Richard Nixons Role in the Watergate Cover-Up

While it is not known if  President Nixon  knew about or was involved in ordering the break-in at the Watergate Hotel, it is known that he and White House Chief of Staff H. R. Bob Haldeman were recorded on June 23, 1972, discussing using the CIA to obstruct the FBIs investigation of the Watergate break-ins. He even asked the CIA to slow the FBIs investigation, claiming national-security risks. These revelations led to Nixons resignation when it became apparent that he would probably be impeached. Denial When burglars were caught on June 17, 1972, breaking in to the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate Hotel—attempting to place wiretaps and steal secret DNC papers—it didn’t help their case that one of them had the phone number of the White House office of the Committee to Re-Elect the President. Nevertheless, the White House denied any involvement or knowledge of the break-in. Nixon did so, personally, as well. Addressing the nation two months later, he said not only that he was not involved, but that his staff wasn’t either. Three months after that, Nixon was re-elected in a landslide. Impeding the Investigation What Nixon did not tell the nation during his speech was that as early as two months before, less than a week after the burglars were caught, he was secretly discussing how to get the FBI to back off of their investigation. Haldeman, can be heard on White House tapes specifically telling Nixon that the FBI investigation was going â€Å"in some directions we don’t want it to go.† As a result, Nixon decided to have the CIA approach the FBI to take the investigation off their hands. The sentiment Haldeman shared with Nixon was that the CIA’s investigation could be controlled in ways that the FBI’s could not. Hush Money As the investigations went on, Nixon’s fear mounted that the burglars would start cooperating—and would tell everything they knew. On March 21, 1973, it was later revealed, the secret White House recording system taped Nixon discussing with White House Counsel John Dean how to raise $120,000 to pay off one of the burglars, who was demanding cash for his continued silence. Nixon went on to explore how they could secretly raise as much as a million dollars to distribute to the burglars—without the money being traced back to the White House. Some cash was, in fact, distributed to the conspirators as early as just 12 hours after that meeting. The Nixon Tapes After investigators learned of the existence of the tapes, Nixon refused to release them. When the independent counsel investigating Watergate refused to relent in his demands for the tapes, Nixon had the Department of Justice replace him. Only after the Supreme Court intervened to order the tapes released did Nixon comply. And even then, there was what has now become famous as the 18-1/2 minute gap. The tapes proved conclusively Nixon’s knowledge of and involvement in the cover-up and, with the Senate preparing to impeach him, he resigned just three days after the tapes were released. The new president—Gerald Ford—quickly turned around and pardoned Nixon. Listen Thanks to  Watergate.info, you can actually hear whats referred to the smoking-gun.

Management Controls And Management Control Systems

According to Malmi, T., Brown, D in 2008, â€Å"management controls include all the devices and systems managers use to ensure that the behaviours and decisions of their employees are consistent with the organisation’s objectives and strategies†. An MSC which stands for management control system is a system which collects and uses information to evaluate the performance of several organizational resources like human, physical, financial as well as the organization as a whole considering the organizational strategies. MCS is a system that will eventually affect the performance of the organization to implement organizational strategies. There is no assuredness that management control systems will always be efficient; both in terms of design and in terms of implementation. These systems can only raise the possibility of achievement of organizational objectives of effectiveness, efficiency, precision of financial reporting, and compliance. In this way, top management may face several challenges when designing and implementing effective management control systems in organisations. Simons (1995) stated that control systems are divided into four categories, namely Diagnostic and Boundary control systems, Belief systems and Interactive systems. These four different management control systems are recognized by companies as efficient categories of controlling system; companies must practise them in a way that maximizes operational effectiveness without restricting employee creativity.Show MoreRelatedManagement Control System1357 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction Management control system (MCS), as a vital part of an organization, which purpose allows organizations to ensure that their activities achieve the objects they desire. The process of designing and improving MCSs requires addressing three basic questions. What is desired? What is likely to occur? And What is the effect of contextual factors ?Then managers must address each of these questions. What controls should be used? In recent years, contingency-based research has maintainedRead MoreManagement Control Systems : Management Systems Essay1478 Words   |  6 PagesManagement Control Systems Introduction In the rapidly changing business environment, there is enormous pressure to conduct activities in a better, controlled and efficient manner. The accelerating change creates uncertainties and complexities thus creating challenges for management in their strategic plans. Management cannot continue to rely on Management Accounting Control Systems whose primary emphasis is on financial targets since such traditional analytical approaches can fail to adapt to theRead MoreManagement Control System1989 Words   |  8 PagesManagement controls, in the broadest sense, include the plan of organization, methods and procedures adopted by management to ensure that its goals are met. Management controls include processes for planning, organizing, directing, and controlling program operations. A subset of management controls are the internal controls used to assure that there is prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the entitys assets. Simons (1994) defined MCS as the formalRead MoreManagement Control System13700 Words   |  55 PagesCorporation: Xerox Corporation   Ã‚   Question   No.1   Outline   the  management  control   system  at  XEROX.  Ã‚  What   Are  the  elements  that   makes  the  system  work  ?    Management   Control  System  at  XEROX   Conditions   prior  to  1970. * Rigid System * Emphasis on Accuracy * Setting Unrealistic targets * Inadequate data analysis * Reporting amp; planning process was very long and bureaucratic. Management   Control  System  at  XEROX   Problem   raised  during  1970  Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃ‚   1980 * Patent forRead MoreManagement Control System15789 Words   |  64 PagesCHAPTER 22 MANAGEMENT CONTROL SYSTEMS, TRANSFER PRICING, AND MULTINATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS 22-1 A management control system is a means of gathering and using information to aid and coordinate the planning and control decisions throughout the organization and to guide the behavior of its managers and employees. The goal of the system is to improve the collective decisions within an organization. 22-2 To be effective, management control systems should be (a) closely aligned to an organizationRead MoreManagement Systems: Behavior Control and Output Control1368 Words   |  6 PagesBehaviour-control and output-control are opposing methodologies managers employ in control-systems. Organizational requirements are determined by size, goals and other variables. Control-systems are mechanisms â€Å"for adjusting course if performance falls outside acceptable boundaries† (Davidson Griffin, 06), allowing adaptation to change. They include procedures for â€Å"monitoring, directing, evaluating and compensating employees†, and influencing behaviors with the objective of having the best impactRead MoreThe Management Control System ( Mcs ) Essay1568 Words   |  7 Pagesthere have been a lot of studies and researches focussing on the management control system (MCS). Although, we have a far better understandings of management accounting practice now compared to the 1970s a nd 80s (Broomwich and Scarpens, 2016, p.4). There are many control systems developed, but it is rather unclear which one is the best method. Some believes with the use of contingency theory could help in achieving the best control methods, David Otley is one of the researchers that focussing onRead MoreDefinition Of Management Control Systems Essay1543 Words   |  7 PagesSimons (1995) defines management control systems (MCSs) as formal, information-based routines and procedures used by managers to maintain or adjust patterns in organisational activities. The quality of control systems is referred to their effectiveness, regardless the type, either they exist in positive or negative form. The characteristics portrayed by individual companies are not identical, hence each of them may require different type of controls. Variation in firm’s objectives, strategies, culturesRead MoreManagement Control System At Eversheds1203 Words   |  5 PagesManagement Control System at Eve rsheds ABOUT EVERSHEDS: Eversheds is an global law firm with a clear vision of the future. Eversheds is one of the largest legal/law firms in the world with more than thousand legal advisors around the globe. Eversheds has more than 50 offices globally. Eversheds is a firm that is adapting to new demands and business pressures. A firm that understands what clients need today and, equally important, what they will need tomorrow. We, at Eversheds, have recognizedRead MoreManagement Control Systems as a Package13705 Words   |  55 PagesManagement Accounting Research 19 (2008) 324–343 Operation of management control practices as a package—A case study on control system variety in a growth ï ¬ rm context Mikko Sandelin âˆâ€" Helsinki School of Economics, Department of Accounting and Finance, P.O. Box 1210, FIN-00101 Helsinki, Finland Abstract This empirical case study examines the operation of management control practices as a package in a growth ï ¬ rm context by paying particular attention to the couplings among cultural, personnel

