Thursday, October 31, 2019

Tony Blair and Liberal Democracy Ideology Essay

Tony Blair and Liberal Democracy Ideology - Essay Example Tony Blair played a major role in Unifying the Labour Party a fact that made the popularity of the Labour Party to rise in the United Kingdom. It is through this unification that the country experienced a balance between the two major parties the country and that is the Conservative Party and the Labour Party. This is referred to by some experts as the Blair effect. This shows that Tony Blair was a good leader by all means and this also brings about the question of liberalization. It is important to note that Tony Blair highly advocated for the liberalization of various aspects in the country as well as other parts of the world especially the developing countries and countries that were having political, social and economical problems. Tony Blair was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from the year 1997 to the year 2007 and during his premiership, he adopted various policies which have been seen by many as to advocate for Liberal Democracy and Nation State. Many people will remember him for the foreign wars that he was involved in when he was the Prime Minister and also his doctrines of military intervention in various conflicts in the world. When he was resigning, he argued in parliament that his successors should learn to use his foreign policy. Although these doctrines and policies were not instrumental in his first election to the premiership and were not cited in his campaign, the policies that were cited in his first campaign still remained instrumental in his leadership throughout his premiership1. The most prevalent political model of Tony Blair was the Liberal Democratic Nation State. This was his initial political ideology and while he exercised this at the domestic politics, his foreign policy leaned very much to the Liberal Democracy ideology. It is important to note that even though the Liberal Democracy was a prevalent policy in the United Kingdom long before Tony Blair was elected to the premiership but he also embraced this policy during his premiership2. On the international side, the global crusade for the policy of liberal democracy was taken by Tony Blair as his personal crusade during the conflict of Kosovo. Although he faced significant criticism from various quarters, he did not shy away from implementing this policy in the subsequent wars that included Afghanistan and Iraq. He was also very instrumental in bringing about neoliberalism to be the country's dominant social and moral philosophy. This does not meant that neoliberalism is just a synonym of capitalism because the society and the political culture of the country were transformed by numerous policies which sought to eliminate the ideal of equality from the political policies and this policies also encourage the establishment and acceptance of an underclass which had the outlook of permanency and hereditary social group. Under the administration of Tony Blair, the core electorate group also known as Middle Britain had the opportunity to dominate the country's politics and in so doing they excluded the disadvantaged and non-voting underclass from the politics of the country3. Blair also attempted to implement the Mazzinian Nationalism but this failed

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Bible Defines Human Nature Essay Example for Free

Bible Defines Human Nature Essay According to the book of Genesis, man was created in the image of God. â€Å"God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.† Genesis 1:27   This means that man’s nature is godly. Because our almighty God is a holy God, man is also expected to be blameless before Him. But how come sin became inevitable to human nature? Isn’t it that man by nature is greedy and self centered? Other than that, the New Testament says that all have fallen short to God’s standard. Does it mean that the bible contradict itself?                  Meanwhile, western philosophers believe in the concept to tabula rasa. It’s a thesis that says that human beings are born without an inborn personality. Human personality is just a product of pile of experiences and is influenced by his surroundings. If a man doesn’t grow up in a good environment, it follows that his nature is not that good too. In other words, man was born as innocent creature without any sense of morality. We can say that being innocent is close to being blameless. Does it mean that the idea of tabula rasa supports the famous idea taken from Genesis?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When we look at the Christian concept of salvation, we can conclude that the Gospel presents a clear explanation regarding this long time debate. Although the bible gives a seemingly contradicting explanation regarding the nature of human beings, still it supports each other when view it from Christian perspective.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When we were born, we can’t deny the fact that we are innocent. Just like Adam and Eve, we don’t have any knowledge of sin. And as we look back on the book of Genesis, Adam and Eve became aware that they were naked when sin entered their life. Therefore we can conclude that our sinful nature starts when we lose our innocence.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As we grow old, our values are being by our family, community, church and media. Other than that, our personalities were shaped by our experiences. For those people who experienced rejection, they are more likely to develop pride and insecurities. It is also inevitable for them to hold grudges and bitterness. As we look at the bible, we can see that pride and bitterness are sin. Like pride and bitterness, greed is also a product of life experiences as well as family background and community involvement.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It means that sin is an inevitable part of life. As we grow old, they more we can acquire sin which is too far from having a godly nature. But the good news is that God made a way so that human can return to their blameless nature. He sent Jesus for us to be like his image again. Because of Jesus’ blood that was shed on the cross, we are forgiven of our sin and purified to become new creations. â€Å"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come.†Ã‚   2 Corinthians 5:17  Ã‚   This idea of Christ’s way of salvation supports the concept of sanctification.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   But sanctification is not a one time experience for Christians. They are experiencing a lifetime of sanctification as they grow in their relationship with Christ. If experiences can cause us to sin, our experiences can also be used by God to mold our characters. Our life is a preparation of our character, a way of sanctification until we meet Christ. It is the reason why the bible always compares Christ and church relationship with that of a groom and a bride. Bibliography The Bible League. The Devotional Study Bible. USA: Zondervan Corporation, 1987.

