Thinking about representation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Thinking about representation - Essay Example The photograph has been regarded as the testimony. At one point, Krauss depicted a photograph as a transfer off the real, owing to the fact that it is a photo chemically processed, to trace a casual connection with a particular thing in the real world. Krauss further observed that a photograph, refers parallel to a particular object. Although truth in a photograph is disputable, the painting in the truth in the photograph is indisputable (Sturken & Cartwright, 2001). The photograph in this case presents a tension, owing to the fact that it is camera generated, and thus it combines both subjective and adjective features (Sturken & Cartwright, 2001). Although it may be mythical, it allows the connotation of literal meaning of the Weegee’s. In this case, the photograph sets an ideology, based on the projection that it is produced. In regards to the Weegee’s, the icons indicate that the individual’s looks have a symbolic meaning to any viewer. This indicates that there is curtaining of culture in the photograph, owing to the fact that it is specific on time, place and iconic representation that seeks to derive certain emotions and connotation (Sturken & Cartwright, 2001). People attempt to interpret images either intentional or unintentional, in order to suggest a meaning. This is done by checking on the formal elements, such as color, tone, composition and contrast among others. The Weegee’s photograph has images of multiple personality from diverse and complex backgrounds. Although the image composes of school children in the early 1940s, who had just experienced a murder scene, it brings a collection of mixed feelings among the children. There is a heightened emotion in the photograph, as they are looking at the scene of murder with morose fascination, and this is evident in the photograph. There is neck craning and pushing, movement and emotions in their faces, which create juxtaposition at the scene of crime. The

Rose and Graff Essay Example for Free

Rose and Graff Essay Two professors of different backgrounds, Mike Rose of California, and Gerald Graff, of Illinois, discuss the problems college students face today in America. Though similar in slight variations, both professors view the problem in different regards and prepare solutions that solve what they feel to be the heart of this academic problem. Mike Rose, author of The Politics of Remediation, explains that â€Å"linguistic exclusion† is the barrier that prevents many new college students from excelling in the academics at any given university. Gerald Graff, on the other hand, feels that the problem comes from the lack of communication between professors, and that many of the times the students are taught the same concepts but through opposite understandings and in a bias fashion. Mike Rose met many struggling students at UCLA’s Tutorial Center, the Writing Research Project, and the school’s Summer program. He first describes the loneliness students feel upon arriving at college, and that as they try to find themselves, they all to often lose themselves because they are bombarded with ideas that are so foreign to them. He introduces his audiences to Andrea, a bright young girl out of high school who, despite hours of memorizing in her textbook, could not obtain a passing grade on her Chemistry mid-term. How is this possible if she spent so much time studding? Rose explains that she failed because in college, and in this course in particular, it is not enough for a student to know the material, but rather, to be able to apply it in a various amount of problems. Yet the problem Andrea faces is that she was never taught this in high school. Rose writes of other students he tried to help as they sat in front of him with eyes that were both sad and confused. From young, jocks, to a twenty-eight year old mother, and an insecure girl that was so afraid to use her own ideas, she turns to plagiarism. Rose explains this situation in great detail, â€Å"Students were coming to college with limited exposure to certain kinds of writing and reading and with conceptions and beliefs that were dissonant with those in the lower-division curriculum they encountered. † Rose places great blame on the professors who assume that these students are culturally prepared to address, and analyze, ideas and concepts that they have never even heard of before. Students, who come from different cultures and backgrounds, are not prepared (especially on their own) to give up everything that have spent the past eight-teen years believing in, in order to write the prefect college essay. Rose calls upon the professors of these new students to stop â€Å"simply† criticizing these students work, and instead, help them through analyzing their paper and (even if by step by step guidance) explain the concept of which is being discussed. â€Å"Error marks the place where education begins. † Gerald Graff, author of Other Voices, Other Rooms, also blames the professors. However, unlike Rose, he does not mention the personal identities of the students and the struggles they experience as the try to embrace this new life style. Instead, he feels that the problem is due solely to the lack of communication between the professors, and therefore creates a much larger problem: â€Å"cognitive dissonance. † Because the professors do not consult each other, students may spend one class period learning the evils of communism, while in their very next class the professor phrases it. The students, Graff writes, therefore care more about appeasing the professor, changing their opinion depending on that certain professor’s beliefs, in order to obtain one thing, good grades. Yet, since these students care more about their grades and future careers, they lose the essence of the concepts and convictions which are being presented before them. Most of the time, the students cannot even see this. â€Å"What is learned seems so specific to a particular course that it is difficult for students to see its application beyond. † In another instance, in two separate courses the same ideas may be discussed, yet because professors use different terminology, the students do not connect that the ideas they are learning in these two separate classrooms are actually one in the same. The students, for the most part, focus on the individual professor than the greater picture of the actual course. After the final exam of a course, the students immediately try to clear their mind in order to prepare for the philosophy of the next professor, than preparing to embrace the actually philosophy which is to be discussed. This is the tragedy that Graff discuss’ in his essay. In order to clarify his vision of incorrect schooling, he uses the analogy of teaching a student the game of baseball, in the same approach that they are taught different concepts. â€Å"It is as if you were trying to learn the game of baseball by being shown a series of rooms in which you see each component of the game separately: pitchers going through their windups in one room; hitters swinging their bats in the next; then infielders, outfielders, umpires, fans, field announcers, ticket scalpers, broadcasters, hot dog vendors, and so on. † He goes on to explain that since the students view the concept of baseball in such a manner, one will never be able to achieve an accurate understanding of the game and how it is actually played. Mike Rose and Gerald Graff both feel that the concepts of the academics are presenting incorrectly to most college students. Rose feels that the only students who are prepared for the intense assumptions placed upon them by professors are those few students who come from elite and intense lower level schooling. However, because of society’s â€Å"economic and political† priorities, the public education can in no way prepare all students for what is expected of them in college. A student who received straight A’s in high school is not common to receive failing grades because they use the same writing methods that they used in high school. In order to create a solution to this great problem, Rose suggests that â€Å"more opportunities to develop the writing strategies that are an intimate part of academic inquiry † be provided, as well as â€Å"more opportunities to write about what they are learning and guidance in the techniques and convictions of that writing. † Gerald Graff, of course, who believes the root of the problem is due to â€Å"cognitive dissonance† and not â€Å"linguistic exclusion† has his own separate list of solutions. However they may differ in how students become lost in academic language, they both see a vivid problem in the present college system. Both professors see that these young college are having a very hard time understanding many ideas presented before them, and both writers are similar in that they feel the change most come from the present academic system, rather than the students themselves.

The Role of Postmodern Military Coup of 1997 on Transformation of Turk

INTRODUCTION Since the early days of the Turkish Republic, Islamist parties and groups positioned themselves against the values and institutions of the secular republic. Their stance against the secular state also defined their position against the west and modernization. For Islamists, the Kemalist state was in cooperation with the West and all the decisions made by the secular state against religion were inspired by the West. According to them, all the attempts to modernize and westernize the state specifically were aimed at undermining Islamic values. The struggle between state and Islamists, initiated by the reforms to create a modern nation state, such as the abolition of the Caliphate, the abolition of Islamic schools, the abolishment of sharia law, the introduction of Latin script, the removal of state religion from the constitution, deepened after `the transition to multi-party period. This struggle shaped the mindset of Islamist political parties until mid-1990s. During this period of time, Islamic parties defined themselves as â€Å"anti-western† and rejected political culture and values of the West. Therefore, their political discourse always attacked to liberalism, democracy, secularism and the European Union since they were the products of the Western world. However, the liberalization of the Turkey after 1980 in economic and political realms and the developments in global political order transformed the political nature of Turkish Islamist movement and Islamist parties have turned to a liberal and democrat wing in Turkish political life. In this paper, I will focus on the dynamics of the transformation of Islamist groups and argue that the military intervention on February 1997 became a turning point for the Islamis... ...Partisi Seà §im Beyannamesi (2002 and 2007). Ankara: Saadet Partisi. SayarÄ ±, Sabri (1996). "Turkey's Islamist Challenge†, Middle East Quarterly, September, Volume 3, Number, 3 TanÄ ±yÄ ±cÄ ±, Åžaban (2003). â€Å"Transformation of Political Islam in Turkey: Islamist Welfare Party’s Pro-EU Turn.† Party Politics 9(4):63-83. White, B. Jenny (2002). â€Å"Ak Parti’nin BaÅŸarÄ ±sÄ ±nÄ ±n ArdÄ ±nda Yerele DayalÄ ± Siyaset YatÄ ±yor†, Interview by Åžahin Alpay, Zaman, December 18, 2002. Yavuz, Hakan (2009). Secularism and Muslim democracy in Turkey, New York: Cambridge University Press, YeÅŸilada, A. Birol (2002). â€Å"Virtue Party†, Turkish Studies, Volume 3, Number: 1, Spring. Zarcone, Thierry (2004), La Turquie moderne et l’islam, Paris : Flammarion Periodicals Milliyet, YeniÅŸafak, Hà ¼rriyet, Zaman, Birikim Web Site: www.akparti.org.tr www.saadet.org.tr www.milligorus-forum.com.tr www.tbmm.gov.tr The Role of Postmodern Military Coup of 1997 on Transformation of Turk INTRODUCTION Since the early days of the Turkish Republic, Islamist parties and groups positioned themselves against the values and institutions of the secular republic. Their stance against the secular state also defined their position against the west and modernization. For Islamists, the Kemalist state was in cooperation with the West and all the decisions made by the secular state against religion were inspired by the West. According to them, all the attempts to modernize and westernize the state specifically were aimed at undermining Islamic values. The struggle between state and Islamists, initiated by the reforms to create a modern nation state, such as the abolition of the Caliphate, the abolition of Islamic schools, the abolishment of sharia law, the introduction of Latin script, the removal of state religion from the constitution, deepened after `the transition to multi-party period. This struggle shaped the mindset of Islamist political parties until mid-1990s. During this period of time, Islamic parties defined themselves as â€Å"anti-western† and rejected political culture and values of the West. Therefore, their political discourse always attacked to liberalism, democracy, secularism and the European Union since they were the products of the Western world. However, the liberalization of the Turkey after 1980 in economic and political realms and the developments in global political order transformed the political nature of Turkish Islamist movement and Islamist parties have turned to a liberal and democrat wing in Turkish political life. In this paper, I will focus on the dynamics of the transformation of Islamist groups and argue that the military intervention on February 1997 became a turning point for the Islamis... ...Partisi Seà §im Beyannamesi (2002 and 2007). Ankara: Saadet Partisi. SayarÄ ±, Sabri (1996). "Turkey's Islamist Challenge†, Middle East Quarterly, September, Volume 3, Number, 3 TanÄ ±yÄ ±cÄ ±, Åžaban (2003). â€Å"Transformation of Political Islam in Turkey: Islamist Welfare Party’s Pro-EU Turn.† Party Politics 9(4):63-83. White, B. Jenny (2002). â€Å"Ak Parti’nin BaÅŸarÄ ±sÄ ±nÄ ±n ArdÄ ±nda Yerele DayalÄ ± Siyaset YatÄ ±yor†, Interview by Åžahin Alpay, Zaman, December 18, 2002. Yavuz, Hakan (2009). Secularism and Muslim democracy in Turkey, New York: Cambridge University Press, YeÅŸilada, A. Birol (2002). â€Å"Virtue Party†, Turkish Studies, Volume 3, Number: 1, Spring. Zarcone, Thierry (2004), La Turquie moderne et l’islam, Paris : Flammarion Periodicals Milliyet, YeniÅŸafak, Hà ¼rriyet, Zaman, Birikim Web Site: www.akparti.org.tr www.saadet.org.tr www.milligorus-forum.com.tr www.tbmm.gov.tr

