The importance of Human Resources :: Human Resources Essays

The true value of any company in any economy is its people. Could a company survive if it lost all of its equipment, all of its machinery or all of its office supplies? The answer to this question is absolutely, because the employees of the company would pitch in to make sure it survived. On the other hand, could a company survive if it lost all of its employees? These questions emphasize the importance and necessity of people in businesses because without them, the businesses would not be able to run. The importance of human resources is staggering and it acts as an advocate for the most important business resource, people. Without human resources, people would have no incentive or motivation to stay in there jobs I believe there is a clear relationship between the effectiveness of a company’s people practices and the company’s market value. Focusing on people definitely pays off; therefore strong human resource practices have the potential to increase a company’s productivity and profitability. The expanse of issues human resources deals with in a company is extremely large, effecting most if not all aspects of a person’s job. For example, compensation, benefits, harassment, hiring, job evaluation, leaves of absence, occupational health and safety, vacation, retirement, education and training are just a few of the topics human resource professionals deal with on a full time basis. Can you imagine working in a company where there was no person or group of people to turn to with a question or concern regarding your job evaluation or career path? What would happen if you felt you were being harassed because of your sex or race at work and there was no human resource department or policy in place against harassment? These questions stress the fact that without human resources in a company, employees would feel unimportant and discouraged as well as other negative feelings. There are endless scenarios that could show the disadvantages an employee would face without human resources and the policies and practices it follows that work to protect and benefit employees. In businesses, incentive programs are almost always coordinated through human resource departments. These programs are very important because they motivate an employee’s job performance or attendance for example. A popular incentive program is for attendance, in this program, an employee is rewarded for meeting certain attendance criteria, for example, not using any sick days in a calendar year.

Why is it difficult to define a “new social movement”?

When one thinks of â€Å"new social movements† (NSM's) it is fair to say that a number of images may spring into peoples' minds. To some, Swampy chaining himself to a tree will automatically be imagined, for others, they may think of the anti-globalisation protests in Seattle or on the streets of London. The fact is that both of these ideas come under this broad title and it is for that reason that it can de difficult to define exactly what is meant by an NSM. This essay will attempt to address why NSM's have come into existence, which sections of society choose to become involved and how these groups operate. Having done this, the essay will then attempt to show why defining an NSM is problematic. It is fair to say that most people who choose to participate in NSM's do so because they feel that conventional politics does not or has not dealt with the issues that they feel are important. It is, therefore, the aim of the NSM's to highlight these issues and bring them to the attention of either the politicians or the general public in the hope that government policy will adopt a different strategy. It has been said that â€Å"one repeated motif in the discussion of new social movements is the view that they are, in contrast to older movements, primarily social or cultural in nature and only secondary, if at all, political. † (Scott, 1990:16). What Alan Scott is saying here is that the main ideas behind social movements are the attempts to change the way society exist as a whole and not necessarily the way people view their politics. Being part of a social movement is not just a way of thinking; it is a belief in a certain ideal that transcends all aspects of your life. In this way, it can be said that NSM's are expressive in their views as opposed to political parties, who are instrumental. An NSM is not necessarily motivated by achieving a pre-set goal but by the belief itself. This is one reason that can explain why members or ‘adherents' of social movements are fully prepared to make self-sacrifices, such as imprisonment, for their cause. One important ramification of this is that the adherents to social movements are prepared to step outside the law to achieve their goals. This creates a very serious dilemma for governments because if people are prepared to act illegally then the threat of legal action will not act as a deterrent. In other words, if people have a strong enough will then in the end, there is nothing to stop them. As Russell Dalton and Manfred Kuechler wrote â€Å"the new social movement approach claims that many NSM's intentionally remain outside the institutionalized framework of government. † (Dalton et al. , 1990:14). The NSM's prefer to remain in this position to avoid being forced to compromise their goals. What this suggests is that NSM's actively promote criminal behaviour and rationalize it by saying that it is for a good cause. However, in a survey conducted by Alan Marsh in 1977, it was found that 55 per cent of the people questioned believed that â€Å"it is justified to break the law to protest about something you feel may be very unjust or harmful. † (Byrne, 1997:4). Although these activities are illegal, the majority of people are prepared to act as such anyway. This illustrates the complications that arise when one tries to define NSM's. On the one hand, you could say that they choose to be troublemakers, committing crimes and illegal protests, but on the other hand, you see that in fact a substantial proportion of the population shares their views on the appropriate course of action. A major difficulty with trying to define NSM's is to distinguish with what exactly we are dealing. What is meant by this is what sort or group of people or section of society do we class as a new social movement? For example, we would class feminists and green activists as social movements but this also leads to difficulty in defining what an NSM actually is. In terms of ideology, feminists and green activists have little in common yet they would both fall into the category of NSM's. A very extreme example of this is the Al' Queida terrorist network and the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND). These two groups could not be more different if they tried but to a certain extent they can both be classed as social movements. On the one hand, you have the CND, an organisation at the heart of the Peace Movement, whose â€Å"supporters have employed tactics which extend from serious academic work on the probable effects of nuclear warfare, to mass demonstrations, and to a wide variety of non-violent direct action. † (Byrne, 1997:11). On the other hand, you have the Al' Queida terrorist network, the alliance responsible for the September 11th attack upon New York's World Trade Centre and the Pentagon. This group is responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent people – the CND, however, call for an end to weapons of mass destruction. How then can you class the Al' Queida terrorist network as a social movement? Its members are willing to step outside the conventional channels to achieve their goals. They are prepared to fight and die for their cause as long as by their death they have advanced towards their end goal – the destruction of the US. The Al' Queida is one extreme example of how an NSM can be described as irrational and unreasonable. Their adherents are not motivated by self-interest but by their unbreakable belief in the cause. They also seem to think that they are justified in breaking the law or ignoring any kind of conventional methods. Here we can see how defining a NSM can be made difficult. The spectrum when it comes to social movements is so diversified that it leads to problems in terms of what can and cannot be included. It is difficult to comprehend that two such different groups can