Diversity in the workplace Essay Example for Free

Diversity in the workplace Essay a.) Diversity in the workplace is recognized positively in many different ways, and can make up a strong workforce of all aspects inside different organizations. These include a variety of age, gender, their background, race, religion, disability, sexual orientation, and personality or even the style of how somebody works. All these factors create a diverse work force. By embracing these factors into the daily running of an organization it can be beneficial for both employer and employee, working pleasantly where everybody feels valued and respected. New talents are discovered and people are treated as individuals and are not stereotyped due to popular beliefs. see more:explain the principle of informed choice Employers must abide by, practice and integrate all aspects of the Equality Act 2010 as a legal requirement. Employees of the organization can help to create and carry out these policies and have the responsibility of ensuring a positive outcome in workforce tasks. Having a wider area of skills and talents to choose from will help generate new ideas helping the organization to run smoothly and exceed success on new levels. The workplace becomes host to diversity’s benefits recognizing the different terms of knowledge and differences in all work related areas. In feeling valued and respected as an individual this reflects on that persons work persona in a positive way, sympathizing with customers and working better in general to achieve the organizations crucial targets and goals. The Equality Act 2010 was introduced on 1st October 2010 and is a key piece of legislation. This Act provides the overall legal guidelines that protect the individual’s rights in the workplace and provides the correct legislation that promotes opportunity amongst all diverse platforms. The key acts that comprise the act as a whole are: * Equal Pay Act 1970 * Sex Discrimination Act 1975 * Race Relations Act 1976 * Disability Discrimination Act 1995 * Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003 * Employment Equality (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2003 * Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006 * Equality Act 2006, Part 2 * Equality Act (Sexual Orientation) Regulations 2007 Within the workplace there are policies/procedures and legislation materials that employers and employees can have easy access to on a day to day basis by using the organizations in house systems such as intranet or company website which will have sections specifically targeted to that area of the business. These sources of information can be readily available at the click of a button. By having access to the human resources department this also can offer a wealth of information in regards to company policies, company legislations, handbooks and information with regards to the courses and training that can further background knowledge on this information and can then allow both parties to put what they have learnt into practice. b.) It is of the highest importance to make sure we are all working in a healthy and safe environment and it is the responsibility of all staff to take reasonable care of your own health and safety and of others. It is important to follow instructions and cooperate with the health and safety department on regulatory matters that will arise and to attend relevant health and safety training where necessary. We must also familiarize with the health safety at work manuals these can be found on the DRI intranet or the Human Resources department. We must report any injuries, strains or illnesses as a result of your job role or potential hazards and defects observed in the workplace to the health safety department, so they can be resolved before it can lead to potential escalation. In recognition of these problems it is important that you utilize the company facilities for example this could be in the form of using of VDU’s (visual display unit) which could potentially cause eye strain as a result of prolonged use. The company can reimburse the cost of spectacles and lenses. If in specific departments you require personal protective equipment (PPE) or adequate welfare facilities, these are used free of charge and it is important you notify health safety department, should you need to order more. This is a fundamental rule when working with abrasive products. It is also vitally important to us you that you have the correct amount of rest breaks during the working day. Security of all employees is crucial, so we must make sure to fob in and out of the building when arriving or leaving the building so as to safely access the building and have a record of when and what times you leave during the day. If you happen to leave the fob at home or lose it you must contact reception to be provided with a temporary or a replacement from payroll. If you are expecting a visitor you must request they sign in and out of the building at all costs this ensures we have a record of who has been in and out of the building should an incident occur. By working in a healthy and safe environment we can remain motivated and enthused in order to prevent incidents occurring. We can be confident in our workplace surroundings striving for a much better working atmosphere. The two types of decision making made at DRI (Diamond Resorts International) are those of operational decisions which are carried out on the everyday running of the business, and decisions derived from other departments (strategically) which factors in senior management staff to make long term decisions for the business and to pin point the direction the business is going to take with more beneficial effects. Operational decisions are made up of key stages that we strategically follow; firstly we identify the decision and analyze all factors. Grid Analysis is one stage in the process that helps you to decide between several options, where you need to take many different factors into account. An alternative way is also writing out the pros and cons of that area presenting it to you in balance. An example of using grid analysis; in the key stages of making decisions. By consulting a team leader and organizing a group meeting you will be able to obtain ideas and advice from all knowledgeable bodies and consult with senior staff before a decision is made. This can give you wider pool of avenues to consider whilst going through the key stages. If the decision to be made is predominantly made by two people from separate parties they must have the knowledge to negotiate with each other to implement the decision and be satisfied in all areas. The use of feedback is important in these key stages as it allows us to gain feedback from people who hold down different job roles and responsibilities; therefore are given a variation of information that may assist in the final decision. Most operational decisions are being made day to day by team leaders and departmental managers which factor in team member’s assistance and views. Departments that