Thursday, October 31, 2019

Hamza Yusuf Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Hamza Yusuf - Essay Example He schooled in California and the East Coast. Hamza spent the summer of his 12th year in Greece where he learnt the catechism within the advanced Christian studies. After returning from Greece, Hamza went to an experimental school in Marin County. He attended high school in the East Coast. In high school, Hamza started concentrating on God and religion. He came to the realisation that his Christianity was because his parents were Christians.1 In 1977, he was converted to a Christian. He believed that most people in the West failed in their realisation of oppression in Muslim states because of culture. He opted to live as a Muslim in the West than living in other Muslim countries. He believed that Muslims live well in the West. Thereafter, in 1996, he and his colleagues founded Zaytuna Institute. This prepared for the revival of traditional study methods and Islamic sciences. Yusuf took a stance against religious justifications for the terrorist attacks. Hamza has been an outspoken an d passionate critic of the foreign policy in America and an extremist for the responses towards the policies. He has managed to draw criticism for Muslim extremists in the East and West. His writings played a crucial part in his abandoning of extremism. Pre-9/11 Radical Before the bombing in September 11, Hamza had expressed some radical Islamist sentiments on various occasions. He praised the idea of Muslims being the threat to society. He argued that the threat was geared towards fighting against the inhumanity and injustice in the society. He argued that they were not to fight against the jihad. He depicted the American culture as spreading the diseases such as AIDS and cancer. In 1995, Hamza rallied against Judaism. They believed that God became biased in calling Jews in Mt. Sinai and that the rest of the people in the world are rubbish. He condemned the Jewish religion and regarded it as a racist one. He criticised Christians for associating themselves with Jews, yet they rejec ted God and crucified Him.2 In 1996, Hamza described US as a country with so little to be proud of, both in the present and past. He compared his reverence for Islam with the democracy in America. In his comparison, he said that he was an American citizen by birth and not by choice, and he resides in the country, not by choice but by the conviction of spreading Islamic messages in America. He argued that he became a Muslim since he never believed in false gods of the society. He believed that convention resolutions were meaningless Masonic exercises used by men to ensure that nothing changes. From Jamil al-Amin to George Bush In 2001, Hamza talked of fundraising for the legal defence of Jamil al-Amin in Irvine. He combined the praise for al-Amin with the harsh attacks on the United States. He portrayed US as a country plagued with anti-Muslim conspiracies. He praised the courage of al-Amin and condemned the acts of the government that aimed at silencing him. He also claimed of unjus t trial and life sentencing of Omar Abdel-Rahman, after he conspired to kill the former President of Egypt, Hosni Mubarak, as well as plotting to bomb the Holland and Lincoln tunnels. He criticised US for institutionalised racism. He hinted on a catastrophe hitting US, and true to his words, the 9/11 terrorist attack happened. His tone dramatically shifted where he denounced jihadists by warning Muslims not to emulate them. He condemned the act saying that it was pure murder and not holy war. Closet Radical or Newborn Moderate: Hamza’

Monday, October 28, 2019

Morality in Copying CD’s Essay Example for Free

Morality in Copying CD’s Essay Morality is an issue that will forever encompass debates from thousands of sectors around the world. There are no definite set of rules of what is moral and what is not; as such, it will infinitely be hard to define. Judging someone’s morality is going to be difficult given this lack of definitive structure of the subject itself. This paper will be discussing piracy (which is what copying cd’s may lead to) in the context of morality. As difficult as the task may sound, this paper shall try to be as objective as it can be given the infinite boundary of the context. Piracy Piracy has been the thorn on the side of the music industry since the early 1990’s. Piracy is not even hard to do, given that one must simply stick a CD to a computer then transfer its entire contents to another and from there, numerous other copies can be made. The cycle does not and will not stop because most people prefer things for free. College students who must be the most frequent computer users will not be averse to copying CDs and distributing it to others. They sure enjoy their music and they normally are under strict budget due to their educational financial needs. The music industry is not the only field that piracy has wrecked. Almost anything that is being distributed on a CD or uploaded online has been endangered by piracy. Software is easily pirated, the newest Microsoft products are easily found on bootleg shops, finding its way easily in the third world black market. Aside from software, there are videogames and movies that can easily be copied and sold for much less than the producer originally retailed it, all illegally, of course. With piracy, the artists, software developers, producers, actors, programmers suffer as they are not paid the royalties they deserve for working hard on their respective projects but the consumers win, as they get the media they want/need for free or at a considerably lower price. The Utilitarian Approach According to Velasquez, et al. (1989), â€Å"utilitarianism is a moral principle that holds that the morally right course of action in any situation is the one that produces the greatest balance of benefits over harms for everyone affected.† The utilitarian approach can certainly be used by those who copy the CD’s and distribute it to a wider span of users. When a person purchases a CD and uploads its entire content online on a file sharing site, his reasoning is that, such upload can share the music to a wider variety of people. These people can get it for free thanks to that one person who uploaded it for sharing out of the goodness of his heart. When a person buys a CD, he has paid for rights to use the content of that music. No matter how he abuses the content of that CD by repeated usage is something he is entitled to do. However, copying the entire contents of the CD and giving the copy to another person is another story as herein, he has breached some legal boundaries of his usage. Morality may be a subject that is infinite but legality has very strict confines and stepping beyond its boundaries is punishable by a hefty sum, long hours of community service or jail time. The utilitarian reasoning is not a defense against illegal acts and as such, one cannot escape punishment by reiterating that he committed piracy for the benefit of the world, out of the goodness of his heart. In addition, the utilitarian approach does not consider the minority who will be affected by such act. For instance, the loss of income to those people who have labored to bring the media out on the market is not something utilitarianism will consider. Deontological Ethics According to the Encyclopedia Britannica (n.d.), â€Å"in deontological ethics an action is considered morally good because of some characteristic of the action itself, not because the product of the action is good.† Given this definition, copying CDs onto another computer, given today’s anti-piracy campaign, is not going to be considered moral even though the intentions maybe good and the act may be easy to do. Music, movie, software, videogame industries have lost billions of dollars because of piracy, they are trying to fight it as best they can and as such, there are piracy warnings/threats on almost every media distributed. Doing it anyway will certainly question one’s morality over it. To circumvent this, one does not usually copy CD’s. He goes to websites where he can share files. However, in the UK, such file sharing can now be considered illegal (Solanki 2010). Such is the campaign against piracy that in the US, every digital media sold in the market is protected by DRM, a software that limits the number of devices the content can be played in to typically, 5 machines (Grossman 2007). Exceeding this limit can raise questions on one’s morality via Deontological Ethics. Conclusion Copying the contents of a CD is piracy. Piracy nowadays is a criminal offense that is punishable by law. One can hardly find anything moral over something that is illegal. Even though piracy may be the most tolerated crime in the world, it will be best for the person to stay on the conservative side and not commit it, for his personal welfare. References: Encyclopedia Britannica. (n.d.) Deontological ethics. Retrieved 19 July 2010 from http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/158162/deontological-ethics Grossman, L. (2007). The Battle Over Music Piracy. Time.   Retrieved 19 July 2010 from http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1625209,00.html Solanki, M. (2010). File sharing becomes illegal as Government pushes through Digital Economy Bill. SeekBroadband. Retrieved 19 July 2010 from http://seekbroadband.com/focus/2010/04/09/internet-technology-news/file-sharing-becomes-illegal-as-government-pushes-through-digital-economy-bill/ Velasquez, M. et al. (1989). Calculating Consequences: The Utilitarian Approach to Ethics. Issues in Ethics V2 N1. Retrieved 19 July 2010 from http://www.scu.edu/ethics/practicing/decision/calculating.html