Aloe Vera Barbadensis

The Aloe Vera Barbadensis plant has been used for thousands of years to heal a variety of conditions, including wounds, skin irritations, and constipation. Originally Aloe Vera is native to arid regions of north-eastern and southern parts of Africa and Madagascar. Aloe is a member of the Lily family often referred to as â€Å"the desert Lilly†. The plant stores the limited rainwater it gets in its leaves and forms a gel. The Gel is used both internally and externally on humans, and is claimed to have some medicinal effects. For that reason it is grown commercially in the United States, the Caribbean, and Mexico. There are around two hundred and forty species growing in other dry regions around the world, but only a few are recognized as being of value to humans and animals. Aloe barbadensis is significantly at the top of the aloe species. The earliest reference to its use can be found in the famous Egyptian Ebers Papyrus, which dates back to 1500 BC and is widely regarded as one of the earliest documents, the western Materia Medica. The Egyptians referred to it as â€Å"the plant of immortality†. However, it is more than likely its been commonly used for centuries before it was recorded. There is reference made to it in the New Testament, when Nicodemus comes by night and brings a mixture of Myrrh and Aloe to embalm the body of Jesus. If you believe in Christianity this is the first documented use of Aloe vera. Galen was a physician to a Roman emperor (AD 131-201), he used Aloe vera as a healing agent and authored over 100 books on conventional and herbal medicine. He gained his knowledge from doctoring the Roman gladiators. Galen was a follower of the works of Hippocrates and Aristotle. Also Christopher Colombus had documented the medical use and value of the plant on his ship logs, many believe he introduced it to the â€Å"New World†. World War II military manuals suggested that servicemen could use it as a remedy for burns, insect bites, or other skin ailments. Aloe would lose potency when transported due to oxidation. The pulp was most effective when fresh. Aloes Vera’s reputation as a miracle plant declined in places were the plant could not be grown, until the mid 1900’s. In 1950’s America, many processing techniques were attempted, but they ended in failure. Over heating the Aloe can cause it to loose its medicinal value. By the 1970’s there was a breakthrough in the processing techniques leading to the successful stabilization of the leaf gel. This success was found by using natural ingredients and cold pressing. They also found a way to separate the aloin form the rind. The aloin is a compound found in Aloe that is used internally for digestive health. It worked as a laxative and was found as a main ingredient in most OTC laxative medications until the millennium. These new found processing techniques created a new market for Aloe vera. In modern day America Aloe vera is used for the same reasons it was thousands of years ago in ancient civilizations. Externally used for the treatment of burns, cuts, insect bites, and rashes and it is still rarely internally used as a natural dietary supplement that regulates digestion. Today it can be found in many different forms such as dried powders, capsules, extracts, juices, gels, and lotions. When looking for quality Aloe products to use on your skin you must read labels to ensure that Aloe is the first or second ingredient listed. A lot of the gels and lotions can be extremely diluted with other ingredients. If you are looking for the soothing effects of pure aloe on the shelves of your local drugstore you must see that the product is free of artificial colors and stabilizing ingredients. When looking for a quality Aloe product to apply to your skin, look for a gel that is 98-100% Aloe. There is much debate to whether benefits exist from ingesting the aloin compound. In 2002, the FDA required that all OTC aloe laxative products be removed from the U. S. market or reformulated because the companies that manufactured them did not provide the necessary safety data. Externally Aloe is still a treasured remedy used for osteoarthritis, burns, sunburns, and psoriasis. Because Aloe Vera plants are very succulent and consist of 95% water, they are tender to frost. If they are grown outdoors in warm climates, they should be planted in full sun, or light shade. Aloe vera’s roots like to be crowded so they must be planted clustered or potted. In a temperate American climate they thrive as potted houseplants. Due to their vulnerability to frost most of the year they must be kept inside next to a south or westward facing window to receive sunlight but regulate temperature. They thrive in pots and make great indoor plants. Aloe Vera is a succulent meaning it stores a large quantity of water within its leaves and root system. The plant will become dormant-like in the winter season utilizing very little moisture, watering at this time should be minimal. During the summer months the plant needs to be saturated with water. After watering the plant allow the soil to dry before re-watering. The soil needs to have a sandy base in a way to emulate an arid climates soil. A quality commercial potting mix with extra perlite, granite grit, or coarse sand added will work perfectly. The plant has a very wide root base so a deep pot is not necessary however the width of the pot is very important. When it is time to repot an aloe vera plant look for a wider pot than before, focus on width rather than depth. Aloe Vera plants are propogated by removing the offsets, which are produced around the base of mature plants, it can also be planted by seed. The Aloe Vera plants scientific relevance is debated widely for its different remedies. I believe it is obviously a miracle plant and the human race is blessed to have it for burns, cuts, and infection. It appears people have been using aloe vera since the dawn of humanity and do not appear to be stopping anytime soon.

Hart and Positivism Essay

According to Hart law consists of primary and secondary rules. The primary rules are the rules that are â€Å"rules of obligation.† (Hart. Pg 204) This means that primary rules are rules that obligate a person to do something or to not do something. For example, the first Amendment, â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceable to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.† (http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html#Am1) The first Amendment is an example of a primary rule because it directly affects the people of the United States of America by allowing them to have the freedom of religion, press and expression. This is an example of obligating a person not to do something, which means that the person is not obligated to have any other religion other than their own, for example. The second part of law is the secondary rules. Secondary rules only affect primary rules. This means that a secondary rule can help clarify, alter, eliminate, bring into effect, verify or determine whether a primary rule has been broken. For example the only reason we have the first amendment of the United States Constitution is because of Article 5 of the U.S. Constitution which states, The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article; and that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate. (http://www.usconstitution.net/xconst_A5.html) Article 5 of the constitution is a perfect example of a secondary rule (in this case a â€Å"rule of change†) because it allows one to see exactly how a secondary rule affects a primary rule. With Article 5 of the Constitution, the United States is capable of applying amendments to the constitution (or otherwise known â€Å"the Law of the Land†) of the United States. Article 5 of the constitution is an example of a secondary rule classified as a â€Å"rule of change† as stated by Hart. A â€Å"rule of change† allows an office or officials to be able to implement new primary rules so as to be able to adapt to the changing of times and the constant creation of new situations. The â€Å"rule of change† simply allows the system to be able to adapt to their society and not allow the primary rules to go static. To become a law there are two parts that need to happen, according to Hart. First there needs to be the initiation of a primary rule statute by a delegated official or office in power. Once the primary rule is made a secondary rule, the rule of recognition, is enacted. The rule of recognition simply allows private persons and officials the ability to be able to identify the primary rules of obligation. This secondary rule conclusively identifies the primary rules of obligation so as not to be confused as to what are the obligations the primary rule bestows. To have primary rules of obligation and secondary rules of recognition, there needs to be an office or official to be able to adjudicate these rules. To be able to adjudicate these rules there would need to be an additional secondary rule of adjudication. This would allow a judge to be able to determine whether or not the primary rule has been broken. Within the rule of adjudication there would also be rules on the roles of the judge as well as identifying who are to be the judges. With the rule of adjudication there is no question of whether or not a law has been broken and this solidifies the primary rule of obligation. With the ideas of Hart this shows that laws and morality can be separable, but they are not necessarily separated. It is possible to have a separation between low and morality by having some sort of primary rule that would state â€Å"no one rule will introduce the morals or characters of others into the legal system.† It is also possible though for an official delegate to implement a primary rule into the legal system and have it backed by a secondary rule of recognition. Having the secondary rule of recognition would potentially make the morality based primary law a valid legal law. In Hart’s idea morality and law are â€Å"separable†, in the meaning that they are capable of being separated, but they are in no way impossible to be able to be combined in law. Without there being a way to identify morality and making it a subordinate to statute, there can’t be a definite separation with Harts theory. Work Cited 1. Reading in the Philosophy of Law (pg 202-207) 2. www.usconstitution.net (1st Amendment, Article 5 of the Constitution)

I Have Lived A Thousand Years essays

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The eNotes Blog Who is Edward Snowden and What Did HeDo

