What are the organisational benefits of performance review Essay

What are the organisational benefits of performance review - Essay Example While these individuals may differ on how and when performance reviews should be conducted they are all united on the point that such reviews and the review process itself is an essential part of employee growth which in turn leads to the growth of the company. Jack Welch served as the CEO of General Electric for more than two decades and links performance reviews to the overall mission of the company. Welch (2005, Pg. 16) says that â€Å"Every decision or initiative was linked to the mission. We publicly rewarded people who drove the mission and let go of people who couldn’t deal with it for whatever reason.† GE’s own mission, when Welch was running the company, was to be the most competitive company in the world which fits with the two pronged approach of rewarding and doing the utmost to keep the best talent within the company and letting go of those who do not perform to a certain level. Such tactics could only be employed when effective performance review processes are in place and GE’s system for performance reviews has been lauded by critics and copied verbatim by the competition simply because it is one of the best. The current issues faced by our organisation are mostly concerned with the human resource management of the company. Before an outline of these issues as well as a discussion of the problems is made, it must be noted that none of these issues are large enough to cripple the company but they do make the management process more difficult. Additionally, all these issues come with simple solutions and if those solutions are applied with careful consideration there should be no reason why the company can not gain competitive advantages over time. The central issue for the company comes from the fact that many of our senior managers and other personnel have little or no formal training in management which leads to a lack of

Ernest Hemingway Essay Example for Free

Ernest Hemingway Essay Ernest Hemingway is a writer known for his characterizations of men and women. His men tend to be very macho and involved in using women for their own personal gain. His women tend to be somewhat naive and overwhelmed with the idea of being with men. As with many of Hemingway’s female characters, Liz in â€Å"Up in Michigan† has mistakenly taken infatuation for love. Liz is actually somewhat obsessed with Jim right from the beginning. Hemingway writes, â€Å"She liked it about how his teeth were when he smiled,†¦that his hair was black on his arms and how white they were above the tanned line when he washed up in the washbasin outside the house. Liking that made her feel funny. † Clearly, sentences like this demonstrate the girlish nature of Liz. She notices all the little things that women notice in infatuation with men. There is no mention of his character, of what kind of man he is, only of his physical characteristics. She feels â€Å"funny† inside thinking about his white skin where it disappears into his clothes. This is the equivalent of the pounding heartbeat of infatuation. In fact, â€Å"All the time Liz was thinking about Jim Gilmore. He didn’t seem to notice her much† (Hemingway 82). Clearly, the feelings are one-sided here. It is impossible for Liz to love him if he takes no notice of her. Real love is about reciprocity. As the story goes on, Jim goes away on a hunting trip. â€Å"She couldn’t sleep well from thinking about him but she discovered it was fun to think about him too† (Hemingway 82). She is thinking about him in the ways of a girl, fascinated with every move he makes. She knows nothing of substance about him. Clearly, he is not thinking of her at all. She even goes so far as to think that â€Å"everything would be all right when he came home† (Hemingway 83). Again, she is pinning her entire identity on this one man who doesn’t even give her the time of day. She has no understanding of real love and is actually setting herself up for someone like Jim to use her by being so needy. She has fallen into the female trap of believing in that fairy tale, romantic love that doesn’t exist in reality. She believes he will notice her and realize they were meant to be together. When Jim returns from hunting, he sits and drinks with the boys. Liz tells the reader that â€Å"She didn’t want to go to bed yet because she knew Jim would be coming out and she wanted to see him as he went out so she could take the way he looked up to bed with her† (Hemingway 84). Again, as a little girl, she wants to take his image to bed and fantasize about it. She needs one last glimpse of him to make her feel complete. Jim does come out and immediately makes advances toward her in his drunken state. She is scared but feels as though he is finally noticing her. She doesn’t want to ruin her chance. As he seduces her, there are phrases like, â€Å"it was cold but Liz was hot all over from being with Jim. † She tells him no but doesn’t really mean it, and he basically takes advantage of her. Afterwards, she is â€Å"cold and miserable† and tells the reader that â€Å"everything felt gone† (Hemingway 85). The story ends with her covering Jim and kissing his cheek as well as trying to talk to him, but realizing on the dock that â€Å"a cold mist is coming† (Hemingway 85). On the dock, with the â€Å"cold mist coming† (Hemingway 85), Liz has realized that like the barges that disappear earlier in the story, her idea of infatuation is gone. She understands that Jim was simply fulfilling his own physical need and that he has no feelings for her. She understands a basic truth that many men see love and sex completely differently than women do. She has, in effect, grown up. The cold mist coming is the way her life will change now that the illusion of romantic, fairy tale love is gone. Jim has not noticed her, and she has paid an extremely high price for misunderstanding his intentions. She will either learn to value herself more and not be â€Å"available† for every man she likes or she will attach herself to another man like Jim who will take advantage of her and treat her badly, but this time she will be realistic in the fact that that is what he will do. She will not wait for the happy ending anymore. Her illusions about infatuation (love) have been shattered, and in a world such as this, she may never learn what real love, mutual trust and respect, is.

