Education-Strategy Essay

It is a common knowledge in human development that individuals have stark differences especially in their cognitive capacities and behavioral attributes. Education was then established to somehow reconcile this individual diversity hence it is a must for teachers to allot substantial amount of their time to prepare and assess instructional approach and materials that they will employ in classes of heterogeneous populace of students. To effectively facilitate the learning outcomes of students, teachers at every level should map out their objectives for the specified topic of each instructional period. Teachers usually have different strategies in preparing a lesson; some create detailed and meticulously encoded charts while other teachers plainly scrawl down the notes for a particular topic at a discarded piece of pad. Strategies in planning for an instructional approach are immaterial because the most important endeavor is for the teacher to execute wise decisions about the feasibility of their instructional technique to the successful attainment of learner goals. Furthermore, it is an educational requirement that teachers should be well-equipped of the knowledge that they are teaching because specialization of a particular subject matter effectually bolsters the realization of an educator’s designed objective for the improvement of students’ cognitive competence. First and foremost, before a teacher could outline relevant topics for a subject matter and its corresponding intent the teacher must conduct a pre-assessment of the students’ capacity and skills in a class that is needed to be handled; it can be in a form of a diagnostic test or conversational question-and-answer approach. The teacher ideally should not carry out an impersonal treatment to the students since they are not basically identical in aptitude and manners. After carefully assessing the individual needs of the students a teacher then must enterprise in designing a lesson plan that is precisely appropriate for the learners’ demand. In delivering carefully prepared instructional scheme, a teacher must keep in mind the unavoidable nuisance that may hinder the proper execution of the lessons’ objectives. In addressing this kind of problem in the classroom, teachers should make use of rewards and punishments to further reinforce the need to conquer irresponsible learning behaviors and the encouragement of receptiveness to knowledge enhancement. At the end of a specified topic’s timeframe, the teacher then is expected to administer a check-up test. In doing so, a teacher must be aware of the following criteria in designing a test questionnaire; the test must coincide with the intended learning objectives; the test questions should accurately recount the information taught; the test items must quantify relevant ideas and not those that are insignificant; the test items must be able to assess the composite behaviors, the practical abilities or principles-application of the students and not just simply reckoning memory skills; and lastly, the test questionnaire must be clear and simple to avoid confusion. The test should not be purely objective because it cannot measure the reasoning abilities of students. Provide spaces in the test papers that will measure the subjectivity level and argumentative skills of the students. Commonplace negative feedbacks occur every after a test exam is successfully completed. Normal setbacks such as large percentages of failing students occur that extremely pressures teachers because of strict adherence to the set timeframe of lesson plans. In cases of unforeseen problems like this, a teacher must devote time to communicate with the students to inquire the difficulties they have encountered in the entire instructional program. Subsequently, after the appraisal of the factors contributing to the failure of a large portion of students in the examination, the teacher may form study groups that will be evenly comprised of both astute and slow-learners. The teacher then must monitor that the study groups discuss or brainstorm about the previous topics while a new one is being elicited. Afterwards, the teacher may administer another test to evaluate the success of the remedial approach. Works Cited Center for Teaching and Learning. Brigham Young University http://ctl. byu. edu/? page_id=343 Ten â€Å"Must-Know† Facts About Educational Testing. PTA: Every Child, One Voice, 2000-2008 http://www. pta. org/archive_article_details_1117837372328. html

Mexican Drug War: Drug Trafficking and its Effects on Mexico

According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, and annual survey conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services, estimated that were 19. 1 million people in the United States 12 years or older who were currently users of illicit drugs. There are about 14. 6 million marijuana users, 2. 0 million cocaine users, and about 166,000 heroin users in the United States. These statistics show that there is obviously a very high demand for illicit drugs in the United States despite its illegal status. The question that most people do not tend to ask is how is this demand being met?Who is supplying it and how? American users are supplied most of their drugs from Mexico, which is very conveniently directly south of the border of the United States. Mexico is a major supplier in heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine and cocaine. It is estimated that roughly 40 to 67 percent of all marijuana and about 95 percent of cocaine in the United States comes from Mexico. In order for all these drugs to be produced, organized, and transported to the United States there has been a creation of cartels and gangs in Mexico, which in turn has created what is referred to as the Mexican Drug War.Throughout the paper I will discuss the development of the organized drug game in Mexico, different drug cartels, government action and the effects that all of this has caused in Mexico. For a very long time, throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, the Colombians were the ones that controlled cocaine trafficking. Starting in 1975, Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria began developing his cocaine operation. Soon he became known as the king of cocaine and at his height of power he was fifteen tons of cocaine a day, worth more than half a billion dollars, in the United States.After enforcement increased in both South Florida and the Caribbean, the Colombian organized crime began to form partnerships with Mexico-based to transport cocaine through Mexico and into the United States. Mexican transpo rters were able to meet this need of reliable cocaine transporters because they already had infrastructure set up from their sourcing out of marijuana and heroin. Mexican transporters were given anywhere from 35 to 50 percent of each cocaine shipment. This allowed Mexican transporter to become involved in distribution as well, moving them  up to become full on traffickers.They soon became quite adept to trafficking globally, which allowed their organizations to flourish, most notably the Sinaloa Cartel and the Gulf cartel. Soon enough, Mexican traffickers took almost full control of trade, leaving Colombian organizations behind. The popular Mexican phrase, â€Å"Mas vale vivir cinco anos como rey, que 50 como buey,† which translates to â€Å"It’s better to live five years as a king than 50 years as an ox,† encapsulates the way many young marginalized people think in regards to drug trafficking in Mexico.Many believe that while they’re in poverty in marg inalized neighborhoods they would have more opportunities becoming a drug trafficker than their long-term outcome if they didn’t join. According to the short 8-minute video, The Roots of Mexico’s Drug Violence, drug cartels look to these marginalized or in poverty to recruit for this very reason. One of the major drug cartels in Mexico is the Sinaloa Cartel, based in the city of Culiacan, Sinaloa with operations in Baja California, Durango, Sonora, and Chihuahua.According to United States Intelligence, the Sinaloa Cartel is â€Å"the most powerful drug trafficking organization in the world. † The Sinaloa Cartel is estimated to smuggle several tons of cocaine shipments from Colombia through Mexico and into the United States. They also produce, smuggle, and distribute marijuana, methamphetamine, and heroin. The cartel is led by Joaquin â€Å"El Chapo† Guuzman and is estimated to have a net worth of about one billion dollars and is considered as the biggest drug lord of all time even surpassing Pablo Escobar.In 1993, Joaquin Guzman was sentenced to 20 years in prison in Mexico after being caught in Guatemala but was able to escape in 2001 by bribing prison guards. After escaping, Guzman had his eyes set on the city of Juarez, which was under the Juarez Cartel. Despite having an alliance with the Juarez Cartel, Guzman decided that he wanted to take out the leader, Rodolfo Carrillo Fuentes in order to gain control of routes around and throughout the city of Juarez. He succeeded in this by hiring Los Negros, assassins for the Sinaloa Cartel, whom killed both Rodolfo and his wife.By this, the area was no longer under the Fuentes family’s control. Unfortunately, this led to a countrywide drug war, which resulted in 5,000-12,000 deaths in drug related violence. At this point, Guzman had angered the other cartels since he had broken the nonaggression â€Å"pact† between all the major cartels, bringing upon the fighting between c artels for drug routes. By 2006, it was estimated that about 50,000 people lost their lives in drug related violence. Another prominent drug cartel in Mexico is Los Zetas, which partnered with the Gulf Cartel in Matamoros, Tamaulipas.In the late 1990s, The Gulf Cartel hired a group of 31 corrupt former elite military soldiers to work with them. It is believed that many of them had received training in commando and urban warfare from Israeli’s Special Forces and American Special forces units. With this training they learned skills such as ambushes, fast deployment, marksmanship, intimidation, and counter surveillance. Throughout the early 2000s, the Zetas were incredibly important in the Gulf Cartel’s domination of the drug trade. It is uncertain whether the Gulf Cartel or Los Zetas began the disagreement that eventually led to their end of partnership.What did solidify the Zetas’ ability to strike out on their own was being able to arrest and extradition the Gul f Cartel leader, Osiel Cardenas Guillen. It had become clear that the Zetas beat out the Gulf Cartel in revenue, membership, and influence. The Zetas began to work in other areas of organized crime on top of drug trafficking, including, extortion, kidnapping, homicide, and theft. By early 2010, it was made known to the public that the Zetas and the Gulf Cartel were no longer working together and instigated a bloody drug war amongst each other for the Northeast Mexican drug trade routes.Eventually, because of cartel alliance, the Sinaloa Cartel was forced to fight the Zetas in 2010 and 2011. One of the cartel’s most notorious acts was the 2010 San Fernando massacre. Most Spanish speakers in the United States had heard about this act since it was widely reported on by Spanish media. The Zetas had a mass murder of 72 undocumented immigrants in San Fernando, Tamaulipas. 58 men and 14 women, from South and Central America were shot in the back of the head and then piled on top of each other.There were only three survivors- one of which was shot in the neck and face, faked his death and then eventually made it out and tried to seek military help. Once they were informed, the Mexican Military confronted members of the drug cartel and found them inside of a ranch. According to the article, â€Å"Migrants Killed for Refusing to be Assassins, Teen Says,† the Zetas gunmen â€Å"intercepted the migrants as they moved towards the border, then took them blindfolded to the ranch where they were told to hand over cash. † The immigrants were unable to pay the amount demanded by the Zetas and also refused the deal to work with the Zetas.Once they refused to do either, the Zetas opened fired killing everyone but three lucky survivors. Inter cartel violence had always occurred before the Mexican drug war but the government had a very passive approach to dealing with it through most of the 1990s and 2000s. It wasn’t until December of 2006, as the new Pr esident Felipe Calderon undertook Operation Michoacan and sent about 6,500 military troops into the state. This was seen as the first huge undertake to fight organized crime in Mexico since the drug trade began and is regarded as the beginning of the â€Å"war† between the Mexican government and the powerful drug cartels.President Felipe Calderon is quoted saying that the cartels are seeking ‘to replace the government’ and ‘are trying to impose a monopoly by force of arms, and are even trying to impose their own laws’. The war against organized crime continued as another 45,000 troops were sent in the following months. According to the Secretary of National Defense, the Mexican military captured 11,544 people in 2011 who were thought to be involved with drug related crime. Despite Calderon’s intentions to decrease violence throughout Mexico, the opposite has seemed to happen. Violent warfare between rival cartel leaders has actually worsened.C alderon’s methods of confronting the drug cartels directly, has resulted in a lot of public killings and torture from the cartels and also government forces. Also, as a drug cartel leader is removed from power, there is more intense, violent competition for that leadership role. It is also believed that cartels have corrupted and subverted military at high levels. All of this has created more anxiety and fear within the Mexican population due to this increased violence and the possibility that their own lives may be in danger. Other areas such as journalism and media were also being threatened.At the beginning of the 21st century, Mexico was considered the most dangerous country in the world for journalism. Many journalists have been murdered and tortured for giving out information or reporting on certain things. So the question is, how can these issues be fixed? Many believe that the violence will not end entirely but instead seek for the country to regain normalcy and not b e entrenched in this idea of violence as something normal. Another idea is demand- the reason there is such a need for supply and transport of these drugs is due to the high demand in drugs.Research And Development also known as RAND Corporation, a nonprofit global policy think tank, found that using drug user treatment to reduce drug consumption in the United States could be up to seven times more cost effective than law enforcement. This could also potentially cute the drug demand by a third. I, myself as a Mexican have known people that have gotten kidnapped and never returned and it’s believed to be because of drug cartel violence. It is an urgent matter for those that live in marginalized or poverty for the fear and violence to be taken control of in Mexico.

