A Consultant's Report - Written on a fictitious Bank Essay

A Consultant's Report - Written on a fictitious Bank - Essay Example It was found that only one project for development was being investigated by the XYZ Bank. The other two major projects requiring investigation were pending for the routine board decision to be taken. There is an investigation mechanism which needs to be followed by the XYZ Bank. As per the mechanism process, the bank is supposed to investigate whether the development project funded by it is harming the interests of the local communities where the project is going to take place. The XYZ Bank has made a declaration of the same intent that it will disclose all relevant information to bring transparency in its operations for accountability purpose. P&P Consulting found that there was lack of transparency in the functioning of the XYZ Bank; no timelines were fixed to finish investigations. Stakeholders were worried over the slow process of investigation. P&P Consulting saw an opportunity in the said case knowing the crucial role that the bank was supposed to play in the lives of people w ho had to vacate the adjoining lands, and requested compensation. P&P Consulting found flaws in the systems of working calling immediate attention of the concerned stakeholders – the Bank’s President and Board of Directors. Steps taken included: P&P Consulting found that three claims were pending decision by the XYZ Bank. Claim for Golf Link project had been pending for the last seven years, awaiting decision. Rests of the two cases are fresh claims filed with the bank. These cases will test the current operational mechanism of the bank and we are not optimistic that the bank will pass the test. The Golf Links claim describes both the transparency and the timing issues. The affected people contacted the bank requesting an inquiry on August 11th, 2002. Yet, the inquiry was not ordered until July 2004, about two years late when the request for it was filed with the bank. The limit was crossed by not responding back to the claimants about what

Marketing Plan Skylarknet a Wireless Essay Example for Free

Marketing Plan Skylarknet a Wireless Essay Wireless mesh networking is the latest tech in this field. Internet pro Wireless networks provide unprecedented freedom and mobility for a growing number of laptop and PDA users who no longer need wires to stay connected with their workplace and the Internet. Ironically, the very devices that provide wireless service to these clients need lots of wiring themselves to connect to private networks and the Internet. This wiring is expensive to install and change, and deployment must be carefully planned and timed to minimize disruption to normal business operations. Permits or permissions may be required, and then there are the laborious tasks of pulling, terminating and testing the copper wiring or fiber optic cabling. With all the work involved, it should not be surprising that wiring can be the most expensive part of a â€Å"wireless† network! Indeed, the many obstacles associated with wiring are now preventing or delaying the deployment of wireless applications that could deliver a real competitive advantage or a high return on investment—or both. This marketing plan provides an overview of implementing Wireless Mesh Network (WMN) service for the first time in the suburban areas of Bangladesh. Wireless Mesh Network is an exciting new technology which has tremendous potential especially for a developing country like Bangladesh. Quite a few African countries are already benefiting from this novel technology. Supported by the growing buying power, a number of desktop and laptop users in the suburban areas of Bangladesh are badly in need of high quality internet service. In the world of internet the best suitable option stands for the suburban areas is the wireless technology. We plan to act as a service and equipment provider for the local ISP dealers and some institutional market such as university campus, NGO, hospitals and nursing home etc. As we are the pioneer of this new technology we conducted an insightful analysis of the competitor’s position and their offerings. The marketing plan starts with the situational analysis of the current market. External and internal factor analysis (SWOT analysis) provides a clear picture of current scenario. Grameen Phone, Qubee, Banglalion, ZoomUltra are our main competitors. But the cost of their offering is much higher than ours. Because there lies a higher establishment cost. Eliminating wires dramatically reduces the implementation costs, and substantially simplifies on-going operations. Without wires, the network becomes far more adaptable and flexible. That’s why we focus on the cost effectiveness and performance of the WMN service. We identify our company as a market challenger and set some strategies suitable for the challengers. Some pilot projects are planned to create the awareness among target customers. Based on these projects success further promotional and pricing strategies are set. In the later part of the report the feasibility of this marketing plan is justified by the financial analysis. Expense and sales are forecasted for the next three years followed by a break-even analysis. Overall monitoring and contingency plan (in the case of failure) completes the total planning for our company. Introduction In this world of modern technology, most people prefer not to connect computers with Ethernet cables because excessive cables scattered throughout their office or home is unsightly. One can choose to install a wireless network to avoid excessive cabling. For a wireless network, there is no need to use Ethernet cables to connect your computers to the DSL or router. Moreover, WLANs are available anywhere in the world at an affordable cost. In the suburban and rural areas Wireless tech suits best. Wireless mesh networking is the newest tech in wireless field. Our objective is to identify the potential suburban customers of Bangladesh who can afford a cost-effective internet service. Origin of the Study This report has been prepared a requirement to fulfill the course. This report evaluates the business opportunity of latest wireless mesh network technology in the suburban areas of Bangladesh from service provider point of view. Objective of the Study The primary objective of this report is to fulfill the course requirement of â€Å"Marketing Management†. The secondary objective is to describe a detail marketing plan for a new technology. Limitation of the Study There is no authentic statistics about the potential number of internet users in the suburban areas of Bangladesh. As this is a new technology, the costs of the equipments vary depending on the different manufacturers. We are making a new entry, so the estimation of potential market is based on the secondary data of other existing competitors rather than the primary data. Sales and expense is forecasted on the discretion of our part that may vary widely in real case implementation. Unavailability of previous year’s financial report necessitates greater recourse to mere guessing in some cases. Situational Analysis What is WMN (Wireless Mesh Network)? Mesh networks represent an emerging wireless networking technology that promises wider coverage than traditional wireless LANs and lower deployment and operation costs than 3G cellular networks. For these reasons, network operators and service providers consider mesh networking to be a serious candidate to solve the so called last mile problem. Some network operators worldwide have already started to deploy mesh based access networks offering nearly ubiquitous and inexpensive wireless Internet connections to their customers. Examples are Ozones mesh network in Paris (www. zone. net/en/) and The Cloud in the City of London (www. thecloud. net). The real business potential lies in operator based mesh networks. By their systematic design, deployment, and maintenance, operator based mesh networks provide higher levels of Quality-of-Service (QoS), meaning larger coverage, higher speed, and more reliable operation. In addition, it can be argued that mesh network operators in a given geogra phical area will cooperate in order to further optimize their costs and increase the QoS provided by their networks. The form of the cooperation can range from traditional roaming agreements to joint provision of specific services. Figure 1: Wireless Mesh Network Strategic planning is important because in well-run companies the goal from the very top of the organization down to where one is working should form a more-or-less unbroken chain (or â€Å"hierarchy†) of goals. At the top of the company the president and his or her staff set strategic goals. These goals should flow from top and make sense in terms of the goals at the next level up. Then the vice presidents’ subordinates set their own goals, and so on down the line. In this way, management creates a hierarchy or chain of departmental goals, from the top down the lowest-ranked managers, and even employees. Then , if everyone does his or her job-if each salesperson sells his her quota, and the sales manager hires enough good salespeople, and the HR manager creates the right incentive plan, and the purchasing head buys and CEO should also accomplish the overall, company-wide strategic goals. One could therefore say with great certainty that without a clear plan at the top, no one in the company would have the foggiest notion of what to do. Wireless Internet Market in Bangladesh Wireless Internet Service was first introduced to Bangladesh in public by cell phone giant Grameen Phone. Then other GSM mobile phone operators like Banglalink, Aktel and Warid follow suit. Citycell, the only CDMA based mobile phone operator in Bangladesh introduced the Zoom internet service, which was a little different from the other mobile phone operators in that consumers could connect to internet by using a USB modem included in the Zoom package. Later on Grameen Phone also introduced a package where they include an USB modem.

