The Host Chapter 54: Forgotten

â€Å"Elizabeth?† I asked. â€Å"Anne? Karen? What's your name? C'mon. I know you know it.† The Healer's body was still limp on the cot. It had been a long time-how long, I wasn't sure. Hours and hours. I hadn't slept yet, though the sun was far up in the sky. Doc had climbed out onto the mountain to pull the tarps away, and the sun beamed brightly through the holes in the ceiling, hot on my skin. I'd moved the nameless woman so that her face would be out of the glare. I touched her face now lightly, patting the soft brown hair, woven through with white strands, away from her face. â€Å"Julie? Brittany? Angela? Patricia? Am I getting close? Talk to me. Please?† Everyone but Doc-snoring quietly on a cot in the darkest corner of the hospital-had gone away hours ago. Some to bury the host body we'd lost. I cringed, thinking of his bewildered question, and the sudden way his face had gone slack. Why? he'd asked me. I so much wished that the soul had waited for an answer, so I could have tried to explain it to him. He might even have understood. After all, what was more important, in the end, than love? To a soul, wasn't that the heart of everything? And love would have been my answer. Maybe, if he'd waited, he would have seen the truth of that. If he'd really understood, I was sure he would have let the human body live. The request would probably have made little sense to him, though. The body was his body, not a separate entity. His suicide was simply that to him, not a murder, too. Only one life had ended. And perhaps he was right. At least the souls had survived. The light on his tank glowed dull red beside hers; I couldn't ask for a greater evidence of commitment from my humans than this, the sparing of his life. â€Å"Mary? Margaret? Susan? Jill?† Though Doc slept and I was otherwise alone, I could feel the echo of the tension the others had left behind; it still hung in the air. The tension lingered because the woman had not woken up when the chloroform wore off. She had not moved. She was still breathing, her heart was still beating, but she had not responded to any of Doc's efforts to revive her. Was it too late? Was she lost? Was she already gone? Just as dead as the male body? Were all of them? Were there only a very few, like the Seeker's host, Lacey, and Melanie-the shouters, the resisters-who could be brought back? Was everyone else gone? Was Lacey an anomaly? Would Melanie come back the way she had†¦ or was even that in question? I'm not lost. I'm here. But Mel's mental voice was defensive. She worried, too. Yes, you are here. And you will stay here, I promised. With a sigh, I returned to my efforts. My doomed efforts? â€Å"I know you have a name,† I told the woman. â€Å"Is it Rebecca? Alexandra? Olivia? Something simpler, maybe†¦ Jane? Jean? Joan?† It was better than nothing, I thought glumly. At least I'd given them a way to help themselves if they were ever taken. I could help the resisters, if no one else. It didn't seem like enough. â€Å"You're not giving me much to work with,† I murmured. I took her hand in both of mine, chafed it softly. â€Å"It would really be nice if you would make an effort. My friends are going to be depressed enough. They could use some good news. Besides, with Kyle still gone†¦ It will be hard to evacuate everyone without having to carry you around, too. I know you want to help. This is your family here, you know. These are your kind. They're very nice. Most of them. You'll like them.† The gently lined face was vacant with unconsciousness. She was quite pretty in an inconspicuous way-her features very symmetrical on her oval face. Forty-five, maybe a little younger, maybe a little older. It was hard to tell with no animation in the face. â€Å"They need you,† I went on, pleading now. â€Å"You can help them. You know so much that I never knew. Doc tries so hard. He deserves some help. He's a good man. You've been a Healer for a while now; some of that care for the well-being of others must have rubbed off on you. You'll like Doc, I think. â€Å"Is your name Sarah? Emily? Kristin?† I stroked her soft cheek, but there was no response, so I took her limp hand in mine again. I gazed at the blue sky through the holes in the high ceiling. My mind wandered. â€Å"I wonder what they'll do if Kyle never comes back. How long will they hide? Will they have to find a new home somewhere else? There are so many of them†¦ It won't be easy. I wish I could help them, but even if I could stay, I don't have any answers. â€Å"Maybe they'll get to stay here†¦ somehow. Maybe Kyle won't mess up.† I laughed humorlessly, thinking of the odds. Kyle wasn't a careful man. However, until that situation was resolved, I was needed. Maybe, if there were Seekers looking, they would need my infallible eyes. It might take a long time, and that made me feel warmer than the sun on my skin. Made me feel grateful that Kyle was impetuous and selfish. How long until we were sure we were safe? â€Å"I wonder what it's like here when it gets cold. I can barely re-member feeling cold. And what if it rains? It has to rain here sometime, doesn't it? With all these holes in the roof, it must get really wet. Where does everyone sleep then, I wonder.† I sighed. â€Å"Maybe I'll get to find out. Probably shouldn't bet on that, though. Aren't you curious at all? If you would wake up, you could get the answers. I'm curious. Maybe I'll ask Ian about it. It's funny to imagine things changing here†¦ I guess summer can't last forever.† Her fingers fluttered for one second in my hand. It took me by surprise because my mind had wandered away from the woman on the cot, beginning to sink into the melancholy that was always conveniently near these days. I stared down at her; there was no change-the hand in mine was limp, her face still vacant. Maybe I'd imagined the movement. â€Å"Did I say something you were interested in? What was I talking about?† I thought quickly, watching her face. â€Å"Was it the rain? Or was it the idea of change? Change? You've got a lot of that ahead of you, don't you? You have to wake up first, though.† Her face was empty, her hand motionless. â€Å"So you don't care for change. Can't say that I blame you. I don't want change to come, either. Are you like me? Do you wish the summer could last?† If I hadn't been watching her face so closely, I wouldn't have seen the tiny flicker of her lids. â€Å"You like summertime, do you?† I asked hopefully. Her lips twitched. â€Å"Summer?† Her hand trembled. â€Å"Is that your name-Summer? Summer? That's a pretty name.† Her hand tightened into a fist, and her lips parted. â€Å"Come back, Summer. I know you can do it. Summer? Listen to me, Summer. Open your eyes, Summer.† Her eyes blinked rapidly. â€Å"Doc!† I called over my shoulder. â€Å"Doc, wake up!† â€Å"Huh?† â€Å"I think she's coming around!† I turned back to the woman. â€Å"Keep it up, Summer. You can do this. I know it's hard. Summer, Summer, Summer. Open your eyes.† Her face grimaced-was she in pain? â€Å"Bring the No Pain, Doc. Hurry.† The woman squeezed my hand, and her eyes opened. They didn't focus at first, just whirled around the bright cave. What a strange, unexpected sight this place must have been for her. â€Å"You're going to be all right, Summer. You're going to be fine. Can you hear me, Summer?† Her eyes wheeled back to me, the pupils constricting. She stared, absorbing my face. Then she cringed away from me, twisting on the cot to escape. A low, hoarse cry of panic broke through her lips. â€Å"No, no, no,† she cried. â€Å"No more.† â€Å"Doc!† He was there, on the other side of the cot, like before, when we were operating. â€Å"It's okay, ma'am,† he assured her. â€Å"No one is going to hurt you here.† The woman had her eyes squeezed shut, and she recoiled into the thin mattress. â€Å"I think her name is Summer.† He flashed a look at me and then made a face. â€Å"Eyes, Wanda,† he breathed. I blinked and realized that the sun was on my face. â€Å"Oh.† I let the woman pull her hand free. â€Å"Don't, please,† the woman begged. â€Å"Not again.† â€Å"Shh,† Doc murmured. â€Å"Summer? People call me Doc. No one's going to do anything to you. You're going to be fine.† I eased away from them, into the shadows. â€Å"Don't call me that!† the woman sobbed. â€Å"That's not my name! It's hers, it's hers! Don't say it again!† I'd gotten the wrong name. Mel objected to the guilt that washed through me. It's not your fault. Summer is a human name, too. â€Å"Of course not,† Doc promised. â€Å"What is your name?† â€Å"I-I-I don't know!† she wailed. â€Å"What happened? Who was I? Don't make me be someone else again.† She tossed and thrashed on the cot. â€Å"Calm down; it's going to be okay, I promise. No one's going to make you be anyone but you, and you'll remember your name. It's going to come back.† â€Å"Who are you?† she demanded. â€Å"Who's she? She's like†¦ like I was. I saw her eyes!† â€Å"I'm Doc. And I'm human, just like you. See?† He moved his face into the light and blinked at her. â€Å"We're both just ourselves. There are lots of humans here. They'll be so happy to meet you.† She cringed again. â€Å"Humans! I'm afraid of humans.† â€Å"No, you're not. The†¦ person who used to be in your body was afraid of humans. She was a soul, remember that? And then remember before that, before she was there? You were human then, and you are again.† â€Å"I can't remember my name,† she told him in a panicked voice. â€Å"I know. It'll come back.† â€Å"Are you a doctor?† â€Å"I am.† â€Å"I was†¦ she was, too. A†¦ Healer. Like a doctor. She was Summer Song. Who am I?† â€Å"We'll find out. I promise you that.† I edged toward the exit. Trudy would be a good person to help Doc, or maybe Heidi. Someone with a calming face. â€Å"She's not human!† the woman whispered urgently to Doc, her eye caught by my movement. â€Å"She's a friend; don't be afraid. She helped me bring you back.† â€Å"Where is Summer Song? She was scared. There were humans†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I ducked out the door while she was distracted. I heard Doc answer the question behind me. â€Å"She's going to a new planet. Do you remember where she was before she came here?† I could guess what her answer would be from the name. â€Å"She was†¦ a Bat? She could fly†¦ She could sing†¦ I remember†¦ but it was†¦ not here. Where am I?† I hurried down the hall to find help for Doc. I was surprised when I saw the light of the great cavern ahead-surprised because it was so quiet. Usually you could hear voices before you saw the light. It was the middle of the day. There should have been someone in the big garden room, if only crossing through. I walked out into the bright noon light, and the giant space was empty. The fresh tendrils of the cantaloupe vines were dark green, darker than the dry earth they sprang from. The earth was too dry-the irrigating barrel stood ready to fix that, the hoses laid out along the furrows. But no one manned the crude machine. It sat abandoned on the side of the field. I stood very still, trying to hear something. The huge cavern was silent, and the silence was ominous. Where was everyone? Had they evacuated without me? A pang of fear and hurt shot through me. But they wouldn't have left without Doc, of course. They would never leave Doc. I wanted to dart back through the long tunnel to make sure Doc had not disappeared, too. They wouldn't go without us, either, silly. Jared and Jamie and Ian wouldn't leave us behind. You're right. You're right. Let's†¦ check the kitchen? I jogged down the silent corridor, getting more anxious as the silence continued. Maybe it was my imagination, and the loud thumping of my pulse in my ears. Of course there must be something to hear. If I could calm down and slow my breathing, I'd be able to hear voices. But I reached the kitchen and it was empty, too. Empty of people. On the tables, half-eaten lunches had been abandoned. Peanut butter on the last of the soft bread. Apples and warm cans of soda. My stomach reminded me that I hadn't eaten at all today, but I barely noted the twist of hunger. The panic was so much stronger. What if†¦ what if we didn't evacuate soon enough? No! Mel gasped. No, we would have heard something! Someone would have†¦ or there would be†¦ They'd still be here, looking for us. They wouldn't give up until they'd checked everywhere. So that can't be it. Unless they're looking for us now. I spun back toward the door, my eyes darting through the shadows. I had to go warn Doc. We had to get out of here if we were the last two. No! They can't be gone! Jamie, Jared†¦ Their faces were so clear, as if they were etched onto the insides of my eyelids. And Ian's face, as I added my own pictures to hers. Jeb, Trudy, Lily, Heath, Geoffrey. We'll get them back, I vowed. We'll hunt them down one by one and steal them back! I won't let them take my family! If I'd had any doubts where I stood, this moment would have erased them. I'd never felt so fierce in all my lives. My teeth clenched tight, snapping together audibly. And then the noise, the babble of voices I'd been so anxiously straining to hear, echoed down the hall to us and made my breath catch. I slid silently to the wall and pressed myself into the shadow there, listening. The big garden. You can hear it in the echoes. Sounds like a large group. Yes. But yours or mine? Ours or theirs, she corrected. I crept down the hall, keeping to the darkest shadows. We could hear the voices more clearly now, and some of them were familiar. Did that mean anything? How long would it take trained Seekers to perform an insertion? And then, as I reached the very mouth of the great cave, the sounds became even clearer, and relief washed through me-because the babble of voices was just the same as it had been my very first day here. Murderously angry. They had to be human voices. Kyle must be back. Relief warred with pain as I hurried into the bright sunlight to see what was going on. Relief because my humans were safe. And pain because if Kyle was already safely back, then†¦ You're still needed, Wanda. So much more than I am. I'm sure I could find excuses forever, Mel. There will always be some reason. Then stay. With you as my prisoner? We stopped arguing as we assessed the commotion in the cavern. Kyle was back-the easiest one to spot, the tallest in the crowd, the only one facing me. He was pinned against the far wall by the mob. Though he was the cause of the angry noise, he was not the source of it. His face was conciliatory, pleading. He held his arms out to the sides, palms back, as if there was something behind him he was trying to protect. â€Å"Just calm down, okay?† His deep voice carried over the cacophony. â€Å"Back off, Jared, you're scaring her!† A flash of black hair behind his elbow-an unfamiliar face, with wide, terrified black eyes, peeked around at the crowd. Jared was closest to Kyle. I could see that the back of his neck was bright red. Jamie clung to one of his arms, holding him back. Ian was on his other side, his arms crossed in front of him, the muscles in his shoulders tight with strain. Behind them, every other human but Doc and Jeb was massed in an angry throng. They surged behind Jared and Ian, asking loud, angry questions. â€Å"What were you thinking?† â€Å"How dare you?† â€Å"Why'd you come back at all?† Jeb was in the back corner, just watching. Sharon ‘s brilliant hair caught my eye. I was surprised to see her, with Maggie, right in the center of the crowd. They'd both been so little a part of life here ever since Doc and I had healed Jamie. Never in the middle of things. It's the fight, Mel guessed. They weren't comfortable with happiness, but they're at home with fury. I thought she was probably right. How†¦ disturbing. I heard a shrill voice throwing out some of the angry questions and realized that Lacey was part of the crowd, too. â€Å"Wanda?† Kyle's voice carried across the noise again, and I looked up to see his deep blue eyes locked on me. â€Å"There you are! Could you please come and give me a little help here?†

