Top 6 Situations Where You Shouldnt Wear Your Halloween Costume

Top 6 Situations Where You Shouldnt Wear Your Halloween Costume Sure, it’s always fun to wear a Halloween costume to work. But†¦ it’s not always appropriate.   There’s a very thin line between a zany  costume that shows off your personality and one  that makes everyone else feel uncomfortable. This video from FastCompany  gives you  the top 6 situations where you probably should leave the  costume at home. 1. When firing someoneâ€Å"This is the hardest part of my job. Because of recent budget cut, we’re going to have to let you go†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚  2. During  a work lunchâ€Å"I didn’t eat breakfast, I just had a protein shake†¦I have to figure out how to eat better†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 3. When laying down the lawâ€Å"Do you know how stupid we look right now? Come on, people, grow up!†4. While supporting a big meetingâ€Å"With a meeting as big as this one, we’ll make sure to send the minutes right after. Seth is going to do that†¦Ã¢â‚¬ 5. When no one gets itâ€Å"I am Ch arlie Chaplin†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚  6. While giving a client tourâ€Å"Here’s our technology group. They’re hard at work right now on their innovation†¦let me introduce you to our CTO.†

History of Super Bowl Weather Delays and Cancellations

History of Super Bowl Weather Delays and Cancellations Could 2018s Super Bowl LI be delayed or postponed due to inclement weather? Given that the 52nd  Super Bowl game will be held at the  U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota, theres a chance there could be snow in the forecast. Still, in NFL Super Bowl history, no game has ever been delayed due to weather. (Super Bowl XLVII in 2014 was the first, and so far, the only game to be delayed. The Ravens-49ers game was delayed for 34 minutes in the third quarter, thanks  to an electrical mishap.) But that doesnt mean weather hasnt tried to.   Super Bowls Turned Snow Bowls Although a weather contingency plan has never had to be implemented in Super Bowl history, there have been a handful of close calls when the Super Bowl was at risk of being delayed.   Super Bowl XLI. February is normally Floridas dry season, but in 2007, an active jet stream and a nearby stationary front converged, leading to monsoon rains in Miami. The game still went on, but not even ponchos were enough to keep fans in the stadium dry. Many left their seats and took shelter in the stadium concourse, or simply left the game early.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Super Bowl XLV.  At the start of Super Bowl week 2011, all eyes were drawn to Arlington, Texas, when the host city was hit by an ice storm. Later in the week, an additional 4 inches of snow fell. An arctic front helped the snow and ice linger all week long, and kept temperatures in the 20s and 30s. But by the weekend, the wintry weather had thawed.     Super Bowl XLVIII. Weather contingency plans were on hand for 2014s Super Bowl the first to be played in an outdoor venue at a cold-weather city (East Rutherford, New Jersey). Not only did a winter storm drop a mountain of snow on the MetLife Stadium just before Superbow l week, but the  Farmers Almanac predicted another round of heavy snow was on tap for Super Bowl weekend. Luckily, when it came down to game time, the weather cooperated with cloudy skies and an air temperature of 49 °F at kickoff nearly 10-15 degrees above normal for the city. (Oddly enough, a winter storm hit the next day, blanketing the city in 8 inches of snow and stranding many Super Bowl travelers.) The Warm-Climate Rule Surprised at the lack of weather delays despite the Super Bowl being played mid-winter? One reason for this is because football, like our US postal service, has a neither snow, nor rain, nor heat... culture. But, a second, lesser-known reason  is the leagues warm-climate rule a sort of built-in weather contingency plan that must be met when choosing the Super Bowls host city.   The NFLs warm-climate requirement mandates  the host stadium location have an average temperature of 50 °F (10 °C) or above for that years scheduled Super Bowl date. At least, thats the way the NFL and Host Committee used to pick potential Super Bowl cities. In 2010, this warm-climate requirement was waived, giving cold-weather cities with open-air stadiums a fair chance at also hosting a Super Bowl. What was the reason for the  change? The chance to offer a new experience for football fans attending in-person and watching at home. In the sentiments of NFL Commissioner Roger Goodall, ...The game of football is made to be played in the elements.  Ã‚   Football in the Bleak Mid-Winter Why is the Super Bowl held in  winter, anyway? Its certainly NOT a matter of preference. Its simply the timing of the NFL schedule. Opening season is always the weekend after Labor Day (the first Monday in September) in early fall; add in the 17-week regular season, three rounds of playoffs, and you land exactly five months later into late winter. Additional playoffs have pushed the Super Bowl date out from early to mid-January to February, but still winter nonetheless.          Winter weather can wreak havoc on football  in a number of ways: Snow.  Snow makes for a slippery football field, but its primary threat is its color.   covering white goal lines, end lines, hash marks. If snowfall is particularly heavy, or if winds are driving winds, it can also mean reduced or no visibility for players on the field.Sleet, freezing rain.  Ice on the field poses a similar threat to players as it does to pedestrians and drivers on roadways and sidewalks: a total loss of traction.Frost.  If temperatures are cold enough, you dont even need snow or ice to freeze the grass (or turf) underfoot frost is enough to do the job. To combat this, many cold-climate stadiums are outfitted with a system of underground electric coils or underground pipes filled with antifreeze (yes, the same stuff thats in your car) to keep the field soft.Cold Air.  Even if you dont have to worry about a frozen field, cold weather still poses another threat to the game: under-inflated footballs. A football (which is customarily inflated indoors) can def late by roughly 0.2 PSI for every 10-degree drop in temperature it experiences after being transferred outdoors.  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹ Super Bowl Saturday? So, what would happen, if a major weather event DID threaten the safety of spectators on Super Bowl Sunday? A weather contingency plan would be enacted. Contingency plans more or less move the game from its traditional Sunday spot to the Friday or  Saturday of Super Bowl week, or the following Monday or Tuesday. Which day the game is postponed to is a decision thats made closely with meteorologists. For example, if a snowstorm was forecast for Super Bowl night, playing Saturday might be an option. Whereas, if a blizzard hit on a Friday (two days before the scheduled game) it could be the following Tuesday before the city had time to dig out roads and parking lots.   To date, the Super Bowl has never been changed from its originally scheduled date.   If ever  ill weather were to impact the Super Bowl for up to a week, a contingency plan may call for the game to be relocated to another city  altogether.    Super Bowls with the Worst Weather Just because the Super Bowl has eluded all weather-related delays, doesnt mean its game day weather has always been sunny and 60 degrees. Heres a look at some of the weathers most unsettled game days in Super Bowl history.   Super Bowl No. Date Host City Weather Record VI Jan 16, 1972 New Orleans, LA Coldest Super Bowl played at an outdoor venue (39 F). XVI Jan 24, 1982 Pontiac, MI First time Super Bowl was held in a cold-weather city. First Super Bowl played in the snow. XVIII Jan 22, 1984 Tampa, FL Windiest Super Bowl (25 mph wind gusts). XXXIV Jan 30, 2000 Atlanta, GA A rare ice storm hit during Super Bowl week. Atlantas indoor stadium saved it from possible delays. XLI Feb 4, 2007 Miami, FL The first and wettest Super Bowl to be played in the rain. Super Bowl's Worst Weather Games Interested in more facts about weather and the Super Bowl, including observed weather data for each game date? Check out NOAAs Southeast Regional Climate Center Super Bowl Climatology site.