Who is Edward Snowden and What Did HeDo Some information for students (from a fellow student) to keep you up to date with this complicated current affair. There’s been a lot of talk going around about Edward Snowden and his disclosure of NSA information, but with the amount of commentary in the media, it’s difficult to figure out even some basic information. The purpose of this post is to answer some of the basic questions revolving around Snowden and the NSA. Who is Edward Snowden? Born on June 21, 1983 in Wilmington, North Carolina, Edward Joseph Snowden is soon to be thirty years old. He studied computing at Anne Arundel Community College, but illness left him unable to complete his coursework, leaving him without a high school diploma until the later completion of his GED. In 2011, he participated in an online program, working towards a Masters Degree with the University of Liverpool. Seven years earlier, in 2004, Snowden had enlisted in the US Army as a Special Forces recruit, but according to his own reports, was discharged four months later after breaking both his legs in a training accident. Snowden during an interview with Poitras and Greenwald. Snowden’s former positions include (in the order he held them):  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Working for the NSA, he was a security guard for the Center for the Advanced Study of Language, a covert center.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   He worked for the CIA in IT Security.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to his own reports, the CIA placed Snowden in Geneva under diplomatic cover in 2007, where he oversaw network security.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   He reports leaving the CIA to work for a private contractor inside a US military base in Japan for the NSA.  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Until recently, Snowden held a position as a system administrator inside the NSA for consulting company Booz Allen Hamilton in Hawaii. He held this position for under three months and was fired on June 10th after his media disclosures. What did Snowden disclose? Through the disclosure of documents and an arranged meeting in Hong Kong with reporter Glen Greenwald, of The Guardian, and documentary filmmaker Laura Poitras, Snowden revealed the following pieces of information: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A top secret order of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) that called for Verizon Communications to provide metadata (i.e. general data) for all telephone calls in the United States, including both local calls and calls made to other countries. This was released by The Guardian on June 5th. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Information about the NSA’s secret electronic surveillance program, PRISM, which is said to allow the NSA to access Internet traffic, including e-mail and web searches, in real-time. Both The Guardian and The Washington Post published this information on June 6th. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The existence of the Boundless Informant system, which, according to The Guardian, â€Å"details and even maps by country the voluminous amount of information [the NSA] collects from computer and telephone networks.† The Guardian reported on Boundless Informant on June 9th. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Since 2009, the NSA has been hacking into computers in both China and Hong Kong. South China Morning Post published on this the morning of June 12th. The NSAs Prism program collects domestic internet data. 5.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A British Intelligence Agency named the Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) had intercepted communications from foreign politicians at the 2009 G-20 London Summit, an important discussion of financial markets and the world economy that took place in London in April of that year. This was circulated by The Guardian on June 17th. Why are the disclosed intelligence gathering practices an issue? There are several issues with the intelligence gathering practices employed by the NSA. First, the NSA is in charge of foreign intelligence. By law, it is not allowed to gather domestic information; domestic information gathering is the realm of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Moreover, the NSA has widely violated the Fourth Amendment by collecting information about individuals that is unlawful to access without a warrant. Finally, many have criticized the lack of transparency surrounding this issue. In an interview with The Guardian, Snowden expressed his belief that the NSA’s actions present a threat to the United States’ democracy: I think that the public is owed an explanation of the motivations behind the people who make these disclosures that are outside of the democratic model. When you are subverting the power of government, that’s a fundamentally dangerous thing to democracy.† (Snowden) He went on to express his interest in the country’s constitutional well-being, explaining to Greenwald that he is â€Å"no different from anybody else† in that he has no malintent for the country. â€Å"The public needs to decide whether these programs and policies are right or wrong, and I’m willing to go on the record to defend the authenticity of them,† Snowden added. â€Å"This is the truth. This is what’s happening. You should decide whether we need to be doing this.† What action can I take? If you want Snowden prosecuted, sit tight. The government is working on that as we speak. Though the NSA’s actions are considered unconstitutional by some, Snowden did technically break the law, so he is at risk of being prosecuted – and he is currently seeking asylum with the help of Julian Assange’s lawyers (Assange is the founder of WikiLeaks). If you would like to support Snowden you can†¦  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Sign the WhiteHouse.gov petition to pardon Edward Snowden (below): https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/pardon-edward-snowden/Dp03vGYD  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Donate to the Progressive Change Campaign Committee’s fund for Snowden’s legal defense (below): https://secure.actblue.com/contribute/page/snowden?refcode=dailychange For further reading on Snowden, visit the links below: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Snowden#Career More details about Snowden’s background and actions www.buzzfeed.com/rosiegray/julian-assange-were-helping-to-broker-edwards-snowdens-asylu Assange’s lawyers help Snowden seek asylum theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2013/06/why-should-we-even-care-if-the-government-is-collecting-our-data/276732/    Why Kafka is a better author than Orwell to describe the NSA’s actions http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Security_Agency What is the NSA and what is its job? dailykos.com/story/2013/06/16/1216554/-NEW-BREAKING-NSA-Illegal-Unconstitutional-Collection-of-Innocent-American-s-Complete-Digital-Data  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Opinion piece on the NSA’s actions http://bleedingheartlibertarians.com/2013/03/tomasi-part-iii/ A blog post by Georgetown University professor Jason Brennan on ideal theory, constitutions, and social justice. ***EDIT***: I had previously written that the NSAs actions were unconstitutional. This was incorrect. While the NSA has gathered information about individuals without warrants, this information has, to my knowledge, been in the form of metadata, which according to Huffington Post contributor Bob Cescas post in The Daily Banter is encrypted and only decrypted when a warrant has been obtained. Cesca cites this as the reason for which the NSAs actions have not been found unconstitutional. Furthermore, I would like to note that according to Michael Cohen, of The Guardian, Snowden had access to several different avenues through which he could have voiced complaints about the NSAs actions. I find Cohens points on this matter compelling, and I believe they shed new light on the issue of Snowdens prosecution. I also find his points about counter-terrorism persuasive and important. Finally, I find it important to mention that while many have criticized a lack of transparency surrounding the NSA, the law which allows the NSA to collect intelligence in the way it has (which can be found in a link below) requires semi-annual reports to Congress. Furthermore, this law was passed by congressional bodies, so it does not represent a circumvention of the democratic process, as I had previously stated. Cohens article can be found here: guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jun/21/obama-national-security-state-rogue?INTCMP=SRCH Cescas article can be found here: http://thedailybanter.com/2013/06/greenwald-debunks-himself-nsa-targeting-of-a-u-s-citizen-requires-a-warrant/ Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 Amendments Act of 2008: intelligence.senate.gov/laws/pl110261.pdf Again, I apologize for the inaccuracy. :Cesca, Bob. Greenwald Debunks Himself, NSA Targeting of a US Citizen Requires a Warrant. TheDailyBanter.com. http://thedailybanter.com/2013/06/greenwald-debunks-himself-nsa-targeting-of-a-u-s-citizen-requires-a-warrant/. (accessed June 25, 2013). Cohen, Michael. Is Obama presiding over a national security state gone wrong? TheGuardian.com.  guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/jun/21/obama-national-security-state-rogue?INTCMP=SRCH. (accessed June 25, 2013). Radack, Jesselyn. â€Å"NEW BREAKING NSA: Illegal, Unconstitutional Collection of Innocent Americans’ Complete Digital Data.† DailyKos.com. dailykos.com/story/2013/06/16/1216554/-NEW-BREAKING-NSA-Illegal-Unconstitutional-Collection-of-Innocent-American-s-Complete-Digital-Data. (accessed June 18, 2013). Snowden, Edward. Interview with Laura Poitras and Glenn Greenwald. The Guardian. 9 June 2013. guardian.co.uk/world/video/2013/jun/09/nsa-whistleblower-edward-snowden-interview-video. Wikipedia, s.v. â€Å"National Security Agency,† accessed June 18, 2013. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Security_Agency. Wikipedia, s.v. â€Å"Edward Snowden,† accessed June 18, 2013. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Snowden#Career.

Arguments Against Horse Racing

Arguments Against Horse Racing Death and injuries are not uncommon occurrences in horse racing, and some animal welfare advocates argue that the sport can be humane if certain changes are made. To animal rights activists, the issue is not the cruelty and danger; its about whether we have a right to use horses for entertainment. The Horse Racing Industry Horse racing is not just a sport, but also an industry and unlike most other sports arenas, horse racetracks, with few exceptions, are directly supported by legal gambling. The form of gambling at horse racetracks is called parimutuel betting, which is explained as: The entire money bet on the event goes into a large pool. The holders of winning tickets divide the total amount of money bet on the race (the pool), after deductions for tax and racetrack expenses. The money take out is similar to the rake taken out by the pot in a poker game played in the card room. However unlike the small rake in poker, in the parimutuel pool this â€Å"rake† can amount to 15 – 25 percent of the total prize pool. In various U.S. states, bills have been considered and sometimes passed either allowing racetracks to have other forms of gambling or protecting racetracks from competition from casinos. As gambling has become more accessible in recent years through new casinos and online gambling websites, racetracks are losing customers. According to a 2010 article in the Star-Ledger in New Jersey: This year, the Meadowlands Racetrack and Monmouth Park will lose upwards of $20 million as fans and bettors have migrated to tracks in New York and Pennsylvania with slot machines and other casino games. Pressure from Atlantic City casinos have prevented the racino model from taking hold here, and the tracks have suffered. Daily attendance at the Meadowlands routinely hit 16,500 in its first year. Last year, the average daily crowd was below 3,000. To counter these losses, racetracks have been lobbying to be allowed to have slot machines or even full-blown casinos. In some cases, the slot machines are owned and operated by the government, with a cut going to the racetrack. One might wonder why a government body would be concerned about supporting racetracks instead of allowing them to perish like other outdated industries. Each racetrack is a multi-million dollar economy, supporting hundreds of jobs including everyone from breeders, jockeys, veterinarians, farmers who grow hay and feed, and blacksmiths who do the horseshoeing. The financial forces behind racetracks are the reason they continue to exist, despite concerns about animal cruelty, gambling addictions, and gambling morality. Animal Rights and Horse Racing The animal rights position is that animals have a right to be free of human use and exploitation, regardless of how well the animals are treated. Breeding, selling, buying and training horses or any animal violates that right. Cruelty, slaughter and accidental deaths and injuries are additional reasons to oppose horse racing. As an animal rights organization, PETA recognizes that certain precautions can reduce deaths and injuries, but categorically opposes horse racing. Animal Welfare and Horse Racing The animal welfare position is that there is nothing wrong with horse racing per se, but more should be done to protect the horses. The Humane Society of the United States does not oppose all horse racing but opposes certain cruel or dangerous practices. Cruel and Dangerous Horse Racing Practices According to PETA, One study on injuries at racetracks concluded that one horse in every 22 races suffered an injury that prevented him or her from finishing a race, while another estimated that 3 thoroughbreds die every day in North America because of catastrophic injuries during races. Pushing a horse to his physical limits and forcing him to run around a racetrack is enough to cause accidents and injuries, but other practices make the sport particularly cruel and dangerous. Horses are sometimes raced when they are under three years old and their bones are not strong enough, leading to fractures that can lead to euthanasia. Horses are also drugged to help them compete with injuries, or given prohibited performance-enhancing drugs. Jockeys often whip the horses as they approach the finish line for an extra burst of speed. Racetracks made of hard, packed dirt are more dangerous than those with grass. Perhaps the worst abuse is one that is hidden from the public: horse slaughter. As a 2004 article in the Orlando Sentinel explains: To some, horses are a pet; to others, a living piece of farm equipment. To the horse-racing industry, though, the thoroughbred is a lottery ticket. The racing industry breeds thousands of losing tickets while looking for its next champion. Just as farmers cannot afford to care for spent egg-laying hens when they get old, racehorse owners are not in the business of feeding and keeping losing horses. Even winning horses are not spared from the slaughterhouse: Decorated racers like Ferdinand, a Kentucky Derby winner, and Exceller, who won more than $1 million in purse money, were retired to stud. But after they failed to produce champion offspring, they were slaughtered. While there are rescue groups and sanctuaries for retired racehorses, there are not enough. Horse breeders argue that horse slaughter is a necessary evil, but it wouldnt be necessary if the breeders stopped breeding. From an animal rights perspective, money, jobs, and tradition are powerful forces keeping the horse racing industry alive, but they cannot justify the exploitation and suffering of the horses. And while animal advocates make the ethical arguments against horse racing, this dying sport may pass away on its own.