Education in Ireland Essay

In this essay I will argue that the Church, above all else, was to have the most profound effect on schooling in Ireland from 1922 to 1965. Firstly, it is necessary to look at the beliefs of this period that allowed the church to inform schooling. Secondly, we will look at what informed schooling in each decade. Finally, we will conclude on our findings. 1. Social, Cultural, Political backgrounds 1922-1965 In the 19th century the Catholic laity provided an all encompassing definition of reality with religion dictating the curriculum of national schools (Fuller, 2002, 2005). In 1922 the new nation emerged with this identity and an emphasis of reviving the Irish language. The emergent hegemony was Catholic and it was their social, cultural and political beliefs and hence their identity that was to prevail (O’Mahoney and Delanty, 2001). In the 1920s and 1930s Cosgrave and De Valera ensured that the Catholic moral code was upheld by legislation and cultural nationalism (Fuller 2002). Archbishop McQuaid was involved in the new constitution in 1937 which replaced the 1922 constitution. Articles 41-44 were particularly Catholic. Article 42 provided a summary of Catholic teaching on education. All sorts of forces were at work to make Ireland a more totally committed Catholic state. Mr Justice Gavin Duffy throughout the 1940s invoked new legal precedents favourable to Catholic viewpoint. In 1948 John A. Costello sent the following message to Pope Pius XII: ‘to strive for the attainment of social order in Ireland based on Christian principles’. During the 1950s Archbishop McQuaid saw the Taoiseach off at the airport as he went away to public engagements. Our devotion could be seen in packed churches and ceremonies giving the world view of Catholic Ireland in the decades following independence (Fuller, 2002). 2. Social, Cultural, Political beliefs that informed Schooling 1922-1965 By 1922 the church knew that control over education was a vital means of transmitting Catholic cultural heritage, politicians were very careful not to trespass on what the church regarded as its domain. Eoin Mac Neill, first minister of education declared that he ‘deplored statism’ in education (Fuller, 2002). This meant that children got the education the ‘Catholic Church thought that they should get’ in a church-owned but state-financed education system (Garvin, 2004). In 1924, the number of pupils in secondary schools was a mere 5% of those enrolled in primary school and by 1960 this figure had only increased to 16% (O’Donoghue, 1998). Patrick Gilligan, Minister for Industry and Commerce, in the mid-1920s stated Ireland should be ruled by level headed men, loyal to their religion and free from intellectual daftness’ (Garvin). In 1924 the Intermediate and the Leaving Certificate were introduced. The Certificates curriculum emphasised the Gaelic development of pupils. History and geography were now also to be taught with an Irish orientation and were to be compulsory. Teaching of history in particular was to be crucial to the shaping of identity ‘nationalist fervour’ (Foster in Brady 1994). In 1926 Irish became obligatory for secondary teachers and all children were compelled to attend school between the ages of 6-14. During the subsequent two years Irish became an obligatory subject for funded schools and obligatory for the Intermediate certificate. In the late 1920s and 1930s the clergy strongly expressed the fear that Irish would threaten the place of Latin and English in the curriculum both essential for future clerics and missionaries. The curriculum changes over the next thirty years to uphold the status of Latin and English (O’Donoghue, 1998). The secondary curriculum was saturated with a religious ethos. The church’s system of training its teachers was also to ensure the development of teachers who did not promote any questioning of the Church’s teachings i. e. conformity. This philosophy had implications not just for education but for all aspects of Irish Catholic culture. In 1930 Fianna Fail did take an initiative in education by introducing the Vocational Educational Act but the hierarchy was consulted. The vocational sector saw remarkable growth in the first decade which resulted in concern among the bishops (O Buachalla). The church did not approve of these schools over which they had no control (Garvin). Nor did the state agree (Thomas Derrig minister for education (1932-1948) or De Valera); in the present economic climate of emigration, inflation, teacher salary cuts and a ban on married female staff (Garvin). In 1950 Fine Gael Richard Mulcahy launched the new Council for Education in order to review and critique the primary and secondary school curricula declaring that the ‘foundation of youth’s entire training was religion and patriotism’. The council’s first report (1952) was on the primary system and it recommended formal recognition of the almost entirely denominational nature of the system. A triumph in the churches’ prolonged battle against secular education. As it transpired the report signalled the end of an era and had no formative influence on impending educational developments. Throughout the 1950s Fianna Fail Sean Moylan (minister for education and former vocational school teacher), pressure groups, critical catholic thinkers such as Professor Peter Connelly and educationalists began lobbying for educational change. Politicians such as Lemass, O’Malley, Charles Haughey, and Patrick Hillery were less concerned with abstract issues such as identity and more concerned with the future. By 1959 Taoiseach Sean Lemass did not allow the hierarchy to influence the outcome of the Intoxicating Liquor Bill. It was the first time since the foundation of the state that the government had defied the wishes of the church. Civil servants under Lemass such as Patrick Lynch and TK Whitaker were writing papers on new patterns of economic thinking. The Programme for Economic Expansion (1958) outlined a change in economic thinking whereby economic imperatives were to guide political thinking. This was to send ripples through Irish society. The report emphasised the crucial role that vocational education in particular could play in gearing the technological needs of an industrialising economy. In 1963 Dr Patrick Hillery (following OECD study into Irish education 1962-1965) stated that economic needs were calling for a review of the post-primary sector. He stated that investment in education, particularly technical education (RTC’s) was the key to bringing about economic progress and equality of educational opportunity. His objective was to bring the vocational sector to a parity of standard with the secondary system. The minister introduced the comprehensive school which would provide both technical and academic educations. The students at vocational schools would be entitled to sit Intermediate and Leaving Certificate exams. The OECD and department of educations’ report were published in 1965: An Investment in Education. Dr Hillery stated that the report would provide the state with the basis for ‘the direction of our long-term educational requirements’ (Fuller, 2002). 3. Conclusions Education policy in independent Ireland 1922-1957 appeared to have the following issues: denominational, uncritical belief that church was the holder of knowledge, language ideology, limited access to parents or finance, pressing factors of unemployment, emigration and inflation but correlation between education system and economy not initially recognised. There was still an absence of a philosophy regarding the purpose and nature of education. The contrast between the recommendations of the Council of Education report of 1952 and the Investment in Education report of 1965 is representative of the change in social, cultural and political beliefs that had began to emerge in the 1960s. The religious imperatives had been central to the Council of Education’s definition of worthwhile curricular knowledge. A department of education policy was now based on the Investment in Education beliefs that curricular emphasis should be aligned with the needs of our economy.

