Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Definition Of Quality And Quality - 911 Words

P8/P9 The term quality is applied to manufactured products or service to meet the required standard in order to please customer needs. Most industries set this standard to adjust in order to meet better benefit both, industry and customer. Definitions of Quality Around society, there are many ways to define what quality is. The most common definitions for quality are below. All of them in some way or the other are right, as there is no right definition but they each have a key element of what quality means to users of products and services. †¢ A degree of excellence †¢ Conformance to requirements †¢ Totality of characteristics which act to satisfy a need †¢ Fitness for use †¢ Fitness for purpose †¢ Freedom from defects †¢ Delighting customers Reliability comes from acquiring high quality standards. Definition of Reliability Reliability is the probability an item will function correctly when needed, for the period required, in the specified environment. An all encompassing definition for reliability is the chance of success . With success defined by whatever measure you wish to use. In a manufactured product the reliability comes from its inherent design, materials-of-construction, precision of manufacture and operating stresses received when used in-service. In the service industry reliability come from robustness of service process design, strength of client support, follow-through on your promises and staying in business over the years. Measuring Reliability †¢ Reliability isShow MoreRelatedDefinition Of Exclusivity On Quality1362 Words   |  6 Pagescreate exclusivity? What is the history of exclusivity? Where does exclusivity stand in our culture? Is exclusivity about quality? Is it about value? This proposal will provide different ways of exploring exclusivity and how it could be linked to branding. Firstly, I think it is very important to say that exclusivity is omnipresent in today’s culture. What is culture? By definition, culture is the set of values, conventions, or social practices associated with a particular field, activity or socialRead MoreThe Definitions Of Skills And Qualities Essay1000 Words   |  4 PagesAim: This report will analyse and evaluate the definitions of skills and qualities that are necessary to social work, and assess which is the most important to be an effective social worker, by discussing the skills and qualities obtained in previous or current experiences. Limitations: The sources were mainly based on secondary research, this means that it could be unreliable and outdated due to changes over time as some data could be insignificant to this present situation and it could also provideRead MoreDefinition Of Total Quality Management750 Words   |  3 PagesQuality Glossary Definition: TQM A core definition of total quality management (TQM) describes a management approach to long–term success through customer satisfaction. In a TQM effort, all members of an organization participate in improving processes, products, services, and the culture in which they work. ________________________________________ Total Quality Management TQM, also known as total productive maintenance, describes a management approach to long-term success through customer satisfactionRead MoreDefinition Of Quality And Customer Retention951 Words   |  4 Pagesdiscussed why it necessary to have a clears definition of quality and what customer satisfaction is .The first point that this article makes is summed exactly by the first line of the abstract that, â€Å"No consensus has been reached on a definition for quality; the term is defined differently for products and services, for different industries, and for different levels of dimensionality† (Wick, Rothelin, 2009, p.1) This study investigates the major definitions of quality and the antecedents of customer retentionRead MoreDefinition Of Health Care Quality1657 Words   |  7 PagesThe definition of health care quality has changed significantly over the years. Depending on who is asked (doctor, patient, nurse etc.), the definition can vary; howeve r there are always some similarities. There are two definitions expressed by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) that I believe adequately express my view on health care quality. One definition is from the Institute of Medicine that states health care quality is â€Å"safe, effective, patient-centered, timely, efficientRead MoreDefinition Of Total Quality Management1798 Words   |  8 PagesAssignment On Total Quality Management Submitted by Dated â€Æ' Contents Introduction 3 Thesis Statement 4 What Is Total Quality Management 4 Definitions of TQM 5 The Concept of Continuous Improvement by TQM 7 Total Quality Management Principles 8 1. Customer focus 8 2. Employee skills development 9 3. Operations improvement 9 4. Integrated system 9 5. Strategic Approach 10 6. Constant change 10 7. Strengthen leadership 10 8. Effectiveness in communication 11 Implementation of TQM 11 Executives’ responsibility:Read MoreDefinition Of Quality Service And Service2140 Words   |  9 PagesTable of Contents Our Mission Mission Statement Definition of Quality Service Hospitality vs Service Customer Service Basics Introduction of Customer Service How to Achieve Outstanding Customer Service The First Impression Steps for Attaining Superior Quality of Service Service Personnel Etiquette (Do’s Dont’s) Dealing With Difficult Customers Communicating With Unsatisfied Customer Solving the Customers Problem(s) Management Managing Change Managing Conflict OUR MISSION MissionRead MoreThe Definitions Of Management And Quality Assurances743 Words   |  3 PagesOn occasion it is necessary to remove from use certain raw materials, packaging materials, or finished products due to processing problems or other reasons. Until the disposition is determined of the material is discarded, Quality Assurances places material on hold/blocked stock in SAP and /or attaches a â€Å"hold Tag† to prevent material use and notifies those affected by the hold. Once the material /batch are placed on hold per SOP H740, the area Group Leader or designee transfers the material/batchRead MoreDefinition Of Total Quality Management1555 Words   |  7 PagesBusinessDictionary.com defines Total Quality Management (TQM) as a holistic approach to long-term success that views continuous improvement in all aspects of an organization as a process and not as a short-term goal. It aims to radically transform the organization through progressive changes in the attitudes, practices, structures, and systems. Total quality management transcends the product quality approach, involves everyone in the organization, and encompasses its every function: administrationRead MoreDefinition Of Total Quality Management1946 Words   |  8 Pages Total Quality Management is the concept of processes and integration all of functions in an organization in order that to focus on quality control and approach to long-term success will continue improvement in all aspects but not short- term goal. TQM of business plan began in 1980 in the United States. It was popular until early 1990. Nowadays, in the small business to large business, including restaurant and fast food businesses that used system quality standards to manage the organization because

Monday, December 16, 2019

Things Fall Apart Novel Free Essays

The novel Things Fall Apart written by Chinua Achebe, is a story based on a tribe in a village known as Ibo. The story takes place in the late 1800’s in Africa. The author shares the life of traditional beliefs and customs of the tribe through the life of the main character, Okonkwo. We will write a custom essay sample on Things Fall Apart Novel or any similar topic only for you Order Now Okonkwo was considered, by most, to be a tragic hero. Through Okonkwo’s life, the author will show how the Igbo religion played an important role in the way they raised their families, governed their society, communicated and entertained. The Ibo’s religious beliefs was the essential strength and backbone to their everyday structure. The reader will travel with Okonkwo as he goes through opportunities that bring him success, but also the poor choices and circumstances that bring him to a state of deterioration. My argument is to demonstrate the Igbo belief in having a relationship in following the religious beliefs worshipping their Gods and Goddesses. In addition, there is conflict when two cultures mesh together. The imposing culture that is more powerful will change the aspects of the weaker culture’s way of life. For instance, the religious beliefs of Christianity within colonialism created conflicts among the Ibo culture and impacted Okonkwo in a negative way. Okonkwo is portrayed as a well known courageous and wealthy man within his tribe. He does not like his father due to his lack of hard work and providing for his family. Okonkwo father’s achievements were limited, because of this Okonkwo wants to be everything his father was not. Okonkwo, has several positive attributes within his character as he strives to be a hard worker to create his own meaning behind his name through becoming wealthy and becoming a courageous warrior in the tribal conflict Umuofia and the surrounding villages. The Ibo’s believed in many gods and goddesses. There religious practices are similar to the Egyptian and Greek religions.The Ibo religion is connected closely to nature and its elements. The Ibo tribe worships several Gods related to the their agriculture and farming. The tribe has the belief that making peace with the gods will ensure a good harvest. This is illustrated on page 17 when Unoka is being told that, â€Å"†¦when a man is at peace with the gods and his ancestors, his harvest will be good or bad according to the strength of his arm.† This particular quote is evidence of the importance their ancestors played in their religion. The tribe often prayed and consulted the spirits for approval and advice. It was believed through good deeds and devotion to their gods and ancestors, that good fortune will follow. A negative characteristic Okonkwo has is his quick, sometimes impulsive, actions of violence against other people to try and prove his point. Okonkwo resorts to violence for fear of being perceived as weak from within his tribe. Okonkwo worked his farmland and was successful. Farming was considered one of the best paying jobs in the Ilbo culture. He worked devotedly on his crops during planting and harvesting seasons, and with fear of failure driving his life, He â€Å"ruled his household with a heavy hand†(pg.10). His wives and children recognized Okonkwo’s quick temper, but suffered his violence on occasion.When his third wife forgot to cook his supper and feed his children,Okonkwo’s had beaten her brutally. Even though he was reminded of the ban of violence during the Week of Peace he did not stop. Because he broke one of the sacred laws of their religion, Okonkwo is forced to make a sacrifice to the earth goddess in repentance. Having control of your wives and children indicates success in a man in the Ilbo culture. â€Å"No matter how prosperous a man was, if he was unable to rule his woman and his children he was not really a man.† (pg 45).This is evidence of another religious ritual in the Ibo tribe. The migration of the Englanders affected the Umuofia’s religion and facilitated conflict and doubt on the tribes religious beliefs and practices. Introducing Christianity to the villagers, more so the younger generations, lost their roots of their traditional customs. The colonization was the main source of Okaonkwo’s tragedy because they were unfamiliar with Umofia’s. How to cite Things Fall Apart Novel, Papers

