Lamarcus Adna Thompson

?2009 The most influencing person in my life would have to be the inventor of the first gravity-powered roller coaster in the United States by LaMarcus Adna Thompson, also known as the â€Å"Father of the Gravity Ride† for his Switchback Railway at Coney Island, New York City and became famous for the Scenic Railway on the Boardwalk in Atlantic City, New Jersey in 1887. Thompson was born on March 8, 1848 in Jersey, Ohio. At the age of 12, he built a butter churn and an oxcart, and was a master carpenter by the age of 17. In 1866, Thompson graduated from Hillsdale College in Michigan. He worked in a wagon and carriage business then made a mint for the manufacture of seamless women’s hosiery. In the early 1880s, Thompson almost had a nervous breakdown and thus sold his share in the hosiery business and returned to his first passion of inventing. Thompson was inspired by the designs of other inventors and the Mauch Chunk Switchback Railway in Pennsylvania. In 1884 in Coney Island, he had successfully built his version of the Mauch Chunk Switchback Railway, which he just simply called it, the Switchback Railway. Within the next four years, he had built about fifty railways all over the nation and in Europe. As more sophisticated coasters were beginning to be built, Thompson’s business was starting to go downhill. So Thompson paired up with James A. Griffiths, a designer, and produced his most famous attraction the Scenic Railway in 1887. It was a rolling tour of some elaborate artificial scenery with vividly colored tableaus, biblical scenes and flora-illuminated by lights triggered by approaching cars. This ride was the foundation of the Space Mountain of Disneyland in Anaheim, CA and other theme park journeys. Between the Switchbacks and his death on May 8, 1919, in Glen Cove, New York, Thompson had built many other scenic railways such as the masterpiece of faux-mountain and the Egyptian imagery in Venice, CA in 1910, which faced competition with his old partner James A. Griffiths. After he retired, he still patented an automatic car coupler and sold the invention to railroad car manufacturer, George Pullman. After Thompson’s death his legacy still ived through the Thompson company coasters, notably the Bobs, which was later renamed the Tornado, built at Coney Island in 1926. From then on, many coasters have been built and thought of. They are very intricate designs and have to be precise otherwise someone will get hurt. There are two types of roller coasters, steel and wooden. Steel roller coasters are known for their smooth riding usually taking the riders upside down, i n cork screws, etc. Some of the designs for the tracks are dwelling, figure 8, inverted, launched, shuttle, side friction, spinning and twister roller coasters. The most popular coasters are the floorless, flying, stand-up, suspended swing, and the Virginia Reel. LaMarcus Adna Thompson has influenced me more than I realized. My dream out of college is to become a roller coaster designer and if he had never invented the Switchback Railway I probably would be pursuing another career. I hope to be as successful as he was. I have learned to still be positive and stay focused on my goals in life now because the choices I make now will affect the way my future is played out. Like school for instance, I need to keep my grades up even though I have only one year left of high school. One bad grade could greatly decrease my chances of going to a college of my choice rather than a college I have to go to because I have no other offers. Even if Thompson almost had a nervous breakdown he still has inspired me to keep moving forward and to find comfort in the things that I find enjoyable. Yes, he did sell his part of the business but I would rather give up my part, than to bring everyone else down with me because that wouldn’t be fair to them. I understand more now than I ever did that when you fail it’s only an obstacle in your path that when you overcome it, you become even stronger than before. You become more creative and see the things in life with a totally different perspective than you would’ve thought of before. Now that I have grown to become a better person to find the good in everything I do and to pursue my dreams with my chin up high even though I know that I will get shut out every now and then. But that only means that greater things for me are to come in the mere future.

Dramatically effective Essay

â€Å"And as I sat many afternoons asking myself why, being an intelligent man, I was so powerless to stop it. I even went to a certain old lady in the neighbourhood, a very wise old woman, and I told her, she only nodded, and said, â€Å"pray for him†¦ † and so I waited her† These are the words we hear from Alfieri after a very peculiar visit from one Eddie Carbone. Following the visit with Alfieri, Eddie’s mood is very tense. It is here where the audience receive a clear indication of Eddie’s feelings towards Catherine. Alfieri says to Eddie that Catherine wants to get married and there’s nothing Eddie can do about it, but adds unless she he wants her to marry him. After hearing this Eddie furiously goes on the defensive and becomes very edgy. He then replies very harshly at Alfieri as if Alfieri is talking absolute rubbish and doesn’t have a clue. Eddie starts going on about all skills which Rodolfo has are not manly. He has difficulty describing his doubts to Alfieri â€Å"The guy aint right† he says and â€Å"you know what I mean†. Miller shows how uncomfortable it is mentioning these things by the stage directions as Eddie twists and turns. Eddie talks about how he welcomed Rodolfo into his house and fed him and given him blankets right from his own bed and passionately say but he’s putting his filthy hands on her meaning Catherine. Just after that he then adds he’s stealing from me Mr Alfieri showing that Eddie thinks a lot of Catherine. He means stealing away something which should be his like Catherine as his lover. He keeps speaking of how he does not like Rodolfo; â€Å"He gives me the heebie-jeebies†, â€Å"I don’t like his whole way† and also hinted at his doubts on Rodolfo’s sexuality; â€Å"He’s like a weird†, â€Å"I just hope that’s his regular hair! † Lastly Alfieri makes a very important speech and says about how God mixes up people and there’s love between them but sometimes there’s too much, whether it’s to a daughter or a niece and the person never realises it but there is too much love for the daughter, there’s too much love for the niece. Eddie pretends not to really understand him and hide behind just caring for her but Alfieri is slyly hinting about Eddie’s feelings for Catherine. Mainly the reason there is conflict between Eddie and Catherine is because of how Eddie is so protective of her. He tells her she is walking wavy and he doesn’t like that, at the same time he also refers to her as a â€Å"Madonna. † This gives the audience the idea that she is pure and she is a virgin and Eddie wants her to stay as she is. After the visit with Alfieri, Eddie gets home where everyone is talking about Rodolfo. Catherine seems very fascinated at everything Rodolfo does because of love, Even if some are the simplest things she is amazed. She acts like a curious child. Eddie notices her interest in Rodolfo’s singing so he quickly silences him. His ability to do this lets him believe that he is in charge in the house. The stage directions show his power because he stands up all the time. She starts of by saying â€Å"They went to Africa once. On a fishing boat. (Eddie then glances at her). Its true, Eddie. † Eddie replies and says he didn’t say they didn’t. The glance at Catherine from Eddie was to say that he really didn’t care what they’ve done, and don’t want to get involved at all if it involves praising Rodolfo. I also found how every time in this section Eddie said something it was always directed at Marco and didn’t really want to talk to Rodolfo, sometimes even ignoring what he said. Eddie just wants to snap and put down anything good Rodolfo does, he seems to be just getting more anxious to tell him to shut up as you go on. Finally when Eddie and Marco are talking about oranges in Italy being painted, Rodolfo adds in how lemons are green. Eddie snaps â€Å"I know lemons are green, for Christ sake, you see them in the store they’re green sometimes. I said oranges they paint; I didn’t say nothing about lemons. † It seems from Eddie’s point of view that Rodolfo is just trying to make Eddie out to be a fool or less of a man. Eddie always seems to mock Rodolfo. They call him a â€Å"canary† and a â€Å"paper doll†. This all leads up to dramatic tension, for example eddies kiss with Catherine at the beginning of act two.

Oedipus: A Tragic Hero or Not? Essay

Oedipus is definitely a tragic hero. In Aristotle’s theory he talks about the ways you become a tragic hero. The first thing that happened to Oedipus is the ‘the reversal of fortune leading up to a final recognition’. In the story this happens man times, When he is a baby he was sent to the mountain to be killed which would be a misfortune. A shepherd comes up to the mountain and saves him by bringing him back to Corinth. Oedipus kills his biological father. Later in life Oedipus solves the riddle of the sphinx and becomes the town hero. The next thing that happens would be when Oedipus finds out that he married his mom and killed his father which was what he was trying to stay away from his whole life. Another trait that a Tragic Hero has is experiences heavy suffering. Oedipus suffers many times in this play. When Oedipus was on top of the mountain his parents put some type of metal pipe in his feet so he could not walk. Oedipus must have felt pain there. Emotional wise when he found out the king and queen of Corinth were not his parents he must have felt pain. When he found out he killed his biological father he must have felt pain and when he found his wife/mother hanging he felt pain. When Oedipus looks back at all the tragedies in his life you can see that he had heavy suffering throughout his entire life. The last thing that can be a characteristic of a tragic hero is when his misfortune is brought about by error of judgement. This also happens a lot in the story Oedipus Rex. The fist error of judgement in my opinion would be when Jocasta and her husband decide to put Oedipus on the mountain instead of killing him right on the spot. If they would have none of this would have happened. Another misfortune by error of judgement would be when he killed  his father. He and his gang of thugs killed the king and most of his men. Why did he have to do it? That death was cause for no real reason accept for money and he could have escaped the prophecy if he would have stopped killing for money. These are the errors of judgement in Oedipus Rex.