Effect of Surveillance on Autonomy and Greed

Effect of Surveillance on Autonomy and Greed Discussion The research hypothesis of this study stated that when individuals were under surveillance, they would feel a lack of autonomy or more controlled. Therefore, participants would subsequently demonstrate a higher level of greed, in comparison to those not under surveillance. This was supported by the ideas of SDT about autonomy being a fundamental psychological need, and so resulting in adverse consequences when not attained. The results derived from this research were not significant, indicating that no effects were found in either condition and therefore do not support the initial research prediction. Although not significant, data suggestive of a trend was found for ‘decision’ and ‘condition’ on negative affect. This demonstrated that participants who were in the experimental condition and kept all of their tickets (indicating a higher level of greed) showed increased levels of negative affect, compared to those who ‘gave some’ tickets. This could be interpreted as the individuals feeling guilt or other negative emotions about their decision when under surveillance. This may indicate that surveillance has an effect on negative feelings, following behaviour. Similarly, although no significant results were found, a trend suggests that participants who kept all their tickets in the experimental condition experienced a decrease in their just world beliefs. This demonstrates that those individuals who showed higher levels of greed under surveillance subsequently lacked beliefs in a just world, in comparison to the other participants. This may coincide with the trend found for negative affect implying that those participants under surveillance, who kept all tickets, had more feelings of negative affect and lower beliefs in a just world. Regardless of these trends, it has to be emphasised that the effects are not significant so the alleged effect is not concrete. One explanation for the lack of significance found within the trends may be due to the sample size, which was limited to eighty participants. If a larger sample size was obtained then the trends found may potentially be more powerful. A possible recommendation for future research could be a replication of this study using a greater sample size, to test whether this trend is more prevalent. As the initial predictions are not supported by the results, they do not support the notions implied by SDT; stating that autonomy is one of the crucial needs that needs to be attained. The current results may also suggest that surveillance is not as controlling as previously implied (Lepper and Greene, 1975), as individuals may still feel autonomous when under surveillance. Alternatively, it may be that the individuals did not notice the cameras. During the study phase, participants were asked whether or not they noticed surveillance – both the cameras and signs. When they did not take notice, which occurred frequently, participants often added comments implying that they had grown accustomed to this surveillance. This aligns with the initial thoughts that there is an abundance of cameras in society, perhaps suggesting an over-usage of the surveillance. These comments alongside the lack of awareness of the cameras can be interpreted as an element of desensitisation to the sur veillance. As the earlier quote by Home Office mentioned, individuals become so familiar with the cameras, that they are no longer something out of the ordinary; therefore if unnoticed, their purpose may not be as effective. This also corresponds with findings from the earlier mentioned studies where the surveillance became ineffective after a time lag (Web and Laycock, 1992). In addition to this, a study conducted by Tilley (1993) observing the power of surveillance in various car parks found that publicity of the surveillance was necessary for it to be effective. Therefore the use of CCTV needs to be directly brought to an individual’s attention for an effect to occur. This coincides with the notion of familiarity with the cameras earlier stated, suggesting that individuals may need some sort of reminder or prompt to be aware of the surveillance. Prior research has supported the assumptions made by SDT and the general prediction that a lack of autonomy will affect behaviour. Particularly, Cozzolino et al., (2015) used the same measure of greed as the current study, alongside a measure of indirect aggression, finding that surveillance elicited higher levels of greed and aggression. However, Cozzolino et al’s., (2015) study included the usage of more than one experimental task, which may explain the results. The antecedent task provoking aggression may enhance the general demeanour of the participant, prompting individuals to display greed. This may provide an explanation as to why results differed from this current research, as the economic trust task was measured independently. Self-concept is an important phenomenon to be observed in relation to this primary study. Individuals tend to seek approval from others and feel the need to ensure that they have a positive self-concept, as they prefer to feel better about themselves. This was illustrated by Swann Jr. and Read (1980) who observed the values of self-concept over a series of experiments. Their results indicated that self-concept was of high significance to individuals as participants sought to verify it through others. Lower levels of greed are likely to contribute to a positive self-concept; therefore this need for verification of self-concept may be a contributing factor to their behaviour in the current study. Thus, individuals may have altered their answers intentionally for this reason. Despite being ensured confidentiality, experimenter effects may have occurred, causing the individual to be more sceptical of possible judgement from the experimenter. They may not have wanted to display their actu al desire to show a higher level of greed, fearful of the impression they may make on the experimenter, therefore portraying actions that they think may be expected of them, more accepted, or more aligned with their self-concept. In addition to this the Theory of Reasoned Action (Fishbein and Ajzen, 1980) may contribute to the notion that individuals behaved in a way that they believed met societal expectations. This theory proposes that individuals have two different types of motivation, one of which is subjective norms; this is perceived social pressure to execute certain behaviours. In this case, subjective norms would point to acts of less greed (as this is more socially acceptable) which may explain the decision made by individuals in this study. Participants may be more influenced by their subjective norms than any other factors, causing them to behave differently. Interestingly Haley and Fessler (2005) observed the effect of evoked observability on pro-social behaviour through various different methods. These researchers measured levels of generosity using an economic game task, similar to that of the current study. This study provided a visual cue to make individuals feel as though they were being observed. This was in the form of stylised eye representations on the background of the computer they were completing the task on. Although this differs to the primary study conducted, the use of eye spots may make individuals feel as though they are under control, or that they are being ‘watched.’ They found that in the eye spot condition, in comparison to control, allocations were 55% higher, therefore displaying higher levels of generosity. This illustrates alternative effects to those initially predicted in the primary study, Haley and Fessler expected individuals to be more generous when in the eye spot condition, which was found. Perhaps it should be reconsidered which types of behaviour are usually demonstrated when ‘being watched’ as pro-social behaviour may be more prevalent than anti-social behaviours predicted by this primary study. While it has been strongly implied that surveillance can be perceived as a form of social control (causing individuals to lose their autonomy), this control itself may infer different effects. When being watched, individuals may feel that they need to act in a certain way. They may be reluctant to portray their genuine feelings or actions as they are afraid of what those surveying may think. When not under surveillance individuals are likely to act more freely as a result of feeling less pressured by subjective norms, and therefore are able to behave more genuinely. Moreover, individual’s actions may be more likely to be of an authentic nature, reflecting their intrinsic motivations. This coincides well with the trends found, implying that surveillance may inflict feelings of negative affect. Individuals may only feel guilt about their decision because of the judgement they may face from ‘being watched.’ Another possible limitation which may have arisen with this study may be placed with the methodology. As stated the study involved an economic trust task, measuring levels of greed on the basis of the raffle tickets. Firstly, this task may lack an element of ecological validity as the situation that individuals were placed in with this task may be perceived as unrealistic. It is unlikely that individuals would be asked to decide the allocation of raffle tickets; therefore it may not reflect real life behaviour. In addition to this, the environment in which the task was completed may also be considered less ecologically valid, being in a room with a computer and an experimenter close by. This may be a possible explanation as to why significant results were not found, as the task was not representative of a real-life situation, mirroring real behaviour. Furthermore, another methodological concern may be the format of the study. Participants were told that they were matched with another participant who made the tickets available to them; however they may not have believed that there was another participant involved. The sample included a generous amount of psychology students, who may have more insight and so are aware that these studies often involve an element of deception. Therefore they may have displayed a higher level of greed, regardless of surveillance, if they realised that there was no other participant. To improve this further studies could account for this in different ways. Firstly, using a sample of students from different departments, or not using a student population may affect findings, as they are unlikely to have prior background knowledge about experiments of this nature. Additionally it could be made more plausible that there is another participant involved. Future studies may have the other participant wait in t he same area as the current participant, or have a confederate pretend to be the ‘other’ participant. This may make it more believable to the participant, and may evoke the effect initially expected. Trying to gain the insight of someone else is a difficult task, which is one that has been challenged in this study. The evidence found for these various measures used such as the feelings of control involve introspective awareness, observing the understanding of others. As earlier stated, the Cronbach’s alpha for these measures were not consistent, therefore it has to be questioned whether it is possible to rely completely on the use of these measures as they tend to involve an element of inconsistency. Despite a consistent level of non-significance in the current study, the notion of social control is still very plausible. Previous research has delved into this phenomenon, such as the well-known obedience experiment by Milgram (1963). It was found that participants obeyed the instructions of those who they perceived as having authority. This illustrates that this form of social control can have an effect on individual’s behaviour, altering it significantly. In the same way that surveillance works as social control in altering individual’s behaviour. It can be argued, from an alternative viewpoint that there is an evolutionary basis for greed. Evolution emphasises the importance of survival, to the next generation and to continue to pass down genes. Therefore greed can be interpreted as a means of survival, gaining the resources necessary from an evolutionary standpoint. This could be an alternative explanation for higher levels of greed being prevalent; individuals may not be affected by surveillance but have evolutionary needs that guide their behaviour. Frustration of psychological needs can be fatal and lead to adverse consequences, especially when observing the analysis of certain disorders. For example it has been suggested that a frustration of autonomy can lead to obsessive-compulsive disorder. Individuals feel they are being controlled or are unable to be in charge of themselves, so they control their environment instead. Similarly eating disorders is another form of the regaining of this control from an experience of lack of autonomy, as they tend to come from a very controlling environment. With more controlling and strict parents, individuals are more vulnerable to eating disorders. Without autonomy, individuals are more likely to develop psychopathology, as they defend against difficult experiences rather than overcoming them. Therefore it is important that further research is done to observe the implications that may derive from the thwarting of these needs, specifically autonomy. While no significant effects were found to support the suggested hypotheses of this current research, it is still crucial that further investigation takes place. An array of prior research has found prevalent effects demonstrating that surveillance can evoke feelings of powerlessness and that this lack of autonomy can be detrimental to individuals. Therefore additional research is necessary to find concrete evidence for the effects of surveillance.

Quarrel De La Rose :: essays research papers

Christine de Pisan in her Querrel de la Rose criticizes Roman de la Rose, which is a love poem. This poem â€Å"describes the ultimately successful quest of a lover for the mystical and fleshly Rose†. Christine is totally against the poem and attacks of strongly. It is marvelous how Christine de Pisan starts her writing in Quarrel de la Rose. She starts showing you modesty of her self, and appears very calm. She stings you then in a sweet style illuminating why is she against the work she is criticizing. Her modesty can be seen, or better to call her understatement, in page 125. When you continue reading and you reach the middle of it, you will see how gradually transforms from calmness to showing strong protest, which is covered up with polite style. Still the ironic tone she uses exposes her disapproval. An example for her emotional ironical tone would be seen in page 128, which she dedicates to discuss the issue of women in the work she is criticizing. I agree with Christine de Pisan on condemning the poem, but I disagree with her in the way she represents her disapproval and the way she protests against the work. She expresses her refusal to such a poem by the way she chooses words. It is seen in her using the language, which reflects her feelings towards the work mentioned, such as in page 127. When the page is read, it will be clear that her emotions control her style. She is not being objective, but she has a very good case against the work she’s criticizing as I believe, Further more, another matter I disagree with her in that she should have read the book she is criticizing with carefulness and patience. In page 126, she admits that she read it with rush. In my opinion, any one who criticizes, or even protests against any work, which is in this case a