Management: Organizational Behavior Study Guide

MGT 341 Exam II Study Guide 1. Power (Article and Book) a. Meaning of Power – â€Å"The ability to influence various outcomes: or The ability to â€Å"make things happen† or â€Å"get things done† i. Individuals/Groups are presumed to have power based on the following factors: * Ability to cope with Uncertainty * Substitutability – the lower the substitutability the greater the power. * Organizational Centrality – the more central a person/group is to an organization; the greater the power. Role and Task Interdependence – if the activities of a person/group depend on the activities of another person/group -> the latter is considered to have greater control or power. b. Relationship of Power to Authority – Power and Authority are closely related to the concept of leadership. ii. Authority – Situations in which a person/group has been formally granted a leadership position. iii. Legitimate Power – formerly sanctioned by or ganization (Contractual) or informally supported by individual/group (Consensual). iv.Executive / Managerial Power – directed towards creating and maintaining an active organization – ideal of transforming the organization to it’s highest potential. c. Appointed vs. Emergent Leaders (Formal vs. Informal) d. Types of Power: Yellow = Position Power Red = Personal Power Positional Power – Organization * Appointed leaders / formal power – **Most Common Form of Power** * Easily controlled by the organization. * Attributed to the Position rather than the individual. * Appointed from upper level management. 1.Reward Power – The extent to which a person controls rewards another person values (Can give people things they want; satisfy needs). 2. Legitimate Power – Power granted by virtue of one’s position. 3. Coercive Power – The extent to which a person can punish or physically/psychologically harm someone else (do bad things to a person). Personal Power – Personal/Individual – Emergent (i. e. as the individual becomes acclimated to the environment they may â€Å"emerge† professionally or when there is a group that does not have an apparent leader figure, one will â€Å"emerge† naturally. Attributed to the Individual rather than the organization. * Not easily influenced by the organization. * Influence is â€Å"earned† or gained after â€Å"proving ones self. † Expert Power – The extent to which a person controls rewards another person values. (Can give people things they want; satisfy needs). 1. Referent Power – Exists when one person wants to be like someone else r imitates someone else. (based on admiration and respect). e. Situational Variables that can provide power. v. Ability to cope with uncertainty vi.Substitutability – The extent to which someone else in the organization can â€Å"Substitute† for someone else. (The lower the su bstitutability the greater the power). vii. Organizational Centrality – the more central a person is to the task or processes of the organization, the greater the power. viii. Role and Take Interdependence – If the activities of a person or group are dependent on that of another person/group > the latter has the power. f. Leadership Motive Syndrome – The need for power must be greater than the need for affiliation.Must refrain from being perceived as Impulsive, Coercive, or Manipulative. g. Acceptance Theory – manager's authority is derived from subordinates' acceptance, instead of the hierarchical power structure of the organization h. Power Gap – Difference between formal positional power granted and the actual power required to accomplish goals. ix. How to â€Å"Fill the Gap† > * Acquiring Information & Ideas * Assess Who has Power * Good Relationships * Interpersonal Skills * Networks (power building tool) * Create Valued Agendas Image & Track Record 2. Leadership: i. Trait Approaches: x. Focus –Early approaches focused on those personal characteristics and attributes- physical, mental, and cultural. The research is often termed the â€Å"Great Person† theory of leadership (it was assumed leaders were different from average people based on personality and physical characteristics) â€Å"leaders are born, not made†. 5 personal characteristics seemed related to effective leadership: intelligence, dominance, self-confidence, high levels of energy and activity, and task-relevant knowledge. i. Problems – Relationship between these characteristics and evidence of effective leadership is not particularly strong. In the case of each characteristic, there have been significant studies that have either not shown any relationship with effective leadership or found a negative relationship. Thus, provides an incomplete picture of leadership xii. Reemergence of Interest – reemerged as a promisi ng research area, especially in terms of examining specific traits related to the effectiveness/success in different organizational settings.Studies from the 80’s and 90’s suggest there are a number of traits that do contribute to effective leadership: Drive, leadership motivation, honesty and integrity, self-confidence, resonance, cognitive ability and knowledge of the business. Alone, these do not guarantee leadership success, but they can help for success. xiii. Key Dimensions for â€Å"Magic† or Charismatic Leadership – 3 key dimensions are envisioning, energizing and enabling. â€Å"Natural Leaders†, energize-inspire, envisioning-create & communicate image, enabling- enable other people * Linking to Results – Finding the correct quality that gives you positive results.The results should be balanced, strategic, lasting, and selfless. This link between attributes and results enriches our understanding of the relationship between leader tr aits and leadership effectiveness j. Behavioral Approaches: Focused on the various behavioral patterns or styles used by different leaders and the functions fulfilled by these individuals. xiv. Democratic – Leading through group input and decision making. xv. Autocratic – Leading by command xvi. Laissez-faire-Leading through minimal participation by the leader and allowance of total group freedom xvii. University of Michigan Studies – Research into behavioral aspects of leadership. Were concerned with two different leader orientations: one toward employees and the other toward production. The results suggested that a strong orientation to production resembled the autocratic leadership style, while a strong employee orientation was indicative of the democratic leadership style. xviii. *Ohio State Studies – Similar to Michigan studies. Two basic factors derived: initiating structure and consideration for others.See pages 214-215 xix. *Managerial Grid > Conc ern for people and production, uses 5 sections on grid, want managers to be a 9,9. Most popular Concern for People Concern for People Concern for Results (1,1) = LCP & LCR, (1,9) = HFP & LCR, (9,9) = HCP & HCR, (9,1) = HCR & LCP. 1,9| | 9,9| | 5,5| | | | | 1,1| | 9,1| * Based on a â€Å"Concern for People† & â€Å" Concern for Production† * Includes Motivation xx. Likert’s Linking Pin & System 4 ideas Likert found that the Traditional View of management (close supervision/high structure) only PARTLY explained the roles of managers. * Believed that managers are members of (2) different workgroups 1. Person is responsible FOR. > Subordinates 2. Person is responsible TO (Traditional View of Supervision). > Leaders * Power comes from the ability to excerpt power Upward and Lateral (Peer Managers) * (2) Elements must be looked at: i. Task Component ii. Human Component * Approach consists of Integrated Workgroups. * Managers are members of multiple Workgroups. xi. Sys tem 4- (participative)- supervisors trust their subordinates and goal setting and decision making are collaborative activities. k. Contingency Approaches – This perspective suggests that there is no â€Å"one best way† to lead in all situations; rather, the most effective style of leadership is contingent or dependent on the situation. Contingency theories combine the trait approach and the behavioral /functional theories to suggest the most effective leaders are those individuals who can adapt their styles to the demands of a situation, group, or values xxii.Situational Leadership – (Life-Cycle Theory of Leadership) pg 225 xxiii. Path-Goal Model – The leader affects subordinates’ performance by clarifying the behaviors (paths) that will lead to desired rewards (goals). Types of leader behaviors: directive, supportive, participative, achievement-oriented. Situational factor which influence how leader behavior relates to subordinate satisfaction: pe rsonal characteristics of the subordinates, characteristics of environment. xxiv.Vroom-Yetton Leadership-Participation Model – pg 227 xxv. Executive Coaching – Private meeting to discuss and work on personal learning and development issues. Feedback coaching (consultant)- giving feedback and assisting person in developing an action plan to address need or problems that are observed (360 feedback; 1-6 months, not too intensive) In-depth coaching (counselor)- closer, intimate relationship, multiple assessments and discussion extensively used to develop interpersonal skills, etc. 6-12 months+) Content coaching (tutor)- provide leader with knowledge and skills for specific area (IT, acquisitions, globalization, etc. ; time varies, but relatively short) l. 4. Substitutes for Leadership – Leadership substitutes: individual, task, and organizational characteristics that tend to outweigh the leader’s ability to affect subordinates satisfactions and performance. L eadership neutralizers: factors that render ineffective leaders attempts to engage in various leadership behaviors. m.Empowerment – Emphasizes a move away from leader dominance and expert problem solving to a system where organizational members, as the new experts, are continuously involved in organizational decision processes. Tannenbaum & Schmidt Leader Continuum pg 236. Keys to empowerment: 1- important for employees to have information on organizational performance and outcomes. 2-individuals must be rewarded for their contributions to organization performance. 3-team members must be provided with knowledge/skills that enables them to understand and contribute to performance. -individuals must be given the power to make to make decisions that influence work procedures and organizational direction. n. Transactional vs. Transformational Leadership. Transactional Leader- Leader-follower relation one of exchange; narrow view; supervision and â€Å"normal† leaders (mana gers) Transformational Leader(charismatic)- Visionary, inspirational figure; ability to articulate & communicate vision and charisma to energize and motivate people; strong empathy skills and accurate perception of others; â€Å"change† leaders. dark side†- transformational or â€Å"magic† leaders may become captivated by their vision of what’s best and their vision may not be appropriate. Focus on what they want to hear, do not learn easily from those around them and may damage organizational performance. i. e. cults and Hitler. Characteristics of narcissistic leaders- 1. Rely on manipulation and exploitation. 