How does King Louis XIV's history reflect the louvre Research Paper

How does King Louis XIV's history reflect the louvre - Research Paper Example This brief analysis will look at the Louvre from the perspective of what additions and changes Louis XIV added, what unique architectural flavors he added, and the overall reason that he eventually abandoned this project and moved his palace to the southern shore of France at Versailles. Although the Louvre was already in existence when Louis XIV began his reign, it was this monarch that provided some of the biggest changes to the aging and outdated structure/palace. One of the first projects and additions that Louis XIV made was the addition of the Pavillon de l’Horloge (or the Clock Pavilion as it is more commonly known in the English speaking world). This Clock Pavilion is not only indicative of the Baroque era architecture that was championed by the artists of the time, it also holds unique elemental details of the opulence and grandeur that came to define the rule of Louis XIV and served as further inspiration for him when the palace was eventually moved to Versailles. Al though the Clock Pavilion is but one example, it is indicative of a larger whole with respect to the fact that many of the renovations and facade developments that the Louvre underwent during this time mirrored the architectural schemes that were developed originally at the Clock Pavilion. A secondary example of the changes that Louis XIV effected on the Louvre during its time as a Parisian residence for the royal family is the interior changes that are indicated by the Apollo Gallery (Hanser 15). This gilded extravagantly designed, gold trimmed hall exhibits an intricate ceiling that itself rivals some of the more impressive cathedral dome paintings. What Louis XIV did with this particular gallery is he combined elements of the original medieval architecture that defined the hall with the baroque opulence and grandeur that defined nearly every project he oversaw. The type of work that is reflected in the Apollo Gallery is also indicative of many of the later buildings and expansion s Louis XIV would make at Versailles. Although many years separated the construction projects at the Louvre from that at Versailles, Louis XIV preferences and distinct tastes with respect to art and architecture varied little. As alluded to earlier, when Louis XIV moved his capital to Versailles, due to fear of political cabals against him in Paris, the building campaigns and renovations that occurred were in no way dissimilar or non-comparable to the ones that had been performed previously in Paris (Chaudonneret 488). The following photographic evidence will work to prove a clear and decisive link between the two. This image represents the Pavillon de l’Horloge (or the Clock Pavilion as it is more commonly known). This Clock Pavilion was one of the first additions that Louis XIV made to the Louvre and can consequently be considered as a Western Gate of the palace. The Apollo Gallery is evidence of a few of the ways that Louis XIV changed the interior nature of the palace dur ing the time it was in use as a Parisian residence. This particular image shows the Apollo Gallery in greater detail so that it is possible to notice both the medieval influences that the elongated hall illustrates as well as the detail of the ceiling paintings that were earlier alluded to in the analysis. This image is taken from Louis XIV’s residence at Versailles. It is easy to notice the distinct similarity to this â€Å"Hall of Mirrors†

Successful Employee-Volunteer Programs and Its Benefits Assignment

Successful Employee-Volunteer Programs and Its Benefits - Assignment Example Therefore, for an EVP to be considered effective it must have the following features: First of all, it must have a plan. Effective EPVs have clear and attainable goals with specific strategies, focused efforts to achieve them. This can be achieved through an annual retreat of all EVP members to deliberate on an annual plan that will include goals, strategies and priority programs. Initial planning allows members to create backup plans in case the main strategies falter; this reduces time wasting that may occur when a program is hurriedly rushed into without prior planning and a problem occurs, where the members have to deliberate, look for funding, set up new strategies and designate duties to members. Secondly, the programs must have some level of measurement. This is to ascertain whether they have been accomplishing their plans in the past or not. The measurement should also include the effects of the programs on communities they are imposed on. Are they bringing joy to the people? Or their effects are not felt by the people. For instance, if it is proven that less volunteer hours is the main culprit behind poor results, then the company can create incentives to encourage employees to participate more on volunteer work, such as higher monetary rates for extra hours. An effective EVP must also embrace the design of the company. Since the volunteers are from the company, the way they are perceived by the public will mirror back to the company. It is therefore imperative that the workers portray the company well in terms of behavior and physical appearance. They should adorn new and improved gear with the company’s logo and positive and encouraging messages. Socially adept individuals should be the ones interacting with the people and working concurrently with them. Their quieter and less social peers should concentrate in areas with less social experiences. The volunteering should be a happy