Human Resource Management Essay

Abstract Throughout the time of the course, Human Resource Management, we have been able to learn and use HR practices in everyday life. This paper has been put together using two case studies and eight chapters from the book, Managing Human Resources. The two case studies are based on Lincoln Electric Company and Southwest Airlines, the eight chapters include chapters 1 and 3 then chapters 7 through 12. As a group we have worked together to prepare each different chapter and we have used the cases to help develop our own Human Resource skills. This paper will demonstrate how as a group we were able to relate the case studies to different aspects that the Human Resource field covers. Chapter 1: Managing Human Resources Read the two cases at the end of this book regarding Lincoln Electric and Southwest Airlines. Then using Exhibit 1.1 as a guide, make an illustration that identifies the stakeholders of each company and shows the relative importance of each stakeholder to each company. To complete this assignment, you can gather your information materials in this chapter, the cases at end of the text, and from other sources, including newspapers, magazines, the internet, and your own experience. If you are unable to obtain information you feel is relevant, make assumptions based on your best judgment. Note any major assumptions you make. Southwest Airlines Lets elaborate on each stakeholder in more detail. First is suppliers which are Boeing Aircraft, airport, and the fuel companies. Boeing supplies the  airplane that they us which is the Boeing 737, the airport gates provide income for the company, and the fuel company of course supplies fuel. With all the different suppliers Southwest has to keep them in line with what they are trying to accomplish which is offer the best prices to its customers. Competitors are all the airplines at the airport. Southwest has to figure out a way to maintain a profit and still offer lower or same prices at the other airlines. They should always know what the competition is doing or offering. Customers are stakeholders in that they are the Shante’ Johnson  people who are buying the product and without them there is no business. Employees are important because they add value to the company. Employees are resources because they provide labor and help with production. Finally the enivornment/communtiy is a stakeholder because Southwest has plans in motion to help protect the resources they have and give back to the community. Southwest prides itself on being socially responsible and has done so by charity programs, recyling, and going green. They feel that if the community is on their side and supportive of them then they can prosper and be a household name. The Lincoln Electric Company Corporations like The Lincoln Electric Company are dependent on their customers. If they do not improve their relationship and offer the best for their guest the businesses might not be as successful. The customer makes it likely to for a company to attain its goals. LEC views it employees as being of importance because they are the heart of the company. They maintain production and their performance Shante’ Johnson  affects the company. LEC feels that it will do what is needed to make their employees happy so that they can keep producing results. Lastly I feel that LEC values the environment as a stakeholder in that it wants to come up with practice that will keep the environment safe and clean. They want to maintain a healthy environment for the community. They want to support communities in which they are located. Chapter 3: Ensuring Fair Treatment and Legal Compliance A. What evidence exists to demonstrate that each company manages employees fairly and legally? Southwest Airlines When reading about Southwest I feel that they treat their employees fairly and follow the legal procedures in obtaining their employees. Southwest like most companies value their employees and the work they do for the company. I found it interesting that Southwest renamed its HR department the People department. By changing the name of the HR department shows that they see the significance in people and the relationships that are involved with that. The article also says that Southwest puts time into hiring and interviewing applicants. I view that as they only want the best for their company and will use the resources needed to get the best. If that means interviewing 100 people for one job then so be it. If I was applying and knew that they only want the best and have measures in place that shows their support and care for employees I would want to work for them. Lincoln Electric At first when reading about LEC I thought they value their employees because they know their employees are the main reason they are able to be successful. Lincoln Electric recognizes that money is an incentive to employees and knows that by offering an incentive they can get the workers to be more productive. They understand that there was to be an honest relationship between employees and managers. There has to be a level of respect for each other. Lincoln Electric has HR Objectives that pertain to its employee; I am going to list three out of four of the objectives first is â€Å"to maintain and Shante’ Johnson  expand the Lincoln Incentive Management Philosophy, to recognize people as the company’s most valuable asset, and to promote training, education, and development that broaden employee skills† (Jackson, Schuler, Werner pg 563). I do not know many companies that have objectives written down for their employees. Having objectives in place to be followed by HR personnel is reassuring that they Lincoln Electric cares about its employees. As I continued to read about the company I found out they have a low turnover rate, but they keep their workers busy and focused on the task at hand. They also have no leisure time and many do not receive a break. I do not believe  that to be fair because if you are working a certain amount of hours a day you need a break. Also not having time to socialize with others I can picture the workplace being full of robots. People clocking in and doing their jobs and then clocking out and going home. B. Are there company practices at Southwest Airlines and/or Lincoln Electric that you would consider to be unfair? If so, which ones? Why? Southwest Airlines I will be honest is was hard finding a practice that was unfair but after much thought I find it unfair that when an applicant is being consider they may be asked to speak in front of a large group of people. If I am interviewing for a basic job that does not involved a lot of interaction with people why should speaking in front of a large group be a part of my applicant process. I also find it strange that Southwest will red flag an applicant that is flying in. I understand the idea of seeing how they behavior around others and handle certain situations, but they should also be notified that they may be watched. I also do not find it fair to judge an applicant before you even get to meet them. You cannot always take the opinion of others when making important decisions that can affect your company. I do like having others opinions and having them way in, but I do not want them to spy on an applicant. Lincoln Electric Shante’ Johnson Lincoln Electric included a dialogue of a few interviews they held and it immediately stood out to me that they were asking questions that are unfair and illegal. I do not find it professional to ask how much money did you make last year, what did you do with that money, and how do you feel about joining a union (just to name a few). Employers can get into trouble asking those questions because if someone is rejected they can sue based on the questions they were asked. I also do not think it is fair for management to have the authority to cut hours without any notice. Some employees’ livelihood depends on their job. If their hours are suddenly cut it does not give them time to put other plans into motion. I also feel that it makes the company look bad and can bring down employee morale. Chapter 7: Selecting Employees to Fit the Job and the Organization Describe,  evaluate, and compare the selection procedures used at these two companies. In preparing your answer, consider the following issues: A. The objectives of the selection process. Each company has a different selection process for job applicants and how the company selects its applicants is unique. Some companies may not have an intricate selection process; instead they just want to fill the absent position. However, this is not the case when Southwest Airlines or Lincoln Electric selects employees. Southwest Airlines believes that investing in recruiting should be a top priority for their company, and so it has become the goal to select applicants who will fit into the culture that Southwest has created instead of just filling a vacant position. Southwest wants to make sure they are hiring people who will be beneficial to the company instead of hiring someone quickly then the new employee not fit into the mold Southwest has created. In the case of Lincoln Electric, they do their selection process a little differently. Instead of going out and recruiting for all the open positions within the company Lincoln Electric instead only uses external recruitment in cases of entry level positions. Lincoln Electric has decided to fill all other open job positions internally, with those employees who have already been a part of the company. Since Lincoln is filling most job openings with people already employed within the company it shows that the company believes in the employees it has, and wants to help them grow individually as the company grows as well. B. The criteria used The criteria used in the selection process of new employees for Southwest Airlines and Lincoln Electric differ greatly between the two companies. The major criterion used for Southwest Airlines is attitude. Southwest’s selection process has strong roots in the attitudes of the job applicants. The company has selected five key predictors to see if the applicant’s attitude would blend well within Southwest. The predictors are: blend of energy, humor, team spirit, and self-confidence. It makes sense that Southwest wants to hire employees who would fit into the company culturethat way they can ensure positive and team work oriented attitude is kept within the company. The major criterion used for Lincoln Electric for filling positions is based on in house hiring, except for entry level positions. By giving employees notice of the open positions it can help keep the company culture the same, and is beneficial to keep employees and teach them new skills. When the company is able to teach employees new skills it helps build the different competencies they possess; different competencies can help make an employee more attractive to the organization instead of just one specific job title. This employee then becomes multi-functional. C. The techniques used to assess the competencies of job applicants. Southwest Airlines and Lincoln Electric have specific hiring techniques to assess the competencies of potential employees. Southwest uses three distinctive techniques to help figure out who will best fit the dynamic of the company. The first technique used is the personality test. The personality test helps â€Å"The People Department† get to know job applicants values and what type of personality he or she has. There are seven traits used: cheerfulness, optimism, decision making skills, team spirit, communication, self-confidence, and self-starter skills. The person being interviewed needs to receive a three or higher, on a scale from one to five, to move on to the next stage of the interview process. The next technique used would be the actual interview. Southwest looks to find people with great people skills, matching work experience, and people who are team players. Hiring people without these qualities would be a waste of time, considering that many of the jobs Southwest provides have to do with teamwork, helping people have a pleasant experience, and experience. The last technique is the most interesting, Southwest wants to make sure they hire people with a great attitude so they have managers jot down anything memorable about the applicant, good or bad, they give applicants special tickets on their flights so employees will know to observe them and their behavior, and they are also asked to speak in front of groups of people. However, the audience is also being evaluated along with the speaker; Southwest wants to see if the audience members are attentive and paying attention to who is speaking. Southwest wants to find people whose attitudes  fit in with current employees and the culture they’ve built together. Therefore their selection techniques are quite focused on the job applicant’s attitude and values. Lincoln Electric has kept a constant theme throughout their selection process. During the selection process, Lincoln Electric uses current employees to fill open positions; and they are