The Blue Sword CHAPTER FIVE Free Essays

Corlath was on the ground at once, calling orders that sent long-robed figures scurrying in all directions. Harry sat alone on the big bay horse, who stood quite still; to her tired and befuddled gaze there were dozens of tents and hundreds of people. Men came forward from the mouths of tents and out from shadows, to make their bows to their king – to congratulate him on the success of his venture? Harry thought. We will write a custom essay sample on The Blue Sword CHAPTER FIVE or any similar topic only for you Order Now Was it successful? Some were sent at once on errands, some faded back into the darkness from which they had emerged. The two men who had ridden with the king dismounted also, and stood a little behind him as he looked around his camp. Harry didn’t move. She didn’t quite believe that they had arrived – and besides, where was it they were? She didn’t feel that she had arrived – or didn’t want to. She thought wistfully of her despised bed far away in the Residency, and of fat dull busybody Annie. She wished she were home, and she was so tired she wasn’t sure where home was. When Corlath turned back to her she woke up enough to slither down from the horse’s tall back before he tried to help her; this time she did no fancy sliding, but turned to face the horse’s shoulder, and kept her hands on the saddle till her feet touched the ground. It was a long way down. She was sure it had gotten longer since the last time she dismounted. Fireheart stood as patiently as the fourposter pony as she leaned against him, and she patted him absently, as she might have patted her own horse, and his nose came round to touch her forearm. She sighed, and thought of Jack Dedham, who would give an arm to ride a Hill horse, even once. Perhaps it didn’t count if you were riding double with a Hillman. Harry had her back toward Faran and Innath as they led the horses away. Faran said, â€Å"That was a longer ride than I enjoy, at my age,† and Innath replied laughing: â€Å"Indeed, Grandfather, you had to be tied to your saddle with your long white beard.† Faran, who was a grandfather several times over, but looked forward to being a king’s Rider for many years yet, and wore his dark-grey beard short, grinned and said: â€Å"Yes, I long for a featherbed and a plump young girl who will admire an elderly warrior for his scars and his stories.† His eyes slid round, and he looked straight at Harry for the first time since Corlath had carried her, a black-wrapped bundle lying so bonelessly quiet in his arms that it was difficult to believe it contained anything human, to the shadow where two men and three horses awaited him. But Harry was frowning at her dirty feet and did not notice. â€Å"The Outlander girl,† Faran said slowly, with the air of an honest man who will be just at any cost. â€Å"I did not know the Outlanders taught their children such pride. She has done herself honor on this ride.† Innath considered. To do yourself honor is high praise from a Hillman; but as he thought of the last two days, he had to agree. He was almost a generation younger than his fellow Rider, however, and had viewed their adventure differently. â€Å"Do you know, I was most worried that she might weep? I can’t bear a woman weeping.† Faran chuckled. â€Å"If I had known that, I would have advised our king – strongly – to choose another Rider. Not that it would have mattered much, I think: she would merely have had the sleep laid on her again.† He pulled a tent flap aside, and they and the horses disappeared from Harry’s sight. She had recognized the Hill word for â€Å"Outlander,† and wondered dejectedly what Corlath’s companions, who had so pointedly ignored her during their journey together, were saying. She wiggled her grubby toes in the sand. She looked up and noticed that she was standing only a few feet from the – what does one call it on a tent? Door implied hinges and a frame – front of the grandest tent of all. It was white, with two wide black stripes across its peak from opposite directions, meeting and crossing at the center, and extending to the ground like black ribbons. A black-and-white banner flew from the crossed center, the tallest point in the camp, as the tent was the biggest. â€Å"Go in,† said Corlath at her side again; â€Å"they will take care of you. I will join you presently.† As she approached, a man held aside the golden silk rectangle that served the great tent for a door. He stood to attention with as much dignity as if she were a welcome guest, and perhaps a queen in her own country. This amused her, with a stray thought that the Hill-king seemed to have his followers well schooled, and she smiled at him as she went inside; and was gratified by the startled look that crossed his face when she managed to catch his eye. At least they aren’t all inscrutable, she thought. One of Dedham’s subalterns might have looked like that. It was also comforting to have succeeded at last in catching someone’s eye. What she did not know was that the honor guard at the door, who stood to attention because he was an honor guard and it would have been beneath him to be less than courteous to anyone who had the king’s grace to enter the king’s tent, was saying to himself: She walks and smiles at me as if she were a grand lady in her own home, not a prisoner of – of – He stumbled here, since neither he nor anyone else knew exactly why she had been made a prisoner, or an involuntary guest, or whatever it was that she was, except that it was the king’s will. And this after a journey that made even old Faran, who was not flesh at all but iron, look a little weary. This was a story he would tell his friends when he was off duty. Inside Harry looked around her with awe. If the camp from the outside was white and grey and dun-colored, as dull but for the black-and-white banner flying from the king’s tent as the sand and scrub around it and brightened only by the robes and sashes some of the men wore, inside this tent – she was sure it was Corlath’s own – there was a blaze of color. Tapestries hung on the walls, and between them were gold and silver chains, filigree balls and rods, bright enameled medallions – some of them big enough to be shields. Thick soft rugs were scattered on the floor three or four deep, each of them gorgeous enough to lie at the foot of a throne; and over them were scattered dozens of cushions. There were carved and inlaid boxes of scented red wood, and bone-colored wood, and black wood; the largest of these were pushed against the walls. Lanterns hung on short chains from the four carved ribs that crossed the high white ceiling to meet at the center p eak, above which the banner flew outside, and below which a slender jointed pillar ran from floor to ceiling. Like pillars stood at each of the four corners of the tent, and four more braced the ribs at their centers; and from each pillar a short arm extended which held in its carven cupped hand another lantern. All were lit, bathing the riot of deep color, shape, and texture in a golden glow which owed nothing to the slowly strengthening morning light outside. She was staring up at the peak of the roof and feeling impressed at the smooth structure of the tent – her own knowledge of tents was limited to stories of the Homelander military variety, which involved ropes and canvas and much swearing, and leaks when it rained – when a slight noise behind her brought her back again to her presence in a Hill camp. She turned around, nervously, but not so nervously as she might have; for there was a graciousness and – well, humanity, perhaps, if she tried to think of a word for it – to the big white-walled room that set her at ease, even against her own better judgment. Four white-robed men had entered the tent. They brought with them, carrying it by handles set round the rim, an enormous silver basin: bath-sized, she thought. It had a broad base and sides that flared gently. The metal was worked in some fashion, but the play of the lantern light over the patterns prevented her from deciding what the designs might be. The men set the great basin down at one end of the tent, and turned to leave, one after the other; and each, as he passed her standing uncertainly near the center, bowed to her. She was made uneasy by the courtesy, and had to stop herself from taking a step or two backward. She stood with her arms at her sides, but her hands, invisible in the long full sleeves of her battered dressing-gown, closed slowly into fists. As the four men passed in front of her on their way out, several more were coming in, with silver urns on their shoulders; and the urns, she found when the carriers emptied them into the silver bath – it had to be a bath – were full of steaming water. No drop was spilled; and each man bowed to her as he left. She wondered how many of them there were engaged in water-carrying; there were never more than a few in the tent at once, yet as soon as one urn was empty the man behind was there to pour from another. It took only a few soft-footed minutes, the only sound that of the water falling into the basin, for it to be full; and the stream of men stopped likewise. She was alone a moment, watching the surface of the water glint as the last ripples grew still; and she saw that some of the design on the bath was simply the presence of hinges, and she laughed. This was a traveling camp, after all. Then four men entered together and ranged themselves in a line – like horse-herders, she thought, presented with an animal whose temper is uncertain – and looked at her; and she looked at them. She rather thought these were the four who had brought the bath in to begin with; but she wasn’t sure. What she did notice was something else, something that hadn’t quite registered while the steady shuffle of men and urns had gone past: that each of these men had a little white mark that looked like a scar on his forehead, in the center of the brow, above the eyes. She wondered about this; and then she wondered about what looked like towels lying over the shoulders of three of the men; and then the fourth one came toward her with a motion so swift and polite, and somehow unthreatening, that he slipped the Hill cloak off her shoulders and folded it over his arm before she reacted. She spun around then and backed away a step; and was almost certain that the look on this man’s face was surprise. He laid the cloak down very gently on a wooden chest, and motioned toward the bath. She was grateful that at least he didn’t bow to her again, which probably would have made her leap like a startled rabbit. It wasn’t, she thought, that the gesture held any unpleasant servility. But it felt like an indication that she was somehow in command of the situation – or ought to be. The lack of servility was therefore alarming, because these men were too capable of observing that she didn’t feel in the least as if she were in command. They looked at one another a moment longer. She thought then incredulously: Surely they’re not expecting to give me a bath? – and noticed with the sides of her eyes that the other three men were standing behind the bath now, and one of the towels when unfolded was revealed as a robe, with a braided gold cord at the waist. The man directly in front of her, who had removed her cloak, reached out and laid his hands on the belt of her dressing-gown, and she suddenly found that she was angry. The last two days had been one indignity after another, however politely each had been offered; and to preserve what self-respect she could – and what courage – she had preferred not to think about them too closely. But that she wasn’t even to be allowed to bathe without a guard – that she should be expected to submit tamely to the ministrations of four men – men – like a – like a – Her imagination chose to fail her here, far from home, with the terror of the unknown, and of the captured, only barely kept at bay. She threw off the man’s polite fingers with as much violence as she could and said furiously: â€Å"No! Thank you, but no.† There are enough of them, for God’s sake, to stand me on my head if they want to force the issue, she thought . But I am not going to cooperate. There was a ripple of golden silk at the sound of her voice, and a new shadow appeared in the lantern light. Corlath, who had been hovering just outside to see how his Outlander was going to behave, entered the tent. He spoke two or three words and the men left at once; each bowing, first to her and then to their king. A corner of Harry’s mind, which refused to be oppressed by the dreadfulness of the situation, noticed that the bows were of equal depth and duration; and the same mental corner had the impertinence to think this odd. There was another little silence after the four men had left, only this time it was the king she was facing down. But she was too angry to care. If she said anything she would say too much, and she hadn’t quite forgotten that she was at the mercy of strangers, so she bit her tongue and glowered. Why was this all happening? The bit of her mind which had commented about the equality of bows presently observed that anger was preferable to fear, so the anger was encouraged to carry on. Evidently Corlath had already had his bath; his black hair was wet, and even his sun-brown skin was a few shades lighter. He was wearing a long golden robe, stiff with elegant stitching, open at the front to show a loose cream-colored garment that fell almost to his sandaled feet. In her own country she would have been inclined to call it a nightshirt under an odd sort of dressing-gown – although nobody ever wore a scarlet cummerbund over one’s nightshirt – but it looked very formal here. She mustn’t forget to glower or she might feel awed. And then, inevitably, afraid. She recognized the quality of his silence when at last he spoke: the same feeling she had had when she first spoke to him, at the small campsite between the arms of a sand dune, that he chose and arranged his words very carefully. â€Å"Do you not wish to bathe, then? It is a long ride we had.† He was thinking, So I have managed to offend her immediately. It is done differently where she comes from; she can’t know and must not be able to guess – but how could she guess? – that in the Hills it is only the men and women of the highest rank that may be waited on by household servants of both sexes. I feared – but for what good? We know nothing of each other’s customs, and my household men have only done as they ought: treated the king’s Outlander with the greatest honor. Harry in her turn had unbent slightly at the â€Å"we.† It was friendlier than the accusatory â€Å"you† she’d been expecting. She hadn’t unbent so far, though, as to prevent herself from saying coldly, â€Å"I am accustomed to bathe alone.† Ah. Yes. I don’t suppose I should mire myself with involved explanations at this point? She doesn’t look to be in the mood for them. He said, â€Å"These are men of my household. It was to do you †¦ courtesy.† She glanced away and felt her anger begin to ebb; and so she was unprepared when he took a sudden stride forward as she dropped her eyes. He grabbed her chin and forced it up, turning her face to the light and staring down at her as if amazed. Her abrupt reversion to existence as an object to be bundled about, turned this way and that at another’s will, made the anger boil up again at once; and her eyes glittered back at him without a trace of fear. He was staring into those eyes, as the light played full across them, and thinking, That’s why. I don’t understand it, but this must be why – the first step to why. He had just caught a glimpse, a suspicion, when she turned her head, the way the light fell, and he had put his hand out before he thought. Her eyes, under his gaze, shimmered grey to green with bubbles of amber that flickered like lightning in the depths and floated up to break like stars on the surface: bottomless eyes, that a man or beast fool enough to look at long would fall into and drown. He knew – he was one of the very few who need have no fear – that she did not know. She met his eyes too clearly: there was nothing in her eyes but simple and forthright fury – and he couldn’t blame her for that. He wondered if she’d learned by accident not to focus her anger, or whether people she hated had a habit of falling downstairs or choking on fishbones – or if perhaps she had never hated. One doesn’t generally look into mirrors when one is especially angry; one has better things to do, like pace the floor, or throw things. Perhaps no one had ever noticed, or been in a position to notice. And the thought came to him vaguely, for no particular reason, that she couldn’t ever have been in love. If she had ever turned the full intensity of her kelar-brilliant eyes on any average mortal, they would both have had a shock; and she would never again have had the innocence to meet anyone’s eyes as she now met his. He dropped his hand from her chin and turned away. He looked a little ashamed, she thought; and he said, â€Å"Forgive me,† as if he meant it. But he looked more thoughtful than anything else, and, she realized with surprise, relieved, as if he had made – or had made for him – some important decision. What can be wrong with my face? she thought. Has my nose turned green? It has always been crooked, but it never astonished anybody before. He offered her no explanation for his behavior, but after a moment’s silence he said, â€Å"You will have your bath alone, as you wish,† glanced at her again as if to be sure she was real, and left her. She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered; and then thought, Very well, I do want a bath, the water’s cooling off, and how long is a bath expected to take before someone else comes trotting in? She took the fastest bath of her life, and was bright red with scrubbing but quite clean when she tumbled out again, dried off, and slithered into the white robe left for her. The sleeves came to her elbows, and the hem nearly to her ankles. There were long loose trousers to go underneath, but so full as to seem almost a skirt, and they rippled and clung as she moved. The clothing all was made from something adequately opaque, but when she had tied the golden rope around her middle she still felt rather embarrassingly unclad; Homelander garb for its women involved many more layers. She looked at her dusty dressing-gown, but was reluctant to put it back on; and she was still hesitating over this as she dried her hair on the second towel and tried to part the tangle with her fingers, when Corlath returned, carrying a dark red robe very much like his golden one – and a comb. The handle of it was wide and awkward in her hand, but it had familiar teeth, and that was all that counte d. While she watched through her wet hair, the bath was half-emptied as it had been filled, and the rest carried out still in the silver basin. The four men at its handles walked so smoothly the water never offered to slop up the sides. Then there was a pause and one of the men of the household – or so she supposed the forehead mark indicated – entered carrying a mirror in a leather frame and knelt before her on one knee, propped the mirror on the other, and tipped it back till she could see her face in it. She looked down, bemused – the man’s eyes were on the floor. Did household servants of the Hills all take lessons in tipping mirrors to just the right angle, relative to the height and posture of the person to be served? Perhaps it was a specialty, known only to a few; and those few, of course, would be preserved for the royal household. She parted her hair gravely and shook it back over her shoulders, where it fell heavily past her hips. The deep red of h er robe was very handsome; the shadows it cast were as velvety as rose petals. â€Å"Thank you,† she said in Hill-speech, hoping that she remembered the right phrase; and the man stood up, bowed again, and went away. Meanwhile a long table was being erected under the peak of the tent, next to the central pillar. It consisted of many square sections, with a leg at each corner of each square, set next to each other in a long single row; she wondered how they managed to stand so level on the whimsical layers of carpet. Corlath was pacing up and down the end of the tent opposite her, head bent and hands behind him. Plates were arranged on the table – each setting, she saw, was given a plate, one of the curious flat-bowled spoons, two bowls of different sizes, and a tall mug. The table was very low, and there were no chairs; some of the cushions scattered all over the tent were gathered up and heaped around it. Then large bowls of bread and fruit and – she thought – cheese were brought in, and the lamp that hung from the wooden rib over the table was lowered till it hung only a few feet from the plentiful food. It was just a little above her eye level as she stood watching. The la nterns that hung from the ceiling beams were suspended on fine chains which were attached to slender ropes looped around a row of what looked very much like belaying-pins on a ship lined up against one