Saturday, October 26, 2019

John Proctor Was Never Defeated English Literature Essay

John Proctor Was Never Defeated English Literature Essay Ernest Hemingway says, Man is not made for defeat. A man can be destroyed but not defeated (http://www.englishforums.com). In Arthur Millers play The Crucible, the court cannot defeat John Proctor. Although they take his life, they cant take his pride. John Proctor is a well-respected husband and citizen, but everything takes a turn in Proctors life when he commits a secret sin with Abigail Williams. His hamartia, or affair with Abigail, leads to his downfall. Proctor is seen as a tragic hero because he is well respected in Salem, he possesses a flaw, and he finds a way to overcome his flaw. As the trials begin in Salem, Proctor realizes he can put a stop to them. In fear of ruining his name and reputation, he keeps his adultery with Abigail to himself. His tragic flaw, or pride in his name, underscores his inability to let go. He makes an effort to bring down Abigail, but when he fails, Proctor reveals the sin he committed with Abigail publicly. The storys peripeteia comes when Proc tor is arrested. Proctor changes, realizing that the witch trials are his fault. In the last act, Proctor has a chance to confess that he is a witch in order to live. Instead, Proctor chooses to refuse the confession in hopes of saving his name. This is Proctors biggest turning point of the play. His catharsis is achieved because he dies being freed from his earlier sins. A proud and respected man, John Proctor possesses a flaw that changes him throughout the course of the story, but it is Johns ability to overcome his flaw that distinguishes him as the tragic hero of The Crucible. In The Crucible by Arthur Miller, John Proctor is viewed as a highly appreciated individual. Proctors high authority, influence in the town, and good deeds demonstrate his respected position in society. Arthur Miller describes John Proctor as a farmer in his middle thirties who is respected and feared in Salem(19). He is respected and feared because of his large amount of land. When Proctor speaks to Mr. Putnam and Giles Corey in the beginning of Act I, Proctor asks Giles to help him carry the lumber to his home. When Mr. Putnam asks what lumber he is speaking of, Proctor says, My lumber. From out my forest by the riversideà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. I bought that tract from Good Nurses husband five months ago(30). Proctors wealth and position in society is proven when he describes his land to be a forest. It exemplifies his respect in the town, because, in the time of the Salem witch trials, a person with a large amount of land is regarded as a man with a high status in town. Proctors high opi nion is also shown through his influence on Salem. In Act IV Reverend Parris expresses his fear towards the riot that is occurring in Andover and heading towards Salem. In the midst of his terror, Parris realizes the influence that John Proctor has in the town. He says, John Proctor is not Isaac Ward that drank his family to ruin. I would to God it were not so, Excellency, but these people have great weight yet in town(118). Parris explains how Proctors influence in Salem is so immense that Proctors death would cause Salem to collapse. Parris suggests that if Proctor is hanged, people will start a rebellion in Salem. The people of high authority act as a basis in Salem, and their death would only cause more confusion. With this confusion the villagers will riot and overthrow the court. Proctors respect and influence is a result of his good deeds shown in Salem. As Hale is questioning Proctor, Proctor describes his kindness with a good deed he committed. He states, I nailed the roof upon the church, I hung the door-(62). This small deed shows that Proctor cares about the community, and not only himself. Proctor is respected by the townspeople because of his charitable actions in Salem. Although Proctor illustrates the characteristics of a well-rounded individual, his tragic flaw prevents him from forgetting his adultery with Abigail. Throughout The Crucible John Proctors flaw is portrayed when his reputation is jeopardized. Proctors flaw is first shown on page 52 when he is speaking to Elizabeth about the conversation he had alone with Abigail. Elizabeth believes that Proctors feelings for Abigail prevent him from going to the court and proving that the court is a fraud. Proctor then judges Elizabeth stating that she will not forget about the incident that happened with Abigail. Elizabeth responds by saying, The magistrate sits in your heart that judges you. I never thought you but a good man Johnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (52). Elizabeth introduces Johns flaw. His pride in his name is restricting him from entering the court and proclaiming that the court is corrupt. If it means he would have to confess about his adultery with Abigail and ruin his reputation, then he would not do it. As Reverend Hale is questioning the Proctors, he asks them if they believe in witches. When Hale asks if Elizabeth believes in the Gospel, Pro ctor says, She do not mean to doubt the Gospel, sir, you cannot think it. This be a Christian house, sir, a Christian house (66). Proctor tries to save his name by saying that Elizabeth believes in the Gospel. He is afraid that Hale will get the wrong impression from Elizabeth. This will put a mark on their familys name. Proctors pride in his name causes him to answer Hale and turn away any suspicion that Hale has against the Proctors. Reverend Hale shows another example of Proctors flaw. While Hale convinces Elizabeth to talk Proctor into confessing, he tells Elizabeth that Proctors life is worth more than his pride. He says, Life, woman, life is Gods most precious gift; no principle, however glorious, may justify the taking of ità ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Let him give his lieà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. [F]or it may well be God damns a liar less than he that throws away his life for pride (122). Hale explicitly points out Proctors flaw. He proves that Proctor is viewed as a prideful man, and Hale belie ves that Proctor is ruining his life for the goodness of his name. Hale believes that life is more important than ones reputation. Proctor, however, is more inclined towards his reputation than his life. On page 133 Proctor throws his life away to keep his name and save the lives of those that were accused. After signing the testimony that claims his witchery, Proctor asks that it remain private. When Danforth disagrees Proctor snatches the paper and says, Because it is my name! Because I cannot have another in my life! Because I lie and sign myself to lies! Because I am not worth the dust on the feet of them that hang! How may I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name (133). Proctors flaw once again leads to his downfall. His pride in his name for both his family and people of Salem lead to his hanging; however, Proctor reaches a self-realization and discovers a way to overcome his flaw. As the play comes to an end, Proctor shows his ability to surpass his tragic flaw and distinguish himself as a tragic hero. Proctors first moment of self-realization appears on pages 72 to 73. When Elizabeth is being arrested, Proctor realizes that the witch trials are his fault. He understands that Abigail wants to destroy Elizabeth in hopes of getting back in bed with him. Proctor rips the warrant of Elizabeths arrest and says, Ill tell you whats walking Salem-vengeance is walking Salem. We are what we always were in Salem, but now little crazy children are jangling the keys of the kingdom and common vengeance writes the lawà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Ill not give my wife to vengeance (73). John blames Abigail by saying that vengeance is walking Salem. Abigail is the vengeance. Proctor realizes that his pride has put others in danger. Because of the danger he has put on others, he decides to act against the court. Another moment of self-realization occurs when John publicly announces his adul tery with Abigail. He declares Abigail a whore and states that she must be stopped. He says, Excellency, forgive me, forgive me. She thinks to dance with me on my wifes grave! And well she might for I thought of her softly. God help me, I lusted, and there is a promise in such sweat. But it is a whores vengeance and you must see it (102). Proctor realizes that Abigail continues to gain power in the court. When all else fails, Proctor confesses to his adultery with Abigail. He destroys his reputation, not for his own sake, but for the sake of others. Proctors last lines show his final self-realization. Before his death, Proctor is able to overcome his flaw. He snatches the paper that includes his confession and crumples it. He says, You have made your magic now, for now I do think I see some shred of goodness in John Proctor. Not enough to weave a banner with, but white enough to keep it from such dogs (133). Although Proctor has a chance of living, he understands that the rest of hi s life would continue as a lie. By denying that the confession be nailed to the church door, Proctor gives his life up in place of his name. He understands the importance of his name, but he sentences himself for the sake of others. By sacrificing himself, Proctor is able to achieve peace and to free himself of his past sins. Ultimately, John Proctor was never defeated. He died a man of strength and power to his name. Although his soul was taken, his legacy remained. Through all of Proctors struggles he was able to retain his name and die in peace. In the beginning of the play, Proctor is a dishonest character trying to rid himself of his past, but his self-pride makes it difficult for him to let things go. However, as the play comes to an end, Proctor realizes the evil in the witch trials, and he dies with a renewed goodness. John Proctor is seen as the protagonist of this tragedy because he demonstrates the characteristics of a typical tragic hero. Well respected in Salem, Proctor shows good traits of a common man. Eventually, Proctors hamartia and tragic flaw lead to his death. However, Proctor also undergoes a moment of self-realization. Proctor reaches his catharsis in the last few pages of the play when he realizes the goodness in what he has accomplished. Proctor decides to surrender himself to dea th, rather than live a life of lies. He realizes that a public confession will offend the accused that have risked their lives for their reputation. Although Proctors tragic flaw leads to his death, Arthur Miller ultimately concludes Proctor as a man who pertains to goodness rather than guilt.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Fight Club Compared To Siddhartha :: essays research papers

Since the beginning of time, man has been on a quest to find his inner self. This topic has been the theme of many books and researches. This is no exception, in the 1959 book, Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse. In this particular story the main character, Siddhartha, is trying to find his ‘inner self’. He tries to accomplish this in many ways, one being self denial or destruction. This is also the case in the 1996 book, Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk, in which the main theme promoted is that destruction leads to purity. These two works, written almost 40 years apart, which at first glance seem to be complete opposites, are actually spawns from the archetypal theme of man’s quest from self knowledge. Many issues in each of these stories give reason to believe that the authors had the same idea in mind. It could also be said that the author of Fight Club may have read Siddhartha. This is so because of the fact that many quotes in Fight Club relate to Hinduism, which is the religion of the heron in Siddhartha. For example, at a point in Fight Club, a character questions his safety. The reply from the character, Tyler Durden, is, â€Å"You’re as safe as a Hindu cow†, is a metaphor that since the cow is very respected in the Hindu religion and is not harmed. This may be mere coincidence, but other information gives reason to believe otherwise. Other than just saying that there is a connection with something that is said in the two books, there is also connections with the themes and styles of each book. In Siddhartha the charters often speak in ways the you may have to think about to understand the full meaning. This is also true in the case of Fight Club. At one point in Siddhartha, the character Govinda [Siddhartha’s friend] says, â€Å"He who in contemplation, with purified mind, immerses himself in Atman, Inexpressible in words is his heart’s bliss.† These quotes convey the idea of the actually enlightenment. In Fight Club, it is common to see quotes like, â€Å"You are not a beautiful and unique snow flake† which tells Tyler Durden’s followers that what they may think they are is completely false. This type of put down is a major ingredient in the stew of mayhem which leads to enlightenment. When you compare the actual meanings of Fight Club and Siddhartha, you will find that they are very much alike. Fight Club is a release for people. It helps you know yourself, know what you can do, and know your limits. In the book, it would often be used by people with

