Tuesday, November 26, 2019

The Politics essays

The Politics essays In the book The Politics, Aristotle analyzes different types of political communities. He examines these political communities on two different levels; first as a city and then as a regime. By studying both city and regime you get the full picture of the different types of governments throughout the world. Aristotle uses this dual approach to describe the different types of regimes. Through his evaluation of the city and regime, Aristotle comes to the conclusion that oligarchies, which are governments that are ruled by the few, are deviant regimes because they govern for the good of the rulers, and not for the good of the whole. The city is the first level that Aristotle uses to evaluate different types of political communities. A complete city is the multitude of such persons that is adequate with a view to a self-sufficient life (Aristotle pg. 87). Villages are collaboration of many households that have come together so they can obtain non-daily needs. Since villages are not self-sufficient, they join together to form cities. Cities provide you with the things your household and your village are not able to provide to you. Therefore, the city is the only thing that can exists self-sufficiently, and it exists for the sake of living well. The city is also the most authoritative partnership. The city embraces all other partnerships and therefore, it aims at the most authoritative good of all, which is living well. Aristotle uses city to generally describe political communities. The city only describes the people who inhabit it; it does not distinguish who the rulers are or what kind of rule the city has. The citizens are an important aspect of political communities because knowing the citizens allows you to investigate what type of regime that particular city has or should have. To find out who rules the city you have to study the citys regime. Regimes are the second level of analy...

Friday, November 22, 2019

Ironic Famous Last Words

Ironic Famous Last Words Whether realized at the time they are said or only in hindsight, nearly everyone will express a word, phrase or sentence that proves the last thing he or she ever says while alive. Sometimes profound, sometimes every day, here you will find a select collection of the last words spoken by various people that appear ironic in hindsight. Note: The following quotations are organized alphabetically by the individuals last name followed by the year in which he or she died. R. Budd Dwyer (1987) Dont, dont, dont, this will hurt someone. Embroiled in a bribery scandal, Pennsylvania Treasurer Dwyer decided to commit suicide rather than resign publicly. After addressing reporters gathered at a press conference the day before a Pennsylvania court was scheduled to issue Dwyers sentence for his earlier bribery conviction, the state treasurer cut short his prepared remarks and produced a .357 caliber handgun to the astonishment of attendees. As people tried to defuse the situation and take the gun from him, Dwyer warned reporters not to approach as he placed the gun in his mouth and pulled  the trigger. Stephen Irwin (2006) Dont worry, they usually dont swim backwards. While filming a documentary near Australias Great Barrier Reef, The Crocodile Hunter encountered a stingray that defensively used its tail spine to ward off Irwin, piercing his chest. Despite the efforts of his production and boat crews to save his life, Irwin died from cardiac arrest and  excessive loss of blood. Terry Alan Kath (1978) Dont worry†¦ its not loaded. The founding member of the rock group Chicago thought the .38 caliber revolver he pointed to his head was unloaded. John F. Kennedy (1963) No, you certainly cant. Jacqueline Kennedy testified on June 5, 1964, that these were President Kennedys last words- or something to this effect- in response to the statement by Nellie Connally, the wife of Texas Governor John Connally. He remarked just before an assassins bullet struck the president: You certainly cant say that the people of Dallas havent given you a nice welcome. Vic Morrow (1982) Ive got to be crazy to do this shot. I shouldve asked for a double. During the filming of a scene for Twilight Zone: The Movie, the planned pyrotechnic explosions damaged the tail rotor of a helicopter that was part of the sequence, causing the pilot to lose control of the craft. The helicopters main rotor decapitated Morrow and a seven-year-old actor he carried in his arms and crushed a second child actor when it crashed. Charged with involuntary manslaughter, a jury ultimately acquitted the films director, John Landis, of the charges. Hector Hugh Munro, aka Saki (1916) Put that bloody cigarette out! Serving in the British Army during World War I, Saki (the pen name of British author Munro) uttered his last words on a French battlefield. A German sniper saw the lit cigarette or overheard Sakis order and shot the 43-year-old. (Incidentally, there is an interesting death-related superstition revolving around soldiers lighting cigarettes on a battlefield called Three on a Match.) Lawrence Oates (1912) I am just going outside and may be some time. Suffering from the effects of scurvy and frostbite, and fearing his maladies placed the rest of his companions at risk as they attempted to reach the South Pole for the first time in history, Oates uttered these final words according to expedition leader Robert Falcon Scotts journal. After his comrades refused his first attempt to sacrifice himself for their safety, Oates said these words as he left the groups shelter during a blizzard. Unfortunately, his heroic sacrifice did not save his companions, who died from exposure a little more than a week later. Taylor Sauer (2012) I can’t discuss this now. Driving and facebooking is not safe! Haha. While driving from Utah State University to her parents home in Idaho in January 2012, 18-year-old Sauer reportedly sent a text message every 90 seconds while behind the wheel during the four-hour trip. After sending the last message (above), her car slammed into the back of a truck at an estimated 80 miles per hour. John Sedgwick (1864) Im ashamed of you, dodging that way. They couldnt hit an elephant at this distance. The highest-ranking Union officer to die during the American Civil War, Major General Sedgwick chastised the men in his command for reacting to Confederate sharpshooter fire while placing artillery in preparation for (what is now known as) the Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse in Virginia moments before a snipers bullet ended his life. Sources:Driving and facebooking is not safe! Haha: Chilling last text sent by teenage driver seconds before she died in 80mph horror crash, March 6, 2012. Daily Mail. Retrieved March 2, 2014. dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2110646/Driving-facebooking-safe-Haha-Parents-daughters-text-predicted-fatal-mistake-seeking-change-driving-laws.html

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 28

Reflection - Essay Example One is significantly disturbed by the facts that were shown in the video regarding increasing patterns of childhood obesity. The information which discloses that at early stages, there are still remedial strategies which could avert the greater tendencies for weight gain. The recommendation to avoid obesity really starts with lifestyle change. This means that there are collaborative measures that must be instituted to avoid and prevent childhood obesity: the observance and adherence to balanced and healthy diet; the need to emphasize the value of physical activity and regular exercise; as well as the change in personal outlook and perspectives (focus on engaging in outdoor activities, rather than over indulgence in watching television or playing in personal computers). Society has a role to play in terms of changing focus of advertisements to children, especially for food and products which are healthy and of natural