2. Impulsive and unconventional behavior. 3. Excessive impression management. 4. Poor administrative practices. 5. Unable to recognize flawed vision. 6. Fail to plan for succession.These can be quite destructive. o. Gender Issues – Stereotypes, Research Findings, â€Å"Glass Ceiling†, Relation to International Expansion Stereotypes inc lude â€Å"masculine† characteristics are managerial, â€Å"feminine† unmanagerial. Research- Men & women with high needs for power tend to have quite similar characteristics Reasons more women not in power & leadership positions mostly â€Å"institutional sexism† (glass ceiling) Many components important to international success are â€Å"feminine†- relationship development, communication, social sensitivity (&empowerment) p.Categories of Leadership â€Å"Talents† Direction- vision, concepts, & focus Drive to Execute- achieve, compete, active, ego drive Relationships- relater, developer, networks, stimulate good feelings, team oriented Management systems- performance orientation, disciplined, arranger, strategic thinker 3. Intragroup Dynamics (ESSAY QUESTIONS) q. Reasons Groups Form- Security and need satisfaction, social need satisfaction, esteem need satisfaction, proximity and attraction, group goals, economic reason. Groups are there for a rea son. . Types of Groups – Formal vs. Informal; Heterogeneous & Homogeneous Formal- are those that have established task-oriented goals and are explicitly formed as part of the organization- such as work groups, departments, and project teams. Rational, identifiable, exist to serve organization. Informal- are those that emerge over time through the interaction of organizational members. Don’t have formally assigned or stated goals, they do have implied or implicit goals, which are frequently recreational and interpersonal in nature.Formal vs. informal- a rough distinction between these types of groups is that formal groups are represented on an organization chart, while informal (self-enacted) groups are not. Homogeneous- a group whose members have key aspects in common, in terms of either personal (e. g. attitudes, values, goals) or sociodemographic (e. g. education, age, gender, race) characteristics. Heterogeneous- groups are those that differ along significant dimens ions. s. Stages of Group DevelopmentForming- group member will find out what they will be doing, the kind of leadership and behaviors that are acceptable, and the range of interpersonal and task relationships that are possible. Typically confusion, caution. Storming- described as the â€Å"shakedown†, where individual styles come into conflict. Characterized by tension, criticism, and confrontation among members. Constructive conflict can occur. Norming- resistance is overcome as the group establishes its rules/roles and standards. Develops intragroup cohesiveness, delineates (outlines) task standards and expectations.This phase is marked by cooperation, collaboration, cohesion, and commitment . Performing- Accomplish tasks. Typical characteristics include challenge, creativity, group consciousness, and consideration among members. Adjourning/reforming- Closure (celebrate, rewards). Group members must either reassess their mission, roles, and processes or prepare for dissolut ion of the group. t. Group Attributes: xxvi. Individual & Group Status- status refers to the level/position of a person in the group or a group in an organization. Status differences. xxvii.Roles – Meaning, Conflict, Ambiguity: Role refers to the various behaviors people expect from a person or a group in a particular position. Role Conflict is playing several roles that elicit certain expectations that often contradict one another. Role Ambiguity refers to when one receives unclear or ambiguous signals about what is expected of us in a particular role. xxviii. Social Identity Theory – how group affects people-:Group membership affects members’ sense of who they are, how they see themselves, how they feel about themselves and how they act in a group, they become what others expect them to be. xix. Norms – What are they; Pivotal vs. Peripheral: are the common standards or ideas that guide member behavior in established groups. Pivotal norms are those that are considered to be particularly important to the group/organization. Peripheral norms in contrast are those that are not as important to group members xxx. Status and Conformity – Relationships, Expedient vs. Private: Desire to be accepted by the group, making individuals susceptible to conformity effects. They feel pressure to change their attitudes and behaviors to conform to the groups norms or operative standards.Expedient conformity is when a group member expresses attitudes and engages in behaviors that are acceptable to the group, while holding his private beliefs that are at odds with the group. Private acceptance is when an individual’s public and private attitudes and beliefs are compatible with the groups norms.. xxxi. Cohesiveness – What it means, Factors that lead to it, Impact on people, Electronic or Virtual Groups: Cohesiveness refers to the degree to which group members are attracted to one another and the resulting desire to remain in the gro up.Factors that lead to cohesiveness include mutual attraction amongst group members, similar views, attitudes, likings, performance, and behavior. Impact on people: intergroup conflict pulls members together and encourages cooperation, such conflict may become too powerful leading to intragroup competition that reduces cohesiveness. Electronic or virtual groups can become cohesive xxxii. Group (Org) Commitment – Meaning, Affective vs. Continuance; Free Agents.Group (org) commitment is the relative strength of individual group members feelings of identification with an attachment to a groups goals or tasks. Affective(emotionally attached) commitment means they maintain a relationship because they want to have high levels of group organization comfort and job challenge. Continuance commitment means they maintain a relationship because they have concerns about potential loss of pension, benefits, and a lack of other alternatives. *do it because they have to. xxxiii. Social Loaf ing – Meaning, How Common, How to deal with it. Reduced efforts of an individual group member when they perform as part of a group compared to individual efforts. â€Å"I wont work hard because someone else in the group will pick up slack†. More common in large groups. To deal with it make sure that group members understand the importance of their assignment as well as the mechanisms for group and individual accountability encouraging active participation. u. Lost Moon Exercise – v. Groupthink – This is a dynamic that diminishes the decision making capability of a group, try’s to minimize conflict and reach a consensus.Symptoms of group think include illusion to invulnerability, collective efforts to rationalize/discount warnings, not questioning the group, stereotyped views of â€Å"enemy† leaders, pressuring members, self-censorship of deviations, illusion of unanimity, self-appointed â€Å"mind-guards†(mind-gaurds withhold informat ion from a group to keep it in tact). How to guard against Everyone be a critical evaluator, somebody play devil’s advocate, be impartial, critical thinking, take time to study external factors. w.Choice-Shift – (group polarization) occurs when the average of the group members post-discussion attitudes tends to be more extreme than average prediscussion attitudes, generally happens when everyone is already leaning in one direction, may become more extreme during virtual groups x. Brainstorming, Nominal Group & Delphi Techniques – basically â€Å"How† they operate, Role of Electronic Communications. Brainstorming-trying to expand by getting many different interacting groups and different ideas from each group Nominal group technique: no criticizing no talking to eachother or evaluating.Do evaluation, ask everyone ideas, then rank (top to bottom) confidentially and independently, then mathematically pool them. You are trying to get everyone’s opinion without people criticizing them. Delphi technique: smaller group, completely anonymous (no one knows anybody). Has one mediator. Give them each the problem and they come up with their own answers/ideas and then exchange ideas/answers with everyone else and everybody comments on eachothers ideas. Repeat the process until you come up with a general consensus. 4. Organizational Socialization: y.Meaning – A process of adaption during which entrants learn the values, norms, expectations, and established procedures for assuming a particular role and for becoming an accepted member of the group or organization z. Purpose –For new members it reduces role ambiguity and increases feeling of security since group expectations are clarified. For the group or organization the socialization process creates more behavioral uniformity among its members, thereby developing a basis for understanding and collaboration and reducing potential group conflict. . Stages – What they are ; Sequence, & What goes on in each? 3 Stages: Anticipatory socialization- can be thought of as preliminary/prepatory stage during which time a person should be provided with realistic view of organizational goals and expectations, what the persons duties/responsibilities are, and the necessary task-related skills and abilities. Entrants can assess the fit between their values and needs of organizations. Organizational or group encounter- newcomer actually joins the group or organization.Initiation period during which individual needs to balance personal and work-related demands that may conflict with one another, while simultaneously learning new tasks, clarifying role expectations and becoming acquainted with peers. Acquisition of group norms and values- If successfully accomplished, newcomer feels apart of group and becomes accepted |. Effects of Socialization on Performance-a process of adaption during which newcomers learn the values, norms, expectations for assuming a particula r role and becoming a member of an organization.It helps the group become more effective. }. Realistic Job Previews- People entering into an organization need to know what to expect with their jobs so they can prepare to cope effectively with work related pressures and demands. ~. Mentoring – Individual and Group Group mentoring- Group influence that emerges from its norms and roles provide a greater sense of phsychological support for newcomers, facilitates their inclusion and sense of belonging. Individual mentoring- Having someone with high regard/respect help coach and guide you and help you out.

