Multicultural Communication

In this clip, the ISRC (International Committee of the Red Cross discuss how the Red Cross performs humanitarian aid within the political climate and upheaval of the modern world. Members of the board include someone from Great Britain, Switzerland, France, and Belgium. The discussion between persons from different countries and cultures is a fascinating watch to see how influence, negotiation, and immunization takes place at the highest levels.Liking They all communicate very formally, sometimes clumsily, in English. Several elements of influence are demonstrated. At the conclusion of her opening remarks, Bea Ivanhoe, Director of the ISRC Visitor Service Center, refers to Peter Manure as ‘his Excellency'. This is not common language, but in a formal, eastern European setting, this provides Mr.. Manure a form of Authority. When one leader refers to another in this manner, it makes clear to the audience that Mr.. Manure likes the presenter, and his credibility can easily transfe r in the audiences mind..Liking is defined as a principle â€Å"that holds that people are more likely to be influenced by those whom they like or with whom they have similarities† (Localhost & Burton, 2010). When introducing Mr.. Manure, Ms. Ivanhoe actually nods her head in subjection as well. Social Proof Alexander Basel begins his speech in his native French when speaking to his immediate superiors. However, when opening remarks begin to be addressed to the general audience, he transfers to English. This is a way of demonstrating social proof hat he is well respected by his compatriots, and therefore should be respected by other on the panel and in the audience.Social proof is defined as a â€Å"principle of influence that states people are more likely to want to do something if they believe that many others are doing the same thing or buying the same product† (Localhost & Burton, 2010). Reciprocation When the panel begins its discussion, Mr.. Manure discusses how Professor Musses Capita mentioned that the ISRC is successful because it runs away from politics. Mr.. Manure compliments Professor Capita on his expertise, then disagrees to say that the ISRC works within the confines of the political landscape, but does not run from it.This compliment then disagree is all done without emotion, and done in the same way that DRP. Capita speaks, this is a form of reciprocation. As defined, reciprocation is a â€Å"principle of influence that states people are more likely to say yes too request when the requester has done something for that person in the past† (Localhost & Burton, 2010). Non-verbal Communication & Conformity Antonio Gestures (Portugal) begins his discussion with much more facial expressions ND hand gestures than the remainder of the board.When asked questions, he uses his body language to appear humble in his responses and positions. This non-verbal communication gives an appearance of conformity, and shows he is not one to reb el against the group.

Wk 1 Discussion

What is meant by an â€Å"agency cost† or â€Å"agency problem†? Do these interfere with shareholder wealth maximization? Why? What mechanisms minimize these costs/problems? Are executive compensation contracts effective in mitigating these costs/problems? Our textbook defines an agency problem as a â€Å"conflict between the goals of a firm’s owners and its managers† (Megginson & Smart, 2009). It then defines agency costs as dollar costs that arise because of this conflict.In the corporate structure, stockholders are the owners of the firm, and they elect a board of directors to oversee the firm and help protect their investment. The board then hires the right corporate managers to run the firm with the goal of maximizing the wealth of the shareholders. In a vacuum, this is a perfect framework by which to run a corporation; however, the reality is that a corporation’s managers are influenced and driven both by the company’s goals and by thei r own personal goals.Our textbook lists a few of those goals on page 25 as personal wealth, job security, lifestyle, prestige, and ‘perks’ (Megginson & Smart, 2009). These agency problems can directly interfere with the corporation’s goal of shareholder wealth maximization because of the costs that these problems create. For example, an executive might become so focused on his personal goals that he â€Å"takes his eye off the ball† of the company’s goals. In addition, the board may have to institute costly auditing or bonding measures to ensure the effectiveness of its managers, or protect the company from executive wrongdoing.Our text lays out three broad ways that shareholders can try to mitigate these types of agency problems; they are: relying on market forces, structured executive compensation packages, and the auditing/bonding measures discussed above (Megginson & Smart, 2009). The â€Å"market forces† category is loosely defined as th e pressure put on a business by the rest of the market and its competitors. This can manifest itself in the form of a hostile takeover, whereas another entity purchases a controlling interest in the firm with the goal of making a profit on that investment.Generally, under-performing companies are the prime targets of hostile takeovers, so it makes sense that aligning shareholder and executive goals is a major way to avoid that. One popular way of aligning these goals is through the use of elaborate, structured compensation plans for executives which directly tie an executive’s salary to the performance of the company, usually and specifically its stock price (Megginson & Smart, 2009). These compensation plans have become the norm for American corporations, and their effectiveness in solving the agency problem is debatable.On one hand, it should drive an executive to strive to maximize the shareholder wealth, and it also helps companies to attract and retain the best available managers. On the other hand, it serves to sometimes wildly inflate the compensation paid to these executives, either by corporations trying to stay competitive for the best talent, or through easily achievable goals and uncapped maximums. The structured plans, if done correctly, are an effective way to help insure the goal of wealth maximization, but they are also by definition agency costs.Hence, agency problems are inherent to our American corporate system. Works Cited: Megginson, W. L. , & Smart, S. B. (2009). Introduction to Corporate Finance. Mason, OH: South-Western. Chapter 2 If you were a commercial credit analyst charged with the responsibility of making an accept/reject decision on a company's loan request, with which financial statement would you be most concerned? Which financial statement is most likely to provide pertinent information about a company's ability to repay its debt?If I was in charge of approving or denying a loan for a company, I would be most concerned with that company’s last few Income Statements. An Income Statement provides the details of a firm’s business performance over a set period of time, and it shows all sources of revenues and expenses for a business. Analysis of an Income Statement will clearly show the health of a company’s business operations. This question is misleading though, because any loan approval authority would obviously also be concerned with a company’s Balance Sheet, Statement of Cash Flows, and Notes to Financial Statements documents as well.Through a thorough review of all the firm’s statements, an analyst can calculate the most important ratios to determine the credit-worthiness of a prospective loan customer. The Statement of Cash Flows, in particular, is the single best document for determining if a firm has the required liquidity to repay a new obligation. This is achieved by calculating important ratios such as the OCF and the FCF. However, since the Statement of Cash Flows is comprised entirely of data presented on other financial statements, it did not rise to the level of â€Å"most concerned with† for the purpose of answering this question.