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Race and Failures of Federalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Race and Failures of Federalism - Essay Example Additionally, federalism recognized the need for national unity, which led to the preservation of the social order and protection of individual liberty. Some of the America political leaders disagreed on issues relating to the federal division of government power. The state-centered power ensured that slavery appear as an institution, which was a contradiction to the principles of equality and individual liberty. The move limited the realization of the black freedom. Under federalism, slavery appeared singly as a domestic institution protected and established under the local and state laws. However, as the event unfolded, the controversies and misinterpretation of issues culminated in conflicts. This in its part limited the achievement of the black freedom. As highlighted in the case of Hurricane Katrina, the underlying contradiction in the federal powers had a profound impact on the Africa-Americans (Lubiano, 2005). The progression of the federal power did not help much in alleviating slavery and restoring the social order amongst the

Sunday, November 17, 2019

How Cell Phones and Other Inventions Affected the American Family Essay Example for Free

How Cell Phones and Other Inventions Affected the American Family Essay How Cell Phones and other inventions affect the American family There are many new inventions that have helped to advance our society and had an affect on the American family. Since the invention of the cell phone people no longer have to rely on payphones, mail, or even traveling. Email has made it easier for people to send mail faster. Instead of writing or typing out a letter and waiting for the post to send it, now you just hop on your computer type it out, send it, and a few seconds later it has been delivered. Entertainment has also made an impact on the American family. Entertainment has become more accessible over time and at this point you don’t even have to leave your house to order a new movie On Demand or buy a new song or even a whole CD. The cause of cellphones, email, and advanced entertainment has a great effect on the American family by helping them become more efficient. The cell phone has become so depended on; most people can’t leave the house without them. They help you become more accessible to other people and more recently have more features than just calling. Texting also makes it easy to send quick messages to people if you don’t have time to have a conversation on the phone. For instance, if you are in a loud place, like a concert or a quiet place where you don’t want to draw attention to yourself, like a church service. They also have other features like games, and music. You can buy games and music right from your phone; you can even access the internet straight from your phone. These new parts of the cell phone help the American family to become more efficient and get in communication with other people faster. Email has become more and more popular since it was invented. Now that just about everyone has an email it is not necessary to mail as many cards or letters anymore. Since the postal system takes so much time most people prefer email simply because their information gets there faster and more efficiently. Adults can send emails to their work and co-workers, which allows them to work from home without even missing a meeting. They can email all of their paper work and they can call into meetings now. Even kids/students can take advantage of this by send emails to their teachers with their school work attached if they are sick or just have late work. The American family has been affected in a very positive way by using these new inventions. Entertainment has also taken a turn into a new direction. There are so many new ways to keep yourself entertained without even leaving your house. For example, already mentioned the cell phone has games and music installed into it that gives you the opportunity to buy new things to keep yourself entertained. Then there is also the television that you can watch movies on or shows that you like. There is even programs like On Demand where you can access it right through your TV and buy a new movie for about five bucks and watch it without even having to leave your couch. The way that entertainment has expanded has had such an impact on the American family. This might not be as positive as the speeded up communication devices since this might cause you to be more inefficient and lay around all day. However, when these entertainment devices are used appropriately you can get a good use out of them without letting them consume all of your time. The way that these new inventions have affected the American family is mostly positive, with very little negative effects. Since these inventions, there has been a more efficient way of communication through cell phones and email, which helps work get done faster. The cell phone has diminished the need to have filthy pay phones all over and email has crushed the need to send many things through the postal office, which isn’t as speedy and efficient as email. With all of these new ways of speeding up work, that leaves us with more time to ourselves, and so we got new ways to entertain ourselves without having to leave the house after a long stressful day at work. Over all the cause of the inventions of things like cell phones email, and entertainment has a positive effect on the American family.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Nothing Compares to Teaching Essay -- Teaching Education Statement

Nothing Compares to Teaching When I first started college I was not sure what I wanted to do with my life. I would ask myself â€Å"If I could do anything I wanted to do for eight hours a day and get paid for it, what would I do?† After thinking about that question a couple of times the answer seemed perfectly clear. Spending my career devoted to children would be the most rewarding thing I could do with my life. There are many other jobs that revolve around children, but none that could compare to teaching. The most important goal in my classroom will be to ensure that my teaching methods are effective. No matter what I am teaching from reading and writing, to how to line up quietly my approach has to be effective. Figuring out how to be effective can be a challenge. Progressivism and pragmatism have an interesting theory. Having knowledge at any age is useless if you do not know how to apply the knowledge. Holding a student’s interest is a very important part of the learning process. Children are naturally curious. Their curiosity can be very useful in the classroom. Being able to teach information in a way that strikes their curiosity is the first step of successful teaching. The students need to be able to connect with what is being taught on a level that interests them. Letting children have the opportunity to use the information they learn in a practical, hands on, way is very important. The diversity of students is a major factor when it comes to discipline and other methods of teaching. Students learn in a variety of ways. Of the five major educational theories, I believe an eclectic approach is the best. I will never have a classroom full of students in whic... ...fectively teach at the college level. After being a student for so many years, I have learned a lot from many of my professors and I feel that I may have something to share with those that may someday teach my children. There are many goals I hope to accomplish in my classroom each year. I’m sure as I gain experience in the classroom each year, my goals will change. Helping students realize the importance of education is very crucial. I believe the elementary level is the best time to begin to encourage children to take their education seriously. Everyday offers a chance to increase your knowledge and try something new. The opportunity to share this with children on a daily basis is a blessing. I hope to be able to instill one core belief in all of the students that enter my classroom; â€Å"The biggest room in the world is the room for improvement.†

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

A Buddhist and Christian Look at Life After Death

A Buddhist and Christian look at Life after Death: The XIV Dalai Lama and Heschel views on the stages of death. In each religion every one dies a different way. I wanted to write about life after death because everyone has their own interpretation to where we go when we die. No one really knows the true answer until we die and then what? The question that is raised today is which religious concepts of life after death should we follow? In my paper I will talk about how His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama and rabbi Abraham J. Heschel address the concept of life after death from their faiths.In Buddhism, Buddhist does not believe that during their lives they do not live and die once, instead they are a part of a continuous cycle which is known as samsara. Samsara can bring many births, deaths, and rebirths all according to how karma is played out in their lifetime. A person’s karma can play a very important role in a person’s life as to what their next life will become. The o nly way that Buddhist can become free from the cycle of samsara is by reaching a state of nirvana. When I hear of heaven or paradise, I often understand it as a place where a person goes to after they have died.However, Buddhists believe it is possible to dwell in nirvana or state of bliss, when still alive. My interpretation of this is that our experience in life when reaching nirvana can be a heavenly experience. In order to reach the state of nirvana which is a state of enlightenment one has to have removed all the desires which promote selfish attitudes, like, greed, hatred and etc. and the idea that all things in life do not change. By doing these things Buddhist has to come to the realization of The Four Noble Truth and practice The Eight Fold Path (48).

