The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People

The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People Stephen R Covey’s book â€Å"The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People ®, which remains an international bestseller, has been in bookshelves for well over 15 years now and its relevance and practicability in today’s society cannot be watered down by the element of time.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Reading through the book, the reader is swept in different emotions upon the realization of the myriad of truths contained therein. Stephen reaches out to the reader by drawing comparisons between his view of life and real-life situations. Indeed, the book is embedded by various anecdotes that drive the point home while grasping the reader’s attention. The book begins with a brief preface by the author on the dynamics of character ethics over personality ethics. According to him, the personality ethic has been too over emphasized and attempts to offer what he terms as â€Å"Aspirin-like† solutions, or quick fix solutions (Covey 8). He draws parallels with the principle that for one to harvest then he must so and consequently, effectiveness and success in life can only be inculcated into an individual through the steady development of a strong character ethic (Covey 10). The tone in the book is positive while cautious that being positive is not enough for one to achieve effectiveness. He thus calls for a paradigm shift (Adapted from Thomas Kuhn’s book) from focus on a circle of concern to a circle of influence. Covey as cited in (Covey 21) defines a circle of influence as a positive view of the world that has developed from a good character ethic that involves an individual looking for solutions from within and taking responsibility rather than apportioning blame to factors which one cannot change (circle of concern). He calls this the inside-out approach. One is indeed drawn into Cov ey’s description of an effective life through development of good habits brought by leading a goal oriented and disciplined life. He states the production (P) and productive capability (PC) theory where he suggests that for success to be achieved, we should focus on production and not the production capability (Covey 26). The book is a must read for all for its lessons are truly informative and life-changing.Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Overview The book has four parts; the Preface, Private Victory, Public Victory and Renewal. The preface introduces Covey’s focus on character ethics Vis a Vis personality ethics. He explains the demerits of the latter while praising the former as good grounds for the development of a successful of effective life. He reiterates the importance of maturity, hard work and discipline as the key points towards a strong c haracter ethic. The Preface also highlights the various situations that people find themselves in and prescribes the book as a good foundation towards their solution. According to Covey, private victories refer to a situation where the individual has discovered himself/ herself and recognizes their independent will and power to change their lives. He calls upon individuals to be proactive and be resourceful while learning how to take initiative over their lives. Covey then draws a parallel between persons who focus on the negative side of life and terms then as reactionaries with persons who instead focus on issues within their control and attempt to make something out of them (Covey 34). Public victories have much to do with others. Covey cited in (Covey 95) calls for interdependence, communication and understanding among people so as to create synergistic gains in their lives. He advocates for listening, empathy and patience in one’s dealings with others and suggests that i ndividuals should only focus on a win-win situation where all parties mutually benefit. In Part 4 of the book, Covey states that the individual needs to nourish himself in a holistic manner; physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. This he suggests enables the individual to realize synergy both intrinsic and extrinsic. What the book promises According to Covey cited in (Covey 30), the book will enable an individual have a deep knowledge of themselves. It then will create a desire for change in the individual to focus more on a value-based and goal oriented life.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More It would instil in an individual a sense of identity, direction integrity and control over their lives thus making them successful and effective people. Finally, the book promises to heal and rebuild broken relationships by offering time-tes ted solutions to conflict. Private Victory As stated earlier, private victories refer to success or effectiveness at an individual level and focuses on what an individual can do to improve effectiveness. Be Proactive Covey begins this part by stating that self awareness is a quality that enables an individual to evaluate their actions and learn whether he/she is going in the right direction (Covey 32). He states that certain deterministic factors exist that affect our self esteem such as genetic, psychological and environmental factors which much have to do on the impact family and friends have on an individual’s self esteem. Being proactive means that an individual takes initiative and admits that they bear responsibility over their own lives independent of the so-called deterministic factors. He differentiates between being proactive and being reactive. He states that an individual can rise above stimulus and response unlike in animals thus preventing the person from having his/her life being determined by other people’s actions (Covey 32). Covey cited in (Covey 36) states that individuals should be resourceful and always ensure that they are in active control of their lives. He states that for one to be effective, one has to subordinate feelings for value which means that emotions should be suppressed to prevent the individual from going of their course. He also states that one should focus more on the circle of influence rather than that of concern while at the same time expanding the former through establishing the root causes of conflict and problems and solving them (Covey 39). Habit 1 is a good guide for individuals in daily life and its value cannot be supplanted. The need for people to take initiative in their own lives is intrinsic to problem solving and development of working relationships. However, Covey oversimplifies the issue of love by stating it as a â€Å"verb† and not an emotion thus asking for people to suppress  "love† emotions (Covey 38).Advertising Looking for essay on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Studies on the issue of love and even logic itself teach that the issue of love is much more complex and not a mere â€Å"verb†. Also, Covey does not show us how being proactive is a character ethic and not a personality issue. Nevertheless, habit 1 is practical and definitely a catalyst for effectiveness. Begin with the end in mind Covey cited in (Covey 46) starts this section by asking the reader to consider their death and draw from it, the legacy they would want to leave behind and begin to practice it in their daily lives. He states that the power of individuals to imagine can be a powerful tool for effectiveness where the person creates first in his mind then applies the creative imagination into real life. He states that mental creativity is superior to physical since a physical creation without a mental picture would be unsuccessful. Leadership is described here as directing efforts in the right place and is differentiated from management which is doing things in the right manner. Covey calls upon people to harness leadership by establishing where the effort is needed and to proceed to apply it. In business he likens leadership to acts like monitoring environmental change and customer buying habits and to ensure focus on them (Covey 48). He advises the reader to draft a personal mission statement from where he/she can refer to as a guide whenever a question of principle arises. He further states that the principles stated therein should be at the centre of the individual’s circle of influence which enables him/her to prioritize