workforce and the increasing skill shortages (Anonymous, 2006). This will lead to an increase of competition for talent and Jorgensen (2005) believes that organizations must look at new ways of retaining older workers and to make better use of their skills and experiences. Organizations will have an increased need to retain older workers by creating career paths to help older workers to break out of career plateaus, and to retrain those whose skills have become outdated (Holland & De Cieri, 2006). Organizations that fail to address the ageing workforce issue risk future staff and skill shortages. The key to managing ageing workers is to actively identify strategies to retain, retrain and integrate older workers into their workplace and to capitalize on their skills, knowledge and experiences (Holland & De Cieri, 2006). Managing and Retaining Baby Boomers Organizations need to be wary of losing a wealth of skills and knowledge that older workers possess through poor management (Beaver & Hutchings, 2005). As employees mature they are more likely to experience disengagement with the workplace and career plateauing, which can lead to an increased intention to leave. HR managers will need to work with both the employee and the organization’s goals to eliminate these barriers. There are various options available to organizations faced with the problem of retaining older workers. Providing phased retirement plans, moving older workers to part time work and creating more flexible working conditions can save organizations the costs involved with hiring new employees while maintaining older workers technical knowledge. Additionally it is important for organizations to recognize older workers personal commitments and their need for work life balance (Hutchings & Beaver, 2005). Contrary to the view of a career plateau, Armstrong-Stassen (2008) argues that majority of older workers want to continue learning and developing their skills and also desire a job that is challenging and meaningful. There will also be an increased attractiveness for organizations to hire mature age workers, even if it is on a part time basis, as older workers are readily available sources in terms of expertise that can impact the future success of the organization (Miller & Siggins, 2003). In turn HR managers will have a responsibility to have policies in place to encourage lifelong learning and knowledge management. However older workers can be a popular target during downsizing, and many experience hidden and open pressures to retire early. Addressing these issues through frequent training and feedback programs will assist older employees to feel valued by their organization. (Cadrain, 2007) believes that the costs associated with recruiting and training staff pays off over time, as the longer you retain staff the greater the return is on your investment. Therefore it is vital for organizations to retain and retrain not only the older workers but younger workers as well as generation Y workers present a different challenge for HR managers altogether. Issues and Challenges of Generation Y In a tight labour market the need for organizations to effectively manage younger workers, such as generation X and generation Y have become crucial. During the current skills shortage organizations will need to put new strategies in place to support proactive recruitment and HR policies. The high mobility of generation Y can be attributed to technological advances whereupon there is instant connectivity and experience sharing with others, leading to more information and inevitably more choice (Macky, et al. , 2008). Younger workers relish employment opportunities that allow them to learn new things, meet new people, to work in new ways and to take calculated risks (Schulman, 2007). Therefore organizations will need to include values such as flexibility, creativity and personal development when dealing with the management of younger employees. Due to the high mobility of Generation Y, organizations will need to focus on engagement of their younger employees. Younger employees are eager to showcase their talents when joining an organization, as they have not been tainted by bad working habits and are generally excited to take on new and challenging responsibilities (Fallon, 2009). Although this may be seen as a positive, keeping them happy and motivated requires different strategies than those that have been used with the baby boomers. It is widely accepted that younger workers care about much more than money; Holland & De Ceiri (2006) believe that work life balance is critical to Generation Y employees, while Fallon (2009) states that younger employees aim for a holistic fulfillment through work including feeling good about their job and a healthy balance with their social lives. This view is consistent in that younger generations need to have a perception of meaningfulness associated with their role. A lack of engagement from the employer can produce disillusionment, a lack of creativity and a lack of investment (Shulman, 20007). Organizations will therefore need to have HR strategies in place to retain younger employees and to keep them motivated and productive. Managing and Developing Generation Y There are many strategies that organizations can utilize in order to attract, train and retain the best young talent in the market. As generation Y have incredibly high expectations about the work environment, growth opportunities and rate of advancement (Downs, 2009) it is imperative for HR managers to consider the career plans of younger employees. Generation Y’s are entering the workforce in large volumes, and organizations that are unable to harness this growing resource will find themselves