Saturday, May 23, 2020

Stricter DUI Penalties Needed! Essay - 1670 Words

Alcohol is the main beverage for parties and special occasions in the United States. Many people decide to drink alcohol because it helps them relax, ease tension and socializing. Even most non-drinkers are forced to drink alcohol because of peer pressure. Hebert Moskowitz, the president of the Southern California Research Institute in Los Angeles, concedes that â€Å"alcohol has been so popular these days; it seems as though alcohol is a requirement for parties† (Moskowitz, 13). Unfortunately, most UNM students do not know their limits for alcohol consumption. By the time a party is over, they fail to realize that they had one too many drinks and they decide to drink and drive. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety and†¦show more content†¦There have been many records of supreme court cases in New Mexico where drunk drivers are not being charged for DUI such as: State v. Lizzol, 2006; State v. Arroyos, 2005; Sanchez v. Kirby, 2001; State v. Wenger, 1999, e tc. Each and every one of these cases resulted in the court dismissing the charges for no reason. Usually if a person is arrested and sent to jail for DUI there is a high chance that the exact same person will drink and drive again; this time he or she may take the life of one of your own family member (Moskowitz, 12). I believe many students continue to drink and drive because they think they are able to get away with it. Many students believe if they are able to get away with it once, they will believe they can get away with it twice. Numerous UNM students believe that they won’t get into an accident because they believe are responsible and won’t hurt anyone, but they are wrong because alcohol impairs judgment and reaction time. In the campaign, â€Å"You Drink, You Drive, You Lose,† it stated in the commercial that police are setting up more DWI check points. Personally in my experience when I drove home late around 12 or 1 o’clock in the morning on the weekdays or weekends, I have never even seen any DWI check point set up. Even on the main highways I rarely saw any police cars. One ofShow MoreRelatedMandatory Dui Laws And / Or Technology Should Be Enacted1320 Words   |  6 Pageswhile under the influence of alcohol is called drunk driving (DUI), which is against the law. The National Traffic Safety Administration (NTSA) estimates that almost 40% of traffic deaths caused by accidents in the United States are caused by drunk drivers. Some people think that there should be tougher penalties for repeaters of DUI and we should have zero tolerance for drinking and driving. Others believe that tougher laws are not needed. Some people feel like the social drinkers are being punishedRead MoreToughe r Dui Laws And Better Technology1331 Words   |  6 PagesTougher DUI laws and better Technology Could Be Both Good and Bad Let’s drink and drive so we can crash and kill innocent people. Driving while under the influence of alcohol is called drunk driving (DUI), which is against the law. The National Traffic Safety Administration (NTSA) estimates that almost 40% of traffic deaths caused by accidents in the United States are caused by drunk drivers. Some people think that there should be tougher penalties for repeaters of DUI and we should have zero toleranceRead MoreThe Problem Of Driving Under The United States1332 Words   |  6 PagesHaving 8% percent of alcohol in your body is already considered over board and the person is guessed to be a danger to society if driving a vehicle. DUI is considered to be the nations most committed crime up to date, back in the 80’s people started supporting ways to fight drinking and driving, and were willing to give up some â€Å"freedom† to have stricter legal deeds. The people took this movement into a legislative sector. Somewhere between the 1981 and 1987 about 934 laws were passed by state legislaturesRead More The Population Of St. Paul s Informed On The Consequences Of Crime1406 Words   |  6 Pagesawareness of villagers to the new laws passed by Grenada parliament on the crime and their legal penalties, determine the thoughts on the past consequences compared to the present, determine the villagers attitude towards the new penalties of crime and find out whether the consequences are deterring factors to thought and action of committing crime. Moreover, to help gather and process information needed to help make valid and reliable conclusions, quantitative survey research through the use of structuredRead MoreDrug Abuse1622 Words   |  7 Pagesphrase should automatically make you realize that these could potentially be dangerous if, and according to statistics, are abused. So outlawing or monitoring would be more beneficial to society than legalizing or decriminalizing. Legalization has no penalties to any act dealing with the substance and therefore people would buy in larger quantit ies and increase the amount they take per day. Several different activities and substances have been the main topic over the decriminalization versus legalization

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Bureaucracy and Administrative Management - 1545 Words