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Human Resources

Q. 1 Write down the difference between Personnel management and Human Resource management. Ans. Distinction between Personnel management & Human Resources management The history of Human Resources management traces its roots to the erstwhile Personnel management that was prevalent in the companies of a few decades ago. Though the two terms ‘Personnel Management’ and ‘Human Resources Management’ are interchangeably used by most of the authors, there are key differentiators that make Personnel Management (PM) different from Human Resources Management (HRM). HRM is clearly based on the foundation of behavioural science knowledge relating to the handling of employees to motivate organizational goals. The focus is more proactive approach and pays attention to employee satisfaction and delight. Business goals and objectives and the strategies that will enable this to happen are the foundation for HRM. The basic philosophy is driven by the Theory Y approach where the belief is that people like to work and do not prefer t be supervised and made to perform. The employee becomes a champion for the organization and its product/service. PM is that management style that deals with the control and reactive problem solving approach to resolve employee issues in a organizations. The philosophy for the PM approach relied on the Theory X approach that believed that people do not naturally like to work and need to be coerced to work and often need to be driven to work. Is more the ‘stick’ approach rather than ‘carrot’ approach. Rigid rules of do’s and dont’s exist and these provide the framework for employee’s behaviour at the workplace. Employee welfare and formal grievance systems play a significant role here and thereby managing industrial relations with high amount of trade union activity are highlighted. Very few organizations today practice this style to people management, as the benefits and the long term gains from a HRM approach, impact business results far more. HRM emphasizes on training, as an important area of people management, which covers the following aspects: 1. Increasing productivity 2. Improving quality 3. Improving organizational climate 4. Ensuring personnel growth etc. Q. Write a note on scope of HR in India. Ans. Scope of HR in India Contrary to these forces, in India the owner manager/government/public sector manager was an industry icon and a national hero of sorts. The Personnel Management practices were dominant of the ‘brick-and-motor’ industry. Though the approach was largely welfare oriented and reactive in nature it served effectively for the large PSU organizations that built the country’s foundation. Its only in the past 10-12 years with the immense growth on account of the IT industry that winds of change began to blow. It was largely the advent of the Information Technology era in India that brought with it the western management practices. MNC’s (multinational companies) started up their operations in India. The FDI (foreign direct investment) went up steeply as the world saw the potential in the country’s human resources. India became a preferred location for MNC’s primarily from the USA, followed by other developed countries. The gave birth to a new generation of management as well as HRM practices. New hiring methods, new ways of paying salaries, new employment terms and most importantly increased focus on individual performance and outcomes. There was emphasis on deliverables and linking individual and team performance to business results and success. Given the highly educated workforce there was a de-emphasis in the role of the trade unions. The era of the trade union dominance gave way to the new order of individual negotiated salaries and terms and clearly performance linked assessment systems. Another transformation that the Indian workplace witnessed was the focus on ethics and ethical practices in doing business. It was only fair to expect that with the weak legal system, it needed the support of the government policies and the corporate policies to beat the corruption that existed. This has significantly contributed to India emerging as a preferred destination for doing business. All of this has yielded to give way to the birth of the ‘professional manager’ Professional managers today are a critical and essential part of the Indian corporate. The professional manager brought about a shift in the culture from a highly authoritarian approach of getting work done, to a more collaborative and participative approach. The entrepreneurs who earlier operated in a secure, sheltered market and hardly face challenges, were challenged by the globalization that swept in with the liberalization policies and measure brought in by the Indian government late 1995 and onwards. Despite the challenges, the Indian employee and his manager evolved. Together they stepped up to face the challenge head-on and to win not only in India but also globally. The levers of (a) low cost, (b) highly skilled, and (c) English as the medium of education and it being the corporate-language: were the key drivers that enabled the flow of global business to India. There was exponential growth in employment both directly (jobs in the international and domestic companies) as well as indirectly (as support industries like transport, catering and ancillary industries). The simultaneous investment of the government in building the necessary infrastructure did its share of providing impetus towards creating more jobs for the people of the country. Hence, human relations movement in India has evolved very differently as compared to what we see in the developed economies of the USA and the UK. What is currently acting as a limitation is the enhanced awareness on the need for research based HRM practices. While there is a lot of work happening in the Indian education system to promote this, it is going to take a while before it can create a distinct body of knowledge that is referenceable. For now the industry relies on emulating westerns HR practices and customizing on a as-needed basis for the Indian corporation. For the rest the industry forums and consortiums like the NASSCOM act as a hub bringing together organizations on a regular basis to discuss challenges and share best practices and identify ways and means o overcome them together. So far this has been successful and working to the advantage of the Indian corporate. Leading MNC research and consulting firms like Mercer and Hewitt too contribute to the industry through carrying out research and sharing reports on a regular basis. The approach however remains analytical and less prescriptive. Q. 3 Explain the critical steps in Human Resource Planning system. Ans. We will attempt to discuss in details the critical steps that are part of the above system. A. Purpose of Human Resource Planning: Human Resource Planning fulfils individual as well as organizational goals. What it essentially amounts to is â€Å"striking a balance† between the future human resources needs and the future enterprise needs. And this is done with the clear objective of maximizing the future return on investment in human resources. And this objective may be laid down for a short-term (i. e. for one year). B. Estimating/Forecasting the future Manpower Requirements: the first step in the process is to arrive at the desired organizational structure at a given point in time. Mapping this structure with the existing structure helps in identifying the gap in resources requirement. The number and type of employees needed have to be determined. In addition to the structure there are a number of external factors that affect this determination. They include business forecasts, competitor strategy, expansion plans, product/skills mix changes, profit/revenue growth projections, in addition to management philosophy and government policies. This step also includes an analysis of the external labour/talent environment, its demographics, demand/supply of the required talent, and cost considerations. C. Auditing Human Resources: Once the future human resource needs are estimated, the next step is to determine the present supply of manpower resources. This is done through what is called â€Å"Skills Inventory†. A skills inventory contains data about each employee’s skills, abilities, work preferences and other items of information which indicate his worth to the company. Skills inventory are also referred to as competency dictionaries. This information is us ually retained as part of the performance management system with the HR department. This step in the HRP system helps identify the existing profile of the manpower and its efficiency. It helps highlight where the organization is vs. where it ought to be. The step concludes with identifying clear gaps in the skills/ manpower mix required to meet the upcoming business objectives. D. Job Analysis: After having decided how many persons would be needed, it is necessary to prepare a job analysis. The recorded details of training, skills, qualification, abilities, experience and responsibilities, etc. as needed for a job are studied. Job analysis includes the preparation of job descriptions and job specifications. E. Developing a Human Resource Plan: This step refers t the development and implementation of the human resource plan, which consists in finding out the sources of labour supply with a view to making an effective use of these sources. Some important considerations at this point are: †¢ Specific roles/disciplines