on those matters that are of real importance. He refers to them as matters in the second quadrant and are mainly issues based on value that act as a guide, security and power to the individual (Covey 60). Covey cited in (Covey 65) introduces the ‘brain-dominance’ theory where he states that we should strive to use the right side of the brain which is the perceptive and intuitive part more often. He sta tes that a balanced use of the whole brain gives rise to an effective individual. Roles and goals are then to be considered as part of the focus on the end result. The application suggestions stated under this habit are very helpful as they direct the individual to adopt concise goals and to remain focused in their endeavour to be successful or effective. However, the use of the brain-dominance test is more of personality than character and therefore Covey tends to stray from the initial topic which is to emphasize a strong character ethic. Put first things first Under this habit, Covey cited in (Covey 75) discusses certain aspects of goal setting and the sustenance of a good character ethic. He advises that the individual should practice self management, discipline, time management and goal setting. He states that time management need not be time based but results based since the former tends to bring in an element of routine and eliminates spontaneity which is a crucial part of li fe. According to Covey (Covey 77) the reader should endeavour to be oriented towards creating opportunities rather than being problem minded. He states that the focus on problems derails an individual’s effectiveness and prevents him from meeting set goals. The ability to say ‘no’ is also stated as a necessary part in the prioritizing of an individual’s needs (Covey 78). He adds that scheduling, day planning and delegation where possible all enable an individual to move from problem solving to opportunity utilization (Covey 82). Covey calls for steward delegation where the individual to whom the work is delegated is left to his own means to produce a result rather than gofer delegation where instructions are issued (Covey 86). He states that this is applicable to both the family and organizational setting. The habit attempts to bring focus into an individual’s discipline in meeting set goals and targets. Though it is more oriented towards organizati onal behaviour it can in some sense apply to relationships among family and friends. However, Covey does not suggest anything newer than the already available information on goal setting and priorities. Nevertheless, this does not signify that the need to put first things first is not important for effectiveness. Public Victory Think win-win Covey as cited in (Covey 93) begins this part by putting across an excellent theory of an emotional bank account. This account just like a bank account, involves deposits where an individual does good and positive acts towards others that enable him/her win their trust. Likewise, withdrawals are made from every demand or negative thing an individual does against the same people. He thus calls upon character that creates more deposits than withdrawals by suggesting that individuals understand others, pay attention even to little things, clarify other people’s expectations of them, show personal integrity and apologize when in the wrong. Fr om the above, Covey states that in any dealing, an individual should strive to produce a win-win situation which is palatable to both parties (Covey 103). Win-win situations differ from win-lose situations where competition produces a single winner while the others lose, lose-win situations (Covey 104) where one concedes defeat in order to achieve popularity or any other ulterior motive, lose-lose situations (Covey 105) where individuals prefer that no-one wins and win (Covey 106) situations where an individual doesn’t care about others’ predicaments. Covey cited in (Covey 109) states that to achieve a win-win situation, one should have integrity, maturity and an abundance mentality (where one believes that everyone can benefit). He advises that where a win-win situation is not applicable, it is better to have no deal (Covey 114). This habit is a good idea but its practicability is somewhat questionable. A win-win or no-deal situation is not always likely to produce po sitive results especially where one rejects a good deal because it is not win-win. Its application may be construed in a business sense as naive and may place the organization in a precarious situation. Seek first to understand then to be understood Empathetic communication is emphasized where one places himself in the situation of another so as to understand their point of view (Covey 121). It is differentiated from sympathy which usually does not yield understanding (Covey 122). Covey cited in (Covey 129) emphasizes that individuals develop good communication skills that involve listening, perception and consideration. He introduces the Greek method of ethos, pathos and logos where one establishes trust, empathizes then introduces logic as a means of negotiation and persuasion (Covey 130). This habit is also crucial to effectiveness and Covey hits the nail on the head on its importance and practicability. Communication is also vital not only in organizations but also in personal r elationships and good communication is nourishment for one’s relationships. However, Covey adapts the same overly positive thinking tone he rejects in the preface of the book. Positive thought does not always lead to positive reactions and Covey fails to capture situations where people prefer straightforwardness without involvement of emotion especially in business. Synergize Covey cited in (Covey 134) emphasizes on the importance of individuals working as one to produce positive results. Synergistic gains arise from creative cooperation and respectful communication. He states that though a conflict may arise where there are only two possible results, a third alternative exists and if followed through would generate synergy (Covey 139). Covey calls for the valuing of individual differences as a strength (Covey 142). The force field analysis refers to a situation of balance where an individual is held back by negative forces (Covey 143). Synergy from cooperation helps to break these forces. However good synergy may be effective, Covey again chooses to be overly positive and does not appreciate situations where no synergy can be created e.g. where one party is already biased or is malicious. Synergy would require both parties to be positive minded and while one can be, the other might not be and this is outside one’s circle of influence. Renewal Sharpen the saw To achieve effectiveness, the author suggests that we have to sharpen the saw which involves keeping ourselves in the right state of health and mind for us to meet the set goals and values in our mission statements (Covey 147). Covey states that the individual needs to maintain good spiritual, physical, mental and social/emotional balance. Such balance can be achieved through activities such as healthy eating, exercise, meditation, good music, reading, writing and ‘scripting’ others (Covey 148-155). The author also advocates for learning and committing oneself to positive activi ties while facilitating a paradigm shift or transition in their lives (Covey 162). This is all good for one to remain focussed and to be highly effective. However, the emphasis on the spiritual part and God may leave out people with different views on religion. Conclusion This book attempts to give the reader a good foothold in all areas of life. It is a holistic book and clearly Stephen Covey did set a high standard for other writers to follow in terms of universal appeal and simplistic truths. It is a good guide book and as the author himself suggests, should be read occasionally with the application parts being put into good use. The book may contain some inherent weaknesses as stipulated in my analysis; they are wide apart and mildly insignificant to the overall effect or message of the book. I would recommend the book as a must read for any individual who feels that they need direction and focus in life. Covey, Stephen. The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful les sons in Personal Change. Franklin Covey Co, 1989. Print

