Effective Performance Appraisal Essay

In spite of this fact, however, there are some elements which are common to all effective performance appraisal systems, regardless of the actual method(s) used in the system. These elements will be discussed shortly. However, before examining these common links, a brief overview of performance appraisal as it is currently practised in American organisations is in order. Current Trends in Performance Appraisal As previously noted, controversy over the â€Å"best† performance appraisal system continues. The dilemma was highlighted in the 19 May 1980 issue of Business Week where the editors concluded that managers want a system â€Å"that will pinpoint specific marginal behaviour that should be reinforced or discontinued, serve as a personnel development tool, provide a realistic assess ­ ment of an employee’s potential for advancement, and — a particularly hot issue in the 1980s — stand up in court as a valid defence in discrimination suits. † Has the search for a â€Å"best† system affected what companies actually do in performance appraisal? A study conducted by Taylor and Zawacki[2] in 1981 set out to answer this question y sending a mail questionnaire to 200 firms located throughout the United States — these companies were selected at random from the Fortune 1000. Eighty-four (42 per cent) were returned and used in the study. The size of respondent firms ranged from less than 1,000 employees (nine), 1,000-5,000 employees (63), and more than 5,000 employees (12). Non-respondent firms did not vary significantly in terms of size. This study, which duplicated a previous one conducted in 1976, asked what kind of performance appraisal system was used for management and blue-collar employees. It also asked for the interval between ratings, productivity and employee reaction to the appraisal system, anticipated changes and respondent satisfaction to the present system. While it is not possible to go into all the detailed findings of this study, some of the most pertinent information is summarised below. ? While in 1976 43 per cent of the respondent firms had used a traditional performance appraisal system (e. g. , forced distribution) and 57 per cent had used a collaborative system (e. g. , MBO), in 1981 these figures had changed to 53 per cent and 47 per cent respectively. In other words, the proportion of companies using a traditional approach to performance appraisal had increased while the proportion of those using a collaborative approach had decreased. Several respondents provided written comments stating that they had changed to quantitative (i. e. traditional) systems in recent years in reaction to legal challenges to their previous collaborative system. In 1981, 39 of the 41 organisations using a traditional system used a graphic rating scale. Of the collaborative forms, 23 firms used MBO and 11 used a BARS system. The percentage of firms not satisfied with their current appraisal system increased from only nine per cent in 1976 to 47 per cent in 1981. In addition, those with collaborative systems were more likely to be satisfied, while the majority of firms with traditional systems expressed dissatisfaction. As far as the effect of the type of system used on employee attitudes went, 37 per cent of the ? IMDS January/February 1988 13 ? companies using a traditional approach felt that it had improved employee attitudes while 63 per cent felt it had not. Of those companies using a collaborative approach, 77 per cent felt it had improved employee attitudes and 23 per cent felt it had not. ? Of the 22 firms indicating that they anticipated changing their performance appraisal system in the near future, 12 were moving from a collaborative system to a traditional system. This is especially interesting in light of the fact that, in the 1976 study, the majority of firms indicating that they were considering a change said that the move would be from a traditional to a collaborative approach. While the 1981 study did not delve into the reasons behind this shift in attitude, Taylor and Zawacki conjectured that it was due to governmental and legal pressures for precise (i. e. , quantitative) measures which overwhelmed a desire to help people develop and grow towards becoming more effective employees. Of the firms surveyed, 49 per cent felt that their performance appraisal system had improved employee performance (roughly the same proportion found in 1976). However, the number of firms that did not believe employee performance had improved as a result of the appraisal process had gone from four per cent in 1976 to 19 per cent in 1981 — and none of these firms anticipated changing their system! (5) The appraiser should be given feedback regarding his/her effectiveness in the performance appraisal process. (6) The performance appraisal system, regardless of the methodology employed, must comply with legal requirements (notably, Equal Employment Opportunities guidelines). Since the factors listed above are consistently highlighted in the literature as essential elements of an effective performance appraisal system, each of them warrants individual attention. Performance Goals Must Be Clearly and Specifically Defined Special emphasis should be placed on this phase of performance appraisal, since the lack of specifically defined performance goals will undoubtedly undermine the effectiveness of the entire performance appraisal process. The key performance areas need to be identified, assigned priorities and stated in quantifiable terms whenever possible. The mutual goal-setting process between a manager and subordinate associated with Management by Objectives is a particularly beneficial way to foster acceptance and internal motivation on the part of the employee[3]. As is often the case, if multiple goals are established, they should be ranked so that the employee has a clear understanding of which areas may warrant more attention and resources than others. Furthermore, every attempt should be made to describe performance goals in terms of their time, quality, quantity, and monetary dimensions. This will reduce the opportunity for misinterpretation about what is to be accomplished and what limitations there are. The quantification of goals will also make it easier for the manager and the employee to measure the employee’s progress towards achieving the objectives. The need for quantifying objectives is succinctly summed up by George Ordione: â€Å"If you can’t count it, measure it, or describe it, you probably don’t know what you want and can often forget it as a goal. There is still too much, ‘do your best’, or ‘I’ll let you know when it’s right’, going around in today’s organisations. If you can’t define the desired type and level of performance in detail, then you have no right to expect your subordinate to achieve it. â€Å"[4] ? To summarise, it would appear that while most firms wish to use a collaborative form of performance appraisal, they feel thwarted by outside forces (notably Equal Employment Opportunities requirements) in their attempts to implement such a system within their organisations. The dilemma, then, is finding a workable solution which will meet both constraints. The remainder of this article will take a look at these two seemingly conflicting areas (effectiveness vs. efensiveness) and how they can be integrated into a meaningful performance appraisal system. Elements of an Effective Performance Appraisal System While various authors use different names and modified descriptions for them, the following factors seem to be universally accepted by most authorities on the subjects as requisites for an effective performance appraisal system : (1) Performance goals must be specifically and clearly defined. (2) Attention must be paid to identifying, in specific and measurable terms, what constitutes the varying levels of performance. 3) To be effective, performance appraisal programmes should tie personal rewards to organisational performance. (4) The supervisor and employee should jointly identify ways to improve the employee’s performance, and then establish a development plan to help the employee achieve his/her goals. The Varying Levels of Performance While setting performance goals is a crucial first step in the process, managers also need to concentrate more attention on identifying what constitutes the varying levels of performance. If the organisation uses the typical â€Å"poor, fair, good, very good and excellent† scale of performance, the manager has a responsibility to identify at the beginning what levels of performance will produce a â€Å"very good† or â€Å"excellent† rating. However, setting specific goals for organisational performance is not enough — managers also need to relate performance to the individual’s rewards. Agreeing on what is to be accomplished and what varying levels of performance represent in terms of evaluation and rewards is crucial for the performance appraisal process to be effective[5]. Since the first two steps of this process (i. e. , defining performance goals and setting performance standards) IMDS January/February 1988 14 are closely connected, an example of how these steps might be achieved is warranted. A prerequisite for setting performance goals is to establish job tasks. To measure performance realistically, objectively and productively, we must base our reviews on job content rather that job constructs. Constructs are broad, often self-evident terms which describe a general task, activity or requirement. Richards refers to them as â€Å"garbage words† in terms of their usefulness as performance standards). An example might be â€Å"communication skills†. While few would argue the need for skills in communication for many employees, the problem is how to define the term in light of the requirements of the specific job in question. Will the employee be required to: ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Write memos? Write letters? Conduct interviews? Deliver public speeches? Present proposals to clients? Describe features and benefits of a product? Resolve face-to-face conflicts? Handle customer complaints? Write job descriptions? Describe and define job standards? Manage meetings? Present ideas to top management? Initiative: Resourceful in taking necessary or appropriate action on own responsibility. Unsatisfactory Poor A routine Often waits unnecessarily worker; usually for direction. waits to be told what to do, requiring constant direction. Satisfactory Good Excellent Seeks and gets added tasks for self; highly selfreliant. Assumes responsibility. Does regular Resourceful; work without alert to waiting for opportunities directions. or Follows improvement directions with of work. little follow-up Volunteers suggestions. Table I. drinks per bottle, etc. In turn, these indicators should be broken down into measurable standards, as shown in Table II. As shown, when identifying what constitutes the varying levels of performance, we need to decide what we can expect in terms of outstanding performance, what is satisfactory and what is the minimum level of perfo rmance we can tolerate. One could argue that these are subjective determinations, and this is of course true. What is important, however, is that once these determinations have been made, performance can be measured objectively against the standard. It is important to keep in mind that standards should be set based on what we require or need in the performance of a job and not on our assessment of a specific individual’s ability to do the job. Unless we specify the behaviour we want in the context of job content requirements, it will be near impossible objectively to measure someone’s performance under the generic construct of â€Å"communication†. We must determine the sort of communicating the job requires of the employee. Some organisations attempt to aid supervisors by providing rating scales which are anchored to descriptions of performance (i. e. , the BARS approach), such as the one shown in Table I. While this type of scale is certainly a vast improvement over those that offer no anchors (rating descriptions) at all, we could still argue over the ratings. The standards are subjective and unmeasurable, both undesirable traits in any performance appraisal system. To overcome these problems, the job should be broken down into responsibilities, with a series of performance indicators provided for each responsibility. In turn, these indicators should be accompanied by objective and measurable performance standards. An example will help illustrate the process. A bartender’s job can be broken down into several responsibilities, including mixing drinks, cost control, inventory control, house keeping, safety, law enforcement, supervision, customer relations, etc. In turn, each of these responsibility areas can be