Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Essay

Aron Ralston’s physiological need was to satisfy his hunger, thirst, and a need to love and be loved. His desire was to be a father. This gave him a purpose to live. His will to live became greater than dying. But thirst and hunger overcame him to a point where he was saving and sipping his own urine to stay alive. I also believe that he had a divine appointment as he was shown insight into his reproductive future by the vision he had of a son. He was also shown that he was going to lose his arm when he saw the preschool boy being scooped up by a one armed man. I do not know if Aron believed in God or if he even had a relationship with my Lord and Savior or not, but I do think that his spiritual development should have grown through his journey. Hunger can put us in a life or death situation. After hours of driving alone in an unfamiliar city, you finally see a diner where you can eat. Even though it looks deserted and a little creepy, you end up stopping because you are really hungry. According to Maslow (pg 407) our need to meet the physiological need of hunger and thirst takes priority over our safety needs prompting us to take risk at times in order to eat. See more:Â  Masters of Satire: John Dryden and Jonathan Swift Essay References Myers, David G. Psychology. New York: Worth, 1998. Print. Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Essay With the exception of reflexes, the science of psychology portends that all human behavior is motivated. The subject is exhaustively dealt with by different schools of thought and each of which appears to be valid explanations of human behavior. Dr. Abraham Maslow (Halonen & Santrock, 1996) made a strenuous effort to arrange human motives in a hierarchy from stronger and lower at one end to weaker and higher at the other. Maslow essentially suggested that what man really wants is more of everything. Man desires a better and better situation for himself. He wants only what he does not already have, and thus satisfied needs do not motivate behavior. Maslow said that needs or wants can be arranged in a hierarchy of importance. Thus, when needs on the lower level are fulfilled, those on a higher level emerge and demand satisfaction. The hierarchy of needs he suggested placed physiological needs as lowest or basic, then safety needs, social needs, esteem needs, and finally self-realization needs. In other words, Maslow believed that higher needs are expressed only when the prepotent physiological needs are satisfied. See more:Â  Perseverance essay This is also true of needs for safety and security. Until there is a basic amount of order and stability in meeting the lower needs, a person may have little interest in higher pursuits (Halonen & Santrock, 1996). A person with an empty stomach cannot be expected to write literary work or tasked to write an essay about the effects of war on Afghanistan. The paper attempts to scrutinize the validity of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory based on several criteria which shall be discussed as follows. Discussion Maslow’s theory is classified under the humanistic perspective as it emphasizes the direction towards an individual must proceed which is self-actualization. This point in his hierarchy, Maslow tried to explain in much detail. According to him, self-actualization when attained, demonstrates what it is to be a fully developed human being. It is described as elusive due to the fact that man must have to satisfy the lower needs or those needs preceding this highest need (Halonen & Santrock, 1996). To satisfy further one’s curiosity about this theory, the theory will be determined by the following: Freedom or Determinism: can a person control their own behavior or is it determined by internal or external forces? In Maslow’s viewpoint, human motives are ordered in hierarchy and thus, man responds to these as they arise (Halonen & Santrock, 1996). With this premise, the theory is basically leaning toward the philosophical idea of freedom. Man is free to chart his course and how he is supposed to fulfill his various needs; i. e. his physiological dimension. In addition, the manner with which he carves himself in a particular niche that satisfies his psychological domains is also based on his own volition. There is no flavor of unconscious thoughts pervading motivation like when the idea of psychological instincts being interpreted within Maslow’s understanding; in contrast to this notion, any individual can basically control their own behavior. Maslow’s theory believes on the capacities of human nature to achieve what man wants to achieve rather than be held captive by forces within him or in his external world; it is the internal determinants such as self-determination that separates the theory from the rest especially among those with the deterministic stance (Halonen & Santrock, 1996). Hereditary or Environmental: are the characteristics a person has inherited and inborn or is it developed by social influences? Since the premise of this theory hinges on freedom, a person’s characteristics therefore are developed by social influences. According to Maslow then, people vary in their manner of satisfying their needs because of various environmental influences that surround him/her. Man is free to choose from several options adequately provide for his own needs or desires. What are essentials though, are man’s tendencies or propensity to follow the order of needs. Biology or heritability is deemphasized, rather the value of experience is pre-eminent in the theory (Halonen & Santrock, 1996). Uniqueness or Universality: individuals are unique or people are all pretty much the same This theory eventually emphasizes individuality or uniqueness, as it fundamentally illustrates in its assertion that every one has the capability for breakthroughs in circumstances which may be difficult. Man is also capable to understand himself and others, showing a lot of hope on the potentials that man possesses that he can exhaust in his lifetime (Halonen & Santrock, 1996). Proactive or Reactive: individuals act on their own initiative or just in reaction to external stimuli? Since man is free, unique and has the possibilities to accomplish whatever he is set to do, it is also asserted that man is proactive: he can choose how to respond in any situation and may even extend himself to advance his interests, both positive and negative at whatever goal or in whatever circumstance he may be in (Halonen & Santrock, 1996). Optimistic or Pessimistic: individuals can change given the right environment or they are unchangeable? The Hierarchy theory by design is hopeful and positive in every essence, if one is to follow the line of thinking which Maslow attempted to direct his audience. Individuals then have all the chances to make their lives fulfilling, impact others on virtues of honesty, charity and generosity, if and when he determines himself to be one. Likewise, he can also influence and negatively affect those that surround him when he chooses to do so. In this perspective then, an individual has high hopes of changing his attitudes and disposition, as well as his physical arrangements in life (Halonen & Santrock, 1996). Part II. Evaluation of the theory If this theory is to be evaluated, the strength of Maslow’s assumptions lies in his recognition of the positives that humans possess. It reminds the audience of the person as a whole being and not just an organism subject to either what the psychoanalysts termed as instincts or behaviorists’ position as merely organismic. The emphasis on developing the potentialities mark Maslow’s crowning achievement in terms of theoretical appeal (Halonen & Santrock, 1996). However, there are obvious or clear discrepancies or weaknesses in the theory. Since Psychology claims to start and end as a scientific endeavor, thus following scientific procedures to provide proofs to any of its claims, then Maslow’s theory must be ready to be tested accordingly. And this is where his theory fails in almost every measure in essence. At the outset, this viewpoint of explaining behavior is difficult to measure or put to test. Specifically, despite the details and emphasis Maslow placed on self-actualization the concept is still hard to operationally define. Scientists then and now are encountering various dilemmas in making the concept scientifically or empirically acceptable. In addition, there are illogical and inconsistent presuppositions in the constructs he postulated. He adheres to man’s capability to choose and yet how can he justify the existence of the structure of ordering needs in every individual if man is not born with it in the first place. How can he explain as well on those people who have achieved (jumped to the higher order needs) when they are barely existing or are starving at the same time; being altruistic and yet has no means to adequately meet their own needs (Halonen & Santrock, 1996). Lastly, studies even show that many who adhere to this philosophical viewpoint shun the scientific procedures imposed on any scientific field or discipline, and choose to lean towards the clinical orientation for the explanation of specific behaviors or motivations. Others who examined this theory explained that the assumptions on human behavior are too high or exaggerating on positives or the freedom and the logical capabilities that humans possess. Maslow’s theory, especially his self-actualization concept, critics affirm, implies the tendency for man to reinforce his self-centeredness (Halonen & Santrock, 1996). Conclusion If popularity and appeal are benchmarks for a theory to pass with flying colors, Maslow’s theory probably will go to the top. This is evidenced also as to the current prevalence of his theory in business; it is pervadingly present in almost every discussion in any business management course apparently (Halonen & Santrock, 1996). For convenience, I too would readily fall for his theory and its seemingly simplistic way of explaining behaviors. But if I were to stick to following empirical underpinnings, I should say that the theory is not deep enough to satisfy more difficult human dilemmas, though in some instances, the theory seems to point to some aspects of life’s realities. It is not sufficient to compel me to believe in the theory enough. To illustrate, pursuing many of our own self-centered needs only frustrates us all the time and eventually makes many of us disordered and mentally sick along the way. Can I use it to predict human nature? In fairness, yes; but to a certain extent only, because as I mentioned, it is not sufficient enough to merit full dependence. The theory can probably modified to some degree as a picture of several aspects of being human, but to explain about the potentialities, may imply believing too much when all that is in there is just hot air, so to speak. Self-actualization may provide hope for those who are so discouraged in life, but it is still very limited in reality. Some even say that a by-product of this belief is a sense of irresponsibility (Halonen & Santrock, 1996). Remarkably, Maslow suggested that various famous personalities illustrate what his theory posited including Beethoven, the brilliant composer, and Lincoln, one of the greatest leaders of all time. Each of them exemplified individuals who had characteristics of the self-actualized person (Halonen & Santrock, 1996). Reference: Halonen, Jane and John Santrock (1996). Psychology: Contexts of Behavior. Brown and Benchmark Publishers, pp. 453 and 553-556.