being hired for, of them which roles are pivotal for the business †¢ Competencies and capabilities needed †¢ Manager vs. employee hiring †¢ Hire internally vs. External sourcing †¢ Planning for new skills through training existing staff vs. hiring new teams †¢ In case of surpluses, planning for redeployment/ reduction in orkforce as required †¢ Succession planning for key positions in the company. Q. 4 With reference to the compensation and salary system what are the systems that are helpful to raise the effectiveness of employees Ans. Compensation/ salary systems are designed to ensure that employees are rewarded appropriately depending on what they do and the skills and knowledge (intellect) required for doing a specific job. It must therefore provide for the following key factors in order to be effective: The following factors may be helpful to raise the effectiveness employees Signal to the employee the major objectives of the organizations- therefore it must link to the overall goals and objectives of the company. For example if doing a quality job is critical for the company its compensation system has to ensure that this is adequately rewarded. On the other hand if a company values productivity and units produces, the compensation system would be designed such that productivity is rewarded. †¢ Attract and retain the talent an organization needs – the need to benchmark salaries to the prevalent market standard for that job / skill so that the company is able to attract the right talent. If a enterprises pays a salary lower that what the market does for that job/responsibilities, the probability that suitable candidates would take the job offer and join the company. Even if they do join subsequently when they find that the market pays more for that job they would quickly find a more remunerative job and leave the company. †¢ Motivate employees to perform effectively – as discussed at the outset, money is a key motivator and it often might be the only motivator for most employees, therefore ensuring that compensation is appropriately disbursed need to be taken care of while designing the compensation system. Jobs in the brick and motor, production setups would focus on higher incentive policies that would motivate the employee to produce more while the base-salary would be low. †¢ Create the type of culture the company seeks to engender – compensation systems play a critical role as sponsors for the organizations culture. A performance driven culture would build compensation policies that clearly and significantly reward performance. A company that rewards loyalty would reward employees who stay longer in the company with significantly better incentive programs. Hence we see how compensation systems are reflective of the organizations over all philosophy of what its goals and objectives are and how this can be linked to salary payout. Q. 6 â€Å"Dynamic Learning† is an organization that wants to revise the HR policies. It has conducted a survey and the results of survey indicated that r=there is employee unrest, tardiness, absenteeism, more grievances. This all clearly indicates low morale. Suggest the measures that can be taken to improve employee morale. Ans. Employee Morale Boosters. Morale boosters can take the form of recognition, eompensation, special perks or simply terminating employees. Here are 11 low cost morale boosters: Welcome ideas: Employee morale improves when staff feel they are valued. Share and implement their innovations and ideas. Keep Score: Mount a large score board in the office to recognize top performers and to motivate those on the bottom of the list. Inspect: The old management adage, inspect what you expect is true. Companies with a lack of focus can confuse staff and lead to less morale. Thank You Notes: Send a special thank you letter to you staff’s family or spouse, praising their good work and efforts. Huddle: Have a daily morning huddle to highlights tasks for the day and to cheer yesterday’s wins. Open Up: Provide an open forum or one-on-one time to allow employees to express their concerns and feelings can be an easy means to boost morale. Have Fun: Special events and outside work activities can take the pressure off the day-to-day grind in the office. Show Charity: Get your staff involved in a bigger cause to help them see there is more to life than work. Add Perks: Use low cost perks such as a Foosball table in the lunch room. Fire Staff: Sometimes the root cause of low employee morale can be a staff member whose negativity brings down the group. Even a top performer can bring down staff behind your back. Measure it: Keep tabs on the levels of morale in your business by regularly measuring employee satisfaction. The backbone of business success resides in the productivity and output of your employees. Those companies who remain vigilant to the signs of low morale and who focus on improving morale can thwart off the impact of a low morale workplace. Human Resources 1 â€Å"If you are working in a company that is not enthusiastic energetic, creative, clever, curious, and just plain fun, you’ve got trouble, serious troubles† (Tom Peters. Indeed, the success of any organization depends on several issues amongst them, organizational culture, teamwork, management style and the level of motivation amongst the employees. Leadership The whole organizational momentum is decided by the top management, the style they adopt determines how decisions are going to be made, what kind of decisions the business is likely to make, the nature of policies which the company is going to adopt as well as how the organization will respond to management issues such as competitor activity, industrial attractiveness employee relations, public relations as well as corporate social responsibilities. The strategic fit of the organization is determined by whether the leaders are visionary or non-visionary whether these exercise foresight and how they balance risk taking and the drive for initiative. According to (Stacey, 1992p. 31-39), the momentum of a company is generated from the top management and perfected in bottom level, the success of an organization squarely rests on reach and every single employee irregardless of the role and position held in the organization. Therefore, to achieve a well coordinated and motivated team, the leadership and in essence, every single employee must be able to play their role so as to achieve a synergetic effect. The company which succeeds is that which handles all departments’ issues in regard to solving problems which arise and keep on arising. The challenges can serve as the source of de-motivating an otherwise motivated staff, if issues are not well attended to, while on the other hand, the challenges can afford an organization the opportunity to bond its workforce and reassure unity of purpose in the organization positive organizational behavior leads to organizational success while a negative corporate behavior leads to loss of profits and therefore organizational failure 2. You have been hired as the H. R director of the Schapiro Inn & out Motel. What are some of the key issues you should address the First day of work? Do you want to make your presence known the first day, or would you ease into the job slowly? What . R. management philosophies do you plan to adopt to make sure that you have the best workforce possible? Although take over calls for moderation, definitely there are some things that a new H. R manager would need be familiar with the first day of reporting to work. This is mainly because of the fact that on the fist day of work, one has already signed an agreement letter, and a letter of agreement. Probably they have been oriented and all relevant hand over details completed. This therefore implies that one is responsible for all happenings and is mandated to execute the relevant tasks as though that day was his/her 1000th day. Since not any board of directors would take the excuse that the H. R. M is new and therefore the reason for the numerous mistakes. But for the fact that different organizations have different needs, all HRM functions are similar and the rest calls for understanding of a company dynamics. On assuming office, an HRM manager has an obligation to execute normally all relevant duties such as pay issues, employee complaints, recruitment and staffing issues as well as formulate HR policies in collaboration with the administration. Where applicable, the HRM is supposed to solve any pending issues. The above is undertaken in the understanding that in an organization, smooth running is of utmost importance and a breakdown should never be experienced, for this may affect operations of the whole organization and therefore result into losses and interruptions to normal functioning of the organization. The best workforce can be achieved only by adopting suitable policies notably, pay related policies as well as employee motivation issues. The appraisal method adopted, problem solving and disciplinary issues as well as equality and equity policies at the place are of importance to an organisation. If the above are practiced, motivation results and staff often give their best. 3 â€Å"Call it what you will, incentives are what get people to work harder. † (Nikita Khrushchev) Research findings on the impact of pay and incentives on performance and output have overwhelmingly supported the above contention. Most employees work to satisfy their basic needs as opposed to achieving other goals. Although other factors such as job environment, tools and machinery, job policies as well as terms of contract are relevant to. All of the above play important roles in ensuring that employees and well equipped to perform at their best. Incentives basically refer to salaries and all other benefits which allow employees to function with minimum constraints. Incentives as a motivator should be administered carefully and uniformly. Job grading should be predictable and done in guidelines of a clear and open policy whereby employees are aware of what they need to do in order to move to the next level or to move to a higher job group. In a situation where by the issue of incentives is handled unprofessionally, conflicts arise and output and performance are negatively affected. 