Exploring a Communication in Arabic Lingua Culture Essay

Conversation is the most basic form of communication and human beings rely on conversation to exchange information and maintain social relationships (Gardner 1994: 97). Human interactions rely on conversation for simple chatting as well as work related tasks, political discussions and educational decisions (Gardner 1994: 98). Conversation is at the heart of the human ability to interact with one another in everyday life. Communicative events typically involve definable boundaries and a joint effort at interaction (Orr 2008: 317). A communicative event that occurs within its social boundaries becomes an engagement between two people (Orr 2008: 317). In other words, a communicative event between two friends results in an engagement that has meaning to both parties involved. In contrast, a communicative event that is between two strangers, such as a shopper and salesperson, cannot be considered an engagement because when the encounter is over it holds no meaning to those involved (Orr 2008: 317). Further, a communicative event is only successful when both parties involved contribute to the process of understanding as the conversation takes place (Aune, Levine, Park, Asada, & Banas 2005: 358). In a communicative event between friends, each friend is responsible for contributing something to the conversation that will make the interaction meaningful for both people. When both friends are not contributing to the communicative event equally, then the encounter fails to have meaning and makes the person who is contributing view his or her friend negatively (Aune, et al 2005: 358). An analysis of a communicative event that occurred between two friends in Saudi Arabia is offered. This analysis includes a discussion of the eleven components that Saville-Troike identifies. The Communicative Event Cultural analysis is an important part of discussing linguistics and communication. However, linguistics is not typically associated with a cultural analysis even though the conversation styles and traditions of different cultures are an essential component to communicative events (Wierzbicka 1997: 1). In fact, there is a very close link between culture and the lexicon of the language spoken as part of that culture. This is why many cultures rely on special words for important aspects of their culture such as food (Wierzbicka 1997: 1). Additionally, many cultures, such as the Arabic culture, rely on special greetings and phrases as part of their communicative events. These special greetings and phrases add depth to the communicative events and allow them to have meaning to the people involved. The conversation analyzed for this paper occurred between two friends and included a special greeting as well as common phrases used in Saudi Arabian culture. These components of the communicative event allowed the interaction to mean something to the two friends and resulted in positive feelings from both. The definition of a communicative event and a consideration to cultural differences is particularly useful for language teachers because it gives them insight into the importance of specific aspects of communicative events that differ across cultural boundaries. Language teachers are most successful when they are able to incorporate aspects of native language into new language acquisition. Changing the way that language teachers instruct is a constant part of the job of language teachers (Jacobs & Farrell 2003: 5). At the same time, it is important that a language teacher give students the tools necessary for learner autonomy, understanding the social nature of learning, the ability for curricular integration, a focus on meaning, attention to diversity, thinking skills, assessment and utilizing the teacher as a co learner (Jacobs & Farrell 2003: 5). These eight skills are essential for language teachers to implement in order to allow students to rely on their native language while also learning a new language. Further, sensitivity to cultural differences in language style will allow the language teacher to provide students with authentic opportunities to engage in meaningful communicative events. At the same time, language teachers cannot choose to only implement one or two of these components. They are all necessary components to successful language instruction. Classroom language instruction is an important part of the job of a language teacher. However, the type of language instruction has an impact on how well students acquire language skills (Spada 1987: 137). A study of three separate language classrooms over a period of sixty observation hours shows that students are sensitive to the communicative orientation of new language acquisition (Spada 1987: 137). The reason behind this observation is the different communicative styles utilized by different cultures. For example, the special greeting and phrases used the in conversation to be analyzed here differ from the style of communication in other cultures. Therefore, sensitivity to different communicative styles may result in better instruction and higher levels of learning. The ability to improve in the speaking, listening and discourse areas of language learning seem to be related to classroom instruction style (Spada 1987: 137). When a language teacher begins to work with a specific location, the first step is to study the community that will make up the instructional population. This is important so the language teacher is able to gather important information about the social organization and important aspects of the culture in order to relate that information to the culture (Saville-Troike 1989: 107). At the same time, it is important for language teachers to discover the way that native speakers structure their communicative events in order to gain insight into the importance of different communication components important to that specific culture (Saville-Troike 1989: 107). Ultimately, the goal of a language teacher would be to make many careful and thorough observations of native speakers engaging in a variety of different communicative events so a complete understanding of communication can be gathered. Once this job is completed the language teacher should be able to model communicative events after the communicative events of native speakers (Saville-Troike 1989: 107). To this end, Saville-Troike introduces eleven components that will each be commented on as they relate to the communicative example used in this paper: type of event, topic, purpose or function, setting, key, participants, message form, message content, act sequence, rules for interaction and norms for interaction (1989: 138). Type of Event, Topic, Purpose and Setting The type of event, topic, purpose and setting make up the scene of the communicative event (Saville-Troike 1989: 139). The type of event analyzed is an informal conversation between two university friends who have not seen or spoken to one another for a week. The topic of the conversation is the time that has gone by without speaking or seeing one another and includes a discussion about why so much time has passed as well as plans to spend time together in the near future. The purpose of the communicative event is time for the friends to catch up with one another and make plans to engage in further conversation. Finally, the setting for the communicative event is Abha City in the Southern Province of Saudi Arabia. These four components of this specific communicative event make up the whole scene. While only the setting can be directly observed, the type of event, the topic and the purpose of this communicative event are equally as important for gathering information about the cultural aspects of Arabic linguistics and conversation style (Saville-Troike 1989: 139). Further cultural information can be obtained by observing the traditions and customs of a specific culture with regards to communication. This communicative event occurred between two friends and included the special greeting, â€Å"Peace be upon you† and â€Å"peace be upon you too. † This greeting is an essential aspect of Arabic communicative events and means that there is goodwill among the two friends. If this greeting would have been omitted from the conversation it would indicate that the friends were angry with one another. When analyzing components of a communicative event that are not directly visible it is important to be watching for important information regarding the sacred nature of communication and what that looks like for different cultures (Saville-Troike 1989: 141). For example, in this communicative event between two friends, an observer cannot see what the type of event or what the purpose of the event is. However, listening to the conversation and watching for customs and traditions provides valuable insight into the nature of cultural differences and what is important (Saville-Troike 1989: 141). These observations will allow an observer to discover what is sacred to a culture with regards to communication as well as what types of beliefs are important to them. Further, an observer can learn what behaviors are unacceptable, what the purpose of particular behaviors are and see external signs of participation in ritual parts of a communicative event (Saville-Troike 1989: 141). Key The key of a communicative event is introduced in order to provide the tone, manner or spirit of the encounter (Saville-Troike 1989: 141). This can take the form of teasing versus seriously discussing something, being sincere versus sarcastic, being friendly versus hostile or being sympathetic versus threatening (Saville-Troike 1989: 141). The type of key that is present in a communicate event relies on the type of relationship the people involved in conversation have. In this case, the communicative event was informal, but respectful and was a sincere and friendly exchange between two friends. However, if the conversation took a sarcastic key, the sarcasm would have overridden the sincerity of the interaction thus making the conversation far less meaningful than it was (Saville-Troike 1989: 142). In this way, the strongest key takes center stage and is determined by who the participants of the communicate event are, what their relationship as well as the nature of the conversation. Further, the key of the communicative event may be determined through the use of nonverbal cues in addition to the dialogue. For example, if one person winks at the other this may suggest some teasing during the conversation while a stiff posture may indicate that a serious conversation is occurring (Saville-Troike 1989: 142). Observing the communicative event that is analyzed here, the nonverbal cues may have included changes in facial expression when the friends began to discuss why one friend had been to busy to spend time with friends. Watching these facial expressions would lend insight into how serious or friendly the communicative event really was. Participants The participants are the most important component of a communicative event. Without participants, conversation would never happen. The participants in this communicative event were two young male university friends. The absence of females indicates the nature of gender roles in the Saudi Arabian culture. In the Arabic culture, males are not permitted to meet with females and are only allowed to converse with other males. This information provides important information regarding the role relationship of conversation in Saudi Arabia as well as information about sex and social status (Saville-Troike 1989: 143). The absence of females provides a great deal of information about the Arabic culture. It shows what the rights of each member of society are as well as the attitudes, expectations and behaviors toward others. It also shows who has authority over whom (Saville-Troike 1989: 143). This communicative event shows that males are the dominant gender in Saudi Arabian culture and this prevents them from openly conversing with females. Further, it gives insight into the attitudes, expectations and behaviors expected from males versus females. Finally, the culture dictates the formality or informality of a communicative event (Saville-Troike 1989: 144). This exchange between two young male friends was informal as compared to a conversation that may take place between a young Arab male and an older Arab male. In other words, the participants engaging in conversation have a direct influence over the nature of the communicate event and dictate what type of interaction will take place. Message Form Message form, message content and act sequence are determined by various social, cultural and situational constraints on communicative behavior. Each of these components can be presented vocally or non vocally (Saville-Troike 1989: 144). Many cultures rely on non vocal sounds to represent meaning in conversation and these make up the message form. These vocal and non vocal sounds make up the verbal and non verbal components of conversation style. For example, the verbal vocal relationship includes spoken language while the non verbal vocal relationship includes such things as laughter. Similarly, the non vocal verbal relationship is comprised of such things as written language or sign language while the non vocal non verbal relationship includes such things as silence and eye behavior (Saville-Troike 1989: 145). Although these different aspects of language vary across cultures, they are important aspects of any communication style. This communicative event example used here relies on these different relationships in order to allow the participants to engage in a conversation that has meaning to both parties. The two friends engaged in the verbal vocal relationship simply by exchanging spoken dialogue. At the same time, they engaged in the non verbal vocal relationship by relying on laughter to become part of their conversation. They also relied on the non vocal verbal relationship through the use of hand gestures and facial expressions that lent support to the nature of the conversation and also injected meaning into the exchange. Finally, the two friends showed the non vocal non verbal relationship through their use of appropriate silences and eye contact while speaking to one another. Message Content The message content is closely related to message form and cannot be separated for appropriate analysis to occur (Saville-Troike 1989: 150). Message content refers to what communicative acts are about and what meaning they hold. The dialogue and silences of a communicate event make up the message form while the meaning and implications derived from the communicative event make up the message content (Saville-Troike 1989: 150). The overall meaning of a communicate event rely on the verbal and non verbal messages being exchanged. However, meaning is also derived from extra linguistic context as well as information and expectations participants bring to the conversation (Saville-Troike 1989: 150). The physical content of a communicative event is important because it lends additional information to the exchange that allows for enhanced meaning. In this way, people who do not even speak the same language are often able to find meaning in their exchange simply be relying on physical objects or other outside influences that inject meaning without words (Saville-Troike 1989: 151). Whatever type of physical objects, outside influences or even hand gestures that are used during a communicative event it is important that they convey meaning and allow for a successful conversation. The example of a conversation used here was successful because the two friends understood the location they were in as well as the gestures each person used during the course of the communicative event. Act Sequence The act sequence component of a communicative event includes information about the ordering of the conversation. This is evident through the appropriate initiation of conversation by one person and the following of that initiation by the other person (Saville-Troike 1989: 152 – 153). The example provided here is a good example of appropriate initiation. One of the young men starts the conversation by saying, â€Å"peace be upon you† and the other man responded with, â€Å"peace be upon you too. † In Saudi Arabian culture this is an important greeting and indicates friendship and goodwill at the start of a conversation. Eliminating this greeting would suggest anger and would upset the natural ordering of conversations in Arabic culture (Saville-Troike 1989: 153). Regular patterns and recurring events are important cultural component of communicative events. When participants follow these patterns and recurring events it suggests that the nature of conversations is important and sacred within a culture. Further, the types of patterns that emerge from these patterns and recurring events allow for comparison across cultures (Saville-Troike 1989: 153 – 154). The conversation between the two young Arabic students followed a natural progression and provided important insight into the nature of communicative events in Arabic culture. Rules for Interaction The rules of interaction dictate an explanation for the rules of speech which are applicable to communicative event in a specific culture (Saville-Troike 1989: 154). These rules refer to the way that the participants in the conversation are expected to behave based on the values of their culture (Saville-Troike 1989: 154). Again, the special greeting at the start of this conversation is one example of an expectation for behavior. In Arabic culture, this is the standard greeting that comes at the beginning of a communicative event and Arabic males are expected to make use of it. These rules may not necessarily be dictated by law but are used based on values that are important within a specific culture (Saville-Troike 1989: 154). Arabic law does not require this greeting at the start of a conversation, but the values and beliefs of the Arabic culture make the greeting an expectation. Further, the use of this greeting indicates the role of turn taking in conversation within the Arabic culture. The initial greeting is followed by a follow up greeting which allows the participants to take turns greeting one another and starting a conversation. At the same time, turn taking is important in this example of a communicative event because it allows each young man to have a turn speaking while the other young man listens. This injects meaning into the conversation because the interaction relies on listening skills as well as speaking skills to get the point across (Saville-Troike 1989: 155). Norms of Interpretation Norms of interpretation are important because they provide all of the other information about the culture. These are essential for the overall understanding of the communicative event (Saville-Troike 1989: 155). For example, the different types of speech must be analyzed in order to fully understand cultural differences within a conversation. This example of the communicative event used here includes the use of the phrase, â€Å"old man. † In some cultures this may a derogatory phrase but is included in this example to show respect. In Arabic culture using the term â€Å"old man† shows respect for one’s elders and the young men use it in reference to one of their fathers. The understanding that this phrase shows respect is well known within the Arabic culture so it becomes a norm of conversation that is acceptable (Saville-Troike 1989: 155). Conclusion The development of communicative competence cannot take place without a relationship among these eleven components (Lock 1983: 253). Contexts rely on cultural information in order to provide an interplay of conversation as well as the self concepts of the participants and social structure acceptable within a society (Lock 1983: 253). A relationship among these eleven components can lead to successful communicative competence based on the cultural implications of language and how this relates to self concept and social structure (Lock 1983: 253). This can be directly applied to the language teacher because communicative competence is a cornerstone of successful language acquisition (Lee 2006: 349). Further, successful communicative events are only possible if a language teacher is able to blend the cultural components of the native language with the cultural components of the new language (Holliday 1997: 212). Therefore, an understanding of communicative competence is an essential part of successful language instruction (Lee 2006: 349). Communicative competence is the part of language knowledge that dictates which communicative system to use (Stalker 1989: 182). When the communicative system chosen is spoken language or conversation it is important to connect the goals and context of the situation in order to have a meaningful communicative event (Stalker 1989: 182). A basic understanding of what communication abilities are necessary for successful conversation within a specific culture is necessary to function adequately in society (Wiemann & Backlund 1980: 185). Therefore, the eleven components applied to a specific conversation example provide evidence and insight into the importance of language teachers enabling students to gain the knowledge the learning necessary in order to successfully participate in communicative encounters (Wiemann & Backlund 1980: 185; Gardner 1994: 104). To this end, it is important to provide students with knowledge pertaining to the use of key words within a particular culture (Wierzbicka 1997: 6) as well as analyze the importance of the relationship between the eleven components of language (Saville-Troike 1989: 156). Finally, the overall outcome of communication is to discover the unique events and recurring patterns within a specific culture (Saville-Troike 1989: 177). This can only be done through careful observation and analysis of communicative events within a particular culture (Saville-Troike 1989: 177). Aune, R. K. ; Levine, T. R. ; Park, H. ; Asada, K. K. ; & Banas, J. A. 2005. Tests of a theory of communicative responsibility. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 24 (4): 358 – 381. Gardner, R. 1994. Conversation analysis: some thoughts on it applicability to applied linguistics. Australian Review of Applied Linguistics, Series S (11): 97 – 118. Holliday, A. 1997. Six lessons: cultural continuity in communicative language teaching. Language Teaching Research, 1 (3): 212 – 238. Jacobs, G. M. & Farrell, T. S. C. 2003. Understanding and implementing the CLT paradigm. RELC Journal, 34 (1): 5 – 30. Lee, Y. 2006. Towards respectification of communicative competence: condition of L2 instruction or its objective? Applied Linguistics, 27 (3): 349 – 376. Lock, A. 1983. Communicative contexts and communicative competence. Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 2 (2-3-4): 253 – 266. Orr, W. W. R. 2008. ‘Prospecting an encounter’ as a communicative event. Discourse Studies, 10 (3): 317 – 339. Saville-Troike, M. 1989, ‘The analysis of communicative events’, in The Ethnography of Communication: An Introduction, 2nd edn, Basil Blackwell, Oxford, pp. 107-180. Spada, N. M.1987. Relationships between instructional differences and learning outcomes: a process-product study of communicative language teaching. Applied Linguistics, 8 (2): 137 – 161. Stalker, J. C. 1989. Communicative competence, pragmatic functions, and accommodation. Applied Linguistics, 10 (2): 182 – 193. Wiemann, J. M. & Backlund, P. 1980. Current theory and research in communicative competence. Review of Educational Research, 50 (1): 185 – 199. Wierzbicka, A. 1997, ‘Introduction’, in Understanding Cultures Through Their Key Words, Oxford University Press, Oxford, pp. 1-31.

