Treatment of us pows by the germans in world war II

One of the significant features of World War II was a great number of prisoners of war (POW‘s) to be kept both by Allies and Axis. The way those prisoners were treated differed greatly dependently on the nation of a prisoner and the country of imprisonment.   This paper discusses the treatment of the American prisoners captured on the European theatre and compares it to the treatment of prisoners from other countries, such as Britain, Poland and Russia.In total Some 95,000 American and 135,000 British and Commonwealth servicemen were incarcerated in prisoners of war (POW) camps in Germany during World War II. The prisoners were held in some fifty German POW camps, of several types. These included the Stalag (Stammlager, permanent camps for noncommissioned officers and enlisted men), Stalag Luft (Luftwaffestammlager, permanent camps for air force personnel), and Oflag (Offizierslager, permanent officers’ camps). American POWs were found in many of the POW camps, but the majority of camps contained only a few Americans. In some camps (Stalags II-B, III-B, IV-B, XVII-B, Luft I, Luft III, and Luft IV), however, the number of American POWs ran into the thousands.The basic international instrument, regulating the POW‘s status at the time was the 1929 the Geneva Convention Relative to the Treatment of Prisoners of War, signed by 47 governments. Subject to this convention, no prisoner of war could be forced to disclose to his captor any information other than his identity (i.e., his name and rank, but not his military unit, home town, or address of relatives). Every prisoner of war was entitled to adequate food and medical care and had the right to exchange correspondence and receive parcels. He was required to observe ordinary military discipline and courtesy, but he could attempt to escape at his own risk. Once recaptured, he was not to be punished for his attempt.Officers were to receive pay either according to the pay scale of their own country or to that of their captor, whichever was less; they could not be required to work. Enlisted men might be required to work for pay, but the nature and location of their work were not to expose them to danger, and in no case could they be required to perform work directly related to military operations. Camps were to be open to inspection by authorized representatives of a neutral power.  Germany in general followed the 1929 Geneva Convention in the treatment of American and British servicemen in POW camps, with little difference to be found in treatment with Americans and British. POW‘s were not to be individually confined, and the food served them should have been equal to that served to German troops. The ration was reduced by the end of the war, but this was related to the general situation with food in Germany. Much greater problem for the POW‘s was the warm clothing, often not provided by the Germans, however the prisoners could receive acceptable clothes from th e Red Cross and from their families via the Red Cross.The prisoners were allowed to arrange recreational activities, such as sport games by their own, also some attention was paid to the religious demands of catholic and protestant POW‘s, the largest POW camps had chapels on their territory. The prisoners, involved in work received small payment (5 to 10 marks) for their effort, though the amount of money, which a POW could possess was limited. An important right for the British and American prisoners was a right to send and receive mail, although the delivery of mail was very erratic, and a letter or a parcel required several weeks to transit.American and British prisoners’ worst enemy was usually boredom. One of the most important activities which overcame this enemy was reading. The American and British peoples, through the various agencies which undertook the task of providing POWs with books, made it possible for prisoners to obtain books which were so necessary an d useful. It helped the prisoners to occupy their time and keep their mental capacity. When the American and British POWs left the prisoners of war camps, approximately 1 million books were left behind.One can notice, that the treatment of British and American POW‘s was tolerant enough, except for some cases of spontaneous violence, such as murder of USAF and RAF pilots by the German civilians, angry with their air raids. However, this human attitude was hardly applied to the prisoners from other countries, retained in Germany. Polish, Yugoslavian and especially Russian prisoners received the worst treatment ever imaginable.There were several reasons for it, and the most important of them was the notorious Nazi racial doctrine, which considered the Slaves to be Untermenschen or underhumans, almost equal to Jews. The Soviet Union was also not a party to 1929 Geneva Convention, and so could not count for Red Cross assistance. Finally, Stalin, being suspicious of everyone out of his control, proclaimed all the Russian POW‘s to be traitors and deprived them with any rights or aid.Dealing with Russian prisoners became even more complicated as the amount of captives at the first year of war reached 5 million, creating problems even with simple accommodation. Russian soldiers, captured in the great encirclements, were often left without food for weeks, causing starvation and typhus. Some categories of prisoners, such as Jews or Communist party members were usually shot immediately. The survivors were taken to the concentration camps on the territory of the Soviet Union, Poland and Germany itself.At the later period working with Russian POW‘s became more organized. Germans point now was to use the mass of people in their disposal in the most rational way. Those of the prisoners, who conformed with the racial demands (mostly originating from the Baltic or western regions of Russia) could voluntary join the Wehrmacht. Other volunteers, mostly recent ca ptives, were used as Hiwi Hilfswillige), or helpers in the army units.The fate of the others to be kept in the concentration and death camps, such as Auschwitz, Buchenwald and Dachau. Forced labour of the Russian POW‘s was actively used at the German civil an military enterprises, including aircraft factories and V-2 rockets production.  Another way of exploiting the Untermenschen was to use them for medical and military experiments. For example, 600 Soviet prisoners were gassed in Auschwitz on 3 September 1941 at the first experiment with ZyklonB.  Based on the overstated one can make a conclusion, that treatment of the American and British POW‘s, captured by the Germans was surely   preferable to the treatment of other POW‘s. General observance of international law towards allied prisoners by Germany along Red Cross activity, provided them with huge benefits in comparison with the Slavic, Jewish and other POW‘s.BIBLIOGRAPHYM. R. D. Fott, â€Å"Prison ers of War,† The Oxford Companion to World War II (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995)The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition.  Ã‚  2001.American Prisoners of War in Germany. Prepared by Military Intelligence Service, War Department 1 Nov 1945W. Wynne Mason, Prisoners of War (Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War 1939–1945) (Wellington, New Zealand: War History Branch, Department of Internal Affairs, 1954)Antony Beevor Stalingrad (Penguin Books, New York, 1999) [1] M. R. D. Fott, â€Å"Prisoners of War,† The Oxford Companion to World War II (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1995), pp. 913–915;[2] The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition.  Ã‚  2001. [3] American Prisoners of War in Germany. Prepared by Military Intelligence Service, War Department 1 Nov 1945[4]W. Wynne Mason, Prisoners of War (Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War 1939–1945) (Wellington, New Zealand: War History Branch, Department of Internal Affairs, 1954), pp. 42–43; [5] Antony Beevor Stalingrad (Penguin Books, New York, 1999), pp.- 15, 60, 166 [6] Antony Beevor. Ibid. p.-59

History 1301

Wooster U. S. HISTORY 1301 – Triad E Review Guide: Exam Two Fall 2011 As stated in the syllabus, your second History exam, covering the second section of the course, will be on October 28. This will be a closed-book test; no books, notes, or electronic devices are to be used during the exam. Blue books will be provided for you to write your answers in; all you’ll need to bring is a couple of pens or pencils to write with. Leave backpacks, books, etc. , either at the front of the room or along the aisles when you come in, being careful to take personal valuables with you to your seat. As there is not a class before us, we will open the room at 9:45 for those of you wanting a little extra time. Students will not be permitted into the room after 10:10. Readings terms – On parts I and II of the exam, you will be responsible for the following terms, names, etc. , from the assigned readings: Lewis and Clark Expedition Black Hawk War Trails of Tears Benjamin Franklin Bache Hinton Rowan Helper Thomas Larkin Nathan Appleton â€Å"war hawks† Denmark Vesey Juan Seguin Tecumseh The Impending Crisis Juan Bautista Alvarado Alexis de Tocqueville David Walker Robert Fulton Prophet’s Town George Fitzhugh Sarah Bagley Part I: Chronologies (20 pts. ) Six of the following topics will appear on the exam. Each topic will then have three persons, events, or trends listed under it. You will then need to place the persons, events, or trends in their proper chronological order. The majority of the subjects for the chronologies will come from the lectures; a few will come from the list of readings terms above. You will be asked to answer four of the six chronology topics. Ratification of the Constitution Political party developments and changes Relations with England â€Å"Assertive diplomacy† following the War of 1812 Bank â€Å"war† Changing systems of production Territorial expansion Relations with Indians War of 1812 â€Å"generations† of slave experiences Nullification Part II: Matching (30 pts. ) There will be ten matching questions, each worth three points. On these, you will need to give the letter which best describes or corresponds with the numbered person or event in question. Six of these will come from the lectures, and four from the list of readings terms above. Part III: In-class essay (50 pts. ) The class will vote to delete one of the following questions. Two of the remaining four questions will appear on the exam. You will be required to answer one of those two. The questions are not designed to be mutually 1 Wooster Fall 2011 exclusive; that is, information used in answering one question might also be used in answering another. Also please remember that you need to include specific evidence and examples, and that you need to use appropriate academic discourse in writing for your audience. As such, remember to: ? be specific and thorough; ? rovide as many examples as you can; ? EXPLAIN the evidence; many of you lost valuable points by not explaining things, and by not telling the reader why they were so important (ask yourself, â€Å"so what? †) ? provide some sort of context; ? use paragraphs (which will help you structure your essay); ? use topic sentences (to help introduce what you will say in that paragraph); ? write at least a brief conclusion. We do not want to trick you. If you have questions, please feel free to ask them in class, to drop by during my office hours, or to ask your seminar leader. . Discuss the constitutional convention at Philadelphia and the process by which the constitution was ratified, making sure to explain the perspectives of Federalists as well as anti-Federalists. Why was James Madison so frustrated with the Confederation? Why was Patrick Henry so fearful of the proposed constitution? How did they attempt to counter the other’s arguments? Use the lectures, the essay on Madison and Henry, and the textbook to write a complete answer. 2. Discuss the views of Alexander Hamilton on the federal government. What things did he believe the government needed to do in order for the nation to succeed? Why? How did he justify his views, in light of the limitations imposed upon the federal government by the constitution? Why did Democratic-Republicans like Benjamin Franklin Bache oppose Hamilton’s efforts? Explain, using the lectures, the essay on Hamilton and Bache, and the Created Equal textbook to write a complete answer. 3. Discuss slavery in the antebellum United States, from an institutional as well as the slaves’ perspective. Make sure and explain both of these perspectives, as well as the criticisms of Hinton Rowan Helper. Use the lectures, the essay on Hinton Rowan Helper and George Fitzhugh, and the Created Equal textbook to write a complete answer. 4. Voter turnout increased from 27% in 1824 (the disputed election between Jackson, Clay, Adams, and Crawford) to 80% in 1840 (Harrison’s triumph). What issues, personalities, political parties, and campaign techniques explain this dramatic change in voter behavior? Use the lectures and the Created Equal textbook to write a complete answer. . Discuss the territorial expansion of the United States during the first half of the nineteenth century, making sure to discuss the Louisiana Purchase, the Transcontinental Treaty, the annexation of Texas, and the acquisition of California and the Southwest from Mexico. How did Americans explain and justify this expansion? How were Tejanos and Californios treated during this process? Explain, making sure to use t he lectures, the essay on Thomas Larkin and Juan Bautista Alvarado, and the Created Equal textbook to write a complete answer. 2

