Chevron Assignment Essay

Nowadays, recycling, ecology, environmental protection †¦ are a part of everyday citizens, businesses, politicians; an awareness that has allowed the development of an economic sector and the creation of new jobs. The global warming has increased our awareness towards the planet and its future. In more and more countries, new regulations have been introduced by the government to reduce the amount of pollution. The industrial revolution of our century has put in danger our living resources, nature, and thus potentially putting at risk our own future lifestyle. One of the most pollution producers are the oil or petroleum industries. In this essay we will examine the case of Chevron Corporation which is one of the biggest petrol producers in the world. The company operates approximately 24000 services stations in more than 180 and has over 62000 employees worldwide. (Hoovers inc 2012). We will first examine and discuss the negative impact of this industry on the environment, so therefore on the society, and then we will see how Chevron’s corporation is proceeding to achieve their goal: â€Å"we believe that is the right thing to do and that is critical to our success in a world in which energy sources should be compatible with an environment that’s clean, safe and healthy†. (Hoovers inc 2012) Negative impact on environment of Chevron Corporation. Extraction of petrol itself is not without consequences on local ecosystems, although, as in any industries, the risks can be reduced by vigilant practices. While these fossil fuels can be extracted in a way that environment can be preserved, government and oil companies choose generally, the speed and the efficacy, rather than respect for the environment or the interests of local people, most affected by production. One of the most extreme case of oil exploitation of the rainforest is the equator, where the U. S. oil giant, Chevron-Texaco (now known as the Chevron), seriously damaged the ecosystem of Ecuador for a generation. (Chevron Corporation 2012, 32) This petroleum operation affected more than 30000 Indigenes and settlers homes. However as we noted, this degradation has been punished by the government of equator who fined Chevron corporation 18 billion dollars of compensation (Environment News Service 2012) As shown above the risk of producing oil can be very big. The example, the pollution in equator shows a lack of professionalism and mastery of Chevron Corporation for 18 years. Another example of Chevron’s negligence is the case in Brazil where a leak in one of the drills has caused an oil spillage. In the past, at least 2,400 barrels of crude were spilled into the Atlantic, in the block Campo do Frade, 370 km north-east coast of Rio. ( Jeff Fick 2012) In March 4 2012, a new leak was detected 3 km from the first and nearly 1300 metres deep, of more than 3400 of crude barrels, triggering the suspension of activities of Chevron in Brazil. ( Brazil 2012) Such example provides evidence that this incident could affect the entire marine ecosystem of the region, which could lead to an extinction of some species and thus could have an impact on the  economic activities of the area. For instance, those fishing area may be closed for a long or a short period because of the risk of contamination by oil. The contaminated fishes could have a serious effect on human health if some were used for consumption. From this perspective, the fishery sector of the area affected could see their economy decrease if consumers stop buying their products (Global Marine Oil Pollution Information getaway 2002). As a consequence, the petroleum activities of Chevron Corporation in Brazil have been temporarily stopped. Another fine of 42 millions euro was given to them by Brazil government, but also 17 high level staffs of the industry are prosecuted and will have to pay a fine of 1 million reais, which represent 415000 Euros. (Brazil 2012) Positive impact of Chevron Corporation in environment and stakeholders health. While Chevron Corporation activities in Brazil or equator have been described as negative for the environment, this has not always been the case. Chevron Corporation deployed a program in 2007, the ESHIA (Environment, Social and Health impact assessment process) to anticipate and avoid any negative impacts on health and environment. Chevron has also made a biodiversity statement which expresses its commitment to incorporating biodiversity consideration, as part of their ESHIA program (Chevron 2011). For instance, the Salak project inside one of Indonesia’s biggest national park has for main purposes to preserve the biodiversity in this area. They work with the local farmers to protect species, such as, gibbons, hawk eagles and leopards. Chevron also received an award by Indonesia community for Best Environmental Management during their operations at Salak. Such example provides evidence of chevron commitments with regards to environmental issues while helping the world meet their need for energy. Stakeholders, such as employees are probably the ones who can be the most affected by Chevron toxic pollution during the extraction of oils. They work day by day surrounded by dark smoke, petroleum and without some good health measures their well being could be seriously in danger. We understand why, Chevron Corporation has invested a lot on employees’ health. From this perspective, cost related to employees’ health, or productivity can be considerately improved. The Argentina cases during 2009, where nearly 800000 people were seriously affected by the flu H1N1 in only 6 months, can show how well Chevron Argentina, has managed it within the industry. By multipronged strategy, only 20 employees, which represent 6. 8% of the business, were affected by the disease. Furthermore, in 2010 Chevron introduced a training program over the problem of tuberculosis. ( Chevron 2011) The high rating of tuberculosis in the world pushed them to invest in this cause. For instance, the provincial program which fights against tuberculosis, in Cabinda, Angola, has benefited from a donation of several drugs and diagnostic facilities, under the initiative of the Chevron Corporation in October 2011. ( Chevron 2011) The evidences above demonstrate that Chevron is really implicated into the well being of the society. By fighting those scourges, like H1N1 or Tuberculosis, Chevron enhance its image in its fight to maintain people’s health while at the same time doing all they can to better respect the environment. Apart from its implication in the health field, Chevron is also taking measures which aimed reduce its energy consumption as more as possible and therefore pollute less. One of the most effective ways is the use of Energy Efficiency, which is one of the most valuable sources of new energy. (Chevron on Track to Achieve 20 Percent Production-Growth Target by 2017 2012 ). As describe in Chevron website, the use of Energy Efficiency is highly beneficial because it reduces carbon emissions, lowers cost and it helps Chevron to conserves its supplier. For example, according to Chevron Corporation a reduction of 5% in global energy we use can reduce the extraction of petroleum by 10 millions barrels per day, which represent enough energy to supply Australia, United Kingdom and Mexico. ( Chevron 2011) We believe that in order to meet the world demand for energy, Chevron cannot forget about oil, which is one of the most polluted materials in the world to use, and focus their work only on renewable energy and efficiency energy as this will reduced their competitive level. However as the world is more and more concern in environmental issues, it is clear that renewable energy technologies that are scalable, sustainable and profitable will take gradually take over from the traditional sources of energy. Conclusion The petroleum conglomerates are easy targets for environmentalists. Their operations are very noticeable, and create a dramatic impact on the local economy and local social conditions. Chevron mistake among the management of its pollution, in Argentina, but especially in the Ecuadorian forest, reveals all the negative impact they had on the community and the environment of the area. However, as local communities are recovering from profits of oil development, while shouldering the majority of social and environmental costs, it is easy to see why the contribution of oil development in the destruction of the environment is often exaggerated. It is by critical episode like Argentina or Ecuador drama, that people ultimately judge those companies. In contrast, when examining Chevron commitment with regards to people’s health and respect on the environment, (with organization such as ESHIA) the evidence demonstrates that Chevron care a lot about all these issues. They are also working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, by working on new technologies which could in a near future change our world. In light of this, we can conclude by saying that Chevron has consistently met the needs of their stakeholders in most operation, apart from those mistakes we know.