Classical management theory is based on developing universal management principles for various situations. It’s broken down into three emphases. * SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT Theory which focuses on production work flows and productivity of individual workers, * ADMINISTRATIVE MANAGEMENT THEORY which focuses on the total organization. The emphasis is on the development of managerial principles rather than work methods. * BUREAUCRATIC MANAGEMENT THEORY which focuses on strict implementation of rules and regulation, hierarchy systems in achieving maximum efficiency. Bureaucratic Theory by Max Weber Bureaucratic Theory was developed by a German Sociologist and political economist Max Weber (1864-1920). According to him,†¦show more content†¦5. Impersonal relationships between managers and employees. * Managers should maintain an impersonal relationship with employees so that favoritism and personal prejudice do not influence decisions. * To eliminate bias, ignore persuasion and personal differences 6. Employment based on technical qualifications * People are selected on the basis of their credentials and merit and are paid according to their position in the hierarchy. * Competence, not â€Å"who you know,† should be the basis for all decisions made in hiring, job assignments, and promotions Criticism of Bureaucratic Organization Bureaucratic Management Approach of Max Weber also has some fault-lines and received criticism for it. * The emphasis only on rules and regulations. * There will be unnecessary delay in decision-making due to formalities and rules of Bureaucratic Organization. * Coordination and communication hampered because of too much formality and rules. * Bureaucracy involves a lot of paper work and has just too much level of authority which results in lot of wastage of time, effort and money. Not ideal for efficiency. * Because of its too much formality, Bureaucratic approach is not suitable for business organizations. Bureaucratic model may be suitable for government organizations. * Too much importance isShow MoreRelatedThe Classical Public Administrative Theory1158 Words   |  5 Pages CLASSICAL PUBLIC ADMINISTRATIVE THEORY Most twentieth century scholars in sociology and the science of administration consider the classical public administrative theory as the early form of organizational theory and accompanied by three main types of management: scientific, administration and bureaucracy. All of these management ideas are linked to different academics. `The scientific management was developed by Frederick Winslow Taylor (1856-1915); the AmericanRead MoreBureaucracy Theory of Weber1302 Words   |  6 PagesBureaucracy theory of Weber Weber s theory of bureaucracy (1958) is one of the most popular themes of the studying of organizations. He identified the legitimate of power with authority. Power means the ability to ask people to accept the orders; Legitimation means people regard this power as legitimate so as to obey the orders. Weber identified this authority as three types: Charismatic authority, where the rule can be accepted because the leader has some outstanding personal qualityRead MoreA Review On Organisational Theories1677 Words   |  7 Pagesorganisational task and performance: Scientific Management (Taylor); Administrative Theory (Fayol); Bureaucracy and Organizational Structure (Weber); and Administrative Behaviour (Simon).1 The schools differ in their explanation, but share one commonality: that a formalized structure is prescribed behaviour for the staff s common behaviour . In other words, that 2 staff behaviour is influenced by the structure of the organisation. The Scientific Management school, led by Frederick W Taylor from theRead MoreThe Classical Era / Period Of Public Administration953 Words   |  4 Pagespublic administration (PA), the prevailing thought was that PA should be studied as its own individual field of study and not embodied within political science, management or law. The belief in the classical period that Public Administration should be studied as its own individual field of study and not embodied within political science, management or law was a rational assumption. According to â€Å"Public administration: An Introduction,† some of the scholars in the field of public administration, includingRead MoreThe Power Of The Bureaucracy1355 Words   |  6 Pages1. Woll views the bureaucracy as the center of governmental power because agencies exercise legislative, judicial, and executive functions, and because of how strongly administration and politics are intertwined. Woll argues that contrary to popular thought, the President and Congress have infrequent control over the administrative process. Agencies make definite decisions that carry out vague policy initiated in Congress or by the President. Agencies also offer expert advice and are receptive toRead MoreCompare and Contrast of the Classical School of Management and the Human Relations School of Management1531 Words   |  7 Pagesand contrast of the classical school of management and the human relations school of management The classical or traditional approach to management was generally concerned with the structure and the activities of formal organization. The utmost importance in the achievement of an effective organization were seen to be the issues such as the establishment of a hierarchy of authority, the division of work, and the span of control. The classical management focuses on the efficiency and includes scientificRead MoreCompare and Contrast of the Classical School of Management and the Human Relations School of Management1545 Words   |  7 Pagesand contrast of the classical school of management and the human relations school of management The classical or traditional approach to management was generally concerned with the structure and the activities of formal organization. The utmost importance in the achievement of an effective organization were seen to be the issues such as the establishment of a hierarchy of authority, the division of work, and the span of control. The classical management focuses on the efficiency and includesRead MoreMax s Bureaucratic Model With Frederick Riggs Model Essay1169 Words   |  5 Pagesis recognized as prismatic. The prismatic model was developed by Fredrick Riggs to explain the administrative systems of the developing World. Weber believed in a more formalized, rigid structure of organization known as a bureaucracy. This non-personal view of organizations followed a formal structure where rules, formal legitimate authority and competence were characteristics of appropriate management practices. Weber’s characteristics of the bureaucratic model are identified as, Hierarchy, DivisionRead MoreOrganization and Administration in Higher Education Essay1576 Words   |  7 Pagesacting officers to fill vacant administrative positions in academic departments (e.g. college dean, department chair, etc.) is a case of satisficing. Another area where satisficing is common is in athletics and sports. For instance, wh en athletics, football, or basketball coaches are fired for poor results, they are quickly replaced by one of the associates while a search for replacement begins. The temporary appointments are considered worthwhile in view of the administrative functions that the occupierRead MoreThe Structural Frame Model Of An Organization818 Words   |  4 Pagesthe modern humanity with Cutting-edge technology and multiculturalism, with extreme materialism and economical drive. As a result, any modern organization, regardless of its size, type or nature, has to depend upon the factual structures and best management paths to survive in today’s civilization. Lee G.Bolman and Terrence F. Deal’s (2013) book â€Å"Reframing Organizations† presents most updated and developed managerial approaches to leadership and structure for the organizations. L.G. Bolman and T.F

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Database+Coursework Database 101 Free Essays