Night World : Huntress Chapter 10

Jez held herself perfectly still, keeping her face expressionless. Her mind was clicking through strategies. Two exits-but to go out the window meant a three-story drop, and she probably wouldn't survive that in her condition. Although, of course, she couldn't leave anyway without doing something to silence Morgead-and she wouldn't survive a fight, either†¦. She suppressed any feeling, returned Morgead's gaze, and said calmly, â€Å"And why is that?† Triumph flashed in his eyes. â€Å"Jez Redfern. That's the key, isn't it? Your family.† Ill have to kill him somehow, she thought, but he was going on. â€Å"Your family sent you. Hunter Redfern. He knows that I've really found the Wild Power, and he expects you to get it out of me.† Relief spread slowly through Jez, and her stomach muscles relaxed. She didn't let it show. â€Å"You idiot! Of course not. I don't run errands for the Council.† Morgead's lip lifted. â€Å"I didn't say the Council. I said Hunter Redfern. He's trying to steal a march on the Council, isn't he? He wants the Wild Power himself. To restore the Redferns to the glory of old. You're running errands for him.† Jez choked on exasperation. Then she listened to the part of her mind that was telling her to keep her temper and think clearly. Strategy, that part was saying. He's just handed you the answer and you're trying to smack it away. â€Å"All right; what if that is true?† she said at last, her voice curt. â€Å"What if I do come from Hunter?† â€Å"Then you can tell him to get bent. I told the Council my terms. I'm not settling for anything less.† â€Å"And what were your terms?† He sneered. â€Å"As if you didn't know.† When she just stared at him, he shrugged and stopped pacing. â€Å"A seat on the Council,† he said coolly, arms folded. Jez burst out laughing. â€Å"You,† she said, â€Å"are out of your mind.† â€Å"I know they won't give it to me.† He smiled, not a nice smile. â€Å"I expect them to offer something like control of San Francisco. And some position after the millennium.† After the millennium. Meaning after the apocalypse, after the human race had been killed or subjugated or eaten or whatever else Hunter Redfern had in mind. â€Å"You want to be a prince in the new world order,† Jez said slowly, and she was surprised at how bitterly it came out. She was surprised at how surprised she was. Wasn't it just what she expected of Morgead? â€Å"I want what's coming to me. All my Life I've had to stand around and watch humans get everything. After the millennium things will be different.† He glared at her broodingly. Jez still felt sick. But she knew what to say now. â€Å"And what makes you think the Council is going to be around after the millennium?† She shook her head. â€Å"You're better off going with Hunter. I'd bet on him against the Council any day.† Morgead blinked once, lizardlike. â€Å"He's planning on getting rid of the Council?† Jez held his gaze. â€Å"What would you do in his place?† Morgead's expression didn't get any sweeter. But she could see from his eyes that she had him. He turned away sharply and went to glower out the window. Jez could practically see the wheels turning in his head. Finally he looked back. â€Å"All right,† he said coldly. â€Å"Ill join Hunter's team-but only on my terms. After the millennium-â€Å" â€Å"After the millennium you'll get what you deserve.† Jez couldn't help glaring back at him. Morgead brought out all her worst traits, all the things she tried to control in herself. â€Å"You'll get a position,† she amended, spinning the story she knew he wanted to hear. She was winging it, but she had no choice. â€Å"Hunter wants people loyal to him in the new order. And if you can prove you're valuable, he'll want you. But first you have to prove it. Okay? Deal?† â€Å"If I can trust you.† â€Å"We can trust each other because we have to. We both want the same thing. If we do what Hunter wants, we both win.† â€Å"So we cooperate-for the time being.† â€Å"We cooperate-and we see what happens,† Jez said evenly. They stared at each other from opposite sides of the room. It was as if the blood sharing had never happened. They were back to their old roles- maybe a little more hostile, but the same old Jez and Morgead, enjoying being adversaries. Maybe it'll be easy from now on, Jez thought. As long as Hunter doesn't show up to blow my story. Then she grinned inwardly. It would never happen. Hunter Redfern hadn't visited the West Coast for fifty years. â€Å"Business,† she said crisply, out loud. â€Å"Where's the Wild Power, Morgead?† â€Å"Ill show you.† He walked over to the futon and sat down. Jez stayed where she was. â€Å"You'll show me what?† â€Å"Show you the Wild Power.† There was a TV with a VCR at the foot of the bed, sitting on the bare floor. Morgead was putting a tape in. Jez settled on the far end of the futon, glad for the chance to sit. â€Å"You've got the Wild Power on tape?† He threw her an icy glance over his shoulder. â€Å"Yeah, on America's Funniest Home Videos. Just shut up, Jez, and watch.† Jez narrowed her eyes and watched. What she was looking at was a TV movie about a doomsday asteroid. A movie she'd seen-it had been awful. Suddenly the action was interrupted by the logo of a local news station. A blond anchorwoman came on screen. â€Å"Breaking news in San Francisco this hour. We have live pictures from the Marina district where a five-alarm fire is raging through a government housing project. We go now to Linda Chin, who's on the scene.† The scene switched to a dark-haired reporter. â€Å"Regina, I'm here at Taylor Street, where firefighters are trying to prevent this spectacular blaze from spreading-â€Å" Jez looked from the TV to Morgead. â€Å"What's this got to do with the Wild Power? I saw it live. It happened a couple weeks ago. I was watching that stupid movie-â€Å" She broke off, shocked at herself. She'd actually been about to say â€Å"I was watching that stupid movie with Claire and Aunt Nan.† Just like that, to blurt out the names of the humans she lived with. She clenched her teeth, furious. She'd already let Morgead know one thing: that a couple of weeks ago she'd been in this area, where a local news station could break in. What was wrong with her? Morgead tilted a sardonic glance at her, just to show her that he hadn't missed her slip. But all he said was â€Å"Keep watching. You'll see what it's got to do with the Wild Power.† On screen the flames were brilliant orange, dazzling against the background of darkness. So bright that if Jez hadn't known that area of the Marina district well, she wouldn't have been able to tell much about it. In front of the building firefighters in yellow were carrying hoses. Smoke flooded out suddenly as one of the hoses sprayed a straight line of water into the flames. â€Å"Their greatest fear is that there may be a little girl still inside this complex-â€Å" Yes. That was what Jez remembered about this fire. There had been a kid†¦. â€Å"Look here,† Morgead said, pointing. The camera was zooming in on something, bringing the flames in close. A window in the pinky-brown concrete of the building. High up, on the third floor. Flames were pouring up from the walkway below it, making the whole area look too dangerous to approach. The reporter was still talking, but Jez had tuned her out. She leaned closer, eyes fixed on that window. Like all the other windows, it was half covered with a wrought-iron screen in a diamond pattern. Unlike the others, it had something else: On the sill there were a couple of plastic buckets with dirt and scraggly plants. A window box. And a face looking out between the plants. A child's face. â€Å"There,† Morgead said. The reporter was speaking. â€Å"Regina, the firefighters say there is definitely someone on the third floor of this building. They are looking for a way to approach the person-the little girl-â€Å" High-powered searchlights had been turned on the flames. That was the only reason the girl was visible at all. Even so, Jez couldn't distinguish any features. The girl was a small blurry blob. Firefighters were trying to maneuver some kind of ladder toward the building. People were running, appearing and disappearing in the swirling smoke. The scene was eerie, otherworldly. Jez remembered this, remembered listening to the barely suppressed horror in the reporter's voice, remembered Claire beside her hissing in a sharp breath. â€Å"It's a kid,† Claire had said, grabbing Jez's arm and digging her nails in, momentarily forgetting how much she disliked Jez. â€Å"Oh, God, a kid.† And I said something like, â€Å"It'll be okay,† Jez remembered. But I knew it wouldn't be. There was too much fire. There wasn't a chance†¦. The reporter was saying, â€Å"The entire building is involved†¦.† And the camera was going in for a close-up again, and Jez remembered realizing that they were actually going to show this girl burning alive on TV. The plastic buckets were melting. The firemen were trying to do something with the ladder. And then there was a sudden huge burst of orange, an explosion, as the flames below the window poofed and began pouring themselves upward with frantic energy. They were so bright they seemed to suck all the light out of their surroundings. They engulfed the girl's window. The reporter's voice broke. Jez remembered Claire gasping, â€Å"No†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and her nails drawing blood. She remembered wanting to shut her own eyes. And then, suddenly, the TV screen flickered and a huge wall of smoke billowed out from the building. Black smoke, then gray, then a light gray that looked almost white. Everything was lost in the smoke. When it finally cleared a little, the reporter was staring up at the building in open amazement, forgetting to turn toward the camera. â€Å"This is astonishing†¦. Regina, this is a complete turnaround†¦. The firefighters have-either the water has suddenly taken effect or something else has caused the fire to die†¦. I've never seen anything like this†¦.† Every window in the building was now belching white smoke. And the picture seemed to have gone washed-out and pale, because there were no more vivid orange flames against the darkness. The fire was simply gone. â€Å"I really don't know what's happened, Regina†¦. I think I can safely say that everybody here is very thankful. †¦Ã¢â‚¬  The camera zoomed in on the face in the window. It was still difficult to make out features, but Jez could see coffee-colored skin and what seemed to be a calm expression. Then a hand reached out to gently pick up one of the melted plastic buckets and take it inside. The picture froze. Morgead had hit Pause. â€Å"They never did figure out what stopped the fire. It went out everywhere, all at once, as if it had been smothered.† Jez could see where he was going. â€Å"And you think it was some sort of Power that killed it. I don't know, Morgead–it's a pretty big assumption. And to jump from that to the idea that it was a Wild Power-â€Å" â€Å"You missed it, then.† Morgead sounded smug. â€Å"Missed what?† He was reversing the tape, going back to the moment before the fire went out. â€Å"I almost missed it myself when I saw it live. It was lucky I was taping it When I went back and looked again, I could see it clearly.† The tape was in slow motion now. Jez saw the burst of orange fire, frame by frame, getting larger. She saw it crawl up to engulf the window. And then there was a flash. It had only showed up as a flicker at normal speed, easily mistaken for some kind of camera problem. At this speed, though, Jez couldn't mistake it. It was blue. It looked like lightning or flame; blue-white with a halo of more intense blue around it. And it moved. It started out small, a circular spot right at the window. In the next frame it was much bigger, spreading out in all directions, fingers reaching into the flames. In the next frame it covered the entire TV screen, seeming to engulf the fire. In the next frame it was gone and the fire was gone with it. White smoke began to creep out of windows. Jez was riveted. â€Å"Goddess,† she whispered. â€Å"Blue fire.† Morgead ran the tape back to play the scene again. † ‘In blue fire, the final darkness is banished; In blood, the final price is paid.' If that girl isn't a Wild Power, Jez †¦ then what is she? You tell me.† â€Å"I don't know.† Jez bit her lip slowly, watching the strange thing blossom on the TV again. So the blue fire in the poem meant a new kind of energy. â€Å"You're beginning to convince me. But-â€Å" â€Å"Look, everybody knows that one of the Wild Powers is in San Francisco. One of the old hags in the witch circle-Grandma Harman or somebody- had a dream about it. She saw the blue fire in front of Coit Tower or something. And everybody knows that the four Wild Powers are supposed to start manifesting themselves around now. I think that girl did it for the first time when she realized she was going to die. When she got that desperate.† Jez could picture that kind of desperation; she'd pictured it the first time, when she'd been watching the fire live. How it must feel†¦ being trapped like that. Knowing that there was no earthly help for you, that you were about to experience the most terrible pain imaginable. Knowing that you were going to feel your body char and your hair burn like a torch and that it would take two or three endless minutes before you died and the horror was over. Yeah, you would be desperate, all right. Knowing all that might drag a new power out of you, a frantic burst of strength, like an unconscious scream pulled from the depths of yourself. But one thing bothered her. â€Å"If this kid is the Wild Power, why didn't her Circle notice what happened? Why didn't she tell them, ‘Hey, guys, look; I can put out fires now?'† Morgead looked annoyed. â€Å"What do you mean, her Circle?† â€Å"Well, she's a witch, right? You're not telling me vampires or shapeshifters are developing new powers like that.† â€Å"Who said anything about witches or vampires or shapeshifters? The kid's human.† Jez blinked. And blinked again, trying to conceal the extent of her astonishment. For a moment she thought Morgead was putting her on, but his green eyes were simply exasperated, not sly. â€Å"The Wild Powers†¦ can be human?† Morgead smiled suddenly-a smirk. â€Å"You really didn't know. You haven't heard all the prophecies, have you?† He struck a mocking oratorical pose. â€Å"There's supposed to be: One from the land of kings long forgotten; One from the hearth which still holds the spark; One from the Day World where two eyes are watching; One from the twilight to be one with the dark.† The Day World, Jez thought. Not the Night World, the human world. At least one of the Wild Powers had to be human. Unbelievable†¦ but why not? Wild Powers were supposed to be weird. Then she thought of something and her stomach sank. â€Å"No wonder you're so eager to turn her in,† she said softly. â€Å"Not just to get a reward-â€Å" â€Å"But because the little scum deserves to die-or whatever it is Hunter has in mind for her.† Morgead's voice was matter-of-fact. â€Å"Yeah, vermin have no right developing Night World powers. Right?† â€Å"Of course right,† Jez said without emotion. I'm going to have to watch this kid every minute, she thought. He's got no pity at all for her-Goddess knows what he might do before letting me have her. â€Å"Jez.† Morgead's voice was soft, almost pleasant, but it caught Jez's full attention. â€Å"Why didn't Hunter tell you that prophecy? The Council dug it up last week.† She glanced at him and felt an inner shiver. Suspicion was cold in the depths of his green eyes. When Morgead was yelling and furious he was dangerous enough, but when he was quiet like this, he was deadly. â€Å"I have no idea,† she said flatly, tossing the problem back at him. â€Å"Maybe because I was already out here in California when they figured it out. But why don't you call him and ask yourself? I'm sure he'd love to hear from you.† There was a pause. Then Morgead gave her a look of disgust and turned away. A good bluff is priceless, Jez thought. It was safe now to move on. She said, â€Å"So what do the ‘two eyes watching' mean in the prophecy?† He rolled his own eyes. â€Å"How should I know? You figure it out. You've always been the smart one.† Despite the heavy sarcasm, Jez felt a different kind of shiver, one of surprise. He really believed that. Morgead was so smart himself-he'd seen that flicker on the TV screen and realized what it was, when apparently none of the adults in the Bay Area had-but he thought she was smarter. â€Å"Well, you seem to be doing all right yourself,† she said. She had been looking steadily at him, to show him no weakness, and she saw his expression change. His green eyes softened slightly, and the sarcastic quirk of his lip straightened. â€Å"Nah, I'm just blundering along,† he muttered, his gaze shifting. Then he glanced back up and somehow they were caught in a moment when they were just looking at each other in silence. Neither of them turned away, and Jez's heart gave a strange thump. The moment stretched. Idiot! This is ridiculous. A minute ago you were scared of him-not to mention sickened by his attitude toward humans. You can't just suddenly switch to this. But it was no good. Even the realization that she was in danger of her life didn't help. Jez couldn't think of a thing to say to break the tension, and she couldn't seem to look away from Morgead. â€Å"Jez, look-â€Å" He leaned forward and put a hand on her forearm. He didn't even seem to know he was doing it. His expression was abstracted now, and his eyes were fixed on hers. His hand was warm. Tingles spread from the place where it touched Jez's skin. â€Å"Jez†¦ about before †¦ I didn't†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Suddenly Jez's heart was beating far too quickly. I have to say something, she thought, fighting to keep her face impassive. But her throat was dry and her mind a humming blank. All she could feel clearly was the place where she and Morgead touched. All she could see clearly was his eyes. Cat's eyes, deepest emerald, with shifting green lights in them†¦. â€Å"Jez,† he said a third time. And Jez realized all at once that the silver thread between them hadn't been broken. That it might be stretched almost into invisibility, but it was still there, still pulling, trying to make her body go weak and her vision blur. Trying to make her fall toward Morgead even as he was falling toward her. And then came the sound of someone kicking in the front door.