Priesthood Of All Believers Theology Religion Essay

Priesthood Of All Believers Theology Religion Essay Luthers greatest contribution to Protestant ecclesiology was his doctrine of priesthood of all believers. It was a central teaching of Luther in the formation of Christian communities. Eric W. Gritsch has claimed, Luthers doctrine of the priesthood of all believers, developed particularly in his treatises of 1520, is one of the most revolutionary doctrines in the history of Christianity.  [1]  It is the clear biblical idea that we could see from the Genesis to Revelation. The doctrine of the priesthood of all believers opposes the unbiblical doctrine of sacerdotalism  [2]  and the existence of a Brahman-like  [3]  priestly class within the church. When Martin Luther nailed his Ninety-five Theses on the door of Wittenberg Castle Church on October 31, 1517, he was declaring war against the idea that salvation comes through the priesthood via the sacraments. His theses were anti-sacerdotalistic and he spoke against the theology that ex opere operato  [4]  supernatural li fe could be created through baptism, brought to growth by confirmation, nourished by the Mass, and healed of all diseases by penance and extreme unction. Luther vehemently rejected the idea that through sacraments a priest could control an individuals life both here and hereafter. Luther claimed that everyone who does have faith in Jesus Christ is a priest. He wrote that his hope was for a day when we shall recover that joyful liberty in which we shall understand that we are all equal in every right, and shall shake off the yoke of tyranny, and know that he who is a Christian has Christ, and he who has Christ has all things that are Christs, and can do all things.  [5]  The concept that all who believe in Christ are priests came into mind to Luther after he became convinced that Scripture was the only authority for a Christian. Believers are called to be the salt and the light (Matthew 5:13), this is only possible when the believers understands Christs priestly ministry and its own priestly role. This also has serious eschatological implications, as Christ comes to be united with his bride, the Church. Will He find a fragmented body or a united family of believers? Hence this paper mainly examines that where from the concept of priesthood of all believers begins in the Bible and for what purpose; what is the context that steered Luther to raise this idea of priesthood of all believers; the coherence between Luthers idea and the biblical idea of priesthood of all believers; and its implication to the present church of India. I. THE ORIGIN OF THE CONCEPT OF PRIESTHOOD OF ALL BELIEVERS IN THE BIBLE A priest is one who performs the sacrifices, makes the rituals and doing the work of mediator between God and man. He is the one responsible for offering the divinely appointed sacrifices to God, for executing ceremonies relating to the worship of God. In other sense, he is the representative between man and God. Scripture says, For every high priest, being taken from among men, is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.  [6]  The priestly office came first in time, when our first parents sinned and fell from the high estate into which they had been created. God Himself performed the priestly office when He slew animals and provided a covering for Adam and Eve.  [7]   A. PRIESTHOOD IN THE OLD TESTAMENT There were three orders of men in the Old Testament times such as the kingly, the prophetical and the priestly orders. They were set apart by anointing with holy oil for a particular vocation. A king in the Old Testament was one who ruled men for God. A prophet was one who spoke for God to men. And a priest was one who spoke for men to God. Among all these three orders, even from the very beginning of the human race, the believers have performed priestly works. In the particular period, the head of the family was doing the priestly office. He would build an altar and offer a sacrifice for the help from God. Scripture gives enough evidence for that. 1. Priesthood in the Patriarchal Age In the Bible history, the first period is commonly known as Patriarchal Age. The word patriarch comes from two root words meaning father rule. It encompasses the period between the creation events, and the time when Israel was separated as a special nation at Sinai for the preparation of the coming Messiah. In Genesis 4:3-5 both Cain and Abel functioned in the capacity of priest in that each was responsible for his own offering to God. We could see that when Noah disembarked the ark following the great flood, he offered sacrifices on behalf of his family.  [8]  Abram, after a long march from Ur, came into Canaan and built an altar at Shechem.  [9]  Again and again, Abraham offered sacrifices to God, as did his sons and grandsons. Thus, originally in mans relations with God, every individual functioned as his own priest before God with no particular location established for sacrificing and with no intermediary between him and God.  [10]  When He gave the Law at Mount Sinai , the people of Israel had been given an opportunity to become a kingdom of priests. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.  [11]   Here God makes a covenant with all the people of Israel. Based on the above text, the people of Israel become Gods possession and are chosen for the privilege of service. God instituted the priesthood of Israel as a congregated unit for the purpose of service to the world. This is the vocation of the people of God of which each member stands under Gods call, and each is accountable for his or her response to it. 2. A Shift on Priesthood But Israel disobeyed and God removed the opportunity for becoming a kingdom of priests. When Moses went up to the mountain to receive a list of rules and regulations for the newly freed nation, God also gave him instructions to form a professional priesthood. Now each layman would no longer be his own priest, the individual could no longer take his sacrifices directly to God.  [12]  Here God selected Aaron and his family and the tribe of Levi to be His priests. They were set apart that when Israelites entered the Promised Land, the priests and Levites received no inheritance of land as the other eleven tribes. They had been set apart for the service of God and were to be supported by the tithes and offerings of the peoples sacrifices. The sons of Aaron and the tribe of Levi had at least three distinctive as priests. 1. They had direct access to God. At appointed times they went into the Holy Place and even the Holy of Holies to communicate with God. 2. The priests represented God to the people of Israel. They were mediators who communicated the Word of God to the people since they were considered holy. 3. The people represented the people of Israel to God. The people could not approach a holy God directly because of their sin. The priests were mediators for the people as they brought sacrifices before the altar. The high priest entered the Holy of Holies yearly once on the Day of Atonement to offer an atoning substitute of a bull or lamb offering. One of the most important features of the priestly system was to emphasize the absolutely holy nature of Almighty God. This is a concept repeatedly affirmed in the Scriptures.  [13]   B. PRIESTHOOD OF ALL BELIVERS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT This was the situation continued Jesus Christ was crucified. At the same moment of Jesus death, the veil of the Temple was ripped from top to bottom.  [14]  From then on there has been no need for select group of priests. At that point in time and ever since then believers became priests, a part of Gods royal or kingly priesthood. The elimination of the office of priests as a select group of people is based, then, upon the physical sacrifice of Jesus, the ultimate High Priest. Jesus completed and fulfilled the role of priest in His substitutionary death. . . . but He became a priest with an oath when God said to Him: The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind: You are a priest forever. Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant . . . because Jesus lives forever, He has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to savecompletely . . . Such a high priest meets our need-one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. . . . Unlike the other high priests, He does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for His own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when He offered Himself. For the law appoints as high priest men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.  [15]   The priest, then, is the person who himself has access to God and whose task it is to bring others to Him. While in the ancient world this access to God was the privilege of the professional priests, and in particular of the High Priest who alone could enter into the Holy of Holies. But now through Jesus Christ, the new and living way, access to God becomes the privilege of every Christian. The word priest comes from the Latin presbyter and the Greek presbyteros which simply means elder. This word was later used to describe the leader of a community. In modern usage the term priest seems to be derived more from the actual Greek word for priest hiereus.  [16]  In the New Testament this word is never used to describe a class or caste of people separate from the people of God. Instead, it is used in the sense all Gods people are a chosen race, a royal priesthood  [17]  The New Testament believers constitute the succession to the priesthood in old Israel, having been given the right of direct access to God through Christ. Furthermore, the ministry in the church has replaced the ancient priesthood. Hence, all the believers in Christ are priests in the New Testament. Put into historical perspective, the priesthood concept would look like this: for the first several thousand years mankinds history as recorded in the Bible, each man was responsible for functioning as a priest before God. Then, for approximately 1500 years, the time between Moses and when Christ appeared on earth, the priesthood of the professional existed. From the death of Christ until He returns again, we have reverted to the pre-Sinai days of the priesthood of the believer.  [18]   II. THE HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF MARTIN LUTHERS REFORMATIVE THOUGHT It is better to look back the history of the church to understand that how the New Testament idea of priesthood of all believers was perverted into the Roman Catholic Idea of Institutionalism. A. PRIESTHOOD OF ALL BELIEVERS IN THE EARLY CHURCH HISTORY The doctrine of the priesthood of all believers is found throughout the Scriptures and was practiced in the early church. As Dr. R. Laird Harris writes, First century Christianity had no priests. The New Testament nowhere uses the word to describe a leader in Christian service.  [19]  But this glorious doctrine was gradually replaced by sacerdotalism beginning in the third century, especially by Cyprian (c. 258) Bishop of Carthage. Cyprian treated all the passages in the Old Testament that refer to the privileges, the sanctions, the duties, and the responsibilities of the Aaronic Priesthood, as applying to the officers of the Christian Church.  [20]  He completely failed to grasp the central thesis of the Epistle to the Hebrews. He was blind to the fact that the only High Priest under the Gospel recognized by the apostolic writings is our Lord Himself  [21]  and not a solitary pope or bishop or priest of the church. So from the third century onwards the priesthood of all believers was not visible in theological thinking. But the Roman Catholic theologians justified sacerdotalism by saying that Jesus gave the keys of the kingdom to Peter, the rock upon whom Jesus would build his church. Further they says that Peter was the first pope of Rome, and so the pope of Rome by succession has the power of the keys of the kingdom to bind and loose, and even to save. Salvation is deposited in the Roman priesthood and dispensed through the sacraments. The sacraments are effectual ex opere operato, meaning the subjective condition of the priest or the recipient does not matter. The Roman Catholic Church teaches that there is no salvation outside of the priesthoods mediatorial function, and no person by grace alone through faith in Jesus Christ may approach the Father with confidence! B. PRIESTHOOD OF ALL BELIEVERS IN THE MEDIVAL PERIOD By the successive centuries, the Roman Catholic hierarchy and other religious groups make a sharp distinction between the laity and the clergy. Such distinction was foreign to the early church where the ultimate authority in ministry traces back to the risen Lord. Along with the structural hierarchy is the sacrament of ordination. The church in Rome imposes the sacrament of ordination that results in the marked separation between the clergy and the laity.  [22]  Christianity had been plagued with it ever since. More and more the church began to structure itself on the basis of the former Levitical order, rather than on the purely New Testament idea of each man is a priest perspective. The change was slow and evolutionary, but pastors gradually came to be called priests and the believers laity. The communion table became an altar and the elements a sacrifice. At the dawn of the Reformation Era, the institutionalized church already would have two major distinguished bodies within the community of believers: the clergy and laity. The status lay people, both in principle and in practice, would not only subordinate to the priests, but also widens the gap between clergy and laity. The gap became synonymous with the sacred and the profane.  [23]   But godly men such as Peter Waldo, John Wyclif and John Hus saw the distinct difference and distance between the clergy and laity. They didnt like it, for it was in opposition to the teachings of the New Testament. Until the dramatic impact of the Protestant Reformation, these smaller movements had little pervasive influence.  [24]   C. PRIESTHOOD OF ALL BELIEVERS IN THE REFORMATION ERA During the Reformation era the concept of the priesthood of all believers became very contentious within the structures of the Institutional church. The Reformation era provides a framework in tracing the concept of the priesthood of all believers. An elucidation on how Martin Luther formulated the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers will be dealt with in the pages to follow. The concept that all who believe in Christ are priests occurred to Luther after he became convinced that Scripture was the only authority for a Christian. As he studied the Bible, especially Pauls Epistle to the Romans, he discovered that in and through Jesus Christ a believer possessed the righteousness of God, and therefore, immediate access to God without the mediation of an arrogant priesthood. Thus, the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers is a sequel to the doctrine of justification by grace alone through faith alone. Those who are clothed in the perfect righteousness of God are welcome in the presence of God. No Christian needs a pontiff, meaning a bridge builder, because Jesus Christ alone is the way to the Father. There were other efforts at reforming the Catholic Church, seeking to bring it back to a more biblical posture, but they all fell short of their goal. It was not until such reforming seeds germinated in a favorable political climate that fruit would be born. The date was October 31, 1517. The place was Wittenberg, Germany. An obscure priest named Martin Luther nailed his grievances to the church door, the Reformation was born. A number of changes were called for by this bold, imaginative priest, but at the very core of the Reformation was the conviction that all believers are priests of the living God. He felt that all believers had the right and responsibility to study Gods Word, involve themselves in the ministry, make confession to God on their own, and even administer the sacraments.  [25]   What had started in 1517 as a protest against indulgences by an unknown monk, developed in 1520 into an irreconcilable conflict dividing the Western Church. The three treatises of To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation, The Babylonian Captivity of the Church, and The Freedom of a Christian are the heart of Luthers protest against the church of his day. The first was written in August, the second in October, and third in November. In great part, Luthers tract is a catalog of the deplorable state of Christendom. The pope exalts himself over secular rulers as well as over the church, and lives in unconscionable luxury. Rome is a moral cesspool where licenses to live in open debauchery can be bought and sold. The Church has become a machine for making money, and the popes henchmen, having bled Italy dry, have now turned their attention to Germany. Because of their inability to live up to the arbitrary rule of celibacy, many pious priests keep wives, yet do so secretly and with a bad conscience. The universities ignore the Bible and lecture on commentaries, and on commentaries on commentaries. The common people are ignorant even of basic Christianity.  [26]  In such a situation, Luther did write his treatises. Primarily, his first treatise of To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation occupied the central theme of the priesthood of all believers. Here it is better to examine the background that led Martin Luther to raise the concept of priesthood of all believers. 1. To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation a) Priesthood of All Believers As Social Implication In his first treatise of To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation the concept of priesthood of all believers has social, ecclesiastical and spiritual implications. At the dawn of the Reformation era, the institutionalized church already would have two major distinguished bodies within the community of believers such as clergy and laity. Socially, he accepted the context of western Christianity, where temporal rulers belong to the body of Christendom. Within the Christian social order, the rulers are ordained of God to punish evildoers and protect those who do good. When pressed by the temporal power the Romanists have made decrees and declared that the temporal power had no jurisdiction over them, but that, on the contrary, the spiritual power is above the temporal.  [27]   Luther argues against the medieval division between the temporal and the church authorities and their separate jurisdictions in all matters. First of all, he attacked the social distinction that emphasized by the Romanists, It is pure invention that pope, bishop, priests, and monks are called the spiritual estate while princes, lords, artisans, and farmers are called the temporal estate. This is indeed a piece of deceit and hypocrisy. Yet no one need be intimidated by it, and for this reason: all Christians are truly of the spiritual estate, and there is no difference among them except that of office.  [28]   He maintains that all Christians are equally Christian so that none is superior to any other as far possessing what is essential to the church, because we all have one baptism, one gospel, one faith, are all Christians alike; for baptism, gospel, and faith alone make us spiritual and a Christian people.  [29]   Relying upon 1Corinthians 12:12-13, which describes the Church as the body of Christ and each member a part of that body, Luther acknowledges differences between Christians, not as questions of status, however, but as occasions for service to others. All are not the same in what God has given them to do, but they are all the same in what God has given them to be in the Church, viz., His very own people. All Christians, therefore, have the same status. By quoting 1Peter 2:9 and Rev. 5:9-10, Luther describes that status as priest and ascribes it to every Christian, As far as that goes, we are all consecrated priests through baptism.  [30]  So what differentiates Christians is simply the work that God has given them to do: There is no true, basic difference between laymen and priests, prices and bishops, between religious and secular, except for the sake of office and work, but not for the same of status. They are all of the spiritual estate, al are truly priests, bishops, and popes  [31]   As part of the divine economy, God has given to each Christian a particular calling in this life whereby he serves others, Everyone must benefit and serve every other by means of his own work or office so that in this way many kinds of work may be done for the bodily and spiritual welfare of the community, just as all the members of the body serve one another (1Cor.12:14-26).  [32]   As examples of such vocations in the body of Christ, Luther mentions cobblers, smiths, peasants, and temporal authorities besides the clergy. But what is noteworthy about the last, those who have as their vocation the administration of the Word of God and Sacraments,  [33]  is that they are exercising an authority that belongs in the first instance to every Christian. For besides designating ones status before God, Luthers concept of the priesthood of believers also includes spiritual power in the church. b) Priesthood of All Believers as Ecclesiastical Implication Luther rejects ecclesiastically, the clergys monopoly on interpreting Scripture. He attacks the second wall of Romanists that only the pope may interpret the Scripture, determining correct doctrine, forgiving sins, and exercising discipline. There is no Scriptural warrant at all for the claim that only the pope may interpret the Bible. Here Luther clarifies the illusion that some of the Romanists claim of the power that was given to St. Peter. Although they allege that this power was given to St. Peter when the keys were given him, it is clear enough that the key were not given to Peter alone but to the whole community. Further, the keys were not ordained for doctrine or government, but only for the binding or loosing of sin.  [34]   As handlers of Scripture the Romanists are manifestly incompetent, and this makes their claim to hold a monopoly on biblical interpretation absurd. The Romanists must admit that there are among us good Christians who have the true faith, spirit, understanding, word, and mind of Christ. Luthers main point is that the Pope isnt the only person able to read the scriptures. He writes, Has not the Pope often erred? Here Luther implies that the Pope isnt God, and that he makes mistakes.  [35]  The Pope, therefore, can misinterpret the Bible. Luther shows that the Pope is like everyone else, so therefore others can interpret the scriptures as well. Luther then uses the Bible as a way to prove the second wall wrong. Luther quotes Christs words, And they shall be all taught of God(St. John vi. 45). Everyone should be able to interpret the scriptures and be taught of God, without the Popes help. Furthermore he questions, Besides, if we are all priests, as was said above, and all have one faith, one gospel, one sacrament, why should we not also have the power to test and judge what is right or wrong in matters of faith? What becomes of Pauls words in 1Corinthians 2:15, A spiritual man judges all things, yet he is judged by no one? And 2Corinthians 4:13, We all have one spirit of faith? Why, then, should not we perceive what is consistent with faith and what is not, just as well as an unbelieving pope does?  [36]   Even more, Luther attacks the third wall of Romanists. He argues that there is no basis either in the nature of a Christian society or in Scripture for the Romanists refusal to call a council. Luther brings up that St. Peter wasnt the only person to call a council: Thus we read in Acts 15 that the council of the Apostles was not called by St. Peter, but by all the Apostles and the elders.  [37]  Also, nowhere in the scriptures does it say that the Pope is allowed to call a council by himself. Therefore their threats can be safely ignored, and a council should be called without delay to deal with a long list of abuses in the Church. Ordinary people and temporal authorities have the right and duty to do this, not only by virtue of their status as kings and priests before God, but because the crisis in the Church demands it. Would it not be unnatural if a fire broke out in a city and everybody were to stand by and let it burn on and on and consume everything that could burn because nobody had the authority of the mayor, or because, perhaps, the fire broke out in the mayors house? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦How much more should this be done in the spiritual city of Christ if a fire of offense breaks out, whether in the papal government, or anywhere else?  [38]   Therefore, Luther concludes that it is the duty of every Christian in the Church as having the responsibility of priesthood of all believers; he has to espouse the cause of the faith, to understand and defend it, and to denounce every error. c) Priesthood of All Believers as Spiritual Implication Luther declares that since we have one baptism, one gospel one faith, and are all Christians alike; for baptism, gospel, and faith alone make us spiritual and a Christian people. He quotes 1Peter 2:9, But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, Gods special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Yet all are alike consecrated priests, everyone must benefit and serve every other by means of his own work or office so that in this way many kinds of work may be done for the bodily and spiritual welfare of the community, just as all the members of the body serve one another. Mainly all should share the three priestly functions such as prayer intercede with God on behalf of others, proclamation speak the gospel sharing it with the neighbor, and sacrifice living a cross-centered and servant oriented life. Since the Church is in a state of crisis and someone has to act. The temporal authorities and ordinary lay people can and should do so because there are no inherently unspiritual vocations, because all Christians in all vocations are kings and priests, and because the deplorable state of the Church is the concern of every Christian. 2. The Babylonian Captivity of the Church Nevertheless, the second treatise of Luther, The Babylonian Captivity of the Church also has the influence of the idea of priesthood of all believers. In this treatise, he discusses and dismantles the medieval sacramental system. In a measured but powerful way, Luther subjects each of the seven medieval sacraments such as baptism, Eucharist, penance, confirmation, marriage, ordination, and extreme unction to the critique of Gods Word and concludes that there are, strictly speaking, but two sacraments in the church of God baptism and the bread ( Eucharist). For only in these two do we find both the divinely instituted sign and the promise of forgiveness of sins  [39]   Not surprisingly, in his di