Top 10 Grammatical and Spelling Errors of 2011

Top 10 Grammatical and Spelling Errors of 2011 In December 2010 I posted the Top 10 Grammar and Spelling Errors from 2010 and got a record number of hits on my blog and â€Å"likes† on facebook. In the past year as The Essay Expert, I’ve collected a new batch of errors.   I did repeat a couple of things from 2010 that were so persistent I just had to repeat myself! I write these lists in the hope that people will implement what they learn and produce better essays, better resumes, and overall better written materials.   Improved writing gets results when it comes to obtaining jobs, getting into school, landing new clients and keeping the customers youve got.   So read up! 10.   Advice vs. Advise Here’s a note from one of my loyal readers, Christine, who requested that I mention this common mix-up: â€Å"Advice is a noun. An example would be: ‘Brenda provided very useful advice regarding spelling errors.’ Advise is a verb. An example would be: ‘Brenda can you please advise your readers about similarly misused words?’† Thank you Christine for your contribution to my yearly list! 9.   Your vs. You’re You’re is a contraction for â€Å"you are.†Ã‚   If you’re using the word to mean â€Å"you are† (2 words), write it as a contraction.   E.g., Do you know that you’re about to miss the 5:00 train? Your is a possessive pronoun.   E.g., Your train is leaving in 2 minutes. 8.   Tenet vs. Tenant Even our president messed this one up.   A tenet is a belief or ideal of faith.   Tenants rent from landlords.   See The President Makes Grammatical Errors Too. 7.   Sign up vs. sign-up I see this one on the web all the time and it drives me a bit batty.   Sign up is a verb.   Sign-up is an adjective that modifies a noun like form or sheet.   Correct:   â€Å"Sign up here for news and updates† or Go to our sign-up page to register.   Incorrect: â€Å"Sign-up here for news and updates† or Go to our sign up page to register.   For similar examples of proper (and improper) use of phrasal verbs, read my article, Check out this Phrasal Verb Breakdown. 6.   Everyday vs. Every day I wrote a whole article about this one too: Common Grammatical Errors:   Everyday vs. Every Day.   Everyday is an adjective meaning â€Å"common† or â€Å"day-to-day.†   As I’m sure you know, people make everyday grammatical errors every day. 5. â€Å"This† without a referent Make sure that if you use the word This to start a sentence, you help your reader understand what you’re referring to!   The best practice is to use a referent after the word This.   Incorrect:   This will ensure your sentences are understood.   Correct:   This practice will ensure your sentences are understood. 4.   Verbage Verbage does NOT mean â€Å"words†!   Although the OED does have an entry for â€Å"verbage† as a â€Å"rare alternate spelling of verbiage,† Merriam-Webster does not even acknowledge the existence of the word. Verbiage, often misused as well, means excess language. The jury is out as to whether the phrase â€Å"excess verbiage† is redundant- but I’m sticking to it. 3.   Apostrophes (that’s not apostrophe’s!) to make plural nouns With some exceptions which I won’t go into here, plural nouns are formed by adding an s or es to the singular form of the noun–NOT by adding an apostrophe!   The plural of parent is parents; the plural of computer is computers; and the plural of Wednesday is Wednesdays.   No apostrophe needed!   Conversely, possessives ARE formed by adding an apostrophe s.   To speak about an author’s intent, for instance, use the apostrophe s. 2.   Myself Think for a few seconds before you use the word myself in place of me at the end of a sentence.   A sentence like â€Å"George was speaking to my friend Lucy and myself† is grammatically incorrect.   Replacing me with myself has become common, perhaps as an attempt to avoid using the word me.   Think about it.   You would say â€Å"George was speaking to me† so just say â€Å"George was speaking to my friend Lucy and me† NOT   George was speaking to my friend Lucy and myself.   The parts of speech don’t change just because another person was added to the sentence! 1. Comma splice I can’t tell you how often my clients string two full, complete sentences together with a comma.   This error is called a comma splice.   (See Writing Tips:   How to Use Commas and Semicolons Part 2.)   Here’s an example:   â€Å"Simply observing my surroundings was not enough for me, I needed to know how things worked and why they worked in that specific way.† The correct way to punctuate this sentence is â€Å"Simply observing my surroundings was not enough for me; I needed to know how things worked and why they worked in that specific way.† Two full sentences should most often get separated by a period or a semicolon; do NOT use a comma! I look forward to your comments and â€Å"likes.† Best wishes for a grammatically correct 2012!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Brenda Category:UncategorizedBy Brenda BernsteinDecember 26, 2011 7 Comments Kimberly says: December 27, 2011 at 8:25 am Thank you so much for this article. Writing (and speaking) correctly is so important. Question: Verbiage: The verbiage of the document was very clear. Thank you for your expertise. Log in to Reply The Essay Expert says: December 27, 2011 at 10:33 am Thank you for your question Kimberly. In your sentence, I would say The meaning of the document was very clear, or The document was very clearly written, or The language in the document was very clear, or The author used very clear language in the document. Im sure there are many other choices as well! Log in to Reply Ann says: December 27, 2011 at 11:13 am You have helped me so much this year. You have cleared up many of the mistakes that I had made for years. Thank you for this and all your other posts. Log in to Reply The Essay Expert says: December 27, 2011 at 11:19 am Youre welcome Ann! Glad to be making a contribution! Log in to Reply The Essay Expert says: December 27, 2011 at 6:05 pm Thanks for the comment Joan. To me, George was speaking to my friend Lucy and me sounds nicely informal, as well as grammatically correct! Log in to Reply Penelope J. says: December 27, 2011 at 8:34 pm How about misuse of the word I as in George was speaking to my friend Lucy and I? More and more often, I seem to be hearing the pronoun I used in place of me. On occasion, even I get confused as to what is now considered correct grammar. Log in to Reply The Essay Expert says: December 27, 2011 at 8:52 pm Thanks Penelope. I covered that one in last years list so let it be this year 🙂 Log in to Reply

