Promote communication Essay

In this assignment I will be identifying systems that promote communication and assessing my knowledge, understanding and skills required to develop communication systems for meeting individual outcomes. Your ability to communicate is about delivering your message clearly and understandably to others in order to achieve good communication skills. Communication is very important as day to day we are always communicating or using communication techniques to communicate with others. Our body position and what we do with our body is also a way of communicating for example if someone asks you a question and the reply is yes or no we can answer this by shaking our heads which is communicating back to them with the answer but without speaking. In society today we have so many more ways of communicating than we did 50 years ago such as mobile phone, internet access, writing letters etc these are all ways we can communicate and what we do in our day to day lives. I personally work in a small residential home where communication is a key factor in my day to day job role, we are all expected to follow and provide the best communication we can. My job role is very much involved with the clients in which I am always communicating in different ways to meet their individual needs. Some of my clients have different impairment needs for example some have visual impairments and some have hearing impairments which makes it harder for them to communicate with others and can leave the clients feeling very frustrated and lonely if they feel that they cannot communicate with people, eventually it may make them want to give up trying and then they become feeling all alone and not having their needs met. This is why my job is very important by having good communication skills I can meet all their needs and communicate with them and they are able to communicate back to me. Day by day I’m still learning new techniques and skills in order to communicate and make the clients feel better in themselves as I can communicate with them in a way they can understand and not find it difficult for them, for example I have one client which has an hearing impairment and finds it very difficult to communicate with others although client A has an hearing aid client A still has trouble to communicate, in order for me to communicate with client A I often use icture cards which I can hold up and show to client A for example I hold up a picture of a drink or food then by doing this I know if client A wants any and then they can respond to me either by speaking to me or shaking their head. This makes client A feel wanted and not that they are being left out and not being spoken to I also hold cards up of a toilet, the words hot and cold and much more, client A likes the idea of pictures cards and never knew we could do this until they came to stay with us, so where they thought they would move into a care setting and nobody would communicate with them, client A was very relieved that pictures card where invented. I felt good in myself when I was providing this communication as I knew I was doing something which was making a client feel better in themselves and made it very rewarding for me. I also use techniques like signs, symbols and objects in order to communicate with the clients with hearing impairments. However in my work place I have a few clients with slight hearing impairments where they can hear me if I higher the tone of my voice slightly and they also lip read which can also be classed as a way of communicating. I find using these communication techniques helps not only the clients but also me as when I’m promoting communicating with them I feel rewarded and good about myself knowing that my clients are happy and getting what they wish. Writing information or certain things down is one way I have also found is an effective way of communicating especially times like meal times when I can write down the options available and then the client can respond to me with their answer once they have read what I have written down. I think anyone with communication barriers will find it difficult to communicate but there is always a way to outcome the situation and work around it for example client B’s first language was not English which made it hard for client B to communicate with others around the home even though he could speak slight English the other clients found it hard, we overcome this situation as we got a translator in for a little while each week which made client B’s English more sufficient in order for everyone to be able to communicate with client B a little better, now I hear client B having full conversations with others which makes us feel better as a home knowing we promoted this communication. Clients with visual impairments must find it really difficult to try and communicate with others as not only can they not see the person, they do not know where the person is positioned and sometimes who they are (if they have never met the person before). This is why it is very important to always be at the same level as the person you are trying to communicate with for example if a client is sitting down then the carer is expected to kneel down to the clients eye level and communicate with them face to face and not stand above them and have to shout in order for them to understand you. In a care setting communication should always be at the top of the priority list as if the clients are not being communicated with then their day to day basic needs are not being met.

Historical Foundation of Inclusive Education Essay

Based on the book of Teresita G. Inciong, Yolanda S. Quijano, Yolanda T. Capulong, Julieta A. Gregorio, and Adelaida C. Jines entitled Introduction To Special Education, it was during the year of 1902 and under the American regime that the Filipino children with disabilities were given the chance to be educated. Mr. Fred Atkinson, General Superintendent of Education, proposed to the Secretary of Public Instruction that the children whom he found deaf and blind should be enrolled in school like any other ordinary children. However, the country’s special education program formally started on 1907. Mr. David Barrows, Director of Public Education, and Miss Delight Rice, an American educator, worked hard for this program to be possible. Mr. Barrows worked for the establishment of the Insular School for the Deaf and Blind in Manila and Miss Rice was the administrator and at the same time the teacher of that school. Today, the school for the Deaf is located at Harrison Street, Pasay City and the Philippine National School for the Blind is adjacent to it on Polo Road. During the year 1926, the Philippine Association for the Deaf (PAD) was composed of hearing impaired members and special education specialists. The following year (1927), the Welfareville Children’s Village in Mandaluyong, Rizal was established. In 1936, Mrs. Maria Villa Francisco was appointed as the first Filipino principal of the School for the Deaf and the Blind (SDB). In 1945, the National Orthopedic Hospital opened its School for Crippled Children (NOHSCC) for young patients who had to be hospitalized for long periods of time. In 1949, the Quezon City Science High School for gifted students was inaugurated and the Philippine Foundation for the Rehabilitation of the Disabled was organized. In 1950, PAD opened a school for children with hearing impairment. In 1953, the Elsie Gaches Village (EGV) was established in Alabang Muntinlupa, Rizal to take care of abandoned and orphaned children and youth eith physical and mental handicaps. In 1954, the first week of August was dec lared as Sight Saving Week. In 1955, members of Lodge No.761 of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks organized the Elks Cerebral Palsy Project Incorporated and the First Parent Teacher Work Conference in Special Education was held at the SDB. In 1956, the First Summer Institute on Teaching the Deaf was held at the School for the Deaf  and the Blind in Pasay City. In 1957, the Bureau of Public Schools (BPS) of the Department of Education and Culture (DEC) created the Special Education Section of the Special Subjects and Services Division. The components of the special program included legislation, teacher training, census of exceptional children with disabilities in regular classes, rehabilitation of residential and special schools and materials production. Baguio Vacation Normal School ran courses on teaching children with handicaps and the Baguio City Special Education was also organized in the same year. In 1958, the regional office of the American Foundation for Overseas Blind (AFOB) was opened at Manila. This foundation helped the DEC by providing consultancy services in the teacher training program that focused on the integration of blind children in regular classes and materials production at the Philippine Printing House for the Blind. In 1960, some colleges and universities started to offer special education courses in their graduate school curriculum. In 1962, the Manila Youth and Rehabilitation Center (MYRC) was opened. This center extended services to children and youth who were emotionally disturbed and socially maladjusted. In the same year, DEC issued Circular No.11 s 1962 that specified the â€Å"Qualifications of Special Education Teachers†. In 1963, the training of DEC teacher scholars for blind children started at Philippine Normal College. In 1964, the Quezon City Schools Division followed suit with the establishment of the Quezon City Science High School for gifted students. In the year 1965, the training program for school administrators on the organizations, administration and supervision of special education classes was started. In 1967, BPS organized the National Committee on Special Education. In 1968, the teacher training program for teachers of exceptional children was held at the Philippine Normal College for the next ten years and in the same year the First Asian Conference on Work for the blind was held in Manila. In 1969, classes for socially maladjusted children were organized at the Manila Youth Reception Center, the school for the Deaf and the Blind established in 1907 was reorganized into separate residential schools, and the Paaralan ng Pag-ibig at Pag-asa was established in San Pablo City. In 1970, the training of teachers for children with behavior problems started at the University if the Philippines. In 1971, DEC issued a memorandum on Duties of the Special Education Teacher for the blind. In 1973, the Juvenile and Domestic  Relations Court of Manila established the Tahanan Special School for socially maladjusted children and youth. In 1974, the First National Conference on the Rehabilitation of the Disabled was held at the Social Security Building in Quezon City. In 1975, the Special Subjects and Services Division was abolished. In 1976, Proclamation 1605 declared 1977 to 91987 as the Decade of the Filipino Child. In 1977, MEC issued Dept. Order No.10 that designated regional and division supervisors of special education programs. In 1978, the National Commission Concerning Disabled Persons, later renamed National Council for the Welfare of Disabled Persons through Presidential Decree 1509. In 1979, the Bureau of Elementary Education Special Education Unit conducted a two-year nationwide survey of unidentified exceptional children who were in school. In 1980, the School for Crippled Children at the Southern Island Hospital in Cebu was organized. In 1981, the United Nations Assembly proclaimed the observance of the International Year of Disabled Persons. In 1982, the Cebu State College Special High School for the Deaf, the Siaton Special Education Center in the Division of Negros Oriental and the St. John Maria de Vianney Special Education Learning Center in Quezon City were opened. In 1983, Batas Pambansa Bilang 344 enacted the Accessibility Law, â€Å"An Act to Enhance the Mobility of Disabled Persons b y Requiring Cars, Buildings, Institutions, Establishments and Public Utilities to install Facilities and Other Devices.† In 1984, the Labangon Special Education Center Division of Cebu City and the Northern Luzon Association’s Heinz Wolke School for the Blind at the Marcos Highway in Baguio City were inaugurated. in 1990, the Philippine Institute for the Deaf (PID) an oral school for children with hearing impairment was established. In 1991, the First National Congress on Street Children was held at La Salle Greenhills in San Juan Metro Manila. In 1992, the Summer Training for Teachers of the Visually Impaired started at the PNU. In 1993, DECS issued Order No.14 that directed regional offices to organize the Regional Special Education Council (RSEC). In 1995, the First National Congress on Mental Retardation at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, the First National Convention in Deaf Education in Cebu City, and the First National Sports Summit for the Disabled and the Elderly were held. In 1996, the third week of January was declared as Autism Consciousness Week. In 1997, DECS Order No.1 was issued which directed the organization of a Regional Special  Education Unit and the Designation of a Regional Special Education Unit and the Designation of a Regional Supervisor for Special Education. DECS Order No. 26 on the Institutionalization of Special Education Programs in All Schools was promulgated. The First Philippine Wheelathon-a-race for Wheelchair Users was the main event of the 19th National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week. In 1998, DECS Order No. 5 â€Å"Reclassification of Regular Teacher and Principal Items to Special Education Teacher and Special Schools Principal Item† was issued. The La Union Special Education Center was opened in the Division of La Union. In 1999, the following events took place: the Philspada National Sports Competition for the Disabled in Cebu City; issuance of the following DECS Orders No. 104 â€Å"Exemption of the Physically Handicapped from Taking the National Elementary Achievement Test and the National Secondary Aptitude Test†; No.108 â€Å"Strengthening of Special Education Programs for the Gifted in the Public School System†; No.448 â€Å"Search for the 1999 Most Outstanding Special Education Teacher for the Gifted†; and the Memorandum No.457 â€Å"National Photo Contest on Disability.† The following DECS Orders were issued: No.11 â€Å"Recognized Special Education Centers in the Philippines’; No.33 â€Å"Implementation of Administrative Order No.101 directing the DPWH, the DECS and the CHED to provide architectural facilities for disabled persons in all state colleges, universities and other pu blic buildings†; Memorandum No.24 â€Å"Fourth International Noise Awareness Day†; and No.477 â€Å"National Week for the Gifted and the Talented.†