How would you suggest this should be done Are any of these subsystems Assignment

How would you suggest this should be done Are any of these subsystems more or less important than any others - Assignment Example For example, it will be impossible to attain the mission of an organization without having a clear vision and/ or objective. Examples of subsystems within organizations include goals and values subsystem, human resources subsystems, information and intelligence subsystem, technical subsystem, managerial subsystem and structural subsystem. According to Baskerville and Spagnoletti (2013), the continual interaction between various subsystems creates a pattern that specify what the main system looks like and therefore, it is impossible to gauge the main organizational system by over passing a particular subsystem since the main system relies on interdependent sub-systems. Therefore, when trying to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of an organization it is a must for all the subsystems to be considered since an organizational is a functional unit that can only operate smoothly with the co-operation and co-ordination of various subsystems which are interdependent to each other. This is to mean that no sub-system is more or less important than the other since an organization cannot operate without a single subsystem missing and hence the evaluation should consider the strengths and weakness of each subsystem in the

A study on John Calvin Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

A study on John Calvin - Research Paper Example His father's intention was to bring his sons to the priesthood. John turned out to be smarter and more quick-minded than his brothers, and by the age of twelve he already served as bishop's clerk. Furthermore, Gerard Cauvin managed to engraft John into the home of one of the best Noyon families, the Montmors where he "received a more thorough classical grounding, and acquired a polish of manners to which he must ever have remained a stranger had he grown up under his father's humble roof"3. The Montmors helped John get enrolled at the Collge de la Marche in Paris, a school where he took his first formal studies4. Upon finishing the school in 1525, Calvin entered philosophy faculty of the Collge de Montaigu, the second of Paris' two universities in those days (Sorbonne was the first one)5. At the university, John focused on the study of philosophy and logic for BA and MA degrees. The discipline practiced by Calvin's tutors was literally iron while the schedule was exceptionally tough. Thus, a typical day began at four o'clock in the morning, and the first lecture lasted until six. However, Calvin was so intent on studying his majors that missed mealtime and even "long after others were locked in sleep, he was still awake; he would be pouring over the pages of schoolman or Father until far into the morning"6. Despite impressive progress made by John in his philosophic endeavou... Despite his personal reluctance, Calvin obeyed his father and spent three years studying law from brightest lawyers of those days, Pierre de L'Estoile. In 1529, John entered the University of Bourges to continue his legal education. It was there that Calvin became interested in the ideas of Andreas Alciati, an outstanding humanist lawyer. During his one and a half years in the University Calving learned Greek which was necessary for reading and studying the New Testament8. During the period 1529 and 1533, Calving focused upon studying Greek, Hebrew and theology. It was here too that his prowess as an evangelist and teacher of theology was first recognized. God-fearing, harassed Protestants in the city clamored for his refreshing exposition of Scripture. Almost daily, men and women were "added to the church" as a result of the visits of Calvin to humble homes in the city. Before him stretched, he was convinced, a vast and profitable field for labor9. By 1532, Calvin received his diploma in law and published his first work, which was a commentary on Seneca's De Clementia. The year of 1533 saw gradually increasing tensions at the Collge Royal between the humanist/reformist and conservative wings of faculty members. Rector of the University, Nicolas Cop, represented the humanist wing and on 1 November 1533 he delivered his inaugural address emphasizing the need for reformation and renovation of the Catholic Church. Entitled "Christian Philosophy", the address included a scholarly statement of the doctrines of grace and immediately produced huge effect in the city. After Cop's speech, Catholic priests left the university hall muttering "Grace, pardon of God, Holy Spirit; that's all this speech is filled with. Nothing about

Arthropods PowerPoint Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Arthropods - PowerPoint Presentation Example Among the arthropods, insects portray the highest degree of species diversity (Lecointre & Guyanden 67). In this discussion, we will focus on the reasons why insects are the most diverse. This paper will also focus on the limitations of these diverse species. Elipura is made up of collembola and Protura. The diplura is closely related to the insecta class. However, research indicates that crustaceans closely resemble insects than the entognatha class. Further research indicates that the collembolla have a different origin from the insects. The first evidence of Hexapods dates back to the Devonian period (Approximately 390 years ago). During this time, the insects are said to have been wingless. However, the preservation of the fossils was poor due to their exoskeleton, which is made of chitin. The evolution of the wings was an adaptation to allow them to survive the harsh conditions of the terrain. Insect fossils believed to have been from the Devonian period have been described. The oldest is a precursor of Rhyniella Praecusor found in Scotland. Primitive rooted plants of the time were localised in moist areas, and hence created soil for early arthropods such as myriapods (Grimaldi & Engel 66). Today, majority of the insects are terrestrial with a few in the marine habitat. The figures described in the previous slide are only representative of the species that have been documented. Forecasting shows that there could be many more species of insects living in non accessible areas that have not been scientifically described. To be recognized, insect species have to be described scientifically. This involves publishing of their description in the specialist journals. This is followed by thorough research. The purpose of this is to describe the insect, as well as classify it depending on it features. New species are recognised after formal descriptions. In Borneo, for the decade 1994-2004, 361 new species were found. 260

Work based project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Work based project - Essay Example The teacher who keeps an open mind also gains a lot of learning observing how his students derive answers from their discovery process, sometimes, differently from how he did it. This dynamic is likewise possible for two teachers sharing a mentoring relationship.. A collaborative learning effort usually transpires in a mentoring relationship. A mentor and sound off some ideas and a mentee can take them up and dig deeper to unveil a phenomenon. The mentor, likewise does his research to be able to support the efforts of the student. A healthy teaching-learning environment prevails in such a productive collaboration. This report will chronicle a mentoring relationship between a veteran teacher and an on-the job novice teacher who is taking up further studies in education to equip her with more professional skills in her chosen career. It will follow the progress of the novice teacher’s growth within a span of a semester. Her mentor will ably guide her in the requirements of her studies in graduate school as well as in her teaching practice with toddlers. I have had the opportunity of interviewing both mentor, Anna and mentee, Ruth. Their mentoring relationship has been ongoing for several months now, as Ruth is Anna’s teacher assistant in her toddlers’ class. Ruth also has the privilege of having Anna help her out in her graduate school requirements as she provides the connections between theory and practice, and points out specific examples from their own class. Anna is a veteran educator, with her experience spanning over two decades. She has worked with preschool children and their families from the time she graduated from college. She has established her own preschool that has been running for eighteen years now. Due to heavy enrolment, she has also taken some classes to handle herself. On top of

Rhetorical Analysis of Mirror, Mirror On the Web by Lakshmi Chaudhry Essay

Rhetorical Analysis of Mirror, Mirror On the Web by Lakshmi Chaudhry - Essay Example The writer is successful in using the tools of effective communication to advise internet users concerning the intention of using the internet and its effective utilization to avoid deception from selfish users. Rhetoric in Lakshmi Chaudhry’s Mirror, Mirror On the Web is evidenced by the way he attempts to inform, persuade and motivate his readers. Chaundry’s rhetorical devices are critical in his essay as they provide heuristics that enable him to discover, understand and develop excellent arguments concerning the use of the web. The three persuasive audience appeals prevalent in the essay include logos, pathos, and ethos. Logos constitute persuading the audience by use of reasoning that backs up the claims. Pathos provides means of persuading the audience by appealing to their emotions as a way of enhancing the receptivity of the argument. Ethos is critical in writing since they trace the immoral actions and appraise the moral acts to promote ethics in society (Longaker and Walker 23). Lakshmi Chaudhry’s article portrays clear evidence of the three persuasive evidence appeals. The writer argues that with the corollary of individualism has become narcissism, an inflated evaluation of self-worth devoid of any real sense of "self" or "worth." (Chaudhry 2) The current generation is characterized by widespread selfhood in favour of success. People lose the morality of being concerned about others and adopt character traits of callousness where personal happiness becomes the sole goal of hard work. This is actually what drives the generation ‘Me’ to fame since they want to be the centre of attention. People have embraced the internet as a panacea for various political ill motives (Chaudhry 3).