able to find out if employees can take on a new position through the interview process. Lincoln does not use aptitude or psychological interviews; instead they focus on the personal aspects of the employees. There is a committee that is made up of supervisors and different vice presidents whom interview the different job applicants. Since the interviews are on a more personal level, the committee is looking for the correctperson who can perform the specified tasks and fit in with the new department. Although Lincoln Electric uses the committee to perform the interview process, the final selection is left up to the supervisor who is in charge of the department where the job opening is. D. The appar ent effectiveness of the selection process. The effectiveness of both companies selection process has been extremely effective. In the case of Southwest Airlines because of the friendly culture close to 90,000 people applied in the past few years. This many applicants can be overwhelming, but since the HR department is committed to only hiring those applicants who can fit into the company culture, they only hired 831 people. Due to the specific selection process and the use of different employees from the HR department, managers, and employees the turnover rate for Southwest is less than five percent. The employees of the company enjoy their jobs and the culture that they are involved with on a daily basis that the employees continue to work for Southwest for the long-term. Lincoln Electric’s selection process is as similarly successful as that of Southwest Airlines. Since Lincoln Electric fills openings in-house the company doesn’t experience a high turnover rate. Employees average around 18 years working with the company, and due to the in-house hiring process employees become more satisfied with their work because they are able to develop and move up in their career path. Putting faith in current employees to help build the  company from the ground level to top level, put trust in employees and thus employees trust Lincoln more and want to stay with the company longer. E. The roles and responsibilities of line managers, HR professionals, and other employees in each company. Each company has their own unique way of selecting the perfect job applicants to fill the needs of the company, and each company has proven to be successful in the selection process. But without the helpof HR professionals, line managers, and other employees the companies may not have had such smooth sailing. Southwest Airlines makes sure to include every level of employees to help choose new employees through their selection process. The HR professionals, or the â€Å"People Department†, work to set up and organize the different interviews and where they will be held, the HR professionals also distinguish what qualities are important to the company culture for job applica nts to be able to fit in. Line managers and employees are also involved, they are able to interact and speak with job applicants. By Southwest involving line managers and employees in the selection process, it shows how important the company culture is to the company. Having the line managers and employees involves also allows them to help select future employees that they will have to interact with on a daily basis. Lincoln Electric also involves HR professionals, line managers, and employees in the selection process. The HR professionals post the job openings on an internal job board and set up the interviews that will be conducted to find the right applicant. Line managers are involved in the selection process through interviews, and they ultimately have the final decision in who is hired to work in their department. Employee involvement is probably the most important part of the selection process. Employees are important because if they are not actively involved in applying for the open positions Lincoln Electric would not be able to fill the open job positions. Having the employees involved with filling the job positions is crucial to keeping the company on task and not having a lot of turnover. Chapter 8 – Training and Developing a Competitive Workforce A. For which company is training and development more important? In the case of Lincoln Electric and Southwest Airlines there is one company who puts more emphasis on training than the other. Southwest deeply involves new employees into the training process  much more than Lincoln Electric. In the production area of Lincoln Electric the employees are given on-the-job training that is over a short time period, and they are then expected to perform their duties  correctly. When it comes to sales jobs they receive on-the-job training at a plant, then they go to a regional sales office and receive more training while they are working. Lincoln Electric does not provide or pay for outside training, unless there is a specific need for the outside training. Even though Lincoln Electric does not spend a great deal of time with training, Southwest does. Southwest places a large emphasis on employees fitting in to their work culture so the company provides ample training in all aspects the employees will be involved in. There are seven different areas that new employees are trained in when entering the Southwest team. The areas include: Freedom-LUV-and You, Leadership 101, Leadership Southwest Style, Next Level Leadership, Power Speak, Successful Performance Appraisals, and Every Customer Matters. Unlike Lincoln, Southwest encourages employees to take full advantage of outside training whenever they can. Not only does Southwest train employees in their own respective fields, but they also train employees on the jobs of other employees who they will be working closely with. This type of training helps employees understand and better relate to those who they will be working with on a regular basis. Southwest provides an enormous amount of training for new employees, but they also continue development and training for existing employees as well. Once a year all employees are required to attend training programs that help reiterate the shared values throughout the company. B. Describe how the training and development activities in both companies are related to other HR activities. The training and development activities at Lincoln Electric also relate to other Human Resource activities that are involved within the company. The main human resource policy that fits well with the training and development of Lincoln Electric employees are the work assignments. The management teams at Lincoln Electric have the power to change or transfer the work assignments of current employees. In order to keep up with the changing of work assignments the training process can not be lengthy. The training that employees receive is on-the-job, so if a work  assignment changes they are able to be taught quickly on what their new responsibilities will be. In a company like Lincoln Electric the needs of consumers may change and having the ability to move workers assignments and provide sufficient on the job training helps the company keep up with the changing external factors the company faces. The training and development activities at Southwest Airlines are in direct correlation with their hiring and selection process. Southwest works particularly hard to find employees who exhibit the right attitude, who will fit in, and demonstrate the qualities that are important to the company culture. Since the time is spent to find the best employees to fit in, the company wants to invest into training them properly to become part of the Southwest team. The training Southwest provides its new employees is an extension of their selection process. Southwest does not hire employees just to fill positions accordingly the company wants to invest in the new hires to expand their abilities and qualities. Not only does Southwest want to connect the selection process to training and development for new employees, but training continues for existing employees too. Existing employees are encouraged to do outside training to improve their skills and knowledge. The company also requires a yearly training session to make sure that everyone is still operating with the same shared values throughout the company. The values in the training are the same values that the employees shared with Southwest Airlines from the time of their selection. Chapter 9 – Conducting Performance Management A. Compare Lincoln Electric and Southwest Airlines with respect to the major purposes of performance measurement and feedback. Which organization seems to be more concerned with traits? With behavior? With results? What uses does performance measurement serve in these two companies? Performance measurements and feedback are vital to the success and knowledge of Lincoln Electric and Southwest Airlines. Each company uses performance measurement tools to help gage the employees’ performance and where there is room for improvement. The performance measurement Lincoln Electric uses is based on a great deal of results and how the employees are performing their jobs and designated tasks. Employees and managers are evaluated on different  terms. Employees are evaluated twice a year, and their performance principles include: quality, dependability, ideas and cooperation, and output. Managers are evaluated on six different competencies: leadership/ownership, decision making and judgment, results orientation, teamwork/commitment, quality and customer focus, and creativity/innovation. When it comes to feedback managers at Lincoln Electric discuss the performance scores with employees and if necessary will provide recommendations. Once a year the company provides feedback based on performance and will also assist in performance improvement and development. Southwest Airlines focuses on results, but their main concern for employees is based on their traits and behavior. Southwest strives to have excellent customer service, as a result employees performance is measured on how well they are performing their jobs and handling the customer service aspect. The performance measures used help with building team cooperation instead of enticing competition between different departments. When managers evaluate employees, especially regarding customer service, they have to provide documentation of the events and how the employee performed. The manager cannot just give an outstanding score without regarding actual events that took place. Southwest Airlines contributes feedback to what they call â€Å"loving feedback†. â€Å"It celebrates successes, it lets people know how they’re doing, but it’s also honest†(Jackson, Schuler, and Werner, 2012). The feedback system for Southwest has two different objectives; first is the metrics level and second is the conversation, people to people level. The performance measurements used for both companies reflect the performance of employees and management. However, Lincoln Electric focuses more on the results that employees receive from their evaluations. Lincoln Electric does use the performance measurements to influence, whether it is an increase or reduction, in merit pay and the decisions of bonuses for employees. Not only do the results of the performance measurement affect if an employee receives merit pay or a bonus, the company uses the evaluations to fix warranty claim problems. In the case of a warrant claim the manager can trace the claim to the exact employee error made. When this happens the employee’s performance score may be reduced, or the worker may be required to repay the cost of  servicing the warranty claim by working without pay (Jackson, Schuler, and Werner, 2012). Southwest Airlines truly uses their performance measurement and feedback system to focus on the traits and behaviors of the employees. They want to show employees they value their work, and give them feedback that helps. Due to how concerned Southwest is to give employees a meaningful experience, employees would rather hear negative feedback and performance ratings than hearing nothing at all. At least by hearing the negative feedback they have something to work towards and improve on to make themselves better. B. For Lincoln Electric, how well do the performance criteria fit the company’s strategic objectives? Identify any potential sources of deficiency and contamination in the company’s performance measures. For the most part Lincoln Electric fulfills two out of the four HR Objectives that the company has deemed to be important. Those two are: to maintain and expand the Lincoln Incentive Management Philosophy and To maintain an affirmative action program, and provide employees with opportunities for advancement commensurate with their abilities and performance regardless of race, religion, national origin, sex, age, or disability (Jackson, Schuler, and Werner, 2012). There are two other objectives that I do not believe Lincoln Electric is taking enough advantage of when using their performance criteria. Two objectives include: recognizing people as the company’s most valuable asset and promoting the training, education, and