Area Film and Literary Society (MLFS) provide groups and events for local people. All participants must be members (who pay an annual fee) or their guests who may attend events. Fees vary from one group to another. We will write a custom essay sample on Database+Coursework Database 101 or any similar topic only for you Order Now In addition members may have a reduction in fees depending on their type of membership. For example Individual members pay 100% fees and Concessionary members pay 50%. There are also Household members and a special category called Friends of the Society. The Society hosts a number of groups which meet monthly. Members can join one or more groups; currently these include Film, Science, Reading and Poetry Groups. A paper record is held for each member, an example of which is given below. Member details| Event talents| Member No1022 NameJay PatelTelephone020 8888 3333AddressHigh Rd, London Member type Individual | Ability Code| Talent | | 01 Poetry 05 Science| membership records| Session (year)| Group code| Group name| CoordNo| CoordName| Feepaid| Date paid| 2007-2008| 01 | Poetry | 102| Carol Duffy| ? 0| 19/09/07| 2008-2009| 01 | Poetry | 102| Carol Duffy| ? 60| 02/09/08| 2008-2009| 06 | Reading| 111| Jane Austen| ? 75| 03/09/08| 2009-2010| 05 | Science| 181| Marie Curie| ? 90| 03/09/09| * | * | * | * | * | * | * | Note that the group code and the ability code are both based on the same domain of values. The latter represents members’ talents which the Society may make use of – this is described later. One group of a particular type (such as Poetry) will be run each year, assum ing there are nine or more members who want to join a group. Each group is run by a coordinator, who may change from one year to the next. In addition to the above, the society holds the address and telephone number of each coordinator. Besides groups, the society also holds one-off special events, such as lectures, films, art exhibitions and musical evenings. Events do not relate to particular groups: they are open to all members and their guests and are organised by one of the coordinators. Events will be led by an outside speaker, or sometimes a member (who have special talents as shown in the example record above) will act as the speaker. Each event will have only one speaker (whether an outside speaker or a member speaker), but a speaker may speak at a number of events. Details will be held of the event name, the date, and venue and outside speakers (name and telephone number). The Society will keep records of members who attended events and the number of guests for each member per event. 1a) Entity-relationship model mapped to a relational database If you need to revise this topic, see Text Book Chapter 3. Produce an Entity-Relationship Model using UML notation for the above case. Convert to a relational model by specifying the primary and foreign keys, mapping any one-to-one relationships into relations, and decomposing any many-to-many relationships. This is the Relation diagram and the diagram which you should submit. Note that there is no need to include the type of each attribute. State any assumptions that you may need to make particularly about optional and mandatory relationships. Note that assumptions are about how you have interpreted the scenario, not about the E-R modelling process. The ERD is not trivial – it involves at least 10 entities. I suggest you start by each member of your group concentrating on different parts of the ERD and then coming together to discuss. Remember: * databases hold historical information, not just details of current records * to work out cardinality of relationship use ‘two sentences each starting with the word one’ * check all attributes; they should be atomic (single-valued) * check primary/foreign key links (remember the foreign key goes on the ‘many side’) * decompose any m:n relationships 1b) Validate the model Checking for connection traps Examine your model and identify one potential trap (fan trap or chasm trap) – if present. Consider whether this may cause a problem to your model and re-draw if necessary, arguing your case either way. Supporting the functional requirements Validate the model to check it can support the following functional requirement i. e. specify the access path by listing the appropriate relations (taking into account the correct relationships) from your diagram: ‘List all members by name who have ever belonged to the Science group, who have a talent for music and have attended an event with Goldie as the outside speaker. ’ How to cite Database+Coursework Database 101, Papers

