Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Human Resource Management - Essay Example In order to keep an open mind to the situation of both the employees who are asking for lighter workload it is a good idea to start will looking at the client portfolios that each of the employees are currently holding. Those who have a tougher client listing should thus be catered to first as they are managing more than others. David has a more demanding client and as he has done his job in an efficient manner he should be considered above Jane for the time off. Not only this, but David has given his ideas on how he will make up his time off by working the extra hours which are certainly a plus for him. However, even David has conceded that there may be some effect of his lighter workload on his clients who are the main priority and so it then becomes difficult to let his off. In deciding the time that the employees have spent in the company and their track record there is also of great importance. In the end thought there will be an effect on either parties and there may well be th inking that will be established in the company that those who have kids have an easier job getting a lighter workload as compared to those who need it for other personal reasons. Electronic employee monitoring has taken off since the technological age has made it easier to do so. In certain cases there has been a lot of hue and cry over the idea of employees being monitored all the time in the workplaces. It, however, makes sense at times to be able to track the use of office time and resources. Employers should be able to gauge how much of the time employees spend doing work and how much is being spent otherwise as this can determine how employees are promoted and given other benefits. It is also necessary for companies to avoid espionage from the inside even and monitoring helps to do this. To avoid these threats call monitoring is perhaps within certain permissible limits. There is a downside, as such practices erode the privacy of the employees and certain ethical

Goup Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Goup Communication - Essay Example e individual communication as well as group communication include greeting, having one’s stance on the subject of discussion, respecting others’ views and expressing one’s own without offending others, avoiding unnecessary argumentation and dysfunctional conflicts, and maintaining a balance between listening and speaking. Disagreement over a matter during discussion may lead to conflict. The main way to resolve such conflicts is to conduct a dialogue without using indecent or offensive language. The dialogue may not necessarily lead to a conclusion. In case there is a judge, the matter should be referred to him/her for decision. If there is no third party acting as a judge, it is better to change the topic of discussion. The aforesaid strategies of group communication can best be used with practicing more. For a manager to use these strategies while addressing a group, his/her communication style should be tailored towards the group’s needs (Mitchell, 2012). Effective communication in a group requires use of emotional intelligence. One also has to be a bit articulate to conduct group

Is Language Innate or Learned?