development to broaden the employee skills. Lincoln Electric only provides on-the-job training and they do not pay for or encourage outside training, unless the need is absolutely necessary. Not only do they only offer on-the-job training, when performance results are released twice a year, the employees only receive coaching and performance improvement development once a year. Lincoln Electric should at least offer the coach and performance improvement directly after each performance evaluation and feedback term. By not investing in the training and education of employees they are not fulfilling that particular objective. Also, when an employee’s performance is bad, management punishes the employee instead of taking the time to find out what went wrong in the making of an item. There might have been something the employee didn’t understand. Not taking the time to discuss and figure the source of the  issues doesn’t show that Lincoln sees people as the company’s most valuable asset. Especially, when a mistake happens, their performance score is reduced and they have to fix the problem without receiving pay. C. Compare the sources of performance information used at Lincoln Electric and Southwest Airlines. Would you recommend that these organizations use 360-degree appraisals? Why or why not? Each company has a different way of evaluating their employees to find out how they performing and if they need any help or training. When looking at the sources of how Southwest evaluates their employees’ performance I do not think they need to use 360-degree appraisals. The company focuses different aspects that affect the employees individually and what teams they are a part of collectively. Southwest’s â€Å"performance management also reflects how we value our employees†(Jackson, Schuler, and Werner, 2012). Southwest effectively measures the performance of employees and the teams they are on, this type of performance measurement promotes cooperation between employees instead of employees  trying to compete to be the best. Southwest prides itself on teamwork, so when something goes wrong it isn’t just one individual’s fault, the company examines what different departments were effected to make this problem, and as a team they fix the problem. When examining the performance measurements of Lincoln Electric, I do believe that the company could benefit from implementing 360-degree appraisal performance measurement. Lincoln Electric employees are evaluated by their department manager, and employees help establish the goals that the managers are performance evaluations are based on. 360-degree appraisals would be able to give employees and managers more evaluations to work with. This type of appraisals uses supervisors, subordinates, peers, and employees to evaluate performance. The people chosen to evaluate the employee or manager are not random either, they are people who work with the employee on a regular basis and who know how well this individual does with his or her job. When Lincoln Electric is only using a manager to evaluate the employees, the manager may be bias and not give each employee a fair evaluation. However, when using 360-degree appraisals it is hard for one individual to sway the evaluation when there are multiple people working to evaluate the employee properly. â€Å"Multiple-source evaluations are perceived as being more fair, reliable, and  valid than single-source approaches†(Jackson, Schuler, and Werner, 2012). The 360-degree appraisal process may benefit Lincoln Electric when fulfilling their HR objective of recognizing people as the company’s most important asset as well. By having more than one person involved with the performance measurements, employees may gain a better since of how important they are to the company overall. Chapter 10: Developing an Approach to Total Compensation The purpose of an organization’s total compensation is to provide sufficient incentive and recognition to attract and retain the right people for the right positions within the organization and for those hired, to remain engaged within the organization and perform at their best ability. It has been proven that by having the right â€Å"employee fit† will improve motivation and productivity, resulting ultimately in a more content workforce and increased retention and tenure. Establishing a solid and competitive total compensation package contributes to employee retention, which happens to be one of the greatest â€Å"concerns of employers today, with 59 percent of those surveyed worried about losing their best employees to competitors and 67 percent concerned about the difficulty of finding skilled labor.† (Taylor, 2013) Total compensation not only refers to an employee’s salary, benefits, and other monetary rewards, it also factors in non-monetary rewards as well. There are four strategic objectives, tied directly to total compensation that should be considered when establishing an organization’s total compensation. These include: 1) Attracting, motivating, and retaining the talent required for a sustainable competitive advantage; 2) Focusing the energy of employees on implementing the organization’s particular competitive strategy; 3) Improving productivity; and 4) Cost containment. (Jackson, Schuler, & Werner, 2012) 1. Compare and contrast the two companies on the following: a. The objectives of their total compensation practices As communicated in Lincoln Electrics Employees’ Handbook (Lincoln Electric Company), as well as in the text case study (Jackson, Schuler, & Werner, 2012), Lincoln Electric’s compensation practice is premium total compensation for premium overall performance. â€Å"The key elements of premium  total compensation are base pay and bonus. Premium performance is your individual performance as well as Lincoln Electric’s performance. When you meet or exceed your goals and the Company meets or exceeds its business goals, the result is premium total compensation for premium overall performance.† (Lincoln Electric Company) The company’s objective is to â€Å"reward employees through recognition, pay for  performance, and by sharing profits with incentive bonus compensation based on extraordinary achievement as a means of motivation.† (Jackson, Schuler, & Werner, 2012) Base pay for Lincoln’s employees is determined by salary surveys comparabl e to the salaries of similar jobs in the Cleveland area, comparing externally as well as internally, through job evaluation and adjusting quarterly to ensure the salaries remain aligned accordingly. Job evaluation and continuous/comparative review is important to the organization’s position alignment and the employees’ total compensation. Base pay can be earned by either piecework pay, hourly pay or salary pay dependent on the type of position and classification of the job within the organization. In addition to the base pay received, Lincoln’s eligible employees have the opportunity to receive a portion of the company’s annual profits as incentive bonuses. These year-end profit sharing bonuses are proportional to the individual’s merit scores. The Board of Directors determines if there will be a bonus payout and dictates the amount to be distributed. It will only be paid out if the company was able to earn a profit for the year. The individual pay outs and employee shares are based on the individuals’ pay and performance during the year. A successful year for the company results in a shared portion of its success with the employees, rewarding them for their part in earning the profit. Southwest Airlines overall objective of their compensation program is â€Å"to promote and reward productivity and dedication to the overall success of the Company and to thereby also support the company’s overarching objective of attaining reasonable profits on a consistent basis and preserving job security. The development of a more performance-oriented compensation structure is intended to support and reinforce the factors management believes are most relevant to the company’s success.† (Commission, 2011) Southwest’s  employees’ total compensation is relatively equivalent to other airlines, given the nature of the type of labor required of the industry. Labor costs account for 35% of Southwest’s overall expenses, with 83% of these positions falling into, and controlled by, collective bargai ning agreements (union positions). Although Southwest’s base pay structure has been at or below the market and operates in an industry where other entities dominate the bargaining power, this low-fare/no-frills airline has maintained a productive workforce through its total compensation offerings of â€Å"numerous opportunities to share in company success through variable pay programs, including profit sharing and a stock purchase plan.† (Jackson, Schuler, & Werner, 2012, p. 579) Given Southwest’s continuous success over the years, these offerings of lucrative buyout plans to highly compensated employees and different variable pay programs, such as profit sharing and stock purchase plans have been extremely attractive to its workforce. Allowing and encouraging their employees to do what is necessary to satisfy the customer, empowers and motivates them, resulting in a greater level of job satisfaction and retention, therefore, increased customer satisfaction and company profits. The profit sharing plan offered by Southwest was the first of its kind in the airline industry and is directly tied to a defined contribution plan, encouraging a long-term employment relationship with its employees. Owning approximately 80% of the company’s stock, employees also recognize the advantages of Southwest’s stock purchase plan, offered to them only at a discounted stock share rate. â€Å"Their monetary gains are closely tied to the company’s financial future.† (Jackson, Schuler, & Werner, 2012, p. 587) In addition to the above stated company’s total compensation offerings, Southwest Airlines also uses recognitions to reward their employees. â€Å"The awards in these programs and others are given to employees who perform at a high level consistent with Southwest’s strategy and culture, and they can come in the form of plaques, monetary payments, photos taken during the awards ceremony, photos of the award winner with the CEO, and m entioned in the company newsletter.† (Jackson, Schuler, & Werner, 2012, p. 587) b. The role of total compensation in achieving a competitive advantage Lincoln achieves a competitive advantage through its piecework pay, shared profits incentive bonuses, as well as job security and guaranteed employment. These elements gave Lincoln employees a sense of ownership in the company. The company’s goal was fulfilling the customer’s needs and therefore, recognized that â€Å"employee performance and productivity are the means by which this goal can best be achieved†. This belief led to the company’s commitment that â€Å"the earnings of each must be in accordance with accomplishment. If money is to be used as an incentive, the program must provide that what is paid to the worker is what he has earned.† (Jackson, Schuler, & Werner, 2012, p. 562) This company attitude and total compensation plan empowered its workforce to work harder and smarter; resulting in little to no employee turnover, employee compensation that is almost twice that of other comparable job families in the same Cleveland area, and a work force that sees themselves as part of an organization with executives and leadership that takes care of its employees. In some ways similar to Lincoln, Southwest Airlines maintains its competitive advantage through its compensation of base salary, profit sharing and stock purchase plans, as well as, short/long term incentives and annual incentive bonuses. As promoted by Southwest’s website â€Å"Our people are our single greatest strength and most enduring long-term competitive advantage.† (Kelly, 2014) In order to have a competitive advantage over its competitors, a firm must have the ability to obtain/sustain profits/benefits that exceed the average for others within its industry. As stated earlier, Southwest was â€Å"the first to introduce a profit sharing plan in the airline industry.† (Jackson, Schuler, & Werner, 2012, p. 586) Another strategic business initiative and example that contributed to the company’s competitive advantage was through the introduction of the 10-year pilot contract agreement of 1995. Specifically, during the first five years, the pilot wages w ould not change, then five years following, the pilots got the stock option of the company and annual salary would increase by 3 %. â€Å"This kind of salary strategy combined economic interests of the pilot with the interests of the shareholders of the company (if share prices rise, both sides would profit), so the company added value. Italso helped southwest airlines to provide tourists frequently and economic flight to tourist, and won the competition advantage. This kind of salary strategy is hard to be imitated by competitors.