Fractals and the Cantor Set :: Fractal Cantor Essays

Fractals and the Cantor Set Fractals are remarkable designs noted for their infinite self-similarity. This means that small parts of the fractal contain all of the information of the entire fractal, no matter how small the viewing window on the fractal is. This contrasts for example, with most functions, which tend to look like straight lines when examined closely. The Cantor Set is an intriguing example of a fractal. The Cantor set is formed by removing the middle third of a line segment. Then the middle third of the new line segments are removed. This is repeated an infinite number of times. In the end, we are left with a set of scattered points. These points have some very curious properties. First, there are an infinite number of them. In fact, there are so many points that no matter what list we create or what rule we apply, not all of the points will appear, even if our list is infinite. In other words, the set belongs to aleph-one. This is demonstrated through diagonalization. Here’s how—first one endpoint of the original line segment is labeled zero. The other endpoint becomes one. All the points in between are assigned fractional values. We can calculate more easily if we assign the values in tertiary, the base-three system. Unlike the common decimal system, the natural numbers are labeled 1, 2, 10, 11, 12, 20, 21, 22, 100, and so forth. Notice that the places of the digits represent the powers of three rather than the powers of ten. The â€Å"decimal places† represent 1/3, 1/9, 1/27, and so forth. The first removal takes out all points between .1 and .2. The second removal takes out all points between .01 and .02 as well as the values from .21 and .22. By continuing these specifications, all numbers that contain a â€Å"1† are removed, (except numbers ending in a one, such as .220021) and number containing merely twos and zeros are kept. The numbers ending in 1 are re-written by replacing the final 1 with 02222222222222†¦. because this is equal to 1 in tertiary. Suppose that we could somehow count all Cantor Set elements in one list. Then we could write out that list in order, one above the other. However, if we took the first decimal of the