be classified under the same heading. The Al' Queida terrorist network is, to a certain extent, an example of how NSM's choose to exist in terms of their structure. The Al' Queida exists with more recognizable members, such as Osama Bin Laden, but the fact remains that if he were to be captured or killed then that would have little effect on the remainder of the group. The adherents will still believe in their cause and they will still do all they can to realize their vision. Of course, this is a very extreme example of a NSM and when we look at more mainstream groups the structure is less militant but the basic ideas remain the same. On a whole, NSM's attempt to avoid the hierarchical approach of the conventional political parties and instead choose to opt for a more co-operative system. The CND is actually an example of how a structured organisation can exist within the informally organized Peace Movement. It is difficult to describe the structure of an NSM as even the word ‘structure' suggests some kind of organisation. Referring to NSM's as groups also causes problems as this suggests that there would be some kind of hierarchy when in fact, as Brand et al. suggest â€Å"New social movement theorists maintain that these groups prefer a decentralized, open, and democratic structure that is more in tune with the participatory tendencies of their supporters. † (Dalton et al. , 1990:13). It is clear that NSM's choose to steer away from creating any formal structure as to avoid becoming the political parties that they are attempting to influence. The structure of NSM's has strong links with their ideology. NSM's are inclined to believe more in a co-operative society where every person has his or her own personal space in which they have the right to exist and the right to choose how they wish to live their lives. This means that NSM's have no leaders as such due to the adherents wish to maintain a sense of autonomy. To many adherents of social movements it is important for them as individuals to maintain their rights to exist as they see fitting. The idea of autonomy is of great importance when trying to discuss NSM's and the fact that they demand various aspects of this autonomy adds weight to the arguments for difficulty with definition. The first aspect is personal autonomy. The idea that adherents have the social ‘space' to grow as individuals and develop their own views and ideas, as opposed to being limited by constraints placed upon them by society. An example of this sort of autonomy can be found when we look at the Women's movement of the early seventies. Here women were not only fighting for their sex as a whole but for their own personal right to equality within the male dominated system. The Women's movement is also a good example of the second aspect of autonomy: that of group autonomy. Here we can consider the issue of abortion and the rights of women. This issue can be evaluated on both levels: personal and as a group. On a personal level, the efforts of the movement mean that the choice is there and whichever path is chosen is not dictated by anyone other than the parties involved. The women's movement fought for the rights of all women to choose whether or not to have abortions so that no matter what background you come from or what religion you are, every woman has the right to choose. The third aspect of autonomy is described as the ‘autonomy of struggle', which is to say â€Å"the insistence that the movement and those it represents be allowed to fight their own corner without interference from other movements, and without subordinating their demands to other external priorities. † (Scott, 1990:20). We now see that this issue of autonomy is very important to NSM's. A social movement sees itself through its own rights and the rights of its adherents to live their lives in a certain fashion. This leads on to the idea of a social movement helping people to define themselves in terms of their place in society. This is prime example of how adherents differ to members of conventional political parties. A Conservative does not really have to make any concessions upon his or her lifestyle in order to be a member of the Conservative party but being an environmentalist is about a change in how one acts in general. What this illustrates is the argument that NSM's do not necessarily take action towards political reform but in fact towards social reform. One of the main elements that makes defining NSM's so difficult is who makes up the adherents of these movements. Over the last thirty years, there has been an increase in the so-called new politics but can this all being attributed to the uprising of the student movement or are the adherents far more diversified? As has already been mentioned, different people have different views on what they consider to be an NSM. Are we supposed to believe that all adherents are in fact longhaired, unwashed students who have nothing better to do with their time that form squatter camps and disrupt building work? The classical approach to NSM's suggests that most adherents turn to social movements due to relative deprivation. The idea that they are somehow incapable of participating in conventional politics so they choose NSM's as an alternative. However, when classicalists looked at the type of people involved in the civil rights movement in the US during the fifties and sixties, they found that it was not only the alienated black population that was involved but also the white middle class. The theory of ‘resource mobilization' was put forward as an alternative to the classical theory. Here, the authors of the theory believed that participation in NSM's was to do with resources. What ‘resources' mean is the availability of finances, office space and other intangible assets such as time and education. It suggests that there has been an evolution of the middle class to include people such as teachers and lecturers who have created a class not through economic wealth but through their knowledge and intelligence. The typical adherent to NSM's is far from the image of a tree-hugging extremist but is, in fact, a member of this new middle class, a technocrat. What are the reasons behind this? That is a hard question to answer but Ronald Inglehart suggested the theory of ‘post-materialism'. â€Å"Inglehart argues that the post-war generation have been socialized into such higher order or ‘post-material' values, and its this which motivates their support for social movements. † (Byrne, 1997:55). Here, the argument is that the people who choose to become involved in NSM's are those who feel that they have achieved all the material possessions that they can and are therefore, looking for some other kind of personal fulfillment. This theory holds a number of flaws, for example, how can Inglehart be sure that people would choose to become involved in social movements instead of charity work in their quest for personal fulfillment? Another problem arises when you try to quantify the level of material wealth that constitutes satisfaction and at which point the person decides to give up the search for more money. However, the fact remains that it has become more apparent over the years that it is this new middle class that is the typical adherents to the NSM's but it has not become clear why it is this group. The fact is that these new social movements choose to exist outside the conventional channels of politics. They do not have the same structure as the mainstream political parties as they are not supposed to be as such. They are an ideology that is followed through choice and lead to more extreme measures than usual politics to the extent that adherents make a lifestyle decision. The difficulty in defining NSM's comes from all aspects of their existence. The title of a social movement covers such a diverse range of beliefs and ideas that any kind of set rules will ultimately fail as no statement can be truly all-inclusive. Neither would NSM's want to be able to be defined as it goes against all the ideals for which they stand – the ideals of a hierarchy free alliance where the emphasis is on co-operation and not leadership. This statement itself causes problems, as it is a sweeping generalization of the group of social movements as a whole. The difficulties of defining new social movements appear because of the fact that no two movements or beliefs are exactly the same.