† (Zheng, 2012) c. The pay mix and employee’s reactions to the pay mix As stated earlier, the pay mix for Lincoln Electric consists of base wages (piecework pay, hourly pay and salary pay) and bonuses. The piecework system adopted by Lincoln Electric is based on some fundamental principles including: 1) Rewards employee for what is done rather than for how much time is spent on the job (more productive employees who meet quality standards = greater compensation than those who are less productive); 2) Changes in piecework prices will be made as changes in equipment, method, layout, procedure, tooling, design or materials are made; 3) Group piecework is interdependent, and the cost of the job is limited by the bottleneck or the slowest operation in the line; 4) All Lincoln employees guarantee their quality and workmanship; 5) Pieceworkers are paid only for production that meets Lincoln’s quality standards. Production of scrap or defective parts will be taken into account during merit rating. Hourly and salaried employees’ base pay is determined by means of â€Å"benchmarking†, comparing the base pay for a sampling of jobs at Lincoln to the base pay of similar jobs in other companies of the same industry. â€Å"The bonus plan has been the cornerstone of the Lincoln management system, and recent bonuses have approximated annual wages. Bonuses have averaged about 90 percent of annual wages and the individual bonuses are proportionate to merit rating scores.† (Jackson, Schuler, & Werner, 2012, p. 560 & 570) Lincoln Electric’s employees’ reaction to the pay mix of the company is very supportive and positive. Based on five employee interviews, all five expressed their satisfaction with the compensation received. Each of the employee’s interviewed acknowledged that their salaries exceeded those of employees in similar jobs within the Cleveland area, considering themselves fortunate and better off financially due to their positions with Lincoln Electronic. Most also stated that the greatest advantage of working for  Lincoln was the compensation or the amount of money they can make (base, incentives/bonuses, stock dividends). They mentioned that they â€Å"didn’t  believe they could make this type of money anywhere else†. As mentioned previously, most of the employees in the airline industry are union employees, controlled by bargaining units and union contracts. In addition to the hourly base pay employees (typically at or below market), Southwest’s pay mix also offers opportunities to share in the company through variable pay programs (profit sharing and stock purchase plans). Mentioned previously, this mix has proven attractive by employees, as well as competitors, with attempts of mimicking in the airline industry. Unlike many of its competitors, however, Southwest is a low-fare, no-frill airline. Rewards and/or perks such as cars, club memberships, etc., are not awarded to the company officers at Southwest, maintaining lower costs to the company and ultimately higher profits to be shared. Although this pay mix has maintained attractive for many years, its future is questionable due to the acquisition and future integration of AirTran. I am not certain that this lean airline machine will be able to continue to remain as â€Å"lean† and profitable as they have been given the competitiveness and external threats of this industry. 2. Which approach to compensating employees would you prefer? Why? The compensation structure I find more desirable would be that similar to the pay mix exercised by Lincoln Electronic. Although I believe it is dependent on the type of industry you are in, I prefer a compensation plan or structure with more internal controls. I find the Lincoln pay mix to be one of which there are more â€Å"internal controls† over. As a manager, I believe it also encourages a more team-centric approach to the workforce and empowers employees at all levels to push themselves and to be accountable for the compensation they receive. The Lincoln Elect rics plan allows its employees to be part of the big picture, a more wholesome contribution approach and one of which is always looking at improving the process and making a better product overall. Given the employees level of contribution  and sense of ownership, there seems to also be a higher level of dedication and pride, pushing their capabilities to the limit†¦benefiting everyone in the end. Chapter 11: Using Performance-Based Pay to Achieve Strategic Objectives 1. Compare and contrast the approaches to performance-based pay used by Lincoln Electric and Southwest Airlines. Overall, which plan do you  think is more effective? Why? Lincoln Electric’s compensation approach is predominantly based on employees’ performance. Employees’ rewards are heavily monetary in nature (i.e., annual bonuses/incentives based on piecework). As expressed by many interviewed, the harder and more efficient you work, the greater the pay and/or incentives awarded. Employees’ salaries are directly impacted by their level of performance. Although Southwest Airlines does reward their employees based on their performance, most of the rewards received are non-monet ary and company culture driven. Some of non-monetary rewards identified include luncheons, plaques, photos taken with VPs, making mention of success in the company newsletter, etc. The ultimate objective of Southwest’s performance-based recognition is to â€Å"create a sense of family and mission†. (Jackson, Schuler, & Werner, 2012, p. 582) Based on my review of the successes from each of these companies in their respective industries, I would conclude that each plan is effective, relative to their performance in their industry. To determine which performance-based plan is more effective, I believe consideration needs to be given to the type of industry and employee it is supporting. The effectiveness determined is also affected by how their employees perceive and/or measure their level of job satisfaction. Obviously, Lincoln attracts a compensation-driven workforce (i.e., sales), while Southwest attracts more cohesive and cooperative relationships between employee groups that seek to be recognized publicly and through other means than only monetary sources. 2.Lincoln Electric is gradually moving toward using a more traditional approach to pay, putting less emphasis on earnings at risk. What strategic objectives would lead the company to conclude that a more traditional approach to pay may be more effective than their present practices? A more traditional approach to pay would be more effective for Lincoln Electronic as they continue to become more global and publically owned. As Lincoln’s interest in globalization continues to grow, so does the need for additional funding and profits to support this expansion. This reallocation requirement of profits, currently used to pay bonuses and incentives to employees, therefore supports the changed focus toward global expansion. As the public ownership of Lincoln continues to grow, their focus needs to  expand beyond that of just the employees and begin to include all stakeholders, of which are contributing to the successful expansion of the organization. Chapter 12: Providing Benefits and Services 1. What are the objectives of each company’s approach to benefits and services? Lincoln Electric’s benefit program includes several components to include a retirement annuity program, 401(k) plan, stock purchase plan, flexible benefits program, medical, dental, life & disability programs, as well as flexible spending and health savings accounts. An additional benefit offered by the company includes a paid vacation during the company’s seasonal shutdown, regardless of the employees’ tenure with the company. Based on no layoffs since WWII, as well as comments noted by the interviews in the case study, employees feel a sense of job security, loyalty and satisfaction to Lincoln Electric and the benefits and services the company offers. The objective of their benefits and services is to offer an attractive and beneficial plan to their employees, maintaining competitive advantage and employee retention, resulting in a more experienced and tenured staff. More challenging to that of Lincoln’s approach to benefits and services is the benefits and services offered by Southwest Airlines. Due to their focus to provide a more employee-centric benefits package, continually surveying their employees to determine what their employees value, they have implemented a flexible plan that allows the company to change as frequently as needed to maintain its attractiveness to top applicants in a competitive industry, as well as retain their valuable employees, â€Å"their most valuable asset†. Southwest’s objective in â€Å"hiring the best people and knowing how to find†¦and treat them† (Jackson, Schuler, & Werner, 2012, p. 577) requires a solid, attractive and competitive benefits package, including job security, in an industry that is not typically known to be competitive in this area. 2. How well do the benefits and services packages serve the business objectives and the needs of the employees? Which package would you prefer? Explain why. Although the benefits and services package offered to Lincoln Electric’s employees is satisfactory and competitive to other similar companies, the interviews held expressed the employees’ main reason for job  satisfaction rests with the compensation package, with minimal comments regarding the benefits offered. Southwest employees, however, have experienced and expressed a greater level of satisfaction with the benefits and services offered by their employer. Having a broader, more wide-range of offerings in their benefits package to full-time and part-time employees, it allows the company to meet its objective in attracting the best applicants and caring for their most valuable asset†¦its people. Although both benefits and services packages offered by Lincoln and Southwest provide excellent job security, I would personally prefer the package offered by Lincoln, as opposed to Southwest. Southwest may offer a more employee friendly and focused benefits package, however, its flexibility and potential for change seems more appropriate for a younger workforce that has not yet established loyalty to their employer, with the intention of long-term employment. Therefore, as a middle aged employee myself,   my benefits focus and interest lies with a package that can offer more long-term and stable incentives such as employee stock purchase and pension plans, as well as a promising and reliable retirement plan. 3. Could Southwest Airlines adopt the approach to benefits and services used at Lincoln Electric? If so, what would be the advantages and disadvantages for Southwest Airlines of adopting this approach? Be sure to consider how various stakeholders would be affected by such a change. I would not suggest nor support Southwest Airlines adopting the benefits and services packages used by Lincoln Electric. Southwest gains their competitive advantage in their industry through their benefits package, whereas Lincoln does so through their compensation package. Therefore, my reasons supporting the lack of confidence in Southwest’s adoption of like benefits and services to Lincoln’s is because I don’t feel that Southwest’s compensation package is as strong as Lincoln’s in their respective industries. By adopting a similar benefits and services package as Lincoln’s, Southwest may lose their competitive advantage for attracting top talent. Additionally and as stated earlier, Lincoln’s benefit package is geared toward retention and catered to a tenured workforce, which is not the objective of Southwest Airlines. The need to continually bring young, energetic and new talent  into the firm requires an employee friendly and flexible plan that is focused more on short term advantages and offerings, as opposed to long-term. â€Å"Southwest seeks to reduce labor costs† (Jackson, Schuler, & Werner, 2012, p. 579) and by doing so, implementing a strong, attractive, but flexible benefits and services plan allows them to meet this reduced labor cost objective, while continuing to bring in new talent and maintain their company’s goal to remain a low-fare, no-frill airline. Works Cited Commission, U. S. (2011). Definitive Proxy Statement – Southwest Airlines Co. Washington DC: Southwest Airlines Co. Jackson, S. E., Schuler, R. S., & Werner, S. (2012). Managing Human Resources. Mason, OH: South-Western. Kelly, G. (2014). Southwest.com. Retrieved from About Southwest: https://www.southwest.com/html/about-southwest/ Lincoln Electric Company. (n.d.). Employees’ Handbook. Lincoln Electric Company – The Welding Experts. Human Resource Services. Retrieved from www.lincolnconnect.com/pdfs/wise/employee_handbook.pdf Taylor, T. C. (2013, November 12). Compensation Today. Retrieved from Communicating Total Compensation to Employees in a Meaningful Way: http://www.payscale.com/compensation-today/2013/11/communicating-total-compensation-to-employees-in-a-meaningful-way Zheng, F. (2012). Research on Enterprise Competitive Advantage Based on the Total Compensation Strategy. Communications in Information Science and Management Engineering, 28-29.