broken down into several performance indicators. For example, performance indicators of the job responsibility â€Å"mixing drinks† might include complaints, returns, brands used, appearance, speed, number of Personal Rewards and Organisational Performance To be truly effective, performance appraisal programmes should tie personal rewards to organisational performance. Too many reward systems are based on time on the job, are divided evenly among employees, or offer too little incentive to increase motivation significantly. As noted by Harper[3], performance appraisal systems need to be designed with the three â€Å"E’s† of motivation in mind. The first † E † refers to the exchange theory, which states that people tend to contribute to the organisation’s objectives as long as they believe they will be rewarded. The second † E † refers to the equity theory, which states that motivation is tied to the relative, rather than the absolute, size of the reward. For example, if person A does 25 per cent better than person B, but gets only five per cent more in a â€Å"merit† increase, then person A is likely to feel that management has actually punished him or her for doing noticeably better than person B. The third † E † is the expectancy theory of motivation, which asserts that motivation is a combination of the person’s perceived probability (expectancy) of receiving a reward and the worth of the reward. Even when the reward is great, motivation may in fact be quite low if the employee does not believe that he or she has a reasonable chance of achieving the necessary level of performance to get the reward. Conversely, if the employee believes that the probability of receiving the reward is high, there will be little motivation if he or she does not need or value the reward. IMDS January/February 1988 15 Job: Bartender Job responsibilities Mix drinks, etc. Indicators Complaints Returns Measurements used (recipe) Brands used Appearance Time No. of drinks per bottle, etc. feedback to managers about the quality of their performance appraisal ratings would seem to have several advantages: ? ? It is relatively inexpensive and easy to develop and implement. The feedback is based on ratings made by each manager as part of the formal performance appraisal process. This enables the feedback to be tailored to the individual. The feedback can provide managers with a basis upon which to compare their ratings with those made by other managers. This normative type of feedback is rarely available to managers; as a result, there is very little information upon which they can evaluate how lenient or strict they are. A feedback system should help to ensure comparability of ratings among managers, which in turn may increase employee satisfaction with the appraisal process. That is, employees are more likely to perceive that their performance has been evaluated equitably since managers are using the same standards when evaluating performance. ? Job: Bartender Standards Job responsibilities Mix drinks Indicators Minimum Complaints 4/week Satisfactory 2/week Outstanding 0 ? Table II. In summary, then, for a performance appraisal programme to be successful in this area, it must: (1) Tie rewards to performance (2) Offer a high enough level of reward (3) Have the level of reward reflect the relative differences in the various levels of performance (4) Tailor the rewards to the needs and desires of individual employees. Development Plans Ideally, the performance appraisal programme should be comprised of two separate sessions between the manager and the employee. In the first session the manager and employee review the level of performance from the previous period — what went well, what did not, and why. This session also identifies the employee’s strengths as well as the areas that need to be improved. The manager then encourages the employee to prepare a development plan to be discussed at the second meeting. The development plan is intended to identify areas that should be improved upon during the coming period. The subordinate should be encouraged to: (1) Concentrate on those areas that will affect results (2) Select three or four particular areas for improvement rather than an unrealistic and unmanageable number (3) Set improvement goals that are specific and measurable[6]. Whatever the end result happens to be, the employee needs to be the principal author (although the manager should offer help and suggestions) since people tend to be more motivated to accept and implement a plan of their own making. IMDS January/February 1988 16 Indications of the usefulness of such a feedback system were documented in a study by Davis and Mount[7] in which managers were provided feedback vis a vis the ratings they gave to employees. In response to a questionnaire distributed one week after they had received feedback regarding the quality of their performance ratings, 79 per cent of the managers indicated they were either satisfied (seven per cent) or very satisfied (72 per cent) with the feedback; 93 per cent said they considered it when making subsequent performance evaluations; 70 per cent said it influenced their ratings either appreciably (47 per cent) or substantially (23 per cent), and 79 per cent said the feedback had utility for making managers’ ratings more comparable. The test results from this study indicated that the feedback also significantly reduced the presence of leniency error (the tendency to skew the rating distribution towards the higher rating categories) in the managers’ ratings. This is significant from an organisational perspective because of the multiple uses of performance ratings in organisations. Often, performance ratings are the criterion on which selection tests are validated and often provide the basis on which merit pay increases are determined. According to Davis and Mount, improving the psychometric quality of the ratings may enable the tests to be validated more effectively and provide a more equitable method for distributing pay increases — an important consideration, as previously discussed. Conforming to Guidelines Obviously, in addition to the other factors which have already been discussed, another practical consideration which must be taken into account is that any performance appraisal system, regardless of the methods employed, must comply with all Equal Employment Opportunity guidelines. While a complete discussion of this important area is beyond the scope Feedback Regarding Effectiveness It is surprising how infrequently organisations provide their managers with information about their performance appraisal ratings. However, providing of this article, the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Selection Procedures, put together by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and several other agencies in 1978, deserve special mention. These procedures were meant to clarify the exact requirements which appraisal and other selection systems must meet, and include the following points: (1) To continue using an appraisal system that has adversely affected one or more protected groups, the company must demonstrate that the system is â€Å"valid†, that it is job related, and that it accurately measures significant aspects of job performance. (2) The company must establish that there is no other available method of achieving the same necessary business purpose that would be less discriminatory in its effects, and none can be developed. According to the courts, the plaintiff (employee), rather than the defendant (company) must show the availability of the alternatives. The EEOC has told employers what they cannot do, but it has not provided them with definitive guidelines for solving the performance appraisal puzzle. However, some help in this regard was provided in the Autumn, 1980 issue of EEO Today[8]. (1) Base your appraisal on a comprehensive job analysis. EEOC guidelines dictate that you measure job performance against specific, clearly defined standards of performance. The performance you appraise, says the EEOC, â€Å"must represent major critical work behaviours as revealed by a careful job analysis. † Without a clear, written statement of job responsibilities, you increase your risk of EEO liability. (7) Submit the appraisal to several reviewers, especially if it is negative. To prevent conscious or unconscious bias from creeping into the appraisal process, develop a multilevel review system. Have your superior review and sign the appraisal. This system of checks and balances will reduce the risk of losing a court action. Final Comment As can be seen from the foregoing discussion, an effective performance appraisal system involves much more than a mere annual or biennial evaluation of an employee’s past performance. Nonetheless, astute managers are becoming increasingly aware of the value of their human resources, viewing them as an investment rather than merely an expense or overhead to be minimised. Accordingly, many organisations are taking the time and effort necessary to develop an effective performance appraisal system in order to help their people achieve their personal goals, which in turn allows the organisation to meet its own objectives[9]. Unfortunately, many managers still object that they just do not have the time to make performance review and development an ongoing process. However, if management is defined as â€Å"the ability to get things done through people†, and if we accept the fact that an effective performance evaluation process helps in getting the most important and productive things accomplished, then what else should managers spend their time doing? References 1. Fletcher, C. , â€Å"What’s New in Performance Appraisal? â€Å", Personnel Management, February 1984, pp. 20-2. 2. Taylor, R. L. and Zawacki, R. A. â€Å"Trends in Performance Appraisal: Guidelines for Managers†, Personnel Administrator, March 1984, pp. 71-80. (2) Know the details of your company’s 3. Harper, S. C. , â€Å"A Development Approach to Performance nondiscriminatory policies. You and every other Appraisal†, Business Horizons, September-October 1983, pp. manager in the company should aim for the 68-74. uniform application of all appraisal guidelines. 4. Mellenhoff, â€Å"How to Measure Work by Professionals†, Management Review, November 1977, pp. 39-43. (3) Avoid subjective criteria. According to the Albemarle Paper Co. v. Moody decision, subjective 5. Richards, R. C. , â€Å"How to Design an Objective PerformanceEvaluation System†, Training, March 1984, pp. 38-43. supervisory appraisals of job performance are 6. Kellogg, M. S. , What to do About Performance Appraisal, inherently suspect if they produce adverse impact American Management Association, New York, 1975. against a protected group. To stand up to the 7. Davis, B. L. and Mount, M. K. , â€Å"Design and Use of a scrutiny of the courts, these judgements must Performance Appraisal Feedback System†, Personnel be considered fair and job-related. Administrator, March 1984, pp. 1-7. 8. Block, J. R. , Performance Appraisal on the Job: Making it (4) Document! Keep records. That is the only way Work, Prentice-Hall, Inc. , Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, 1981. you can support whatever subjective judge ­ 9. Butler, R. J. and Yorks, L. , â€Å"A New Appraisal System as ments creep into the appraisal process. (They Organizational Change: GEà ¢â‚¬â„¢s Task Force Approach†, are inevitable. ) Personnel, January-February 1984, pp. 31-42. (5) Aim for a group of appraisers who have common demographic characteristics with the group being appraised. This criterion was established in Rowe v. General Motors. When only white males appraise blacks, Hispanics, women and other protected groups, the courts question the fairness of the. system. Once a system is challenged and shown to have adverse impact, the company must prove its validity. (6) Never directly or indirectly imply that race, colour, religion, sex, age, national origin, handicap, or veteran status was a factor in your appraisal decision. Making any disciminatory statement, orally or in writing, will make your organisation subject to court action. Additional Reading Kaye, B. L. and Krantz, S. , â€Å"Preparing Employees: The Missing Link in Performance Appraisal Training†, Personnel, May-June 1982, pp. 23-9. â€Å"Performance Appraisal: Curre. † Practices and Techniques†, Personnel, May-June 1984, pp. 5799. Heneman, R. L. and Wexley, K. W. , â€Å"The Effects of Time Delay in Rating and Amount of Information Observed on Performance Rating Accuracy†, Academy of Management Journal, December 1983, pp. 677-86. â€Å"The Trouble with Performance Appraisal†, Training, April 1984, pp. 91-2. Gehrman, D B. , â€Å"Beyond Today’s Compensation and Performance Appraisal Systems†, Personnel Administrator, March 1984, pp. 21-33. IMDS January/February 1988 17