Sunday, October 27, 2019

HR and Line Managers Management Essay

HR and Line Managers Management Essay It is pertinent to start this essay by attempting to define the role and relevance of HR Managers and line managers in an organization.  human resource management is a management function that enables managers to train ,recruit select and develop the members of an organization (Aswathappa, k,2007). HR managers are managers responsible for delivery of basic HRM services such as recruiting, hiring, training, organizational development, coaching, employee relation, communication, leadership, advice, salary and benefits, team building of staffs within an organization including the well-being of people and relationship between management and employees (Susan, H, 2012).On the other hand, line managers are managers that are responsible for the administrative management of individuals, direct management of staffs within an organization and the supervision and discipline of their employees and performance appraisal (John ,F ,2012)  .It must also be noted that line managers have the power to influence the employees behavior (cascio,2008;cited in faisal et al ,2011). Apparently, there is a distinction between the responsibilities of a HR manager and that of a Line manager. While the former serves to engage labour, the latter deals with labour. However, there is a compelling need for Interaction between the HR mangers and line managers.   Interaction between the HR mangers and line managers The need for interaction between the HR manager and the line manager cannot be overemphasized. It is very essential within an organization and a research carried out by Stockton Borough Council (2011) showed that there is an existing culture of both managers working together to address people management responsibilities. The research also showed that line managers were ready to take up more responsibities to deal with poor staff performance without direct access to HR support and going through the required training on the task like conflict management.   For an organization to be fit for current and future challenges, Line managers have to be involved in the development and review of HR policies (Liz,F. 2012). Furthermore, mark et al (2012) pointed out that the establishment of corporate agility and its basic cultural responsibilities require a close and adequate interaction between the HR manager and line manager. HR sets up new policies and systems but the line manager is responsible for the application of these practices and policies. Technically, the  HRM proposes while the line manager disposes (Armstrong ,M ,2012) In view of the above, it is safe to conclude that for a high level of organizational performance to be achieved, there has to be a structured implementation of these policies. The onus lie on the line manager to implement thus he occupies a very important position in the organizational structure (Michael , A ,2012). MacDonald, L (2012) argued that in small businesses without a HR specialist, the line managers can take up the responsibility of recruiting and management of staff. Even in larger businesses where there is a HR specialist or department to oversee the employee management policies and practices, the line manager still plays a major role in the implementation of HR initiatives.   In addition, Mayhew, R.(2012) pointed out that the HR and   line manager interact together to handle and execute certain activities such as department staffing, workforce strategy, performance management, and conflict management in the organization. The main reason why both managers work together is because they share a common interest of ensuring that the company is successful. The line manager thus becomes very effective in the tactical aspect of HR while the HR manager has more time to focus and work on the strategic aspect of HR management (Mayhew, R,2012).   The ultimate goal is that the interaction between the HR manager and the line manager brings in the concept of HR business partnering.   