4 Discuss the term â€Å"turnover† in the hospitality industry. What does it mean? How can it be controlled? What are some of the causes? What does it mean to you? Turnover can be defined as the situation whereby employees keep on quitting job in unusually high rates. This could either be due to natural attrition, unfavorable working conditions as well as due to service termination. Turnover is a very common occurrence in the hospitality industry mainly due to the nature of the industry. Since many businesses in the hospitality sector peg their staff needs on seasons, low or high seasons call for flexible employment and contract terms in which organisations increase or retrench staff to reflect on market activity, this in turn results into un-usually high staff turnover occasioned by unpredictability of demand forces. â€Å"Laziness may appear attractive, but work gives satisfaction† (Anne Frank) Job satisfaction refers to a state whereby one is able to work hard and in turn receive self assurance from the job upon being contented with the results of the work. Job satisfaction is good for employees in that it lead to high level of concentration and therefore high output. Lack of satisfaction leads to lack of concentration, something which a ffects performance. Laziness is a leading cause of job dissatisfaction in that for one to be truly satisfied with their work hard work and effort is needed. One needs to concentrate and exercise a lot of patience for that leads to satisfaction. Therefore, laziness hinders performance and this prevents job satisfaction. Employees should derive job satisfaction from the tasks allocated to them. This in turn leads to high profitability of the organization and a healthy work force. Human Resources 1 â€Å"If you are working in a company that is not enthusiastic energetic, creative, clever, curious, and just plain fun, you’ve got trouble, serious troubles† (Tom Peters. Indeed, the success of any organization depends on several issues amongst them, organizational culture, teamwork, management style and the level of motivation amongst the employees. Leadership The whole organizational momentum is decided by the top management, the style they adopt determines how decisions are going to be made, what kind of decisions the business is likely to make, the nature of policies which the company is going to adopt as well as how the organization will respond to management issues such as competitor activity, industrial attractiveness employee relations, public relations as well as corporate social responsibilities. The strategic fit of the organization is determined by whether the leaders are visionary or non-visionary whether these exercise foresight and how they balance risk taking and the drive for initiative. According to (Stacey, 1992p. 31-39), the momentum of a company is generated from the top management and perfected in bottom level, the success of an organization squarely rests on reach and every single employee irregardless of the role and position held in the organization. Therefore, to achieve a well coordinated and motivated team, the leadership and in essence, every single employee must be able to play their role so as to achieve a synergetic effect. The company which succeeds is that which handles all departments’ issues in regard to solving problems which arise and keep on arising. The challenges can serve as the source of de-motivating an otherwise motivated staff, if issues are not well attended to, while on the other hand, the challenges can afford an organization the opportunity to bond its workforce and reassure unity of purpose in the organization positive organizational behavior leads to organizational success while a negative corporate behavior leads to loss of profits and therefore organizational failure 2. You have been hired as the H. R director of the Schapiro Inn & out Motel. What are some of the key issues you should address the First day of work? Do you want to make your presence known the first day, or would you ease into the job slowly? What . R. management philosophies do you plan to adopt to make sure that you have the best workforce possible? Although take over calls for moderation, definitely there are some things that a new H. R manager would need be familiar with the first day of reporting to work. This is mainly because of the fact that on the fist day of work, one has already signed an agreement letter, and a letter of agreement. Probably they have been oriented and all relevant hand over details completed. This therefore implies that one is responsible for all happenings and is mandated to execute the relevant tasks as though that day was his/her 1000th day. Since not any board of directors would take the excuse that the H. R. M is new and therefore the reason for the numerous mistakes. But for the fact that different organizations have different needs, all HRM functions are similar and the rest calls for understanding of a company dynamics. On assuming office, an HRM manager has an obligation to execute normally all relevant duties such as pay issues, employee complaints, recruitment and staffing issues as well as formulate HR policies in collaboration with the administration. Where applicable, the HRM is supposed to solve any pending issues. The above is undertaken in the understanding that in an organization, smooth running is of utmost importance and a breakdown should never be experienced, for this may affect operations of the whole organization and therefore result into losses and interruptions to normal functioning of the organization. The best workforce can be achieved only by adopting suitable policies notably, pay related policies as well as employee motivation issues. The appraisal method adopted, problem solving and disciplinary issues as well as equality and equity policies at the place are of importance to an organisation. If the above are practiced, motivation results and staff often give their best. 3 â€Å"Call it what you will, incentives are what get people to work harder. † (Nikita Khrushchev) Research findings on the impact of pay and incentives on performance and output have overwhelmingly supported the above contention. Most employees work to satisfy their basic needs as opposed to achieving other goals. Although other factors such as job environment, tools and machinery, job policies as well as terms of contract are relevant to. All of the above play important roles in ensuring that employees and well equipped to perform at their best. Incentives basically refer to salaries and all other benefits which allow employees to function with minimum constraints. Incentives as a motivator should be administered carefully and uniformly. Job grading should be predictable and done in guidelines of a clear and open policy whereby employees are aware of what they need to do in order to move to the next level or to move to a higher job group. In a situation where by the issue of incentives is handled unprofessionally, conflicts arise and output and performance are negatively affected. 4 Discuss the term â€Å"turnover† in the hospitality industry. What does it mean? How can it be controlled? What are some of the causes? What does it mean to you? Turnover can be defined as the situation whereby employees keep on quitting job in unusually high rates. This could either be due to natural attrition, unfavorable working conditions as well as due to service termination. Turnover is a very common occurrence in the hospitality industry mainly due to the nature of the industry. Since many businesses in the hospitality sector peg their staff needs on seasons, low or high seasons call for flexible employment and contract terms in which organisations increase or retrench staff to reflect on market activity, this in turn results into un-usually high staff turnover occasioned by unpredictability of demand forces. â€Å"Laziness may appear attractive, but work gives satisfaction† (Anne Frank) Job satisfaction refers to a state whereby one is able to work hard and in turn receive self assurance from the job upon being contented with the results of the work. Job satisfaction is good for employees in that it lead to high level of concentration and therefore high output. Lack of satisfaction leads to lack of concentration, something which a ffects performance. Laziness is a leading cause of job dissatisfaction in that for one to be truly satisfied with their work hard work and effort is needed. One needs to concentrate and exercise a lot of patience for that leads to satisfaction. Therefore, laziness hinders performance and this prevents job satisfaction. Employees should derive job satisfaction from the tasks allocated to them. This in turn leads to high profitability of the organization and a healthy work force.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

