Thursday, October 31, 2019
Make up one Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Make up one - Essay Example As mentioned in the review, delay in time affects â€Å"jury’s decision†which prolongs a victim’s agony. A recent example of this is illustrated in the recent news report by New Haven Register : â€Å"A backlog at the state forensic laboratory is contributing to a delay in the case against a 33-year-old West Haven man accused of raping and killing a 7-year-old girl, a judge said Thursday†( Tinley, 2010) The second recommendation that should be done is to simply establish the right procedure for forensic requests. The first-come first-serve basis must be observed along with a system that thoroughly evaluates the importance of a request. This recommendation shows that the crime lab has difficulty in providing timely forensic results which deters catching criminals. â€Å"All labs have to be accredited, which costs money. But ask police and prosecutors and they will tell you it is the best expenditure that they ever made. Nobody hates bad lab work more than a prosecutor does, thats how cases get lost. They hate it. It is another win-win proposition for the criminal justice system†(Lyons & Burton, 2001, p. 10) A serial killer may be able to escape and continue to commit crime in other states as a result of this delay. Again, implementation of this depends on the managers of the crime laboratory. They may not be wanting in forensic skills, however they need to be trained about management so they can evaluate, and assess their current policies. The third recommendation that must be implemented the least is developing a system of notification for cross-over requests. Again, the recommendation I chose is all about establishing a system which can be delivered by the Technical Assistance Section. It is ironic that while victims are suffering and perpetrators are on the loose, evidence is ready but no one is fully aware of that. Its implementation depends on how the management of the
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Review of The End of Education by Neil Postman Research Paper
Review of The End of Education by Neil Postman - Research Paper Example The second god is the god of consumership and Postman argues that its general moral maxim is within the slogan that whoever buys things will inherit goodness and those who do not, evil. In other words, an individual is built by what he or she accumulates. Devotion to the god of consumership begins at an early age and it persists until teenage hood. This god has created a theology that cannot be easily ignored. This is because of the fact that it is based on the notion that an individual’s life becomes worthy when they buy things. The third and the last god is the god of technology. This god is very much related to the god of consumership because it serves as a vehicle to propagate the message of the god of Consumership (Postman, 2010). â€Å"The most appealing idea that the world has yet known†is an example of democracy that the United States has fully embraced since its independence. It can be used to win the global unqualified confidence. Democracy is very appealing such that playing hypocrite towards the beliefs we hold and performing official acts of suppression will stifle our own liberties (Harrison, 2009). On the other hand, schools are meant to sell the American dream to the entire world through democracy. In other words, schools are attempting to see whether a rational, stable, and unified culture can be created from individuals of diverse religions, languages, and traditions. However, the idea is most appealing, and there is need to reassure friends of the United States about the idea. These friends have already created notions that may jeopardize the efforts of the United States to sell its idea of democracy. According to a survey conducted by the Fortune magazine, it is clear that the friends do not want to be influenced by the American culture. Europe thinks that the United States is dragging humanity in the direction of dehumanization. For instance, the relations between the Soviet Union and the United States have one
Sunday, October 27, 2019
High Performance Working
High Performance Working Executive Summary         Change is always a challenge as well as an opportunity. Todays Human resource managers face great challenge to accustom with the changing business and workplace contexts and thus they try to convert their organizations in to High Performance Working systems with the right combination of people, process, technology and organizational structure.         The High Performance Working has recently gained growing attention from the Human Resource managers and organizations. Becoming a high performance working organization is considered to be a difficult task because all the relevant and necessary elements must fit with others so that the system can function smoothly. The High Performance working system is a corrective measure because many other tools and measures of management like just-in-time manufacturing, customizing, total quality management and flexible manufacturing technology can be better functioned only when there people who fit the specific requirements. No process can work out when right people are no there. High Performance Working system looks not only at technology or process, but it seeks to find talented and qualified people who can meet the specific requirements. Organizations with High Performance Working have been found to be successful as they have experienced increase in productivity and very static long term profitability. This research work identifies IBM as an organization that has effectively used Organizational learning as a method to become High Performance Working organization. This piece of research work examines the fundamental principles and theories of High Performance working and it analyses how an effective high performance working can help an organization achieve its goals. This paper presents an in-depth analysis of various elements of High Performance working and it draws an example from IBM which has brought tremendous changes in its business with the help Organizational Learning. Introduction         When compared with momentous changes that occurred over the recent years in technology, lifestyles, workplace environment and business contexts, the Human Resource Management seems to have accustomed with the changes and it has evolved major developments by implementing various strategies and methods that help organizations face the challenges and achieve its goals. The changes in the technology and in the business contexts cause changes in the workplace. High Performance Working is thus a new interdisciplinary model of Human Resource Management that comprises of people, technology, and process.         Noe, Hollenbeck and Gerhert (2003) stated that Human Resource Management has been playing its vital role helping organizations gain the competitive advantages over their competitors by becoming high performance working organization.         This report analyses the features and underlying principles of high performance working and it examines the impacts of high performance working on the levels of management systems within IBM which has recently achieved high performance working with help of organizational learning. This research work presents an in-depth analysis of high performance working and its advantages to the organization in which it is implemented. High Performance Working         Pfeffer (1994) argued that the success in dynamic and highly competitive market environment depends less on advantages associated with economies of scale, technology, patent, access to capital, but, it depends more on innovation, speed and adaptability. Pfeffer (1994) argued that innovation, speed and adaptability are derived from the employees within an organization and from the way they are managed. Organizations seek to adapt to the changes by adopting a number of managerial practices that are called high performance or high involvement human resource system (Guthrie, Flood and Liu, 2009).         