According to Ulrich, D Brokebank ,B. (2008) the concept of HR business partnering is for HR professionals to collaborate with line managers or business leaders to achieve a common objective ,specifically in the designation and implementation of HR systems and processes that support strategic business and in restructuring of business strategy and transformation of the HR.However, there has been an overlap of power between the HR and the line manager. It has been established that the operational aspect of HR management is the reason behind the relationship among the two managers. Some models such as the three legged stool model and the four-role model which operate together under the same principles was invented by Dave Ulrich. It has helped to explain the HR business partnering and the interaction between HR managers and line managers (ken,2011). Furthermore, notwithstanding that the HR department is totally responsible for the HRM activities,  line managers share same responsibilities. Line managers have the power to influence the employees behavior which is the reason for the HR-line manager relationship. Truss and Gratton (1994) pointed out that line managers play a crucial role in coordinating the resources that enable an organization achieve its goal. In other words, it is absolutely necessary for a line manager to understand how HR practices and procedures are conducted so as to ensure a successful implementation of HR in an organization.   (Huchison and Purcell, 2003; cited in Faisal et al, 2011). In addition, line managers are dependent on the HR managers for assistance in knowledge sharing and facilitation and for this to be achieved there has to be series of work relationships between the both of them (Macneil ,2003;cited in faisal,2011). line managers can also achieve full integration of the HR into a companys real work through working in partnernership with the HR therefore leaving the HR totally responsible for the delivery of organizational excellence (Ulrich, 2008) .The HR is way too big and important to be left just for the specialist therefore it is required of the line manager to take up a role on development of peoples performance they have to manage (hearty and morley,1995;cited in Faisal et al ,2012). According to Ulrich, D. Brokebank ,B.(2011)The three- legged model is based on three basic components viz: the HR shared services ,HR centres of excellence and the HR business partners. This model helps to assign and explain the roles of the HR specialist, line mangers. It gives reasons and shows how the business partnering play a role in restructuring of the HR (ken,2011). Furthermore, the HR shared services is a single large unit responsible for handling all routine transactional services that include payroll, provision of corporate services and advices based on employee relations across the organizations, absence monitoring and the recruitment and routine administration (mark et al,2010). Centre of excellence involves a team of HR professionals that have a deep knowledge on the leading-edge HR solutions. The major role is the use of the HR innovations to give businesses a competitive advantage and HR business partners which involves the HR professionals working together with the line managers to steer and influence strategy and its implementation (cipd, 2011). Integration of the business and HR strategies According to Briggs and Keogh (2001) the integration of business and HR strategies is the key tool in achieving business excellence. A previous study by the Aberdeen group (2009) has shown that the best way that organizations and businesses can overcome economic instability and dilemma caused by the economic downturn is by the HR executives collaborating closely with the business managers to understand business success criteria by aligning their human capital management priorities with the overall business objectives and goals. This study also pointed out that the HR has to collaborate with business managers to be able to determine the appropriate HR strategy needed for a strong and effective business outcome (Fabugais, C ,2011) . A case study on McDonalds has shown that high quality products require quality people to produce, design and deliver them and, therefore for a business like McDonalds that offers a large element of personal service to maintain its reputation it has to focus more on HRM in terms of recruiting high quality employees and have the ability to train and retain its staffs (The times 100.2012). McDonalds has been one of the largest and fastest growing global restaurant with their success directly linked to the their ability to implement HR practices in terms of recruitment and training policies designed specifically to attract, identify, develop and retain high number of staffs needed for the business. Customer satisfaction can be linked to the effectiveness, attitudes and abilities of employees to provide those services that attract and satisfy customers (The times 100.2012). According to Sung, J. and Ashton ,D (2002) high performance work practices is one of the HR strategies implemented in businesses that has brought positive and organizational outcomes. This HR strategy is categorized into three different components viz: the high employee involvement practices which is focused on encouraging communication and trust between employees through quality