High School and Felicias Life Essay Example for Free

High School and Felicias Life Essay A photo of Felicia with notes from her classmates.   The friend, Briana Torres, at 16 a year older and a grade ahead of Felicia, hugged her and walked her to sixth-period English class, the girls’ arms clasped around each other’s shoulders. On the way, Felicia cheered up enough to laugh at a joke, and make a joke of her own. But there were signs of unraveling. Late Monday night, she had posted a brief Twitter message: â€Å"I cant, im done, I give up. † After school Wednesday, Felicia walked to the Staten Island Railway station where many students board trains home. She waited impatiently for the train, and as it approached, she hurled herself backward onto the tracks. A friend grabbed her arm, but she twisted free. She was pronounced dead that evening. By the time her friends began to congregate in the hospital waiting room, posting messages on Twitter and Facebook in what would become a flurry of online speculation about her death, most had pinpointed a cause: Felicia had been bullied, they said, tormented by football players on Tottenville’s undefeated team. Some said she was teased because she had piercings and lived in foster care. Others said players had spread sexual boasts about her over the weekend, after Tottenville’s 16-8 victory over Port Richmond High School. To many friends, she appeared to weather the swirl of innuendo with her usual confidence. â€Å"She never really reached out for help; she was a really tough person,† Briana said Thursday, wearing a small tribute on her left wrist — an â€Å"RIP Felicia† inked in purple. â€Å"When I dropped her off at class, I wasn’t really worried about her.† Felicia had reported the taunts to an administrator, who arranged mediation sessions between Felicia and the boys she said were harassing her. Police are now investigating her death. Neither they nor the Education Department nor the school would comment on the bullying allegations. There was already little that was easy in Felicia’s life. Friends described her childhood as a patchwork of loss and instability: both her parents died when she was young, and she d isliked living with her aunt, said Kaitlyn Antonmarchi, 15, who said she had been Felicia’s best friend since eighth grade. At one point, Felicia ran away from her aunt’s house with an older man. After she entered the foster system, she bounced in and out of different homes, dyed her dark hair red and sprouted a cluster of piercings. With her latest foster parents, Felicia finally seemed happy and stable, Kaitlyn said. Moving to the other side of Staten Island, she started high school at Tottenville, improved her grades, let the dye wash out and eliminated most piercings. At Friday’s football game, Kaitlyn said: â€Å"She looked happy. She was laughing. It didn’t look like anything was upsetting her at all.† Bullying is common at the school, classmates said, but administrators usually acted to stop it, and it rarely reached the level that Felicia experienced. Tease Felicia, and she would come back with a quick, witty retort, said Alissa Compitello, 17, a senior. â€Å"If you tried to bully her, she’d laugh at you,† she said. â€Å"Somebody must’ve said som ething pretty bad about her for this to happen. They just wouldn’t stop.† On Wednesday, Felicia had asked Karl Geiling, 15, a sophomore at Tottenville, about how his test had gone. He saw her at the train station later. â€Å"I was way down, away from her,† he said. â€Å"All I heard was screams, and then everybody went silent.† At school on Thursday, many students wore black and purple, colors often associated with anti-bullying campaigns, and met with grief counselors. A crowd of about 500 gathered at the station in the evening, many holding candles. Someone had tied purple and black balloons to a chain-link fence overlooking the tracks, with notes and a photo fluttering alongside them. As their classmates created anti-bullying Facebook pages in Felicia’s honor Wednesday night, several football players took to Twitter to protest what they saw as the wholesale tarring of the team, which is a perennial favorite to win the Public School Athletic League championship. At least two seniors have been o ffered scholarships to play Division I college football. â€Å"None of you even no half the story so stop pointing fingers at the football team,† wrote James Munson, a safety on the team and the son of the team’s coach, Jim Munson. Another player, Richy Lam, a senior, said Thursday that many members of the team had not even known Felicia. In New York, an anti-bullying statute signed in 2010, one of numerous laws passed around the country in the wake of teenage suicides, requires schools to develop policies to deter harassment of students by other students, including education programs and disciplinary procedures. Prosecutions for student bullying are rare; perhaps the best-known case is that of Dharun Ravi, who was convicted of bias intimidation and invasion of privacy charges for using a webcam to spy on his Rutgers University roommate, Tyler Clementi, who committed suicide a few days later. Mr. Ravi was sentenced to 30 days in jail. â€Å"Bullying that violates criminal law can be prosecuted criminally, but not as bullying,† said Suzanne B. Goldberg, a law professor at Columbia Law School who directs its Center for Gender and Sexuality Law. Physical violence or threats of physical violence could be prosecuted, she said, â€Å"but what most often happens is that schools and prosecutors try to keep these situations out of criminal court which can be appropriate if the school system takes the incident seriously, punishes the offender and protects the victim.† It is not clear whether anyone will be disciplined in Felicia’s case. For some students, the school’s next challenge is Friday’s football game against the rival Curtis High School team, the last of the season, which may be pushed to Sunday. Felicia was a fan. When Kaitlyn last saw her, she said, she had been planning to cheer Tottenville this weekend. â€Å"She said, ‘Yeah, I’m going,’ † Kaitlyn said. â€Å"And I said, I’ll see you there.† Al Baker and Christopher Maag contributed reporting.