wall. Corlath had stopped pacing, and his eyes followed the lowering of the lamp; but the expression on his face said that his thoughts were elsewhere. Harry watched him covertly, ready to look away if he should remember her; and as the lamp was fixed in its new position she saw him return to himself with a snap. He walked a few steps forward to stand at one end of the long table; then he looked around for her. She was not in a good position for judging such things, but she felt that he recalled her existence to his mind with something of an effort, as a man will recall an unpleasant duty. She let him catch her eye, and he gestured that she should take her place at his left hand. At that moment the golden silk door was lifted again, and another group of men filed in. She recognized two of them: they were the men who had ridden with Corlath to assist at her †¦ removal. She was a little surprised that she should recognize them so easily, since what she had mostly seen of them was the backs of their heads when they averted their faces, or the tops of their heads or hoods when they stared at the ground. But recognize them she did, and felt no fear about staring at them full-face now, for they showed no more inclination than they ever had for looking back at her. There were eighteen men all told, plus Corlath and herself; and she was sure she could have recognized them as a group, as belonging together and bound together by ties as strong as blood or friendship, even if they had been scattered in a crowd of several hundred. They had an awareness of each other so complete as to be instinctive. She knew something of the working of this sort of camaraderie from watching Dedham and some of his men; but here, with this group of strangers, she could read it as easily as if it were printed on a page before her; and their silence – for none bothered with the kind of greeting Harry was accustomed to, any Hill version of hello and how are you – made it only more plain to her. Rather than finding their unity frightening, and herself all alone and outside, she found it comforting that her presence should so little disturb them. That instinctive awareness seemed to wrap around her too, and accept her: an outsider, an Outlander and a woman, a nd yet here she was and that was that. She sat when everyone else sat, and as bowls and plates were passed she found that hers were filled and returned to her without her having to do anything but accept what was given her. Knives appeared, from up sleeves and under sashes and down boot tops, and Corlath produced an extra one from somewhere and gave it to her. She felt the edge delicately with one finger, and found it very keen; and was faintly flattered that the prisoner should be allowed so sharp an instrument. No doubt because any one of these men could take it away from me at my first sign of rebellion, without even interrupting their chewing, she thought. She began to peel the yellow-skinned fruit on her plate, as the man opposite her was doing. It seemed years since she had faced Sir Charles across the breakfast table. She didn’t notice when the conversation began; it proceeded too easily to have had anything so abrupt as a beginning, and she was preoccupied with how to manage her food. From the tone of their voices, these men were reporting to their king, and the substance of the reports was discussed as a matter of importance all around the table. She understood no word of it, for â€Å"yes† and â€Å"no† and â€Å"please† and â€Å"good† are almost impossible to pick out when talk is in full spate, but it was a language she found pleasant to listen to, with a variety of sounds and syllables that she thought would well lend themselves to any mood or mode of expression. Her mind began to wander after a little time. She was exhausted after the long ride, but the tension of her position – I will not say that I am utterly terrified – served admirably to keep her awake and uneasily conscious of all that went on around her. She wondered if any of these men would give it away by look or gesture if the conversation turned to the Outlander in their midst. But after a bath, and clean clothes, even these odd ones, and good food, for the food was very good, and even the company, for their companionship seemed to hold her up like something tangible, her mind insisted on relaxing. But that relaxation was a mixed blessing at best, because as the tension eased even a little, her thoughts unerringly reverted to trying to puzzle out why she was where she found herself. Something to do with that abortive meeting at the Residency, between the Hillfolk and the Outlanders, presumably. But why? Why me? If I could be stolen from my bed – or my window-seat – then they could steal somebody from some other bed – and Sir Charles seems a lot more likely as a political figure. She repressed a grin. Though a very unlikely figure for riding across a saddlebow. There had to be a better reason than that of physical bulk for the choice of herself over †¦ whoever else was available. She had been spirited out of her own house, with the doors locked and the dogs out, and Sir Charles and Lady Amelia asleep only a few steps away. It was as if Corlath – or his minions – could walk through walls: and if they could walk through the Residency walls and over the Residency dogs, probably they could walk through any other walls – at least Homelander walls – that they chose. It was uncanny. She remembered that Dedham, whose judgment she trusted above all others’ at the station, and who knew more than any other Homelander about his adopted country, believed in the uncanniness of certain of the Hillfolk’s tactics. Which brought her back to square one of this game: Why her? Why Harry Crewe, the Residency’s charity case, who had only been in this country at all for a few months? There was one obvious answer, but she discarded it as soon as it arose. It was too silly, and she was convinced that, whatever failings Corlath and his men might be capable of, silliness wasn’t one of them. And Corlath didn’t look at her the way a man looks at a woman he plans to have share his bed – and his interest would have to be very powerful indeed for him to have gone to so much trouble to steal her. He looked at her rather as a man looks at a problem that he would very much prefer to do without. She supposed it was distinction of a sort to be a harassment to a king. She also swiftly, almost instinctively, discarded the idea that her Homelanders would mount any successful expedition to find her and bring her home again. The Hillfolk knew their desert; the Homelanders did not. And the Residency charity case would not warrant extraordinary efforts. She thought wryly: If Jack guesses where I am, he’ll think I don’t need rescuing †¦ but poor Dick; he’ll manage to convince himself that it’s his fault, he brought me out here in the first place †¦ She blinked hastily, and bit her lips. Her crossed legs were asleep, and the small of her back hurt. She was accustomed to sitting in chairs. She began surreptitiously to thump her thighs with her fists till they began to tingle painfully to life again; then she began on her calves. By the time she could feel when she wiggled her toes, the hot stiff feeling around her eyes had ebbed and she could stop blinking. The men of the household entered the royal tent again, and cleared the table. The bread and fruit were replaced by bowls of something dark and slightly shiny. When she was offered a bit of it she discovered it to be sticky and crunchy and very sweet, and by the time she had eaten most of her generous serving, and what remained was adhering to her face and fingers, she noticed that a bowl of water and a fresh napkin had been placed at each person’s elbow. There was a momentary lull while everyone sighed and stretched; and Corlath said a few words to the men of the household, which caused one of them to leave the tent and the other three still present to go around the walls extinguishing the lanterns, all except the one lamp that hung low over the table. The heavy woven walls shone in the daylight so the inside was palely lit; and the lamp over the table burned like a small sun, casting half-shadows in the quiet corners of the glowing white walls and in the hollows of eyes. None spoke. Then the man returned, carrying a dark leather bag bound with brass in the shape of a drinking-horn. A thong hung from its neck and base, and this the man had looped over his shoulder. He offered it first to Corlath, who gestured to the man at his right. The man of the household handed it gravely to him, bowed, and left; there were none in the tent now but those twenty who sat round the table. The first man drank – one swallow; she could see him letting it slide slowly down his throat. He balanced the bag on the table and stared at the burning lamp. After a moment an expression passed over his face that was so clear Harry felt she should recognize it immediately; but she did not. She was shaken both by its strength and by her own failure to read it; and then it was gone. The man looked down, smiled, shook his head, said a few words, and passed the horn to the man sitting on his right. Each man took one mouthful, swallowed it slowly, and stared at the lamp. Some of them spoke and some did not. One man, with skin sunburned as dark as cinnamon but for a pale scar on his jaw, spoke for a minute or two, and words of surprise broke from several of his audience. They all looked to Corlath, but he sat silent and inscrutable, chin in hand; and so the drinking-horn was passed on to the next. One man Harry remembered in particular: he was shorter than most of the company, while his shoulders were very broad and his hands large. His hair was grizzled and his expression grim; his face was heavily lined, but whether with age or experience or both she could not guess. He sat near the foot of the table on the side opposite her. He drank, stared at the light, spoke no word, and passed the horn to the man on his right. All the others, even the ones who said nothing, showed something in their faces – something, Harry thought, that was transparent to any who had eyes to see beyond – some strong sensation, whether of sight or feeling – she could not even guess this much. But this man remained impassive, as opaque as skin and blood and bone can be. One could see his eyes move, and his chest heave as he breathed; there was no clue for further speculation. She wondered what his name was, and if he ever smiled. As the leather bag rounded the bottom of the table and started up the other side, and Harry could no longer see the faces of the drinkers, she dropped her eyes to her hands and complimented herself on how quietly they lay, the fingers easy, not gripping each other or whitening their knuckles around her mug. The mug was still half full of a pale liquid, slightly honey-sweet but without (she thought she could by now conclude) the dangers of the gentle-tasting mead it reminded her of. She moved one finger experimentally, tapped it against the mug, moved it back, rearranged her hands as a lady might her knitting, and waited. She was aware when the drinking-horn reached the man on her left, and was aware of the slight shudder that ran through him just before he spoke; but she kept her eyes down and waited for Corlath to reach across her and take the waiting horn. This was not something an Outlander would be expected to join in – and just as well. Whatever the stuff was, watching the men’s faces when they drank made her feel a little shaky. And so she was much surprised when one of Corlath’s hands entered her range of vision and touched the back of one of her hands with the forefinger. She looked up. â€Å"Take a sip,† he said. She reached out stiffly and took the brass-bound bag from the man who held it, keeping her eyes only on the bag itself. It was warm from all the hands that had held it, and up close she could see the complexity of the twisted brass fittings. It carried a slight odor with it: faintly pungent, obscurely encouraging. She took a deep breath. â€Å"Only a sip,† said Corlath’s voice. The weight of the thing kept her hands from trembling. She tipped her head back and took the tiniest of tastes: a few drops only. She swallowed. It was curious, the vividness of the flavor, but nothing she could put a name to †¦ She saw a broad plain, green and yellow and brown with tall grasses, and mountains at the edge of it, casting long shadows. The mountains started up abruptly, like trees, from the flatness of the plain; they looked steep and severe and, with sun behind them, they were almost black. Directly in front of her there was a small gap in those mountains, little more than a brief pause in the march of the mountains’ sharp crests, and it was high above the floor of the plain. Up the side of the mountain, already near the summit, was a bright moving ribbon. Horsemen, no more than forty of them, riding as quickly as they could over the rough stony track, the horses with their heads low and thrown forward, watching their feet, swinging with their strides, the riders straining to look ahead, as though fearing they might come too late. Behind the riders were men on foot, bows slung slantwise over their backs, crossed by quivers of arrows; there were perhaps fifty of them, and they followed the horses, with strides as long as theirs. Beside them were long brown moving glints, supple as water, that slid from light to shade too quickly to be identified; four-footed, they looked to be; dogs perhaps. The sunlight bounced off sword hilts, and the metal bindings of leather arms and harness, and shields of many shapes, and the silver strings of bows. The far sides of the mountains were less steep, but no less forbidding. Broken foothills extended a long way, into the hazy distance; a little parched grass or a few stunted trees grew where they could. Below the gap in the mountains by any other path but through the valley would be impossible, at least for horses. The gap was one that a small determined force would be able to defend – for a time. The bright ribbon of horsemen and archers collected in the small flat space behind the gap, and became a pool. Here there was a little irregular plateau, with shallow crevasses, wide enough for small campsites, leading into the rocky shoulders on either side, and with a long low overhanging shelf to one side that was almost a cave. The plateau narrowed to a gap barely the width of two horsemen abreast, where the mountain peaks crowded close together, just before it spilled into the scrub-covered valley, and the rock-strewn descending slopes beyond. The horsemen paused and some dismounted; some rode to the edge and looked out. At the far edge of the foothills something glittered, too dark for grass, too sharply peaked for water. When it spilled into the foothills it became apparent for what it was: an army. This army rode less swiftly than had the small band now arranging themselves in and around the pass, but their urgency was less. The sheer numbers of them were all the tactics they needed. But the little army waiting for them organized itself as seriously as if it had a chance of succeeding in what it set out to do; and perhaps some delay of the immense force opposing it was all that it required. The dust beyond the foothills winked and flashed as rank after rank approached the mountains †¦ †¦ and then time began to turn and dip crazily, and she saw the leader of the little force plunging down into the valley with a company behind him, and he drew a sword that flashed blue in his hand. His horse was a tall chestnut, fair as daylight, and his men swept down the hill behind him. She could not see the archers, but she saw a hail of arrows like rain sweeping from the low trees on either side of the gap. The first company of the other army leaped eagerly toward them, and a man on a white horse as tall as the chestnut and with red ribbons twisted into its long tail met the blue sword with one that gleamed gold †¦ †¦ and Harry found herself back in the tent, her throat hoarse as if from shouting: standing up, with a pair of strong hands clamped on her shoulders; and she realized that without their support she would sag to her knees. The fierce shining of the swords was still in her eyes. She blinked and shook her head, and realized she was staring at the lamp; so she turned her head and looked up at Corlath, who was looking down at her with something – she noticed with a shock – like pity in his face. She could think of nothing to say; she shook her head again, as if to shake out of it all she had just seen; but it stayed where it was. There was a silence, of a moment, or perhaps of half a year. She breathed once or twice; the air felt unnaturally harsh on her dry throat. She began to feel the pile of carpets pressing against her feet, and Corlath’s hands slackened their grip. They stood, the two of them, king and captive, facing one another, and all the men at the table looked on. â€Å"I am sorry,† Corlath said at last. â€Å"I did not think it would take you with such strength.† She swallowed with some difficulty: the lovely wild flavor of the mad drink she had just tasted lingered in the corners of her mouth, and in the corners of her mind. â€Å"What is it?† Corlath made some slight gesture – of denigration or of ignorance. â€Å"The drink – we call it Meeldtar – Seeing Water, or Water of Sight.† â€Å"Then – all that I saw – I really saw it. I didn’t imagine it.† â€Å"Imagine it? Do you mean did you see what was true? I do not know. One learns, eventually, usually to know, to be able to say if the seeings are to be believed or are †¦ imagined. But imagined as you mean it – no. The Water sends these things, or brings them.† There was a pause again, but nobody relaxed, least of all herself. There was more to it than this, than a simple – simple? – hallucination. She looked at Corlath, frowning. â€Å"What else?† she said, as calmly as if she were asking her doom. Corlath said, â€Å"There is something else,† as if he were putting it off. He hesitated, and then spoke a few words in a language she did not recognize. It wasn’t the usual Darian she heard the natives around the Residency speak, or the slightly more careful tongue that Dedham and Mr. Peterson used; nor did it sound like the differently accented tongue the Hillfolk spoke, which was still recognizable to those who were fluent in Darian. This was a rougher, more powerful language to listen to, although many of the sounds – strange to her Homelander ears – were common with the Darian she was accustomed to. She looked at Corlath, puzzled, as he spoke a little further. She knew nothing of this language. â€Å"It is not familiar to you?† Corlath said at last; and when she shook her head, he said, â€Å"No, of course not, how could it be?† He turned around. â€Å"We might sit down again,† and sat down with great deliberateness. She sat down too, waiting. The look she had seen before on his face, that of a man facing a problem he would far rather avoid, had returned, but it had changed. Now his look said that he understood what the problem was, and it was much more serious than he had suspected. â€Å"There are two things,† he said. â€Å"The Water of Sight does not work so on everyone. Most people it merely makes ill. To a few it gives headaches; headaches accompanied by strange colors and queer movements that make them dizzy. There are very few who see clearly – we nineteen, here tonight, all of us have drunk the Water of Sight many times. But even for us, most of us see only a brief abrupt picture – sometimes the scene lasts so little time it is hard to recognize. Often it is of something familiar: one’s father, one’s wife, one’s horse. There is a quality to these pictures, or memories, that is like nothing else, like no voluntary memory you might call up yourself. But often that is all. â€Å"Occasionally one of the people of our Hills sees more. I am one. You have just proven yourself another. I do not know why you saw what you did. You told us something of what you saw as you were seeing it. You may have seen a battle of the past – or one that never happened – or one that may yet happen; it may occur in Damar, or – in some other country.† She heard may yet happen as if those three words were the doom she had asked for; and she remembered the angry brilliance of the yellow-eyed Hill-king as he stood before the Residency far away. â€Å"But – † she said, troubled, hardly realizing she spoke aloud – â€Å"I am not even of your Hills. I was born and bred far away – at Home. I have been here only a few months. I know nothing of this place.† â€Å"Nothing?† said Corlath. â€Å"I said there were two things. I have told you the first. You told us what you saw as you saw it. But this is the second thing: you spoke in the Old Tongue, what we call the Language of the Gods, that none knows any more but kings and sorcerers, and those they wish to teach it to. The language I just spoke to you, that you did not recognize – I was repeating the words you had said yourself, a moment before.† How to cite The Blue Sword CHAPTER FIVE, Essay examples