deal with more executive decisions will have a larger span of control; when a manager oversees the day to da y smooth running of his/her department of staff. When training on the job role we are trained to identify what decision would need to be referred through for approval. An example of this would be the procedure that Human resources department at Diamond Resorts follow which is known as a Recruitment Authorisation form (SRAF), this is used for the recruitment of any new member of staff. If the Resort Manager at Pine Lake wanted to recruit a new housekeeper she would fill this form in and send it to the HR department. Human Resources review this by checking we are paying the correct wage or the number of hours worked is reasonable. It is then sent to the Regional Director (Carmina Saiz) for approval. Once returned to us with approval we ask Vice President of European Resort Operations (Suzana Gomercic) for approval. Once approved HR then send the form, to Executive Vice-President Steve Bell, for final approval only when these processes happen can the recruitment process begin. At each of these levels the approver has the potential to decline the request or to make a change, for example, to suggest the hours worked should be 40 hours instead of 37 hours. This would implicate the span of control going through the different processes identifying who would approve each decision before a permanent decision is made. Task 2 a.) The Importance of planning prioritizing work at DRI – Notes for guidance To help support you and achieve to the highest standard here at Diamond Resorts International it is important you are able to plan and be organized in order to meet the set deadlines for the daily running of all the departments. It is important that you are able to use your time correctly to ensure that all deadlines are met and so that you can achieve the required goals and objectives’ in daily set tasks to help other people in their responsibilities to others. We have a number of facilities at DRI and it is important we use them in order to be timely and efficient, and allow all outcomes of the day be less stressful for you and your team members. * The online mailing system is a key part of the organization and is vitally important for the outside communications and communicating inside all departments around the building. Diary systems are very useful for booking/referring back to appointments and can be used to schedule any tasks or work you may need to prioritize before the end of the day. * You may have access to different calendars’ for meeting rooms around the building. By gaining this access it allows you to see who and what time a room is booked out for, enabling you to book in and around it for yourself or upon a request via another team member. This could include any visitors meeting with you or senior management. The calendar sends you reminder so you can make the necessary arrangements for their arrival. * To do lists can be simple and easy to do on paper or electronically. If for any reason IT department is having issues via the computer software and you become unable to access your computer and cannot use the software to input your data. You can do a simple to do list on paper this will be a temporary measure to remind you and help your day run more smoothly whilst the repairs are underway. Under some circumstances we take under consideration the reasons deadlines could be late, interrupted and may not potentially be met due to certain contributing fa ctors inside the office. * Communication is important throughout working hours, between team members, and is important to have the right level at all times to ensure work is communicated effectively around the office. Too much communication can cause distractions if certain topics are not work related and can be discussed out of office times. This can be avoided by talking about unrelated work topics out of office hours, on lunch breaks or short breaks throughout the day. * It is possible you may be interrupted frequently throughout the day. This could simply be to help another team member, due to technical difficulties or answering the telephone to a customer which could unfortunately take you off task. Make sure you log where you are in order to resume where you left off. The technical difficulties can have a knock on effect for everyone in your department and it is important to try and do as much paper based work as possible to get you up to speed and prepared for the deadline so you are ready to carry on once the issues have been resolved. * There may be times when there is lack of resources around the office if you feel this will have a significant effect on areas of your work then you need to notify a member of the senior management team so they can replenish stock or locate resources from an alternative means. If the department you are working in is short staffed, senior management may want to hire temporary staff to complete clerical/admin tasks. If there are unforeseen circumstances for example you are unable to get to work on time due to problems with public transport, family emergencies or problems etc. In this case some issues cannot always be helped; you must notify your department of issues and if possible explain what work may need to be completed in order to help contribute with the work that is being delayed. b.) After three months of working for Diamond Resorts International it is company procedure to have an appraisal after three months service. I first received a letter from my head of department a week before my appraisal was due. Stating where the meeting was to be held, what time and who it would be with. It was held on the 23rd of October at 3.00 pm with the Human Resources manager. Before I was to attend the meeting I did a small self assessment on paper to remind me what needed to be outlined during the discussion. Once we sat down to commence the meeting I was asked if I was enjoying the new job role also if there was any ongoing problems that needed to be resolved. I explained that I had been enjoying the job role very much and found the prospects for working for DRI very exciting. I was told during my appraisal that all my hard work had been satisfactory and what I had been achieving was more than up to standard. As the job role was new to the company I felt proud to say that I had built the reception area up by myself and enjoyed co-coordinating the maintenance of the building. Making the area more organized and flow with the filed systems I had created. Whilst in the meeting I thought that it would be a good idea to discuss what I had planned for the future, as although I like the job role I require something more challenging and something that can test and push my abilities to what I am more capable of. This meeting was vital for the communication between manager and employee as is important to see where can be improved and problems can be raised and dealt with properly to the discretion of the employee. c.) My career goals illustrated via the SMART technique Complete Level 3 Diploma