Global Warming Prevention Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Global Warming Prevention - Essay Example Industrialization has caused us to increase the amount of fossil and carbon based fuels we burn. Coal, oil and natural gas are great sources of energy because they produce massive amounts of energy from a small volume of matter. Unfortunately, these carbon-based fuels produce carbon dioxide as a waste product. Carbon dioxide is a green house gas. It traps the earth’s heat and keeps it in the atmosphere much the same way a blanket hold in heat from the human body in a bed. Too much carbon dioxide is like sleeping under a thick blanket on a warm night. Too much heat is trapped, resulting in an uncomfortable situation. A minority of scientists feel that human sources of carbon dioxide have little or nothing to do with global warming. They point to the geologic history of earth and show times that earth was much warmer than it is currently. Interests, such as oil and gas companies, that want to continue to drill for and consume fossil fuels at the current levels, often support the se scientists. Countering these industry scientists are many brave individuals. Al Gore said, â€Å"Scientists around the world are sounding a clear and urgent warning. Global warming is real, it is already underway, and its consequences are totally unacceptable (Anderson, 2009).† Most independent data shows that global warming is being driven by human activity, so the most important thing we can do in this generation is develop practices and technology that lessen human impact on the global climate. The first course of action we must undertake to prevent further warming is to lessen the amount of greenhouse gasses entering the atmosphere. This is not a simple job because much of our modern lifestyle depends on burning fossil fuels. The largest amounts to fossil fuels are burned to transport goods and people and to produce electricity. Reducing the amount of fuel used in these two processes will greatly reduce the amount of carbon dioxide entering the atmosphere. For electric al power generation, we need to derive more of our energy from renewable resources such a wind and solar power. Many electrical power plants burn coal because it is cheap and easy to obtain. Solar and wind power are more expensive because the technology to generate electricity this way is fairly new (Roberts, 1994). Research and development monies must be spent so that photovoltaic solar panels and wind turbines can produce electricity more efficiently. Greater efficiency will result in reduced cost. Some skeptics argue that these technologies only work when the wind is blowing and the sun is shining. They say that this is not reasonable because an energy supply must be constant. Improvements in storing generated electricity in liquid metal batteries will enable sustainably generated electricity to be produced and then stored until needed. This is an example of how technology can overcome current obstacles to electrical power generation. Providing carbon-neutral transportation will be a bit trickier and require more sacrifice. We are many generations away from being able to produce solar powered cars and trucks. Currently, transportation accounts for over 25% of the fossil fuels consumed globally (Collier, 2007). Clear alternatives, such as hybrid vehicles have grown in popularity and are cutting fuel consumption, but global changes have been

Proto-Miob Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Proto-Miob - Essay Example Herein, both sides of the arguments will be considered with the intention of proving to the reader that the removing the smoking ban is a better option than maintaining it. According to Singleton, a spokesman for Reynolds American, it should be the decision of the establishment owners to decide if they want to uphold the rules on the environment (Winslow). The anti-smoking ban group â€Å"NYC Clash, Citizens Lobbying Against Smoker Harassment† stated after the ban was upheld by as new york judge that these laws are vague and infringe the smokers’ rights by violating the 1st and 14th amendments. It denies them the freedom to choose how they live since smoking is a personal choice and since the smokers are aware of the risks; the government has no business dictating how and when they smoke. Furthermore, according to Winslow, several thousand nonsmokers die due to conditions attributed to second hand smoke hence giving credence to the argument that cigarette smoking harms not just the smokers but their neighbors. Statistics show that bans on cigarette smoking have caused drastic reductions on the levels of cancer by an average 17% with the greatest drop being witnessed in nonsmokers (Winslow 2009). This is ample evidence that smoker do not only jeopardize their health but that of those who do not smoke hence the need for a ban. Notwithstanding, many people claim that smoking is their right, and any attempts to ban them from engaging are tantamount to infringing their freedom because they believe they should be able to move anywhere they want, more so in public, and restrictions on this are unconstitutional. Smokers hence claim that, banning smoking in public is an infringement on their freedom. However, proponents of the ban argue in the opposite direction they hold that it the rights of nonsmokers which will be infringed upon if they smoke bans are disallowed they will lose their right to live in a clean and healthy environment due to the dangerous effects of secondhand smoke. In addition, the city health officer, Thomas Friedman argued that, the â€Å"Smoke Free Air Act† was intended to protect the city resident’s health from the effect of secondhand smoke. To this effect, arguments have been made to prove that workers in bars and restaurants are vulnerable to the effects the many cigarettes being smoked in the premises. Therefore, as a potential health hazard in the workplace, the ban on public smoking is very much justified. Cigarettes pose a health threat not only because of the diseases they can cause but also as a fire hazard, since poor disposal of glowing butts can lead to fires resulting in the destruction of life and property (Dillenberger 1). On the other hand, several NYC claim that smokers’ personal lives are private, and the government has no right to interfere with it. Those in support of this argument state that people who are banned from public smoking are being marginalized by these bans. They state that it is wrong for the government to interfere with liberty and personal freedom of an individual all in the name of protecting the health of the public when many nonsmokers do even worse to their own bodies’ every day through other activities (Saulny 2004). In addition, the other argument against public

Title should be chosen by the writer in accordance to the essay

Title should be chosen by the writer in accordance to the instruction - Essay Example The argument behind the above move is that companies stand to benefit through the use of a single set of metrics in gauging human capital. Erica Karop, Head of Global Sector Research at UBS Investments Bank, one of the participants, explained that any client choosing between two banks is most likely to choose and factor the one that spends much more on training and rewarding its workforce, which translates to lower turnover of employees – a costly expense to most organizations (Green, 2012). The U. S. HR Policy Association (HRPA), a lobby group with a membership of more than 300 top HR managers in the U.S, noted that in the current business environment, information regarding how much a company spends on training, and the type of workforce the company hires would be much more important to rival companies than to potential investors (Green, 2012). Therefore, as the business environment rapidly evolves, companies have to be more creative and innovative in training, motivating, an d retaining their workforce to remain competitive in the global market. ... Organizations are rapidly changing their operations towards larger customer oriented units and relying on a rich set of integration mechanisms within these entities. This largely results in different forms of internal hybrids that enhance lateral sharing of individual and organization knowledge, aimed at achieving economies of scale and scope. Similarly, as Green (2012) elaborates, companies through the HR have to strategize on setting a single set of metrics to gauge all the manpower, in ensuring effective integration of these business units as businesses reshape into larger customer oriented units according to the global business environment. Weber’s bureaucracy theory presents the best scenario of the new organizational forms. Clegg et al. (2012) note that Weber’s bureaucracy theory requires that jurisdictional areas be well specified with activities that are well distributed as personal official duties, whereas the traditional approach requires activities to be dele gated by the leader and can be changed at any particular time. In addition, Weber noted that officials in the organization have to be chosen based on technical qualifications, appointed and not elected, and well compensated to motivate them to perform. To ensure low turnover of employees, as Green (2012) explains, Weber’s theory indicated that employment by an organization has to be a career where the worker is a fulltime employee and yearns to have a life long career where they get tenure of their respective positions and are insured against arbitrary dismissals (Clegg et al., 2012). In order to achieve these objectives, managers in different organizations embrace creative and innovative methods to recruit, train, and retain their workforce through different strategies that characterize

Evolution Versus Religion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Evolution Versus Religion - Essay Example The most famous case that dealt with this issue set the scene for the debate that would follow. The Scopes Trial held in Tennessee in 1925 challenged the Butler Act which made it illegal "to teach any theory that denies the story of the Divine Creation of man as taught in the Bible, and to teach instead that man has descended from a lower order of animals." A schoolteacher was charged and put on trial for the crime of teaching Darwin. Although the teacher, Scopes, was eventually found guilty—and made to pay a fine—the Supreme Court of the United States eventually overturned the ban on teaching evolution in 1968, saying that such a ban would violate the constitution since it would be to the benefit of religion. Nevertheless, this trial turned into a circus and was a huge spectacle as it pitted passionate believers of religion and evolution against one another. Amazingly, the debate continues to this day, most recently in the last ten years with the rise of what is called Intelligent Design.The debate between evolution and creationism came back into the public sphere with a vengeance following a big fight on a school board in rural Pennsylvania. Here a number of advocacy groups had gone out of their way to repackage creationism which was seen to be explicitly religious in a format which they claimed was more secular: Intelligent Design, a theory which held that the world is simply too complicated to have occurred randomly without a directing hand. Often proponents of ID would quote scientists to this effect. They were in a manner trying to use science to prove the existence of God. On various school boards across the United States proponents of ID would not ask to ban teaching evolution; instead, they would argue that there was more than one viewpoint on the matter and that schools should also teach ID or â€Å"teach the controversy.†

Workplace Risk Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Workplace Risk - Case Study Example The Court of Appeal agreed with the trial court, that the movement of the reel was caused by a gravity risk and the failure to provide adequate device for safety was the main cause of the injury. In addition, the reel had to be moved from a high to a low elevator and the danger that was supposed to be guarded against came about from the force of the reel. The plaintiffs’ injury was as a result of a direct consequence of the reel going downstairs as if he was positioned in the reel’s path (Victor Vs New York Exchange, Case no 197). As a result, he suffered from an injury that was elevation related while acting as a counterweight pulley to descend an 800 pound reel down stairs. He is said to have been dragged into the make shift pulley when the reel rapidly descended downstairs. The question was whether the plaintiff injury was as a result of a direct consequence of failure to have adequate protection against such a risk that arose from physically differential elevation. 240(1), of labor law claims that a liability strict statute was designed to prevent accidents where protection devices of the above enumerated injury of the statute proved to be insufficient to shield the plaintiff from any injury that occurred from the force of gravity to the reel. Nevertheless, since the plaintiff was injured while trying to descend following the reels path, he is entitled to recover under section 240(1), and should not be denied any legal course. The differential elevation was not seen as de minimis, because the weight of th e reel and the amount of force it had was enough to generate the course of a short descent, as well as cause harm to the worker (Victor Vs New York Exchange, Case no 197). The trial courts showed that the worker was indeed injured, in addition to suffering from permanent and serious injuries on both his hands while trying to descend the reel downstairs, as well as installing defendant power