Harm reduction, not abstinence, should be the goal of drug treatment Essay

Harm reduction, not abstinence, should be the goal of drug treatment in the criminal justice system. Discuss - Essay Example cause they can permanently affect the functioning of the brain, impairing judgment and leading the users into doing things that are not intended for the users. Finally, it leads to addiction whereby the person so addicted cannot function without drugs, and they may find themselves engaging in criminal activities o as to access the drugs when they do not have the money to purchase the drugs. Drug addiction and use also lead to conflicts with relations and strained relations between family and friends because the person using the drugs may act in ways not acceptable to the family and friends. Most of the psychoactive drugs are in many jurisdictions, and continued use may end up exposing the person to jail terms and fines. There are many offenses that are to drug use and possession, and it is of interest for any jurisdiction to control the possession, use and consequences of the drug use. Criminal justice system is the systems that have been put in place by a government to control limit and eliminate criminal activities in a jurisdiction, and it is usually an arm of the state. The criminal justice system is enforced using public resources, and, therefore, the most economical and equally effective policies should be adopted for the common good of the nationals of the jurisdiction (Berridge, 245). In order to properly understand this essay, it is important to highlight the delinquent repercussions of drug use and how the same can affect the individual. Drug use and possession are illegal in many jurisdictions, and thus if a person is found to have used the drug, they will be forced to face criminal consequences. Drug possession is meant to curb those who possess the drug for onward transmission to the users or those who are holding the same before they use. Therefore, the state does not have to prove that one actually used the drug for one to be prosecuted. There are also those offenses that are by the persons in the process of obtaining drugs, depending on the

Rhetorical Analysis of Mirror, Mirror On the Web by Lakshmi Chaudhry Essay

Rhetorical Analysis of Mirror, Mirror On the Web by Lakshmi Chaudhry - Essay Example The writer is successful in using the tools of effective communication to advise internet users concerning the intention of using the internet and its effective utilization to avoid deception from selfish users. Rhetoric in Lakshmi Chaudhry’s Mirror, Mirror On the Web is evidenced by the way he attempts to inform, persuade and motivate his readers. Chaundry’s rhetorical devices are critical in his essay as they provide heuristics that enable him to discover, understand and develop excellent arguments concerning the use of the web. The three persuasive audience appeals prevalent in the essay include logos, pathos, and ethos. Logos constitute persuading the audience by use of reasoning that backs up the claims. Pathos provides means of persuading the audience by appealing to their emotions as a way of enhancing the receptivity of the argument. Ethos is critical in writing since they trace the immoral actions and appraise the moral acts to promote ethics in society (Longaker and Walker 23). Lakshmi Chaudhry’s article portrays clear evidence of the three persuasive evidence appeals. The writer argues that with the corollary of individualism has become narcissism, an inflated evaluation of self-worth devoid of any real sense of "self" or "worth." (Chaudhry 2) The current generation is characterized by widespread selfhood in favour of success. People lose the morality of being concerned about others and adopt character traits of callousness where personal happiness becomes the sole goal of hard work. This is actually what drives the generation ‘Me’ to fame since they want to be the centre of attention. People have embraced the internet as a panacea for various political ill motives (Chaudhry 3).

Summery Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Summery - Essay Example meet the demand and supply, the company seems to be running on well – oiled wheels and ceasing to use these contractors would naturally throw the company into jeopardy since they are dependent on them. The changes I would make with regard to managing contractors would be to monitor them more closely. I would still maintain a very pragmatic approach, but at the same time I would introduce a couple of simple rules regarding their dealing with Unions and attitude towards Child Labor. I would initiate the use of a specialist in the field of quality maintenance and this would not only involve the checking of goods but also the maintenance of a conduct register for the staff working for the contractors. I would also open a grievance cell in each of these companies to address the grievances of the workers. With regard to our own plants, I would try to upgrade them to the latest technology to ensure better output. I very strongly feel that a good HRM team could work wonders for the company. I view this as a very important factor because an excellent HRM team could work towards making the company self reliant instead of being dependent on other companies at least for a major part of their demand and supply of goods. A good HRM team could also put an end to some of the breaches of trust faced by many of the companies by supplying them with Strategical ideas that are not only innovative but also effective. I feel honored at being appointed as the Operations Director for this multi-national company and I want to assure you of my unstinted hard-work, commitment, efficiency and my complete support when dealing with the different facets of this esteemed company. I must say that I feel rather confident in accepting this high- level post because of my good educational background and intensive and extensive training that I had gone through. I do have an extensive background of working in this industry as I have prior experience working in Operational Management roles for