circles; self-directed teams and by giving them access to the company information followed by the human resource practices (HRP) that involves a highly sophisticated processes of recruitment of employees, work mentoring and design and performance appraisals. It also involves the reward and commitment which is focused on facilitating greater commitment of the employees in the organization by providing the employees rewards such as profit sharing, performance related pay, job rotation and family friendly policies (sung, J and Ashton,D.,2002). A survey result on the correlation between the level of HPWP adoption and organizational outcomes by HPWP bundles has shown that the correlation of the three bundles of HPWP working together is positively linked to organizational outcomes and leads to the improvement of organizational performance through the motivation, satisfaction and commitment of staffs, provision of effective communication, teamwork while the correlation of the two bundles the HR and reward and commitment helps in creating a good sense of job security (sung, J and Ashton, D, 2002). Previous case studies derived from samples of companies included in the Sun Times   100 best companies to work for 2004 have demonstrated a good practice in a range of HPWPs and benefits of implementing HRWPs in organizations.   A case study on the Bacardi martini UK which is a successful company known to be a leader and inventor of ready to drink market with the business strategy of managing change and innovation through value based and people culture is a classical example. This company has remained successful through the implementation of HPWPs by creating a series of organizational values to guide, communicate and reward behavior appropriate to team performance. It is not in doubt that a strict adherence to these practices has provided the company with an agile team leading to overall improvements and success of the company. This is evident in improvement of production process efficiency of the company to 4.4 million pounds per year. There was an increment in the service level in warehousing and distribution from 85% to 97% . There was also a reduction of line filler changeover time from 4 hours to 75mins. Elimination of overstock with no failure in delivery on customer order. Reduction in pallet holding from 1.2 million to 457000k pounds and a reduction in the production line packer hangover time from 110minutes to 60 minutes policies (sung, J and Ashton,D.,2002). At this juncture, it is pertinent to acknowledge that PACT is an acronym for productivity, accountability, creativity and teamwork. PACT is another HR strategy implemented in the Bacardi martini UK company which has shaped and organized the processes of recruitment in the company .The strategy is to access the competence of the companies employees in line with the PACT values of the company (sung, J and Ashton,D.,2002).   Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  Ãƒâ€šÃ‚   Furthermore, a case study on the I -study a digital media agency that has successfully achieved a turnover of 12.3 million pounds and gained the credit and gotten an award in five years as being one of the most innovative digital media company in UK, the companys business strategy is focused on spotting new products and finding out a new approach and building a new industry. The success of this company is fully linked to the implementation of the HR strategies, by the company using the work redesign to remove hierarchy and encourage participation, creativity, communication and a collaborative teamwork and recruitment of effective employees based on personal attributes necessary to win over new business (sung, J and Ashton, D., 2002). Conclusion So far the studies on HRM strategies have shown that its very necessary and important for a business aiming to grow business growth, and the Intergration of the HR strategies into businesses enables business to increase their performance and productivity ,the HR practices play important in every aspect of business that helps in achieving this success ,thus the reward and recognition is directly linked to the motivation of employees which can be linked to a high level of their productivity in the organization, also in terms of training ,the training ,development outsourcing of the right staffs, helps in achieving business success aswell.it will be recommended that every organization wanting to increase the performance of their staffs and productivity should implement both the strategic and operation aspects of the HRM which is where hiring of the a professional HR managers and the line managers play an important role to properly manage these activities in an organization.