John Locke on Property Essay

Natural reason suggests that human beings have the right to preserve themselves the moment they are born. An individual can utilize everything that he sees around him to preserve himself. He can drink if he is thirsty; he can eat if he is hungry. Nature, which God gave to the world, is the individual’s source of materials for his preservation. Locke emphasized that the world was given to the whole humanity by God. This, for Locke, is nothing but common knowledge (Locke 11). Locke questions how an individual can actually own a thing. He finds it difficult to understand why, when God has given the Earth to His children, men would search for things on earth and label it as their own. Since it is difficult to find a part of the Earth which an individual can own and call it his â€Å"property†, then the only easy way to solve this dilemma is to have the world owned by a universal monarch. This, then, would only be possible upon the belief that Adam owns the world because god gave it to him. As Adam has the world, it also means that his heirs own the world, too (Locke 11). Since this clearly is not the case in today’s world and in today’s society, Locke promises that he will explain how an individual claim a part of what God has given mankind, and that, with no single express compact of all people (Locke 11). As God has given mankind a whole world, it also means that along with this, He has given mankind a reason to use this world to their convenience and best advantage. The world are has everything that a man needs to survive. It has air, water, food and shelter. It contains that things that an individual needs to live a comfortable life. Whatever is found in this world all help in supporting the life of an individual (Locke 13). Although the food found on earth, including the animals or the predators that feed on them, are all qualified as properties of mankind (since nature produces all them), the fact alone that they are included as part of the earth means that even the predators are necessary for the survival of mankind – even when these beasts harm the quality of living of an individual. There will always be a way for a man to know how a harmful beast may help him. Whatever way this is, he has yet to figure out, but the fact remains that a harmful beast is indeed beneficial since it is a part of the world that God gave him (Locke 14). For Locke, the meat and the fruit which an individual feeds on are both considered occupants of the earth. No other individual will have the right to own that particular meat or particular fruit before it can support his life. No one has a right to something if the benefits are yet undiscovered (Ishay 116). The earth is indeed common to all the people living in it – to all its occupants. Then again, each individual has a property of his own. He is the only person who can practice his rights on that certain thing since he is the only person owning it. His hands do the working. His body does the laboring. Because of all these, whatever he produces rightfully becomes his property. Whatever thing nature has provided, which he, in turn, takes away from the state, becomes his property, as soon as he mixes his labor with it. Whatever it is that he takes away from the state which was placed there because of nature eliminates the right of other men, as long as he was able to own it through his hardships and labor (Ishay 116). Labor is indeed an important factor in this case, since labor is something that mankind cannot question. Labor is the unquestionable property of the man who is laboring. The man laboring is the only man who has the right to his products (Ishay 116). Whoever is being supported and benefited by the fruits of his labor has definitely appropriated these fruits for him. The question of Locke now, is when exactly did this fruit became his own? If, for example, an individual harvests the apple that came from the tree he himself planted, when exactly did he own the apple? Was it from the time when he digested the apple, since it is believed that as he is nourished by the fruit of his labor, he can start calling this his own? Or was it from the time when he picked the apples from the tree (Ishay 117)? What marks the difference between the common man and himself is labor. Labor defines what nature cannot. If an individual makes use of what nature has given him, and he, in turn, starts to benefit from it, then he owns the fruit. The man is able to own things as he extends what a nature can do to support his life. Here is where the concept of private right comes in (Ishay 118). Another dilemma is realized from this perspective, since will one not have a right to that apple which he appropriated for himself if mankind did not allow him to? Does he need the consent of other men to make the apple his property? Would this be considered robbery, since whatever is found on this earth is a property of all men (Boaz 123)? Then again, John Locke argued that consent from other men is not even necessary in the first place. If an individual always waits for a go-signal from other men so that he can start owning and eating an apple, then he will end up being starved. What is common in mankind, or common in â€Å"commoners†, is the act of taking something away from this world to make it his property. Nature leaves something in the state, and commoners remove it out from there. As an individual removes it from the state, it starts to be his property. Without such property, then the individual will be of no use to the world. Taking something which an individual may consider his property is not dependent on whether or not commoners will allow him to (Boaz 123). The grass is in the lands to be eaten by a horse. A servant sees a turf which he may cut. All people can see ores, and all of them have right to the meat. An individual can do everything that he can, and thus exhibit acts of labor, to produce something that can benefit him. As a product of his labor, his prize is to own it as its property. He does not need to consult other men; more so, need their consent. The moment an individual removes something from the state is already a manifestation of a labor being enacted. There is a struggle, a difficulty, and an action taking place as an individual takes something away from the state. From this point exactly, an individual owns a thing (Boaz 123). John Locke’s main argument when he said that property is prior to the political state; he was referring to the law of reason. This law is what makes the deer a proper of an Indian, only if this Indian went his way into killing the deer. Once he exerted effort and enacted labor into killing the deer, then he has every right to eat the deer. The deer used to be a property of the world, and of everyone. Killing it is also a right of every person. Then again, whoever has the reason to go first and bestow his energy, labor and power to kill the deer, is the same person who owns the meat. Reason is what defines a person’s property, according to John Locke. Whatever it is that is found in this earth is a property of everyone, and everyone has the right to owning it. Then, again, labor, when fueled with reason, is what makes and what allows a person to own something and start calling it his property (Boaz 124). For John Locke, it is effortless to imagine and think how labor can start and prescribe a person’s property, considering the fact and the supposed challenge that may be faced since this property used to be a property of all mankind, and this property of mankind is coming from nature – the nature itself being an entity that belongs to everyone. The limits of a property are defined by how we spend it. For John Locke, arguments and conflicts regarding property and owndership may be eliminated if we see things his way (Boaz 125). Through John Locke’s view in property, he suggests that convenience and right go along together. He has his right which is his reason enough to employ his labor on a property common to mankind. Once he goes through challenges to own it to his convenience, then there should be no room left for conflict and quarrel. Whoever went his way to experience challenges just to reap what he saw, has every right to own the fruits of his labor (Boaz 126). Works Cited Boaz, David. The Libertarian Reader: Classic and Contemporary Readings from Lao-tzu to Milton Friedman. Free Press, 1998. Ishay, Micheline. The Human Rights Reader: Major Political Essays, Speeches, and Documents from Ancient Times to the Present. CRC Press, 2007. Locke, John. Two Treatises of Government. Kessinger Publishing, 2004.

A Comparison of Japan and the Culture of the United States Research Paper

A Comparison of Japan and the Culture of the United States - Research Paper Example Work and business practices that are culturally relevant provide for the development of economic success for a nation. In comparing the Japanese culture with the American culture, it is clear that the Japanese exist in a collective state where as Americans not only are individualistic but aspire towards individualism as a respected state. In comparing the cultures of Japan and the United States, it is clear that the differences provide for very different outcomes in relationship to economy and success. Japan Education and Family The central government is involved in the success of their school systems. School systems are the same throughout the nation with moves from one region to another meaning that a child will not be in a different state of educational advancement in one place compared to another. Equity is achieved through the centralized control of the education system. Communities are not responsible for defining their own education system, but rather there is a high quality o f standardization that exists though out the country (Berger, 2009). Children spend longer days, longer weeks which include Saturdays, and a longer period of the year in school. School systems are only shut down for one month out of the year. Three fourths of the children attend supplemental public school which is called juko (Berger, 2009). Japanese children routinely score higher on science and mathematics tests. One criticism, however, is that so much time is spent on rote learning that concept of meta-cognitive skills are not as well developed. Learning discipline through memorization is emphasized while thinking skills are not fully developed to the capacity that could be achieved. In 2002, the Japanese government made changes in order to create more relaxed learning in order to maximize controlled curriculum at 30% with the rest of the curriculum being devoted to teaching children how to think (Berger, 2009). Family life in Japan, therefore, is based upon the importance of the group dynamic. Georges (2009) shows that the ideal family relationship is one in which â€Å"a feeling of oneness† exists to the point that the members of the family understand one another without having to discuss anything. Contrasting to American ideas of teenage life, when polled on how much teenagers believed that their family understood them, Japanese teens indicated that their mother understood them by 72%, their father by 65%, and their siblings by 63%, while believing by 77% that they understood the other members of their families. It is possible that Japanese generally gain self-esteem by their membership in their family, rather than through direct self- enhancement (Georges, 2009). The family is structured with the male as the head of the family, but the mother taking responsibility for the emotional security and welfare of the family. She takes the responsibility of the children, holding them to her in a method through which she prepares them for the external soci ety through creating meaning in the connection to the family group. Children are responsible to each member of the family and it is through the shame of failure that their success is born. They owe their success not to themselves, but towards the continuation of the family through their efforts. Work and Business Work and business are a continuation of the nature of the Japanese culture through which the needs of the collective are more important than the needs of the individual. A class system has evolved in which a family is ranked socially by the reputation of the company for which he works. The work culture