Discretionary Benefits within the Manufacturing Industry Research Paper

Discretionary Benefits within the Manufacturing Industry - Research Paper Example ufacturing businesses and other productive industries in turn offer fringe benefits to their employees to boost their confidence, morale, dedication and commitment (‘affective and normative’) (Aldag and Reschke, 1997). As a result, workers are keen to work better for their employers to ensure accomplishment of goals and targets. (Daft, 2009) and (Kreitner and Kinicki, 2007) The Industry that has been chosen by the researcher for this analysis is US Airline Industry. Indeed, US airline travel industry is one of the largest industries (comprising low cost barriers, regional, national and international airlines) within United States that has been offering its services daily to millions of travellers, visitors, students, business personnel and government officials. This industry provides direct and indirect employment to millions of personnel thereby contributing in USA’s economic well-being, growth and sustainability. US Airways, United Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta, Northwest and other airlines are among the major players. Foreign airlines also offer their travel services in USA. (ZACKS Report, 2010) The benefits offered by employers are divided into two main types namely Monetary Payments (in exchange for services offered) and Discretionary Benefits (they are optional or not mandatory for the producer) to their employees. This paper will throw light over the discretionary or optional benefits offered to workers in the manufacturing industry. There are three major types of discretionary benefits namely Workers’ â€Å"Protection Programs, Paid time-offs, Accommodation and Employee Skills development programs† (Martocchio). This paper will discuss in detail each of the above mentioned benefits to employees, will demonstrate any factors that may influence these benefits within the chosen manufacturing industry and will end up on recommendations that could be used to improve current practices and benefits. (Daft, 2009) The very first discretionary

Haven't decided Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Haven't decided - Essay Example "normal", non-linguistically trained persons think of translation as a text which is some sort of "reproduction" of a text originally produced in another language, with the "reproduction" being of comparable value. Over and above its role as a concept constitutive of translation, "equivalence" is also a fundamental notion for translation criticism. Translations must be conceived as texts, which are doubly bound: on the one hand to its source text and on the other hand to the (potential) recipient's communicative conditions. This double linkage nature is the basis of the so-called "equivalence relation". One of the aims of a theory of translation quality assessment is then to specify and operationalize the equivalence relation by differentiating between a numbers of frameworks of equivalence. For example, extra-linguistic circumstances, connotative and aesthetic values, audience design and last but not least textual and language norms of usage that have emerged from empirical investig ations of parallel texts, contrastive rhetoric and contrastive pragmatic and discourse analyses. The notion of equivalence is the conceptual basis of translation and, to quote Catford, "the central problem of translation-practice is that of finding TL (Target Language) equivalents. A central task of translation theory is therefore that of defining the nature and conditions of translation equivalence" (1965:21). However, the concept of equivalence is also the basis of translation criticism, it is the fundamental criterion of translation quality. Equivalence is a relative concept, and has nothing to do with identity. "Absolute equivalence" would be a contradictio in adiecto. Equivalence is a relative concept in several aspects. It is determined by the socio-historical conditions in which the translation act is embedded, and by the range of often-irreconcilable linguistic and contextual factors, among them at least the following; Source and target languages with their specific structural constraints, the extra-linguistic world, and the way it is "cut up" by the two languages resulting in different representation of reality, the original reflecting particular linguistic and stylistic source language and culture; structural features of the original; target language receptor's expectation norms; the translator's comprehension and interpretation of the original and his "creativity"; the translator's explicit and/or implicit theory of translation; translation traditions in the target culture; interpretation of the original by its a uthor. Given these different types of equivalence in translation, it is clear that - true to the nature of translation as a decision process (Levy 1967) - it is necessary for the translator to make choices, i.e., the translator must set up a hierarchy of demands on equivalence which he wants to follow. It is also clear that the many recent polemical attacks against using the concept of "equivalence" in translation theory, because of its imputed vicinity imputed vicinity to "identity" and formal linguistic equivalence, are quite unfounded. Views of equivalence as simply based on formal, syntactic, and lexical similarities alone have been criticized for a long time- not at least because it has long been recognized that any two linguistic items in two different languages are multiply ambiguous. Further, purely formal definitions of equivalence have long been revealed as

Compass Records Essay Example for Free

Compass Records Essay Backgrounds Alison Brown and her husband Gary West, who were both musicians, founded compass Records in 1995. Compass Records is a small independent recording company that centered on folk and roots music. Compass Records occupies only a tiny part of the 32-billion dollar music recording industry, competing with some multi-national corporations dominating 86% of the business, such as Sony/BMG, Universal Music Group, Warner Music Group, and EMI. However, the industry has witnessed a stagnant growth since 1995, with a decline on annual sales at a compound annual growth rate of 5%. By 2005, Compass Records had grown to include nearly 50 artists under contract and were averaging around 20 releases a year. With 40% of its albums selling over 5,000 units, Compass Records turned a profit on 80% of its titles in 2005. Brown and West also acquired a $100,000 recording studio in May 2004 in order to give the label and its artists more flexibility in the creative process and save $500 a day on studio rental. Problems * (General) Licensing vs. Producing and Own   * Compass Records has to decide between licensing the finished recordings, which is less risky and less expensive with a finite life to the future cash flows associated with the recordings, and producing and owning a master copy, which will be more risky and more expensive with an infinite life to the future cash flows associated with the recordings. * (Specific) How to maximize firm value through the Roscommon decision * Whether to license Adair Roscommon’s music or own the master recording outright.