Nature in Shakespeare’s Sonnets

Nature in Shakespeare’s Sonnets In Shakespeare’s fair youth Sonnets, the speaker uses imagery and metaphors from nature to describe man’s life cycle. While reading the Sonnets, it may seem at first that the main point of the Sonnets is that life’s purpose is to reproduce. However, after reading the fair youth Sonnets, it becomes clear that imagery from nature is used to prove that death is inevitable and should be accepted. The fair youth Sonnets are ordered in a specific way to resemble the life cycle of a man. As the Sonnets progress the overall themes of the sonnets seems to change.This cycle starts off with ‘Sonnet 1’ and ‘Sonnet 3’ and concludes with ‘Sonnet 73’ and ‘Sonnet 74’. Sonnets 1, 3, 7, 15, 60, 73, and 74 are all used to show this life cycle and its progression through life. In ‘Sonnet 1’ and ‘Sonnet 3’ it is clear that the speaker is attempting to get the point acr oss that reproduction is life’s only purpose. However, in ‘Sonnet 16’ – ‘Sonnet 73’ it is obvious that the theme changes drastically. No longer is reproduction the main point, but it changes to death and its inevitability.Throughout the Sonnets, nature is used as a comparison to help the speaker explain life in a way that helps the reader understand the true life cycle of man. It is understandable that death is inevitable for every living thing in nature. Reproduction is also required for every living thing to exist. In Sonnet 1 the speaker wants the reader to know that life is beautiful and reproduction is a result of that; â€Å"From fairest creatures we desire increase/That thereby beauty’s rose might never die/But as the riper should time decrease/His tender heir might bear his memory† (Sonnet 1 L. -3). The beauty of a rose is being compared to the beauty of man’s ability to reproduce and pass on the ‘fairest,â⠂¬â„¢ or beautiful, genes. In nature a beautiful rose can stand out among the brush in a forest, or in a garden a rose can be the most beautiful flower, just the way that man’s beauty will stand out among a crowd. This metaphor is used to explain to the reader that reproduction is necessary to pass on those genes that allow one man to stand out among others in a crowd. According to the speaker, this personal beauty will live on past death through reproduction.Personal beauty is a quality that everyone possesses; however, it is important for the reader to understand that in order for his/her specific beauty to be passed on reproduction is a necessity. The Speaker uses ‘Sonnet 3’ to help the reader understand this requirement; â€Å"Look in thy glass and tell the face thou viewest/Now is the time that face should form another† (Sonnet 3, L. 1-2). The reader is now being told that, when looking in a mirror, it is important to notice the inner beauty that ever yone is gifted with. This inner beauty must be passed on for these ‘beautiful’ genes to continue to exist.The tone of these few lines is a sense of urgency. ‘Now is the time’ that reproduction should happen, otherwise this chance might not appear again within this life cycle. If reproduction does not happen when life is in its prime, then nature will take its toll as man continues the journey through life. After ‘Sonnet 3’ it is clear that the transition from youthful to aged is starting to make its appearance. The speaker’s attitude toward reproduction starts to change after ‘Sonnet 3’ and is quickly switched to life in its prime.It is in the following Sonnets that the main point is no longer reproduction but rather death, and maturing throughout life. Sonnet 7 uses nature imagery to show this maturation, â€Å"When from highmost pitch, with weary car/Like feeble age he reeleth from the day/The eyes, ‘fore duteous, n ow converted are/From his low tract and look another way/So thou thyself out-going in thy noon/unlooked on diest unless thou get a son† (Sonnet 7, L. 9-14). A sunset is now being compared to the way a man’s life starts to fade away.Once the sun sets people stop admiring it as much, just the same way man won’t be admired if kin isn’t produced. Once the sunset reaches its peak, or the point where is finally disappears, it consistently turns darker, this closely relates the way that once life reaches a certain age, it moves faster and faster towards the end. The tone and theme of the Sonnets begin to change from this point on, focusing on the fact that life passes just as quickly as a sunset fades. After a sunset fades the sky suddenly becomes darker; and the darkness progresses as time passes through the night.The sunset is used as a metaphor for the way that a life fades after the peak, or the prime of life. ‘Sonnet 15’ uses a metaphor similar to that of a sunset fading, but this metaphor compares man’s declining quality of life after the prime to that of a plant once it reaches its full potential, â€Å"When I consider everything that grows/holds in perfection but a little moment/†¦ When I perceive that man as plants increase/Cheered and checked ev’n by the self-same sky/Vaunt in their youthful sap, at height decrease† (Sonnet 15, L. 1-8).The speaker shows that once life reaches its highest peak, it must begin to fall towards the end, or death. ‘Sonnet 15’ states that every living thing is perfect at one point in its lifespan. A flower is the most beautiful just at its peak before it starts to wither. Life is most beautiful in its prime; however, once that highest peak or ‘prime of life’ passes then the quality of life begins to decline. Instead of using a plants’ lifespan, or a sunset’s continuing darkness in ‘Sonnet 60’ to compare time passi ng, the speaker uses waves crashing on a beach.Just as waves crashing on the beach are replaced by new ones, the minutes that pass are quickly replaced by new ones. This metaphor helps paint a picture in one’s mind of the way that moments pass just as quickly as they show up; â€Å"Like as the waves make towards the pebbled shore/So do our minutes hasten toward their end/Each changing place with that which goes before/In sequent toil all forwards do contend/Nativity, once in the main of light/Crawls to maturity wherewith being crowned/Crooked eclipses ‘gainst his glory fight/And time that gave doth now his gift confound† (Sonnet 60, L. -8). It seems that once the prime of life passes, the days, minutes and seconds pass by much faster than life before the prime. This shows that life is quickly changing and that those days of reproduction are in the past. The tone of the Sonnets has changed from being urgent to calm and peaceful just the way listening to waves cras hing is peaceful. This tone allows the speaker to accept the maturity that man faces as life passes its prime. Death seems to be rapidly drawing nearer.The imagery from nature allows the reader to get a better idea of what life will be like past the prime. According to the speaker life seems to be more peaceful past the prime, this symbolizes that death is being accepted. The tone in ‘Sonnet 73’ and ‘Sonnet 74’ is much different from that in ‘Sonnet 1’ and ‘Sonnet 3’ this shows that the life cycle is getting closer to the end. The tone is now dreary and melancholy as compared to the urgency and eagerness that the first few Sonnets portray.Sonnet 73 and 74 is where the end of the life cycle approaches and death is accepted, â€Å"But be contended when the fell arrest/Without all bail shall carry me away/My life hath in this line some interest/Which for memorial still with thee shall stay† (Sonnet 74, L. 1-4). Within these few lines death has finally been accepted by the speaker. The speaker now admits to being past their prime. Within these few lines there is a slight contradiction to the main point from the first set of sonnets. In the first Sonnets the main point was reproduction and the ability to live past death through offspring.Now the idea is that the speaker will live on through the lines of these Sonnets. This contradiction says that the speaker doesn’t necessarily believe what he is telling the reader. It now seems that the idea of reproduction was never accepted by the speaker. In the earlier sonnets the speaker was stating that to live on one must reproduce, however, in Sonnets 73 and 74 this is not the case. The reader is now being told that even though it is important to reproduce it is not important for the speaker to reproduce. The speaker may feel that he is an exception to the rule.As stated earlier the speaker feels that life is pointless without reproduction, â€Å"Too base o f thee to be rememb’red/the worth of that is that which it contains/and that is this and this with thee remains† (Sonnet 74, L. 12-14). The speaker says here that his body is almost worthless and the only worth he has is his spirit that is now written within the lines of these Sonnets. These Sonnets, which will be read for years to come, will be what keeps the speaker alive, not reproduction. Throughout the Fair Youth Sonnets it is clear that nature is used to help describe the life cycle of man.The tone and literary devices used in the first few sonnets in this selection imply that it is required to reproduce if beauty is to be passed on. Through the middle Sonnets the imagery shows that life is perfect right before and during its prime. After the prime has passed, life starts to fade away and the minutes pass quickly, in the same way that waves crashing on a shore pass and are replaced by new ones. In the later Sonnets the main point is no longer reproduction and its importance for existence but it is accepting death and living life peacefully until the end.