Abigail Williams Character Essays

Abigail Williams Character Essays Abigail Williams Character Paper Abigail Williams Character Paper Human beings act the way they do because of their past. When he or she is traumatized or have lived through harmful events in his or her life, it can effect their present actions. Abigail Williams , character from The Crucible by Arthur Miller, has experienced dreadful events and emotions that have effected her actions. Though the affairs she caused were unnecessary , it was not her fault at all. She is emotionally scarred and her acts were a cry for help. Abigail Williams, a poor traumatized girl, should not be held countable for her actions. Abigail has survived one of the most disturbing tragedies someone can go through. She has seen her parents killed by the Indians before her very own eyes. Witnessing this gruesome event could cause any human being to go insane and to not think rationally for the rest of his or her life. All the actions she had taken during the witch trials were caused by her insanity. She was not acting bewitched for fun for her insanity caused her to see witchcraft that did not exist. When she witnessed the flying bird in the court house it was her mind that was tricking her to see what was really not there. Also, when she witnessed her parents’ death, it filled her with anger and hatred for the world. With all of this anger and hatred built up, her insanity brought her to want revenge. So during the witch trials her so called â€Å"acting† of being bewitched was caused by her insanity. Abigail had a forbidden love with John Proctor. This love made her attached to Proctor. When Proctor was done with her, he destroyed the whole relationship. He told her they were done and gave her the horrible feeling of being unwanted. Just because he was ashamed of what he did and did not want any part of it anymore . It did not mean he had to hurt poor Abigail. Most of Abigail’s life was lived without parents to share love, but with Proctor, she finally had someone to love. When he suddenly ended what they had so quickly , it made her feel like he never really cared about her in the first place. Through out her encounter with John, you can notice the love and attachment she had with him. No girl can honestly say she blames Abigail wanting Elizabeth’s place in life , she had everything she wanted. Of course without John this love could have never happened, so John Proctor is at fault for making Abigail feel abandoned , unwanted, and not good enough. Life as a Puritan was a life with many restrictions. Puritans had firm rules that had to be obeyed by everyone at all times. Abigail grew up in a Puritan time which meant she had to stick to the religious beliefs she had since she was a young girl. All her life she needed to act as a well behaved and reserved girl. Being so reserved can be tiring after a while, and the rebel inside of her needed to come out . Abigail could not ignore the urges she had to do something rebellious. The situation in the woods involving her was merely for fun and was not as serious as everyone took it to be. Quite frankly Abigail should be praised for showing the puritans a way of fun for a change. All of the other citizens of the town possibly had the same thought as Abigail but would never have to confidence to do it. She can not be blamed for following her creative mind and wanting to add more lively hood to the Puritans. People’s past can really have a huge impact on the rest of the world. Most of the time their past is not even their own fault. Many people would say that Abigail Williams is at fault for all of the results of the witch trials, but if you look more into her past and what she had went through you would see her side of the story. She was just a traumatized girl trying to mend her own problem that were not completely her fault. People should feel sorry for all she had to encounter in her life. Put yourself in her position and try to feel her pain. Abigail Williams, a girl tortured by life, should not be held countable for her actions involving the witch trial.

Spirals of Silence Expression of Opinion When the Climate of Opinion Is Unambiguous

Spirals of Silence Expression of Opinion When the Climate of Opinion Is Unambiguous Summary The article acknowledges that media plays a major role in determining the people behavior in expressing of opinion. The article states that evidence for Noelle-Neumann theory has not been in agreement with the theory itself due to the differences in public assessments of climate of opinion or rather the prevailing feelings of the people.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Spirals of Silence: Expression of Opinion When the Climate of Opinion Is Unambiguous specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The article reviews a case of O.J Simpson trial which had aroused a great deal of inflated public attention. Two different groups; that is, Whites and the Blacks were divided on the guilt or innocence of Simpson. Majority of Whites believed in the culprit’s innocence. Climate of opinion will influence people’s freewill in expressing their sentiments in a public platform. Public opinion in this context has been used to refer to interpersonal communication and other matters that are discussed in a public setting. Political communication has been used in the design of the study to look like journalists soliciting for information from the people in public situations (Neill, 2009). Racial opinions in this instance, has been used to portray some element of agreement or interaction of the opinion among the people of same race as seen from the study. One would see other peoples opinion as being a threat to their own opinion especially if they are of a different race. Lastly, spiral of silence has been termed to mean that people whose opinions agree with those of the majority group in a public opinion were willing to make known their sentiments than the marginalized groups. Climate of opinion Climate of is a social science concept that describes an occurrence that is important to policy makers and the general public, as well as mass communication theories (Salwen Stacks, 2009). It refers to the perceived popularity of opinions. Climate of opinion is commonly used in media to express its consequence on both public opinion and popular opinion. In addition to this, the participants in media tend to influence the respondent’s opinion since they are perceived to be more liberal than ordinary members of the society. The existing climate of opinion will be of much influence to respondent’s response and may even not be willing to partake in such public forums that require expression of opinions.Advertising Looking for assessment on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The facilitators will influence people in that respective group in making their opinion depending on climate of opinion. The inhibitors of spirals of silence will say whatever they think is irrespective of the climate of opinion. Spiral of silence Spiral of Silence is a theory that was created by Noelle-Neumann (1974). He used it to reflect how the opinion of the majority can become the opinion of all. In addition, he stated that â€Å"Public opinion is the dominant opinion which compels compliance of attitude and behavior in that it threatens the dissenting individual with isolation and the politician with loss of support† (Noelle-Neumann, 1974, p. 45). Liu (2009) agrees that in the instance of spiral of silence, the individuals in minority groups will become more vulnerable and they will shy away from expressing their opinions. Rosseing (2009) in his paper argues that, spiral of silence is limited by a set of preconditions. An issue at hand which has a moral component that is, it arouses the people sentiments might push the minority group into spiral of silence. Political communication Political communication studies the relationship between the media, voters and politicians. It includes use of political propaganda by the government to win voters. This concept can be used to show how medi a organizations can be sued to create a good profile of a certain political candidate so that they can win elections. Public opinion Public opinion is the â€Å"collective evaluation expressed by people on political issues, policies, institutions and individuals† (Hayes, Glynn, and Shanahan, 2005, p. 67). Media organizations are a key avenue upon which public opinion is shaped. The media can be used to influence the public’s beliefs, attitudes and inclinations. Hayes, Glynn, and Shanahan (2005) argued that not all people will engage in self-censorship, which is tendency to show hesitation in expressing their opinions in public places even where major group disagrees with them. Racial opinion Racial opinion is the creation of a viewpoint that is biased against a particular racial group. For example, the black in America can be portrayed as inferior or corrupt by the American media houses.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Spirals of Silence: Expression of Opinion When the Climate of Opinion Is Unambiguous specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Strengths and limitations of the article Most of the issues discussed by the author are strongly corroborated by legitimate evidence, hence increasing their credence. The article argues that spiral of silence is limited by a set of precondition. An issue at hand which has a moral component that is, it arouses the people sentiments might push the minority group into spiral of silence. He empathizes that it is important to measure the moral component. The study does not give much attention to other precondition like influence of the social media, extreme conflict of opinions. Rapid changes in opinion distributions make spirals of sense easily observable (Rosseing, 2009). References Hayes, A. F., Glynn, C. J., Shanahan, J. (2005). Validating the Willingness to Self- Censor Scale: Individual Differences in the Effect of the Climate of Opinion on O pinion Expression. International Journal of Public Opinion Research, 17 (4), 443-455. Liu, X. (2011). Exploring the spiral of silence in the virtual world: Individuals willingness to express personal opinions in online versus offline setting. Journal of Media and Communication Studies, 3 (2), 45-57. Neill, A. S. (2009). The Alternate channels: how social media is challenging the spiral of silence theory in GLBT communities of color. New York: SAGE. Noelle-Neumann, E. (1974). The spiral of silence: public opinion, our social skin. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Rosseing, T. (2009). Paper for the WAPOR Conference on Public Opinion and Survey Research in a Changing World. London: Mcgre.Advertising Looking for assessment on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Salwen, B. M., Stacks, W. D. (2009). An integrated approach to communication theory and research. Web.