ROMANS 9:6-13 Essay -- essays research papers fc

THEOLOGICAL CENTRE FOR ASIA ROMANS 9:6-13 AN EXEGETICAL PAPER SUBMITTED TO DR CHUL WOO LEE IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF BNT524 CONTEMPORARY HERMENEUTICS CONTENTS INTRODUCTION  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1 OVERVIEW OF ROMANS 9-11  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1 TRANSLATION OF ROMANS 9:6-13  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  3 INNER TEXTURE  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  4 Repetitive Texture and Pattern  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  4 Opening-Middle-Closing Texture and Pattern  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  6 INTERTEXTURE  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  7 Oral-Scribal Intertexture  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  7 Social Intertexture  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  11 FOCUS: TRUE ISRAEL AND ELECTION  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  12 CONCLUSION  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  15 BIBLIOGRAPHY  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  17 INTRODUCTION This exegetical paper will be dealing on Rom 9:6-13. In order to understand this passage, an overview of chapters 9 to 11 will be considered as it forms part of Paul’s discussion (although it is possible take into consideration the entire epistle, it is not necessary to discuss beyond the context). Next, a proposed translation of the text is done highlighting the variants that exists in the passage. Then, a socio-rhetorical analysis using inner texture and intertexture will be used to draw out a clearer understanding of the passage. Finally, with the help of the analysis, the meaning of true Israel and the understanding of sovereign election will be discussed. This understanding of this focus is fundamental in correcting, if any, the misinterpretation of God’s promises by the Jews and believers at Rome, and as well as for us today. OVERVIEW OF ROMANS 9-11 Romans chapter 8 ends in a most glorious and victorious statement. Paul says that he is convinced that nothing is able to separate him and the believers from the love of God (Rom 8:38-39). However, he begins in chapter 9 with great heaviness and continual sorrow in his heart (9:2). It would seem strange to see a sudden shift in Paul’s attitude in the beginning of chapter 9. The relation of chapters 9 to 11 to their context – as well as, of course, their purpose – has been the subject of a great deal of scholarly discussion. At first glance, the discontinuity of this portion of the epistl... ...ion of Christian Origins. New York: Crossroad, 1994. Fitzmyer, Joseph A. Romans. The Anchor Bible, 33. New York: Doubleday, 1993. Hadas, Moses. The Third and Fourth Books of Maccabees. New York: Harper and Brothers, 1953. Hamilton, Victor P. The Book of Genesis: Chapters 18-50. New International Commentary on the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1995. Hill, Andrew E. Malachi. The Anchor Bible, 25D. New York: Doubleday, 1998. Moo, Douglas J. The Epistle to the Romans. The New International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996. Morris, Leon. The Epistle to the Romans. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1988. Piper, John. The Justification of God: An Exegetical and Theological Study of Romans 9:1-23. 2d ed. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1993. Robbins, Vernon. Exploring the Texture of Texts. Harrisburg, PA: Trinity Press, 1996. Wenham, Gordon J. Genesis 16-50. Word Biblical Commentary. Dallas: Word Books, 1994. Witherington, Ben, III. Paul’s Letter to the Romans: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2004. . Paul’s Narrative Thought World: The Tapestry of Tragedy and Triumph. Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1994.

Downsizing †an Effective Form of Organisational Change That Seeks to Improve Business Performance?