Sunday, December 8, 2019

HR Challenges Faced by McDonald-Free-Samples-Myassignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the HR Challenges Faced by McDonald. Answer: Project 1 The report argues upon the newspaper article which states about McDonaldss employee dissatisfaction and steps to be taken to resolve these issues. Background of the company is been discusses along with organisational structure it follow, its business performance, HR practices and policies that company use to follow. The entire problem is figured out and challenges suffering by McDonalds is been discussed. The Guardian on 28th November 2017, posted an article in its newspaper quoting about workers exploitation in McDonalds, Malaysia. The workers were appointed by the way of certain agent and particular salary was confirmed to them before joining McDonalds. But afterward the promise was not fulfilled. They were getting 60p per day as salary and their basic wage was deducted by 25%. Nepal workers feel much more cheated as their passports were also seized by employment agency and even after completion of their contract they were not allowed to move to their homes. The workers were not given appropriate accommodations and argued that one room was shared by around 18 people. Further, they argued that these employees are of employment agencies and not of McDonald's. The companys employee expatriates, as well as natives, should treat them equally and they must fulfill their duties regarding the employee's comfort and satisfaction at work (Pattisson, 2016). About McDonalds McDonalds was founded by Raymond Albert Kroc (normally stated as Ray Kroc). Ray Kroc was a distributor of Multimixer. Richard and Maurice McDonald were two brothers who used to sell hamburger. Ray came to know about these McDonald brothers and the way they were using the Multimixer. Later on, Ray took the franchisee of McDonalds and from that step, till now McDonalds is growing with every passing moment. The first restaurant of McDonalds was inaugurated in 1955 in Des Plaines, Illinois. In present times, McDonalds own around 33,000 restaurants in about 119 countries adding on varieties of burgers and soft drinks (McDonalds, 2017). Major HR challenges faced by McDonalds In todays market where there is cut throat competition, every organisation is facing multiple challenges and one of the major challenges that all kind of organisations faces are HR issues (Lawler, 2014). Some of the challenges that McDonalds faces are stated under: Demographic changes: There are different kinds of employees working for the organisation. It is difficult to create balance between each and every member of staff. It is tough job to understand the cultural and traditional aspect of each individual and it is even hard for the employee to grasp the entirely new environment. Skill gaps: Equal treatment should be given to every employee on the basis of skills. Advanced skills need to be taught to new employees. There is a general conflict between employees who are less skills and one who is highly skilled standing on the same pay and same platform. This gap should be bridged up smartly. Retaining the workforce: The major challenge that prevails is retention of employees. Measures need to be undertaken to figure out the reason of frequent turnover and quick actions are required to repair those gaps. They should be made to learn new things. Matching the pace with technology: Technology is the crucial aspect in all sought of business. Though McDonalds is highly technological but still it need improvisation and updating to render quick services and making the employees even more advanced. Managing the global operations: Since globalisation has took over the market there is a need to maintain and increase the speed so that coordination can be developed with the world (Future HR trends, 2017). Organisational structure and business performance of McDonalds As studied earlier, McDonalds is the largest food chain operating. It has selected the market entry in different countries by the way of franchising. Its aim is to satisfy the customers and providing them the best place to sit and have something great to feed one. The stakeholders attached with the McDonalds are first of all its customers, employees and competitors. It follows the macro environment conditions. At the time of recession it faced loses as the operational unit have to co-operate with the countries in which it is operating. Also legal norms of distinct countries need to be learned and those rules and regulations should be obeyed as well. Since it is the broad and expanding company the span of control is also wide ranging from one department to another department. The information passes from departments to sub-departments and then from supervisor to its staff. The system is entirely centralized and employees can perform certain administrative tasks. They could update the p ersonal information and could take leaves by performing self-services. The company tracks the flat organisational structure where the manager has responsibility of small bunch of employees. The staffs revert to the dynamism in positive manner. This system gives right to every level of employees from top level to middle level and from superior to low level employees each one consists of certain liberty and sense of specific responsibility beyond which they cannot perform the activities. Quoting below the chart of McDonalds depicting the flow of work in the company: Figure1.1 Organisational structure of McDonald's. (Source: Merinachhetri, 2014). There is a predefined hierarchy that is prevailing in the McDonalds, starting from General Manager and ending up on the crew members. Figure1. 2 International hierarchy of McDonald's. (Source: Merinachhetri, 2014). HR Policies and Practices of McDonalds Human resource practices and policies involve enormous measures. There are labour law which the company abides of. Employment laws need to be followed so as to prevent the workers exploitation and build an authentic and trustworthy image in the external environment (Gould, 2013). Thus, the HR policies and practices used by McDonalds are: Employee retention program: Employee retention is the measure to lower the employee turnover rate. It assists in decreasing the rate of absenteeism. For initiating the retention program appraisal should be opted. There are two type of appraisal program, one is performance appraisal and other one is potential appraisal which enhances the feeling of belongingness and faith in the organisation. Hiring process of McDonalds: McDonalds undertakes efficient recruitment by selecting the appropriate method. First of all the application form is filled up along with completion of quiz. In second step interview is conducted and lastly reference check is made in which background of the candidate is scrutinized. The diagrammatic process goes as under: Figure1. 3 Recruitment and Selection at McDonalds (Source: Johnason, 2009). Training and development: Appropriate provision of training and development are provided to employees. The newly appointed are given induction program and followed by training session so that new employee could gain expertization. Salary offered: Adequate and reasonable salary is provided to the employees who are appointed. They are appointed on the genuine salary along with many benefits. Others: Other practices and policies that are followed are: career development, soothing working environment, performance measurement is done and provision of adequate bonus and compensation to the employees. References Gould. A. (2013). McDonalds HR practices. Viewed on 3rd august 2017. https://www.hrmonline.com.au/section/hr-capability/mcdonalds-human-resource-practices-still-order-day/. Johnason. P. (2009). HRM in changing organizational contexts. Human resource management: A critical approach. 19-37. Lawler. E. E. (2014). What should HR leaders focus on in 2014. Viewed on 3rf August 2017. https://www.forbes.com/sites/edwardlawler/2014/01/15/what-should-hr-leaders-focus-on-in-2014/#67c6b332352a. McDonalds. (2017). History. Viewed on 3rd august 2017. https://www.mcdonalds.com.my/company/history. Merinachhetri. (2014). Blog 1- Organisations and behaviour. Viewed on 3rd August 2017. https://merinachhetri.wordpress.com/2014/10/24/blog-1-organisations-and-behaviour/. Pattisson. P. (2016). Workers for McDonalds in Malaysia say they were victims of labour exploitation. Viewed on 3rd August 2017. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2016/nov/28/workers-for-mcdonalds-malaysia-claim-labour-exploitation.

Saturday, November 30, 2019

The Movie I Have Selected For My Film Review Is Field Of Dreams. I Fee

The movie I have selected for my film review is Field of Dreams. I feel that it is a great movie, and is an outstanding form of popular culture. There are many different events that take place throughout this film that show this. Field of Dreams stars Kevin Costner and James Earl Jones. Costner plays a guy named Ray who, one day while working in his corn field, hears a voice. The voice tells him, ?If you build it, he will come.? After he hears the voice a few times he tears down his corn field, and builds a baseball field. Jones plays a retired author named Thomas Mann. Mann hears these voices also, and understands what Ray is going through. Reluctantly Mann goes along with Ray. After awhile old members of the White Sox, who got banned from baseball for life, appear out of the corn field. They now have a chance to play ball again. Mann ends up going back into the corn with the players in the end. This movie is more than just a movie about a sport. It has many other significant meanings. First of all, this film shows loyalty between Ray's wife and him. Most wives would think their husbands were crazy if they told them they heard voices, which were telling them to build a baseball field. It's going to take a ton of money, and also a lot of knowledge on how to go about doing it. It show how she believed in him when no one else would listen. She stuck by her husband like a wife is supposed to do, and gave him support when needed. I believe a lot of Americans liked seeing that type of commitment between two people, especially in a world where it's not as prevalent as it should be. The second point this film shows is how much Ray loves baseball. Baseball has been a major part of American society and culture since the late 1800's. It is known as America's pastime. Throughout the film it is made very evident of the love Ray displays for the great game of baseball. The amount of money he spends to make the field says enough. One scene shows Ray on a tractor as he is plowing a field in preparation for the building of the stadium. His daughter is sitting on his lap. She is asking him all kinds of questions about baseball, and Ray answers all of them in a way that you can tell he loves talking about it. Another scene shows him driving across the country to find help for what he is doing. The sacrifices he makes for the game are incredible. Being a huge baseball fan this movie shows everything that is right about baseball. It shows that it is a game, and should be played for the fun of it. The third point this film makes is it allows the dreams of the players to live on. People having dreams is what makes the world happen. Without having a dream no one goes anywhere. In this film members of the old White Sox team that got banned from baseball are able to get back into the game, and once again live out the dreams and fantasies of playing the game they love. It kind of gives people hope, in a sense, not to give up. Still another point this film makes is in the world of relationships. The film shows the relations between a father and son. Ray finds out that one of the players who comes back to play is his father. He realizes that is what the voice was telling him. His father was the one who would come back if he built the field. While he was growing up he didn't have the greatest relationship with his father. His father died while he was at a rather young age. Ray is aware that it is his father. Ray's father is young so he has no idea he is his son. That didn't matter though. Just to know that his father is back once again is enough for Ray. This is a problem many people in the world face. Lots of fathers and sons don't

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Study Tour Report to Germany on the Theme Industrial Relations, Labour Productivity and National Development The WritePass Journal