The Effects Of Drug Use

Maybe some of us have a good idea that the illegal drug business is still huge but covered somewhere among the â€Å"black† economy markets. After all the numbers one could hear tossed around, I am afraid that the sad truth could be, that no one really knows just how huge this business might be, how many people die, how much blood money has been made and than laundered into legal businesses. It is terrible to imagine how many subways and basements come to be â€Å"the places for being in the clouds†. According to the National Drug Prevention League drugs are an object of the fastest growing trade, except the Internet. Some of you might share my opinion that it is a billion-dollar industry that takes a comfortable place in our society. Drugs have always been with mankind as we seem to carry an inherent need to consume mind altering substances. Many people, who didn’t use drugs before, know only that â€Å"that thing† can make them feel in a strange way. But drugs could harm people when using them. It is not a secret that the consequences could be severe for the users. It is essential that people are educated at a very young age and presented with the appropriate social re-enforcers to understand that there are viable reasons that drugs are dangerous – they destroy lives. Drugs affect people’s thinking, awareness and senses. They have huge effect on people’s physical and mental health because of the chemical reactions they provoke in humans’ bodies. They lead to hallucinations, hearing voices, suspision and a feeling of â€Å"everyone is out to get me†. Also they make most of the organs in your body disfunction, poison blood, kill brain cells and finally, in most cases, kill the person that abuses them. Hallucinations can make people experience things that aren’t real. Probably drug users are looking exactly for that â€Å"escaping the reality† for a while. Don’t you think that until now, modes of life have been based on the material slavery of the masses? Does our society offer us a different life than working all day long and going home to get some rest for the next working day? Maybe not, and maybe that is why people who are using drugs do believe drugs are the magic formula that leads someone to a world totally different from the boring every-day life. There is a clich? that says – â€Å"People have the strange instinct to break every rule once it is established†. When I went to Holland 3 years ago, I found that the government had established some rules that were quite strange for me at first. In 1976, Holland decriminalized marijuana possession. From that time on one can go into a retail shop and purchase small amounts of marijuana. This could be one of the reasons why Holland has a low level of heroin use, a low level of cocaine use, much lower than most of the other countries do. What actually happened was that the marijuana became the filter, preventing harder drug use. But do people of our society really know where the drugs are going to and who are their greatest consumers? It is a pity that one of the easiest places to find some drugs could be in schools. Students who turn to more potent drugs usually do so after first using cigarettes and alcohol, and then marijuana. Maybe there are some people who know that drugs transform schools into marketplace for dope dealers. However, students who continue to use drugs learn that drugs can make strange things with their thoughts and feelings, and the greater a student’s involvement with marijuana, the more likely it is that student could begin to use other drugs in conjunction with marijuana. When talking about night parties, I got used to seeing guys smoking marijuana as imperturbably as they drink their beers. Can you think about somebody you know who has taken drugs in front of you? Here, the bad thing could be that you might have seen at least one person taking drugs freely. â€Å"This is a family problem†- some could say. And according Dan Check’s book † The Success and Failure of George Bush’s War on Drugs† the problem is coming rather from the family than somewhere else. Maybe the society has to rely on the family, as being the strongest entity in its structure to solve the huge-spread drug problem that exists. But here, the weird thing is that parents can’t really see the symptoms of drug addiction in their children. And it is a â€Å"public secret† that the gap between parents and kids is getting bigger and bigger. I don’t want to imagine what the difference between parents and children could be in the next generations. But parents shouldn’t wait until they think their child has a problem. Many young people in treatment programs say that they had used alcohol and other drugs for at least two years before their parents knew about it. Maybe their parents should begin to talk earlier about the effects of alcohol and other drugs use and keep the lines of communication open all the time. Isn’t it better to let your child know that you are concerned, and that you can work together to find answers of these so important questions? It is really harder to stop drug use among children once it is there. Most of the times, after students get involved with drugs, they start to sell them or begin to steal from family, friends, or employers in order to buy the next dose. Determining the consequences of harder drug use could help the new generation stop using them. Maybe facing the answer of this question will make people think about the real price they are paying when drugs are involved. Along with â€Å"escaping the boring reality†, the teeth rot out, the appetite is lost, and the stomach doesn’t function properly. The gall bladder becomes inflamed and eyes and skin turn yellow. In some cases, membranes of the nose turn a flaming red and breathing becomes difficult. Oxygen in the blood decreases, bronchitis and tuberculosis develop. Good traits of character disappear and bad ones emerge. Sex organs become affected too. Veins collapse. Nerves snap. Imaginary and fantastic fears blight the mind. Sometimes complete insanity results. Many times, death comes much too early. Such is the torment of being a drug addict and such is the plague of being one of the walking dead bodies. The statistics show that in the period 1994 – 1999 the rate of death caused by â€Å"hard-core† drugs use has increased with 6%. Maybe the answer for preventing humans and most of all the young people from taking dope is hidden somewhere among all these questions that are hard to be faced by the society. Who is responsible for this to happen? And who is really interested in preventing the dope disaster? Is there something that can be done if we, the human beings, do not realize the importance of the dope problem? Drugs have made a tremendous impact on American society over the past thirty to forty years, yet many Americans are ambivalent regarding their opinions relating to drugs in terms of decriminalization, availability, impact on society, and mental and physical health impacts.

Essay on Hiring and Development Plan

Essay on Hiring and Development Plan Essay on Hiring and Development Plan Essay on Hiring and Development PlanToday the role of Human Relations managers is crucial in the successful development of any company. Every day companies face a wide range of complex challenges, which affect the functioning of management and employee performance. According to researchers, the way â€Å"managers handles these challenges directly affects employees and their performance†(Hodgetts Hegar, 2007, p.5). Human relations process allows managers to bring employees into contract with the company in a way that help to achieve the established goals of both groups. Any company is focused on three goals: the company’s survival, growth and profitability. Amy employee is concerned with the following goals: â€Å"good pay, adequate working conditions, a chance to interact with other personnel, and the opportunity to do interesting and meaningful work† (Hodgetts Hegar, 2007, p.5). It becomes clear that any company seeks talented employees for the required posit ion, providing them abundant opportunities for personal and professional growth (Aswathappa, 2005; Byars, 2010). A Human Relations Manager is focused on creating successful planning that will work best for the company and employees. The application of successful hiring and development activities guarantees positive outcomes and contributed to the company’s productivity. Actually, hiring process includes a number of activities, e.g. job analysis, job design, advertisement and mediums and other practices aimed at hiring the best candidates. Once a Company hired a new employee, it is appropriate to work out a development plan in order to create a successful and contributing member of the team. A Human Relations Manager should take into consideration all the required components of the plan.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As a Human Relations Manager for the company, I am dedicated to human relations function. I am focused on hiring and training employees, overseeing labor relations, as well as the human side of business. Any company should have an effective Human Resource Management team aimed at the utilization of employees’ skills and abilities to achieve the established organizational goals (Aswathappa, 2005; Byars, 2010). As a professional Human Relations specialist, I will work hard to find, train and motivate employees. I am competent in hiring, training new employees, resolving various internal work-related complaints, as well as in planning effective growth strategies with executives of our company.   As a Human Relations specialist, I will hire and motivate employees based on the established hiring and development plan.The major goal of this paper is to outline a hiring process from scratch which includes a discussion beginning job analysis, job design, advertisement and mediums, and continue through the actual hiring process, therefore creating the hiring plan.   Besides, it is necessary to represent a successful developmen t plan in order to create a successful and contributing member of the team.Creating a Hiring Plan  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   It is known that effective hiring process needs the creation of an effective hiring plan. This plan should be worked out before the beginning of the interview process. According to Kathleen Kennedy-Luczak and Carol E. Thompson (2005), â€Å"having an effective recruiting plan in place keeps the time a job remain open to a minimum, and avoids the risk that your company may be caught with orders it cannot fill, or jobs that may not be completed on time† (p. 6). Besides, an effective hiring plan guarantees uniformity of the whole hiring process and helps to avoid any employment discrimination practices.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As the hiring process in our company is a complex one, it is very important to use the proper skills and professional experience to meet the company’s needs. As a Human Relations Manager fo r the company, I should use my personal experience and knowledge to review the resumes or application forms and determine if the candidate for the required job position meets the qualifications of this job position.Outline of the Hiring Process  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In order to outline a hiring process, it is necessary to creating a hiring committee that will be responsible for overseeing the major procedures of the hiring process. The hiring committee should consist of 3 members, who possess the required skills and professional experiences in the hiring process (Byars, 2010). The hiring committee members should be ready to set the appropriate timeline for the hiring process.Job AnalysisJob analysis can be viewed as â€Å"the backbone of human resource function, forming the basis of all tasks in a well-managed human resource department† (Foster, 2010, p. 587). The term job analysis can be defined as a comprehensive systematic process aimed at providing i mportant information on job position, describing the job and comparing it with other jobs. As a Human Relations Manager, I am interested in â€Å"examining, documenting and drawing inferences about job activities, worker attributes, and work context† (Foster, 2010, p. 588).As a Human Relations Manager for the company, I will effectively use the information generated from job analysis. I will be involved in some necessary personnel practices, such as â€Å"writing job descriptions, establishing and conducting recruitment and selection process, conducting periodic performance appraisals, establishing employee training and development needs and establishing the level of pay for a job† (Foster, 2010, p. 588).First, I will create an effective job description. This activity stands for representation of a 1to 4 page summary of the required tasks, duties and responsibilities that are essential for the job position. I will provide a brief summary to make it easy for the applica nts and hiring committee members to evaluate all the requirements for the job position.Second, I will create job evaluation. According to Foster (2010), â€Å"the process of job evaluation attaches a dollar value, or worth, to the job†(p. 589). In this activity, I will pay due attention to the job’s duties and responsibilities and compare the pay rates for the similar job positions.Job DesignJob design is an important procedure as it includes the professional assessment of the required tasks, duties and responsibilities for the job position. I realize that I can change some aspects of job design to improve employee productivity and employee motivation.   I will use my professional skills and experience to make job expectations clear, organizing the established employee tasks, duties and responsibilities into an effective unit. As a Human Relations specialist, I will use different approaches for job design, including job simplification, job enlargement, job enrichment , job rotation, and job sharing.Advertisement and MediumsThe required positions can be advertised both internally and externally. Today there are many opportunities to hire candidates. I can use different approaches, including newspaper advertising, the Internet ads (e.g. the Internet job boards), social networking ads, job fairs, college recruiting, search firms and other approaches to hiring new employees. However, I will the Internet ads and social networking, as these approaches are the most effective searching tactics today. According to results of the joint poll conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management, many employers and employees use networking and personal contacts to achieve the established goals in searching process (Kennedy-Luczak Thompson, 2005).As a Human Relations Manager for the company, I will place a job announcement on a web-based resume board. In case, I need to find a candidate in a very short space of time, I will use the services of an external recruiter. According to experts, â€Å"external recruiters know where and how to find the most suitable candidates, whether these candidates are in the market for a new job or not† (Rothman, 2013, p. 34). Besides, external recruiters can help to find the employees who possess unique skills (technical and non-technical skills), qualities and preferences. Undoubtedly, I will pay the fee for external recruiters’ services.Selection process in the hiring procedureThe selection process requires mutual decision making concerning the candidate for the required job position. All hiring committee members should be involved in the process of selection new employees. According to researchers, â€Å"selection is a long process, commencing from the preliminary interview of the applicants and ending with the contract of employment†(Aswathappa, 2005, p. 158).   In our company, the selection process is focused on professionalism of the hiring committee members.As a Human Relat ions Manager, I realize that there are several factors that may affect the process of selection. These factors include â€Å"supply and demand of specific skills in the labor market, unemployment rate, labor market conditions, legal and political considerations, company’s image, company’s policy, HRP, and cost of hiring† (Aswathappa, 2005, p. 159).  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Screening procedure in the selection processThe process of screening helps to remove unqualified candidates for the required job position. I will evaluate all critical characteristics of candidates to determine if each person from the list of job candidates is qualified for the required job position. As a Human Relation Manager, I realize that the screening procedure helps to facilitate the subsequent stages of the selection process, based on practical management initiatives (Aswathappa, 2005; Byars, 2010).Conducting a preliminary interview with candidatesAfter screening the candidates’ resumes and applications, I will conduct a preliminary interview with the candidates for the required job position in order to select and hire a candidate who meets the needs of our company. I know that a preliminary interview can help to identify some misfits that have not been mentioned in the application forms or resumes (Aswathappa, 2005; Byars, 2010).Selection testsSelection tests are used to find out more important information about the candidates for the open position. Those candidates who pass a screening procedure and a preliminary interview should be called for selection tests. As a Human Relations Manager for the company, I will use selection tests to â€Å"determine the applicant’s ability, aptitude and personality† (Aswathappa, 2005, p. 160). There are several types of selection tests, including ability tests, aptitude tests, personality tests, interest tests, graphology tests, polygraph tests and other types of selection tests. I will use personality tests, which help to measure and evaluate the candidate’s motivation to perform his/her duties in a proper way and ability tests, which help to determine the ability of a candidate to perform the required tasks. Some of the issues that will be discussed in the selection tests for the candidates include occupational interests, personality factors, technical and non-technical skills, temperamental adaptability, etc.Essay on   Hiring and Development Plan part 2