Information Technology Governance in Colleges Research Paper

Information Technology Governance in Colleges - Research Paper Example This paper also aims at contemplating the major challenges and limitations faced by CIOs and senior management when trying to successfully implement IT governance in colleges. General consensus is that IT is now being tried to be made an essential part of almost everything performed within a college with growing awareness that it must be integrated into institutional planning to address the dynamic needs of high school environment. Future research directions and areas in which further development is required in context of IT governance are also included in the paper. There is a growing body of research related to the application of Information Technology (IT) governance in higher education which suggests that it is high time now for the educational institutions to acknowledge the critical importance of formalized IT governance systems (Lainhart, cited in Brobst and Council, 2005, p. 31). This is because without proper establishment of IT governance, low productivity results along with wastage of already limited financial and human resources. There is critical importance of establishing a framework of IT governance before a self-assessment program or information security plan is written (Custer, 2010, p. 41). Full-blown project planning is worth mentioning here as it is claimed that with this type of implementation, â€Å"there are fewer bumps in the road to completion and fewer surprises during implementation† (Armstrong, Simer, & Spaniol, 2011, p. 91). One of the important most goals for employing IT governance practices or framework is to reduce the number of security incidents which continue to rise among colleges and universities â€Å"resulting in significant cost† (Custer, 2010, p. 25). IT governance systems are important to implement in colleges because they effectively combat security breaches which increase security

International Law and Individual Rights Essay Example for Free

International Law and Individual Rights Essay The international law has been undergoing some evolutions since early and mid 19th century. The original international law laid a lot of emphasis on just the state as the custodian of individual rights of its citizens. (L. Oppenheim, 1912. )However, the law deemed inadequate to address individual rights, thus, following some developments, the law has undergone some transformations, which are aimed at promoting individual rights, regardless of their country, state, race, gender or religion. The main developments which have triggered these evolutions of the international law include the Holocaust, the Second World War and the establishment of international criminal courts mainly to try the perpetrators of recent genocides like the former Yugoslavia, and Rwanda The Holocaust was a form of genocide, in which Germany, lead by Adolf Hitler, undertook the extermination of stateless Jews in Germany in which 6 million Jews were killed. Nazi Germany planned and implemented the Holocaust because of the domestic jurisdiction principle of the then international law, which prevented any other state from interfering when Hitler undertook the persecution of the Jews. This made the Geneva Convention which came into being between 1864 and 1949 as a result of efforts by Henry Dunant, realize that the law needed radical changes to enable the international community to intervene in domestic matters of a nation especially those linked to individual rights (Buergenthal, T. 978 and 1997) The need for further changes to the status of individuals under international law went a notch higher after the Second World War, in which many people lost their lives due to the state of anarchy which prevailed then. In 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt in his freedom speech called for a world order in which the world could be founded upon four freedoms namely freedom of speech and expression, International Law and Individual Rights 4 reedom of worship in any way, freedom from want and freedom from fear. This was followed by the formation of the United Nations in 1949, whose main concern, among others was to address the International law, so as to empower the international community to address large scale violations of individual rights. The international law was further to evolve with the establishment of international criminal courts mainly to try the perpetrators of recent genocides like the former Yugoslavia, and Rwanda which took place in mid 1990s. A treaty to create the new international criminal court was formed in 2002, while the international criminal court was formally constituted in 2003, about six decades after the Nuremberg trials (R. K. Woetzel 1962) and the Holocaust. The main objective of this court is to ensure that nations revise their human rights aspects in their constitutions and more importantly, prosecute the leaders who oversee the violation of human rights. It can be seen that international law has undergone all these evolutions, which are all inclined towards protecting the rights of the individual, not just the nation.

Racism all around

Racism all around Racism Most of us deal with it sometimes; you are just taking a walk outside, and see a group of ‘foreign people at the corner of the street (which you consider Turkish), just walking or cycling. Then suddenly your head make a little switch, and all sort of thoughts come in, like: ‘They are never doing anything useful. Or: ‘They are living in the Netherlands, and we all pay for their benefit. Or: ‘I have to watch out, they are dangerous!. But actually you do not know that. You cannot judge people on what they look like. When you do, that is called racism; judging people on their skin colour and roots. Its something that is not fair whatsoever. But what is it exactly? And why does it exist? Has racism always existed during human history? And what are the consequences? And what can you do to stop it? What is racism exactly and why does it exist? Mostly racism includes a (mostly negative) judgment on people with (as I mentioned in the introduction) different roots and races, different physical features or different abilities. It is mostly based on ideas and prejudices which are not proven to be true. It is mostly an incomplete idea of the reality which is (partly) wrong. Has racism always existed during human history? During the whole human history there has been racism. People always need to feel important. They need to feel ‘better than other people, and therefore they need people from which they can say: ‘They are less important than me. It is not likely for them to say that about people which they are related to, or which are like them. Because that would mean that they are just like them. No, they need people which are different. There are many horrible things that happened in history, as consequence of racism. I think the worst example of this is the World War II. During that was, millions of Jewish people were killed. Hitler, who was the cause of this horrible war, thought that people should preferably have blond hair and blue eyes. People should exactly be like he had them in his mind. This was one of the reasons that so many people were killed. During the war also a lot of disabled and Gypsies were murdered. By the way, all trough history (also before the Second World War) Jews were the target of racism. A lot of them were already killed before Hitler started the war. Before that, a lot of Africans and Asians were used as slaves. They were ‘owned by rich European people, and they were treated very badly. The Europeans saw them as some animals, who had to work for them. I consider that too racism. Because they would never let e.g. their little sister work for them like that. That is just a fact. I can even use what I recently learned in history class. The chapter was about the middle ages, and the people who had the same profession (which lived in the same city), formed a corporation. They worked together, do defend themselves from people who would stop their economy from being successful. After some time, they just didnt let new citizens in, into their corporation, even though they probably had great ideas for them to improve their trade and production. I also consider this an example of racism, because those people were from another city, they were not allowed to join the corporation and have a certain profession. Taking death penalty in the US as another example of racism; research pointed out that black skinned people, who had committed a crime and were to be executed,   were obviously executed earlier and more often than white skinned people. The same happens in e.g. Saudi Arabia. If a foreigner commits a crime (or is suspected to have committed a crime), there is no way he could defend himself. The local people can understand what the judge is saying, and they can have a lawyer. But as foreigner there is not really a chance that you will either understand the whole process, or will be able to defend yourself. So now you can see that racism is not something that just started to exist. It has always existed in times when humans were there. What are the consequences of racism? In the past, racism led to rules which concerned only a certain group of people. It caused a difference in rights of humans with a different skin colour, religion, or with differences in any other way. People were separated and segregation started (segregation in cities for example mean that there are different neighborhoods where the people from the same country/culture live close together. You can see this very clearly in some big cities in the US). Because of racism, people are ‘taught to consider a group of foreigners or immigrants to be ‘less important and ‘different. This can have different consequences. On individuals it can cause unhappiness and frustration because they are not being understood. This can result into physical problems. But here is my point; in the Netherlands there are many people who think foreigners and black people who live here, cause a lot more problems and use a lot more violence than normal Dutch people. When we see some Turkish boys walking on the street, we automatically link that to the bad reputation they have. I think I can partly understand them getting angry if people are looking at them like they are outsiders or strangers. Maybe, the few who do, just shout at us because they want to stand up for themselves. Because they do not want to be considered different. Probably it is also the media who is part of the blame. If some Moroccan boys have committed a crime, that is literally (Moroccan boys) in the newspaper, as if they are just not one of us. The strange thing is: I have never seen a newspaper which says: ‘Two Dutch boys stole a bike. People who are subjected to racism, are mostly held responsible for certain problems. They are sometimes said to be the reason for overcrowding in a country, and economical problems like unemployment and inflation. While, in fact, these people are often more effected by such problems then other people. They only suffer from them, instead of causing them. This process does not take place without a reason. Those people who suffer from racism, are mostly one of the weakest groups in the society. People can easily blame them for things without having big problems. And because of the fact that people think those groups are the cause of the problems, they are in a way kept ‘weak. They have a certain mark, and that makes their opportunity to take part in the society in a normal way, less probable. What can you do to stop racism? There are some things you can do about racism, but in peoples minds it will never go away, I guess. Its important to make universal rules about racism that everyone knows. At the moment there are a lot of countries in the world where racism is prohibited. They have made a law that it is not allowed to use racism. If you do, you are ‘guilty of racism. But the government cannot punish you. Often this law is part of the constitution of a country. This is because freedom of expression and freedom of speech are in most Western countries also a main part of the constitution. And you cannot punish someone for his or her thoughts and opinion in the modern world. This means racism is very difficult to stop. But still you can find the ‘law about racism being forbidden in the Treaty for the rights of Humans (I am not certain about this translation), which is set up by the European Union. So racism is the judgment of people from other races, who have other roots and look different. It has been occurring ever since the human population started existing. And even now it still happens that people use racism. As result of racism people get unsecure and unhappy. I can understand if they feel like people consider them as outsiders, they get a little angry inside. I think the media is part of the blame. Anyway, our constitution says racism is forbidden. Although it is hardly possible to punish people for it, due the freedom of expression, I think it should never happen!