Dessler and Varkkey (2009) argued that research evidences show that the best-performing companies in a wide range of industries perform well because of their high performance working. High performance working is an integrated set of human resource management practices and tools that together produce superior employee performance. Many qualitative and quantitative researches have proved that high performance working is directly influencing the overall performance of the employees by increasing their productivity. The specific objective of this system is to attain superior employee performance.         According to Noe, Hollenbeck and Gerhert (2003), high performance working is a system in which an organization has best possible fit between their social system (people and their interaction) and technical system (equipment and processes). Pfeffer (2001) stated that implementing high performance working requires major up-front investments including training, more selective recruiting, higher wages and so forth. The technology, the structure of the organization, people and processes all work together to gain an advantage in the competitive market. When technology changes and the functional areas of the business like transportation, communication and manufacturing are being changed, the Human Resource Management must ensure that the organization has right and talented people who are able to meet the challenges of changes. While an organization implements and maintain high performance working system, it may have to develop effective training programs, recruiting people for specific skills and encouraging organizational learning and teamwork (Noe, Hollenbeck and Gerhert, 2003).         Several organizational outcomes including higher productivity, increased profitability, lower costs, better responsiveness to customer and greater flexibility are the results of high performance working. Implementing high performance working has become a difficult task because it cannot easily be copied from other organizations and there must be good deal of better partnering among executives, line managers, HR professionals, union representatives and employees (Bohlander and Snell, 2009).         High performance working is a system of working that promises an increase of around 20 percent in the productivity if staffs are motivated, involved and offered autonomy (Research Forum, 2006). High Performance working generally includes selective hiring, extensive training, pay based on performance, workplace empowerment and sharing of organizational knowledge (Yalabik and Chen, 2008). Features of High Performance working and its specific triggers         Even though there no hard rule about what comprises of High Performance Working, most organizations and Human Resource management perceive that following are the common practices of High Performance working. Employment security and selective hiring Extensive training and knowledge sharing Self managed teams and decentralized decision making Reduced status distinction between managers, and Transformational leadership (Dessler and Varkkey, 2009) One of the main triggers of high performance working is the market problems. Fierce competition in the market and organizational disparities among counterparts play vital role in encouraging organizations to implement high performance working. During the early 1980s, when Canon and Xerox went head on head in the copier markets, Xerox introduced the practice of High Performance working to face the competition and to beat the counterpart (Ashton and Sung, 2002).         Introduction of the new technologies remains to be another trigger for the implementation of high performance working system. OECD researches have shown that foreign ownership has also linked to the use high performance working and its wide acceptability throughout the organizations worldwide and especially in the United States (Ashaton and Sung, 2002). The market fluctuations, introduction of newer technologies and economic changes are the main triggers of High Performance working. The role of employee responses         The employees play mediating role in the high performance working system. The literatures show that High Performance Working is linked to a number of employee practices and employee responses (Macky and Boxall, 2007, Boxall and Macky,2009). Employees are often placed as the central to mediating the outcomes that an organization experiences due to high performance working.         The High Performance Working is directly influencing the performance of employees as it helps increase their productivity and by developing their interpersonal skills and abilities. Employees are highly motivated in an organization that functions with system of High Performance Working and these employees are provided of greater opportunities to make use of their knowledge, experiences and skills.         In an organization that works as High Performance System employee capability is being set upper limit of performance, motivation is directly impacting the degree to which this capability is turned in to an action and opportunities are enhanced as venue for them to express their skills Macky and Boxall (2007). Basic Elements of High Performance Working         Human Resource Management plays significant role in implementing various elements of High Performance working like organizational structure, design, selection and training of people, reward system and learning organization. As there are pressures for performance in a very dynamic and competitive environment, human resource managers seem to gravitate toward improving the efficiency of existing organizations structure by implementing new strategies that help gain competitive advantages (Ashkenas and Ulrich, 2002). Noe, Hollenbeck and Gerhert (2003) identified the following elements of High Performance Working. Organizational Structure         The structure of an organization is the way it combines its people in to useful groups, departments and reporting relationship (Noe and Hollenbeck, 2003). A better designed organizational structure will be highly effective to promote the working of various management groups. The top management within an organization decides the total design and levels of managements like how many employees should be there under a particular supervisor. Task Design         Task design is the way the necessary activities of an organization are grouped. Task design makes the tasks to be done efficient and it encourages quality in the operation (Noe and Hollenbeck, 2003). Right People         Selecting right people is the very critical aspect of Human Resource Management. People being selected must fit the tasks to be assigned to them. Right people are the very basic and inevitable element of the High Performance System. In designing and developing a high Performance System, the Human Resource Management must put efforts to find qualified and skilled people who will fit the specific requirement of the business. Reward System         Jackson and Hitt (2003) emphasized that reward is the most powerful tool out of all available Human Resource strategies. It is a strategy that not only motivates the employees but ensures increased productivity and employee cooperation as well. Reward system is another important element of High Performance Working, because it serves dual aspects that it directs attention of employees to the most important specific requirements and also it motivates them to put their efforts. Information system         It is the final element of High Performance Working system by which managers have to take decision regarding what kinds of information to be gathered and from what sources it can be collected. The information system determines the scope of information that who can access the information and how can they retrieve organizational knowledge.         