A Year Down Yonder

A year Down Yonder is about a girl named Mary Alice who goes to live with her Grandma in a small town with only her cat Bootsie and her potable radio that she says is her last touch with the world. This chapter is called Rich Chicago Girl. Mary Alice gets off a train from Chicago. After they leave the station Grandma enrolls her into school on the first day she arrives! Mary Alice sits next to Mildred Burdick who Grandma says to stay clear of but gets into deep trouble with and her horse ends up losing her horse and having to walk miles to get home. And that’s the end of this chapter. The 2nd chapter is Vittles n’ Vengeance.It was Halloween time in grandma’s town which meant pranks going for weeks and half the privies are going to be on the ground be the time Columbus Day is over. There was a letter sent out from the school saying there is going to be a party and to bring refreshments. The first prank that had happened to them was when they put twine around her t ail and put a can at the end. Grandma made a horrid smelling glue to use on the pranksters and we set off to make a trap, we waited in the cob house for the pranksters to come and when they did they fell over the wire and the leader got glue on his head and he fell on his nose and lost his knife.We went to old man Nyquist’s house for pecans but he says we can only have pecans off the ground so grandma drives his tractor into the tree so pecans would fall! They also went into the Pensingers backyard to take some pumpkins! At the party Grandma served pumpkin and pecan pies and when Augie Fluke came for some grandma saw Augie with his broken nose, his scabbed bald head, and served him with his own knife. And that’s the end of this chapter. The name of this chapter is A Minute in the Morning. This chapter is about Armistice Day and of the turkey shoot.At the turkey shoot the woman are selling burgoo and the men are practicing shooting turkeys. Grandma tries to make the ric her people pay more and let the poor people not have to pay at all. All the money is said to go to charity and this year Miss Abernathy is the charity. At a certain time in the day everyone put their hand over their heart, stood east, and thought about the people who died for us. That was the end of their day. The 4th chapter is Away in a manger. It is Christmas time in grandma’s town and the school is going to do a Christmas program at the church.Grandma and Mary Alice went out to trap fox but even though Mary Alice doesn’t like the trapping and the screams of the fox she doesn’t want Grandma alone. Mary got the part of Mary for the Christmas program. During the Christmas program the baby Jesus screams, but it’s supposed to be a doll, the baby is a Burdick. Joey came to visit for Christmas! They had a great Christmas. Hearts and Flour is the name of this chapter. It starts out with Mrs. Weidenbach asking Grandma to make cherry tarts for the DAR because W ashington birthday tea.There is going to be a valentine exchange at the school and there is also a new boy named Royce and everyone has a little crush on him. The next day when Mrs. Weidenbach comes again Grandma says that the party has to be at her house or she can by some cherry tarts. At the valentine exchange Ina-Rae got three more valentines than anyone else and one of them is from Royce and that makes Carleen go ballistic. At the party Grandma is really dressed up and Mrs. Willcox and Aunt Mae Grizzwald were there. When everyone was there it turned into a disaster because Mrs. Weidenbach found out that she is a Burdick!That’s the end of that chapter. A Dangerous Man is the 6th chapter. It is March and Mary Alice is 16 and she got a dollar from her mother. One day Bootsie showed Mary Alice her kitten and Mary Alice named it April. A man came by one day and asked if he could rent a room and Grandma charged him $2. 50 a day! Mary Alice wanted Royce to come over to â€Å"s tudy† math together and he said OK. When he got there they heard a scream from the attic and out came Maxine Patch with only a snake around her and a flower in her hair and then Royce left. That was a crazy chapter. Finally my favorite chapter Gone With the Wind.School is almost out and out of nowhere the siren on the water tower went off and Mary Alice didn’t know what was happening. Everyone was heading towards the basement Mary Alice saw Grandma and had to make sure she was ok. They were both inside and Grandma told Mary Alice to go to the south west corner and we were both sitting down when Grandma let go of Bootsie and April. Grandma said that after Mary Alice leaves she’s going to turn it into a rooming home. That’s the end of that chapter. The last chapter is Ever After. When Royce and Mary Alice get married at Grandma’s house. They lived happily ever after.

HUMAN RESOURCES IN ACTION Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

HUMAN RESOURCES IN ACTION - Essay Example None of them have simply listed the positions. After clicking on the links provided by the companies, it is possible to find details about the jobs. Marriot has summarized the job position alone (Marriot International 3). It has not given additional information about the skills or qualifications needed to do the job. One is expected to deduce that from the description. Conversely, Kimpton has taken the time to outline all the duties and responsibilities, skills as well as the experience required to perform the job (Kimpton Hotels 2). The company has also outlined some of the objectives against which the applicant will work towards. Marriot may have refrained from including this information because the job is of a lower skill and will only be done part time. Regardless of these circumstances, an applicant would still want to know what would make them stand apart. What the sites do well Marriott.com has done a good job of identifying the job location. It has placed a map beside the job description so as eliminate any ambiguities. The organization has also clearly outlined the typical routines required to take on the role of a guest service representative. On the other hand, Kimpton did exceptionally well in describing the work environment of the company as well as the duties and experience of the employee. The fact that it had headings in the job positing was quite helpful. Both sites were moderately easy to navigate. One had to type in the nature of job that one requires in a search box before one could get responses. This process may sometimes waste time. Recommendation Good job postings ought to have clear headings. Marriot International hotel called their room attendants guest service representatives. Job seekers may not understand this title; it would have been better to use the generic name. Both organizations did not clarify the amount of time that one would spend performing certain duties as some could have more weight than others. In the future, it would be better to rank these duties in terms of percentages. Kimpton clarified issues about benefits but Marriot did not, yet this could be a deal breaker. Future job descriptions for Marriot should be more than a list of responsibilities for the said persons. They should include more information about job priorities, the work environment and many more features. B) Selection Three different methods Based on the job description for the general assistant manager Poste Brasserie Restaurant in Washington DC, it is possible to use the following methods of recruitment: job advertisements in newspapers or the internet, a recruitment agency, or a personal recommendation. Personal recommendations may come from one’s colleagues or peers in the same industry. Usually, referrals work best for organizations that are trying to save money as they will not have to place expensive advertisements on newspapers or the like. Furthermore, they usually come from a trustworthy person who has knowledge and experience in the industry. Conversely, they may narrow down the candidate's job pool to simply one person. Organizations may miss out on highly talented and useful individuals who were not recommended by the concerned person. Alternatively, a referral may be biased towards the applicants, especially if the referee and referrer are related. Online and newspaper advertisements may also be another way of recruiting a general assistant restaurant manager. These could be slightly costly as the organization has to