Sunday, May 3, 2020

Gender Bias Critic of Antigone free essay sample

Sophocles was born in 496 B. C. and from 490 B. C. until 442 B. C. when the first performance of Antigone at the Dionysian theater; there had been many wars in the Greek and Persian history. These ongoing battles would not involve women in combat nor negotiations in the political arena, but merely a person to remain at home, responsible for domestic affairs. There would always be the fear of war, seen on the faces of every adult, reflected in the eyes of every child. Kate Hamburger, the author of From Sophocles to Sartre, and essay on the tragedies of Sophocles with an emphasis on the heroic tragedy Antigone, claims that the effect of war in Sophocles earlier youth is a contributing cause to his heroic tragedies. Sophocles saw the ideals of democracy early and practiced self-governing in the local market place. According to Siegfried Melchinger, a German dramatist who in his doctoral dissertation made a focus specifically on Sophocles, stated that Sophocles character is one of an overlapping discipline. Siegfried Melchinger published his book titled Sophocles in 1974, which David Scarse later translated from German to English. Sophocles composed his education to be overlapping, in that he was well educated in all areas. Even before the performance of Antigone, Sophocles was acclaimed for his feminine roles; as females were not allowed to act in theater. It was not until 442 B. C. that he wrote Antigone, with an even greater allusion to the role of women. Before Antigone begins, the two brothers of Antigone are engaged in a battle no only of land, but of power. Their deep desires to rule Thebes and male dominating ego, only lead to their deaths; a tragedy that would affect more than just themselves. The battle of glory for men would not be the same for their sisters, but in 442 B. C. as Sophocles illustrates, the living women would have to deal with the tragedies of the dead; a task not easy to be burdened with as woman. Their uncle, Creon, dominates Antigone and her sister Ismene to the extent of mourning their own brothers death. Antigone has chosen a fate without glory: Ill suffer nothing as great as death without glory, (Antigone line 112). Only a male in this time could die with honor and glory, and just as her uncle has forced a death without glory for her brother, although a glorious death is honorable, she has decided it a better life to die without glory than dishonor her blood and the gods. Ismene does not wish to go against the laws of her uncle, for women were not born to contend with men, but between the bond of her and Antigone, she will defy the king(line 75). Ismene is just as horrified about the edict as Antigone is, but asks what theyweak womencan do. During this era the women had a specific role, and to defy that role would be horrific enough, despite the edict which Antigone spoke so ill of. Ismene does not follow her sister, as Antigone is sure of her own fate and actions. To Antigone, there is nothing worse that she can face except death. Death is not a dilemma if she does as the gods sacred commands require, but to leave the body uncovered after death is treason to the gods and the soul of the dead will wander the Earth forever. Antigone sees no reason to hide what she considers to be perfectly just and a responsible act. The relationship between the two sisters in Antigone, but the male dominating King split the bond. The force that split the bond was not a physical power, but an underlying force that restricts women, even sisters, from expressing their true feelings. Sophocles sets the audience to wonder if the sisters will be able to combat and overcome the evil as a pair. Antigone comes across very clear and shockingly determined. She wants her sisters help in hopes of calming the gods. The fact that Antigone cannot convince Ismene begins the final separation of their family. After the suicide of their mother, death of their father, and the battle between their brothers, Ismene and Antigone are all that is left. The last family relationship has been broke and Antigone, the heroine of the tragedy comes into a sharper view. In his review of Sophocles, Vision and Stagecraft in Sophocles, David Seale makes a bold contrast in character between Ismene and Antigone. David Seale received his masters from Bishops University, and as part of his doctorate, which was a continuation of his thesis, he published Vision and Stagecraft in Sophocles through the University of Chicago. In David Seales book, he makes a dedication to Sophocles Antigone, and the concrete visualizations. Antigone, as correctly described by Seale is fearless, self-reliant, and willing to die for her convictions, whereas Ismene is cautious, obedient to male authority, and lacks the courage of her convictions. As Sophocles portrays, Antigone acts absolutely. She has accepts death with justification: Nor did that Justice, dwelling with the Gods beneath the earth, ordain such laws for men. Nor did I think your edict had such force hat you, a mere mortal, could override the gods, the great unwritten, unshakable traditions. It will not be for the sake of any law made by man that Antigone will incur the punishments of the gods. She will do everything she can, even if it takes her to her death, to make things right between her brother and the gods. Sophocles makes the point that the male leaders entrusted with the peoples power need to be viewed with caution. Sophocles, because of his youth, h ad a good understanding of democratic politics. Antigone is a visual representation for the people, so they can see the political corruption that is possible even in democracy. Since Antigone is a woman defying the traditional standards of a woman, the attention of the audience is focused on the outcome and the Kings resolve. Sophocles does not explicitly state which gender has chosen the correct way to live, but represents the people voice in the chorus in contrast to Creons oppressive nature towards woman and his kingdom. Creon in his opening speech as king represents the ideas of man and king for that time in history. Creon, a man, claims himself to be more powerful than the gods, he is the law, and he is the country: whoever places a friend above the good of his own country, he is nothing, (Antigone line 203). As Sophocles sets up the play, he is setting the king up to fall. No man is greater than god is, and no man can rule over women without having rule over himself. The people, the poets voice, represented by the chorus read the ode to the nature of man. The ode foreshadows what failures will come to man if the actions are not withdrawn, and that death cannot be defeated. The author Simon Goldhill is a professor at Cambridge University who wrote a review on literary works involving Greek tragedy. In his review that was published in 1986 by the Cambridge University Press, Goldhill depicts the daily routine of the once modern life. In his work, he describes the minor role that women played, and in his review of the play Antigone, he alludes to the shut out role that women play and analyzes the Ode to Man. After Creons threat to his own guards, mad with rage, the Chorus begins to chant. Siegfried Melchinger interprets this ode slightly different from Goldhill, stating that the ode reflects, many are the wonders but nothing more wonderful than man, where Goldhill debates the interpretation. Goldhill writes that the ode implies that the all-inventive man comes to the nothingness that is his future. The chant is an ode to the human spirit and power of man. Creons eruption with rage is not because a citizen of his kingdom disobeyed his edict, but that it was a woman who stood up against his power, and there was nothing he can do. Creons tone towards Antigones actions is one that would be directed toward a slave during the early American revolutionary days of slave trade. Antigones Flaw is a review of Sophocles play Antigone and her role in the Greek tragedy. Patricia M. Lines, a dramatist who analyzes the positive aspects of Antigone and females, wrote the review. Lines does not state or imply that women during Sophocles era were treated equally or with the same standards as men, but does write, Antigone stands for all this is right and for the opposition to tyranny, contributing to her focus that represents the positive outlook of Antigone, (Lines 1495). Antigone represents the morality of the play, and helps give a didactic performance. Since only males were allowed to be in politics, it is understandable that a defiant woman would collect the attention of the audience and warn them of the possible danger that, not a woman poses, but the male politician. Sophocles shows that if a woman can stand up to the king, then any man is capable of doing the same. Antigones rebellion against the king, not only represents her love for her brother, but also contrasts the difference between men and women. Women at this time were not in place to challenge a man and Antigones silenced opinion represents the flaw of man. The kings son is to marry the defiant woman, and in his flaw, he is to have her exiled. This flaw, as Creon will soon see, is to become his own tragedy. Even the son, Haemon, cannot speak out about his love, for the Creon will hear none of it. Creon waits until every respectable man in the kingdom has told him that he is doing wrong, that he considers it a fault on his part. Creon ignores the wishes of every woman, and every man. Pride is a fault in men, and the kingdom that follows the man is doomed to share a similar fate. Sophocles represents the power of men and insignificance of women in the epic tragedy. The women, even the ones dearest to him are considered to have little importance and can easily be removed. Ismene who did not violate a law, but coincided with her sister was treated with equal disdain. Women, according to Siegfried Melchinger, were misunderstood in Sophocles era and Antigone is the epitome of this representation. Antigone in contrast to Creon acted according to the divine justice of the unwritten law, where Creon is simply vulnerable because he is unsure of his grasp on power, (Melchinger 77). Antigone is defending a bond of kinship, which Sophocles portrays man to ignore. Sophocles poses the two powers of philia and eros: love or hate. Creon takes fault to eros, but with the death of those dear to him he will realize the absolute power. Creon continues to cover up his growing uncertainty through harsh and erratic measures. Haemon, who was to marry Antigone, is called a womans slave, by his father. Creon does not mean that he works for, nor is he literally a slave to Antigone, but that he accepts a womans opinion to be as right as his own. Creon cannot accept that his son would choose a womans belief over his own or the gods will over that of mans. Haemon has broken the bond between him and his father, and as Sophocles alludes, the bond between two men is weak if the interests are not the same. After Creon has spoken to the wisest man in the kingdom, he realizes his fault and attempts to make things right. Creon accepts the difficulty in having to swallow his pride, and though he does not believe that he is wrong, he understands that it is something that must be done to give relief to the other men in his life. Creon chooses to release Antigone, not for her life, but because of the repercussions that her death would have on the men in his kingdom. Antigone, the true Queen by birth is treated and pulled from power like a criminal. Though the play never explicitly states, Antigones actions are pure. She is not disloyal to Creon out of fear, marriage, or motherhood, but entirely rational; she is the only person, a woman, who would do the right thing. Sophocles is asking the audience if they too, would allow such things to occur and defy the gods. Creons epiphany came too late, and death too early. Antigones suicide soon became Creons wish. Antigones death leads to the suicide of both Creons son and wife. Although each of these deaths is tragic, it was not until Haemon killed himself in rage, that Creon was truly affected. The death of a woman was not significant, but his own son is what truly brought him to his knees for a final prayer. The essential moral of the tragedy is the warning to the people in power. Sophocles warns the leaders in power not to transgress the rules and limits of governing the people. Sophocles epic tragedy represented man, woman, death, and the balance between them.