Windows XP Essay Example

Windows XP Essay Example Windows XP Essay Windows XP Essay Computer security and protection has become a prime necessity of today’s era and Windows XP has proved itself as a quite efficient software or operating system. This OS works on different derivatives that determine protection. First it determines the Goals of Protection and follows it with Principles of Protection and Domain of Protection. Then the access matrix is formed and the Access Matrix is implemented with the help of access control and then it is determined by the aspects of Access Rights Revocation. However, in general it can be stated that Computer security and protection of Windows XP is mainly based on two aspects. The first is Capability-Based Systems and the second one is Language-Based Protection.In general it can be stated that there are several areas of threats for a computer system and these includes Breach of confidentiality, Breach of integrity, Breach of availability, Theft of service and Denial of service. All these means are instrumented by the help of c ertain methods like Session hijacking, Man-in-the-middle attack and breach authentication or Masquerading. But the good news is that Windows XP has been successful in negotiating these problems so far. The main reason behind this success is the four level operation of security in Windows XP. These four levels are the Network structure, Operating System configuration, physical protective measures and being more user friendly by making the human elements involved more aware and informed. However, it should be remembered that weakness in any of the four aspects may cause the failure of the entire security and protection measures. Thus it is important to update and keep informed at all levels. (Lamb, 2004)The most common and menacing threats of the Computer security and protection of Windows XP are Trojan horse or Trojans. These are extremely threatening and they operate on misused environment in Code segment and exploited mechanism that allow programs written by users to be executed by other users. They also operate as covert channels, pop-up browser windows and spyware. There is another security related threat and it is called Trap Door and these could be included in a compiler and threats specific user identifier or password that circumvents normal security procedures. Furthermore, there is another computer treat called the Logic Bomb and it is a Program that initiates a security incident under certain circumstances. Computer security and protection of Windows XP negates and identifies these threats and protects the computer successfully.This application of security and protection are varied and meticulous in Windows XP. As defense in depth is most common security theory the OS uses multiple layers of security. Windows XP also has a Security policy that describes what is being secured making the system more informative and particular. The Windows XP also uses vulnerability assessment compares real state of system / network compared to security policy and there is also intrusion detection endeavors to detect attempted or successful intrusions. It also uses a Signature-based detection spots that enables the knowledge of bad patterns and also uses Anomaly detection methods that spots differences from normal behavior. Along with all these specifications the Windows XP also provides Virus protection and the entire procedure is supported by Auditing, accounting, and logging of all or specific system or network activities. (King, 2006)References:King, H; (2006); OS Today: Windows XP; Auckland: HBT Brooks LtdLamb, D; (2004); Cult to Culture: The Development of Civilization on the Strategic Strata; Wellington: National Book Trust

IT Project Management 2 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

IT Project Management 2 - Assignment Example He is supposed to chart out the nature and extent of efforts to achieve the project deliverables. A crucial role of the project manager would be to hire the project team. The nature of the project team can be a critical factor in the success or failure of the given project, since the team is small with specialist roles and the subject matter experts have thus been recruited (DiTullio, 2011, p. 13). Another crucial role for the project manager is to select an appropriate vendor for the project. The Project manager is supposed to personally take care of all the vendor interactions. A vendor agreement is to be developed by the project manager, so as to guide the project team as well as the vendor representatives towards achievement of project objectives (Lewin, 2001). Assistant Project Manager. The role of the assistant project manager shall be to act as a deputy to the project manager in all the aspects of his project related duties. In the presence of the project manager, he shall ass ist him in all his functions. In his absence he shall be required to fulfill the roles in the capacity of a project manager. HR Expert. The HR expert is supposed to play a very important role in that he is to chart out the set of HR guidelines to be adhered to while designing the HRIS software. He is also supposed to assist the project manager in carrying out the HR needs identification for the project. The timely inputs by the HR expert will pave the way for the research team to establish the survey goals for the HR and the project needs identification (Elbeik & Thomas, 1998). The HR expert shall advise the project manager on the scope and functional ability of the various aspects of the HRIS software to be developed insofar as it meets the HR needs of the organization. The HR expert shall guide the project team at various stages of the project as to the feasibility of the functionalities of the various modules of the project plan. The HR expert shall assist the project manager on the dry runs for the project. The HR expert will be responsible effective assistance to the project manager on the following two particularly important aspects of the project management; 1. The Expert Judgment on the project quality through cost-benefit analysis of the project activities. 2. The Training of the project team on the HRIS as well as the Training of the staff. The HR expert shall chalk out a Training deliverables plan particularly for the employees of the Organization. HR Assistant. The HR assistant shall assist the HR expert on all the aspects of the functions of the HR expert. In addition, the HR expert shall personally ensure that the judgments arrived at by the HR expert are properly implemented. The recommendations of the HR expert shall be communicated on a routine basis by the HR assistant.

Social network marketing Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Social network marketing - Literature review Example Thus, in this customer-oriented financial system, companies are trying to discover additional money-making methods to promote their business services and products-line, access existing clients, and make new users/clients across the business boundaries (Phillips et al., 2010). In addition, social networking websites facilitate users to communicate with people who exchange or distribute similar ideas or information. Although these websites were originally produced to assist social associations, dealers are recognizing the prospect of these sites to offer the mechanisms to encourage valuable services and products of business. In this scenario, a very popular social networking website in the U.S. is Facebook, which comprises more than 500 million worldwide users. Additionally, the social networking websites similar to Facebook, Flickr and MySpace have turned into a well-liked method to distribute and publicize web based material. Their huge fame has directed to viral marketing methodolog ies that try to offer useful content, services, effective products and thoughts through these social networking websites.

Workplace Law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Workplace Law - Assignment Example Both parties have duties and rights under a common law agreement. In the case at hand, the employer first took Jane into service without any written documents. The only contract that existed between Jane and TMMS was based on a verbal discussion between the owner and Jane. However following the reorientation of the business, the owner decided to introduce individual contracts that applied to each employee in a â€Å"take it or leave it† situation. 1Though the intent of the owner seems to have been to outsource the functions of the employees to them but in offering a â€Å"take it or leave it† contractual agreement, the owner has initiated the AWA (Australian Workplace Agreement) laws. Moreover in case that a dispute arises between an employer and an employee in a situation where no written contracts are available, the common law of Australia overrides any derogatory treatment condition already agreed upon. The same principle applies equally well to written contracts and even if employer and employee agree to terms that are derogatory to either party, the resolution of a dispute would be carried out according to Australian common law2. Hence it can be clearly stated that the current situation where Jane and TMMS’s owner Sam were in a contractual relationship, the creation of a dispute would be governed by Australian common law especially if the terms are derogatory to either party. ... e to one session following the assembly, Sam provided his employees with a â€Å"take it or leave it† contract that reduced the flexibility of employees by a significant margin. Being forced into a hard bargain, Jane accepted the contract and began working as usual. Around a month ago, Jane was crushed by a car that rolled over her as she was working on it. The extent of the injuries meant that Jane was effectively unable to work for the next six months and would be unable to continue this career line after recovery. Sensing that Jane was unfit for work anymore, Sam immediately terminated the individual contract. 3. Relevant Common Law Sections The â€Å"take it or leave it† style of agreements between employers and employees came into being following the passage of the WRA (Workplace Relations Act) of 19963. Under this set of laws the employee and the employer could enter into an individual contract that could override state and federal employment laws as long as both parties agreed to it4. Any contracts raised under the AWA only had to meet only the most minimal of all requirements under the Australian Fair Pay and Conditions Standard. The agreements drafted in this manner need not include any dispute resolution procedures but were not allowed to include any prohibited content5. Within the current case too, there are no specific dispute resolution procedures outlined. However the AWAs were highly controversial because they severely impinged worker’s rights and the ability to bargain collectively 6 7. Based on this and opposition from various quarters, the Workplace Relations Act of 1996 was curtailed in its influence with the passage of the Fair Work Act of 2009 8. Under this new act any new kinds of AWAs were banned from being put into place. Within the context of

Bussines Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Bussines Accounting - Essay Example However, with the shift in the supply curve the quantity supplied falls. On account of this leftward shift the equilibrium supply falls to St and the equilibrium price moves up to Pt. The demand for cotton remains intact and the supply curve shifts upward. The unchanged demand and the fall in supply mean that the price of cotton will increase (The University of North Carolina, n.d.). Due to the fall in supply and unchanged demand of cotton the supplier will now charge a higher price for lesser quantity of cotton. This explains the rise in the price of cotton due to a fall in cotton supply of major cotton manufacturing countries. Scenario 2- An emergence in economy has a positive impact on demand. The emergence of the UK economy from the grip of the recent recessionary phase and the reported growth in the first three quarters of 2010 is a good sign for the market. It implies that there has been arise in the level of business activity. With the rise in the business activity the income of the people will move up thereby pushing up their demand for cotton. On account of the increased demand and constant supply (assumed) the price of the cotton will move up. In the above diagram with the rise in demand for cotton from Q1 (old) to Q2 (new) the demand curve shifts from D1 to D2 however the supply remains constant at S1. As a result of the increased demand and constant supply the equilibrium price increases from P1 (old) to P2 (new). Therefore an emergence in the economy of UK will result in a rise in the price of cotton. Scenario 3- A rise in the price of crude oil from $40 per barrel at the time of the recent recession to $92 per barrel in the current market will exert an upward pressure on the price of cotton. This happens because cost of crude oil is a ‘factor cost’ for the supplier. The rise in the cost of crude oil raises the transportation costs for the supplier. A rise in the factor cost raises the overall cost of the seller. As a result of the inc reased cost the seller lowers the supply of the goods as he is not willing to supply the same goods at an increased cost. In the above diagram the original supply was So and the original quantity that the supplier was willing to sell was Qo at the price Po. However with the rise in any of the factor cost the supplier will lower the supply of goods. In the given scenario the supplier lowers the cotton supply on account of a rise in the transportation cost. Due to the fall in supply and the unchanged demand the price increases to Pt. This happens because same number of ‘buyers’ are chasing a lesser amount of goods (cotton) . Due to this the price of cotton increases to Pt. Therefore a rise in the price of crude oil increases the transport cost of the supplier thereby lowering the supply and creating an upward pressure on the price. Scenario 4- A rise in Value Added tax in UK from 17.5% to 20% in January 4, 2011 will create an upward pressure in prices. The imposition of t he value added tax creates an â€Å"inward shift in the supply curve†. This means that the supply curve shifts towards the left thereby raising the equilibrium level of prices and decreasing the amount of goods sold (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, n.d.). In the above diagram So is the original supply when the VAT was 17.5%. But with the rise in VAT to 20% the supply curve shifts leftward to So as the suppliers are now willing to sell lesser amount of