DOWNSIZING – AN EFFECTIVE FORM OF ORGANISATIONAL CHANGE THAT SEEKS TO IMPROVE BUSINESS PERFORMANCE? Personnel restructuring, right sizing, reductions in force or the most common term used; downsizing, is defined by Budros (1999 : 70) as â€Å"An organization’s conscious use of permanent personnel reductions in an attempt to improve its efficiency and/or effectiveness†1 Downsizing has occurred throughout the industrialized world (Ryan & Macky, 1998)2, affected blue and white collar workers (Littler et al. 1997)3, targeted lower-level workers, professionals, middle managers, and higher-level workers (Littler, 1998)4, and permeated all industries (Morris et al. , 1999)5. It is simply known as reductions that organisations make in the number of employees that are on the payroll. Numerous organisational sociologists notably Freeman & Cameron (1993) state that downsizing is a strategic decision made by the organisation and that the term should not be confused with the term layoff. They state â€Å"The difference between layoffs and downsizing is that layoffs are solely concerned with the individual level of analysis, while downsizing is a broader concept applicable to other levels of analysis than solely the individual level. Additionally, downsizing is a strategic decision while layoffs are an operational mechanism used to implement a downsizing strategy. †6 Since the 1980’s downsizing in organisations has become a ubiquitous feature of all modern organisations with reductions of cost being the main catalyst for the decision by management. Many individuals believe that the main reason for downsizing is because â€Å"Foreign competition compels domestic industry to downsize by trimming fat. †7 With the prevailing gusty winds of global economic recession, the topic of organisational downsizing is making the headlines, while the question ‘Are we going to be next? is nervously being asked by employees around the water cooler who are anxiously waiting to find out if their position is being made redundant. Currently downsizing is in full swing, with company management and directors giving the now infamous topical spiel to their employees about the organisation being hit hard by the harsh economy and they cannot afford to keep the employees on if the organisation is to remain profitable and competitive. Companies in all sect ors are cutting costs on downsizing its workforce. From computer company Dell wanting to ‘trim’ $3billion from its budgetary expenses by downsizing 8800 employees of its workforce to international coffee chain Starbucks having to shut down 600 of its coffee shops in the U. S. , downsizing its workforce by close to 12,000 people, all organisations are feeling the pinch of the recession. Both companies stated the same reason for their recent moves; save costs due to the flailing economy, which is ravaging through the U. S. and beyond. Yet, it is not always in bleak and dire economic situations when companies downsize. Research by the American Management Association found that an overwhelming percentage of US firms downsized during the 1980’s and 1990’s even when profitable, stating â€Å"Data collected for the American Management Association show that 80 per cent of US firms that downsized were still profitable at the point of downsizing, and that on the day of announcement of rationalization their stock prices typically rose by 7 per cent. 8 In the summer of 2001, a survey conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers found that fifty percent of the 114 companies surveyed stated that they downsized within the previous 18 months, and of those companies that downsized, fifty percent planned on downsizing again within the next 18 months. 9 So why do organisations engage in downsizing even if the organisation is prospering and their stock prices are on the rise? Or the economy is not being hit hard by crises? Do management of the organisation believe that the organisation can continue to grow by scaling down on its workforce? Do technological advances in performing job tasks created and inspired by employee innovation render certain employment positions obsolete? Downsizing has a stigma associated with it. The work environment is effected, morale is obviously low, and employees’ are not as innovative and are not as prepared to take risks. Reasons for organisations downsizing that may seek to improve business performance may be because salaries and benefits are possibly the major operating expenses of an organisation, the organisation can contract the jobs to a supplier of cheap labour, and thus have more money available. This would come under the Economic Theory as proposed by (Zhao) et al. which is basically an attempt to manipulate business performance. Zhao et al. found that financial outcomes of downsizing are the most dominant, but this theory has failed to deliver the financial benefits expected. It can portray annual shareholder reports in a positive light. The company is seen to be taking proactive steps thinking and investing in its future, which sees share prices rise as the organisation is doing something constructive, as evidenced by the data collected by the American Management Institute. Some of these reasons are measures to improve business performance. If jobs can be performed cheaper, and the same results are achieved, then it would be a wise move from an organisational standpoint to contract these jobs out. The organisation would have more operating money at its disposable which would obviously benefit the organisation. In the case of mergers or acquisitions occurring, it is inevitable that some positions will be no longer available as if both companies are in the same field of expertise, (such as banking, or manufacturing etc) having an excess amount of employees doing the same tasks would be rendered useless, as the same goals and objectives could be achieved by fewer individuals. The benefit from this is an increased amount and diversity of information is beneficial for improving the development of the organisation. Creativity and new ideas among ‘new’ team/group members can lead to new innovative ideas being discovered which will benefit the organisation. Although these are some of the reasons why organisations choose to downsize, there is an overwhelming supply of literature on the subject that seeks to show the negative effects of downsizing. In their paper on organisational downsizing authors Anders Richtner and Par Ahlstrom10 state a lack of the organisations stock of knowledge can emerge after downsizing. As employees leave the organization critical skills may be lost which can damage customer relationships or operations†11 (Drew, 1994). Employees who have been unfortunate to be included in the organisations downsizing plan, may have their job functions incorporated into the tasks of the employees who survived the wave of downsizing, thereby having the incorporated tasks being neglected or not being carried out as effectively as they would have been done if the employees were not let go. This may lead to ‘corporate anorexia’12 a term coined by Hamel and Prahalad, which they described as leaner organisations not necessarily being healthier organisations. It is, as they explain a business disorder, marked by an extreme fear of being insufficient that leads to excessive cost cutting to the point of serious loss of business and sometimes bankruptcy. Another theory proposed by (Zhao) et al. was the Institutional Theory. This sees downsizing as a response to environmental uncertainty. Organisations may choose to implement downsizing as it gives the management a sense of control. In times when organisational decision making executives are unable to forecast the environment, they may make decisions based by what similar organisations are doing. Executives may choose this strategy because information, professional advice, and executive training programs suggest that it can result in performance improvements when an organisation is a certain size. Another theory proposed by (Zhao) et al. on why downsizing strategies have been pursued to improve business performance is the Socio-Cognitive Theory. This theory sees downsizing being based on managers’ mental models that view it as being an â€Å"effective way of conducting business better, faster and smarter. †13 The managers’ decisions to downsize are socially constructed through social interaction and connected enactment process. Yet, currently there is no empirical evidence that exists to hold that this theory holds well in practice. The theories presented on downsizing in this paper seek to show the how downsizing can improve business performance. Downsizing if done when only necessary can improve business performance, as it can save the organisation money, and make it more competitive. By letting excess employees go ‘corporate anorexia’ could take form and present itself in an organisation, a state no organisation would like to find themselves in. It is important that an organisation downsizes only when it needs to be