Is Language Innate or Learned? How do we learn language? Is it an innate ability or do we have to learn language? Can we find an absolute definition for language? These questions has been asked and investigated by many psychologists, but to date I have not been able to find any concrete evidence put forward to support any of the findings. Using the language acquisition theories of Chomsky and Skinner, as a base, I was able to compare of their findings by applying the theories to actual situations to determine the practicality of the results. As a result of making these comparisons, I was able to determine that each theory on its own had limitations, but I believe that if we took aspects of each and made one compilation, it is possible that we could eventually determine whether language is in fact an innate ability or whether it is developed through learning. Language is an innate ability and is not developed through learning To say that language is an innate ability and is not developed through learning, we need to look at the theorist arguments on language acquisition. One theorist argued that language is an innate ability, (Chomsky,1959), another argued that it is acquired by reinforcement and repetition (Skinner, 1957), another argued that it was part of the overall development (Piaget, 1969) and yet another argued that it is learned through interaction (Bruner, 1975). Although each theorist produced differing views on language acquisition, the debate still remains as to whether language is an innate ability or it is learned. I will be focusing on Skinners (1957) Behaviourist Theory and Chomksys (1959) Innate Theory as the base on this paper. Let us first look at the definition of language. Language, as defined by the Websters online dictionary states that it is a systematic means of communicating, by the use of sounds or convectional symbols. The idea is that language is facilitated and understood by the use of structured elements. These elements are not limited to auditory but also encompass the use of convectional symbols. What therefore are convectional symbols? Throughout the evolutionary process, countries have developed their own method of documentation using unique letters or numerals. They have also created signs which have no alphanumeric symbols but effectively communicate necessary information, for example, a single arrow pointing to the left could mean, left turn only or keep left. Similarly the outline of a man or woman on the doors of washrooms communicate the gender allowed to use the washroom. The symbol may have a definitive meaning, but the interpretation of the symbol will determine the appropriate act ion. Another definition found in the Oxford online dictionary, we see where language is defined as the method of human communication, either spoken or written, consisting of the use of words in a structured and convectional way. It is interesting to note the disparity in the two definitions. Whilst the Websters definition appears generic to any specie, the Oxford definition seems to be specific to communication in humans. Does the Oxford dictionary imply that communication is unique to humans? Based on the research done by the theorists we recongnise that humans talk and all other living species have their own unique method of communicating with each other. It is therefore not appropriate to disregard non-human communication abilities. Looking at the human interaction and how we are able to understand each other, especially as it relates language development in newborn babies, has encouraged many theories. De Villiers J. G. P. A. (1978), in their book, Language Acquisition, the question is asked, What does a child bring into the world with him by way of inherited knowledge or behaviour, and what is the product of the experience? (p.2). It is clear that both genetics and experience play an important part in language development, but the underlying question remains debatable. The arguments continue with Osherson, D. N., Gleitman L. R., Liberman M, (1995) in their book, An Invitation to Cognitive Science: Language, they state that some parts of the capacity to learn language must be innate. At the same time, it is equally clear that language is learned (Gleitman and Newport, chapter 1,p.1) The hierarchy of language, however complex, is influenced by the environment and experiences. In babies we recognise that there is no experience, therefore the development can only be linked or associated with their environment. The direct links that babies have in their early stages are only with their parents or other close family members who interact with them on a daily basis. Babies do not have the capacity to make audible sounds which constitute sentences; however they do have to capacity to make other sounds which can be interpreted as immediate needs or wants. As the child develops, the verbal interaction increases and depending on the appropriateness or the effectiveness of the interaction, the development progress will be determined. This means that how the parent speaks to the child or how often word or sentences are used will determine how quickly the childs language is developed. The comparisons between nature versus nurture have been debated for a long time. The story has been written about the Egyptian King Psammethichus, who in an attempt to determine which race was more ancient, the Egyptian or the Phrygians, took two newborn babies and placed them in isolation. They were kept by themselves in a lonely cottage and no-one was allowed to utter words around them. After two years in isolation the caregiver of the children heard them say the word becos and he eventually reported this to the King. King Psametichus researched the word and found out that the origin of the language was Phrygian for bread. The discovery made the Egyptians yield their position of antiquity and conceded that the Phrygians were more ancient than they were. (Herodotus, De SÃ ©lincourt A., Marincola J. 2003), The Histories). The fact that these children had no verbal interaction at all makes you want to believe that babies are born with some innate ability for language development. Although this story is very old, we can also look at more recent language developments in children who are kept in isolated conditions. Feral children, commonly known as wild children, are children who have been brought up in total isolation. They may have some human contact but they are denied any kind of social interaction with other