The Impact of Globalization on Recent Changes to Employment Patterns Assignment

The Impact of Globalization on Recent Changes to Employment Patterns and Structure in either a Country or Industry of Your Choice - Assignment Example More specifically current sources are used for the report to gain knowledge of the pattern of current changes introduced thereof and its due implications on the employment scenario. Findings The findings relate that the era of globalization or liberalization has impacted the pattern of industrial relation policies and thereby the employment structures of the Indian economy. Firstly it is noticed that the system of due protectionism of employees which was the significant feature of Indian industrial relations gradually is subjected to abolition thereby contributing to the reduction of impacts of trade unionism in India. Secondly the system of collective bargaining is also found to be decentralized to render potential to the management in governing trade union activities. Thirdly the findings reflect that how human resource management functions have focused on development of employee productivity through aspects of training and employee development. Fourthly the growth of services and communication sector industries in the country is also noticed side by side with the manufacturing sectors thereby leading to the emergence of new employment structures. Fifthly policy changes to industrial relations in the post liberalization period reflected a rise in both organized and unorganized types of employment structures leading to the growth of casual and self-employed labor market. Sixthly case studies dealt with in relation to manufacturing sectors pertaining to cotton and jute mills are presented where issues relating to modernization and employee participation are presented. The findings reflect the impacts of modernization and participative style management in the specific... The conclusion of the report specifically highlights on drawing a summary of the essential themes related to globalization and its impact on the employee patterns and structures in the Indian employment market. It also draws a summary of the findings of the report relating to the case studies used reflecting the impacts of industrial relation policy changes on the employer-employee relationships. Finally it also focuses on the pattern of recommendations sought in relation to the employment issues relating to the cases underlined. This paper makes a conclusion that the mode of globalization in relation to the world at large has contributed to the development and introduction of new set of operational, trade and employer-employee relationship aspects along different sets of business enterprises. Moreover the emergence of a liberal market has also spurred the growth of different employment sectors both in relation to the developed and developing economies. The project focuses specifically on the Indian economy where the emergence of a liberal market framework has led to the birth of casual forms of employment in sharp contrast to the existence of only organized employment sectors. Moreover the emergence of both public and private sectors in the Indian economy also triggers the development of newer styles of employer-employee relationship patterns. In fact the mode of industrial relations has gained a far flung change in comparison to the period pre and post liberalization in influencing the patterns of employmen t patterns and structures in the industrial and employment scenario of India. It is found that during the pre liberalization period the employment and the industrial structure of India were mainly governed by manufacturing and other large scale industries.

The types and impact of white collar crimes Term Paper

The types and impact of white collar crimes - Term Paper Example A far neglected area of crime, is this negligence owing to the fact that attention has been brought to it only recently, or is it more so because the ‘criminals’ who commit these crimes are generally affluent and in a position of high social impact, thereby making them different from the stereotypical poor man turning to crime? But why is that white collar crime generally goes by unnoticed and white collar criminals go by unpunished? Is it the nature of the crime, or the nature of the offender? What constitutes these crimes and what are their effects? Along with a brief history and explanation of white crime these will be the questions the essay will be aiming to answer. Background What is white crime? White crime or white collar crime is a considerably different form of crime than the stereotypical image of street crime that the word ‘crime’ instantly conjures up in our mind. It is a more subtle, under-the-table form of crime, where rather than harm others, the main impact is to benefit one’s self (Shover, 2006). ... but the term ‘White Collar crime’ was first used by an American sociologist, Professor Edwin Hardin Sutherland, in an address to the American Sociological Society in 1939. After the World War II, in the era of the Great Depression, money was so scarce and the situation so desperate that people wanted to seek benefit in any way that they could. Considering themselves overworked and underpaid, they began to exploit their positions to their own personal advantage (Strader 2002). Sutherland defines the term ‘white collar crime’ as ‘offense committed by an individual or group of individuals who belong to respected and high social class in the course of his occupation’, Sutherland (1949) which basically meant individuals or corporations performing illegal activities which benefited their business in a certain way. Sutherland wished to draw notice to this far neglected area of crime, neglected mainly due to the fact that the ‘criminals’ gu ilty of these crimes were generally of a higher social status and position, taking them out of the stereotypical definition of a criminal, making them easier to overlook. They were workers who had earned their working positions legally through a certain amount of influence or education, therefore making them appear to be responsible, hard-working citizens of society (Gerhard, 2006). Interpretation of the exact nature of these crimes greatly varies and is not always exactly clear. For example, embezzlement and fraud is quietly obviously a crime, but is false, misleading advertisement a form of white crime or is it simply a business strategy? Is the dumping of toxic waste considered a white crime or is it simply negligence? There are wide varying definitions of what white crime actually constitutes, but they are classified by

Bussines Accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Bussines Accounting - Essay Example However, with the shift in the supply curve the quantity supplied falls. On account of this leftward shift the equilibrium supply falls to St and the equilibrium price moves up to Pt. The demand for cotton remains intact and the supply curve shifts upward. The unchanged demand and the fall in supply mean that the price of cotton will increase (The University of North Carolina, n.d.). Due to the fall in supply and unchanged demand of cotton the supplier will now charge a higher price for lesser quantity of cotton. This explains the rise in the price of cotton due to a fall in cotton supply of major cotton manufacturing countries. Scenario 2- An emergence in economy has a positive impact on demand. The emergence of the UK economy from the grip of the recent recessionary phase and the reported growth in the first three quarters of 2010 is a good sign for the market. It implies that there has been arise in the level of business activity. With the rise in the business activity the income of the people will move up thereby pushing up their demand for cotton. On account of the increased demand and constant supply (assumed) the price of the cotton will move up. In the above diagram with the rise in demand for cotton from Q1 (old) to Q2 (new) the demand curve shifts from D1 to D2 however the supply remains constant at S1. As a result of the increased demand and constant supply the equilibrium price increases from P1 (old) to P2 (new). Therefore an emergence in the economy of UK will result in a rise in the price of cotton. Scenario 3- A rise in the price of crude oil from $40 per barrel at the time of the recent recession to $92 per barrel in the current market will exert an upward pressure on the price of cotton. This happens because cost of crude oil is a ‘factor cost’ for the supplier. The rise in the cost of crude oil raises the transportation costs for the supplier. A rise in the factor cost raises the overall cost of the seller. As a result of the inc reased cost the seller lowers the supply of the goods as he is not willing to supply the same goods at an increased cost. In the above diagram the original supply was So and the original quantity that the supplier was willing to sell was Qo at the price Po. However with the rise in any of the factor cost the supplier will lower the supply of goods. In the given scenario the supplier lowers the cotton supply on account of a rise in the transportation cost. Due to the fall in supply and the unchanged demand the price increases to Pt. This happens because same number of ‘buyers’ are chasing a lesser amount of goods (cotton) . Due to this the price of cotton increases to Pt. Therefore a rise in the price of crude oil increases the transport cost of the supplier thereby lowering the supply and creating an upward pressure on the price. Scenario 4- A rise in Value Added tax in UK from 17.5% to 20% in January 4, 2011 will create an upward pressure in prices. The imposition of t he value added tax creates an â€Å"inward shift in the supply curve†. This means that the supply curve shifts towards the left thereby raising the equilibrium level of prices and decreasing the amount of goods sold (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, n.d.). In the above diagram So is the original supply when the VAT was 17.5%. But with the rise in VAT to 20% the supply curve shifts leftward to So as the suppliers are now willing to sell lesser amount of

The types and impact of white collar crimes Term Paper

The types and impact of white collar crimes - Term Paper Example A far neglected area of crime, is this negligence owing to the fact that attention has been brought to it only recently, or is it more so because the ‘criminals’ who commit these crimes are generally affluent and in a position of high social impact, thereby making them different from the stereotypical poor man turning to crime? But why is that white collar crime generally goes by unnoticed and white collar criminals go by unpunished? Is it the nature of the crime, or the nature of the offender? What constitutes these crimes and what are their effects? Along with a brief history and explanation of white crime these will be the questions the essay will be aiming to answer. Background What is white crime? White crime or white collar crime is a considerably different form of crime than the stereotypical image of street crime that the word ‘crime’ instantly conjures up in our mind. It is a more subtle, under-the-table form of crime, where rather than harm others, the main impact is to benefit one’s self (Shover, 2006). ... but the term ‘White Collar crime’ was first used by an American sociologist, Professor Edwin Hardin Sutherland, in an address to the American Sociological Society in 1939. After the World War II, in the era of the Great Depression, money was so scarce and the situation so desperate that people wanted to seek benefit in any way that they could. Considering themselves overworked and underpaid, they began to exploit their positions to their own personal advantage (Strader 2002). Sutherland defines the term ‘white collar crime’ as ‘offense committed by an individual or group of individuals who belong to respected and high social class in the course of his occupation’, Sutherland (1949) which basically meant individuals or corporations performing illegal activities which benefited their business in a certain way. Sutherland wished to draw notice to this far neglected area of crime, neglected mainly due to the fact that the ‘criminals’ gu ilty of these crimes were generally of a higher social status and position, taking them out of the stereotypical definition of a criminal, making them easier to overlook. They were workers who had earned their working positions legally through a certain amount of influence or education, therefore making them appear to be responsible, hard-working citizens of society (Gerhard, 2006). Interpretation of the exact nature of these crimes greatly varies and is not always exactly clear. For example, embezzlement and fraud is quietly obviously a crime, but is false, misleading advertisement a form of white crime or is it simply a business strategy? Is the dumping of toxic waste considered a white crime or is it simply negligence? There are wide varying definitions of what white crime actually constitutes, but they are classified by