Friday, October 25, 2019

The Brain in Ecstasy :: Biology Essays Research Papers

The Brain in Ecstasy â€Å"LITTLE PILL WHITE AND ROUND GULP OF WATER, TURBO DOWN! ANXIETY NOW, CAN'T STAND OR SIT, JUST WAIT, DON'T WORRY, IT WILL HIT! IN HALF-AN-HOUR YOU RISE INSIDE, EVERYONE LOVES, NO HATE TO HIDE. EVERYTHING'S GOOD, THERE IS NO WRONG, IF THE WHOLE WORLD SWALLOWED IT, EVERYONE WOULD GET ALONG... WORLD PEACE I HAVE A VISION, CANNOT BE OBTAINED THROUGH RELIGION BUT CAN BE RESOLVED CHEMICALLY THERE IS A GOD CALLED ECSTASY!† - By Anonymous user of ecstasy (1). The various account of users of a drug known as ecstasy were among the most moving and perplexing reading that I had ever encountered. It is remarkable to imagine that each of us is able â€Å"to rise inside,† overcome the barriers of all negative feelings, and to love to our outermost capacity.... with some help from the little white pill. While most of the accounts that I reviewed had an overriding theme of experience of closeness, love, and peace, the accounts were very case specific: A writer finds a years lost muse, a girl â€Å"learns† how to love herself and others, a religious man finally achieves â€Å"spiritual expansion,† a couple is able to exchange sexual roles as if having their partner’s body, and the list goes on and on (2). But there are also negative experiences associated with the use of ecstasy, although they are documented much less. For example, a user describes his state after a trip on ecstasy: â€Å"for the next couple of days aft erwards I was an emotional wreck, paranoid as hell, shaking, involuntary muscle spasms, and my tonsillitis came back† (3). After a similar negative experience, another user who actually had to stop taking ecstasy because of the detrimental side effects it produced, comments: â€Å"It’s just a pity that people can’t feel like they do on Ecstasy, naturally† (4). Perhaps trying to understand how a chemical can cause a state of euphoria would help us figure out how to achieve it naturally. Then, we can make some sense of, or at least hypothesize about, the neurobiology which underlies the depth of human experience. From even some accounts I outlined above, one can see how complex the feelings brought about by this drug really are. Finding the muse and everything that encompasses it, is a quite complicated behavior, not to mention the vision of world peace and love! It seems unlikely that a simple chemical should cause such a wide range of effects.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Most Influenced People in My Life Essay

In China, people always say, â€Å"If three people are walking together, at least one is good enough to be another’s teacher†, which means you will always be influenced by someone else in your life. For me, many people have affected me, such as my grandmother, my father, and my high school physics teacher. Each of them has some talents and characters that I really want to learn. I admire my father’s great enterprise and noble spirit. His strong spirit always influences me when I face challenges or make big decisions. My grandmother’s thoughtfulness teaches me how to take care of myself well when I am alone and I learn that people would be nice to you when you treat them in a friendly way. Also my high school physics teacher is one of the greatest people I have ever met. He was the one who helped me most when I was growing up to an adult. I cannot think of anyone else who has influenced me more than him or her. My father is one of the most influenced people in my life. He is an enterprising entrepreneur. Read more: The person whom I  admire the most essay He always tells me three important traits that a real man must have: enterprising, caring, and conscientious. He also likes to talk with me about what he has done to his company and employees. After hearing his experience, I want to start my own business when I graduate from university so that I can be an enterprising man like my father. He is a person whom I am familiar with the most, so I learn a lot of things from him both mentally and materially. Lots of people said that my motion and appearance completely look the same as my father’s from behind when we are walking together. The last reason that my father is one of the most influenced people in my life is that he assists me financially in my abroad study in United States. As we know, there are not a lot of Chinese have the economic capability to send their children to study abroad. I should be grateful that my father is willing to provide me money to study abroad. My physics teacher of my high school is another person who has influenced me the most. He was a very patient man. I was a naughty boy when I was studying in my high school in Connecticut. I skipped the classes to play basketball and video games; I always did not finish my homework; I fought with other classmates. He was still patient to teach me, so physics became the subject that I had the highest grade. He always convinced people by reasoning. In China, many teachers teach bad students by scolding them or giving them corporal punishment. He was the most reasonable teacher that I had seen since I studied in United States. I respected him very much. I just could not find any disadvantages from him. I once had a chance to have dinner in his house and met all of his families; they were all very nice and easy going. It could be regarded as the most touching thing in the world for a bad student who was often ignored by teachers. My grandmother is also one of the most influenced people in my life. She never got mad at people no matter what they did to her. All of her neighbors evaluated her as the kindest person in their community. My grandmother is also a laborious person. She was born and growing up in the famine. There were six children for her to raise. At that time, my grandmother had no job, so she had no extra money to buy what my father and his brothers needed. She made straw sandals every night to sell in order to buy some snacks and stationery for her sons. She took care of me for over 9 years. When I was a kid, both my parents had job to do and had no time to take care of me, so I was sent to my grandmother’s home. I love her very much because she took care of my daily life and health in the majority of my childhood. People are always influenced by the person appear in their life. The point is that we should be thankful to the people who bring positive influence on us. I am really thankful to my enterprising father, my kind grandmother, and my patient physics teacher because they all have positive effects on me. My father provides me lots of valuable things both mentally and materially. I would still be Yiqin who can only speak Chinese not Scott who can speak both English and Chinese without my father’s help. I would not know how to get alone with people well without my grandmother’s teaching through her personal behavior as well as verbal instruction. I feel confident in saying that I am able to hit it off with the majority of people. I said I worshipped my high school physics teacher very much, not only because he was a patient and reasonable person, but also because his influence on his family made me want to be the person like him. In the future, we may become the one who could influence others, so we must take positive influence from people around us as much as we can, and then let our good personalities to influence others. It would be one of the most important things that could make us to succeed.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Learning Theories and Instructional Design Essay