Analysis of mariama ba’s novel ‘so long a letter’

In some literary works the principal characters are portrayed through their relations with other protagonists. Such a tool of expression is specifically utilized by Mariama Ba in her famous novel So Long a Letter. Comparing Ramatoulaye with Aissatou, Binetou with Nabou and Modou with Mawdo, this Senegalese writer uncovers the identities of her characters, their personal characteristics and beliefs, motivations and social standing. The novel So Long a Letter is created in the form of a prolonged letter written by Ramatoulaye Fall to her close female friend Aissatou Ba. Applying to the letters of Ramatoulaye, the author reveals that recently she has lost her husband, Modou Fall, and in accordance with her Muslim religious beliefs, she has to spend much time in privacy. Ramatoulaye compares her fate with the fate of Aissatou; in fact, both women are betrayed by their husbands and have to adjust to polygamy. Ramatoulaye identifies herself with Aissatou, claiming that â€Å"we walked the same paths from adolescence to maturity, the past begets the present†¦ Yesterday you were divorced. Today I am a widow† (Ba 1). Both Ramatoulaye and Aissatou have received good education that allows them to strive for equality between men and women. Mariama Ba demonstrates that although these female characters are the victims of their religious beliefs and low social position, they are engaged in the struggle for personal freedom and independence of their country. On the other hand, the writer shows that Ramatoulaye and Aissatou act differently when they collide with the husbands’ betrayal; Aissatou decides to divorce her husband Mawdo Ba, while Ramatoulaye remains a second wife of her husband. In this regard, Ramatoulaye believes that it is necessary to unite some good old traditions of Muslims with the principles of personal freedom, while Aissatou rejects old customs, making an attempt to become fully independent and finding her new place of living in the United States. Thus, although Ramatoulaye and Aissatou have received similar education, share similar religious and political beliefs, they reveal different personal motivations and different family positions. They are both strong females, but they utilize different ways to cope with their personal tragedies. Comparing personal fates of Ramatoulaye and Aissatou, the writer simultaneously demonstrates a connection between Modou and Mawdo, the husbands of two female characters. Both Modou and Mawdo decide to take younger wives, fully ignoring the devotion of their first wives. These male characters treat females as their own properties, considering women lower to them. Modou goes even further than Mawdo, he not only abandons his wife with twelve children, but he also chooses a young female who is a close friend of his daughter. As a result, Modou is punished more than Mawdo; Modou dies because he deserves such a stroke of fate. Modou neglects his first family when he takes the second wife, greatly injuring Ramatoulaye, while Mawdo’s second marriage frees Aissatou and provides her with the possibility to find her true self. Ramatoulaye, belonging to a rather noble family, marries Modou, the member of the khaki-class, because she loves him. However, Modou forgets Ramatoulaye and her love, marrying Binetou and ignoring his role of a family defender. Describing Binetou, the author compares her with Aunty Nabou, mother-in-law of Aissatou. While Binetou is portrayed as a person who evokes much sympathy, Nabou is a woman who makes everything to preserve her high social position and who considers that â€Å"the first quality in a woman is docility† (Ba 29). Binetou is twice younger than her husband Modou, and Ramatoulaye claims that this innocent female will suffer much in due course. Ramatoulaye marries Modou for love, while Binetou performs the wish of her mother who considers that this marriage will provide the family with a good social position. But Binetou’s marriage to Modou ruins this female character. Nabou, who contributes much to Aissatou’s divorce, also hopes that this divorce will save her family. This woman is obsessed with social prejudices and regards Aissatou as inappropriate match to her son. As the writer states, Aunt Nabou â€Å"is a descendant of Bour-Sine. She lived in the past, unaware of a changing world† (Ba 26). Nabou identifies herself with her cast, being unable to resist its traditions and reveal her independence. In this regard, Nabou resembles Binetou who also fails to reject the dictated marriage, following the destructive path. Works Cited Ba, Mariama. So Long a Letter. London and Nairobi: Heinemann, 1981. Related essay: â€Å"Co Curricular Activities Letter†

Management accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 2

Management accounting - Essay Example 78). A firm cannot function efficiently without management since it is a core factor, which determines the profitability of the firm. The article highlights clearly that in the modern society numerous individuals hardly understand how the modern management operates in the firm, and this could be a dangerous situation. The world today is built through the effort of all the human beings who work together to ensure key developments occur in the society. Management is obviously ubiquitous since it is vital in all firms, and individuals should understand that it did not just evolve: it was through an invention in the early 1800 (Hoskin & Macve, 1990, p. 845). It is evident that management has played a role in the development of recent businesses since it is related with the culture of ‘managerialism’. Management is equivalent to disciplinary power: this is the only culture that ensures a business runs efficiently. According to Hoskin and Macve (1990, p. 845), evidently, this form of power was invented in the early 1800’s and was later transferred into the business section in the 1840’s. A majority of businesses had not taken shape in those days, but since the introduction of management most of the businesses took shape. Management is a power which is double sided since it runs the organization, and at the same time runs individuals through implementing efficient disciplinary systems. This system controls both the external and internal operations of a firm. In addition, it is a power that develops constantly and improves the organizational systems through knowledge from the expertise in the field of management. The structure of the organization in the modern businesses is highly sophisticated since there is the presence of the line, staff, divisional and matrix in the structure, although the basics of management are constant. Chandler (1977, p. 234) explains that organizations operate through written instructions, both in paper and online, which form a powerful tool for managing an organization in the world at the moment. He further indicates that modern managerialism is impossible without finances and financial numbers. The key functions necessary in the firm include accounting systems, management and financial costs. The structure of the firm has an overall manager referred to as the Chief executive officer (Chandler, 1977, p. 234). The CEO further has a general manager, or two directors, in addition to other managers from various departments reporting directly to the position. The managers include the finance, accounts, human resource, marketing, and research and development manager. Most of the firms have supervisors who report to managers, also known as line managers. According to review by Hoskin & Macve (1990, p. 839), managerial accounting practices in the modern firm originated from the teachings in the military in the early 1800, which were used during the US civil war. Holman (2003, p. 234) supports the arg ument and observes that the accounting practices utilized in the civil war are similar to the practices carried out in the modern business. The process of carrying out managerial accounting included the management of all expenses in relation to men and materials. In the US civil war, all the army accounting clerks and the quartermasters were educated on all matters relating to all the principles of accounting. The basics of the study

Liberal Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Liberal Education - Essay Example The arguments developed by Graff and Edmundson on liberal education are found to relate in certain ways despite the fact that some difference, based on cultural ideas and practices, have been developed from the fact that various communities and nations have diversified norms and cultural practices that have to be followed by individuals of that community in a strict way. One of the ways in which Graff supports the arguments of Edmundson is through the idea of students choosing their professors by stating the reasons why the students had to choose professors. They need to choose their professors is based on the high cost of education that they are forced to pay for their education. This could be explained by their choice of lecturers. According to Graff, lecturers have different ways of teaching and thus students wish to gain the best possible by considering their most preferred lecturers who could enable them to gain the highest grades possible. The idea of Edmund is based on maximiz ing the resources available based on their payments, an idea supported by Graff in which the choice of lecturers happens to be one of these attempts to gain high points. This way, Graff’s ideology about students seems to support that of Edmundson of students trying to maximize their educational benefits given the high price they pay for the education (Edmundson). In his article, Graff talks about two professors who impart the same subject with different understandings, which can confuse students unintentionally.

Phyllida Barlow's dock Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Phyllida Barlow's dock - Essay Example The ceilings hold the sculptures, laid on the ground, sprawl over the marble floor, with which she permanently disrupts the natural flow of visitors through the space. Barlow is a talented artist who has caught the attention of most exhibitions. Barlow was born in 1944 in Newcastle, England, though she spent most of tender age in London. In London, she went to Chelsea Collage of Art and later became a Professor Emerita at the Slade School of Fine Art. Barlow had a great influence on Young British Artists (YBAs). She mentored many internationally famous students, namely, Martin Creed, Angela de la Cruz, and Douglas Gordon to the Turner Prize winner Rachel Whiteread. Barlow came into the international limelight because of her shows at the Migros Museum and Vienna’s BAWAG Foundation from 2010. The commission of Dock, 2014for Duveen Galleries is a significant establishment in Barlow’s career as a sculpture artist. As for a sculptor, it is one of the most visible platforms in the country essentially a long and cavernous hall with vaulted ceilings from which various galleries radiate. Dock, 2014 is reportedly inspired by the view of a shipping container on the River Thames located nearly Tate Britain. Gothic, slapstick, over-reaching, trammeling, dock presents the world as a theatre set, a gigantic childs play of sculptural ambition, an anti-monumental act of deconstruction, and a huge bricolage. The seven sculptures collectively collapse, jostle and stretch out over the 100-yard in length, 16-yard tall in Duveen Court. The first most eye-catching object is the intricate Dock: 5hungblocks, 2013. The five chunky rectangular forms almost look like trapped in the disorderly arranged wooden fence, suspended by red straps intruded by several tubes. The weightless sense of suspending an object with the illusion of water flowing in the air intrigues Barlow. In an interview,

Management Accounting Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Management Accounting - Assignment Example Each of the method has a different approach to evaluating the worth of an investment or project for an organization. Whereas the last three techniques focus on cash flow, the first technique (the accounting rate of return (ARR) also called return on investment (ROI) uses accounting profit during its appraisal calculation, offering a view of the general profitability of the investment project. 1. The accounting rate of return The accounting rate of return also referred to as the return on investment method calculates the estimated general profit or loss concerning an investment project and connects that profit or loss to the amount of capital injected in the project as well as the period for which that investment is required to go. The profit referred to in the appraisal process here is the one that is directly linked to the investment project and, therefore, costs or revenues made elsewhere in the business are not included. There is a minimum rate of return required for any investmen t that a business wants to undertake. This is connected to the business’s cost of capital. ... r the years of life of the investment project and dividing the total life of the investment project in years and the average investment is found by adding the investment in the first year to the remaining value at the end of life of the project and dividing by two. With these two values, we can comfortably calculate the ARR. This calculation gives the uniqueness of product as well as its drawbacks as we can see in the subsequent discussions and comparisons. The main advantages of accounting rate of return are: Accounting rate of return considers the general profitability of the investment project. The method is simple to understand as well as easy to use. The method’s end outcome is expressed in form of a percentage, permitting projects of varying sizes to be compared. The major drawback is: The method is based on the accounting profits and not the cash flows. Calculation of profit as well as capital employed is based on expenditure items, which are treated as revenue (those a ppearing on the profit & loss account) and as capital (appearing on the balance sheet). Even though there are guidelines relating to this area, this practice can be quite subjective. Various accounting policies, for instance, relating to depreciation can generate different figures of profit and capital employed, therefore permitting the profit as well as balance sheet numbers to be manipulated in some way. This is why capital projects are also appraised in terms of cash flows. Accounting rate of return method does not consider the timing of cash flows of the project. For instance, we may have two projects M, and N. Project M may result in an accounting rate of return of 19 percent whereas project N may have ARR of 17 percent. Nevertheless, investment M may be a six year investment whilst