Law for non-lawyer Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Law for non-lawyer - Case Study Example Essentially, there are laws governing criminal offences as well as civil offences. In addition to underscoring the punishment that the offenders should be accorded, the laws offer principles that need to be put in consideration before the suspects are justified to have committed the alleged offences. In this consideration, law is an instrument of furthering justice and ensuring that all individuals are treated equally. Offences related to assault are defined to be criminal by the law. This is due to the fact that they expose the individual to harm or danger that compromises their life. Put differently, assault is a criminal offence that compromises the life of a victim. It exposes the victim to danger and/or instils a demeaning sense of fright. Usually, the legal implications of assault are immense. For this reason, it is important for the prosecutors to weigh the options and establish that the offense actually occurred. It would be unfair to prosecute a person if it has not been cle arly established that the offense actually happened. It is against this background that this paper explores the guidance and general principles that need to be put in consideration when making the decisions regarding whether to prosecute Billy for the alleged assault. Generally, assault is defined as any act, as opposed to a simple omission, in which an individual recklessly or intentionally causes the other to apprehend unlawful and immediate violence. As in R v Burstow; R v Ireland (1998) 1 AC 147, fear is an inherent factor of assault. In addition, assault does not necessarily constitute physical contact with an individual that alleges to have been assaulted. In light of Barwick CJ in The Queen v Phillips (1971) 45 ALJR 467 at 472, the mere instillation of fear amounts to assault (Loveless 42). With reference to the case study, Billy assaulted the youngsters psychologically. Arguably, the two children were filled with fear when their mother was hit in their presence. In this sens e, Billy is liable for the offence of assault. The principle of recklessness is also important in establishing the charge of assault. In instances where the crown relies on recklessness to make the vital decisions and where physical force is not applied, Monaghan indicates that it is essential for one to prove that the accused was aware that the complaint is likely to fear that s/he would at that particular point in time be subjected to unlawful and immediate force (64). Regardless of this knowledge, the accused went ahead to take the respective risk. In instances where physical force is applied, the crown needs to prove that the accused was sure that the complaint would actually be exposed to unlawful force, however minimal, as a result of what he was just about to do, but still took the risk that the respective incident might happen. A classic exemplification of this is by R v Savage; DPP v Parmenter [1992] 1 AC 699 (Monaghan 65). With reference to the case study, Billy clearly kn ew the implications of hitting his wife with a leg of a chair on her head. It has not been indicated whether he was under the influence of alcoho

Fatigue and performance in aviation Annotated Bibliography

Fatigue and performance in aviation - Annotated Bibliography Example The second part of alert management focus on implementing information gained through research such as scheduled sleep, which will help in improving alertness of pilots. According to findings, scheduled naps have the potential of enhancing alertness to 100%, and increasing performance by 34% (Fiorino 2). This is a credible article published on Aviation Week & Space Technology, which is a reputable publication. In addition, the author constantly refers to information by Mark R. Rosekind, Rosekind is former NASA research scientist, and a consultant on Alertness Solutions, which means he has a good background on the issue of fatigued pilots in aviation, and thus, making the source credible. In addition, the source is objective as it draws information from various people and sources, rather than making personal assumptions. The author is a senior editor with this publication in Safety & Training category, thus, given the background she provides reliable information. This source relates with other sources in this bibliography because of its major focus on fatigued pilots. This source will be helping in my research topic by arguing that fatigue in pilots is the cause of airplane accidents. Thus, it engages in a similar conversation with the other sources, as well as give an insight into the solutions for combating fatigue of pilots. This article investigates the effect of long layovers and a short layover for pilots on sleep and alertness. The research carried out on pilots of Long haul airline reveals through mixed model regression analysis that the length of layover present no effect on inflight sleep, as well as ground based sleep. On the other hand, the study showed that a layover length impacts on the alertness of pilots. For instance, with short layovers, pilots exhibited high levels of fatigue and poor sustenance of attention. On the other hand, pilots who took long layovers were more attentive. According to the authors,

Curriculum Specialist Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Curriculum Specialist Paper - Essay Example In curriculum, the crucial part is the definition of the course objectives which are often expressed in terms of learning outcomes and normally includes the assessment strategy for the programme. These learning outcomes and assessments are often grouped into modules, therefore a curriculum comprises of a collection of such units, each specializing on a specific part of the curriculum. So, a typical curriculum would include modules on mathematics, languages, information technology together with more specialized provision. In the United States, the basic curriculum is established by each state with the individual school districts adjusting it to their desires. However, each state, builds its curriculum relying heavily on the input of national groups selected by the United States Department of Education, for example the National Council of Mathematics Teachers for mathematics instruction. Education in the United States is highly decentralized, and the federal government and Department of Education are not heavily involved in determining curriculum or educational standards. The job of centralization and coordination has been left to large private educational foundations. However, the primary function of the United States Department of Education is to formulate federal funding programs involving education and to enforce federal educational laws involved with privacy and civil rights. The quality of educational institutions and their degrees is maintained through an informal private process known as accreditation which the Department of Education has no direct public jurisdictional control over. Currently, there are thirty-nine curriculum specialists serving schools in South Carolina State. Basically, curriculum specialists have the following duties and responsibilities in the following areas: a) Curriculum planning and alignment, In curriculum planning and alignment they perform the following duties; Assisting the instructional staff and teachers in making curricular recommendations that reflect best practices to ensure high achievement, Assisting the school staff in developing a school curriculum guide or in revising the school's curriculum guide to ensure alignment to state and district standards, Engaging in collaborative curricular planning with the leadership team, Focusing on building curricular continuity across grade levels and courses, and Conducting periodic curricular alignment to ensure congruence with school and district goals. b) Curriculum instructional support, In curriculum instrumental support they perform the following duties; Providing direct support for building classroom curricular efforts; Taking

LEARNING THROUGH WORK- Compare and contrast Essay

LEARNING THROUGH WORK- Compare and contrast - Essay Example Given the benefits of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation in saving lives of people suffering from heart attacks, it has been introduced in different nations. In the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation was introduced in the autumn of 1983 (Parekh 2005, 20). This essay compares and contrasts nursing roles in the Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for Adult in two countries, Saudi Arabia and Scotland CPR is most effective on as quickly as possible delivery and often should be the last alternative after a patient has not positively responded to all the other first aid measures. Furthermore, the patient should be unconscious, unresponsive, not breathing and not moving. Performing CPR varies from adults, children and infants. These steps guided by drawn rules updated in 2010 to ease the application of these steps. These guidelines are just there to guide the trained officers and further training is required in their application (Tang 2012, 64). In this article however, I emphasize on the role of a nurse in all the steps of administration of CPR. Furthermore, I will make comparison of these roles in two countries believed to offer the CPR method of life (Gordon 1967, 12). Other important factors that might relate to the subject too are aboard. Nurses beat all odds in their professions in preserving life. In CPR administration, there are teams formed to facilitate the easy administration of this process. One of the teams is the Nursing Roles. In the nursing roles, nurses break up responsibilities from head to Nursing Team Leader (habitually senior ward nurse) identifies self as Nursing Team Leader, accountable for co-coordinating and directing evolving nursing care of the patient (Field 209, 95). The leader checks suitable emergency call has been placed and starts regulator as soon as the Emergency trolley rolls in. he delegates accessible staff to roles apposite to their echelon of practice:

The raise of Militarization of American Police Essay

The raise of Militarization of American Police - Essay Example On the other hand, community, policing is most concerned with addressing the issues that the community is most concerned about and other concerns that the members of the community may have. Ties are established by assigning officers to certain regions for extended periods so as to get to know the people and to have a better understanding of the geographical location. Call-in programs and town meetings are some of the ways in which rapport is created. This paper looks at the effectiveness of community policing and the reasons as to why it is being adopted by many police departments. Community policing has over the years been evolving and is being changed to become more adaptable with the different setting in which it is to be applied. Its origin is traced to the civil rights movements of the 1960s. It was meant to address the challenges and social upheavals that were made manifest during this time. Riots and racial injustices caused many tensions and led many to view the police service as a symbol of political authority causing wide public criticism. As a result, the president of the Unite States at the time set up a commission in 1967. The committee findings were that the police service ought to be made more sensitive and responsive a rapidly changing society (Kappeler & Gaine, 2012). Over the years, a few factors have led to its evolving in into the many forms of community policing that exist today.. The concern of most of the people was the unfair treatment of the minorities, especially black people by the police. The treatment led to the restructuring of th e police service into geographical regions and aspects such as foot patrol and line officers being introduced. In the 1970s, academic interest in this discipline increased as the many researchers began examining the role and the effectiveness of the traditional strategies that the police service