How Silas Marner changes in the novel Silas Marner by George Eliot Essays

How Silas Marner changes in the novel Silas Marner by George Eliot Essays How Silas Marner changes in the novel Silas Marner by George Eliot Paper How Silas Marner changes in the novel Silas Marner by George Eliot Paper Essay Topic: Literature Mary Anne Evans, who is better known by her pen name of George Eliot, is an amazing novelist. She was born in England in 1819 during the industrial revolution. Mary was very intelligent and due to her fathers role in society (he was Robert Evans the Warwickshire estate agent for the Earl of Lonsdale) she was allowed to go to the libraries and study to gain knowledge. When she came to write her first novel (Scenes of Clerical Life) she decided to use a male name to ensure her work would be taken seriously, even though women writers could publish freely, George Eliot did not want to be known as a writer of romances which women authors usually were in those times. Mary Anne had many early influences on her writing, one of the main ones being religion. She was brought up within an Anglican family, but as she grew up and met new and more interesting people, Mary was introduced to more liberal ideas which made her doubt the bible stories and she refused to go to church. Her father was extremely angry and threatened to throw her out, but in the end Mary said she would go to church but would not believe and would think of other things. George Eliot was one of the leading writers of the Victorian era; she bases her work on the lives of the poor in the countryside. The time in history that George Eliot bases her work on is just before the Industrial Revolution. In the late 18th to early 19th century the lives of thousands began to change as factories were being opened in large numbers. The Industrial Revolution was a period of great change. New industries developed rapidly as a result of a number of new inventions and the way in which things were produced, and the way people lived and worked changed rapidly as a result of these developments. As the number of factories grew people from the countryside began to move into the towns looking for better paid work. The wages for farm work was very low and there were less jobs working on farms because of the invention and use of new machines. Also thousands of new workers were needed to work machines in mills and foundries. This brought devastation to farmers who lived in the countryside as they started to lose their jobs and those who didnt want to move to central areas in Britain lost their jobs completely. The protagonist, Silas Marner is a weaver and spends all of his days working to make some gold. When we first meet him he is living in a small countryside village called Raveloe. Silas is a recluse and does not mix with the fellow villagers. His neighbours are suspicious of him but they regard him with a certain curiosity. Silas has a vast knowledge of medicinal herbs and has occasional cataleptic fits; many of his neighbours suspect him of having other worldly powers. The Silas we meet at the beginning is not that much different to the Silas at the end of the book but by the end Silas has been accepted by the villagers of Raveloe and because of Eppie he was able to socialize with his neighbours and I believe that Eppie made him able to trust others again. Silas Marner changed through the novel due to the incidents in Lantern Yard. After Silas leaves Lantern Yard because he was falsely accused of theft by his best friend, William Dane, he loses his faith in God and also his trust for others and so he goes into a state of self imposed loneliness. Silas falls into a numbing routine of solitary work. He begins a life of solitude he invited no comer to step across his door sill. His religion was replaced by sombre isolation. Silas weaved all day and collected the money that he earned. He spent as little as possible and every night he would take out his gold and count it, hold it and this soon became his routine. The gold becomes his best friend as he knows it cant betray him like people could. His guineas rising in the iron pot, and his life narrowing and hardening itself more and more into a mere pulsation of desire. His love for his gold was not all together good. Although he didnt get betrayed, the obsession with his gold made his love harden and slowly fade: his gold, as he hung over it and saw it grow, gathered his power of loving together into hard isolation like its own. The next significant event in Silass life that makes others change their opinion of him is the finding of Eppie. Eppie replaces his stolen gold as his best friend. He starts to mix with the others in the village. They give him help and advice about raising Eppie, but he made sure that Eppie was just his. But shell be my little un. said Marner, rather hastily. Shell be nobody elses. This is just how he used to feel about his gold. In the opening chapter of Silas Marner George Eliot uses descriptive language to let the reader know about the character Silas a pallid young man. In chapter one, we find out about Silass past and we discover why he is like he is. Lantern Yard is the place that Silas first lived before Raveloe. Lantern Yard is a community of faith and was held together by religious belief. Silas was brought up here in this tight religious sect. He was trusting, loving childlike and innocent. Before the night he was accused Silas had for some months been engaged to a young woman named Sarah. At this point the deacon became very ill and the night he died Silas had a cataleptic fit and he was accused of stealing money from the deacon, when he had not. Sarah broke the engagement and soon was with William Dane. Marner went home and for a whole day sat alone, stunned by despair, without any impulse to go to Sarah and attempt to win her belief in his innocence. Silas was removed from Lantern Yard and moved to Raveloe. Silas missed the tight community of Lantern Yard he had known all is life but Raveloe was very different to Lantern Yard and Silas did not find his faith again. He stopped going to Church as he must have felt betrayed by God and his faith. This is the time when Silas then becomes obsessed with working and the gold. He was no longer trusting and loving because he was scared that if he was he would be betrayed again. There is no just God that governs the earth righteously, but a God of lies, that bears witness against the innocent. This reflects George Eliots feelings towards religion and God, as she did not believe in either. Her strong feelings against God reflect in Silass character in Raveloe. The connection between faith and community is shown by the villagers of Raveloe who must contribute to the church and other communal duties. So when villagers see how Silas rejects faith and does not show any interest in coming to church then they find it rather odd, especially in those times when religion paid a strong part in peoples livelihood. When he finds Eppie his opinion on religious faith changes from how he felt in Lantern Yard, he doesnt mention God in the same way as he did do