Greek Philosophy Essay

What Is Philosophy? †¢Philosophy : The studies of Greco-Roman thinkers on activities and inquiries. It is also the rational investigation of the truths and principles of being, knowledge, or conduct. †¢Philosophy focuses on three main types: †¢Stoicism †¢Skepticism †¢Epicurean †¢Philosophy consists of these philosophical areas: †¢Metaphysics †¢Materialism †¢Idealism †¢Epistemology †¢Empiricism †¢Rationalism †¢Ethics †¢Hedonism †¢Cynicism Three Main Types Stoicism †¢Refers to the knowledge of Aristotle o†Mind is a blank state, impressions are made by the 5 senses. † †¢Stoics deny the metaphysical points of view. oReal objects produce intense feelings. oThe body and soul are pairs that act and react to each other. Skepticism †¢Examines as to what someone should believe- derived from Plato’s schooling †¢Objections on skepticism: oIts commitment to knowledgeable limitation is nonexistent. oIf knowledge is limited and judgment is not expressed, life is presumed unlivable. Epicurean †¢Formulated by Epicurus who believed philosophy was studied to make the soul happy. †¢Happiness created with less wanting of materialistic things and more peace. Philosophical Areas Metaphysics †¢Branch of philosophy accountable for the study of existence. oAnswers â€Å"what is? † †¢The foundation of philosophy oWithout metaphysics, we would not be able to comprehend the world or act accordingly to it. Materialism †¢Refers to the simple focus of the material world. o†Everything in the universe is matter and matters. † †¢The philosophy is held by those who believed that material items are accountable for existence. Idealism †¢Stresses the central ideal and spiritual interpretations of experiences. oThey believe world exists as a spirit †¢Two forms: oMetaphysical idealism oEpistemological idealism Epistemology †¢The investigation of grounds and nature of knowledge of the world. oFocuses on the knowledge of differences between truths and falsehood. †¢Fundamental aspect to how we think. Empiricism †¢Theory of experience as primary source to our knowledge of the world. oLearning through perception. †¢Classical empiricism oRejection of innate, in-born knowledge and concepts †¢Radical empiricism oExplains that all our knowledge is derived from our senses. †¢Moderate empiricism oDescribes the exceptions to general empiristic rules. Rationalism †¢Philosophical movement that introduced mathematical methods to philosophy. oCan be understood through mathematical and logical  principles, not sensory experiences. Ethics †¢Branch of philosophy dealing with what is the proper action for humans. oAnswers â€Å"What do I do? † †¢Requirement for human life, decides course of action. Hedonism †¢Doctrine that states that all pleasure is naturally acceptable- good for the soul. †¢Nothing but pleasure is good. Cynicism †¢Described as a way of life, which consists of asceticism, anti-conformism, and anti-conventionalism. †¢Basis of cynicism is the virtue of well being and a happy life. Philosophers Socrates †¢Possibly the wisest sage of all time †¢Contributions to philosophy: oPithy sayings. oSocratic method of discussion o†Socratic† irony oSocratic method- saying he knows nothing and that unexamined life is not worth living †¢Participated in the military during the Peloponnesian War. oCommitted suicide by ingesting poison hemlock. Plato Fun fact: Plato is not his original name- it’s Aristocles, but was later changed to Plato by his teachers †¢Considered the most important philosopher to have ever lived- father of Idealism. †¢Thought the human soul contained reason, spirit, and appetite. †¢Student and follower of Socrates. †¢Impacted math, science, morals, and political theories with his  Legacy of the Academy schooling. Aristotle †¢Student of Plato, teacher of Alexander the Great. †¢Wrote on logic, nature, psychology, ethics, politics, and art. †¢Developed deductive reasoning. †¢Basis: Aristotle’s syllogism †¢Church used Aristotle to explain doctrines in the Middle Ages. Concept of â€Å"Prime Element † †¢Thales – Attempted to find naturalistic explanations of the world; identified â€Å"water† as the ultimate principle. †¢Pythagoras – Creator of Pythagorean Theorem; believed â€Å"earth† was what encompassed all beings. †¢Anaximenes – Explained how â€Å"air† was universally present and is the source of all that exists. †¢Heraclitus – Disagreed with aforementioned philosophers and claimed â€Å"fire† was the classical element. †¢Empedocles – Created the cosmogenic theory that composed of the four classical elements: water, earth, fire, and air. Bibliography †¢http://www. philosophybasics. com/movements_rationalism. html †¢http://www. importanceofphilosophy. com/Ethics_Main. html †¢http://philosophy. lander. edu/ethics/hedonism. html †¢http://dictionary. reference. com/browse/philosophy%20? s=t †¢http://ancienthistory. about. com/cs/people/p/aristotle. htm †¢http://ancienthistory. about. com/od/platoprofile/p/Plato. htm †¢http://ancienthistory. about. com/od/socratesbio/p/Socrates. htm †¢http://www. historyforkids. org/learn/greeks/philosophy/ †¢http://webspace. ship. edu/cgboer/athenians. html †¢http://webspace. ship. edu/cgboer/greeks. html †¢http://philosophy. gr/ †¢http://philosophy. gr/hellinistic/cynics. htm †¢http://www. newworldencyclopedia. org/entry/Greek_philosophy,_A ncient †¢http://www. livius. org/gi-gr/greeks/philosophers. html †¢http://www. historyforkids. org/learn/greeks/philosophy/ †¢http://www. historyforkids. org/learn/philosophy/epicureans. htm †¢http://www. iep. utm. edu/stoicmind/ †¢http://www. iep. utm. edu/skepanci/.

A Few Good Man Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A Few Good Man - Movie Review Example ges to prove the presence of Code Red, â€Å"an extrajudicial punishment† for dissenting officers, but there is a setback when it is proved that Dawson was absent when the code red order was made. As the movie ends, Colonel Jessup contradicts his testimony and angrily justifies his actions that led to the death of Santiago. Jessup is arrested, while Downey and Dawson are found guilty of unbecoming conduct of a marine and discharged dishonorably. A Few Good Men touches on military justice and demonstrates how military honor and competence is suborned by authorities. Dawson and Downey were treated fairly in A Few Good Men as they were cleared of murder and Jessup was arrested for giving the code red order on Santiago. Dawson and Downey were following orders dictated by their code on abiding to a unit, corps, God, and country in the course of duty (Sorkin, 1990, p. 32). However, they followed orders from their superiors, including Colonel Jessup, but did not regard their duty to protect those not in a position to protect themselves leading to their dishonorable discharge. There was unfairness by the justice system in choice of attorney, willingness to make plea, and choice of prosecutor. Instances exist where the judicial system treated the accused differently as they were going against the word of powerful people. The first instance is assigning the Santiago case to Kaffee and Moore despite their proven inexperience in courtrooms and Kaffee best known for settling cases regardless of guilt, innocence, or the opinion of accused. The other instance is that Downey and Dawson were investigated by military that set up the justice system through appointing the attorneys and presided over the prosecution, which is a violation of their right to fair treatment. The other difference was through instructing Kaffee to plea on behalf of the accused to avoid getting the case to trial. This is evidenced by the prosecutor cautioning him that not pleading was a risk to his