Organisational success is determined by effective leadership Essay

Organisational success is determined by effective leadership - Essay Example Rather, different criteria should be used each time that organisational success need to be evaluated. Of course, there are certain factors, such as leadership, that are always capable of affecting organisational success. The relationship between effective leadership and organisational success is explored in this paper. It is proved that the traditional thoughts on effective leadership its relationship with organisational success should be reviewed. Moreover, it has been made clear that the criteria for characterizing a leadership style as effective can be different across countries with different social ethics and culture. In any case, it is made clear that effective leadership can lead to organisational success, even in the long term. 2. Organisational success and leadership 2.1 Organisational success – characteristics The criteria used for evaluating the success of modern organisations can vary. Usually, organisational success is related to the performance of an organisation in terms of employee satisfaction (Sims 2002, p.144). More specifically, it is believed that a high level of employee satisfaction reflects the ability of the firm to communicate with its stakeholders, a condition that its critical for its success (Sims 2002, p.144). ... ccess using the above criteria can be inaccurate mostly because the potentials of each organisation to achieve high profits or to survive in the market are differentiated according to the years of the firm’s presence in the market (Kirby & Watson 2003, p.46). For example, the criteria of growth would be more valuable when referring to ‘the start-up of the organisation’ (Kirby & Watson 2003, p.46). Profitability also should not be used as a criterion for evaluating organisational success in the early years of the firm’s presence in the market (Kirby & Watson 2003, p.46). Rather, profitability would be a critical criterion for evaluating the success of an organisation that has been, already, well established in the local or the international market (Kirby & Watson 2003, p.46). The use of an integrate framework for evaluating organisational success helps to control the risks related to the particular task. The ‘Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Awardâ₠¬â„¢ (Dinsmore & Cabanis-Brewin 2010, p.130) can be considered as such framework. In fact, the above Award is awarded to organisations that meet a series of criteria in regard of quality (Dinsmore & Cabanis-Brewin 2010, p.130). Leadership is the first of these criteria Dinsmore & Cabanis-Brewin 2010, p.130), a fact that verifies the relationship between leadership and organisational success. Other criteria used in the context of the above framework are: ‘strategic planning, customer focus and workforce’ Dinsmore & Cabanis-Brewin 2010, p.130). From another point of view, Cameron & Spreitzer (2011) note that organisational success should not be related only to the financial performance of each organisation. Rather, the success of organisations in the modern market should be based on their ability to promote

Spanish Language in Schools Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Spanish Language in Schools - Essay Example The first study to track Toronto high school students through Ontario's new four-year curriculum also show that students who speak Spanish, Portuguese or Somali are at higher risk than kids who speak any other of the city's most common languages. And they are more likely to fail Grade 9 math and flunk the Grade 10 literacy test, and are less likely to apply to college or university. (American Renaissance, 21 September 2008). The result of the survey is without a doubt shocking and this is the biggest pitfall which is taking place in many schools around the globe. Once a student drops out, his/her whole life will be affected because of that decision and not all can become Bill Gates even after dropping out. The whole census was taken in order to find out what exactly was the reason of the students not faring well in their exams and the facts which came out were really shocking. The background of the student matters a lot, if a student belongs to Mexico or Portugal and the school authorities have Spanish as a compulsory language in the curriculum, the student would be very disappointed because his background is not apt in learning the language and moreover if he fails to show any improvement, the disappointment will reach a different level and the student will surely think of dropping out. All these things matter a lot to the students; the pressure these days on days in huge and coping with that pressure is not that easy. Spanish should be taught in the schools but it shouldn't be made compulsory because the students in a school will surely be from diverse backgrounds and some other language other than Spanish can be introduced but in that case also it should not be made a compulsion. By learning a language no student can become intelligent and develop as a person, a schools curriculum should have subjects which will develop the overall personality of the s tudent and learning Spanish will certainly not do that. "The purpose of learning Spanish is to communicate with the people who speak the language and to understand their cultures." (Kuala High school, 21 September 2008). Though it can be argued that learning Spanish has many advantages but overall its effects on students is very negative, especially for the students from diverse backgrounds. Spanish is very difficult to learn and the pronunciation is very complicated, the same makes the language very tough to learn. The schools which include Spanish in their curriculum make a big mistake and those schools never take into consideration the students from diverse background, which is the biggest mistake which they make and the same results in the students dropping out from the school and ultimately spoiling their career. The situation should be well understood by the school authorities and it should not continue, the people responsible behind introducing Spanish in the school's curriculum should learn from their mistakes before it's too late . The most important point here is the diversity of students studying in various schools and the immigration policies. There are so many people who travel and settle in different countries and if the native language of that country is included in the curriculum then they will surely be discouraged and will feel like giving up studies forever. So many times it so

Human Relations Direct Measure Assessment Coursework

Human Relations Direct Measure Assessment - Coursework Example Self-esteem is the affective or emotional aspect of self and generally refers to how we feel about or how we value ourselves (one's self-worth) (Purkey 1988). A. Considering the fact that Pat is extremely punctual, it is obvious that he sees himself as a hard and diligent worker. He also sees himself as a likeable person because he enjoys working in an office environment because of the social opportunities that are available. That being said, Pat also sees himself as a good parent, watching children’s shows (probably to regulate the content his children are exposed to) and attending their soccer games. This is one of the traits which he sees as differentiating him from the rest of his co-workers. B. The above mentioned characteristics are also responsible for Pat’s relatively low self esteem at the workplace. Because his tastes, choices and priorities differ from those of his co-workers, Pat feels incompatible with the rest of the group. Also, due to this incompatibilit y, Pat has a negative attitude towards socializing in the office. Considering that he would like to befriend Chris but is reluctant to initiate a conversation shows that he has very little confidence in being able to forge a bond with anybody. He does not like the fact, but feels helpless to change it. He feels like a complete outcast and is disappointed at his own social ineptitude. C. Self efficacy is simply a person’s conviction or confidence of succeeding in a particular situation. Pat obviously has a low self efficacy, since he does not believe himself capable of intermingling with his co-workers. He avoids challenging tasks, focuses on his negative properties and loses confidence very fast. However, there are some simple strategies that can be used to Bolster his confidence and improve his self esteem. i. One way of building up self efficacy is by helping the person encounter success in tasks that have been elusive to him or her hitherto. Small and frequent conversation s initiated by co-workers would do wonders to his confidence. Also, if he ventured out of his comfort zone without concentrating on the outcome, and portrayed a confident demeanor, he would be successful and regain his lost confidence. ii. Another way of building up confidence it for him to observe other people (possibly like him) succeed at the task. This would make him realize that the task is not impossible and in turn improve his self efficacy. iii. Verbal encouragement by people close to Pat would also help build up the conviction that he is worthy of socializing with his co-workers. This would give him the confidence to befriend Chris, which would in turn build up his self esteem. 2. Case Scenario # 2 – Stress, in the simplest sense, is a reaction by the body to a hostile environment. This can have psychological and physiological manifestation as has been seen in the case mentioned. A. Kyle’s experience on the expressway, coupled with his anxiety over the meeting , likely produced a number of physiological reactions. The headache he has when he arrives at the meeting is one of these reactions by his body. The tension on the commute as well as anxiety about the meeting might also have initiated tremors and shaking or nervous twitching, tapping or fiddling with random objects. It is also very likely that Kyle would be sweating when he arrived at the meeting owing to the stress he is under. B. The stress of the long commute to work as well as his tardiness also probably produced a number of psychological reactions to the stress in Kyle. One such possible reaction would be constant flashbacks of the driver cutting him off and the long wait in the traffic. Another

Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 10

Management - Essay Example This research paper analysis the changes that have occurred in the Norse Skag Company from the perspective of organizational design, on the basis of the nine parameters that have been identified by Graetz et al (2002). The organizational changes in Norse Skag are divided into those that deal with structural realignments or changes, changes to the internal processes which include the acquisition of new IT technologies and the introduction of improved HR policies, as well as the boundaries changes that have taken place, whereby the company has outsourced/sold off some of its subsidiary activities in order to focus more effectively on its target area of newsprint production. In an intensely competitive global economy, these changes have been helping the Company to continue to retain a competitive advantage in the global marketplace. The Norse Skag Company started off as a local company producing newsprint in the Norweigan area, however it has now diversified into 15 countries in 5 continents. While it was originally a producer of a variety of forest products, it has now streamlined its operations so that 95% of its revenue is accrued from the production of paper on a global scale (www.report.huginonline.com). During this process of transformation, the Company has undergone several changes, wherein old and established practices have needed to be revamped in order to give way to new ideas and practices. In response to the financial pressures that have been created by globalization, the Company has undergone a transformation in organizational design. In his article on building new organizations, Senge (1990) points out that in an increasingly dynamic, interdependent and unpredictable world, it is vital that an organization is a learning organization if it is to survive and maintain a competitive advantage. A learning organization is one where two kinds of learning take place – generative learning which is about creating, as well as adaptive

A Wall of Separation between Law and Religion Term Paper

A Wall of Separation between Law and Religion - Term Paper Example The history of the United States is replete with governmental acknowledgment, and in some cases accommodation, of religion. The national motto â€Å"IN GOD WE TRUST† of the United States first appeared on the 1864 two-cent coin, which was officially adopted in 1956, clearly proves that the government is not atheist. (Facts sheet, 2007) The First Amendment states that â€Å"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.† The Establishment Clause represents one of America’s most cherished safeguards and is also most heavily litigated. Time and again there are allegations that â€Å"the courts and their civil-libertarian allies have waged a relentless battle to drive the words and symbols of traditional faith from the nation’s discourse.† (Stanton, M., 1996) The main focus was not only the public schools, where prayer, Bible reading, and display of the Ten Commandments have all been banished but extends to other venues also. The co mmon view is that â€Å"from the first day of the United States until today, the Supreme Court has been pivotal in interpreting our Constitution and shaping our republic.† (Land Mark Supreme Court Cases, 2007). In the opinion of Justice Hugo Black and others, the Founding Fathers sought to raise an impregnable ‘wall of separation’ between government and religious faith when they adopted the First Amendment. Perhaps Thomas Jefferson is considered as the first to cite the term â€Å"wall of separation† in a message to the Danbury Baptists. Jefferson further emphasized his point through a letter to a Presbyterian clergy that â€Å"I consider the government to the United States as interdicted from meddling with religious institutions; certainly no power over religious discipline has been delegated to the general government.†

How Can Small Businesses Practically Benefit from Cloud Computing Research Paper

How Can Small Businesses Practically Benefit from Cloud Computing - Research Paper Example Companies can switch services or use more complex software and platforms without incurring any capital expenditure. This arena has special implications for small businesses as they have the most to gain from it. The decrease in costs helps small businesses and start-ups to access and use applications that they could not afford before. It also enables them to share data and communicate easily with remote locations. Cloud computing is not dependant on any system except internet and thus things can be done faster and more efficiently. New applications can be launched and implemented without incurring high costs. Cloud computing systems can provide smaller companies the same level of software as large companies at lower costs. Cloud computing systems have better security systems and are better at managing and processing data. They can accommodate the company’s needs during peak seasons and reduce operating costs during low seasons. The pay as you go method decreases wastage of res ources and finances and helps in trimming the IT budget. The around the clock availability of data helps in increasing productivity. Thus, smaller companies face numerous benefits from cloud computing. The issues of privacy and security should however be considered. The cloud service provider can retain and use information about the business and is not held responsible for data security. Many instances of servers crashing have been noted causing many companies losing their data or being unable to access their files. Small businesses should always conduct thorough research and read the fine print before committing to cloud applications. Business needs should be kept in mind and a reliable vendor should be chosen.