ICE Construction Contract

ICE Construction Contract The ICE Conditions of Contract 7th edition Measurement Version 1. Introduction The ICE contract has been around since 1945 and is intended for use on civil engineering work. Civil engineering work is fundamentally different from building work it involves fewer trades, but can be much bigger in scale; there is greater uncertainty in civil engineering work, particularly in ground works. When a site investigation takes place for building work, bore holes and trial pits usually give a good indication of the extent of ground water, rock and the like; in the case of a large reservoir, for example, it is impossible to be as certain. This in turn can mean that structural work needs to be varied. For these reasons the work has to be remeasured and valued as it progresses, the bill of quantities being approximate a point of confusion is when should work be measured and valued under the contracts variation provisions, and when should the remeasurement provisions be used. The bill of quantities therefore has two main functions; firstly, as a tendering document; and secon dly, as a basis for valuation. The contract does not recognise the existence of a quantity surveyor. All payment and valuation is by the engineer, although a Q.S. may actually do some of this work. This note does not cover everything in the conditions, but highlights some of the more contentious areas. 2. Discussion of Clauses Generally The clauses contain no punctuation. Only a court can decide where punctuation can go. Clause 1 definitions and interpretations Sub-clause (1)(c ) defines the Engineer. The Engineer is a person or Firm..This should be read in conjunction with clause 2(2)(a) the contractor must know who will be giving it instructions. Sub-clause (1)(v) defines the site. This can include other places and not just the land where work is taking place. Sub-clause (2) defines cost .all expenditure properly incurred or to be incurred whether on or off site including overhead finance and other charges properly allocatable thereto but does not include any allowance for profit. Clause 2 The Engineer and the Engineers Representative The Engineer Carries out duties specified in or implied by the contract Has the authority specified in or implied in the contract A named Chartered Engineer must act as the engineer if a firm is stated in the contract, a named individual must be nominated within 7 days of the award of the contract, and before the works commencement date The Engineer can be replaced the contractor must be informed The Engineers Representative Has more power than the clerk of works under JCT Engineers duties may be delegated, apart from decisions and certificates under 12(6), 44, 48, 60(4), 61, 65 or 66. Delegation shall be in writing with a copy to the contractor Assistants The Engineer or the ER may appoint assistants to assist the ER. Names shall be notified to the contractor. Assistants are purely concerned to secure the acceptance of materials and workmanship as being in accordance with the contract. They can issue instructions only in relation to these matters. Instructions Shall be in writing However, the contractor shall comply with oral instructions different from JCT. Oral instructions can be confirmed in writing by the contractor or Engineer no time limit, but as soon as is possible under the circumstances The Engineer or ER can be asked to specify under which of the Engineers duties or authorities the instruction was issued. It does not refer to an empowering provision, another clause in the contract, unlike JCT Clause 5 (documents mutually explanatory) This clause is very brief but highly contentious. On the face of it, it says that the various documents forming the contract shall be taken as mutually explanatory and any ambiguities shall explained and adjusted by the engineer who shall thereupon issue instructions in writing to the contractor. These instructions shall be regarded as instructions issued under clause 13. (More will be said about clause 13 later on!). Does this clause mean that only ambiguities and discrepancies included in the tender documents can be adjusted? If an error in the tender documents was so obvious when looking at the documents as a whole, should an engineer refuse to issue an instruction? Unlike JCT, the contractor does not have to notify the engineer about any matters requiring clarification. On the other hand the word shall imposes a duty on the engineer to issue instructions and does not confer any discretion on the engineer. It is curious that clause 13(3) refers back to clause 5 and allows for payment to be made to the contractor, but clause 5 itself makes no mention of payment. See also the comments on clause 8 below. Clause 7 (further drawings specifications and instructions) There are two classes of further drawings specifications and instructions: i). Those which amplify and explain what is already in the contract. ii). Those which require any variation to any part of the Works.. In this case the work is deemed to be a variation under clause 51 i.e. no formal instruction in writing is needed. The express link between clause 7 and clause 51 implies that the valuation rules under clause 52 should apply. It should also be noted that the contractor could be paid under clause 13, although clause 7 does not state this. Under sub-clause (1) the information shall be supplied from time to time. This means that the engineer can take into account the contractors actual progress on the job. Sub-clause (3) States that the contractor shall give adequate notice in writing. and sub-clause (4) allows for the contractor to be given an extension of time and extra costs if it is delayed by failure or inability of the Engineer to issue at a time reasonable in all the circumstances Drawings, Specifications or instructions requested by the contractor.. The words requested by the contractor are rather ambiguous is formal written notice under sub-clause (3) a condition precedent to the operation of sub-clause (4)? Clause 8(1) (contractors general responsibilities) Under this provision the contractor shall (a) construct and complete the works (the meaning of such phrases has already been covered) (b) provide all labour materialsand everything.required .for such construction and completion so far as the necessity for providing the same is specified in or reasonably to be inferred from the Contract. The highlighted words suggest that if ambiguities and discrepancies could be corrected by inference from other contract documents, then the contractor could not expect the engineer to act under clauses 5 and 13. Clause 10 (performance security) This very important clause will be discussed in the lecture on insurances and bonds. Clauses 11 and 12 (the basis on which the tender was based/ claims arising from adverse physical conditions and artificial obstructions) Clause 11 Sub-clause (1) under ICE 6 the employer was deemed to have made available to the Contractor, before submission of tenders, all information on ground works obtained by or on behalf of the Employer from investigations undertaken relevant to the Works. This meant that the employer should have given the contractor every piece of information about the site that was in the employers possession, and if he did not do so the contractor could have grounds for a claim under clause 12 irrespective of the contractors obligation to inspect the site under sub-clause (2). The wording has now been changed to reflect the fairer position that the contractor should have priced that job on the basis of the information actually passed to it (subject to its obligation to inspect the site under sub-clause (2). A new section (1)(b) has been added covering pipes and cables in on or over the ground. Second part of 11(1) the contractor is responsible for the interpretation of all such information for the purposes of constructing the Works. does this refer to the tender preparation or the work on site? Sub-clause (2) inspection of site the contractor is deemed to have (a) inspected the site (b) to have satisfied himself so far as is practicable and reasonable on (i) the form and nature of the ground (ii) the extent and nature of the work (iii) means of communication and access etc. to the site (iv) obtaining information as to risks contingencies and all other circumstances Sub-clause (3) basis and sufficiency of tender the contractor shall be deemed to have (a) based his tender on his own inspection and the information made available by the Employer or obtained by the contractor (b) satisfied himself as to the correctness and sufficiency of the rates and prices stated by him in the bill of quantities. Clause 12 Sub-clause (1) Has the Contractor encountered physical conditions (other than weather conditions or conditions due to weather conditions) or artificial obstructions which could not reasonably have been foreseen by an experienced Contractor? Clearly, foreseeability would need to be examined in the light of what information the employer passed to the contractor under 11(1) and the information that should have been gathered by the contractor under 11(2). If so written notice should be given Under sub-clause (2) the Contractor shall at the same time or as soon thereafter as may be reasonable inform the Engineer in writing pursuant to Clause 53 and/or Clause 44(1) that he intends to claim costs and/or time NB clause 53 has a 28 day limit! Sub-clause (3) requires the Contractor to give details of any anticipated effects of the physical conditions or artificial obstructions; measures he has taken or is taking; and anticipated effects, costs and delays in or interference with the carrying out of the Works (whether or not the contractor intends to submit a claim). Sub-clause (4) action by the engineer he may require the Contractor to investigate and report on alternative measures; he can give written consent to the measures taken by the Contractor; give written instructions as to how the physical condition or artificial obstruction should be dealt with; and he can order suspension under clause 40 or a variation under clause 51 Up to this point there is no admission of liability on behalf of the employer unless a variation has been ordered Sub-clause (5) if the Engineer decides that the physical condition or artificial obstruction could have been reasonably foreseen by an experienced Contractor then the Engineer shall inform the Contractor in writing however, any variation ordered under sub-clause (4)(d) shall be paid under Clause 52. Sub-clause (6) the engineer determines the delay and costs incurred with a reasonable addition for profit, and any extension of time provided that the conditions or obstructions could not reasonably have been foreseen by an experienced contractor. There is no need for the contractor to submit a separate claim for an extension of time under clause 44. Clause 13 Sub-clause (1) (work to be to satisfaction of engineer) Save insofar as it is legally or physically impossible the Contractor shall construct and complete the Works in strict accordance with the Contract.and shall comply with and adhere strictly to the Engineers instructions on any matter connected therewith (whether mentioned in the Contract or not). These words have barely changed over the years, and have been considered by the courts in several prominent cases. Consider the following scenario: A contractor is asked to forward a method statement with his tender. When the work starts it soon becomes apparent that the contractors method statement is impossible to work to, and he has to do the work in a more expensive manner. Can the contractor claim the extra costs involved? Sub-clause (2) states that the mode and manner of construction shall be to the engineers satisfaction. Sub-clause (3) gives the procedure for dealing with delay and extra costs. A final point to consider; should variations be issued under clause 51 or 13?! Clause 14 The Programme The programme under ICE has much more significance than under ICE, but not as much as under the NEC. It is, however, not a contract document. The programme should be submitted by the contractor within 21 days of the award of the contract. There are procedures for the Engineer to accept or reject the programme with reasons. In that case the contractor must amend and resubmit the programme. These procedures are all carried out in 21 day time frames. Together with the programme the engineer may request a general description of the arrangements and methods of construction. The accepted programme should be revised if the Engineer considers that the actual progress of work does not confirm to the programme. Clause 40 The Engineer may instruct the contractor to suspend the progress of the works or any part thereof. Subject to the exceptions listed, the contractor can be given an extension of time and costs. Clause 41 The contractor shall start the works as soon as is reasonably practicable after the works commencement date. The contractor should proceed with due expedition and without delay. Clause 44 The contractor should give notice within 28 days if the matters listed entitle him to an extension of time. Note sub-clause (1)(f) other special circumstances of any kind whatsoever This would be interpreted contra proferentem by a court. The Engineer shall make an assessment of the delay and notify the contractor in writing. The Engineer shall also make an assessment in the absence of a written notice from the contractor. The Engineer can make an interim extension award. This cannot later be reduced. The Engineer makes a further assessment at the due date for completion. Again, this cannot later be reduced. The Engineer makes a final determination within 28 days of substantial completion. Clause 46 If the Engineer considers that the contractors rate of progress is too slow, he may issue a notice to the contractor. The contractor shall then take steps to expedite the progress of the works. This is not acceleration. Acceleration is covered by sub-clause (3). Clause 47 liquidated damages Unlike JCT, the Engineer does not issue a notice of non-completion/ Note that under ICE, the deduction of LADs is suspended for the period of an intervening variation, then resumes. JCT does not specifically state this, but legally the position is the same. Clause 48 This covers substantial completion, which is different from practical completion under JCT. under ICE the contractor starts the procedure by notifying the Engineer; there is no such notice under JCT. The Engineer decides within 21 days. The work so certified shall have passed any final test. Outstanding work can be completed after substantial completion; there are no criteria defining when such work can so be permitted. Clause 49 Covers outstanding work. The contractor must continue insuring this work until it is accepted. Clauses 51 and 52 variations and their valuation These are similar to JCT. Note that if the contractor informs the Engineer that a rate for work not the subject of the variation is rendered inapplicable by the variation, the Engineer shall fix the rate. Clause 53 additional payments Claims are submitted under this clause, apart from any dealt with by clauses 12 or 13. Note that the basis of payment is cost, not loss and/or expense. Clauses 55-57 Measurement ICE is a measure and value contract, so procedures for remeasurement need to be included. The quantities in the BQ are estimates The Engineer ascertains by admeasurement Rates can be adjusted if the quantity of an item increases or decreases this is determined by the engineer after consulting the contractor The contractor is to be given an opportunity to attend for measurement if he does not, the Engineers measurements are taken to be correct. Remeasured work may be valued on daywork The method of measurement is CESMM unless otherwise provided in the contract Clause 60 Certificates and Payments The contractor prepares interim payment applications unless the contractor decides one is not needed Payments are made monthly A minimum amount stated in the appendix must be reached before a payment is made Interest is payable on overdue payments. This is in addition to the right of suspension under the Construction Act. Within 3 months of the defects correction certificate, the contractor shall forward to the Engineer a statement of final account. Within a further 3 months the Engineer issues the certificate. This is only a payment certificate and signifies nothing else. Clause 61 Defects Correction Certificate This is issued At the end of the DC period If more than one DC period applies, it is issued at the end of the last period Outstanding work under 48 must be completed Making good under 49 and 50 must be completed The certificate states the date when the contractor shall have completed his obligations to construct and complete the Works to the Engineers satisfaction. This is the most important certificate under ICE. Compare this certificate with the final certificate under JCT.