The fundamentals Evolution of the social - MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss aboutThe fundamentals Evolution of the social. Answer: Ethics is a field that deals with moral principles and philosophy. It helps in recommending and defending the concepts of wrong or right behaviour (Peters, 2015). Ethical theories can be used for understanding whether an action is morally correct or incorrect. Ethical theories are classified into metaethics, applied ethics and normative ethics (Melden, 2013). Metaethics tries to get an insight into the meaning of the principles of ethics and revolves around the concept of moral judgements. Applied ethics focuses on examining controversial situations and issues such as animal rights and nuclear war. Normative ethics tries to establish moral standards for regulating right as well as wrong conduct (Dewey, 2016). This essay uses the four main ethical theories: Utilitarianism, Virtue Ethics, Deontology and Contract Theory for analysing an article based on automation. It explains the concepts of the four ethical theories and tries to find out whether automation is ethically right or wrong. About the article A researcher and neuroscientist from Russia named Alexandra Elbakyan made 48 million or more peer reviews and journal articles available over the Internet at free of cost. She was accused of providing pirated journals via a site called Sci-Hub in an illegal manner. She had refused to close the Sci-Hub despite a lawsuit from one of the biggest publishers in the world, Elsevier. A district court New York had also ordered to close the site. According to Elbakyan, paying $32 was expensive for the students for carrying out research work (MacDonald, 2018). She believed that knowledge should be accessible to everyone irrespective of their income. She even claimed that leading universities such as Cornell and Harvard were unable to afford the research papers because of high subscription rate. Elbakyan said that pirating in the film and music industry destroys its creators. The pirating in case of journal publishing is different as it helps to spread knowledge and facilitate research works. A ccording to Elbakyan, shutting down of the Sci-Hub site would demonstrate that the general public and students have no right to access information and knowledge. Utilitarian Theory The utilitarian theory falls under the category of normative ethics. Utilitarianism determines an action or policy to be ethically correct or incorrect depending on the consequences (Barrow, 2015). This theory considers an act to be morally right when it produces maximum utility for the maximum number of people. Utility is measured in terms of happiness and pleasure. Utilitarianism focuses on the principle of greatest happiness that states that an action is morally right when it maximizes the utility of the people in the world. A morally right action would always make the people happy and reduce pain or negative consequences. Utilitarianism or consequentialism focuses on the effects of an action and decides whether the action is wrong or right. This theory is based on the fact that if the good thing in the world such as happiness is increased then it will make life better (Mulgan, 2014). Positive contributions of human beings help to reduce pain of the people and make the world a bet ter place. Utilitarianism focuses on the well being of the people. This article talks about a neuroscientist named Alexandra Elbakyan who had developed a website called Sci-Hub for providing free research papers and peer reviews to the people. She had enabled the students and researchers to download journal articles of big publishers such as Springer and Elsevier over the Internet without any cost (MacDonald, 2018). The sole intention behind this pirating was to support Human Rights by allowing the people to freely access knowledge. She had taken this action as she could understand the problems faced by students and researchers who were unable to afford expensive journal articles for their research work. This act of spreading or disseminating knowledge could maximize utility among maximum people and spread happiness (Ryan, 2015). Therefore according to Utilitarianism, the action of Alexandra Elbakyan was ethically correct as it was able to maximize the utility or happiness among the people around the world by spreading free knowledge. Deontology Theory Deontology does not focus on the consequences of the action but focuses on the action itself. If an action taken is right then it is considered to be morally correct even if the consequences are negative. When an action is itself wrong then it is morally incorrect even if consequences are positive. According to this theory, an action can be morally judged based on certain rules (May, 2014). Deontology establishes a relation between morality of actions and human duties. It is considered to be obligation-based ethics (Hurley, 2013). This theory is opposed to the Utilitarianism theory where morality of actions is dependent on the consequences. For example, if someone tries to kill another person in response of self defence then the action is morally incorrect as the action of killing someone itself is a crime. In this article, we get to see that a Russian neuroscientist and researcher named Alexandra Elbakyan established a website for providing free access to journal articles for enhanc ing knowledge of the people. She did not want people to get deprived of their Human Rights to access knowledge at free of cost. She established the Sci-Hub website that downloads journals from LibGen, a pirate database or bypasses the journal paywalls by using access keys (MacDonald, 2018). Piracy is an illegal act. This act committed by Elbakyan was itself morally wrong as it did not follow rules or duties even though its consequences were good. Therefore according to the Deontology Theory, the action of Alexandra Elbakyan was ethically wrong. Virtue Theory Virtue Ethics deals with the moral character of individuals. It focuses on the virtue of individuals rather than good consequences and duties. Virtuous people have ideal or morally right character traits (Van Hooft, 2014). Virtue Theory does not guide people on how they should behave or act in several situations. There is no rule that can be followed for being morally correct. This article clearly shows that Alexandra Elbakyan had faced issues in accessing expensive journal papers so she thought to resolve this problem of others by launching a website that could provide free access to journal articles. She thought that this act would enable people to gain knowledge and carry out research work with ease. Pirating was illegal but her intentions were good. She was correct in her own terms and her motive behind this act reflected her good moral character (Shafer-Landau, 2014). Therefore according to Virtue Theory, Elbakyan has an ethical character and her action was morally correct. Contract Theory Contract Theory deals with social contracts that help in establishing moral rules of behaviour. A social contract establishes moral obligations for the people and helps in forming a society (Skyrms, 2014). The moral obligations depend on the social contract. Absence of obligations would harm the society and in order to maintain harmony in the society political communities are established. In this article, Elbakyan talks about Human Rights and says that the reason behind pirating was to disseminate knowledge. But in a society pirating is an illegal act. So according to the social contract theory, the act of providing free access to journal articles of other publishers and authors without their permission was unethical as it was against the rules, regulations and contracts of the society. This essay concludes that the act of illegally sharing millions of journal articles and scientific papers over the Internet was either ethical or unethical depending on the ethical theories. From the perspective of Utilitarianism, it can be said that this act was ethically correct as it maximized the utility and had spread happiness among maximum number of people. Deontology Theory said that this act of spreading knowledge was unethical as the action of pirating was illegal. According to Virtue Ethics, the intention of Elbakyan was good and she had a virtuous character. The Contract Theory pointed out that the act of piracy is illegal and it is against the social norms and contracts, therefore this act was unethical. References Barrow, R. (2015).Utilitarianism: A contemporary statement. Routledge. Dewey, J. (2016).Ethics. Read Books Ltd. Hurley, P. (2013). Deontology.The International Encyclopedia of Ethics. MacDonald, F. (2018).Researcher Illegally Shares Millions of Science Papers Free Online to Spread Knowledge.ScienceAlert. Retrieved 16 January 2018, from https://www.sciencealert.com/this-woman-has-illegally-uploaded-millions-of-journal-articles-in-an-attempt-to-open-up-science May, J. (2014). Moral judgment and deontology: Empirical developments.Philosophy Compass,9(11), 745-755. Melden, A. (2013).Ethical theories. Read Books Ltd. Mulgan, T. (2014).Understanding utilitarianism. Routledge. Peters, R. S. (2015).Ethics and Education (Routledge Revivals). Routledge. Ryan, A. (2015). 16. Utilitarianism and Bureaucracy: The Views of JS Mill. Shafer-Landau, R. (2014). The fundamentals of ethics. Skyrms, B. (2014).Evolution of the social contract. Cambridge University Press. Van Hooft, S. (2014).Understanding virtue ethics. Routledge.