Siege of Louisbourg in the French and Indian War

Siege of Louisbourg in the French and Indian War The Siege of Louisbourg lasted from June 8 to July 26, 1758, and was part of the French Indian War (1754-1763). Located on the approaches to the St. Lawrence River, the fortress at Louisbourg was a critical part of New Frances defenses. Eager to strike at Quebec, the British first attempted to take the town in 1757 but were thwarted. A second attempt in 1758 saw a large expedition led by Major General Jeffery Amherst and Admiral Edward Boscawen land forces near the town and conduct a siege of its defenses. After several weeks of fighting, Louisbourg fell to Amhersts men and the path to advancing up the St. Lawrence had been opened. Background Situated on Cape Breton Island, the fortress town of Louisbourg had been captured from the French by American colonial forces in 1745 during the War of the Austrian Succession. With the end of the conflict in 1748, it was returned to the French in the Treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle in exchange for Madras, India. This decision proved controversial in Britain as it was understood that Louisbourg was critical to the defense of French holdings in North America as it controlled the approaches to the St. Lawrence River. Nine years later, with the French Indian War underway, it again became necessary for the British to capture Louisbourg as a precursor to a move against Quebec. In 1757, Lord Loudoun, the British commander in North America, planned to fight on the defensive along the frontier while mounting an expedition against Quebec. A change in administration in London coupled with delays in receiving orders ultimately saw the expedition redirected against Louisbourg. The effort ultimately failed due to the arrival of French naval reinforcements and severe weather.   A Second Attempt The failure in 1757 led Prime Minister William Pitt (the Elder) to make the capture of Louisbourg a priority in 1758. To accomplish this, a large force was assembled under the command of Admiral Edward Boscawen. This expedition sailed from Halifax, Nova Scotia in late May 1758. Moving up the coast, Boscawens fleet met the ship carrying Major General Jeffery Amherst who had been assigned to oversee the ground forces. The two assessed the situation planned to land the invasion force along the shores of Gabarus Bay. Armies Commanders: British Major General Jeffery AmherstAdmiral Edward BoscawenBrigadier General James Wolfe14,000 men, 12,000 sailors/marines40 warships French Chevalier de Drucour3,500 men, 3,500 sailors/marines5 warships French Preparations Aware of British intentions, the French commander at Louisbourg, Chevalier de Drucour, made preparations to repel the British landing and resist a siege. Along the shores of Gabarus Bay, entrenchments and gun emplacements were built, while five ships of the line were positioned to defend the harbor approaches. Arriving off Gabarus Bay, the British were delayed in landing by unfavorable weather. Finally on June 8, the landing force set out under the command of Brigadier General James Wolfe and supported by the guns of Boscawens fleet. This effort was aided by feints against White Point and Flat Point by Brigadier Generals Charles Lawrence and Edward Whitmore. Coming Ashore Meeting heavy resistance from the French defenses near the beach, Wolfes boats were forced to fall back. As they retreated, several drifted to the east and spotted a small landing area protected by large rocks. Going ashore, British light infantry secured a small beachhead which allowed for the landing of the remainder of Wolfes men. Attacking, his men hit the French line from the flank and rear forcing them to retreat back to Louisbourg. Largely in control of the country around the town, Amhersts men endured rough seas and boggy terrain as they landed their supplies and guns. Overcoming these issues, they commenced an advance against the town. The Siege Begins As the British siege train moved towards Louisbourg and lines were constructed opposite its defenses, Wolfe was ordered to move around the harbor and capture Lighthouse Point. Marching with 1,220 picked men, he succeeded in his objective on June 12. Constructing a battery on the point, Wolfe was in prime position to bombard the harbor and the water side of the town. On June 19, British guns opened fire on Louisbourg. Hammering the towns walls, the bombardment from Amhersts artillery was met by fire from 218 French guns. The French Position Weakens As the days passed, French fire began to slacken as their guns became disabled and the towns walls were reduced. While Drucour was determined to hold out, fortunes quickly turned against him on July 21. As the bombardment continued, a mortar shell from the battery on Lighthouse Point struck Le Cà ©là ¨bre in the harbor causing an explosion and setting the ship on fire. Fanned by a strong wind, the fire grew and soon consumed the two adjacent ships, Le Capricieux and LEntreprenant. In a single stroke, Drucour had lost sixty percent of his naval strength. Final Days The French position worsened further two days later when heated British shot set the Kings Bastion on fire. Situated inside the fortress, the Kings Bastion served as the fortress headquarters and was one of the largest buildings in North America. The loss of this, quickly followed by the burning of the Queens Bastion, crippled French morale. On July 25, Boscawen dispatched a cutting out party to capture or destroy the two remaining French warships. Slipping into the harbor, they captured Bienfaisant and burned Prudent. Bienfaisant was sailed out of the harbor and joined the British fleet. Realizing that all was lost, Drucour surrendered the town the following day. Aftermath The siege of Louisbourg cost Amherst 172 killed and 355 wounded, while the French suffered 102 killed, 303 wounded, and the remainder taken prisoner. In addition, four French warships were burned and one captured. The victory at Louisbourg opened the way for the British to campaign up the St. Lawrence River with the goal of taking Quebec. Following that citys surrender in 1759, British engineers began the systematic reduction of Louisbourgs defenses to prevent it being returned to the French by any future peace treaty.