done, not when other organisations are doing it. There is a severe lack of conclusive evidence supporting long term benefits of downsizing. Ample amounts of literature exist that highlight the negative aspects of downsizing in the long run. The effects downsizing has on its surviving employees can be severe. However if downsizing is to be implemented, it should be managed effectively to maximise organisational performance, which why it was being implemented in the first place. There are many terms and definitions that try to explain best practice. Wikipedia which is the collectively created and controlled encyclopaedia gives a simple definition on the term best practice. It is defined as â€Å"An idea that asserts that there is a technique, method, process, activity, incentive or reward that is more effective at delivering a particular outcome than any other technique, method, process, etc. 14 In the context of downsizing within the organisation establishing best practice would be to put in place a set of procedures that would allow for smooth, open and transparent interactions within the organisation during a time where downsizing is required in order to maximise organisational performance. When a company decides to downsize it must have a clear idea of what it is hoping to achieve thr ough its downsizing and a clear plan of how to do this (best practice). Downsizing is very hard and therefore requires all of the company’s resources if it is to be effective. If a company decides that it must downsize than it is vital to avoid agitation to employees, and therefore it must be an open practice which makes effective communication vital throughout the whole organisation. A key element in regard to best practice for downsizing is that if the company must downsize then it must be done within legal parameters, and the company should be clear about what employee must leave the organisation e. g. â€Å"Lay off ten percent of employees across all departments on a seniority- only basis. This way no employee can claim that he or she was dismissed for discriminatory reasons. †15 (Heathfield, S, 2009) It must also be acknowledged that this method of downsizing can be inefficient in that it may deprive the company of employees with key skills, and or have a larger negative impact on some departments compared with others. During any downsizing it is vital that a climate of trust exists within the organisation in order to limit the impact of the low morale that surviving employees may experience. If there is no trust between employees and management then downsizing can have further damaging effects on the organisation and far from benefiting the organisation it will weaken it further. This will occur if there is no trust and can lead to remaining employees resenting management, not caring, more sick days and generally not putting the same amount of effort into their work that the applied before the downsizing. This was the result of a bad downsizing in a company in the UK. Survivors began to resign themselves to insecurity and channel their distaste towards management in order to cope with instability. â€Å"Survivors reported unfairness, mistrust, shock and demoralisation as their key reactions to redundancy. †16 (Campbell-Jamison et al, 2001) This sort of low morale is known as ‘Survivor Syndrome’ Survivor Syndrome can be defined as a term which has been used to describe the reactions and behaviours of people who have survived massive and adverse events, i. e. organisational downsizing. This term relates to the workplace after employees who survive large scale redundancies may feel guilt at having survived or low morale and a feeling of despair. To sum up best practice in relation to downsizing it can be seen as a process where by downsizing is deployed only when necessary, in an open and clear fashion with good communication, within legal parameters and most importantly in a way that limits the fall out with remaining employees who remain after the downsizing in order to maximise organisational performance and employee morale. In order for downsizing to be effective and maximise organisational performance it must be managed correctly. Part of this effective management is the need to acknowledge that this is a massive change in the organisation that will have a big impact on how work is done in the organisation and the morale of the employees within the organisation, and therefore this change should be managed correctly. For this to occur several things need to happen. Firstly and most fundamentally in order to manage downsizing properly it must have been firstly evaluated that downsizing is needed in the organisation and that it is not just a show off of a no nonsense attitude by new owners of a company. Secondly staff must have it clearly explained to them why there had to be redundancies and why some people lost their jobs while others didn’t. This will help to reassure them of the safety of their position within the organisation and raise morale which is ound to be down after redundancies and can also help lessen the effects of ‘survivor syndrome. ’ Thirdly in downsizing management, most organisations will try to help employees that have been made redundant to move on and find future employment. This has been seen as a proactive step from an organisational standpoint, as it is the right thing to do and can help raise the morale of the remaining employees by showing that the organisation is a caring one. â€Å"This is ethica l, reasonable and positive. Plus, your survivors are watching. †17 (Heathfield, S, 2009) After downsizing it is important to direct as much energy as possible into the employees that have survived the wave of downsizing as they are likely to be suffering from low morale. If this energy is directed properly it can help with quicker recovery after downsizing and will minimise the damage to trust between staff and management, and can also help to boost productivity even though the there has been downsizing this could be seen as consolidation. Finally employees that remain must be given assurances that they are valued, this is most effective when it is done on a one to one basis where the employee is reassured of their value to the organisation and the security of their position within the organisation. It is evident from this piece it can be seen that there is much empirical evidence to suggest that downsizing can be a damaging form of organisational change and there is very little to suggest that it is of benefit. However if downsizing is to be deployed as a form of organisational change it is important that it is only used where necessary to avoid ‘corporate anorexia. Also when it has been decided that downsizing is the best however unpalatable option it is vitally important that the organisation has an established set of best practices to implement the downsizing and that the management team is ready to oversee the downsizing and work hard with the survivors to regain trust and improve overall organisation perfor mance. Bibliography The following sources were used in the compiling of this project: 1 http://swoba. hhs. se/hastba/papers/hastba2006_001. pdf 2 http://www. cmr-journal. org/article/viewfile/72/34: Article entitled How Do Organizations Implement Downsizing? 3 http://www. mr-journal. org/article/viewfile/72/34 Article entitled How Do Organizations Implement Downsizing? 4 http://www. cmr-journal. org/article/viewfile/72/34 Article entitled How Do Organizations Implement Downsizing? 5 http://www. cmr-journal. org/article/viewfile/72/34 Article entitled How Do Organizations Implement Downsizing? 6 http://swoba. hhs. se/hastba/papers/hastba2006_001. pdf 7 Downsizing in America-Reality, Causes and Consequences. Page 16. By William J. Baumol, Alan Blinder, and Edward N. Wolff. Published by Russell Sage Foundation. 8 The Employment Relationship -Key Challenges for H. R. By Paul R. Sparrow and Cary L. Cooper. Published by Butterworth Heinemann. 9 http://hr. blr. com/news. aspx? id=7457 10 http://swoba. hhs. se/hastba/papers/hastba2006_001. pdf 11 http://swoba. hhs. se/hastba/papers/hastba2006_001. pdf 12 Competing for the Future. By Gary Hamel and C. K. Prahalad. Page 12. Published by Harvard Business Press. Accessed through: http://books. google. ie/books? id=rgvGFiiYCXYC&pg=PA12&lpg=PA12&dq=corporate+anorexia+hamel+and+prahalad&source=bl&ots=BtoG_Ytyac&sig=mK-90ek2Fh_M6pvDbV24PRtfV2M&hl=en&ei=fGTCSaG8B6SLjAequZWfCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result 3 The Employment Relationship -Key Challenges for H. R. By Paul R. Sparrow and Cary L. Cooper. Published by Butterworth Heinemann. 14 http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Best_practices 15 http://humanresources. about. com/od/layoffsdownsizing/a/downsizing. htm 16 Campbell-Jameson, F. , Worral, L, and Cooper C, 2001. Downsizing in Britain and its effects on survivors and their organisations. ‘Anx iety, Stress and Coping’ Vol 14, p. 35. 17 http://humanresources. about. com/od/layoffsdownsizing/a/downsizing2. htm