Coal Is Just Not Black Gold

COAL IS JUST NOT BLACK GOLD PREFACE Drawing upon the organisation in which author is familiar – Coal India Limited, largest coal producing company in the world, In this paper he critically analyses few existing policies implemented by Government of India and Coal India Limited in mining industry from past few decades, works through the complex problems around Coal mining in India and identifies few human resource management related problems and how they have contributed for the company’s stagnation in recent years. The author then critically analyses the issues, compare it with relevant literature and evaluate the limitations.Based on the literature and observations, he then proposes few strategic recommendations to improve organisational effectiveness both to Law makers and to company. INTRODUCTION Coal India Limited (CIL) is a Government of India Undertaking, Maharatna (Country’s Jewel) company which employees 400,000 people approximately as of April’12. In ended last financial year, with net annual sales of 15 billion dollars, and a net annual operating profit of 3 billion dollars approximately by producing coal from its 466 Coal mines across India and selling it to Power generation companies.It is the biggest and only listed company in the sector, where private companies are not allowed to compete, Thus accounting to 80% of Annual national production of Coal in India. CIL has five unions, which represent all the employees in the company. Since the company is only major coal producer and acts more like a monopoly in the sector, wages are low compared to Industry average in other countries. Coal India apart from producing coal on its own also gives few coal mines to private third parties for contract.These mines are smaller in size and remote for the company to allocate resources, hence they are contracted. This strategy of contracting coal mines and not having enough regulations around Coal production has led to few private contra ctors preferring illegal means of employment in these coal mines and not allowing private competitors to compete with Public sector companies COAL IN INDIA Indian Coal Industry currently occupies third position by producing 400 metric tons per year ( mtpy), after US (1100 mtpy and China 2400 mtpy.Within the country Coal mining is nationalized and accounts for 60 per cent of electricity production. Coal being crucial resource for economic growth, it is safeguarded by government by passing many acts, Indian Mines Act of 1952, Mines and Minerals Regulation and Development (MMRD) act are the key legislative act meant for protecting labour working in mining industry and governing mining and exploration in India respectively.After further revision in 1993 and 2002, National Mining Policy was outlined by Government of India whose objectives are mineral development through exploration in both Onshore and Offshore fields. Policy is meant to promote mineral industry standardize training and r esearch, considering future needs of the country with minimal impact of nature and ensure safety and health of all people involved in the industry. These objectives do make a progress in standardizing the rules, however it has to clearly describe how the law handles informal mines and how to deal with illegitimacy under current law.According to a Journalist expert of small mines Chakravorty (2002), Illegal mines in India constitute of 88 per cent of the total reported mines in count, producing approximately 10 per cent of the total value of mineral production of the country. This number has increased in the last decade , where 30 per cent of illegal mining. These mines comprise of poor people toiling for lowest wages and almost negligible security, health and safety conditions. According to MMRD Act, Mines Act and other Environmental Acts, all minerals are broadly classified into â€Å"Major† and â€Å"Minor† and rest the responsibility of mining with the state.MMRD ha s further classified mines has Class A or Class B determined based on the mechanical equipment used and Labour employment the mine generates. Based on financial investment, Labour work, Depth of deposits and technology deployed, mines are simplified to different Classes and given for contract. Typically Class B mines are given for contract to subsidiaries by CIL , One such example is Eastern Coal Fields, in state of Meghalaya, where even though they mines are Small, they are labour intensive and needs to have high security and health standards.National Institute of Small Mines (NISM) , a governing body has classified mines based on the production amounts. From various acts above, it can be understood that legal definitions hinge on physical dimensions of mine, which is in turn is used to determine the effort and time required to mine. However for a complex economic activity like mining with close social linkages and unique to the nature of the mine, such reductionist approach and si mplifying mines obscures the diversity of mining practices across scales.As large formal processes of mineral extraction, processing and use cannot be applied to such small mines they tend to be rejected and Illegitimated. Clearly, existing laws have loopholes which are inadequate in handling perennial Informal and Illegal mining. Also Illegal miners cannot lobby for recognition, since current structure of the sector is monopolistic with over 80% reserves under CIL. This situation has resulted in dire consequences and well-being of Local society around colliery areas and environment. COAL INDIA , A MONOPOLYCoal India Limited (CIL) established in 1970, is responsible for mining the coal, while the ownership of which is vested with the state. Consequently the organization has played a critical role in meeting state’s growth plans. The decision making on mineral resources is influenced by engineers, geologists, bureaucrats and political groups and governance is solely vested wit h CIL. The Coal Mines Nationalisation Bill, 2000 allows state governments to mine coal only if CIL certifies with no Intention to mine certificate.The Ministry of Coal ( MoC ) has awarded CIL a near monopolistic power, giving rise to tight control on its country’s reserves and lack of transparency in many areas. Because of lack of more advanced technology for procuring coal and other social costs, it is also noted that mining cost of Coal in India is 35% higher than other exporting countries like Indonesia, Australia, because of poor productivity ( 3 tonnes / man shift ) as compared to 12 tonnes / man shift in Australia.As a solution privatising of coal sector is attempted, however it is still in preliminary stage. The challenge to policy makers in this regard is to ensure how to safeguard the wealth from illegal mining and environment within the region, at the same time benefit people in mining areas by making laws that do not outcaste people and their livelihoods as illegit imate also ensure greater transparency and standardization in pricing of coal.In coming years, demand for coal in the country is expected to increase multi fold, according to IEA 2006, Reuters 2007, hence the need for government to restructure the sector is critical to not only to answer many global implications concerning climate changes and Kyoto Protocol and but also streamline the definite increase in informal collieries which will continue to meet the demands of local consumers and ensure they meet minimum security and health standards of living. SOCIAL IMPACTCoal India Limited has destroyed environment in many coal traces with no or little concern for social implications, Inspire of Forest and environment controls. This behaviour can be attributed to sole monopoly power vested with one company on nation’s coal production. There were other instances of violation of human rights noticed while employee people at Coal mines One such example, It was noted that at Janita Hill s, Meghalaya , India. 5000 children less than age of 18 was trafficked from Assam, Nepal and Bangladesh and employed by coal mines in Meghalaya which are contracted to private contractors by CIL .Many such instances were noticed not only in eastern part of India , but also across many nations’ coal traces in West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka states. Inspite of the Mines Act , 1952 which doesn’t allow bonded labourers or people below the age of 18 to work. Sometimes even without environment degradations, large mining projects have impacted social lives with serious implications for the livelihoods of local communities around in and around coal traces, where people were forced to leave their traditional occupations for scavenging in left over coal traces, which are not economically viable for contractors.Such instances were noticed in Jharkhand, where government and company officials have neglected social and cultural issues around the mining areas for years impacti ng the livelihoods of people living in these areas. This has created a need for extreme leftist or Maoist Movements to resist such acts– as observed by Chandra Bhusan, Associate Director of Centre of Science and Environment. According to him Indian Mineralised tracts are mostly in conflict Zones, since Company officials, technical experts and governing bodies never seriously engaged with social issues.Current legal instruments are anti-poor and of colonial vintage and unable to deal with today’s realities. Many Civil Non-Governmental Organisation groups have taken a non-violent approach to use existing judicial mechanisms such as filing Public Interest Litigation(PIL) to bring justice to local communities whose daily lives are impacted. Ex : PIL filed against Eastern Coalfields Limited by Mazdoor Sabha in Country’s Apex court. Although Supreme Court Panel has lashed against CIL, It remained unresponsive SOCIAL LICENSE TO OPERATEOver the past 2 decades many chang es were noticed in global mining industry. There is increased and concerted global efforts where nine major global companies supported a global scale project called Mines, Minerals and Sustainable Development (MMSD) Project ,whose direct outcome is to the increasing charges of environmental destruction and irresponsibility on coal mining companies to care socio-cultural changes caused by them in areas of operation are laid out and followed globally.MMSD group of companies agreed that Mining Company in developing countries not only needs Legal license to operate but also Social License to Operate. Under this backdrop At CIL, mining engineers who make all the plans , mining project itself assumes more importance over people living in these mining operations. This view was observed from many bureaucrats in India, CIL uses their rationale that Land Acquisition Act or Coal Bearing Areas Act does not provide assistance for Local people around the impacted areas, thus ignoring local needs and perpetuating illegal mining under its belt.ILLEGAL COAL MINING AND UNSAFE WORKING CONDITIONS In energy-hungry country like India, demand for coal has increased in the last 2 decades, coal production remained fairly stable, causing coal prices to surge in recent years. The lack of reform and rising demand have spawned a seedy underbelly of â€Å"Coal Mafia† and a class of workers that illegally scavenge the mines for coal. The Coal Nationalization act in 1952, revised in 2000 has made it legal for just the centre or state governments to authorize coal mining, i. . , only government owned companies, its subsidiaries and contracted third parties. Apart from illegally mining, scavenging from abandoned mines is another source of obtaining coal. In West Bengal state for instance Raniganj-Jharia region there are many abandoned mines by CIL subsidiaries which have neglected filling up the mines with sand, as per regulation , consequently villagers have ready access to scavenge.It was also observed that open abandoned underground mines release hazardous gases like Carbon Monoxide which are hazardous and can kill people who go to scavenge left over coal. Scavenging can occur in both underground and open cast mines. The later assumes greater significance. In these areas Poor Security of mines storage and transportation was observed where coal is transported with head baskets into awaiting trucks. Coal India also delivers coal to local sale dumps located near the mines and big dumps, pilferage takes place regularly on major highways from long distance.In eastern India, It's not unusual to see women and children work the unsafe mines with the most rudimentary tools. Most are drawn to it in the hopes of earning a better  income. According to World Bank, over 20 million people depend on mineral resource extraction for living. When this number is compared with formal mining industries it is immensely large. PAUPERIZATION IN COAL MINING AREAS IN INDIA In colliery areas where CIL operates, significant amount of social and environmental transformation takes place over a period of time.Within bureaucratic and political circles the notion that Coal as a commodity is being excavated for greater common good by a Central government owned body like Coal India Limited, represents lack of attentions to people’s interests and social impacts of mining coal. Decay of social fabric, erosion of traditional livelihood, rising levels of urbanisation are some of the socio impacts which vary according to physical proximity of the mine to livelihoods.Between 1971 and 2001, people in Ranijang region in west Bengal have slowly moved away from agriculture as an occupation to mining and scavenging , even in non-colliery areas. Women especially from downtrodden caste and below poverty line are most impacted by this migration. In areas of Jharkhand gradual pauperization of people around coal mining areas have taken place in which traditional land and water rig hts in the region in which they live are lost and few negligible short term benefits of mining are accrued which will is leading to steady extinction of tribal people in remote coal mining areas.In most of the cases, links between the legal and illegal coal mines are more complex than above example. Both the groups either co-exist or coal mining company complains against scavenging to local authorities as law and order problem, however bureaucratic reply is usually pointing the company should take care of its resources. Hence in the existing legal setup both parties formally or informally will try to co-exist peacefully.Similar setup exists between large scale and small scale transportation in centralized control manner controlled by mafia group. Part of the root cause for such inefficient maintenance, transportation and distribution systems lies with CIL and its subsidiaries where they are not standardized and do not consider domestic consumer, In the entire eastern region CIL does n’t have large depot to cater the needs of domestic consumers. Hence often industry owner applies for a license to grant coal to fire the furnaces or generate power.This permission is difficult to get and consumer need to bribe any intermediate parties from company officials, bureaucrats and politicians leading to significant overhead cost for the company, there by preferring a shorter and simpler coal extracting methods by joining hands with mafia system or illegal mining. STRATEGY MAKING PROCESS FOLLOWED BY GOVERNMENT OF INDIA AND COAL INDIA In the above sections, various issues faced by the community, company and the system at large are explained.To understand the issue in hand better and to analyse the issues lingering the sector better, Government’s and Company’s behaviour with larger society is compared with few Strategy making processes. According to author, current system has a predefined set of objectives and is thriving to achieve that without consider ing other subjects involved in entire scenario. This behaviour aptly fits into Classical approach highlighted by Grant (2008).The reductionist approach by MMRD and other acts by the Government can be mapped to this approach Government trying to oversimplify the complexities involved in various mines based on certain factors like Size, productivity etc. , such approach leads to formation of clear goals to the Company and doesn’t allow the company to recognize the emergent behaviour of the employees, people livelihoods in affected areas. Below is a modified representation of Grant’s Classical approach of Strategic Human Resource Management.Figure 1 : Common elements in successful Strategies , Adopted from Grant ( 2008: 7) Author notices that because of monopolistic nature of coal mining sector in India and sufficient support from political circles, there isn’t sufficient pressure on the company for Profound understanding of all the groups involved. In Most of the cases, Long term agreed objectives takes more priority over other priorities mentioned like Profound Understanding of all groups involved, Regular Appraisals of employees involved and Environmental awareness.Hence the company will focus on financial targets to achieve more than Social Impact it creates in thousands of people it impacts. Thus it can be stated that Classical approach readily doesn’t fit in or help in solving the issue. Current Intended strategy of Government of India, behind Nationalization of Coal mining in 1952 is to protect the reserves from exploitation by private parties is well understood, however with the changing times , growing demand and involvement of various other socio-political and technological factors, Intended Strategy is not being completely realized.There is a deliberate effort on its part , to ensure current intended strategy works by allowing illegal mining and scavenging by local people in coal mining areas in order to peacefully co-exist and continue to mine in coal traces. However by comparing the number of court petitions filed by local tribes in Jharkhand, WestBengal living nearer to various collieries, comparing the productivity / person and high cost of mining compared to other export countries it can be understood that , slowly they are moving towards an unrealized strategy where focus is only on net volumes realized and not considering environmental impact .EMERGENT STRATEGY OF STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT In practice organization approach can be explained by Emergent Strategy approach as suggested by Mintzberg (1987) are relevant. According to March (1976) and Mintzberg (1987), planned strategies are not always realized; strategies can often emerge and evolve over a period of time. The Strategy should be moulded over action . Similar such fluid approach can be applied, where an additional dimension as mentioned below in Emergent strategy is required to recover from unrealized strategy and to streamlin e the company’s goals.Privatization of coal mining along with a holistic review of existing mining policies impacting the sector is the emergent strategy to improve the productivity, transparency of coal production and livelihoods of people involved. However its application remains a challenge. Figure 2 : The Emergent Strategy, source from the strategy concept, California Management Review, Mintzberg. H, 1987. Systemic Approach of Strategic Human Resource managementOn similar lines to Emergent Approach of Strategic Human resource management, Whittington(1993,2001) systemic approach provides more answers to the issue, where Strategy is shaped by the social system the company operates within. This strategy is shaped by cultural and institutional interests of broader society, since organisations and decision makers are embedded in network of social relations, hence adept understanding of the needs of the society at large and acting accordingly should be key . OUTCOMES Profit-Max imising PROCESSESDeliberate Emergent Pluralistic Classical Evolutionary Systemic Processual OUTCOMES Profit-Maximising PROCESSES Deliberate Emergent Pluralistic Classical Evolutionary Systemic Processual Figure: 3Whittington’s (1993) generic perspective on strategy Author believes Emergent and Systemic approach to planning a strategy is apt and required by all parties involved( both policymakers and industrialists ) in order to operate in complex world with various socio-geo political limitations. This it can be concluded that to effectively manage human esources and to improve organisation performance , integration between human resource management and business strategy holds key for its success. (See Holbeche, 1999; Schuler and Jackson, 1999). EMPLOYEE RELATIONS IN COAL INDIA Coal India has both union and non-union based workers. Starting from 2009, it has been recruiting more than 1000 employees every year from premier management and technology schools across India. This i s one of management initiatives taken to inject fresh blood and reduce the average age of its labour force.While the decision to recruit young highly talented workforce as change agents is appreciable, 30 to 40 per cent of these employees quit every year for below reasons. 1) Staff felt they were demoralized by senior staff from the beginning. 2) Apart from salary issues, the staffs were under-utilised and faced hostility from seniors. 3) While recruitment, the staff were promised a grade above engineers however not fully implemented even after raising the concern to top management.Hence realized there are limited growth options. Treasurer of Coal Mines Officers Association of India partially accepted the conditions and commented this situation reflects the larger problem of stagnation within the organization It is understood , if the situation continues, the county’s top coal producer is likely to grapple with unprecedented HR crisis across its executive cadre because of lim ited growth options and 6000 of their employees mostly from executive cadre getting retired every year.Falling on relevant literature , Kochan . T , 2000 has stated that Asian model of employee relations is designed to support an economic strategy that emphasises human resources as a competitive asset- A strategy that requires a highly skilled and committed workforce and a cooperative labour management culture and system. In Coal India, it can be observed that there are required structures in place like Unions for labour management, since the company is too big, management of resources is challenging.Since the company works in a monopolistic structure, there isn’t healthy competition which will push the management to focus on current internal and external problems with more vigilance rather than its current laid back approach and bureaucratic functioning. It can be noted that HR strategies should operate consistently as is a vital part of the overall business plan (Stroh and Caligiuri, 1998).Within the organisation senior management there should regularly conduct analysis regarding the kind of HR competencies needed in the future, and accordingly core HR functions (of procurement, development and compensation) should work together collectively to meet such needs. (see Holbeche, 1999). The 2 core aspects which organization has to focus is Integration of HRM into the business and corporate strategy, and the devolvement of HRM to line managers instead of personnel specialists, thereby ensuring company doesn’t have power blockages and allow it to function smoothly.Brewster and Larsen (1992: 411–12) define integration as ‘the degree to which the HRM issues are considered to formulate long term business strategy’ and devolvement as ‘the degree to which HRM practices involve line managers has responsible rather than personnel specialists’. Similarly (Budhwar and Sparrow 1997; 2002; Hope-Hailey et al. , 1997; Truss et al. , 1997; Sisson and Storey, 2000) also highlighted the concept of devolvement for quicker response in large scale organizations. This process, highlights the need of prioritizing the issues and developing/ training more motivated employees for effective control.Instead of having a narrow hierarchy with in organization, there by leading to stagnation, it can be learnt from this theory that local problems should be resolved by local managers at grassroots level affording more time for senior management. Applying this theory to Coal India Limited, It can be understood that mine managers should be more proactive is liaising with local governments and bureaucracies to form an amicable solution for betterment of society as well as company. Company senior management should work closely and provide required assistance and authority to mine managers to perform their duties.In this context, the Coal India Limited management can learn from other global peers to understand how to deal with empl oyee relations related issues effectively. Below is the summary of one such example stated by an author Young-Kee Kim, in his report on Employee relations. LG group from its inception till 1987 achieved high rates of economic growth with support from Government by suppressing unions, however in the period of 1987-89 it has faced severe hostility and strikes from its workers because of which resulted in 740 million dollars of loss. Post 1990 till 2005, as a result of research and many extensive internal surveys the roup has laid importance to new group level policy that emphasis the promotion of human dignity for employees and the maximisation of customer satisfaction. Voluntary employee participation in workplace organisational improvements has been identified as a critical success factor. Consequently the rapid realisation of co-operative labour relations and enlightened ER practices has been recognised as tasks of major significance my member firms. * Company has evolved gradually from Passive support of Management perception of union to active partnership with unions.. It gradually made a cautious move from not just maintaining a stable labour relations climate in order to avoid labour disputes, it has invited a voluntary participation of employees and union leaders in management activities. * Unions characteristics of providing weak employee support to being professional in their activities and finally Employee Relations have moved from just dealing with basic issues to providing autonomy and participation of employees From the above example it can be understood that Firstly, without management innovation, co-operative Employee Relations cannot be achieved.For Labour management relations to be a positive sum game, these innovations should enable the company to achieve superior performance and the capacity to provide employees with better rewards. Secondly, much time and effort is required from top management to develop a constructive labour management cult ure. The Employee relations department cannot achieve the development of co-operative employment relations by itself. The labour management relationship should be viewed as a profit – creating relationship, rather than a cost –creating one.Thirdly, the company should support increased independence and professionalism on the part of the union and provide education for union leaders. A union that lacks professionalism is unable to get a full support of its members and lacks effective management strategies for administering union business because of high turnover of union officials. Fourthly, to be successful all these activities should be conducted consistently and systematically over time. Many companies only seriously consider the labour management relationship when faced by a critical problem.Such focused attention tends to fade when the strike is settled. As explained in the above example, LG group has chosen a different path and spent a year analysing its Employee r elations. CONCLUSION IS PRIVATISATION A SOLUTION ? Currently both globally and in India, demand for coal is on the rise, thereby increasing the prices of coal. Due to the volatile times passing through, similar to other commodity sectors like Iron, steel, Coal Mining industry will also undergo divestment and monopoly of Coal India Limited will break. However privatisation is not a panacea for all issues lingering the sector.Time has come for Policy makers, bureaucracy and other parties involved come together to answer few critical questions while restructuring the sector. 1) How to deal with thousands of people making their livelihood from illegal mining of coal ? 2) Will the government able to accept few realities like people living in local region , have rights on mineral resources to strength the lower strata and provide a sense of security to their livelihood ? 3) Can the government, restructure the sector with more robust, full proof, social informed laws protecting and respect ing the rights and interests of all involved ? ) With experience from privatising other commodities, after privatising coal mining ,it can be estimated that mushrooming of small coal mining leases can be experienced in an open market scenario. Hence laws and policies safeguarding the interests should be more inclusive than before. Where policies and laws have to deliver sustainable benefits to local and global communities, unlike current laws that are focused only on mitigating the negative impacts of mining on the environment and marginalizing small groups over national priorities.Government policies need to take a more holistic approach in understanding about production of â€Å"Illegal mines† as well as marketing and distribution chains through which legally mined coal is illegally distributed. It is vital to integrate local interests in mine management plans to provide access to resources for local people and co-exist peacefully for inclusive growth.. References : Books a nd Internet Links * Bamber J, Park F, Lee C, Ross P and Broadbent K, 2000, Employment Relations in the ASIA-PACIFIC Changing Approaches, Allen and Unwin, Australia. BeardWell J ; Claydon T, 1994, Human Resouce Management – A Contemporary Approach, Pearson Education Limited, Great Britian. * LG Group ( 1994) LG Labour – Management Relations Long-term Model Report * http://www. thehindubusinessline. com/companies/article2470720. ece * http://economictimes. indiatimes. com/coal-india-ltd/infocompanyhistory/companyid-11822. cms * http://articles. economictimes. indiatimes. com/2011-10-18/news/30295579_1_iits-and-iims-new-recruits-cil * http://www. firstpost. com/business/labour-pangs-for-coal-india-scrip-melts-in-the-heat-67084. tml * http://in. reuters. com/article/2012/10/12/tci-coalindia-idINDEE89B08G20121012 * http://www. dnaindia. com/money/report_coal-india-to-face-india-s-first-class-action-suit-in-15-days_1770358 * http://www. livemint. com/Companies/jEkLsitce5Qt0w x3gyS3sM/Coal-India8217s-UK-shareholder-to-file-petition-in-Indian. html * http://ibnlive. in. com/news/meghalaya-braveheart-fights-against-child-labour-in-coal-mines/266778-3. html * http://www. amusingplanet. com/2011/05/child-labor-in-indian-coal-mines. html * http://www. elshcoalmines. co. uk/forum/read. php? 4,50329,50370#msg-50370 * http://www. mining. com/los-angeles-times-uncovers-child-labour-in-indias-coal-mines/ * http://articles. timesofindia. indiatimes. com/2012-11-14/guwahati/35111450_1_child-labourers-coal-mines-meghalaya-government * http://www. businessinsider. com/photos-indias-illegal-coal-mines-2012-10? op=1 * http://www. thesundayindian. com/en/story/the-unfortunate-social-costs-of-coalgate-and-such-scams/42442/ * http://papers. ssrn. com/sol3/papers. cfm? abstract_id=1716581 *