The novel Good Faith and the movie Glengarry Glen Ross

The novel Good Faith and the movie Glengarry Glen Ross Nowadays, it became a commonplace practice among conservative politicians to suggest that the key to America’s greatness is the citizens’ endowment with the sense of a commercial industriousness. Nevertheless, even though that there is a certain rationale to this suggestion, there are also a number of good reasons to believe that it is due to the American citizens’ earlier mentioned psychological trait that their country periodically finds itself standing on the threshold of an economic collapse.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The novel Good Faith and the movie Glengarry Glen Ross specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The analysis of what caused the outbreak of the Great Depression, during the course of the thirties, and what triggered the financial crisis of 2008-2009, confirms the validity of this statement. Apparently, contrary to what the proponents of neo-liberalism strive to make us to believe, people’s preoccupation with trying to generate a commercial profit, as the main point of their lives, cannot be regarded as such that represents the value of a ‘thing in itself’. This is because the notion of people’s ‘commercial industriousness’ is synonymous to the notion of a blind moneymaking greed, which in turn is synonymous with the notion of immorality. In my paper, I will explore the legitimacy of this suggestion at length, in regards to what account for the morally dubious ethics of many characters in the 1992 film Glengarry Glen Ross by James Foley and in the Jane Smiley’s 2003 novel Good Faith. As of today, the majority of ‘progressive’ political scientists in America never ceases pointing out to the fact that the biggest problem, faced by the American society, is racism. However, it is not racism, which accounts for the country’s ‘little dirty secret’, but rather classism. That is, the meas ure of just about every citizen’s worthiness is being accessed in regards to the sum of money that she or he happened to have in the bank – regardless of the actual source of this money. There is a memorable scene in Glengarry Glen Ross, where the character of Blake (Alec Baldwin) delivers a speech in front of real-estate agents, while insisting that it is namely the volume of one’s monetary assets that reflects the concerned individual’s true worth, and that there simply cannot be a good enough excuse for these agents to justify their professional unsuccessfulness: â€Å"I made $970,000 last year. How much you make? You see pal, thats who I am, and youre nothing. Nice guy? I dont give a shit. Good father? Fuck you! Go home and play with your kids. You want to work here close!† (00.11.56). Apparently, Blake firmly believed that, in the field of a real-estate business, there could only be two categories of professionals winners and losers. Everyth ing else is irrelevant. It is needless to mention, of course, that the Blake’s suggestion, in this respect, implies that contrary to the assumption that the American economy’s functioning has very little to do with the principles of a ‘wild capitalism’, this is far from being the actual case.Advertising Looking for essay on ethics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Just as it used to be the situation even as far back, as a hundred years ago, the extent of just about every American entrepreneur’s successfulness reflects the measure of his or her emotional comfortableness with the ‘law of jungle’, based upon the Darwinian principle of the ‘survival of the fittest’. However; whereas, in the animal kingdom the practical manifestations of this principle being at work are concerned with the process of carnivorous predators catching and eating herbivores, in human so cieties they are concerned with the process of cynically minded individuals taking away money from those who happened to be little too trustworthy. This provides us with an insight into the discursive significance of Blake’s ‘commandment’: â€Å"They are (buyers) sitting out there, waiting to give you their money. Are you gonna take it? Are you man enough to take it?† (00.12.27). Being deprived of any illusions, as to the fact that it is possible for people to conduct an ‘ethical business’, this character knew perfectly well that it is specifically the entrepreneurs’ willingness to deceive their business-partners, which creates objective preconditions for them to be able to succeed in commerce. As Geva noted: â€Å"Business is expected to do whatever is necessary in order to succeed, and is not expected to be concerned with abstract morality. Business is a one-dimensional, purely profit-seeking enterprise. Profit is not just prioritize d; it is elevated to the exclusion of all other interests† (585). It will not be much of an exaggeration, on our part, to suggest that in the world of a corporate business, the main ‘ethical’ rule is – if you have not been caught doing anything illegal, you are considered an upstanding citizen, even if everybody knows that you are in fact a con-master. The soundness of this statement can be well illustrated in relation to the psychological inclinations of one of the Smiley novel’s main characters – a land-developer Marcus Burns. The first thing we learn about him is that he used to work for the IRS. The second thing that we learn is that Burns used to take pride in the fact that, while working for the IRS, he figured out how to steal money without facing the consequences: â€Å"The tax code is transforming before your very eyes, and everyone is perfectly happy to see it happen†¦ Accountants are in the business of making sure the books ba lance. That’s all. You could steal a company blind, but if the books balanced, the accountant would have done his job† (Smiley 101). What is especially ironic about this character is that, as it appears from the novel, Burns never ceased considering himself a thoroughly moral individual.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The novel Good Faith and the movie Glengarry Glen Ross specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In its turn, this can be explained by the fact that, just as it happened to be the case with many of the novel’s characters, involved in real-estate trading, Burns was raised in the family of Protestant Bible-thumpers. As such, he was naturally inclined to consider speculative moneymaking to be the noblest pursuit of all according to the Protestant doctrine, one’s financial well-being is the foremost proof that he or she is in favor with law-imposing (rather than with mercy-granting) God . As opposed to what it is being the case with Catholics, Protestants consider the Old Testament being just as valid as the New One. Yet, the foremost idea that it is being promoted throughout the course of the Old Testament’s entirety, is that there are God’s ‘chosen people’, on the one hand, and ‘infidels’, on the other, and that it is fully permissible for ‘chosen people’ to deceive the latter, when it comes to making money. Partially, this explains why Burns used to make a point in maintaining the observable respectability of its physical appearance: â€Å"He (Marcus Burns) was very neat, almost formal. Even though the weather was hot, he was wearing a light blue shirt, a navy blue tie, and a sport coat. The shirt collar had a starchy sheen and lay smoothly against his neck. The cuffs emerged a half inch from the sleeve of his jacket† (58). Apparently, this was nothing but the extrapolation of Burns’ deep-seated irrational belief in his own infallibility, as someone who enjoyed the privilege of being able to steal and extort money from others, without sustaining any harm to its reputation, as a result The full soundness of suggestion can also be shown, in regards to a Burn’s genuine conviction that is indeed possible to enjoy a nice living, while paying for all the expenses with essentially non-existing money: â€Å"The simplest legal way that takes no cheating and no creative bookkeeping and passes every audit†¦ You live on borrowed money. You sell the property piece by piece to pay the interest and you keep borrowing more† (153). Formally speaking, this Burn’s idea does make a certain sense. After all, why does one need to be required to apply an effort into producing any factual products and services, when he or she can invest into some real-estate property, wait for a year or two, and to resell it for twice as much – hence, having made money out of the thin air? Burns outlined the philosophy behind this line of reasoning rather frankly: â€Å"More people mean scarcer resources, scarcer resources mean inflation, and inflation means property and interest-bearing capital have a higher value and work has a lower value. It’s as simple as that† (149). Yet, this way of thinking is clearly unethical.Advertising Looking for essay on ethics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More After all, it is a namely people’s willingness to indulge in financial speculations in the real-estate market that create objective prerequisites for the outbreaks of financial crises, such as the one of 2008-2009. Throughout the course of the decade, prior to the outbreak of this crisis, the majority of less than upstanding Americans rushed into applying for easy down-payment loans. Yet, even though these people were clearly incapable of sticking to the terms of the contract, banks were still qualifying them for credits – just as real-estate agents were willing to go as far as to overlook the mental inadequacy of many of potential house-buyers. There is another memorable scene in Glengarry Glen Ross, where after having bragged about selling the $82.000 real-estate unit, Shelley Levene (Jack Lemmon) is being told by John Williamson (Kevin Spacey) that the buyers were in fact mentally ill: â€Å"They’re (buyers) nuts. They used to call in every week†¦ Theyà ¢â‚¬â„¢re nuts†¦ The people are insane. They just like talking to salesmen† (01.32.12). Despite being a professional real-estate agent, Levene still could not figure it out. The reason for this is simple – he has been trained to only care about accomplishing ‘closures’, regardless of whether these accomplishments were ethical or not. This also explains why, as it is being shown throughout the film, it represents a commonplace practice among real-estate agents to lie to their clients in the most blatant manner, without giving a thought that there could be anything wrong about it. This simply could not be otherwise, because up until comparatively recently, the very functioning of a real-estate business was fueled by the involved parties’ willingness to generate lies and to resell these lies to each other in the form of financial obligations. As Burns noted: â€Å"A big loan is an asset. All those deposits†¦ are the liabilities, and those loa ns are assets. (We need) to transform the savings and loan from a money loser to moneymaker, to make the books look good†¦ (to make) make big loans, which go on the asset side and cover old loans that aren’t making any profit† (152). Again, even though that the above quoted statement seems thoroughly logical, it is highly immoral. Apparently, while referring to loans in terms of an ‘asset’, Burns was promoting the idea that the practice of capitalizing on ‘derivatives’ (financial contracts between two parties, backed by the third party’s financial obligations, which could be bought and sold in the open market) is fully appropriate. However, as we are now well aware of, this practice created a paradoxical situation – while individual risks in the real-estate market were being continuously lowered, the overall risk for the whole financial system to lose its stability kept on growing evermore heightened. Therefore, it was only t he matter of time, before the ‘real-estate bubble’ would blow (which happened in 2008) – hence, instantly impoverishing millions and millions of ordinary Americans. It is needless to mention, of course, that those that are obsessed with making money at any cost are naturally inclined to adopt a positive attitude towards the notion of a so-called ‘victimless crime’, as nothing short of a driving force behind the free-market economy’s proper functioning. This is the reason why, while talking about the prospect of stealing Glengarry leads in the film, the characters of Dave Moss (Ed Harris) and George Aaronow (Alan Arkin) never made any mentioning of the fact that theft is a highly immoral deed. All they seemed to be concerned about was whether their thieving intention could be considered thoroughly safe or not: â€Å"Moss: Robery†¦ is a crime. That’s right. It’s also very safe† (00.43.50). After all, if one assumes that it is fully appropriate to make money out of the thin air, then there could be only a few obstacles on the way of the concerned individual coming to assume that there is nothing unethical about the concept of a robbery, as it fits rather well within the discursive framework of speculative moneymaking. However, it is not only that in both: the novel and the film, the characters’ moral ambivalence is being reflected by their willingness to participate in semi-illegal scheming in the real-estate market, but also by the very essence of their existential attitudes, in general. For example, while expounding on the subject of what should be considered the right way to live, the film’s character Ricky Roma (Al Pacino) states: â€Å"There’s an absolute morality? Maybe. And then what? If you think there is, go ahead, be that thing. Bad people go to hell? I don’t think so† (00.40.26). Even though that the above-statement appears being of a general nature, th ere can be only a few doubts, as to the fact that the person who uttered it is more than capable of acting anti-socially. Essentially the same can be said about the novel’s narrator Joe Stratford. Even though that Stratford is being represented as a socially established individual who adheres to the provisions of conventional ethics, he nevertheless appears fully comfortable with the idea that, in order for just about anyone to be able to succeed in life, he or she will need to ‘bend’ these provisions, if circumstances call for it. For example, the novel’s context implies that Stratford considered withholding certain information about the real-estate property from clients, as the main precondition for this property to be successfully sold: â€Å"The house was listed for $89.900, a kitchen and two large rooms down, four bedrooms, a bath, and a sleeping porch up†¦ They (buyers) offered $81,000†¦ I was sure the seller would take it because the prop erty was starting to deteriorate† (39). As this excerpt denotes, the real-estate item was sold to buyers, without the latter having been informed about the state of affairs with the item’s actual condition. As it was mentioned earlier, because of their preoccupation with profit-seeking, as the foremost purpose of their lives, the majority of the featured characters in Glengarry Glen Ross and Good Faith were naturally growing to adopt strongly cynical attitudes towards the surrounding societal reality. In its turn, this affected these characters’ private lives, as well. This explains the utterly graphic references to sex in both pieces. For example, while addressing the subject of happiness in his conversation with James Lingk (Jonathan Pryce), Roma states: â€Å"I’m in bed†¦ she brought me cafe au lait, gives me a cigarette, my balls feel like concrete† (00.41.39). As this Roma’s remark implies, it was due to the concerned woman’s behavioral submissiveness that he was becoming sexually aroused. We can well speculate that Roma’s chauvinistic attitude towards women indirectly derived out of his strive to ‘remain in control’, while working with clients. This simply could not be otherwise, because people’s continual successfulness in suppressing others intellectually and emotionally (as real-estate traders act towards their clients) naturally cause them to assume themselves being superior – and, those who believe in their ‘superiority’ strive to be surrounded by ‘servants’. The fact that working in the real-estate sector causes people to overlook the rules of conventional ethics can also be shown in regards to the graphically depicted sexual escapades between Stratford and Felicia in Good Faith, such as the following: â€Å"We kissed and kissed. I could feel the palm of her hand glowing against the back of my neck, her fingers pushed up into my hair. M y hands were somewhere- the small of her back, her cheek. And I could feel my cock pressing against her belly through our clothes, coats and all† (21). Given the Felicia’s status of a married woman, Stratford’s adulterous affair with her can hardly be considered ethical. Yet, even though that in the novel, the narrator positions himself as a mildly religious person, it never occurred to him to think that by pursuing a sexual relationship with Felicia he was acting sinfully. One of the reasons for that is that individuals, involved in speculative trading/selling, are being perfectly aware of the fact that it is specifically people’s animalistic instincts that make them ‘tick’ and not their rationale-based moral predispositions. This also explains the novel’s subtle hints as to the fact that, despite the skin-deep layer of ‘respectability’ that covers real-estate business, this business’ practitioners are driven by the ir utterly irrational sense of greed. Hence, these people’s strong fascination with money, as not only the mean of ensuring the effectiveness of commercial transactions, but as something that represents the metaphysical value of a ‘thing in itself’. The full soundness of this suggestion becomes self-evident in light of how Burns used to talk on the subject of money: â€Å"There’s money everywhere! Money, money, money! Reported income is like cockroaches. For every dollar you see, there are a hundred more in hiding. And it’s looking for a home!† (183). This statement cannot even be discussed within the conceptual framework of ethics, because the person who came up with it seems to have suffered from being not entirely adequate, in the psychological sense of this word. At the same time, however, it did not prevent him from being considered an upstanding citizen, right until the novel’s very end. This again highlights the foremost message , conveyed by this novel – it does not make much of a sense to believe that the considerations of ethics play even a small role, within the context of how real-estate traders go about addressing their professional challenges. All that matters for those who do business in the real-estate market is the prospect of generating a monetary profit – even at the expense of destroying the society’s integrity from within. I believe that the deployed line of argumentation, as to what should be considered the discursive significance of how Glengarry Glenn Ross and Good Faith tackle the subject of ethics, fully correlates with the paper’s initial thesis. Apparently, there can indeed be very little reason to think that, while left on its own, people’s sense of greed is capable of creating ‘economic miracles’. Therefore, there is nothing too surprising about the fact that, as of today, the economic paradigm of Socialism is again becoming ever more ap pealing to people in traditionally capitalist countries. Geva, Aviva. â€Å"Myth and Ethics in Business.† Business Ethics Quarterly 11.4 (2001): 575-597. Print. Glengarry Glenn Ross. Dir. James Foley. Perfs. Al Pacino, Jack Lemmon, Alec Baldwin. New Line Cinema, 1992. Smiley, Jane. Good Faith. New York: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2003.