Study Tour Report to Germany on the Theme Industrial Relations, Labour Productivity and National Development Historical and theoretical perspectives on industrial relations, labour productivity and national development Study Tour Report to Germany on the Theme Industrial Relations, Labour Productivity and National Development Historical and theoretical perspectives on industrial relations, labour productivity and national developmentThe political economy of industrial relations, labour productivity and national developmentGlobalisation and corporate governance: the dynamics of industrial relations and labour productivity in national developmentIndustrial relations and labour productivity: challenges and opportunities for defence and national securityConclusionReferencesRelated Historical and theoretical perspectives on industrial relations, labour productivity and national development Industrial relations grew out of the need for workers to join forces and present their grievances to the employers as a unified force. Kuhn (2006, p.23) suggests that everyone who earns income through work or is involved in the management of workers is immersed in the practice of industrial relations. Changes in industrial relations and the quality of employment relationships have an effect on the productivity of an organisation. In addition to this, the terms and conditions of employment have a direct effect on the workers’ quality of life both in and out of the organisational premises. If the quality of life lead by the workers is poor, then this will be transferred to their productivity at work as they will not be able to perform at the highest level regardless of the mechanisms that the employer puts in place to maximise production (Kuznetsov, Dahlman, World Bank Institute 2008, p.31). Generally most people get to know the meaning of the term industrial relations long before they even get into employment. This knowledge partly comes from its daily use by friends, family and the media both of which try to present industrial relations as events that involve trade unions and conflict incidents. However this meaning is not the right one because it makes people perceive industrial relations as a rebellious movement which is not actually the case. This is why it is necessary to first ascertain a clear and useful definition of industrial relations before considering the debate in more depth. . Korres (2008, p. 21) defines industrial relations as the interaction of people and organisations in the work place. Industrial relations is concerned with how people, groups, institutions and organisations make decisions that regulate or shape the relationships between employees and employees, employees and employers, and trade unions and employers. Therefore industrial relations ar e concerned with the working life, society and the national economy. The main purpose of industrial relations is to provide a conceptual framework for ensuring that the different relationships at the organisational level run smoothly. Welfe (2009, p.56) asserts that industrial relations can be analysed using three major theoretical perspectives namely unitary, pluralist and Marxist. All of these perspectives interpret workplace conflicts, role of trade unions and variations in job regulations uniquely in order to generate solutions. The unitary theory perceives organisations as an integrated unit with all the members working towards the achievement of common objectives. There is only one source of authority which is the management, trade unions are perceived as being unnecessary (Kuznetsov, Dahlman, World Bank Institute 2008, p. 88). The pluralist theory regards organisations as being comprised of powerful and divergent groups which are the trade unions and the management. These two groups have their own legitimate loyalties and objectives. The pluralists consider the conflict of interest and disagreement between the two groups as inevitable. Trade unions are therefore regarded as legitimate representatives of workers charged with the responsibility of bargaining for their interests. The Marxist theory sees fundamental divisions of interest between labour and capital in organisations. The inequalities of economic wealth and power are products of the capitalist system (Kattel Kalvet, 2006, p. 38). The Marxist perspective stresses that organisational conflict is necessary and it arises from the inequitable distribution of resources. The political economy of industrial relations, labour productivity and national development Leydesdorff (2006, p. 99) says that trade unions have had inextricable links with political parties and movements in different countries. Although some states have over time managed to decentralise trade unions from national politics, others are still struggling to do so. Even in countries like India where labour movements and politics have had intricate associations in the past, independent unions are now increasingly emerging (International Conference on Computer Processing of Oriental Languages, Li MollaÃŒ -Aliod 2009, p. 95). Owing to the historical relationship between politics and trade unionism, labour strikes seem to increase during periods of political instability. During these periods, the unions often have a tendency of displaying increased militancy as a way of offering assurance to the members that their demands will be met using all possible means. Such an assurance acts as an added incentive for the employers to join the unions. The trade unions however, in most cases distance themselves away from any acts of militarism terming it as a media ploy to negatively present their motives. Most trade unions hold the view that the media should clearly differentiate individual criminal acts from the violence that is sponsored by the unions (Llerena, Matt, Avadikyan 2005, p. 121). Regarding the opinions held by the employers that the trade unions are heavily politicised, the trade unions believe that their employers use their political connections as leverage against workers with dissenting opinions. The unions believe that even before the employers sit down with the unions to listen to their grievances, they always have a tendency of finding out the political inclination of the dissenting workers and then hold talks with the relevant political heads. Such tendencies make it difficult for the negotiation process because collective bargaining is often compromised. Menkhoff (2011, p.77) asserts that politics and unioni sm have always gone together but the effects of the association are gross in unstable political environments as they in most cases lead to industrial disputes. Regulatory and institutional frameworks for labour and national productivity Industrial relations still has a very significant role to play in the social protection of workers in the 21st century. The adoption of protection tariffs along with restrictions on immigration plays a major role towards the establishment of legal systems for regulating labour in order to help the workers. For instance regulations that are explicitly connected to industrial policies like tariff protection with standards of labour in the form of determining the minimum wage for workers have a direct effect on industrial relations (Weiss Schmidt 2008, p. 63). The proponents of such mechanisms are in most cases concerned with investment and social protection of workers as well as the profits of the businesses being protected. Therefore this confirms the argument that regulation of labour has both social and economic justifications. Protection regulations can stimulate labour demands in a country through policy formulation and successful implementation. Policies that increase the demand for labour also influence the type and pattern of jobs available within a country (Blanpain Baker 2010, p. 44). Countries like Germany, Japan and Australia pursued protectionist industrial policies in the form of active tariff and non-tariff during their key phases of industrialisation in order to facilitate development (Thornley, Jefferys, Appay, 2010, p. 55). In addition to this, most industrialised states maintained their tariff protections until the 1980’s to help them in maintain social protection systems that include traditional labour laws. Lipsey (2006, p. 54) says that industrialised countries also use extensive procurement systems as another form of industrial policy for regulating labour standards of employees of organisations that benefit from government contracts. Therefore in such countries industrial polic ies have an influence on labour laws and labour market developments. However such interventions are not limited to the developed countries only because even the developing countries use industrial policies as means of fostering economic development and job growth. Bamber (2010, p. 33) asserts that industrial regulations have been curtailed by the Washington consensus since the 1980’s. This consensus holds that all nation states should pursue industrial development and alleviation of poverty through strategies of trade liberalisation and deregulation of the labour market. This implies that the developing nations should implement free trade and laissez faire industrial policies, introduce greater flexibility in regulating employment to lower the costs of hiring and firing employees to attain economic growth (Moreau Blas-LoÃŒ pez 2008, p. 96). Some people criticise this method as a slower way of attaining economic development in preference for industrial regulation where states pursue development through stimulating economic growth by creating quality jobs in sustainable industry. The proponents of free trade perceive industrialisation strategies that involve active state involvement in promoting economic activities as being detrimental to economic growth. The opponents on the other hand think that active industrial policies are important in attaining economic development and high living standards of the industrialised countries (Blyton, Sage Publications., Sage eReference 2008, p. 85). Indeed the dominance of trade liberalisation as a strategy for industrialisation is unfair to the developing countries as it denies them the chance to enjoy the benefits that come with cushioning their states against the adverse effects of market exposure as was done by the developed countries in the past. The industrialised countries achi eved development under different conditions from those of free trade and without industrial policy. Srivastava (2007, p. 86) suggests that trade liberation is only one among the many industrialisation strategies that the developing countries might opt to pursue. Most developed and developing countries pursue economic policies that involve active promotion of innovation as a means of attaining industrialisation. However, at this level it is critical to note that the practice and analysis of industrial policy is increasingly becoming very sophisticated. In terms of promoting industrial development, the current industrial policies are less focused on picking winners and tariff protection i.e. the government selection of specific industries that it considers as being more sustainable and in line with the local conditions of the labour market and business expertise over others . Although this is still prevalent in some countries most current industrial policies are directed through horizontal measures that promote innovation and competitiveness across certain regions or economies rather than being confined to certain specific preferred sectors. Much of debates on the role of industrial policy in both the developing and industrialised countries are concerned with the selection of an appropriate path to economic development. According to Singh (2008, p. 62), there is a strong correlation between industrialisation strategy, industrial policy and traditional labour laws in the new protection policies of most developing countries. Comparative studies of labour market in southern Africa and East Asia reveal that countries will endeavour to structure their regulations on industrial relations to be in line with the industrialisation strategies that they are pursuing (Dowling, Festing, Engle, 2008, p. 12). For instance in East Asia most of the states have been able to progress through the industrialisation stages from import substitution to export oriented and finally higher value oriented exports. This implies that the strategies for industrial relations in these countries reflect the different strategies being pursued by the stat e. Trade liberalisation strategies that are export oriented often have different effects for labour regulation and practices of industrial relations compared to the more protective import replacement strategies. Therefore states rely on export oriented strategies when selling products that are labour oriented where low costs of labour and production are the main sources of competitive advantage (Thornley, Jefferys, Appay, 2010, p. 87). For instance the export oriented industrialisation strategy of Singapore compelled it to promote workplace flexibility by placing restrictions on aspects like enterprise bargaining and containing industrial disputes by restricting the employees’ right to strike. Bhatia (2008, p. 71) notes that the states that have pursued more inward oriented industrialisation strategies often have tolerance for stronger labour protections. However it should be noted that many variations of these simplified categories exist and as such it is not possible to make the conclusion that export oriented strategies are associated with low labour standards and downward pressure on labour protections than the policies that are inward oriented. However, one thing that remains certain is that there are connections between industrial policy of a country and the labour law settings. In the context of labour management regulation, industrial policy contributes to both the constitution and regulation of labour market through its effects on labour supply and demand as well as the industrial working conditions. Additionally, from a normative