Evaluation of Production Essay Example for Free

Evaluation of Production Essay In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products? My five minute documentary preview, a view on the current influences Vivienne Westwood brings to Londons youth culture incorporates generic conventions, which are developed by comparing other real media products. To enable the use of codes and conventions, I watched different documentaries. It was difficult to conduct research that had a similar genre to my documentary however watching any documentary helped me gain some visual experience when it came to framing, layout and lighting etc. One documentary that I liked and paid particular focus on was the BBC documentary Michael Jacksons influence on Black Culture. In my opinion this documentary somehow related to mine as they both look at influences on a certain culture. I often paid attention to the framing of each shot to help me establish how a documentary should be filmed and then taking into account the conventions I learnt, and using them in my documentary to result in a professional look. One of the conventions I used was formal interviews. When filming the interviews i had to learn how to frame them accurately, and therefore i had take into account the position on the interviewee. In order to do this I used the rule of thirds. Rather than having the interviewee looking straight into the camera, the eye line is positioned slightly to the side looking opposite at the interviewer. While expressing their views it shows that the interviewee is having a direct conversation with the interviewer making it look as formal as possible. On the right side of the frame, i left room for any names that need to be added. In most real media documentaries the setting is quite apparent, there is not usually too much of a distraction behind the interviewee. Therefore whilst filming my documentary i tried to keep the background fairly ordinary in order to prevent the audience losing their concentration and instead to focus on the interviewee. During the plannnng of my documentary the idea i had in mind was very vague. However after having researched more and having got hold of some contacts that would be of use in the documentary, my ideas started to develop and change, resulting into a real plan that would have depth by including a beginning, middle and end. I had planned to go to different locations ie. Oxford street, Camden Town, Covent Garden etc where i would be able to find individuals that came from different sub cultures and interview them on the spot about their fashion sense and what it says about them. However when i captured it i noticed that the sound recording didnt come out clear enough and the wind came about as a problem because the equipment wasnt professional, therefore the microphone picked up every background sound. As a result, these different technical problems led to a lack of informal interviews. Furthermore, it was a trouble getting informal interviews as many people who I had approached refused to be in the interview. This issue was very frustrating as it was a hassle carrying the equipment around for nothing. I had also contacted Vivienne Westwood to see if she was willing to do an interview and other organisations such as the VA however they were not available to take part. On the other hand, I managed to get one informal interview that was successful, as well as getting hold of and contacting my own contacts who were reasonably effective to the documentary. The documentary starts off with the use of a presenter, who establishes and lets the audience know what they will explore throughout the documentary. As the documentary mainly consists of formal interviews there was no need for a presenter throughout the rest of the documentary. I wanted to use the convention of archive footage within the documentary. Using Clips of Vivienne Westwood that I would not have been able to obtain myself, i believe would have added more facts and information to the documentary, yet I wasnt sure if this would have got in the way of copyright so for this reason i decided not to include it. Moreover, the same issue came about when choosing which music to add to the documentary. It was hard to choose the right music that would fit with the context of the documentary as most of it was too clichi which was distracting from the interviews. However to overcome this problem i searched more around different genres and was able to find a suitable track that bonded well with the documentary. For my ancillary tasks I attempted to focus on ways that would be effective to the audience first and relate it to their needs. I was asked to make a poster that would advertise my documentary as well as a radio trailer for verbal advertisement. It is important to promote your product in order to tell the audience when it will be shown or a clue on what it will be based upon; similarly the radio trailer will give the audience an insight to the documentary and give them an idea on what will be said as well as an idea of its topic. I aimed to make both effective and accurate that relate to my documentary. In terms of my poster I would say it fits in with the content of the documentary as the documentary portrays how Vivienne Westwood started out, and explains the influences she has had on the current youth culture in London as well as how she has inspired many individuals. Therefore to demonstrate this through a poster I used a black white effect on Vivienne Westwood and in her body, placed colourful images of the different sub cultures that represent her influences. The contrast in colours makes the poster stand out and grab the audiences interest. The image of the different individuals representing a diversity of trends In the current culture of London fashion are the people that would have been interviewed if my documentary was longer, however it would be relatively insignificant to do this as it is only a 5 min clip. My other ancillary task, the radio trailer, was slightly harder in my opinion, as I had to not only inform the audience but also make it sound persuasive to raise awareness of the documentary. In order to make my trailer effective I looked back over my documentary and used sound clips from my interviews that would be useful in the trailer to give it a sense of reality and direction. For the script I wanted to make it sound catchy so the audience would not get bored and distracted. In order to do this I used short sentences that informed the listeners about the main details of the documentary. I had to make sure it was well written with the use of appropriate English so that it will appeal to the majority. I believe there is a strong link between the ancillary tasks and the main product as they all portray a similar style. By keeping a similar style, in my opinion I think this shows continuity throughout. In terms of audience feedback, I have learnt that the audience help me establish the positive and negative parts about my documentary. I believe that it is important to take the audience into consideration while making a documentary as they are the ones who are viewing it therefore it should be made to suit their needs. My aim was to complete the documentary to the best of my ability, in order to please the audience. When the documentary was complete I played it to the class where both students and teachers shared their opinions. The feedback that I received was mainly positive and detailed; though of course there were also criticisms. I believe it is essential to listen carefully and take in all criticisms as they will come in use for my future work and help me learn from my mistakes when making new media products. One of the many things the audience liked was the information and facts which the documentary showed and the fact that there were different sides to the story. I am pleased with this as it was my purpose to create not only a documentary that was informing but also showing different opinions and beliefs. I think this shows a sense of realism. Another point that the audience liked was the idea of one of the interviewees being filmed in front of a police station. This was interesting because the interviewee is seen to be a rebel; therefore juxtaposing the two was attractive. Overall I am pleased with my final product as the audience have shown interest in my documentary. To a certain extent, I believe there is a fair range of camera shots and techniques used throughout but there could always be room for improvement From start to finish, I used different types of new media technologies in order to help my research and planning stages through to the construction of my project. The main technology I used was the internet. This helped me when I was at the stage of researching and planning, as it was a quick and easy way to access all kinds of information that I needed. Firstly, the popular search engine Google, allowed me to carry out primary and secondary data. It helped me get information on the different locations and institutions that I found interesting such as The Fashion and Textiles museum, The London College of Fashion etc. It helped me gather information for my planning stage. Secondly, having access to email was very convenient. It was an easy way of allowing me to communicate with others by sending and receiving instant information where I could access it either my phone or computer. It helped me make sure everything was organised and arranged. Thirdly, before I started filming my documentary I had to know the specific conventions of documentaries therefore I wanted to watch a lot of different documentaries. I would usually watch BBC1 and channel 4 however instead of waiting for the documentary to come on Television; YouTube gave me instant access with a range of choices. During my project I had to present each stage of my planning and research. I used Microsoft PowerPoint to do this. PowerPoint, is easy to use and is a good way of presenting information in a clear and understandable way. I used Final Cut Express to create both my documentary and radio trailer. I enjoyed using this software as I was able to expand my skills and learn new ones by using different tools. One of the skills I learnt were putting footage over interviews and playing them simultaneously. I am now able to use voice over when recording sound and other tools when editing the sequence. I believe that from this it has given me more confidence to use the software because I now have the ability to structure a timeline and create a story giving it a narrative. Using Adobe Photoshop for my Poster was not so easy as it was my first time using the software, nevertheless with some practice and hard work I managed to complete my poster successfully. I not only completed it but used media technology to do so. I am satisfied that I have gained new skills. For the title of my poster I used a site called DAfont I found this site effective because it had a wider selection of fonts that I could choose from that suited with the overall image of my poster For my interviews it was important that I knew how to go out and actually use a camera. To make sure everything was perfect; I practiced with my partner before shooting. I can definitely say that my camera skills have broadened through learning how to properly take out a camera and attach it to a microphone, tripod and headphones while at the same time making sure the faming and sound is correct. All these new media technologies supported the research, planning and construction of my production project.

Financial Statements Paper Essay Example for Free

Financial Statements Paper Essay The statement usually includes beginning balance, net income for the current cycle, dividends disclosed in the current period and ending balance. Balance sheets detail assets and claims to assets at a distinct point in time. Claims of creditors and claims of owners are examples of claims to assets. This particular statement provides a clear outline of the financial standing of the company as a whole. The direct function of a statement of cash flow is to present financial information such as cash receipts and payments during a set point in time. This assists investors and creditors to analyze a company’s financial position.. These statements address a company’s financing, investment and operational activities. Financial statements are useful to managers as these statements are utilized to measure the performance of the organization. Sales and expenses are compared to the income statements from previous periods by management to pinpoint possible problematic areas. Major variations adjure management to thoroughly understand what the causes of those changes are. Variations in liabilities and assets are examined on the balance sheets from one cycle to the next. Any large variations need to be identified, explained and reasons established to whether the variations benefited the company, or caused a loss as consequences of problems. From this point management can make adjustments to correct any problems, or future planning, so these losses or problems do not repeat again. The benefits can be capitalized upon as well. Financial statements are useful to employees for the reason of collective bargaining, discussing compensation, and ranking. Employees also use this information as a means to determine the ability of the company to provide retirement benefits and opportunities for advancement. Financial Statements are useful to investors as they hold an interest in the profits of the company. The investors are looking for a return in the money they have invested, usually in the form of stocks, as they seek increases in stock value and profitability. Lending decisions to be made by creditors are based upon the financial statements. The creditors want to ensure that the companies they are lending the funds to have the ability to manage its finances so they are not at risk of not being able to pay back its debts. References: Kimmel, P. D. (2009). Financial Accounting: Tools for Business Decision Making (5th ed. ). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database..