Theology Leads to Interpretation - 1336 Words

Emily Dickinson’s extensive collection of poems on the subject of death can be better understood individually once time has been taken to view her works as whole. By viewing the works as a whole, it is possible to conclude a likely theological view point of the author and then apply this theology to the individual works in order to improve interpretation. Emily Dickinson’s poem â€Å"Because I could not stop for Death† is one such poem that when viewed individually is open to a wide scope of readings. Using Dickinson’s other works in collaboration with the poem itself creates a theological viewpoint through which a more defined interpretation can be reached. Dickinson’s poems on death indicate a theology which extends the concept of stages in†¦show more content†¦The speaker of the poem is picked up in a carriage by two beings, â€Å"Death† and â€Å"Immortality.† Dickinson’s personification of these concepts as two separate beings reinforces them as two separate stages in the process of death. Death being the one who â€Å"kindly stopped for [her]† is the stage which has already been achieved. However the lines indicating that the horses’ heads were pointed â€Å"toward Eternity† and not yet arrived clarify that this is only a future destination and not a point which has actually been reached. Another puzzling feature of the poem â€Å"Because I could not stop for Death† which has undergone much debate is the â€Å"[pause] before a House that seemed/ A Swelling of the Ground.† These lines are usually interpreted in two way: the first being that the pause is actually a stop for the subject who is left at a true house and thus there is no burial in the poem, the second is that it is only a pause at the grave before the â€Å"self† moves on â€Å"towards eternity† thus achieving immortality. Abbott Collamer’s explications on this poem employ historical facts to provide convincing proof that the structure described is a grave. The burial vaults at the time were structures similar in shape to the elementary image of a square home. After construction they were buried and covered in grass. Thus the terms associated with the construction of a home, â€Å"Roof† and â€Å"Cornice,† apply to the construction of the grave. The burial of the structure accounts for theShow MoreRelatedHow I Think Theologically By Howard W. Stone And James O. Duke1554 Words   |  7 PagesIn their book, How To Think Theologically, Howard W. Stone and James O. Duke convey to their reading audience on the very first page of their introduction that â€Å"†¦Christian theology is at its roots a matter of faith seeking understanding.† The premise of the book argues – no states emphatically â€Å"†¦their (christians’) faith makes them theologicans.† It is this foundational point on which the entire work pivots. So Stone and Duke are asking their readers to buy in to the realization that by merit ofRead MoreWhy Is Theology A Theology?953 Words   |  4 PagesBelieving in God constitutes theology. One does not need to spread God’s word or study Him to a certain extent, but only needs to believe in Him and lead a life of what they believe to be holy and godly. 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Frances Perkins, First Woman in a Presidential Cabinet

Frances Perkins (April 10, 1880 — May 14, 1965) became  the first woman to serve in a presidents cabinet when she was appointed the Secretary of Labor by  Franklin D. Roosevelt. She played a prominent public role throughout Roosevelts 12-year presidency and was instrumental in shaping New Deal policies and major pieces of legislation such as the Social Security Act. Her commitment to public service was greatly energized in 1911 when she stood on a New York City sidewalk and witnessed the fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory which killed dozens of young working women. The tragedy motivated her to work as a factory inspector and devote herself to promoting the rights of American workers. Fast Facts: Frances Perkins Full Name:  Fannie Coralie PerkinsKnown As:  Frances PerkinsKnown For: First woman in a presidents cabinet; major figure in the  passage of Social Security; trusted and valued adviser to President Franklin D. Roosevelt.Born:  April 10,1880 in  Boston, Massachusetts.Died: May 14,1965 in New York, New YorkSpouses Name: Paul Caldwell WilsonChilds Name: Susana Perkins Wilson Early Life and Education Fannie Coralie Perkins (she would later adopt the first name Frances) was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on April 10, 1880. Her family could trace its roots back to settlers in the 1620s. When she was a child, Perkins father moved the family to Worcester, Massachusetts, where he operated a store that sold stationery. Her parents had little formal education, but her father, in particular, read widely and had educated himself about history and the law. Perkins attended Worcester Classical High School, graduating in 1898. At some point in her teen years, she read How the Other Half Lives by Jacob Riis, the reformer and pioneering photojournalist. Perkins would later cite the book as an inspiration for her lifes work. She was accepted to Mount Holyoke College, though she was fearful of its rigorous standards. She had not considered herself to be very bright, but after working hard to pass a challenging chemistry class, she gained self-confidence. As a senior at Mount Holyoke,  Perkins took a course on American economic history. A field trip to local factories and mills was a requirement of the course. Witnessing firsthand the poor working conditions had a profound effect on Perkins. She realized that workers were being exploited by dangerous conditions, and came to see how injured workers could find themselves forced into a life of poverty. Before leaving college, Perkins helped found a chapter of the National Consumers League. The organization sought to improve working conditions by urging consumers not to purchase products manufactured in unsafe conditions.   