Pablo Neruda Essay -- Poet Poetry

"The ‘Fickle’ One"? On his birthday in July of 1954, Pablo Neruda confessed to the University of Chile that "it is worthwhile to have struggled and sung, it is worthwhile to have lived because I have loved" (Neruda 331). In nearly all of his works, Neruda attests to the simplicity, valor, and importance of love, whether for country, "common things," or another human being. Throughout South America, he was known as "un poeta del pueblo," a poet of the people, and his talent for composing such passionate verses propelled him to Nobel Laureate status. In a collection published in 1972, he exemplifies his mastery of language by entwining his own passionate love life with an admiration for nature, producing realistic, yet mystical expressions of devotion. In "The Fickle One," the author creates a paradox confirming that the persona’s sincere affection transcends the physical attraction and lust by which he initially appears imprisoned. Furthermore, Neruda presents an opposition by dividing the poem in to parallel halves, demanding that even the receptive reader peruse the poem more than once to discern the genuine meaning of the experience that the text conveys. Neruda, with much attention to detail and manipulation of language, demonstrates the persona’s inability to control his human, sexual nature, causing the reader to disapprove of him. By stating, "My eyes went away from me," he conjures a persona with eyes that are disconnected from the rest of his body, as though they are a separate entity, acting against the will of the brain, bones, and heart. Seemingly, he desires all the females that pass by him. He gazes longingly at each woman while absorbing all their physical details, corroborating the notion that the only qualitie... ...eruda accentuates the persona’s eternal faithfulness to the third female. The persona, though he may be fickle in his thoughts and cravings, is steadfast in this fidelity. In fact, the persona’s unflinching integrity lends irony to the title of the poem. His flaws are those of the common man, yet he proves the maturity of his affection by honestly admitting his shortcomings. His true love is the paramount interest in his life, and it is through the characterization of the persona in "The Fickle One" that Neruda demonstrates that the struggle that is love makes life worthwhile. Works Cited Neruda, Pablo. "The Fickle One." Discovering Literature: Stories, Poems, and Plays. 2nd edition. Eds. Hans P. Guth and Gabriele L. Rico. Upper Saddle River: Blair Press, 1997. 735-6. Neruda, Pablo. Passions and Impressions. New York: Farrar, Strauss, and Giroux, 1984.

Media and Fear of Crime Essay -- Media TV Crime Television Essays

The mass media is a vehicle for delivering information and to entertain. But implications that the media do more harm than good concerning its practices and its effects on the public. The two main categories of mass media are print media and electronic media. Although they overlap in some areas, they differ mostly in the subject matter they cover and in their delivery methods. Research had been conducted in using both these forms to gauge the impact that each one has on the public. Print media tends to be more factual based whereas electronic media tend to focus more on visual aids to help relay the information. The public’s fear of crime has an impact on the public agenda of policy makers. Fear of crime not only affects individual but may also have an impact on the laws that affect crime control and prevention. One might turn on any evening news broadcast these days and be bombarded with images of war, violence and stories of unsuspecting citizens victimized in their own communities. Is crime on the increase or is it just media hype? There are countless television shows with plots dedicated to the depiction of criminal activities fouled by law enforcement agencies with the helping hand of the law. Newspaper headlines scream out daily in bold print and action photos of the latest tragedies. Should the public be fearful of what the television conveys to us, be cautious of whatever new crime wave is presented on the media? These questions may lead one to wonder if the depiction of crime in the mass media affects the public’s perception of safety and danger in society. Mass media refers to media that are easily, inexpensively, and simultaneously accessible to large segments of a population (Surette, 10). Although the mass media are only one of the sources from which citizens attain knowledge of crime and justice, it is by far the most influential. According to one study, the mass media are credited with providing 95 percent of the information the public receives about crime (Surette, 10). With these statistics, it seems that the fear of crime is indeed constructed through the media. In March 1994, the Times Mirror Center for the people and the Press conducted a poll that measured the public’s fear of crime. Fifty percent of the respondents said they feared that they would be the victims of crime, up from 36 percent in 1988 (Krajicek, 23). There are t... ...it is the advent of television media that have sparked debate over the integrity of reliable news making. Print media was factual, although sometimes sensational, while electronic media made use of the technologies, such as videotapes and live footage to enhance and exaggerate the drama of the event even further. Many research studies have been conducted to show the effects of the media coverage on crime and how it influences the publics of fear of crime. Mass media has perpetuated a notion that crime is on the increase by portraying events and tragedies in the headlines that are sensational. The public buys into that idea, despite statistical accounts that reflect stable or low crime rates. The more stories people read and watch about crime, the more likely they are to think that crime is out of control. Politicians may then enact legal reforms to sooth the public’s outcry for crime control and prevention. As easy as it may be to hold the media accountable for barraging u s with images and ideas that affect our views and beliefs, it important that the public take responsibility for the information that we consume. After all, there is always the â€Å"off† button on the remote control.

The weight of the nation

The movie we watched is called â€Å"The weight of the nation†. I learned that:Worldwide obesity has nearly doubled since 1980.In 2008, more than 1.4 billion adults, 20 and older, were overweight. Of these over 200 million men and nearly 300 million women were obese.35% of adults aged 20 and over were overweight in 2008, and 11% were obese. >65% of the world's population live in countries where overweight and obesity kills more people than underweight.More than 40 million children under the age of five were overweight in 2011.Obesity is preventable.Most of the food commercials make you want to eat.My reaction to this movie is that people started eating more food over the 30 years so they should start taking food seriously.  What makes people obese is  an increased intake of energy-dense foods that are high in fat and an increase in physical inactivity due to the increasingly sedentary nature of many forms of work, changing modes of transportation, and increasing urbanizati on.Not only the food matters but your physical activities that you do every day. Childhood obesity is associated with a higher chance of obesity, premature death and disability in adulthood. But in addition to increased future risks, obese children experience breathing difficulties, increased risk of fractures, hypertension, early markers of cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance and psychological effects. Overweight and obesity, as well as their related noncommunicable diseases, are largely preventable. Supportive environments and communities are fundamental in shaping people’s choices, making the healthier choice of foods and regular physical activity the easiest choice (accessible, available and affordable), and therefore preventing obesity. At the individual level, people can:limit energy intake from total fats and sugars;increase consumption of fruit and vegetables, as well as legumes, whole grains and nuts; >engage in regular physical activity (60 minutes a day for children and 150 minutes per week for adults).