An information system of an organization is closely related to knowledge management practice which is the process of enhancing business performance by designing and implementing systems, tools, strategies, process and people so as to create knowledge, share and use it for the further benefits of the organization (Noe, 2002). Conditions that Contribute to High Performance Working         Noe, Hollenbeck and Gerhert (2003) identified certain factors that contribute to the high performance working in an organization. According to him, Teamwork, Knowledge share, incentives, employee empowerment and reward are the main factors that directly influence the High Performance Working. Teamwork         High Performance System will work more effectively in an organization where employees are engaged in team work, cooperation and collaboration. Teamwork is a highly important tool of organizational culture that leads to knowledge share and it thus brings better performance. The teamwork refers to the ability of staffs to work together and their expertise in cooperation by assessing team skills with trust and good communication between them (Austin and Claassen, 2008). Knowledge Share         Knowledge share and knowledge slow between workers helps an organization perform well. An organization in which knowledge is freely transferred between its employees can make better ways to achieve success through the implementation of High Performance Working. According to Rothwell and Sterns (2008), employees can be encouraged by team learning by fostering interaction among older and younger workers. This will enable each employee learn from his or her counterparts and therefore it helps foster knowledge share among the workers. Outcomes of High Performance Working         High Performance Working results higher productivity and increased efficiency and these in turn contribute to higher profits (Noe, Hollenbeck and Gerhert, 2003). An organization with the help of High Performance Working can achieve high product quality, better customer service and customer satisfaction, lower rate of employee turnover and increased employee involvement and cooperation (Luthans, 2005).         Gephart and Buren (2002) hold the view that all the companies with high performance may not pursue the same business strategies. Some business may go for low cost or customer services, while others rely on innovation, speed and so forth. A company with High Performance Strategy may give greater emphasis on highly skilled and knowledgeable or experienced employees, customer satisfaction and reliable products and services.         A survey conducted in 1993 by Center for Effective Organization has proved that companies that used employee involvement and High Performance Working had substantially higher levels of financial success than those companies that didnt use same strategies. Companies that increasingly used High Performance Working excelled at return on sales return assets and return on investments as well (Gephart and Buren, 2002).         According to survey conducted by Sloan Foundation, companies with high performance working in the steel industry have been found that those companies had 7 % higher productivity, 13 % increased product quality and better service quality than those companies with less High Performance Working system (Gephart and Buren, 2002). It is obvious that High Performance Working helps organizations increase the employee productivity, motivate employees, achieve high product and service quality and gain customer satisfaction and so on. Workplace Learning for High Performance Working         Ashton and Sung (2002) argued that the use of workplace as a learning experience has been transformed over recent years. There are three main reasons for this. First is the growth of Knowledge economy, second is the impact of new economy and information and communication technology and the third is the increased use of High Performance Working system. Organizational learning has become a significant part of High Performance Working system.         As stated earlier, one of the important elements of High Performance Working is Information system. It is not only the system of how information is stored or made use of it, but, it denotes the comprehensive practices involved in making the workplace a learning atmosphere as well. It can be well connected with knowledge management practices.         The spread of High Performance Working has created more opportunities within employees to learn and develop themselves, to improve their skills and not just as in the professional or craft occupations (Ashton and Sung, 2002). The case of IBM: An organizational Learning example         IBM Corporation is a multinational computer technology corporation that has succeeded in its business pathway through a number of marketing and Human Resource strategies. IBM remains to be an illuminating example for making its workplace a knowledge creating environment and learning experience. Being an organizational learning example, IBM has implemented a strategy for High Performance Working that makes people, process and technology more adjusted to the changing environment.         The organizational learning of IBM is basically a customer-driven strategy which has been considered to be effective as it can enable the company adapt to the environmental, cultural and other changes. From the words of Ted Hoff, the vice president of the organizational learning system, IBM has a very special heritage and commitment to learning. This culture is ingrained in all the senior executives. The IBM senior management expects always conducting learning and they are going to develop employees by developing new ideas (Sosbe, 2003).         When IBM was under the direction of Vincent Learson, he started conducting serious conversation with senior level management in order to find most effective strategies. Based on situation analysis and future market anticipation, a newly appointed committee suggested IBM to implement an organizational learning process by maintaining 360 new line computers only for the use of management and employees. It was the strategic beginning of organizational learning at IBM and it still goes on as strategic movements to achieve high performance working in the organization (Lipshitz, Popper and Friedman, 2006).         IBMs organizational learning can be viewed as a strategic approach for becoming a High Performance Working organization. As discussed by Ashton and Sung (2002), organizational learning is a step forward to become High Performance Working system in an organization. Organizational learning and its strategies enhance employee learning through various methods and tools like knowledge share, retaining older employees for knowledge transfer etc and these in turn motivate employees to learn and develop their skills. Finding right people for the fit for specific requirements is the very crucial stage in High Performance Working. But, organizational learning is an easy way to find and make use of right people for the right need. Instead of searching people from outside, organizational learning and knowledge management helps organizations get right people from within the employees.         IBM has become one of the renowned computer technology corporations with a very strong market share. IBM has achieved its success through various strategies including organizational learning that helped IBM become High performance working organization. Conclusion and Recommendations         This research work presents the theories and practices of High Performance Working and it analyses various elements of the system. This paper outlines the outcomes of High Performance Working and the case of IBM has been included to describe how organizational learning has been effectively used by IBM so as to make it a High Performance Working organization.         It is very obvious that companies with High Performance Working are found more productive, highly successful in customer satisfaction, improved product and service qualities and so forth than those companies that didnt use High Performance working. Organizations that seek further development in its core competencies and total output must turn their attention towards this growing trend of High Performance working system.