This article discusses the principles of adult learning theory. More specifically, Kimbarow relates adult learning theory to effective methodologies that can be employed in treating patients with aphasia. For Kimbarow, the major principles of adult learning theory are the ability to recognize that adults are self-directed individuals and that it is essential for instruction to be prepared such that it is culturally and socially sensitive in meeting the needs of the learner. Kimbarow also discusses the life participation approach, or LPAA. The life participation approach emphasizes the role of the patients’ overall quality of life in the care that the patient receives. This complements the adult learning theory as it further emphasizes the impact that patient involvement has in the treatment and planning of activity programs. The study offered these recommendations: A patient will have a better quality of life if the patient plays an active role in the planning of their course of treatment and if the instruction meets their cultural and social needs. By recognizing and planning instruction in this manner, the instructor will be successful in preparing activities that meet the needs of the adult patient. Review: This is an interesting and current article for those who want to explore the premise of adult learning theory. However, the article is limiting in its discussion of adult learning theory as it relates only to aphasia patients. The article would be more effective if it contained further discussion into the effectiveness of adult learning theory to patients or students with other conditions or in other learning environments. Lee, D. , Belifore, P. , Budin, S. (2008). Riding the Wave. Teaching Exceptional Children, 40(3), 65-70. Summary: In their article, Lee, Belifore and Budin discuss the importance of differentiating instruction to meet the needs of all students in the classroom begins with the planning process. The authors’ recognized that different teachers plan and deliver lesson plans in different ways. However, they recognize that the types of lesson plans utilized and implemented by classroom teachers can impact the way that the information in the lesson is disseminated to the students. The study offered these recommendations: According to the authors’, reducing student punishment should result in an increase in student accountability and responsibility. â€Å"High probability request sequences are positive interventions improve student compliance through increased student workload and the removal of negative consequences: (Lee, Belifore and Budin, 2008). It also creates an environment of problem solving, whereas students are accountable for their work no matter what. In doing this, the punishment for not turning in work does not result in a failed grade. Review: The article is an important tool for those individuals seeking an interesting perspective in the need for differentiating instruction. At the same time, the article offers an innovative perspective on the role of consequences in the education system. The recommendations made by the authors’ are best suited for the traditional classroom setting. Felder, R. M. , & Brent, R. (2005). Understanding student differences. Journal of Engineering Education, 94(1), 57-72 Summary: In their article, Felder and Brent discuss the different learning styles that must be taken into consideration in the development of course curriculum and evaluation methods. As the authors’ describe, these various methods are used to assess student understanding of subject material. Felder and Brent point out that students in the classroom setting tend to be very diverse in culture and have different levels of motivation to learn. The study offered these recommendations: Because students have different attitudes towards their instructor as well as other students, instruction must be designed to respond to the different â€Å"attitudes about teaching and learning, and different response to specific classroom environments and instructional practices† (Felder & Brent, 2005). Due to this, the instructor should understand learning differences to facilitate, structure, and validate successful learning. Review: The study offers an important perspective as to the diverse needs of individuals in the classroom setting. The study would be more effective if it made specific recommendations as to instructional design modifications that can be used to reach out to students in the learning environment. The article encourages further reading and investigation into the subject that can only better the instructor in planning instructor to meet the needs of students.