Public Relations (Case Study) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Public Relations (Case Study) - Essay Example The village is currently barren; this makes it viable for any business opportunity ranging from tourism to manufacturing plants owing to the readily available resources. By exploiting such, the stakeholders can easily revamp the economy of the township. However, among the vital weaknesses in the structure of are the low population which also makes it a poor market and may probably discourage investment since labor is costlier in the less populated village. The current state of the village presents it with various investment opportunities key among which is tourism. The stakeholders can position the village as a tourist destination in the state and therefore attract both domestic and foreign tourists. The village’s rich cultural and political history coupled with various contemporary developments may position the village as the most favorable tourist destination in the state by attracting city residents who require a peaceful environment. The greatest threat to the development of the village is its social structure. The local authorities records accounts of drug abuse and rising crime rates in the village. Such trends would stifle the efforts to develop the village into a tourist destination in the state. ... The economic factors that affect the growth of the village include the lack of investment opportunities in the village. The rising crime rates and the abuse of drugs constitute specific social factors that affect the development of the village. Additionally, technological factors will equally affect the development of the country; the villagers must assume the new communication features and ways of doing business in other parts of the country (Davis, 2007). Legal factors such are consumer laws and employment laws apply in the country just as in any other part of the country. Environmentally, the village is a barren opportunity with desirable flora and fauna. Stakeholders map The individuals who are likely to influence any development plan in the Luddenden Village include the locals. The category includes the old people who have witnessed the growth of the village and the young people who seek to foster the development plan. Additionally, the involvement of the government is equally v ital. This occurs sequentially with the involvement of the local leaders who relay the plans to the central government. The entire national population will also affect the development of the village. With the identification of the stakeholders in the village development project, stakeholders map provides for ways of reconciling conflicts among such and therefore determining an appropriate management system (Blackshaw, 2008). The rising crime rate and drug abuse among the youth is an eminent impairment in the cohesive generational transition. The villagers must therefore use every means possible including the incorporation of the local authorities in order to curb such since they are capable of thwarting