Freedom of Information

CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1. 1BACKGROUND OF STUDY In a nation there are some fundamental elements that demonstrate the true existence of certain rights in such a society and these go a long way in showing that it is truly developed in every sense of the word. The level of a nation’s â€Å"maturity† depends on how well it fulfils these elements, one of which is Freedom of information. A government ought to be accountable to its people. Freedom of information has two sides namely, the freedom to convey information, and the freedom to access information.As such, it consists of press freedom and freedom to access any information by the general public. According to Hughes â€Å"the concept of freedom refers to a certain type of political empowerment. It refers specifically to equal empowerment. In other words, a free society is one with an equal distribution of legal rights and in which each and every person has as much legal rights as possible † (Hughes. , 2007). And the Oxford dictionary goes on to say define information as â€Å"Knowledge communicated concerning some particular fact, subject or event; that of which one is apprised or told; intelligence, news†.Freedom of information simply put, gives you the right to ask any public body for all the information they have on any subject you choose (â€Å"Freedom of information,† 2001). Having listened to so much talk about â€Å"freedom of information† it is indeed pertinent to carefully and deliberately look into the likely objects of the government at different stages or rather eras of press freedom in Nigeria and express likely views on the issue.The study will also outline importance of freedom of information, consequences and eventual support for or disapproval of freedom of information in the society, making comparisons of this in both military and civilian regimes from Nigeria’s independence till date. This will be the rationale of this study. According to artic le 19 of the universal human rights, every person has the right to freedom of opinion and expression, to hold opinions without interference and to convey or access information through any media. This study seeks to investigate the practice of this in Nigeria, at different points in time. . 2OBJECTIVES OF STUDY The major objectives of this research as previously mentioned in the background of study are: 1. To outline the freedom of information at different stages in Nigeria – the past, the present and the future of freedom of information going forward. 2. To look at the metamorphosis of freedom of information in Nigeria from its independence in 1960 till date. 3. To research and discuss the likely developments to be expected in this regard as well as where we are with freedom of information and bills being worked on. 4.To tender likely solutions to the problems and limitations of Freedom of information in Nigeria. 1. 3 PURPOSE OF THE STUDY: The study is focused on exploring th e how freedom to convey, air and publish views or information affected us in the past, and how it has affected our growth as a nation. It also seeks to pin point the state of things with regards to the research topic, as well as prospects for the future. 1. 4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS The research will answer the following questions: †¢What was the state of freedom of information in the country during the early stages of our independence? What was the state of freedom of information in the military era? †¢What was the implication of the level of freedom of information on the nation during that era? †¢What has been the state of freedom of information during the civilian era? †¢How has the state of freedom of information affected the growth of Nigeria as a nation? †¢What is the current state of freedom of information in the country? †¢What are the prospects and solutions to problems with freedom of information? 1. 5SCOPE OF STUDYThe study will examine freedom of information under press freedom and freedom of access to information by the public. It will examine this under such eras as, the military and civilian eras and will weigh the progress made over time, as well as make comparisons of both periods. The study will also outline the steps taken for or against the freedom of information with regards to press freedom and accessibility to information by the different administrations. It will examine the ways in which the government has affected freedom of information and how this has affected or will affect our growth as a nation. . 6RESEARCH METHODOLOGY This research will make use of both primary and secondary sources of information. The primary sources to be used will include the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, statute books, law reports, journals as well as other relevant materials, pertaining to freedom of information. The secondary sources to be used are texts and other online materials written within and outside t he country, dictionaries and other materials that will aid in answering the research questions. . 7LITERATURE REVIEW The literature to be reviewed includes a number of journals, texts, as well as scholarly articles which are relevant to the study. The study seeks to develop on previous works by different authors and scholars. 1. 8CONCLUSION The study should conclusively after considering the pros and cons as well as development and implications of freedom of information fall in tune with the agitation of freedom of information or agree that indeed a limit should be rested on.It will also arrival on conclusions on the stand of the government, the press and the people on press freedom as well as solutions proffered to the problems of freedom of information. Work Cited Sveiby , K. (1994, October). Information in etymology. Retrieved from http://www. sveiby. com/articles/Information. html Freedom of information. (2001, SEPMTEMBER). Retrieved from http://www. direct. gov. uk/en/governmen tcitizensandrights/yourrightsandresponsibilities/dg_4003239 Hughes. , S. (2007, May). What freedom means to me. Retrieved from http://onlinephilosophyclub. com/definition-of-freedom. php

Demand Forecasting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Demand Forecasting - Essay Example Forecasting and modeling prices in the building construction market are vital for associating construction data in resource application, analysis and cost management, as the construction prices variation could influence the decisions made by construction investors, property managers, construction clients, developers and financial institutions. More essentially, the capability of forecasting construction prices sequences and trends can lead to bids that are more exact and can evade overestimations or underestimations in building construction projects. According to Jiang, Xu and Liu (2013), the price fluctuation comes because of the deviations and variances of market factors in the supply and demand of construction works. Variances in prices for building and construction materials are not only affected by the changes of condition in the market but also influenced by other elements, for instance, global special events, and government policies. The authors note special events such as 199 7 Asian economic crunch and the outbreak of the swine flu influenced prices and demand in Singapore and Hong Kong (Jiang, Xu, & Liu, 2013). Turkeys, Forecasting and Supply Chain Risk Management Steve Banker, the author, introduces a narrative about Gob, a hypothetical self-educated turkey. The article explains that the turkey had a strong penchant for statistics, and, therefore, he took note of the rations of the grain the farmer was feeding him, as he grew bigger. He reckons that the meals got bigger as time passed.

Interest Rates Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Interest Rates - Essay Example All the monotheistic religions i.e. Judaism, Christianity and Islam looked interest with contempt; where the Judaism and Christianity compromised with its significance as stimulating force for economic prosperity, Islam still treats it as a ' war against God' and practicing Muslims dislike the lending and receiving of interest . In our early history the Greeks were considered as highly civilized nation. Lending money at interest was forbidden by the Greeks. Aristotle whose powerful indictment greatly influenced the later nations condemned the taking of interest in very strong words. He compared money to a barren hen which laid no eggs. According to Aristotle, the object of the use of money was to facilitate exchange, and the fuller satisfactions of human wants. According to him this was the most natural purpose of money; money could not be used as the source of accumulation i.e. to increase at interest. So accumulating money at interest was the most unnatural of all ways of making mo ney. A piece of money cannot beget another piece, and hence it was unjust. Plato too condemned interest. Similarly Roman Empire prohibited the charging of interest, and they were first nation to enact laws for the protection of debtors. Gradually prohibitions against usury began to be renewed in Europe. In England the ban was renewed in 1545, during the reign of Henry VIII. It was only during this period the word usury began to be replaced 'interest'. (Homer 1996) The Prerequisites to the Rise of Interest Rate: In the underdeveloped economies the demand for capital is great while the supply is very limited as compared with developed economies. Marginal productivity of capital is very high in developing countries and hence the rate of interest is also high. Some political factors also contribute to high rate of interest in poor countries. As a high risk of bankruptcy is involved the higher rates of interest are claimed by the lending agencies.Where there are possibilities that capital would earn greater reward for the investor, he will be willing to pay higher rate of interest keeping in view the higher degree of capital productivity and better power of payment of interest. In such situation the rate of interest will rise. When a loan is required for a longer period the money lender would prefer to advance loans to debtors at higher rate of interest as the money lender/creditor have to part with their cash assets for a long period which involves greater risks than the short term loans. Increase in trade and business activities creates healthy atmosphere and it also creates demand for capital to greater extent and in such circumstances the expectation of higher rate of interest can not be ignored. The rate of interest will rise due to excessive demand of cash resources. When the economy is under inflationary pressure, it is indicative of the fact that the higher rate of interest prevails in the economic activities of a country. In such situation the interest rates will also rise The Nature and Necessity of Interest Rates: Why should interest be paid at all In the Middle Ages Money

Developing a sociological perspective about government systems and Essay

Developing a sociological perspective about government systems and other sociological concepts related to developing countries - Essay Example Developing a sociological perspective about government systems and other sociological concepts related to developing countries The breaking up of tribal units, urbanization and missionary activity have all been features of â€Å"modernization† and it is clear that there are multiple consequences of these different forces. The most obvious difference between developed and less developed countries is that of wealth, but the cultural differences are perhaps even more important. One factor which has come through very strongly in the course is the concept of â€Å"cultural pluralism†. There is a big difference between the nation states of the West, with their extensive government systems and very strong sense of national identity and the much more complex mix of identities that is apparent in places like India and Africa. The impact of alien colonial ideas and the move from a rural and tribal setting to urban centres, in search of work and prosperity has created a very intriguing situation for millions of people in the modern world: â€Å"Cultural pluralism exists because individual actors include among their repertory of social roles one or more culturally defined identities.† The diaspora, or spreading out of different groups caused by factors like slavery, economic migration, persecution and war means that in developing countries people often have complex and multiple identities including aspects of nationality, tribe, race, and religion, as well as their current location which may not be linked with any or all of these.