people. These children have been known to develop their own language as in the case of Genie, who was kept in isolation until she was 13 years old. This is a recent example of language development without guidance. She was not taught to speak and was denied any human interaction whilst in isolation and when she was found and tested (Curtis, 1977), it was discovered that Genie would never be able to master the rules of grammar. Although she had good semantic ability, she could not learn syntax and therefore was not able to form complete sentences. Going back to the theorist arguments, did Genies lack of communicative ability give credence to Skinners (1957) proposal that language can be acquired through a series of habit forming tasks? The experiments he performed were conducted on rats and birds, which were taught to perform various tasks successfully. This theory, known as the Behaviourist Theory, proposes that through repetition and subsequent rewards children learn how to communicate. In his 1957 book, Verbal Behaviour, Skinner argued that language was like any other form of behaviour which is acquired through conditioning. Rewards were given once the appropriate behaviour was achieved. However looking again at feral children, even with repetition and rewards they still were not able to master the rules of grammar. The common diagnosis was that these children had passed the critical period hypothesis, which is the stage before puberty before the brain becomes specialized in it functions. Language functions are assigned to the left brain, however before puberty the language function moves from one side to the next and after puberty this function is assigned to the left brain. Chomsky (1959) published a criticism of this theory. Chomsky believed that a childs brain contained special language learning abilities at birth which enabled them to communicate from birth the Innate Theory. He argued that a child was naturally predisposed to learn a language. This was possible by hearing speech which is interpreted by the brain using its natural ability to apply structures and principles. Chomskys view is that a child is held to be born with the entire set of linguistic universals plus evaluation procedures, built in, and that he somehow uses this set as a grid through which he filters the particular language he happens to hear around him (1968a, p.76). After reading the review it was interesting to note that Chomsky critised Skinner because he used only animals as the test subjects, and as a result the theory was silent on specie restrictions. Ironically, Chomskys innate theory was based on no test subject (human or animal). If we are to accept the innateness of language acquisition then we would have to somehow get into the mind of the child from birth to determine how the brain interpreted the speech it heard. Using the feral children Kamala and Amala, the two Indian girls that were said to be raised by wolves can we apply the innate theory? The missionary who found and adopted them (Singh) tried to rehabilitate them back to their human form. Unfortunately Amala died shortly after being found. Progress was slow and after three years, Kamala had only mastered about a dozen words. The question then is; where does the innate ability surface? Based on the innate theory, these children should have had some ability to understand human language, despite the fact that they were socialized by wolves in the early stages of development. It was several years later that Kamalas vocabulary increased to forty words. Gesell (1940) in his book, Wolf Child and Human Child, stated that Kamalas situation demonstrated just how mentally naked humans are when born and how much we rely on society to shape us. Conclusion After looking at the two theories I am still left to determine which one has more credence than the other. I am almost tempted to conduct my own research, similar to King Psammethichus, the only risk with doing that would be the impending prison time I may have to serve for offences committed against a minor. I am however able to give my opinion on the theories. I do not agree that language acquisition is solely dependent on an innate ability; there must be some learning which takes place during the early developmental stages. Humans may be born with a pre-disposition for language, however there has to be some social interaction that defines the language, grammar and speech. We teach our children language by using a variety of methods, such as visual aids and verbal reinforcements. If we only show them the visual aids, without explaining what they are seeing, they will ultimately create their own description and possibly create their own language. The feral children did not necessarily create their own language, instead they adapted to their environment. In the case of Genie, she had limited human interaction; therefore it is possible that her language development was only based on the few words spoken to her during her isolation. The meals she was served may have just been shoved at her with harsh accompanying words of eat this or here. Applying Skinners theory, the reinforcement may have been the harsh words heard regularly but not enough to develop the syntax needed to form sentences. Here Chomskys theory may have been more appropriate, in that there was some amount of innate understanding of human communication; Genie responded to human speech althou gh she was not taught. In the case of Kamala, who was raised by wolves, the innate theory is not possible. She had to be taught everything as she did not understand anything her adoptive parent said. Skinners theory here is more believable. It was through constant repetition and reinforcement that she was able to develop some kind of vocabulary database to eventually communicate. What is interesting is the length of time it took for her to grasp a dozen words. In a normal three year old child, you will find that they are most communicative and speaking constantly at this age. In conclusion, I believe that the two theories go hand in hand. You cannot have one without the other. We may be born with some amount of innate ability, but it is through repetition and reinforcement that we are able to communicate effectively. The necessary grammar and syntax ability requires practice and this can only be achieved with being taught. It is my opinion that both Skinner and Chomsky were on the right path but they needed to work together to get the language acquisition theory more credence.