Career Beginnings After graduation from Mount Holyoke in 1902, Perkins took teaching jobs in Massachusetts and lived with her family in Worcester. At one point, she rebelled against her familys wishes and traveled to New York City to visit an agency which dealt with helping the poor. She insisted on getting a job interview, but wasnt hired. The director of the organization thought she was naive and presumed that Perkins would be overwhelmed working among the urban poor. After two unhappy years in Massachusetts after college, Perkins applied and was hired for a teaching job at Ferry Academy, a girls boarding school  in Chicago. Once settled in the city, she began visiting Hull House, a settlement house founded and led by noted social reformer Jane Addams. Perkins changed her name from Fannie to Frances and devoted all the time she could to her work at Hull House. After three years in Illinois, Perkins took a job in Philadelphia for an organization that researched social conditions faced by young women and African Americans working in the citys factories. Then, in 1909, Perkins earned a scholarship to attend graduate school at Columbia University in New York City. In 1910, she completed her masters thesis: an investigation of undernourished children attending a school in Hells Kitchen. While completing her thesis, she began working for the New York office of the Consumers League and became active in campaigns to improve working conditions for the citys poor. Political Awakening On March 25, 1911, a Saturday afternoon, Perkins was attending a tea at a friends apartment on Washington Square in New Yorks Greenwich Village. The sounds of a terrible commotion reached the apartment, and Perkins raced a few blocks to the Asch Building on Washington Place. A fire had broken out at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, a clothing sweatshop that employed mostly young immigrant women. Doors kept locked to prevent workers from taking a break trapped the victims on the 11th floor, where ladders of the fire department couldnt reach them. Frances Perkins, in the crowd on a nearby sidewalk, witnessed the horrible spectacle of young women falling to their deaths to escape the flames. Unsafe conditions in the factory had cost 145 lives. Most of the victims were young working class and immigrant women. The New York State Factory Investigation Commission was formed within months of the tragedy. Frances Perkins was hired as an investigator for the commission, and she was soon leading inspections of factories and reporting on safety and health conditions. The job was aligned with her career goal, and it brought her into a working relationship with Al Smith, a New York City assemblyman who served as the vice-chair of the commission. Smith would later become governor of New York and eventually the Democratic nominee for president in 1928. Political Focus In 1913, Perkins married Paul Caldwell Wilson, who worked in the office of the mayor of New York City. She kept her last name, partly because she was often giving speeches advocating better conditions for workers and she didnt want to risk that her husband would be drawn into controversy. She had a child that died in 1915, but a year later gave birth to a healthy baby  girl. Perkins assumed she would ease away from her work life and devote herself to being a wife and mother,  perhaps volunteering for various causes. Perkins plan to withdraw from public service changed for two reasons. Firstly, her husband began to suffer bouts of mental illness, and she felt compelled to stay employed. Secondly, Al Smith, who had become a friend, was elected governor of New York in 1918. It seemed apparent to Smith that women would soon get the right to vote, and it was a good time to hire a woman for a substantial role in the state government. Smith appointed Perkins to the industrial commission of the New York State Department of Labor.   While working for Smith, Perkins became friends with Eleanor Roosevelt, and her husband, Franklin D. Roosevelt. As Roosevelt was recuperating after contracting polio, Perkins helped him keep in touch with labor leaders and began to advise him on the issues. Appointed by Roosevelt After Roosevelt was elected governor of New York, he appointed Perkins to head the New York State Department of Labor. Perkins was actually the second woman to be in a New York governors cabinet (in Al Smiths administration, Florence Knapp had served briefly as secretary of state). The New York Times noted that Perkins was being promoted by Roosevelt as he believed she had made a very fine record in her post in the state government. During Roosevelts term as governor, Perkins became nationally known as an authority on laws and regulations governing labor and business. When an economic boom ended and the  Great Depression began in late 1929, less than a year into Roosevelts term as governor, Perkins faced a startling new reality.  She immediately began making plans for the future. She took actions to deal with the impact of the Depression in New York State, and she and Roosevelt essentially prepared for how they could take action on a national stage. After Roosevelt was elected president in 1932, he appointed Perkins to be the nations secretary of labor, and she became the first woman to serve in a presidents cabinet.   Role in The New Deal Roosevelt took office on March 4, 1933, stating Americans had nothing to fear but fear itself. The Roosevelt administration immediately went into action to battle the effects of the Great Depression. Perkins led the effort to institute unemployment insurance. She also pushed for higher wages for workers as a measure to stimulate the economy. One of her first major actions was to oversee the creation of the Civilian Conservation Corps, which became known as the CCC. The organization took young unemployed men and put them to work on conservation projects throughout the nation. Frances Perkins  greatest achievement is generally considered her work devising the plan that became the Social Security Act. There was great opposition in the country to the idea of social insurance, but the act successfully passed  through Congress and was signed into law by Roosevelt in 1935. Decades later, in 1962, Perkins gave a speech titled The Roots of Social Security in which she detailed the struggle: Once you get the ear of a politician, you get something real. The highbrows can talk forever and nothing happens. People smile benignly  on them and let it go. But once the politician gets an idea, he deals in getting things done. In addition to her work shaping  legislation, Perkins was at the center of labor disputes. In an era when the labor movement was approaching its peak of power, and strikes were often in the news, Perkins became extremely active in her role as labor secretary. Impeachment