in Lantern Yard, but he bases his faith on the strength of his and Eppies love for each other, since Ive come to love her Ive had light enough to trusten by; and now she says shell never leave me, I think I shall trusten till I die. Silas moves on from Lantern Yard to Raveloe and lives his life in solitude. Raveloe is a small village in the English countryside and Silas moves into a small cottage and uses it to work in. I believe that he seems to hide away and accept the situation. He has no plan to take revenge because he was heart-broken when he was run out of the place he had lived for so long and had probably loved. This feeling made him seem to others like he was resentful and bitter; but they misunderstood as he did not express his feelings. People may be suspicious of him in the village because of the fits and his knowledge of medicine, but that is because they did not know who he was, as he didnt talk to them and they did not know his past. He worked all day to try to get rid of the feeling of betrayal which his best friend had left him with, or maybe he was doing all the work to forget what happened and hide away from society. I think that he uses his job as a way of escaping a life of nothingness, for if he did not have his job then Silas wouldnt have anything at all. That is why, when Eppie was found, he had something else to look after, and his life meant more than it had before when he was just working towards his gold. Silas is really wary of what was happening to him, when he moved to Raveloe. He takes his work much more seriously and makes sure no one takes advantage of him again. The people in Raveloe take this silence and anti-social behaviour as a sign of the devil including the cataleptic fits and herbal knowledge. He works all day as just a method to stay alive. In Lantern Yard Silas had very different life style in comparison to Raveloe the urban lifestyle of the bustling town in Lantern Yard to the small country farms and cottages in Raveloe Silas may not believe he belongs in Raveloe he is so used to the old ways in Lantern Yard and this could be another reason why he decides to stay out of the community life and stay in solitude. His work in a way has replaced his religion and his social life. When Silass gold is stolen I believe he feels that his whole life then has no purpose, the one thing that was keeping him alive, almost, was his gold. He felt that it must be found and again he didnt want to seek revenge on the man who had stolen the gold but he just wanted it back. We know as a reader who stole the gold and we feel sorry for Silas as he is frantic and worried about where his gold has gone. He runs to the villagers, this stuns the villagers of Raveloe as they have never seen him interact with them before. They begin to realise that he is not as bad as they have been making him out to be. This moment in the book when Silass Raveloe live is changed, his routine is blown out the window as he has not got his gold and this leads to the finding of Eppie. Eppie was found on Silass hearth after the death of her mother, during this time Silas was having one of his cataleptic fits. When he came out of his fit, he noticed the young girl on the hearth. This coincidence of finding the girl was so great it changed Silass life forever. Eppie made him feel love again and the gold became nothing compared to the love that Eppie gave him. As Eppie grows we discover what Silas is really like how he was like this all along, the flashbacks mean that we can learn more about Silass past and how changed he is from both Lantern Yard and the first fifteen years in Raveloe. Eppie needed Silas as much as he needed her, which is what was different about how Silas felt towards Eppie and the gold. With the gold Silas didnt gain anything, as he worshipped an inanimate object but with Eppie he gained love and trust, and soon this began to rub off on him as well, unlike the gold which needed nothing, and must be worshipped in close-locked solitude Eppie was a creature of endless claims and ever-growing desires and stirring the human kindness in all eyes that looked on her. Eliot uses the relationship between Silas and Eppie to create emotion and most readers are moved by the relationship and how it changes Silas to be more warm and loving to others, he again lets people in and trusts others again. the tender peculiar love with which Silas has regarded as an exceptional person, whose claims on neighbourly help were not to be marked in Raveloe. Dolly makes Silas realise how he must bring up Eppie and he gradually regains his faith. He starts to appreciate life again, he his forced to change his lifestyle because if he had stayed the same he would not know how to look after her i f he did not have the help from others in the village. Eppie would not have had any friends as Silas would not let her mix with others as that would mean being let down again. Eppie is a reflection on Silas character; his love comes through Eppie Eppie was reared without punishment he had been treated very much as if he had been a useful gnome or brownie a queer and unaccountable creature looked at with wondering curiosity and repulsion now Silas met with open smiling faces and cheerful questioning, as a person whose satisfactions and difficulties could be understood. The wedding of Eppie shows how others have changed their opinions of Silas and they realise that he is not a bad or bitter man but quite the opposite. Eppie makes Silas become established as a worthy member of the community. Silas begins to find love for others as well as Eppie, his love for her makes him realise that people can be trustworthy and he begins again to love all society. He describes to Eppie how he was and how he didnt mix with others, this made him remember memories, and how silly he was then. As the childs mind was growing into knowledge, his mind was growing into memory; as her life unfolded, his soul, long stupefied in a cold narrow person, was unfolding too, and trembling gradually into full consciousness. He found love again and visited Lantern Yard but when he found it destroyed and totally changed, he realised that the questions he wanted answered would never be answered but he realises how content he is with his new founded faith and love. Silas becomes much more mature as he finds his restored faith in God, his love begins to grow and he seems much less nai ve. He feels happy and contented with the new life he had fallen into, by complete chance. Silas does not change personality but after building a wall from being hurt, he needed something to slowly break down the barrier to allow others from Raveloe to see his true characteristics and because of this barrier he becomes wiser and more confident, with whom he is and he forgets things that took place in the past. Eliot shows us how Silas is a three dimensional character as complicated and complex as a normal human being. The character Silas develops during the novel into a more welcoming person, until the end when he finally shows all trust and friendship.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