The effectiveness of training and development programmes in Essay

The effectiveness of training and development programmes in organisation - Essay Example Also included is a technique for calculating the Return on Investments for any training activity, ollowing the Phillips model. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Survey and/or Interview Questions are designed for trainees, their immediate supervisors, their subordinates and others who frequently observe their behaviour. A control group should be set up. A survey should be conducted before and after the course. The after course survey can be conducted in intervals of three, six and nine months after the

Ethics Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Ethics - Assignment Example gher standard of behavior by society, because they are stewards of the public trust and are empowered to apply force and remove constitutional privileges when lawfully justified† (Gleason). Police does not only take an oath of protecting the nation, but is also expected to adhere to the highest standards of ethics and respect the laws they enforce upon others. Proper ethical training helps the police recognize ethical dilemma, identify solutions, select the most appropriate solution from among a range of options, take prompt action, and take responsibility for the consequences. There are certain strategies that the police leaders can adopt to instill ethics in the organization. (Zuidema and Duff) highlight some of them; The police leaders should make the ethical behavior a necessary part of the organization’s mission and values. These values include but are not limited to leadership, dedication, and professionalism. This way, it becomes more convenient for the employees of the police department to recall the terms since they are part of in the organization’s initials. The best way to achieve this effect is to display the values of ethical behavior for the officers and the community members on the brochures, website, and cars used by the organizational personnel. The police leaders should emphasize upon the ethical behavior in such organizational events as meetings and sessions of training and skill development. Inviting the sworn officers of law enforcement at all public ceremonies held by the organization to recite the oath of honor can be a potential way to achieve this. Police departments can also place emphasis on the ethical behavior in the philosophy of their organization. For example, the officers may be granted the power to solve problems individually and make the required decisions in mutual consensus with the citizens. If the officers are granted this right, this would not only make them more particular about the ethical concerns and implications

Arthur Reed Case Study Essay Example for Free

Arthur Reed Case Study Essay This case study involves Arthur Reed who works for Blue Grocery Stores Incorporated as a warehouse supervisor (case study, 2010) and is having a difficult time fulfilling staffing requirements during the summer months he has tried some options that didnt fulfill the needs of the business. This case study will help Arthur meet these goals. Staffing Issues The summer months were a staffing headache for the warehouse supervisor at Blue Grocery Stores Incorporated (case study, 2010). Everyone wanted to take their accrued vacation then. After all, summer time was the perfect time for family vacations and activities. What made this staffing issue a bigger headache was the fact that a significant number of employees were calling in for sick days during this time of year as well. Replacement workers hadnt worked in the past so thats another challenge to overcome. Options for Optimum Staffing The first suggestion would be for the company to pay for the costly steel-toed boots for the replacement workers and waive any union dues for the replacement workers (case study, 2010). If for some reason that didnt work, the next suggestion in solving this staffing issue would be to hire a summer temporary force using college students. College students can always use extra money for school. I would suggest that the company to pay for the costly steel-toed boots, this would help attract more potential temporary employees for the summer months. The final option would be to adjust the warehouse hours for the summer time. Instead of working a day and afternoon shift, consolidate both teams of employees into one team with two different starting times, two hours apart. That will optimize the staffing, while eliminating the need to hire temporary employees for the summer. If corporations have to rely on temporary employees to fulfill the needs of the business, then they are risking the business objectives. Temporary employees are just that, temporary, and there is a strong possibility that the company performance would slip in relying on them. There could be compromises and arrangements made with the shipping and receiving of supplies so that the business goals are still obtained. This is the best option if successful, not only does it not rely on temporary employees to fulfill the business needs, this keeps the company budget down while maximizing the resources that are available.