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Brand Name

As stated in â€Å"Brand Durability Challenged† (201 1) people usually feel connected with and loyalty to the brands that have been in the market for many years. â€Å"Credibility, quality and consistency' (Moisakos, 201 1) of the old brand can build consumer loyalty. The connection between people and brands might be the reason why most people usually buy the same thing over and over. This idea can be related to Civilian(2007)g's idea that people usually buy things that they know about because they feel safe and comfortable with, and they think those products are good.According to Westbound (201 0), it has been discovered that more than half of the consumers who participated in the latest consumer survey decided what brands to buy at the store. If there are two products with same prices, they often choose the one with a brand because many people use it. To illustrate, Caviar (2007) reports that a study by Stanford University found that when the exact same food was given to ch ildren-the only difference being the container in which it was served-, most of the children said that the food that was in McDonald's packaging tasted better.In other words, people have a mind-set that products with brands have better quality than those without brands. On the other hand, according to the article â€Å"Are you wasting money on brand names† Consumer Reports has done a survey and seventeen percent Of participants thought that name brand food contained more nutritious than other products. However, it is discovered that there are no big differences between nutrition of the tested products which are both brand name products and store brand products. Many consumers are proud of themselves when they use brand names products.These products usually include cars, clothes, and electronic devices. People have good feelings when buying those products. They feel confident to go out of their house with Nikkei shoes, Levies t-shirt, and Gucci bag. Those are popular brands fo r clothing and they are very expensive. People go shopping for these brands because they want to show off and feel rich. A great example is about the t-shirts. Nikkei t-shirts are more expensive than other t-shirt without brand, but people still want to pay more for it. Martin (2003) reports that even though Nikkei is accused of labor abuse, Nikkei still succeeds in building image of its brand.A lot of people still feel good with it, and they still buy its products. This makes it obvious how much consumers treasure their identification with the image of Nikkei. On the other hand, it is obvious that if a product or a brand has a bad image, not many people will want to buy that product or that brand because they think that it might lower their look. The image Of the brand is an important factor Of consumer's purchasing decision. In the civilization, most people like to follow the majority because they like to be part of the group.In Caviar's article, Dan Goldstein, an assistant profes sor of marketing at London Business School, says that â€Å"People tend to believe, If I've heard of [a product] before, it's probably because it's popular, and popular things are good. † This quote shows that people in today's world like popular things. Brand names are usually popular and people purchase them because of their popularity. Advertising is one way to introduce a product to consumers. According to Marksman(2011), people were requested to see a line of BBS (BOBBY), but there was also a â€Å"b† in some lines(Bobby).They were asked to count the line with â€Å"b†. Before each line was shown, fifty' percent of the respondents saw the brand name of the ice tea. After the test was done, people, again, were asked to choose the drinks. The choices are the ice tea and water. People who were thirsty chose to drink the ice tea more than water. The example can demonstrate that advertising can also be a part of reasons why people choose a particular product. Re putation is not only the reason why people choose to buy a brand name product, but design of sound and logo of the brand name is also another important factor.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

The Test Essay

The Test Essay The Test Essay Concept Development for Linear Media Narrative Structure | Storyboards | Animatics When was the last time you watched a movie on DVD? Did you ever watch any of the behind-the-scenes content on the disc? Ever wonder how the movie was filmed and put together? If you're fortunate enough, the DVD will probably even show you some storyboards (or animatics) and how close the final shots were to the original storyboard sketches. We'll be covering how valuable storyboards can be in your design process for linear media, especially when trying to tell a story that will captivate the targeted audience. | | Narrative Structure | | Before creating a storyboard, you have to be able to tell a proper story first, and that's exactly what narrative structure is. When coming up with a story, some things to remember are that it should be engaging, entertaining, and be able to stir up your audience's emotions! Think about some of your favorite movies and some scenes that really tugged at your heart or captured your imagination. If you're going to learn from the best, you'll need to have a critical eye for how those scenes were shot and edited and how that story unfolded. Don't be afraid to study some of your favorite movies for techniques that you could incorporate into your own skill set. If you look at any story, the basic narrative structure is comprised of an introduction, body, climax, and conclusion. Most stories you hear or see are probably told chronologically, which means the sequence of events were told in the order that they happened. But when you create a narrative, the order in which these events are told doesn't have to be in sequence! Remember the movie Memento by Christopher Nolan? There's an example of a narrative that didn't stick to the classic formula of storytelling. If you've never seen it, the story was basically told backward, which really altered the way the audience perceived the characters and events that occurred throughout the movie. There are numerous opportunities to craft effective stories that can communicate old or current problems, new features, and what makes a particular product stand out. With animation and video becoming increasingly popular and heavily utilized on websites, and broadband access being adopted by more of the population, the possibilities are endless. Narrative structure depends heavily on cinematic techniques involving camera placement, angle, and distance to and from the subject of interest or focal point. The easiest way to learn cinematic language is to create a reverse storyboard of existing commercials. This means that you can go to YouTube, find your favorite commercial and roughly sketch each shot. (A shot is from camera on to camera off, or when an angle or view changes.) In this way, you can teach yourself how to use extreme close-ups, close-ups, medium shots, and long shots (establishing shots) to tell a story to your audience. Cinematic language also utilizes metaphors. What is a metaphor? It is similar to a symbol, but it uses something familiar to explain something that might be more complex. For example, "Love is a rose" is a metaphor using a simple object like a rose to explain the complicated concept of love. Directors and cinematographers use metaphor to create mood and further a story. A good example is in The Shining when Jack is writing feverishly at the typewriter, but later we see through Wendy's eyes that he has been typing "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" over and over again. The typewriter becomes a metaphor to describe Jack's deteriorating sanity. The most important thing to remember about the use of metaphors is that they seldom include the words "like" or "as." A metaphor ''is" something else. | | Storyboards | | Storyboards are typically made up of a series of quick sketches displayed in sequence to help visualize a wide variety of media such as films, cartoons, websites, and video games. A storyboard looks like a roughly

Monday, October 21, 2019

Probable changing role of trade union over the next ten years The WritePass Journal