The Return: Midnight Chapter 41

Stefan didn't move or speak for long moments. Elena's heart swelled. Suddenly she was as afraid as he clearly was. She went to him and took both his hands, which were shaking. Darling, don't cry, she sent. There must still be time to save Fell's Church. There must. It can't end this way. And besides, Shinichi is gone! We can get to the children; we can break the conditioning†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She stopped. It was as if the word â€Å"conditioning†echoed in her ears. Stefan's green eyes were fil ing her vision. Her mind was getting†¦it was getting fuzzy. Everything was becoming unreal again. In a minute she wouldn't be able to†¦ She wrenched her eyes away, breathing hard. â€Å"You were Influencing me,†she said. She could hear the anger in her own voice. â€Å"Yes,†Stefan whispered. â€Å"I've been Influencing you for half an hour.† How dare you? Elena thought, just for him. â€Å"I'm stopping it†¦now,†Stefan said quietly. â€Å"As am I,†Sage added, sounding exhausted. And the universe did a slow spin and Elena remembered what it was that they were al keeping from her. With a wild sob, she rose, scattering droplets, coming to her feet like an avenging goddess. She looked at Sage. She looked at Stefan. And Stefan proved how brave he was, how much he loved her. He told her what she already knew. â€Å"Damon is gone, Elena. I'm so sorry. I'm sorry if†¦if I kept you from being with him as much as you wanted to. I'm sorry if I came between you. I didn't understand – how much you loved each other. I do now.†And then he dropped his face into his hands. Elena wanted to go to him. To scold him, to hold him. To tel Stefan that she loved him just as much, drop for drop, grain for grain. But her body had gone numb, and the darkness was threatening again†¦al she could do was hold out her arms as she crumpled onto the grass. And then somehow Bonnie and Stefan were both there, the three of them al sobbing: Elena with the intensity of new discovery; Stefan with a lost sound that Elena had never heard before; and Bonnie with a dry, wrenching exhaustion that seemed to want to shatter her smal body. Time lost al meaning. Elena wanted to grieve for every moment of Damon's painful death, and for every moment of his life, too. So much had been lost. She couldn't get her head around it, and she didn't want to do anything but cry until the kind darkness took her mind again. That was when Sage broke. He grabbed Elena and pul ed her up, and shook her by the shoulders. It snapped her head back and forth. â€Å"Your town is in ruins!†he shouted, as if this was her fault. â€Å"Midnight may or may not bring disaster. Oh, yes, I saw it al in your mind when I went in to Influence you. Little Fel ‘s Church is already devastated. And you won't even fight for it!† Something blazed through Elena. It melted the numbness, the iciness. â€Å"Yes, I'l fight for it!†she screamed. â€Å"I'l fight for it with every breath in my body, until I stop the people who did it, or until they kil me!† â€Å"And how, puis-je savoir, wil you get back in time? By the time you walk back the way you came, it wil al be over!† Stefan was beside her, bracing her, shoulder to shoulder. â€Å"Then we'l force you to send us some other way – so that we can get back in time!† Elena stared. No. No. Stefan couldn't have said that. Stefan didn't force his way – and she wouldn't have him changing himself. She whirled back on Sage. â€Å"There's no need to fight! I have a Master Key in my backpack, and magic works here inside the Gatehouse!†she cried. But Stefan and Sage were staring each other down, each fierce and intent. Elena wanted to go to Stefan but the world was doing another of its slow somersaults. She was afraid that Sage would attack Stefan, and that she couldn't even fight for him. But instead, suddenly, Sage threw back his head and laughed wildly. Or perhaps it was something between thunderous laughing and crying. It was as eerie as the sound of a wolf baying, and Elena felt Bonnie's smal , trembling body hug her – to comfort both of them. â€Å"What the hel !†Sage bel owed, and now there was a wild look in his eyes, too. â€Å"Mais oui, what the Hell?†He laughed again. â€Å"After al , I am the Gatekeeper, and I have already broken the rules by al owing you through two different doors.† Stefan was Stillbreathing hard. Now he reached out and grabbed Sage by his broad shoulders and shook him with the strength of a vampire gone mad. â€Å"What are you talking about? There's no time for talk!† â€Å"Ah, but there is, mon ami. My friend, there is. What you need is the firepower of the heavens to save Fel ‘s Church – and to undo the damage that has already been done. To wipe it out, to make it as if it had never happened. And,†Sage added deliberately, looking directly at Elena, â€Å"perhaps – just perhaps – to undo this day's events, also.† Suddenly every inch of Elena's skin was tingling. Her whole body was listening to Sage, leaning toward him, yearning, while her eyes widened with the only other question that mattered. Sage said, very softly, very triumphantly, â€Å"Yes. They can bestow life upon the dead. They have that Power. They can bring back mon petit tyran Damon – as they brought you back.† Stefan and Bonnie were holding Elena up. She couldn't stand on her own. â€Å"But why would they help?†she whispered painful y. She wouldn't al ow herself even a breath of hope, not until she understood everything. â€Å"In exchange for what was stolen from them mil ennia ago,†Sage replied. â€Å"You are in a fortress of Hel , you know. That is what the Gatehouse is. The Guardians cannot enter here. They cannot storm the gate and demand back what is inside†¦the seven – pardon, now six – kitsune treasures.† Not a breath of hope. Not a breath. But Elena heard herself give a wild laugh. â€Å"How do we give them a park? Or a field of black roses?† â€Å"We give them the rights to the land that the park and the field of roses lie upon.† Not a breath, even though the bodies on either side of Elena were shaking now. â€Å"And how do we offer them the Fountain of Eternal Youth and Life?† â€Å"We do not. However, I have here various containers, waiting to be col ected as garbage. The threat of a gal on bottle of La Fontaine randomly spread al over your Earth†¦that would devastate them. And, of course,†Sage added, â€Å"I know the kinds of gems with enchantments already upon them that they would most desire. Here, let me open the doors al at once! We take al we can – the rooms, strip them bare!† His enthusiasm was contagious. Elena half-turned, breath held, eyes widened to catch the first glowing of a door's light. â€Å"Wait.†Stefan's voice was hard suddenly. Bonnie and Elena turned back and froze, embracing each other, trembling. â€Å"What is your – your father – going to do to you when he finds out that you al owed this?† â€Å"He wil not kil me,†Sage said brusquely, the wild tone back in his voice. â€Å"He may even find it as amusant as I do, and we wil be sharing a bel y laugh tomorrow.† â€Å"And if he doesn't find it amusing? Sage, I don't think†¦ Damon wouldn't have wanted – â€Å" Sage whirled around and for the first time since she had met him, Elena could believe with her whole soul that he was the son of his father. His eyes had even seemed to change color, to the yel ow of a flame, with diamond pupils like a cat's. His voice was like steel splintering, harder even than Stefan's. â€Å"What is between my father and me is my own business – mine! Stay here if you want. He never bothers himself about vampires, anyway – he says they're cursed already. But I am going to do everything I can to bring mon cheri Damon back.† â€Å"Whatever the cost to you?† â€Å"The hel with the cost!† To Elena's surprise, Stefan gripped Sage's shoulders for a moment and then simply hugged as much of him as he could hold. â€Å"I just wanted to make sure,†he said quietly. â€Å"Thank you, Sage. Thank you.†Then he turned and strode over to the Royal Radhika plant, and with one yank, pul ed it out of its bower. Elena, heart beating in her lips and throat and fingertips, ran to gather the empty containers and bottles Sage was tossing out of a ninth doorway that had appeared in between the mine shaft and the field of black roses. She snatched up a gal on container and an Evian water bottle, both with secure caps intact. They were made of plastic, which was good, because she dropped them both just going across the room to the bubbling fountain. Her hands were shaking that badly; and al the time she was sending up a monotonous prayer, Oh, please. Oh, please. Oh, please! She got water into both containers at the Fountain and capped them. And then she realized that Bonnie was Stillstanding in the middle of the Gatehouse. She looked bewildered, frightened. â€Å"Bonnie?† â€Å"Sage?†Bonnie said. â€Å"How do we get these things to the Celestial Court to bargain with them?† â€Å"Have no worries,†Sage said kindly. â€Å"I am certain that Guardians wil be waiting just outside to arrest us. They wil take us to the Court.† Bonnie didn't stop trembling, but she nodded and hurried to help Sage get bottles of Black Magic – and break them. â€Å"A symbol,†he said. â€Å"Un signe of what we wil do to this area if the Celestials don't agree. Be careful not to cut your pretty hands.† Elena thought she heard Bonnie's husky voice then, and that it was not a happy tone. But Sage's rumbling murmur was reassuring. And Elena would neither al ow herself to hope nor despair. She had a task in hand, a scheme. She was making private Plans for the Celestial Court. When she and Bonnie had al the plunder they could carry, and their backpacks were ful as Well, when Stefan had two narrow black boxes that held deeds, and when Sage looked like a cross between Santa Claus and a bronzed, gorgeous, long-haired Hercules, as he carried two sacks made of pil owcases, they gave one last look around at the ravaged Gatehouse. â€Å"All right,†Sage said then. â€Å"Time to face the Guardians.†He smiled reassuringly at Bonnie. As usual, Sage was right. The moment they came out with their booty, Guardians from two different dimensions were ready for them. The first type were the ones who looked vaguely like Elena: blond hair, dark blue eyes, slender. The Guardians of the Nether World seemed senior to these, and were lithe women with skin so dark it was almost ebony, and hair that curled tightly in a cap over their heads. Behind them were bril iant golden air cars. â€Å"You are under arrest,†one of the dark ones said, not looking as if she enjoyed her job, â€Å"for removing treasures that rightful y belong to the Celestial Court out of the sanctuary where it was agreed that they would be kept, under the laws of both our dimensions.† And then it was only a matter of hanging on to the golden air cars while hanging on at the same time to their unlawful booty. The Celestial Court was†¦celestial. Pearly white with a faint hint of blue. Minarets. It was a long distance from the heavily guarded gate – where Elena had seen a third type of Guardian, one with short red hair and slanted, piercing green eyes – to the actual palace, which seemed to encompass a city. But it was when Elena's group was guided to the throne room that the real culture shock hit. It was far larger and far more glorious than any room Elena had ever imagined. No bal or gala in the Dark Dimensions could have prepared her in the least for it. The cathedral ceiling seemed to be made entirely of gold, as were the double line of stately columns that marched vertical y across the floor. The floor itself was of intricately patterned malachite and gold-threaded lapis lazuli, with gold seemingly used as grouting – and with a heavy hand at that. The three golden fountains in the middle of the room (the central one was the largest and most elaborate) threw into the air not water, but delicately perfumed flower petals that sparkled like diamonds in turning at their apex and then floated down again. Stained-glass windows in bril iant colors that Elena couldn't remember ever having seen before threw rainbow light like a benediction from high on every wal , giving warmth to the otherwise cool engraved gold. Sage and Elena and Stefan and Bonnie were seated in smal comfortable chairs just a few feet back from a great dais, draped with a fantastical y woven golden cloth. The treasures were spread out in front of them, as attendants dressed in flowing blue and gold took the objects one by one up to the current ruling triumvirate in back. The rulers comprised one each of the groups of Guardians – fair, dark, redheaded. Their seats on the dais ensured that they were far from – and high above – their petitioners. But with Power sent to her eyes, Elena could see perfectly well that they each sat on an exquisitely jeweled golden throne. that they each sat on an exquisitely jeweled golden throne. They were speaking softly together, admiring the Royal Radhika flower – blue delphiniums at the moment. Then the dark one smiled and sent one of her attendants running for a pot with soil for the plant to survive in. Elena stared sightlessly at the other treasures. A gal on of water from the Fountain of Eternal Youth and Life. Six bottles of unbroken Black Magic wine, and the shards of at least that many around them. A blazing rainbow to rival the stained-glass windows in fist-sized gems, some raw, some already faceted and polished, but most of them not only faceted, but also hand-carved with mysterious gold or silver inscriptions. Two long, black, velvet-lined boxes with yel owing cylinders of papyrus or paper inside them, one with a pure black rose lying next to it, and the other with a simple spray of light springtime-green leaves. Elena knew what the yel owed documents with their cracked waxen seals were. The deeds to the field of black roses and the kitsune paradise. When you saw al the treasures together like this, it almost seemed too much, Elena thought. Any one object from any one of the Seven – no, now Six – kitsune Treasures was enough to trade worlds for. One sprig of the Royal Radhika, which was even now being returned, (pink larkspur changing to a white orchid) properly potted again, was immeasurably precious. So was a single velvety black rose, with its power to hold the most powerful of magics. One jewel from the hoard in the mining cavern, maybe a double-fist-sized diamond that put the Star of Africa and the Golden Jubilee to shame. One day in the kitsune paradise, where a day could seem like a perfect lifetime. One sip of that effervescent water that could make a human live as long as the oldest Old One†¦ Of course there should also have been the largest star bal in existence, ful of eldritch Power, but Elena was hoping that the Guardians would overlook that. Hoping? She wondered and shook her head at nothing, causing Bonnie to squeeze her hand tightly. Not hoping. She didn't dare hope. Not a breath yet. Another attendant, red-haired, flashing them a cold green-eyed look, picked up the plastic gal on bottle that said Sector 3 Water on the label. Sage rumbled as she left, â€Å"Qu'est-ce qui lui prend? I mean, what is her problem? I like the water in the vampire sector. I don't like the pump water in the Nether World.† Elena had already figured out the color code for the Guardians. The blond ones were al business, impatient only with delays. The dark ones were the kindest – maybe there was less work for them to do in the Nether World. The green-eyed redheads were just plain bitchy. Unfortunately, the young woman on the central throne up there on the dais was a redhead. â€Å"Bonnie?†she whispered. Bonnie had to gulp and sniff before she could get out, â€Å"Yes?† â€Å"Have I ever told you how much I like your eyes?† Bonnie gave her a long brown-eyed gaze before beginning to shake with laughter. At least it started out like laughter, and then Bonnie burrowed her head into Elena's shoulder and simply shook. Stefan squeezed Elena's hand. â€Å"She's been trying so hard – for you. She – she loved him too, you see. I didn't even know that. I guess†¦I guess I've just been blind on al sides.† He ran his free hand through his already-tousled hair. He looked very young, like a little boy who had been suddenly punished for doing something he hadn't been told was wrong. Elena remembered him in the backyard of the boardinghouse, dancing with her feet on his feet, and then in his attic room, kissing her hands, her knuckles bruised with hammering, the pulsing inside of her wrists. She wanted to tel him that everything was going to be All right, that the laughter would come back to his eyes, but she couldn't stand the chance of lying to him. Suddenly Elena felt like a very, very old woman, who could hear and see only dimly, whose every movement caused her terrible pain, and who was cold inside. Her every joint and every bone was fil ed with ice. At last, when al the treasures, including a sparkling, diamond-set, golden Master Key, had been taken up for the young women on the thrones to handle, heft, examine, and discuss, a warm-eyed dark-skinned woman came to Elena's group. â€Å"You may approach Their High Judgments now. And,†she added in a voice as soft as the stroke of a dragonfly's wing, â€Å"they are very, very impressed. That doesn't often happen. Speak meekly and keep your heads low and I think you shal have your hearts'desires.† Something inside Elena gave a bound that would have sent her leaping to clutch at the retreating attendant's robe, but fortunately Stefan had her in an embrace of iron. Bonnie's head came off Elena's shoulder, and Elena had to restrain her, in turn. They walked, the very portrait of meekness, to where four scarlet cushions blazed against the golden weave of the floor cloth. Once, Elena would have refused to abase herself. Now, she was thankful for a soft resting place for her knees. This close, she could see that the rulers each wore a circlet of some metal, from which a single stone hung on to her forehead. â€Å"We have considered your petition,†the dark one said, her white-gold circlet with its diamond pendant dazzling Elena with pinpricks of lilac and red and royal blue. â€Å"Oh, yes,†she added, laughing. â€Å"We know what you want. Even a Guardian on the street would have to be very bad at her job not to know. You want your town†¦renewed. The burned buildings rebuilt. The victims of the malach pestilence re-created, their souls swathed again in flesh, and their memories – â€Å" â€Å"But, first,†interrupted the fair one, waving a hand, â€Å"don't we have business at hand? This girl – Elena Gilbert – may not be eligible to be a spokesman for her group. If she becomes a Guardian, she doesn't belong with the petitioners.† The redhead tossed her head like an impatient fil y, causing the rose gold of her circlet to flash, and its ruby to shimmer. â€Å"Oh, go on then, Ryannen. If your recruitment levels are so low – â€Å" The businesslike fair one ignored this, but bent forward, some of her hair held back from her face by her circlet of yel ow gold with its sapphire pendant. â€Å"What about it, Elena? I know our first encounter was – unfortunate. You must believe that I am sorry for that. But you were well on your way to becoming a ful Guardian when we had orders from Above to weave you into a new body so that you could take up your life as a human again.† â€Å"You did that? Of course you did.†Elena's voice was soft and low and flattering. â€Å"You can do anything. But – our first encounter? I don't remember – â€Å" â€Å"You were too young, and you saw just a flash of our air car as it passed your parents'vehicle. It was meant to be a minor accident with one apparent casualty – you. But instead†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Bonnie's hands flew to her mouth. She was clearly getting something Elena wasn't. Her parents'†vehicle†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦? The last time she'd driven with her father and mother – and little Margaret – had been the day of the crash. The day she'd distracted her father, who'd been driving†¦ â€Å"Look, Daddy! Look at the pretty – â€Å" And then had come the impact. Elena forgot about being meek and keeping her head low. In fact, she raised her head, and met gold-splattered blue eyes very much like hers. Her own gaze, she knew, was piercing and hard. â€Å"You†¦ killed my parents?†she whispered. â€Å"No, no!†the dark one cried. â€Å"It was an operation gone sour. We only had to intersect with the Earth dimension for a few minutes. But, quite unexpectedly, your talent flared. You saw our air car. Instead of a crash with only one apparent casualty: you, your father turned to look and†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Slowly her voice trailed off as Elena's turned unbelieving eyes on her. Bonnie was staring sightlessly into the distance, almost as if she were in trance. â€Å"Shinichi,†she breathed. â€Å"That weird riddle of his – or whatever it was. That one of us had murdered, and that it was nothing to do with being a vampire or a mercy kil ing†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"I'd always assumed it was me,†Stefan said quietly. â€Å"My mother never real y recovered after my birth. She died.† â€Å"But that doesn't make you a murderer!†Elena cried. â€Å"Not like me. Not like me! â€Å" â€Å"Well, that was why I was asking you now,†the businesslike blond woman said. â€Å"It was a flawed mission, but you understand that we were only trying to recruit you, yes? It's the traditional method. Our genes have honed us to be the best at managing powerful, irrational demons, who don't respond to traditional strength but require on-the-spot recalculation – â€Å" Elena choked back a scream. A scream of wrath – agony – disbelief – guilt – she didn't know what. Her Plans. Her schemes. The way she had handled boisterous boys in the bad old days – it was al genetic. And†¦her parents†¦what had they died for? Stefan stood up. His jaw was hard, his green eyes were burning bril iantly. There was no gentleness in his face. He clasped Elena's hand and she heard, If you want to fight, I'm in. Mais, non. Elena turned around and saw Sage. His telepathic voice was unmistakable. She was compel ed to listen. We cannot fight them on their own territory and win. Even I cannot. What you can do is make them pay! Elena, my brave one, your parents'spirits have undoubtedly found new homes. It would be cruel to drag them back. But let us demand of the Guardians anything you desire. For a year and a day in the past, demand whatever you wish! I think that we all will back you. Elena paused. She looked at the Guardians and she looked at the treasures. She looked at Bonnie and Stefan, who were waiting. There was permission in their eyes. Then she said slowly to the Guardians, â€Å"This is really going to cost you. And I don't want to hear that any of it is impossible. For al your treasures back and the Master Key too†¦I want my old life. No, I want a new life, with my real old life behind me. I want to be Elena Gilbert, exactly as if I'd graduated with my high school class, and I want to go to Dalcrest Col ege. I want to wake up in my aunt Judith's house in the morning and find that no one realizes I've been gone for almost ten months. And I want a 4.5 grade point average for my last year in high school – just in case of emergencies. And I want Stefan to have lived in the boardinghouse peaceful y al that time, and to have everyone accept him as my boyfriend. And I want every single thing that Shinichi and Misao and whoever they were working for did undone and forgotten. I want the person they were working for dead. And I want everything that Klaus did in Fel ‘s Church undone as well. I want Sue Carson back! I want Vickie Bennett back! I want everyone back! â€Å" Bonnie said faintly, â€Å"Even Mr. Tanner?† Elena understood. If Mr. Tanner had not died – mysteriously drained of blood – then Alaric Saltzman would never have been cal ed to Fel ‘s Church. Elena remembered Alaric from the out-of-body experience: sandy hair, laughing hazel eyes. She thought of Meredith and his almost-engagement to her. But who was she to play God? To say, yes, this person can die because he was unlovely and unloved, but this one has to live because she was my friend.