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Od vs Hr Essay Example

Od vs Hr Essay â€Å"We are witnessing and participating in an unprecedented dissolution of the boundaries of the field of organization development. In organizations around the world, the HR function is monopolizing the OD function at an unprecedented pace, which is limiting our reach, blunting our effectiveness, and compromising our role. † OD and HR Do We Want the Lady or the Tiger? By Matt Minahan Ding. Ding. Ding. OK, time’s up. Time to decide. Will it be door number one, or door number two? The lady or the tiger? In Frank Stockton’s allegory (1882), a prisoner is ordered to choose between two closed doors. Behind one is a woman whom he must marry sight unseen and live with for the rest of his life; behind the other is the tiger which would surely eat him alive. Without knowing exactly what is behind which door, how is one to choose? And, which does one really prefer? Like the mythical prisoner, the field of OD has been standing in front of two doors for too long, putting off the choice between them. One door would leave the OD function embedded within HR; the other would get OD out to stand independently on its own two feet in the organization. We will write a custom essay sample on Od vs Hr specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Od vs Hr specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Od vs Hr specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The field of OD has been putting off this decision for too long—since its inception, in fact—and it is time for us to make the decision. Well into our mid-40s as a field, we can’t really blame all of this mess on our forebears, because frankly we’re dealing with these choices just as badly as they did when the field was first founded. We’re still standing looking at the same two doors between which our OD forebears could not decide. Long History, Deep Roots This question about whether OD should be part of HR or should stand on its own goes back to the founding of our field. What became organization development had its roots in the training and development function, where the T group was the primary intervention. At a panel of the founders of OD at the 2009 Academy of Management conference in Chicago, almost every one of them, to a man, said that they were trained as writers or sociologists or engineers, but attended an NTL Institute T group where their lives changed. (Several also lamented that they were all white men in the field at that time, and on that panel at AoM. Following their NTL experiences, they tried to bring these insights they had obtained into their organizations via the training function. By the late 1960s, just a few years after the field was founded by about a dozen internal training and development people at NTL’s summer home in Bethel, Maine, the theory was, â€Å"let’s transform the way managers think about themselves and the ways they relate to people and solve problems, and once we’ve done that, we can send them back home to transform their own organizations† (Porras Bradford, 2004). Evidently, there were some who said that the OD function should stand on its own and be independent of other influence (Burke, 2004). Others, however, were concerned that the field of OD was too new and unknown and should reside in the personnel or training function, as advocated by Shel Davis of TRW Systems, Sy Levy from Pillsbury, Herb Shepard formerly of Esso, Dick Beckard, and others. Their belief was that â€Å"OD at the time was too new, too ephemeral, and too suspect to survive on its own in the organization . . . Early on, then, two models or scenarios OD and HR: Do We Want the Lady or the Tiger? 17 about the place of OD within the organization were debated regarding the wisdom of such a placement† (Burke, 2004). Theory Versus Fact The vast majority of the central thinkers, writers, and scholars in our field today (Cummings Worley, 2005; Marshak, 2009; Feyerherm Worley, 2009; Rothwell, et al. , 2009) write as if OD is a separate and distinct field of practice, but the facts on the ground tell a different story. We are witnessing and participating in an unprecedented dissolution of the boundaries of the field of organization development. In organizations around the world, the HR function is monopolizing the OD function at an unprecedented pace, which is limiting our reach, blunting our effectiveness, and compromising our role. As a field, we are behaving as if there is nothing we can do about it; it is as if we are watching ourselves in an automobile crash in slow motion, worried and concerned at what we see, and yet unable to find the brakes or grab the steering wheel to avert the collision and all of the collateral damage. Maybe the founders of the field were right that OD was too new and too fragile to stand on its own. But they didn’t count on what’s happening now in the field of HR. The Ascendancy of HR Over the past 15 years, we have seen better and better leadership of the HR function, with several universities now offering Masters’ degrees in HRM and HRD and several MBA degrees with an HR concentration. The result has been a generation of stronger, more strategic HR managers who have achieved a seat at the table and are trusted advisors at the top of organizations. Many managers at the top of the HR function are getting better by the year about understanding the dynamics of the organizations in which they serve. Increasingly, they can speak the language of the board room, and are not afraid to undertake even major organization change projects. This new generation of HR leaders clearly understands that people and money are the powers that run organizations; and when the system can provide enough of the latter, their job is to get just enough of it into the hands of the former to get the job done. And then return the rest to stakeholders. And to keep the organization out of court. In these regards, they are notably different from the generation of HR managers and VPs that preceded them, when there was no professional training for HR managers and when these posts often went to the VP who was due to retire next. The evolution of the training function also has had an impact. Ever increasing pressures to reduce costs have forced the training function to get smart about impact evaluation. Kirkpatrick’s (1998) four levels have forced the training function to look beyond end-of-session â€Å"smile sheets† to defend their budgets and make the case that training is a valuable investment. The result has been that training functions are now requiring training managers who have the skills to collect data, analyze it, and think systemically about what to do with it. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? If you needed The days of HR staff being hired principally because they were people persons with good listening skills are gone. The trend toward activity based costing (ABC) is now showing the true cost of overhead functions such as HR, and HR is responding by making itself more relevant to the business of the organization. Many HR staff are now called business partners, often reflecting an aspirational goal, but quite distant from the actual reality of their skills on the ground. With this smarter, more strategic generation of HR managers comes the instinct and desire to have at hand one of the most powerful levers for organizational change and renewal, the OD function. Thus the trend of OD roles and functions being acquired by HR. And, to be clear, in merger and acquisition terms, these are not mergers of equals; they are straight up acquisitions of the OD function by HR. Another factor has been the pressure on HR functions to be relevant to the business of the organization. The days of HR staff being hired principally because they were people persons with good listening skills are gone. The trend toward activity based costing (ABC) is now showing the true cost of overhead functions such as HR, and HR is responding by making itself more relevant to the business of the organization. Many HR staff are now called business partners, often reflecting an aspirational goal, but quite distant from the actual reality of their skills on the ground. someone to do that, wouldn’t you be looking for a good OD person? Often desperate to meet their utilization goals, the training function is very happy to let managers continue to believe that training is the answer to every problem, a kind of panacea for whatever ails. Leaders and employees alike seem to rely on training as