Probable changing role of trade union over the next ten years Abstract Probable changing role of trade union over the next ten years ). Unions worldwide have been struggling to come to terms with these changes. Among the adversities facing unionism are unfavourable political and institutional conditions, structural changes in the economy, global competition, employer sponsored forms of employee participation, legal constraints and a growing trend in outsourcing among many others (Wright 2011). A combination of these challenges seems to have precipitated a significant fall in union membership. While there has been a decline in union membership, the challenge remains for the unions to find ways to prevent a further decline and weakening of trade unions’ position. The question then arises: what should unions do to prevent a further decline in membership and to consolidate on their current position? Incorporating cutting-edge research, this paper examines the probable changing role of trade union movement in the United Kingdom over the next ten years. As a starting point, the paper is going to define trade union, examine trade union responsibilities and practices, conduct a brief history of employee relations and analyze the basics of employees’ industrial relations. What is a trade union? Trade unions refer to organizations set up with the sole purpose of protecting and standing for the interest of its members in the workplace (Kelly 1998). Many activists view it as a movement for justice that is based on power emanating from workers’ solidarity (Kelly 1998). Their existence is mainly to voice concerns facing individual workers such as the work conditions, pay and conditions of employment. By bringing workers together, their power is magnified and they have a higher chance of exerting influence and voicing their opinions on matters regarding their work. Responsibilities of trade unions As noted above, the primary aim of trade unions is to protect and further the interests of its members. Trade unions are able to ensure this protection by: Obtaining satisfactory pay rates (Farnham 2000) Negotiating for their bonuses Ensuring satisfactory working conditions Negotiating for the renewal of their employment contracts and revision of their job descriptions where necessary (Farnham 2000). Negotiating for their promotion Securing adequate work facilities It is clear that the unions have the interests of workers at heart. It is also important to note that trade unions are part of the society and that they have played a central role in ensuring national integration. The other important responsibilities of trade unions include: Achieving industrial peace Ensuring national integration through minimizing the number of industrial disputes (Bach 2002). Inculcating discipline in the work environment Helping employees with social adjustments. That is, the unions help workers from different backgrounds adjust to the new rules, policies and working conditions. Incorporating a sense of corporate social responsibility in workers (Blanchflower 1996). The unions ability to effectively carry out these functions, however, depends on union density and membership. The smaller the number of union members, the lesser their power and influence in employment relationships. It is striking, however, to note that unions especially in the developed economies have in the past years lost membership. In the UK, for example, the union density stood at 30% during the year of 2000 but by 2010, union density had dropped to a figure of 27% (Wright 2011, p.2). This downward trend has been reported to be more pronounced in the private sector. Although membership in the private sector remained relatively stable, there still was a decline in union membership, albeit at a slower pace (Wright 2011, p.2). The explanations put forth for the decline in union membership have been manifold stressing certain political, social, economical, structural and institutional changes. These changes will be examined in detail in the sections below. Employee relations Undoubtedly many of us experience work as employees and as such managing the employment relationship with our employers is of critical importance. Given the relentless changes outlined above which have prompted the decline of union membership, the importance of employee and industrial relations cannot be sidelined. In this respect, employment relations concerns itself with the management and regulation of employment relationship. This term, which was traditionally conceived as industrial relations, is concerned with power distribution between management and employees (Bryson 2005). Traditionally, the term Industrial relations has been used in reference to the management of the relationship between trade unions and management, as well as management of associated processes such as industrial conflict, negotiation and consultation, and collective bargaining (Ebbinghaus 2002). The shift has largely been a result of a range of developments in the economic, political, social and legal context of employment relationship witnessed in the past few decades. The emergence of new techniques for managing employment relationship such as the HRM, combined with structural changes to a service dominated economy, changing social attitudes, employer sponsored forms of participation and a decline in union power have all resulted in a more diverse employment landscape. Changing nature of employment relations Explanations for the decline in union membership have been attributed to the changing nature of employment relations. Undeniably, employee relations in the past 10   years centered on trade unionism, industrial disputes and collective bargaining. Trade unions were viewed to a large extent as workplace adversaries that negotiated with employers on matters regarding employees work (Gennard 2005). The relationship between employer and individual employee was perceived as secondary. This is no longer the case in today’s employment relationship as the development of new techniques to managing employment relationships such as the HRM, have led to a steady decline in union power and influence (Wright 2011). Unlike in the past, tripartism, strikes and collective bargaining have lesser relevance in the current employment relationship and this has led to a decline in union membership. This is evident from the Workplace Employee Relations Survey conducted in 1998. According to the findings obtained from this survey, 47% of the workplaces in UK had no union members (Wrights 2011, p.5). Moreover, unlike in the past where arrangements could be made between an employer and trade union to recognize union membership as a prerequisite to employment; todays legislative changes have led to an end in this arrangement (Craden Hall-Jones 2012). Trade unions bargaining power has shrunk dramatically in the recent years given the changing societal attitude and the new forms of development   which have provided employers with the bargaining initiative and extended to them unilateral control over the workplace. According to Taylor (2012), currently only an estimate of around a third of employees in the UK have their pay and conditions determined through collective bargaining agreements. This is in sharp contrast with the preceding years where this number was significantly large. In 1984, for example, the percentage of British employees who had their pay determined through collective bargaining agreements was 70% (Taylor 2012). This indicates a decline in the union’s bargaining power over the years. This has further been compounded by the break-up of national bargaining structures, legal constraints imposed on industrial actions and the changing societal attitudes towards unionism; all of which have precipitated the downward trend. Moreover, instead of reacting to and accommodating unionism managers have also become innovative, developing new techniques to manage employment relations such as the HRM. Research has confirmed that this is one of the main reasons behind the decline in union membership.   Due to the development and implementation of new techniques of managing employment relations such as the HRM, the number of union members in the UK has continued to decline. This can be seen in a research conducted by CIPD in 2004 on the changing nature of employee relations work in organizations in the UK.   Interviews with HR executives from the leading organizations in the UK formed the basis of this study. From this study, it was found that the role of the trade unions and their collective bargaining power had significantly declined (CIPD 2012). Based on the analysis, the study was forced to conclude that a further decline in union was more likely to happen in the near future. Undeniably, the driving force for the downward trend has been the changing nature of employee relations. There has been a shift in focus of employee relations from working with trade unions to a more contemporary focus on improving employee participation and business performance without the need for unions. In order to explore on the probable changing role of trade unions in the UK over the next 10 years, we are going to conduct a PEST analysis of trade union in the present times. PEST Analysis Among the range of issues that will be taken into account are: Political factors Economic factors Technological factors And Social factors Political factors Political factors, in this context, include legislation and government policies as well as foreign influences especially from the EU. In the past, trade unions were protected from the law of conspiracy and they had a right to picket peacefully (Bach 2002). However, a series of strike actions in the 1970s culminated in the drive for ‘anti-union laws’ which have since undermined the position and the role of the unions (Bach 2002). Legal restrictions imposed on the unions against recruiting new members have thus contributed to the downward trend. In addition, unions have generally been cut out of the political loop. Furthermore, the integration of most European countries has changed the environment in which trade unions act (Blaschke 2000). Over the past two decades, this integration has moved beyond its narrow economic basis to impact on other key areas such as social policies, macroeconomic policies and industrial relations (Blaschke 2000). This expansion is anticipated to change the structure facing unions by creating challenges as well as opportunities. The integration is likely to undermine existing national trade union arrangements and at the same time create a new arena of policy that is open to influence from trade unions. Economic factors Fragmentations in the labour market, enterprise bargaining and a shift   to individual contracts as well as the growing trend of outsourcing to other firms have also been reported to have precipitated into the decline of union membership (Ebbinghaus 2002). Moreover, the growth in ‘atypical’ and indirect forms of employment including self-employment and agency labour has also been suggested to have contributed to the weakening of the bargaining power of trade unions (Wright 2011). These forms of atypical and indirect employment have been facilitated by an increase in migration and workforce participation. Representing such workers in atypical jobs has been quite challenging to trade unions. Such cases of atypical and indirect employment have not only been a challenge for the unions, but have also presented challenges to regulators and enforcement bodies mandated with the responsibility of upholding labour standards. The downward trend in unionism is also attributed to the structural changes in the economy. Over the past few years, the resolution of industrial conflict has been given less priority and the focus of government has shifted to the international performance of national economies (Craden Hall-Jones 2012). The threat of communism seems to be fading away. In addition global competition has made cost-reduction increasingly important for management (Craden Hall-Jones 2012). This has resulted in a change of focus of IR policy. This is expected to continue over the next ten years with the aim of Industrial Relation policy likely to change from being a mechanism of avoiding industrial conflicts to one that is more focused on enhancing competitiveness (Craden Hall-Jones 2012). Given that this change has received overwhelming support from the government, it is obvious that the management priorities will increasingly change and the unions will be expected to justify their existence, perhaps   in terms of added value in the workplace. Social changes When considering the reasons behind the decline in union membership, some aspects of social origin must be taken account of. Ideally, in this case, the attitude of employees and the general public towards unionism matter a lot. However, public opinion on the importance of trade unions in employee relations seems somewhat vague. Some have shown mild support for trade unions whereas others have remained on stout opposition. What is clear, however, is the changing management attitude towards trade unionism in the UK. The change in management attitude from negotiating with the union representatives towards negotiating with employees on an individual basis seems to have contributed to this downward trend (Gennard 2005). Attitudes to work and towards trade union recognition have changed over time. This is also anticipated to continue to impact on trade unionism in the UK over the next ten years. The focus of employee relations in the near future is expected to be more on individual employee rather than employees as a collective body. Technological factors The decline is also attributed to rapid development and implementation of easily transferable technologies. Rapid technological changes have created problems in the domain of industrial relations given their impact on employment and the nature of skills (Craden Hall-Jones 2012). Undeniably, this change has received an enormous amount of resistance from the trade unions due to fears of unemployment and redundancy of the workers. For example, the trend of outsourcing of non-core activities of a firm to other organizations has contributed to the decline in union’s collective bargaining power (Wright 2011). Outsourcing tends to affect the relationship between a firm and trade union as it provides the firm with the bargaining initiative, extending to the firm unilateral control over the workplace. The implementation of such transferrable technologies weakens the unions. Prospects of union revival Given the various legislative changes and restrictions imposed against industrial actions, one may ponder whether there is possibility for the government in the near future to restore good relations with trade unions and whether there is a possibility for union revival. Will unions still be perceived by the government as conspirators? Are trade unions going to be viewed forever as bodies to be tightly controlled by government regulation? How will the government restore good relations with trade unions?   And, are we likely to see prospects for union revival with the power that they once wielded? Most of the restrictions were however imposed on trade union activities back in the 1980s. But the fact that most of these complex restrictions still remain even after years of Labour governments indicate how far apart the government and unions have grown. Trade union activists also wonder why there has been little support from the media for the many attempts by trade unions to pressurize the government to repeal anti-union laws. For example, in 2006, though supported by over a hundred MPs, the Trade Union Freedom Bill disappeared in the face of government hostility without a trace (Moher 2012). Moreover, it is hard to find any journalistic or academic appreciation of the positives and contributions made by the unions on democracy (Moher 2012). The decline in union power and influence over the workplace raise serious doubts about the prospect for unions revival and their ability to recover their position as collective bargaining institutions. There are however a number of revitalizing strategies which may be adopted by trade unions in order for them to consolidate their position. Revitalization strategies Trade unions in the UK may respond to the membership losses in various ways. The remaining unions may, for example, merge in order to consolidate resources and improve on their economies of scale (amalgamation). Other strategies which may be adopted include: formation of partnership, commitment to the organizing agenda, and using the learning agenda among many others (Kelly Frege 2004). Amalgamation In order for the unions to revitalize in the near future, they have to merge with other unions. Union mergers will help them respond to the structural changes and member composition. Additionally, this will help them to reap greater benefits from economies of scale, increasing their influence in the workplace. Partnership In future, trade unions in the UK will in the next ten years be required to justify their existence. They can for example provide evidence on how they are going to bring an added value to employers. In this respect, the concept of partnership may play a vital role. Currently, research evidence on the success of partnership at work seems somewhat divided but it is still early to determine the significance of partnership agreements (Taylor 2012). However, it is clear that majority of unions are increasingly playing a part in such agreements and that most unions have began to formalize such agreements with companies. In future, the Unions will be expected to justify themselves in terms of ‘added value’ to the workplace (Taylor 2012). Organizing agenda Additionally, unions will in the next ten years be expected to commit themselves to the organizing agenda, a key strategy for their revival (Wright 2011). Beyond recruitment, the organizing agenda serves to empower workers by giving them skills to maintain organizational strength and instilling a culture of workplace activism (Alexander Gilmore 1999). Learning agenda There is also the need for the union to deliver learning opportunities to its members besides just representing them. This is an area with much promise as the learning agenda allows trade unions to position themselves around appealing themes such as inclusion, dignity and skills improvement, thereby broadening their bargaining dialogue with employers (Wright 2011). The union will in future be expected to use the learning agenda to ensure their revitalization. Conclusion One of the most significant findings in this analysis is the changing role of trade unions and the decline in unions membership and collective bargaining power. Union membership seems to be dwindling and their collective bargaining power weakening. The change has been attributed to a range of factors, most of which have resulted from the changing nature of employee relations. Among the adversities identified as facing unionism are unfavourable political and institutional conditions, structural changes in the economy, global competition, employer sponsored forms of employee participation, legal constraints, changing societal attitudes, labour market fragmentation, enterprise bargaining, a shift to individual contracts as well as the growing trend of outsourcing among many others. A combination of these challenges seems to have precipitated a significant fall in union membership and contributed to the decline in the union’s collective bargaining power. The challenge, however, is for the unions to prevent further decline in union membership and weakening of their position. Given the downward trend in union membership, there is need for trade unions to justify their existence by adopting distinctively different roles.   This requires profound re-thinking of the roles and practices of trade unions. Reference Alexander, R. and P. Gilmore, (1999) â€Å"A strategic organizing alliance across borders†, In: M. Tillman and M.S. Cummings (eds) The Transformation of U.S. Unions. Voices, Visions and Strategies from the Grassroots, Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers Inc. pp.45-67 Anderson et al, (2002). The changing roles of public sector unionism. Working paper No. 83, pp.2-13 Bach, S. (2002), Public-sector Employment Relations Reform under Labour: Muddling Through or Modernization? British Journal of Industrial Relations, 40, 2, pp. 319-99. Bacon, N., and P. Blyton, (2004) â€Å"Trade Union Reponses to Workplace Restructuring: exploring union orientations and actions†, Work, Employment and Society, 18(4), pp. 749-773. Blanchflower, D.G., (1996). The role and influence of trade unions in the OECD. National Bureau of Economic Research and Centre for Economic Performance, LSE, pp. 5-39 Blaschke, S. (2000), Union Density and European Integration: Diverging Convergence, European Journal of Industrial Relations, 6, 2, pp. 217-36. Bryson, A., (2010). Resilient unions: strategies for growth Bryson, A., (2005). ‘Union effects on employee relations in Britain’. Human Relations, vol 58 (9), pp. 1111-1139 CIPD, (2012) Employee relations: an overview. Cox, T., and R. Mason, (2000) â€Å"Trends and developments in east central European industrial relations†, Industrial Relations Journal, 31(2), pp. 97-114. Craden, C. and P. Hall-Jones, (2012). Trade union reform change is the only constant, Ebbinghaus, (2002). ‘Trade unions changing role: membership erosion, organizational reform and social partnership in Europe’. Industrial Relations Journal, P.2-20 Farnham, D., (2000) Employee relations in context. 2nd edition. Chartered Institute of Pers. Gennard, J., (2005) Employee relations. 4th edition. Chartered Inst of Pers/Develop, pp.350-357 Kelly, J. and C. Frege, (eds) (2004) Varieties of Unionism: Strategies of Union Revitalization in a Globalizing Economy,Oxford: Oxford University Press. Kelly, J. (1998) Rethinking Industrial Relations: Mobilization, Collectivism and Long Waves, London: Routledge. pp. 35-56 Moher, J.G., 2012. Trade unions and the law history and a way forward? [Viewed on 19th November 2012] available from historyandpolicy.org/papers/policy-paper-63.html Taylor, R., (2012) The future of employment relations. An ESRC Future of Work Programme Seminar Series, pp 23-35 Wright, C.F., (2011). What role for trade unions in future workplace relations? Acas Future of Workplace Relations discussion paper series, pp.2-15