Reflective Thinking. Easy Jet on airline markets. PESTEL And SWOT Essay

Reflective Thinking. Easy Jet on airline markets. PESTEL And SWOT Analysis - Essay Example This step involves revisiting experiences and knowledge with respect to the topic in question and why and how one performs the task. It involves examination of values, beliefs, assumptions and attitudes. Reflective thinking helps clarify and recognise the connection between what one knows and learns (TLC, 2008). Figure 1: The Thinking Process (Source: TLC, 2008) The reflective report prepared aims to demonstrate my knowledge derived from the projects on Easy Jet and various sections like business environment, PESTEL, Porters Five Forces and other relevant theories which were used in the project. Findings from the Report Based on the project made on Easy Jet, I have found that Easy Jet is regarded as a low-cost operator and is performing well in Europe. It operates internationally and also in a domestic airline market. It aims to becomes the best and the cheapest airline operator in the world. The airline faces tough challenges from its competitors such as Ryanair, British Airlines an d others. One great impact which I have noticed is that with the coming up of low-cost airlines, travellers prefer to travel by air rather than by bus, train or other means of transport. However, it should also be noted that along with low prices the airline should also be able to provide a level of comfort for the passengers so that the passengers feel comfortable while travelling, and I think the airline will be able to retain its customers in a positive way. I have analysed the business environment with the help of tools like PESTEL analysis, SWOT Analysis, Porters Five Forces along with operational management, supply chain and micro economic factors. In the process of using Porter’s Five Forces – a tool taking into consideration five important forces and helping determine the level of attractiveness in a particular industry – it was learned that the airline industry cannot be considered to be attractive because of the many unfavourable economic conditions pr evailing in the airline industry. The cost of entering is high and maintenance of airline is also a costly affair (on the other hand, it reduces the threat from new entrants in the airline industry). The bargaining power of buyers has the potential to result in a threat because of the competitive price offered by other airlines. It has also been seen that a threat of substitute is pretty high, as with the existence of other transport means such as buses, trains, cars, etc, passengers prefer to travel rather than to spend almost the same or a slightly higher amount on more expensive means of transport. Reflective Statement While conducting the analysis, I have learned that the above tools form an integral part of any analysis and have helped me understand the impact of various factors on the organisation. The first framework which I have used to analyse the airline industry is PESTEL analysis; this is because PESTEL takes into account the industry as a whole and analyzes political fa ctors which might impact the industry, as well as economic, social, technological, environmental and, lastly, legal factors. Why PESTEL Analysis? PESTEL gives an overview of the industry and is necessary to conduct, as it helps organisation to take the advantage of the opportunities; it also has the potential to minimise the threats. In the process of conducting the project, I have understood that PESTEL analysis can be carried out in relation to any form of business and industry, and it is one of the most important tools through which the companies evaluate the external environment and make necessary changes to fit the competitive environment and to survive in it.

Religion in Indonesia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Religion in Indonesia - Essay Example The Indonesian population is estimated to be 88 percent Muslims, 5.8 percent Protestants, 2.9 percent Catholics, 2 percent Hindus and 0.9 percent Buddhism (Slater, 2004). According to the Indonesian Constitution (McLeod & McIntyre 2007, pp 91): â€Å"the state is based on belief in One God† And,â€Å"the state guarantees the freedom of all residents to worship according to their own religion and beliefs† Although this is written in the constitution, the government does not show as much tolerance, as it acknowledges just five religions: Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism, and Buddhism (Gort, Jansen & Vroom, 2004). Religion in Indonesia was considered to be a complicated and unpredictable matter in the beginning of the 1990s. It could not be evaluated without difficulty in terms of social rank, location or race. Even though Islam, Christianity (Roman Catholicism and Protestantism), Hinduism, Buddhism and other religions had a part in affecting the different parts of life, the Indonesian government did not allow religious parties to play a part in politics. The government assured acceptance of some particular religions (agama) which were monotheistic. These religions included Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism. However, these were only tolerated provided that they did not enter the political arena. Since the mid 1970s the government of Indonesia has officially recognized five religions that are mentioned above. Indonesia happens to be the most heavily populated nation with Muslims, globally (Forshee, 2006); about 88 percent of the Indonesians are Muslims (Slater, 2004). In the country, several of the provinces and islands consisted of a majority of the population being Islamic adherents. The range was from more than 50 percent in Kalimantan Bara and Maluku provinces to the degree 97.8 percent in the Special Region of Aceh. In Indonesia the two sects of Christianity, Protestantism and Roman Catholicism, are acknowledged as two separate religions. The Christians in Indonesia are in a minority. Around 5.8 percent of the Indonesians are Protestants while 2.9 percent are Catholics. Then there is Hinduism. The certified figure of Hindus in Indonesia is 10m (2007). According to this figure, Indonesia is globally the fourth largest country with Hindus. Just like Islam and Buddhism, Hinduism was also very much changed so as to suit the Indonesian culture. Even though the caste system existed in form, it was not at all strictly put in practice. Mahabharata and the Ramayana were the Hindu religious classics and they were made permanent cultures amongst the Indonesian followers (Forshee, 2006). They expressed it through shadow puppet and dance presentations. Sikhs are recorded as Hindus in Indonesia due to the fact that the country does not recognize Sikhism as a religion (Kesavapany, Mani & Ramasamy, 2008). The last of the fifth official religion is Buddhism which happens to be the second oldest religion in Indonesia. The 1990 national census showed that greater than 1 percent of the Indonesian population follow Buddhism as their religion. Initially Buddhism was a scholarly doctrine and just slightly related to the paranormal. However, there have now been plenty of changes in it due to politics as well as the individual emotive wish to be protected from the so many fears by a supreme divinity. In several manners, Buddhism is very much distinctive, with every human being responsible for his own person. Any person can perform meditation by himself and does not require any

International Business - Franchising Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

International Business - Franchising - Essay Example Arnold (2003) claims franchising is an under-explored entry mode in international markets but that it has been widely used in North America and Western Europe, most notably by fast food chains, hotel or car rental services. The business format is fixed, including the operation and guidelines so that its ability to adapt is limited. The same is expressed by Toncar (2005), where franchising, he said, is dependent upon the ability to provide a marketing mix that matches expectations of consumers in different cultures. But major players are said to be increasingly learning. McDonalds, for example, as described in MFFI (2003) is "thinking globally and acting locally," a fortunate global marketing strategy. This sensitivity for the locals is expressed in so many ways to include their not using beef in India in their food preparations, their not using lard also in food preparations in Muslim areas, their launching of China burger in Asia in recognition of China as market for them, their introduction of chicken sandwich the Arab way. Further, management experts credit McDonalds for its maintaining the same efficiency in time to deliver, work-processes, cleanliness, changes in their menus, and ad-campaigns which are region-specific. Their use of franchising helps them set up business all over the world. One thing that could be credited to McDonalds's success is their "location, location, location" strategy which their executives know too well (ibid.). Consider this - A friend of mine was in a seminar recently where one of the McDonald's executives was speaking. He asked the audience what kind of business they were in. Half the crowd laughed and said, "Restaurant business". "Wrong", he said. "We're in the REAL ESTATE business." If you thing about it, he's right. Think about the location that every McDonald's is at. Isn't it in a prime real estate location And McDonalds owns the land that just about every stand-alone McDonald's located at. That's a TON of equity that the company has built up over the years in each real estate location. They could sell any lot and make a killing off it compared to how much they paid for it a number of years ago. I would say the secret to McDonald's success is very similar to real estate - location, location, location. (MFFI 2003) In targeting for international growth, the first step according to Siebert (1998) is identifying the best counties for one's particular concept with such factors as franchise climate, the market for one's particular product or service, competitive factors, proximity, language barrier, political climate, and relevant legal concerns. Once a market is identified, he says one effective means of targeting prospects is the use of trade missions. Sponsored by groups such as the International Franchise Association, trade missions attempt to provide franchisors with introductions to a number of qualified candidates in each country. Accordingly, the franchisor is said to typically be responsible for their own expenses (which can run upwards of $10,000 currently), their own follow-up, and their own negotiations. The sponsoring organization is only responsible for the introduction. Another alternative Siebert (ibid.) suggests for franchisors interested in global expansion is the use of brokers. Brokers are said to work by promoting one's franchise within a particular market, and will often employ a

University and Library Tab Resources Essay Example for Free

University and Library Tab Resources Essay Student resource Where found Summary of the resource Syllabus Main forum materials Possible credits, courses,subjects and schedule to take them. Class Policies Classroom, materials tab Policies and procedures University Library Classroom, library tab Resources and resources for school University Academic Catalog Program tab, right of my program Information on your degree program and requirements University Learning Goals Classroom tab then Materials tab, goal setting labs Information and help with setting goals for class. Life Resource Center Program tab, services then the life resources center Support for life, work and class Phoenix Career Services Library, University Library, to the top and far right or from page 5th ;ink down on your left. support for information on careers that match your degree Student Workshops Programs tab, Services first one or home page 3rd link on your left Student Workshops provide help with your classes PhoenixConnect Phoenix connect tab Connect with other faculty professors and students. Technical Support phone number (877) 832-4867 For technical issues online Part B: Follow-Up Question Based on the resources in the table, what are the attendance, posting, and participation requirements for the university? Online In order to be in attendance during a week, a student must post at least one message to any of the course forums on two separate days during the online week. Deadlines for attendance are based on Mountain Standard Time (MST). Attendance is tracked automati-cally in all online courses.