at a distinct disadvantage (Anonymous, 2006). Management of younger workers is crucial in times of financial hardship. Contrary to the view of (Miller & Siggins, 2003), who argues that older workers can assist organizations through financial as they are readily available sources, Anonymous (2009) states that organizations need to consider the long term prospects of generation Y’s. In order to keep generation Y’s challenged, HR managers may consider restructuring certain entry level positions so that the duties of the role vary. Additionally HR managers should discuss various career paths with younger employees and the possible steps in reaching such goals (Downs, 2009). Research shows that communication between managers and younger employees is becoming increasingly crucial (Fallon, 2009). As younger employees are used to direct, ongoing feedback in their developmental years they expect the same type of treatment from their managers. Especially as they have not yet experienced a recession, Generation Y’s will need constant feedback to remain motivated and productive. They will feel more valued and loyal to the company if managers are able to show that they care about the growth and progress of the employee. This will in turn have long term benefits and save the organization costs from a reduced turnover (Fallon, 2009). How organizations manage the generation gap is determined by the demographics of the workplace and strategies available to them. This article will now link effective HR strategies to Mixed Ages Technology Corporations organization culture and goals. Feeling Valued by the Organization There are several generational issues that confront MATC’s newly appointed HR director Tom Fletcher. Employee morale and productivity has dropped due to the rising tension between the baby boomers and the generation Y workers. The baby boomers of the company are unsatisfied with the amount of respect shown to them by the younger workers and are quite resistant to any change in the promotions system, which is based on seniority. On the other hand the generation y workers believe that there is a lack of opportunity for individual growth and oppose the current promotion system; they also believe that the older workers are outdated when it comes to modern technology. To enable both younger and older workers to feel valued by each other and by MATC, the HR team will need to address these two underlying issues. Initially the HR team needs to assess the generation gap by recognizing and openly discussing generational differences with the employees. McGuire, By & Hutchings (2007) believe that effective managers will help employees feel valued by the organization; therefore HR should be proactive in helping managers succeed in this area. As managers nowadays have to deliver in a shorter time frame and with limited resources (Aker, 2009), HR can provide coaching and mentoring programs and develop learning solutions and performance management tools to educate managers on generational differences and the best strategies available to manage a multigenerational workforce. However (Anonymous, 2009) argues that it is up to the employees to adapt to generational differences and that an assessment should be made to identify improvement opportunities within MATC’s organizational culture. The company’s current culture is one of continuous change and adaptation; hence HR needs to remind employees of this culture while adding a culture of embracing and encouraging workforce diversity (Aker, 2009). A diverse workforce is richer because there are many different perspectives, different learning styles and different attitudes towards work. Through effective human resource development, MATC will have the ability to harness this diversity into an organizational strength and investment for the future. Feedback Programs One of the biggest causes of generational tension is insecurity about jobs (Crumpacker & Crumpacker, 2007). Older workers may be involved in a transactional psychological contract and will therefore be reluctant to share information and resources will the younger employees. Additionally younger employees may worry that older employees will resent their attempts to climb the corporate ladder (Downs, 2009). HR needs to encourage an intergenerational learning environment and an environment of continuous learning and a continuous transfer of knowledge by addressing anxiety and tensions through positive reinforcement. HR also needs to reassure all employees that their contributions are valued and may even consider rewarding behaviours displaying knowledge sharing and acceptance of diversity. These types of career management strategies will help employees to feel greater job security and in turn less threatened by other generations. A commonly used strategy to instill confidence in employees and to make them feel valued is to provide frequent and timely positive feedback and offering public praise from management and peers (Cadrain, 2007). However HR needs to understand that feedback programs need to differ according to generational characteristics. It is not uncommon for HR to bring in change and communication consultants to train managers in areas of communication, feedback and negotiation to help managers understand such differences (Crumpacker & Crumpacker, 2007). As baby boomers are facing a growing pressure from a young demographic of workers, they will need to be reassured about that value they add to the organization. However baby boomers can be overly sensitive to feedback and can usually spot transparent feedback (Cadrain, 2007). In contrast generation Y employees rely of feedback from authority figures to assess whether they are on the right track