Education policy Essay Example for Free

Education policy Essay Security, quality education, access to healthcare, prospects of a reasonable job on merit and sound economy are the ingredients to be provided by the state to its citizens to run the state and the society smoothly. Growth of successful nations is denoted particularly to the education. There was a time when people believed that higher education should be available to people of all social classes and, obviously, it was freely available to all who wanted it. The fact that it is not, that public education was once available and now it is very hard to access is indicative of deep problems in Pakistan. Encouraging colleges and universities to raise their own resources by charging higher fees has clearly excluded a significant section of students belonging to poor sections of the society. Education in Pakistan is now so expensive that poor can’t even imagine of their children becoming doctors and engineers. Our education system is passing through a very bad phase now and it is regarded as perhaps amongst the poorest in the world. Cream of the Pakistani brain is either becoming idle due to non-availability of ever rising cost of education or going to other countries. UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS Article 1 provides; every child has the right to have equal access to an education, irrespective of their color, creed, nationality, ethnicity, or social and financial status, so they may obtain gainful employment and contribute to the growth of their society, being born free and equal in dignity and rights. Life for a common man in Pakistan in this so called â€Å"democratic† regime has already become difficult owing to the all-round price rise across the country. Inflation, combined with policies of privatization, has caused a complete deterioration in living standards of the people. Frankly speaking, there is no such thing as democracy in Pakistan. This type of â€Å"democracy† has often left the common man in constant struggle for survival. Majority of Pakistanis are living in poverty and unsustainable economic conditions; when they are struggling for their livelihood education loses its utility in their eyes and it becomes far from their desire. But for the riches and powerful corrupt politicians, things are very rosy. Pakistan is suffering terribly for that, with socio-political and economic crises strewn all over the society like a straw hut in a typhoon. Lack of good education and unemployment in Pakistan would contribute many social ills, including crime, prostitution, and the break down in law and order. In Pakistan, providing education to the masses had always been state responsibility. Now there has been a major push for the private provision of educational services. Moreover, corrupt politicians, feudalism, injustice are such problems which have further pressed the most pressed people of the country. Education is a tremendous tool for social change as well as an opportunity out of poverty traps. People trapped in the lower classes have trouble climbing out of it because they lack the tools to do so, because they live in a feudal society that actively works to keep them there, and education can be a form of escape hatch. But Education System in Pakistan In Human development Report Pakistan is placed at 136th position for having just 49. 9% educated population. In addition to that, Pakistan is ranked at 113th out of 120 registered UN members according to the research conducted by UNESCO et. all. Some of the very basic flaws of the education system in Pakistan contribute to the economic, ethnic and sociopolitical crisis within the country. Flaws of Education System in Pakistan Firstly, the education system of Pakistan is based on unequal lines. Medium of education is different in both, public and private sector. This create a sort of disparity among people, dividing them into two segments. Such a distraught infrastructure is a basic cause of high illiteracy rate in Pakistan and high drop out rates in rural areas and public school. Secondly, regional disparity is also a major cause. The schools in Balochistan (the largest province of Pakistan by Area) are not that much groomed as that of Punjab (the largest province Of Pakistan by Population). In FATA, the literacy rate is deplorable constituting 29. 5% in males and 3% in females. The third major cause of flawed education system in Pakistan is gender discrimination. The current primary school ratio of boys and girls is 10:4, which is a cause of huge concern. For the last few years there has been an increase in the growth of private schools. It is believed that Pakistan is among the most prominent states affected by gender discrimination. That not only harms the quality of education in Pakistan but create a gap among haves and have nots. Fourthly, the lack of technical education is a biggest flaw in the education policy that has never been focused before. Therefore, less technical people means low standard of education. Fifthly, the allocation of funds for education are very low. It is only 1. 5 to 2. 0 percent of the total GDP. It should be around 7% of the total GDP. At that budget allocation, the illiteracy rate in Pakistan would not decrease but rather increase. The federal and provincial governments need to cut down their expenditures in other areas and spend a bigger proportion of income on education. Moreover, the quality of education in most of the public schools and colleges is well below par; the teachers in government schools are not well trained. People who do not get job in any other sector, they try their luck in educational system. They are not professionally trained teachers so they are unable to train a nation. Quality of teaching needs special attention in rural areas where the teachers lack in all departments. In America, Europe and most of the developed countries, the emphasis of the states is on developing virtual education systems i. e. provision of education through online networks. The idea of online education is gathering momentum and many online institutions have been set up which offer online courses and online degrees. The Higher Education Commission and Education ministry need to focus on developing a strong online education network so that students through out the country can benefit. Universities such as Harvard, Berkley and MIT are offering online courses and degrees. It reflects the importance of online education in todays modern high tech world. Finally, Poverty is also another factor that restrict the parents to send their children to public or private schools. So, they prefer to send their children to Madrassas where education is totally free. The government has to make changes to financial infrastructure to improve the situation. Bank loans for education purposes should not be interest based as it discourages the people of Pakistan to acquire loans. Education loans are offered at low rates through out the world and it enable people to acquire quality education. Social awareness regarding all these issues need to be spread and we, the people of Pakistan have to work hand in hand with the government authorities to improve the current system. Our children should not be deprived of their basic right to acquire knowledge. All these issues contribute to high illiteracy rate, which in turn result in economic crisis in shape of high unemployment rate and below-par quality of labor. Moreover, the country suffers on social, political and technological front! There are hundred other problems which need attention but the core-issues need to be addressed as soon as possible. You can read my article Pakistans Educational System which is an overview of the education infra-structure within the country. In todays world, the benchmark for excellence is education. Moreover, if a country has a distraught academic infrastructure, the chances to survive in current competitive world are petite. The illiteracy rate in Pakistan is alarmingly high which calls for critical attention. The federal and provincial governments need to work together towards elimination of flaws of education system in Pakistan. The first time I thought about education and its significance to this society was when I went on a field trip to a school set up by an NGO in the late 1990s. It is now a rightly famous NGO but back then during my sixth grade field trip it just seemed like a project of a group of cranky Karachi businessmen who had decided to spit against the wind of the government’s non-interest in providing education to its people. These rich grouches had  gotten together in the chaos of 1995 Karachi and seeing the government more interested in massacring hard-boiled militants than provide social services, they decided to simply pool their own money and build their own schools. How benevolent of them. I would love to see these rich men’s tax receipts. The citizens of a country shouldn’t be dependent on the benevolent charity of rich men. Through their own democratic political process, citizens must enforce upon their richest members the income taxes necessary to fund an education system that reaches every child in the state. The fact that Pakistanis have not done so points towards the weakness of their political system in dealing with its population’s educational needs. There is no real shortcut from the state actually enforcing a tax system that extracts the adequate revenue needed to fund the creation of a school near every human settlement in Pakistan. The goal I have described of having a school near every human settlement in Pakistan, is what Pakistan is obligated to do under its current international treaties and the simplest and most straightforward way it can be done. It is certainly not impossible. Pakistan has managed to make sure that no human settlement lacks a mosque. The same needs to be done for schools. Where we went wrong Nationalisation of schools, as was done by the Z. A. Bhutto administration, was a shortcut that cannot be used, and was actually instrumental in ruining government schools. The provincial governments that ran education departments became overstretched then to the point of breaking. The schools that were nationalised saw the prospect of future capital and human investment in them pointless, as the former owners were now dispossessed of their old stake in the schools. Good teachers left, rather than become government employees to be posted in far flung places, and the lack of good teacher training colleges, a necessity unacknowledged up until recently, saw little competent replacement. By nationalising the missionary (Christian), faith-based (Muslim) and private schools, an unwieldy, unplanned expansion of Pakistan’s school system reduced the status of government school teachers to the corrupted, incompetent, ineffective place it finds itself in today. Teachers do not come to classes, and if they do, they are ill-prepared to teach. It becomes difficult to weed out and penalise underperforming teachers because their status as government employees prevents them from being penalised as they would be in the private sector. As much as this rhetoric may sound similar to the United States, Pakistan’s teachers’ unions continue to shelter wildly incompetent teachers, who beyond being simply bad at teaching, many times do not even show up. Anti-participatory environment We are not helped either by large class sizes, low teacher to student ratios, non-production of teachers in a sufficient quantity and quality by the low number of Pakistani teacher-training colleges. Central to this remains the criminally low expenditure on education by Pakistan, and the failure to collect or divert enough revenue to the education sector. Taking the education emergency of Pakistan seriously would mean finding means to increase the amounts spent on education in Pakistan, on a war footing. Students cannot themselves push for an effective learning environment. Despite the fact that some students actually do want to learn, the environment that exists in classrooms, does not brook dissent. This discourages students from bringing up flaws in their educational setting. This anti-participatory environment in classrooms is facilitated by excessively large class sizes, which discourages teachers from having more individualised interactions with students. This anti-participatory trend in classrooms is complemented by an anti-democratic trend in schools, where no voting is done to elect new prefects or monitors, rather the relevant students are appointed by the school administration. Giving students an opportunity to actually vote for their school leaders might inculcate democratic and participatory values in them at an earlier age, and teach them the responsibility of making their own decisions. If and when these students reach Pakistani universities, they can adequately recognise the entrenched authoritarianism accumulated in many of Pakistan’s universities over the last three decades. Student politics This persistent anti-democratic trend within Pakistan’s educational establishments has reinforced the low academic quality of these institutions. There is little legitimate input from the student bodies on how their education is conducted. Since the 1980s student union elections have been either banned or delayed, witnessing unrest in a violent country like Pakistan ripple into campuses as violence, as opposed to measured  debate. The situation turned chaotic in the 1990s when the general mayhem of the city of Karachi coincided with violence on the Karachi University campus. The presence of such violence made the students of that decade disinterested in participatory politics. This suited the authoritarian and bureaucratic administrations of varsities, as well as the sclerotic, unelected leadership of Pakistan’s political parties. They did not mind that the students of Pakistan slid into political apathy. However, the importance of student politics was re-kindled in the 2007 lawyer-led movement against the dictatorship of General Musharraf. The importance of student politics was even acknowledged by the government that won against Musharraf in 2008, when it lifted the ban on student and trade union elections. However, the twist in the tale has been the glaring domestic democratic deficit of this government. The anti-participatory atmosphere on campuses has not lifted as no memorable student elections have been held. Neither have any well-publicised trade union elections been held. And most significantly, no internal party elections have been held in any party that maintains a decisive number of seats in parliament. What the lack of student democracy has to do with Pakistan’s state of education is that there is no feedback from students, who are the objects of education. There is no diminishment in the cruel authoritarian atmosphere of Pakistani government classrooms, where teachers, in negligent enough environments can still use sticks to punish students. I never really thought about education in society as a child. That would have been expected of any 11 year old. But when I visited a third grade NGO school classroom in the late ’90s and saw another 11 year old struggling with phrases I would read just for fun, it hit me how serious the problem of illiteracy was for Pakistani society. In a misbegotten decade as that one, beyond the Gordian knot we had witnessed of Karachi’s bloody politics, the reality of children’s mis-education struck me as a crueler fate, a dire issue that had to be resolved immediately. That’s because these ill-educated children would not remain children much longer. They would soon be badly-educated adults. And if this cruel act of omission by Pakistani society was not amended quick enough, then one more generation would see their adulthoods wasting away under the 21st century curse of illiteracy. Tax the rich, teach the kids. We have an education emergency on our hands. The Education System of Pakistan is divided into five levels 1. Primary level (Class 1 to 5) 2. Middle level (Class 5 to 8th) 3. Secondary level (S. S. C) 4. Intermediate level (H. S. C) 5. University level (Graduation, Masters and Research) Another division of Education System in Pakistan according to the School System 1. 