perspective the settings of industrial policy have a great significance on economic development of a state and consequently the social protection and quality of life. Therefore the impact of regulation of labour on industrial relations is dependent on the nature of policies chosen by the nation states. For instance states that opt to pursue government delivery of goods and services whether through monopolies or as competitor with the private sector will offer the workers more secure jobs than those of the private sector (Thornley, Jefferys, Appay, 2010, p.74). However, a large amount of these public jobs often have negative impacts on the working conditions across the economy. It is therefore recommended that states should use regulations that will maintain the existing structures or facilitate structural adjustments through assisting the industries that will open up new opportunities by attracting new investments and innovation. Impact of science, technology and innovation on industrial relations, labour productivity and national development The industrial relations system pursued by a state has a direct effect on all the four elements of innovation which are: motive, content, process and outcome. The intentions behind innovation may include reduction of costs of production through decreasing the amount or quality of labour, promoting more flexible and creative use of labour and encouraging management control over labour. Dinius (2010, p. 66) claims that the contents of the innovation process itself may call for changes in the level of skills and need to accommodate the prevailing structures of industrial relations. The innovation process needs to consider the social organisation, trade unions, work groups and the physical form of the production process. In essence the outcomes of innovation are functions of industrial relations at both the individual and collective levels. Innovation on the other hand affects all the five features of industrial relations which are: work, tasks, pay, work organisation, employment levels and union organisation (Dowling, Festing, Engle, 2008, p.38). Innovation leads to an increase in the level of skills required for completing tasks more than it reduces it. Innovation may also result to an increased responsibility especially if the increased value is closely monitored by equipment and is meant to increase organisational competitive advantage. Innovation may require the employees to widen their level of skills in order to be able to adapt to the new tasks. In most cases it calls for expansion of intellectual skills and manual skill reduction due to automation of most of the processes. The overall effect of innovation on industrial relations is that it mostly leads to an increase in the proportion of skilled workers in the labour force especially in private manufacturing. Globalisation and corporate governance: the dynamics of industrial relations and labour productivity in national development Howell (2005, p. 75) asserts that globalisation leads to the liberalisation of world economies. The liberalisation of economies has made many organisations to make structural adjustments for improving operational efficiency. The increased pressure from the public has forced business enterprises to operate within higher ethical standards and take more social responsibility. The organisations from the developed economies are in most cases required by law to observe non-discriminatory policies in hiring, treatment and paying of all workers (Kattel Kalvet, 2006, p. 33). However as far as recruitment is concerned, globalisation is pushing organisations into recruiting managers and workers with high skills conforming to the international standards in their host countries. Globalisation and corporate governance have led to certain structural adjustments in terms of diversifications and restructuring both of which have resulted into cutting off of some jobs and recession in the job industry. The trade unions then started to raise concerns about job losses and the adverse effects on work dynamics and their rights in some countries like India (Blyton, Sage Publications., Sage eReference 2008, p.52). The same wave was echoed in countries like Japan and South Korea where workers formed industrial unions to counter the impacts of globalisation on their economies. These unions managed to negotiate for employment terms and working conditions as well as the payment rates. Generally, globalisation and corporate governance came into existence at a time when trade unionism was fading off in most countries. However globalisation has contributed to the deterioration of labour standards and strengthened the capital bargaining power while reducing the bargaining powe r of labour. Industrial relations and labour productivity: challenges and opportunities for defence and national security Industrial relations often affect the labour productivity because it contains the attitudes of the management and workers towards each other and the work itself. As such, industrial relations affect organisational productivity both directly and indirectly through variables like motivation of workers, managerial competence and institutional backup. The concept of industrial relations encompasses the interactions that occur between the employees and the employers in an organisation. The nature of this relationship has an effect on the production process because poorly motivated workers for instance have an increased tendency of not performing at their optimal levels (Kuznetsov, Dahlman, World Bank Institute 2008, p. 61). McCallum (2008, p. 72) claims that organisational productivity is a function of the morale of the workers. For this productivity to remain on the higher side, it is important that the morale of the workers be kept at the highest possible level. Failure to motivate the morale of the workers will result in a drop in both quality and quantity of organisational productivity. In fact Hardy (2011, p. 13) supports this position by suggesting that employee morale and productivity always go together. Therefore industrial relations as a factor that affects organisational productivity influences the production process in many ways. For example during times of industrial disputes or when the employees are on a go slow, productivity will not be affected in terms of loss of labour alone because there are other incessant work stoppages, machines and other variable and fixed capitals will not be fully utilised and this will result in low level of output and raise the average cost. The refusal to wor k in overtime by the trade unions also results in loss of revenue because overtime is meant to increase organisational production capacity. Strength, weakness, opportunities and threats of Germany The SWOT analysis is a strategic management tool used for identifying and categorising the significant internal (strengths and weaknesses) and external (opportunities and threats) factors that face an organisation, territory, city or even a country (Bhatia 2008, p. 55). The analysis provides strategic data that can be used in matching organisational resources with the competitive environment in which it is operating. This matching is of importance in making strategic decisions for optimising organisational performance. Struck (2011, p. 31) suggests that the SWOT analysis is important in helping the organisations to direct their actions to match the strengths with opportunities presented by the environment and ward off the threats as well as seek ways of overcoming the weaknesses. Then analysis id not a foresight approach but just a good starting point for strategic decision making which organisations can use in designing and positioning products and services . The following section analyses the SWOT of Germany. The findings reveal that despite its strength in areas like ability to innovate, great willingness to engage in self-directed training and good infrastructure, the country still has some serious weaknesses to overcome. These problems arise mainly from the education sector such as schools adoption and use of new information and communication technology tools and high levels of unemployment. Germany has its own strong areas especially regarding the implementation of knowledge in the society. The country has a flexible, well trained and innovative workface. In addition to this the society has very little income disparities and good quality of life. However because of the aforementioned weaknesses, the country runs the risk of having a poorly educated workforce in the future which could negatively impact its innovation ability and economic strength. Furthermore, the high rates of unemployment will continue to prevent economic growth. Strengths Ability to innovate Good access to broadband Flexible terms of work which is acceptable to many Weaknesses A weak education system that is lagging behind in terms of adapting and using new information technology tools Rising rates of unemployment Opportunities Good quality of life Flexible and well trained workforce Little income disparities Threats High rates of unemployment is limiting economic growth The new generation workforce is poorly educated Conclusion This paper has discussed the importance of industrial relations and its effects on the production process and the economy of a country. The findings reveal that good industrial relations are a prerequisite for industrial development because in its absence, the workers will lack the necessary motivation and the morale that they require to be able to produce at the optimal levels. Globalisation and corporate governance are changing industrial relations across the globe and as such it is wise for countries to invest in education and innovation so that their employees can meet the demands of the international labour standards. Recommendation and implementation strategies With the continued advancement of the effects of globalisation, past mechanisms like labour regulations are increasingly being rendered irrelevant. Therefore countries need to invest in empowering their workforce with the appropriate skills required for innovation and productivity through their education systems. The school system should be well integrated with information and communication tools so that the students engage actively with technology and in the process be able to innovate and bring forward ways of improving the production process. References Bamber, G. (2010). Regulating Employment Industrial Relations and Labour Law International Co. Kluwer Law Intl. Bhatia, S. K. (2008). Strategic industrial relations and labour laws. New Delhi: Deep Deep Publications. Blanpain, R., Baker, J. (2010). Comparative labour law and industrial relations in industrialized market economies. Alphen aan den Rijn, The Netherlands: Kluwer Law International. Blyton, P., Sage Publications., Sage eReference (2008). The SAGE handbook of industrial relations. London: SAGE Publications. Dinius, O. (2010). Brazils steel city: Developmentalism, strategic power, and industrial relations in Volta Redonda, 1941-1964. Stanford, Calif: Stanford University Press. Dowling, P., Festing, M., Engle, A. D. (2008). International human resource management: Managing people in a multinational context. London: Thomson Learning. Hardy, S. T. (2011). Labour law in Great Britain. Alphen aan den Rijn, The Netherlands: Kluwer Law International. Howell, C. (2005). Trade unions and the state: The construction of industrial relations institutions in Britain, 1890-2000. Princeton, N.J: Princeton University Press. International Conference on Computer Processing of Oriental Languages, Li, W., MollaÃŒ -Aliod, D. (2009). Computer processing of oriental languages: Language technology for the knowledge-based economy : 22nd international conference, ICCPOL 2009, Hong Kong, March 26-27, 2009 : proceedings. Berlin: Springer. Kattel, R., Kalvet, T. (2006). Knowledge-based economy and ICT-related education in Estonia: Overview of the current situation and challenges for the educational system. Tallinn: PRAXIS Center for Policy Studies. Korres, G. M. (2008). Technical change and economic growth: Inside the knowledge based economy. Aldershot, Hants, England: Ashgate. Kuhn, M. (2006). Towards a knowledge based economy?: Knowledge and learning in European educational research. New York: Lang. Kuznetsov, Y., Dahlman, C. J., World Bank Institute. (2008). Mexicos transition to a knowledge-based economy: Challenges and opportunities. Washington, D.C: World Bank. Leydesdorff, L. (2006). The knowledge-based economy: Modeled, measured, simulated. Boca Raton, Fla: Universal Publishers. Lipsey, R. G. (2006). Services industries and the knowledge-based economy. Calgary: Univ. of Calgary Press. Llerena, P., Matt, M., Avadikyan, A. (2005). Innovation policy in a knowledge-based economy: Theory and practice. Berlin [etc.: Springer. McCallum, R. C. (2008). McCallums top workplace relations cases: Labour law and the employment relationship as defined by case law. Sydney, N.S.W: CCH Australia. Menkhoff, T. (2011). Beyond the knowledge trap: Developing Asias knowledge-based economies. Singapore: World Scientific. Moreau, M.-A., Blas-LoÃŒ pez, M. E. (2008). Restructuring in the new EU member states: Social dialogue, firms relocation, and social treatment of restructuring. New York: P.I.E. Peter Lang. Singh, B. D. (2008). Industrial relations and labour laws. New Delhi: Excel Books. Srivastava, S. C. (2007). Industrial relations and labour laws. New Delhi: Vikas. Struck, O. (2011). Industrial relations and social standards in an internationalized economy. München: Hampp. Thornley, C., Jefferys, S., Appay, B. (2010). Globalization and Precarious Forms of Production and Employment: Challenges for Workers and Unions. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar Pub. Weiss, M., Schmidt, M. (2008). Labour law and industrial relations in Germany. Alphen aan den Rijn: Kluwer Law International. Welfe, W. (2009). Knowledge-based economies: Models and methods. Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang.