International Affairs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

International Affairs - Essay Example She graduated from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., with degrees in mass communication and French and with dreams of being an international correspondent. She said that her goal as Miss North Dakota was to encourage people to appreciate cultural differences. When she received her Miss North Dakota title, Ms Saberi said that her aim was to encourage other people to appreciate cultural differences - an ambition that eventually led her into a career in journalism. TEHRAN, Iran (AP) -- Iran convicted an American journalist of spying for the United States and sentenced her to eight years in prison, her lawyer said Saturday, complicating the Obama administrations efforts to break a 30-year-old diplomatic deadlock with Tehran. The White House said President Barack Obama was "deeply disappointed" by the conviction, while the journalists father told a radio station his daughter was tricked into making incriminating statements by officials who told her they would free her if she did. Roxana Saberi, a 31-year-old dual American-Iranian citizen, was arrested in late January and initially accused of working without press credentials. But earlier this month, an Iranian judge leveled a far more serious allegation, charging her with spying for the United States. The Fargo, North Dakota native had been living in Iran for six years and had worked as a freelance reporter for several news organizations including National Public Radio and the British Broadcasting Corp. The journalists Iranian-born father, Reza Saberi, told NPR that his daughter was convicted Wednesday, two days after she appeared before an Iranian court in an unusually swift one-day closed-door trial. The court waited until Saturday to announce its decision to the lawyers, he said. Saberis father is in Iran but was not allowed into the courtroom to see his daughter, who he described as "quite depressed." He said she denied the incriminating

Social media organizations PowerPoint Presentation

Social media organizations - PowerPoint Presentation Example It is my belief that because of this approach, Anne Rice has in fact made steps to become closer to her fans, and people on her page started realizing that there is more to her than a writer. Ms. Rice uses social media daily. If she is unable to post information about her latest media appearance, she posts her own opinion about issues that interest her. She also asks her fans questions about the characters in her books, hence increasing awareness about work. By interacting daily with her fans, she has gained new supporters. In Facebook alone, there are almost 1 million members of her page. Meanwhile, she has more than 70,000 followers in Twitter. Who knows how many more are part of her mailing list. We do know, however, that Ms. Rice receives numerous invitations for interview as she posts her interview schedules in her Facebook Page and Twitter account. This is because Ms. Rice also enabled visitors to her website to have immediate access to her secretary who sets up appointments for her. Based on these observations, I can say that Anne Rice can sustain her position as one of the most awarded writers today, thanks to her use of social media. She was already a household name in the past, but because of her active involvement in social media, more teenagers are becoming aware of her work and she is receiving support from almost all age

Unix Vs. Windows Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Unix Vs. Windows - Essay Example operating system to be used by complete novices (as a result of the ease of operation and the simple user interfaces), Microsoft has also forged partnerships with many big and small PC manufacturers, thereby ensuring that the operating system is shipped along with the PCs that consumers purchase (Jeurguen Haas, 2005). However, UNIX (as also its various versions) continues to be the preferred choice of programmers and software developers in the case of network programming. This is due to the fact that UNIX offers ready-to-use libraries that facilitate the use of direct networking features such as sockets, semaphores and pipes. In windows however, the user is encapsulated from all such features, thereby denying them flexibility at the core programming level. This, according to them, is due to the fact that the operating system offers additional advanced capabilities when compared to Windows (Jeurguen Haas, 2005). One of the most versatile features of UNIX is the fact that the operating system can be installed on numerous machines consisting of different architectures (be it cluster or distributed architectures). Moreover, unlike window, which is a PC based OS; UNIX can be installed on supercomputers and mainframes with a minimal change of configuration alone (KernelThread, 2006). Another problem that continues to plague windows is the constant occurrence of system breakdowns and frequent hang-ups, while such a problem has been found to have lesser frequency of occurrence in the case of UNIX. As such, a UNIX machine requires less network administration and maintenance. UNIX also offers a greater processing power and is found to have solutions for distributed environments as well. The above points do not mean that windows do not provide networking solutions. The upper advantage of UNIX over windows based solutions lies in the fact that in order to operate across a network using windows, one would have to usually install additional software in order to communicate

Australia Broadcasting Comporation report Essay

Australia Broadcasting Comporation report - Essay Example Starting from news papers to the modern online network of mass communication encompasses a wide variety of means to ensure the seamless flow of communication. The mass media at present has evolved developed enormously from the earlier stages. The accuracy and speed of communication through various media have remarkably advanced. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is a key player in the field of mass communication, and the national broadcaster of Australia they have a long, successful presence of eighty years in this field. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC): Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), informally known as ‘Aunty,’ is a publicly owned national broadcaster of Australia. ABC has been providing various communication services to the country since last eighty years. It started its journey with radio service at national level and has enlarged its broadcasting service to global level with ABC online services. ABC provides radio, television, mobile and online services to national as well as global customers. The services of ABC are available in all regions of the country and they have played major role in various emergency and important situations. ABC also performs a variety of other functions. â€Å"The ABC also operates network of retailing outlets known as ABC enterprises.... ABC also performs a variety of other functions. â€Å"The ABC also operates network of retailing outlets (24 shops and 119 ABC centres) known as ABC enterprises. Operations include the production of books, classical and contemporary recordings, audio cassettes, videos, multimedia and licensed products, and music and magazine publishing† (2000 Year Book Australia No. 82 2000, p. 349). This paper discusses the history of ABC in the following segments. The services provided by ABC- radio, television and online are analyzed separately. The national and global coverage of the ABC services are also examined and the most effective means of communication service provided by ABC is identified. 3. ABC - A History: The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, formerly known as Australian Broadcasting Company, was established by the government of Australia on 1st July 1932 to run the National Broadcasting Services as the Postmaster General’s Department failed to do the operation. The f irst broadcasting service of Australian Broadcasting Company was Radio service and ABC had 12 radio stations in major cities of the country at its beginning. Inspired from BBC, the working of ABC was done accordingly. The period of World War II (WW- II) and the period following it, were crucial in the history of Australian Broadcasting Company. During WW- II, considering the importance of communication and providing information to the people, the Australian Broadcasting Act was passed in 1942. This gave the company the power to make decisions to broadcast political speeches without external interferences. In 1948, ABC was given complete government appropriation through amendments made in the Broadcasting Act. The next major mile stone of Australian