Literature critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Literature critique - Essay Example authors get across that the failure to communicate has been shown to be at the root of 60% of events reported to the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organization. Reports from coroners also suggest that error in communication tends to lead to the death of a patient. The title gets straight to the point, informing the audience of the importance of the study. There are ten authors, three as observers, three as analysts, and the other four had roles that were not obvious. The abstract provides the reader with the background, methods, and results of the study. They state a clear objective, nevertheless a rationale is not given at this stage. Also supplied is an overview and summary of the results. The authors have provided a short informative and understandable background of the topic supported by evidences and statistics, including literature and ethnographic findings suggest that the current weaknesses in communication in the operating room may derive form a lack of standardization and team integration. The writers anticipate that a carefully adapted checklist system could promote safer, more effective communication in the operation room team. The literature review was merely a summary, not a review. The aim of the study was to define common communication failures. Some details of participating in the study were included along with an explanation of the data collected, the methods used to record data as well as the procedures for data analysis. According to Taylor and Bodgan (1998) the research design in this study was clearly appropriate to address the research aims. The researchers provide enough details regarding ethical issues. They made it clear that they had taken the necessary approval from the ethical board of the hospital. According to Silverman (2001), ethical issues come first before many other factors in studying subjects on humans. The researchers have explained that 94 team members participated from anesthesia, surgery, and nursing

Physical wellness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Physical wellness - Essay Example Proposed fitness plan: Diversify cardio activities if possible through different activities - running on treadmill, swimming, spinning, step aerobics, kick boxing. Increase cardio activity to 40 minutes at least 3 days a week. Intensify by using weights - ankles, waist, or specially designed weight jacket. Goals: Maintain weight through cardio and strength training. Proper and regular eating habits will be instituted. 4 - 5 small meals each day will be used to maintain energy. Fruits and vegetables can be eaten for healthy snacks between meals. Avoidance of high sodium, high carbohydrate, and high fat foods. Consistent water intake of at least 64 ounces a day for optimum body functioning will be needed. Avoidance of energy drinks and caffeine. Drinks containing electrolytes should be careful consumed, assisting in the body maintaining homeostasis. Proposed plan: Alternate upper body and lower body work-outs in minimize fatigue of larger muscle groups in each area. For each exercise, a total of 12 -15 reps, and a total of 3 sets of reps should be followed. Work major muscle groups and smaller muscle groups to maximize the workout. Circuits can provide cardio during strength training - this entails moving from one exercise to the next with little to no rest in between. Free weights and exercise bands can be used for resistance training. Less weight more reps for lean muscle and less reps higher weight for creating heavier muscle mass should be taken into consideration. Exercises to be used: To work large muscle groups within the legs, squats and lunges should be used, with or without weight. Arms: bar bell bicep curls - allows for heavier weight usage and is easiest in technique; alternate dumb bell bicep curls, allows for one arm to rest while another arm works; use of bands with these exercises - use one foot or both feet to hold the band in place while pulling the band in the same motions used with free weights. Abs: standing abdominal work will reduce the stress that is placed on the back while doing crunches in a lying position - the basic standing tuck position works the abs by having the person tuck their hips while maintaining a straight back. Bending from side to side will work the obliques in concert with the abdominals. Goals: Increase muscle tone through gradual weight increments and usage. Increase the amount of weight that can be used during workouts before exhaustion sets in. Use of strength training equipment at Planet Fitness Gym and/or exercise instructional videos for wide variety of exercises. Stress Management Plan: Part 3 Current stressors: Full time college student, living at home with parents, working 3 -4 days a week as a secretary. Inable to sit for long periods of time. Constant stress and high anxiety levels present. Current stress relief activities: Use of sports/exercise; playing piano. Proposed plan: Using time effectively, both exercise and relaxation techniques could be employed. Yoga, pilates, and the newest combination called piyo can be used for stretching, strengthening, as well as for meditative purposes. Receiving a full body massage monthly will help reduce muscle fatigue and lower stress levels by fully relaxing the entire body. A hot bath will also relax the body and help reduce muscl

Nature of Communities Essay Example for Free

Nature of Communities Essay At the beginning of the 20th century there was much debate about the nature of communities. The driving question was whether the community was a self-organized system of co-occurring species or simply a haphazard collection of populations with minimal functional integration (Verhoef, 2010). Krebs (1972) described a community as an assemblage of populations of living organisms in a prescribed area or habitat. However, according to Wright (1984), the working definitions of community can be divided into two basic categories: organismic or individualistic. The organismic approach contends that communities have discrete boundaries and that the sum of the species in an area behaves as organism with both structure and function. In contrast, the individualistic concept regards communities as collections of species requiring similar environmental conditions (Wright, 1984). A)Organismic versus individualistic distribution Solomon (2005) stated that the nature of communities is discussed based on two traditional views which are Clements’s organismic model and Gleason’s individualistic model. The organismic model views community as a superorganism that goes through certain stages of development (succession) toward adulthood (climax). In this view, biological interactions are primarily responsible for species composition, and organisms are highly interdependent. In contrast, according to individualistic model, abiotic environmental factors are the primary determinants of species composition in a community, and organisms are largely interdependent on each other. According to organismic concept it is expected that an entire community or biome will respond as a unit and to relocate as climatic conditions change. Pleistocene biome migration in response to multiple glaciations, the accordian effect, is a classic example of this model (Wright, 1984). In contrast, Wright (1984) further explained that the individualist expects each species experiencing similar climatic changes to respond independently and thus, the community composition of an area to change via both immigration and emigration of some individual taxa while others remain in the area. Communities are not stable under this model but recognize in response to changing local conditions. According to Clements’ organismic hypothesis, species that typically occupy the same communities should always occur together. Thus, their distributions along the gradient would be clustered in discrete groups with sharp boundaries between groups (Russell et al., 2011). In the 1920s, ecologists; Frederic Clements and Henry A. Gleason developed two extreme hypotheses about the nature of ecological communities (Russell et al., 2011). Clements championed an interactive (organismic) view describing communities as â€Å"superorganism† assemblages of species bound together by complex population interactions. According to this view, each species in a community requires interactions with a set of ecologically different species, just as every cell in an organism requires services that other types of cells provide. In contrast, Gleason proposed an alternative, individualistic view of ecological communities. He believed that population interactions do not always determine species composition. Instead, a community is just an assemblage of species that are individually adapted to similar environmental conditions.According to Gleason’s hypothesis, communities do not achieve equilibrium; rather, they constantly change in response to disturbance and environmental variation. According to Gleason’s individualistic hypothesis, each species is distributed over the section of an environmental gradient to which it is adapted. Different species would have unique distributions, and species composition would change continuously along the gradient. In other words, communities would not be separated by sharp boundaries. B)Stochastic Versus Equilibrium Schools The stochastic school believes that most communities exist in a state of equilibrium, where competitive exclusion principle is prevented by periodic population reductions and environmental fluctuations (Crawley, 1997). More generally, stochastic effects can cause a population to shift from one type of dynamic behavior to another (Turchin, 2003). In addition, stochastic school maintains that physical and temporal factors are dominant influences of community composition. This view argues that species abundance varies and is largely determined by differential responses to unpredictable environmental changes (Levin, 2009). In contrast, the equilibrium explanations assume that community composition represents the stable outcome of interspecific interactions (set of species abundances reached when the rates of change in population is zero) and also assume that the community will return to an equilibrium after those populations are perturbed (Verhoef, 2010). For instance, the traditional equilibrium model assumes that the probability of an individual fish larva surviving to reproduce is limited in a density-dependent manner by the abundance of the adult fish. Alternatively, stochastic model predicts that recruitment to the adult phase is independent of the density of the adults (Chapman et al., 1999). Equilibrium model states that species richness is entirely determined by ongoing immigration and extinction (Kricher, 2011). Therefore, equilibrium model can be said to be deterministic process which is important in shaping community structure through competition and predation on native species over short temporal scales (Thorp et al., 2008). For example, Chapman et al., (1999), stated that coral reefs communities are at equilibrium showing precise resource partitioning in response to the competition between the various fish species. However, in contrast, the community may also be more susceptible to stochastic processes. For example, the number of fish species on coral reefs is kept high largely by stochastic processes. According to Naiman et al., (2001), stochastic processes are unpredictable and operate in a relatively density-independent fashion. This is the opposite of the traditional, equilibrium hypothesis which emphasizes density dependent competition between species.