Threat In 1939,  conservative members of Congress,  including Martin Dies, the leader  of the  House Committee on Un-American Activities, launched a crusade against her. She  had prevented the speedy deportation of an Australian-born leader of the West Coast longshoremans union, Harry Bridges. He had been accused of being a communist. By extension, Perkins was accused of communist sympathies. Members of Congress moved to impeach Perkins in January 1939, and hearings were held to decide whether impeachment charges were warranted. Ultimately, Perkins career withstood the challenge, but it was a painful episode. (While the tactic of deporting labor leaders had been used before, evidence against Bridges fell apart during a trial and he remained in the United States.) Outbreak of World War II On December 7, 1941, Perkins was in New York City when she was told to return to Washington immediately. She attended a cabinet meeting that night at which Roosevelt told his administration about the severity of the attack on Pearl Harbor.   At the beginning of World War II, American industry was transitioning from producing consumer goods to the material of war. Perkins continued as secretary of labor, but her role was not as prominent as it had been previously. Some of her major goals, such as a national health insurance program, were abandoned. Roosevelt felt he could no longer spend political capital on domestic programs. Perkins, exhausted by her long tenure in the administration, and feeling that any  further goals were unattainable, planned to leave the administration by 1944. But Roosevelt asked her to stay after the election of 1944. When he won a fourth term, she continued on at the Labor Department. On April 12, 1945, a Sunday afternoon, Perkins was at home  in Washington when she  received an urgent call to go to the White House. Upon arrival, she was informed of President Roosevelts death. She became determined to leave government, but continued in a transition period and stayed in the Truman administration for a few months, until July 1945. Later Career and Legacy President Harry Truman later asked Perkins  to return to government. She took a post as one of three civil service commissioners overseeing the federal workforce. She continued in that job until the end of the Truman administration. Following her long career in government, Perkins remained active. She taught at Cornell University, and often spoke about government and labor topics. In 1946, she published a book, The Roosevelt I Knew, which was a generally positive memoir of working with the late president. However, she never published a full account of her own life. In the spring of 1965, at age  85, her health began to fail. She died on May 14, 1965 in New York City. Notable political figures, including President Lyndon Johnson, issued tributes to her and to her work that helped bring America back from the depths of the Great Depression. Sources Frances Perkins. Encyclopedia of World Biography, 2nd ed., vol. 12, Gale, 2004, pp. 221-222. Gale Virtual Reference Library.Perkins, Frances. Great Depression and the New Deal Reference Library, edited by Allison McNeill, et al., vol. 2: Biographies, UXL, 2003, pp. 156-167. Gale Virtual Reference Library.Perkins, Frances. American Decades, edited by Judith S. Baughman, et al., vol. 5: 1940-1949, Gale, 2001. Gale Virtual Reference Library.Downey, Kirstin. The Woman Behind the New Deal. Doubleday, 2009.

Themes in A Streetcar Named Desire Essay - 877 Words

The play A Streetcar Named Desire revolves around Blanche DuBois; therefore, the main theme of the drama concerns her directly. In Blanche is seen the tragedy of an individual caught between two worlds-the world of the past and the world of the present-unwilling to let go of the past and unable, because of her character, to come to any sort of terms with the present. The final result is her destruction. This process began long before her clash with Stanley Kowalski. It started with the death of her young husband, a weak and perverted boy who committed suicide when she taunted him with her disgust at the discovery of his perversion. In retrospect, she knows that he was the only man she had ever loved, and from this early catastrophe†¦show more content†¦It not only threatens, but also breaks through. Betrayed by love once in her life, she nevertheless seeks it in the effort to fill the lonely void; thus, her promiscuity. But to adhere to her tradition and her sense of herself as a lady, she cannot face this sensual part of herself. She associates it with the animalism of Stanleys lovemaking and terms it â€Å"brutal desire†. She feels guilt and a sense of sin when she does surrender to it, and yet she does, out of intense loneliness. By viewing sensuality as brutal desire she is able to disassociate it from what she feels is her true self, but only at the price of an intense inner conflict. Since she cannot integrate these conflicting elements of desire and gentility, she tries to reject the one, desire, and live solely by the other. Desperately seeking a haven she looks increasingly to fantasy. Taking refuge in tinsel, fine clothes, and rhinestones, and the illusion that a beau is available whenever she wants him, she seeks tenderness and beauty in a world of her own making. Blanche is not really lost in illusions; rather she uses them as camouflage. She wears them as she wears her clothes and her glass necklaces, as protection from a reality that she finds horrifying. One must not think of Blanche as just a fragile, delicate blossom. There is a fierce desire in her for life at any cost. Her masquerade mayShow MoreRelated Streetcar Named Desire Essay: Themes in A Streetcar Named Desire1166 Words   |  5 PagesThemes in A Streetcar Named Desire    A Streetcar Named Desire is a pessimistic work that is the â€Å"culmination of a view of life in which evil, or at least undiminished insensitivity, conquers throughout no matter what the protagonistic forces do†(Szeliski 69).   In other words, sensitive individuals all meet a similar fate-crushed under the heels of those who lack sensitivity. This play is about Blanche DuBois; therefore, the main themes of the drama concern her directly. In Blanche is seenRead MoreA Streetcar Named Desire Theme2742 Words   |  11 Pagesdidn’t she care? 2. Why was there no apparent difference between blacks and whites in the play, given the time period? 