Negetive Effects of Technology Essay Example for Free

Negetive Effects of Technology Essay In this century that we are living, there are many different ways to communicate and interact with the people we need. New developed technologies have made our lives much easier than the old days. Many people prefer to look at a screen and explore new things, do our homework, chat with our close ones, listen to a song, watch a movie, buy new clothes and so on. These are the things that we can do. Moreover, it saves time and money. One of the important decisions we make is to work at home in front of a computer. However, high developed technology has disadvantages like if we look at a screen it is bad for you health, we do not know if it is true and guaranteed for hundred percent. First, when we speak of the impact of technology on society, we always talk about the positive effects of technology and about how technology has made life easy. We talk about the Internet as an information resource and a communication platform and conveniently ignore the fact that an overexposure to it leads to Internet addiction. We often discuss how technology has made life easy but easily forget that it has made us overly dependent on it. see more:is technology making us lazy Have you thought of the impact of technology from this point of view? I am sure, most of you havent. Let us look at this aspect of technology here. People will (and are beginning to) miss out on face-to-face contact and thus their social skills will decline. It is possible that after decades of having no, or extremely limited human contact, that we will loose the ability to read body language. This could cause all sorts of misunderstandings and problems. Secondly, depending on a screen rather than meeting face-to-face is very bad for health. It will make our spine back ill. Sitting for long hours and looking to a screen also makes our eye bad. When i was little i played and watched movies on a computer for long hours because it is was fun. Since then my eye kept getting bad and i had to wear glasses. It really annoys me a lot when i play basketball and to run in the morning. Whats more, four days ago my back hurt because school started and i have been sitting for long hours and been looking at a computer screen Having limited human contact will cause us to have even less trust in others, and in turn, we will be even less friendly and even more stand-offish. Thirdly, for people who do their works by using the internet has also bad sides to the society. We are getting lazy and not going outside for a walk. Our movement gets limited only in our home. Also, it is making the person isolated from the society outside which the he or she is might become lonely just communicating with the computer. My best friends big brother doesnt have any friends to go out with because he spends all of his time on he computer. I think it is a very bad habit for him to get isolated from the real life. Think of the days when there were no computers and no modern means of transport. Human life was highly restricted due to the unavailability of technological applications. Daily life involved a lot of physical activity. Life of the common man was not as luxurious as that of modern times, but he was more active. Exercise was integrated into routine physical activities. It was contrary to the sedentary lifestyle of today, which leaves no time for exercise and fills days with inactivity and laze. Today we dont want to, and thanks to technology, dont even need to, walk, move around or exert physically to get things done. We have the world is at our fingertips. We think of technology as a boon to society. I am afraid; its not completely a boon. The Internet has bred many unethical practices like hacking, spamming and phishing. Internet crime is on the rise. The Internet, being an open platform lacks regulation. There is no regulation on the content displayed on websites. Internet gambling has become an addiction for many students. Overexposure to the Internet has taken its toll. In this virtual world, you can be who you are not, you can be virtually living even after you die. Isnt this weird? Children are spending all their time playing online and less or almost no time playing on the ground. Youngsters are spending most of their time social networking, missing on the joys of real social life. Moreover, we have become excessively dependent on technology. Is so much of dependency good? Is it right to rely on machines to such an extent? Is it right to depend on computers rather than relying on human intellect? Computer technology and robotics are trying to substitute for human intellect. With the fast advancing technology, we have started harnessing artificial intelligence in many fields. Where is the digital divide going to take us? How is our tomorrow going to be? Machines replacing human beings does not portray a rosy picture, does it? It can lead to serious issues like unemployment and crime. An excessive use of machines in every field can result in an nder-utilization of human brains. Over time, we may even lose our intellectual abilities. You know of the declining mathematical abilities in students due to use of calculators since school, dont you? In conclusion, as technology is getting better people are trying to make their work easy and fast. From this we become lazy, weak and ill. It makes our immune system go bad and we have the ability to get the diseases fast. From all the examples above it shows face-to-face contact is still necessary in our lives and society.