in Business Administration course with all distinctions aiming for the highest mark possible and pass the functional skills math’s exam, after attending all after hours classes and get back up to speed with mathematic skills. Consider moving job roles/departments after completion of the six month probationary period. All technical certificates will be prepared, passed and achieved in order to start the NVQ level units. Keep practicing for the functional skills math’s test, continuing the drop in math’s sessions allowing learning and improvement on the subject. I will be looking at different job role summaries and familiarizing with them. All the technical certificates have been prepared for and have the correct resources and information to achieve each unit. Each certificate will have a specific time to achieve handouts and activities to complete in order to gather all the information required to achieve set target scores. By completing and concentrating on each unit at once I can put 100% into each unit, also enabling me the flexibility of fulfilling my own job role. There will be points in the day where I will have to break of and do my duties that are required of me as an employee of DRI. I will also be completing functional skills out of office hours. Each unit I have set myself minimum of 2 weeks to complete. This is ample time to have completed each individual unit and have the feedback comments sent over to me via email from my assessor. Each 2 weeks my assessor will come and visit and discuss my progress. Section B 1. a) The key points that are included in a contract of employment could be any of the following; the contract will have the name of your employer and the employee also the date the employment commenced. The number of working hours you will be required to work during the week. The contract will inform you of how much holiday entitlement you are allocated annually, also how they will calculate them yearly. The details of sick pay and statutory pay will be enclosed in a contract of employment also the pension details. The contract will describe the job title and the brief job description of the work, and the location of where work has to be carried out. b.) A contract of employment is an agreement between employer and employee which determines the relationship between both parties. A written contract can include one short handwritten page or a lengthy document containing detailed components. Each business should take the time to carefully prepare a contract of employment for each employee. All businesses have different needs and outlooks, the style and content of each contract of employment will be different. 2. There are a number of representative resources that can assist employees with information and support them where necessary; The Equal Opportunities commission (EOC) is a regulatory body that promotes statutory rights within the employment sector and monitors human rights; offers on hand legislation and legal frameworks to the members of the public informing them of their rights. ACAS (Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service) is a regulatory body available online and is available for employees/employers that aim to improve organisations through better employment relationships. They also help by updating their website with the most current forms of legislation, and offering free independent advice. 3. a.) There are many factors that can lead to being under pressure in a workplace environment, where a professional manner can become difficult to maintain. If you are running by a tight deadline it could become increasingly difficult to reach, due to lack of resources or due to your organizations department being understaffed. The nature of your work could become strained as a result of more elements being added to a task than originally identified. There could be fundamental changes in your job role with new standards that need to be met in order to meet company deadlines pressuring the work environment further. b.) It is important in any departments of organizations that we declare our work progress; this is so we can keep up to date with targets and deadlines also so that team members can utilize the use of support they may need in the work processes, where necessary in order to complete tasks. It is also important to log our progress of work so we can anticipate any problems that we could encounter, and identify them before them before they happen. To identify our progress we are not impacting on others workloads in a negative way, we are working alongside them resulting in a positive outcome. 4. By continuously seeking to improve our performances at work we are able to assess and consider the possible options going forward in the work place, you are exceeding your own limitations/performance, learning new skills and producing quality work that meets the high standards of your organization. By achieving targets and goals are of a higher standard because you are putting more effort into your work. This not only gives the employer a good impression but can give you more chance of increasing your income or getting a promotion, it also gives you the motivation needed to proceed with your work. The efficiency and effectiveness in producing work can give you a sense of satisfaction, as well as receiving positive feedback from the people around you. By using certain analytical procedures we can assess our progress and see where would be the need for improvement. By using SWOT analysis or SMART techniques we can identify our skills, threats, our strengths which can be used to our advantages helping us to focus on our career pathways. Feedback (whether formal or informal) is a key way of enabling us to improve our own performances in the workplace whether it be positive or negative feedback we can take pointers away and work on them to improve work place performances inside of office hours. 5. There could potentially be problems in the workplace which cannot be solved without the interjection of another member of staff. This could be caused by lack of resources for example being short staffed, which is the responsibility of senior management who overlook the Rota’s to make sure there is significant cover ensuring the team can operate as a whole. If the department you are working in has frequent interaction with customers; there may be customer complaints that are not being dealt with correctly. Customers may wish to speak to senior members of staff who can investigate further taking the customer down a different route to solve their query, which only they will have the authorization to do. You may need to refer a problem if the solution involves reimbursement of company funds, or the problem may have a serious impact on an overall company targets. If there is a serious risk to a person’s life or the problem is in breach of a Health and Safety procedure, you must ensure that the information is passed on and dealt with by a member of the correct department as they will be familiar with all the policies and be able to devise a solution.