Is Adorno being elitist when he criticises the culture industry Essay

Is Adorno being elitist when he criticises the culture industry - Essay Example ts came from educated-in-elite-school-system Germans such as Schopenhauer, Martin Luther, Immanuel Kant, Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzsche, Bach, Beethoven and Goethe. There was a point in time where the German elite formed the main part of the intelligentsia. â€Å"The Germans are literary people. The country is after all das Land der Dichter und Denker, the land of poets and thinkers.† (Wasser, 2006) To understand whether Theodore Adorno in his criticism of art, music and culture was guided by the moralist, egalitarian, capitalist or totalitarian stance, this paper will focus on Adorno’s biography and his contributions to the development of the culture industry as well as his critical views on music and popular culture. For the purpose of clarity and space, Adorno’s early works (1941-1941) will be used as reference to build the entire paper. In 1903 in Frankfurt, Germany, Theodore Adorno opened his eyes to an affluent and educated family. Both â€Å"his mother and sister were accomplished musicians and it was from them that he received his initial training and encouragement in his life-long love for music† (Jay, 1973). His Jewish roots ultimately became the deciding factor in his philosophical writings and thoughts, especially after Hitler’s totalitarian regime and the Nazi Holocaust swept over Germany with millions of Jews persecuted under it. During this time, Adorno was forced into exile and spent the next 16 years of his life in England and the US before returning to Germany to complete his doctorate in Philosophy from Frankfurt University. Adorno’s position on culture and the music industry has managed to establish key influences in the domain of media studies. His ideas about these industries were critical and in some cases, pessimistic. Adorno analyses the dynamics of the culture industry in the context of ‘standardization’ underlining it as a fundamental characteristic of pop music. He quotes himself: â€Å"A clear judgment concerning the

Higher education Essay Example for Free

Higher education Essay Scholarship plays an important role in the life of every human being whether men or women. This section of the blog focuses on those Indian scholarships and grants which are provided specifically to women. Generally financial aids for women are designed with a unique objective whether it is to encourage women to become leaders in their respective fields, research and development programs, doctoral schemes and many more in order to lead a brightful career. Several organizations of India have came forward in order to provide excellent scholarship opportunities to women such as DST, UGC, Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Government of India, Mumbai School of Business, ISM Dhanbad, etc. These Indian scholarships offers strong financial support to women and will help them to fulfill their dreams. Please have a look on the below listed financial aid opportunities and search out the appropriate scholarship. 1. Scholarship Program: DST Women Scientists Fellowship Scheme Employer: DST Level of Study: Research Fellowship. Brief Scholarship Description: The Fellowship Scheme for Women Scientists for societal programmes is initiative of the Department of Science Technology. This scheme is addressed to women scientists and technologists who have â€Å"break in their careers† due to social responsibilities but have desire to return to mainstream science and work as bench-level scientists. All those women having a burning desire to utilize their scientific acumen through active research and development projects which are aimed at meeting societal needs and aspirations are eligible. Women scientists desiring to apply for this scheme are required to develop their own research project / proposals demonstrating science and technological applications for societal benefits. Scholarship Website: http://www. dstwosbari. org/ 2. Scholarship Program: L’Oreal India For Young Women in Science Scholarship Programme Employer: L’Oreal India Level of Study: Research Brief Scholarship Description: L’Oreal India For Young Women in Science Scholarship Programme encourages and supports young women from Delhi/NCR or Maharashtra to pursue careers in science. The Programme was instituted in 2003 and has consistently helped young women to pursue scientific research and development. A scholarship of Rs. 250,000/- each is granted to 10 promising young women and covers college fees for study in any scientific field in a recognized college or university in India. Scholarship Website: http://www. foryoungwomeninscience. com/ 3. Scholarship Program: Post-Graduate Indira Gandhi Scholarship for Single Girl Child Employer: UGC Level of Study: Postgraduate. Brief Scholarship Description: University Grants Commission invites online applications for the award of Post-Graduate Indira Gandhi Scholarship for Single Girl Child for the academic session 2011-13 with the purpose of supporting post-graduation education through scholarships to such girls who happen to be the only child in the family. Scholarship Website: http://www. ugc. ac. in/notices/SGC201113. pdf 4. Scholarship Program: Fair Lovely Foundation Scholarships Employer: Fair Lovely Foundation. Level of Study: Graduate, Postgraduate Doctorate Brief Scholarship Description: Fair and Lovely Scholarships 2012 are awarded to women only. The Fair Lovely Foundation provides scholarships worth up to Rs. 1 lakh each year for deserving girl students from low-income families who display an excellent academic track record, as well as social initiative and drive. Scholarship Website: http://www. fairandlovely. in/fal_foundation/scholarship_eligibility. aspx 5. Scholarship Program: Indian Oil Academic Scholarships. Employer: Indian Oil Corporation Limited Level of Study: Bachelors Masters Brief Scholarship Description: Indian Oil Corporation Limited – India’s largest commercial enterprise and No. 1 Indian Company in Fortune ‘Global 500? listing under its Corporate Social Responsibility Programme is awarding Educational Scholarships to meritorious students across the country with special encouragement to girls physically challenged. Scholarship Website: http://www. iocl. com/Aboutus/Scholarships. aspx 6. Scholarship Program: Lila Poonawalla Foundation Undergraduate Scholarship in Engineering Employer: Lila Poonawalla Foundation Level of Study: Undergraduate Brief Scholarship Description:The scholarship is for a period of four academic years and is subject to the candidate passing in all subjects and securing a minimum overall score of 60 % marks each year in the same college. For each subsequent year, the candidate will have to submit the college mark sheet for verification before raising the claim. Scholarship Website: http://www. lilapoonawallafoundation. com/pages/UGscholarshipcriteria. aspx 7. Scholarship Program: Lila Poonawalla Foundation Scholarship for Post-Graduate studies in India or abroad Employer: Lila Poonawalla Foundation Level of Study: Postgraduate Brief Scholarship Description: Applications are invited for Post-Graduate studies in India or abroad in any discipline, for the academic year 2012 – 2013 from Pune District. Those who have completed their graduation or has appeared for the final year examination they only can apply for LPF Scholarship. (Only those candidates who will pursue their first year post graduation in academic year 2012 will be able to apply for scholarship) Scholarship Website: http://www. lilapoonawallafoundation. com/pages/Postgraduatescholarship. aspx 8. Scholarship Program: Women Scientists Scheme (WOS-C) Training, India 2012 Employer: Government of India Level of Study: Training. Brief Scholarship Description: â€Å"Women Scientists Scheme (WOS-C)† on IPR, a scheme of Department of Science Technology, Government of India for the women scientists is being implemented by Patent Facilitating Centre (PFC) of Technology Information, Forecasting and Assessment Council (TIFAC). The scheme aims to train women scientists having qualifications in science / engineering / medicine or allied areas in the area of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and their management for a period of one year and eventually develop a pool of women scientists geared up in creating, protecting and managing intellectual property in India. Scholarship Website: http://www. tifac. org. in/images/pdf/advt_wos12. pdf 9. Scholarship Program: Girl Genius Scholarship Employer: Mumbai School of Business Level of Study: Master Brief Scholarship Description: Mumbai School of Business has initiated two unique scholarships to empower the most deserving female student. The scholarships are Girl Genius for Poor Girls and gifted girls who have financial problems and can’t afford education The main focus is providing better education a career opportunities to young women in the 21st century. The girl students are selected on merit-cum-need basis throughout the world. Scholarship Website: http://www. msb. edu. in/gggs. html 10. Scholarship Program: Budhwanti Mrig Memorial Educational Scholarship (For girl students) Employer: ISM Dhanbad Level of Study: Graduate and Postgraduate Brief Scholarship Description: The number of scholarships covers 2 each year starting from 1st Year girls in 2009-10 which will be followed by renewal and fresh award number increasing to 8 after 3 years. The value of scholarship is Rs. 4000/- per month Scholarship Website: http://www. ismdhanbad. ac. in/student/scholarship. htm 11. Scholarship Program: Girl Genius Scholarship Employer: College of Hospitality and Tourism Level of Study: Higher Education Brief Scholarship Description: In association with the FICCI Ladies Organization Girl Genius Scholarship has been established to award deserving young women demonstrating scholastic ability, leadership, and innovative thinking. These national scholarships seek to encourage young women aspiring to advance their education. The awardees will be given tuition waiver and free residency for three years to pursue their higher education. Scholarship Website: http://www. chat. edu. in/scholarships. html Read more at AcademicJobs. in Scholarships in India for Women : AcademicJobs. in Career Blog India http://academicjobs. in/blog/scholarships-in-india-for-women/2012/06/#ixzz2Pyr.