Abraham Lincoln and American History

Even as a boy, Lincoln showed ability as a speaker. He often amused himself and others by imitating some preacher or politician who had spoken in the area. People liked to gather at the general store in the crossroads village of Gentryville. Lincoln’s gift for telling stories made him a favorite with the people there. In spite of his youth, he was well known in his neighborhood. In 1834, Lincoln again ran for the legislature. He had become better known by this time, and won election as a Whig. He served four successive two-year terms in the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly. During his first term, he met a young Democratic legislator, Stephen A. Douglas. Lincoln quickly came to the front in the legislature. He was witty and ready in debate. His skill in party management enabled him to become the Whig floor leader at the beginning of his second term. He took leading parts in the establishment of the Bank of Illinois and in the adoption of a plan for a system of railroads and canals. This plan broke down after the Panic of 1837. Lincoln also led a successful campaign for moving the state capital from Vandalia to Springfield. While in the legislature, Lincoln made his first public statement on slavery. In 1837, the legislature passed by an overwhelming majority resolutions condemning abolition societies. These societies urged freedom for slaves. Lincoln and another legislator, Dan Stone, filed a protest. They admitted that Congress had no power to interfere with slavery in the states where it existed. They believed â€Å"the promulgation of abolition doctrines tend rather to increase than abate its evils. *1 Their protest arose from the legislature’s failure to call slavery an evil practice. Lincoln and Stone declared that â€Å"the institution of slavery is founded on both injustice and bad policy. â€Å"*2 Later, Lincoln continued with his dream to become part of the law. He wanted to become president. On March 4, 1861, Lincoln took the oath of office and became the 16th President of the United States. In his inaugural address, Lincoln denied that he had any intention of interfering with slavery in states where the Constitution protected it. He urged the preservation of the Union. Lincoln warned that he would use the full power of the nation to â€Å"hold, occupy, and possess† the â€Å"property and places†*3 belonging to the federal government. By â€Å"property and places,† he meant forts, arsenals, and custom houses. Lincoln’s closing passage had great beauty and literary power. He appealed to â€Å"the mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land. † The attack on Fort Sumter marked the start of the Civil War. Lincoln met the crisis with energetic action. He called out the militia to suppress the â€Å"insurrection. He proclaimed a blockade of Southern ports, and expanded the army beyond the limit set by law. He then led the United States during the Civil War (1861-1865), which was the greatest crisis in U. S. history. During the Civil War, Lincoln’s first task was to win the war. He had to view nearly all other matters in relation to the war. It was â€Å"the progress of our arms,† he once said, â€Å"upon which all else depends. † But Lincoln was a peace-loving man who had earlier described military glory as â€Å"that attractive rainbow, that rises in showers of blood–that serpent’s eye that charms to destroy. *4 The Civil War was by far the bloodiest war in U. S. history. Lincoln became a remarkable war leader. Some historians believe he was the chief architect of the Union’s victorious military strategy. This strategy called for Union armies to advance against the enemy on all fronts at the same time. Lincoln also insisted that the objective of the Union armies should be the destruction of opposing forces, not the conquest of territory. Lincoln changed generals several times because he could not find one who would fight the war the way he wanted it fought. When he finally found such a general, Ulysses S. Grant, Lincoln stood firmly behind him. Lincoln’s second great task was to keep up Northern morale through the horrible war in which many relatives in the North and South fought against one another. He understood that the Union’s resources vastly exceeded those of the Confederacy, and that the Union would eventually triumph if it remained dedicated to victory. For this reason, Lincoln used his great writing and speechmaking abilities to spur on his people. If the Union had been destroyed, the United States could have become two, or possibly more, nations. These nations separately could not have become as prosperous and important as the United States is today. By preserving the Union, Lincoln influenced the course of world history. By ending slavery, he helped assure the moral strength of the United States. His own life story, too, has been important. He rose from humble origin to the nation’s highest office. What did Abraham Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation do to help the Civil War? It declared freedom for slaves in all areas of the Confederacy that were still in rebellion against the Union. The proclamation also provided for the use of blacks in the Union Army and Navy. As a result, it greatly influenced the North’s victory in the war. The 11 states of the Confederacy seceded from the Union in 1860 and 1861. They seceded primarily because they feared Lincoln would restrict their right to do as they chose about the question of black slavery. The North entered the Civil War only to reunite the nation, not to end slavery. During the first half of the war, abolitionists and some Union military leaders urged Lincoln to issue a proclamation freeing the slaves. They argued that such a policy would help the North because slaves were contributing greatly to the Confederate war effort. By doing most of the South’s farming and factory work, slaves made whites available for the Confederate Army. Lincoln agreed with the abolitionists’ view of slavery. He once declared that â€Å"if slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong. â€Å"*5 But early in the war, Lincoln believed that if he freed the slaves, he would divide the North. Lincoln feared that four slave-owning border states; Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, and Missouri, would secede if he adopted such a policy. In July 1862, with the war going badly for the North, Congress passed a law freeing all Confederate slaves who came into Union lines. At about that same time, Lincoln decided to change his stand on slavery. But he waited for a Union military victory, so that his decision would not appear to be a desperate act. On Sept. 22, 1862, five days after Union forces won the Battle of Antietam, Lincoln issued a preliminary proclamation. It stated that if the rebelling states did not return to the Union by Jan. 1, 1863, he would declare their slaves to be â€Å"forever free. The South rejected Lincoln’s policy, and so he issued the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863. Lincoln took this action as commander in chief of the Army and Navy of the United States. He called it â€Å"a fit and necessary war measure. † The Emancipation Proclamation did not actually free a single slave, because it affected only areas under Confederate control. It excluded slaves in the border states and in such Southern areas under Union control as Tennessee and parts of Louisiana and Virginia. But it did lead to the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. This amendment, which became law on Dec. 18, 1865, ended slavery in all parts of the United States. As the abolitionists had predicted, the Emancipation Proclamation strengthened the North’s war effort and weakened the South’s. By the end of the war, more than 500,000 slaves had fled to freedom behind Northern lines. Many of them joined the Union Army or Navy or worked for the armed forces as laborers. By allowing blacks to serve in the Army and Navy, the Emancipation Proclamation helped solve the North’s problem of declining enlistments. About 200,000 black soldiers and sailors, many of them former slaves, served in the armed forces. They helped the North win the war. The Emancipation Proclamation also hurt the South by discouraging Britain and France from entering the war. Both of those nations depended on the South to supply them with cotton, and the Confederacy hoped that they would fight on its side. But the proclamation made the war a fight against slavery. Lincoln†s decisions and Emancipation Proclamation led to the 15th amendment which freed slaves. Without it, life today would be much different. He changed life for all Americans, black and white. How did the Pacific Railroad Act have an impact on American History? It provided for the building of the nation’s first transcontinental rail line. Abraham Lincoln was in office when the Pacific Railroad Act was signed. He made a huge impact by signing the act. It was the first step to trading with other states that were far apart and new ways of transportation. States could now trade meat and states could focus on the products that are most practical for their part of the country. The act gave two companies responsibility for building the railroad. The Union Pacific was to start laying track westward from a point near Omaha. The Central Pacific Railroad was to lay track eastward from Sacramento. Congress granted both railroads large tracts of land and millions of dollars in government loans. Work began on the Central Pacific track in 1863 and on the Union Pacific in 1865. The railroads faced the gigantic task of crossing the rugged Rockies and the towering Sierra Nevada. To obtain the necessary labor, the Central Pacific hired thousands of Chinese immigrants to work on the railroad. Thousands of European immigrants worked on the Union Pacific. On May 10, 1869, the tracks of the two railroads finally met at Promontory, Utah. North America became the first continent to have a rail line from coast to coast. By the end of the 1800’s, the United States had five transcontinental rail lines. The Canadian Pacific Railway (now CP Rail) completed Canada’s first transcontinental line in 1885. It extended from Montreal, Quebec, to Vancouver, British Columbia. The completion of these rail lines opened vast regions of the continent to settlement and trade. How did the sayings of Abraham Lincoln help people? Abraham gave many speeches in his life that inspired people to be all that they can be and do what is right. Gettysburg Address is a short speech that United States President Abraham Lincoln delivered during the American Civil War at the site of the Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania. He delivered the address on Nov. 19, 1863, at ceremonies to dedicate a part of the battlefield as a cemetery for those who had lost their lives in the battle. The principal speaker was Edward Everett, one of the greatest orators of his day. He spoke for two hours. Lincoln was asked to say a few words, and spoke for about two minutes. Lincoln wrote the address to help ensure that the battle would be seen as a great Union triumph and to define for the people of the Northern States the purpose in fighting the war. Some historians think his simple and inspired words, which are among the best remembered in American history, reshaped the nation by defining it as one people dedicated to one principle–that of equality. Lincoln wrote five different versions of the speech. He wrote most of the first version in Washington, D. C. , and probably completed it at Gettysburg. He probably wrote the second version at Gettysburg on the evening before he delivered his address. He held this second version in his hand during the address. But he made several changes as he spoke. The most important change was to add the phrase â€Å"under God† after the word â€Å"nation† in the last sentence. Lincoln also added that phrase to the three versions of the address that he wrote after the ceremonies at Gettysburg. Lincoln wrote the final version of the address–the fifth written version–in 1864. This version also differed somewhat from the speech he actually gave, but it was the only copy he signed. It is carved on a stone plaque in the Lincoln Memorial. Many false stories have grown up about this famous speech. One story says that the people of Lincoln’s time did not appreciate the speech. But the reaction of the nation’s newspapers largely followed party lines. Most of the newspapers that backed the Republican Party, the party to which Lincoln belonged, liked the speech. A majority of the newspapers that supported the Democratic Party did not. Edward Everett, the principal speaker at the dedication, wrote to Lincoln: â€Å"I should be glad if I could flatter myself that I came as near to the central idea of the occasion in two hours as you did in two minutes. *6 Abrahams two minute speech had more of an impact that a two hour speech. Lincoln touched many hearts and others despised him. It does not matter if they liked him or not, they were still affected by his words and actions. Abraham Lincoln affected the U. S. in many different ways. He led the United States during the Civil War, one of the most brutal battles in history. Lincoln helped end slavery in the nation and helped keep the American Union from splitting apart during the war. Lincoln thus believed that he proved to the world that democracy can be a lasting form of government. Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, second inaugural address, and many of his other speeches and writings are classic statements of democratic beliefs and goals. Lincoln, a Republican, was the first member of his party to become President. He was assassinated near the end of the Civil War and was succeeded by Vice President Andrew Johnson. Lincoln was the first U. S. President to be assassinated. Without President Lincoln life today would be much different. We have him to thank for a lot of the great accomplishments in history. Abraham Lincoln and American History Even as a boy, Lincoln showed ability as a speaker. He often amused himself and others by imitating some preacher or politician who had spoken in the area. People liked to gather at the general store in the crossroads village of Gentryville. Lincoln’s gift for telling stories made him a favorite with the people there. In spite of his youth, he was well known in his neighborhood. In 1834, Lincoln again ran for the legislature. He had become better known by this time, and won election as a Whig. He served four successive two-year terms in the lower house of the Illinois General Assembly. During his first term, he met a young Democratic legislator, Stephen A. Douglas. Lincoln quickly came to the front in the legislature. He was witty and ready in debate. His skill in party management enabled him to become the Whig floor leader at the beginning of his second term. He took leading parts in the establishment of the Bank of Illinois and in the adoption of a plan for a system of railroads and canals. This plan broke down after the Panic of 1837. Lincoln also led a successful campaign for moving the state capital from Vandalia to Springfield. While in the legislature, Lincoln made his first public statement on slavery. In 1837, the legislature passed by an overwhelming majority resolutions condemning abolition societies. These societies urged freedom for slaves. Lincoln and another legislator, Dan Stone, filed a protest. They admitted that Congress had no power to interfere with slavery in the states where it existed. They believed â€Å"the promulgation of abolition doctrines tend rather to increase than abate its evils. *1 Their protest arose from the legislature’s failure to call slavery an evil practice. Lincoln and Stone declared that â€Å"the institution of slavery is founded on both injustice and bad policy. â€Å"*2 Later, Lincoln continued with his dream to become part of the law. He wanted to become president. On March 4, 1861, Lincoln took the oath of office and became the 16th President of the United States. In his inaugural address, Lincoln denied that he had any intention of interfering with slavery in states where the Constitution protected it. He urged the preservation of the Union. Lincoln warned that he would use the full power of the nation to â€Å"hold, occupy, and possess† the â€Å"property and places†*3 belonging to the federal government. By â€Å"property and places,† he meant forts, arsenals, and custom houses. Lincoln’s closing passage had great beauty and literary power. He appealed to â€Å"the mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land. † The attack on Fort Sumter marked the start of the Civil War. Lincoln met the crisis with energetic action. He called out the militia to suppress the â€Å"insurrection. He proclaimed a blockade of Southern ports, and expanded the army beyond the limit set by law. He then led the United States during the Civil War (1861-1865), which was the greatest crisis in U. S. history. During the Civil War, Lincoln’s first task was to win the war. He had to view nearly all other matters in relation to the war. It was â€Å"the progress of our arms,† he once said, â€Å"upon which all else depends. † But Lincoln was a peace-loving man who had earlier described military glory as â€Å"that attractive rainbow, that rises in showers of blood–that serpent’s eye that charms to destroy. *4 The Civil War was by far the bloodiest war in U. S. history. Lincoln became a remarkable war leader. Some historians believe he was the chief architect of the Union’s victorious military strategy. This strategy called for Union armies to advance against the enemy on all fronts at the same time. Lincoln also insisted that the objective of the Union armies should be the destruction of opposing forces, not the conquest of territory. Lincoln changed generals several times because he could not find one who would fight the war the way he wanted it fought. When he finally found such a general, Ulysses S. Grant, Lincoln stood firmly behind him. Lincoln’s second great task was to keep up Northern morale through the horrible war in which many relatives in the North and South fought against one another. He understood that the Union’s resources vastly exceeded those of the Confederacy, and that the Union would eventually triumph if it remained dedicated to victory. For this reason, Lincoln used his great writing and speechmaking abilities to spur on his people. If the Union had been destroyed, the United States could have become two, or possibly more, nations. These nations separately could not have become as prosperous and important as the United States is today. By preserving the Union, Lincoln influenced the course of world history. By ending slavery, he helped assure the moral strength of the United States. His own life story, too, has been important. He rose from humble origin to the nation’s highest office. What did Abraham Lincolns Emancipation Proclamation do to help the Civil War? It declared freedom for slaves in all areas of the Confederacy that were still in rebellion against the Union. The proclamation also provided for the use of blacks in the Union Army and Navy. As a result, it greatly influenced the North’s victory in the war. The 11 states of the Confederacy seceded from the Union in 1860 and 1861. They seceded primarily because they feared Lincoln would restrict their right to do as they chose about the question of black slavery. The North entered the Civil War only to reunite the nation, not to end slavery. During the first half of the war, abolitionists and some Union military leaders urged Lincoln to issue a proclamation freeing the slaves. They argued that such a policy would help the North because slaves were contributing greatly to the Confederate war effort. By doing most of the South’s farming and factory work, slaves made whites available for the Confederate Army. Lincoln agreed with the abolitionists’ view of slavery. He once declared that â€Å"if slavery is not wrong, nothing is wrong. â€Å"*5 But early in the war, Lincoln believed that if he freed the slaves, he would divide the North. Lincoln feared that four slave-owning border states; Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, and Missouri, would secede if he adopted such a policy. In July 1862, with the war going badly for the North, Congress passed a law freeing all Confederate slaves who came into Union lines. At about that same time, Lincoln decided to change his stand on slavery. But he waited for a Union military victory, so that his decision would not appear to be a desperate act. On Sept. 22, 1862, five days after Union forces won the Battle of Antietam, Lincoln issued a preliminary proclamation. It stated that if the rebelling states did not return to the Union by Jan. 1, 1863, he would declare their slaves to be â€Å"forever free. The South rejected Lincoln’s policy, and so he issued the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863. Lincoln took this action as commander in chief of the Army and Navy of the United States. He called it â€Å"a fit and necessary war measure. † The Emancipation Proclamation did not actually free a single slave, because it affected only areas under Confederate control. It excluded slaves in the border states and in such Southern areas under Union control as Tennessee and parts of Louisiana and Virginia. But it did lead to the 13th Amendment to the Constitution. This amendment, which became law on Dec. 18, 1865, ended slavery in all parts of the United States. As the abolitionists had predicted, the Emancipation Proclamation strengthened the North’s war effort and weakened the South’s. By the end of the war, more than 500,000 slaves had fled to freedom behind Northern lines. Many of them joined the Union Army or Navy or worked for the armed forces as laborers. By allowing blacks to serve in the Army and Navy, the Emancipation Proclamation helped solve the North’s problem of declining enlistments. About 200,000 black soldiers and sailors, many of them former slaves, served in the armed forces. They helped the North win the war. The Emancipation Proclamation also hurt the South by discouraging Britain and France from entering the war. Both of those nations depended on the South to supply them with cotton, and the Confederacy hoped that they would fight on its side. But the proclamation made the war a fight against slavery. Lincoln†s decisions and Emancipation Proclamation led to the 15th amendment which freed slaves. Without it, life today would be much different. He changed life for all Americans, black and white. How did the Pacific Railroad Act have an impact on American History? It provided for the building of the nation’s first transcontinental rail line. Abraham Lincoln was in office when the Pacific Railroad Act was signed. He made a huge impact by signing the act. It was the first step to trading with other states that were far apart and new ways of transportation. States could now trade meat and states could focus on the products that are most practical for their part of the country. The act gave two companies responsibility for building the railroad. The Union Pacific was to start laying track westward from a point near Omaha. The Central Pacific Railroad was to lay track eastward from Sacramento. Congress granted both railroads large tracts of land and millions of dollars in government loans. Work began on the Central Pacific track in 1863 and on the Union Pacific in 1865. The railroads faced the gigantic task of crossing the rugged Rockies and the towering Sierra Nevada. To obtain the necessary labor, the Central Pacific hired thousands of Chinese immigrants to work on the railroad. Thousands of European immigrants worked on the Union Pacific. On May 10, 1869, the tracks of the two railroads finally met at Promontory, Utah. North America became the first continent to have a rail line from coast to coast. By the end of the 1800’s, the United States had five transcontinental rail lines. The Canadian Pacific Railway (now CP Rail) completed Canada’s first transcontinental line in 1885. It extended from Montreal, Quebec, to Vancouver, British Columbia. The completion of these rail lines opened vast regions of the continent to settlement and trade. How did the sayings of Abraham Lincoln help people? Abraham gave many speeches in his life that inspired people to be all that they can be and do what is right. Gettysburg Address is a short speech that United States President Abraham Lincoln delivered during the American Civil War at the site of the Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania. He delivered the address on Nov. 19, 1863, at ceremonies to dedicate a part of the battlefield as a cemetery for those who had lost their lives in the battle. The principal speaker was Edward Everett, one of the greatest orators of his day. He spoke for two hours. Lincoln was asked to say a few words, and spoke for about two minutes. Lincoln wrote the address to help ensure that the battle would be seen as a great Union triumph and to define for the people of the Northern States the purpose in fighting the war. Some historians think his simple and inspired words, which are among the best remembered in American history, reshaped the nation by defining it as one people dedicated to one principle–that of equality. Lincoln wrote five different versions of the speech. He wrote most of the first version in Washington, D. C. , and probably completed it at Gettysburg. He probably wrote the second version at Gettysburg on the evening before he delivered his address. He held this second version in his hand during the address. But he made several changes as he spoke. The most important change was to add the phrase â€Å"under God† after the word â€Å"nation† in the last sentence. Lincoln also added that phrase to the three versions of the address that he wrote after the ceremonies at Gettysburg. Lincoln wrote the final version of the address–the fifth written version–in 1864. This version also differed somewhat from the speech he actually gave, but it was the only copy he signed. It is carved on a stone plaque in the Lincoln Memorial. Many false stories have grown up about this famous speech. One story says that the people of Lincoln’s time did not appreciate the speech. But the reaction of the nation’s newspapers largely followed party lines. Most of the newspapers that backed the Republican Party, the party to which Lincoln belonged, liked the speech. A majority of the newspapers that supported the Democratic Party did not. Edward Everett, the principal speaker at the dedication, wrote to Lincoln: â€Å"I should be glad if I could flatter myself that I came as near to the central idea of the occasion in two hours as you did in two minutes. *6 Abrahams two minute speech had more of an impact that a two hour speech. Lincoln touched many hearts and others despised him. It does not matter if they liked him or not, they were still affected by his words and actions. Abraham Lincoln affected the U. S. in many different ways. He led the United States during the Civil War, one of the most brutal battles in history. Lincoln helped end slavery in the nation and helped keep the American Union from splitting apart during the war. Lincoln thus believed that he proved to the world that democracy can be a lasting form of government. Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, second inaugural address, and many of his other speeches and writings are classic statements of democratic beliefs and goals. Lincoln, a Republican, was the first member of his party to become President. He was assassinated near the end of the Civil War and was succeeded by Vice President Andrew Johnson. Lincoln was the first U. S. President to be assassinated. Without President Lincoln life today would be much different. We have him to thank for a lot of the great accomplishments in history.