Creative manager Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Creative manager - Essay Example Several financial institutions are most affected by the crisis, of which HSBC Bank is one. This paper would present pertinent issues resulting to the breakdown of the financial markets of the world and propose strategies to enable HSBC to achieve its organizational goals by: (1) briefly explaining the factors that brought about the breakdown of the global financial markets (2) determining the possible effects on the operations of HSBC in UK utilizing SWOT analyses; and (3) presenting the strategies that HSBC should adopt to achieve her vision and restore public confidence HSBC Bank has been operating in England and Wales at the registered office located at 8 Canada Square, London E14 5HQ. It offers a diverse portfolio of financial instruments including savings and current accounts, investment accounts, credit cards, loans, mortgages, insurance and international services. It supports a wide range of education projects and initiatives throughout the communities where they do business. In addition, â€Å"HSBC supports a wide range of projects and initiatives that underline their commitment to UK businesses.† (HSBC 2009) The management of HSBC promotes diversity and equality of opportunities through programs where they establish partnerships with other business organizations. Accordingly, â€Å"representatives of HSBC Bank plc can provide advice on investment and pension products from selected providers, including companies within the HSBC Group, and on life insurance products from HSBC Life (UK) Limited.† (ibid.) Jarvis (2009) gives a concise and easy to understand presentation of the credit crisis in his video The Crisis of Credit Visualized. According to Jarvis, â€Å"the credit crisis is a world wide financial fiasco involving terms you probably heard such as: sub-prime mortgages, collateralized debt obligations, frozen credit markets and credit default swaps

Asian-American Experience Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Asian-American Experience - Essay Example The two stories I had selected are Adrian Tomine's â€Å"Shortcomings† and the â€Å"Flower Drum Song† by Rodgers and Hammerstein. In the case of â€Å"Shortcomings†, the main part is played by Ben Tanaka (a Japanese-American) who is living in Berkeley, California and works at a movie theater. He considers himself more American than Japanese in his ways and he is always confounded and confused by his Japanese girlfriend named Miko Hayashi. He claims he could hardly understand Miko anymore by this statement: â€Å"Her name's Miko and, uh, she's Japanese, so you know ....† to hide his own feelings of sexual insecurity and misanthropy. Ben can be considered to be no better than an adolescent wrestling with his own internal demons about conflicts regarding his real identity (although he is now 30 years old). He soon fell into disgrace and disrepute when Miko leaves him temporarily ostensibly to take up an internship in New York and showed his preference for bl onds by becoming entangled with two women.This preference is not actually sexually related but a manifestation of his cultural brainwashing or an unexpressed desire to assimilate and belong to the larger community instead of his own racial minority. Ben, perhaps due to some cultural innocence, was very much surprised upon learning that Miko had gone to New York, not for the internship but to hook up with someone else - a photographer. This naivetà © is indicative of the sometimes confusing world faced by all Americans of mixed ancestries. Ben Tanaka had staked his cultural.

The Service Blueprints to Determine the Services Level Essay

The Service Blueprints to Determine the Services Level - Essay Example The fundamental concept of marketing that is used to model the service marketing involves the philosophy of customer orientation. In this case, the customer is considered to be useful in determining what the organization’s activities are and their purpose in life. The principle states that all activities carried out within an organization are basically for the good and benefit of the customers.The philosophy of service marketing involves taking into consideration the interests of the customers, maximizing and satisfying their needs and wants. The purpose of service marketing is to generate profits that can enable the company to run its operations in the right manner. The blueprint of a service is based on facts such as illustrating the actions and time involved when undertaking different actions of service for an individual or an organization. The actions involved in service delivery have an execution time that is allocated to it in order to enhance a certain level of toleranc e within an organization.This process entails the determination of the customers’ needs and later on looks for factors aimed at ensuring that the internal objectives of a business are met within a stipulated period of time. It also involves describing the activities that are used to design and manage services such as schedule, project plans, detailed representations, design plans and service platforms for an organization.The importance of the process in the marketing mix is that it determines how a service should be created and how it will be delivered to the customer to meet their needs and requirements. The major characteristics of the service process in the marketing mix include divergence, complexity, service location, customer participation as well as the service itself which may be technology or process based.

Brand strategy for growth Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Brand strategy for growth - Assignment Example Moreover, setting up targets in an organization practically fixes the quantitative target values and aiming in context with the divisional plans identifying the contributions made by each department within the organization. Carrying out performance analysis which includes analyzing and discovering the gap between the planned desired performances enhances performance. The actual reality and final choice of strategy, which is the ultimate step in the formulation, become imperative. Consider organizational goals, organizational strengths, potentials, limitations, as well as the external opportunities (Banerjee, 2007). The brand manager should seek to understand the market by defining it category. An incoming brand manager should have in order to carry out strategy formulation is a better understanding of his/her organization. This is done by carrying out both internal and external analysis of the organization. It helps them get a better glimpse of the organizations strengths, weaknesses and opportunities as well as a better understanding of its competitors. Carry out a SWOT analysis. The endeavor helps the manager be in and advantage position since they are able to know the competitor approaches pricing and models of communication. In addition, the evaluation will unearth the consumer patterns; make a consideration of brand size metrics and loyalty measures (van Gelder, 2004). The management has to check the brand availability with regard to the mantel and physical disposition. The next important aspect an incoming manager needs to be aware of is the status of the brand in question, what is the mental availability of the brand? (Are the customers aware of the brand in question), what is its general buying patterns? (When is its buying seasons? who are the buyers? And the status of its monopoly effect in the market). All these will enable the brand manager to be in a position to better understand his or her brand better and hence help them in coming up

The 17s Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The 17s - Essay Example However, the appointed prime minister in America George Grenville did not share the same opinion of other colonists and demanded America would be loyal to England. One of the major changes in England during this time period was the appointment of King George III. King George III was a young and inexperienced king who has been referred to as immature (Brinkley, 122). King George III issued the Proclamation of 1763, which forbid Americans to travel past a set line which was drawn along the Appalachian Mountains. This act was instated to limit fur trading in American further allowing England to control trade and commerce in America. However, this act failed to achieve its goal as Americans continued to trade with Indians. In retaliation England passed The Sugar Act of 1764. This act was meant to eliminate sugar trade between the colonies and the French and Spanish. To further enforce a dependence on England King George III passed The Currency Act of 1764 (Brinkley 123). This act prevented the colonies from issuing money and to retire all money that was being circulated. In order to increase taxes England issued the Stamp Act of 1765. This act taxed all printed documents in the colonies. Although these acts succeeded in decreasing England’s debits these acts further created conflicts between England and the colonies. For the time many Americans learned to live with England’s policies. During this period many Americans were still experiencing anxieties about the economic depression that occurred in the 1760’s. However, many American’s were beginning to get irritated with England’s policies. These Americans strengthened the argument for the independence of the colonies. The Quartering Act of 1765 further irritated the colonists by forcing them to quarter British troops in America (Brinkley, 125). In response nine colonies

Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Leadership - Essay Example It is through the varied yet complimentary leadership paradigms that these CEO’s bring to the organization that constitute SAP’s primary outlook. In addition, there is an overarching resistance to change throughout the organization. While SAP is centrally located in Waldorf, Germany the company has become an international entity, with substantial leadership entities in the United States, Switzerland, Asia-Pacific, and various regions within the Americas. To some degree there are substitutes for leadership operating within the organization. SAP has developed a highly competitive atmosphere, wherein employees are encouraged to develop a number of hobby projects. In these regards, the substitute for leadership consists of this entrepreneurial environment. In terms of a substitute for the seven layer managerial structure, to some degrees this hierarchical structure is necessary as the high number of employees and expansive nature of the company necessitate a complex organiz ational structure. Still, it is noted that there is inefficiency in this structure in that it locates individuals with their manager rather than those whom they actually work with. 2. The type of followers SAP says it wants are â€Å"self-managing, professional employees who create opportunities to fulfill their potential and maximize their value to the organization† (‘Case Study’, pg. 8). SAP currently has instituted a number of measures to reduce their employee attrition rate. In these regards, there is a strong emphasis on promoting employees from within the organization. The company also does not make a regular practice of firing employees whose skills are no longer needed; instead they have made a practice of tailoring career paths for employee development, encouraging employees to work in different areas of expertise. The company also encourages flexible working hours, casual dress styles, as well as long hour meeting times in the cafeteria for employee net working. The company also developed an employee development management culture. Perhaps most importantly the company offered salary levels above the average for the expected work, as well as profit sharing opportunities. In addition they have developed opportunities for employees to gain stock options through an American based program. In all it seems that the company has taken adequate HR measures to stem the employee attrition rate. Rather than developing furthered measures, with the exception of greater stock options, it seems the main attrition problem is linked to the company’s organizational culture and leadership qualities. In these regards, one would need to make deep structural changes that would possibly alter company progress and efficiency. 3. There are a number of notable elements related to the structure at SAP. It seems that the most notable element relates to the seven layer management structure the organization has in place. While the case study indicates tha t the managerial structure was a needed response to the company’s increasing size during the internet boom, there are also a number of elements related to it that have been indicated to be problematic. For instance, â€Å"one of the consequences of this focus on management was that people may be located with their manager rather than being co-located with those they actually work with†

Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 33

Case Study Example Both lines of product compete for the company resources. Recently, the standard line of furniture has seen a significant increase in sales. As a result, the company has increased the labor hours for this line. However, the customized furniture line still gains precedence due to its huge profit margin. The company’s founder is quick to note the company’s growth in his review (Rice, 2003). However, the finance department has revealed that the inventory has tied up huge amount of cash. As a result, the inventory holding costs continue to increase. Additionally, the increasing lead times is causing more delays in delivery of both lines of production. As a result, the company management has been forced to re-examine the impact of the standard line furniture on the entire production process. Qatar has adopted an economic model that has led to the boom especially in the furniture industry. Small-scale production of furniture is not enough to meet its growing demand. As a result, a number of large-scale furniture manufacturing companies have cropped up in all corners of the country. Under this section, an analysis is provided of the strength and weaknesses of Gulf Creative Ideas. Since its inception, the company sales have rose dramatically. It has identified affluent consumers as its target market. High-end consumers are less price-sensitive and provide unique design specification for their furniture. The company has exploited this niche fully and this as translated to its continued growth in revenue. Chapter 1 is concerned with the operation management: activities that oversee the production process. Under the organization chart, inventory management is part of these activities in the manufacturing process. Chapter 2 analyzes the need for a mission statement and the operation strategies that follows. Gulf Creative Ideas should focus on the strategies that augment its competitive advantage. With regard to the sixth chapter, quality improvement is a