Evaluating NATO Intervention in Kosovo

Evaluating NATO Intervention in Kosovo INTERNATIONAL LAW NATOs MISSION in KOSOVO ABSTRACT In the course of the NATO mission and its ramifications to people all over the world, a number of literature depicting this issue and concerns in international laws and national security have been widespread. This seminar paper endeavors to explore the details surrounding the legitimacy of NATO in the war indicated as the NATO mission in Kosovo by providing an analysis with regard to the facts surrounding NATO intervention and deliberating on the future implications that this mission hold in respect to international law. INTERNATIONAL LAW NATOs MISSION in KOSOVO Introduction When a terrorist captures people and turns them into hostages in their very homeland and the law enforcement or armed forces storm in violently causing havoc to the country, they will be placing the hostages more at risk. What is worse and more irresponsible would be to gain entry into another area of the vicinity since it is more secure and there is no terrorist present and begins to damage things valuable to the inhabitants. Such an approach would look as if preferably considered to position the hostages in the most likely risk. Nobody in his right mind concerned about the security of the hostages would conduct an operation this way, nevertheless it is precisely the approach followed by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is also referred to as the North Atlantic Alliance. It is an international governmental organization military alliance founded on the North Atlantic Treat. The organization holds a system to maintain a collective security, of which affiliates had declared to be in agreement to mutual defense taking action against an attack from an outside force. While NATO attempted to rapidly put in force peace efforts in Kosovo, the way that the organization performs its actions received unsympathetic criticisms. Merely for the reason that the administration by Milosevic was obviously in gross contravention of a number of international laws did not outright give good reason for any reaction devoid of rigorous examination and analysis. This analysis endeavors to explore the details surrounding the legitimacy of NATO in the war indicated as the NATO mission in Kosovo by responding to the research question; was NATO intervention in Kosovo just, and what are the future implications that this mission hold in respect to international law? NATO Mission in Kosovo The objectives of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) on the subject of the tension in Kosovo were explained in the declaration delivered during the very particular conference by the North Atlantic Council conducted at NATO were confirmed by different Heads of State and the Government in Washington. Consequently, the objectives of NATO regarding the conflict in Kosovo were concretely outlined. (The NATO Press Release 1999, Sc. 1-3) These were indicated in the Statement of the Chairman, Resolution 1244 (1999) Annex 1. A succinct overview of The Washington Declaration takes account of NATO objectives which in summary suggests a confirmable discontinue of all military engagement and the abrupt eradication of violent behavior and subjugation; the pulling out from Kosovo of the armed forces, law enforcement, and assisting official military forces; the posting of international military presence in Kosovo; the unrestricted and safety of all refugees and displaced persons coming back and unconstrained access of humanitarian aid organizations to those individuals; and the formation of a political agenda arrangement for Kosovo based on the Rambouillet Accords (Beckert 1999, p.16), to conform with the international law and the Charter of the United Nations. (The NATO Press Release, 1999) Distinctions between alliances and coalitions This analysis endeavors to explore the details surrounding the legitimacy of NATO in the war indicated as the NATO mission in Kosovo. The focus of this paper is on current events, but it also delves on thehistory oftherelationshipconsideringtheoreticalapproachesand concepts. Current affairs of the Atlantic Community are embeddedintheir historicalevolution. They cannot be comprehensively elucidated without theoreticalconstructs.Therefore, in an endeavor to encompass all essential elements and raise law-oriented and theoretical notions, it is imperative to tackle the distinctions between alliances and coalitions in consideration of the NATO organization. The attacks in 2001 that shocked the whole world were construed in a variety of ways by different nations as well as local and international organizations. Numerous states in the country had initiated their readiness to be included in responding to measures opposed to terrorism. The finishing off of the Cold War and the departure of a fired up antagonism has altered the strategies to security cohesion on the part of allied states. Furthermore, the unmatched standing of the United States as an excessively active force in the most indistinct implication has dealt American strategists with a predicament since conventional alliances may present both advantages and disadvantages. Progressively more, the disadvantages have succeeded. In political terms, the possibilities of accomplishing harmony among the twenty-six member states of NATO have diminished. Harmony, at one time the high point of Alliance cohesion, has become now impossible and unnecessary. (Yost, 1998) Coalitions of the disposed can be generated from within a much unrestricting miscellany of states, and the uncertainty occurs if the Alliance is now turning out to be an instrument for the conveyance of a discriminatory European allegiance to an American inclusive order of a global scale. According to Steinberg (2003, p. 115), NATO had referred to Article V, a combined defense specification. Other international organizations conveyed their pronouncement to partake within the collective endeavor to buoy up the movement against terrorism. Beginning in the year 2002, the initial operations of Romanian groups, for instance, to unite with the Coalition Forces in Operation Enduring Freedom, Afghanistan, has embodied an ultimate pace in the Eastern European countries to become affiliates of NATO. Since that period, various countries of sorts have taken on a new structure of values in the course of their desire to form a junction with the association of democracy and freedom. The conflicts feature has been changed fundamentally in recent years owing to the asymmetrical distinctiveness of defiance. In addition, from the standpoints of the new-fangled international challenges, the increasing emergent of international organizations and local measures, it is apparent that there is necessity of general principles, norm, and regulations for its class of organizations. (Steinberg 2003, p. 130) NATOs main role in nations it focuses on is to assist the existing government in putting into effect and broadening its influence and authority across the country, overlaying the means for renewal and operative governance. The organization accomplishes this predominately by way of its United Nations authorization for International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). From the moment NATO had assumed command of ISAF in the year 2003, the Alliance has progressively stretched out the scope of its mission, formerly just limited to Kabul, to encompass Afghanistans entire territory. The number of ISAF groups has increased correspondingly from the preliminary five thousand to more or less eighty thousand troops which had come from forty-four nations that comprise all twenty-eight NATO members. (Hamilton, 2004) The waning of NATO had been prognosticated a lot of times subsequent to the ending of the Cold War and with even more after the devastation aggravated by Iraq warfare seven years prior. The composers of NATO recordings are not in concurrence with regard to the causes of downfall which vary from unevenness of power to conflicting world views encompassing the Atlantic, but they have the same opinion with regard to NATO, at the same time still remains, is in effect demise. The decision makers of the Alliance had learned to distinguish and perform within the limits within which the Alliance is supposed to function if it is to carry on. This is noteworthy. During the latter part of the 1990s, political determination and reality had conflicted in Kosovo, bringing forth NATOs most terrible post-Cold War catastrophe. Since the devastation, NATO had prepared for a Riga summit which continued with the investments completed since the Prague summit of Allied leaders concerning NATOs conversion i nto a twenty-first century alliance. Indicated ambitions had aligned with reality and NATO had been supposed to be on the right track for revitalization. (Hursoy Esrin, 2004) In consideration of aligning aspiration with reality, the involvement in Kosovo in 1999 had demonstrated a number of symptoms of melancholy within the Alliance and it was in the response of the Allies to this move that it was found the reasons why NATO is directed for restitution. The involvement of NATO in Kosovo had progressed into an unpredictably long-drawn-out less significant air war, which caused the Allies to oppose NATO approach, the United States to assume that military operations had to be coursed beyond the cooperative entities of NATO, and European Allies to sustain the European Unions new security and defense policy (ESDP). (Meyer 2004, pp. 90-91) The intervention of NATO corresponded to the conclusion of nearly ten long years of political casual interest with the aspiration of unification in a range of pretexts that Europe has to be undivided and emancipated, the democratic community has to be broadened, NATO has to act as solitary, and NATO has to exemplify and through its actions characterize unanimous democratic and humanitarian principles. Furthermore, devoid of a tactical intimidation, these compulsions and objectives as expected led into the attempt to make NATO a united security organization for Europe. Kosovo was only this test occurrence of which NATO took action with no mandate from the United Nation and had laid assertion to legitimacy. (Mayer 2004, p. 93) Subsequently, realities had then succeeded. The Allies had found not just that they were not prepared to actually wage war for these values, hence the nonexistence of a ground war, but also that principles are no replacement for politics and the welfare they engender; hence, the arguments within NATO. These occurrences had stimulated a transformation of movement in NATO. The arrangements for the 2002 Prague Summit and the renovation program that was reorganized in Riga correspond to an alliance of ambition with reality. (Croft 2002, p.98) The initial point is not the aspiration to take action united but the necessity to construct an Alliance that remains united but takes action flexibly in coalitions determined by interests and means. There are by then positive signs of transformation. The NATO Response Force, reforming the new force structure concentrated on all set and organized forces; the sinewy of the command assembly and reserves prepared in itinerant headquarters below the rank of strategic authority; and the new political focal point on irregular intimidations that come from beyond the European constituency. They indicate that NATO imply seriousness of concern when it opts to make an matter its concern, and they guarantee that Allies who decide to lend a hand in certain missions will be able to accomplish it. NATO is a preferred alliance, which indicates that its renewal is bound to happen. It will come about when decision-makers make the appropriate choices as they have already done. (Jones, 2005, p. 15) Theoretical/Conceptual Framework This analysis with regard to the NATO mission in Kosovo related to transatlantic relations focuses on current events and references with history to the relationship, to theoretical approaches and concepts. This will commence examination of documentary resources such as literature reviews, articles, theses, research projects, among others. In addition, the study will examine the data through surveys, observations and core personality interviews from where originally obtained. Collection of pertinent data from the various sources of statistical data, the number of deaths caused by the conflict, and number of families removed from their homes, and so on is explored. Overall, this analysis looks on various classes of data that are gathered and studies conducted to distinguish patterns and put together assumptions that might guide future action. Coalitions and alliances are fundamental attributes of international security. (Papp, 1984) This analysis examines these directly associated observable facts by means of an amalgamation of conceptual frameworks to explore them and empirical research studies to demonstrate them. The examination commences with an exploration of the problematic distinctive issues that envelop the distinctions between ‘alliance and ‘coalition, then outlines the major conceptual theoretical works pertinent to examining these phenomena, such as balance of power, intra-alliance politics, and multinational processes. Outfitted with these investigative tools, these concepts may be applied to this study of details surrounding the legitimacy of NATO in the war and the future implications that this mission hold in respect to international law. Through the process of investigating various literatures and peer-reviewed articles, as well as current events in recent years will gain both a conceptual and practicable understanding of supposed The United Nations Development Programmes Human Development Report of 1994 initially purported the conception of ‘human security. This is commonly known as â€Å"people-centered security or security with a human face.