We Must Raise the Minimum Wage Essay -- Increase Minimum Wage Essays

Minimum wage is the lowest wage an employer can pay their employees. There is a Federal minimum wage and in some cases a State Minimum wage. The current Federal minimum wage is $7.25. An employee who makes $7.25 an hour and works 40 hours a week, will earn about $14,000 per year. The Federal government deemed that the poverty line is anyone who makes less than $17,000 a year (â€Å"Federal Minimum†). Therefore anyone that makes minimum wage lives below the poverty line. As president Obama said in his state of address, "In the wealthiest nation on earth, no one who works full-time should have to live in poverty† (â€Å"Federal Minimum†). This essay will examine the problem of low minimum wage and explore ways to resolve this issue. There are two types of minimum wage in the United States. The first type of minimum wage is a Federal minimum wage. Federal minimum wage is established by the Federal government and is the lowest set amount of money an employer can pay its employee (â€Å"Federal minimum†). On the other hand, an individual State may set its own minimum wage. The States under the Tenth Amendment have the right to accept the federal minimum wage, or states may set their own minimum wage. Roughly 20 or more states have set their own Minimum wage laws. Some states set their own minimum wage because some states have higher cost of living. An example of cost of living is the price of gasoline. Gasoline in the state of Hawaii cost just about four dollars per gallon, where as the state of Oklahoma cost roughly three dollars a gallon ("Update: Minimum Wage"). Economists point to inflation as the main cause for low minimum wage. Inflation is described as â€Å"a general increase in prices and fall in the purchasing value of mone... ...e Minimum Wage Is Stuck at $7.25; It Should Be $21.16 — or Higher." Inequality.org. Inequality, Facts On File 24 July 2012. Web. 16 Oct. 2013. Berfield, Susan. "Fast-Food Wages Come With a $7 Billion Side of Public Assistance." BloombergBusiness. N.p., 15 Oct. 2013. Web. 16 Oct. 2013. "Federal Minimum Wage." Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 13 May 2013. Web. 15 Oct. 2013 Henderson, David R. "Raising the Minimum Wage Will Not Reduce Poverty." Poverty. Ed. Viqi Wagner. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2007. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "The Negative Effects of the Minimum Wage." National Center for Policy Analysis, Brief Analysis. Vol. 550. 2006. Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 6 Nov. 2013. "Update: Minimum Wage." Issues & Controversies On File: n. pag. Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 15 July 2009. Web. 3 Nov. 2013.

The Gift of Life

The Gift of Life by Deborah Greenspan One of the greatest miracles of modern medicine is the ability to successfully transplant human organs, such as kidneys, corneas and hearts, into human beings who would die otherwise. At this very moment, 48,000 people are waiting hopefully for organ transplants (Tenery 20). Seven of these unfortunates will die each day because there are no organs to be had (Hans 84). For them the wait is over. Today, I'm going to tell you why you should become an organ donor and perhaps save the life of one or more of these people. People whose organs don't function properly live half lives hat affect not just themselves but everyone they love as well– their children, their spouses, their mothers, fathers, family and friends. An individual whose kidneys don't function can't develop and cultivate a career. A child whose heart is weak can't get out and run with her friends. A man with a bad liver may not be able to keep his job. Thus candidates for organ do nation feel guilty. They become invalids, unable to spend quality time with those they love, and fearful of the burden they are placing on their families. Let me make this real for you. Her name was Claire. She was the mother of two small children.When her kidneys stopped functioning, she felt that her life was over. Three times a week she spent half a day in dialysis and the rest of the day recovering from the procedure. She never had any energy and was always exhausted. Her illness added 20 years to her appearance and the constant battle with the side effects of the drugs took its toll. When she became a candidate for a kidney, she was happier than she'd ever been in her life. Unfortunately, she died before an organ became available. It's too late to save Claire, or to repair her children's lives, but there is something each of us an do to help others like her. We can carry a donor card. A donor card can be carried around in your wallet. It tells doctors that if you die your organ s can be used to benefit those like Claire who need them. According to Shanteau and Harris, editors of Organ Donation and Transplantation, one donor can provide more than 12 different organs and tissues, yet other studies have found that while most people have a positive attitude toward organ donation, few actually carry donor cards. For instance, a study by the Transportation Council of Southern California found that 77 % of the respondents had a ositive attitude toward organ donation, but 1% of those same people carried donor cards. According to Mary Ellen Anton, R. N. , â€Å"Misinformation, or the lack of information, can be one of the greatest barriers to organ donation. † A common myth regarding organ donation is that organs will be taken before death has occurred. People also fear excessive costs to their families, and some also believe their religion does not support organ donation. These myths actually have little substance. Death in the form of an absence of brain a ctivity has to be established before organs are taken. There s no cost to the family of the donor, and most religions do support organ donation. It's easy enough to check with your minister, priest, or rabbi. Organ donation is an incredible gift. It can save the life of the one who receives it, but strangely, it also helps the family of the one who died. According to Ellen Heck, director of transplant services at the University of Texas, â€Å"Families have told us that donation was the one thing that helped them through the loss. † Think about this carefully. It could be your child or your best friend who needs a kidney. If more people carried donor ards Claire might be alive today, and her daughter, who is only four, might be sitting on her lap right now laughing. In closing let me recap what I've told you. People whose organs don't function properly–and they could be anyone–need you to be an organ donor. Imagine a child opens her eyes and witnesses a brillian t sunrise for the first time. Her organ donor made that possible. By donating your organs you will give the gift of life and make your own death a meaningful one. Take the literature, read it, sign it, and carry a donor card. It's the right thing to do. Thank you.