A 17th century audience Essay Example for Free

A 17th century audience Essay The Tempest is full of magic and illusion. Consider the effect this would have on a 17th century audience and a 21st century audience. How might the magic and illusion be presented today? William Shakespeare wrote The Tempest as a play. It was not intended for the text to be read by school children from a book. It was intended for performance in a theatre, where it would give enjoyment to an audience. One of the main themes of The Tempest is magic. Prospero is a magician, a sorcerer, a wizard, someone with magical powers. He uses these powers to make lots of things happen within the play. Indeed, the first scene focuses on the storm that Prospero has created to cause havoc on the ship upon which his enemies are travelling. At the beginning of the play, the storm just seems like any other storm, with an unfortunate crew being shipwrecked. By the end of Act 1, however, we discover that the storm was not a natural occurrence. Prospero conjured up the storm and deliberately picked out that ship. The audience get their first hint of this in Mirandas first speech of the play. Miranda has watched the storm destroy the ship and she feels pity for the shipwrecked people. In her opening line, she asks her father if the storm is a product of his magic: If by your art, my dearest father, you have Put the wild waters in this roar, allay them. This shows that Miranda knows about Prosperos magic. She may not know everything that he does with his powers, but she knows that he does have supernatural powers. This storm is the beginning of a plan that Prospero has thought up to wreak revenge on his enemies. The plan involves a lot of magic. After being stranded on the island for 12 years, Prospero has had time to perfect his powers and to dream up a plan, a plan that never could have taken place without the storm. Because of this, the initial storm has a massive impact on the rest of the play. It also gives the audience an idea of how strong Prosperos powers are. He is able to control the elements, something that only God is supposed to be able to do. However, as we learn later on in the play, Prospero may be able to conjure up storms and illusions, but he cannot control human nature, and must rely on good luck when trying to make Ferdinand and Miranda to fall in love.

The Success Of Inmate Reentry Programs

The Success Of Inmate Reentry Programs What can correctional facilities offer to inmates to help those that are about to be released from prison keep from being rearrested. Most inmates who are released have no job, money, or a place to live. The same pressures and temptations that landed ex-offenders in prison are present in the environment that they often go back to. The key elements of successful re-entry into society after prison are finding and keeping a lucrative job, finding a descent place to live, and finding a mentor to help guide them in the right direction. Most of the communities that former inmates are released into are most often impoverished neighborhoods that do not contain the support that is key to the success of reentry into society from correctional facilities. Re-entry programs offered by correctional facilities can help smooth the transition, but they are not always successful. This paper discusses the successes and often the failures of the inmate re-entry programs. The Success of Inmate Re-Entry Programs Work release and educational programs were created throughout the federal prison systems as an effort to provide ex-offenders with an opportunity for preparation for release back into the community and to be productive contributors to society. Are these programs successful at their attempts, or is it a waste of government and taxpayers money? In order to determine whether work programs are successful, considerations of an evaluation deploying proper statistical methods require a good number of people in the study. A possible way to gauge former inmates may be to question and get information and ask questions during visits to parole officers. In reality, however, attempts to gather self-reported crime in this fashion has the possibility of yielding poor results. Former inmates reluctantly make confessions of crimes. Moreover, working through a parole office increases the difficulty of guaranteeing the anonymity of research subjects. More than 700,000 people are released from state and Federal prison annually while another 9 million cycle through local jails over and over. Statistics provided by the Office of National Drug Control Policy indicate that more than two-thirds of state prisoners are rearrested within three years of their release and half are re-incarcerated(Caporizzo, 2011). More crime, more victims, and more pressure on an already overburdened criminal justice system are named as the causes for recidivism. Recidivism can be defined in different ways and in different contexts. A generally used meaning might be a rectum to crime. It is almost impossible to truly gauge the rate of rectum to crime for any group of former prisoners because of the difficulty to locate individuals. The Administrations National Drug Control Strategy supports comprehensive change within the criminal justice system stating that, promoting a combined public health/public safety approach to stop the all-too-common cycle of arrest, incarceration, release, and re-arrest of prior offenders (Dryden, 1975). The cost for incarceration stretches far beyond the prison walls, meals provided to inmates daily, and the guards who potentially put themselves in harms way each day. The United States incarcerates more people than any other country in the world. It costs over $26,000 to incarcerate one federal prisoner for one year more than the average cost of one year of college education. American taxpayers spend over $60 billion each year on prisons. Half of all federal prisoners and one in five state prisoners are there for drug related offenses which are usually a nonviolent. Men who have served time in prison earn 40 percent less each year than men who have not been in prison. One in every 28 children under age 18 has a parent in prison. Long mandatory sentences have led to overcrowded, unsafe prisons that are less cost-effective than alternatives like treatment and drug courts (Caporizzo, 2011). Reentry programs are designed to assist incarcerated individuals with a successful transition to their community after they are released. President Obamas has a strategy called the National Drug Control Strategy that calls for supporting post-incarceration reentry efforts by assisting former inmates in job placement, facilitating access to drug-free housing, and providing other supportive services. Obamas National Drug Control Strategy is participating in the Federal Interagency Reentry Council, first convened in January 2011 by Attorney General Eric Holder who states, The Councils main purpose is to make communities safer, assisting those returning from