and consequently they can struggle with the processing of feedback (Fallon, 2009). Therefore it is imperative to reassure younger workers that the feedback is designed to support their career progression, which is a major driving factor for generation Y’s. In the same article (Fallon, 2009) it states that it will be worthwhile for HR managers to organize more frequent gatherings among the staff and to explore programs that encourage greater collaboration. Improving Productivity through Mentoring Programs For a multigenerational workforce to function cohesively, MATC needs to build a culture based on open communication and mutual respect. A popular method for achieving such as goal is to encourage frequent group collaborations and teamwork. (Carnevale, 2005) found that brownbag training sessions, special projects and committee work can assist to reduce friction and in turn build camaraderie among employees. Another effective strategy to lower tensions is to assign the older workers as mentors to younger employees. Despite the stereotype of Generation Y’s to be impatient, Downs (2009) states that they keenly understand the value of experience and that they excel at working in teams. By pairing them with older and more experienced workers, this will assist the older workers to feel valued and respected and in turn facilitate the transfer of knowledge between generations, it will also fulfill younger employee’s desires to rocket up the learning curve and improve their chances of promotion. Further to this Caudron (2002) states the importance of dual mentoring relationship. There is a distinct advantage of this method in that two professionals may possess vastly different skill sets, and pairing them will eliminate shortcomings and maximize strengths. However (McGuire, et al. 2007) argues that organizations need to be wary that generational differences in judgments or a destructive tone of relationship such as jealousy or prejudice may have a negative impact on mentoring program and therefore need to link a culture of embracing generational diversity with such HR strategies. This view is supported by Jorgensen (2005) who argues that older employees who are no longer competing for promotion could move into a mentor or coach role to enable effective knowledge transfer to younger employees, while still contributing their skills and experiences directly to specific projects. By engaging all employees, the organization will inevitably improve long term benefits. Engagement of the Workforce Given current economic challenges MATC need to put a premium on fully engaged employees. Promoting employee engagement is one indicator of the effectiveness of HR approaches to talent management, due to the fact that enhancing employee engagement benefits both employees and employers (Downs, 2009). There are a range of benefits resulting from effective engagement including higher productivity, higher job satisfaction, less sick days taken and a longer tenure with the organization. Managing a multigenerational workforce has forced organizations to consider many alternative strategies for engagement. Past research has found varying factors effect the level of engagement; gender, caring responsibilities, physical health, core self evaluation and most importantly, age (Tsai, 2008). MATC needs to identify options for different approaches to enhancing employee engagement. The HR team may want to get suggestions employees about supports that they can rovide for them that would simultaneously support positive work life balance and also enhance engagement. It terms of baby boomers, child care facilities or carers leave may be beneficial. While for generation Y’s past research has shown that work life balance is a priority (Shulman, 2007), therefore an increase in flexible hours may lead to higher levels of engagement. MATC can also put HR strategies in place that directly affect some of the individual characteristics noted above. For example, the offer of wellness initiatives and programs can improve or maintain the health of older workers which can in turn affect their engagement level. While having social gatherings and events may help younger employees have a greater sense of inclusion in the organization. Conversely Gebauer (2006) believes that it is an interaction of an employee’s characteristics and experiences at work that affect their level of engagement. The workplace culture regulates an individual’s experiences at work. Providing employee specific opportunities for training and development, a culture of flexibility, organizational support and perceptions of inclusion and job security are all important in maintaining productive employees. Conclusion Every individual possesses biases that can often prevent them from recognizing the valuable contributions that others can offer; the generational stereotypes that exist in the workplace are usually derived from generational differences in personality and motivational drivers (Brooke, 2003). Tensions arise if these differences are not addressed and can lead to a low morale of the workforce. HR managers need to eliminate generational barriers between older and younger workers and this can be done by imposing an organizational culture that accepts generational differences while promoting the fact that there are consistent drivers across generations (Macky, et al. , 2008). Organizations nowadays can have up to four generations working for them and it is their ability to address generational gaps and manage these differences that is imperative to remaining competitive and having a motivated and productive workforce. As workforce demographics are shifting dramatically, HR managers should aim to provide an effective mix of