Republic of Ireland’s Primary Care Strategy: An Analysis

Republic of Ireland’s Primary Care Strategy: An Analysis Primary Care Strategy Introduction â€Å"Primary care is the first point of contact that people have with the health and personal social services.†[1] This means that primary care must be sufficiently well developed to be able to address the most complex and diverse range of health-related challenges and problems that will manifest in healthcare service provision, and make the most of opportunities to promote health and reduce morbidity, across the general population in specific target groups. This essay will explore the Republic of Ireland’s primary care strategy in relation to key goals and targets, and also examine some elements of the strategy in terms of a SWOT analysis. Specific reference will be made to the role of the Specialist Public Health Nurse/Health Visitor Role. Main Body Primary Care can be defined as â€Å"first contact, continuous, comprehensive, and coordinated care provided to populations undifferentiated by gender, disease, or organ system.†[2] Primary care is about the provision of information, diagnosis, treatment, referral and support for the majority of people who access healthcare services for the first time, and the strategic concerns of primary are related to accessibility, provision of short and long-term care which meets the needs of the population, assessment of those needs, and coordination of services to meet those needs[3]. This has many implications for the provision of healthcare services and the management of increasingly scarce resources. However, it is evident from the literature that in most locations, primary healthcare services still have a long way to go in meeting the goals of primary healthcare itself, particularly in relation to improving integration of services and reorienting services to a person-centred model, rather than a disease-centred model. Primary healthcare is viewed as a means of reducing the use of and demand for overall healthcare services by acting as a gatekeeper for secondary healthcare, and as a means of primary prevention of healthcare problems and disease, particularly in high risk groups of the population, but there is ongoing evidence and debate within the academic literature that there are continuing issues about the lack of egalitarian access to such services and ongoing questions about the ways in which they are provided[4]. It is considered by some that the decisions which govern the design and delivery of primary care services are potentially more based on political drivers than true patient need[5]. Similarly, the gateway function of the primary care service in determining which patients have access to acute care (or secondary care) services may not be based on individual need, but on other factors, such as political, social and even personal factors, including prejudices on the part of healthcare professionals[6]. The primary care strategy, if it provides strong guidance which leads to strong leadership, and perhaps enhances management of care through the use of agreed care pathways which guide decision making, might help eradicate some of these factors. Making the person-centred care model central will also help to remove some of the barriers to egalitarian service provision[7]. However, one of the challenges of the Republic of Ireland model is the fact that two thirds of patients in primary care must pay for their care, which would mean that despite the focus on removing inequalities in access, there continue to be challenges for providing equality of acces s[8]. One of the strengths of the primary care strategy is the focus on improving interprofessional working and communications, as a means of streamlining use of services and preventing doubling up or overlap of services[9]. Improving interprofessional working at the primary care level is one thing, but the strategy also needs to ensure that the intersection between primary and secondary care is properly managed, and that patients moving from acute care settings into community settings continue to have a streamlined, person-centred model of care applied, with good continuity of care[10]. However, there is also a need for the provision of strong leadership, which supports the implementation of the changes associated with this re-orientation of primary care in Ireland, and which supports new ways of working and helps to break down the barriers between the professions[11], [12]. This is where the role of the Health Visitor can be examined in a little more detail, in relation to realising some of the goals of the Primary Care Strategy, and in addressing some of the challenges of this. It has long been the case that Health Visitors work across professional boundaries, and work closely with a range of other health professionals, because within the community, specialist and generic roles are equally required in supporting individual patient need[13]. The interprofessional interface is perhaps one of the most fundamental elements of the work of the Health Visitor, but at the same time is perhaps not given enough attention or credit in terms of the impact that Health Visitors have in the prevention of illness and public health sectors of primary healthcare[14], [15]. The Public Health focus of the primary care strategy is inherent in much of the rhetoric it contains, particularly as it expressly cites the potential for preventive strategies to reduce overall healthcare resource use[16]. It is here that the Health Visitor’s role perhaps has the greatest scope, and should be more strongly underlined, as this is a great resource for change. Research shows that the role of the health visitor is paramount and unparalleled, in reducing risk related behaviours, improving health outcomes, promoting healthy lifestyles and engaging in the more challenging areas of the health/social car interface[17], [18], [19]. However, there is also some evidence to suggest that nurses and, in particular, health visitors, have a key role to play in expanding and delivering the public health dimension of primary care[20]. In particular, the development of improved partnerships in health and social care may be made possible through the role of such nurses, who have the broader community knowledge as well as specialist knowledge of key areas of public health[21]. These partnerships can be developed with a focus on the quality of care provision, not just the identification of need[22], [23], [24]. However, managing the development of improved partnerships, and achieving the goals of the Strategy, is going to be challenging during the transition period, and there may be a degree of uncertainty over roles and boundaries[25]. It might be that Health Visitors are in a prime position to provide the leadership required during such a time. Conclusions and Recommendations. Below is a summary of a brief SWOT analysis of the primary care strategy and isome of its potential implications. Table 1 SWOT analysis of Primary Care (with Reference to the Republic of Ireland Primary Health Strategy[26]) This shows that while there are issues with weaknesses and threats, many of these are the kind that have been present within the primary arena for some time, and it will take good leadership, and good use of existing skills and resources, to achieve the goals of the strategy. While the primary care focus for healthcare services is laudable, there is still the overwhelming need for good resourcing, more clarity about provision, and clear guidance on how to move forward to achieve these goals. Making use of existing roles, such as that of the Health Visitor, whose work crosses the intersections of care at so many points in the primary care sector, could improve quality of care, reduce the impact of the change and transition, and also set standards for the future to increase interprofessional communication and partnership. Certainly it should not be assumed that the strategy will eradicate all the existing problems about the provision of primary care in Ireland, and those problems must still be addressed in future provision[30]. References 213615 Allen, P. (2000) Accountability for clinical governance: developing collective responsibility for quality in primary care. British Medical Journal 321: 608–611. Barlow, J., Davis, H., McIntosh, E. et al (2007) Role of home visiting in improving parenting and health in families at risk of abuse and neglect: results of a multicentre randomised controlled trial and economic evaluation Archives of Disease in Childhood 92 229-233. Campbell, S.M., Roland, M.O., Middleton, E. and Reeves, D. (2005) Improvements in quality of clinical care in English general practice 1998-2003: longitudinal observational study. BMJ 12;331(7525):1121 Carr, S.M. (2007) Leading change in public health – factors that inhibit and facilitate energizing the process. PrimaryHealth Care Research and Development. 8 207-215. Chavasse, J. (1998) Policy as an influence on public health nuse education in the Republic of Ireland. Journal of Advanced Nursing 28 (1) 172-177. Chavasse, J. (1995) Public Health Nursing in the Republic of Ireland. Nursing Review 14 (1) 4-8. Currie, G. and Suhomlinova, O. (2006) The Impact of Institutional Forces Upon Knowledge Sharing in the UK NHS: The Triumph of Professional Power and the Inconsistency of Policy. Public Administration 84 (1) 1-30. Department of Health and Children (2001) Primary Care: a New Direction. Available from: http://www.dohc.ie/publications/pdf/primcare.pdf?direct=1 Accessed 10-11-08. Douglas, F., van Teijlingen, E., Torrance, N. et al (2006) Promoting physical activity inprimary care settings: health visitors’ and practice nurses’ views and experiences. Journal of Advanced Nursing 55 (2) 159-168. Dunnion, M.E. Kelly, B. (2005) From the emergency department to home Journal of Clinical Nursing 14 776-785. Ewles, L. (2005). Key Topics in Public Health. London. Churchill Livingstone. Jackson, C., Coe, A., Cheater, F.M. and Wroe, S. (2007) Specialist health visitor-led weight management intervention in primary care: exploratory evaluation Journal of Advanced Nursing 58 (1) 23-34. Lordan, G. (2007) What determines a patient’s treatment? Evidence from out of hours primary care co-op data in the Republic of Ireland. Health Care Management and Science 10 283-292. McGregor, P., Nolan, A., Nolan, B. and O’Neill, C. (2007) A comparison of GP visiting in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. ESRI Working Ppaper Avaialble from www.esri.ie Accessed 10-11-08. McMurray, R. and Chester, F. (2003) Partnerships for health: expanding the public health nursing role within PCTs. Primary Health Care Research and Development4 57-65. Masterson, A. (2002) Cross-boundary working: a macro-political analysis of the impact on professional roles. Journal of Clinical Nursing 11 331-339. Mitchell, P.S., Schaad, D.C, Odegard, P.S. Ballweg, R.A. (2006) Working across the boundaries of health professions disciplines in education, research and service: the University of Washington experience. Academic Medicine 81 (10) 891-896. O’Dowd, A. (2005) Uncertainty over reorganisation is destabilising primary care. BMJ331 1164 Price, B. (2006) Exploring person-centred care. Nursing Standard 20 (50) 49-56. Rummery, K. and Coleman, A. (2001) Primary health and social care services in the UK: progress towards partnership? Social Science Medicine 56 (8) 1773-1782 Stanley, D., Reed, J. Brown, S. (1999) Older people, care management and interprofessional practice. Journal of Interprofessional Care 13 (3) 229-237. Starfield, B. (1994) Is primary care essential The Lancet 344 1129-1133. Thomas, P., Graffy, J., Wallace, P. (2006) How Primary Care Networks Can Help Integrate Academic and Service Initiatives in Primary Care Annals of Family Medicine 4:235-239. Vernon, S., Ross, F. Gould, M.A. (2000) Assessment of older people: politics and practice in primary care. Journal of Advanced Nursing 31 (2) 282-287. Watkins, D., Edwards, J. Gastrell, P. eds. (2003). Community Health Nursing: Frameworks for Practice. 2nd ed. p.35. London, Baillià ¨re Tindall. 1 Footnotes [1] Department of Health and Children (2001) p 7. [2] Starfield, B. (1994) [3] Starfield (ibid) [4] Vernon, S., Ross, F. Gould, M.A. (2000) [5] Vernon (ibid) [6] Starfield (ibid). [7] Price, B. (2006) [8] McGregor, P., Nolan, A., Nolan, B. and O’Neill, C. (2007) [9] Stanley, D., Reed, J. Brown, S. (1999) [10] Dunnion, M.E. Kelly, B. (2005) [11] Carr, S.M. (2007) [12] Currie, G. and Suhomlinova, O. (2006) [13] Watkins, D., Edwards, J. Gastrell, P. eds. (2003). [14] Ewles, L. (2005). [15] Jackson, C., Coe, A., Cheater, F.M. and Wroe, S. (2007) [16] Department of Health and Children (ibid). [17] Barlow, J., Davis, H., McIntosh, E. et al (2007) [18] McMurray, R. and Chester, F. (2003) [19] Douglas, F., van Teijlingen, E., Torrance, N. et al (2006) [20] McMurray (ibid) [21] McMurray (ibid) [22] Allen, P. (2000) [23] Campbell, S.M., Roland, M.O., Middleton, E. and Reeves, D. (2005) [24] Rummery, K. and Coleman, A. (2001) [25] O’Dowd, A. (2005) [26] Department of Health and Children (ibid). [27] Masterson, A. (2002) [28] Mitchell, P.S., Schaad, D.C, Odegard, P.S. Ballweg, R.A. (2006). [29] Thomas, P., Graffy, J., Wallace, P. (2006) [30] Lordan, G. (2007)

The Stages Of The Refrigeration Cycle Engineering Essay

The Stages Of The Refrigeration Cycle Engineering Essay The second law of thermodynamics is described as the most fundamental law of science (Khemani, 2008). It is fundamental in the sense that it can be used to explain not only refrigerators and heat engines but highly advanced phenomena such as the big bang. It has been put aptly in the words of Classius as it is impossible for a process to occur that has the sole effect of removing a quantity of heat from an object at a lower temperature and transferring this quantity of heat to an object at a higher temperature (Mortimer, 2008). This essentially means that heat cannot flow spontaneously from a cooler to a hotter body if nothing else happens (Mortimer, 2008) i.e. there needs to be an external agency to effect the change. In kitchen refrigerators, the closed box inside is able to be kept cool by the removal of heat from the inside of the box and depositing it on the outside. Because the heat will not move freely from the cold inside to the hot outside, as by the second law, it is important for it to be made to do so, this is done by using an intermediate fluid (Littlewood, 2004) which absorbed heat on the inside. This intermediate fluid is known as a refrigerant and carries the heat outside of the box whereby it it released into the air as heat as shown in (Littlewood, 2004). Figure 1 the flow of heat within the refrigerator a schematic (Littlewood, 2004) The fluid circulates within the pipe which passes in and out and can be found at the back of the refrigerator. It is kept by using a compressor (which uses electricity from the home) and allows it to work effectively without violating the second law of motion. (Littlewood, 2004) THE FIRST LAW Refrigerator takes in energy from a region that needs to be cooled (or kept cold) and deposits this heat energy into some other region that is outside of the refrigerator. In order to work, there has to be some mechanism in place, where the work done by a compressor and its electric motor is utilized. Using the First Law of Thermodynamics we can write: (Littlewood, 2004) Figure 2 the first law of thermodynamics (Littlewood, 2004) QC   QH  = -W Where: Qc energy or heat of the cold system QH = energy or heat of the hot system W = work done Since work is done on the refrigerator by another device (the compressor), rather than by the refrigerator itself, the work is done is deemed negative because of sign conventions. This is part of the first law (Littlewood, 2004). Suppose that 2.4 MJ of work is used to remove 5.2 MJ of heat from the inside of the refrigerator, then an amount of heat QH  = QC  + W = 5.2 MJ + 2.4 MJ = 7.6 MJ must be added to the kitchen. The refrigerator is termed as a closed system and it possesses a constant composition: U = U + (à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡U/à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡V) T dV U = U + (à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡U/à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡T) V dT U = U + (à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡U/à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡V) T dV + (à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡U/à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡T) T dT dU (à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡U/à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡V) T dV + (à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡U/à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡T) V dT According to Bain (2010), there are four basic parts to any refrigerator: Compressor Heat Expansion valve Refrigerant The exchanging pipes are a coiled set of pipes that is placed strategically outside of the unit. The refrigerant as will be discussed later on is a liquid that has the ability to evaporate efficiently so that inside the refrigerator is kept cooled. (Bain, 2010) A gas can be cooled by adiabatic expansion if the process is enthalphic. The gas expands through a process barrier from one constant pressure to the next and the temperature difference in observed. Insulation of the system made the process adiabatic. The result is that a lower temperature was absorbed on the on a low pressure side and the change in the temperature is proportional to the change in pressure. (Bain, 2010)  Ã¢â‚¬Å¾T  µ  Ã¢â‚¬Å¾P Figure 3 schematic of a domestic refrigerator (Bain, 2010) When an energy |qc| is removed from a cool source at some temperature Tc, and then deposited in a warmer sink at a temperature Th, the change in entropy is: (Atkins dePaula, 2006) Atkins dePaula (2006) also indicated that the process is not spontaneous because the entropy generated in the warm sink is not enough to overcome the loss of entropy from the cold souce. And because of this more energy needs to be added to the stream that enters the warm sink to generated the entropy required by the system. They further indicated that the outcome is expressed as the coefficient of performance, c: The less the work required to achieve a given transfer, the greater the coefficient of performance and the more efficient the refrigerator (Atkins dePaula, 2004). Because |qc| is removed from the cold source, the work |w| is added to the energy stream, the energy deposited as the heat in the hot sink |qh| = |qc| + |w|. Therefore, From: We can have an expression in terms of the temperature alone, which is possible if the transfer is performed reversibly (Atkins dePaula, 2006): Where: c = thermodynamic optimum coefficient of temperature Tc = temperature of the cold sink Th = temperature of the hot sink For a refrigerator, it important that a very low coefficient of performance. For a refrigerator withdrawing heat from ice cold water (Tc = 273 K) in a typical environment (Th = 293K), c = 14. As an example, to remove 10 kJ (enough to freeze 30 g of water), requires transfer of atleast 0.71 kJ as work. (Atkins dePaula, 2005) The work to maintain a low temperature is very important when designing refrigerators. No thermal insulation is perfect, so there is always some form of energy flowing as heat into a specific sample at a rate that is proportional to the temperature difference. (Atkins and de Paula, 2006). Figure 4 (a) the flow of energy as heat from a cold source to a hot sink is not spontaneous. As can be seen, the entropy increase of the hot sink is smaller than the entropy increase of the cold source, so there is a net decrease in entropy (Atkins dePaula, 2006). (b) The process becomes feasible if work is provided to add to the energy stream. Then the increase in entropy of the hot sink can be made to cancel the entropy of the hot source (Atkins dePaula, 2006) he rate at which energy leaks happen is written as: Where: A = a constant that depends on the size of the sample and details of the simulation Tc = temperature of the cold sink Th = temperature of the hot sink The minimum power, P, required to maintain the original temperature difference by pumping out that energy by heating the surroundings is: As can be seen the power increases as the square of the temperature difference (Th Tc). THE REFRIGERATION CYCLE The gas is pumped continuously at a steady pressure, the heat exchanger (which brings the required temperature) and then through a porous plug inside container that is thermally insulated. A phase change heat pump uses a liquid that has a low boiling point to transfer heat from a cooler area to a warmer one, in refrigerators. This heat pump is the most commonly used in domestic refrigerators. It employs a liquid, known as a refrigerant which has a low boiling point. The liquid requires energy (called latent heat) to evaporate, and it drains that energy from its surroundings in the form of heat. When the vapor condenses again, it releases the energy (in the form of heat). A refrigerant is a compound used in a heat cycle that undergoes a phase change from a gas to a liquid and back. Latent heat describes the amount of energy in the form of heat that is required for a material to undergo a change of phase (also known as change of state). Two latent heats are typically described. (Bamb ooweb, 2009)For other uses, see CFC (disambiguation). The pump operates a cycle in which the refrigerant changes state from its liquid form to the vapour form and vice versa. This process occurs repeatedly and I known as the refrigeration cycle. In this cycle, the refrigerant condenses and heat is released in one point of the cycle. It is the boiled (or evaporated) so that it absorbs heat in another point of the cycle. The widely used refrigerant is hydro fluorocarbon (HFC) known as R-134a (1, 1, 1, 2 tetrafluoroethane) and CCl2F2 (dichlorodifluoromethane). Other substances such as liquid ammonia, propane or butane, are be used but because of their highly flammable nature, they are disregarded as a good refrigerant. 1930 (MCMXXX) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link is to a full 1930 calendar). (Bambooweb, 2009)For other uses, see CFC (disambiguation). In the refrigerator the fluid used (e.g. CCl2F2 ) fluid is liquefied by compression then vaporized by sudden expansion which gives a cooling effect. The compressor, in itself does not create a cooling effect directly, as might be expected. The cooling effect is created when the refrigerant absorbs the heat from the cooled space. This is accomplished with a heat exchanger. (Bambooweb, 2009)For other uses, see CFC (disambiguation). A heat exchanger is a device built for efficient heat transfer from one fluid to another, whether the fluids are separated by a solid wall so that they never mix, or the fluids are directly contacted. The refrigeration cycle can be divided in two parts: The liquefaction stage The evaporation stage LIQUEFACTION STAGE The refrigerant vapour undergoes recycling by itself into the liquid form by the extraction of heat from a vapour at a higher temperature. The refrigerant is compressed by the compressor where a low pressure and low temperature condition is created. This is accomplished by an evaporating coil. During the compression process, the vapour of the refrigerant undergoes a temperature change (as an effect of the compression process). Additionally, the work of compression to create the high temperature and pressure vapour also contributes to the temperature change experienced by the vapour. The condenser that is located where the temperature is higher (i.e. the higher temperature heat sink) collects the vapour. Heat is then removed from the refrigerant and in lieu of this it condenses to its liquid state, hence the name for the condenser. Using the Joule-Thompson coefficient: For a perfect gas  µ = 0 Cp + Cv = (à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡H/à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡T)p (à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡U/à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡T)p Introducing: H = U + pV = nRT into the first term: Cp Cv = (à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡U/à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡T)p + nR (à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡U/à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬Å¡T)p = nR EVAPORATION STAGE As the refrigerant leaves the condenser, the next part of the cycle begins. This is accomplishe when a high temperature and high pressure liquid passes through a metering device that is found within the refrigeration. The valve allows a specific quantity of liquid coolant to pass into the evaporation chamber. Evaporation chambers are relatively low pressure and this encourages coolant evaporation. Newly evaporated coolant is drawn though the cooling coils (typically a fan is used to blow air over the coils). Thus, the evaporative process produces the cooling effect. The refrigerant then is pulled to the compressor in the suction line where it will be compressed into a high temperature, high pressure gas and sent to the external heat sinking coils. Capillary action or capillarity is the ability of a narrow tube to draw a liquid upwards against the force of gravity. A refrigerator pumps heat up a temperature gradient. The cooling efficiency of this operation depends on the amount of heat extracted from the cold temperature reservoir (the freezer compartment), , and the work needed to do so. Since a practical refrigerator operates in a cycle to provide a continuous removal of heat, for the cycle. Then, by the conservation of energy (or first law), , where is the heat ejected to the high temperature reservoir or the outside. The measure of a refrigerator performance is defined as the efficiency expressed in terms of the coefficient of performance (). Since the purpose is to extract the most heat () per unit work input (), the coefficient of performance for a refrigerator, , is expressed as their ratio: Where, the conservation relationship given above is used to express the work in terms of heat. For normal refrigerator operation, the work input is less than the heat removed, so the is greater than 1. Refrigerators are commonly referred to as heat pumps of more specifically a it is a reversible heat pump because they basically pump heat. Figure 5 A simple stylized diagram of a heat pumps vapor-compression refrigeration cycle: 1)  condenser, 2)  expansion valve, 3)  evaporator, 4)  compressor. Opening a food refrigerator or freezer heats up the kitchen rather than cooling it because its refrigeration cycle rejects heat to the indoor air. This heat includes the compressors dissipated work as well as the heat removed from the inside of the appliance. The COP for a heat pump in a heating or cooling application, with steady-state operation, is: Where: ΆQcool is the amount of heat extracted from a cold reservoir at temperature Tcool, ΆQhot is the amount of heat delivered to a hot reservoir at temperature Thot, ΆA is the compressors dissipated work. EFFICIENCY The efficiency of a refrigerator (known as the coefficient of performance, COP) is defined as   For example, if 20 MJ are removed from the inside of the refrigerator by doing 7.5 MJ of work, then the coefficient of performance is equal to 20/7.5 = 2.67. SUMMARY OF THERMODYNAMIC OF A REFRIGERATOR AFTER ONE CYCLE Change in internal energy = 0 Change in heat is > 0 Total work > 0 Total volume change = 0 Change in Gibbs free energy = 0 Entropy change of the system = 0 Entropy change of the universe > 0