Contributions of Women in the Sultanate of Oman

Contributions of Women in the Sultanate of Oman After the accession of His majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said in 1970 Oman transformed from a rudimentary single economy that lacked all sorts of public amenities and modern infrastructure to a modern and diversified economy aided by the wise leadership of his Majesty. The availability of oil revenues and the importance given to education in the post 1970 period accelerated the development process. For women in Oman, the new era started when His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said began the process of Renaissance. The result seen today is because of his firm belief in the future of Oman and its men and women. Women are encouraged to work shoulder to shoulder with their male counter parts. Omani women today are seen in different professions such as, medical doctors, lawyers, engineers, business leaders, and teachers. Omani women are found in the army and police, private and public sectors, and most importantly, in senior government positions. While there are no official figures available, it is said that Oman has the highest number of working women among the AGCC states. (Source: Oman Tribune, 30 September 2007) Purpose of the study This conceptual paper addresses the following issues factors that encourage women to pursue various careers role and contributions of Omani women in the Sultanate obstacles hindering womens progress Recommendations Factors that encourage women to pursue various careers: Factors which encourage women to work and achieve economic independence and leave a significant mark on the society are mainly: support of women from the Islam religion and the Holy Quran, the wise leadership of his majesty under which thrust has been given to education and Omanization, setting up of Womens Association and favorable labour laws. Rights of women as stated in Islam Islam accords equals rights to men and women. Female education in the Islamic world was inspired by Prophet MuhammadHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammads_wivesHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammads_wivess ( PBUH) wives: Khadijah, a successful businesswoman, and Aisha, a renowned hadith scholar and military leader. According to a Hadith attributed to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), he praised the women of Medina because of their desire for religious knowledge:[18] An indicator of the attitude of the Quran to women in the workplace is indicated by the quotes used to justify women working. Khadijah (Prophet Muhammads(PBUH) wife), who was an eminent business woman.Sitna Khadijah is called up as a role model for women. Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) encouraged Muslims, men and women alike, to seek and pursue knowledge. The Holy Quranic verses and Hadiths can be cited to demonstrate this fundamental right to knowledge. Say: My Lord, increase my knowledge (Holy Koran xx: 1,14). God will exalt to high ranks those who believe among you, and those who have knowledge (Holy Koranlv11: 11). Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave (Hadith).The search for knowledge is a duty of every Muslim, male and female(Hadith). Role of His Majesty His Majesty in His speech: The education of girls is never absent from our mind, since women form half of our society. Rapid strides in educational development were taken after Sultan Qaboos assumed power in 1970. In the year 1970 there were only three schools and no colleges or universities. By the year 1985 the number increased to 588 schools and by 2006 07, there were 1053 schools enrolling a total of 5,63,602 students and employing a teaching staff of 44,514. To support the role of women, the Omani government has set a number of programs such as a network of modern health services and social services throughout the country aimed at improving the advancement of women. Undoubtedly, Omani women have been liberated and accorded their respect as equal partners in Omani society under the leadership of His Majesty, Sultan Qaboos. Omanization Omanization Policy was introduced in 1988 as a long-term process of committed vision and mission. This is a key development policy influencing the employment scenario of the country. Omanization plan is seen as a national objective in order to stop the continuation of the countrys dependence on the expatriate manpower by substituting Omani nationals for foreign labor. To this effect, legislation concerning employment contained in the Omani Labor Law states that preference should be given to Omani nationals. This mandate is enforced by the Governments Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor by specifying the ratio of Omanization to be achieved in the private sector taking into account the number of Omani graduates graduating annually from the various educational institutes Education Education in Oman is a fundamental right for each and every Omani citizen. The importance of educating and developing the countrys national human resources has been one of the main aims and policies of His Majestys government .In accordance with His Majestys directives, a network of modern primary and secondary education establishments for girls and boys has been extended across the whole country, catering to even remote villages. Educational progress has been phenomenal. Women have an equal access to educational opportunities. For the academic year 2008 2009 275,229 males and 265,103 females are enrolled in Government schools for general education. For the academic year 2008 2009 7,298 and 4,033 female students are enrolled in Sultan Qaboos University and Colleges of Applied Sciences respectively which is very close to the number of enrollments of the opposite gender. Role of Support Services The aims of the Directorate is to set up programs for the care of mothers and children, the eradication of illiteracy, education, the development of traditional and modern handicraft skills, the promotion of healthy and hygienic environment, the teaching of survival skills, and the cultivation of womens minds and roles as citizens of a modern developing society. Omani Womens Association, the first of its kind in the country was founded in 1971 and is managed as a not for-profit organization. The Omani Womens Association acts in collaboration with the efforts and support of the government to carry out a great number of activities such as literacy classes, provision of handicrafts skills and family care programmes.. It is envisaged that the Womens Association could be instrumental in providing a network for Omani women in management, and to offer the much needed support for their development in the workplace. These programmes enhance the role of Omani women in Sultanate. Womens Leadership 41.9% women (Omanis and Expatriates) are employed in civil services out which the major share is of the Omani women. One and two Omani women are employed in the Special and Ambassador grade respectively with no expatriate females in this grade. Omani (16,389) and expatriate (1,749) women are primarily employed in Grade 6 of Civil Services in 2008 . Economic growth and diversification The availability of oil revenues has made it possible for Oman to develop its economy, educate its people and offer a relatively comfortable standard of living. This however, has not rendered a total reliance and dependence on oil revenues, rather the government of Oman has been pursuing economic diversification and privatization programs as a measure of maintaining available and sustainable economy for its people. Labor Laws pertaining women Labor laws are favorable Omani women .They ensures equality in the workplace and employment in Oman does not discriminate on gender and exercises a sound policy of equal employment opportunity and equal pay act. An entire section in the Oman Labor Law is dedicated to the employment of women. For example, Articles 80 to 82 in the Oman Labor Law clearly safe guard the rights and working conditions of Omani women (Oman Labor Law). Women can avail special leaves such as maternity leave and leave upon death of husband, and a special provision that allows working women to request leave of absence (up to four years) without pay to accompany a spouse who is posted abroad. Working mothers who return to work while continuing to breast feed are allowed to leave work an hour early each day for six months to feed their babies. The working hours in the government (public) sector are conducive to working women. Government employees work from 7:30 a.m. 2:30 p.m. Saturday through Wednesday, and Thursday and Friday are days off from work. Such working hours allow parents, particularly working mothers, to spend time with their children. With all the above factors Omani women have occupied different professions and have contributed to the progress of society. . Role and contributions of Omani women in the Sultanate Today Omani women are in key positions starting at the Ministerial posts. Dr Rawiyah bint Saud Al Busaidiyah, Minister of Higher Education, Dr Rajiha Bint Abdulamir bin Ali Minster of Tourism, Dr Shariffa bint Khalfan Al Yahya Minister of Social development, Sheikha Aisha bint Khalfan Al Siyabiya, Chairperson of Public Authority for Craft Industry, all hold crucial portfolios. At all levels women are found to hold responsible positions today. Health, Education, banks are the leading sectors. Omani women are active voters as well as candidates who have served terms in the Majlis Ashura. The Majlis Ashuras members represent the Sultanates wilayats. Omani women exercising their voting rights prove their equal status.Omani womens membership of the Majlis AShura dates from 1994. Omani women are also represented at Diplomatic circle as His Majesty appointed the first woman ambassador by appointing her as ambassador to the Netherlands in September 1999. In the Legal area also a growing presence of women is seen. In April 2009 First Omani women was appointed as Director of public prosecution Directorate in the Wilayat of Barkha. Women have served in the ROP for over 35 years and their contribution is growing with new development and experience. Women Police traffic patrols are introduced which is in its first phase now that is limited to the Governorate of Muscat. In the field of fine arts Omani women have been reaching out to international audience. Works of Omani female artists, artisans, sculptress, photographers have been around to other countries for exhibitions. Omani actresses have won accolades for their performance on stage and screen. The Royale Oman Symphony Orchestra has harnessed the talent of some wonderful female musicians. During 2007-2008 the Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra and Syrias Mari orchestra with Maestro Raad Khalaf performed a joint concert featuring 50 female musicians the first time an event of this kind has been staged in the Gulf. Dr Mariam Al Waili is a Senior Specialist in Nutritional Medicine. She feels that Health sector is a suitable place for women to play their essential role in society. There are more opportunities available than even before and a high demand for qualified and skilled practitioners. Due to the dramatic rise of several diets related chronic diseases, she dreams to see specialized Nutritional Medicine and education centers in the country that can provide adequate treatment and cost effective supplements. Her Highness Sayyida Zeyana Ali Al said is an Air Traffic Controller for the last 14 years. She was selected to study in UK and underwent all the 4 stages of training in Air Traffic Control. According to her the 2 qualities in an ATC would require is Multi tasking and quick thinking.She needed to work in shift, needed a lot of focus to talk to pilots at the same time, keep abreast of information of all aircrafts and work harder to make Air raffic less congested.She thanks His Majest Sultan Qaboos to have given women a chance to prove their capabilities in all of these careers. Barka Al Barky studied Social Science and after her Post graduation moved to Oman in 1976. She took up employment with UN Development Programme and worked till 1993. She helped in development and coordinating UN Agencies contribution to Omani development efforts in all fields of economy from fisheries, agriculture, tourism and industrial planning, civil aviation and meteorology systems. She was the Director of Administration and Personnel at Al Shatti Hospital. In the last 3 years she is mainly supporting the blind community across Oman. Ahlam Al Jahdhami is an Engineer who is today Sales and Client support Manager At Falcon Oilfield Services (National Wireline Logging Company). She provides hi-tech exploration and production services to oil companies in the region. After a degree in Biomedical Engineering she wanted a career as a real engineer. Opportunities in the region were limited. There was a lack of other female engineers from the AGCC and she was one of the first Omani women to survive in this environment. The sharp end of the oil industry is never described as woman friendly or even just friendly. It is still a very male dominated and conservative business. She was working and sometimes living in remote camps or on offshore rigs kilometers away from the comforts of home. The work was very physical and set in some of the harshest environments on earth. However she wants to continue to share her passion for science and engineering and encourage more young women to get involved and contribute in a real and practical way. Dr. Wafaa Al Harasy is a consultant and director of the ROP Forensic Laboratory. She did her Bsc in Egypt and completed her MSc and Phd in United Kingdom. Practically Forensic work is mostly a mans world. There are times when the Forensic team is required to attend crime scenes at unsocial hours of the day and at isolated locations. But she enjoys her job because of these daily challenges and considers herself lucky not only to be part of this specialized skilled team but also one of the founders of this profession in Oman. She wants to be able to contribute to Oman and have a State of art Forensic laboratory and achieve an international recognition for its services. Maliha Al Kharoussi is an E business entrepreneur and CEO of Arabian booking.net a new resource for business, leisure and family travelers.She wishes to add value to the core industries that all use i.e. hospitality, travel and tourism. By bringing these 3 major sectors in one easy to access and use website she will help those who want value for money in quickest possible way. She wishes to help and strengthen Oman as leading tourism destination in areas of regular tourism, medical tourism, cultural tourism and adventure tourism. Ghada Al Harthy is the proprietor of cafà © G Patisserie Cafà © G Catering.From aviation to catering she wanted a career not just a job. She strongly feels that business has no gender. As long as the business is legal and ethical there is nothing to stop us from achieving the goals. She believes that under the wise leadership of His Majesty whohas a strong advocate for women in business, we are amongst the most fortunate in the Gulf as far as equal opportunities are concerned. The opportunities are endless. But there is more to be achieved and that is why His Majesty has initiated yet another step toward the advancement of women in Oman. There are various factors that have hindered the progress of Omani women. Obstacles hindering womens progress Traditional Mind set of Arab men The Arab traditional attitude asserts that women are inferior to men and incapable of pursuing a professional career. Such conservative attitudes negate the concept of professional working women in traditional Arab societies, the idea of women working is degrading and a disgrace to some Arab men who consider that it is their responsibility to provide for their wives and family. The above attitude tends to have a spillover effect at work, whereby male employers regard women as being less capable then men and unfit for responsible positions, claiming that their family obligations take priority; and hence, subjects them to lower productivity and absenteeism (Beck, 1994;Hammoud, 1993). This negative attitude and traditional stereotype towards women in Arab/Islamic societies has been, and still is, a major resisting force to progress for professional working women. Portrayed Self-image of Women The inferior self-image of women becomes difficult to overcome considering that it is ingrained and conditioned in their upbringing and social development(Hunsaker Hunsaker, 1991; Hennig Jardim, 1977). In traditional Arab-Islamic patriarchal societies, the feminine gender is subordinate, while the masculine is superior and dominant (Magharabi et.al., 1994; Bech,1994; Hammoud, 1993; Allaghi Almana, 1984; Gerner, 1984; Al-Hatimy1983). Generally, men are held responsible for providing the necessities of life, thus to work outside the home. On the other hand, women are expected to serve their husbands and children at home, especially since women are not required by the Islamic law (Sharia) to financially support the family. In this subordinate position, women become victims of their own gender (Mernissi,1985, Rassam, 1984). Hammouds (1993) dynamic study on the role of women in higher education management in the Arab region confers that the most fatal obstacle which prevents women from realizing their utmost professional achievement is the self-image of a woman portrayed as inferior to men, incapable of being socially and financially independent, and hence depends on them an to care for and protect them. Human Resource Policies and Strategies The lack of proper human resource policies and strategies addressing women workers has proven to be a major obstacle to womens progress and development. The majority of these workers are concentrated in the lower echelons of the organizational hierarchy with a small percentage in decision making positions12,072 out of 51,229 Omani employees in the wage group of 120 Rials were Omani women, followed by the 200 300 bracket in which 3349 Omani women are employed out of a total of 15,665 local workers in that bracket. Only 25 Omani Women fall in the wage group of 2000 + in the private sector out of a total of 589. . In Oman, the absence of human resource policies and strategies to promote the recruitment and development of female managers at work is a deterrent to gender diversity. The work environment and culture are not conducive to promoting women in management. This acts as a glass ceiling preventing womens accessibility to top management positions. For example, there are no programs to facilitate the advancement of women as role models, absence of mentoring programs, lack of management training programs, and shunning of affirmative action. Lack of Professional a Womens Network The lack of a professional womens network in Oman creates a major void for women aspiring to professional managerial positions. The absence of female mentor-protà ©gà © relationship makes it difficult for women to develop the requisite attitude, skills and abilities for leadership and management positions. This results in a disparate situation and a state of confusion; because after all, women are entering a male dominated domain coupled with a traditional value system and a culture that tends to shun women from pursuing management careers. Work Family Conflict There is an interdependence of work and family life which is especially problematic for women as a result of their greater family responsibilities. Traditionally, women have had the primary responsibility for housekeeping and childcare which do not diminish when they are employed outside the home. Furthermore, the responsibilities they carry are simultaneous while mens are more typically sequential. i.e. a woman may be called in at work regarding a sick child whereas typically a father may fulfill role obligations after work hours. Recommendations The hindrances should be tackled efficiently from all angles like Government, organization and the individual. In Oman the availability and accessibility to all levels of education along with equal opportunities in the job market is more so in the urban area. In the rural interiors the importance given to education takes a back seat and therefore the opportunities in the job market is relatively less? Thus it is important to ensure that rural areas should be focused for literacy campaigns. It is urged that educational opportunities to Omani women should never be compromised, but rather be improved. Meanwhile, special measures should be undertaken to encourage and promote womens access to scientific, managerial, technical, and vocational disciplines in order to develop the requisite skills and extend their opportunities for employment in non-traditional occupations. . It is necessary to institute awareness programs of employment opportunities and benefits to Omani women in all the different regions of Oman so that their participation in work force will further increase. This can be achieved through the utilization of the local and international media as a means for promoting the role of working women in the workplace and the values of Arab women in changing society and their integration in the development process. Other measures include setting up quota systems to ensure the employment and representation of women in the workforce. Since the Omani society is based on strong family ties the centrality of the family accompanied by close relationship makes it the responsibility for parents and parents in law of working women to help with child care. However it is recommended that the Organizations and Government also take the responsibility of family support and Child care services and special attention is directed to the provision of a social infrastructure that will enable women to work, such as professional day care centers onsite, kindergartens, and adequate maternity leave. The availability of such support services is a tangible expression of organizational recognition of the needs of professional women. Consequently, it undoubtedly can make a great difference to the capacity of women to manage multiple roles It is very important that Omani women should think positive about them first and convince others that they are empowered and deserve to be trust worthy. Ghada Al Harthy proprietor of cafà © G Patisserie and Cafà © G Catering says I hope to one day fund and support my own training facilities for younger generation of Omanis so that they may also have a brighter future ahead of them. I also want to start new business ventures that will allow me to create career opportunities for the blind and disabled members of our society. We can all make a positive change starting with our thoughts which lead to our actions. His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has always emphasized the importance of the womans role in the countrys growth: Many years ago, I said that if the energy, capability and enthusiasm of women were excluded from a countrys active life, then that country would be depriving itself of 50 per cent of its genius. I have taken very good care that this should not happen to Oman, and I look forward to the further progress of women in my country with the greatest pleasure and confidence.