Shakespeares as You Like It and One Related Text free essay sample

AOS Belonging Sometimes we belong most in the places we shouldnt and vice versa. Discuss this referring to your set text and one related text. For human beings, belonging creates a connectedness that helps nurture self-esteem and confidence. The social and cultural milieu provided by society offers a range of specific roles and circumstances that a person is expected to abide by and a person is rewarded with the the knowledge that they belong if they play these roles as well as possible. However, circumstances beyond control can lead a person to being unable to fulfill the expected roles enabling a sense of isolation and not belonging. This can be particularly seen in As You Like it and Tim Burton’s 2010 movie remake of Alice in Wonderland, both of which have protagonists that have little control over their own circumstances and are as a consequence isolated and at odds with places where they should belong. We will write a custom essay sample on Shakespeares as You Like It and One Related Text or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In As You Like It, the traditions and dispositions of society push characters to play certain roles. Rosalind, the protagonist of As You Like It, has no control over the societal and gender expectations laid before her. Despite being the most intelligent, active and interesting character in the play, she is confined into the expected female role, suppressing her personality, in an attempt to fit into and belong at the court which embodies the societal expectations of the period. Her attempts at conformity lead her to initially feel fear at seeking out the forest of arden as such a place would be dangerous to a woman and yet she overcomes this by transcending gender boundaries, choosing to masquerade as a man. While disguised as a man Rosalind is able to unleash her true personality and fully explore her identity. It can be seen that had Rosalind not used the role of Ganymede within the forest, she may have been left in a largely passive role similar to that of Celia who is unable to shake off the constraints of her femininity. Despite having new found freedoms in her role as Ganymede, Rosalind is still an oddity even among the banished nobles of the forest, having to concoct stories to explain her amazing intellect and command of language. While she does not belong within the constraints of the court neither does she truly belong in the forest of arden. The article, Belonging in Arden: back to nature or nature as you like it? Clearly points out that Rosalind is ‘a shape-shifter, a chameleon, who does not properly belong anywhere neither within one place, nor within one gender’ This inability to belong is not within Rosalind’s control and is influenced by the societal expectations of gender present in the period. Rosalind is hence forced into a situation where she must conform and suppress her personality in order to fit in or otherwise be a continually acknowledged outsider. By stepping out of the play at the end, Rosalind demonstrates that she belongs more to the theatre, stretching across all time and in all places than she belongs to any one play or one period. Within Alice in Wonderland societal constraints and expectations lead to a fixed group identity and the enhancement social isolation. Similar to Rosalind, Alice does not fit into the role she is expected by society to play. However, Alice makes little attempt to conform to the expectations and as a result constantly feels awkward and isolated in society. The expectations of society make Alice believe that she had not choice but to conform as all decisions regarding her life are made outside of her control. Within Wonderland, Alice struggles with the importance and instability of personal identity and this doubt is further nourished by her constantly changing physical appearance. The many examples of rapid physical growth and regression in size also symbolize Alice’s gradual emotional growth. By the end of the movie she has grown in all senses; size but also in her capacity to think independently such as using the magic potions to her advantage. Alice, just like Rosalind, has no control over the expectations and the circumstances of her life in the real world. While she is unable to change or influence what is expected of her, she is also unwilling to conform and as such is regarded as an oddity and something of an outcast. In Wonderland, Alice is placed firmly control of her own life as she is told that no one can decide the course of her life for her. By not having to conform to the will of others, Alice is able to explore and understand her own desires and motives, discovering her true worth, identity and ultimately a sense of belonging. For both texts, external factors such as the environment have a large influence on a sense of belonging or not belonging. Both Rosalind and Alice find themselves at odds with the environments that they should naturally belong to, the court and upper class Victorian society. The environment is completely beyond their control and forces the inhabitants to conform or be outcasted. In this, the Ascot Manor, symbolic of the hidebound Victorian culture, can be likened to the vitriolic Court of As You Like It. In both locations the inhabitants strive to quell any aspects of individuality in a combined effort to fit in, creating a fixed group identity that outcasts anyone who is different. Within these places, characters have little to no control over their situation beyond choosing to conform and thus loose part of their individuality or to stand apart and be shunned. Similarly, Wonderland can be likened to the Forest of Arden as both are places that the protagonists choose to embrace and are portrayed as positive environments in which there is a great liberty and equality among inhabitants. Within both places the characters can choose how to live and act without having to worry about conformity or outside expectations. Social and cultural expectations that are beyond the ability of an individual to control can greatly hinder belonging. When not abiding by set social conventions a person is socially isolated and can come to doubt their own sense of identity. In both As You Like It and Alice in Wonderland, the effect of circumstances outside of a person’s control can be seen to greatly hinder a sense of belonging. Once the protagonists are able to take control of their circumstances, they are able to fully explore and discover their own identity, creating an enhanced sense of belonging.