Power and Participation in Development Communication Essay -- Internat

The aim of development is not clean roads, skyscrapers and a well built transport infrastructure. Development requires the removal of major sources of unfreedom: poverty as well as tyranny, poor economic opportunities as well as systematic social deprivation, neglect of public facilities as well as intolerance or over activity of repressive states. (Sen, 1999) And in this process communication plays a pivotal role. A strong tool, if utilized effectively it can mobilize masses and increase awareness thus empowering the poor and the weakest of the society. Development and communication are inextricably linked. Thus, the concept of development communication is not alien to us. Development communication, as the World Bank effectively defines is the ‘Integration of strategic communication in development projects’. However, communication for long has been top-down or in other words linear with no participatory elements, which has led to the failure of many development initia tives. Numerous issues such as who and how are the concerns of the marginalized populations voiced, how are the policy frameworks developed and who is involved in the decision making process began to be highlighted. Beneath these concerns lies the most important and crucial aspect of development communication i.e. Participation. Though technologies possess the potential to improve the lives of many people by giving them a voice, participation becomes a must as it facilitates dialogical communication. This sort of open and free communication is necessary as it allows identification of problems easily and through the experience and knowledge of both the parties in dialogue, solutions are often found. Participation is defined by some stakeholders as ‘mobilization ... ...nd organizations realize the importance of involvement of the communities towards which they are working for and encourage them to be self-reliant and benefit themselves. Works Cited Sen, A (1999). Development as Freedom. New York : Oxford University Press Tufte, T and Mefalopulos, P (2009). Participatory Communication: A Practical Guide. Washington D.C. : World Bank Arnstein, S. (1969) A ladder of citizen participation. Journal of the American Planning Association, 35 (4), pp. 216-224. Arnstein, S. (1969) A ladder of citizen participation. Journal of the American Planning Association, 35 (4), pp. 216-224. Arnstein, S. (1969) A ladder of citizen participation. Journal of the American Planning Association, 35 (4), pp. 216-224. Tufte, T and Mefalopulos, P (2009). Participatory Communication: A Practical Guide. Washington D.C. : World Bank

Nature of the Mind Essay -- Poetry

William Blake, a poet that strongly believed in the power of mind, once wrote, "if we see with imagination, we see all things in the infinite." The Romantic poets use their imagination when gazing at nature, and therefore see and feel the infinite through their poetry. William Wordsworth expresses the serene beauty that nature possesses and its calming effects on the mind. Samuel Taylor Coleridge, one of the poetic geniuses of the age, uses nature and his imagination to create surreal atmospheres. Another Romantic poet, by the name of Percy Bysshe Shelley, shows great longing for the freedom that nature possesses and the freeing effect it has on him. These poets of the Romantic period look at nature from a higher consciousness called the imagination. William Wordsworth, through many of his poems, expresses the serene beauty contained in nature and its tranquilizing effects on human thoughts. In "Lines Composed a Few Miles from Tintern Abbey", the speaker looks "on nature...to chasten and subdue...the mind" and bring peace to his thoughts. Looking deeply into nature brings the feelings of sublime contentment and new feelings of inspiration that one cannot find in any alternate surrounding. In Wordsworth's "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud," the speaker, when "in vacant or in pensive mood," recalls a memory of a past picturesque outdoor scene that "is the bliss of [his] solitude." His mind's pencil edges a lasting portrait of a scene in nature and the emotions of its beauty in the speaker's mind. The "dancing daffodils" will stay with the speaker even when the original drawing has faded. Another poem, "Composed upon Westminster Bridge," expresses the lulling atmosphere of the early morning and its encompassing calm a... ...s are "profuse strains of unpremeditated art," singing exactly what it feels, without restraint. Percy Shelley imagines these feelings of freedom and artless beauty in nature's creations that without imagination would never be conceived. Through poetry, the Romantics, Wordsworth, Coleridge and Shelley, make many connections between the human mind and its natural surroundings by way of imagination. William Wordsworth emphasizes nature's soothing powers on the mind and its short term and long term effects. Shelley, on the other hand, expresses the boundless life of nature and its ability of uninhibited expression. Samuel Coleridge, the true believer in the mind's versatility, focuses on the flexibility of one's imagination in the presence of nature. Because of these poets and their poetry, the rest of the world is tempted to take a step into the imagination. Nature of the Mind Essay -- Poetry William Blake, a poet that strongly believed in the power of mind, once wrote, "if we see with imagination, we see all things in the infinite." The Romantic poets use their imagination when gazing at nature, and therefore see and feel the infinite through their poetry. William Wordsworth expresses the serene beauty that nature possesses and its calming effects on the mind. Samuel Taylor Coleridge, one of the poetic geniuses of the age, uses nature and his imagination to create surreal atmospheres. Another Romantic poet, by the name of Percy Bysshe Shelley, shows great longing for the freedom that nature possesses and the freeing effect it has on him. These poets of the Romantic period look at nature from a higher consciousness called the imagination. William Wordsworth, through many of his poems, expresses the serene beauty contained in nature and its tranquilizing effects on human thoughts. In "Lines Composed a Few Miles from Tintern Abbey", the speaker looks "on nature...to chasten and subdue...the mind" and bring peace to his thoughts. Looking deeply into nature brings the feelings of sublime contentment and new feelings of inspiration that one cannot find in any alternate surrounding. In Wordsworth's "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud," the speaker, when "in vacant or in pensive mood," recalls a memory of a past picturesque outdoor scene that "is the bliss of [his] solitude." His mind's pencil edges a lasting portrait of a scene in nature and the emotions of its beauty in the speaker's mind. The "dancing daffodils" will stay with the speaker even when the original drawing has faded. Another poem, "Composed upon Westminster Bridge," expresses the lulling atmosphere of the early morning and its encompassing calm a... ...s are "profuse strains of unpremeditated art," singing exactly what it feels, without restraint. Percy Shelley imagines these feelings of freedom and artless beauty in nature's creations that without imagination would never be conceived. Through poetry, the Romantics, Wordsworth, Coleridge and Shelley, make many connections between the human mind and its natural surroundings by way of imagination. William Wordsworth emphasizes nature's soothing powers on the mind and its short term and long term effects. Shelley, on the other hand, expresses the boundless life of nature and its ability of uninhibited expression. Samuel Coleridge, the true believer in the mind's versatility, focuses on the flexibility of one's imagination in the presence of nature. Because of these poets and their poetry, the rest of the world is tempted to take a step into the imagination.