The Search for Exoplanets

The Search for Exoplanets Daniel Davies Throughout the history of humanity, numerous scientists have been intrigued by the search for inhabitable exoplanets. To date, such ventures are still in the developmental stages and the discovery of life beyond earth and the solar system , regardless of how primitive it may be, may soon be regarded as a fundamental breakthrough in astronomy (Jones Mukai, 2007). The fundamental properties to be considered if a place is habitable are: presence of organic materials, water and energy sources. Habitability of the planet also takes into consideration, nearness of the planet to the sun, the duration of existence of life and not necessarily, that life is present or has ever been. The search for life in exoplanets has been ongoing for over a decade (Su, et al. 2011). The search has been difficult and lengthy and there have been no results showing the existence of life outside earth. The S.E.T.I or Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence project is probably the most famous experiment withi n this focus of study. Why the search for inhabitable exoplanets?: With the powerful view of telescopes, scientists have been able to view beyond our solar system. Planetary scientists have continuously been searching for exoplanets (planets beyond our sun) that can support life. However, they cannot view these planets in detail as they are so faraway (Su, et al. 2011). The closest known exoplanet orbiting star is called Epsilon Eridani, which is 63 trillion miles away – it is close to 14,000 times away from Neptune, the farthest planets in our solar system (Horner Jones, 2010). Due to the great distance, exoplanets cannot be viewed directly since the amount of light they reflect is too faint to be detected from a far off distance (Horner Jones, 2010). Alternatively, scientists infer the presence of an exoplanet from the changes in wavelength of light illuminating from the star, this may be caused by the gravitational pull from an orbiting planet or the regulation of brightness of the star due to transiting planets. When the Fermi Paradox was proposed initially, most people thought planets were rare. Nevertheless, since then the astrological tools have discovered the existence of numerous exoplanets. However, with each new discovery of an earth-like planet for instance, Epsilon Eridani, it becomes less likely that there could exist a planet apart from the Earth that can support life. Using methods such as those stated above, scientists have been able to discover hundreds of exoplanets and the first detection was in 1995. Once they detect one, they begin evaluating it to ascertain whether it can support life. Further, they analyze the light spectrum that radiates from the star in order to reveal the properties of the planet. The hunt is still on for planets, which are about the size of earth and those that are at the right distance from the sun. This is done in a region known as the habitable zone, or sometimes referred to as the Goldilocks Zone. The habitable zone is the belt bordering a star where temperatures are optimum for liquid water. The Earth lies within the habitable zone of the sun, which is the star. Beyond the habitable zone, life is impossible as it could be too cold and frozen to support life. Therefore, a planet that lies between a star and a habitable zone would be too hot and steamy to support life. Ideally, most astronomers like to know more about the atmosphere of viable habitable exoplanets. In light of this, they study the molecular makeup of the planet in search for traces of greenhouse gases that have escaped that could be an indicator of an inhabitable planet or they can be able to pick up traces of oxygen, water, carbon dioxide, methane that indicate a planet is habitable (Horner Jones, 2010). The notion that planets beyond the Earth can support life is an ancient discovery. Since the late 20th century, there have been two breakthroughs in this field. Through observation and exploration by robotic spacecrafts of other planets and orbits within the solar system has provided scientists with vital information regarding habitability criterion and provided geophysical conditions for comparing life on Earth and on other bodies. Exoplanets were discovered in the 1990s and has been fast paced thereafter hence providing information for the possibility of extraterrestrial life. The findings have further confirmed that the sun is not peculiar among the stars and planets and hence this has expounded the possibility of life beyond the solar system. The earth is the only known planet in the universe that harbors life, despite recent evidence to suggest organic materials were found on Mars, this is only an indicator of what might have been. Nevertheless, there are estimates of habitable areas around other orbits. Additionally hundreds of exoplanets have been discovered, which has created new insights into other habitable places in the universe. In November 2013, the Kepler Space Mission data released stated that there were about a billion earth-sized planets that were orbiting within habitable zones within the Milky Way Galaxy. Methods used in the search for inhabitable exoplanets: Exoplanets do not emit any light of their own and are obscured by other brighter stars, this makes them difficult to detect. Moreover, normal telescopes cannot be used to view them. This is called Direct Imaging and is not the best way to identify exoplanets , however the technology and ideas behind it are seeing an advancement and could produce promising experiments in the future. Therefore in order to identify exoplanets, a number of techniques are used to detect them and the impacts that they have on the stellar system. Below is a summary of common methods used to detect inhabitable exoplanets (Horner Jones, 2010). Pulsar timing: Pulsars refer to neutron stars that have misaligned magnetic and spin axes. As the pulsars rotate, they emit flashes of radio waves that travel to earth at regular intervals. The radio flashes can be detected and timed. The intervals between the pulses are very regular and are more accurate than the ticks of an atomic clock. A planet that orbits around a pulsar will cause slight variations to the timing of the flashes, which can be used to detect it. The first exoplanet that was orbiting around a pulsar PSR B1257+12 was detected through pulsar timing in 1992. Radial-velocity: A planet that orbits a stars exerts a little gravitational pull that makes the star wobble a little about the barycentre which is the system’s centre of mass. If the planet’s edge is aligned to the Earth, this wobble can be observed as a ‘Doppler’ shift in the light emitted by the earth. When a star is travelling away from the viewer, the wavelengths of the emitted light shift with respect to the velocity the star is moving at , hence the wavelengths shift to the red end of the spectrum and towards us the blue end of the spectrum. The planet’s gravitational pull is minute and hence, very accurate spectroscopic measurements are needed. On measuring the radial velocity it is therefore possible to determine the exoplanet’s orbital period, however the size of the planets cannot be determined. Astrometry: This technique utilizes extremely definite measurements of the position of stars in order to detest the tiny shifts that are caused by orbiting planets. This method is highly effective for planets that orbit face-on where the motion positioning is at its greatest, nevertheless, the measurements are difficult to obtain. Gravitational lensing: Einstein’s theory of relativity deduces that massive foreground objects bend the light from background objects by their pull of gravity. The bending of light causes a ‘lensing’ effect that magnifies the background objects that are distant, allowing the curving of light so that distant planetary transits can be observed. Photometry: Many scientists utilize this transit technique. It shows that when a planet passes in the anterior of its parent’s star edge, there is a decrease in the brightness of the star that can be detected. The periodic decreases in brightness may indicate the presence of an exoplanet, the measurements of light curves and spectral type of the star may give an indication of the size and orbital duration of the planet. When this method is combines with Radial velocity a number of parameters can be inferred accurately including the mass of the planet, which can determine the composition of the planet. The presence of methane and oxygen in an exoplanets atmosphere could be a strong indicator of a bio signature or evidence of past or present life in an exoplanet (Jones Mukai, 2007). Methods today are used to gain a good estimate to the temperature and size of an exoplanet so as to ascertain whether liquid water can exist on the surface of the exoplanet, this is one of three criterion to as certain whether a planet can support life. Figure(1): Shows a plot of results from a dwarf star in another solar system , I have highlighted the transits with the blue segments , taken from my planethunters.org, account Figure 1 clearly shows the dips in output from the light source, which is the dwarf being observed. The dips are huge indicators to an exoplanet transiting the star. Photometry is by far the most common form of finding new exoplanets. Impacts of the results: The results show that powerfully life on Earth highly affects the environment, and the feedback cycle loops. The impact of earthly life on cloud cover is an example. Clouds are composed of either water or carbon dioxide and therefore have a huge impact on the habitability of the planet through the greenhouse effect and that albedo. (Albedo is the surface reflectivity. High albedo surfaces reflect back most of the light and heat that falls on them, while low albedo surfaces absorb energy (Chambers, 2006). High albedo clouds maintain the coolness of a planet by reflecting instead of absorbing stellar energy. From research on earth, plant life contributes to more cloud cover. Likewise, airborne microorganisms in an exoplanet’s atmosphere can be seeds that lead to more cloud formation. The effect can lead either to cooling of the albedo or to warming because of the greenhouse effect (Fujiwara, et al., 2010). In both cases, clouds or a lack therein may change the habitability, hence altering the planet’s temperature in one way or another. Life may also alter the carbon cycle. Plants on earth affect the quantity of carbon dioxide in the air, calcareous plankton have had major changes in the Earth’s carbon cycle (Fujiwara, et al., 2010). The systems have effects on the heat trapping properties of the atmosphere and alter the chemistry of the atmosphere and hydrosphere. Once exoplanets become hydrated, their impact will shift from affecting the delivery of volatiles to arid lands and hence will affect developments in life. Due to developments in our world, such as industrial revolution and technological advancements(Alvares et al, 2008), a number of species of biodiversity have become extinct and a great number of micro-organisms contributing to geochemical cycles have been extinguished (Chapman Morrison, 2004). Although these are believed to have been cause by a myriad of other factors, a few of these have been caused as a result of the collision between the earth and other small heavenly bodies. At face value, most people assume that more favorable life conditions would be developed if a host planet were discovered, however, mass extinctions will have to occur in order to trigger an influx into these alien bodies. Ever since it was discovered that collisions with asteroids and comets could lead to significant threats to human life on Earth, the idea that the impact rate on those bodies on earth would be much greater were it not for the protective influence of planet Jupiter (Chapman Morrison, 2004). Were it not for the mass and placement of Jupiter within the solar system , the earth could have been more punishing throughout its evolution, which would have entirely prevented the evolution of life on earth. The earth is a habitable planet that is an incredibly rare and unique place and that life should be very scarce or even non-existent anywhere else in the universe. It is now well acknowledged that asteroids and comets have bombarded the earth for decades. When it was first discovered that the impacts of craters on earth were the effects that resulted from the collisions between the earth and other solar systems, the greatest majority of the objects crossing the earth were comets (Chapman Morrison, 2004). A significant fraction of the earthly bodies were ejected from the solar system due to the distant perturbations by the Jupiter leaving a significantly, greater number of transiting orbits that could threaten the earth’s ecosystems. Conclusions: At face value, most people assume that more favorable life conditions would be developed if a host planet were discovered, however, mass extinctions will have to occur in order to trigger an influx into these alien bodies. The quest for an inhabitable exoplanet is a threat to humanity as it could trigger harmful effects on earth such as the collision of comets and the earth, which could lead to drastic effects such as volcanic and crater eruptions, which will have drastic effects on humanity. This means that the search for an exoplanet is indeed a search for our own preservation, eventually the earth will be swallowed by the sun , the human race will need somewhere else to live. The big question on peoples minds is , will we ever get there ? The answer to this is in the near future , certainly not, but in the far future , perhaps. With the promise of new technology coming , the ability to predict rapid changes in our space transportation may be obsolete, in truth we dont know. Bibliography: Alvarez. L. W., Alvarez, W., Asaro, F. and Michel, H. V., (2008). Extraterrestrial Cause for the  Cretaceous-Tertiary Extinction. Chambers, J. E., (2006). A hybrid symplectic integrator that permits close encounters between Massive bodies. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 304, 793 Chapman, C. R. and Morrison, D., (2004). Impacts on the Earth by asteroids and comets:  assessing the hazard. Fujiwara, H., et al., (2010). Enstatite-rich Warm Debris Dust Around HD165014. The  Astrophysical Journal Letters. Horner, J., Jones, B. W., (2010). Determining habitability: which exoEarths should we search  for life? International Journal of Astrobiology. Jones, B. W. and Mukai, T., (2007). Origin and dynamical evolution of Neptune Trojans I. Formation and planetary migration. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 398, 1715 Kaib, N. A. and Quinn, T., (2009). Reassessing the Source of Long-Period Comets.  Ã‚  Science, 325, 1234 Malhotra, R., (2005). The Origin of Pluto’s Orbit: Implications for the Solar System Beyond  Neptune. Astronomical Journal. Minton, D. A. and Malhotra, R., (2009). A record of planet migration in the main asteroid belt.  Nature. Morris, S. C., (2008). The evolution of diversity in ancient ecosystems: a review.  Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society. O’Toole, S. J., (2007). Selection functions in doppler planet searches. Monthly  Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 392, 641 Petit, J.-M. and Jones, B. W., (2009). Differences between the impact regimes of the terrestrial planets: Implications for primordial D:H ratios. Planetary and Space Science. 57, 1338 – 1345 Su, K. Y. L., et al. (2011). The Debris Disk Around HR8799. The Astrophysical Journal,  705, 314  