Friday, October 25, 2019
The Glorious Revolution of 1688 Essay -- Essays Papers
The Glorious Revolution of 1688 The theme of â€Å"autonomy and responsibility†is prevalent in many major wars of revolution throughout the history of the world and especially in the events that occurred in England during the seventeenth century. Autonomy is defined as self-government and existing or functioning independently. Responsibility is having obligations or duties to something and being able to distinguish between right and wrong. In England, the political leaders drove King James II out of the country in order to end his oppressive rule as an absolute monarch. The Dutch Prince William of Orange, James’ son-in-law, invaded England to rule. Parliament gave the throne to William and his wife Mary but placed restrictions on their sovereignty with the Bill of Rights. This declaration gave more power to the people and made them more responsible in government. The Glorious Revolution resulted in the Parliament and the common people of England having more autonomy and responsibility in the g overnment. James II The people of England and the members of Parliament wanted to be free of the rule of King James II. James sought religious toleration for Catholics and he â€Å"repeatedly stated that he wanted to establish the Catholic religion.†1 The people of England feared that James II would pass on a Catholic dynasty. He was married to a Catholic wife who bore a male heir in June of 1688. He continually ignored public opinion during the last months of his reign and believed that God favored his actions.2 The two big political parties in Parliament, the Whigs and the Tories, joined together in opposition to James. The people of England elected these men to their positions, so they represented the majority opinion. ... ...Press, 1991), 87. 5 â€Å"The Glorious Revolution.†http://landow.stg.brown.edu/victorian/history/Glorious_Revolution.html. (October 22, 2000). 6 Morrill, 84. 7 Morrill, 84. 8 Morrill, 88-89. 9 Speck, 147. 10 Speck, 141, 145-7. 11 â€Å"The Bill of Rights,†in The Revolution of 1688 and the Birth of the English Political Nation, 2nd ed., ed. Gerald M. Straka (Lexington: D.C. Heath and Company, 1973), 63. 12 â€Å"The Bill of Rights,†63. 13 David Ogg, â€Å"The Revolution as a Reinforcement of English Institutions,†in The Revolution of 1688 and the Birth of the English Political Nation, 2nd ed., ed. Gerald M. Straka (Lexington: D.C. Heath and Company, 1973), 105. 14 Ogg, 105. 15 Jack P. Greene, Negotiated Authorities (Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1994), 81. 16 Greene, 81. 17 Greene, 82-83.
Thursday, October 24, 2019
What drives you up the wall? †Strikes on Transport
There are many things that drive me up the wall one of the main things is when there are strikes on transport. There are strikes on transport on important days like Boxing Day when people will want to go to shops for the sales, why do they have strikes? The employees think that they don’t get enough wages when there is beyond enough. Why should they get an increase in wages when there is bad service, bad manners, bad facial expressions towards customers and a lot more bad things I could go on about?! Whenever there is a strike on transport it causes chaos for many people’s lives such as works that have to travel by train or students or other people who have to go somewhere important. This is all just caused because worker s want a raise. Why can’t they just appeal without being oblivious and ruining other people’s lives? However, it is not only bad for us but for the London Transport company as they are losing millions of pounds which is not admirable. Even if strikes were the only way, the negative effect will be listened to better. Workers right should be allowed but not effecting innocent people (the society) as they have done nothing wrong. There have been many strikes around the world one of the latest, Greek strikes caused disruption to places like hospitals. Another reason is that when there is a strike, tourists cannot travel freely, this is harmful for the city or countries reputation and no one wants that. Here is an ultimatum would you rather lose your job and have no money or go to work and have money even though it is not up to your satisfaction? This is what you have to bear in mind. You have to be happy with amount of money you get paid as some workers get paid less than ?10. 00 a week. In addition to this why are they striking when they get paid ?15, 000 just for working 35hours this is more than what many workers get paid, this drives me up the wall insanely, There are many individuals who will actually appreciate the amount they got. However we are lucky that some of the transport drives weren’t stupid enough to go on strike and continue their work and if they didn’t they are probably going to lose their job. As well as that thanks to the people that came to work because then the company would millions of pounds which could be used on cleaning the transport as it is unhygienic. Transport for London is so bad compared to the trains in china as in china they have clean, fast transport and good service. What could be better than that! However in London we sit on dirty seats which are not cleaned on a daily basis, we are sitting on hundred germs. Having strikes will cause financial problems for many transport companies such as Transport for London, in the Greek Economy there has been severe damage caused by the strikes. As well as that in July 2010 the Greek Railway has been trying to raise over ?400million of loans from the public management. On the same day in Athens people walked off the job shutting down the tubes. These are things that cause damage economically. However, strikes are only allowed if asked permission if not it is illegal and they will be punished with fines and sentences. If the strikes don’t work the strikers will have to go to this person who will make negotiations of how much they should be paid and they will definitely loose. In addition to this the Transport Industry is too important to the society to be having a wage negotiation, when there are many well being who have places to go and people to see. I would not mind if there was strikes if transport was clean and the service was impeccable but no there is rubbish service and very bad conditions. The strikers get paid a fair wage but just don’t appreciate it; I’ll bet there are many people who will be dying for this job. In addition to this there have been many accidents caused by the employer’s exhaustion which causes accidents, so the person who got hurt can sue leaving the company to lose a lot of money. Another reason in which I wouldn’t mind if there was a strike if the transport was safe and strikes for reasonable concessions and not ask unfair and unsustainable benefits. Another fact is that strikes are just to put pressure on Government to change policies. Whatever is the end result, the strike harms the nation, the