Reflective Paper

Reflective Paper – Effective Human Resources Management Theresa Tapley BUS 303 Dr. Kevin Righter March 13, 2010 Reflective Paper – Effective Human Resources Management Effective Human Resources Management (HRM) plays a major role in ensuring that an organization will survive and prosper. The HRM facilitates the most effective use of people or employees to achieve organizational and individual goals. The HRM consists of numerous activities which include, equal employment opportunity (EEO) compliance, job analysis, human resource planning, the recruitment, selection, motivation, and orientation of employees, performance evaluation and compensation, the training and development of employees, labor relations, and the safety, health, and wellness of the workforce. Effective human resources management plays a vital role in the success of an organization and is an active participant in charting the strategic course of competitiveness, productiveness, and efficiency. An effective HRM focuses on action rather than on record-keeping, written procedure, or rules. Although the use of rules, records, and policies are incorporated, â€Å"action† is the focus. The HRM emphasizes the solution of employment problems to help achieve organizational objectives and facilitate employees’ development and satisfaction. An effective HRM is, also, people-oriented. Whenever possible, the HRM treats each employee as an individual and offers services and program to meet the individual’s needs. An effective HRM program is concerned with helping an organization achieve its objectives in the future by providing for competent, well-motivated employees. Human resources are incorporated into an organization’s long-term strategic plans to assist with ensuring that future growth needs will be adequately staffed with qualified, trained employees (Ivancewich, 2010, pg 5). EEO and Affirmative Action One external factor that has a powerful influence on my company's HRM unction is the equal employment opportunity and human rights legislation, which has a profound effect on our policies and procedures concerning recruiting, selection, evaluation, and promotion. The U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is an independent federal agency that enforces laws against workplace discrimination. The EEOC investigates discrimination complaints based on an individual’s race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability and retaliation for reporting and/or opp osing a discriminatory practice. This commission is empowered to file discrimination suits against employers on behalf of alleged victims and to adjudicate claims of discrimination brought against federal agencies. No other regulatory area has as thoroughly affected HRM as the EEO programs have. It has implications for almost every activity in HRM and sets standards for hiring, recruiting, training, terminating, compensating, evaluating, planning, disciplining, and collective bargaining. Employers, to prevent employment discrimination in the workplace or to take remedial action to offset employment discrimination implement EEO programs, (Ivancevich, 2010, pg 65). According to the U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) website, the EEOC is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person's race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. The laws also apply to all type of work situations, including hiring, firing, promotions, demotions, harassment, training, wages, and benefits. During the employment selection process, each candidate should be evaluated on their qualification of the job requirements, based on their experience, education, and skill set. Many corporations use testing as an important tool. Rae T. Vann, general counsel of the Equal Employment Advisory Council, a national association of large federal contractors, observed, â€Å"When done properly, testing can be a very important tool in the employment selection process, and we commend the Commission on its efforts to improve the quality and fairness of tests and other job screening methods† (Title VII: Affirmative Action, 2006). I encourage my Clinical Managers to become familiar with the provisions of the EEO standards and guidelines. It is essential that they make every effort to seek counsel from our HR dept when initiating the interview and hiring process, dealing with poor performance, disabilities, demotions, appearance of harassment, and training and re-training. Throughout my five years of administrative management, I have unfortunately had to learn HRM and EEOC laws the hard way, through trial and error. With each mistake that I have made, such as not consulting the HR department before decreasing a dual role employee’s hours so that she could focus on one role due to extremely poor performance, I have learned the proper steps to come to the same conclusion. The decrease in hours caused her to lose her benefits and subsequently she filed an EEOC claim of discrimination and retaliation. Fortunately, due to proper documentation of the corrective actions, developmental action plan and the documented counseling, our HRM has adequate information to refute the claim. Now, I consult my HRM representative with any concerns, questions, or updates related to employee situations. Planning, Recruitment, and Selection Human resources planning are the processes by which management ensures that it has the right personnel, who are capable of completing those tasks that help the organization, reach its objectives. It involves forecasting of human resources needs and the projected matching of individuals with expected vacancies (International Labour Organization, 2010). An effective HR plan, also, provides mechanisms to eliminate any gaps that may exist between supply and demand. HR planning determines the numbers and types of employees to be recruited into the organization or phased out of it (Ivancevich, 2010). The Human Resource Planning Process incorporates strategic planning which will have a direct effect on the organization's profitability. The strategic plan must adapt to environmental circumstances. It must forecast how many and what employees are required for the organizations staffing requirements. Next, it must determine how many and what kind of employees are currently employed with the skills and training necessary for the future needs. Finally, after the HR system has analyzed the supply of and the demand or future workers, these two forecasts are compared to determine what action should be taken. Effective workforce planning is a critical element of effective strategic and operational planning. Workforce planning provides managers with a strategic basis for making human resource decisions. It allows managers to anticipate change ather than being surprised by events, as well as providing strategic methods for addressing present and anticipated workforce issues. The US Department of Health and Human Services states, â€Å"Organizational success depends on having the right employees with the right competencies at the right time. Workforce planning provides managers the means of identifying the competencies needed in the workforce not only in the present but in the future and then selecting and developing that workforce† (US Dept. Health and Human Services, 2010). The HR department for my company has implemented a staffing model tool that projects future, potential, or expected growth versus the actual census, the current staffing and skill set of that staff, and calculates the hiring needs of specific positions within the direct and indirect patient care. Once the future needs are determined, then the hiring process begins. Human Resources Development Training and development are processes that attempt to provide an employee with information, skills, and an understanding of the organization and its goals. Training and development are designed to help a person continue to make positive contributions in the form of good performance and advancement within the organization. A solid orientation program is the first step in developing an employee. It reduces anxiety and fears, reduces start-up costs of a new employee, reduces turnover, saves time for supervisors and co-workers, and develops realistic expectations, positive attitudes toward the employer and job satisfaction. Once will established in a specific position, then the manager and employee must set goals for development and advancement. Management and professional development is designed to reduce obsolescence and to increase employees’ satisfaction and productivity. An important part of development is the evaluation process. Performance management is the process by which executives, managers, and supervisors work to align employee performance with the firm’s goals. An effective performance management process determines and evaluates performance, provides feedback to the employees about their performance, and measures and monitors skill-set (Ivancevich, 2010, pg 251). The company that I work for has an excellent formal performance evaluation process that is very effective in the development the employee and the motivation to succeed. Appraising and managing performance at my workplace starts form the day of hire. Each newly hired direct or indirect patient care must attend a through and intensive training program. After 90 days, from date of hire, the new staff member is evaluated for suitability for the position. The manager will present a written 90-day evaluation to the staff member. This evaluation will result in a successful completion of the introductory period, determine a need for an extension of 30 days to improve and meet expectations, or termination due to being unsuitable for the position (this usually occurs when the staff member continually fails to follow policies and procedures and/or causing patient endangerment). Every manager must complete an annual evaluation for staff members under their direct supervision. The score on the evaluation determine the merit increase and caps set forth by the company. When a staff member is failing to follow policy and procedure, putting patient’s safety in jeopardy, tardiness or excessive absenteeism, insubordination, breaking confidentiality and HIPPA regulations, and etc. the manager will conduct corrective action in the form of documented counseling, written corrective action, final corrective action, 3 day suspension, and/or termination. To make this process more effective and ensure compliance with EEOC and federal and state regulations, both next level supervisor and the HR dept representative must approve all final corrective actions, 3-day suspensions, and terminations. Compensation and Benefits There are several reasons that an employer or corporation will offer benefits and services to their employees. One reason is to keep the organization competitive in recruit and retaining employees. Another reason is to keep a union out or because the union has won this during negotiations. Finally, is the fact that providing benefits and service contributed to increased employee performance and job satisfaction (Ivancevich, 2010, pg358). Federal and state governments mandate three benefits programs offered by private and not-for-profit employers. The three mandated programs are unemployment insurance, social security, and workers’ compensation. In addition to the benefits required by law, many employers provide other kinds of benefits voluntarily, such as, compensation for time not worked, insurance protection, retirement plans, FMLA or medical FMLA, life insurance, short and long-term disability, and various retirement programs and stock ownership plans. Some organizations offer tuition reimbursement and flexible benefits plans. Whenever I am interviewing a candidate for a position, I always spend a portion of the interview discussing and explaining our benefit package. Sometimes our hourly rate is not quite as high as our competitor, but our benefits and employee services usually out ways the difference in compensation. Safety and Health The Human Resource Management team of the dialysis company of which I am employed, works very closely with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to ensure that the most acceptable and innovative concepts in employee safety and health are used. The NIOSH is the primary federal agency that conducts research on the safety and health of the workplace. The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) of 1970, to provide research, information, education, and training in the field of occupational safety and health established it in 1971 (Bradley, 2002). The NIOSH develops and promotes the use of national and state-based surveillance systems to identify, quantify, and track injuries and illnesses. Epidemiological analysis of these databases helps identify unsafe and unhealthy workplace conditions. NIOSH also supports laboratory and field research to further identify, assess, and control occupational hazards and exposures and the diseases and injuries they cause. In addition to identifying risks, the NIOSH develops and evaluates prevention measures such as control technology, personal protective equipment, and work practices. Through research internally within our company and the NIOSH, many improvements and standards have been put into place for water treatment safety and personal protective equipment. We have strong policies and procedures that protect both the employee and the patient from exposure to health or safety hazards. There are several reasons for establishing good occupational safety and health standards. First, on a moral note, an employee should not have to risk injury or death at work, nor should others associated with the work environment. The second is economical in nature. Many governments realize that poor occupational safety and health performance results in cost to the State, through social security payments to the incapacitated, costs for medical treatment, and the loss of the employability of the worker. The employing organizations also sustain costs in the event of an incident at work, such as legal fees, fines, compensatory damages, investigation time, and lost production, lost goodwill from the workforce, customers, and community. Lastly, from a legal standpoint, the occupational safety and health requirements may be reinforced in civil law and/or criminal law. It is a known fact, that without the extra â€Å"encouragement† of potential regulatory action or litigation, many organizations would not act upon their implied moral obligations. During a Frontline interview with assistant secretary of labor for occupational health and safety, John Henshaw, the question was asked, â€Å"How successful do you think OSHA has been at protecting workers in the United States? † Mr. Henshaw replied, â€Å"In the last 30 years, OSHA has made some tremendous strides in reducing injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. In the last six to eight years, injuries have gone steadily down and fatalities have gone down to the point where they are the lowest ever (Frontline, 2002). The dialysis industry is carefully scrutinized to uphold acceptable OSHA safety and health standards. We, also, have internal auditors that simulate inspections to ensure compliance and safe practices. Employee and Labor Relations Labor relations can refer broadly to any dealings between management and workers about employment conditions. Most commonly, however, labor relations refer to dealings between management and a workforce that is already unionized, or has the potential to become unionized. Labor relations are thus crucial to industries like autos and airlines with heavily unionized workforces. In the United States, labor relations were profoundly affected by the National Labor Relations Act passed during the 1930’s, which gave workers the right to form unions and bargain collectively. Labor relations have been drastically affected by the passage of the Taft-Hartley Act, which prohibited the â€Å"closed shop†, as well as, the introduction of right-to-work laws in more than 20 states (Ivancevich, 2010, pgs 477). By the early 21st century, labor relations were less affected by labor unions, to which only 8 percent of private sector workers belonged in 2004, about half of the rate in 1983. The decline reflects the increase in labor relations consultants, who have helped managements avoid unionization (Anonymous, 2010). The presence of a union directly affects most aspects of Human Resources Management, including recruiting, selection, performance evaluation, promotion, compensation, and benefits, among others (Ivancevich, 2010, pg. 34). Unions were once thought of a being for blue-collar factory workers, but now even engineers, nurses, teachers, secretaries, salespersons, college professors, professional football players and even physicians belong to unions. Within my workplace, we have an ongoing informational and educational campaign against the unethical practices of recruitment and enticement for our employees. We offer seminars and counseling in regards to the unionization tactics. While facing declining membership, union officials have turned to highly questionable practice of organizing new members through a process called â€Å"card check†. With card checks, paid union organizers try to persuade workers to sign cards saying that they favor union representation. This persuasion comes in the form of deception, coercion, and harassing visits to worker’s homes. John Ivancevich describes this practice as the â€Å"authorization card† (Ivancevich, 2010, pg. 480). Under current laws, as soon as more than 50 percent of the workers sign a union authorization card, all employees within that organization will be required to participate in the union and pay union dues, even though not a single employee has actually been able to cast a personal, private vote. Often times, individual will sign the cards under intentional or unintentional misunderstandings or to get the organizer to stop harassing them, even though the employee may have no desire to join a union (Anonymous, 2010). Conclusion Human Resources Management is the heart of every organization. It serves as an advocate for each employee, while also protecting the organization from legal repercussions. Whether it is ensuring equal employment opportunity (EEO) compliance, providing job analysis, planning for the future staffing needs and subsequent recruitment and selection of qualified candidates, each of these areas are vital to a well-organized corporation. The HRM is paramount in the motivation, training, and development of employees. Ensuring a positive orientation experience, and concise performance evaluation and compensation will aid in retention and job satisfaction. Finally, the HRM has an extremely important role in labor relations and ensuring the safety, health, and wellness of the workforce. References Anonymous. (2010). When voting isn’t Private. Retrieved on February 26, 2010 from website: http://www. unionfacts. com/articles/cardCheck. cfm Bradley, J. (2002). National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Retrieved on 3/1/2010 from website: http://www. cdc. gov/niosh EEOC Office of Legal Counsel staff members (2006). Title VII: Affirmative Action. Retrieved on February 12, 2010 from website: http://www. eeoc. gov/eeoc/foia/letters/2006/vii_affimative_action. html Frontline. (2002). A Dangerous Business. Frontline Interview with John Henshaw. September 30, 2002. Retrieved on 3/2/2010 from website: http://osha. gov International Labour Organization. Retrieved on February 11, 2010 from website: http://wwwilo. org Ivancevich. J. (2010). Human resource management (11th ed. ). Boston: McGraw-Hill. ISBN: 9780073381466. US Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved on February 10, 2010 from website: http://www. hhs. gov/ohr/workforce/wfpguide. html