Report on Organisational Change and Multiculturalism in IKEA

Report on Organisational Change and Multiculturalism in IKEA The following is an integrative report on organisational change brought about by multiculturalism in organisations with specific emphasis on the concept of diversity management in relation to organisational culture. With the help of a study on IKEA, the international chain of home and office furniture stores, the report will attempt to analyse the challenges faced by international managers in the process of keeping up with the demands of multiculturalism, a direct consequence of globalisation. Although the values and practices of IKEAs corporate culture will be discussed in general, in order to narrow the geographic area of research, the report will focus more on IKEAs franchise in Dubai, UAE. The report will make extensive use of relevant literature in order to understand the issues in question by applying the literature to the organisation and by doing so, will attempt to make further recommendations and meaningful conclusions. I.1 IKEA Background: IKEA prides itself to be the most successful and largest furniture retailer in the world, and boasts provision of everything and anything for a home, having products suited for people of all ages, and all this at low prices. The company promises excellent value for money spent with all of their products designed with an emphasis on natural colours to bring a light and airy atmosphere within a home. This concept is based purely on IKEAs Swedish origins, where people pride themselves in living in harmony with nature with simple home designs which offer maximum efficiency in all weathers (http://www.iamaceo.com/marketing/ikea-brand-success-strategy/). IKEAs vision, to create a better everyday life for the many people is reportedly largely aimed at the global middleclass which is also evident from their business idea, to offer a wide range of well designed, functional home furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible will be able to afford the m (http://www.ikea.com/ms/en_GB/about_ikea/press_room/student_info.html). With 265 stores worldwide, where 235 are owned by the IKEA group while the remaining 30 by franchisees outside the group, the extent of IKEAs expansion is obvious (IKEA, 2007). IKEAs corporate culture is based on the concept of shared values, some of which, as the organisation proclaims, are togetherness, cost-consciousness, respect, and simplicity. These values project a very democratic form of leadership where considerable freedom is given to employees to contribute to the companys success. IKEA claims to treat all employees, no matter what rank they carry, as partners in the business. The company also boasts no restrictions upon employees in using their own initiatives and offers full support to meet each individuals needs, ambitions and capabilities. I.2 IKEA Dubai and Al Futtaim Trading: The IKEA franchise in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) was first initiated in 1991 with the local Al Futtaim Trading Company taking ownership. This collaboration has been, since its inception, a major success story in the UAE and other parts of the Middle East, as many new IKEA outlets have been strategically opened over the years by the group and have achieved great competitive advantages and overall productivity. The Al Futtaim group was first established in the 1930s as a trading company. Headquartered in Dubai, the group has seen a rapid progress in its operations not only within the UAE but in more than 65 countries across the Middle East, and in various sectors of business. The group attributes its success to its ability to respond to the changing needs of customers and the societies in which it operates through an entrepreneurial and customer focused approach. Employees of the group enjoy a democratic culture made possible through clearly defined objectives and values, enabled through clear flow of information via a decentralised structure. Al Futtaim also prides itself for the ability to proactively manage change whilst upholding the values of integrity, service and social responsibility. (http://www.al-futtaim.ae/content/groupProfile.asp; http://www.ikeadubai.com/content/aboutUs.asp) Apart from managing many of IKEAs retail operations in the UAE, the Al Futtaim group carry the sole responsibility of recruiting personnel for the franchise, and also providing valuable information about changes in the local political scene, culture, economy and other issues like new technologies, threats of competitors, legal issues etc, effectively conducting internal and external analyses (SWOT and PESTEL) for IKEA. This contribution has greatly helped the IKEA group over the years to align their regional operations according to changing environments, effectively creating a strategic fit between the organisation and the environment (http://www.megaessays.com/viewpaper/16374.html). I.3 The Culture Change Problem: For an organisation that boasted fairness in employment and empowerment to employees through a democratic leadership and structure, and flexible organisational culture, IKEA had initially employed an ethnocentric approach of management where only Swedes were recruited for management positions so as to ensure the original Swedishness of the organisation. But this approach eventually met with criticism and a temporary setback in IKEAs overseas operations, where the organisation was faced with the task of revising its overseas recruitment policies in order to meet the demands of local cultures and employment laws (Kling and Goteman, 2003; Kochan et al, 2002). According to Bjork (1998), every time IKEA was faced with a struggle due to internationalisation, new cultural management policies would be implemented, the latest being Diversity Management. IKEA is well known for having a rapid internationalisation process from its Swedish origins as a result of globalisation and its rapid expansion into countries with cultures very different from its original Swedish national culture (Hollensen, 2007). Although owned by franchisees in some countries, like the UAE, the IKEA concept and trademark are solely owned by Inter IKEA Systems B.V in Netherlands, giving the group considerable authority over franchises. This means Inter IKEA Systems B.V is the franchiser for all IKEA stores within or outside of the IKEA group, ensuring uniformity of corporate values, and the IKEA concept of self assembled furniture right from the centre (IKEA, 2007). IKEA has had to rapidly transform itself from an ethnocentric corporate culture to an organisation that embraces people of all backgrounds, and has in many communiquà ©s expressed the importance of having a culturally diverse workforce in order to obtain competitive advantage on the global scene. This is evident from the organisations recruitment websites in various countries, where emphasis is given for potential employees to be themselves, but at the same time adhere to shared corporate values such as simplicity, cost-consciousness, hard work etc, but almost all of the websites show a picture of a man and woman of Scandinavian origin (Bjork, 1998). This has created a paradox within the IKEA Groups core values, where there is still a strong emphasis on the companys Scandinavian background. Setting up operations in multicultural societies like Dubai meant the IKEA group has had to go through a rapid process of internal culture-change. This means a complete internationalisation of organisational culture, where key positions are not restricted to Swedish nationals, and communication systems had to be introduced to break geographical and cultural barriers. The partnership with Al Futtaim has played a major role for IKEA in achieving this change. In the following sections literature related to organisational culture-change, international recruitment processes and the inevitable resistance to culture will be studied and analysed. II. LITERATURE REVIEW: The purpose of this section is to acquire a deeper understanding of culture and its characteristics by means of metaphorical representation of organizations with the help of relevant literature. This may help us understand the significance of culture change, not just to gain competitive advantage, but for the very survival of an organization in an ever-changing environment. II.1. Organization and Society: Drawing the Parallels Within the process of cultural evolution there is a significant amount of similarity in the manner in which culture is manifested in business organizations and in society in general (Rollinson, 2005; Morgan, 1998). To understand cultural diversity in organizations, it would be helpful to understand its roots at a sociological level. Cultural diversity at the workplace is a direct result of multiculturalism in the society. A multicultural society simply denotes a society in which there exist several cultures (Watson, 2002). Culture is defined as, A pattern of shared assumptions a group learned as it solved its problems of external adaptation and internal integration that has worked well enough to be considered valid and, therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way you think, perceive, and feel in relation to those problems (Schein, 2004). The above definition suggests that culture is a shared activity of overcoming external and internal factors through methods that have been taught down to the group as acceptable and functional. A general view of cultural differences is that they affect intercultural encounters, usually by leading to misunderstanding or conflict, at both the individual and group levels (Larkey, 1996). Larkey explains that at the individual level, as different values, beliefs or worldviews are manifested in communication behaviours and as culture creates differing expectations and differing styles or patterns of speech, interpersonal misunderstanding and conflict can arise. At the group level, inter-group processes can be triggered by, for instance, an individuals non-verbal behaviour or ways of speaking which stereotypically represent a group (1996). It then becomes the responsibility of the leadership of the core society to introduce a culture and/or change its existing core culture to accommodate th e various differences brought in by the subcultures in an integrated manner, where these differences are acknowledged and valued (Neuliep, 2008). When the above sociological aspects of culture are compared to a business organization, the organization is the core society, and its culture, the core culture. We all refer to this as organizational culture. Analogically speaking, the organizational (core) culture should be designed in such a way that the employees of the company share a basic set of values and assumptions, which tie them to that particular organization. But, on the individual or group levels, each employee has his/her own cultural norms and practices beyond those they share with other members of the company, which can be safely termed as the subcultures within the organization (Bate, 1995). II.2 Cross-Cultural Communication: We all have an internal list of those we still dont understand, let alone appreciate. We all have biases, even prejudices, toward specific groups (Lantieri Patti, 1996). The above phrase sums up the main challenge in cross-cultural communication, the fact that we still dont understand the people we talk to on a daily basis. Communication is an intrinsic part of our daily lives, whether it is at our homes, at the workplace, in the groups we belong to, or in the community, and we can identify that its hard (DuPraw Axner, 1997). According to DuPraw and Axner (1997), culture is often at the root of communication challenges, and our culture influences how we approach problems and participate in groups and in communities. Anthropologists Avruch and Black expand the above views and argue that Ones own culture provides the lens through which we view the world; the logic by which we order it; and the grammar by which it makes sense (1993). DuPraw and Axner (1997) suggest that, becoming more aware of our cultural differences, as well as, exploring our similarities, can help us communicate with each other more effectively, and that cultural differences do not necessarily have to divide us from each other (1997). In an organisational context, the similarities lie in the core organisational culture that is common at the group level. Morgan (1998) explains the significance of effective communication and concludes that every organization is composed of individuals with different cultural traits and individual personalities, and these people are organised in some way or the other through these traits in order to achieve set objectives. Thus individuals are the basic building blocks around which an organization functions, and communication is the effective cement which holds the organization together. This puts forward the importance of an organisational culture that employs clear communication channels to all levels of its structure. II.3 Organization as a Living Being: Adapting to Change, by Aligning with the Environment It can be inferred from the preceding sections that change is necessary in order to promote peaceful existence between different culture groups, in the societal realm. Considering this, it may be safe to assume that similar changes need to be implemented in the organizational realm as well (Robbins and Judge, 2009; Pettinger, 1996). The question that may arise, however, is whether changing the existing culture means changing the entire organization. Culture is such an intrinsic quality of a human being at the individual level, and of a group at the societal level, that even though it may take time to change, it may end up changing more than just a few characteristics (Bate, 1995; Hofstede, 1997). This means that changing an organizations culture implies changing the very behaviour in which it expresses itself. Morgan (1998) interestingly likens an organization to an organism, and explains that, The image of an organism seeking to adapt and survive in a changing environment offers a powerful perspective for managers who want to help their organizations flow with change. (Pg 35) He argues that this analogy encourages us to learn the art of corporate survival by developing active organic systems that remain open to new challenges. In other words, as Brooks (2003) says, it helps us form a more proactive organization with a prospector philosophy of operation. Prospectors, he explains, see their environment as ever changing and seek continual strategic and structural adjustments to cope with those changes. These organizations are continually searching for new opportunities and in the process they may create change and uncertainty for others in their competitive environment. The opposite of prospectors, known as defenders, are more reactive in nature, as they act only when environmental changes force them to do so. This kind always sees stability and continuity all around (2003). Research shows that reactors are more prone to misperceptions of their environment than are prospectors. According to Morgan (1998), this is because different environments favour differe nt species of organisations based on different methods of organising and that congruence with the environment is the key to success. So it is evident that organisations are facing the enormous challenge of changing their internal environments in accordance with the external. II.4 The International Human Resources Function: the International Organisation will be called on to operate across a wide variety of competitive environments and yet somehow balance these diverse social, political and economic contexts with the requirements of the original home context. (Dowling et al, 2008, pg25) The above statement re-iterates all the topics discussed in this report so far, namely, the task of the organisation to be able to operate in different environments whilst staying true to its original corporate objectives. The international human resources management (IHRM) function, a recent extension to the normal HRM function in an organisation, aims to achieve this global competitive advantage by employing innovative recruitment strategies. The three main issues for IHRM are: the management and development of expatriates; the internationalisation of management throughout the organisation; and, creating a new corporate culture that would reflect on internationalising the whole organisation, by focusing on increasing the international experience of staff, to be able to effectively counter the frequency of cross-cultural interactions as a result of investing abroad (Hendry, 1994). As a result, IHRM covers a much wider spectrum of worldwide management of people (Dowling et al, 1999, 2008), and is concerned with how MNCs manage their geographically dispersed workforce by being able to dispose their resources to obtain and maintain local and global competitive advantage (Schuler et al, 2002). This clearly indicates IHRM as a means of strategic importance for MNCs, as it is a key element in achieving a balance between the need for control and coordination of foreign subsidiaries, and the need to adapt to local environments (Adler and Ghadar, 1990 Milliman et al., 1991, cited in Scullion, 2001, pg5). In other words, the need is for the organisation to implement common practices, like structure and technology that transcend national differences and form a commonality as to how the business operates across cultures (Kerr et al, 1973 Hickson et al, 1979 cited in Mullins, 1999), whilst not ignoring the essential differences in how these practices are communicated and applied to the local workforce of a given foreign subsidiary (Hofstede, 1997; Keeley, 2003). II.5 Resistance to Change: When a group seeks change in the way they do things, as with culture, there is the inevitability of resistance to this change. Researchers like have identified a few reasons for such resistance: fear of the unknown, referring to peoples natural tendency to keep away from uncertainty that creates anxiety. Resisting change is one way to reduce the anxiety; fear of failure, referring to peoples fear of whether or not they are up to the challenges being brought in by the change; disagreement with the need for change, where people genuinely believe that change is not necessary; losing something of value, where people fear either losing their dominant positions and/or jobs as a result of the change; leaving a comfort zone, in that people are happy where they are and would not want unnecessary disruption of current state; false beliefs, where people unrealistically believe change is not needed and everything will turn out fine; misunderstanding and lack of trust, where people do not understand the changes being made and/or do not trust the person(s) initiating the changes; and the fact that change may require more time and energy from individuals (Robbins, 1999; Mullins, 2003). Many ways to overcome resistance have been suggested, which include: effective communication and education including training programmes for staff to make them understand the need for change, and its implications; getting people to get involved in implementing the change process, where they can not oppose it later as they were partly responsible for it; negotiating with people certain requirements they may have to get the change underway; and in many cases imposing the change by force whether the people like it or not, as resistance may mean loss of positions/ jobs etc (Robbins, 2009; Mullins, 2003). III. APPLICATION TO IKEA In light of the above discussions, the company headed in the right direction in terms of its emphasis on multiculturalism at the workplace, especially amongst its independent franchisees. IKEA in Dubai working along with Al Futtaim has been successful in achieving this objective by recruiting local, talented individuals reflecting the diverse cultural demographics of the United Arab Emirates. This is in line with earlier literature discussion of societal and organisational cultures where the core culture needs to be designed to accommodate individual personal differences, but should also give employees a common framework. III.1 Changing the Organisational Culture, a Project: IKEAs efforts to change its internal culture to align with external factors in Dubai have been a major project management undertaking. This is because the company has had to effectively integrate its centralised and extremely complex organisational structure (although argued otherwise by the group) with the more decentralised and flexible structure of Al Futtaim. This required giving considerable power to the latter group in making decisions regarding changes to the way IKEA operated in the Middle East. Reduction of organisational levels to form a flatter structure itself is a project with time constraints. Due to the ever changing nature of external cultural factors, and due to the fact that internal cultural change is a slow and gradual process, the project management methodology that IKEA and Al Futtaim may have employed would have been the Adaptive Project Framework. The adaptive project framework works on the basis that the scope for change is variable, but within specified cost and time constraints. This gives the company significant flexibility by setting up periodic milestones, where progress is reviewed at each milestone until the ultimate objective is met. The company has full authority in deciding best business value and has the opportunity to change directions at any milestone if it thinks objectives are not being met by the project. The adaptive framework also works because it is based on the assumption that change is inevitable, and is designed to allow for changes accordingly. This is especially vital when seeking culture change (Billingham, 2008). III.2 Resistance within IKEA: The initial resistance to the changes in IKEAs culture may have come mainly from the fact that the company has had to tone down its emphasis on Swedish culture at the operational level in Dubai. Changing the organisational structure would have meant losing some key positions along the structure to enable integration with Al Futtaims structure. Focusing on recruiting local personnel would have meant redundancy and/or repatriation for existing Swedish international managers. This would have also meant that existing personnel would have had to adapt to working alongside with local personnel, which may have caused communication problems, friction between personnel etc. The best methods used for overcoming above problems would have been to educate existing IKEA personnel regarding local issues like culture, governance etc, educate and train local personnel in return about IKEAs core values and its Swedish roots, and the importance the company places in carrying out the legacy of its founder, provide clear communication between levels, and reducing barriers through effective information infrastructure. IV. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, change management can now be safely coined as a field in itself in modern businesses, especially in multinational organisations. Considering the study, more and more organisations would benefit from being prospectors rather than defenders, as this would prepare them to stay in tune with their market environments. It seems the group has lived up to their own professed comments when they say, We see the diversity issue as a matter of creating a more challenging business atmosphere and of course expanding the recruitment base including everyone and not just Swedish men. It also gives us a diverse workforce with a lot of positive business possibilities (Kling and Goteman, 2003). As far as the project of changing IKEAs culture is concerned, the company has successfully reached its goal of reaching the global middle class with its products. Whether it is through the IKEA group directly, or through franchises like Al Futtaim, IKEA has realised the importance of culture change and has subsequently implemented this change within its infrastructure. The companys extraordinary success, even with a narrow product range, but a range that has been constantly diversified according to the demands of the regions of operation, is testament to the success of the project. Through Al Futtaim, IKEA is now a household name all over the Middle East, thus expanding the range of its brand through undertaking a change in organisational culture.