† (Thomas 2000, p. 6) Human security situates people instead of the states at the center of security matters. (Howorth, 2005) This framework delves on the aspects of human security which include freedom from desire; freedom from terror; and the freedom to settle with dignity. It regards the challenging nature of the conception and evaluates its importance for being aware of the development of the security discipline. Some literatures and resources delves particularly on human security concerns associated with terrorism, subjugation, warfare, humanitarian interventi on, and the responsibility to safeguard doctrine, as well as the framework of international governance for progressing human security in terms of international laws. (Hursoy Esrin, 2004) Peacetime alliance behaviors and the standards of carrying out military operations when necessary in conjunction with allies seem to be the existing principles within provisions of international laws. This seminar paper will include an emphasis on NATO and the role of various countries as well as international organizations as alliance or coalition collaborators in historical and contemporary conflicts. In addition, this seminar paper also takes into account the developing nature of security in the perspective of international politics. It centers on peer-reviewed articles about non-military challenges to security at the same time recognizing the associations between these and conventional security matters. Among the subject matter being deliberated in various literatures include international law and security; the privatization and economics related to security; energy resources; environmental problems; population dynamics; gender and age standpoints on security; the predicaments of frail and weakening states; transnational organized crime; and new methods of warfare. The general purpose of the study is to take account of issues and points of view that confront the way security is conventionally identified with. It is imperative to identify the different elements that comprise the concept of human security being tackled in this study as future actions in terms of international laws on warfare are considered. The primary essential element is the likelihood of the general public to settle in harmony and security within their individual boundaries. This involves the facility of states and the people to thwart and get to the bottom of conflicts by means of diplomatic and non-violent processes and, when the discord is terminated, the capability to successfully implement reconciliation activities. The next element is that people must benefit from non-discriminatory implementation of rights and obligations which include human, political, social, economic, as well as cultural rights that being a citizen of a state implies. Another element is social inclusion or the idea of obtaining equated access to the political, social, and economic law-making processes, and to gain the same benefits from them. T he next element is that of the institution of the rule of law and the autonomy of the justice system. (Ogata, 1998) Every member of a society must have equal rights and obligations and be under similar set of guidelines. According to a statement delivered by Ogata (1998), these fundamental elements which are derived from the conception of equality of all before the law, in effect get rid of any threat of uncertainty which so repeatedly makes itself apparent in discrimination, exploitation, or subjugation. Following these conflicts, a new-fangled understanding of the conception of security is developing. Once upon a time tantamount to the protection of territory from external onslaught, the necessities of security in the present day have come to take on the security of communities and persons from internal aggression. The necessity for a more human-centered outlook to security is strengthened by the enduring threats that armaments of mass destruction, subjugation, hostility, among others pose to humanity of which their very label discloses their capacity and their anticipated purpose if they were ever utilized. Society has to open up its prospect of what is peace and security. Peace suggests much more than the nonexistence of war. Human security cannot be comprehended in absolutely military means. Preferably, it must include economic progress, social justice, environmental security, autonomy, reduction in arms, and valuing of human rights and laws. Narrative of the Political/Policy Theme Yugoslavia was formed mainly for defense purposes; however, as MacMillan (2001, 111-3) asserts, the Serbs had wanted more than what they had. They desired for Serbia to become the principal and governing force in Yugoslavia. Macedonia and Slovenia had not continued to get involved in the federation for the reason that Milosevic yearned to converge all his influence where he would gain collaboration and significant cooperation. Any location where there was an amply hefty Serbian inhabitants, whom he could supply with weapons to construct a Greater Serbia, he favors that, and in mind for Milosevic as Head of State. (Ignatieff 2001, p. 48) Following the mass execution at Sarajevo and Srebrenica, the Dayton Accords were approved. This event had directed NATO to pay a visit to Milosevic as a gentleman they could transact with, since at Dayton, he so amiably dealt Sarajevo for the Muslims, deceiving the Serbs at Bosnia. Nonetheless, Milosevic intentionally left Kosovo and was not part of the contract. The harsh negotiation given by NATO had not been successful in taking the Bosnian war offenders answerable to what happened to Sarajevo and Srebrenica into custody. Hence, Milosevic expected it would keep on making dialogues which concern human rights and do not a thing about it. (Ignatieff 2001, pp. 50-51) Almost half a decade of redundant intimidations appeared to substantiate ideas in peoples minds. NATO had looked disinclined engage in warfare for its principles. But NATO did. There have been casualties even before the intervention, and as it progressed and criticized by many, fatalities seemed to add up until its termination some years ago. At the same time as the nuclear upsurge had been stalled during the 1970s and 1980s, and industrialized nations recognized that they required traditional weaponry, not strong ones which are useless, they had pursued a new kind of equipment. The ascent of moral as well as human rights discourse in terms of security had elevated the standards of artillery to reduce collateral damage and diminish or get rid of the risks to individuals and entities using them. These transformations had resulted to arsenal that would strike the targets with great precision, and cause not that much devastation within the sphere of the targets surroundings. (Ignatieff 2001, p. 163) Interested parties had continued this endeavor by creating a number of technological innovations. Lasers had enhanced precision targeting; computer gadgets had started to make use of satellites to hit targets with accuracy; propulsion systems had improved the reach of missiles and bombs were prepared to be less harmful to people. This indicated that both the person making the target as well as the onlookers who are often civilians were more secured; and automated drones to make close watch activities safe for those who flew the planes. (Ignatieff 2001, p. 166) Precision weaponry comprised only eight percent of the explosives that were used in Iraq; and so far, some new missile types could do greater feats far from what were previously created. The regulated threatening features, the dangers it got rid of in support of the major players and the crucial repercussions for the adversaries have improved weaponry. (Ignatieff 2001, p. 167) The opponents had a good idea that if the Americans utilized such equipment and expertise, which was far more advanced than majority of the other weaponry in the world, it would need the same technology, which most nations do not have the capacity to obtain, to thrash them out during battle. Responsibility to Protect refers to a manuscript issued by the International Commission on Intervention and State Sovereignty. (Commission, 2001) This specifies the rights as well as responsibilities of states in terms of interventions to stop huge numbers of fatalities. (Commission 2001, XII) It specifies four protective doctrines that intervening authorities have to wear out prior to procuring military combat. On the basis of the Responsibility to Protect, any relevant personality should have arbitrated to halt the combating. They had used up tactful means like peace talk actions, trade prohibitions, premeditated separation of Serbs and Albanians (Ignatieff 2001, pp. 25, 32-4), but all these to no purpose. Evidently, Milosevic was not settling. He was anticipating that, either of two things. That NATO would not continue on its intimidations or that, if the organization did, he may breach the Alliance and the support of the Western public for the involvement before it attained its objectives. (Ignatieff 2001, pp. 48, 59-66) Kosovo is situated in southern Serbia comprised mostly of ethnic Albanians. It was an autonomous state within the former Yugoslavia. Slobodan Milosevic, the head of Serbia had changed its status in 1989 by eradicating autonomy and had since then been under the control of the Serbian capital, Belgrade. There was a strong opposition expressed by the Kosovar Albanians. Almost ten years after, there have been deaths for around one thousand five hundred Kosovar Albanians and four hundred thousand people forced out of their own residences. (Walker, 2000) The world became grimly concerned regarding the rising conflict, the turnout of deaths, and the danger of it opening out to other nations. Apparently, President Milosevics discount for political interventions intended to peacefully put an end to the problem and the threatening role of the radical Kosovar Albanian forces was also problematical. This resulted to an excessive use of force brought by the Serbian security forces as well as the Yugoslav defending forces. The United Nations Security Council Resolution had turned out to be majorly instrumental but grave situations soon escalated which necessitated renewed international interventions. NATO, as reported had endeavored to make a possible transport of than 4666 tons of food and water supplies, 4325 tons of other provisions, 2624 tons of tents and almost 1600 tons of medical supplies had been brought to the region. It is approximated that 1.5 million citizens or ninety percent of Kosovo population, had been removed from their homes. Some 225,000 Kosovar individuals were reported missing. And there were at the least some five thousand Kosovars who had been executed all through these events. (Walker, 2000) Analysis In the area under discussion with regard to alliances and coalitions that may have influenced NATOs action towards the case of Kosovo, as a critic, may point out coalitions may undercut the Alliance for the reason that in the lack of common or collective risks, alliances appear spaced out. This is purportedly what had occurred in the Iraq War seven years prior. The United States had taken up its contentious course of action in the mission have got to establish the coalition to the situation where NATO virtually relinquished on its treaty obligation. (Jones, 2005) In particular, at the time Turkey in the early part of 2003 had asked for security conferences, which by the way is a natural right by law as stipulated in Article 4. It was these nations, particularly France, Belgium, and Germany which felt a forthcoming American undertaking that followed this appeal to unfasten deadlocked international relations and acquire international reinforcement using NATOs treaty obligations. These allies as a result had opposed NATO discussions in order not to influence UN Security Council negotiations. It had taken discreet resourcefulness to arrive at a concession in those impassioned days. (Jones 2005, p. 17) From the various writings of different personalities with regard to the issue, it is apparent that the means to integrating the Alliance with coalition formation dwells in a continuous strategic discourse delving on all germane issues, in the nonexistence of any simulated constraint. Such a discussion will function to shed light on premeditated matters of interest and put decision-making in order. It will conspicuously rally round the Allies to negotiate among themselves where the Allies may stand prepared to arise a coalition that fulfills their supposed interests will contract to acquire the reinforcement of NATO entirely. This is because they know that eventually they will have need for it. The other Allies will have to negotiate for the reason that it will present them with a chance to structure the coalition without having to take part in it. To cut a long story short, NATO as an alliance can make it possible for coalitions by expounding tactical interests and by presenting a ve nue for negotiations. NATOs so-called â€Å"peace talk actions commenced in Raombouillet, France. In Western media, the Rambouillet Agreement was posted and reported as it was written and no further explanation, probably due to limited investigation. However, Drozdiak (1999) reports the following: â€Å"The principal stumbling block to achieving an agreement at the 12-day-old Kosovo peace talks outside Paris remains the opposition of the Serb-led Belgrade government to accepting a NATO-led force†¦. senior Western officials said†¦. that if Belgrades intransigence thwarts an agreement, it is almost a certainty that NATO airstrikes would begin by early next.† (Drozdiak 1999, p. A01) In this report, the usage of the words â€Å"peacekeeping force† (Drozdiak 1999, p. A01) presents the Belgrade administration as unreasonably stubborn and intractable. Definitely, no personality would want to engage in fighting. Peace is always upheld to maintain harmonization and continuity of daily acts of living. In this line of thought, if NATO had the opinion that it had no other alternative but to pronounce a war, the unyieldingness of Belgrade would be held accountable. There have been assumptions that the Racac supposed massacre accusations were actually clandestinely planned by the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) in collaboration with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), and had pointed finger towards the Serbs which was held accountable. The supposed people behind this were those same individuals who demanded the Milosevic affix his signature to the agreement. Apparently, the information indicated in the Rambouillet Agreement, which Milosevic was being directed to put his signature on at gun point, were not once mentioned in the Western media. Actually, the details of the agreement were not even interpreted, just posted. (Drozdiak 1999, p. A01) This is not acceptable in terms of unbiased reporting and transparency. In order to understand the actions performed and decisions made by the Yugoslavs, it must be informed in detail, especially if it is an international crisis that may impact other nations in the future in terms of conflicts and repressio n. The stipulations of the Rambouillet Agreement successfully segregated the region of Kosovo from the Republic of Serbia. This had left the radical members of the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA) and had become the regional power. This occurrence was enough reason by itself for any nation not to authorize. No country would care for to sign, under coercion or threat a document arranged by an external authority or foreign power, much less terrorists and intended to take away a portion of the country and particularly the very region considered the structure of the peoples culture. This was not the only evident situation that hinders the authorization many years ago. Some excerpts of the NATO â€Å"peacekeeping force† from the Rambouillet Agreement appear to indicate making NATO as the position of most eminent authority in Yugoslavia. They were insisting to authorize stipulations resembling the terms required by the assaulting Nazis during the Second World War. Sign or we will bomb you,† (Boustany 1999, p. A18) were the supposed words that came from NATO directed to Milosevic. For the reason that the document was aimed like so that it was out of the question to sign, NATO was evidently pronouncing war. In addition, Foreign Minister Vollebaek, Chairman of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has thorough knowledge and good understanding of the agreement. â€Å"The pressure is mounting Knut Vollebaek †¦said yesterday about concerted efforts to subdue Yugoslav President Slobodan Milosevic into accepting a peace process for Kosovo under threat of a NATO military strike.† (Boustany 1999, p. A18) From this article, it would appear that things were being embellished with a bit of truthfulness. However, this does not make things better. The Rambouillet Agreement was conjured up to be a pronouncement of imminent war, but the mainstream media presented it as a peace talk process. The core personalities behind this comprise Vollebaek as the principal figure in the effort to overcome Milosevic to authorize the supposed â€Å"peace process† being initiated by NATO. Vollebaek and his cohorts asserted that Albanian factions or secessionists including the national groups within Kosovo are nearing to sign the agreement. That is far from the truth. Although some people does not share this sentiment, this had been pervading the thoughts of a lot of people, particularly at the time the situation had been known overseas and had become a major concern of international organizations. From these reports that came from the Washington Post and other media sources, it had appeared as though the media reportage of the nations discord was undeserved and overlooked or to some extent had obscured a lot of significant portions that had taken place during the crisis. The propaganda and blatant abuse of basic rights by the Milosevic administration is well-known and in the main acquiesced. Nonetheless, the majority of the media reports