Case Study Analysis Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Case Study Analysis Paper - Essay Example He succeeded in recruiting fifteen trainees. He scheduled the trainee orientation to start from 15th of June. The new recruits were expected to be on job by the month of July. Carl Robins didn’t think of the essentials for the scheduled training till Monica Carrolls enquired about training schedule, orientation, manuals, policy booklets, physicals, drug tests, and a host of other issues. Carl Robins still didn’t do the review of the schedule and didn’t update its progress. When later in May, he checked the new trainee file to finalize the paperwork needed for the orientation, he found that some of the new trainees did not have applications completed or had their transcripts on file, and none of them had been sent to the clinic for the mandatory drug screen. He also found that there were only three copies of the orientation manuals and even they were not properly arranged. When he checked the training hall he found that Joe, from technology services was setting up computer terminals. When the event log was looked into, it was found that the training room was already reserved for the entire month of June for computer training seminars for the new database software implementation and was not available for the orientation to be conducted. The basic problem that the whole process faced was the lack of experience of Carl Robins as a recruiting officer. Though he managed to do the campus recruitment resulting in the intake of fifteen trainees, he couldn’t arrange properly for the processes leading to their intake. His inexperience stopped him from doing accurate planning for the training of the intakes. He also didn’t take advice from superiors or referred any previous records to get acquainted of the key procedures involved. Carl Robins didn’t take care to have a proper schedule for the whole process. The basic theory of bifurcation of the whole target into differentiated processes and planning them separately