Postmodernism in London Architecture

Postmodernism in London Architecture Reflective Summary The video was produced to critically examine the concept and spatial pattern of London as many cities in one. We took a postmodern urbanism view using iconographic place making analysis. It must be stated that the term postmodernism in itself is a highly debated topic (Crook, 1992). There exits much debate about whether the conditions described as postmodern are at all unique and new, or if said conditions even exist (Best and Kellner, 1992). For us, the very debate surrounding the term is evidence enough that as embedded researchers we must consider the ideas associated with the term. Thus, the term has become an indispensable name for a way of thinking about urbanism, which clearly concerns us. The video showcases how social and urbanism intersect and the concept of postmodernism in London. The video incorporates hard and soft features of the city, focusing on eight key aspects of urban ecology, economic, religious, tourist, education, retail, sports, and political. Expanding on th e concentric zone theory by the Chicago School, we detailed social spaces of London that could iconically define the city on their own. I focused on London as an educational city. My initial approach was to examine and detail London’s education system as a whole, but quickly realized this was too ambitious. So I decided to only include the higher education institutions. Higher Education students make up 4.7% of London’s total population of 8.17 million estimated in the 2011 Census. In 2013 London’s universities attracted over 100,000 international students, and 62,000 from the rest of the UK; additionally, 24% of all international students in the UK were studying in London (London Higher, 2013). Through my research I found this to be quit a task as well, since London has approximately 40 higher education institutions. I had to narrow down what would be the most iconic institutions for my video, and decided the oldest institutions would be the most iconic. So I research the three oldest institutions, Kings College Founded in 1829, University of London Founded in 1836, and London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) Founded in 189 5. These schools have a long history and distinct architecture which I thought was important to the overall project. The universities were all centrally located in the heart London with the tourist spaces a short distance away. This posed some difficulties in the ease of access, since the only viable transport seemed to be the subway. So I planned accordingly, first starting with King’s College. King’s College is organised into nine academic schools, spread across four Thames-side campuses in central London. I decided to film on the Strand Campus, which is the founding campus of Kings College. Once I began filming I started by detailing the architecture, and spaces within the campus. The most prominent building on the campus was the Somerset House East Wing. This was contrasted by the postmodern architecture of the entrance to the main reception building, and remodelled facade facing Strand St. (See Plate 1). This mix of architecture was interesting, and a good example of defined periods in English history. I started with architecture because contained within each of these two buildings is the respective ideologies of neoclassicism and postmodernism (Jencks, 2002). The architecture provides a clear example of the visual aesthetics associated with each movement, and a concrete reflection of the culture and economic conditions from which it arises. Walking around the ca mpus I had the feeling of exclusion, as the area was gated and there was a stark difference in the social aspect of the space, and social aspect outside the gate just a few meters away. In contrast, LSE less than a block away has a feeling of inclusion and openness. Plate 1. Contrasting architecture of Somerset House East Wing, and the main reception building. The London School of Economics and Political Science campus at Clare Market and Houghton Street in Westminster was my second filming location. The openness of the campus is due to its ownership of adjacent buildings, creating an almost continuous campus between Kingsway and the Royal Courts (See Plate 2). The architecture was modern, and walking through the campus felt like walking on a regular London street. However, there were spaces of student culture, which felt different and unique from off campus. These spaces had various arts, student made posters, and seating areas. There is current renovation occurring at the school that may be postmodern, but is not visible. Plate 2. LSE campus at Houghton St. and Aldwych. The third and final site filmed was the University of London (See Plate 3). London is the second-largest university by number of full-time students in the United Kingdom, with around 135,000 campus-based students (London Higher, 2013). The main criticism of urban ecology is that it neglects the role of culture in its analysis of the social structure of a city. Another criticism is that the theory is overly simplistic, taking no account of class, race, gender and ethnicity (Best and Kellner, 1992). When filming on this campus I decided to address this by taking a social approach, and filmed the cultural aspects of the students in the campus spaces. Although the campus is relatively open like LSE, there is a feeling of exclusion when walking through the space. In and around the university the student culture is very apparent. The demographics of the students were diverse with no sign of a dominate race or sex, creating a multi-cultural space. Additionally the local shops in the area ca tered to the students, indicating a symbiotic relationship with the students driving the economy in the area (Clarke, 2003). Plate 3. University of London campus at Gower St. As the finished film was put together we begin to see that postmodernism is not purely an aesthetic style, but something more. This something more includes cultural and economic conditions. More precisely, Postmodernism names a change in the cultural and economic conditions that help to constitute the western world. References Best, S. and Kellner, D. (1992) Postmodern Theory: Critical Interrogations, New York, Guilford Publications Clarke, D. (2003) Consumer Society and the Postmodern City, London, Routledge Crook, S. (1992) Postmodernization, London, Sage Dear, M. and Flusty, S. (2002) Spaces of Postmodernity, Oxford, Blackwell Gane, N (2002) Max Weber and Postmodern Theory, London, Palgrave Jencks, C. (2002) The New Paradigm in Architecture: The Language of Post-modern Architecture. 7th ed. New Haven: Yale University Press Kaplan, A. (1988) Postmodernism and its Discontents, London, Verso London Higher (2013) Students In Higher Education Institutions 2012/13 – London Region, From http://www.hesa.ac.uk/index.php?option=com_pubstask=show_pub_detailpubid=1Itemid=286 accessed on 02 Feb 2013 McKible, A. (2002) Space and Place of Modernism, London, Routledge Minca, C. (2001) Postmodern Geography: theory and praxis, London, Blackwell