CIPD Foundation CERTIFICATE in human resource Essay

The Human Resource Professional Map (HPRM) Activity 01 Introduction: The Human Resource Map (HRPM) was developed by the CIPD it was created by generalists and specialists within the CIPD/HR environments to explain how HR add value to any organisation within the UK and around the world. The (HRMP) is a guideline/benchmarked on line tool which can help individuals and organisations identify immediate and future development needs. The purpose of this (HRPM) is to capture the key skills required for the successful and effective Human Resource Function. The HRPM gives direction and shows what needs to be done, what the individual needs to know and do to go forward in the development of a professional/personal career adventure. The (HRPM) has 3 main areas which have been summarised in table 01 with a brief overview 10 Professional areas – includes the 2 core Professional areas (listed in brief overview 1,2) Insights strategy, and solutions Leading and managing. The remaining eight Organisational design, resource and talent planning, Performance and reward, Employee relations, Organisational development, learning and talent development, employee engagement, Service delivery and information. 1. Insight strategy and solutions- This is the heart of the (HRPM) Deep understanding/support of the business/industry is required. Ability to provide good solutions/insights/plans of action, aligning business and HR strategy. 2. Leading and Managing the (HR) Function. Here active leadership is key. Great emphasis on people, culture and change. Providing active insight led leadership owning, shaping and driving themselves and others. Managing budgets/finance/design and development. Resource/talent planning The above two core areas apply to all practitioners no matter where they are placed on the 4 bands. The above two core areas extend across the eight other areas. 8 Behaviours Curious, Decisive thinker, Skilled influencer, Personally credible, Collaborative, Driven to deliver, Courage to challenge, Role model Shows how work activities should be carried out. 8 specific behaviours that HR professionals need to develop. These are the relevant/necessary skills required throughout every stage of the HR career path. Linked to the 4 bands and each transition stage. 4 bands and Transitions Band 01- Support admin/process, is customer orientated. Band 02- Advise/manage HR issues. Band 03- lead/consult, address HR/organisational change. Band 04 – Lead and manage professional areas of the business. Area of competence defines what Practitioners need to do to progress through the bands. Band one for people at the start of the career scale and moves up to band four for a more senior Practitioner band level. Conclusion The HRPM is a valuable tool to identify immediate and future development needs. It is relevant and applicable to HR practitioners operating anywhere in the world in all sectors/organisations of any shape or size. It sets the highest standards of professional competence for all organisations. Activity: 1.1 Identify a Professional Area from either Band 01 or 02 HR Administrator Role Introduction: This activity will examine and discuss what an HR Administrator does. It will explain that there is no set rule as to what behaviours to use with any one particular role. It really does depend on many process variables within the organisations for example the size of the organisation, the culture, management style, the responsibilities of the role; this can be different in public/private sector organisations. In some small companies there may not be an HR organisation; and the responsibility of HR matters will be captured by line managers and business owners. HR covers a large variety of roles and activities; the 2 core areas insight strategy and solutions and leading and managing apply to all HR professionals no matter where they are placed within the four bands. These two core areas will always extend across the eight other areas. The range and scope of HR activities is very vast and can show an enormous range and variation across the business units, organisation, industries and societies. This is why you will need a wide range of skills for most HR professional roles. A broad sense of business knowledge, each role has its own special requirement beyond the general skill set. Someone taking on an entry level job in HR may not be expected to have all the specific knowledge, but must be ready to learn it quickly or be in targeted training courses. We will now look at the most essential activities, skills and knowledge required to work in band 02 within in the role of HR Administrator: Job Descriptions: For every staff position within an organisation there must be a corresponding job description/job specification and person specification. In this instance we will be looking at the job description only for the HR administration role. This document provides an understanding of the position and accurately and fully describes the role. The job description will identify the skills, knowledge and abilities necessary to perform the (HR Administration role) at band level 02. We know from looking at the above HRPM map summary that the skills for the HR administrator role that we are using for this activity comes under band 02 at this level staff will advise or manage HR related issues. Also again depending on which role is being carried out within the HR area for example the behaviours deemed essential for an HR administrator at band level 02 Talent and development would be: 1. Drive to deliver 2. Personally credible 3. Curious HR Administrator will work to ensure values, behaviours, expectations flow through the organisations procedures, process and intranet and other systems of communication. Activity: 1.1 HR Administrator will work to ensure values, behaviours, expectations flow through the organisations procedures, process and intranet and other systems of communication.