3. Does Blanche ever heal and go on to live a normal life on her own? CRITISISM From a feminist perspective, A Streetcar Named Desire is a work ready to be analyzed. The differences between men and women are especially prominent in the relationship between Stanley and Stella. The language and actions that Stanley uses to address his wife are quite vulgar. He swears at herRead MoreMajor Themes of A Streetcar Named Desire Essay598 Words   |  3 Pages Major Themes of A Streetcar Named Desire There are 3 major themes in the play A Streetcar Named Desire, the first is the constant battle between fantasy and reality, second we have the relationship between sexuality and death, and lastly the dependence of men plays a major role in this book. One of the first major themes of this book is the constant battle between fantasy and reality. Blanche explains to Mitch that she fibs because she refuses to accept the hand fate has dealt her. LyingRead MoreTheme Of Suspense In A Streetcar Named Desire937 Words   |  4 Pages A Streetcar Named Desire continues to build suspense among every page and through every act. Scene six begins with Mitch and Blanche returning from a long night out. Blanche insists that since the man and lady of the house aren’t home yet, that he come in. She leaves the lights off while she explains to him that Stanley simply doesn’t like her. Also, she tells him the story of when she was younger and how the boy that she loved and married had cheated on her with a man. It is then the next sceneRead MoreThemes Of Gender Roles And Gender : A Streetcar Named Desire1117 Words   |  5 PagesThemes of gender roles and gender performativity are evident throughout Williams’ iconic play Ã¢â‚¬Ë œA Streetcar Named Desire’. In this essay, I will be examining what affect this has on the text as well as employing Judith Butlers theories of performing and performativity. Williams’ presents us with a range of characters who vary in terms of their gender expression. As a homosexual man himself, he also uses the play as a way to express his personal feelings as homosexuality was a great taboo and generallyRead MoreHow Does Williams Present the Themes of Illusion and Fantasy in a Streetcar Named Desire?899 Words   |  4 PagesHow does Williams present the themes of illusion and fantasy in A Streetcar Named Desire? The theme of reality vs. fantasy is one that the play centres around. Blanche dwells in illusion; fantasy is her primary means of self-defence, both against outside threats and against her own demons. Throughout the play, Blanches dependence on illusion is contrasted with Stanleys steadfast realism, and in the end it is Stanley and his worldview that win. To survive, Stella must also resort to a kind ofRead MoreThematic Comparison Of The Glass Menagerie And A Streetcar Named Desire1399 Words   |  6 PagesLiane Walls THTR 475C Dr. Ramirez Thematic Comparison of The Glass Menagerie and A Streetcar Named Desire Tennessee Williams is regarded as a pioneering playwright of American theatre. Through his plays, Williams addresses important issues that no other writers of his time were willing to discuss, including addiction, substance abuse, and mental illness. Recurring themes in William’s works include the dysfunctional family, obsessive and absent mothers and fathers, and emotionally damaged womenRead MoreComparison Between Oedipus Rex and Street Car Named Desire1268 Words   |  6 Pages‘Oedipus Rex’ and ‘Streetcar’       | Similarities | Contrasts | Clever Points | Actions / Events | ï‚ ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Both ‘Oedipus Rex’ and ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ have scenes where a character’s past is revealed, whether it is to other characters or to the audience (e.g. Oedipus’ parentage or Blanche’s past). This shows an underlying tone that they cannot fully escape their past, whether it is an eventual surfacing (in A Streetcar Named Desire) or an abrupt revelation (in Oedipus Rex). This is linkedRead MoreA Streetcar Named Desire, Literary Analysis Essay733 Words   |  3 Pagesâ€Å"A Streetcar Named Desire† by Tennessee Williams â€Å"Stella has embraced him with both arms, fiercely, and full in the view of Blanche. He laughs and clasps her head to him. Over her head he grins through the curtains at Blanche.† (Williams 73) A Streetcar Named Desire written by Tennessee Williams exemplifies the theme of a struggle to attain happiness. The play not only portrays this theme in its characters and setting, but through the literary devices of Foil, Imagery, and Intertextuality. WilliamsRead More Comparing Tennessee William’s Life and Streetcar Named Desire and Glass Menagerie1551 Words   |  7 PagesParallels in William’s Life and A Streetcar Named Desire and Glass Menagerie  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   Tennessee Williams is one of the greatest American playwrights. He was constantly shocking audiences with themes such as homosexuality, drug addictions, and rape. He broke free from taboos on such subjects, paving the way for future playwrights. He also was a very good writer. One of the things he is famous for is his dialogue, which is very poetic. Williams wrote about his life. The Glass Menagerie

Managing for Portfolio Growth

Question: Discuss about the Managing for Portfolio Growth. Answer: Introduction This case study is taken from Harvard Business Review titled as An Angel Investor with an Agenda (Herzlinger, Muoz-Seca, 2011). This cases study shows the dilemmas faced by leaders in case of real companies as well as offer solutions from experts. In this case, name of the Investor is Victor Serna and Boss named as Gloria Londono. Organization used for the case study is day care center that launches treatment programs especially for disabled seniors as well as patients. Critical analysis on the case study Entire case study revolves around finding the solution whether health care entrepreneur accepts 3 Million Euros from someone for taking all strategic decisions on timely manner (Van Osnabrugge Robinson, 2012). From participants perspectives, there are two participants named as Daniel Hernandez who is the Chief Financial Officer and other is Diana Correa who is Deputy Director. From the perspective of Daniel Hernandez (CFO), he was of the opinion in accepting the investment in an unstable economical context. He pointed out the cash flow problems as well as over expenditure issues present in the business