compensation, benefits, flexible work arrangements and opportunities for growth and development for every individual. Traditional approaches designed to meet the needs of baby boomers are no longer effective and therefore new strategies need to be tailored to a more diverse workforce. Each generation requires a unique set of factors to motivate them at work and human resources plays an important strategic role in enabling diverse talent to thrive (Tsai, 2008). HR strategies should be free of bias from the recruitment, training and development and promotional processes of the organization. Organizations will need to shift away from a mindset that tolerates diversity to one where diversity is valued, harnessed and leveraged to achieve greater business success. This will have implications for organizations to have effective strategies in place to manage and support diversity which are aligned to organizational goals. After all it is a diverse workforce that creates balance and a successful and productive workforce. References Aker, J, M. (2009). Managing a multigenerational workforce. Buildings. 103(1), 46-48. Anonymous. (2006). Beyond age discrimination to leveraging human capital. Human Resource Management International Digest. 14(3). 6-8. Anonymous. (2009). Make plans for Gen Y workers. CU360 Newsletter. 35(7), 2-3. Armstrong-Stassen, M. (2008). Factors associated with job content plateauing among older workers. Career Development International. 13(7), 594-613. Beaver, G. , & Hutchings, K. (2005). Training and developing an age diverse workforce in SMEs. Education & Training. 47(8), 592-604. Brooke, L. (2003). Human resource costs and benefits of maintaining a mature-age workforce. International Journal of Manpower. 24(3), 260-283. Cadrain, D. (2007). Employers prepare to keep, not lose, baby boomers. HRMagazine. 52, 23-24. Carnevale, T. (2005). The coming labor and skills shortage. T&D. 59(1), 37-41. Caudron, S. (2002). Rebuilding trust through communication. Workforce. 81(10), 33-33. Crumpacker, M. , & Crumpacker, J. M. (2007). Succession planning and generational stereotypes: should HR consider age-based values and attitudes a relevant factor or a passing fad? Public Personnel Management. 36(4). 349-369. Downs, K. (2009). Managing Gen Y in recessionary times. Business Credit. 111(4), 28-29. Fallon, T. (2009). Retain and motivate the next generation: 7 ways to get the most out of you millennial workers. Supervision. 70(5), 5-7. Gebauer, J. (2006). Workforce engagement. T&D. 61(2), 28-30. Holland, P. , & De Cieri, H. (2006). Contemporary issues in human resource development: an Australian perspective. NSW, Australia: Pearson Education Australia. Jorgensen, B. (2005). The ageing population and knowledge work: a context for action. Foresight. 7(1), 61-76. Macky, K. , Gardner, D. , & Forsyth, S. (2008). Generational differences at work: introduction and overview. Journal of Managerial Psychology. 23(8), 857-861. McGuire, D. , By, R. T. , & Hutchings, K. (2007). Towards a model of human resource solutions for achieving intergenerational interaction in organizations. Journal of European Industrial Training. 31(8), 592-608. Miller, M. & Siggins, I. (2003). A framework for intergenerational planning. Foresight. 5(6), 18-25. Patrickson, M. , & Hartmann, L. (1995). Australia’s ageing population: implications for human resource management. International Journal of Manpower. 16(5), 34-46. Schulman, S. (2007). Crossing the generational divide: engaging â€Å"young† employees in your organization. Development and Learning in Organizations. 21(2), 7-9. Tsai, J. (2008). Working with the years. CRM Magazine. 12(11), 15-16. Westerman, J. W. , & Yamamura, J. H. (2007). Generational preferences for work environment fit: effects on employee outcomes. Career Development International. 12(2), 150-161.

Speeding Through Life essays

Speeding Through Life essays The feelings as you drive a Ferrari 550 Maranello are amazing. The car throbs to life, rumbling idly all around you. You look to the right, and see your opponent: a Porsche 911. You look up at the red light, waiting for it to turn green. You can almost taste the raw power. You rev the engine, getting ready to fly when the light turns green. The light changes and you're off!!! For all of the feelings that you get when you drive this car, you Born in Modena, Italy on February 18, 1898, Enzo Ferrari would go on to make some of the greatest cars on earth. At an early age, he gained an interest in auto racing, when he saw his first race at the age of ten years old. Although he was forced to leave school when his father died, he worked as a turning instructor in the Modena Fire Brigade workshop. This ended shortly after he got drafted into the army. He served out WWI in a mountain artillery unit. During his service, his brother was killed. After Enzo's service was over, he went to work for Alfa Romeo, a well-known car maker in Italy. At this job, he worked as a mechanic, a test driver, and a racecar driver. In 1919, he entered his first race and astoundingly enough, he finished fourth! He was so skilled, that he was dubbed "Cavaliere", which was "the equivalent of Knighthood in England." (Serial-Designs.com) Soon after, Romeo decided that Ferrari should become the head of the racing division. He stayed in this position until 1939. Because of disagreements, Ferrari and Romeo soon parted ways, and Ferrari opened up a shop in his hometown of Modena. Unfortunately, in 1940, Benito Mussolini called upon Ferrari to make military vehicles for him during WWII. While he built military machinery, allied forces were busy bombing his factory. They obliterated it twice, once in 1944, and once in 1945. Production stopp ...