Confederation and Constitution Essay Example for Free

Confederation and Constitution Essay The Articles of Confederation, formally known as the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, refers to an agreement between the thirteen founding states that first formed the United States of America as a confederation of sovereign states. The Articles of Confederation had served as the first U.S. constitution (Merrill, 1959). The states under the confederation were Virginia, South Carolina, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Georgia, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Delaware and Maryland. In 1787, a constitutional convention was called to revise the Articles of Confederation as they contained so many flaws, which would have fatally affected the confederation (Wendel, 1981). However, the convention ended up abandoning the Articles and drafted a new constitution which had a much stronger national government. After so much tussle and debating, eleven of the thirteen states ratified the constitution which led to the formation of a new form of government for the United States of America (Kermit, 1987). The following are similarities and differences of the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution. Consenting of power According to the Articles of Confederation, the legislature of each state had no specific means of choosing voters. The delegates of each state were to sign the Articles, but only do as directed by their legislature (Young, 1977). Their legislature did not provide for them to vote in such agreements thus, they only wait until instructed so. This shows that the Articles of Confederation did not provide how it could be ratified, but indirectly implied it the duty of the legislatures of the various states. This meant that the people had no direct influence over the form of national government being put in place because their representatives were not specifically elected for that purpose.The Constitution provided for conventions in the states whereby delegates are chosen by people for the purpose of considering ratification. Therefore, the Constitution had specifically addressed its ratification in Article VII (Maier, 2010). The provision that ratification by nine states were to effect it meant by passing the state legislature and going to the people for governing consent. In summary, in the Articles of Confederation, consent of power was from the state while in the constitution the power to govern came from the people to the government. Type of National Government Under the Articles of Confederation, the government was more of a constitutional confederacy, whereas the Constitution provided constitutional federal republic (Merrill, 1959). Under both, the government was a constitutional government because it was codified in writing. The government structure between the two, however, differed. An association of States under a common government formed the confederacy. Each member state retained its sovereignty leaving the national government with very little authority over the individual state (Young, 1977). The National government powers tilted towards foreign relations for the benefit of all the states. This meant that the National Government could not coerce individual states to do anything. The constitution provided for a federalism structure (Kermit, 1987). This ensured a more equated power sharing between the National government and the state government. The National government, therefore, had sufficient sovereignty to execute its mandate while ensuring the same for the state government. Representation in the National Government In the Articles of Confederation, indirect popular representation was in effect as the representatives were appointed by an elected state legislature (Wendel, 1981). On the other hand, the Constitution effected direct popular representation for both the states and the citizens. The people, through popular vote, formed the House of Representatives while the states ,through elected legislature, appointed the Senate (Kermit, 1987). The representation according to the constitution was in accordance with the structure of Federalism. Division of Powers in the National Government Articles of Confederation provided one legislative body (unicameral) with all powers of national government which was the Congress Assembly. All decisions and relations were derived from the Congress (Wendel, 1981). Matters of law, settling disputes, foreign relations, including all the others issued from Congress (Merrill, 1959). However, Congress did not have the ability to implement laws, and had limited ability to judge on law or disputes because a dedicated judiciary was not in place. The Congress, however, appointed courts to preside on piracy and High Seas crimes, resolve disputes between States and individuals from different States. The Constitution, however, provided for division of power of the National government into three distinct branches, each with specified duties. The Legislature composed of the Senate and House of Representatives is mandated with making laws (Maier, 2010). The executive was to enforce laws with the President while the Judiciary and inferior courts is to judge using the law. A mechanism was also provided to each of the three branches to view the power on other two and encroachments into other branches powers. Powers of Congress The Articles of Confederation provided specifically enumerated powers to the congress which included regulating foreign commerce. Congress could not, however, regulate interstate commerce (Wendel, 1981). The Constitution powers carried over from the Articles of Confederation included the power to regulate foreign and interstate commerce amongst others. Some of the powers remained the same although others differed. Among the powers included in the Constitution but absent in the Articles of Confederation are taxing, regulating interstate and foreign commerce, making of uniform laws on bankruptcy, raising and supporting an Army and Navy and establishment of inferior courts (Kermit, 1987). Congress Assembly lacked all these powers under the Articles of confederation. Revenue Raising The Articles of Confederation provided that National Government should request for funds from the individual states (Wendel, 1981). The Constitution, however, gave the National Government power to tax. A major shortcoming of the Articles of Confederation was a failure of providing for the National Government to raise its own revenues (Young, 1977). Congress assembly requested funds from states for National treasury. This resulted in the states failing to comply as requested. This made the United States lag on paying its debts and meeting its obligations. Under the Constitution, Congress could raise revenue for costs and operations of the National Government, namely, common defense and general welfare of the United States (Maier, 2010). However, some restrictions were imposed regarding revenue raising of the National Government. The provision of raising revenue for National government ensured it did not rely on other entities namely, the states to execute its duties. Enforcement of Federal Laws The Articles of Confederation did not provide for the National government to enforce its laws thus it had to rely on States for this function (Wendel, 1981). Laws, treaties, acts or agreements passed by Congress Assembly were up to states solely to enforce (Merrill, 1959). This resulted in them only enforcing what favored and suited to them. The Constitution on its part, gave the executive branch through the President power to enforce laws (Maier, 2010). This provision enabled speedy execution of laws and execution of the government requirements. Analysis of Drafting the Constitution On May 25, 1787, fifty five delegates of the United States convened in Philadelphia with intent of creating a new and better government. Initially, Virginians Edmund Randolph and James Madison presented a constitutional proposal called the Virginia Plan. The proposal provided for a bicameral (two chambers) legislature (Kermit, 1987). The lower house was to be chosen by the citizens, and the upper house was chosen by the lower house. In addition, a national executive and judiciary were to be selected by the legislature. The plan aimed at creating a strong central government. The debate began with the delegates of the large states supporting the Plan while those from smaller states opposed it. The smaller states felt that the larger states would dominate national legislature for the number of legislative representatives was to be determined by population. Some delegates also had fear that a firm central government would overpower the states restricting their individual liberties. Weeks of debating saw another proposal from William Patterson of New Jersey (Maier, 2010). This was referred to as the New Jersey Plan. This plan modified the Articles of Confederation and proposed a unicameral legislature having equal representation regardless of states’ population, a two-person executive branch and a single body of the judiciary. Smaller states delegates and proponents of weak government were for the New Jersey Plan while bigger states delegates opposed it. The ensuing stalemate was broken by Roger Sherman of Connecticut through the Connecticut Plan. The plan incorporated both previous proposals. Its proposal of a bicameral legislature with a population-based lower chamber and an independent upper chamber with equal representation satisfied both the small state and large state delegates. Other compromises included legalization of the slave trade until 1808 and returning of escaped slaves to their owners. Slavery was assumed to come to an end by itself. During census, slaves were to be enumerated as three-fifths of a person (Kermit, 1987). This resolved the debate on counting slaves between northerners who were against it and southerners who were for equal counting of slaves. Many delegates opposed people electing the president while others supported the election of the executive by the citizens. An Electoral College was formed which called for a body of electors selected by each state’s legislature to vote for a president. The Debate over Ratification between the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists Ratification of the constitution also resulted in a major division between federalists and anti-federalists. The Anti-Federalists such as James Hancock feared that the National Government, the Executive branch and Congress held too much power. They also argued that the national government could maintain the army during times of peace (Maier, 2010). Contrary to the Anti-Federalists, the Federalists led by James Madison argued that power separation into three independent branches protected people’s rights as each of the branches represented a different aspect of the people (Hamilton, Madison Jay, 1982). Because of the equality of the branches, none of the groups could control another. They also argued that listing the rights exposed the people as it would likely result in the government violating those not listed. The final compromise for ratification saw the federalists promise drafting of the bill of rights once Congress met. References Hamilton, A. Madison, J. Jay, J. (1982). The Federalist Papers. New York: Bantam Classics. Kermit, H., (1987). The Formation and ratification of the Constitution: Major historical interpretations. New York: Garland Pub. Maier, P. (2010). Ratification: The People Debate the Constitution, 1787-1788. New York: Simon Schuster. Merrill, J. (1959). The Articles of Confederation: An Interpretation of the Social-Constitutional History of the American Revolution, 1774–178, p. 178–179 Wendel, T. (1981). The Articles of Confederation. National Review. Vol. 33(13) p. 768- 770. Young, R. L. (1977). The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union. American Bar Association Journal. Vol. 63(11), p. 1572.