community, the community and the management. Some people think that people who work on transport have freedom to express themselves and yes this true but what is the point of all of it when it will just cause chaos and havoc. I don’t understand why people feel that they express their selves causing trouble and trying to prove a point. In my opinion I think that strikes on transport should be banned as it is chaotic and unfair. I think it is unfair as the amount of money employees get in transport is so much already it will just make employees lose their job and will have no money. As well as that many people have to travel by transport to get to work and they are losing money too by not going to work. However there are different ways to get your word through to without having a strike which is disruptive. I don’t understand why whenever there is a strike Boris Johnson tells us†get on your bikes and cycle help save the environment. †For example if I wanted to go to the city and I live in Stanmore I would have to cycle for about 3 hours and how are elderly supposed to cycle anyways they will just run out of breath. However instead of taking the bus to a short distance we should save the environment instead of ruining it and you could either walk or cycle. As well as this how are we supposed to manage when there is a sudden strike without no notice- this has happened a few times. If we didn’t have strikes we could save money to have internet connection it the tube/trains or wifi despite this there is always strikes on the most important day for example The Royal Wedding- this is a time when the Transport Company can earn a lot of money in just under an hour. The most agitating thing about public transport is when you can stereotypical, rowdy teens come on and shout in there disruptive, loud voice like they own their transport or listening to music so loud that you could hear from out on the streets. As well as that when you get on the bus and the driver gives you creepy looks while groaning under their breath waiting for you to get your oyster out or your money. When the bus driver sees you running they just slam the door shut and drive off making you wait like another half an hour for another bus, has this ever happened to you? Don’t you feel annoyed and angry that you want to get a rock and just throw it at the drivers face? To conclude I think that there should only be strikes if necessary not for things that are unnecessary or unbeneficial and there shouldn’t be a strike on important days which is very silly as the underground have an advantage of earning money. In addition to this whenever we get on a train we have never actually got good service; instead of being cranky when they got a raise in their wages which is so unfair and causing financial problems in the company risking their jobs. In my opinion I think strikes are the most stupid, aggravating thing to do for resolving things. Public Transport is agitating, hectic and contaminated; they should be trying to fix it not making it worse.
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Comparative Methodological Critique
The aim of this paper is to compare two academic research papers, one informed by qualitative and another one by quantitative research designs with focus on the methodological factors. Both papers describe working lives and attitudes of gay and lesbian workers in the UK and USA, possible consequences of disclosure of sexual orientation on their working relations and organisational arrangements towards equality and diversity of working practice. These research projects add to the growing number of studies which shed light on the sensitive nature of homosexuality in the workplace and anti-discrimination policies and practices that organisations deploy to create a more inclusive working environment. Governed by the difficulty of access to gay and lesbian population both in UK and USA, and its â€Å"hidden†nature both teams chose their own strategy in unveiling the nature of work attitudes of gay and lesbian employees and demonstrating the progress organisations have made or are making towards the establishment of good practice. st paper (qualitative) The paper deals with identifying good organisational practice concerning equality, diversity and sexual orientation in the workplace, and considers any changes following the introduction of Employment equality (Sexual Orientation) regulations 2003. It also aims at addressing the gap between equality policy and practice which provides the foundation for further analysis of the significant shortfall in knowledge relating to the experience of LGB (lesbian, gay and bisexual) employees in UK organisations. Even today, the issue of sexuality still remains a sensitive one, despite the coming into force of legislation offering protection to LGB people. It is also the cause of unease for some employers in the modern world in discussing (not to mention dealing with! ) this issue, and consequential bullying, suffering and fear which make life and work unbearable for so many LGB people. So far progress has been made based on social justice and business case studies which means that this still â€Å"remains †¦an under researched area in which there have been very few case studies of particular organisations†(Colgan et al. 2007:591). Having adopted a phenomenological position in their design, the research team chose to carry out a longitudinal (2 year) qualitative study in 16 â€Å"good practice†case study organisations in the area of employment of LGB workers, to discover â€Å"the details of the situation†¦[in order to] to understand the reality†(Remenyi et a l. , 1998:35) of working relations in organisations with LGB workers. Also focusing on the ways that people make sense of the world especially through the sharing of experiences with others has dictated the use of a social constructionist framework (Bryman and Bell, 2007). The case studies involved the analysis of companies’ documentation and reports, trade union publications and websites to get an inside view of companies’ attitudes and practices. The main challenge of the project in data collection was â€Å"limited resources †¦ inability to specify a sampling frame†(Saunders et al. , 2003:170) which dictated the use of non-probability sampling. Therefore, snowballing sampling was applied as the most appropriate for this kind of research. The research team interviewed in depth 154 LGB employees who, prior to that, completed a short survey questionnaire. All completed the survey giving a complete census. However, due to â€Å"a lack of robust statistical evidence concerning the proportion of the UK population who identify as LGB†(Colgan et al. , 2007:591) and the difficulty of access to such people, it’s hard to say how representative this sample of LGB people is. Determined by these practical constraints, the research team adopted a mixed methods research strategy (case study/interviews) with various data collection methods that allowed