the family of little feet Essay -- essays research papers

The early phases of growing up can have its own unique problems. There are many different things that can go wrong while growning up. Your whole body is changing and it cand take some getting used to. There were many stories that I read in the literature book that illustrated this to me. I will compare these stories to each other to see how they were similiar and also to see the different problems people experience while growing up. In the story "the family of little feet", three little girls go out to explore the world and discover many wonderfull thing and also many evil things(Cisneros, 77). The poem "in just" is about what kids see when they look at the world(Cummings, 158). These stories are similiar in that they both show a kids perspective on everyday things. In the Cummings story the kids see the ballonman as a magical creature. It also shows how kids love spring. After being locked up inside all winter they can finally go outside and run around and get dirty and just have fun. In Cisneros story about the magical shoes that there mother had given to them it shows how kids can really grow up too fast. The kids just want to be kids but everyone else is seeing them as grown ups. The girls do not really understand what is going on. And when they get home they just want to get rid of the shoes so they can just be kids again. These two stories are about just being young and doing stuff that ...

Dead Mens Path by Chinua Achebe Essay example -- Chinua Achebe Dead

â€Å"Dead Men’s Path† by Chinua Achebe   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In this short story â€Å"Dead Men’s Path,† Chinua Achebe gives the protagonist an exciting chance to fulfill his dream. Michael Obi was fixed officially headmaster of Ndume Central School, which was backward in every sense. He had to turn the school into a progressive one, however the school received a bad report when the supervisor came to inspect. Why did the school get a nasty report and Obi could not become a glorious headmaster even though he put his whole life into it? In order to find out the answer, we have to examine Michael Obi’s personality and the event that made the supervisor to write an airier result.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Michael Obi was a secondary school teacher. â€Å"The Ndume Central School had always been an unprogressive, so the mission authorities decided to send a young and energetic man to run it† (331). Obi was a juvenile and a jaunty man. Within Obi’s confidence, the reader can see his ardent desire. â€Å"He had many wonderful ideas and this was an opportunity to put them into practice† (331). By this golden chance he wanted to show other people how a school should be run. Obi wanted â€Å"his associates to give all their time and energy to the school† (331) because they were not married. He and his wife were very excited to work for the school. They both had made a plan to make the school modern and delightful. Even though Obi accepted his responsibility with enthusiasm, he could not become a great principal. Why? There should be some ...

Essays --

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that each year roughly one in six Americans (48 million people), 128,000 will end up in the hospital and 3,000 will die of foodborne illness. Three hundred and sixty-five million dollars are spent annually on the Salmonella infection. There are 31 major foodborne pathogens that are known to cause foodborne illnesses. Foodborne illnesses are infections of the gastrointestinal tract caused by food that contains harmful bacteria, parasites, viruses or chemicals. The gastrointestinal tract is a serious of organs joined in a long, twisted tube from the mouth to the anus. The most common symptoms are vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever and chills. Some chemicals affect the nervous system causing symptoms such as headache, numbness of the skin, blurring in the vision, weakness of body, dizziness, and paralysis. Most of Foodborne Illnesses happen suddenly and only last a short time, typically lasting one to seven days. A lot of people recover on their own without going to the doctors. But rarely, a foodborne illness may lead to more serious issues to a person such as dehydration, hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), and chronic including reactive arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome or long lasting health problems. However, there are some people who are most likely to develop foodborne illnesses such as infants, children, pregnant women, older adults, and people with weak immune systems. Raw foods of any animal origin such as raw meat and poultry, raw eggs, unpasteurized milk, and raw shellfish are most likely to be contaminated. Fruits and vegetables can also be contaminated if the fields were fertilized with animal waste and if the produce was cleaned with unclean water. Raw ... ...uch. Foods that need to be cooked should be cooked long enough at a high temperature to kill the harmful bacteria that may be on them. For roast, steaks, and chops of beef, veal, pork, and lamb should be cooked at 145 degrees. For ground beef, veal, pork, and lamb should be cooked at a temperature of 160 degrees. Poultry should be cooked at 165 degrees. Foodborne Illnesses can be prevented easily if you know what to look for and how to prevent it. Reducing the number of infections will require stronger actions to prevent food contamination at multiple steps from the farm to the table. If you reduce foodborne illnesses by 10%, you’ll be saving 5 million Americans each year from getting sick. The Arizona Department of Health Services predict that in year 2020, the Salmonella infection will have dropped by 25% and a 25% to 50% drop in the other top five infections.

Us/101 Introduction to University Studies

US/101 Introduction to University Studies Policies and Resources Quiz #2 1) If the University servers are down, how will you ensure your assignments are submitted on time? a. Send a copy of the assignment to your inbox or alternate email address as proof that I have attempted to post the assignment on time. In my email, I must state that I was unable to connect to the University of Phoenix server. I must then upload the assignment via the Assignments Link at my earliest opportunity. ) What is expected of students relative to the professionalism (formatting, spelling, proofreading, meeting assignment word-count, etc. ) of their work? b. All work is expected to be professionally presented; all written assignments must be carefully proofread and spell-checked before submitting. All assignments are to be submitted as MS Word documents, Writing in complete sentences. Ensuring that topic sentences are used to organize the document content. Adjusting margins and columns, so the document fit s on the page (left to right) when viewed at 100%.Using a black, standard font face and size, either Times New Roman 12pt or Arial 12pt. The word count guideline is usually given as a range of 150 to 300 words. 3) What resources are available to help students with writing, formatting standards, grammar, punctuation, etc.? c. The Center for Writing Excellence is available to help me with writing, formatting standards, grammar and punctuation. 4) What are the most important points brought out in the University’s Policies regarding Academic Integrity? d.I am required to post a signed copy of the Certificate of Originality available in our Course Materials forum for all written assignments. The University places a high priority on maintaining Academic Integrity and ensuring that proper credit is being given for others’ words and ideas used in the development of my written assignments if an idea or words did not come from my own brain, then those are the ideas of others and they must be cited and referenced. This includes information taken from the textbook.No more than 15% of my written work, whether copied, quoted or paraphrased, should be taken from outside sources at any time 5) What must students do to ensure they are in attendance each week? e. Complete discussions questions and participate in class. My participation is graded separately from my discussion question responses to the initial three out of five discussion questions. Participation is graded on the total number of substantive responses you make to your classmates and whether or not at least 2 substantive responses were posted on each of 4 different days of the week.

Pychology in Daily life Experiences Essay

Introduction Many people might doubt that how can psychology relate to our life? There come up with the answer to support everybody’s confusion. The psychological research has indicated that the cause of every experience: your physical and mental health, ability to form close relationships endurance, capacity for learning and personal growth.(Richard J.Gerrig & Philip G Zimbardo , 2008)All of these are related to our daily life. Though the psychological theories, we are able to learn ourselves by scientific explanation. Stress -Changes Hans Selye defines stress ass the nonspecific response of the body to any demand on it.;the arousal ,both physical and mental ,to situation or event that we perceive as threatening or challenging. In our daily life, stress might come from the on-set situation or off-set situation.( Hans Selye,2011) For example, even lecturer mentioned the date of exam, when the day is near ,I will feel very stress also. On the other hand, if lecturer sudden announces that we are going to have pop-quiz immediately. With no doubt ,it will be the causes of my stress. As you can see, the root of stress is changes in life. Even the changes are kind of positive things. When I knew I was accepted by UCSI University, at the moment I was very happy. Latter on, all the possible situation come up in my mind. Am I able to adapt the new environment? Am I able to pass all the subjects? We all wish to have smooth life, but these positive or negative changes are the challenges to our life. Sensory adaptation Sensory adaptation is repeated or constant stimulation decreases the number of sensory messages sent to the brain ,which causes decreased sensation.(Living psychology )For example, the things happened at the moment after the PE class,all the students with sweating body go into the class room with air conditioning room.The body odor will full fill with the room gradually. People in the room might not aware of the smell, but when I came in the class room , I complained the uncomfortable smell. After I stayed in the class for a while, my sensory was tired of the odor. Then I won’ complain the smell anymore. Controlled process The controlled process is the mental activities requiring focused attention that generally interferes with other ongoing activities ( Huffan. K,1999.). Whenever I have performed on the stage, I have to concentrate on myself. Pay attention on what is the next step,what is the next posture .There is no time and strictly not allowed to think of other things such as how does audience response and how do judges score. Only until the end of performance I can think f these things. Automatic process Automatic process is activities requiring minimal attention and having little impact on other activites.( Huffan,K ,1999).I have an experience that working at restaurant cashier. The restaurant I worked has a cash machine .The first month of work was terrible. I was so scary to touch the button.It made me frustrated all the time. The amount of money numbers full of my mind .I dare not to count wrongly to company’s property.Whenever I stand in front of cash machine I always sweating. All these thing I got though it after I worked there for eight months. Later on,I was not only can control the cash machine easily but also can talk to the customer in the same time. Gate-control theory The theory that the spinal cord contains a neurological â€Å"gate† the blocks pain signals from the brain when flooded by competing signals.(Saul Kassin,1995) Ex. Wearing high heels actually killing me so much, but the pain didn’t bother us during I wear them out to show off my beautiful high heels. Another experience is monthly period. Whenever our â€Å"Best friend â€Å"coming, it is a difficult time for girls. Most of the girls will not to focus on the pain instead of keep thinking the pain. Conclusion To sum up, finding myself by psychology theories is somehow interesting. Just discover the reasons that why is my behavior acting so. Describing by science method is more convictive. After learning the basic psychology, now I start to observe people surrounding in my life. Try to explain their behavior and discuss with my friends. I found myself can tolerant people more than before. I can understand the people whose behavior are not accepted by me .Actually everyone has their different childhood background or genetic reasons. Learning psychology is not only learn the knowledge but also improve our self-development. Reference Richard J.Gerrig & Philip G Zimbardo .(2008).Psychology and life.(8th ed). United State of America.:Pearson Education Hans Selye. (2011). In Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/533770/Hans-Selye Huffan,K(1999).Living psychology. America .US Palomar College Saul Kasin(1995)Pychology.U.S. William Collage