1.  Public Schools or Government Schools These schools are managed and financed by the government. Unfortunately, the majority of the schools are in poor condition.  » There is no any merit system; teachers and other staff are appointed by the ministers on their own wishes.  » There is no any accountability; a large number of GHOST SCHOOLS AND GHOST TEACHERS are listed in the documents. They are receiving funds and pays, but, in reality they did not exists.  » In Rural areas, the buildings of public schools are mostly held by Waderas and Feudal. They use them as marriage halls, otaks, bethaks etc. â€Å"Public schools are the nurseries of all vice and immorality. † (Henry Fielding) 1. 2. Elite Class Schools (private schools) Due to badly failure of government in providing the Education, the Elite Class Education System in Pakistan got successes very quickly. Today, even poor prefer to send their child in these private schools but because of high fee structure many aspirants are unable to part this Education System. It is generally accepted that, the standard of Elite Class Education System is more reliable and first-rate than Public Schools and Madarsas. There is accountability, transparency and checking system. Generally, the students of private schools are more competent than those of public schools and Madarsas. The government should take lessons from this Education System. These are successive models for the government i. e. CITY SCHOOL, BEACON SCHOOLS, PAK-TURK SCHOOLS etc. 1. 3. Madarsas Madarsas are the largest NGOs of the world. Today in Pakistan about 8000 Madarsas are working. They provide not only Education but also accommodation and food. They provide Islamic as well as worldlyEducation. Mostly, poor parents who are unable to educate their child prefer this Education System. The government should introduce the reforms for the Madarsas and improve their standard. This will be helpful in two ways. Firstly, it will provide free of cost education to poor child. Secondly, it will lessen the burden the government. Before the 18th Amendment, the EducationSystem in Pakistan was the responsibility of Federal Government. The Ministry of Education at Federal level was responsible for formulating Policies, Planning and Promotion of Educational facilities across the country. But, after the passing of 18th Amendment, the responsibilities of Education System are divided among the Federation and the Provinces. The responsibilities of the Provinces 1. To set the Curriculum 2. To set the Syllabus 3. Standards of Education up to Grade 12 (F. Sc, H. S. C, I. Com, etc). 4. Islamic Education The responsibilities of Federation are following 1. Planning and Policy 2. External Affairs; Signing, implementation and monitoring of Bilateral and Multi-lateral Educational Agreements, Pacts, Protocols, MoUs 3. Controlling of Libraries, museums, and similar institutions 4. Federal agencies i. e. FATA 5. Special Studies 6. Inter-provincial matters and co-ordination. † 7. Legal, medical and other professions. 8. National planning and national economic coordination including planning and coordination of scientific and technological research. 9. National Education Policy and clear cut Domain over the following acts. 1. 1. Centres of Excellence Act 1974 2. Area Study Centres Act 1975 3. Pakistan Study Centres Act 1976 4. National Book Foundation Act 1972 5. Fed. Board of Intermediate Sec Education Act 1975 6. Federal Directorate of Education Isb. [Article 142 (d)] 7. Federal Supervision of Curricula, Textbooks and Standards of Education Act 1976 8. National Education Foundation Ordinance 2002. Source: http://www. defence. pk/forums/national-political-issues/125588-education-system-pakistan-good-bad. html#ixzz2PKkMjbtM Flaws hovering over Pakistan’s education system Filed under ISSUES 0 According to the reports of Human development our country is placed at 136th with just 49. 9 percent educated population. There is lack of uniform education system. Private and Govt. educational institutions has different syllabus. The flaws in education system lead to sociopolitical, economic and ethical issues in our society. Our education system is based on uneven lines. Even the medium of education is different in private and public educational institutions. This inequality has divided people among two segments. Such a distressed educational infrastructure is a crucial cause of increasing rate of illiteracy in Pakistan. The regional discrepancy is also main reason illiteracy in Pakistan. The schools in largest province of Pakistan Baluchistan are not establish and sparked as schools in Punjab. There is lack of awareness among people about the significance of education. In FATA the literacy rate is very poor constituting 29. 5% in men and 3% in women. The gender discrimination is also one of the major causes of educational flaws in country which is projecting the boys and girls primary schools ratio 10:4 correspondingly. In the last few years many new primacy schools for girls and boys are established but still there is need to establish more and more primary schools to meet the educational needs of increasing population. In the last decade the growth of private sector schools is tremendously increased. The private schools trend not just harms the quality of education but also created a huge gap between rich and poor. The people of lower class couldn’t afford the fees of private educational schools and colleges. In public schools there is lack of quality education. There is also shortage of required facilities like qualified, train staff, furniture and school buildings etc. Our educational policy doesn’t focus on technical education. There are very few technical institutions and less technical trained people in country. The funds allocated for the education are not sufficient the funds are just about 1. 5 % to 2. 0% of total GDP. Although to promote the education the funds must be about 7 percent of total country GDP. With increased education budget the literacy rate in country will surely increased. The provincial and federal Government both need spend a larger portion of their income on promoting education. Author: Rizwan Ghani Posted On: Tuesday, August 02, 2011 Source/Reference: www. pakobserver. net Total Views :1320| After 18th Amendment, improvement of education in Pakistan to international standards can be done with help of international frameworks including Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and boards like National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME). Federal and provincial governments have to address the issue of teaching language (English, Urdu or regional languages), standardization of curriculum, and dealing with two-track education system- Urdu and English medium to take local and international exams. These tested frameworks can bring the progress of decades in Pakistan while saving billions of dollars. Thus, Pakistan needs to adopt appropriate policies to raise education standards, sustain economy and earn foreign exchange. The political, social and education complexities of teaching language can be controlled with help of international frameworks. PISA does not require the member states to change curriculums, teaching languages and teaching methodologies. It allows governments to periodically monitor outcomes of national education systems within internationally agreed framework. It provides a basis for international collaboration in defining and implementing educational goals and skills that are relevant to adult life (professional and social). PISA reading, mathematics and general science frameworks help bring national education at par with international standards. Around half a million 15-year-olds from 75 countries representing 28 million students, participated in PISA 2009 assessments and surveys. Pakistan can use PISA to improving national education standards in all provincial languages (www. pisa. oecd. org). Teaching in local languages can improve Pakistan’s education standards internationally. According to the 2011 Writing Framework for National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) of America, good writing instruction empowers students to acquire new knowledge and to develop critical thinking skills. This is true of writing in all subject areas, not just English language http //www. state. nj. us/education/assessment/naep/results/writing/2011naep. PISA and NAEP framework rubrics allow student evaluations irrespective of language. Learning and teaching in mother tongue is a universal human right recognized by UN. China, was a top scorers in 2009 PISA testing http //www. nytimes. com/2010/12/07/education/07education. html. It shows education in mother tongue does not affect nation’s international competitiveness and national education standards. Since education is a provincial subject, therefore provinces should be free to impart education in local languages, make English and Urdu as optional languages. Provinces can issue degrees with pass/fail with English/Urdu or both to free the country from politics of language. It will allow students to continue higher education without passing compulsory languages, which is a major contributor to school and college dropouts. It will allow the students to join job market who do not wish to continue with further education. The employer can omit or consider language(s) pass/fail status of candidate at the time of employment. On the other hand, the higher education institutions can keep compulsory languages as part of admission criteria. In line with many American universities, a six months period can be given to first year university students to clear compulsory languages. In terms of syllabus, international frameworks and boards can help Pakistan’s policy makers develop required syllabuses, fulfill demands of local market, and meet national education objectives to bring national and international education at par. They allow improving exam testing and incorporating modern technology in reading and writing. In addition, they facilitate linking of national boards to international boards like NBME (www. nbme. org). NBME model allows state medical qualified doctors to take national level exams, upgrade national education and examination standards and link them to rest of the world. It allows tens of thousands of international medical graduates to take United States Medical Licensing Exam without actually studying in American medical colleges. It is equally true for British, Australian and New Zealand medical boards. This model can help cut cost of professional education and fight poverty in Pakistan. Based on these frameworks and models, federal and provincial governments of Pakistan should collaborate to standardize local education and bring it equal to international standards. Islamabad should hold annual summits with China and western countries in line with reports of annual Indo-US higher education summits planning collaboration of universities in both countries. In addition, Pakistan needs to allow private publishers to print books according to the contents of given courses. It will improve concepts of students, standard of books and education. The existing control of federal government on higher education needs to be changed by allowing provinces complete control of universities, scholarships, hiring, training etc. Federal government needs to become a regulatory body instead of controlling authority and facilitates provinces to standardize higher education, provincial education and bring it equal to international levels. Federal education setup should work with ministry of labor and manpower to identify and develop human resource for interprovincial and overseas market, work with foreign missions to issue annual forecast of overseas jobs and train foreign workers and students. Pakistan needs to organize education to cater to local and international needs, attract foreign investors and earn foreign revenue. Reportedly, America and Britain earned $31bn and ? 8 bn in 2010 from foreign students respectively. China is charging $5333 boarding lodging fee annually for a five-year MBBS and one-year internship. It is also offering seven-year specialization degree programs (5 years MBBS and 2 years specialization) in most medical fields. Beijing has gained international recognition through standardized tuition fees, transparency, qualified staff and allowing foreign students and teachers in local universities (http //www.4icu. org/cn/). The Chinese model can help Pakistan cut prices of professional education by 50 percent and train surplus number of local and foreign students to sustain domestic and international needs. In line with China, Pakistan should also take necessary steps to attract flocks of foreign students, interns and investors. Finally, a debate is going on in China on two-track system- one for national college entrance exam (the gaokao) and other for international exams. Imran Khan’s PTI is deliberating about single education system. Pakistan can overcome challenge of teaching language, two-track system (English and Urdu medium) and bringing local education at par with international with help of international frameworks, NBME and more freedom to provinces. | Pakistans Education System and Links to Extremism Author: Jayshree Bajoria October 7, 2009 * Introduction * A Dysfunctional System * Government Reform Plans * The Madrassa Myth? * Reforming Madrassas * U. S. Policy Implications. Pakistans poor education system has increasingly become a matter of international concern. Lack of access to quality education, which in turn limits economic opportunity, makes young Pakistanis targets for extremist groups, some experts say. The World Bank says nearly half the adult population of Pakistan cant read, and net primary enrollment rates remain thelowest in South Asia. Experts say the system suffers from inadequate government investment, corruption, lack of institutional capacity, and a poor curriculum that often incites intolerance. In August 2009, chief counterterrorism adviser to the White House John Brennan, summing up a concern held by many U. S. terrorism experts, said extremist groups in Pakistan have exploited this weakness. It is why they offer free education to impoverished Pakistani children, where they can recruit and indoctrinate the next generation, he said. There have been some efforts by the Pakistani government, Western governments, and the World Bank to reform the system, but serious challenges remain. A Dysfunctional System According to the Pakistani governments National Education Policy 2009 (PDF), three parallel streams in educationpublic schools, private schools, and Islamic religious schools, or madrassashave created unequal opportunities for students. Of the total number of students going to primary school (grades 1 to 5), 73 percent go to public or government schools, 26 percent to private schools, and less than 1 percent to madrassas, according to the Karachi-based policy research institute Social Policy and Development Center. Within the public and the private sector, there are elite schools catering to a small minority of students. The majority of students attend low-quality private and public schools with poor curriculum, limited teaching materials, and inadequate number of properly trained teachers, or in many cases absent teachers. [N]o Pakistani leader has had the courage to implement serious [education] reforms- Pervez Hoodbhoy The government-mandated curriculum is a major concern for Western observers who say it encourages intolerance and a narrow worldview. Except in some elite private schools, which do not follow the government-prescribed curriculum, all public schools and registered private schools have been required to teach Islamiyat, or Islamic studies, for nearly thirty years. In addition to Islamiyat, many scholars have noted that the government curriculum uses Islam for a wide array of controversial ideological objectives, writes C. Christine Fair in the 2008 book The Madrassah Challenge. A 2003 report on the state of curriculum and textbooks by the Islamabad-based independent Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI) said that for over two decades.