Facts and History of Kuwait

Facts and History of Kuwait Kuwaits government is a constitutional monarchy headed by the hereditary leader, the emir.  The Kuwaiti emir is a member of the Al Sabah family, which has ruled the country since 1938; the current monarch is Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. The capital of Kuwait is Kuwait City, with a population 151,000 and with a metro area population of 2.38 million.   Population According to the US Central Intelligence Agency, the total population of Kuwait is about 2.695 million, which includes 1.3 million non-nationals.  Kuwaits government, however, maintains that there are 3.9 million people in Kuwait, of whom 1.2 million are Kuwaiti.   Among the actual Kuwaiti citizens, approximately 90% are Arabs and 8% are of Persian (Iranian) descent.  There are also a small number of Kuwaiti citizens whose ancestors came from India. Within the guest worker and expatriate communities, Indians make up the largest group at nearly 600,000.  There are an estimated 260,000 workers from Egypt, and 250,000 from Pakistan.  Other foreign nationals in Kuwait include Syrians, Iranians, Palestinians, Turks, and smaller numbers of Americans and Europeans. Languages Kuwaits official language is Arabic.  Many Kuwaitis speak the local dialect of Arabic, which is an amalgam of Mesopotamian Arabic of the southern Euphrates branch, and Peninsular Arabic, which is the variant most common on the Arabian Peninsula.  Kuwaiti Arabic also includes many loan words from Indian languages and from English.  English is the most commonly used foreign language for business and commerce. Religion Islam is the official religion of Kuwait.  Approximately 85% of Kuwaitis are Muslim; of that number, 70% are Sunni and 30% are Shia, mostly of the Twelver school.  Kuwait has tiny minorities of other religions among its citizens, as well.  There are about 400 Christian Kuwaitis, and about 20 Kuwaiti Bahais.   Among the guest workers and ex-pats, approximately 600,000 are Hindu, 450,000 are Christian, 100,000 are Buddhist, and about 10,000 are Sikhs.  The remainder are Muslim.  Because they are People of the Book, Christians in Kuwait are allowed to build churches and keep a certain number of clergy, but proselytizing is forbidden.  Hindus, Sikhs, and Buddhists are not allowed to build temples or gurdwaras. Geography Kuwait is a small country, with an area of 17,818 sq km (6,880 sq miles); in comparative terms, it is slightly smaller than the island nation of Fiji.  Kuwait has about 500 kilometers (310 miles) of coastline along the Persian Gulf.  It borders on Iraq to the north and west, and Saudi Arabia to the south. The Kuwaiti landscape is a flat desert plain.  Only 0.28% of the land is planted in permanent crops, in this case, date palms.  The country has a total of 86 square miles of irrigated cropland. Kuwaits highest point doesnt have any particular name, but it stands 306 meters (1,004 feet) above sea level.   Climate Kuwaits climate is a desert one, characterized by hot summer temperatures, a short, cool winter, and minimal rainfall.  Annual rainfall averages between 75 and 150 mm (2.95 to 5.9 inches).  Average high temperatures in the summer are a toasty 42 to 48 °C (107.6 to 118.4 °F).  The all-time high, recorded on July 31, 2012, was 53.8 °C (128.8 °F), measured at Sulaibya.  This is also the record high for the entire Middle East. March and April often witness large dust storms, which sweep in on the northwesterly winds from Iraq.  Thunderstorms also accompany the winter rains in November and December. Economy Kuwait is the fifth richest country on Earth, with a GDP of $165.8 billion US, or $42,100 US per capita.  Its economy is based primarily on petroleum exports, with the major recipients being Japan, India, South Korea, Singapore, and China.  Kuwait also produces fertilizers and other petrochemicals, engages in financial services, and maintains an ancient tradition of pearl diving in the Persian Gulf.  Kuwait imports almost all of its food, as well as most products from clothing to machinery.   Kuwaits economy is quite free, compared with its Middle Eastern neighbors.  The government is hoping to encourage the tourism and regional trade sectors to reduce the countrys dependence on oil exports for income.  Kuwait has known oil reserves of about 102 billion barrels. The unemployment rate is 3.4% (2011 estimate).  The government does not release figures for percent of the population living in poverty. The countrys currency is the Kuwaiti dinar.  As of March 2014, 1 Kuwaiti dinar $3.55 US. History During ancient history, the area that is now Kuwait was often a hinterland of more powerful neighboring areas.  It was linked with Mesopotamia as early as the Ubaid era, beginning roughly 6,500 BCE, and with Sumer around 2,000 BCE.   In the interim, between about 4,000 and 2,000 BCE, a local empire called the Dilmun Civilization controlled the bay of Kuwait, from which it directed trade between Mesopotamia and the Indus Valley civilization in what is now Pakistan.  After Dilmun collapsed, Kuwait became part of the Babylonian Empire around 600 BCE.  Four hundred years later, the Greeks under Alexander the Great colonized the area. The Sassanid Empire of Persia conquered Kuwait in 224 CE.  In 636 CE, the Sassanids fought and lost the Battle of Chains in Kuwait, against the armies of a new faith that had arisen on the Arabian Peninsula.  It was the first move in Islams rapid expansion in Asia.  Under the caliphs rule, Kuwait once again became a major trading port connected to the Indian Ocean trade routes. When the Portuguese muscled their way into the Indian Ocean in the fifteenth century, they seized a number of trading ports including the bay of Kuwait.  Meanwhile, the Bani Khalid clan founded what is now Kuwait City in 1613, as a series of small fishing villages.  Soon Kuwait was not only a major trade hub but also a legendary fishing and pearl diving site.  It traded with various parts of the Ottoman Empire in the 18th century and became a shipbuilding center. In 1775, the Zand Dynasty of Persia laid siege to Basra (in coastal southern Iraq) and occupied the city.  This lasted until 1779 and greatly benefited Kuwait, as all of Basras trade got diverted to Kuwait instead.  Once the Persians withdrew, the Ottomans appointed a governor for Basra, who also administered Kuwait.  In 1896, tensions between Basra and Kuwait reached a peak, when the sheik of Kuwait accused his brother, the emir of Iraq, of seeking to annex Kuwait. In January 1899, the Kuwaiti sheik, Mubarak the Great, made an agreement with the British under which Kuwait became an informal British protectorate, with Britain controlling its foreign policy.  In exchange, Britain held off both the Ottomans and the Germans from interfering in Kuwait.  However, in 1913, Britain signed the Anglo-Ottoman Convention just before the outbreak of World War I, which defined Kuwait as an autonomous region within the Ottoman Empire, and the Kuwaiti sheiks as Ottoman sub-governors.   Kuwaits economy went into a tailspin in the 1920s and 1930s.  However, oil was discovered in 1938, with its promise of future petrol-riches.  First, however, Britain took direct control of Kuwait and Iraq on June 22, 1941, as World War II erupted in its full fury.  Kuwait would not gain full independence from the British until June 19, 1961. During the Iran/Iraq War of 1980-88, Kuwait supplied Iraq with massive amounts of aid, fearful of Irans influence after the Islamic Revolution of 1979.  In retaliation, Iran attacked Kuwaiti oil tankers, until the US Navy intervened.  Despite this earlier support for Iraq, on August 2, 1990, Saddam Hussein ordered the invasion and annexation of Kuwait.  Iraq claimed that Kuwait was actually a rogue Iraqi province; in response, a US-led coalition launched the First Gulf War and ousted Iraq.   Retreating Iraqi troops took revenge by setting fire to Kuwaits oil wells, creating enormous environmental problems.  The emir and the Kuwaiti government returned to Kuwait City in March of 1991 and instituted unprecedented political reforms, including parliamentary elections in 1992.  Kuwait also served as the launchpad for the US-led invasion of Iraq in March of 2003, at the start of the Second Gulf War.