A strategic analysis of jetblue airways

A strategic analysis of jetblue airways The US airline industry trends have caused airline companies, including Jet Blue to struggle for survival. Retirement has caused a shortage of pilots and instructors. Flying schools experience less instructors and hours needed to train new pilots. In 2008, crude oil prices increased to a record $140 per barrel (Thompson, Strickland, Gamble, 2010). Increased prices of fuel allowed the airlines to charge passenger fees for fuel surcharges, baggage fees, and beverage and snack fees. Airlines continue to charge fees with increasing fuel prices to generate an airline strategy. After 9/11, Congress passed the Aviation and Transportation Security Act (PDF), by issuing this Act; federal employees were tasked to handle all airport security. Increased screening for baggage and passengers, size limits on fluids and x-ray inspections. With the additional security measures, came financial burdens to the airline industry. Jet Blues strategic intent When Jet Blues was founded, David Nelleman wanted air travel to compassionate and fun. The strategic intent was to offer customers a low discount airline carrier with the comforts of home. As the first airline to offer electronic ticketing, Jet Blue wanted to delay its flights instead of canceling them. Agents were allowed to work from home and customers enjoyed gourmet snacks, coffees, in-seat televisions with satellite radio and movie channels. Jet Blue began to look into increasing the shareholder and customer values with the expansion of New Yorks JFK Airport with 8 am and 9 am flights. This was hopeful to Jet Blue executives; they wanted to appeal to younger customers, affluent New Yorkers, and those traveling to New York City. Opening up this new terminal has saved $50 million in labor, fuel, and vouchers. Now, the company serves more than 53 destinations (Thompson et al., 2010). JetBlues financial objectives success in achieving Although Jet Blues stock dropped by 50% in the five years, revenues grew 185% between 2003 and 2007, their operating expenses grew 222% during the same period. The loss in revenue was blamed on the cost of fuel (532% increase) and interest expense (658% increase). Jet Blue decided to take a conservative financial strategy in which they maintained high liquid ratios relative to the other major airlines (Thompson et al., 2010). Jet Blue was millions behind the competitor but developed new equity capital and credit, which was needed to keep the company, and allow them to maintain strong liquidity. Assessment of competitive advantage Cost. JetBlue operates at a lower cost than its competitors. According to Thompson, Strickland Gamble (2010), JetBlues total operating expenses were 12.17 per revenue passenger mile in 2008 versus $18.18 for American Airline, $18.18 for Continental, $20.95 for Delta, $13.85 for Southwest, $19.13 for United, and $21.45 for US Airways. Its planes, such as, the Airbus A320, tended to be newer than those of its competitors resulting in lower maintenance costs and no maintenance-related fines. The company increased flying time by minimizing turnaround time. Reservation agents worked at home resulting in cost savings as compared to a traditional call center. These measures paid off creating a major competitive advantages in the form of low operating costs that other airlines did not achieve. Organizational culture. JetBlues organizational structure was created based on five steps. First, the companys values were determined. Then, hiring managers selected employees who mirrored the companys values. Next, the company ensured that the company exceeded employee expectations and to listen to customers. And, finally, the company created a plan to drive excellence. The values established by JetBlue were safety, caring, integrity, fun, and passion. As an example, George Forman grills were set up at the JFK terminal to allow employees to have fun. By only hiring employees that mirrored those values, the company could encourage hiring managers to be creative during the hiring process and to weed out those that would not be a fit. By making these steps an active part of getting work done, JetBlue developed a strong organizational culture. Human resource practices. JetBlue is a company with a strong focus on people. In anticipation of airplane pilot shortages they implemented Aviation University Gateway, partnered with universities to identify exceptional candidates, and implemented internship programs. They addressed a lack of confidence in JetBlues leadership by providing leadership development training. They developed an airline training center at the Orlando International Airport. To make up for paying employees a lower base salary than its competitors, they offered health coverage, profit sharing, and 401k retirement plans. They also avoided layoffs through voluntary packages and attrition. This focus on meeting the needs of its employees, growing talent, and creating a talent pool was essential competitive benefits that were very difficult to imitate. JetBlues strategies for 2008 beyond and likelihood of success. In 2008, JetBlue adapted new strategies to re-evaluate the way its assets were used, reduce capacity, cut costs, raise fares, grow in select markets, offer services for business travel, form strategic partnerships, and increase ancillary revenues. JetBlue formed an alliance with Lufthansa to enable the company to use their terminals at JFK and signed a contract with Continental to provide LiveTV (Thompson et al., 2010). JetBlue reduced their capacity by selling nine aircrafts and reduced costs by delaying the delivery of 21 new aircrafts (Thompson et al., 2010). They reduced aircraft utilization rates, suspended service in some cities, and cancelled plan service in order to cut costs. After choosing Orlando to become a target market, they then raised prices but to lower fares than competitors. Furthermore, they provided incentives to corporate travelers, entered into agreements with Expedia for leisure travelers and Travelocity for business customers, and with Aer Lingus to expand t heir reach internationally. To generate revenue, JetBlue created new fees, including a fee for a second bag and for select seats. Even with these strategies, the airlines financial performance shows that they are falling short of expectations during the first six months of 2008 (Thompson et al., 2010). However, 2009 was a successful year for JetBlue. The company was one of only a few to report four consecutive quarters of profitability in this year (JetBlue, 2010). A net income of $58 million was generated with an operating margin of 8.5% which was an improvement of more than $140 million compared to 2008. They continued to have one of the strongest liquidity positions in the U.S. airline industry relative to our revenues. In addition, JetBlue generated positive free cash flow for the first time in its history. According to JetBlues 2009 annual report, these results demonstrated the benefits of JetBlues disciplined growth strategy, its focus on managing capital expenditures, rationalizing capacity, maximizing revenue, and controlling costs. Given that the company is prosperous in challenging times, it is likely that the companys sound strategies and cash-rich positions will give the company longevity over the long term. Conclusions The purpose of this report was to examine JetBlues business strategy. Trends in the U.S. airline industry impacting crude oil prices, pilot shortages, and 9/11 aviation security measures. Overall, these trends, combined with a weak economy, caused airlines to struggle to survive. JetBlue has survived by a focus on bringing humanity back to air travel at low fares. They focused on providing value, customer service, and unique extras for customers. Employees benefit from training and a strong organizational culture. The business benefited from measures to cut costs and form lucrative partnerships. Presently, the financial reports of JetBlue showed that the company was outperforming its competitors in a recession making the company highly likely to be successful over the long term.