Neolithic revolution essay

Without the Neolithic Revolution the world would know no wars, and would have had no epidemics. All the things that happened after the Neolithic Revolution, like cars, boats, and planes, would never even come into the thoughts of humans. It would have been a world without history other than hunting, gathering and wandering. The Neolithic Revolution is the period when people started domesticating animals, Like dogs for the hunt. Chickens, goats, among others were also raised for food. This lead to farming, or agriculture, which Is the base of any civilization or city, and one of he 7 traits.The others are: government and military religion writing social structure art and architecture material possessions and technology A village Is made up of everyone doing their own types of Jobs: the farmers farming, the metalworkers making things out of metal, and so on. This structure wouldn't be possible without specialization of labor. Farmers surpluses food so everyone else could work on other things. Art and architecture are a couple of other things they could work on. Specialization of labor helped create civilization and the 7 traits. Cities are big villages that are more complex.All of the 7 traits came from cities and specialization of labor. If the nomads hadn't started farming, than there wouldn't have been time to pursue religion, and art, things that are taken for granted now. If people didn't start pursuing religion, then there wouldn't be any writing or social structure. Priests became higher above everybody else because they were closer to god, creating the social structure pyramid. The first writing was priests drawing pictogram's to record offerings. Military came from cities because they had to rooter their land from people who wanted the land for their own.Government came from military because they had to making sure that people were at peace with each other and command them. Without the Neolithic Revolution, the world as we know it wouldn't exist. There w ould be a world without being able to go buy something from a store, without people writing or reading books, without playing video games, or fun. There would be no history that would be important, no big events, and it's because of the Neolithic Revolution. Without it we wouldn't have a civilization, or a life other than hunting and adhering. Eoliths revolution essay By Zachary-Cray like dogs for the hunt. Chickens, goats, among others were also raised for food. This lead to farming, or agriculture, which is the base of any civilization or city, and one of A village is made up of everyone doing their own types of Jobs: the farmers wouldn't be possible without specialization of labor. Farmers surpluses food so now. If people didn't start pursuing religion, then there wouldn't be any writing or Without the Neolithic Revolution, the world as we know it wouldn't exist.

Ray Bradbury essays

Ray Bradbury essays Ray Bradbury is an accomplished American novelist, short-story writer, essayist, playwright, screenwriter, and poet. His writing style is like none other. Some say he is a science fiction writer; however, others argue that he merely uses the far-out setting to criticize racism, censorship, technology, nuclear war, and humanistic values (Johnston). All of his work closely relates to his life and the personal experiences he has gone through. First, his early life in Illinois and Arizona influenced his first writings. This was a time when he first started experimenting with writing. Second, Bradburys writing style relates to his past experiences, because he said that he learned to write recalling past experiences (Umland 6). During this period of time, Bradbury begins to discover himself as a writer. He develops his own style and process for writing. Lastly, his major works represent the feelings of Americans during the era in which he wrote. The Martian Chronicles, his first w ell known novel, and still one of his best known novels, is a great example of this because it relates to the readers emotions about atomic warfare during the World War II era. Ray Bradburys early life in Illinois and Arizona influenced his first writing. There are many examples that show how he transforms his life into a fictitious story. For example, the short story The Jar, written in 1944, is based on Bradbury seeing a pickled embryo for the first time at a sideshow. Although we question ourselves as to how this could be turned into a story, Bradbury can see potential in the most insignificant and strange instances. Two other examples are Homecoming, written in 1946, which is based on Halloween parties thrown by one of his relatives, and Uncle Einar, written in 1947, which is grounded somewhat on one of his uncles (Umland 6). As you can see, many of Bradburys early stories were based loosel...