Kernel Sentence Definition and Examples

Kernel Sentence Definition and Examples In transformational grammar, a kernel sentence is a  simple declarative construction with only one verb. A kernel sentence is always active and affirmative. Also known as a basic sentence or a kernel. The concept of the kernel sentence was introduced in 1957 by linguist Z.S. Harris and featured in the early work of linguist Noam Chomsky. Examples and Observations According to writer Shefali Moitra, A kernel sentence does not contain any optional expression and is simple in the sense that it is unmarked in mood, therefore, it is indicative. It is also unmarked in voice, therefore, it is active rather than passive. And, finally, it is unmarked in polarity, therefore, it is a positive rather than a negative sentence. An example of a kernel sentence is The man opened the door, and an example of a non-kernel sentence is The man did not open the door.M.P. Sinha, PhD, scholar and writer, offers more examples: Even a sentence with an adjective, gerund, or infinitive is not a kernel sentence.(i) This is a black cow is made of two kernel sentences.This is a cow and The cow is black.(ii) I saw them crossing the river is made of I saw them and They were crossing the river.(iii) I want to go is made of I want and I go. Chomsky on Kernel Sentences According to American linguist, Noam Chomsky, [E]very sentence of the language will either belong to the kernel or will be derived from the strings underlying one or more kernel sentences by a sequence of one or more transformations. . . . [I]n order to understand a sentence it is necessary to know the kernel sentences from which it originates (more precisely, the terminal strings underlying these kernel sentences) and the phrase structure of each of these elementary components, as well as the transformational history of development of the given sentence from those kernel sentences. The general problem of analyzing the process understanding is thus reduced, in a sense, to the problem of explaining how kernel sentences are understood, these being considered the basic content elements from which the usual, more complex sentences of real life are formed by transformational development. Transformations British linguist P. H. Matthews says, A kernel clause which is both a sentence and a simple sentence, like His engine has stopped or The police have impounded his car, is a kernel sentence. Within this model, the construction of any other sentence, or any other sentence that consists of clauses, will be reduced to that of kernel sentences wherever possible. Thus the following: The police have impounded the car which he left outside the stadium. is a kernel clause, with transforms Have the police impounded the car which he left outside the stadium? and so on. It is not a kernel sentence, as it is not simple. But the relative clause, which he left outside the stadium, is a transform of the kernel sentences He left a car outside the stadium, He left the car outside the stadium, He left a bicycle outside the stadium, and so on. When this modifying clause is set aside, the remainder of the main clause, The police have impounded the car, is itself a kernel sentence. Sources Chomsky, Noam. Syntactic Structures, 1957; rev. ed, Walter de Gruyter, 2002. Matthews, P. H. Syntax. Cambridge University Press, 1981. Moitra, Shefali. Generative Grammar and Logical Form. Logic Identity and Consistency, edited by Pranab Kumar Sen. Allied Publishers, 1998. Sinha, M.P., PhD, Modern Linguistics. Atlantic Publishers, 2005.

International Finance and Banking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

International Finance and Banking - Essay Example In 1965 the Northern Rock Building Society was formed as a consequence of union between the two North East building societies. The bank was nationalized in 2008. Concise summary of the facts of the case In the year 2007, the country of United Kingdom experienced the bank run for the first time in over 140 years. At that time the bank under consideration was not significantly large as it was ranked 7th taking the total assets in consideration. But the bank played a significant role in retail banking business. The bank also had its mark as a mortgage lender. About a decade ago, the bank transformed itself from a mutual building society to retail deposits as well as mortgages. The depositors queued outside the bank to withdraw the deposits. It was feared that it could shed its impact on the deposits of the bank. After repeated attempted failures to secure a purchaser operating in the private sector, the government took the initiative to nationalize the bank. The bank now operates as a b ank that is fully owned by the state. Since then, the government has acquired substantial stakes of equity in other banks of Britain as a part of the general program of re-capitalization (Llewellyn, n.d. p. 1). After the Bank of England made an announcement on liquidity support on an emergency basis for the bank, the depositors started to queue up outside the branches with the objective to withdraw the deposits they made in the bank. The television news channels broadcasted the news that the bank has sought for the support of bank of England on the previous evening. However the damage was complete well before the run made by the current account holders. A sign of subprime crisis could be felt from the month of July in the markets for short term funds. The crisis began to apply stresses on the balance sheet as well as the off balance sheet items sponsored by the bank. The bank depended heavily on non retail funding. The retail deposits constituted only 23 percent of the liabilities t ill the summer months of the year 2007. The short term borrowing constituted the rest of the funding. (Shin, 2008, p. 3). The above figure shows the beginning of the situation of crisis. The ABCP or Asset backed commercial paper was regarded as the favoured way for the vehicles of off balance sheet to fund the holdings of mortgage that are related to assets. But the real question which came up in that situation was not directed to find the reason behind the running of the retail depositors. Decision makers were more concerned on sudden drying up of the short term deposits which the bank enjoyed before the month of August, 2007. More emphasis was given on to find the reason on why the lenders operating in the market for capital suddenly decided to deny lending to other banks. (Shin, 2008, p. 10). The above figure shows the comparison of liabilities of the bank both before and after the run. The bar on the left hand side shows the main components of the liabilities of the bank at the end of the month of June, 2007 (Rafferty, 2008, p. 4). The bar at the right hand side shows the liabilities after the run and support in terms of liquidity by the Bank of England. The most glaring picture which comes out from the figure is the difference of the liability to the Bank of England at the end of the year 2007. Response of the financial markets A problem for all banks during the middle of the year, 2007 was the turbulence in the

Current Threats to Maritime Activity Research Paper

Current Threats to Maritime Activity - Research Paper Example However, a huge threat is also imposed by poor relationships among countries since it hinders the deterrence and capture of terrorist elements. This paper found that increased international cooperation is essential to minimizing threats to maritime activities. Maritime activities are essential to trade and socioeconomic development. It is on the sea that many countries rely on the production and transportation of goods. However, countries and private industries face a worsening threat in maritime activities because of the growing and re-emerging threats at sea. These threats include terrorism, piracy, drug trafficking, oil smuggling, and transportation of criminal elements and materials (Gilbride & Nash, 2004). As Gilbride and Nash note, â€Å"oceans are the largest ungoverned space on the planet,† which makes the sea a greater security challenge for the global community. In 2004, then President George W. Bush emphasized that the American government is intent on disrupting every enemy threats (as cited in â€Å"National Strategy,† 2005), including those at sea. The first step towards a safer maritime environment is the identification of threats posed by criminal entities. Most of these are related either directly or indirectly to terrorism and pose serious economic threats to every nation around the world. Deng (1997) enumerates five types of activities that fall under maritime activities: â€Å"(1) state politics, including military operations, expansion, administration, diplomacy, exile, rebellions, and popular movements against the state; (2) cultural exchange; (3) expeditions; (4) immigration; and (5) trade.† Although the five activities Deng enumerated above are all essential to national development and security, the first and the last ones create the greatest impact for any country. Hence, this paper will focus on