organization (Chemmanur Fulghieri, 2014). From the perspective of Diana Correa (Deputy Director), there are 6 promising candidates and 35 information requests. All understands regarding the demographics aspects with an estimated 9 million people in and over 65 know it in Spain by the year 2020 (Van Osnabrugge, 2013). Market potential is higher and has its own center as well as operation used for negotiation activities. From Expert point of view, T. Forcht Dagi sides with Daniel Hernandez. Main argument pointed out by the expert was a heaven sent opportunity at a recessionary period. It was argued that Gloria is inexperienced in taking decisions (Herzlinger, Muoz-Seca, 2011). On the contrary, Merle D. Griff sides with Diana Correa. Main argument considers other potential investor in an ideal situation. It is believed Victoria has an aggressive personality and conducts comprehensive discussion. While discussing the Individual Reflection, it has been viewed that Merle D Griff and Diana Correa has confidence as well as humanized center after adhering the ideal and original principles for bright prospects. Gloria has growing profitable business as well as growing market that has the potential to improve in the near future. She is in a higher position so even if Victor shows unwillingness for negotiating, the she should refuse the offer (Herzlinger, Muoz-Seca, 2011). Gloria business model aims at helping ordinary people especially in case of Senior citizens. Committees cannot govern her company for accepting short-term investors like Senor Serna. Conclusion At the end of the case study, it is concluded that Gloria should accept angel investment, as it will help in retaining the majority ownership as well as owned locations. In other words, accepting the investment will help solidifying consistency policies. She needs to retain her present position and decide whether organization is privately sold or in case taken under public. Gloria need to evaluate the objectives of her whether it matches with Victor or not. Therefore, Franchisees mainly help in maintaining standards by using incentive structure or penalties in that case. Reference List Chemmanur, T. J., Fulghieri, P. (2014). Entrepreneurial finance and innovation: An introduction and agenda for future research. Review of Financial Studies, 27(1), 1-19. Herzlinger, R. E., Muoz-Seca, B. (2011). An Angel Investor with An Agenda. HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW, 89(3), 121-125. Van Osnabrugge, M. (2013). A comparison of business angel and venture capitalist investment procedures: an agency theory-based analysis. Venture Capital: An international journal of entrepreneurial finance, 2(2), 91-109. Van Osnabrugge, M., Robinson, R. J. (2012). Angel Investing: Matching Startup Funds with Startup Companies--The Guide for Entrepreneurs and Individual Investors. John Wiley Sons.

Verbatim Process Report Essay Example

Verbatim Process Report Essay I hesitate a little at the question and feel I am trying a bit too hard to make the client more relaxed am still feeling somewhat nervous I maybe I am trying hard to establish a good connection with her to soon 0. Cosec C: um [pause] Ive been feeling quite um upset about um people round me um I kind of feel that some of the girls have been [pause] estranging me [pause] sort of like bullying, Client still seems to be at ease with me although she does hesitate to begin telling me what is bothering her. Her body language is a bit closed, her arms are folded. I dont like bullies so I am quite interested to hear her problem but cautious not to be Judgmental or allow my own bias to Jump In T: Yeah I am trying to be empathetic from early on and want to connect with the client C: sort of bullying feeling She still has her arms crossed. When she says bullying gain I am trying to be neutral in my thoughts although it is quite challenging to put my biases aside 0. Sec T:So the girls around you are feeling like they are coming across as bullying and um [hesitation] I am reflecting what she has told me but I realize I still dont know enough of what has happened so I quickly change the course of the question T: Which girls would these be, which environment? I am trying to understand more of the background of the problem and I ask her to explain the environment. I think a better question would have been, can you tell me more about these girls round you that are making you feel ostracizes or bul lied? :04 C: Theyre, theyre, I can call them, I dont know, we used to be friends I guess um, I kind of want to make that adolescently that thieve Just acquaintances to me now, yup, not really Like friends. But before um, before something happened, I kind of feel Like Oh I can be , we could possibly be um you know true friends who um can talk about, you know have heart to is at ease, unfolded her arms. I sense she is recalling the time when she was close to her friends. I am also feeling more at ease now and interested to hear what she is eying. We will write a custom essay sample on Verbatim Process Report specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Verbatim Process Report specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Verbatim Process Report specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Client also seems a lot more relaxed with me now although seems a bit confused how to describe her situation 1:32 T: Yeah I am trying my best to keep being empathetic and keep the connection with the client 1 :33 C: And um really giving to, I can be really giving to them, but now I sort of feel like I cant and whenever um theyre around me or I know that we, Im going to hang out with them, I feel really nervous and I dont feel like I can be myself She is tensing up a little now and I sense she is putting herself in that uncomfortable space she might be in when with these rinds. I am listening very intently to the client and trying to process all that she is telling me, I feel a little sorry for her feeling nervous and not being able to be herself 1:52 T:Yes [softly] So when youre with this group, who you say are not necessarily friends anymore but acquaintances I need to be empathetic, she seems very troubled now. C: Yes She seems focused on what I am saying 1:59 T: You feel like when you trying to be around them, theres this nervousness that comes around and sometimes even a bit of anger that you That I am very captioned at myself at this point; I