Friday, November 22, 2019

The Best AP Style Cheat Sheet Every Writer Needs (Free Download)

The Best AP Style Cheat Sheet Every Writer Needs (Free Download) Clarity and consistency are building blocks of great content. When your writing is crisp, clear, and easy to understand, audiences are more likely to leave your site with a positive impression. Unfortunately, many brands forego style guides, and choose to wing it instead. This isn’t necessarily a fatal mistake by any means. However, it does often lead to content that looks sloppy. Without guidelines to enforce consistency, it’s easy to allow your content to become a formatting free-for-all where commas roam free and nothing follows a  clear logic. The results leave your blog or website looking the Wild West of basic grammatical conventions. If this sounds hyperbolic, consider this: newspapers are written to be as effortless to read as possible. Concise writing and consistent style go a long way toward achieving this goal. There’s a reason why your daily paper sounds how it does. It isn’t just a stubborn commitment to rules for their own sake. Does your content need to be perfect to be effective? Not nearly, no. But, everything you can do to enforce consistency and clarity will help your cause. The Best AP Style Cheat Sheet Every Writer Needs (Free Download) Table of Contents: Free Download What is AP Style? Who Uses AP Style? Ages Abbreviations and Acronyms Cities States Dates, Days, Months, Times, and Years Datelines Numbers Sizes, Dimensions, and Distances Punctuation Peoples Names Hyphens Quotes and Quotations Technology Terms Book, Movie, and Song Titles AP Style Checking Tools, Plugins, and Apps Bonus InfographicDownload Your Free AP Style Guide Cheat Sheet If you’d prefer to keep this guide handy in a portable format, you can download the entire thing as a PDF below. This is a good option for reading on tablets, e-readers, or simply keeping on file on your computer.What is AP Style? The Associated Press Stylebook and Briefing on Media Law  official style guide of the Associated Press, a not-for-profit news agency that’s been around since 1846. It’s often used by news organizations, magazines, and web publications, but brands often use it to form the basis of their own style guides, too. The official Associated Press style guide gets updated year to year. Here’s a look at some changes from back in 2016: Arguably, these changes have led to bloat. Detractors say the guide is excessively detailed, beyond the point of being necessary, or even useful. This author doesn’t disagree with this criticism (hence the creation of this simplified blog post). If following this specific style is important for your situation, though, consider buying the official version. It’s available in both digital and hard copies. NOTE: It’s important not to confuse AP style with APA style. Who Uses AP Style? Associated Press style is generally used by journalists, but they aren’t alone in using it. Here’s a short list of folks who might need to get familiar with it: Journalists Editors PR Professionals Marketers How Do You Denote Ages? A person’s age should always use numerals. When using age as an adjective (using their age to describe an individual), then use hyphens. Examples: The 20-year-old was arrested for underage consumption of an alcoholic beverage. At 34-years-old, Larry Fitzgerald remains impressively athletic. The five-year-old dog greets its owner every morning. Abbreviations and Acronyms Use abbreviations for well-known organizations. Acronyms for Organizations Ex: FBI, NASA, IRS, NFL, MLB, NHL, FIFA. For other organizations, spell it out on first mention, then use abbreviations for subsequent mentions. Use your best judgment. If people are unlikely to understand an abbreviation, then don’t use it. Examples: The FBI agent was assigned the case.NASA announced plans to visit Mars. The MLB has not announced hot dog price restrictions for this year. Abbreviations for Formal Titles Make sure your writing respects people’s formal titles. Some examples include political and medical titles. Follow these guidelines: Political titles should be abbreviated before full names outside of direct quotes. Examples: Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, Rep. John Lewis. Medical titles follow similar format: Example: Dr. Michaela Quinn. Which Cities Stand Alone in AP Style? Some American cities are considered well-known enough they don’t need a state abbreviation. This makes sense, since most people know where they’re located. Here’s the full list of U.S. cities that fall under this criteria: Atlanta Baltimore Boston Chicago Cincinnati Cleveland Dallas Denver Detroit Honolulu Houston Indianapolis Las Vegas Los Angeles Miami Milwaukee Minneapolis New Orleans New York Oklahoma City Philadelphia Phoenix Pittsburgh St. Louis Salt Lake City San Antonio San Diego San Francisco Seattle Washington The same goes for the following international cities and country abbreviations: Amsterdam Baghdad Bangkok Beijing Beirut Berlin Brussels Cairo Djibouti Dublin Geneva Gibraltar Guatemala City Havana Helsinki Hong Kong Islamabad Mexico City Milan Monaco Montreal Moscow Munich New Delhi Panama City Paris Prague Quebec City Rio De Janeiro Rome San Marino Sao Paulo Shanghai Singapore Istanbul Jerusalem Johannesburg Kuwait City London Luxembourg Macau Madrid Stockholm Sydney Tokyo Toronto Vatican City Vienna ZurichHow to Format State Abbreviations Every state in the United States has a specific abbreviation. Some of these may not seem obvious. Follow this list to get them right. Alabama: Ala. Arizona: Ariz. Arkansas: Ark. California: Calif. Colorado: Colo. Connecticut: Conn. Delaware: Del. Florida: Fla. Georgia: Ga. Illinois: Ill. Indiana: Ind. Kansas: Kan. Kentucky: Ky. Louisiana: La. Maryland: Md. Massachusetts: Mass. Michigan: Mich. Minnesota: Minn. Mississippi: Miss. Missouri: Mo. Montana: Mont. Nebraska: Neb. Nevada: Nev. New Hampshire: N.H. New Jersey: N.J. New Mexico: N.M. New York: N.Y. North Carolina: N.C. North Dakota: N.D. Oklahoma: Okla. Oregon: Ore. Pennsylvania: Pa. Rhode Island: R.I. South Carolina: S.C. South Dakota: S.D. Tennessee: Tenn. Virginia: Va. Vermont: Vt. Washington: Wash. West Virginia: W. Va. Wisconsin: Wis. Wyoming: Wyo.Formatting Dates, Days, Months, Times, and Years in AP Style Dates and times have a number of formatting considerations. Dates: Follow this format: Monday (day), July 1 (month + date), 2018 (year). Times: Don’t use colons for times on the hour. Ex: 3 p.m., 8:30 a.m. Days: Omit st., th., rd., and th. Ex: July 1, not July 1st. Months: Abbreviate Jan., Feb., Aug., Sept., Oct., Nov. and Dec. when writing out a specific date. Spell out names of months when not used to indicate a specific date. Ex: Aug. 3, 2018. Years: Use numerals rather than spelling them out. Ex: 2018, not twenty-eighteen. Other Considerations For Dates and Times a.m. and p.m. should use periods and lower case letters. Never say â€Å"yesterday.† Use the day of the week instead. Formatting Datelines News articles often start with a dateline indicating the location, month, date, and year a story took place. Include city (and state if necessary in the U.S.). Examples: FARGO, N.D. (July, 1, 2018) MILWAUKEE (July 1, 2018) LONDON (July 1, 2018) Numbers Spell out numbers one through nine, and use digits for numbers 10 and higher. The following exceptions, however, should always use digits: Addresses Ages Monetary values. Dates and times. Sizes and dimensions. Percents. Speeds. Temperatures. When Should Numerals Be Used? Use numerals when referring to a sequence of events or people. Examples: Super Bowl XLV Queen Elizabeth II World War I What About Percentages? Always use the full word â€Å"percent.† The % sign shouldn’t be used. That key might feel neglected, but it’s okay. Example: The analyst predicted a 100 percent increase in site traffic. Sentences Starting With Years Avoid starting sentences with a number, unless referencing a year. Example: 1977 was the last year the Minnesota Vikings went to the Super Bowl. Sizes, Dimensions, and Distances Sizes and dimensions should use numerals and spell out units of measurement. The same goes for distances. Examples: The party sandwich was 10 feet long. The delivery driver traveled 12 miles during harsh weather. Bill Smith is 6-foot-5 and plays basketball in his spare time. Punctuation in AP Style You learned everything you needed to know about punctuation in high school English class, right? Well, maybe or maybe not, but this style has quirks of its own to consider. General Punctuation Here are some general punctuation guidelines: Use a single space after a period. Commas should go inside quotation marks. Serial Commas In AP style, commas are not included before conjunctions. However, they should be used to separate each item in a list. Example: I ate a hot dog, pizza slice, burger, and an entire pie. Using Periods Lean toward using periods in abbreviations where applicable. Example: Examples: U.N., M.A., U.S.A. Singular Nouns Ending in S When proper nouns end in an S, add an apostrophe at the end. Example: Sally Jones’ red stapler has been stolen. People’s Names Use their first and last name on first mention. Then, use only their last name on subsequent mentions. Example: David Johnson is a professional running back. Johnson plays for the Arizona Cardinals. Using Hyphens Correctly Use hyphens to connect words in compound adjectives. Example: The larger-than-life performer juggled seven swords. Formatting Quotes and Quotations Here are two points about quotation marks: Periods and commas always go within quotation marks. Use single quotations for quotes within quotes. Example: â€Å"The candy truck spilled all over the highway,† said the driver. â€Å"It’s a real ‘sticky situation’ on I-94.† Technology Terms There are more tech terms and brand names to consider coming out every day. Here’s a list of some common ones you may encounter. Google hashtag Internet Apple â€Å"i† products: iPad, iPod, iPhone, iMac, unless the word starts a sentence. Then, capitalize the I. e-book email Facebook LinkedIn Twitter tweet website Web page YouTube social media cellphone World Wide Web Android AppleUsing Correct AP Style for Book, Movie, and Song Titles Your favorite author, director, or musician isn’t likely to write you an angry letter over incorrect style usage when it comes to their art. An editor probably will, though. Here’s how to get it right every time. Books, Movies, and Song Titles Use quotation marks rather than italics. This goes against what likely feels right, and how you’d normally format them, but those are the rules. Examples: J.K. Rowling is the author of â€Å"Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.† â€Å"Party in the USA† does not make me feel like partying. It turns out that â€Å"Total Recall† was not a documentary. Newspaper, Magazine, and Website Names Use capitalization but no quotation marks nor italics. This blog post uses italics to highlight examples, so the publication names below have been rendered in normal paragraph text. Examples: The Guardian is a well-respected newspaper. Wired is a popular magazine for tech enthusiasts. Bob Jones is unsure where his Cat Fancy subscription came from. Other Considerations Capitalize formal titles before people’s names. Do not capitalize job titles before names. Use quotation marks for titles of books, movies, albums, and TV shows. AP Style Checking Tools, Plugins, and Apps Keeping all of this information straight can be a hassle (and this post only covers the majority of the most important elements to consider). Fortunately, there are several tools and plugins on the market that can help. Here are some worth checking out: AP Style Dates and Times (WordPress Plugin) AP Lingofy (Browser Extension) AP Style Guard (Desktop App) Bonus: AP Style Infographic That’s a Wrap Are there any details we missed? Drop a comment below and share with other readers.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Technology and education.What if we didn't depend on technology in the Essay