them to have a cross-check against each other's results. Difficulty of accessing LGB employees also dictated the choice of analysis focusing only on â€Å"good practice†organisations. Hence, using survey, in-depth interview and secondary data enabled the team to combine the specificity of quantitative data with the ability to interpret perceptions provided by qualitative analysis. Though, there is evidence and justification by the research team of how respondents were selected, the project itself demonstrated a disproportioned balance of respondents not only in terms of gender (61,7% -men, 38,3% – women) but also in terms of ethnic division. This means that the balance tipped so far in terms of the depth of their research. The research team adapted an inductive research approach to accommodate the existing theories and findings as well as their own empirical studies, for example â€Å"that those in lower level and perhaps more difficult working environments are less likely to be â€Å"out††¦at work†(Colgan et al. , 2006a cited in Colgan, 2007:593). The paper also gives a good historical overview of how public and private sector organisations have made progress towards the â€Å"inclusion of sexual orientation within its organisational policy and practice†(Colgan et al. , 2006a cited in Colgan, 2007:593). This provides readers with a comparative overview of how the situation has changed following the introduction of the legislation. The research team identified the number of steps organisations took to follow â€Å"good practice†in relation to equality and diversity, at the same time outlining the differences in progress between public and private sector companies. In doing so, the authors also assert that the implementation gap between policy and practice still exists and requires further measures such as â€Å"the need to see policy championed, resourced and implemented by senior line managers†(Colgan et al. 2007). Whereas the Regulations empowered LGB people to step in and â€Å"challenge discrimination and harassment†(Colgan et al. , 2007:604), the key factor, as identified by the authors, â€Å"that prevented some respondents coming out at work †¦ the fear†(Colgan et al. , 2007) remained the main obstacle to LGB workers to blowing the whistle and reporting an incident. These findings are supported and justified throughout the paper by respondents’ statements and results of previous studies. The research team also defined the relation between the impact of the employment equality (SO) regulations, considered as independent variable, and such dependent variables like job satisfaction, being out at work, experience of harassment and discrimination, this in fact gives an idea of the existing problem in organisational practices. In terms of structure, language and appropriateness of referencing to other material this paper proves highly informative. It suggests that further research needs to be done in order â€Å"to gain a more â€Å"representative†picture of working lives of LGB employees†(Colgan et al. , 2007) as it only explored the â€Å"tip of the iceberg†, because the research project was able to examine only a fraction of the whole, and, unless an organisation adopts more effective and proactive leadership on equality and diversity, the legislation on its own will take only a small step towards the inclusivity of LGB people and the creation of harmonious equal working practices in UK organisations. The research project involved cross-sectional design that allowed the team to compare and contrast their findings derived from each of the cases. This is considered to be a great advantage of the project as it allowed the team to consider â€Å"what is unique and what is common across cases†(Bryman and Bell, 2007:64), thus facilitating an attempt to generalise their findings. The research team does not explicitly express their own opinions, allowing personal values to sway the conduct of the research and the findings deriving from it, this ensures that they acted in good faith and followed good practice. However, having conducted a survey following the implementation of (SO) Regulations 2003, this study failed to provide a sufficiently broad spectrum of opinion of how organisational culture has changed as a consequence of the legislation. Moreover, the research team did not specify whether any of the key informants or interviewees had worked in â€Å"good practice†organisations before the regulations came into force which would allow a comparative analysis of organisational practice to take place and, thereby, for data to be more representative. Much attention was focused upon good practice organisations in their study; however, there was a failure to demonstrate what was meant by â€Å"good practice†. This would have enabled readers to have a more explicit understanding of what expectations are from any organisation with LGB employees. In terms of access to respondents, although the team acknowledged the difficulty, they were not as resourceful as they might have been. Lack of robust information undermines the conclusions, arguably, brings into question the credibility of the findings as the research net was not cast widely or deeply enough. For the readership of this paper there is no ultimate enlightenment as the paper does not show any argument or advocacy that invite readers to the world of unexpected discovery; instead, it is rather a presentation or portrait. It also remains difficult to conduct a true replication of this study, even though majority of the organisations â€Å"were willing to be identified by name†(Colgan et al. 2007). 2nd paper (quantitative) This paper describes the relationship between reported disclosure of sexual orientation, anti-discrimination policies and top management support. It is also aimed at identifying work-related attitudes of gay and lesbian workers if such disclosure takes place and its effects on individual performance of gay and lesbian workers. At the time of the research very few empirical studie s had been conducted to investigate work attitude and disclosure of sexual orientation. Since the recognition of the gay and lesbian population within the workforce, inclusiveness of gay and lesbian employees in organisational diversity management policies was desperately needed. It has been argued that â€Å"an approach of workplace tolerance is needed†(Day and Shoenrade, 2000:347) which can contribute to the knowledge of human resource function when taking appropriate actions if conflict arises and to help create a more conducive environment for the disclosure of sexual orientation. Emphasising the importance of collecting facts and studying â€Å"the relationship of one set of facts to another†(Anderson, 2009:45) underpins their positivist paradigm. Focused on key unresolved questions such as â€Å"closeted homosexual workers will have a less positive work-related attitude†(Day and Shoenrade, 2000:346) the research team takes a deductive research approach to test three formulated