the answer, believing perhaps that with the right education they can deliver what the business needs. That is certainly an easier solution to accept than facing OD issues related to how people, teams, and departments relate and connect with one another, how business processes work, and how all connect with and work toward the strategic direction of the organization. So, it is no wonder that smart HR leaders are looking to candidates trained and educated in OD to take on these business partner and training leadership roles, resulting in even more blurring of the lines between OD and HR. 18 OD PRACTITIONER Vol. 42 No. 4 2010 Differences Are Real, and Important By now, this author’s biases are probably clear: there are important differences between the OD and HR functions; and as these roles collapse and the differences disappear, the field of OD is losing its unique position in the organization and its effectiveness overall. We’re behaving as a field as if we should be living in a both/and world around this, when the truth is exactly the opposite. Many in OD struggle to find and hold boundaries that separate people and things. We spend our entire time helping our clients make better connections between each other at all levels—individuals and pairs, cross unit collaboration, organizations working toward better partnerships, etc. But when it comes to OD and our HR cousins, we should be sharpening and better defining our boundaries, not blurring them, because the differences in our functions are real and important. The HR function has a legally mandated, regulatory role: to provide people to fill jobs, to reduce costs (for payroll, health care insurance, benefits, etc. ), and to keep the organization out of the courts and the press by ensuring compliance and avoiding claims of discrimination or harassment. People view HR as the people you go to with a problem that you want to make official. People feel that going to HR puts things in the record. They see HR as the enforcers or policemen. The OD function has a developmental mandate; in fact, our job is to increase the effectiveness of the organization and to maximize the potential of the human beings in the work force. We have theories, concepts, beliefs, and values through which we help our clients assure that there is alignment among strategy, structure, business process, and culture, while at the same time embedding human values such as honesty, respect, diversity, and voice. One model (Marshak, 2006) outlines three domains of knowledge for OD practitioners:  » understanding social systems, drawing on theories and ideas from the social sciences, including psychology, social  » psychology, sociology, anthropology, political science, and others, consistent with OD values; understanding the hows and whys of change, including the bodies of knowledge that help explain how all levels of the system—individual, group, organizational, community, and even societies change; and understanding the role of the third p arty change agent, especially aiding the person in charge as well as the system itself to bring about the desired changes, requiring an understanding of the issues, politics, psychological processes related to being a third party in a change process. That doesn’t sound much like the recruit, retain, train, and develop mandate of the HR function, does it? It is hard to imagine even the highest functioning HR departments being knowledgeable and skilled in all these areas. There are many in HR who look at the list of OD functions and say, â€Å"Oh, we can do that! † And, on occasion, they may be right. But the philosophies of the two disciplines are starkly different, as are the theory bases, the world views, the core skills sets, and their roles within the organization. There is a built-in conflict between the role of OD consultant, coach or adviser with a developmental mandate working toward organizational effectiveness, versus the role of the HR practitioner whose core mandate is regulatory and enforcement. Can a good HR person advise on selected developmental matters, such as training strategies and needs assessments? Yes, as can a good OD person. But the conflict of interest for the HR staff shows up when the Action Research process of retreat planning and design requires them to interview staff about a manager’s effectiveness. What staff member in her right mind would say something critical of their manager to someone from HR, who is likely also to be involved in decisions about that manager’s promotion, pay, and even succession planning? Or their own? HR has its hands on too many of the organizational levers and has too many mandates centering around enforcement and control to ever be effective at drawing out of managers the truth about their insecurities, anxieties, and the shadow sides, that is so necessary to doing good work and being effective in doing OD. Troubling Examples These concerns aren’t just theoretical, either. Quick conversations with a handful of colleagues, both OD and HR, turn up some troubling examples. In a large multinational organization, The Different Functions Organization Development †¢ Improve the effectiveness of the organization †¢ Maximize the potential of human beings and their contributions to the organization †¢ Align strategy, structure, business processes, and behavior into an effective corporate culture †¢ Model and foster humanistic values into the workplace Human Resources †¢ Manage employee attraction, retention, development, and performance management †¢ Develop and manage programs for employee relations, staff well ­being, workforce planning, and workload management †¢ Ensure equity and diversity †¢ Reduce labor costs †¢ Avoid litigation †¢ Enforce corporate policies OD and HR: Do We Want the Lady or the Tiger? 19 the OD staff and external consultants were forced to follow the rules that govern the rest of the HR function around meeting with VPs and senior managers. The HR VP insisted that he attend every meeting that the HR—and OD! —staff had with other VPs in the organization. Not just marketing or contracting meetings, but actual project meetings as well. He was unwilling to make an exception for the OD staff lest the HR staff get upset. Within weeks, his it was in Corporate Strategy along with the strategy and budget functions, where it had free reign of the organization and was in constant contact with the top leadership on strategy, structure, and corporate culture. It was later merged into the HR function. The results: the best organization design people in town left (with all of their embedded knowledge) rather than be reassigned to deliver management training programs. Then a succession of HR managers gradu- practitioner is, then anybody can hang out a shingle claiming he or she is an OD consultant. In fact, some years ago, there was an informal study of the members of the OD Network that found that almost one third of them had taken on the label or the role of OD consultant, with no previous education or training in the field. Not All Bad News To be clear, the field has shifted largely positively, over the past few decades, responding to some of the â€Å"red flags† that Larry Greiner (1972) identified for OD, including:  » Putting individual behavior ahead of strategy, structure, process, and controls;  » Overemphasizing the informal at the expense of the formal organization, driving more for openness and trust to change the culture, often at the expense of efficiency, h ierarchy, and accountability;  » Driving open and trusting relationships as a normative model for change, without questioning the context or applicability in a given situation, and assuming that team building was always the preferred intervention;  » Putting process before task, enamored with the human dynamics of working together over getting the work done; and  » Treating the manager as just another stakeholder, relatively uninvolved in the planning and conduct of consultantled programs rather than the key stakeholder. Historically, the field has addressed many, if not all, of these red flags among strong and well-grounded practitioners. However, many of them are still quite evident in HR people who are trying to do OD today. The Right Answer Reflecting on the various options for organizing and structuring the OD function and constructing its relationship with HR, the optimum solution is to establish In a large financial institution, the OD function thrived when it was part of the IT function where it designed and facilitated large business process