Sunday, October 20, 2019

How to Use the Pomodoro Technique to Be More Productive [Infographic]

How to Use the Pomodoro Technique to Be More Productive [Infographic] Although we all wish magic fairies would swoop in and finish tasks for us while we wasted the day away on Twitter or  Ã‚  ran all our errands, it’s not going to happen.  The secret to getting your work done? DO it. Really. You have to buckle down and commit focused time to getting stuff done. We understand it’s hard to organize your thoughts and time. The answer is to train yourself and your brain to do work in chunks by using the Pomodoro Technique. Check out this method below, and apply it the next time you find yourself doing everything  else in the world besides  your work.

Saturday, October 19, 2019

Agriculture in Scandinavia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Agriculture in Scandinavia - Essay Example Agriculture in Scandinavia and the rest of Europe is known to have arrived from South West Asia in pre-historic times in the form of foreign colonists and their domesticated animals, seeds, and potted plants.Study of transition in Southern Scandinavia became easier and more exciting as the region proved to be a laboratory of human prehistory.There are evidences that the early cultures in Middle East around 8000 BC used wild cereals for food which led to cultivated wheat, use of pottery With the fantastic archeological sources and research combined with impressive chronology, Northern Europe, Denmark and southern Scandinavia are a mine of anthropological information today. Study of transition in Southern Scandinavia became easier and more exciting as the region proved to be a laboratory of human prehistory. There are evidences that the early cultures in Middle East around 8000 BC used wild cereals for food which led to cultivated wheat, use of pottery, grains, and this is believed to have spread farming across Neolithic Europe.It is also argued that the farming revolution reached Scandinavia only around 4000 or 3800 BC, according to pottery and winding coils of clay found in the region. This assumption and belief that lasted all these years has been questioned by recent anthropologists, who claim that the farming was not borrowed, but was indigenized and Price is one among them. "Given current archaeological and anthropological evidence, the consensus among Scandinavian archaeologists today is that the introduction of agriculture was largely the result of indigenous adoption" (Price). World agriculture itself is as recent as around 10,000 years. Around 25,000 BC, hunter gatherer communities ventured beyond the arctic circle into Russia and Siberia. This area was colonized by humans only after the retreat of Pleistocene ice around 14,000 years ago. The key events of human history, pertaining to the development of agriculture, include stone tools of 7500 BC, copper and painted pottery of 4500 BC, carved rock faces of Norway with animal subjects of 4000 BC, Ertebelle culture with pointed-bottomed pots and oval bowls. Also, complex wickerwork of 3600 BC, passage tombs, dolmens of megalith, stone blocks of 3500-2500 BC that show organized endeavors, hand formed decorated pottery and year-round settlements of 2800 BC, artisan work of 2500-2000 BC and the burial mounds of elite households of 2200-1600 BC etc. The forest farmers initially seem to have ventured into agriculture and livestock husbandry, which has been evidenced in Central Sweden, South Norway where the Pitted Ware (hunter-gatherer with some agriculture) started and believed to have spread into southern Sweden and parts of Denmark from 5,900 BC onwards. From 4,800 BC onwards, Late Neolithic Farmers and Stock Herders appeared on the scene combined with Corded Ware traditi on, marking the changes in agricultural societies of Scandinavia with small, rather isolated settlements of indefinable groups of agriculturists. From 4,500 BC onwards, independent agriculture started and 3,800 BC onwards the Bronze Age dawned in Norway and Sweden, giving way to technologically advanced agricultural tools. Eastern Europe seems to have continued with part time farming supported by seasonal dwelling practices and a hunters' way of life for a long time. The Linearbandkeramic farming culture spread across Central Europe, but agricultural foodstuffs were introduced in the late Mesolithic and the delay is attributed to flourishing fishing and hunting which avoided the dire need for agricultural products. Later, there is an abundance proof to show that differentiation in status, class and trade held sway over agriculture in these parts as the burial mounds show. Even though Price agrees with most of the above arguments, some of his claims are rather unprecedented. He says by middle Neolithic period, wheat was 96% of the cereals and barley was 22% at later Funnelbeaker sites. In this period, cattle were becoming indispensable representing 80% of the animal husbandry. Technology was slowly being introduced into the agriculture, pottery and weapons. "The common anthropological background of the dualist society tradition, as it originates from Durkheimian sociology, is mirrored in the separation of peasant society from tribal

Friday, October 18, 2019

Annotated bibliography ( Professional research and evaluation ) Essay

Annotated bibliography ( Professional research and evaluation ) - Essay Example Hess, J., Rothgeb, J. and Zukerberg, A. (1997) Survey of program dynamics pretest evaluation report [Internet], Survey of Program Dynamics, US Census Bureau. Available from [Accessed 13 March 2012]. In order to check whether a survey questionnaire would be able to obtain necessary information as well as being easy for adolescents and pre-adolescents to answer them under a specific timeframe, pre-testing them in various sample populations were necessary, as explained by the authors. Pensoneau-Conway, S.L. and Toyosaki, S. (2011) Automethodology: tracing a home for praxis-oriented ethnography. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 10 (4), pp. 378-400. This article showed how not detaching oneself from a group being studied could give a whole new perspective to ethnographic studies, such as showing a sense of self, home, and culture and putting oneself in the other’s shoes, instead of just being an onlooker. Rodriguez, K.L., Schwartz, J.L., Lahman, M.K.E. and Geist, M.R. (2011) Culturally responsive focus groups: refraining the research experience to focus on participants. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 10 (4), pp. 400-418. The use of focus groups is very relevant, especially in qualitative research in social sciences. This article discusses how using culturally responsive researches can give respondents a chance to show their true selves, thus giving a better picture of the views and ideas of different groups, especially marginalized cultures. Sakshaug, J.W., Yan, T. and Tourangeau, R. (2010) Nonresponse error, measurement error, and mode of data collection: tradeoffs in a multi-mode survey of sensitive and non-sensitive items. Public Opinion Quarterly [Internet], 74 (5), pp. 907-933. Available from [Accessed 14 March 2012]. The authors were able to discuss the other side of surveys, which is the correction of errors obtained during sampling. The relationships between the administration style of the survey and the type of errors most likely to occur were also presented, as well as possible ways to reduce them. Schonlau, M., Fricker, R.D. and Elliott, M.N. (2002) Conducting research surveys via e-mail and the web, Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation Internet survey is considered one of the cheapest forms of surveying since there is less effort to implement it. However, certain considerations must be made in order for its success, such as appropriateness, sample size and sensitivity of the issue at hand. This book assesses the problems and the solutions for internet survey to work. Smart, C. (2011) Ways of knowing: crossing species boundaries. Methodological Innovations Online [Internet], 6(3), pp. 27-38. Available from [Accessed 13 March 2012]. In order to control a horse, not only does the handler recognise visual cues but also subconsciously read the horse’s movements, and react accordingly to it. Over time it becomes automatic for the handler, who reacts to the horse’