Training And Development In Infosys Management Essay

Training And Development In Infosys Management Essay This essay aims to provide a critical review of Performance Management and Training and Development of HRM in a typical high-tech company: Infosys. Infosys is a Fortune 500 company which specializes in IT services. The company has clients all cross the world and provide expertise in various industry sectors. Infosys integrates its Performance Management and Training and Development to better facilitate its workforce and to help the firm achieve its strategic goals. 1.2 Aim of this essay This essay aims to provide a critical review of Performance Management and Training and Development in Infosys. It identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the integration of Performance Management and Training and Development in Infosys, and provides proper recommendations for future improvement. 1.3 Structure of this essay Chapter 1 gives a brief background and the aim of the essay. Chapter 2 gives introduction of Infosys. Chapter 3 talks about Performance Management and how this part of HRM functions in Infosys. Chapter 4 deals with Training and Development and its function and role in Infosys. Chapter 5 provides a critical review of the Integration of Performance Management and Training and Development in Infosys. Chapter 6 offers some recommendations for future improvement of Infosys Training and Development as well as Performance Management. Chapter 7 is the conclusion of the whole essay. 2. Brief Introduction of Infosys Infosys was started in 1981 by seven people with US$ 250. Today, they are a global leader in consulting, technology and outsourcing with revenues of US$ 7.075 billion (LTM Q1 FY13). Many of the worlds most successful organizations rely on Infosys to deliver measurable business value. Infosys provides business consulting, technology, engineering and outsourcing services to help clients in over 30 countries build tomorrows enterprise. Infosys has a global footprint with 68 offices and 70 development centers in US, India, China, Australia, Japan, Middle East, UK, Germany, France, Switzerland, Netherlands, Poland, Canada and many other countries. Infosys and its subsidiaries have 151,151 employees as on June 30, 2012. Infosys helps companies derive the measurable business value that they have always been looking for from business and IT investments. The company delivesr measurable business value in 3 ways: 1. Transform Infosys can transform the fundamental shape of your business PL. Regardless of which team our clients engage with; the company has a best-practice process for delivering value. In Infosys it is called IMPACT to ensure a clear line of sight from process change to bottom-line impact, ensuring that you receive the business value you were promised. 2. Optimize Beyond transformation and innovation, it boils down to execution delivering on time, on budget and on value. Infosys can optimize clients core operations to drive best-in-class efficiency and help fund the transformation and innovation. 3. Innovate Infosys can inject a level of product and service innovation into clients business to create new revenue opportunities through collaboration and co-creation. The foundation of its innovation capability is our core lab network Infosys Labs and the new thinking that our team of over 600 researchers brings to the table. The Vision and Mission of Infosys are: Vision We will be a globally respected corporation. Mission Strategic Partnerships for Building Tomorrows Enterprise. 3. Performance Management and its Function in Infosys 3.1 Academic review of Performance Management Levit (2008) suggest that performance is a multi-layer structure, and depending on different measuring factors, the results may be different also. Thus, if we want to measure and manage performance, we must first define it and know exactly what performance management means. Usually performance management can be defined from three perspectives, and with different perspective, the contents, influencing factors and measuring methods that performance management includes differs. From the individual perspective, the definition of performance management has not come to a universal conclusion as various experts on HRM give their own definitions. At the current stage, there are two main views. One view believes that performance is equal to result; while another view suggests that performance equals behavior. Bernadin (1995) suggest that performance should be defined as the outcome of work, because these outcomes of work are closely related to organizational goals, strategies, customer satisfaction and investment. Kane (1996) points out that performance is the things that an individual leaves, and such things relatively independently exist. Hence, it is not difficult to see that the view of performance is equal to result believes that the outcomes that performan ce gets are the records of how well one employees work is. The relative concepts about performance results include: Accountabilities, Key Result Areas, Results, Duties, Tasks and Activities, Objectives, Goals or Targets, Outputs, Critical Success Factors. Nowadays, however, an increasing number people have accepted the concept that performance equals behavior, and they have posted challenges against the view of performance is equal to result. Campbell (1990) suggests that performance is a set of behaviors that are related to the organization that a person works for or the goals that the organization has. His definition of performance in 1993 is that performance is the synonym of behavior, and it is peoples actual behaviors and it can be observed and measured. Performance management is the process through which managers ensure that employees activities and outputs are congruent with the organizations goals. It is used to establish measures of performance to allow clear targets to be set and is a continuous process that enables us to improve delivery of business. Performance management plays a key role in Human Resources Management because an organizations performance goals are designed according to the organizations development plan, strategy and organizational goals. Today there are various tools for how to manage performance such as Balance I believe that in practical performance management, the broader concept of performance should be employed that is, the concept of performance should include both two aspects of behaviors and results. Such a perspective is well reflected in the definition of performance according to Brumbrach (1998): performance means results and behaviors. It tells us that when we conduct performance management, we should take into consideration of both input(behaviors) and output(results). Performance management should include the two aspects of what to do and how to do. 3.2 Performance Management in Infosys Infosys is a Fortune 500 company whose main service is in IT industry. Today it is the leading firm on the market providing various IT solutions to its clients. The business scope of Infosys ranges from Telecommunication, Banking, Financing, Retailing to Manufacturing. Like most international firms, Infosys has a matrix organizational structure. The companys base is in India, but it is not strictly the headquarter of the company. Its various braches across the world work together to reach the organizations strategic goals. The types of employees in Infosys are divided into two catalogues: regular employee and contractor. Thus, performance management in Infosys has two different management methods for regular employees and contractors. Infosys definition for Performance Management is that performance management is a constant, on-going process of communication. During this process, employees and managers reach a consensus on the following questions in forms of collaboration partners: Tasks that employees should complete; How can the work that employees do make contribution to realizing the companys goals; Use detailed content to describe how to do job well; How can employees and managers work together in order to help employees to improve their performance; how to measure performance; The obstacles that hinder the development of performance and how to conquer them. Meanwhile, Infosys believes that performance management is: The core part of the companys overall human resources strategy; One method to measure an individuals performance; Emphasis is put on the process of improving employees integrated skills; A tool to connect individual performance with the companys strategy and goals. There are three aspects in Infosys performance management: Performance Plan. In this part, managers and employees reach a consensus on following questions: What should employees do? How should work be completed? Why this work item should be done? When should this work item be done? Other relevant questions: working environment, capability, career prospects, training etc. During this process, managers and employees constantly communicate about above questions, and eventually sign on the records of their communication, and use it as the performance goals of the employees. These performance goals are the base of the whole performance management and performance measurement; thus they play a pivotal role in performance management. The process of setting performance goals usually takes a quarter of the year. Performance goals usually include two parts: one is Business Goals; the other is Behavior Standard. According to Pinson (2004), a business plan is a formal statement of a set of business goals, the reasons they are believed attainable, and the plan for reaching those goals. It may also contain background information about the organization or team attempting to reach those goals. business plans may also target changes in perception and branding by the customer, client, taxpayer, or larger community. When the existing business is to assume a major change or when planning a new venture, a 3 to 5 year business plan is required, since investors will look for their annual return in that timeframe. Infosys uses business goals as part of employees yearly performance goals, and they help enhance employees performance and help achieve organizational goals. 2. Constant Communication of Performance. Communication should be through the whole process of performance management. Only once or twice communication between employees and managers are far from enough, and it does not obey the principles of performance management. As Montana Charon (2008), a business can flourish when all objectives of the organization are achieved effectively. For efficiency in an organization, all the people of the organization must be able to convey their message properly. 3. Performance Appraisal Meeting. Infosys performance appraisal meeting is highly efficient, and it is normally held within an hour when all managers get together to discuss yearly performance evaluation. It mainly includes four aspects: 1) Employees self-evaluation; 2) Reaching a consensus on employees performance, according to facts instead of impressions; 3) Deciding performance levels; 4) It is not only to evaluate employees; it is also a good opportunity to solve problems. Cederblom (1982) suggests that a performance appraisal is typically conducted annually. The interview could function as providing feedback to employees, counseling and developing employees, and conveying and discussing compensation, job status, or disciplinary decisions. It is often included in performance management systems and performance management systems are employed to manage and align all of an organizations resources in order to achieve highest possible performance. 