The relevance of coaching and mentoring

The relevance of coaching and mentoring Coaching and mentoring both are considered to be very important activities in organisation working in the current business era, where there is high competition among different competitors in market with different types of quality products and services. All these organisations in modern management strongly believe in the development of the human resources in their as they consider humans as an asset and important resource for achievement of their organisational goals and objectives. So the make human able to carry out their job roles successfully and to make sure the achievement of the organisation objective by their hard work, skills and motivation, organisations arrange activities like coaching and mentoring to achieve their objectives through human resources in the organisation. Coaching and mentoring are popular capacity-building tools, especially in the area of leadership development. They are often mentioned in proposals and reviews as key elements of good capacity-building practice. Yet despite their current status, many of us are unclear what coaching and mentoring really involves, and where and when they work. [6] This assignment is about the understanding of the basic concepts of coaching and mentoring, the basic definitions of these two terms, what is the difference among the concepts and processes of coaching and mentoring, and what are the processes that organisation use to hire or develop a proper coach or mentor in their organisation. Objectives of Assignment This assignment is divided into two task, following are the objectives and requirements of each individual tasks. Task 1 The objectives / requirements of task one of assignment are Define the terms mentoring and coaching Demonstrate a critical and clear understanding of the differences between mentoring and coaching Critical reflection of skills required to be an effective coach and mentor Coaching and mentoring processes Leadership behaviors (particular attention must be paid to theories on motivation, learning and emotional intelligence) and styles that accommodate mentoring and coaching strategies Task 2 Following are the objectives / requirements of the task two of the assignment Critically evaluate how the current academic debate on coaching and mentoring will enable you as a Human Resources Manager to instill the importance and value of coaching and mentoring to organizations. Critically reflect on how your academic research on coaching and mentoring has contributed to the development of your subject knowledge on Human resources. Critically reflect on your achievement of any two of the module learning outcomes Definition of Mentoring Mentoring is an indefinite, relationship based activity with several specific but wide ranging goals. It does not have to be a formal process. The mentor is a facilitator who works with either an individual or a group of people over an extended time period. The agenda is open and continues to evolve over the longer term. Mentoring seeks to build wisdom the ability to apply skills, knowledge and experience to new situations and processes. [2] Mentoring relationships can deliver a number of critical benefits to nonprofit organizations and their employees. They can accelerate learning and expand the overall competency base of staff. They can help assure organizational agility, flexibility, and resourcefulness in difficult times, drawing on the guidance of seasoned professionals. They can improve the quality of work products and services through the use of feedback loops. They can strengthen networks and build collaborative ties between the organizations or work units where mentors and mentees are based. And they can help protect nonprofits from unforeseen liabilities, as mentors help mentees assess risks and manage challenges. Mentorship fosters employee loyalty and commitment, improving morale while enriching organizational culture making it more humane and accountable to community. [3] The activities of mentoring a very important when there are some persons in organization at senior positions, got good experience of working with organization, have good knowledge of organization products and services, good understanding of the organizational structures and procedures, and that person wants to voluntarily or through the set procedure of the mentoring for the organization with new and un experienced employees in very informal, and friendly way. Different organization irrespective of the structure, size and business of the organization are getting benefits from the process and procedures of mentoring. Definition of Coaching To survive and make the organization a prosper institute in the tough era of competition, it is needed from the organizations to perform at their best with high level of effectiveness and motivation towards the achievement of their organizational goals and objectives. This clearly indicate that certain skills like leadership skills, taking right decision on right time (decision making) relationships between different staff members, creation and innovation activities, time management, stress management, controlling issue of high importance, conducting and controlling meetings effectively are all those skills and activities which the organizations has to be at very best in order to capture a prominent position in the market. To carry out all the above activities in proper way the organization can grab the benefits of all these, the term coaching are use. As there is no one agreed on definition of coaching exit but different management writer have come up with their own definition, in all of them some terms remains the same like working for the betterment of skills and informations in organization through a very structured process. The term coaching includes activities related to developing the organizational capacity of whole organization (such as increasing leadership for instructional reform). It includes helping management and employees reallocate their resources and improve their use of data in the service of improving instruction and it includes activities directly related to improving instruction (such as one on one observation and feedback of employees instructional strategies and small group learning of new content and pedagogy). [1] The focus of coaching is on meeting very specific objectives within a set period of time. Coaching is mainly concerned with performance and the development of certain skills. It usually takes place on a one-to-one basis and has a very specific purpose. There is usually a planned program with a much shorter timeframe than in mentoring, so the learning goals are usually determined in advance. [2] Mentoring and coaching can be stand alone activities, but they can also be used to complement each other. Characteristics of coaching Following are the main characteristics of the coaching presented by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), and most of the coaching professionals agree with these characteristics and consider these characteristics as fundamentals for coaching activities in the organization. This is development through one to one discussion. Give people understanding on their weaknesses and strengths. The aim of coaching is to address a specific issue. It is considered as short term activity, but its impact is very long term. This is known as non directive development The purpose of coaching is the improvement of performance and enhancing skills of individuals and team members working in the organization. It addresses different issues with the internal environment of the organization, and external organization. The organizations conduct coaching activities for the achievement of both organizational and individual goals. This is time specific activity. It works on the premise that clients are self-aware, or can achieve self-awareness. It is a skilled activity Benefits of coaching and mentoring The coaching and mentoring helps organization in enhancing their human resources skills and make them able to carry out their job roles and responsibilities in way which is efficient, effective and which helps the management of the organization to achieve their business goals and organization objectives. The coaching and mentoring makes the management able to fold the employees activities and role in the way that they want, it helps individuals working in organization in the improvement of their personal and professional skills, and make the employees able to achieve their individual targets and those of organization. It provide the employees a safe space to delegate Enhance the skills which the individuals encompass Ability of learning new skills Provide an insight into yours skills as a coach and mentor and also to those of others. Get unbiased, confidential support Provide fresh prospective on the related issues to work, workplace and organization environment. Provide the opportunity to make biased things clear between the individuals in the organization. Difference between coaching and mentoring The differences between coaching and mentoring are often considered being very min, even most of the people think it coaching and mentoring as different names of same concepts, and it can be difficult to distinguish between coaching, mentoring and counseling. In practice, mentoring for example is sometimes used interchangeably with coaching. Traditionally, however, mentoring in the workplace has tended to describe a relationship in which a more experienced colleague used their greater knowledge and understanding of the work or workplace to support the development of a more junior or inexperienced member of staff. Similarly, it can be hard to draw a clear distinction between coaching and counseling, not least because many of the theoretical underpinnings of coaching are drawn from the worlds of counseling and therapy. For the purpose of managing coaching services the key distinction to be drawn is that coaching is for those who are psychologically well; a coach should be able to recognize where an individual is so distressed by personal or social issues that he or she needs to be referred to specialist counseling or other support. Coaching and mentoring processes According to Robert Dilts different organizations and individuals work on development activities in different forms, these activities are conducted by managers sometime while by some organizations uses the concept and approach of internal and external mentors and coaches. Robert Dilts define the following process for coaching and mentoring Guiding: This the process which leads individuals and groups within organization from their current state to the to a desired state in their personal and professional life, same is the case like a car journey, the person driving is on current location and decides the target location and plan a certain path to reach the target. Coaching: is the process of improving another persons awareness about the deficiencies in his / her field and area of work, sets a target for that individual to achieve and improve a certain behavioral performance. Teaching: is the simple process of helping individuals and groups by an expert person to develop the skills and learning knowledge about a particular thing, place or person. Mentoring: helping to shape an individuals beliefs and values in a positive way; often a longer term career relationship from someone who has done it before Counseling: is the process of helping an individual to improve performance by resolving situations from the past. Every event that occurs in coaching is tied to activities in someones head. (Some people may argue that coaching is more heart based. Whatever your perspective is on this, consider that emotions have correlates in the brain too.) This means that a brain-based approach should underpin and explain every good coaching model and provide the field with an underpinning science. A brain-based approach is going to be inclusive and bring the disparate field to greater cohesion. Second, a brain-based approach to coaching looks attractive when you think about the other contenders for a foundational discipline, the obvious one being psychology. From an organizational perspective, psychology suffers from a mixed history and a perception of being unscientific. While psychologists are the first people called on if someone is in crisis, most senior leaders would not consider them for improving performance because of the bias they assume psychologists have for therapeutic languages and models. A brain-based approach on the other hand is something tangible and physical. We live in a materialistic world where organizations respect things that can be measured. To bring about the wide- scale use of coaching as a learning or transformation tool, we need to speak to organizations in a language they understand. [4] The main reason it may be time to build a brain-based approach to coaching is simply how profoundly useful this approach is. It is interesting to be able to explain in scientific terms why the brain needs coaches, but it is even more useful to know how coaching helps the brain improve its functioning. This points us to ways we can better measure, manage and deliver coaching initiatives, whether one to one, training internal coaches, or in teaching coaching skills to thousands of leaders. [4] When to choose coaching and mentoring For the management of any organization it is very important to choose between the activities of coaching and mentoring, their always remain some space for the improvement in organization, but the selection of activities of coaching or mentoring largely depends on the nature of the improvement that the management wants in organization, or the weaknesses they feel and want to overcome on. The below table shows information regarding coaching and mentoring and will provide idea to the management of the organization on what to chose and when to chose. Mentoring may be best whenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Coaching may be best whenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. The employee needs an expert or sponsor The employee will benefit from specific knowledge about the organizations culture, values, and norms, especially when the information is informal and difficult to obtain from traditional sources The employee is reasonably clear about their career and developmental goals The employee will be helped by receiving direction The employee is a senior or more experienced leader; or where developmental issues may require strict confidentiality There is a strong desire or need to practice, apply, or implement new skills and behaviors, and excellent complement to traditional training. The employee realizes there is a gap between where they are and where they want to be (skills, knowledge, career, achievement, etc), but isnt sure how to address it The employee will be helped by sustained, objective support Skills required for good coach and mentor Getting people to change is becoming increasingly important in our rapidly changing work environment. The dominant view of organizational leaders is that getting people to change just requires information and the right motivation: we need to know what has to be changed, and then use incentives to inspire people to behave differently. This is a reductionist perspective, which works well in any linear system: if a machine breaks down, we work out logically where the source of the problem is, and then simply replace the part. However, if the thing broken is someones communication style, finding this out and trying to replace the part is not realistic. In fact, the more information we have about a human problem, the deeper the problem may become. [5] The above discussion shows the complication of the process of coaching and mentoring, that both of these are not an easy task to do, and it often requires skills, abilities and experience in the relevant field for the person who is going to take the position as coach or mentor in the organization. The skills required by a coach or mentor also depends on the field in which he / she is going to provide the mentoring or coaching facility, following is brief description of the most popular skills required by a coach and mentor in order to fully satisfy the needs of his / her job role. Skills required for good coach As coaching is a very structures and organized activity in each and every organization, so the person who is to be called coach must be having enough skills and abilities to organize people, lead people, and plan well in order to improve the humans skills and abilities and also to overcome on their weaknesses. Following are core skills to be found in a good coach. Must be able to provide facilitate clarification of the goal Available to employees all the time to guide them from a start point to the finish Maintain a threshold to keep focus/track Provide sufficient knowledge and help to employees that they may overcome on hurdles in pursuit of the goal. Strong Interpersonal Skills Technical Competence Patience Trustworthiness A Non-judgmental Attitude Belief in Lifelong Learning Skill at Providing Instructional Support Good Listening Skills Skills required for a Mentor As mentoring is more focused on individual relations in organization, normally this relation exits between an experienced and new staff member, the experienced member of staff is normally called as mentor, so the requirements from mentor is that he / she must have enough experience to work for that organization, and have all the related data and information on the products, services, and structure of the organization. A successful mentor should have the following skills Able to corrects mistakes Acts as a personal cheering squad Guides in improving the future Provides counsel and wisdom Supports the journey from fantasy to reality Provokes thought and wider perspectives Leadership behaviors and styles The activities and processes of coaching and mentoring needs the role of leader in organization who initiate the process, set the targets for it, and then plan the procedures to achieve the targets by proper coaching and mentoring activities, and during these activities also evaluate the process and its success by setting milestones, and motivate their team members and employees towards the achievement of their career and organization business objectives. Coaching and mentoring are two personal development methods that nurture a persons own abilities in order to improve behavior and performance. The processes of coaching and mentoring are similar insofar as they are both a series of conversations (spoken or written) between two individuals. However, there are subtle but significant differences in aim, emphasis and style. Coaching tends to be viewed as more task-oriented, skills-focused, directed and time-bound, whereas mentoring is more focused on open-ended personal development. The reality is that there is considerable convergence and overlap between these approaches. To get the best out of mentoring and coaching, we need to start by exploring their origin, evolution and application to leadership development. [6] The achievement of organizational goals largely depends on the humans working for that organization organizes different activities and the results of those activities depends on how much they are dedicated towards those activities and how much the organization staff members are motivated. The word motivation is common in everyday language, but is not easy to define rigorously in a scientific context. The concept of motivation is related to, but distinct from other concepts, such as instincts, drives, and reflexes. Motivated behavior is usually goal oriented; the goal may be associated with a drive such as hunger or thirst (called primary motivation). However, motivation is also closely tied to sensory stimuli: an animal will not usually exhibit eating behavior unless food is presented. Unlike instinctive behavior, motivation depends on affect (emotional state). Finally, motivation can be learned (in which case it is called secondary motivation) and typically elicits more complex beha viors than simple reflexes. Motivation theories and coaching / mentoring There are so many motivation theories by different management writer; the focus of each and every motivational theory is on the fulfillments of the needs of individual working for that organization and through highly motivated humans the achievement of the organizational goals. In this part of the assignment I will focus only on one motivational theory (Hull theory) which is very closely related to the gaining motivation of employees through different activities of coaching and mentoring. Hulls Theory Hulls theory provides a framework within which motivated behavior can be analyzed. Hull (1943) proposed that the initiation of learned, or habitual, patterns of movement or behavior is called motivation. In addition, Hull proposed a distinction between primary motivation, the evocation of action in relation to primary needs, and secondary motivation, the evocation of action in relation to secondary reinforcing stimuli or incentives. Primary motivation is the cornerstone of Hulls drive reduction theory. According to Hull, events that threaten survival give rise to internal drive states, and behaviors that act to reduce drive are thus rewarding. For instance, lack of food causes an increase in the hunger drive, and the consumption of food is rewarding because it leads to a reduction in the hunger drive. In our daily experiences we are faced with a continuously fluctuating combination of multiple drives and incentives. Somehow we must be able to select the behavior that is most appropriate in a given situation, while suppressing other, less adequate behaviors. Thus, motivated behavior requires a form of competition. According to Hull, at any given time the behavior with the greatest potential to reduce a given drive is released. If the drive persists, that behavior is inhibited, and the second strongest response in the drive hierarchy will be released, and so on. The concept of the Hulls theory shows that organization can get the benefits of the employees skills and knowledge about the job role if that employee is highly motivated, and motivation can only be gained through proper process of coaching and mentoring activities. Assignment Task 2 The requirements from this task are to measure and critical evaluate the current academic debate, and also a critical reflection of the learning during this course and assignment. Evaluation of academic debate We have described motivation as the internal force that energizes behaviors, and that determines which particular behavior will be emitted in response to a given set of environmental stimuli and to the internal needs of an organism. Motivation is a complex topic of research that has been studied from many different approaches. During this coursework I come across the different areas of management which focuses on the development of human resources in the organizations in order to achieve the organization goals and objectives, coaching and mentoring are the two most important activities in this regard which are most widely used and practiced in different organizations. The theories of different management writers have declare the motivation as the key factor in getting human involve in the activities of the organization which will not only results in the betterment of the individual skills and learning but also make the organization goals achievements realistic one. The academic debate during this course was very enough to meet the requirements in proper way and make the students able to understand the core of the issues which influences organization business and why they need to have an individual or group of individuals as coach and mentor in the organization and they use different motivation concepts in order to motivate the organization staff to get the desired results of the process. The nature of coaching and mentoring activities also depend largely on the size and structure of the organization, the nature of their business, the products and services they produce and how much they are focused on the personal and professional skills development of the humans working for them. These activities help in micro skills development, and the micro-skills of coaching include helping the manager develop the skills and attitudes to help and individual manage situations from within their own resources (Egan, 2004). During this stage of the training, the individual is introduced to the concepts of Empathy, Respect and Genuineness. Reflection on academic learning During this module I come across different concepts of human resource development in the organization, how to motivate individuals working for organization, how the management of the organization implement different management theories in order to get the desired results of the activities like coaching and mentoring, the process of human resource development and motivation, that how an individual working for or on the behalf of the organization can be motivated to put their hundred percent in performing their job role and focusing toward their personal and professional skills development, and through the proper use of their skills and knowledge the achievement of their organizational goals and objectives, while the employees must understand the importance of the coaching and mentoring activities which the management of the organization conduct for them and actively participate in those activities for their own personal and professional skills development, and learn the knowledge and information which will make them able to perform their job role very efficient and effectively. Conclusion and Recommendations To achieve the business goals and organizational objectives organizations use the different approaches which are discussed in very detail in this assignment. In this part the conclusion is given of the overall debate some recommendations for organization management who wish to improve the standard of coaching and mentoring in their organizations. Coaching had its origins in the world of sports, with coaches helping competitors to achieve success through structured and focused instruction and tutoring. In the 1980s, executives of major companies realized the potential a coaching-style intervention could have in helping them to work more effectively. Such approaches also permeated the development world. In the 1990s the Community Development Resource Association (CDRA) in South Africa was using such an approach as part of its development practitioner formation programs. Mentoring has been practiced in different cultures for hundreds of years. But it is only recently that mentoring has been (re)discovered by the private sector, and now by the civil society sector, as a mechanism for leadership development. The origin of mentoring can be traced back to Greek mythology. When Odysseus left home to fight in the Trojan War, he placed an old, trusted family friend, Mentor, in charge of his household, thereby delegating responsibility for protecting and educating his son Telemachus. A mentor therefore conjures up images of a wise and trusted advisor or counselor. Some African scholars make the point that such roles were commonplace in Africa long before ancient Greek civilization. The extensive literature on coaching and mentoring reveals no single definition of either term, but rather a collection of definitions that help form a picture of what the processes involve. Much of the literature explores different models that can be used and adapted by coaches and mentors, depending on their personal style and their situation. According to many definitions, while coaching and mentoring share the same principles, coaching is primarily focused on performance within the current job and emphasizes development tools, while mentoring focuses on longer-term goals and developing capability. The word motivation is common in everyday language, but is not easy to define rigorously in a scientific context. The concept of motivation is related to, but distinct from other concepts, such as instincts, drives, and reflexes. Motivated behavior is usually goal oriented; the goal may be associated with a drive such as hunger or thirst (called primary motivation). Those organizations who wish to improve the standard of their human resources through structured process of coaching and mentoring, I will suggest the following in light of what I studied during this course and preparation of the assignment. Try to make the human resource management department well structured and influential on the decision making regarding human development in the organization. Hire only those individuals as coach or mentor in the organization who have past track record of working in such organization environment. Satisfy the needs of the human resources in order to make them highly motivated. Motivated employees can only focus towards their personal and professional skills development and can contribute to the goals and objective achievement of the organization. The organization needs to invest in their human resource, and this investment will lead them to become the market leader in their product and services. The management should always identify the weak areas and the need for coaching or mentoring, and the employees should fully cooperate with the management to achieve the best of results from the process.