Mayans essays

Mayans essays Maya were an American Indian People who developed a magnificent civilization in Central America and south Mexico. The Maya civilization reached its period of development about A.D.250 and continued to flourish for over 600 years. The Maya produced remarkable architecture, painting, pottery, and sculpture. They made great advancements in astronomy and mathematics and developed and accurate yearly calender. They were one of the first peoples in the Western Hemisphere to develop and advanced form of writing. The Maya lived in an area of about 120,000 square miles (311,000 square kilometers). Today, the territory of the Maya is divided among Mexico and several Central American countries. It consists of the Mexican states of Campeche, Yucatan, and Quintana Roo and part of the states of Tabasco and Chiapas. It also includes Belize, most of Quatemala, and parts of El Salvador and of Honduras. The heart of the Maya civilization was in the tropical rain forest of the lowlands of northern Qua temala. Many of the major Maya Cities, such as Piedras Negras, Tikal, and uaxactun, developed in this area. People, Geography and Language The Maya homeland, called Mesoamerica, span fine countries: Mexico, Quatemala, Belize, Honduras, El Salvador. There are now indications that the people we call the Maya had migrated from North America to the highlands of Guatemala perhaps as long ago as 2600 B.C., living an agriculuture village-based life. The cultural of these Preclassic Maya owes much to the earlier civilization of the Olmec, which flourished ca 1200 B.C. By the time Maya civilization had reached its peak the classic period (A.D. 200-900) the Maya were spread across an almost continuous territory of roughly 311,000 square kilometers (120,000 square miles). Comprising three general areas: The tropical rain forest of the lowlands, stretching from northern Honduras, through the Peten region of Guatemala and into Belize and chiapas, which became the heart ...

Semestral Project- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Essay

Semestral Project- A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Essay Example Idealy as a woman Smith thought of encouraging the society through her novel. The theme of idealism and pragmatism has been the central themes in this book. Incidences of poverty, alcoholism, and lying are some of the challenges that most women face in marriage and in the society. Women are the light of the society and they play a big role in educating the next generation. For this reason, Betty states that women must start in believing in things that are not of this world. Betty means that things sometimes get ugly in the society and therefore women should adapt to these challenges. Betty mentions children who represents the next generation. That is why Betty suggest that it is only by having the courage to go beyond these challenges will the children survive to the next generation. Smith belives in education and emphasizes on books. She reminds the society that reading textbooks, bible, and works from Shakespere have a role in shaping and changing the children in the society as a w ay of enlightenment. The three generations reminds us about the gender roles in the society. Betty has been able to make a revision about the traditional gender roles about women in the society. She has not forgotten to explain how poverty changes the roles and traditions of the gender in the society. The tree manages to grow in Brooklyn because of the women. These women in this book have changed their roles and have turned into the breadwinners signifying the change of gender roles. These women have struggled with poverty and are providing their children with education enabling them to be better important in the society. Ironically, Katie’s hands is growing rough every day a she engages in a lot f physical activities while Johnny’s hand are becoming more smooth and he is wearing expensive clothing. This is the painful reality that Betty reminds all the women in the society to accept. She enlightens the women in the society to accept the fact that the world is always u nfair and those who work harder become poorer while those who work less earn more. Immigrant children are most disadvantaged by poverty; recent studies show that for children whose parents are undocumented, their performance in school is poor due to their economic situation. This is because, the parents earn low wages since they have low education levels and thus can only manage low-paying, dangerous and heavy jobs, their children have no medical insurance and are unable to get the basic amenities required for good education, for example textbooks, thus are forced to work with what they have (Betty Smith). Many immigrants are usually forced to leave school and work to help their family, Francie is no exception and after graduating from grad school, they look for work. Being wise Francie is able to save up some of her earnings and decides to send her brother back to school. This is a big sacrifice she has made believes that she will go to school when she saves more. After working a n umber of jobs Francie takes a summer College school, Katie remarries, this time to a wealthy businessman and politician, luck is changing for the family and Francie’s dreams are coming true, she later quits her teletyping job to start classes at the University of Michigan. When Francie visits her

Religious Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Religious Systems - Essay Example The authors explore how religious landscape of America has altered over time and also dig deep into the causes of these alterations in the present American society. It is undisputed that the United States’ peaceful coexistence between individuals of different religions is built on the harmony among individuals of different faiths who do not question the role of any particular religion in America (Putnam & Campbell, 2012). In recent periods, many Christians have questioned the morality and the role of Islamic religion, not only in America, but in other Christian dominated countries around the world in the wake of series of terrorist attacks. These attacks have been majorly associated with the Islamic religion shaking the peaceful coexistence between religions that has long defined happiness and peaceful living. Putnam and Campbell focus on the past fifty years in examining how religion can divide and unite people. As the authors explain, in early centuries, intermarriages betwe en individuals of different denomination were nothing more than a fairy tale. The practice was unwelcome, particularly in Protestant and Catholic denominations. However, in recent periods, the Catholics and Protestants in the United States feel like they all belong to one camp. Putnam and Campbell argue that by 2000s, the denomination in which an individual belonged bore no significance, but how religious a person is had gained great importance as a diving line in politics (Putnam & Campbell, 2012). However, this argument evokes one big question that underlies the present disharmony in peaceful religious coexistence. Everyone would ask why Muslims do not form part of the claimed unified religious family that fits Putnam and Campbell’s description. According to Putnam and Campbell, America’s religious diversity has never entailed extensive religious intolerance. As they explain, coexistence has been ensured through willingness of believers to bend fundamental doctrines so as to foster interfaith amity (Putnam & Campbell, 2012). Most Christians have a conviction that everybody, including non-Christians, can find their way into heaven. In this manner, it is apparent that Christians are bending a crucial doctrine that underlies their religion that no one can ever go to heaven without going through God’s son, Jesus Christ. Putnam and Campbell explain the Americans have become more tolerant because they have on average two friends with different religious backgrounds. In their survey in 2007, Putnam and Campbell ascertained that similar to the evangelicals, the mainstream Protestants, perceived Muslims to be worse than Buddhists. On the other hand, black Protestants perceived Muslims in a more positive way than they did with Buddhists (Putnam & Campbell, 2012). In the latter observation, the result could be attributed to the fact that black Christians are more familiar with their black Muslims counterparts. The authors proceed to explain this sc enario by exploring social theory in which they point out factors such as mutual goals as possible causes of familiarity resulting into strong cohesion among individuals of different faiths. Assessing Michael Emerson and Christian Smith's Divided by Faith: Evangelical

Analyzes pages Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Analyzes pages - Essay Example When one considers the role transportation plays in the global dissemination of goods and services, it is but natural to conclude that those nations that constitute the hub of international shipping and road routes are poised to benefit much owing to their geographical location. According to Warf, globalization signifies a â€Å"†¦ unprecedented growth in interconnectedness, of flows of capital, goods, people and information across those borders†¦ (Warf 271).† Being geographically located at important points on the international trade routes makes a nation have access to the global goods and services and the commensurate influences they bring in their wake (Warf 284). Thereby, being exposed to the global trading activities, such nations but naturally tend to accrue economic efficiency that is the hallmark of globalization owing to having a ready access to a wide range of goods and services at a low cost, the economies of scale and the competitive advantage that goes with them. Such nations are also more exposed to diverse ideas, philosophies and cultures (Warf 284). Geographically speaking, being the primary producer of a specific resource also makes a nations accrue the fruits of globalization. For instance, considering the concentration of the petroleum industry in the Middle East, the nations in this region are bound to be influenced by global trends and ideas and are relatively more susceptible to globalization. However, the thing that needs to be kept in mind is that many a time geography may also impede globalization. For instance the regions where the transportation routes and communications technologies are not well developed like say the sub-Saharan nations, owing to economic, political, cultural or climatic reasons, may not cull out the benefits of globalization. This is because such regions are not conducive to the free flow of goods and services, people and ideas for globalization is about,