In Love With Shakespeare :: Poetry Literature Papers

In Love With Shakespeare "About any one so great as Shakespeare, it is probable that we can never be right; and if we can never be right, it is better that we should from time to time change our way of being wrong." --T. S. Eliot (Eliot 107) Like all great artists, William Shakespeare is thoroughly conscious of his medium. His plays consistently call attention to the theatrical. "With Shakespeare the actable and the theatrical are always what come first" (Frye 5). In fact, the metaphor of performance is central to the Shakespearean canon. "When we are born we cry that we are come To this great stage of fools," Lear declares to Gloucester (IV.vi. 178-179). "All the world’s a stage, And all the men and women merely players; They have their exits and their entrances, And one man in his time plays many parts" (As You Like It, II.vii. 139-142). This self-referentiality reflects a concern that the audience not be passive in its participation, and that the boundaries of the theatrical experience not be restricted to the stage. Shakespeare layers connotations and meanings into his plays that reward the self-conscious auditor. Though much of our modern entertainment seeks to make the auditor oblivious of the medium, Shakespeare’s plays demand a sophisticated self-consciousness on the audience’s part. Part of the pleasure of viewing a Shakespearean play such as A Midsummer Night’s Dream is in recognizing the irony of its self-contained mini-dramas. In the "Pyramus and Thisbe" scene, Shakespeare satirizes theatrical convention. At the same time, however, he satirizes the naivetà © of the audience that doubts the transforming power of the imagination. As Shakespeare continually points out, the acts of performing and viewing are not confined to the theatre. Life reflects the theatre just as the theatre reflects life. Furthermore, when taken seriously, great theatre can change its audience. For this reason, Shakespeare seeks to make viewing a conscious act. The full benefit of the theatrical experience is felt only when the auditor recognizes his role. Clearly, in Shakespeare’s view, life is very much like a play. For one thing, all human beings are actors, or as Hegel says, "free artists of themselves" (Bloom 6). As "real" as we perceive ourselves to be, Shakespeare’s great characters demonstrate that personal identity is an assumed role, a fabrication. We are all playing characters. When the mad and weather-beaten King Lear declares himself "every inch a king," his exclamation is a melancholy reminder that power and authority are based upon image and ceremony.

Dbq Protestant Reformation

Protestant Reformation The Protestant Reformation took place in Germany in the 16th century. During this time, Roman Catholic Church had a lot of power, and a priest called Martin Luther noticed their abuse of power. He decided to show people how the church was abusing of its power. He started by criticizing the sale of indulgences, and how priests, cardinals and even the Pope did not follow the teachings of the Bible. To criticize the Church, Luther wrote the 95 Theses and translated the Bible into German.This way, people could see how the Roman Catholic Church was not following the teachings of God. This caused a great controversy in Europe. He was accused of heretic and excommunicated from the Catholic Church. But some Germans, mostly peasants but also a few nobles, liked his teachings and agreed with him. The Holy Roman Emperor told German princes to kill Luther, but instead, they decided to convert to Protestantism and follow Luther. The Emperor Charles V and the princes finally agreed that every German state was able to choose their own religion.This series of events are called the Protestant Reformation. The Protestant Reformation had political and social impacts in Europe by promoting the idea of religious freedom, increasing the power of monarchs, and spreading of the idea of equality. One of the effects of the Protestant Reformation was the promotion of religious freedom. After this Reformation, each German State could choose which religion to practice. This treaty was concreted in the Peace of Augsburg in 1555. It was signed by Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and the German princes. â€Å"15.In order to bring peace to the Holy Roman Empire of the Germanic Nation [†¦] let them (each German State) enjoy their religious belief, liturgy and ceremonies. † (Document 6) This document shows the part of the contract where the Holy Roman Emperor and German princes agreed in having a religious freedom in each State. This made Europe had more than just a religion. During this time, there was not a Religious unity between German States within themselves and neither with the rest of Europe. Other very important effect of the Protestant Reformation was the increase of power of the monarchs.During the 16th century, the Roman Catholic Church had a lot of power. Not many monarchs were happy with their excess of power. With the Protestant Reformation, some monarchs saw the perfect opportunity to stop sharing power with the Roman Catholic Church. One example is King Henry VIII of England. â€Å"[†¦] the king’s Majesty [†¦] is and ought to be the supreme head of the Church of England. † (Document 5) This is an excerpt taken from The Act of Supremacy, a Parliamentary Act from 1534. King Henry VIII decided to break apart from the Roman Catholic Church, and this way, have absolute power in England.Being the politic and religious leader allowed him to spend less money and at the same time gain more. All the income from the Church was now his, and he did not have to pay this entity any taxes. Henry did not have to share the power with anyone else; he was now an absolute ruler. Another impact the protestant Reformation had in Europe was the spread of the idea of equality. Catholicism already had this idea of all people being the same, but clearly they were not putting it into practice. Not even the Pope, who should have been a role model, was being humble and he even felt superior to the rest.In Luther’s 95 Theses he says, â€Å"86. Why does not the Pope [†¦] build just this one church of St. Peter with his own money, rather than with the money of poor believers? † (Document 2) This thesis says that the Pope should not be greedy and take money from the poor. He should instead give his money to the poor. Luther says that the Pope is not superior from the rest of the believers and should contribute economically to the Church, just as the rest of the people did. Another of his theses says, â€Å"37. Every True Christian [†¦] has part in all the blessings of Christ and the Church [†¦]. (Document 2) In this specific thesis, Luther is criticizing the sale of indulgences. He says that there? s no need to buy indulgences because every Christian, rich or poor, is the same to the eyes of God. One should do good actions, rather than buying indulgences, to go to heaven, and these actions should be done by the common people, the priests and even the Pope. The Protestant Reformation clearly had religious impacts on Europe, but it also had social and political effects. Even though Luther criticized the Roman Catholic Church, his ideas were used by political figures to be able to get rid of the oppression of the Church.The promotion of the religious freedom is both a political and a social impact. The division from the Church and the German States is political, while the ability to choose which religion to practice is social. The increase of the power of the mona rchs is a political impact. The fact that Henry VIII was the religious and political leader in England meant he had absolute power. The spread of the idea of equality is social because it means to say common people are the same as the Pope. These social and political changes later lead to many things that are used nowadays.The idea of religious freedom is an idea that remains nowadays. Today, every person has the right to choose its religion, not like before which was every State. The idea of equality between all people was an idea that was used in the French Revolution and of the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizens. The increase in the power of the monarchs led to the later Age of Absolutism. These three ideas shaped the world into what it is today. They helped make the world be what it is today.