10 Fascinating Facts About Butterflies

10 Fascinating Facts About Butterflies People love watching colorful butterflies float from flower to flower. From the tiniest blues to the largest swallowtails,  how much do you really know about these insects? Here are 10 fascinating facts about butterflies. Butterfly wings are transparent How can that be? We know butterflies as perhaps the most colorful, vibrant insects around! A butterflys wings are covered by thousands of tiny scales, and these scales reflect light in different colors. But underneath all of those scales, a  butterfly wing is actually formed by layers of chitin, the same protein that makes up an insects exoskeleton. These layers are so thin you can see right through them. As a butterfly ages, scales fall off the wings, leaving spots of transparency where the chitin layer is exposed. Butterflies taste with their feet Butterflies have taste receptors on their feet to help them find their host plants and locate food. A female butterfly lands on different plants, drumming the leaves with her feet until the plant releases its juices. Spines on the back of her legs have chemoreceptors that detect the right match of plant chemicals. When she identified the right plant, she lays her eggs. A butterfly will also step on its food, using organs that sense dissolved sugars to taste food sources like fermenting fruit. Butterflies live on an all-liquid diet Speaking of butterflies eating, adult butterflies can only feed on liquids, usually nectar. Their mouthparts are modified to enable them to drink, but they cant chew solids. A proboscis, which functions as a drinking straw, stays curled up under the butterflys chin until it finds a source of nectar or other liquid nutrition. It then unfurls the long, tubular structure and sips up a meal. A few butterflies feed on sap, and some even resort to sipping from decaying carrion. No matter the meal, they suck it up a straw. A butterfly must assemble its proboscis as soon as it emerges from the chrysalis A butterfly that cant drink nectar is doomed. One of its first jobs as an adult butterfly is to assemble its mouthparts. When a new adult emerges from the pupal case or chrysalis, its mouth is in two pieces. Using palpi located adjacent to the proboscis, the butterfly begins working the two parts together to form a single, tubular proboscis. You may see a newly emerged butterfly curling and uncurling the proboscis over and over, testing it out. Butterflies drink from mud puddles A butterfly cannot live on sugar alone; it needs minerals, too. To supplement its diet of nectar, a butterfly will occasionally sip from mud puddles, which are rich in minerals and salts. This behavior, called puddling, occurs more often in male butterflies, which incorporate the minerals into their sperm. These nutrients are then transferred to the female during mating, and help improve the viability of her eggs. Butterflies cant fly if theyre cold Butterflies need an ideal body temperature of about 85 ºF to fly. Since theyre cold-blooded animals, they cant regulate their own body temperatures. The surrounding air temperature has a big impact on their ability to function. If the air temperature falls below 55 ºF, butterflies are rendered immobile, unable to flee from predators or feed. When air temperatures range between 82 º-100 ºF, butterflies can fly with ease. Cooler days require a butterfly to warm up its flight muscles, either by shivering or basking in the sun. Even sun-loving butterflies can get overheated when temperatures soar above 100 °Ã‚  F and may seek shade to cool down.   A newly emerged butterfly cant fly Inside the chrysalis, a developing butterfly waits to emerge with its wings collapsed around its body. When it finally breaks free of the pupal case, it greets the world with tiny, shriveled wings. The butterfly must immediately pump body fluid through its wing veins to expand them. Once its wings reach full-size, the butterfly must rest for a few hours to allow its body to dry and harden before it can take its first flight. Butterflies live just a few weeks, usually Once it emerges from its chrysalis as an adult, a butterfly has only 2-4 short weeks to live, in most cases. During that time, it focuses all its energy on two tasks – eating and mating. Some of the smallest butterflies, the blues, may only survive a few days. Butterflies that overwinter as adults, like monarchs and mourning cloaks, can live as long as 9 months. Butterflies are nearsighted, but they can see and discriminate a lot of colors Within about 10-12 feet, butterfly eyesight is quite good. Anything beyond that distance gets a little blurry to a butterfly, though. Butterflies rely on their eyesight for vital tasks, like finding mates of the same species and finding flowers on which to feed. In addition to seeing some of the colors we can see, butterflies can see a range of ultraviolet colors invisible to the human eye. The butterflies themselves may have ultraviolet markings on their wings to help them identify one another and locate potential mates. Flowers, too, display ultraviolet markings that act as traffic signals to incoming pollinators like butterflies – pollinate me! Butterflies employ all kinds of tricks to keep from being eaten Butterflies rank pretty low on the food chain, with lots of hungry predators happy to make a meal of them. Some butterflies fold their wings to blend into the background, using camouflage to render themselves all but invisible to predators. Others try the opposite strategy, wearing vibrant colors and patterns that boldly announce their presence. Bright colored insects often pack a toxic punch if eaten, so predators learn to avoid them. Some butterflies arent toxic at all, but pattern themselves after other species known for their toxicity. By mimicking their foul-tasting cousins, they repel predators.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Managing Decision Making Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Managing Decision Making - Essay Example The result is that decision makers will have better grasp of factors bearing on company performance. Business Intelligence (BI) tools, especially in the form of spreadsheets, can be highly complementary to EUD systems, for they both lend themselves for use by non-specialists. An extension of BI is Artificial Intelligence (AI), which aims to minimize human interference in the preliminary and intermediate stage of data selection and processing. Expert Systems are an even advanced vision of AI, that aim to make the sort of sophisticated decision making and recommendations that only experts were thought capable of doing. In sum, EUD is a promising avenue for business operation. It has wide scope and application within an enterprise, affecting employees from all domains to the top managers. Introduction The practice of End User Development (EUD) was not thought of as viable in the early days of the Information Technology revolution. But in recent years, with storage, processing and progra mming technology having grown at a rapid pace, EUD is given consideration by many business enterprises. All employees, irrespective of their proficiency in IT and programming, can participate and benefit through EUD. Sophisticated software tools with intuitive user interfaces and integration capabilities help create new applications through the study and improvement of existing systems. (Luthy 2002, pg. 69) Hence, the report will cover various ways in which employees can adapt to EUD and increase both individual and overall productivity. Decision making is one area where EUD has had impact. If end users merely point to what comprises relevant data for the company, the powerful IT system can create salient reports for the top management. Spreadsheets are a great aid in this process, but the key is in identifying valuable information from the vast amounts of data that a company generates. EUDs also changes the role and responsibility of regular IT staff, in that, they now coordinate w ith non-specialists in fine-tuning the system. A company would also need lesser number of IT staff, leading to cost efficiency. Each employee will bring his/her domain knowledge to the information system, making it a multi-dimensional tool. With the incorporation of Knowledge Management (KM) features into EUD, the IT system can prove to be focussed and yet flexible. The key to successful KM lies in understanding where important data lies and in devising ways of tapping into it. (Lindvall &Rus, 2002) The report speculates on the potential of KM to offer a competitive edge for the business. Business Intelligence (BI) tools, especially the ubiquitous spreadsheet, can be a great ally for EUD systems. The simplicity of working a spreadsheet makes it accessible to non-IT personnel. When aligned with sophisticated data mining principles, a spreadsheet can be programmed to produce the most relevant reports, future trends and estimates. Expert Systems and related Artificial Intelligence tech nology are going to be at the centre of business functioning in the future. (Rao, David 2004. 779) The pros and cons of these cutting edge technologies are explored in the report. Finally, the importance of EUD is analyzed in light of rampant growth in the services industry, which is more data intensive compared to manufacturing industries. The report outlays various aspects of EUD and analyzes how much this nascent technology can transform business operations