prison and jail in becoming productive, tax-paying citizens and saving taxpayer dollars by lowering the direct and collateral costs of incarceration (Caporizzo, 2011). The access to college courses, another program that is offered to inmates, has been available to increasingly large numbers of prisoners since the early seventies. Public funds support such educational programs. As part of governmental criminal justice policy, one explicit aim of this prison higher education has been to reduce the likelihood of criminal behavior among those released from prison. Have prison college programs reduced recidivism? When examination of follow-up data from matched comparison groups that have not received programs was compared to groups that have received the programs, little difference from the treatment was often seen. It was concluded that correctional rehabilitation programs were by and large ineffective in reducing recidivism. There are two theories that attempt at explaining why former inmates return to prison. The first of this theory is the opportunity theory. It claims that crime derives from a persons lack of opportunity for legitimate economic advancement. The expectation that prisoners who earn college credits will get better jobs after release than they would otherwise, according to this theory, justifies prison college classes. Some criminologists, observing the slight impact social programs have had on recidivism rates, lack confidence in opportunity theory to do much about the crime problem. Moral development is the second theory that has been used to justify prison college programs. According to this view, a prisoner becomes more generally honest by studying and discussing the moral dilemmas encountered in liberal arts courses. Quite apart from the intervening cause of getting a good job, thus, the theory of moral development sees higher education operating directly on personality to produce law-abiding behavior (Lockwood, p. 140). It was found that participation in work-release or college programs had no effect on the length of time until return to criminal activity, the percentage of men who return to criminal activity, or the frequency of participation in criminal activity after release from prison. However, there was a highly significant effect on the seriousness of criminal activity. Both the average length of sentence received and the length of the most serious sentence are significantly lower for men who participated in a work-release program. Men who were not on work release were found to have a much greater probability of returning to prison for a felony than those men who participated in a work-release program. The effectiveness of work release on providing work experience and a stable job record is supported by the greater work stability, lower unemployment rate, and higher wages of men who have been on a work-release program when compared with men who have not been on the program. Greater work stability is associated with a decline in the seriousness of criminal activity. 16 percent of the men who had been on work release claimed it helped them after prison by providing a job reference, and 25 percent said the work experience they gained helped them significantly after release. It was also found that there was little objective support for attributing the effectiveness of work release to increased family stability. Being married and having dependents also has no significant association with the seriousness of criminal activity. Subjectively, men who had been on work release found the ability it gave them to support their dependents while in prison to be one of the most important benefits o f the program. There was little objective support for believing that work release provided new job skills. Most work-release jobs have a low skill level. The skill level of the first job after release for former work release inmates were significantly higher than the skill level of the first job obtained by men who had not been on a work-release program. The fact that 39 percent of the men had been on a work-release program remained on their work-releasejobs at least for a short period after release from prison supports the effectiveness of work-release in providing a job after prison. However, staying on ones work-release job does not appear to be significantly related to the seriousness of criminal activity. The effect of work release in providing a man with money on release is rather interesting. Subjectively, men who had been on work release found the money it provided them on release to be the single most important benefit of the work-release program. The project had no objective measure of the effect of contacts with the free community on postrelease performance. However, 30 percent of the men who had been on work release said that their experience eased their adjustment. According to the findings by Lynn Goodstein (1980), work-release is a successful program: men who have been on the work-release program commit less serious criminal offenses after release from prison. Although the determinate sentence is generally discussed as a unified concept, it appears to be comprised of two independent factors which can be considered separately-equity in sentencing and predictability of release. Evidence from psychological research on stress and intrinsic motivation is presented to substantiate claims by critics of the indeterminate sentence that it results in heightened inmate-anxiety and poor program-performance. Ensuring predictability of release is an important objective which is likely to result in benefits for both inmates and the correctional system as a whole (Goodstein, p. 365). A Panel on Research on Rehabilitative Techniques of the National Research Council drew a random sample of the cases that Lipton, Martinson, and Wilks examined. They carried out an independent analysis of these data (Sechrest, White, and Brown, 1979). Even though the Panel found the research methods used in these evaluations so inadequate that only a few studies allowed for sure conclusions, they did make this statement in 1979: We do not now know of any program or method of rehabilitation that could be guaranteed to reduce the criminal activity of released offendersbut the quality of the work that has been done and the narrow range of options explored militates against any policy reflecting a final pessimism. (Sechrest, White, and Brown, 1979, p.34). This still holds true today. Since 1979, when the National Research Council Panel carried out its work, prison higher education programs have proliferated. But given the conclusion of the panel, and the results of the Martinson Report, why should one think that prison higher education will reduce recidivism any more than other programs that have failed? In considering this question one can look to at least two theories of crime. These propositions, if true, could justify the cost to the public of providing college education to imprisoned offenders as a rational crime prevention measure.