hypotheses which together with research paper aims do not appear until well into the text. This can lead to uncertainty on the part of the readership. In terms of selection of respondents and its rationale, the research team fails to demonstrate the proportion of respondents relating to ethnics; also gender division appeared to be highly disproportioned with 485 gays and only 259 lesbians. Their chosen data collection methods (sampling, focus groups and a questionnaire) highlighted some problematic issues such as â€Å"identifying a representative sample of working lesbians and gays†(Day and Shoenrade, 2000:350) due to the sensitive nature of research and lack of current data on the lesbian and gay population. Great attention was paid to demonstrating their strategy in obtaining possibility sample. Having looked at various options, the sampling choice was justified on the basis of geographical location (USA Midwest) which it was thought would benefit in the existing research as it involves lesbian and gay population not surveyed before. A large sample would allow them to easily obtain a significant test statistic (Esterby-Smith et al. 2008), the research team sampled several resources, principally Human Rights Project (HRP), and then broadened them getting a reasonable response of 29% which â€Å"showed no statistically significant difference from the larger sample on the major variables†(Day and Shoenrade, 2000:351). However, such considerations cannot be viewed as justification for not following the principles of probability sampling and therefore team’s findings do not represent the whole gay and lesbian population of USA and cannot be generalised. In testing three formulated hypotheses the research team established three independent variables (disclosure of sexual orientation, presence of anti-discrimination policy and top management support) and 5 dependent ones (affective commitment, continuance commitment, job satisfaction, job stress and conflict between home and work) and selected a multivariate analysis to find a way of summarising the relationship between these variables and at the same time capturing the essence of the said relationship (Esterby-Smith et al. , 2008). Adopting objectivist ontology the research team aimed at analysing the relationships between these variables thus creating static view of social life (Bryman and Bell, 2007). However, there was a failure to specify which statistical test was used to demonstrate and examine interdependence between them. This, in fact, point to a lack of transparency of their project. Based on several example questions the team demonstrated it can be deduced that they were dealing with categorical data (ordinal and cardinal) and therefore the Spearman correlation test and regression analysis (linear regression model) were used to represent non-parametric data. This allowed them to measure the strength and the direction of association between the variables, and confirm whether there is any difference in the population from which the sample was drawn. The research team also used a qualitative research method. They conducted a focus-group discussion to ensure that â€Å"the construct of disclosure of sexual orientation be precisely defined and relevant to†¦ [this] population (Day and Shoenrade, 2000:351). This helped to ensure that the concept was precisely defined and relevant to the population. The lack of secondary data sources also explained the rationale of their chosen method of data analysis. However, had this data been obtained, it would have allowed to create a more comparative analysis. For each independent variable the research team demonstrated several example questions and interpretation of the results which provided readers with an overview of a critical analysis of the conclusions the research team came to. However, those who are not familiar with statistical data would find it hard to follow the argument as there was a failure to provide basic explanation of roman letters and include notes when referencing to the tables. Therefore, it is impossible to cross-check their results and to confirm their findings. Focusing on facts, and looking for causalities throughout their analysis, underpinned their positivist paradigm and reflected their research approach and strategy. Like any other quantitative researchers the team was trying to describe why things are, rather than how they are. They admit that the issue of causality should be discussed to achieve a better understanding of the relations of the variables. Nevertheless, the research team found the evidence to support portions of the three formulated hypotheses. They critically evaluated each one by giving their own suggestions and recommendations to organisations and HR practitioners on how to improve their working practice and establish the inclusiveness of gay and lesbian workers. The presence of modal verbs in the quantitative research once again emphasised the invariably implicit nature of this research often criticised by the qualitative researchers for its high level of assumptions (Bryman and Bell, 2007). Their data analysis and interpretation of their findings are well structured and presented. The ability of the research team to point out the pitfalls of their own project and critically approach their findings is considered to be a great advantage of this research paper. Conclusion The papers provide a solid foundation for further analysis in the field of equality and diversity in organisations with gay and lesbian workers. Governed by own choice for research strategy and approach to answer research questions, they were both affected by the same practical constraint during the research, extremely sensitive nature of sexual orientation and the â€Å"hidden†nature of the gay and lesbian population which led to that fact that probability sampling was impossible as there was no accessible sampling framework for the population from which the sample could be taken. Hence, one cannot confirm that both research projects were successful in generalising their findings beyond their chosen sample. Both research projects lack of robust evidence of the proportion of the UK gay and lesbian population and base their research projects on out of date information. This, in fact, stress the importance of secondary analysis to take place which would allow them to obtain good-quality and up-to-date data, and, as outlined by the quantitative research team, offer the opportunity for research to â€Å"compare an individual’ responses longitudinally†(Day and Shoenrade, 2000:361). It would also provide the opportunity to gain a more descriptive picture of gay and lesbian working lives and facilitate the emergence of a new data interpretation and theoretical ideas as new methods of quantitative data analysis are constantly appearing in the business research field. Unlike the qualitative research team which totally avoids any advice, the quantitative research team succeeded in providing various