Development Factors For Pakistan Information Technology Essay

Development Factors For Pakistan Information Technology Essay It is estimated that there are roughly 450,000 new computers every year in Pakistan. While this seems a pitifully the small numbers, it represents a three-fold increase compared to 1996-1997. Analyst predicts that this number will increase 4-5 times in the next three years. Meanwhile, Pakistan economy is still largely based on the low-tech, low-value industries that have long been fully mechanized and running very efficiently in developed nations and, therefore, do not attract premier revenue from world markets. In order to put its economy on track to compete with the growing economies of the world, Pakistan needs to quickly take steps to train and bring its workforce to the international educational standards, incorporate new technologies and modern management practices into its existing industries, and bring intense focus on building an information-based economy by upgrading the technical and managerial skills of its people. The world economy has already moved from low-value basic industries to a fast paced high-value information based economy. Many countries have taken concrete steps to rejuvenate their stagnated industrial base by rapidly moving to the new-age technologies to produce products and services that are in great demand in the world markets. Information technology is the current choice of many developing and developed countries to upgrade their economies and become competitive in the global market place. The IT-based economies have streamlined the most complex economies of the world and enhanced the productivity to the level where an economy such as that of the US has wriggled out of the entire trillion-plus dollars national deficit and turned into a surplus in recent years. To compete with the growing economies of the world, Pakistan needs to educate, train and bring its workforce to the international educational standards, incorporate new technologies and modern management practices into its industry, and bring intense focus on building an information-based economy by upgrading the technical and managerial skills of its people Development Factors for Pakistan a. Good Governance and Strategic management b. Economic Stability c. High Agricultural Yield d. Industrial Energy e. Poverty Alleviation f. Positive Impact on International Foreign Policies IT as a Tool to Achieve the Development Factors No invention has ever influenced the human beings as computer has. In less than seven decades of its existence it has managed, materializing the concept of a global village. Technologies like Computational Intelligence, Neural Networks, Genetic Algorithms, Data Communication Networks, Telecommunication, Databases, and Evolutionary Computing etc; collectively offer the business community a broad set of tools capable of addressing problems that are much harder or virtually impossible to solve using the more traditional techniques from statistics to operations research. Country running and putting it on the track of the development is very complex task and might requires the decisions making on the basis of the countrys past experience and present situation which is obviously available in the form data. Todays best technology to manage and process data is the Information Technology. Information Technology implementation is one of the ways to fulfill and execute the development factors on the right way, which will help the nation to grow in peace and prosperity, which will create a momentum that will result the development of Pakistan. Good Governance and Strategic management IT must be seen as an investment and not an expense. It requires vision and bold leadership to employ IT as a tool, but it must be coupled with sincere commitment to good governance since without that IT can be detrimental to the freedom and well being of the citizens. Globally, IT and good governance has come to stay and any delay in its adoption can only be at the cost of the development of the country, thus the choice must be made sooner rather than later. IT trends and technology directions have brought in applications and solutions for socio-economic development and have greatly contributed to good governance. Before deliberating on these contributions, let us turn to the second but most important part of todays subject good governance. Governance is the manner in which power is exercised by government in the management of the countrys social and economic resources, while good governance is the exercise of power by various levels of government that is effective, honest, equitab le, transparent, and accountable, thereby leading the way to the greatest happiness of the greatest numbers. A state, often has three separate branches under a constitution, namely: Legislature, Judiciary and Executive. In anticipation that each of the branches might go wrong from time-to-time and when that happened, the other two branches of state individually or together could use their power to get the offending branches back on the constitutional track. Legislative, an important institution of the state provides for the benefit of citizens the information regarding what is being said, debated and legislated for them. Towards this, IT has been employed to record all the speeches as well as all laws presented and enacted by the legislature basically in the form of texts and scripts but given the current available technology as voice or video recording available on the Internet. This information is of value not only to citizens but also to the new legislatures for learning history as well as preparing their own presentations in the legislative assembly, thus improving the quality of debate as well as avoidance of repetitive statements or time consuming checks and references towards achieving good governance. Judiciary has long benefited from IT by having case laws available to judges and to lawyers. Libraries for any professions are extremely important in terms of quality of work. The electronic library has revolutionized the world and professionalism. The central database for various reference laws has provided the service to professionals, which has in turn brought the speedy and inexpensive justi ce to the citizens. In countries like ours, where the strength of courts in terms of judges is restricted and has been identified as one of the cause of inefficiency in delivering speedy justice, the use of IT for administration of the courts and the jails is a major contributor to good governance. Citizens who have been in jails for more than their possible term, if the offence was to be proved, such information when available on computers and freely accessible brings speedy justice and reduced level of administrative costs both of courts and jails. In addition, it brings accountability of institutions and officers towards rule of law. A comprehensive administrative system helps scheduling of cases to bring efficiency and cost of litigation down, resulting in less expensive justice to citizens and making lawyers and judges more productive. Executive, the major interface of citizens with the state has the responsibility of planning, execution and monitoring. With a large population and widespread territory, IT becomes a natural ally for planning and delivering the needed services to the citizens. Planning presupposes information about countries resources such as human physical and financial. Database of all citizens is therefore fundamental to sound planning and delivery of social services like education and health, utility services like water and electricity, infrastructure like roads network are best provided by IT. In addition, economic planning is inconceivable without IT. Economic opportunities for job market supported closely by education planning can help reduce unemployment. Citizens consider all this as their right, in return for taxes paid to the national exchequer. A comprehensive, clean and correct citizens database leads to effective electoral lists and fair elections for moving towards good governance and in implementing merit based administration where appropriate people are selected for right jobs Economic Stability Needless to mention that we are in groaning need of foreign exchange to cater to our many needs. At the moment our foreign exchange reserves have not yet crossed the limit of even $2 billion and that too, is due to a number of debts and loans extended to us by a number of loan giving agencies, which in their turn would also drain our national resources to a great extent. The importance of information technology in the present world can not be underestimated as it has dominated almost all the fields of business and industry including the service sector and one having no touch with this technology would not be able to make any progress in the century to come. Instead of discussing the role of this technology in the economic development of Pakistan, it would be more appropriate to say that there would be no desired economic development of any country without fully adopting this technology. The role of IT in a financial services organization is broadly: Supporting operational efficiencies and that simply means doing routine tasks better, faster, or cheaper. Volumes are the key here and in financial institutions, the transactions that are usually handled in the back-office operations units need to be automated from account maintenance, billing, through processing of payments, loans, trade financing, reconciliation and so on. Facilitating customer services delivery increasing customer touch points, extending the duration of service, improving service delivery. Whether by automating teller functions, providing E-banking services, installing automatic teller machines (ATMs), providing PC or Internet banking. In short, making the promise to the customer Anytime, Anywhere, Anyhow a reality! Risk management providing the capability to manage identify, assess and control the banks risk and exposure, whether related to operations, credit, assets, market risk and so on. Credit limit monitoring, dealing with interest rate and foreign exchange rate changes to manage product viability, and treasury and asset/liability management to ensure that regulatory reserve requirements are met. Technology must facilitate management with timely and accurate information, and Decision support the availability of information and tools to determine trends, make forecasts, and plan strategically. Today the tools available for decision support are mind-boggling, and data warehousing and data mining provide todays management with the power to gain deep insight into customer and transaction profiles and trends, with which to make strategic decisions in implementing products and services and also to align the business with reality If a country adopt IT to do all of the above, it should enable th e organization (country) to be effective, competitive, and hopefully, profitable. High Agricultural Yield Expert Systems is one of the important application oriented branches of Artificial intelligence. In the past decade, a great deal of expert systems had been developed and applied to many fields such as office automation, science, and medicine including agriculture. At the beginning of development of the agriculture expert systems, the areas selected are applications to diagnosis the diseases and pests of various crops. In recent years, research and development of the expert system fields of agriculture domain have been paid much attention by many countries, not only by developed countries but also developing countries. The complexity of problems confronting farmers like yield loses, soil erosion, diminishing market prices from international competition, increasing chemical pesticides costs and pest resistance and economic barriers hindering adoption of farming strategies necessitates that they become expert managers of all aspects of their farming operations. On the other hand agricu ltural researchers need to address problems of farm management and discover new management strategies to promote farm success. Numerical methods have failed because understanding about crop systems are qualitative based on experience and cannot be mathematically represented. Expert System are Computer programs that are different from conventional computer programs as they solve problems by mimicking human reasoning processes, relying on logic, belief, rules of thumb opinion and experience. An Agricultural Expert System is a Decision Support System for Agricultural Extension Agents who has to decide what advice to be offered to farmers who have to decide what action to take based on it. It is one of the most efficient extension tool to take the technology from scientists to the farmers directly without any dilution of content which normally creeps in because of the number of agencies involved in normal technology transfer systems. Following are the example of expert systems that are assisting in the agriculture domain. GRAIN MARKETING ADVISOR is an expert system for determining marketing alternatives and supports grain producers in finding optimal strategies. Individual farm conditions are considered. Information on storage and dryer availability, price level, price trend, government program eligibility, and timing, is required as input data. COMAX provides information on integrated crop management in cotton. It is designed for use by farmers, farm managers, and country and soil conservation agents. The system uses a combination of expert derived rules and results generated by the cotton crop simulation model named. GOSSYM. It requires external information such as weather data soil physical parameters, soil fertility levels, and certain pest management information. Based on this input data, the system makes daily management decision recommendations. POMME provides information about pest and orchard management of apples. This system provides knowledge about fungicides, insecticides, freeze, frost and drought damage, non-chemical care options as well as information from a disease model to the farmers Industrial Energy Industry is the back bone of any country. Pakistan is exporting 68% of the export from its textile industry which is obviously contributing a major part in Pakistan economy. During the development of more and more powerful and inexpensive computers, and faster, more reliable, and less expensive communication, energy utilities has increased the use of computers in the management of energy systems. For a few a years it has economically feasible to install more or less advanced energy control systems in industries and at other large customers premises. Energy Load Management is the concept of managing loads at the demand side in order to run the energy system more efficiently. The very basic principle is to try to move load from expensive to less expensive time period. Time period can be expensive for many different reasons, stemming from either production or distribution. Intelligent Multi-agent system is the answer to question of todays energy management, Poverty Alleviation The problem of poverty can only be solved through improving the total economic and social opportunities and equitable distributions of the benefits of growth to all particularly the poor thereby providing security to people who are unable to participate in the contribution of economic growth and governance. In the past decade, the advances particularly in the field of information technology have been so rapid that it has changed the shape of all economic activities in the world, and pushing the world towards globalization. However, in Pakistan efforts were never made to deliver the benefits to the poor, like improved basic services including education, health care, and in equipping the poor with necessary information and skills to bring them into the mainstream of society so that they can be the productive partners. A dramatic transition in the global economy is taking place. The globalization movement, which involves new economic world order and trade arrangements, has put developed and industrialized nations in the forefront of commerce. Then there is the shift-taking place from the oil-powered economy to the technology-driven economy followed by digital economy. In both movements, the wealthy economies and affluent sections of society in these economies will control the origination, maintenance and continuous growth in the decades to come. Now is the opportunity, to open up a corridor of empowerment for the poor. Otherwise, the poor will suffer even worst, resulting in a potential hot lid of social unrest. if left to market forces of digital economy, the poor will be left behind in light years, creating tension and potential disturbance to society. Information technology can open up this corridor of opportunity and shall be used as a key to empowering the poor and thereby gaining information to shape better decisions to determine their own destiny. Information technology can empower the poor like never before. Positive Impact on International Foreign Policies In a major foreign-policy speech at the University of Nebraska on December 8, 2000, President Clinton pointed out that there are 700 high-tech companies in Silicon Valley headed by Indians, and called for an end to the cold war estrangement between the US and India, and the start of a systematic, committed relationship. Indian IT, in other words, is even making a positive impact on US foreign policy, at least as perceived through Indian eyes! There are, of course, many IT companies in the US headed by Pakistanis as well, and the IT sector in Pakistan too is flourishing. However, Pakistan seems to have lagged behind in its marketing of these skills. This is surely an area that we could cooperate in, particularly since the Indian IT industry is starved of qualified people. One area in both countries that does need special attention is IT education. The IT sector is highly labor-intensive, and the lack of trained professionals could easily squander the positive international image that we have painstakingly built up.

Choosing a Major Essay -- University College Education Essays

Choosing a Major Some people already know by the age of seven that they want to become a pilot or nurse; others, however, have more difficulties deciding what to do with their future. People who decided to go to a university or college have to make an important choice: what major are they going into? For many people this is a very difficult question. As the statistics show, one out of five students change their major between admission and the first day of classes. Nearly three out of four students change majors at least twice before they graduate. And three out of four college students express uncertainly about their major. These striking results raised some questions for me. Is it really necessary to choose a major? What influence has the choice of a specific major on the student and his or her education? What are the opportunities for the future? And how can these students be helped? Since I am still having trouble choosing a major myself, I decided to do some research on this topic and I hope it w ill help you a little bit to make the right choice. Before you start to think about a major, you might ask yourself why you should choose a major in the first place. There are several answers to this question. The first one is very simple: choosing a major is required by the university. Every college will request you to select an area of concentration, usually called a major. Each major has a set of requirements: number of courses, electives, and comprehensive examination. The general goal is to require the exploration and understanding of a body of material and of the techniques needed for mastery of that material. This is the university’s view on the requirement of a major. However, there are some other perspectives on t... ...y you have enthusiasm for and do well in,† is advice often given by employers. Lynn Cheney, former Chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities, agrees: â€Å"Students who follow their hearts in choosing majors will most likely end up laboring at what they love. They’re the ones who will put in the long hours and intense effort that achievement requires. And they’re the ones who will find the sense of purpose that underlies most human happiness.† Indeed, a major is required, but it will also influence your education and the perspective from which you will view the world around you. You don’t have to worry too much about your job opportunities, so choose a major you like. It will not only make your education more enjoyable, so you can get the best out of it, but it will also provide you with a more positive view of the world and make your life more pleasant.