South Africas Weather and Natural Disasters :: South Africa Climate Environment Essays Papers

Weather One of the many unique aspects of South Africa is its intense cultural background and tradition. It is very common in South Africa to know several myths about different towns and cities and to pass the stories on to each generation. There are some myths that explain all sorts of various aspects of South African life, but more importantly, there are some that relate to the weather. One of these myths has to do with a weather pattern that occurs everyday in Cape Town, and is one of the great myths of South Africa. The myth has to do with Table Mountain, the central mountain in Cape Town. Although the myth has been around for many generations, the weather aspect it relates to is true and still happens today. To begin, one must understand that Table Mountain sits in the center of Cape Town, while the town inhabits a circular form around the mountain. Table Mountain has become a focal point of the city and attracts many tourists to see it and also some venture up via the cable car. It seems very fitting that this mountain would be the focus of a very famous story in South Africa. The story goes as follows (it is told in many variations, this is as told by Lauren Smith, who studied in Cape Town in the spring of 2004): Their once was a man in Cape Town who was very well known and respected. He would smoke his pipe more than anyone else in Cape Town. Every afternoon he would smoke on top of Table Mountain. No one could ever out smoke this man, he was simply too good. One day, someone approached him and challenged him to a smoking contest. He agreed, figuring there was no way anyone could possibly out smoke him and he would surely win. The two contestants went on top of the mountain and smoked and smoked all afternoon. They smoked so much that it created huge billows of smoke that collected atop of the men and rolled down the mountain towards the Cape Town. The outcome of the bet is somewhat insignificant in this, because it is the billows of smoke that relate to today’s current weather patterns in Cape Town. In any case, the man realized he was smoking ag ainst the devil because the devil wasn’t affected at all by the smoke he was inhaling.

The Stem Cell Life Safers Essay -- Biology, Cells

Envision a euphoric world where a couple insignificant little cells had the possibility to cure horrible chronic diseases like cancer. Picture how incredible that would be. Now imagine this, the only sacrifice you would have to make to save millions of people, would be killing a few babies here and there. Now how does that sound to you? Sounds like a rapidly developing dilemma. If that was your initial thought, you were correct. This dilemma is called embryonic stem cell research, and it has caused conflicts with peoples’ opinions, morals, and religion for years. Being that scientist, doctors, and the public can’t decide if embryonic stem cell research is moral or immoral, the research should just be banned altogether and researchers should begin focusing on other methods of research to find cures for diseases. What are Embryonic Stem Cells, you may ask? Embryonic Stem Cells are cells that are extracted from human embryos. These particular stem cells can transform into more than two hundred varying tissue types. (Birtley, Cate) The embryonic stem cell is a possible life saver. It has the potential to cure diseases such as cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and eventually the memory loss disease, Alzheimer’s. (Svoboda, Elizabeth. 5) However, stem cells have instances where they shouldn’t be as glorified as they are. According to Don Taylor, the director at the Center for Cardiovascular Repair, at the University of Minnesota, â€Å"Embryonic Stem Cells represent the good, the bad, and the ugly. When they are good, they can be grown to a large number in the lab and used to give rise to tissues, organs, or body parts. When they are bad, they don’t know when to stop growing and they give rise to tumors. The ugly – well we don’t unde... ...om a newborn babies umbilical cord. These stem cells, if they had been left alone to develop further, would have formed into immune system cells or blood cells. Since these cells would’ve eventually become immune system or blood cells, they can’t morph into as large of a variety as embryonic stem cells can. However, they are still very effective in helping patients that are suffering from blood diseases such as leukemia or hepatitis. Cord-blood stem cells also serve as a great alternative to the patients having a bone marrow transplant. While these stem cells are extracted from the stem cells of babies, it is of no harm to the child whatsoever. On the other hand, when you obtain embryonic stem cells, you are extracted them from the undeveloped embryo which ultimately leads to the destruction of the embryo and the death of the child. (Svoboda, Elizabeth 1)

Arguing for Authenticity: A Comparison and Contrast of Two American Mod