simplification projects. It had its best years when it was in Corporate Strategy along with the strategy and budget functions, where it had free reign of the organization and was in constant contact with the top leadership on strategy, structure, and corporate culture. It was later merged into the HR function. The results: the best organization design people in town left (with all of their embedded knowledge) rather than be reassigned to deliver management training programs. schedule became a huge onstraint on the work of the OD function because consultants (internal and external) could not get into his calendar to meet with their clients. In a science-based organization the OD function was fully financially self-sufficient, recovering the costs and a bit of an â€Å"upcharge† from its internal clients. Other HR managers got res entful of this chargeback mechanism. They forced the manager of the OD program to stop recouping her costs, which effectively killed the OD function because it had no free-standing budget of its own. In a university, a very strong and capable OD function has been merged and renamed Learning and OD, resulting in the organization’s best OD talent being diverted into managing the training program for the university. In a large financial institution, the OD function thrived when it was part of the IT function where it designed and facilitated large business process simplification projects. It had its best years when ally reduced the OD function to delivering two day team building retreats, and a cadre of dozens of internal and external consultants has been whittled down to less than 10. In one knowledge -based organization we know, the OD person is required to have the HR person present during all contracting and data collection meetings. Clients are now creatively working around the requirement by calling the OD staff directly on their cell phones after hours to discuss matters that they can’t or won’t say in front of the HR people, who are not trusted in that system. No Boundaries, No Standards What Bradford and Burke (2004) said about the lack of standards in the field of OD applies equally well to the lack of boundaries with the HR function. â€Å"When there is lack of clarity as to the boundaries of the field and corresponding confusion about what the appropriate role of an OD 20 OD PRACTITIONER Vol. 42 No. 4 2010 the OD function independently. Ideally, it would have a blended mandate and funding, charging back for local unit-specific work, and centrally funded for organization-wide efforts. There are instances when OD should be working in partnership with the HR function, specialists on one discipline speaking with and working closely with specialists of the other discipline. There are nstances when the HR function would be the OD function’s client; and there are instances when the OD and HR functions ought not to be working together at all, such as when there are conflicts of interest or large scale organization strategy or design pr ojects not ready for implementation. There are disadvantages to being freestanding and independent within the organization. The OD function may become vulnerable to exposure, scrutiny, and politics. Some OD people can’t play in the C-suite (Burke, 2004). The function would have to earn its stripes and compete for money and mandate with other functions in strategic planning, financial management, budget, and yes, even HR. But the upsides of organizational independence are quite significant, and are evident now where strong OD departments are standing on their own. The OD function becomes central to the business of the organization, influencing strategy, mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, restructuring, etc. It works upstream, providing early input on the development of plans and processes, able to bring a systemic perspective and OD values to actions that previously had been made primarily on financial grounds alone. It is present and able to influence the setting of the agenda, not just the implementation of it. But How to Get There? It is no longer enough just to be good at process. To be able to stand independently in organizations, free of the cover and support of the HR function, OD practitioners need to:  » Know the major environmental, regulatory, and financial drivers of the organization;  »  »  »  » Know, be known by, and trusted by the top leadership of the organization; Know what’s involved in evaluating, deciding, and implementing mergers and acquisitions, especially around blending corporate cultures and business processes; Be effective in working across cultures, in global environments, and especially today, virtually; and Be attuned to the organizational politics within the organization and within its governance structures. (Greiner Cummings, 2004) Integrating sustainability and globalization into the world of OD brings another set of challenges. To play effectively as a free standing function, free of support from HR, OD practitioners need:  » New and better ideas for progress, guided by diversity, development, and sustainability;  » To understand and be effective at intervening in economic systems, balancing productivity with innovation, sustainability, and diversity; socially constructed and negotiated (Bushe Marshak, 2008). As the boundaries of the field have expanded over the past 15 years to include more systemic perspectives, there are new challenges for how to educate new OD professionals (Minahan Farquhar, 2008). That’s a tall order for a field that has prided itself historically on being apolitical, focusing on the individual, following the lead of the client, ambivalent about asserting ourselves in leadership roles within our client systems, and seeing ourselves as a bit subversive in being countercultural. There is some good news here, however. For the past 9 months, many of the academic directors of OD programs around the world have been carrying on a conversation sponsored by the OD Network and the OD and Change Division of the Academy of Management about the knowledge areas that are central to the field of OD and to which a solid OD program would want to commit. The criteria are still very much under development, but there is strong agree- Just as it’s tempting to blame our biological parents for our least attractive qualities, it is easy also to blame the founders of our field for leaving us stuck in this bi-polar state. Yes, they’ve dealt us this hand, but we’re the ones playing it now. We’ve been playing small ball, under the cover of the HR function and limited by our own ambivalence about power. It’s time to step forward, and pick a door. To model how human and cultural dignity and diversity are valued in their own right; and To make sure that the ecology has standing in all decisi ons. (Feyerherm Worley, 2008) ment around several, including the history and evolution of the field, its values base, the use of self, systems thinking, organization design science, theories and models for change, leading the consulting process, organizational inquiry and research, organizational assessment, designing and choosing appropriate interventions, facilitation and process consultation at all levels, organizational and global culture, diversity and inclusion, process improvement methods, and organizational acumen and mastery. As the work progresses, there will  » In social constructionist terms, the independent OD function of the future will also be influenced by the new sciences and postmodern thought. It will intervene on the organization as a meaning-making system, in which reality is acknowledged to be OD and HR: Do We Want the Lady or the Tiger? 21 be further discussions and consultations with professional organizations, scholars, and practitioners. Just as it’s tempting to blame our biological parents for our least attractive qualities, it is easy also to blame the founders of our field for leaving us stuck in this bi-polar state. Yes, they’ve dealt us this hand, but we’re the ones playing it now. We’ve been playing small ball, under the cover of the HR function and limited by our own ambivalence about power. It’s time to step forward, and pick a door. It may the lady. It may the tiger. But whichever way it turns out, we serve the field, our organizations, our HR colleagues, and ourselves by establishing the OD function independently, declaring our boundaries, and then working together across them, but separately. There’s more to discuss on this topic. Join Matt and others in this conversation at http://mattminahan. blogspot. com.