Do moral rights protect author's creation from sampling Essay

Do moral rights protect author's creation from sampling - Essay Example This occurs particularly in the case of rap or hip hop music for example, where DJ’s repeat breaks from various songs and compile it together into a new recording2. Sampling of music is possible through the use of digital samplers which are pieces of musical hardware or computer programs which work on a digital computer and are designed to record specific bits and sequences of sound and through the judicious use of sound synthesizers and software, the fragmentation of musical notes and re-synthesis has been facilitated3. Instantaneous download of music poses a threat to the moral rights of an author because it undermines the very core of identification that is the basis for assignment of moral rights. In order to promote the incentive to create, it is necessary that an author’s skill and labour are recognized and upheld through the protection of the law. Creators of music have historically faced the threat of inequitable contracts with recording companies and sampling o nly allows further exploitation of their work without due economic compensation. Therefore the question that is posed in this proposal is to examine whether the existence of moral rights of an author as currently framed within the scope of a law are adequate to protect work from sampling and thereby losing their economic potential? The rights of an author are guaranteed under the Copyright, designs and Patents Act of 1988, which first came into force on August 1, 1988 and has been amended since, in 1990 and 1991 to incorporate the provisions of the European Convention of Human rights.4 The CDPA has also introduced the concept of moral rights to allow a creator to protect the artistic integrity of their works.5 The purpose behind providing copyright protection to an author is to provide the incentive to create by ensuring exclusivity in claiming the economic benefits that accrue from the performance or use of the creative work6. Where music is concerned in particular, the creation of

Codes of Cultural Behavior Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Codes of Cultural Behavior - Essay Example In general France being a multiethnic country provides a basis for vast research for my assignment. France national identity is based on historical origins of Celtic, Gallo-Romano and Frankish cultures. The France culture is very much influenced by their old traditions; hence it’s difficult to change their practices. France operates under constitution that was born in 1958, which has not changed to date; this shows the French are comfortable with their governance. After the world war two this country was greatly affected in terms of decreasing fertility levels among sexes, economic imbalances, also decreased social economic resources available. The government is highly centralized. The culture promotes equality for all. Religious freedom is guaranteed by the constitution and it’s a personal choice of every citizen in France .religion is however one of the main conflicts in France, however the French stand for their religious beliefs Catholism being the dominant religion although there are several Jews and approximately 1200 Islamic organizations. France however is a secular country as most people rarely attend masses. The official language in France is French since the nineteenth century, although local dialects such as Breton, Catalan and Basque are still in use and some are taught in some regional schools. Major social problems include, homelessness, terrorism, economic instabilities and AIDS (Thomas pg246).the population according to the census is 1999 was about 58.5 million which is approximated to be more than that at the moment (Agulhon pg105) Do learn some French phrases before travelling to France like bonjour which is their hello, merci which is thanks and au revoir which is French for good-bye. This will take you a long way as they appreciate tourists learning some little French and use it while talking to them. You must also

Automation System Implementation in manual process of a company Research Paper

Automation System Implementation in manual process of a company - Research Paper Example It has however stuck to the manual way of piecing together buildings. The construction of a building is a typical assembly process. It involves piecing together a number of standard items in order to come up with a customized product. The customized product is a building that is constructed according to the specifications of the owner. It could be a tall skyscraper towering above all the rest in the vicinity; a cylindrical structure; a dome shaped structure; an arc shaped structure or even a basic one roomed house. There are several standard items that form part of a house. A standard item is one which is produced in denominations of equal sizes. They are used everywhere in accordance to the pre set size denominations. Standard items are strategically positioned in order to assemble a complete house. They include doors, window frames, window panes, plumbing pipes, electric wires, taps, sinks, bath tabs, floor tiles, nails, bolts, screws, roofing tiles, water garters, building blocks, door latches, door locks, iron sheets among others. These are produced in common sizes that are universally acknowledged. A typical building assembles these standard items in accordance to a well laid out design. This makes the construction of a building a typical assembly process. For the sake of this extract, a single building is considered. A single self contained one roomed bedsitter. This bedsitter’s walls are made of standard building blocks. The roof is made of standard corrugated iron sheets and roofing tiles. It is a building with no storey. It is a square shaped building, 15feet by 15feet. The roof if flat but inclined towards the back of the building. It has one main door and another that leads to the washroom. The washroom is a single rectangular room, 4feet by 8feet. It is complete with a toilet seat, a shower head and a tap on a sink. The building has two windows, one in the front and another small one leading from the washroom behind the house. A 5000liters pl astic tank is on the roof. Metallic pipes are used for plumbing. Plastic pipes through the walls create passages for electric wiring. Standard ceiling boards are below the roof in the house interior. The floor is done with standard square tiles. The building requires several materials to be able to put up. The bill of materials in the next page categorically outlines the material that is required for each portion of the building. The building is divided into eight key portions for proper analysis of the materials required. These portions are the foundation, floor system, wall system, roof system, plumbing system, electric system, finishing and the miscellaneous. Bill of Materials PORTION NAME MATERIAL Foundation Building blocks Ballast, Sand, Cement, Water Building rocks Rocks Sand Sand Cement Cement Murram Murram Gravel Gravel Floor system Sand Sand Cement Cement Wall System Building Blocks Ballast, Sand, Cement, Water Sand Sand Cement Cement Twisted Metal Bars Steel Door Frames Wo od Window Frames Steel Roof System Trusses Wood Cross Members Wood Iron Sheet Galvanized Iron Roofing Tiles Ceramics Eaves Wood Gutters Galvanized Iron Plumbing System Sink Vitreous China Shower Head Galvanized Iron Toilet Seat Vitreous China Metal Pipes Galvanized Iron Plastic Pipes PVC Taps Brass Elbow Joints PVC and Galvanized Iron Electrical System Cables Copper Switches Plastic Sockets Plastic Bulbs Glass and Iron Meter Box Steel, Plastics and Copper Finishing Doors Wood Windows Steel Ceiling Boards

Nestle and Unilever Companies International Marketing Strategies Article - 1

Nestle and Unilever Companies International Marketing Strategies - Article Example The company has, therefore, involved itself in the production of food brands, personal care brands and even home care brands. Also, nestle has specialized has diversified its products as it produces different products that serve different market segments. Both companies have standardized their products in order to fit in the global market. Both companies provide the same quality of products in different parts of the world where they operate. As a result, they are able to create customer loyalty towards the product as the standard of their products is of high. This also plays an important part of being a competitive tool as the features of their products are distinct therefore the products cannot be easily manipulated by the competitors for their malicious gains. Both companies use the latest advertisement strategies to attract new customers to purchase their products and remind their customers of the existence of the products in the market. Some of the latest sites where both of these companies use to communicate to their customers are the social networks. This serves as an important part of enabling the companies to know the changing consumer behaviors and communicates with the customers concerning any issues that might be affecting them e.g. propaganda by the competitors. One of the differences in international marketing of the two companies is how they price their commodities. Nestle prices the commodities depending on the geographical location of the consumers demand of the product in the market and other demographics such as the age of the target customers, and their income. On the other hand, Unilever sets prices according to the level of competition in the market.

Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke Versus Marvin Gayes Case Essay - 1

Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke Versus Marvin Gayes Case - Essay Example Marvin’s children said that the money they demanded was what they believed their father would have been given had he signed his song with the label. Robin and Williams argued that the family only had a right to the sheet music and not the sound. In fact, earlier they had sued Marvin’s estates in order to stop them from going ahead with their copyright infringement case. However, they both did not claim to have written this song together but independently. They held on to their innocence and said they were not through with the case yet. An additional $8000 is also to be added to the amount given to Marvin Gaye’s estate. This case has brought down Williams reputation as a songwriter as he was ordered to pay $1.6 million while Robin $1.7 million (Grow). Copyright infringement occurs when anybody breaches the restricted rights of another person’s material whether words, sound or pictures. This rule is seen as theft as the violator uses a copyrighted material without the owner’s authorization (Campbell, Cotter & Center for International Legal Studies, 2). Even though the two songs do not have the same sound, the words in the two songs are similar and this constitutes a breach. The two musicians have violated Marvin Gaye’s song even though they argue that the sheet music is what Gaye copyrighted.