â€Å"[F]uture commentators on American poetry and political issues will not be able to ignore the †¦ authentic voice of the region,† argues Barry Ahearn, author of the article Poetry: 1900 to the 1940s, which discusses the importance of the author writing about his or her region of choice in their poetry and how it affects their writing (Ahearn 373). Ahearn discusses writers such as Sterling A. Brown, Langston Hughes, H.D. (Hilda Doolittle), Robert Frost, Robinson Jeffers, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Lorine Niedecker, George Oppen, John Crowe Ransom, Charles Rezikoff, Muriel Rukeyser, Gertrude Stine, Wallace Stevens, Sara Teasdale, William Carlos Williams, and Louis Zukofksy. The purpose of mentioning so many, claims Ahearn, is to gather a survey of works between 1900 and the 1940s. The discussion of these writers creates a wide range of Modernist authors that influenced each other and the people who read their works; the author claims that the authenticity of t he writer is what creates a more accurate work of literature and the life experiences of these authors is the material that adds to their writing as a whole. Robert Frost and Langston Hughes are regional writers that focus on specific places but have similar qualities in their poems that transcend the locale. Two poems will be discussed that exemplify these qualities: â€Å"Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening† with â€Å"Birches† by Robert Frost and â€Å"Theme for English B† with â€Å"Visitors to the Black Belt† by Langston Hughes. Modernist Poetry involves a movement away from the self and the emotions of the individual. Typically, the focus of Modernist poetry revolves around the rational notions of the self, unlike the Romantic period, which focused on the poet. Modernist poets ex... ...olarship 2004.1 (2006): 385. EDS Foundation Index. Web. 18 Apr. 2012. Frost, Robert. â€Å"Birches.† The Norton Anthology Of American Literature. 7th. Vol. D. Ed. Leffelholz, Mary. New York: Norton & Company, 2007. 1400-1402. Print. Frost, Robert. â€Å"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.† The Norton Anthology Of American Literature. 7th. Vol. D. Ed. Leffelholz, Mary. New York: Norton & Company, 2007. 1403. Print. Hughes, Langston. â€Å"Theme for English B.† The Norton Anthology Of American Literature. 7th. Vol. D. Ed. Leffelholz, Mary. New York: Norton & Company, 2007. 2036. Print. Hughes, Langston. â€Å"Visitors to the Black Belt.† The Norton Anthology Of American Literature. 7th.Vol. D. Ed. Leffelholz, Mary. New York: Norton & Company, 2007. 2032. Print. Leffelholz, Mary. The Norton Anthology Of American Literature. 7th. D. New York: Norton & Company, 2007. 1177-1191. Print. Arguing for Authenticity: A Comparison and Contrast of Two American Mod â€Å"[F]uture commentators on American poetry and political issues will not be able to ignore the †¦ authentic voice of the region,† argues Barry Ahearn, author of the article Poetry: 1900 to the 1940s, which discusses the importance of the author writing about his or her region of choice in their poetry and how it affects their writing (Ahearn 373). Ahearn discusses writers such as Sterling A. Brown, Langston Hughes, H.D. (Hilda Doolittle), Robert Frost, Robinson Jeffers, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Lorine Niedecker, George Oppen, John Crowe Ransom, Charles Rezikoff, Muriel Rukeyser, Gertrude Stine, Wallace Stevens, Sara Teasdale, William Carlos Williams, and Louis Zukofksy. The purpose of mentioning so many, claims Ahearn, is to gather a survey of works between 1900 and the 1940s. The discussion of these writers creates a wide range of Modernist authors that influenced each other and the people who read their works; the author claims that the authenticity of t he writer is what creates a more accurate work of literature and the life experiences of these authors is the material that adds to their writing as a whole. Robert Frost and Langston Hughes are regional writers that focus on specific places but have similar qualities in their poems that transcend the locale. Two poems will be discussed that exemplify these qualities: â€Å"Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening† with â€Å"Birches† by Robert Frost and â€Å"Theme for English B† with â€Å"Visitors to the Black Belt† by Langston Hughes. Modernist Poetry involves a movement away from the self and the emotions of the individual. Typically, the focus of Modernist poetry revolves around the rational notions of the self, unlike the Romantic period, which focused on the poet. Modernist poets ex... ...olarship 2004.1 (2006): 385. EDS Foundation Index. Web. 18 Apr. 2012. Frost, Robert. â€Å"Birches.† The Norton Anthology Of American Literature. 7th. Vol. D. Ed. Leffelholz, Mary. New York: Norton & Company, 2007. 1400-1402. Print. Frost, Robert. â€Å"Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening.† The Norton Anthology Of American Literature. 7th. Vol. D. Ed. Leffelholz, Mary. New York: Norton & Company, 2007. 1403. Print. Hughes, Langston. â€Å"Theme for English B.† The Norton Anthology Of American Literature. 7th. Vol. D. Ed. Leffelholz, Mary. New York: Norton & Company, 2007. 2036. Print. Hughes, Langston. â€Å"Visitors to the Black Belt.† The Norton Anthology Of American Literature. 7th.Vol. D. Ed. Leffelholz, Mary. New York: Norton & Company, 2007. 2032. Print. Leffelholz, Mary. The Norton Anthology Of American Literature. 7th. D. New York: Norton & Company, 2007. 1177-1191. Print.