Technology and education.What if we didn't depend on technology in the classroom as much as we do - Essay Example Education reform continues to be a question of grave concern for educators and policy makers. Braithwaite’s (2002) novel To Sir With Love which was set in the 1960s informs that education reform is nothing new. Students are particularly vulnerable to failure both at school and after school. Braithwaite’s (2002) novel cautions that students are resistant to traditional teaching methods and require training which goes beyond mere academic learning. In today’s world, President Barak Obama cautions a student body that regardless of what career choices they make, they will require some level of computer literacy (Obama 2011). Essentially, we are learning that education reform places a greater degree of pressure on teachers as they attempt to improve teaching techniques and outcomes. As it is, educators and policy-makers are concerned about the high drop-out rate among high school students across the US (Obama 2011). In other words, keeping students engaged becomes mor e challenging when teachers are required to integrate technology into the curriculum. On the other hand, integrating technology into the curriculum can be one method of responding to the drop-out rate. Research studies reveal that academic performance and being held back are not the only contributing factors to the school drop-out rate. In fact, these studies also reveal that a student’s attitude toward school student’s experience at also contributes to the school drop-out rate (Lamb 2011, p. 370).... As Lamb (2011) informs, research studies indicate that students are at a greater risk of dropping out of school when their academic performance is poor. It therefore follows that non-conventional teaching can improve engagement and as such can improve retention. Arguably, engagement is tied to academic performance. This explains why there is so much emphasis on education reform and the significance of quality teaching. Braithwaite’s (2002) teacher did not have the science and technology at his disposal to introduce innovative and non-conventional methods of teaching. He was forced to be creative and by doing so engaged his East London students who were by no stretch of the imagination, conventional students. The result was, these children’s attitudes toward school changed and the students were for the most part successful. Bennett (2011) reveals the extent to which teaching occupies the minds of policy-makers. This is a result of the poor academic outcomes. According to Bennett (2011), the National Assessment of Educational Progress revealed that 40 percent of American high school seniors scored 36 percent below average in math and 26 percent below average in reading. The results for American history are even more disappointing with high school seniors scoring over 50 percent below average (Bennett 2011). Bennett (2011) explains that while these poor outcomes can be accounted for by a number of issues, one thing is certain: quality teaching can turn this around. This brings us to the question of technology in the classroom. Technology has the potential to improve teaching by bringing into the classroom a significant part of the student’s daily life and future job prospects. Therefore technology in

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Discussion Forum Post Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Discussion Forum Post - Essay Example People of West civilization don’t depend on Church and as Tomas Jefferson wrote Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, this is how it should be (Jefferson, T). But I think these three will be unhappy to find out that developing reason we began to depend on our weaknesses, our bends instead. Voltaire, who was skeptic about idea all people should be equal could say, â€Å"Told you!† meaning for example, industry of art now depends on low educated mass needs. We spend fewer resources on science and medicine than on entertainment and wars. Indeed, both World Wars can be examples how scientific-technical progress can help to cause a great damage. Human nature appears to be more complicated mechanism than â€Å"tabula rasa† – pure blackboard with learned ideas written on it, as John Locke thought. Enlightenment is about spreading knowledge, so I think three of them will be fascinated about Internet where anyone can find information in Encyclopedias which enlighteners firstly invented. And that West civilization has a highest percent of educated population, so almost everyone can write and read, and all humans (never mind their physical differences) have the same rights and West civilization is really the one who stands for individualism. But still, to my mind, enlighteners will be disappointed that we’re missing a goal: Enlightenment is about becoming more ideal person using reason, not about using reason to stay as you

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Hobsons Choice Assignment Essay Example for Free

Hobsons Choice Assignment Essay This essay will talk about Willies steps from being a shoe maker to becoming the owner of a shop. Willie is an important character although he is one of the only working class characters in the play. (The other, his friend who also works in the shop.) The play focused on the key figure Willie climbing the social ladder. Also his anxiousness towards the other characters. On his way up he even manages to insult his old master. He gains a father-in-law and two sister-in-laws. His old girlfriend Ada Figgins though he was not much to look at but Maggie still wanted to marry him. Mrs. Hepworth thinks Willie the boot maker is good at his trade. Hobson disagrees with her congratulating him. As Mrs. Hepworth says Did you make these boots. Then Hobson remarks If there is anything wrong Im capable of making the man suffer for it. This shows Hobson thinks poorly of his staff, also Mrs. Hepworth thinks People should be praised for doing a good job. However, Hobson gets jealous of Willie because of this. Hobson doesnt pay his daughters waages but he does pay Willies. Jim says and their wages? Then Hobson says Wages! do you think i pay my own daughters wages? Im not a fool! This is saying that Will maybe more important to him or that his daughters are related to him so that they can work for nothing. But later on in the play Hobson offers to give Hobson his old wage back but he doesnt offer Maggie anything. This shows by Ada saying Heres your dinner Will, that Will is considered more important as they say Oh, Miss obson its good of you to take notice like that, which shows that she cant say things properly. He had also gained importance then to have people fighting over him. Alice disagrees with Maggie owning a shop. She also wonders where they got the funding. Maggie produces a card saying Willie Mossop, practical book and shoe This shows the he is professional and proper. This shows they have gone from working in a shop to owning one.  Maggie wants Hobson to wear a collar for work. This shows that Hobson is below Willie in the social ladder. Maggie says Father dont you think to put a collar on for Will. Hobson Put a collar on for Willie Mossop (enraged at idea) Maggie manages to talk him round but he still makes an excuse. Im going to put a collar on, but because my necks cold. She has managed to make Hobson put a collar on, but because Hobson is very proud he says the collar is for something else.  Throughout the drama, Willie gains importance and eventually buys his own shop, with the help Maggie. Willie grows from being a poor laboring man to a professional shoe maker who earns a lot of money, he gains confidence and near the end Hobson is inferior to Willie.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