Management Of Innovation And Change: Novotel

Management Of Innovation And Change: Novotel 1. Introduction: Novotel is one of the worlds major hotel chains, occupying a leading place in Europe and with locations globally. Started in 1967 by Paul Dubrule and Gerard Pelisson, they expanded their empire by building new hotels and buying other hotel chains. Novotel merger with Jacques Borel hotel and its restaurant groups in 1983 saw the group renamed Accor. Currently, Accor employs over 145,000 people and operates in 132 countries. Within hospitality industry Accor operates more than 2100 hotels with over 2 million rooms and more than 53,000 employees in this sector (Novotel: p3) This report analyses Novotels change management programme in the early 1990s which was outlined in three major parts:- Firstly, case study has the summary of the actions that managers took in terms of strategy and organisation. Secondly, the consideration of the sequence and timing of events, and how this resulted in rapid transformation in an organisation employing more than 30,000 people. Third, the emphasize in dialogue nature of the change processes, giving an inside stories from those who have taken part in the process. This gives a nice picture of what went right and what went wrong and the action to manage implementation of change. I have outlined the analysis in the following parts, ciritical evaluation of models of innovation and change management, the evaluations of key triggers of change and the likely sources of resistance to change, and then I have outlined a challenges which managers face during change management, and lastly, I have developed conclusions and recommendations to move Novotel forward, these recommendations based on my analysis. 2 Innovation and Change (Hotel business): _ [ evaluation of alterative models of innovation and change management ] Although much has been written about managing change in large private and public companies, very little has been written about managing change in an ever-changing hospitality and hotel industry in particular. The ability to effectively manage and embrace change is so of great benefit to todays hotelier. And, to successfully intact and overcome change, Hotels need to have specific attitudes and set of skills to go about change and planning for that inevitable change. In the case study, Novotel has adopted a competitive strategy that includes reducing costs of operations (Novotel: p.25). That is to say, their business strategy is cost leadership and persuading this business strategy requires being open to ideas and that it responds quickly and flexibly to the ideas that re-present opportunities for potential revenue growth (Blumentritt, 2004). Firms can compete on price or differentiation (Porter, 1980; 1985), Novotel can be non-price attributes include its brand, reputation and service. On the other hand, there are different types of innovations, the first type is Incremental innovation, this modestly improves a firms processes or services or it can be used in fine-tuning its business model, i.e. the way it creates value for its customers. Radical innovation significantly improves existing products and services or completely replaces them with new ones. Radical innovation occurs less frequently than incremental innovation partly because most organisations do not have the technical and human resources required for radical innovation, and because radical innovation happens so quickly organisations are not prepared for the risks and uncertainty which comes with this type of innovation. It should be noted that, Innovation is not a competitive strategy in itself, but it is used to enhance any competitive strategy once the strategy has been designed. If the strategy involves increasing the rate at which new products or services are introduced, then innovation can impact the firm in more than one or different ways. 2.1. The change process and methodologies Over the last 20 years the speed and scale of organisational change have accelerated and there has been a significant increase in the number of approached to change management. There are several forms of change in an organisation, some forces and others deliberate. The Strategic Change Initiative (organisational change process) Fig. 1 A Model of the change process, Boddy 2005 The first type if change is, systematic change is slower, less ruthless, more focused and more carefully constructed and timed. There are different approaches to systematic change such as: quality improvement, work reprogramming, benchmarking, and strategic planning. The nature of these approaches can be overly formalised and so stifle initiative in the organisation (Huy,Q. and Mintzberg, H.2003). Another type is, Organic change, this type of change is done internally in the organisation or other words it seems to ascend from the ranks without being formally managed. The problem with the organic approach is groups within organisation may begin to work at cross-purposes and this will result in scramble over resources, yet its outcome can be dramatic. Planned change is an iterative, recurring, process which involves analysis, action and evaluation, and further action and evaluation. It is an approach which maintains that once change has taken place, it must be self-sustaining to maint ain the momentum. This means that, all change agents or stakeholder i.e organisation, managers and recipients jointly diagnose the organisations problem and jointly plan and design the specific changes (Burnes, B. 2003). Another type is emergent change which is a continuous process of experiment and adaptation aimed at matching organisations capabilities to the needs and dictates of an energetic and uncertain environment. This type of change is achieved through a number of small to medium scale incremental changes. Another type is, dramatic change is frequently initiated in times of crisis or of great opportunity when power is concentrated and there is great stakes to be controlled. Mintzberg (2003) argues that unlike the phoenix of mythology, which could rise from its own ashes but once every 500 years, companies cannot continue to rely solely upon the mythical promise of dramatic re-emergence. 3. NOVOTEL: Change Management Programme From Kurt Lewins work (appendix 1) in the 1940s to the present day, organisational change, as a systematic process, has become the core and part of organisational life. Change in organisations does not have to be dramatic or far reaching, Stickland (1998) notes, sometimes change is incremental and hardly noticed: a new piece of equipment or software is introduced or a person leaves and somebody new joins the organisation. Sometimes change is large and dramatic: a complete re-organisation, a merger or a take-over, and no one and nothing in the organisation is unaffected (Stickland 1998:298). The recent economic crisis has provided a sense of urgency that helped organizations everywhere to successfully implement changes that would have been difficult if otherwise. Various cultural and structural factors have a direct effect on the very success of the organisation. These are highlighted when an organisation attempts to redefine itself, to change their image in an attempt to maintain or enhance their capabilities (Gratton, 1999). In Novotels case, they were forced because of plummeting annual profits and in response they adopted a competitive strategy that includes reducing their operational costs and also reduce service prices in the hope of increasing their hotels occupancy (Novotel: p.23). Being more innovative in this way also requires being open to ideas from previously untapped sources inside and outside of the company, and designing a firm that responds quickly and flexibly to the ideas that represent opportunities for potential revenue growth (Blumentritt, 2004). 3.1 Key triggers of change Reason which can trigger change can be listed as internal Triggers (i.e. New staff, Conflict, Sales /profit drops, De-motivation, Skills gap, Loss of key staff) and External Triggers (i.e. Economy, Supply, Government policies, Competitors, Funders, Customers, Shareholders, Media, Public and technology ) These triggers for change can be are analyzed using various managerial tools which are available in order to gain an essential understanding of the environment, both external and internal: A PESTEL analysis: this tool has five dimensions which are political, economic, social, technological, environmental, legal. It is used to pick up factors in the local or micro, and national or macro contexts that managers need to take account of. Another tool is, STAKEHOLDER analysis this is a cultural or values audit that provides an understanding of some of the people factors over and beyond a resource audit. A Third tools, SWOT analysis this is a simple approach which measures strengths, weakness, opportunities, and threats. It provides a structure in which to lay out the need and the readiness of the organization for change. As previously mentioned, a change in competitive strategy is likely if the firm faces loss of customers, lack of pricing power or shrinking profit margins like in the case of Novotel (Novotel : p.12). Beckhard and Dyer (1983) point out that another important change trigger is simply strategic choice on the part of existing management team. Some ways this may occur through strategic planning, interaction with customers, competitors, etc., and gut instinct that a new market or product is worth pursuing. This type of trigger is much more generative and proactive than reacting to the environment or working to maintain alignment. Regardless of which of these many triggers initiate the change process, there are several key activities that can facilitate a successful change implementation (see appendix 4). Furthermore, I have put together a way to successful implement change from managers perspective in section 3.3. 3.2 Sources of resistance to change Initially after the change has been effected, there is resistance to change, these resistances can be grouped in different categories such as, Individual (i.e. fear of failure, ignorance, status loss, inertia, role loss) or Team (social loafing, pairing, lack of openness), can be organisational, (board members/top management, culture, structure, huge costs, limited resources, contracts or beliefs) or External factors such as (investors, suppliers, regulators, media, politics or collaborators.) As Kotter and Schlesinger (1979) emphasized, despite the risk of resistant behaviours have been acknowledged by many experienced managers, very few of them tend to take time to systematically analyze situations in terms of determining potential individuals who may resist change with different reasons. Firstly, one of the most obvious reasons for people to resist change initiatives has been the feeling that new circumstances will damage staff self interest. Also, , Employees can face increased levels of anxiety or fear from changes or proposed changes in the work environment. The term self interest entails a political meaning which refers to power relations with in the organization. In other words, new ideas about the way employees work usually impacts relations between different individual groups. Salaman (2000) argues that organisational employees actively strive to avoid and divert control; they seek to maximise their own interests which they may or may not see as coincident with the organisations, and they attempt to resist the domination of others while advancing or defending their own area of control and autonomy (Salaman, 2000, p.123). This means that, staff can resist change to maintain their social status in the organization Resistance can become overt i.e. in industrial a ction, including working to rule and strikes (Coram, R, and Burnes, B. 2001). Secondly, the aim of change efforts has been to create a new pattern of working which employees are expected to adopt themselves. From this point of view it is argued that employees do not resist to the idea of change but to its potential outcomes (Dent Galloway-Goldberg, 1999). As shown in the Novotel case study, the re-structuring made the reorganizing of personnel and management structure, roles were re-definite so is the reward systems and payment (Novotel: p14). Third, almost all prescriptions for a successful change implementation emphasize the necessity to make individuals understand meaning of change. Daft (2000), states that employees may tend to resist change when they are not informed about needs, purposes and outcomes of it. This is also vivid in the Novotel change programmes, a testimony from a receptionist in France, described that they didnt understand what the project was all about (Novotel : p.21) In addition to inadequate knowledge about change, if employees are suspicious about real intentions of change initiators, there is a high possibility of resistance. Fourth, change plans aim to move an organization from their existing position to ideal one and as Stapley (1996) states this transition period is kind of a journey that contains a lot of uncertainties. Curtis and White (2002) define uncertainty as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¢lack of information about future events (Curtis White, 2002, p.17). When people lose their personal control, it becomes difficult to make rational decisions which would produce desirable outcomes. As a result, individual who experiences loss of control is likely to resist change because of apprehension brought by uncertainties about change (Novotel : p. 18) . Kotter and Schlesinger (1979) argue that difference in information that groups work often leads to differences in analyses, which in turn can lead to resistance (p.108). Fig 2. Framework for Managing Change 3.3. Managers Role: Overcoming Challenges In order to overcome change, managers face challenges when implementing strategies. The key element in implementing change or change management process is communication. Having effecting communication approach towards employees. Furthermore, employees attitude, perception of managers actions, employees motivation and continuous improvement of the working environment can be other elements a manager responsible for change should take. Below is the list of common challenges posed for managers tasked with implementing change management and they can mitigate any resistance:- Employees Communications: During the change process, take time to interact with employees as not all employees are outspoken or bound to hold their views to themselves and this could result in underground resistance to change. When this happens it could result in delays and will hinder understanding of staffs unfulfilled needs and expectations. This is on Lewins unfreezing stage (Levasser, 2001). Employees Co-operations and Collaborations: Managers in hotel industry ought to understand that different individuals do not the same views or opinions about change, most people tend to be worried about change. In other words, Managers needs to promote cooperation with staff before and during change process. Employees Motivation: This is critical especially during the change implementation stage, Manager ought to make sure that employees are stay motivated and be ready to listen to staffs opinions, and also take time to explain what is happening, this will help staffs morale. Employees Attitude: according to Levasseur (2001), this is also a focus during implementation stage (Lewins stage), a Manager should try his/her best to understand employees attitude. In addition, Conners (1998) lists stability, immobilisation and denial are factors in human cycle of negative response in hospitality, Manager as a leading person should be bare these 3 factors in mind. 4. Conclusion: In summary, resistance to change blocks the end results change was meant to produce, that means innovation is undermined, and whatever change is generated will be a reaction a reaction to the circumstances and part of the process by which those circumstances persist. On the other hand, responding or choosing to pursue change, promotes innovation and will do so naturally and consistently as a function of what is observe to be possible. Change based on this second view is likely to be an improvement on what already exists. It is also important to know how beneficial the change to be enacted is important to the organization and its staff. With high demand of staff in hospitality industry, it is good for leading managers in change management process to pay attention to the attitudes, motivation, cooperation and be receptive to views raised by staff as this will motivate employees and also it will create a conducive environment for and encourage staff. When staff are encouraged, they will be willing to accept change and sustain hotels competitiveness. To successfully meet and overcome change, Novotels Presidents need to have specific attitudes and skills for envisioning; anticipating and once they know the impending change, and planning for that inevitable change. And having known the impending change they need to know how to effectively communicate that change to co-workers, clients and external collaborators and future prospects to stay in charge of the competition. While change may not come easily, hotel operators can be sure that it will indeed come. 5. Recommendations Plan for Change: Because there are multiple countries which change is happening, Huy and Mintzberg (2003) highlights that, the realization that effective organizational change often emerges inadvertently or develops in a more orderly fashion. For the organisational change to succeed, all types of change should be considered (Huy, Q. and Mintzberg, H.2003:79). This means, there at Novotel needs to organise and formulate change management strategy that can look into inducing change from one country to another rather than focusing on their hotels but they should consider different customs in different countries. Eliminating this concern can reduce stresses caused by what is regarded as an unwanted interaction. Change Resistance Management: Change resistance is effectively reduced by decreasing resisting forces rather than increasing driving force. This driving force is the fear of punishment and forcing people to accept change can result in increased resistance. Success will only come by removing the resisting force. For further recommendation on strategies to decrease resistance. (see appendix 5) Keep Staff Updated: though out the change process, make sure to update staff and make it clear to them on what they should expect, also make sure the pass information is on as early as possible even if it is bad news. These updates and information reduces anxiety which is caused by uncertainty. According to Mullins (2005) he makes an emphasis that knowledge removes fear from an individual and gives them confidence to join the course of change. Communicate after change: this refers to the Lewins refreezing stage in Levasseur (2001) book. Manager as a leading person should continue to communicate with staff, about the change which is being implemented,. Through communication, Manager can discover to what extent change has had an impact to staff and take necessary steps to support them.