How the Rolling Stones Keep Rolling

The rolling stones start in the year 1960, when two young guys began wrapping in the music world, these two young men were Mick Jagger and Keith Richard, the soul of Rolling Stones, the next year formed their own group called l'Little Boy Blue & Blue Boys in company of Jack Taylor. In 1962 came another member of the group named Brian Jones, at this time it was decided to rename the group as Rolling Stones, in the same year they released their first simple â€Å"Come on â€Å", and the same year they began their first tour. In 1964 The Rollings released their first album â€Å"The Rolling Stones†, this album was composed of a single song from the group and the rest were covers of songs known since they just spent to make versions of other artists, but the way they play the instruments and aggression they impose on the issues is what makes them unique. The experts devised a marketing strategy to publicize the group, wanted to make them look like the bad boys of pop / rock, something appealing to younger and if adapted as opposed to the Beatles, that could be considered the good guys. In January 1965 released her second album, ‘Rolling Stones 2', which took influences from black American music, primarily soul. In 1966 this group launches ‘Aftermath', which were songs written by themselves, to give more creativity to your music and manage their own songs with his own style, this in order to stay in top of the music. This album was considered one of the best, because his creativity. In 1967 he released â€Å"Between The Buttoms', the album was on detention issues, to address issues of drugs in several songs, created a scandal that Jagger and Richards as participants of the band were in detention for Reverse and drug consumption. After the scandal of the previous album, The Rolling Stones decallendo followed, with the LP ‘Their Satanic Magesties Request' took one of his greatest failures. Try to imitate the â€Å"Sgt Peppers' by the Beatles, but his followers were accused of following the style of another British group and thus ending his own style which had long been accepted by the youth society. In 1968 there is a new Rolling Stones album, entitled ‘Beggars Banquet', which witnessed a return to the essence of the Rolling. This album continued his aggressive issues that attract attention and released as the album cover a very sensual and struggles, but was not accepted by the company and for this reason it was censored. In 1969 Brian Jones was found dead in his home, victim of drugs. When Mick Taylor joined the group as a missing member. This was followed by the publication of a new album ‘Let It Bleed', an ironic reply to ‘Let it Be' by the Beatles so I just carried their rivalry among groups to draw more attention from fans. This makes them hard to take the top of the rock world. In 1971 he edited ‘Brown Sugar', the first with his own record label and ‘Sticky Fingers', the first using a design by Andy Warhol of lips as a seal of the group. This latest album is considered one of the greats of the Rolling for quality instruments. By acquiring its own record label and be so successful, the Rolling Stones decided to purchase accounts in France, to avoid tax. In 1972 he published a double album ‘Exile On Main Street', an album of great quality and very ambitious. Claimed to be the gateway to a large U. S. tour and had to engage the audience. It was number one in England and USA. This growing group acquired more fame and more fans, they followed their creativity and made separate lists more albums, in 1973 published ‘Goats Head Soup' and 1974 ‘It's Only Rock'n Roll', for whose promotion to the streets of London graffiti saying ‘It's only rock and roll. It was the last album Mick Taylor in the band, which was replaced by Ron Wood. Also released a live album, ‘Love You Live. The decade of the eighties, the Rolling Stones signed a contract with CBS. With that, the Stones would receive several million dollars for each album released. Result of the agreement were records like ‘Emotional Rescue', then ‘Tattoo You' in 1981, ‘Stiff Life' in 1982, ‘Undercover' in 1983 and ‘Dirty Work' in 1986, the album that raised the average quality of the decade was ‘Steel Wheels', 1989, based on which a new world tour and a new live album based on that tour, â€Å"Flashpoint. In 1990 he toured Japan and Europe, which were followed for more than two million spectators and generating revenues of about two hundred million dollars. In the following years, more doctors are still running as: 1994 Voodoo Lounge ‘and a year' Rock And Roll Circus, recorded in 1968 and had never been published, in 1995 edited ‘Stripped' and 1997 ‘Bridges To Babylon'. Finally, in 2005, a new Rolling Stones album, entitled ‘A Bigger Bang. The title is inspired by the group’s popular fascination for the scientific theory about the origin of the universe.

Management Case Analysis

David, in which he needs to determine essentially whether the greater good of the business unit should outweigh the promotion of one of Its key members. This Is rather ironic due to the fact that managers typically have more difficulty Identifying promotional opportunities for their employees than Impeding them. David Is under significant pressure to perform and the obstacles are stack against him, poor market situation, safety issues at the plant, and rising fixed costs.The article, â€Å"When to Reward Employees with More Responsibility and Money,† states that more than often managers feel responsible for finding their employees the next career opportunity. Mangers should foster progression and skill development of their employees within the work environment; however should this be secondary to the overall health of the business unit or organization? Davit's task is certainly an arduous one. This is his opportunity to prove to upper management that despite his age, he is cap able enough to successfully manage his sales team.Furthermore, David implements the correct Annihilative by assigning the project to the business development engineer Initially. This decision yielded positive results and the case clearly presents the business development engineer as an Integral factor. The business development manager's talent does not go unnoticed and shortly after he is offered a position two levels higher than his current role with a significant salary increase. This is a managerial success, considering David properly developed his employee for future opportunities; however performance of the business unit will foreseeable decline with the loss of its key member.It is suffice say that David will need think creatively to transcend his â€Å"rock and a hard place† situation. The article, â€Å"When to Reward Employees with More Responsibility and Money,† outlines challenges managers face and their corresponding solutions, the foremost being alternativ e forms of motivation, having to say no, and Job sculpting to prepare employees for the next step. These examples permeate the case study, In which David must construct a viable all-encompassing strategy. The key take-away Is that employees can be motivated by factors other than money.In fact an over reliance on money as a motivator could result in an organization's culture becoming transactional and calculated. Also, Job sculpting sets realistic expectations regarding position related responsibilities for employees who want to take the next step, but currently lack the experience or skill set. David should not be deterred by the budgetary constraints ND view this scenario as an opportunity to execute an innovative method to satisfy all parties, without affecting production or the bottom line.The case only proposes two options for David, to let the business development engineer to move on or to block his promotion. We are proposing an alternative third option. David could plead his case to the hiring manager that the business development engineer will be needed until year end, simultaneously enabling the quota to be reached and affording the account manager time to be trained. As the article suggests, David loud create a hybrid role for the business development engineer to supervise the the process.Additionally, the business development engineer could use this time to take on some his new duties to appease the hiring manager and acclimate himself to his new position. Furthermore, this recommendation could result as an extrinsic reward to the business development engineer and account manager, buy conveying the message that they are both essential to the future success of this business unit and are both provided the opportunity to further develop their skills.

Pearl Harbor

When it comes down to major events in our countries history such as the attack Pearl Harbor, the acting cast should have put more heart into their characters to put the movie over the top. Throughout the movie, Pearl Harbor, the whole story revolves around the main characters of Rafe McCawley (Ben Affleck), Daniel â€Å"Danny† Walker (Josh Hartnett) and Nurse Evelyn Johnson (Kate Beckinsale). When it came down to those three characters in the movie, Pearl Harbor, the character development could have been portrayed very differently considering what this event did to the country.All of the acting in this moving seemed as if it was half-hearted and could have been done a lot better. The movie Pearl Harbor is directed by Michael Bay, also with the help of Jerry Bruckheimer and Randall Wallace. The main cast now a days is a very popular group of people. The names of Ben Affleck, Josh Hartnett, Kate Beckinsale, Alex Baldwin (Major Jimmy Doolittle) and Cuba Gooding Jr. (Petty Officer 2nd Class, Dorie Miller) are the main actors/actress in this movie. The purpose of this movie was to show the story of what happened on December 7, 1941 on the islands of Hawaii. Mostly throughout the movie it was based on the love triangle that occluded between Affleck, Hartnett and Beckinsale. It is kind of a drag to a movie that is supposed to be about the bravery and courage that USA managed to still have after one of the most tragic events ever took place against them. From a character stand point, it could have been acted differently to make up for the fact the movie wasn’t about the details of the war as much as you would expect it to be. Rafe McCawley (Affleck) was always there to protect Danny from all the trouble that he encounters throughout his life. It all started at the beginning of the movie when Danny’s Father hits Danny, Rafe hits his Danny’s Father over the back, which shows right away that he is there to protect him. This is a characteristic that was learned right away about Rafe and how he is when it comes to his best friend. Rafe is a cocky fighter pilot that is in the Army at the time, with his best friend, Danny. Everything about Rafe is either him being cocky when it comes to his flying skills or else being over protective of Danny. When it came to his character it should have een better played out where it was harder to find out what the character is all about, but in this case he was easy to figure out which made the character kind of plain and dull. When it came to emotional scenes, Rafe would not look as emotional as he should when he gets the news he does, the only time he really showed true emotion is when he couldn’t protect Danny, but even then he over acted it. Personally there could have been a few ways Rafe could have showed his emotions differently. For example when he returned from his duties over in Europe, Danny had taken the place of him in Evelyn’s heart. When he returned he found out about this and the way he took it was not the way you would expect it to be handled when a person is in a crisis like this. He kind of just shrugs it off and kind movies on as if it doesn’t affect him. A person now a day would act completely different. They would be very mad at his friend and would have completely disowned his friend and the girl. Not only would that happen the person that would be in Rafe’s shoes would also be most likely be emotionally scared and hurt, not just be able to forget about it and move on with them in his life still. When it came down to Rafe in the movie Pearl Harbor he could have showed more heart and emotion when it came to his character in this movie. Daniel â€Å"Danny† Walker is also an amazing fighter pilot who was Rafe’s wingman. He was always looked at by Rafe as his younger brother and was always being protected from him. He would always want to be there to help out and look out for Rafe as well. When Rafe was over in Europe Danny began to fall for Evelyn, who was at the time Rafe’s girlfriend. He was the caring, sweet character between the two pilots. Just like Rafe, Danny was also a character who was not well developed because he was also very easy to read what kind of person he was. Danny was too sensitive for what his character actually does in this movie. The way he is portrayed in this movie, he would do anything to keep peace and happiness with close people in his life. But the twist was he went for his best friend’s girlfriend and fell in love with her. If he really was as sensitive as he showed while acting, a person like that would truly not do that to their friend. The acting was basically all Hollywood to try to add some extra effects to the movie when what actually happened didn’t fit the way the character acted all movie long. You cannot blame the reason for this on Josh Hartnett, it has to do with the directing and them telling Hartnett how he should perform during these situations. Evelyn Johnson (Kate Beckinsale) was a nurse that fell madly in love over the charm Rafe had at the medical examinations. Evelyn and Rafe were both stationed in the same location until she was stationed in Pearl Harbor in Hawaii and Rafe was going over to Europe. She showed her emotions and love for Rafe through notes they would write back and forth. Evelyn, while she was separated from Rafe, in Hawaii got some unwanted news from Danny. After that the two of them started to have a romance between them. When Rafe came back from Europe he was stationed in Hawaii to reunite with his girlfriend and best friend. But that’s when everyone finds out what kind of person Evelyn was. Towards the beginning of the movie she is â€Å"madly in love† with Rafe and all of a sudden after she gets some news, her heart has a change of ways and is going for Rafe’s best friend, Danny. You can understand people have a change of heart and cannot wait around forever, but for a person to stop loving someone and go for their best friend is just something that doesn’t happen too often, especially after the way she shows her affection towards the two men. Once again it was a Hollywood set up to make the movie have more drama to it. They basically added her emotions and this part of the story to the movie to add more length and storyline to it. If these scenes were taken out of the movie, the plot would be a little different but would still have the same concept, also would be a better historical movie rather than a drama movie. When it came to a movie such as Pearl Harbor where this event scared the humanity of America, the movie should have been more focused on the issue it is title after, rather than the love romance that happened between the characters. This movie is a great movie, but if it were to take out the sappy romance or at least have the actors and actress put a little more effort and more timely emotions into the picture it would have made this movie even better. When it comes down to the character development, it made this movie only a good movie compared to the potential to be an excellent movie.