Sacrifice of Values to Please Authority in Shakespeares Hamlet Essay

Sacrifice of Values to Please Authority in Shakespeare's Hamlet It seems that it is human nature to want to please others, but compromising ones values in order to do so can result in people getting hurt emotionally or physically. In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, the desire to please those in authority overweighs the judgment of many characters. These characters are more interested in pleasing those in power than doing what is in their best interest. This is seen in Polonious' eager attempt to use Ophelia, in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern's being coerced into spying on a good friend, and finally in Laertes' all too easy manipulation by Claudius to take revenge on his fathers' death. In all these instances, the characters put their better judgment aside in order to do something to please a monarch. The bond between father and daughter is something that some consider sacred. Polonious uses this bond with Ophelia to please Claudius and Gertrude in finding our what is wrong with Hamlet. The King and Queen were very upset at Hamlet's seeming insanity. They tell Rosencrantz and Guildenstern that finding out what is wrong with Hamlet would be "the supply and profit of [their] hope (P.34)." They are obviously disenchanted at his behavior, and Polonious knows this, and tries to use his daughter to prove his theory. When Ophelia came and described to him her meeting with Hamlet in Act I, Polonious immediately took her to the King. Polonious, acting on his duty to "both [his] God and to [his] gracious king (P. 34)" took Ophelia to Claudius to see if he could be any help in trying to find out what is wrong with Hamlet. He quickly tells the king that he will ".loose [his] daughter to [Hamlet] (p. 38)" and concocts an elaborate plan t... ...how others perceived them, especially those in power, than doing what was really in the best interest for everyone. These characters were manipulated by brutal puppet-masters that toyed with their strings to get the response that they wanted, knowing full well that all would agree to anything in order to please them. This urge to do what was wanted by those in ascendancy was so great a weight, that values were pushed aside for a chance to glimmer in the light of attention from important figures in society. Works Cited and Consulted Long, Michael. A Study of Values in Shakespearean Tragedy. London: Methuen and Company, 1976. Mirrior, Ivor. "Hamlet." The Role of Authority in the Tragedies. London: George Allen and Unwin, 1972. 369-430. Shakespeare, William. Hamlet. Ed. Susanne L. Wofford. Case Studies in Contemporary Criticism. Boston: St. Martin's, 1994.