Racism in America Essay -- essays research papers fc

Racism has taken on many forms in America over the past several hundred years. The most substantial or well known is the plight of the African American slaves and the injustices they suffered. Today, a new form of racism is developing; one that has always been around but has now entered the forefront of most Americans minds. This new racism is against members of the Middle Eastern culture and religion. The actions of September 11th did not create a new problem, they just shed light on a problem that we have had for some time. Racism is everywhere in one form or another. To understand it, I think it is necessary to look at the history, causes, and ways to resolve it. HISTORY   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Between 1450 and 1850, at least 12 million Africans were shipped from Africa across the Atlantic Ocean — the notorious Middle Passage — primarily to colonies in North America, South America and the West Indies. Eighty percent of these kidnapped Africans were transported during the 18th century. Ten percent to 20 percent of them died en route. Unknown numbers of Africans, probably at least 4 million, died in slave wars and forced marches in Africa. In 1619, a Dutch slave trader exchanged his cargo of Africans for food in Jamestown. The Africans became indentured servants, similar in legal position to many poor Englishmen who traded several years of labor for passage to America. The race-based slave system did not develop until the 1680s. In 1638 an African man could be sold for about $27 and serve his entire life as a slave. In contrast, an indentured European laborer could earn as much as 70 cents a day toward paying off his debt and ending his servitude. In 1660 the trans-Atlantic slave trade begins, producing one of the largest forced migrations in history. From the early 16th to the mid-19th centuries, between 10 million and 11 million Africans were taken from their homes. The American colonies began enacting laws that defined and regulated slave relations, including a provision that black slaves, and the children of women slaves, would serve for life. Slave owners gave a great deal of attention to the education and training of the ideal slave. In general, there were five steps in molding the character of a slave: strict discipline, a sense of his own inferiority, belief in the master’s superiority, acceptance of the master’s standards and a deep sense of his own helples... ...derstand how they could hold these ideas to be so true and the research in this paper most definitely allowed me to take a deeper, un-biased look. I was able to see why they would be unable or unwilling to change things that were caused by years and years of social learning. It most definitely saddens me that there are still many people in this world that hold prejudices against others. I begin to think that the road to recovery has begun and then I will hear a slanderous word uttered against another person or see a terrible story on the evening news. Even the motivation behind some of our wars leaves me wondering. I believe in protecting ourselves, but at the same time things seem to move from retaliation to racial prejudice in many wars. We begin to lose focus on why we are there and who or what we are fighting for. That is a shame. WORKS CITED Spring, Joel. Deculturalization and the Struggle for Equality: A Brief History of the Education of Dominated Cultures in the United States. June 26, 2012 Torraine Walker "Don't Feed the Race Trolls" Huffington Post 04/19/2015 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/torraine-walker/dont-feed-the-race-trolls_1_b_7091716.html

The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict in the Middle East Essay -- Palestine