4. Training and Development and its Function in Infosys 4.1 Academic review of Training and Development Training and development (TD) is an indispensable part in human resource management, with the purpose of enhancing the performance of individuals and groups in organizations. Training and development has a number of names, such as human resource development, and learning and development. As to its definition, there are several popular explanations. According to Rothwell Kazanas (2004), training and development, part of human resource development, is the process of changing an organization, its employees, its stakeholders, and groups of people within it, using planned and unplanned learning, in order to achieve and maintain a competitive advantage for the organization. The main body of training and development is adults, and the way adults learn and develop is different from the way students do. Adults training has more specific purposes, and is usually more practical, with the aim to solve practical questions. Hence, the organization or department that are responsible for developing training programs need to know about theories of adult learning. In the 1950s, Malcolm Knowles developed a new theory for adult learning, which is called Andragogy. Andragogy is in the context of adult learners which is contrasted with definition of childs learning (called pedagogical learning). Michael (2007) suggests that the central idea in the context of adult learning is that it is only after convincing oneself of the rationale of learning that an adult will decide to (and be able to) learn. Hence, adults cannot be treated like children if one hopes to see learning. Therefore it is assumed that workshops and seminars organized by the students themselves create a better learning environment than those organized externally. This has led to a flurry of recent teaching innovations like student-led tutor groups and supplemental instruction programs led by above average students. Another important theory about training and development is Learning Organization which was created by Peter Senge. Pedler Boydell (1997) defines that a  learning organization  is the term given to a company that facilitates the learning of its members and continuously transforms itself. There is no a single model of learning organization. Learning organization is about an attitude toward or ideology of employee and organization and is a new way of thinking about organization. In leaning organization, everyone needs to identify and solve problems, so that the organization is able to constantly try new things, enhancing and improving its capability. The basic value of learning organization is solving problems, whereas in contrast, the focus of traditional organization is efficiency. In any learning organization, employees need to take part in identifying problems, which means that employees need to understand customers requirement. Employees also need to solve problems, and this m eans they need to think about customers requirement in a unique way. Learning organization enhances organizations value by new ideas and information, instead of material production. 4.2 Training and Development in Infosys Training and development is mainly carried out in Infosys by its HR department. Currently the whole company has more than 20,000 employees, and training and development has always been a key function of all HR department in all branches. The company is willing to provide excellent training opportunities for its employees. Though the leading department of training and development in Infosys is its HR department, other departments also take part in and collaborate with HR department. Training and development is carried out by HR personals according to various requirements of different departments which are located in different geographic locations. There are training and development specialists who are responsible for certain training contents, such as technology, business knowledge, company policies, marketing etc. HR department plans yearly training and development schedule together with experts from other departments, and is responsible for carrying out these training schedules. Training courses in Infosys are presented by subject matter experts(SMEs) in the company or by experts from other organizations and universities. Training specialists need to record teachers performance during the training sessions. After training sessions, feedback from employees are collected and analyzed, in order to better the quality and efficiency of the companys training programs. The company creates its training policies which is part of the companys HR policies. And violation of training policies will be reported to the employees reporting manager. This ensures the quality of training and development in Infosys. Training and development plays an important function in Infosys daily operation and strategy development. The HR department divides training and development mainly into four levels. The first level is for senior management and candidate senior management; the second level is for normal employees and normal managers; the third level is for first-line sales personals; the forth level is for new hires and fresh graduates. According to the needs and requirements of different levels, training sessions are designed by different teams. Garavan, Costine, and Heraty (1995) notes that training and development (TD) encompasses three main activities: training, education, and development and that these ideas are often considered to be synonymous. In Infosys, training and development can also be view from these three parts: 1. Training: This activity is both focused on the job tasks that an employee currently handles. It is usually conducted through the form of classroom training, on-the-job training, and competition in Infosys. 2. Education: This activity focuses upon the jobs that an employee may potentially handle in the future. Infosys provides books and self-pace learning courses for such activity, and employees have more flexibility to study on their own paces and they can choose to learn during work time or at weekends. 3. Development: This activity focuses on the activities that the organization employing the individual. In Infosys, every new employee needs to attend the New Hire Orientation Development Program within the first three month after they are employed by the company. Such activity helps new employees know about the corporate culture, policies, dress code and so on and so forth. At the end of each year, Infosys holds several lectures to summarize the whole training and development programs in the passing year, identifying any problems and figuring out solutions to these problems. This helps HR department better plan next years training programs, thus helping the company achieve its short-term and long-term strategic goals. 5. Integration of Performance Management and Training and Development in Infosys 5.1 How Performance Management and Training and Development work together in Infosys In Infosys, Performance Management and Training and Development are closely linked. The company creates a computer-based system to manage performance and career development of staff. It is easy for managers to see at what level the employee is currently performing and what kind of training the employee needs to take. This system also helps with a staff training and development strategy to enable employees to help them progress to the top level possible in their current job. It can also provide guidance about the possibility of further training and/or mentoring to assist them to develop their career within the organisation. Employees performance is evaluated according to several aspects, and among these aspects, employees training and development is taken into consideration and could affect employees final performance appraisal. Infosys require its regular employees to take at least five training sessions in one years, to make sure every employee is equipped with latest skills and knowledge so that they can better make contribution to the company and help the company achieve its strategy goals. Employees need to complete the Job Skills Workbook which includes the skills that employees must have to complete their job tasks. This workbook is used as the basis for the performance evaluation. Both employees and managers will have to agree on the type of skills that are included in the Job Skills Workbook and which training level the employee needs to take. Besides, a group of employees can work together to identify their individual and collective training and development goals. Then these goals will be disc ussed with training specialists and their managers, and HR department will try to arrange according training programs for these employees. This, without a doubt, strengthens the companys capability and improves productivity. In Infosys, several activities are undertaken each year in order to develop key skill elements identified. These could include new work experiences, responsibilities and challenges, mentoring, coaching or more formal training. Once identified, these elements will also be included in the performance evaluation of employees. So training and development help identify new skills and responsibilities of employees, and performance management functions as a monitor and evaluation mechanism for these new training and development needs. After training sessions, the manager or team leader needs to provide the employee with feedback about their current performance and their goals for the next agreed time period which is usually one year. Finally, at the end of the agreed time period the employee needs to once again talk with his or her manager or team leader and discuss how they have performed and whether there are any changes in their training and development schedule. 5.2 Strength and Weakness of the integration of Performance Management and Training and Development in Infosys Such integration of Performance Management and Training and Development in Infosys has several strengthens: 1. It creates a multi-level mechanism for performance management. By discussing with managers about what kind of skills and performance employees agree to achieve in advance, employees can know clearly what both them and their managers expect from them. Employees can attend various training programs to reach their goals and use what they have learned in their daily jobs, thus improving their productivity and job performance. 2. Employees have more choices about what they want to develop in Infosys and what their career paths are. The value of Infosys is to make every customer satisfied. It is only through excellent work that the company can win high trust from customers. When Performance Management and Training and Development work closely together in Infosys, each employee can have the choice to decide which career path they like to take, such as technical experts, people managers or delivery managers etc. With a clear target and purpose in mind, employees are more motivated to take training and development programs provided by the company and their learning results are later directly reflected in performance evaluation in performance management of the company. On the other hand, however, there are some weakness of the integration of Performance Management and Training and Development in Infosys: 1. It puts too much focus on job skills but ignores management skills. Infosys is a large international company and its services in IT industry are among the best. The company focuses too much on the skills of its first-line employees, and almost 80% of the training and development program are about job skills. The performance evaluation of employees also mainly evaluates what new skills employees have learned through such training programs and how they perform. But in the long run, management skills are also required by employees as some of them are potential managers in the future. 2. The training sessions in Infosys are only for regular employees, not for contractors. So the result is that contractors, that occupy more than 40% of all employees, cannot receive proper training in time. Because contractors are not allowed to participate in the training and development activities, when they discuss with their managers about their performance evaluation, there is no section for training and development. This hinders contractors from developing their skills and could probably hinder the companys strategy development in the long run. 6. Recommendations Based on the strengths and weaknesses of the integration of Performance Management and Training and Development in Infosys, these recommendations could be taken into consideration when the management makes future decisions. 1. Management skills should also be included in Infosys training and development activities, and more first-line employee should have access to it. These employees would become managers in the future, and providing proper training programs on management skills would enhance their productivity and make their work more efficient and effective. 2. Training and development should cover contractors. In Infosys, there are two types of employees: regular employees and contractors. Currently most training and development programs are for regular employees only. By providing contractors the same training and development opportunities, the overall workforce of Infosys can be strengthen, and the companys productivity on the whole can be enhanced. 7. Conclusion This essay reviews both the Performance Management and Training and Development in the company of Infosys. It first provides academic review of the concepts and theories of Performance Management and Training and Development in HRM, then links the concepts and theories with the actual case of Infosys. It provides a critical review of how Performance Management and Training and Development work together in Infosys and analyzes the strengthens and weaknesses of these two HRM functions integrating in Infosys and provides relative recommendations.