Reflective Paper Reflective Paper – Effective Human Resources Management Theresa Tapley BUS 303 Dr. Kevin Righter March 13, 2010 Reflective Paper – Effective Human Resources Management Effective Human Resources Management (HRM) plays a major role in ensuring that an organization will survive and prosper. The HRM facilitates the most effective use of people or employees to achieve organizational and individual goals. The HRM consists of numerous activities which include, equal employment opportunity (EEO) compliance, job analysis, human resource planning, the recruitment, selection, motivation, and orientation of employees, performance evaluation and compensation, the training and development of employees, labor relations, and the safety, health, and wellness of the workforce. Effective human resources management plays a vital role in the success of an organization and is an active participant in charting the strategic course of competitiveness, productiveness, and efficiency. An effective HRM focuses on action rather than on record-keeping, written procedure, or rules. Although the use of rules, records, and policies are incorporated, â€Å"action† is the focus. The HRM emphasizes the solution of employment problems to help achieve organizational objectives and facilitate employees’ development and satisfaction. An effective HRM is, also, people-oriented. Whenever possible, the HRM treats each employee as an individual and offers services and program to meet the individual’s needs. An effective HRM program is concerned with helping an organization achieve its objectives in the future by providing for competent, well-motivated employees. Human resources are incorporated into an organization’s long-term strategic plans to assist with ensuring that future growth needs will be adequately staffed with qualified, trained employees (Ivancewich, 2010, pg 5). EEO and Affirmative Action One external factor that has a powerful influence on my company's HRM unction is the equal employment opportunity and human rights legislation, which has a profound effect on our policies and procedures concerning recruiting, selection, evaluation, and promotion. The U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) is an independent federal agency that enforces laws against workplace discrimination. The EEOC investigates discrimination complaints based on an individual’s race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, disability and retaliation for reporting and/or opp osing a discriminatory practice. This commission is empowered to file discrimination suits against employers on behalf of alleged victims and to adjudicate claims of discrimination brought against federal agencies. No other regulatory area has as thoroughly affected HRM as the EEO programs have. It has implications for almost every activity in HRM and sets standards for hiring, recruiting, training, terminating, compensating, evaluating, planning, disciplining, and collective bargaining. Employers, to prevent employment discrimination in the workplace or to take remedial action to offset employment discrimination implement EEO programs, (Ivancevich, 2010, pg 65). According to the U. S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) website, the EEOC is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person's race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. The laws also apply to all type of work situations, including hiring, firing, promotions, demotions, harassment, training, wages, and benefits. During the employment selection process, each candidate should be evaluated on their qualification of the job requirements, based on their experience, education, and skill set. Many corporations use testing as an important tool. Rae T. Vann, general counsel of the Equal Employment Advisory Council, a national association of large federal contractors, observed, â€Å"When done properly, testing can be a very important tool in the employment selection process, and we commend the Commission on its efforts to improve the quality and fairness of tests and other job screening methods† (Title VII: Affirmative Action, 2006). I encourage my Clinical Managers to become familiar with the provisions of the EEO standards and guidelines. It is essential that they make every effort to seek counsel from our HR dept when initiating the interview and hiring process, dealing with poor performance, disabilities, demotions, appearance of harassment, and training and re-training. Throughout my five years of administrative management, I have unfortunately had to learn HRM and EEOC laws the hard way, through trial and error. With each mistake that I have made, such as not consulting the HR department before decreasing a dual role employee’s hours so that she could focus on one role due to extremely poor performance, I have learned the proper steps to come to the same conclusion. The decrease in hours caused her to lose her benefits and subsequently she filed an EEOC claim of discrimination and retaliation. Fortunately, due to proper documentation of the corrective actions, developmental action plan and the documented counseling, our HRM has adequate information to refute the claim. Now, I consult my HRM representative with any concerns, questions, or updates related to employee situations. Planning, Recruitment, and Selection Human resources planning are the processes by which management ensures that it has the right personnel, who are capable of completing those tasks that help the organization, reach its objectives. It involves forecasting of human resources needs and the projected matching of individuals with expected vacancies (International Labour Organization, 2010). An effective HR plan, also, provides mechanisms to eliminate any gaps that may exist between supply and demand. HR planning determines the numbers and types of employees to be recruited into the organization or phased out of it (Ivancevich, 2010). The Human Resource Planning Process incorporates strategic planning which will have a direct effect on the organization's profitability. The strategic plan must adapt to environmental circumstances. It must forecast how many and what employees are required for the organizations staffing requirements. Next, it must determine how many and what kind of employees are currently employed with the skills and training necessary for the future needs. Finally, after the HR system has analyzed the supply of and the demand or future workers, these two forecasts are compared to determine what action should be taken. Effective workforce planning is a critical element of effective strategic and operational planning. Workforce planning provides managers with a strategic basis for making human resource decisions. It allows managers to anticipate change ather than being surprised by events, as well as providing strategic methods for addressing present and anticipated workforce issues. The US Department of Health and Human Services states, â€Å"Organizational success depends on having the right employees with the right competencies at the right time. Workforce planning provides managers the means of identifying the competencies needed in the workforce not only in the present but in the future and then selecting and developing that workforce† (US Dept. Health and Human Services, 2010). The HR department for my company has implemented a staffing model tool that projects future, potential, or expected growth versus the actual census, the current staffing and skill set of that staff, and calculates the hiring needs of specific positions within the direct and indirect patient care. Once the future needs are determined, then the hiring process begins. Human Resources Development Training and development are processes that attempt to provide an employee with information, skills, and an understanding of the organization and its goals. Training and development are designed to help a person continue to make positive contributions in the form of good performance and advancement within the organization. A solid orientation program is the first step in developing an employee. It reduces anxiety and fears, reduces start-up costs of a new employee, reduces turnover, saves time for supervisors and co-workers, and develops realistic expectations, positive attitudes toward the employer and job satisfaction. Once will established in a specific position, then the manager and employee must set goals for development and advancement. Management and professional development is designed to reduce obsolescence and to increase employees’ satisfaction and productivity. An important part of development is the evaluation process. Performance management is the process by which executives, managers, and supervisors work to align employee performance with the firm’s goals. An effective performance management process determines and evaluates performance, provides feedback to the employees about their performance, and measures and monitors skill-set (Ivancevich, 2010, pg 251). The company that I work for has an excellent formal performance evaluation process that is very effective in the development the employee and the motivation to succeed. Appraising and managing performance at my workplace starts form the day of hire. Each newly hired direct or indirect patient care must attend a through and intensive training program. After 90 days, from date of hire, the new staff member is evaluated for suitability for the position. The manager will present a written 90-day evaluation to the staff member. This evaluation will result in a successful completion of the introductory period, determine a need for an extension of 30 days to improve and meet expectations, or termination due to being unsuitable for the position (this usually occurs when the staff member continually fails to follow policies and procedures and/or causing patient endangerment). Every manager must complete an annual evaluation for staff members under their direct supervision. The score on the evaluation determine the merit increase and caps set forth by the company. When a staff member is failing to follow policy and procedure, putting patient’s safety in jeopardy, tardiness or excessive absenteeism, insubordination, breaking confidentiality and HIPPA regulations, and etc. the manager will conduct corrective action in the form of documented counseling, written corrective action, final corrective action, 3 day suspension, and/or termination. To make this process more effective and ensure compliance with EEOC and federal and state regulations, both next level supervisor and the HR dept representative must approve all final corrective actions, 3-day suspensions, and terminations. Compensation and Benefits There are several reasons that an employer or corporation will offer benefits and services to their employees. One reason is to keep the organization competitive in recruit and retaining employees. Another reason is to keep a union out or because the union has won this during negotiations. Finally, is the fact that providing benefits and service contributed to increased employee performance and job satisfaction (Ivancevich, 2010, pg358). Federal and state governments mandate three benefits programs offered by private and not-for-profit employers. The three mandated programs are unemployment insurance, social security, and workers’ compensation. In addition to the benefits required by law, many employers provide other kinds of benefits voluntarily, such as, compensation for time not worked, insurance protection, retirement plans, FMLA or medical FMLA, life insurance, short and long-term disability, and various retirement programs and stock ownership plans. Some organizations offer tuition reimbursement and flexible benefits plans. Whenever I am interviewing a candidate for a position, I always spend a portion of the interview discussing and explaining our benefit package. Sometimes our hourly rate is not quite as high as our competitor, but our benefits and employee services usually out ways the difference in compensation. Safety and Health The Human Resource Management team of the dialysis company of which I am employed, works very closely with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) to ensure that the most acceptable and innovative concepts in employee safety and health are used. The NIOSH is the primary federal agency that conducts research on the safety and health of the workplace. The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) of 1970, to provide research, information, education, and training in the field of occupational safety and health established it in 1971 (Bradley, 2002). The NIOSH develops and promotes the use of national and state-based surveillance systems to identify, quantify, and track injuries and illnesses. Epidemiological analysis of these databases helps identify unsafe and unhealthy workplace conditions. NIOSH also supports laboratory and field research to further identify, assess, and control occupational hazards and exposures and the diseases and injuries they cause. In addition to identifying risks, the NIOSH develops and evaluates prevention measures such as control technology, personal protective equipment, and work practices. Through research internally within our company and the NIOSH, many improvements and standards have been put into place for water treatment safety and personal protective equipment. We have strong policies and procedures that protect both the employee and the patient from exposure to health or safety hazards. There are several reasons for establishing good occupational safety and health standards. First, on a moral note, an employee should not have to risk injury or death at work, nor should others associated with the work environment. The second is economical in nature. Many governments realize that poor occupational safety and health performance results in cost to the State, through social security payments to the incapacitated, costs for medical treatment, and the loss of the employability of the worker. The employing organizations also sustain costs in the event of an incident at work, such as legal fees, fines, compensatory damages, investigation time, and lost production, lost goodwill from the workforce, customers, and community. Lastly, from a legal standpoint, the occupational safety and health requirements may be reinforced in civil law and/or criminal law. It is a known fact, that without the extra â€Å"encouragement† of potential regulatory action or litigation, many organizations would not act upon their implied moral obligations. During a Frontline interview with assistant secretary of labor for occupational health and safety, John Henshaw, the question was asked, â€Å"How successful do you think OSHA has been at protecting workers in the United States? † Mr. Henshaw replied, â€Å"In the last 30 years, OSHA has made some tremendous strides in reducing injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. In the last six to eight years, injuries have gone steadily down and fatalities have gone down to the point where they are the lowest ever (Frontline, 2002). The dialysis industry is carefully scrutinized to uphold acceptable OSHA safety and health standards. We, also, have internal auditors that simulate inspections to ensure compliance and safe practices. Employee and Labor Relations Labor relations can refer broadly to any dealings between management and workers about employment conditions. Most commonly, however, labor relations refer to dealings between management and a workforce that is already unionized, or has the potential to become unionized. Labor relations are thus crucial to industries like autos and airlines with heavily unionized workforces. In the United States, labor relations were profoundly affected by the National Labor Relations Act passed during the 1930’s, which gave workers the right to form unions and bargain collectively. Labor relations have been drastically affected by the passage of the Taft-Hartley Act, which prohibited the â€Å"closed shop†, as well as, the introduction of right-to-work laws in more than 20 states (Ivancevich, 2010, pgs 477). By the early 21st century, labor relations were less affected by labor unions, to which only 8 percent of private sector workers belonged in 2004, about half of the rate in 1983. The decline reflects the increase in labor relations consultants, who have helped managements avoid unionization (Anonymous, 2010). The presence of a union directly affects most aspects of Human Resources Management, including recruiting, selection, performance evaluation, promotion, compensation, and benefits, among others (Ivancevich, 2010, pg. 34). Unions were once thought of a being for blue-collar factory workers, but now even engineers, nurses, teachers, secretaries, salespersons, college professors, professional football players and even physicians belong to unions. Within my workplace, we have an ongoing informational and educational campaign against the unethical practices of recruitment and enticement for our employees. We offer seminars and counseling in regards to the unionization tactics. While facing declining membership, union officials have turned to highly questionable practice of organizing new members through a process called â€Å"card check†. With card checks, paid union organizers try to persuade workers to sign cards saying that they favor union representation. This persuasion comes in the form of deception, coercion, and harassing visits to worker’s homes. John Ivancevich describes this practice as the â€Å"authorization card† (Ivancevich, 2010, pg. 480). Under current laws, as soon as more than 50 percent of the workers sign a union authorization card, all employees within that organization will be required to participate in the union and pay union dues, even though not a single employee has actually been able to cast a personal, private vote. Often times, individual will sign the cards under intentional or unintentional misunderstandings or to get the organizer to stop harassing them, even though the employee may have no desire to join a union (Anonymous, 2010). Conclusion Human Resources Management is the heart of every organization. It serves as an advocate for each employee, while also protecting the organization from legal repercussions. Whether it is ensuring equal employment opportunity (EEO) compliance, providing job analysis, planning for the future staffing needs and subsequent recruitment and selection of qualified candidates, each of these areas are vital to a well-organized corporation. The HRM is paramount in the motivation, training, and development of employees. Ensuring a positive orientation experience, and concise performance evaluation and compensation will aid in retention and job satisfaction. Finally, the HRM has an extremely important role in labor relations and ensuring the safety, health, and wellness of the workforce. References Anonymous. (2010). When voting isn’t Private. Retrieved on February 26, 2010 from website: http://www. unionfacts. com/articles/cardCheck. cfm Bradley, J. (2002). National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Retrieved on 3/1/2010 from website: http://www. cdc. gov/niosh EEOC Office of Legal Counsel staff members (2006). Title VII: Affirmative Action. Retrieved on February 12, 2010 from website: http://www. eeoc. gov/eeoc/foia/letters/2006/vii_affimative_action. html Frontline. (2002). A Dangerous Business. Frontline Interview with John Henshaw. September 30, 2002. Retrieved on 3/2/2010 from website: http://osha. gov International Labour Organization. Retrieved on February 11, 2010 from website: http://wwwilo. org Ivancevich. J. (2010). Human resource management (11th ed. ). Boston: McGraw-Hill. ISBN: 9780073381466. US Department of Health and Human Services. Retrieved on February 10, 2010 from website: http://www. hhs. gov/ohr/workforce/wfpguide. html