The Career of a Manager Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 8

The Career of a Manager - Essay Example At present, I possess certain skills that would be helpful in pursuing my career as a manager. For example, I am quite proficient in the field of accounting and statistics. These skills are vital for becoming a manager as accounting would help me in managing the financial resources in a better way and statistics would aid in forecasting demands efficiently. However, as a manager, my prime concern would be generating profits for an organization. Creation of sufficient profits is concerned with the better management of risk and proper investment (Saville Consulting, 2008; Pollak, 2011). However, I do possess certain limitations that can hinder my career progression. In this similar context, it is to be mentioned that managing a big organization would be a quite challenging task for me. The significant amount of time and effort must be devoted to the proper management of a business linked with such organizations (Amtek Engineering Ltd, 2010). Thus, according to my viewpoint, I need a st rong and capable team, which can assist me to undertake various duties and fulfill the organizational objectives. I will require developing team management skill and other vital managerial skills in order to become a manager. At present, I did not decide to which field of management I would prefer to pursue my career. Among various fields, I am planning to become a marketing or financial manager. This career has attractive potentialities and opportunities in the modern era. Thus, an effective plan has been made in the following based on which I could successfully pursue my career and at the end become a potent marketing or financial manager. In order to pursue my career, I would like to understand regarding the world of business and administration. Thus, I will enroll in Foundation degree in business from Warwickshire College. Furthermore, I will learn about the nature of business organizations and the environment wherein they operate.

Terrorism Hazards Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Terrorism Hazards - Essay Example erefore just as it is important to be informed about the imminent threats it is equally important to have an informed viewpoint towards the information. In this article we will examine how this be done as a service to the public. John Tierney, in his article in the New York times talks about how Sept 11 attacks on America as â€Å"the start of a new age of international terrorism in America, but you wouldn’t know it from the six quiet years on the home front since then.† (2008). But these six years have been injected with many instances of terror scares that for some people the feeling of peace is a bit far removed. Any unusual act of aggression is viewed as terrorism. Therefore if we were to design a terrorist awareness program, the following initial measures will need to be taken to involve the community as a whole in the process. The first task would be to educate the people on terrorism from more of an international point of view and help define the history of terrorism in their minds. Research shows that people as a community come together more during natural disasters than during technological or terror attacks. The reason for this can be attributed towards a heightened fear of individual safety. Therefore it is necessary to gather the community to act as a whole and come together as a whole. There is a need for many counselling cells for individual and group session where people can share their insecurities and fear and gain more insight by communicating with people with similar thoughts and fears. Trained psychologists will serve as moderators for he group session. Special attention will be given to children and elder members of the community who feel a bit more helpless. Once people are educated on what constitutes terrorism and begin to appreciate the fact that the various stringent measures taken by the government to check future attacks has resulted in the prolonged period of peace after the initial storm. Whilst doing this we will also instil