Use of Technology in Law Enforcement and Against Terrorism :: Technology Essays

Use of Technology in Law Enforcement and Against Terrorism   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Technology has a definite impact not only on our everyday lives but also on the ideologies we pursue or abandon.   This change can be clearly seen as society has progressed through from an agrarian culture through the growing pains of the industrial revolution, and into the current wave, the information wave.   The role of technology was seen as a tool in the agrarian culture and also as a means for physical exploration of humanity's surroundings.   During the industrial revolution that tool, used to better the agrarian age morphed into a guiding force for social change, intellectual idealism, and scientific exploration.   As the industrial age drew to a close, marked by increased warfare and frightening new discoveries, there was a backlash against the ideological representation of technology.   Technology in the information age has become not only a force that produces wonderful new things, but ultimately a tool in the hands of a very flawed and occasiona lly noble society.   The current views on technology are diverse and cover grounds that span from technology being a way to save, to that same technology being a means to an end or power.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The personification of technology ranges from a way to place power firmly in the hands of the few, to technology being a means for anyone to do things that before required a specialized education.   The publishing liberty of the Internet creates a forum in which any one can be taken seriously; whether they are in truth serious is another discussion.   This liberty of forum is available to anyone with a modicum of knowledge or the desire to gain such knowledge.   This is in direct contrast to the publishing world where it requires a specialized knowledge and education to produce some thing or to become published.   Often the knowledge needs to be combined with a fair amount of luck as well.   Technology has also become a way to put social power into the hands of the few as well.   The existence of surveillance systems, the exorbitant prices of medical matters, and the existence of issues such as the digital divide are all exampl es of technologically based ways to shift a balance of power in an arena.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As technology is always in a state of flux so are our society's attitudes regarding technology.   There is a definite polarization of issues in the field of

Literary Analysis of Barn Burning Essays -- English Literature Essays

A Literary Analysis of Barn Burning At first glance, the story â€Å"Barn burning† seems just to be about a tyrannical father and a son who is in the grips of that tyranny. I think Faulkner explores at least one important philosophical question in this story were he asks at what point should a person make a choice between what his parent(s) and / or family believes and his own values? The main character and protagonist in this story is a boy named Colonel Sartoris. In this story, Sarty is faced with the decision of either going along with the views and actions of his morally challenged father or asserting his own morality and individuality by running away and leaving his family and his pain behind. The antagonist in the story is Abner Snobes. Abner Snobes is a very angry and inconsiderate man who has hate and detestation for almost anybody who is not â€Å"blood-kin†, and he portrays that hatred and contempt throughout the story (qtd. In Volpe 163). This story follows the typical format and is narrated in the third person. In the exposition, Faulkner’s skill as a writer is demonstrated through the way that he uses detail to draw the readers into the story. Also, in the first paragraph we are introduced to the main character and protagonist in the story, Sarty. The setting in which Sarty’s conflict is established is a trial. In the trial, the justice asks Sarty, â€Å" I reckon any boy named for Colonel Sartoris in this country can’t help but tell the truth, can they† (qtd. in...

Ap Bio Chapter 7

Name Period Chapter 7: Membrane Structure and Function Concept 7. 1 Cellular membranes are fluid mosaics of lipids and proteins 1. The large molecules of all living things fall into just four main classes. Name them. Explain what is meant when we say a molecule is amphipathic. 3. In the 1960s, the Davson-Danielli model of membrane structure was widely accepted. Describe this model and then cite two lines of evidence that were inconsistent with it. 4. Who proposed the fluid mosaic model of membrane structure? When? Describe this model. 5. What is meant by membrane fluidity? Describe the movements seen in the fluid membrane. 6. Describe how each of the following can affect membrane fluidity: decreasing temperature phospholipids with unsaturated hydrocarbon chains cholesterol 7. Membrane proteins are the mosaic part of the model. Describe each of the two main categories: integral proteins peripheral proteins 8. Use Figure 7. 9 to briefly describe major functions of membrane proteins. Function Description Transport Enzymatic activity Signal transduction Cell-cell recognition Intercellular joining Attachment to cytoskeleton and ECM 9. Membrane carbohydrates are important in cell-cell recognition. What are two examples of this? Distinguish between glycolipids and glycoproteins. Label the following structures: glycolipid, glycoprotein, integral protein, peripheral protein, cholesterol, phospholipid, ECM fibers, cytoskeleton microfilaments, integrins (go back to Chapter 6) Concept 7. 2 Membrane structure results in selective permeability Distinguish between channel proteins and carrier proteins. Are transport proteins specific? Cite an example that supports your response. 14. Peter Agre received the Nobel Prize in 2003 for the discovery of aquaporins. What are they? 15. Consider the following materials that must cross the membrane. For each, tell how it is accomplished. |Material |Method | |CO2 | | |Glucose | |H+ | | |O2 | | |H2O | | Concept 7. 3 Passive transport is diffusion of a substance across a membrane with no energy investment 16. Define the following terms: diffusion concentration gradient passive transport osmosis isotonic hypertonic hypotonic turgid laccid plasmolysis 17. Use as many words from the list above to describe why a carrot left on the counter overnight would become limp. Underline each word you use. What is facilitated diffusion? Is it active or passive? Cite two examples. Label the hypotonic solution, isotonic solution, and hypertonic solution. What is indicated by the blue arrows? Label them. Which cell is lysed? Turgid? Flaccid? Plasmolyzed? Apply all these labels. Why doesn’ t the plant cell burst? Concept 7. 4 Active transport uses energy to move solutes against their gradients 21. Describe active transport. What type of transport proteins are involved, and what is the role of ATP in the process? The sodium-potassium pump is an important system for you to know. Use the following diagram to understand how it works. Use the following terms to label these figures, and briefly summarize what is occurring in each figure: extracellular fluid, cytoplasm, Na+, K+, ATP, ADP, P, transport protein. On the diagram below, add these labels: facilitated diffusion with a carrier protein, facilitated diffusion with a channel protein, active transport with a carrier protein, simple diffusion. For each type of transport, give an example of a material that is moved in this manner. What is membrane potential? Which side of the membrane is positive? What are the two forces that drive the diffusion of ions across the membrane? What is the combination of these forces called? 26. What is cotransport? Explain how understanding it is used in our treatment of diarrhea. Concept 7. 5 Bulk transport across the plasma membrane occurs by exocytosis and endocytosis 27. Define each of the following, and give a specific cellular example. ndocytosis phagocytosis pinocytosis exocytosis receptor-mediated endocytosis 28. What is a ligand? What do ligands have to do with receptor-mediated endocytosis? 29. Are the processes you described in question 23 active or passive transport? Explain your response. Testing Your Knowledge: Self-Quiz Answers Now you should be ready to test your knowledge. Place your answers here: 1. _______ 2. _______ 3. _______ 4. _______ 5. _______ Reproduce the diagram for question 6, and draw arrows as instructed. 6b. ______ 6c. ______ 6d. ______ 6e. ______