have brought my own Judgment of her feelings and possibly my feelings of anger against bullies and I regret that I have reflected this to her. Although she might be angry, she didnt say she was angry. I am watching her facial expression closely to see if I have Jeopardized our connection or not. 2:09 C: Not [Sigh] I dont feel that there is anger, Im not, Im not angry at them, but probably I am but I Just cant express it, um and what frustrates me is um my partner knew what happened but he felt like Oh maybe I am Just being too sensitive r um Just get over it , you either um be their friends or Just you know leave the circle. But I cant because um we have common friends and I dont want to break the group dynamic The client shows a very interesting reaction to my anger comments. I am not quite sure how to read her but it doesnt seem negative. She seems somewhat relieved that I said it could be anger as well. I too feel somewhat relieved now that the client suggests that she might actually be angry from her situation. I feel somewhat guilty at being glad at this news as it fits well with my view of bullies UT I need to be careful not to Jump to conclusions again. She now tells me about her partner and I am feeling a sense of frustration now at this new information about her boyfriend as I thought we were heading in a specific direction but I feel the client is connecting with me and is speaking more freely and that feels good. 2:41 T: Hey, so youre partner, your partner, his advice is to, to Just end the relationship but he doesnt understand I am trying to let the client know that I hear her loud and clear and want to give her feedback that I have understood the options her boyfriend has revived her with. I do relate to her boyfriends simple advice to her as this is probably how I would react with my partner but I am making a concerted effort to listen and not Judge. I need to think about this further after the session in terms of not favoring the male position with my clients. 2:48 C: [interjects] End, or 2:49 T: [interjects] or or Just deal with it 2:50 C: [interjects] or deal with it 2:51 T: [interjects] but he doesnt understand that its, that a) its not so easy to leave enthusiasm from the client, she seems to be elated that I am understanding her 2:55 T: [continues on] its your close groups of friends C: [interjects] exactly T: [continues] and B) you dont Just want to deal with it, you want to C: [interjects] I CANT T: you want to understand [ client laughs in agreement] why you feeling like this , and why the relationship has C: [interjects] and why they are doing this to me T: yeah C: Yeah This makes me feel really good now; we are connecting and I feel I am following the problem well. She is showing me very good facial expression and I now feel the relationship is at the best it has been since we started. The client is continuing to give me signs that she feels I understand her. 3:06 T: And if we can think back to, to the beginning of these relationships, are these friends who you grew up with, you met through school, through work I now feel more confident to probe further and see if I can understand the situation better. I want to understand who these friends are and I am not so happy that I ask a somewhat close ended question. 3:15 Theyre Just people that I have met through another friend T: Yeah Not much expression on her face now, maybe a bit bothered by my question, not sure 3:ICC:And um D yeah I now hear [by her pause and choice of words] the client is somewhat stuck at what to say next due to my close ended question. I still feel we have good energy together and I feel I can continue with trying another question. 3:20 T: Yeah, and, and when you say you met through another friend, that other friend, are you still close with that other friend or its all in one sort of group I am trying another question and I want her to explain the friends relationships more clearly to me. :30 C: Jim, the friend actually left the group, I mean she, she was living in Melbourne but she has moved overseas, so shes not hectically close to us T:[interjects]Yes C:um but she is quite, she is still quite close with the other girls C: the girls who I thought you know they were bullying me yes C: um but I dont really um contact, have much contact with um the common friend anymore T: [interjects] yeah She seems a bit bothered to talk about the original friend but seems okay to share with me. I do feel a little frustrated again at this point. There is a lot of information being provided by the client and I am working hard to stay on track and I am responding yes quite a bit to indicate to the client that I am still listening and still with her. I sense she still feels connected 4:00 T: Yeah, So could you, could you perhaps describe a little bit of this bullying that they have done, so I can Just get a better understanding if you like, Just so I could perhaps bring a bit of perspective to it I feel the need to go back to her original remarks about the bullying. I am wary to go on a further tangent due to the time constraints and therefore want to bring it back to her original complaint about her feeling bullied. 4:14 C: Sure, yeah, um The client is reassuring and seems ailing to focus on the bullying. I now feel less frustrated and more confident that we are connecting again. 4:1 5 C: So what happened was, this is over a course of quite you know a few months T: Yeah C: of time and um so one of the girls thought that I was being a um uh a third wheel to, to a persons, to a couples relationship. T: yeah C: When I thought that the couple was actually you know their opportunity ends for a relationship, theyre going to you know have a break up, or whatever, T: yeah She seems lost in her thoughts, her eyes glazing upwards and appears to be reliving the me more information. :ICC: and um some of the friends in, in, in the common group thought that you know, its nasty of me and its nasty of my partner to do this to the girl. So the girl was being played as the victim and I and my partner being played as the bully actually. She seems to be back from reliving the experience, head and eyes back facing me and now seems to be connecting with the feeling of being bullied from her friends. I am not so happy to hear that her friends think she is nasty as she appears to me to be a good person but I know this is my own Judgment and need to stay focused on hearing what she says.