Creative Writing 101

Creative Writing 101 Creative Writing 101 Creative Writing 101 By Ali Hale What is Creative Writing? Creative writing is anything where the purpose is to express thoughts, feelings and emotions rather than to simply convey information. I’ll be focusing on creative fiction in this post (mainly short stories and novels), but poetry, (auto)biography and creative non-fiction are all other forms of creative writing. Here’s a couple of definitions: Creative writing is writing that expresses the writers thoughts and feelings in an imaginative, often unique, and poetic way. (Sil.org What is Creative Writing?) Writing is a form of personal freedom. It frees us from the mass identity we see all around us. In the end, writers will write not to be outlaw heroes of some underculture but mainly to save themselves, to survive as individuals. (Don DeLillo) Writing of any sort is hard, but rewarding work – you’ll gain a huge amount of satisfaction from a finished piece. Being creative can also be difficult and challenging at times, but immensely fun. How to get started Many people think that just because they’ve read a lot of stories (or even if they haven’t!) they should be able to write one. But as Nigel Watts writes: There is a common belief that because most of us are literate and fluent, there is no need to serve an apprenticeship if we want to become a successful wordsmith. †¦ That’s what I thought until I tried to write my first novel. I soon learnt that a novel, like a piece of furniture, has its own set of requirements, laws of construction that have to be learnt. Just because I had read plenty of novels didn’t mean I could write one, any more than I could make a chair because I had sat on enough of them. (Nigel Watts, Teach Yourself Writing a Novel) By all means, if you’re keen, jump straight in and have a go: but don’t be too disappointed if your first efforts aren’t as good as you’d hoped. To extend Watts’ metaphor, you may find that these early attempts have wonky legs and an unsteady seat. There are lots of great books aimed at new fiction writers, and I’d strongly recommend buying or borrowing one of these: Wannabe a Writer? (Jane Wenham-Jones) Teach Yourself †¦ Writing a Novel (Nigel Watts) How to Write Fiction (and Think About It) (Robert Graham) On Writing (Stephen King) I’d also recommend starting small. Rather than beginning with an epic fantasy trilogy, a family saga spanning five generations, or an entire adventure series †¦ have a go at a short story or a poem. And if you end up chewing your pen and staring at a sheet of paper, or gazing at a blank screen for hours, try kickstarting your writing with a short exercise. Don’t stop to think too much about it †¦ just get going, without worrying about the quality of the work you produce. Tips and tricks for beginners Do some short exercises to stretch your writing muscles – if you’re short of ideas, read the Daily Writing Tips article on â€Å"Writing Bursts†. Many new creative writers find that doing the washing up or weeding the garden suddenly looks appealing, compared to the effort of sitting down and putting words onto the page. Force yourself to get through these early doubts, and it really will get easier. Try to get into the habit of writing every day, even if it’s just for ten minutes. If you’re stuck for ideas, carry a notebook everywhere and write down your observations. You’ll get some great lines of dialogue by keeping your ears open on the bus or in cafes, and an unusual phrase may be prompted by something you see or smell. Work out the time of day when you’re at your most creative. For many writers, this is first thing in the morning – before all the demands of the day jostle for attention. Others write well late at night, after the rest of the family have gone to bed. Don’t be afraid to experiment! Don’t agonize over getting it right. All writers have to revise and edit their work – it’s rare that a story, scene or even a sentence comes out perfectly the first time. Once you’ve completed the initial draft, leave the piece for a few days – then come back to it fresh, with a red pen in hand. If you know there are problems with your story but can’t pinpoint them, ask a fellow writer to read through it and give feedback. HAVE FUN! Sometimes, we writers can end up feeling that our writing is a chore, something that â€Å"must† be done, or something to procrastinate over for as long as possible. If your plot seems wildly far-fetched, your characters bore you to tears and you’re convinced that a five-year old with a crayon could write better prose †¦ take a break. Start a completely new project, something which is purely for fun. Write a poem or a 60-word â€Å"mini saga†. Just completing a small finished piece can help if you’re bogged down in a longer story. Online resources NaNoWriMo Every November, hundreds of thousands of people just like you do something extraordinary: they write a novel in just thirty days. Want to be part of the coffee-fueled, manic-typing, adrenaline-rush that is National Novel Writing Month? (NaNoWriMo for short). Make sure you sign up by October 31st. The â€Å"rules† state that you can’t start writing Chapter 1 until 00.01am on November 1st but you can spend as long as you like before that planning†¦ Authors’ websites and blogs I read lots of websites and blogs written by authors and these give real (sometimes harsh) insights into what it’s like to write professionally. One which has been a strong favourite of mine for many years is Holly Lisle’s. Check out her advice for writers and her weblog. She also has an excellent newsletter which I subscribe to, and some very thorough and helpful e-books on various aspects of writing available for purchase. Competitions listings Having a theme and a deadline can make a startling difference to a writer’s motivation! If you’re in the UK, Sally Quilford’s competition listings are a comprehensive and regularly-updated list. I Should Be Writing podcast This is a practical and inspiring podcast: I Should Be Writing by Mur Lafferty. She describes the podcast as â€Å"For wanna-be fiction writers, by a wanna-be fiction writer† (though since starting it several years ago, she’s had considerable success selling her short stories) and focuses on science fiction and fantasy. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Computer Terms You Should KnowAwoken or Awakened?Dissatisfied vs. Unsatisfied

Fornatale & Mills and Hilmes Terms Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Fornatale & Mills and Hilmes Terms - Essay Example The essay "Fornatale & Mills and Hilmes Terms" talks about Fornatale & Mills and Hilmes detail separate if related transformations in the radio and compares the two discussions on their own terms since the radio has long been noted as the first ever invention in technology that opened the door gates to modern systems of communication.Fornatale and Mills naturally point out that radio has created a new sense of industry in the field of music and news. Way before, only news anchors were paid for their professional service; this goes for the AM stations that air news broadcasts. However, on the part of the FM radio stations, the DJ's only received â€Å"favor† costs from the network owners. Later on, though, this has gradually changed. Dj’s began requiring compensation and the whole radio industry was in full blast. From a simple source of entertainment and news, the radio industry has become a well grown commercial branch that generates profit from airing music and news f or the public audience. For this reason, the composers and the song writers and the producers of aired music at that time received double billing for the air broadcasting of their creations. Fortanale and Mills further insisted that because of this incident in the broadcasting industry, the music producers, and music co-creators tried to branch away from the broadcasting industry since they think that this particular commerce is costing them more than it is doing them the benefits of promoting their craft to the public.