A Multicultural Workplace

A Multicultural Workplace A multicultural workplace refers to a group of individuals who represent all types of human difference gathered to achieve a common goal, which is the organization or company’s mission. For some, a multicultural organization may refer to their workplace as such, due to the variation of individuals’ age, sex, ethnicity, physical abilities, and even sexual orientation. Additionally, the diversity among this workforce is likely to be considered such based on its employees racial, social and ability characteristics.The scope of diversity within an organization should go beyond the personal characterizes listed here. The scope of diversity within an organization should include the way an organization responds to their multicultural workforce. The times of suppressing cultural differences, which forced individuals to sacrifice parts of their heritage in order to obtain gainful employment, is becoming outdated. Today, conforming to the majority cultur e of this western society is becoming less and less of an issue, and thankfully so.Originally, multicultural initiatives, beginning in the late 1960’s, where associated with race and gender. Today, all differences are encompassed in organization based multicultural or diversity programs with the expectation that all employees become cultural competent and embrace cultural awareness. That is if an organization has created such programs. At Milwaukee Center for Independence (MCFI), multicultural and diversity programs do exist. The organization has created a climate of cultural inclusion, incorporating genuine value for diversity within the workplace and among employees.The organizations diversity initiatives are strengthened by annual culture training, communication, a Diversity Team, and mentoring programs for both internal clients and staff and throughout the community. Cultural training courses are conducted annually for each department within the organization. In addition, MCFI conducts a â€Å"Cultures Week† event each year in celebration of culture and diversity reaching out to all employees and the community. The vision of the MCFI Diversity Team and the agency as a whole is to â€Å"be the benchmark of diversity and inclusion among nonprofit agencies in Southeastern Wisconsin.MCFI will be the organization from which clients want to receive services, for which funders want to provide support, where vendors want to do business and employees see diverse opportunities† (MCFI, 2012). The team’s goals include a commitment to understanding what diversity is and its impact on the workplace and the community (MCFI, 2012). The Diversity Team also works to increase appreciation for richness, which is brought by different attitudes, skills sets, abilities, approaches, and perspectives, as well as promoting cooperation and an understanding of and among individuals of diverse backgrounds.Communication tools have also been created for great er understanding and knowledge of diversity through innovative and creative management. MCFI and the Diversity Team collaborate with other community agencies and businesses throughout the Milwaukee area to spread an understanding of diversity and the vision of MCFI (MCFI, 2012). The managerial principles behind the Milwaukee Center for Independence Diversity Team include members that represent a cross-section of the organization, which is structured to reflect the agency wide culture.In addition, the Diversity Team and its Director, Al Hill, have developed tracking systems to watch and ensure the progress of the agency and team mission, vision, and goals, such as the community outreach programs. Further, the team stays linked with key agency internal and external functions, such as within Human Resources, communication, and training and development team’s agency wide. MCFI was recognized for its achievements in the area of diversity within the workforce. MCFI won the 2009 Awa rd of Excellence from the Wisconsin Association of Equal Opportunity.In addition, MCFI was honored with the 2010 Wisconsin State Society for Human Resource Management’s Workplace Diversity Award. MCFI goes far beyond mere diversity training, expanding to the creation of an inclusive work environment. MCFI’s dedication to diversity in the workplace encourages creative thinking. The agencies clients and employees represent a full spectrum of ages, disabilities, education levels, ethnicities, religions, experiences, sexual orientation, gender, opinions, beliefs, and races.MCFI considers diversity as not just a moral obligation, but visions it as imperative to the success of the organization, which is reaching as many individuals and families with special needs as possible. The MCFI Diversity Team includes internal employees as well as individuals from its affiliates and community agencies. The main objective of MCFI and the Diversity Team is to be the main point of refere nce for inclusion and diversity among non-profit agencies throughout the immediate and outlying communities.Additional visions of MCFI are to be the premier agency for client, vender, and employee choice in regards to services, business affiliation, and employment opportunity. I am confident in saying that MCFI is an excellent place to feel welcome, allowing myself and others to express their individuality. MCFI also allows each employee and client to learn about what makes others different, yet similar, and supporting the acceptance of all human difference. One of the positive impacts of MCFI diversity initiatives is the opportunity given to everyone to see things from different perspectives.Their voice and perspectives are heard in a safe, nonjudgmental, and bias free environment. Working with others with different attitudes, beliefs, and values provide an outstanding opportunity to expand individual knowledge, which only assists to better service the clients of the agency. Along with increased diversity comes an increase in different perspectives providing unique viewpoints for problem solving as well as co-worker and client interaction. At times, there may be barriers in effectively creating a diverse workplace.It is essential to incorporate diversity programs into the company or organizations strategic plan. Further, diversity training should also be tied into a company’ vision, goals, and objectives. In order to execute diversity training and awareness successfully, an organization or company must clearly communicate the main objectives of diversity training; establish a means of reinforcement and metrics to measure the effectiveness. In addition, a company or organization must include both minority and majority groups in strategic planning and implementation of a diversity program.I have seen and read much information on diversity and cultural training within the organization I am employed. The organization keeps its employees engaged in diversit y training throughout the year. Monthly conferences are available on site to all internal staff and community guests. Conferences include topics such as the understanding of specific types of behavioral health issues and disabilities. Additionally, guest speakers come throughout Hispanic, African American, and Hmong Culture Awareness months. The opportunities to engage in and open up to awareness of different cultures at MCFI are endless.Issues and problems within the diverse workplace of MCFI are handled with an understanding that individuals are different. Employees of the organization are single mothers and fathers, individuals with disabilities, student’s health issues, and all from different religious, ethnic, cultural, and racial backgrounds and heritage. I have personal experience issues that I needed to address with management. As a full time student and a full time employee, who believe in the importance of family and work/life balance, the organization listened to m y need for time off and alternate schedules to accommodate my life.Flexibility in the work place also allows for such things as difference cultural rituals and holiday celebrations that are outside the norm of western culture. I believe it is crucial for companies and organizations to consider an individual’s differences to allow for some flexibility concerning individual culture differences and life changes. With that, employees remain happy in the work place and continue to work toward the company's mission and continue to be a productive team member. References MCFI. (2012). Diversity mission and vision. Retrieved from http://www. mcfi. net/MCFI-Diversity/Mission-Vision. htm