First Love by John Clare

First Love â€Å"First Love† by John Clare is a poem that explains something that everyone will usually endure in his or her life; the emotional journey of falling in love for the first time. The brief 24 line poem attacks the emotions of the reader and lures the reader into the poem by envisioning or reminiscing of the reader’s first love. John Clare writes about how he falls in love for the first time and his perspective from the first meeting to the end. The poem is structured with a rhyming scheme of every other line in an abab pattern.The poem is broken into three phases of a first love: the meeting of one’s first love, then the connection and being with the person, and finally the end of the first love. The poem begins with â€Å"I ne'er was struck before that hour. † This opening line suggests that the writer has been struck by love at first sight. He continues to support this with saying how it is sudden and sweet. The implication here is that it i s young first love. With each line, the writer continues to support the next.With the implication of young first love, he supports this youthfulness with a simile writing in the next line; the girls face like a sweet flower. This can be transcribed as a young lady growing up to be a woman. The next two lines express how she took his heart and took his breath away; turning him pale. This was such a shock to him that he could not move and was paralyzed to the point his legs couldn’t move. In addition to shock, he could also mean that he didn’t want to leave or stop looking at here.The last two lines of this stanza, represents when she looks at him, he could do nothing but melt and molded towards being with her. This is the change everyone goes through when falling in love. Your life changes and must adjust to the new relationship. The second stanza begins with â€Å"And then my blood rushed to my face. † He is expressing his feelings stating how he blushes when ar ound his love. A majority of people have been blinded by love. John Clare writes of this loss of vision by stating his eyesight is taken away and could not see a single thing.In addition to the blindness, his reality is distorted when during the day everything else doesn’t matter; a type of tunnel vision for his first love. The mention of his eyes and chords translate to being able to see the love in his eyes so strong it speaks and sings of his heart. The two of them have a connection so strong that words verbally spoken are not necessary. Their connection is translated through words from his eyes. This stanza comes to a transitional close with burning blood around his heart, meaning that his first love has hurt him.The final stanza begins with â€Å"Are flowers the winter's choice? † Like a great deal of poems, one of the seasons is pulled into the poem. However, not in a pleasant way; winter is cold just like his love being cold towards him; poetically the cold shou lder is love’s bed always snow. John Clare is not sure that his love’s listening to him, and feels that he will never find another love like her. The cold shoulder and her not listening to him, has caused pain. This pain feels, to him, like someone ripped his heart from his chest.He ends the poem with a line meaning he can never love again. In conclusion, this poem is a perfect hopeless romantic poem that tells the story of meeting a first love, the connection and being with the person, and finally the end of the first love. The passion and meaning placed in this poem expresses clearly how John Clare feels about his first, last, and only love. I believe that the feelings he places in this poem helps readers relate more than other poems; probably making this one of the most relatable poems ever to a general audience.