Friday, March 6, 2020

Isabel Allende essays

Isabel Allende essays Tell me a story. Rolfe Carle asks of his lover Eva Luna. Tell me a story you have never told anyone. And so our modern-day Sheherezade spins twenty-three tales over twenty-three nights now collected into The Stories of Eva Luna, where this wonderful storyteller evokes powerful emotions in her readers through themes of love, death, pride, strength and courage, human characters and a unique style of writing. Isabel Allende, the author of The Stories of Eva Luna, writes in a simple, yet extremely descriptive way, giving her stories an almost music-like resonance and letting the reader feel like they are actually right there next to the action, as when, in Ester Lucero they bore her away on an improvised stretcher, bleeding like a stuck pig, her eyes wide with terror. (ESTER LUCERO, PG. 1). Allendes powerful descriptions in Ester Lucero, as well as two other short stories, And of Clay Are We Created and The Judges Wife are wonderfully rich, allowing the reader to visualize places, identify with events and become emotionally attached to characters, as we do when we are told of Azucena stuck in a mudslide in And of Clay Are We Created, with her dark face, her large desolate eyes, the plastered-down tangle of hair.. (AND OF CLAY, PG. 2) Critics have dubbed Allendes descriptive power as being distinctive, powerful and haunting (ELAINE KENDALL, LOS ANGELES TIMES - DECEMBER 28, 1990), and able to turn the ordinary into magic and the magical into everyday life. (GILLIAN STEWARD, THE CALGARY HERALD - JANUARY 19, 1991) Allende is one of the most widely recognized authors to use what is known as magic realism, which she says is based around that dream-like quality that memories have. Its misty, its foggy. You dont know whats real and whats fantasy. Magic realism is the ability to mix fant...

Wednesday, February 19, 2020

Think 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Think 3 - Essay Example judged the government was in welcoming a technology that allowed human beings to produce androids which resemble human beings in every way only that they lacked bone marrow and empathy. "Emigrate or degenerate! The choice is yours!" (pg. 6). This indicates that the government believed that the American government disintegrated after WWT and a new society could only be created in a new land. However, as the novel progresses, the new glimpse of life seen on earth are deem and incomparable to the attractive life in Mars. The question of what makes us human is evident when the author states "...ultimately, the empathic gift blurred the boundaries between hunter and victim, between the successful and the defeated" (Dick 29). It is empathy that differentiates us from androids. However, technology is challenging this inordinate ability and the continual use of technology is making us isolated and might soon challenge our very existence. Living a false life is currently the order of the day as evident through social platforms such as Twitter and Facebook which makes us highly connected yet very isolated. â€Å"The electric things have their life too. Paltry as those lives are† (Dick 239). The technological devices invented by human beings have a life of their own, but we increasingly find ourselves attracted to ‘their’ life, forgetting our life. Reading Philip Dick’s novel, one realizes how the present world is actually experiencing the situation that was foreseen decades ago. It is an outstanding masterpiece to every student who believe in the destructive nature of