recommendations for organisations that can help them create a more inclusive environment, â€Å"this process could begin through education top management in the importance of the issue and the consequences of ignoring it†(Day and Shoenrade, 2000:360). In terms of contribution to the field unlike quantitative research the qualitative research project rather confirmed the existing findings and results of previous studies then introduced new information that would benefit and add to the existing knowledge. However, both research projects draw the parallel between UK and USA in terms of work attitude and practice in organisations with gay and lesbian workers pointing at lack of effective leadership and commitment of top management needed to create inclusive working relations in a contemporary business world. Both research teams admitted that further analysis will be required, perhaps, a combination of two research methods, as stated by the quantitative research team, â€Å"to gain a more â€Å"representative†picture of working lives†(Colgan et al. , 2007:606) of gay and lesbian workers.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Spinner Shark Facts (Carcharhinus brevipinna)
Spinner Shark Facts (Carcharhinus brevipinna) The spinner shark (Carcharhinus brevipinna) is a type of requiem shark. It is a live-bearing, migratory shark found in warm ocean waters. Spinner sharks get their name from their interesting feeding strategy, which involves spinning through a school of fish, snapping them up, and often leaping into the air. Fast Facts: Spinner Shark Scientific Name: Carcharhinus brevipinnaDistinguishing Features: Slender shark with long snout, black-tipped fins, and habit of spinning through water when feeding.Average Size: 2 m (6.6 ft) length; 56 kg (123 lb) weightDiet: CarnivorousLife Span: 15 to 20 yearsHabitat: Coastal waters of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian OceansConservation Status: Near ThreatenedKingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ChordataClass: ChondrichthyesOrder: CarcharhiniformesFamily: CarcharhinidaeFun Fact: Spinner sharks dont eat humans, but will bite if they are excited by other food. Description The spinner shark has a long and pointed snout, slender body, and relatively small first dorsal fin. Adults have black-tipped fins that look as though they were dipped in ink. The upper body is gray or bronze, while the lower body is white. On average, adults are 2 m (6.6 ft) long and weigh 56 kg (123 lb). The largest recorded specimen was 3 m (9.8 ft) long and weighed 90 kg (200 lb). Spinner shark. Spinner sharks and blacktip sharks are commonly confused with each other. The spinner has a slightly more triangular dorsal fin that is further back on the body. An adult spinner shark also has a distinctive black tip on its anal fin. However, juveniles lack this marking and the two species share similar behaviors, so its difficult to tell them apart. Distribution Due to difficulty distinguishing between blacktip and spinner sharks, the spinners distribution is uncertain. It can be found in the Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, with the exception of the eastern Pacific. The species prefers warm coastal water that is less than 30 m (98 ft) deep, but some subpopulations migrate into deeper water. Spinner shark distribution. Chris_huh Diet and Predators Bony fishes are the staple of the spinner sharks diet. The sharks also eat octopus, squid, cuttlefish, and stingrays. The sharks teeth are made for grabbing prey rather than cutting it. A group of spinner sharks chases a school of fish then charges it from below. A spinning shark snaps up fish whole, often carrying enough momentum to leap into the air. Blacktip sharks also employ this hunting technique, although it is less common. Humans are the spinner sharks primary predator, but spinner sharks are also eaten by larger sharks. Reproduction and Life Cycle Spinner sharks and other requiem sharks are viviparous. Mating occurs from spring to summer. The female has two uteri, which are divided into compartments for each embryo. Initially, each embryo lives off its yolk sac. The yolk sac forms a placental connection with the female, which then provides nutrients until the pups are born. Gestation lasts from 11 to 15 months. Mature females give birth to 3 to 20 pups every other year. Spinner sharks start reproducing between the ages of 12 and 14 and can live until they are 15 to 20 years old. Spinner Sharks and Humans Spinner sharks dont eat large mammals, so bites from this species are uncommon and not fatal. The fish will bite if provoked or excited during a feeding frenzy. As of 2008, a total of 16 unprovoked bites and one provoked attack were attributed to spinner sharks. The shark is valued in sport fishing for the challenge it presents as it leaps from the water. Commercial fishermen sell the fresh or salted meat for food, the fins for shark fin soup, the skin for leather, and the liver for its vitamin-rich oil. Conservation Status The IUCN classifies the spinner shark as near threatened worldwide and vulnerable along the southeastern United States. The number of sharks and the population trend is unknown, mainly because spinner sharks are so often confused with other requiem sharks. Because spinner sharks live along highly populated coasts, they are subject to pollution, habitat encroachment, and habit degradation. However, overfishing poses the most significant threat. The US National Marine Fisheries Service 1999 Fishery Management Plan for Atlantic Tunas, Swordfish, and Sharks sets bag limits for recreational fishing and quotas for commercial fishing. While sharks of the species grow quickly, the age at which they breed approximates their maximum lifespan. Sources Burgess, G.H. 2009. Carcharhinus brevipinna. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2009: e.T39368A10182758. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2009-2.RLTS.T39368A10182758.enCapape, C.; Hemida, F.; Seck, A.A.; Diatta, Y.; Guelorget, O. Zaouali, J. (2003). Distribution and reproductive biology of the spinner shark, Carcharhinus brevipinna (Muller and Henle, 1841) (Chondrichthyes: Carcharhinidae). Israel Journal of Zoology. 49 (4): 269–286. doi:10.1560/DHHM-A68M-VKQH-CY9FCompagno, L.J.V. (1984). Sharks of the World: An Annotated and Illustrated Catalogue of Shark Species Known to Date. Rome: Food and Agricultural Organization. pp. 466–468. ISBN 92-5-101384-5.Dosay-Akbulut, M. (2008). The phylogenetic relationship within the genus Carcharhinus. Comptes Rendus Biologies. 331 (7): 500–509. doi:10.1016/j.crvi.2008.04.001Fowler, S.L.; Cavanagh, R.D.; Camhi, M.; Burgess, G.H.; Cailliet, G.M.; Fordham, S.V.; Simpfendorfer, C.A. Musick, J.A. (2005). Sharks, Rays and Chimaeras: The Sta tus of the Chondrichthyan Fishes. International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources. pp. 106–109, 287–288. ISBN 2-8317-0700-5.
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