Supercapacitors applications , environmental issues and safety Essay

Supercapacitors applications , environmental issues and safety - Essay Example It is also ecofriendly as opposed to the two. Super capacitors are therefore increasingly becoming more probable solutions over both of them in some occasions INTRODUCTION The demand for environmentally friendly energy is ever growing in this globe of rapidly advancing technology. This is mostly so in the developed nations and more so in the scientific frontier. This has led to the technology of capacitors being refined with the aim of storing more energy in devices so that the lesser environmentally friendly storage products like batteries are facing out. This progress has led to the birth of major adorable devices. Electric double layer capacitor, better known as a super capacitor, is one such device. Super capacitors are also by many other names for instance ultra-capacitors and electric double layer capacitors. Super capacitors are capacitors with high capacitance of greater value compared to the capacitors currently available in the market. It exhibits values of up to close to 4 00 F in a standard size of a single capacitor. This is achieved through utilization of high surface area electrode materials coupled alongside very thin electrolytic dielectrics. Its first appearance is dated back to close to 2004. Its first application was in 2005 where it was first used in robots and later in Airbuses. Its technology registered within this period was so rapid that is application and market grew so fast. This paper reviews the applications of super capacitors and environmental impact of super capacitors. Super capacitors and the environment Toxicity Super capacitors have no heavy metals in its composing components. This is a big relief when is compared to the batteries which also serve the same purpose as this type of capacitor. Lead batteries have metals like lead making their exposure to the environment hazardous given the toxicity of lead. Some super capacitors use a liquid salt to act as its electrolyte. This liquid is environmentally friendly. On top of that, they have the capability to use electrolytes in the blood further displaying their capability of using common place materials that have totally no harm on the environment. It is approximated that most super capacitors use coconut shells as powdered activated carbon. This is a very environmentally friendly activated carbon with no environmental threat at all. Even when heated or exploded, the emissions are harmless as they majorly contain water contained in the electrolyte. Recycle ability By virtue of being rechargeable, the super capacitors reduces the amount of waste being churned out to the environment however biodegradable. This in turn reduces the environmental pollution. During its entire lifetime of charging and recharging there are no wastes discharged to the environment. Safety The talk of safety is never complete without the consideration of the risks of a product to the user. Even when overcharged, the super capacitor does not explode as the conventional capacitor or batt ery would. This ensures that the users and handlers of any gadget remain safe even if they forgot to stop its charging in recommended time. Applications By virtue of its numerous advantages, super capacitors are fast gaining popularity in the design of electronic gadgets. The table below contains most of its applications and the role super capacitors play in those gadgets. APPLICATION FUNCTION Mobile phones Real-time Back up Personal

Case Assignment (Business Ethics) Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Assignment (Business Ethics) - Case Study Example However in that process, they engaged themselves into practices which may not be termed as ethical in nature. The various issues which have been discussed in the article points towards various ethical lapses in the organization on systematic, organization and individual level. From the information provided in the Case study, there are various ethical issues involved in this case. A closer look at the facts would suggest that the company has a good past record where the employee relationship, cleanliness, good work practices were dominating forces within the organization however, the consolidation in the industry coupled with recession saw the tide turning as most of the meat processors in the country focused on improving their profitability which eventually resulted into cost cutting and a compromises on the quality of the meat produced as well as the internal work practices within those organizations. Further the whole situation with specific regard to the company changed when the ownership of the company changed forcing it to go through a change which was really painful not for the employees only but for the overall health of the organization also. The systems and procedures put in place within the organization suggest that there is a more stress on ensuring that the meat processing plants meet the targets of processing meat every day. In order to achieve the same, the systems and procedures within the organization was horrible as the processing of meat was done according to the standards. The health standards were not meet. This violation has further deteriorated the systems and procedures within the organization to a point where no proper standard operating procedures were put in place in terms of better work procedures. Blood usually were not been washed away every day. The assembly line was stuffed with lot of work to process i.e. approximately 400 cows per hour which greatly hampered the quality as more toxin materials were used to be split over the meat or piercing of other toxic organs of the cows resulting into their splitting over the meat seriously points towards the fact that on systematic level, there were lot of et hical issues which needed to be addressed. In order to correct the issues related with the systematic ethics, organization need to revamp its procedures. The assembly lines should be widened in order to lessen the work load on the existing employees so that the procedures can be performed efficiently, effectively by taking into account all the health related measures. One of the biggest disadvantages with the company is the fact its procedures do not allow the element of health of the consumers of its products to take precedence in deciding how the meat should be processed. Rather the focus is on generating volumes at the cost of health of the consumers. The operating procedures therefore need to revise in order to make them more ethical. Apart from that the overall hiring standards, employee relationships , the attitude of the line managers suggest that too much stress is being laid on unethical procedures where most of the time, migrants are

Quicksand, Identity, and Women's Experience Essay

Quicksand, Identity, and Women's Experience - Essay Example The thesis also tries to compare the work with a similar novel by Larsen which is more or less of the same concept. It then concludes by taking into consideration the criticism in both novels. The thesis shows how both novels portray female characters in three dimensions: they are original, capable of independence, and have a common tragic fate. Class, Race, and Gender in â€Å"Quicksand† â€Å"Quicksand† explores the ways women’s identities are represented through the struggle of Helga to find her place in the contemporary society. She struggles against sexual objectification and exploitation. Through Helga’s fight for sexual autonomy, the book illustrates two stereotypes of African American females which prevail throughout the literature. The novel depicts limitations of stereotypes held across Europe and the United States. The stereotypes’ pervasiveness is conveyed via constant change of settings. For instance, it criticizes reactionary stereotyp es that treated sex with reticence and caution to counterbalance literary and social myths about sexuality of the black women. Helga flees and faces assimilationism and school internalized racism. In Harlem, the novel exposes how the white culture exploits the culture of African American. Helga flees again as she fears sexual objectification. ... The stereotypes were shaped and established by African females in the US (French and Allyson 453). Women who were enslaved were denied their humanity and stripped off their race due to lack of autonomy. The rape legacy contributed to the ruthless exploitation female slaves, which totally deprived African American women of their sexuality. â€Å"Quicksand† connects the dehumanization and exploitation of black women’s sexuality with objectification and exploitation of African American women in the culture of Harlem renaissance. In the primitivism of e Harlem Renaissance, one can see that the USA denied African Americans their identity via enslavement. Celebration of African roots is emphasized as a way differ The Afro-Americans displayed as uncorrupted have become a metaphor. The novel illustrates the prevalence of stereotypes via Helga’s internalizing them. She rates her intelligence to be different from African American race. For instance, Helga while in Harlem v iewed the patrons of African American descent as jungle creatures. Helga felt that being white separated her from the situation of distorted childishness (Nella 59). This novel contests this setting’s unreality and illustrates the cabaret situation in the context of a broader society. Trying to adjust to the life in Harlem, Helga learns that she is an outsider and she is keen of the whites’ dominance which has an intention of intruding cabaret scene. This situation plays out the fear in Helga by personification of the taxi cabs like cabaret dancers, displaying their movements (58). Helga fears that primitive cabaret is in low esteem in the society of the white. Otherwise, they will not pay attention to the African American, which will lead to

Zadie Smiths White Teeth Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Zadie Smiths White Teeth - Essay Example The author reflects on the multifaceted impact that cultural history can have on identity thus examining the masculine experience. The story revolves around the generational evaluation of masculinity and the altering of the social codes to insist that there is not always a solution to the dilemma of constituting the gender and cultural identity. Similarly, the text examines the dialogic motion between an individual's beginnings or stabilities in the past and the successive pathways that join several route points. Therefore underscoring the vital intersections of the roots needed to negotiate masculine identities in the novel postcolonial world. The text uses humor and irony to ease some of the tension and to expose the difficulties that arise when a particular type of masculinity is thought as a fixed idea that men should live up to. The comical plethora and ironic scenes throughout the text are precisely used. They defuse cultural conflicts that are entrenched in and occurring from the politics involved in negotiating contemporary masculinity in the face of a multifaceted and compelling history of colonialism. The first generation of men in the text has adopted the values and social codes set out for them by the past’s British Empire placing an intensified significance on heritage and integration. Samad and Marcus have attempted to instill these principles in their sons. The text maps the desires of the first generation of men to negotiate purely masculine personalities in order to succeed in a community that is marked by nostalgia for a past greatness. These men signify confused masculinities in search of a cultural identity and a life that men in a community have guaranteed them. They were so dedicated to macho values during an imperialist regime establishment.

Hazards Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Hazards - Assignment Example The respiratory hazard has to do with dangers that are associated with works using respiratory protection, especially for the first time. In such cases, they may fail to use them properly and as a result, expose themselves to health risks by inhaling poisonous gases. Those affected are mostly working in emergency and fire rescue services where they are perpetually exposed to harmful fumes; other instances include when people work in areas of low oxygen concentration (Methner, 2000), workers welding in confined spaces, as well as abrasive blasting especially during mining. The risk assessment can be described as relatively high since the use of respiratory protection systems is common in the industrial sector. Incidences of contamination are likely to occur with a great deal of frequency since not many people are aware of all the protective measures. According to the 1910.134(a)(2), a respirator should be provided to all the employees as well as any other equipment necessary to ensure they are fully protected from respiratory hazards; the employer should be in charge of protecting and ensuring they are functioning safely and efficiently.The mitigative action that should include ensuring that the safety requirements are followed and the respiratory devices provided are functional after being inspected under the requisite standard regulation. In addition, employees should be furnished with training so that they can identify possible threats and take measures to protect themselves.