Operations Management in Business WH Smith Analysis

Operations Management in Business WH Smith Analysis WH Smith Introduction WH Smith was first created by Smith Family in 1792 as a newsagent, in then became the company with the name â€Å"WH Smith† in 1828 and launched the website WHSmith.co.uk in 1999. This success fully growing company opened many stores in Rails stations, High Streets, Shopping Centers and gradually lost its profit of  £135m. The arrival of Kate Swann made WH Smith to run as the profitable company in a decade. The success of her achievement is based on how she organized and worked towards her goal. Throughout this report there are many explanations related to WH Smith’s success using operation management skills by Kate Swann. Task 1 Operation is the key part of the business which produces goods and services. It involves in planning organizing, controlling an organization operations. Organization without a planning will never be able to success in its business. According to the scenario, the success of profit is based on the Operation Management, which involves a complex set of management activities involved in planning how they wanted to improve their sales organizing leading, by cutting the costs. Kate Swann managed to achieve the target of turning WH Smith into a profitable company by taking into account of the operational management. Following the principles of operation management in an organization will help the company to reduce the cost of products and services and also in the mean time it will help to increase the customer’s satisfaction towards the product quality and the services. As the operations function is responsible in goods and services, it is important to support the input and output to be delivered on time scale. Various input such as capital, labor, and information should be measured in order to obtain desired outputs. The role of operation management is to improve productivity which will help to improve the organizations financial and also to meet customer’s competitive priorities. In the scenario it shows that Swann has targeted the teenagers and as well as young women for stationeries this make the targeted users to be satisfied as well increase the sales in WH Smith. The key elements of Operation managements are known as Business logic, System theory. Kate Swann has understood the business logic in how to increase the profit for WH Smith. She understood how to target the customers and increase the profitable margin. In her success we can see that she has cut the cost persistently which is one of the element in business logic. Applying system theory to a business helps to find out how the environment impacts business process. According to the report of â€Å"Our Quality Commitments to Our Customers† in WH Smith website it clearly says that WH Smith is responsible to fulfill the minimum standards required by the law. If WH Smith reduces the standards and quality towards their customers due the cost effective they might not be able to success in our goal. For example Funky Pigeon greeting card shop which was open online is a best known website because customers get best services. Even though it was introduced to the market 2 years ago it has been famous. The reason behind this is their quality and services that they have been giving to their customers so far. The customers get the opportunity to choose their cards with uploading their own pictures and also the cards ordered by the customers are delivered very next day to their required address. This will impress the customers and make them come back. The online strategy objective of WH Smith is to launch the Funky Pigeon which sells greeting cards, personalized gifts and cards according to the customers need. The products that are sold in this website are very quality as well as cost effective. The services given to the customers are very dependability as funky pigeon is a fastest delivery service. It has the next day delivery services for their customers. More customers may prefer to visit their website as they are not limited by options in cards. The customers got the verity of option in choosing cards. As funky pigeon allows the option of personalizing the gifts or cards the customers may be satisfied in choosing any of the products from them. System is known as the collection of parts which can function independently for the success of the common purpose. For example, System contains the Input – Process- Output in an organization. It is essential that all the collection part in a system work collaborate for a company to be successful. WH Smith should follow each parts as Input and Process and output to make their company to run in organize planning and control and to be on right track Sub-system is known as the complex collections of many Systems in order to achieve the common purpose. In other words it contains many Input many process and many output to achieve the goal of the company. WH Smith may contain many system and sub-system diagram for the organization. Following diagram shows the system function in WH Smith. Task 2 Strategic planning is an organizational management activity which helps to set priorities, strengthen operations, and to ensure that employees work towards the goals to achieve success. An effective strategic planning articulates not only where and what actions needed to make progress, but also how it will know if it successful. In order to implement success strategic planning need to follow the performance of operational management. Operational management is essential for all organizations. The strategic planning mostly deals with activities of any business organizations such as operations, sales, finance concerned with different level managers. Operational management is focused with the production / services provider level of organizations. There are three stages of strategic planning. They are known as Economy, Efficiency and Effectiveness. To achieve the profit margin Swann has introduced the stationeries targeting the teenagers and young women. WH Smith started to sell stationer ies and sweets at the checkouts. This is a good example that Swann has used one of the strategic planning elements known as Economy. As it is essential assign that right resources has been used at the right time at the right place and right cost which a management should consider in business objectives. In other hand WH Smith has the big online strategy Funky Pigeon where they work in very cost effective. â€Å"Swann announced she was pulling out of selling music and DVDs†, she has compared the market and in order to increase the profit margins. And the comparison stores such as HMV thinks that it’s brave. As she consider the Efficiency, she has compared the performance target she kept to increase the profit of WH Smith. Even though WH Smith has its high street retail it has target the online retailers by introducing Funky Pigeon card site. Effectiveness is determined by examining the objectives and achievement of a company. WH Smith was been losing by 135m due to Swan n’s strong operational management the company has turn into profit of  £106m. Quality is very important for an organization. An example of good quality product with less cost is when a customer who consumes the product and services has nothing or less to complain about the product. In the scenario it says â€Å"WH Smith now sells roughly  £65 of goods for every  £100 of custom† the success is they have carefully reviews the objectives. WH Smith has to review the existing products carefully in order to compare the function of the product required by the customer, who demands them in lower cost. Kate Swann has carefully reviewed and decided that selling of Music and DVD’s are not profitable and not worth of reducing cost. So she completely stopped selling DVD’s and started introducing new ideas on selling new products in WH Smith. They target certain age group to boost their sales. As we can see in the scenario that it says the teenagers and the young woman have been aimed for stationeries. What Kate Swann has done leads WH Smith for its success. Following the performance objective it helps to add value to the customers in delivering quality products or services. The Quality, speed, dependability, flexibility and the cost may defer as performance objectives. Quality services as known as error-free services. There may be no any complains about the product satisfaction. This can be improved by getting customers feedbacks. For example if we take WH Smith the quality can defer as the store cleanliness, an appropriate and attractive outlet and also very friendly and helpful staff so the customer may like to visit the store often. It also includes the goods conditions. As we see WH Smith has a big online strategy Funky Pigeon card site. If they fail to deliver their customers goods on time, they may have bad viewpoint against their services and none of the customers like to continue doing shopping with them. When we look at the WH Smith store it all depends on a customer asking for a product or services and getting it to them, in a nother word satisfactory of their shopping in WH Smith. As we see in the scenario it says that Swann plans to open more shops which are stuffed with stock and screaming promotional banners. This is a role of operational management to achieve as it’s based on dependability. It increases the product or service in the market. WH Smith has sold stationary targeting the teenagers and young women and they also started to display sweets at the checkout make customers to purchase them. If they have not been flexible in introducing new lines to their sales they will not be able to achieve success in their business. Swann also cuts down the cost in order to boost her profit margins. These are the importance five performance objectives that underpin operation managements. Task 3 For a good operational planning is very important, this will lead the organizations to know what they have to do next, in order to deliver best services to the customer’s demand. Planning and controlling related to each other. It is essential to consider these methods in an organization like WH Smith as they helps for the effective outcome. Planning helps what to do and when to do in other hand controlling involves making sure that the plans are taken place. The planning and controlling involves cost estimation, work measurement, planning, routine concerns. Based on this scenario we can see that WH Smith has planned how to fulfill the needs of their customers. Kate Swann for example knew that young women and teenagers will purchase their stationeries and mean time the sweet has been display near the counter in order to promote it to their clients. If Kate Swann didn’t think of what customers normally demand, WH Smith may not be able to satisfy their customers. Linear program is a mathematical technique designed to help to plan and make decisions. This will help to maximize or minimize some quantities such as profits or cost. Liner program requires action on what to choose, where Kate Swann need to introduce displaying sweets near the checkout. One of the examples of WH Smith success in applying linear program in operational management is when Kate Swann stops selling music and DVDs to increase the profit margin. For renovating WH Smith shops there are certain tasks need to be planned. The following table is the tasks listed down for the shop renovation. D must follow A G must follow A and F H must follow A, C, D and F I must follow A, C and E J must follow A and D The above network diagram is an for an WH Smith renovation. WH Smith was running with lose until Swann take over to make it a profit. When we look into the operational outcomes we can see clearly that the WH Smith lose of  £135m turned into profit of  £106m. Another example of operational outcome is targeting of displaying sweets at the checkout and also selling stationery aiming teenagers and young women. Quality can defined by the process through which a business seeks to make sure that the product quality is maintained or improved meantime reduces the errors. It requires both management and employees make every effort for perfection. And according to the Scenario it sets an example Kate Swann stops selling music and DVDs and also the checkout assistants attempt to force-feed the chocolates displayed at the checkout areas. Without planning and controlling an organization will be hard to monitor. It is essential to follow the concepts of Operational management in order to achieve success in an organization. Kate Swann’s success is based on how she followed the operation management skills in order to bring the profit to a company which was running in loss. As Kate Swann follows these skill it states in the scenario that she has the ability to make a unpleasant shops to have profit business. Referencing Six Sigma, [Online], Available: http://www.isixsigma.com/implementation/financial-analysis/cost-quality-not-only-failure-costs/ Operations Management, fourth edition,[ Online], Available: http://wps.pearsoned.co.uk/ema_uk_he_slack_opsman_4/17/4472/1144836.cw/ The Guardian,[online], Available: http://www.theguardian.com/business/blog/2013/jan/23/wh-smith-kate-swann-profit Introduction of Operation Management, [Online], Available: http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/dl/free/0070951675/436573/samplech01.pdf Muhammed Akram Khan, Performance Auditing – The Three ‘E’s, [Online], Available: http://www.asosai.org/journal1988/performance_auditing.htm Operational Planning, Wikipedia, [Online], Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operational_planning Linear Programming, [Online], Available: http://wps.prenhall.com/wps/media/objects/2234/2288589/ModB.pdf Sree Rama Rao, (2009) Operational Planning and control decisions,[Online], Available: http://www.citeman.com/5031-operational-planning-and-control-decisions.html Quality management, Wikipedia, [Online], Available: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quality_management WH Smith, About WH Smith, [Online], http://www.whsmith.co.uk/fcp/content/Help-AboutUs-AboutWHSmith/content

Supporting Ban on Pete Rose from Baseball Hall of Fame Essay examples -

What has the game of baseball meant for Americans? For many baseball is a game of integrity, honesty, and without a doubt skill. When one of these factors is allowed to overtake the other it leaves the game unbalanced with lost priorities. Like everything else in life, baseball has rules and regulations which should be followed and enforced. The Baseball Hall of Fame honors persons who have excelled in playing, managing, and serving the sport. Having ten years of experience in the game and five years of retirement players who pass a screening committee become eligible to be voted into the Hall of Fame. The main discussion now is whether or not to allow Pete Rose into the Baseball Hall of Fame, after betting on baseball while he was a player and manager of the Cincinnati Reds. There are several regulations which ban certain individuals from acceptance into the Hall of Fame such as Rule 21. Pete Rose wouldn't be the first person who has been banned from baseball. Allowing Pete Rose into the hall of fame would deface the integrity of the game. Pete Rose was with out a doubt an outstanding baseball player. Having the highest number of hits ,4,256, in the history of baseball while playing for the Cincinnati Reds making him a great candidate for the Hall of Fame. After retiring in 1986 he became the manager for the Cincinnati Reds during 1987 and 1988 (). While he was managing the Cincinnati Reds he was investigated and was found guilty of gambling on the game. Discovered evidence shows that Rose began betting in the fall of 1984. When Rose was first confronted with this offense he denied all charges and swore under oath that he had never bet on Major League Baseball or had any sort of affiliation with anyone w... ...the responsibility to manage a team of drug-enhanced players and pain-killer abusing pitchers. Until baseball finds its lost priorities it has lost respect and is going to represent a sport of players who would rather sell their souls, and get a way with it, than to be true honest ball players. Pete Rose should not be allowed back in baseball and definitely not in the Hall of Fame. He should at least have the mentality of a ten year old in having the ability distinct what is right from wrong. Not only has he degraded the game but allowing him back into baseball would degrade the sport and the Hall of Fame itself making it degrading as well as unfair for those who are already in the Hall of Fame. How has our nations favorite past time mutated into something that we can't even believe or even have enough trust in our player's integrity for the game to be honest?