Innocence in Catcher in the Rye Essay

In JD Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield is a boy aimlessly traveling New York City after being expelled from a classy boarding school. Holden poses a great deal of trepidation when it comes to sexual relationships, especially those of Jane and Sunny. Furthermore, Holden tends to misjudge the maturity of his fellow characters. The combination of this misconception, the tension between sexual trepidation, and an adult life with adult relationships, results in confusion for him. In Holden’s life, there have only been a few people he’s cherished more than his childhood neighbor, Jane Gallagher. They were close childhood friends, and when his roommate Stradlater brings her up years later in high school, all he can talk about is the innocent fun they used to have: playing checkers, watching her dance ballet in the summer heat, and how her Doberman always came into his yard. However, he also reminisces on how her â€Å"boozehound† stepfather would always â€Å"run around the goddam house naked† (42). He suspects that her stepfather had harassed Jane, who â€Å"had [a] terrific figure, and [he] wouldn’t’ve put it past that bastard† (103). This really bothers Holden, as does when Stradlater insinuates that he made sexual advances onto Jane on their date. To Holden, sexual encounters mean an adulteration of innocence, and he hates that Stradlater or Jane’s stepfather may have corrupted Jane. Many times, Holden promises himself that he â€Å"outa go down and say hello to her† (40), or that he should â€Å"give old Jane a buzz† (195), but he never does. Subconsciously, he fears that Jane will have grown up, and calling her or seeing her will surely alter the young, innocent, checkers-playing version of Jane that he has in his mind. This is confusing for Holden because Jane has grown up, yet he still thinks of her as a little girl, not the grown woman that she is. Holden â€Å"knew that she wouldn’t let [Stradlater] get to first base with her, but it drove [him] crazy anyway† (104). This shows Holden’s potential misconception of Jane’s innocence. It is unlikely for a post-teenage young woman to be as sheltered and have as much innocence as she did when she was a little girl. However, this is something Holden cannot grasp. This dilemma is a direct result of Holden’s irrational respect for innocence, influenced by sexual confrontations in Holden’s past. When Holden agrees to have a prostitute come to his room in the hotel, he is soon greeted by Sunny at his door. Holden is immediately unimpressed with Sunny’s maturity; how she was â€Å"jiggling this one foot up and down†, she â€Å"never said thank you†, and she â€Å"had this tiny little wheeny-whiny voice† (123). He also notices that she appears very young, and said things that were really childish. This ends up making him feel â€Å"more depressed than sexy† (123), and he decides not to have sex with her after all. The depiction of this young girl making money as a prostitute seems to upset Holden, and he ultimately concludes that having sex with her would spoil her innocence. This is where Holden is again misguided. Just as it is unlikely for Jane to retain the same degree of innocence through the years, it is improbable that Sunny, being a prostitute, will have not had sex with many people in the past, therefore preserving her innocence. But all Holden can see in Sunny is the childish and immature, which results in a conflicted view of the world. The importance of innocence to Holden is something that results in nervousness towards others’ sexual identity and activity. His perspective of Jane and Sunny’s innocence is also misguided to the point where he sees innocence in them when there is none. Overall, the importance of innocence to Holden results in contention that is less than innocent.

Like a Flower

Alejandra Luna Dr. White English 201 15 September 2011 Like a Flower Love blooms with love, like a flower blooms with water. â€Å"The Chrysanthemums† is a story written by John Steinbeck. This story takes place in 1937, a time when women were not appreciated. Women were supposed to stay home and raise their children. The main character, Elisa Allen, feels distant from her husband Henry. The fact that they didn’t have children, might play a role in that feeling, and is probably the reason she wants to be involved with the farm’s business. â€Å"Her face was lean and strong and her eyes were as clear as water† (Steinbeck 629).Elisa might seem strong on the outside, but deep inside she is fragile like a flower. Though fragile â€Å"her eyes were as clear as water† which means she has very clear what she wants and needs. Just like a flower, she needs care and attention. The point of this story, in my opinion, was to demonstrate the importance of taking care of a woman, not just economically, but emotionally and physically. If you don’t water your flowers they will die, just like love will die without care. Some men think that by providing economically, they are doing enough.A woman might have the biggest and prettiest house, the most expensive car, and the best brand clothes, but that might never be enough to make her happy. We all need someone to love us, someone to hold us at night, to awake to in the morning, someone to have breakfast with and talk to about our sorrows or joys. Money can never replace the need for a companion. Economical support is a marital responsibility, not a sign of love. Furthermore, a woman needs emotional support, she needs someone that listens to her opinion and takes it into consideration, someone who will value her thoughts and ideas.Men have no idea how important it is for a woman to be valued, to be listened to. Many people will agree that communication is a key concept in a relationship, s o knowing about her interest will give you a reason to talk about something both of you have knowledge about. It does not matter if it’s not something that interests you, as long as it interests her it will help, it will also bring you close to each other; just like Elisa felt close to the stranger, when he seemed interested in her Chrysanthemum’s.Another good way to support her emotionally is to complement her. Complement her accomplishments, or simply her beauty. Don’t say â€Å"you look so nice† (Steinbeck 635). You look so nice is not the right thing to say, use words like beautiful, radiant, dazzling, etc. Remind her why you chose to marry her and how you promised to honor and respect her for the rest of your life. Simple thing like that, can bring our self-esteem up; it will make us feel wanted and loved. Lastly care for her physically, and by physically, I’m not referring to sex.Sex is important in a relationship, but what I mean is a simple caress, or to get cozy on the couch, and also take her out on a date â€Å"I ought to take you in to dinner oftener. It would be good for both of us. We get so heavy out on the ranch† (Steinbeck 636). Henry noticed that he needed to pay more attention to his wife, he realized they are kept very busy at the ranch and don’t have time for each other. That is very common in marriages; we get carried away with our job or our children and forget how important it is to pay attention to our partner. Also help around with household chores, sometimes men don’t realize how hard we work.In my case for example; I am the first one to get up in the morning, and the last one to go to bed at night; in between that, I have three daughters, chores and school. It makes a woman very happy, when her husband gets involved and helps with the responsibilities. I truly appreciate all my husband does at home, even though he has two jobs, he comes home and helps out when I have to do home work. Taking care of a woman is as important as taking care of your flowers. If you want a beautiful garden, you water it. I you want a beautiful wife, you take care of her. he leaned over the wire fence that protected her flower garden from cattle and dogs and chickens† (Steinbeck 629). You don’t have to put up a wire fence to keep the dogs away from your flower, all you have to do is take care of her economically, to give her comfort; emotionally, to give her peace and physically to keep her young and beautiful. That is the best way to keep the dogs away, and keep her interested in no one but you. Works Cited Steinbeck, John. â€Å"The Chrysanthemums† Compact Literature: Reading, reacting, writing. Laurie G. Kirszner and Stephen R. Mandell, eds. MA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, 2010 628-636 Print.

Marooned in Iraq Essay

Marooned in Iraq is a film by Bahman Ghobadi set on the border of Iran and Iraq. Wherein people who lives in Kurdistan experiences a precarious life. The Kurds experiences how it feels to live in a cold, sleazy camp for refugees near Iran’s border. The cruelty of Saddam Hussein was greatly felt by the loved ones who remained alive. They were the ones who are left facing the daily deluge brought about by Iraq’s bomber jets that are streaking across the sky. However this film is made   more meaningful by Ghobadi by having a mixture of laughter and tears. This made the film more appealing to the viewers and more enjoyable to watch.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The movie revolves on the life of a Kurdish family who are musically inclined. It is lead by the elder Kurdish whose name is Mirza who is in quest for the woman who was gone them two decades before. He was left by his wife and goes with another man to another place. Mirza then decided to take courage and travel beyond the borders of Iran together with his two sons Barat and Audeh.   They experienced great squabbling among themselves but their interaction is really humorous. The humor added to lessen the tension of the scenes makes up a light and enjoyed viewers. Some example of this is when they are caught in a troubled situation like when their motorcycles are stolen by some bandits.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There are metaphorical and symbolisms used by Ghobadi on the film Marooned in Iraq. He carefully unveils the situation of the Kurdish people under the regime of Saddam Hussein. The film was set during 189 and 1991 where Kurdish are in great depression under Hussein. Many lives were killed and families whoa re left behind greatly suffered. The Iranian revolution is the time when Barat was left by his wife. In the film there is no clear image given about the Kurdish wife. This implies how women during that revolution have been robbed of their humanity. Women singers like Hannareh (Mirza’s wife) are silenced and are not capable of speaking of themselves. The title itself of thefilm symbolizes how the Kurdish people were isolated during that time. Chaotic, traumatic and harsh experienced under the claws of Hussein. On the other hand, there are some exemptions on being Marooned in Iraq this is because some of the characters in the film do find their ways. A ray of hope is still visible in the film which gives the Kurdish people a situation where they can think and do ways to reach lberty.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As the pursuit of Mirza and his two sons Barat and Audeh continues for Hannareh, they came to learn and understand more the life of being a Kurdish. Through this characters Ghobadi tries to expose the situation during that time. The three lead characters witnessed the frightful devastation received by Iraq from both U.S bombs and Saddam Hussein’s bloody troops. To lighten up the situation Ghobadi uses an approach of adding up humor and beauty along the journey of the three characters. This made the viewers understand more about Kurdish identities. How strength and determination allows the characters to stand amidst the adversities in their way.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ghobadi made the film to make a distinction about the Kurdish people. The diversity of the characters in dealing with the situation and how the essence of family floats amidst conflicts and depression. Mirza portaryed his father image by commanding his two sons to go with him for his search of his wife.   Barat shows willingness to cooperate with his father but but Audeh made some complaints because of leaving behind his 7 wives and 11 daughters. This shows the lifestyle of some Kurdish male who settles for many families. But sooner in the film Audeh decided to go withhis father and brother because it is an opportunity for him to find another wife who will bear him a son. This depicts the fact how Kurdish values having a male born offspring in their families. The director used the idea of making the characters in the film portray being musicians to lighten the atmosphere in exposing the situation of the country in that time. While the three are set to travel and does performances along the way, they came across victims of chemical warfare. They also experienced being abducted by thieves who buried them alive upto their necks as their motorcycle and warm clothes are stolen. Some practices were also exposed by the director in the film like the scene when the lead characters came to attend an Iranian wedding. Later on the two sons finds their solace when Barat met a woman he constantly sees in the film but this grieving woman is always being stopped by the police and forced to do some military services. Audeh on the other hand no longer finds his supposedly 8th wife but he was able to find some orphans who will make nice sons. Mirza was also able to find his own surprise and his two sons made their happy return to their home.   Ã‚   The film is set in a rhythmic and dramatic mode that made it more interesting. This is a story of reality with some moments of humor to break the harsh reality being experienced that time. Although villages have been scourged by Saddam Hussein during his reign of terror, the people are resilient enough to find their ways of surviving.