African American Discrimination in the United States Essay -- American

African American Discrimination in the United States NO! NO? This is the word most often heard by African Americans throughout our vivid history. Although at one time we were a majority of judgment and unfair discrimination, it is now more than likely safe to say, white or black, we are proud to be Americans. In Harper Lee’s novel To Kill A Mockingbird she elucidates what it was like, during the 1930s, to live in a small town who often put judgment before thought. When thinking of discrimination the words unfair, segregation, and prejudice all come to mind. And why we ask ourselves, because someone or something is DIFFERENT. Is that really how our world should think? Should we separate ourselves into groups depending on our differences? This is a question that many white Americans neglect to ask themselves. According to statistics, African Americans make up approximately thirteen percent of the world’s population, with nearly ten million of them in poverty. A large part of black discrimination is due to white racism. Black is automatically seen as opposite of white and therefore seen as different. It is known that black skin stands out more than tan or white skin, which may be the reason why African Americans are the most segregated minority group in the U.S. society (faculty). Black Americans first received freedom from slavery in 1865, and the right to vote in 1870, when the 15th Amendment was established. Why then were they still discriminated against and not truly given the right to vote until 1964, when the Civil Rights Act was passed. To this there may not be an answer (Lieda). In 1964 the Civil Rights Act was passed stating that: â€Å"All persons should be entitled to the full and equal enjoym... ...vantage of a young white woman when posed with the opportunity (Lee). This can be very misleading and inaccurate when it comes down to the innocence of a black man. That is in no way civil to all men if that is the way our justice system works in the U.S. today. When compared to how the way things were in the 1930s, it can easily be seen that our society has come a long way and such assumptions are not usually made. When one looks back through the piles of history our country has made it is easily visible that the world today is much different than it was years ago. Many obstacles have been thrown our way but it seems that each one of them was overcome with the strength and hope many of our people have. Remember different does not necessarily mean wrong. We as a whole have fought a long hard battle to bring us where we stand today, a nation united as one.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Functional Areas †Staff at R. Bethels Essay

R. Bethels have two owners, a manager and three other members of staff. The manager looks after the day to day running of the shop and helps run the business. The owners complete the paper work of the business and look after the financial side. Human Resources At R. Bethels, human resources is for: * Recruiting and dismissing * Providing good working conditions * Negotiating with trade unions * Health and safety The owners of R. Bethels are in charge of human resources. They will employ and dismiss employees. They will decide how much they get paid and how often they get paid. The manager will make the phone calls to employees, open and run the shop and to advertise available jobs. It is important that the manager does this in order to employ the correct people. Employing the correct people is good for motivation, quality of work and customer satisfaction. The Owners of R. Bethels may not do things to provide good working conditions all the time but he will decide what are good working conditions and tell members of his staff how to make these conditions available. This is so that people will want to work for R. Bethels. They will negotiate with trade unions in order to give their employees decent pay and good working conditions. They will also decide how to handle health and safety issues and improve them as and when they need to. R. Bethels need to be a healthy and safe environment so that people are able and willing to work for R. Bethels. As R. Bethels is a small business, training may not always matter but the owners will be in charge of it if it is needed. This would be needed for motivation, job satisfaction and an increase in profit through happy and satisfied customers. Finance Finance department covers: * Recording financial matters * Preparing accounts * Paying wages and salaries * Obtaining capital and other resources The owners deal with the company’s finances. They will record and file all of the financial documents. This is important, as when R. Bethels need a financial document e.g. a sale they have just made, it will be easy to find. The owners will decide on who gets what amount of money per week or per annum and they will hand out the wages to the employees. They will also prepare accounts in order to sort out money, which comes in and goes out of the business. R. Bethels need capital in order to trade properly, the manager or the owners may sort this out. Administration and ICT Support Function R. Bethels’s administration and ICT support is for: * Cleaning and maintenance * Health and safety * security * Clerical services * Word processing The manager will deal with clerical services and possibly computers and Internet. The clerical services are things like answering the phone and typing up letters. The manager would do this or the owners would, depending the circumstances. These are needed in order to keep in touch with customers, banks, other companies, etc. The employees would deal with cleaning and maintenance in order to keep things clean and in working order. The manager and the employees would share out the duties of everything else in order to keep the business a safe place to work. Marketing and sales Marketing is needed to enable R. Bethels to find out what customers need. This helps increase sales in order to increase their profit. As the manager at R. Bethels will have more time than the employees and the owners, he will be able to cover marketing. The owners and the employees will also be able to do this if they have any spare time, if they need to. The manager will ring up restaurants companies in order to advertise the company’s products that are available. He will take time with customers to show them how to cook and serving ideas for the fish. When the customers want buy a product, they will be served by the manager or the employees and the money will be handed into the till machine. Customer services This deals with: * Keeping customers happy * Dealing fairly with complaints * Responding to enquiries * Offering credit * After sales service * Advice and information * Reliability * Good products, fairly priced R. Bethels may not be able to deal with all of the things in this list, because of the size of their business. The owners will decide how these things are sorted out but all of the staff at R. Bethels will have to help meet them. R. Bethels will try their best to keep customers happy. Keeping customers happy is what customer services are needed for. Research and development Research and Development is all about researching products and how customers respond to the business. If there are any things that need improving, R. Bethels will talk to their supplier and sort it out. At R. Bethels, the manager and the employees will do the research but the employees and the owners will sort out the product development. R and D is an important function because R. Bethels can have an advantage over their rivals and they can have a more desired product. At R. Bethels, the business lifestyle will be totally different to that of Dominos. At the moment there are only five people who are involved in the business, if and when this changes the lifestyle of the business will probably change too possibly in a dramatic way.

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Edward Albee’s “The Sandbox” Essay

The inability of people to communicate and loss of personal values can lead to dramatic effects. Edward Albee’s play â€Å"The Sandbox† is an example of modern American drama in which he demonstrates cruel relations in a middle class family, criticizing modern society’s decay. Within the story we see the dialogue between family members, a husband and his wife, who are awaiting the death of her mother. As the names of characters suggest (Mommy, Daddy, Grandma), the action takes place within the family unit. Notice that the names of characters are generic. In doing this, the author is trying to show that it can be any family members. The story shows their cold relations with and disrespect for their old grandmother. We see the money over the family values, so much in common with American society today. The story reflects the reality of the contemporary American family. This is often a common situation today: the children bring their old mother from her country farm to their big beautiful house in the city. They do it not for her pleasure, but for their own convenience. They care neither for what she thinks, nor her interests or values. Money is the most important thing to them. They think she does not understand things very well anymore because she is old, and old-fashioned. In reality she understands more than anyone can imagine. Finally, when the children tire of her, they take her to a nursing home, where she can wait for the end alone. In the story â€Å"The Sandbox†, the author makes a judgment about the younger generation’s attitude towards the older generation. The main theme of the story is the inability of people to communicate with each other, the emptiness of contemporary family life, and the meaninglessness of modern existence. The main characters play an important role in supporting the theme. As we see throughout the story, Mommy and Daddy are ignorant people. Mommy is domineering and cruel, while Daddy is passive and emasculated. He does what she says, followed by â€Å"Whatever you say, Mommy.† She shows no respect towards anyone, including her mother and husband. We notice when Mommy and Daddy speak to one another, that there is no warm and sincere relationship between them; she only married him for the money. They treat Grandma with politeness, yet at the same time with merciless detachment. They talk about her, but hardly to her. Mommy reveals no emotional  attachment to her own mother. Daddy at least worries that Grandma is uncomfortable, but Mommy shuts him up. The emotion of concern they display is more hypocritical than sincere. On the other hand, Grandma is sincere and even child-like, making her character admirable. All the same she is sharp-tongued and shrewd. This only adds to the complexity of her personality. From the beginning of the play, we see that the plot of the story is evident, due to the way Mommy and Daddy talk about Grandma, and how they treat her. However there is no clear climax or resolution to the story. Mommy, Daddy, and Grandma are symbols of poor relationships in the contemporary family unit. Mommy, Daddy and symbolize the future generation, while Grandma is an icon of the past. She tries to fit into and relate to the fashion of the new generation but at her age, she no longer commands the social weight. The new generation (Mommy and Daddy) do not want to accept her values and do not want her to be involved in their lives. The Young Man is presented in the story as the Angel of Death. He symbolizes today’s personal values, emptiness and lack of culture of the new generation. When he kisses Grandma, it symbolizes that the end is near. When she dies, she is going to take her values and traditions to the grave. The bareness of the stage suggests the society in which we live today. When Grandma buries herself using the pail and shovel, she represent one of the millions of people with values and traditions, who is tired of living in a society that is so empty of emotions. When she dies, it represents the passing of an age, one in which value and hard work were important. Mommy and Daddy represent the decadent way of life that replaces it. In this play, Albee tries to show the reality of today’s society, with its lack of compassion for individuals, regardless of age and the decline of culture and traditions that support it.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Share The Wealth †Economics Essay

Share The Wealth – Economics Essay Free Online Research Papers There is an old Nigerian quote that says, â€Å"If you won’t share your wealth with us, then we will share our poverty with you.† The fact of the matter is this, the United States and other rich countries need to lend a helping hand to the world’s hungry. According to statistics, 50% of the world’s hungry live in India, this is about 35% of India’s population. In addition, 38.2 million Americans suffer hunger and food insecurity. Instead of these people preoccupying themselves with getting a quality education and a decent paying job, they must worry more about where they will get their next meal. People need to recognize that they can do their part in helping to fight hunger and food insecurity. It does not take a whole lot to go to the grocery store and pick up canned foods, noodles, or even snacks that come in a box. There are many organizations that can help ship those foods to places like India and Africa. This has to start one person at a time. U.S. corporations seem to be looking after the self-interests of their CEO’s, rather than the people whom they are supposedly serving. Corporations need to take responsibility and be held accountable for what they do that kills or harms people. Many companies today are more worried about how much profit they can make, rather than how they can make a difference in the world that has been so good. These companies need to realize that power does not bring peace in the world. The main question that every individual should ask his or herself is whether they want another world than the one envisioned by the World Bank, Wal-Mart, W.T.O., Disney, and Monsanto, or do they want strong countries with a strong democracy? The time has come for people to step up and declare human rights. This is a challenge that people cannot back away from, it is about governance and self-determination. Most important, this is about being fearless for what they believe in. We as a nation cannot be afraid to step up to the challenge, or sink on the day of adversity. After all, â€Å"Fear is the cheapest room in the house,† as quoted by Hafiz. Research Papers on Share The Wealth - Economics EssayPETSTEL analysis of IndiaBringing Democracy to AfricaHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows EssayMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductGenetic EngineeringNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This Nice19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraQuebec and CanadaAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2Personal Experience with Teen Pregnancy