Lived Experience of Anxiety Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Lived Experience of Anxiety - Essay Example Chronic illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, and other mental disorders are associated with anxiety. Anxiety is common among patients undergoing Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanning, a modern technology in radiography that gives images of human tissues. Some researches have indicated that about 25-37% of patients undergoing the scan experience moderate to high levels of anxiety (Tornqvist et al, 2006). The causes of anxiety among patients during MRI scanning are varied. Some of the causes are the scan environment and the levels of noise. MRI scans can take between 25 and 60 minutes (Royal Adelaide Hospital, 1998) or even more and the patient is required to stay still in this period to get good result (Tornqvist et al, 2006). Short breath in the scanner may cause anxiety. Anxiety is also caused by fear of the results that may be revealed by the scan. The anxiety can increase in certain instances leading to the disruption of the scanning process. This is disastrous to the patient a s well the health-providing center. 2. Aim and purpose of the study The main aim of the study is to illuminate the lived experience of patients during an episode of anxiety. The study seeks to provide an answer to the given research questions: what are the general experiences of the patients during the MRI scanning process and how did they manage the difficulties. It will help identify the approaches that can help the radiographers to support the patients with anxiety during MRI scan to avoid the odds associated with premature termination of the scanning process. 3. The study approach- phenomenology The study will apply phenomenology approach in getting information on the above topic. Phenomenology, as a study discipline, involves the study of different structures of an individual’s experience or consciousness (Smith, 2008). The discipline is concerned with the appearance of events and things in the experience of an individual, the way these things are perceived, and the ulti mate meanings that they have in the experiences of the individuals (Smith, 2008). Phenomenological approach in research involves seeking the information on first-hand experience. The approach is concerned with probing into a given phenomenon and further investigation to have a better understanding of some lived experience (Tornqvist et al., 2006). It involves an encounter with the individual, who is supposed to share his or her experience freely, with little guidance/ influence from the interviewer. A study of this nature seeks to give ‘insightful descriptions of patients’ pre-reflective experiences’ (Tornqvist et al, 2006, p.955). The research seeks information of this nature and hence the phenomenology approach is best suitable here. 4. The data collection method and qualitative The participants for the study will be drawn from the list of patients who have undergone MRI scan at the college hospitals. The researcher has accessed the patients register, through a permission from the management of the hospital, to get the contacts of these patients. Twenty individuals will be required to participate in the interview. Since some of the individuals contacted may decline to participate in the study, the researcher obtained randomly selected contacts of about 35 patients who had undergone MRI scan within the month of January 2012. The data collect

Graphics Image in the Media Essay Example for Free

Graphics Image in the Media Essay The graphical portrayal of hostility, disaster and even death is generally essential to broadcast and print media. People are attracted to a gruesome but actual picture of life and it is where the public draws its sense of reality. A visual representation or picture normally has more effect than a broadcasted or published story. This is because its power to influence people surpasses spoken or written words. The media industry is subjected to the unwanted but common principle of â€Å"if it bleeds, it leads and is fatally attracted to the harsh journalism world where photographers, who produce graphic images of grim and emotional moments, are the ones being acknowledged and awarded more. As a result, the broadcast and print media is faced with a dilemma of commercially promoting the industry by inevitably sacrificing its ethical standard. Thus, viewers and readers tend to be offended and attracted to such graphical representations of real life events at the same time. The public wants to learn and feel the drama behind an incident but refuse to accept and confront its awkward details. However, the power of the media to influence people with its graphical depiction of events entails a responsibility. Media is bound by its obligation to present to the public what it deserves to know. Graphic images in the media, as a representation of reality, should never cease to exist despite the controversies and objections.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Media organizations are oftentimes assailed or criticized after airing or publishing a controversial graphic image that presents, for instance, a dead person or grieving victims of real-life events such as violence and calamities. Viewers and readers attack the editors and most specifically the photographers for being apathetic or insensitive and for making the pain of the person(s) worse by displaying the picture. Nevertheless, the photographer responsible and his or her editor are both obliged to present reality as it truly happens. On the other hand, these media practitioners defend themselves by arguing that it is innate for humans to have morbid enchantment with hostilities and calamities. It is just sad to note that these are the same critics who charge the media people for being insensitive and for taking advantage of the sufferings of others. The Boston Photographs   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   No matter how gruesome, graphic images are commonly used and known to ignite more dramatic reactions from people than stories. According to Nora Ephron, disturbing pictures of any incidents need to be shown to the public either through broadcast or publication. The fact that such graphic images affect or move the feeling of the public is exactly what pictures should be which in turn make photojournalism much more powerful than print media.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ephrons article titled â€Å"The Boston Photographs† talks about the legality and ethical justification of printing controversial graphic images. Ephron discussed the pictures of a rescue attempt, captured in consecutive manner that unfortunately went wrong. â€Å"The Boston Photographs† depicts a woman who was attempting to get out from her burning apartment building. However, while escaping and during her rescue, the woman fell to her death after her flat’s fire escape crumbled. The publication of the graphic images of the dead woman resulted into a lot of dispute from offended people who felt and reasoned that it was inappropriate and uncalled for to publish images of a dead person. However, despite the negative reactions and criticisms, Ephron confirmed the publication of the photographs and reasoned that they were exemplary representation of reality that needs to be printed. Ephron is justified in promoting and fighting for the printing of the said pictures simply because of the fact that human accident and even death are major realities of life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Regardless of the dramatic intensity created by the said graphic images and their alleged ethical violation, the public has the right to view the actual happenings of the real world including death. A lot of people were offended with the coming of the â€Å"The Boston Photographs† where in Ephron defended that â€Å"death happens to be one of life’s main events.† Again, it was just unfortunate to state that many people in our society usually let their emotions prevail and ignore the basic responsibility of the media to present the truth to the public.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ephron wrote about three arguable graphic images of a failed rescue attempt that were captured by Boston Herald American Newspaper photographer Stanley Forman. With the use of a motor driven camera, Forman was able to take three frames per second of the famous â€Å"Fire on Marlborough Street!† on July 22, 1975.   The first graphic image pictured a fireman who is trying to rescue a woman and a child. A collapsing fire escape was shown on the second graphic image. The last graphic image was the most controversial as it showed how the rescue attempt failed as the woman and her daughter fell from their apartment window resulting in the woman dying on the spot while her daughter survived as she landed on her mothers body.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Criticizing from the graphic images of the helpless victims alone, it can be ethically challenged that such gruesome pictures were used and published to gain commercial prominence or profit. A critic can even argue that the pictures were not representations of reality as they were captured with the primary intention of getting ones attention. However, Ephron was able to make her article very easy to be understood. Ephron succeeded in presenting all the components of the incident. She initially told about the details of the particular fire accidents. She continued by presenting how the readers reacted to the graphic image. Ephron further presented another angle when she disclosed the views as well as reactions of the newspaper editors. Citing a particular example, Ephron also included in her article how former managing editor of the Washington Star explained his personal view about publishing the three graphic images. In whole, the Ephron article was able to justify the existence and utilization of graphic images by the media industry by defending its necessity and importance in reminding people that such reality happen in everyday life. 9/11 Terrorist Attacks Aside from the famous Forman fire photo, another incident in the American history that was vividly presented in a lot of graphic images was the events of September 11. According to the news article by Jim Rutenberg and Felicity Barringer, the news producers had a difficult time sorting out the graphic images taken after the attack on the World Trace Center on September 11, 2001. Meanwhile, in her article from the Christian Science Monitor, Susan Leach cited Moeller who said that the controversies and arguments about the graphic images of tragic incidents such as the September 11 terrorist attacks resulted from the public notion that the media is using such gruesome pictures for commercial purposes. These marketing strategies are used primarily to gain profit such as to grab the peoples attention, lure the readers to buy the publication and prevent the viewers to switch their channels. Moeller, a professor of media and international affairs at the University of Maryland, adds: â€Å"[e]ven when the public is distressed by difficult images, if that news outlet is transparent about its reasons for running those pictures there has generally been very little outcry and protest, and often support for that ethical decision.† (qtd. in Leach).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The previous article also stated that one important component in justifying and deciding how the media uses graphic images of a tragic event is the nearness of the incident. Moeller further explained that if something is geographically distant and psychologically distant as well [with] no close emotional ties to the area, then the home media is a lot more likely to use graphic images.†Ã‚   One particular example is the coverage of the Madrid bombing incident as an aftermath of the September 11 US attacks. Moeller commented on how reserved the British media were, just like the American media when it covered and presented the 9/11 incident. â€Å"In other words, they really didnt show body parts, Moeller noted (qtd. in Leach).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In contrast, a comprehensive coverage of the collapse of the World Trade Center was depicted in a lot and more graphic images outside the U.S. According to editor Naureckas, the worldwide audience of the 9/11 attacks did not need to receive a discreet graphic images of falling pieces of the twin towers and carnage of thousands of people in order to be updated of the event. Rather, the use of more vivid and even gruesome pictures is necessary for other people to feel the pain and sympathize with the American people (qtd. in Leach). To cite an an example, Naureckas said: â€Å"if you were in another country where people who live in New York might be an abstraction, then seeing the actual person jumping out the window might have brought you closer to the event† (qtd. in Leach). Limitations   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As stated earlier, the use of graphic images in the media is a privilege but it requires responsibility. Thus, it has to have some limitations. Effective limitations and conditions can be considered an otherwise absolute interpretation of â€Å"freedom of the press.† The restriction, editing, or censorship of graphic images (especially gruesome and controversial pictures) may be done by an independent body that governs and has authority over the media industry or it can start from the media organization itself by depending on the fair, critical and objective wisdom and judgment of its management as well as editors. In doing so, concerns whether graphic images in the media should be aired or not, or print or not can be addressed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ethical behavior may be in accordance with standards put up by the media organizations. These standards may be useful but usually vague thus they cannot anticipate any eventuality. Citing as an example is the Code of Ethics that media members generally follow. However, it fails particularly identify gruesome situations as depicted by graphic images. Generally, the â€Å"Code of Ethics† includes a provision where photographers â€Å"should at all times maintain the highest standards of ethical conduct.† Photojournalism â€Å"is worthy of the very best thought and effort, and members should â€Å"maintain high standards of ethical conduct (qtd. in Lester).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The issue of ethical standards, in the media in line with its choice to use graphic images, was what The Post freelance columnist Nick Clooney emphasized in his column titled â€Å"Media should use ethics standards.† According to Clooney, it is the responsibility of the media to abide with a set of ethical standards. He added that the moral guidelines should emanate and practiced within the industry and thus should not be violated by his colleagues. In citing a particular case that called for the setting of ethical standards in the media, Clooney   mentioned the publishing of a tabloid of a picture of a rape trial victim which he said violated the privacy of that person. Clooney stressed that such instance of showing a graphic image by print media made him angry. This is because such sensationalism by what he called the â€Å"news quacks or the scandal-mongers and entertainers posing as journalist† violated not only ones privacy but the moral standing of the media. Clooney was not at all opposed to the use of graphic image in the media but rather concern that there is still a need for ethical standards that will guide and uphold the dignity of the media profession. Finally, Clooney did not give up the situation as he hoped that news media people will have sufficient ethical or moral standards and regard to the privacy of the public (Clooney).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In addressing conditions and graphic images of events and calamity victims, media practitioners are faced with the dilemma or arguments whether to capture and publish the picture or not (Lester). According to Lester and from the circumstances presented, media should generally expect that the public is inclined to criticize a controversial graphic image if some conditions are present. These include the following conditions: â€Å"[if] it was taken by a staff photographer; [if] it comes from a local story; [if] the image is printed in color; [if] the image is printed in a morning paper; [if] the image is printed on the front page; [if] it has no story accompaniment; [if] it shows people overcome with grief; [if] it shows the victim’s body; [if] the body is physically traumatized; [if] the victim is a child; and [if] nudity is involved.† Taking into consideration the said limitations, it can be resolved that the use of graphic i mages in the media is essential but not absolutely free. These limitations are proven useful in order not to be hit by possible firestorms or reactions coming from the offended public (Lester). Conclusion   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A picture, indeed, is worth a thousand words. However, no one can ever determine how much history account, feeling, idea, and gut wrenching response some images are worth or can interpret. While the use of graphic images in the media is necessary and critically important in conveying a message or even replacing a whole story, broadcast and print journalists are still bound by a sense of responsibility. Media has the obligation to be sensitive and conscious to the possible negative effects of using gruesome graphic images. Thus, certain limitations have to be in place. However and most importantly, media is still obligated to present the truth even to the extent of painfully showing the realities of life. Works Cited Sophronia, Nora. â€Å"The Boston Photographs.† Envision: Persuasive Writing in a Visual World. Ed. Alfano, Christine and Alyssa O’Brien. New York: Longman Publishers, 2005. Leach, Susan Llewelyn. â€Å"How to tell story of the dead without offending the living.† The   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Christian Science Monitor. 19 January 2005. www.csmonitor.com Lester, Paul Martin, â€Å"Photojournalism: An Ethical Approach.† 1999. College of    Communications, California State University, Fullerton. 24 March 2008   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://commfaculty.fullerton.edu/lester/writings/chapter4.html Rutenberg, Jim and Felicity Barringer. â€Å"After the Attacks: the Ethics; News Media Try to Sort out Policy on Graphic Images.† The New York Times. 25 March 2008 http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=980CE2DE1038F930A2575AC0A9679C8B63