Supervisor Interview Assignment II ( Is there someone who has Essay

Supervisor Interview Assignment II ( Is there someone who has Supervisor friends or contacts or you can be a interviewee if you are a supervisor.^^ ) - Essay Example Before taking on the responsibilities of a supervisor, this candidate had 4-years experience in same process that he is currently supervising. Upon being recognized as a potential candidate for supervisory role, he was selected for an in-house front line leadership training workshop. According to the interviewee, the three most important qualities of a good supervisor include knowledge of the work, coaching skills and ability to build strong interpersonal relationships. Knowledge and expertise related to the concerned work and tasks will help in training and guiding the executives; secondly, these will also help in monitoring their progress and providing the correct and constructive feedback so that the executives can continuously improve their performance. In order to train and continuously improve the team members’ performance, the supervisor needs to earn their trust and confidence which is possible only when the team members believe that their leader has the knowledge of the work and is aware of the challenges and issues related to their work. This will help the supervisor and the team members to work together without any conflicts. The second most important quality is coaching ability because it is their responsibility to coach their executives on wo rk, on attitude and behavior, as well as provide constructive feedback. Thirdly, the supervisor feels that the ability to build strong interpersonal relationships is essential for executing effective leadership. Supervisor’s functions also involve empowering individuals with tasks according to their skills and abilities; motivating the staff through appreciation, promotion, and meeting their expectations as much as possible; managing the smooth running of work processes; handling conflicts and influencing team members to perform as per organizational expectations. All these functions require an understanding of the executives’ needs and

Child art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Child art - Essay Example School art is typically distinguished by the subject matter it denotes: visual art, music, dance, or drama. In this article, I suggest a new distinction among the arts genres used in the school, namely, "child art," "fine art," and "art for children." Rather than being categorized by subject matter, these three genres operate across the various media. Each genre is associated with different contents, pedagogies, and evaluation practices. Each is based on a separate set of ideologies and goals, related to different underlying assumptions about the nature of arts and arts learning.(1) Those assumptions are incompatible with each other on both the ontological level (what constitutes art) and the pedagogical level (how to teach it). In the first part of the article I examine the day-to-day "operational curricula"(2) of the three art worlds in the subjects of dance and drama (which, when taught by specialists in the schools in which my colleagues and I observed, were taught as one subject), music, and visual arts. There are fundamental differences among these genres--in their out-of-school manifestations as well as in their ideal curricula--but, I argue, the genres are being diluted and their distinctions blurred, and they are sacrificing their potential contributions to one another.(3) In the second part of the article, I focus on the contexts in which the genres operate. Specifically, I examine the contexts of time and space for arts instruction, as well as the communities of practice in which school art functions. I show that each of the components plays a different, though interrelated, role in the dilution of the three genres of school art. In the third part I suggest that the three genres may be strengthen ed by policies addressing the aforementioned contexts. I argue that similar genres and analogous dilution exist in other school subjects, from language arts to math and science, and that dilution is shaped by the same contexts that shape school arts. That commonality in structures, problem, and cause calls for coordinated action. Accordingly, the development of policies should involve policymakers, teachers, and specialists in each of the genres (e.g., in the subjects of art, science, and math) so that efforts and deliberations may be aligned, informing and supporting each other. School Arts This article is based on two research studies, which examined arts education in elementary schools using qualitative methods. The first, a three-year project, was conducted under the auspices of the National Endowment for the Arts.(4) The second, a four-year project, was sponsored by the Bureau of Educational Research and the research board at the University of Illinois.(5) Observations revealed three genres of arts used in the schools: (1) "child art," meaning original compositions created by children in dance, drama, visual art, and music; (2) "fine art," meaning classical works in the different arts media created by established artists; and (3) "art for children," meaning art created by adults specifically for