Vampires Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Vampires - Research Proposal Example I also participated in class debates where we discussed vampires with my classmates and tutor. I have also witnessed people who claim to be vampires. These experiences have not been able to address the origin and creation of vampires in details. As such, this research will teach me about the characteristics of real and psychic vampires as well as the origin and the process of creating a vampire. To achieve this, I am counting on my instructor and classmates’ support. Indeed, I am sure that my instructor has significant information about this topic having researched and taught this topic for a long time. Moreover, through the continued discussions about this topic, my classmates may have subtle information about vampires. Nevertheless, the information from my classmates will require undergoing verification. The topic about vampires is very general and addressing it will require huge resources and a lot of time. As such there was need to limit the research to the creation of vampires. To ensure that I use limited time on my research topic, I will seek resource materials that detail the origin and creation of vampires. I will also establish the risks that may limit the accuracy and relevance of my research. I will plan my research well and establish the relevant sources of information. I will also limit my research to real and modern vampires. I will rely on research reports from my professor, instructor, and the vampires’ museum. Ultimately, I will keep close consultations with my instructor for guidance and verification of my data. Ideally, vampires from different regions may have different characteristics. As such, I will limit my topic geographically by narrowing my research to vampires found in America. Nevertheless, various circumstances limit my research on this topic. Inde ed, it may be difficult to distinguish

Income Statements Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Income Statements Analysis - Essay Example The â€Å"profit margin† is a good indicator of how a company is able to manage costs in its operations, for example, selling stock. It does not mean that if the total earnings of a company are increasing, then, the profit margin improves. When the costs increase at a greater rate than the sales, then the profit margin reduces. The opposite of this statement is also true. Note that net income is a perfect indicator of the financial health of a company. Net income also indicates the performance of the of the core business operations. The net income is calculated by deducting the expenses from the sales revenue (Fridson, Alvarez and Finance Pro, 2011). As stated earlier, the net profit margin is computed from the net income and sales’ values indicated in the income statement and thus it is also important to discuss the income statement in this section. The income statement mainly includes the items directly or indirectly related to the companies’ activities. The activities can be primary or secondary. Examples of the items included in the income statement may include incomes, revenue, cost of goods sold, tax expenses and gross profit. With these items, we can therefore, compute the net profit margins, which are necessary in determining the profitability of a company from its operations. Before comparing the profit margins for each company, it is important to look at how each company has prepared its income statement. Emaar Properties PJSC and Arabtec Holding PJSC have indicated the particular items included in their income statements. The other companies have indicated the specific items included in their income statements. For example, Emaar Properties’ income statement includes the cost of goods sold, revenue, gross profit, administrative cost profit before tax and tax expense. The company has eliminated other, operating expenses, other operating income,

Evaluating Fictive-Narrative Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Evaluating Fictive-Narrative - Essay Example He effectively illustrated that the abstract understanding is enhanced when studying the physical object. John was greatly fascinated with nature and science from a very early age. His father was a scientist in the area of Surgery, thus he occasionally communicated with John on issues concerning general science. The literature explains that John used to observe the activities of small living organisms such as the insects that are commonly found on the tree barks. He developed curiosity on how the insects manage to hatch or come forth from the dung. During childhood, John developed keen interest in the bodies of dead animals like the pigs. He wanted to observe the pig more closely to satisfy his curiosity. They obtained the dead animals from the slaughterhouse, before they are taken by the butchers or meat suppliers. During analysis of the dead animals, he used several procedures and equipments. He used the knife to slice the carcass, and then remove the intriguing organs such as the liver, lungs and heart. He observed that the features and characteristics of the hearts varied, from one animal to another. His father taught him great lessons in natural science and surgery through practical procedures, more so the animal dissection techniques. The father explained that the surgical procedures conducted on animals, was very similar to procedures conducted on human beings. The father taught him the general functioning of the body organs. The esophagus is the channel that the food follows, so as to make blood. The food enters the stomach, then liver and also the heart. The heart pumps the blood to other body parts or organs through the phlebes. Aristotle was taught by his father that blood is the main source of nourishment to the body. Therefore, John illustrated adequate capabilities of being a natural scientist. John was effectively guided in his medical training by the medical school lecturers, instructors and

Health Information Confidentiality Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Health Information Confidentiality - Assignment Example In addition, through implementing breach notification requirements, patients protect their identity if a breach occurs (Hebda & Czar, 2013). The benefits of collecting the confidential data of patients are more than the risks. It is important for the health care providers to conduct a review of the appropriate utilization and protection to ensure that patient data is protected (Davies & Collins, 2006). Improved technology and the current development of security software have made it possible for health care organizations to protect the private data of their patients and reduce the risk of data breaching. The major purpose of HITECH in to develop a nationwide electronic health records network that would allow for proper linking of health care professionals in ensuring quality health care for all citizens. The Act aims at promoting investment into information technology and thus promotes safety, quality health care, and efficiency in health management (Davies & Collins, 2006). The new HITECH notification requirements include notification of patients in the occurrence of an unsecured breach. In case the breach has an impact on more than 500 individuals, then there is need for the HHS to be aware (Institute of Medicine, 2009). Such notification will allow for automatic posting of the name of the entity that is carrying out the breach on the HHS website. The local media also have to be notified considering various conditions. These requirements are greatly effective in ensuring that the patients are kept up to date of any breach and that the involved entities are brought to book. This allows for timely counteraction of a breach and securing of patient data. The use of portable PHI could result in HIPAA violation involving the breaching of individual private data. Portable devices such as mobile phones store data on the devices, either in the SIM card, memory card, or

ELD Project Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

ELD Project - Assignment Example Creating the work breakdown structure (WBS) is necessary not only in project planning but also when managing the project costs and scheduling (Schwalbe 198). Basically, the main purpose of WBS is to enable the project manager to group the work deliverables as identified in the project scope. In relation to the ELD project, the following is the work breakdown structure: Precedence Diagramming Method (PDM) is basically a type of network-based scheduling technique whereby each task is being represented by either nodes or boxes; and that each of the identified tasks is being linked by the precedence relationship (Bullen, LeFave and Selig 317). Doing so enables the project manager to effectively present the sequence in each task that needs to be performed. Applicable to the ELD project, the following is the PDM: When it comes to pre-determining the required time to complete the ELD project, the process of conducting the Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT) analysis is necessary because it adopts the use of a three-point estimates. Other than trying to depict the presence of interrelated tasks, the PERT diagram can also be used when tracking the pre-identified tasks (DuBrin 203). Gannt charts are useful when it comes to the tracking the schedule or progress of the actual project (Gido and Clements 121). Based on the PERT diagram presented on page 5, the following is the schedule of the ELD project: The estimate activity resource was purposely conducted to determine the rough estimate of available resources and time required to complete certain tasks within the project schedule (Heldman and Mangano 88). Basically, this section aims to determine both human and non-human resources and quantities needed when scheduling the required work activities. As such, the following is the estimate activity resources of the ELD project: Cost management requires the process of controlling the project costs through budgeting. As such, it is

Is Globalization Boon or Bane Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Is Globalization Boon or Bane - Research Paper Example You have already accepted the fact that rescuers may take days or even months before discovering you, so with all that was left the group struggled to start to live on a remote island. That would be for a while for sure. Here you are starting a community - away from technology, but with knowledge about it-you wonder if ever you will get by. If you survive, how long will it take you to build a replica of the city that you hope will be "lost" only for a moment? Tragic, it might seem, like a plot in movies shown in big screens, is the picture that such a scenario will project. Even more tragic are the emotions accompanying the players involved. This is far easier than what our ancestors have experienced though. Then, they only relied on crude forms for a weapon to shield them from their enemy. They had more ferocious animals as neighbors, no concepts of what makes society and culture flourish. To them "survival of the fittest" might best describe their manner of gathering their goods. No political system is yet conceived; the stronger group tends to manipulate the weaker ones. Even more astonishing is how they communicate with each other and how they were able to preserve their culture that became the foundation of a more developed, more complicated yet structured society that we now have. From their time to ours, inevitable movements and changes filled the vacuum (time and space connecting our past and future). We all became an agent of change-affecting and being affected in the process. In man's search for a better life, needs became more diverse, solutions more complicated. This required the creation of systems aimed at structuring every process and making any inconsistencies more evident and, in effect easier to manage.

HRM Consultancy Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

HRM Consultancy Report - Essay Example perations of the form are imminent since they will have to be implemented to ensure congruity between the organizations to enable the smooth flow of activities. Ideally, unlike Akbar and Sons, BP is a global company that runs operations in various countries across the world thus it will have to institute workplace diversity by composing organizational teams that have varied characters to enhance a composition of employees from diverse backgrounds to ensure the company has a pool of skills and talent that will improve its overall performance. In light of that fact, the company ought to come up with relevant solutions that will solve the problems identified to ensure Akbar and Sons is efficiently integrated into BP. Some of the proposed solutions include, the human resource department reconstituting the organizational teams responsible for the day to day running of the operations so that they can be constituted with varied individuals from different backgrounds. Additionally, prior to the changes employees were briefed on the expected changes and thus given the option to embrace them or rather leave the company if they find them to be too harsh. That way the probability of resistance to change will be minimal since those who perceive the changes to be inconsistent will have the option of leaving without any form of conflict. Akbar and sons is an oil company based in the United Arab Emirates that has been operating for a significant period. BP oil an international oil company based in the United Kingdom is set to acquire Akbar and Sons and take over its operations. Akbar and Sons is a family owned company that maintains a tradition of social responsibility by always giving back to the society through projects and initiatives aimed at elevating the lives of the immediate communities within its operational environment. All the years the company has been in operation, it has been able to create cohesion among its employees that has culminated in the creation of a