Monday, November 4, 2019

Bibilical Illusions With The Novel Cry Essay Example for Free

Bibilical Illusions With The Novel Cry Essay Bible (194) , South Africa (114) , Cry, the Beloved Country (10) , Absalom Kumalo (3) company About StudyMoose Contact Careers Help Center Donate a Paper Legal Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Complaints Biblical reference within the story Cry the Beloved Country Many times in literary pieces, allusions are put in novels, used to foreshadow the ending of a book. The most common types of allusions are those from the bible. This is probably because many are familiar with the bible and its stories. The goal of foreshadowing is to provide a way for the reader to think more about the big picture, rather than what is happening page by page. In the novel, Cry the Beloved County, allusions to the Bible are very apparent and hold high significance in the story. The character Absalom shows tremendous similarities to the Biblical Absalom and almost seem to be made out of the same mold. Steven Kumalo from the novel and the simple man Job from the bible are tested in the same way and come out in the end in the same way. Biblical Absalom is essentially wronged by his half-brother Amnon, when his half brother forced his sister Tamar to sleep with him. Similarly Absalom Kumalo is wronged by his father’s, brother’s, son, Matthew, when he will not admit to the court that he was an accessory to murder. Basically, both are wronged by a close family member, Biblical Absalom by his brother, and Absalom Kumalo by his cousin. In both stories, though not shown in depth, the men show a close trusting relationship with the one whom have wronged them. Before Amnon slept with his sister Tamar, Biblical Absalom would have no reason not to trust his brother, just as Absalom Kumalo would not doubt his cousin whom aided him in the murder. Later on, both men find out that, Amnon and Matthew are in it for themselves, not unlike both Absaloms. Absalom Kumalo shot Arthur Jarvis with the intentions of becoming richer. Even though Biblical Absalom killed his brother for sleeping with his sister, with Amnon dead, Absalom would inherit his fathers throne. (Bible p372-380) (Ward pp.188-189) In retrospect, both men were ultimately driven to commit the murder. Absalom Kumalo probably felt that if a white man can underhand him, and deny him money, then he deserves some of his fortune. So because whites men, kept blacks unskilled and did not allow them the same rights, many rebelled against the whites. In the same frame of mind, biblical Absalom’s hatred for his brother was built up until he decided to go through with his murder. Even though Absalom Kumalo shot the white man on accident, he was doing it for his own gain. He went into the  house with the intention of stealing and instead shot a white man out of fear. Though it may seem that he regretted what he had done, which he in some ways did, his crime could not be fully repented. More than anything he probably wishes for Arthur Jarvis to be alive. He doesn’t feels bad about killing him, he simply does not want to deal with the consequences. Biblical Absalom plans out t he murder of his brother when he has him over for dinner. Neither men regret killing a man that was as family to them. (Bible p372-380) (Davis p184) Biblical Absalom murdered his brother Amnon for raping his sister Tamar two years earlier. Absalom Kumalo, on the same note, accidentally murdered a white man, while attempting to rob him. Absalom Kumalo, like biblical Absalom essentially murdered his own brother. Arthur Jarvis, the man Absalom Kumalo shot, was like a brother to the black men. He devoted his life to make a difference in blacks rights in South Africa. For both men, the act of murder on their part, ultimately led to their own demise. Biblical Absalom killed his brother Amnon and when king David found out that Absalom had indeed killed his brother Amnon. After the murder, both men flee the scene. Absalom Kumalo, runs because the price for killing a white man is high. Biblical Absalom flees because he also knows, that if he stays, hash consequences will be enforced. (Bible p372-380) Eventually, both man are captured and die in an unusual manner against both their fathers’ wishes. Absalom Kumalo is hung for his crime, so as to set an example. Though, the hanging of Absalom is not so strange in itself, its almost foretold in the biblical story of Absalom. After biblical Absalom flees his home on a horse, his head gets caught in a tree while passing under. This act is almost too familiar. As biblical Absalom dies with his body off the ground, struggling to get down, Absalom Kumalo dies with his head in a noose, and body dangling above the ground. (Bible p372-380) (Davis p184) In the bible, Job is developed as a man whom would never speak ill of god. Job is tested by Satan, who believes that Job will curse God if his prosperity is taken away. Satan kills Job’s children and all of his livestock, but Job does not lose his faith. Satan then takes away Job health by planting boils all over his body. Job eventually become very disappointed with his life and curses the day he was born. This is a classic example of how no man is perfect and when  Steven was introduced into Cry, the Beloved Country, he seemed to strive for perfection just as Job had in the bible. Job in theory seemed perfect but, Satan proved Job not to be, just as Steven’s family proved him not to be. (Davis pp.265-272) (Bible p572-600) When brought into the story, both Steven and Job seem to be perfect and upright men. Steven, as a simple black parson and Job, as a upright man whom has shown no flaws. Though Steven’s flaws are shown early on the novel, Cry, the Beloved County, he is still seen as a good man. Both men are examples of how bad things sometimes happen to good people. They both try to be the best men they can be, by fixing others mistakes and trying to be good people. Job offered burnt offerings to god everyday for his children who may have cursed god in their hearts and Steven prayed everyday to repent the sins of others and his own. The main thing that made these men eligible to lose so much, was because they had gained so much earlier in life. Though Steven want a rich man, he was far better off than any man in his village, and Job was a very prosperous man and looked well upon by god. (Davis pp.265-272) (Bible p572-600) Since Job was thought so highly of by God, he was tested by Satan in order to see if he would lose his faith. Steven Kumalo is tested in the same way as Job. Steven receives a letter from a priest informing him with the news that his sister, Gertrude, is sick. He leaves his normal life in the valley and travels to the city, with the intentions of bringing her home. When he arrives there, he is confronted with the horrifying news that she is selling herself to men. Steven goes in search of his son Absalom, and eventually finds him. Absalom had shot a white man and is sentence to be hung. Everything that went on in Jhonnaneburg hurt Steven and just like Job, he is tortured to the point where he will break if anything else were to happen. (Bible p572-600) (Ward p.222) In the end, though both men had lost practically everything they cared about, Steven his son and sister, and Job all his children and his prosperity, but then things got significantly better. Steven loses a son but gains a daughter carrying baby, and his sister Gertrude’s son. Job loses all his children but gains ten new children and all his livestock back. It’s an interesting coincidence how both men lose their child or children, but as they regain faith, new children are restored to them. (Davis pp.265-272)  (Bible p572-600) Paton used the name Absalom as an allusion in the story. His goal was probably to allow people to see into the future of Absalom’s mortality. When I first read the story of Absalom, I didn’t any definite similarities but as the stories start intertwining, I understood why he used the name Absalom for Steven’s son. Absalom in general was a greedy boy, who really thought he deserved more and makes the mistake of killing a man which ultimately leads to his own death. Job and Steven, on the other hand, are generally men who strived to be good men. They were tested with their faith and both men failed, but they do gain their faith back, and their happiness along with it. Bibilical Illusions With The Novel Cry. (2016, Jul 11). We have essays on the following topics that may be of interest to you

Saturday, November 2, 2019

Northern Irelands Unionist Paramilitaries Essay

Northern Irelands Unionist Paramilitaries - Essay Example There are many books and other material that have discussed these topics at length and with great competence. The unionist point of view has been and still is the preservation of the status quo, that is, Northern Ireland within the political framework of the United Kingdom. The status quo not only preserves their built-in advantage as the majority in Northern Ireland, it also protects them from becoming the minority in a united Ireland. The status quo, they believe, is their only guarantee that they can keep exercising their right to their own identity, traditions, religion and culture. Loyalists are all these and more. Where nationalist paramilitaries are willing to use force to change the status quo, loyalist paramilitaries are willing to use force to preserve the status quo. This is their objective and rationale in the use of both force and the threat of force. Loyalist paramilitaries (such as the UDA, UVF and LVF) who usually choose civilian targets, use terror against the Catholic community to prevent it from attempting to change the status quo. ... Their choice is also influenced by the ease with which they can access their targets, and by their own extreme sectarianism. Nationalist paramilitaries on the other hand tend to pick their targets from the ranks of the police and military, in keeping with their stance against the state and for protection of the people against state abuse. 2 Paramilitary groups, both loyalist and republican seemed quite successful in launching their military operations, if we are to judge by the number of dead and injured. Almost 3,600 died in Northern Ireland from 1969 to December 1997, and out of that number 87% were victims of paramilitary groups. If the same proportion were to be applied to a country like Britain, it would have around 170,000 casualties or half a million in a country like the US.3 Loyal and Armed 3 "Between 1968 and 1998, loyalist paramilitaries killed an estimated 864 civilians (most of them Catholic), compared with an estimated 728 civilians (most of them Protestant) killed by the IRA. Experts say loyalist groups have often acted out of religious hatred, while the IRA has more often targeted British security officers- killing more than 1,000 of them-in an effort to further its political goal of ejecting the British from Northern Ireland." 4 But did these acts of violence and terror help unionist paramilitaries in achieving their objective of maintaining a Northern Ireland status quo The Anglo-Irish Agreement The Anglo-Irish Agreement was signed by Northern Ireland's House of Representatives and Senate in 1999. It provides for the implementation of human rights laws in Northern Ireland, including recognition of equal status and rights for all minorities,