The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict in the Middle East The Arab world is not in a compromising mood†¦ Nations never concede; they fight. You won’t get anything by peaceful means or compromise. You can, perhaps get something, but only by the force of your arms†¦But it’s too late to talk of peaceful solutions† (Bard 1). The Arab League Secretary Azzam Pasha said this statement on September 16, 1947, eight months before the state of Israel was established. The Arabs held this mentality in a time when Israel was not yet a fact. This trait was hereditary in the sense that it was taught to their children, who taught it to their children, and so on. Those are the people who are living in Arab countries, and still despise everything about Israel and believe that, no matter what, negotiations are useless. This is especially true today with the Palestinians, for as Suha Arafat, wife of Yasser Arafat, stated, â€Å"I have always rejected normalizing relations with (Israeli) women†¦ They always invite me to their functions and I categorically refuse because I hate Israel† (Bard 2). This statement proves that though the Israeli’s try to normalize relations with the Palestinians, they refuse because they want nothing to do with Israel. From the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 to the present, there have been five wars, all of which have ended with peace treaties that did not do much. A peace treaty will never normalize the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in the Middle East because so many have failed in the past. May 14, 1948 was a victorious day for the Jewish people; the state of Israel was born. The excitement, however, was short lived because the armies of Syria, Iraq, Trans-Jordan, Egypt and Lebanon entered Israel the next day in an effort to erase it off the map. â€Å"The Arabs themselves expected the new state to be swept off the map in months if not weeks† (Ross 30). The majority of the Arab world fiercely opposed the state of Israel and refused to recognize it in any way. As Azzam Pasha, Secretary-General of the Arab League said on May 15, 1948, â€Å"This will be a war of extermination and a momentous massacre† (Bard 1). So it was; over 6,300 Israelis were killed in the War of Independence (Israeli Casualties in Battle). Rhodes Peace Pact did not force the Arabs to recognize Israel as a state, allowing its legal existence to be ignored. This peace treaty did not b... ...elly, Michael. Promises But Never Peace. 5 Apr. 2002. 7 Apr. 2002 .  · PLO. 2000. 24 Apr. 2002 .  · Podhoretz, Norman. Bush Must Face Truce About Arab Terror Against Israel. 7 Apr. 2002. 7 Apr. 2002 .  · Regan, Geoffrey. Israel and the Arabs. Minneapolis: Learner Publications Company, 1984.  · Reuters. Cleric Lauds Bombings by Women. 2 Apr. 2002. 9 Apr. 2002. .  · Ross, Stewart. Causes and Consequences of the Arab-Israeli Conflict. Texas: Raintree Steck Vaughn Publishers, 1995.  · Silverman, Maida. ISRAEL: The Founding Of A Modern Nation. New York: Dial Books of Young Readers, 1998.  · Tessler, Mark. A HISTORY of the ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN CONFLICT. United States of America: Indiana U P, 1994.  · The 1956 Sinai Campaign. 23 Apr. 2002 .  · Vogele, William B. Arab-Israeli Conflict. 26 Apr. 2002 .

Computer mouse Essay

It is found that repetitive movement by the wrist and arm, which occurs when using a computer mouse, can cause physical injury to the body parts involved. There has been an attempt from injured workers and their representatives, such as OSHA, to pass legislation requiring employers to develop programs that prevent these injuries. The workers are simply saying that the employers are responsible for these injuries. However, it is well known that most of these employees own personal computers and use them daily outside of work, making it difficult to determine where the injuries first occurred. The government should not establish standards of computer use. Individual employers should be allowed the right to establish special preventative programs if they see fit. However, in a world where people are using computers in all aspects of their lives, it is unreasonable for the government to hold only employers responsible for these injuries. Employers who truly care about their employees might not take full responsibility for this problem, but might still decide to implement programs to prevent losing exceptional workers. The responsibility falls more on the injured person than anyone else. The computer mouse is an accessory that causes much of these injuries, and ergonomic companies have created versions of the mouse to reduce and prevent these injuries. Workers who feel they are at risk for these injuries should be using these specifically designed tools in the workplace. If they are not using these special tools, then no one but himself or herself can be held responsible. Overall, it is the worker’s responsibility to maintain a level of personal safety in the workplace. The employer can provide a certain level of safety, however when it comes to detailed person decisions like what type of computer mouse to use, then it is ultimately the worker’s responsibility. Forcing all employers to develop preventative programs is unreasonable and expensive. Employers should have the choice to develop these programs, just as worker’s have the choice to work for their specific employer or not. Issue 6. 4 The concept of Internet wearables is an amazing one. Being able to access the Internet quickly through a pair of glasses is extraordinary. With all of their glitz and glamour however, Internet wearables do have their downsides. Overall, Internet wearables could allow certain individuals the information they need in a more timely and efficient manner, making them more productive. However, unless you are James Bond, it is unclear who exactly might benefit the most from this innovation. Internet wearables have the potential to be more of a hazard than a helper. Everyone is annoyed by drivers who are constantly making poor driving decisions due to their cell phone use while driving. Imagine someone trying to drive while also navigating his or her Internet wearable glasses. It is a crisis waiting to happen. The problem with these inventions is that most people will choose not to use them responsibly. It is not that people are born irresponsible; it is simply that they are easily distracted and have more confidence in their abilities to do a million things at one time than they should. Humans sometimes have faith that they can look away from the road for a few seconds and usually nothing bad will happen. There are even drivers who read the paper while driving, propping it up against the steering wheel. However, there are a few people who might benefit from these outrageous gadgets. Investigators or police officials might benefit greatly from these gadgets. Although most police cars have Internet access in their cabs, imagine them being able to be chasing a suspect on foot and access the Internet at the same time. These devices could in fact help the police fight crimes more effectively and efficiently. It could be incredible. Other people who may benefit from these devices are students. Students could access materials they need during class without even leaving their seats. The downside to this is students could also use these as negative devices to cheat as well. However, more than likely professors would rather not deal with the possibility of cheaters and prohibit these devices during tests and other exams. These devices would no doubt be a huge hit in places where people needed to access the Internet, but there was no physical space for a desktop computer. They would allow people in small spaces to get the information they needed. Internet wearables probably won’t break big on the scene for many years. Until there is more of a real need for this item, people will not be drawn to use them on an everyday basis. If and when they do become an enormous hit, there is no doubt there will be laws governing public use soon after. These laws may seem unreasonable to those who want to use their wearables wherever and whenever they choose, but since public safety is involved, the government will need to be involved in some way or another. Issue 7. 3 Copying CDs is a popular way for people to get the music they want without having to pay for the CDs. The music industry and some major artists are furious over this, with the reason being obvious. When one person copies a CD instead of buying the CD at the store, the music industry loses money. The music industry is concerned that soon they will lose almost their entire market, with just a few people buying their CDs and the rest of the market copying from the few purchasers. Many of the â€Å"CD stealers† get their music from the web; bringing up the question of whether or not it is ethical to download music from the web to burn on a personal CD. Anytime you take something from someone without paying for it, or without their permission, your actions are unethical. It is apparent that the music industry and artists are not giving permission for these actions, and the government is taking their side against it. Multiple lawsuits have been filed over the past few years targeting those who are illegally downloading music from the Internet. These cases have involved adults as well as minors. Many of the downloaders were not aware of their offense, however the publicity of these cases has left it next to impossible for downloaders to be oblivious to what they are doing. This being said, it is still up in the air of whether after the person purchases a CD if it is ethical for them to copy the CD for their own use. Many times someone will want one copy for their home and another copy for their vehicle. Having two copies would save them from transporting the CD to each location. Again, if the laws are read loosely, as long as the person purchased the CD they should be able to use it at their discretion. However, the music industry loses the potential money from patrons who would have bought more than one copy for themselves. If the person were to make a copy for someone else from their purchased CD however, it would be unethical, as the other person should buy their own copy. Recording companies should indeed be able to use special programs to prohibit copying of their CDs. However, they must realize that there will always be someone who can get around the yellow tape. That being states, with musicians and actors being paid disgusting salaries it makes one wonder why they even care if a few people are not contributing to their unnecessarily high income. Some production companies are already using programming to prohibit copying, however hacker software companies have already created programs to get around the production companies attempts. Overall, people should definitely refrain from copying CDs or downloading music without permission. The practice of taking something without permission will always be unethical and that fact clearly pertains to this scenario.