Medical Marijuana :: Medicine Drugs Essays

Medical Marijuana Marijuana has been hailed as a prescription for many ills and physicians once used it to stimulate appetite, relieve chronic pain, and treat asthma and migraines. But is marijuana really a medical miracle? If so, do its clinical benefits outweigh its drawbacks? Should we legalize marijuana? Is medical marijuana really worth the risks? These are the issues one needs to think about before making the decision to legalize marijuana. Marijuana is a drug that is derived from the dried and cut leaves of the hemp plant known as "cannabis sativa". Marijuana has a variety of street names such as "grass", "Mary Jane", "pot", "smoke", "reefer", "herb", and "weed". The active ingredient in marijuana is delta tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) (3). . Marijuana has been used throughout history and in many different cultures to change mood, perception, and consciousness (to get "high"). Its effects range from increasing creativity to provoking mystical experiences, to heightening the capacity to feel, sense and share. After alcohol, it is the most popular of what are called "recreational drugs." It has been used around the world for other purposes. In some primitive tribes of South America, Africa, and India, "cannabis" is used in religious ceremonies and for medical purposes. African mine workers have used it to ease the drudgery of their work and many Jamaicans use it at the end of the day to relieve fatigue. It has been use d as an intoxicant in various parts of the world for centuries and in the United States, for the most part the 20th century. Marijuana was first described in print in a Chinese book of medicine, "Herbal," in the 2nd century B.C., and was used in China as an anesthetic 5,000 years ago. The ancient Assyrians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, and East Indians used the drug to control muscle spasms, reduce pain, and to treat indigestion. It was commonly used in folk medicines in Africa and Asia. As early as 1611, marijuana was cultivated for its fiber in Jamestown, Virginia. In 19th century America, marijuana was used by the medical profession for treating spastic conditions, headaches, labor pains, insomnia, and menstrual cramps. It is still used as a medicine in the Middle East and in Asia (9). The controversy dealing with marijuana stems from the legalization of the drug for medical use.

Ovarian Cancer Research Paper

Sydney True Psych 471 Reproductive Cancers Assignment University of Nebraska-Lincoln Fall 2010 Ovarian Cancer Research Paper Ovarian cancer is a type of cancer that is characterized by the formation of the cancer cells in the tissues of a woman’s reproductive glands, the ovaries. It is when normal ovarian cells begin to grow uncontrollably that this cancer develops into dangerous malignant tumors that can be found in one or both ovaries.There are three types of these cells that are responsible for ovarian cancer: Surface epithelium, Germ cells, and Stromal cells. Surface epithelial ovarian cancer is the type that grows on the outer surface of the ovary. This is the most common form of this cancer, appearing in about 90 percent of ovarian cancer cases. Of the more rare forms, germ cell tumors originate specifically in the egg-producing cells and the Stromal ovarian cancer in the supportive tissue encasing the ovaries.In women, older age and obesity may increase the likelihood o f developing ovarian cancer. Other factors include a personal or family history of this or other types of cancer, women who have taken estrogen after menopause (especially for longer than 5 years), and women who have trouble conceiving. The symptoms that are commonly associated with ovarian cancer are similar to some less serious disorders, but in this case, they may occur more and become more severe.Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) list on their website (www. cancercenter. com) that the most general â€Å"symptoms of ovarian cancer include: Bloating, nausea, constipation, or diarrhea, change in urinary frequency (feeling like you have to go more often), pressure in the abdomen, back, or legs, vaginal bleeding (including heavy periods), and fatigue. Unfortunately, and as any woman can attest to, these symptoms may be part of a normal menstrual cycle. Thus, making this a difficult cancer to detect.Women are encouraged to become more aware of how their body usually feels an d see a doctor if any abnormalities persist after several weeks for an examination. In order to make a diagnosis of ovarian cancer a doctor will perform a serious of tests including: a pelvic examination for any knots or bumps that could be possible cancerous growths; a pap smear to test for signs of cancerous cells; an ultrasound that tests the sound waves of healthy tissue versus potential tumors.A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) test uses radiofrequency to distinguish diseased tissue from normal tissue. A CA 125 blood test will show a possible increase in levels of CA 125 protein, an increase that is often linked to ovarian cancer. A gynecologic oncologist can perform a laparotomy to collect fluid samples from the abdominal cavity in order to test for abnormalities. Lastly, a less invasive test that is similar to the laparascopy but requires only a few small incisions. Once a diagnosis of the cancer has been made,

The Philosophy of Morality

There is restriction on freedom everywhere. This is a derived idea from the argument of Immanuel Kant in his work, An Answer to the Question: â€Å"What is Enlightenment?† This restriction is the reason why humans behave as they are: they need a harmonious environment within themselves as a pursuit of individual community of well-being, freedom and safety. Humans are not ultimately free as they could be because their actions have consequences. We may call these consequences, according to Kant, â€Å"imperatives for actions†. The reason â€Å"why certain acts ought to be done is because they ought to be done† (Stratton-Lake, 2000).Generally, a rational human being would do an action consciously for practical reasons, which is considered as hypothetically imperative. It demands that a person does such action for the sake of a purpose that he has in mind. Why Man should not   break promises, why should not tell lies, why and should not commit suicide? This is beca use Man ought not do these acts.   According to Kant, the reason why Man should keep his promises because of his â€Å"obligation to be consistent and the injunction against using others (i.e., against treating them only as means)† (Nasr, 2008). This is a concrete example of Kant’s Ought priciple of ethics.â€Å"Act so that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in that of another, always as an end and never as a means only†(Kant, 1785). A true ethical person would not use people to further his own end and he treats other   people with respect to a value of dignity and not a value of price because a person with a value of dignity cannot be replaced and their value is priceless. An object with a value of price, as what the hypothetically imperative person believes, can be exchanged and used as a means to achieve an end.To Kant,   this principle of humanity â€Å"is the supreme limiting condition on the freedom of action of each man,† and a rgues that the principle is not founded on experience but rather seated in the footholds of a priori reasoning, reasoning that comes before experience. Indeed, Man’s actions are limited and the â€Å" theoretical Ought of our judgments about facts, like the practical Ought of Ethics, is after all definable only in terms of what Kant called the Autonomy of Will† (Royce, 1901).In fact, not only Kant recognized the limitations of the freedom of human Will and the actions that their will impose upon them and why Man obeys. Another philosopher who made a discourse on this ethical issue is Jonathan Edwards. He noted that there are â€Å"ethics or the rules† (Tappan 1839), which are, in fact, not compelled to be obeyed by everyone but impose a strong power upon the conscience of the majority, especially those who believes in an Almighty being and those who do not want to feel the uneasiness of the evil and the persecuting nature of the Man.Disobedience to these manly i mposed rules are considered as a â€Å"state of sinfulness† (Tappan 1839) or the corruption of human sensitivity disposed to violate the harmony and fitness of the spiritual constitution. This is another binding factor that makes man perform the hypothetically imperative actions.Does morality purely exist? Morality is something that is not strongly defined, yet it is considered as the ultimate commandment of reason and this is the guiding source for Man’s duties and obligations. Even Kant   argues   in his Fundamental Principles of the Metaphysics of Morals that â€Å"it is only a pure philosophy that we can look for the moral law in its purity and genuineness.† Human beings have moral obligations to each other, and, as previously mentioned, because of reasons that they need and not because of their pure will to do such obligations. Man, to be good to each other without qualification would be a conceived as having a â€Å"good will† (Kant, 1785) and i t must be understood, however, that humans do not have the autonomous will.They have the morally good will to attain the practical ends that they wish to have. Moral philosophies follow the â€Å"laws of human will† as affected by nature and when applied to man, it does not borrow the least thing from the knowledge of man himself (anthropology), but gives laws a priori to him as a rational being. Moral laws require human judgment that has been sharpened through time and experience in order for them to be properly applied and for these laws to access the will of the man and â€Å"effectual influence on conduct†(Kant, 1785). The virtuous person does not only conform and obeys the moral law.He also act for the sake of the moral law itself. Man’s actions are morally right as determined by the virtue of their motives, derived not from Man’s inclinations but from Man’s duty. A virtuous person, who makes a morally right action, is determined to act in acc ordance with his duty and this duty overcomes that person’s self-interests and hidden desires. And for Kant, the Ought of Ethics is the defining factor for morality: â€Å" the sense in which the conduct of moral aget is to be judged as   good or evil according as it does or does not conform to the standard of the Ought† (Royce, 1901)As Kant have further argued in his philosophies, the ultimate moral law principle was abstractly conceived to guide man to the right action in life’s circumstances. However, if man is immature enough to acknowledge this guidance, enlightenment would never be achieved. Moreover, it is not only the lack of maturity that deter man and give him obstacles from being enlightened but also laziness, superstitious and dogmatic beliefs or fanaticism. â€Å"Laziness and cowardice are the reasons why such a large proportion of men, even when nature has long emancipated them from alien guidance (naturaliter maiorennes), nevertheless gladly re main immature for life† (Kant, 1784).Enlightenment would result to freedom, and, if man is still of prejudices and dogmatic beliefs, Man would be nothing but an unthinking and leashed controlled being. Dogmas â€Å"are the ball and chain of His permanent immaturity.† (Kant, 1784) If Man stays immature and an obedient being without reason, he would be an object without dignity, a mere machine.Works CitedKant, Immanuel; translated by James W. Ellington [1785] (1993). Grounding for the Metaphysics of Morals 3rd ed.Royce, Josiah. The World and the Individual: Gifford Lectures Delivered before the University of Aberdeen. 2d Series: Nature, Man, and the Moral Order. New York: Macmillan, 1901.Stratton-Lake, Philip. Kant, Duty, and Moral Worth. London: Routledge, 2000.Tappan, Henry Philip.   A Review of Edwards's â€Å"Inquiry into the Freedom of the Will. New York: J.S Taylor, 1839.