Importance of Physical Education to student achievement Research Paper

Importance of Physical Education to student achievement - Research Paper Example Physical education and academic performance The direct implications of physical education on academic performance of students have been established by several researchers. One of the first studies analyzing the impact of physical activity on the academic performance of students was done by (Fourestier, 1962). This study included a small group of students from France. The sample population which underwent physical education in the afternoon after the forenoon’s sessions within the classroom was reported to have improved academic performance in comparison with the control group which didn’t undergo physical education (Fourestier, 1962). Though this study included only a small sample size and the methodology has not been detailed in the literature available, this has been indicated as one of the first studies in this research area. Another larger study which was conducted in 1970s has been recorded by Sallis et al (1999). This included 546 primary school children and confi rmed that those students who continuously engaged in five hours of physical education in a week performed better academically. This study has also analyzed the changing impacts of extent of physical education as the control population was constituted of children who had a limited exposure of 40 minutes of physical education per week Sallis et al (1999). ... Shephard (1997) reported that there was significant improvement in the mathematics score of students who underwent physical education for 5 hours a week. However, there were negative consequences in terms of scores in English. It is worth noting here that 33 minutes were reduced in the mathematics instruction while no hours were taken off from English teaching Shephard (1997). Raviv & Hectch (1999) recorded that physical movement education considerably improved the reading skills and the arithmetic test scores of students in an intervention made in an Israel school involving 92 preschool and 266 first grade children. More recent studies also suggest promising correlation between academic performance and physical education. Coe, Pivarnik, Womack, Reeves & Malina (2006) conducted an interventional study amongst 6th grade students which included fifty five minutes of physical education per day as an intervention. This intervention in terms of time was equivalent to that of the time slot for arts and computer sciences. The observations of this study indicated that these students performed as good as the control population in mathematics, science and English Coe, Pivarnik, Womack, Reeves & Malina (2006). The results of the Canadian Achievement Test revealed that even with decrease in academic time the academic performance of the sample population remained the same (Ahamed, Macdonald, Reed, Naylor, Liu-Ambrose & McKay, 2007). There are few studies which have suggested negative implications of Physical Education on academic achievements. Tremblay, Inman & Willms (2000) observed inverse association with academic performance in students of 11 years. This study is worth mentioning because of its large sample size. The research covered close to 7000 students as the

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 207

Essay Example It adopted the military culture and operated under principles reminiscent from the military operation. This culture resulted to decrease of company performance. The principles adopted also resulted to termination of many employees. Shaw (2007) states that, termination of the employee causes low performance of the company because the customers have specific people who should serve them. When a customer finds out that the employees are sucked, they also loose confidence with the company (Sison, 2008). When Frank took over the company changed trend and tried to create or establish a good relationship with employee and customer. In order to attract more customers, it started offering free service of teaching carpentry to children. The company builds up a culture that emphasized on social responsibility. It created different programs that support the customers and environment growth. The company also underestimated the female workers as they were paid low salaries than their male counterparts but after the case was filed in 1997, the issue was resolved. The company provides equal opportunity to all associates, and every body is encouraged to develop and grow professionally (Rezaee, 2008). In respect to the social responsibility principle, Home Depot established programs to minimize their impacts to the environment and also customers effect to the environment. One of the ethical principles is to care and protect the environment and ensure that the company and the customer do not cause harm to the environment. The company has also applied to be certified by the Forest Stewardship in order to access wood at the forest. This is an indication that the company does not want to violate the country’s regulation (Shaw, 2007). Home Depot employees are required to be involved on voluntarily basis in community work and civic activities. Each year the 300 employees are required to take part in the 2 million voluntarily services offered by

Pediatric radiography discussion Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Pediatric radiography discussion - Case Study Example Other destructors such as TV, video games, or movies on tablets or phones can also be used to help the child remain destructed for a while. This is the simplest and least expensive immobilizing method since it uses equipment found in most departments. Devices used include tapes, sheets or towels, compression bands, sand bags, covered radiolucent sponge blocks, stockinettes and ace bandages. After each procedure, it is required that the item is either disposed or be cleaned with bleach if coated with vinyl. The tapes should be twisted so that the adhesive surface is not against the skin. Gauze pads can also be placed between the skin and the adhesive tape. For small infants and young children, a 4 inch ace bandage can be used effectively. On the other hand, 6 inch ace bandages work well for older children and they are best used to immobilize legs. They look like midevil torture devices and they are rarely used since parents do not like to see their children put in them. The method uses the Pedia-poser chair that provides fast, gentle and secure immobilization of infants through 4 years old. In this device, the patient is secured only once and the chair rotates to quickly position for different views. It is simple and reliable, therefore, child friendly for pediatric positioning. One is able to adjust the chair back to the height of the child. Non-stretchy Velcro straps can be used by the stronger toddlers to secure their arms in different views. This is a faster, easier and commonly used method where the parent is used to position the child or hold the child in position. This works best for extremity exams like an elbow. The devices used in this method include gloves and aprons worn by the parents in case their anatomy slips in the exposure. During pediatric radiography, proper immobilization and high mA, short exposure time techniques are used and applied to reduce the motion unsharpness. Also, accurate

Communication knowdgen Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Communication knowdgen - Assignment Example Workplace communication for the 21st century: Tools and strategies that impact the bottom line: V.1: Internal workplace communication; v.2: External workplace communication. 2010. Choice Reviews Online, 50-6291. 18 The company maintains an efficient and continuous communication with the city inhabitants and its clients. It issues news releases  to the local media with significant information on the city issues and services. The news releases are posted here at the exact time when they are passed to reports (Hamilton City Improvement Society, organized 2004, p.88). Persons interested in knowing more about Hamilton can contact the company’s communication officers. 22 Employees and clients are often invited to attend the Public meetings and consultation sessions. These are usually hosted in the city of Hamilton and comprise a many public consultations on a varied series of local and city-wide subjects (Hamilton City Improvement Society, organized 2004, p.88). The company values the publics view and hopes to get informative debates with inhabitants, companies, and other major stakeholders from allover of the City. 23 There are many forms of print communication, involve all forms of printed literature with relevant business information (Curtis 2009, p.11). They range from newsletters, microfiche, books, microfilm to periodicals.   24 Perrigot, R., Kacker, M., Basset, G., & Cliquet, G. (2012) Antecedents of Early Adoption and Use of Social Media Networks for Stakeholder Communications: Evidence from Franchising*. Journal of Small Business Management, 539-565. 36 Workplace communication for the 21st century: Tools and strategies that impact the bottom line: V.1: Internal workplace communication; v.2: External workplace communication. 2010. Choice Reviews Online, 50-6291. 36 When starting any business organization, it is crucial to assess the most relevant methods of managing information and knowledge requirements. It is also important to define the

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 207

Essay Example It adopted the military culture and operated under principles reminiscent from the military operation. This culture resulted to decrease of company performance. The principles adopted also resulted to termination of many employees. Shaw (2007) states that, termination of the employee causes low performance of the company because the customers have specific people who should serve them. When a customer finds out that the employees are sucked, they also loose confidence with the company (Sison, 2008). When Frank took over the company changed trend and tried to create or establish a good relationship with employee and customer. In order to attract more customers, it started offering free service of teaching carpentry to children. The company builds up a culture that emphasized on social responsibility. It created different programs that support the customers and environment growth. The company also underestimated the female workers as they were paid low salaries than their male counterparts but after the case was filed in 1997, the issue was resolved. The company provides equal opportunity to all associates, and every body is encouraged to develop and grow professionally (Rezaee, 2008). In respect to the social responsibility principle, Home Depot established programs to minimize their impacts to the environment and also customers effect to the environment. One of the ethical principles is to care and protect the environment and ensure that the company and the customer do not cause harm to the environment. The company has also applied to be certified by the Forest Stewardship in order to access wood at the forest. This is an indication that the company does not want to violate the country’s regulation (Shaw, 2007). Home Depot employees are required to be involved on voluntarily basis in community work and civic activities. Each year the 300 employees are required to take part in the 2 million voluntarily services offered by

Communication knowdgen Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Communication knowdgen - Assignment Example Workplace communication for the 21st century: Tools and strategies that impact the bottom line: V.1: Internal workplace communication; v.2: External workplace communication. 2010. Choice Reviews Online, 50-6291. 18 The company maintains an efficient and continuous communication with the city inhabitants and its clients. It issues news releases  to the local media with significant information on the city issues and services. The news releases are posted here at the exact time when they are passed to reports (Hamilton City Improvement Society, organized 2004, p.88). Persons interested in knowing more about Hamilton can contact the company’s communication officers. 22 Employees and clients are often invited to attend the Public meetings and consultation sessions. These are usually hosted in the city of Hamilton and comprise a many public consultations on a varied series of local and city-wide subjects (Hamilton City Improvement Society, organized 2004, p.88). The company values the publics view and hopes to get informative debates with inhabitants, companies, and other major stakeholders from allover of the City. 23 There are many forms of print communication, involve all forms of printed literature with relevant business information (Curtis 2009, p.11). They range from newsletters, microfiche, books, microfilm to periodicals.   24 Perrigot, R., Kacker, M., Basset, G., & Cliquet, G. (2012) Antecedents of Early Adoption and Use of Social Media Networks for Stakeholder Communications: Evidence from Franchising*. Journal of Small Business Management, 539-565. 36 Workplace communication for the 21st century: Tools and strategies that impact the bottom line: V.1: Internal workplace communication; v.2: External workplace communication. 2010. Choice Reviews Online, 50-6291. 36 When starting any business organization, it is crucial to assess the most relevant methods of managing information and knowledge requirements. It is also important to define the