Occupational Outlook Handbook Essay

Click and drag to select the assignment questions below. Then press CTRL C to copy, or right-click the text and then click Copy. In a word processing program such as Notepad or Microsoft Word, open a new blank file. Then press CTRL V to paste, or right-click the blank area and then click Paste. The assignment questions will appear. Save the file in your course folder, and name it with Assignment, the section number, and your first initial and last name. For example, Jessie Robinsons assignment 1R for Section 1 would be named Assignment1JRobinson. Type the answers to the assignments questions. Use complete sentences unless the question says otherwise. You will have more than one day to complete an assignment. At the end of each day, be sure to save your progress. Review Lesson 4 of the Course Overview for instructions about turning in your assignments. Assignment 7 Careers (25.0 points) 1. Describe at least three specific individual differences that may give you an advantage in the wo rkplace. (1-3 sentences. 1.5 points) Diversity, rapid innovation, and productivity 2. Choose an industry you might be interested in working in, and explain why this industry interests you. (2-4 sentences. 1.0 points) I would like to work in the music industry because I cant go a day without listening to music, it motivates me. 3. Describe at least two methods you would use to identify job opportunities if you were looking for a job. Explain why you would use these methods. (2-4 sentences. 1.0 points) Use the internet, go to agencies, go to union hiring halls 4. Choose a career from the following list financial planner, financial analyst, accountant, risk manager, cash manager, treasurer, CFO, and comptroller. Use the Internet to find information about this career, and answer the questions below. TIP The U.S. Occupational Outlook Handbook ( HYPERLINK http//www.bls.gov/oco/ http//www.bls.gov/oco/) may be a good source for this information. a. What is the name of this career (0.5 points) Financial planner b. Describe at least two tasks a person with this career might perform. (1-2 sentences. 1.0 points) They would have to do a lot of math and good at planning c. What level of education is this career likely to require (0.5 points) Degree in finance, business, or accounting 5. Choose another career from the following list financial planner, financial analyst, accountant, risk manager, cash manager, treasurer, CFO, and comptroller. Use the Internet to find information about this career, and answer the questions below. TIP The U.S. Occupational Outlook Handbook (HYPERLINK http//www.bls.gov/oco/ http//www.bls.gov/oco/) may be a good source for this information. a. What is the name of the career you chose (0.5 points) b. Describe at least two tasks a person with this career might perform. (1-2 sentences. 1.0 points) c. What level of education is this career likely to require (0.5 points) 6. Choose another career that you are interested in. This does not need to be a career in the finance indu stry. Use the Internet to find information about this career, and answer the questions below. a. What is the name of the career you chose (0.5 points) b. Describe at least two tasks a person with this career might perform. (1-2 sentences. 1.0 points) c. What level of education is this career likely to require (0.5 points) d. Why does this career interest you (1-3 sentences. 2.0 points) 7. Choose another career that you are interested in. This does not need to be a career in the finance industry. Use the Internet to find information about this career, and answer the questions below. a. What is the name of the career you chose (0.5 points) b. Describe at least two tasks a person with this career might perform. (1-2 sentences. 1.0 points) c. What level of education is this career likely to require (0.5 points) d. Why does this career interest you (1-3 sentences. 2.0 points) 8. If you were in charge of managing a group of employees, how would you assess their job performance Describe at least two methods you would use. (2-4 sentences. 2.0 points) 9. Describe a time when you or someone you know conformed to the behavior of others. Why do you think this person chose to conform (2-4 sentences. 1.0 points) 10. Describe a time when you or someone you know chose not to conform to the behavior of others. Why do you think this person chose not to conform (2-4 sentences. 1.0 points) 11. Describe a time when you have worked with a group of people, such as with students for a school project, with coworkers at a job, or with family members to complete a chore. Describe the dynamics of the group, and then describe at least one way the group dynamics could have been improved. (3-6 sentences. 3.0 points) 12. Describe a real or made up but realistic example of a misunderstanding that occurred because of unclear written or verbal communication. How could this misunderstanding have been avoided (3-6 sentences. 2.5 points)

Religion as the Opium of the Masses

Religion as the opium of the masses. Like the Hebrew prophets of old, Marx knew that to speak of social justice, we must become socially self-critical, and that means becoming critical of the ruling powers whether they may be kings or priests or investment bankers. Power and privilege in society always disguise their own arbitrariness behind the facade of fair play, which may be called providence or karma or standardized test scores.Whatever basis is used to claim an objective and unbiased perspective such claims need critical analysis and challenge. About 90% of the world belongs to some sort of religion. Marx understood that purpose and that is why he made the statement, â€Å"religion is the opium of the masses† which means that religion is what keeps the masses motivated, like a medicine that blinds them to all the hardships of life.Religion has blinded the people to enjoy their sufferings hoping for something like a ‘purgatory’ or a ‘heaven’ that they would enjoy after their toiling on earth. It has come to control the people with its guiding principles although most of its guiding principles aren’t adhered to by its top leaders for example: on the news there are various stories of pastors molesting children or their congregations, popes, monks and nuns breaking their vows; yet their followers are faithful due to the promise of a peaceful after life.For Marx, all ideas are relative to the social location and interests of their production. And like the prophets before him, the most revealing perspective is not from the top down or from the center outward, but the view of the â€Å"widow and the orphan† – the point of view of the exploited and the marginalized. Suffering can see through and unveil official explanation; it can cry out and protest against the arrogance of power.This brings us back to how Marx viewed religion as the â€Å"opium of the masses†. That is we tend to think Marx had a monol ithically negative view of religion but that is not the case immediately preceding this language â€Å"the opium† the following is found Religion is at one and at the same time the expression of real suffering and a protest. Religion is the sign of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world and the soul of soulless conditions.Here Marx recognizes in religion an active moral agency especially for the deprived and the despised. Religion is not simply the ideological expression of the powerful, legitimacy the social hierarchy as in the case, for example, of singing hymns with the hidden message that there’s a â€Å"King in Heaven† so there shall and should be kings on earth. No, for Marx in the hands and voices of the poor and exploited, religion is â€Å"protest†.It is a crying out against â€Å"real suffering† not illusory sufferings such as fear of punishment from the gods or suffering caused by some impurity inherited from a previous i ncarnation. For Marx, the essence of religion is its voicing of â€Å"suffering† its crying out against the realtors of exploitation and degradation. The essence of being human is a passionate suffering, a struggle to take back into our hands a world we have made but which is then taken away from us.Religion has found a way in which it governs our or lives or society in general. It is normal for the major religious group in a society to automatically control the ruling party. The major religious group affects the behavior of the people in power and somewhat controls their decisions due to their effect on the people. A major religious group can influence the choosing of who stays in power or who comes into power just by saying ‘God’ has chosen a particular person to lead us and make our country or state stronger.The people have no choice but to follow the doctrine that’s why Marx made the statement, â€Å"religion is the opium of the masses† was made . Religion has somewhat found a way to control every aspect of the lives of individuals in the society. It has become the new trend of the day; everyone belongs to a religion because of the returns that they intend to receive. Religion has turned into the medicine for all types of sorrows this in turn controls the people who come to it for help.

Biometrics Term Paper

Biometrics Meredith Thomas Strayer University 1 Biometrics, according to Foster, â€Å"is the science of using technology to automatically identify an individual based on physical, biological, and behavioral characteristics. † There are two classification systems in biometrics and they are: physiological and behavioral. Physiological characteristics pertain to fingerprints, facial recognition, DNA, hand geometry, the shape of your body, iris recognition, etc. Behavioral characteristics pertain to voice recognition, handwriting, the way that you walk, etc.There are also two categories for the use of this biometric information and they are: access control, and remote identification. Access control pertains to the prevention of others from gaining access to information. Remote identification helps to identify a person through fingerprints or hand geometry. According to globalsecurity. org (2000-2010) they have given biometric technologies the following characteristics: Universali ty: Every person should have the characteristic. People who are mute or without fingerprints will need to be accommodated in some way.Uniqueness: Generally, no two people have identical characteristics. However, identical twins are hard to distinguish. Permanence: The characteristics should not vary with time. A person’s face, for example, may change with age. Collectability: The characteristics must be easily collectible and measurable. Performance: The method must deliver accurate results under varied environmental circumstances. Acceptability: The general public must accept the sample collection routines. Nonintrusive methods are more acceptable. Circumvention: The technology should be difficult to deceive. Now let’s get more into biometrics! Fingerprinting is one of the most popular physiological characteristics in biometrics. No two people on this earth have the exact same fingerprint, which helps in distinguishing where a person has been, and what they have touch ed. Once a criminals fingerprints have been recorded in IAFIS (the Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System), then they are permanently recorded and easily traced. Another physiological characteristic is facial recognition, which is newer to the scene than fingerprints.While it may be one of the easiest to use, the environment in which it is used definitely controls it. A mug-shot is the ideal way to capture facial recognition, because it is a controlled environment. One of my favorite physiological characteristics is the use of the iris for identification. According to globalsecurity. org (2000-2010), â€Å"The technology is based upon the fact that no two iris patterns are alike (the probability is higher than that of fingerprints). The iris is a protected organ which makes the identification possibilities lifelong. Criminals may be able to duplicate fingerprints, but not irises. Some behavioral characteristics associated with biometrics are, handwriting and voice r ecognition. Every person has their own unique handwriting, it is measured by the rhythm, pressure, and flow that one applies to the paper while writing. Voice verification is tough to analyze, because a person’s voice changes if they have a cold, or if they are over-excited, anxious, nervous, afraid. Background noise is also a factor. All of the above mentioned characteristics can be used in access control and remote identification.Iris identification is used more and more often for security purposes in passports, hospitals, high profile building access, etc. 3 There are new and emerging technologies in the biometrics field such as: vein scan, facial thermography, DNA matching, blood pulse, skin elements, nailbed identification, gait recognition, and ear shape. Vein scan is a non intrusive scan of the veins on the back of one’s hands hand, they are very unique patterns that are formed before birth, and only change in size throughout one’s lifetime.Facial thermog raphy is very similar to facial recognition, except an infrared camera is used. Skin elements are an interesting biometric technology because just like fingerprints or irises everyone’s skin makeup is different. Gait recognition is one technology that I would have never thought of, but it makes a lot of sense. According to globalsecurity. org, â€Å"A person’s musculature essentially limits the variation of motion, and measuring requires no contact with the person. One disadvantage to gait recognition could be loose fitting clothing, the body is hidden and you don’t have much to compare. Everyday new and different technologies are emerging in the biometrics field. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next ten years, and what I will have to look forward to working with in the future. 4 Foster, Raymond E. (2005). Police Technology. Pearson Prentice Hall. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. http://www. globalsecurity. org/security/systems/biometrics. htm Sit e monitored by John Pike.