Operatiom management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Operatiom management - Essay Example There is need to analyze the concept of organizational communication by making an assessment on a chosen case. This will include the creation of a case and analyze the case. Once the case has been created and analyzed, the paper will highlight an assessment on the case and its analysis. The following case is based on a personal experience in an organization that was embracing the Maori culture. I worked as a junior employee at Tikanga Maori Consulting, Inc. since its incorporation the company was based on the culture of the Maori community found in New Zealand. The operations of the company were based on values and beliefs of the Maori culture. The founding members of the organization were determined to protect the Maori culture and made every efforts towards making sure that any stakeholders in the company respected the values and customs of the company that were based on the Maori culture. This was evident in the way the company had designed its vision statement. The company‘s vision statement purely focused on Maori norms and values. The company communicated these values in the Maori language in efforts aimed at reinforcing the approach of communicating the organization’s culture to the stakeholders. The company developed over a long period of time and grew into a big organization with approximately over 100 employees. The growth of an organization often represents a difficult situation in terms of managing the number of employees. However, the organization was able to manage its large number of employees because it had also grown to develop its culture. Employees were in unity with the company management because the company had made a point to always communicate to the employees about the different values of the company. The philosophy of the company was based on developing and preserving the Maori culture. The

Performance and reward management systems at Nestl Australia Ltd Research Paper

Performance and reward management systems at Nestl Australia Ltd. (NAL) - Research Paper Example (NAL), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Nestlà © Company of Vevey, Switzerland. NAL operates 14 factories throughout Australia, employs 5,000 people and generates sales of A$2 Billion/annum. It manufactures and markets a diverse range of products from Maggi sauces and powders to Milo powdered beverage modifiers. â€Å"Nestlà © Australias objective is to implement policies which promote the best utilisation of its human resources in order to ensure optimum productivity and efficiency while also satisfying and meeting employees needs and expectations†. The words of NAL’s CEO Graham Campbell resonate throughout the organisation on a daily basis. This is particularly true of the department that is at the centre of employee engagement and utilisation: Team HR. The HR department within NAL consists of approximately 65 professionals spread out across all factories, distribution centres and the Head Office located in the Sydney suburb of Rhodes. Team HR is lead within Australia by the HR Director, who reports directly into the CEO of NAL. In the words of Jennifer Jones (HR Business Partner or HR BP, NAL) â€Å"The purpose of the Human Resources (HR) team is to increase Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s competitive advantage through People - by having engaged and talented individuals at the right place at the right time, driving business success†. Team HR consists of 3 distinct groups: 3. Centres of Excellence (CoE) in recruitment, talent and capability, reward & remuneration and employee relations. These are specialised sections of Team HR that focus on one area of knowledge and expertise. As one of the six core business units within NAL, the Human Resources department is involved in all stages of the development of the organisations’ business strategies. According to Jennifer Jones (HR BP, NAL), â€Å"The level of involvement of HR personnel in determining the goals and objectives for each of the business units is very impressive and certainly greater than any organisation I

Thursday, October 17, 2019

Knowledge Management And Organizational Learning Essay

Knowledge Management And Organizational Learning - Essay Example As Noe (2002, p. 168) noted, knowledge management is a management process that the performance of a business can be enhanced by designing, implementing and strategically aligning various tools, processes, systems, structure and cultures with a view to create and share knowledge among its people and to use for overall business purpose. The very basic three elements included in Knowledge management are 1) creation of the knowledge through some effective strategies, 2) sharing of the created knowledge among people and 3) making it available and useful for any business purpose.   Knowledge Management has been found to be useful for the organization as it helps it get the products to the target market quicker, develop innovative ideas, serve the customer well in order to maintain customer loyalty and retention and achieve sustainable competitive advantages. As Boxall and Macky (2009, p. 10) emphasized, knowledge management helps a business achieve high performance working through variou s strategic processes and organizational development programs.   Knowledge Management has emerged to be a management tool that focuses on data, information and knowledge among the employees in an organization (Awad and Ghaziri, 2007, p. 26) and encompasses the processes by which experience, skills, expertise, knowledge and abilities are gathered, then shared among the people and utilized so that these can be converted to collective organizational learning process (Foster, 2005, p. 397).  

Panama Canal Lock Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Panama Canal Lock - Case Study Example The whole of the Guton Lock system works in three steps. The ship enters the first chamber at the Guton lock which is at the sea level on the Atlantic side. The water tight gates are closed after the ship get in to the first chamber. A valve is the opened to allow water from the second chamber into the first chamber until both chambers the water levels up. Following this equalization of the levels of water, the valve is the closed and the gate between the first and second chamber is opened for the ship to move to the second chamber (Sherman 35). The first operation is repeated between the second and third lock to move the ship into the third lock which raise the ship to the Guton Lake water level. After closing of the final valve and opening of the final gate, the ship will have been raised up to 85ft to the Pacific Ocean water level. The forces that act on the first lock on the pacific side are majorly from the water in the Pacific Ocean that exerts pressure on the first gate. In the subsequent locks, forces act from both sides of the gates due to the water that is held inside the chambers. The Key factor in the design of the Guton lock was the water. The lifting of the ships in the lock to the level of the Guton Lake is done by water (Ulrich 9). The water in the lock lifts the ship up to 85feet and floats the ship across the divide. After crossing the continental divide, the water is again used to lower the ships to the sea level in the opposite side of the ocean. This therefore means that water was the major important consideration in the construction of the Guton Lock just like in the other three locks of the Panama Canal. In the design therefore, it was important to consider the force that the water exert on the locks. As more water is allowed inside the chamber of the lock, it exerts pressure to the walls. Another source of force on the walls of the lock chamber is the weight of the ship that is being raised by the lock up to 85 feet above sea

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

Performance and reward management systems at Nestl Australia Ltd Research Paper

Performance and reward management systems at Nestl Australia Ltd. (NAL) - Research Paper Example (NAL), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Nestlà © Company of Vevey, Switzerland. NAL operates 14 factories throughout Australia, employs 5,000 people and generates sales of A$2 Billion/annum. It manufactures and markets a diverse range of products from Maggi sauces and powders to Milo powdered beverage modifiers. â€Å"Nestlà © Australias objective is to implement policies which promote the best utilisation of its human resources in order to ensure optimum productivity and efficiency while also satisfying and meeting employees needs and expectations†. The words of NAL’s CEO Graham Campbell resonate throughout the organisation on a daily basis. This is particularly true of the department that is at the centre of employee engagement and utilisation: Team HR. The HR department within NAL consists of approximately 65 professionals spread out across all factories, distribution centres and the Head Office located in the Sydney suburb of Rhodes. Team HR is lead within Australia by the HR Director, who reports directly into the CEO of NAL. In the words of Jennifer Jones (HR Business Partner or HR BP, NAL) â€Å"The purpose of the Human Resources (HR) team is to increase Nestlà ©Ã¢â‚¬â„¢s competitive advantage through People - by having engaged and talented individuals at the right place at the right time, driving business success†. Team HR consists of 3 distinct groups: 3. Centres of Excellence (CoE) in recruitment, talent and capability, reward & remuneration and employee relations. These are specialised sections of Team HR that focus on one area of knowledge and expertise. As one of the six core business units within NAL, the Human Resources department is involved in all stages of the development of the organisations’ business strategies. According to Jennifer Jones (HR BP, NAL), â€Å"The level of involvement of HR personnel in determining the goals and objectives for each of the business units is very impressive and certainly greater than any organisation I

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Panama Canal Lock Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Panama Canal Lock - Case Study Example The whole of the Guton Lock system works in three steps. The ship enters the first chamber at the Guton lock which is at the sea level on the Atlantic side. The water tight gates are closed after the ship get in to the first chamber. A valve is the opened to allow water from the second chamber into the first chamber until both chambers the water levels up. Following this equalization of the levels of water, the valve is the closed and the gate between the first and second chamber is opened for the ship to move to the second chamber (Sherman 35). The first operation is repeated between the second and third lock to move the ship into the third lock which raise the ship to the Guton Lake water level. After closing of the final valve and opening of the final gate, the ship will have been raised up to 85ft to the Pacific Ocean water level. The forces that act on the first lock on the pacific side are majorly from the water in the Pacific Ocean that exerts pressure on the first gate. In the subsequent locks, forces act from both sides of the gates due to the water that is held inside the chambers. The Key factor in the design of the Guton lock was the water. The lifting of the ships in the lock to the level of the Guton Lake is done by water (Ulrich 9). The water in the lock lifts the ship up to 85feet and floats the ship across the divide. After crossing the continental divide, the water is again used to lower the ships to the sea level in the opposite side of the ocean. This therefore means that water was the major important consideration in the construction of the Guton Lock just like in the other three locks of the Panama Canal. In the design therefore, it was important to consider the force that the water exert on the locks. As more water is allowed inside the chamber of the lock, it exerts pressure to the walls. Another source of force on the walls of the lock chamber is the weight of the ship that is being raised by the lock up to 85 feet above sea