HRM Compensation

Definition:Compensation is the total amount of the monetary and non-monetary pay provided to an employee by an employer in return for work performed as required.Compensation is based on:Market research about the worth of similar jobs in the marketplace, employee contributions and accomplishments, the availability of employees with like skills in the marketplace, the desire of the employer to attract and retain a particular employee for the value they are perceived to add to the employment relationship, andThe profitability of the company or the funds available in a non-profit or public sector setting, and thus, the ability of an employer to pay market-rate compensation. Compensation also includes payments such as bounces, profit sharing, over time pay, recognition rewards and checks, and sales commission. Compensation can also include non-monetary perks such as a company-paid car, stock options in certain instances, company-paid housing, and other non-monetary, but taxable, income it ems.ADVANTAGES OF COMPENSATION & BENEFITSA well designed compensation and benefits plan helps to attract, motivate and retain talent in your firm (which is myWear). A well designed compensation & benefits plan will benefit your boutique in the following ways. 1. Job satisfaction: Your employees would be happy with their jobs and would love to work for you if they get fair rewards in exchange of their services. 2. Motivation: We all have different kinds of needs. Some of us want money so they work for the company which gives them higher pay. Some value achievement more than money, they would associate themselves with firms which offer greater chances of promotion, learning and development.A compensation plan that hits workers’ needs is more likely to motivate them to act in the desired way. 3. Low Absenteeism: Why would anyone want to skip the day and watch not-so-favorite TV program at home, if they enjoy the office environment and are happy with their salaries and get what t hey need and want? 4. Low Turnover: Would your employees want to work for any other boutique if you offer them fair rewards. Rewards which they thought they deserved?Advantage to Your Employees: 1. Peace of Mind: your offering of several types of insurances to your workers relieves them from certain fears. Your workers as a result now work with relaxed mind. 2. Increases self-confidence: Every human being wants his/her efforts to get acknowledgment. Employees gain more and more confidence in them and in their abilities if they receive just rewards. As a result, their performance level shoot up. Types of Compensation:This includes:Direct financial compensation consisting of pay received in the form of wages, salaries, bonuses and commissions provided at regular and consistent intervals Indirect financial compensation including all financial rewards that are not included in direct compensation and understood to form part of the social contract between the employer and employee such as benefits, leaves, retirement plans, education, and employee services Non-financial compensation referring to topics such as career development and advancement opportunities, opportunities for recognition, as well as work environment and conditions Examples of Financial vs Non-Financial CompensationCompensation can also be categorized as:Base Compensation Variable Compensation Supplementary Compensation Base Compensation and BenefitsBase Compensation is one type of Compensation. It refers to the basic salaries and wages given to he employees. It is normally constant at a given amount irrespective of the difference in work performance. Factors influencing Base Compensation and Benefits One factor that influences Base Compensation is demand and supply of labor in the market. Labor union pressure is also another factor influencing Base Compensation. This is because unions always try their best to fight for their members’ rights. Nature of job as determined by the job description , each employee deserves a different compensation package.Size of the organization and its ability to pay its employees. Product market compensation is yet another factor influencing Base Compensation. Psychological and social factors like employee satisfaction and security. Salaries paid by similar firms are also a factor affecting Base Compensation. Government policies on wage determination Cost of living of the employees. When the employees’ cost of living is very high then they need a higher compensation benefit. Increase in productivity of labor Firms in general; whether competing firms or not.Variable Compensation and BenefitsThis type of compensation as by its name is variable. It means that one gets compensation as per the work done. If one does a remarkable job then he or she deserves a higher compensation package than one whose work is of poor quality. Supplementary Compensation and Benefits Supplementary Compensation is compensation given by an employer when he or she wishes to. It is not compulsory or a routine once one is given the compensation that one will be awarded another time. In this type of Compensation the employer has a right to add, deduct or even withdraw the benefits when he or she wishes to.Compensation AdministrationThe Compensation Administration Department is charged with the task of developing and maintaining a comprehensive compensation and classification system in order to support the mission of the Division of Human Resources.The Compensation Administration Department’s responsibilities include: Developing compensation programs, policies, and procedures to meet the needs of the University administrators as they attract, retain, motivate, develop, and organize their diverse workforce. Ensuring compliance with federal and state compensation laws, statutes, and regulations, Balancing the need for internal equity while recognizing the desire to be market competitive.Evaluating positions consistently and classifying t hem into appropriate job titles ensuring that they are internally equitable, while recognizing the need to be market competitive. Developing and maintaining the classification and compensation structures. Some of the services provided by the Compensation Administration Department include: Providing compensation related information, tools and training to HR Liaisons and University Administrators.Conducting salary surveys and gathering market data to assist University Administrators in making informed salary decisions. Advising HR Liaisons and University Administrators in compensation matters; including establishment of new positions, promotions, transfers, demotions, reorganizations and salary increases. Providing current position descriptions to administrative and staff employees. Providing departments with Organizational Charts. Assisting in departmental re-organizations.Job Evaluation ProcessThis process refers to all components of the university's formal pay program. The staff em ployee's pay at Case results from the following: A. How are jobs evaluated? The job evaluation process established the relative value of jobs throughout the university. There are two steps involved in this process: 1. Job Analysis and Job Description – Using a â€Å"job profile,† the content of each job is analyzed to identify key duties, responsibilities, and qualification necessary to perform the job.Written job descriptions are then prepared to contain this information. 2. Job Evaluation – A computer assisted job evaluation plan, measuring 17 dimensions of nonexempt work and 28 dimensions of exempt work, is used to evaluate the relative worth of staff positions. This evaluation process focuses on valuing the content of each position in terms of a series of well-defined compensable factors.The factors for clerical, service, technical, and administrative support positions include:a. Knowledge: Minimum required level of specialized training, education, and previ ous related work experience.b. Skill: The manual and physical skills required to perform the duties of the position.c. Work Complexity: The degree and amount of judgment, initiative and ingenuity involved in accomplishing work.d. Contact with Others: The extent to which the work entails dealing with others in the course of one's regular duties, including the frequency and nature of contacts and the likely results of such contacts.e. Property Protection and Use: The extent to which the position has responsibility for university property, including funds, vehicles and confidential information.f. Work Leadership: The responsibility for directing, instructing and training personnel; and for planning controlling and assigning work.g. Working Environment: The physical conditions encountered during a typical work day. Conditions such as heat, cold, dirt, fumes, hazards, etc. are considered.h. Student Relations: The responsibility for dealing with students, including the nature and frequenc y of contacts. The factors for professional, administrative, and managerial positions include responsibility for:i. Programs, Projects or Operations: The level in the organization, scope of activities performed, parameters of authority, complexity or nature of responsibilities, and the minimum credentials required to perform the job upon hire.j. Supervision: The number and variety of employees supervised.k. Employee Relations: Promoting and maintaining satisfactory human relations, morale and effectiveness or subordinates.l. External Contacts: Personally dealing with individuals or organizations outside the university.m. Internal Contacts: Personally dealing with individuals within the university, but outside the direct line of authority of the position, to coordinate activities and task accomplishment.n. Investigation or Fact Finding: Activities undertaken to identify facts, and develop ideas, designs or processes.o. Scheduling, Planning and Forecasting: The complexity, variety and nature of the activities involved in determining and carrying out plans and reports.p. Establishing Objectives, Policies, Standards, Procedures, and Practices: The degree of authority to establish standards, and the scope, nature and complexity or these standards.q. Effects of Decisions: Making decisions and commitments which impact the university's resources.r. Student Relations: Personally dealing with students from routine exchanges of information to more complex activities such as counseling. At the conclusion of the job evaluation process, the compensable factors are weighted. A numerical total is then derived and each position is assigned a salary grade which has a salary range A salary range consists of a: MINIMUM: The lowest wage paid to a new employee with limited or no experience in this specific position. MIDPOINT: The â€Å"market† (or average) wage paid to one who is fully qualified. MAXIMUM: The highest wage paid for jobs in the salary grade.Each salary range h as different jobs, e.g. Clerk and Grounds Worker, because they have the same relative value as determined by job evaluation. Salary ranges (link to lastest Salary Structures for Staff) intentionally overlap from one grade to another. Fully qualified incumbents in a lower salary grade may be at the high end of their salary range, while the salary of a less experienced employee in a higher salary grade may be near the minimum of the range. It is thus possible that the salary of an experienced incumbent in a lower rated position will be the same as or more than the salary of an inexperienced incumbent in a higher rates position.B. How do we establish competitive salaries? Salary surveys are conducted annually and analyzed to establish and maintain competitive pay levels with all the markets in which the university competes and recruits, as summarized in the following exhibit. SURVEY SOURCES Employee GroupMarket Salary Surveys A. Exempt1. Department Head and Above National Customized su rveys with data form selected private research universities2. Below Department Head Regional Customized surveys with data from selected private research universities3. Entry Level Local Local surveys for service employees and salary data from the College Placement Association B. NonexemptAll Jobs LocalLocal surveys of selected manufacturing and service employers (banks, insurance, health care, etc.) Specialized surveys as needed for specific jobs, e.g. plumbers, radiation technicians, etc. This market data is correlated with the job evaluation results and salary ranges are established. These ranges are then periodically reviewed and adjusted to reflect changes in the marketplace. C. How are salaries determined? Starting salaries of new hires are normally placed within the first quartile of the salary range but occasionally may go up to the range midpoint to accommodate special recruiting needs. Salary progression in the range occurs over time, based on the salary budget and employee performance. Subsequent to employment, salaries normally change as a result of a promotion, an annual merit increase or an adjustment to maintain equity.Executive compensationExecutive compensation (also executive pay), is composed of the financial compensation and other non-financial awards received by an executive of a firm. It is typically a mixture of salary, bonuses, shares of and/or call options on the company stock, benefits, and perquisites, ideally configured to take into account government regulations, tax law, the desires of the organization and the executive, and rewards for performance.The three decades starting with the 1980s, saw a dramatic rise in executive pay relative to that of an average worker's wage in the United States,and to a lesser extent in a number of other countries. Observers differ as to whether this rise is a natural and beneficial result of competition for scarce business talent that can add greatly to stockholder value in large companies, or a soci ally harmful phenomenon brought about by social and political changes that have given executives greater control over their own pay. Executive pay is an important part of corporate governance, and is often determined by a company's board of directors.Executive compensation is not only a consideration close to the pocket book of CFOs but also a topic of increasing importance to managements and boards. As major economies show signs of recovering from the 2008 recession, compensation can become more decisive to retaining and motivating critical senior executive talent. But, executive compensation also continues to be scrutinized by major investors, proxy advisory firms and increasingly regulators – given the losses incurred by shareholders over the last couple of years.Thus, companies will have to critically review their existing compensation plans and how they adapt these plans for a changing economy. CFOs can play a critical role in framing the financial impacts of compensatio n plans and influencing the public perception of these plans. This CFO Insights article lays forth some critical considerations for CFOs. Executive Compensation: Components and Trends Executive compensation generally consists of a mix of four components: Annual base salary Annual incentive or bonus plan generally tied to short-term performance measures Long-term incentives consisting of a mix of restricted stock, stock options and other long-term performance plans tied to total shareholder return or financial performance Benefits plan.Compensation and The Role Of CFOWith the changes in the environment around the structure of executive compensation, companies are likely to adopt much more transparent compensation processes. We expect CFOs may play a more active role in implementing these processes, especially in four critical areas: 1. Pay for performance: CFOs can help shape pay for performance structures by getting to know shareholders’ expectations through their interaction s with analysts and major investors. This helps ensure that the company’s performance metrics reflect those expectations when shaping short- and long-term compensation plans. CFOs are also instrumental in shaping business-unit compensation and ensuring unit-level performance metrics are rigorously set and support the achievement of overall company financial metrics.2. Financial discipline: It’s important for CFOs to focus on what is affordable, albeit striking a balance with what is competitive. CFOs, even while struggling with the budget and trying to project out earnings for the next two or three years, should establish acceptable limits on compensation in terms of its dilutive effect on earnings. At the business unit level, CFOs can also establish better financial discipline and controls. They are especially capable of identifying how units may structure budgets that coax the best possible performance out of business unit leaders.3. Risk and internal controls: As ex ecutive compensation plans are key to attracting, retaining and motivating talent, CFOs should establish a rigorous process to understand how incentives influence employee behavior, how those behaviors aggravate risk and what steps or controls should be put in place to minimize the risk. Some examples include proper selection of incentive metrics, stress testing potential payouts under various performance scenarios and implementing additional internal controls, as needed to minimize the risky behavior. 4. Bridging the information gap: Aside from managing risk, CFOs could spend considerable time with both the audit and compensation committees to bridge the potential knowledge gap on compensation and financial performance.One example is how to best treat unusual or non-recurring items when calculating incentives. The audit committee is likely to have an in-depth understanding of these items, whereas the compensation committee more fully understands the impact such adjustments may have on incentive plans. The CFO can help link the two committees in helping decide which adjustments, if any, should be made for incentive plan purposes.