Course Note on Organizational Behaviour Essay Example for Free

Course Note on Organizational Behaviour Essay DEFINITION OF ORGANISATION According to Gary Johns, Organisations are social inventions for accomplishing goals through group efforts. This definition covers wide variety-of groups such as businesses, schools, hospitals, fraternal groups, religious bodies, government agencies and so on. There are three significant aspects in the above definition, which require further analysis. They are as follows: Social Inventions: The word social as a derivative of society basically means gathering of people. It is the people that primarily make up an organisation. Accomplishing Goals: All organisations have reasons for their existence. These reasons are the goals towards which all organisational efforts are directed. While the primary goal .of any commercial organisation is to make money for its owners, this goal is inter-related with many other goals. Accordingly, any organisational goal must integrate in itself the personal goals of all individuals associated with the organisation. Group Effort: People, both as members of the society at large and as a part of an organisation interact with each other and are inter-dependent. Individuals in themselves have physical and intellectual limitations and these limitations can only be overcome by group efforts. MEANING AND DEFINITION OF ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR Organisational behaviour is concerned with peoples thoughts, feelings, emotions and actions in setting up a work. Understanding an individual behaviour is in itself a challenge, but understanding group behaviour in an organisational environment is a monumental managerial task. As Nadler and Tushman put it, Understanding one individuals behaviour is challenging in and of itself; understanding a group that is made up of different individuals and comprehending the many relationships among those individuals is even more complex. Ultimately, the organisations work gets done through people, individually or collectively, on their, own or in collaboration with technology. Therefore, the management of organisational behaviour is central to the management task—a task that involves the capacity to understand the behaviour patterns of individuals, groups and organisations, to predict' what behavioural responses will be elicited by  various managerial actions and finally to use this understanding and these predictions to achieve control. Organisational behaviour can then be defined as: The study of human behaviour in organisational settings, the interface between human behaviour and the organisational context, and the organisation itself. The above definition has three parts—the individual behaviour, the organisation and the (interface between the two. Each individual brings to an organisation a unique set of beliefs, values, attitudes and other personal characteristics and these characteristics of all individuals must interact with each other in order to create organisational settings. The organisational behaviour is specifically concerned with work-related behaviour, which takes place in organisations. In addition to understanding; the on-going behavioural processes involved, in their own jobs, managers must understand the basic human element of their work. Organisational behaviour offers three major ways of understanding this context; people as organisations, people as resources and people as people. Above all, organisations are people; and without people there would be no organisations. Thus, if managers are to understand the organisations in which they work, they must first understand the people who make up the organisations. As resources, people are one of the organisations most valuable assets. People create the organisation, guide and direct its course, and vitalise and revitalise it. People make the decisions, solve the problems, and answer the questions. As managers increasingly recognise the value of potential contributions by their employees, it will become more and more important for managers and employees to grasp the complexities of organisational behaviour. Finally, there is people as people an argument derived from the simple notion of humanistic management. People spend a large part of their lives in; organisational settings, mostly as employees. They have a right to  expect something in return beyond wages and benefits. They have a right to expect satisfaction and to learn new skills. An understanding of organisational behaviour can help the manager better appreciate the variety of individual needs and expectations. Organisational behaviour is concerned with the characteristics and behaviours of employees in isolation; the characteristics and processes that are part of the organisation itself; and the characteristics and behaviours directly resulting from people with their individual needs and motivations working within the structure of the organisation. One cannot understand an individual’s behaviour completely without learning something about that individuals organisation. Similarly, he cannot understand how the organisation operates without; studying the people who-make it up. Thus, the organisation influences and is influenced by individuals. ELEMENTS OF ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR The key elements in the organisational behaviour are people,, structure, technology and the environment in which the organisation operates. People: People make up the internal and social system of the organisation. They consist of individuals and groups. The groups may be big or small; formal or informal; official or unofficial. Groups are dynamic and they work in the organisation to achieve their objectives. Structure: Structure defines the formal relationships of the people in organisations. Different people in the organisation are performing different type of jobs and they need to be (elated in some structural way so that their work can be effectively co-ordinated. Technology: Technology such as machines and work processes provide the resources with which people work and affects the tasks that they perform. The technology used has a significant influence on working relationships. It allows people to do more and work better but it also restricts people in various ways. Environment: All organisations operate within an external environment. It is the part of a larger system that contains many other elements such as government, family and other organisations. All of these mutually influence each other in a complex system that creates a context for a group of people. NATURE OF ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR Each individual brings to an organisation a unique set of personal characteristics, experiences from other organisation, the environment surrounding the organisation and1 they also possess a personal background. In considering the people working in an organisation, organisational behaviour must look at the unique perspective that each individual brings to the work setting. But individuals do not work in isolation. They come in contact with other individuals and the organisation in a variety of ways. Points of contact include managers, co-workers, formal policies and procedures of the organisation, and various changes implemented by the organisation. Over time, the individual, too, changes, as a function of both the personal experiences and the organisation. The organisation is also affected by the presence and eventual absence of the individual. Clearly, the study of organisational behaviour must consider the ways in which the individual and the organisation interact. An organisation, characteristically, exists before a particular person joins it and continues to exist after he leaves it. Thus, the organisation itself represents a crucial third perspective from which to view organisational behaviour. NEED FOR STUDYING ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR The rules of work are different from the rules of play. The uniqueness of rules and the environment of organisations forces managers to study organisational behaviour in order to learn about normal and abnormal ranges of behaviour. More specifically, organisational behaviour serves three purposes: What causes behaviour? Why particular antecedents cause behaviour? Which antecedents of behaviour can be controlled directly and which are beyond control? A more specific and formal course in organisational behaviour helps an individual to develop more refined and workable sets of assumption that is directly relevant to his work interactions. Organisational behaviour helps in predicting human behaviour in the organisational setting by drawing a clear distinction between individual behaviour and group behaviour. Organisational behaviour does not provide solutions to all complex and different behaviour puzzles of organisations. It is only the intelligent judgement of the manager in dealing with a specific issue that can try to solve the problem. Organisational behaviour only assists in making judgements that are derived from tenable assumptions; judgement that takes into account the important variables underlying the situation; judgement that are assigned due recognition to the complexity of individual or group behaviour; judgement that explicitly takes into account the managers own goals, motives, hang-ups, blind spots and weaknesses. IMPORTANCE OF ORGANISATIONAL BEHAVIOUR Organisational behaviour offers several ideas to management as to how human factor should be properly emphasised to achieve organisational objectives. Barnard has observed that an organisation is a conscious interaction of two or more people. This suggests that since an organisation is Ihe interaction of persons, they should be given adequate importance in managing the organisation. Organisational behaviour provides opportunity to management to analyse human behaviour and prescribe means for shaping it to a particular direction. Understanding Human Behaviour Organisational behaviour provides under ­standing the human behaviour in all directions in which the human beings interact. Thus, organisational behaviour can be understood at the individual level, interpersonal level, group level and inter-group level. Organisational behaviour helps to analyse why and how an individual behaves in a particular way. Human behaviour is a complex phenomenon and is affected by a large number of factors including the psychological, social and cultural implications. Organisational behaviour integrates these factors  to provide* simplicity in understanding the human behaviour. Interpersonal Level: Human behaviour can be understood at the level of interpersonal interaction. Organisational behaviour provides †¢ means for understanding the interpersonal relationships in an organisation. Analysis of reciprocal relationships, role analysis and transactional analysis are some of the common methods, which provide such understanding. Group Level: Though people interpret anything at their individual level, they are often modified by group pressures, which then become a force in shaping human behaviour, Thus, individuals should be studied in groups also.. Research in group dynamics has contributed vitally to organisational behaviour and shows how a group behaves in its norms, cohesion, goals, procedures, communication pattern and leadership. These research results are advancing managerial knowledge of understanding group behaviour, which is very important for organisational morale and productivity. Inter-group Level: The organisation is made up of many groups that develop complex relationships to build their process and substance. Understanding the effect of group relationships is important for managers in todays organisation. Inter-group relationship may be in the form of co-operation or competition.