Propaganda, Recruitment and Resistance Essay Example for Free

Propaganda, Recruitment and Resistance Essay When war broke out, the British army was professional but small. The government desperately needed a lot more troops, and they turned their heads straight to recruitment. Britain was very different to its allies in recruitment; they started the war recruiting volunteers. The Government believed that as tradition, they should not force any men into conflict; they had never done, and believed they never would. Volunteering was a British thing to do; using posters, and leaflets, they thought would get enough soldiers to volunteer. The Government assumed that many soldiers would come forward as patriots and out of honour, for generations mens predecessors had fought in civil war, Lord Kitchener and the PM Asquith supposed men had to maintain the loyalty. Those who wanted to join the army, joined out of excitement, the thrill of killing, and a break from normal life. They thought that the war was going to be a short, easy war which they would not be a major part of, as they had been reassured that the Naval power would wipe out supplies of food, and arms. These troops would have been highly motivated and ready for whatever was to come at them (or so they thought). Propaganda was a factor in men volunteering; a number of the male citizens were genuinely persuaded by the propaganda and believed what it told them. The Government realised that all men who volunteered were going to train harder, and in the long term where going to be superior soldiers, even if there was a smaller number of them. Women, older men (who had fought in civil wars before them) pressured young men who had not enlisted, also their friends, and relatives were joining. In theatres, actresses interrupted performances to call men up onto the stage and sign up. Those men who were watching the play felt embarrassed, also as if everyone was watching them and urging them to sign up. The Government encouraged this in homes, and although it was an illegitimate way of getting men to join, it was very useful, and many of those who were put under such pressure, crumbled and enlisted. The figures of unemployed men in Britain were rising, and the amount of jobs for these men was decreasing, as they didnt have the necessary skills to acquire a job that paid good money. Prime Minister Asquith seized upon this opportunity to give these unemployed a future in the army. The unemployed had to accept the opportunity, as it paid good money, it was an exciting experience and that they simply they had no where else to go. The men were happy to receive this break away from their dirty, shabby lifestyle. Asquith, and Kitchener exaggerated this prospect, and the unemployed believed that this was easy money, and a gateway to a new life. Men who volunteered into the army where grouped in accordance of what area they came from. Theoretically this was a good idea, but in practice demonstrated a fatal blunder. Pals Battalions as these neighbouring units were named, were awfully effective in making each soldier feel at home, and able to settle in to army life. At the front though it was a different story, as each Pals Battalion went over the top it was usually on the first day of a major battle, which resulted in 70% or more of their men killed or seriously wounded. Local areas in England wit a small population lost many of its younger men in a short space of time. The rest of the male population who did not volunteer chose not to for various reasons. Some men decided not to enlist on occupational grounds. Men who worked in vital industries such as mining felt it was there duty to stay home and continue their essential job. However, this was not the only reason on work-related grounds that people did not volunteer. Some men did not want to fight because they had a well paid job and good career prospects, whilst others left the rest of the population to volunteer because they thought that the war would not last long. They assumed that if they joined the army they would die, they were scared of dying and losing everything that they had worked for. This fear of dying was made a great deal worse when rumours of the conditions on the front line filtered through to the public. They were told of the huge numbers of deaths and casualties that the British were taking. Other chose not to volunteer on the moral or religious grounds. The Quakers did not volunteer because they did not believe the war was the answer. Many other men refused to play God, ad take away another mans life. Some men refused to volunteer because they had people at home depending on them, and they were the main breadwinner of the family, for example children and wives or elderly relatives. The Government thought that the war would be over by Christmas, and this small army would do fine, because the Navy would be the major battle point in the war, where the ships would create blockages, and starve them to surrender. Conscription being introduced from 1914 would have caused pandemonium in Britain, for the fact that the public would have realised that this war was going to be a long and drawn out war. Asquith did not want to cause any panic, and wanted to carry out business as usual, one of his ideas to keep Britain an active and calm country to live in still, although the war was only overseas, but as many exports and imports happened overseas, and where transported into foreign countries, business as usual could not happen. Also the government didnt introduce compulsory military service because they trusted the public to volunteer, as it was a change, it was supposedly exciting, and the thought of becoming a hero was a chance to be loved by your friends, but most importantly, the whole country. Lord Kitchener and Asquith were spot on; by the end of August in 1914 300,000 more soldiers had enlisted. In September of 1914, 462,901 out of 600,000 volunteers stepped up to support the war efforts. The aim for the end of December was an army of 4 million (which even for the Supreme British, I believe was a long shot). Conscription would have faced a battering by civil rights activists if introduced in 1914, as conscription was anti-liberal, and a breach of civil rights and individual freedom. In hindsight, with all the protesters, volunteering was an easier way of recruiting without hassle. Another aggravation of conscription was the cost of it. It was considered that conscription would be a waste of needed money and resources. All of the eligible men must be registered in a system, not all men would turn up to register, resulting in wasted time, which could be used to produce posters to round up troops for volunteering. However by 1915 not enough soldiers were being recruited, and drastic measures hadto be taken to gather enough soldiers to compete with the large German army. In 1916 there was a change in Government. Lloyd George became the new Prime Minister, he was determined to win this war, and his practical mind led to the introduction of conscription. The Government primarily thought that they would recruit enough soldiers without moving to conscription, but they were very wrong. The German land forces were huge, and the previous Prime Minister (Asquith) believed this war would be won by Britains naval supremacy. Again, they were wrong, the trenches was where the major fighting was taking place, thousands of deaths happened each day at the front. As the war dragged on and on, fewer and fewer amounts of men were enlisting to fight, this was mainly due to leaks from the front of the poor conditions, and high amount of deaths were published by the media. As the numbers of deaths on the front grew, the Government started to ban the lists of deaths. This was due to over the top tactics as men were old to walk in lines, shooting to gain breach the trenches of the Germans. As the deaths increased men became more wary of what was really happening in the war, and some men began to see through the lies of propaganda. But deaths were not the only reason why men werent signing up; the wages at home were increasing while unemployment was decreasing, resulting in men taking the chance of staying at home rather than fighting for the army, which at that time had very low pay. The army was made up of lots of previously unemployed men, but as many of those had already enlisted, there was a shortage of men that wanted to sign up. As volunteers piled through in the early months of the war, the Government believed the army was going to have enough men to win this war, on foot and on sea. But as the number of volunteers each month declined, women of husbands who had volunteered, and the general public (except most younger men) began to complain that it was unfair that some men had volunteered and others had not. There had to be a fairer system, those who had not volunteered were getting away lightly. The only way to improve this system was to introduce conscription. Not only were there thousands of deaths occurring on the front every day, but men did not receive the right, or enough ammunition to compete with the constant bombardment of shells, and the onslaught of machine gun bullets ripping through the British defence, it s men. This was called the Shell Scandal. The reason for the shortage of ammunition was due to the amount of workers that had joined up to the army from indispensable war industries. Factories that made shells, bullets, and armour where literally deserted. The pay was substantially higher in the army, it was an exciting prospect and a change for the men that work the same shift, producing the same goods all day. The press began campaigning to introduce conscription, because they knew the real deaths that were taking place at the front, given that the government banned them from publishing the amount of deceased. Bearing in mind that the newspapers had a major influence over the public then, (and still do now) it started to persuade (using propaganda) the public that conscription was acceptable, and the right way forward. The general public began to succumb to the idea, and by the end of the campaigning the national Service league (NSL) demanded the change from the new government. Lloyd George, as a practical man realised that this was the only way to win the war. Conscription commenced in January 1916, but a long time before that there was talk on how the government would assemble all of the eligible men for active military service, and the restrictions they would put on those that could be exempt from military service. They started the process by creating a National Register, which collected together every citizens details from the age of 15 to 65 e.g. name, age, marital status, occupation and skills. All of the data was collected together. It allowed the government to calculate how many men were of military age, and those who would be in the future, but also those who were in reserved occupations, which means those jobs that are essential to the war effort e.g. industry and agriculture. The National register not only provided the government with information, but also opened the door for new ideas. One of these ideas was the Derby Recruiting Scheme. It was named after Lord Derby the Director of Recruiting, as he was the one who manipulated the information from the National Register to his advantage. He asked all British men aged between 18 and 41 if they would be disposed to serve in the army. Although you may have thought like the propaganda posters, the personal, frontal approach would have worked, it didnt. The results were disappointing. Firstly, those who were not in reserved occupation did not like the idea of fighting in the war, those would did want to fight were summoned with two weeks notice and secondly, a plus can be drawn from this, this was the first time an actual system had been put in place for conscription, so things could only get better. After the poor response from all those who were not exempt from the war, there was only one way to get men to fight, that was to force them. Four months after The Derby Recruiting scheme the conscription came in form of the Military Service Act, which required all unmarried men, and widowers without children or dependents e.g. sick mother, between the age of 18 and 41 to join the army. Unmarried men in reserved occupations were exempt from duty, as well as those who were breadwinners or sole supporters in their household, those who had medical disabilities and finally conscientious objectors. But as the National Register was unreliable, needed soldiers were not raced. The change from total volunteering to conscription happened in a short space of time, only four months. Compulsion did not just stop at exempting men, it became universal, on May 3rd 1916 all men despite any circumstances between 18 and 41 were forced into battle. Universal Conscription was now introduced and there was no going back. As soldiers died and needed soldiers were untraceable due to poor organisation, the government looked overseas to all British born people, and for Allied citizens living over here to fight for their natural country. This was another Military Service Act to boost friendship with their Allies. It gave each side more men to fight but mustnt have gone down well with those who tried to flee the country. In two years the British public had gone from hating the idea of conscription to deeming it as acceptable. The newspapers had much to do with bringing the country round to believing the Government, but the Government wanted everyone involved. In November 1917, the Ministry of National Service was formed; the power given to them was unbelievable. They could cancel all exemptions on occupational grounds; almost playing God with peoples lives, as they well knew that 70% of these men would die or become seriously injured, before the war had ended. The government began to keep on rising the age limits, and the limits on who should fight, they were becoming desperate; the age limit was raised to 50, and if deaths were on high occurrence then it would be a staggering 56! Even Ireland was made to abide by the same rules of compulsion that was already in place in England. The British Army wanted to out number the Germans, but in the end they had a lot of soldiers at the front unwilling to fight, even those who had volunteered were becoming reluctant to fight. By the end of the war the British realised that they no longer needed so many men, as they were slowing crushing Germany, and the Minimum age of exemption was 23. Men under that age were considered too weak. Slowly but surely the Government extended the restrictions on compulsion. If there hadnt been a change in government then I believe compulsion would have been introduced at a much later stage, because Asquith was against the idea of forcing men to fight; it was a breach of civil rights.

Monday, October 14, 2019

Concepts of Beauty in Art

Concepts of Beauty in Art John Keats Beauty and Truth In his famous apostrophe to the Grecian Urn, the immortal poet, John Keats, wrote: Thou shalt remain, in midst of other woe than ours, a friend to man, to whom thou sayst, beauty is truth, truth beauty, that is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know. This very famous statement on Beauty and Truth and their interchangeability poses a very important question in the postmodern era. Art and its convention of the Beauty/Beautiful has imperceptibly changed over the decades, from something that should reflect the Ideal (and in reality, twice removed from it, as per Plato), or in essence complete and offering pleasure to the senses to something, that expresses the unique consciousness/angst of the creator. Art has thus rediscovered its definition for beauty. If beauty is truth, then it may dare to be grotesque too, for truth may be harsh or horrific. Beauty does not suggest something beautiful in the actual sense of the term, but that, which comes closer to the true expressions of the self and the vision of a generations psyche, that is fragmented, kitsch-like, complex and beyond the metanarratives of a suffocating conformity. Beauty has evolved into a freedom for expression. Contemporary art, especially questions the paradigms of aesthetic values, with artists like Chapman Brothers or Justin Novak producing artwork that are clearly meant to provoke reactions and challenge notions of beauty, that had its roots in Kants Critique of Judgment (1790). It contemplated on the pure aesthetic experience of art consisting of a disinterested observer, pleasing for its own sake and beyond any utility or morality. Now, the very word pleasing may have different boundaries and contemporary art is trying to escalate their claims. If Marcel Duchamp made a fountain out of a urinal in 1917, that hurtled the Dadaist movement and that later amplified into a surrealist tendency looking into primitive art for their subconscious inspiration, to reveal the mental process, then the essential motivation behind the whole thing was subversion. If primitivism was motivating a new dimension by which beauty of the mind was revealed, then Picasso completely subjectified art and personal experience into a fourth dimension and created a cubist movement to claim a break down of a canon that no longer held on to techniques, symbols and least of all universal criteria for judging anything. There are many socio-ideological forces behind the same and the destructive World Wars had many reasons to question the notions behind the traditional idea of Beauty, and it addressed the subjective, transcendental and alienated psyche of modern man. Metaphysical hopelessness gave absurdity to beauty, while the meaninglessness of this Being, made beauty seem more akin to grotesque, either by derision or by the light of their tragic truth. What makes the question more intriguing is that, whether contemporary art has found a better form of beauty (constructed to please and create a certain discursive paradigm) in the grotesque, since it frees us from any moral and political/ideological constraints? Can it be linked to greater dimensions of teleological magnitude, or should it be treated as an alternative method of understanding true aesthetic, if not the complete aspect of aesthetic itself? Is grotesque possible without the knowledge of Beauty itself? I shall attempt to answer the following questions that I raised, with a few examples. One must first understand the idea behind perception and the dialogical force that surrounds it. If the world is raised as an illusion in ones mind then the mind has been symbolically trained to read it as a language. This matrix of complex spontaneity is paradigmatically and syntagmatically (Roman Jakobson, 1987) being challenged, when Grotesque plays the part of Beauty. The Dystopia arises out of a shattered archetype that must restructure itself to include elements of the grotesque within the beauty, and reach towards the same aesthetic experience: the sublime. But interestingly what produces sublime is shock. But one must not confuse this with the cathartic experience of the Tragic pity and terror, but something quite opposite to an ideal communicative situation that all such art produces. Thus this element of mimesis and/or representation of the ideal have given way to an infinite subjectivity (Hegel, Lectures on Fine Art, given in the 1820s), or the abyss of the human mind and condition. But the self is interpellated as per Lacan and later Althusser too estimated the impossibility of a single position from where one can judge, since the self was preconditioned with a lot of logocentricism (Derrida), which are again socio-culturally specific as per Barthes. Thus there is a complete inquiry into art through the artists personality or self (or selves). Justin Novaks disfigurine often conforming to the bourgeoisie values, distort them to such an ironic extent that one cannot miss the counter realism that it offers. Often it serves to offer no alternative reality, but just launches one amidst a grotesque re-examination of old values and with its attendant disillusionment. Once there is a silent barrier between class and gender is dismantled, the escape is into nothingness the sublime height of vast unending solutions and this underscores the definite presence and the horrors of undying conformism. If truth is beauty, then Novaks artworks reveal the finer sides of it by shattering the comfortable and compartmentalized thought processes with which one can objectify art from a safe distance. The grotesque closeness of these truths gives beauty to the mind by releasing it from the shackles of confinement and overpowering illusions. Truth is not universal, but a power to accept the inextricable complexity of human behaviour, mind and his /her social, cultural and historical environment. Is Grotesque a rebellion? Or is it an inextricable element of beauty? Disfigurines 2006, by Justin Novak Grayson Perrys ceramic works portray this polemic by making them superficially beautiful (as beauty has been notoriously claimed to have been) and underneath it remains the darker motives of an artist who tries to wrest with disturbing truths (or shall one call them home truths, with a larger social back drop to them). His works like Coming Out Dress 2000, Weve Found the Body of your Child 2000 or the Boring Cool People 1999 (reminds one of Eliots famous lines from The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock In the room the women come and go, Talking of Michaelangelo). Not only does he deal with issues like cross-dressing, child abuse and social sterility (spiritually hollow cool fashionistas), but also he plays with this abnormal interrelation between beauty and grotesque. He raises questions about taste and the sublime. In short he subverts the notion of beauty with beauty that is skin deep! Reality is a diabolical faade and Perry questions whether hegemony denotes or connotes the medium o f taste in art. Transvestite to transgression, the Chapman Brothers question the inevitability or orthodox value of the canon. This reflects in their works, defacement and torture figures create the complete picture of Beauty. They usher in a new experiment with taste, bad taste and the notions of good taste. Art moves into the realms of public or mass low category, which becomes an essential democratic medium for evoking or carrying forward a provocation to rouse the sense of that horrifying answerless void. With the Chapman brothers there is a sadist tone attached to their insult or reiteration of Goyas influence especially in the irrecreation of his Disasters of War, which inflict bold horror. But the grandeur of that horror is reduced to a trivial and yet a sardonic sensationtaste comes off them. They twist the sensation of violence into an aestheticground and arouse a variety of physical and mental demands for perceiving Beauty amidst such a squandering grotesqueness. Beauty here lies in the re lease from holding back appreciation, awe and complete shock. Violence does not stand-alone and nor does any other human emotion. Sex, 2003 is thus desire, decay, diabolical, deliberate, freedom or defeat. Purity is not that far fromits pornographic mockery of it and they are interrelated in their apparent verisimilitude. A true representation of kitsch art, their works like Zygotic Acceleration, roused shock as they attempted to portray the sexualisation of children due to the media and increased gender awareness. These treatments nevertheless push questions about morality that grotesque beauty actually challenges. Thus morality and beauty in its aesthetic straight forwardedness seem to flatten out newer boundaries of experiences, which the Chapman brothers challenge through their craftsmanship. Traditional Sculpture, especially in the hands of the Chapman Brothers and Justin Novak or Grayson Perry are objects of anti-canonical parody, grotesque imitations or thought-provoking reverse-discourses. All these postmodern artists are challenging aesthetic experience. All these artworks succumb to one the power of the grotesque that sublimates beauty with its truth, and they make us realize that truth is not about a fixed standard, but accepting the actual absence of it. What makes contemporary art more beastly in its beauty is the power to derive happiness (or sado-masochist satisfaction) out of this grotesqueness. The grotesque shocks but this is a pleasure in itself, because it is the very representation of the consciousness. Theatre and artwork met with experimentalism in the stage by Artaud, who made audience a spectator to cruelty that is harsh, exceptionally brutal and yet beautiful. By shattering estrangement and by creating something that allows no objectivity (in the lik es of Kant or Brecht) Artaud demands a complete involvement of the senses. Moreover, this is where art threatens to change the soul of the perceiver by its dominating beauty, which horrifies the perceiver with its verity and unique angst. Wittgensteins concept of seeing-as, allows contemporary art to shun master narratives completely and standout on their own purely as visual sensations. From British Avant-Garde art that confuses common and the uncommon (like use of mannequin by Chapman Brothers or genitals replaced by the faces in their remake of Goyas Disasters of Wars series). Grotesquerie is about questioning the status quo, about unflinching self-criticism and about embracing outsiders. From Simon Carroll deconstructing the chronology of ceramic vases with his pastiches like Thrown Square Pot2005, engages the observers mind with complex questions that he poses through the irregular construction of his surfaces. Thrown Square Pot  2005, Simon Carroll. The artists seem to dwell on the apparent hyperreality of contemporary situation, where art has become a vastly reproduced object fractured beyond identity. Formlessness becomes the beauty without symmetry and deliberate cruelty an aesthetic grotesqueness. Thus the gap between what is apparent and what may actually exists gives the artists ample space to bridge this defined categories with crushing forces of expressions that though grotesque to the shocked senses is ultimately beautiful by virtue of its truth. Works Cited Eliot, T. S The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock. Eliot, Thomas Stearns. Prufrock and Other Observations. London: The Egoist, Ltd, 1917; Bartleby.com, 1996. www.bartleby.com/198/. [30.01.2007]. ON-LINE ED.: Published May 1996 by Bartleby.com; Copyright Bartleby.com, Inc. (Terms of Use). Hegel, Lectures on Fine Art, (edited by Hotho) Aesthetics: Lectures on Fine Art, Vol. 1.translated by T. M. Knox, 1973. Poetical Works. London: Macmillan, 1884; Bartleby.com, 1999 Jakobson, Roman. Language in Literature. Ed. Krystyna Pomorska and Stephen Rudy. Cambridge, MA: Belknap, 1987. See influential essay Linguistics and Poetics by Roman Jakobson, in their collection Language in Literature (1987).