Tech changes education system Essay Example for Free

Tech changes education system Essay Teaching and learning process will change significantly due to the technological innovations in daily education activities. Learning platforms, software tools developed to support the different stages of education, personal devices like PC tablets and e-book readers and displaying devices like interactive web boards will have an impact on how educators plan programmes and how students receive information. 1)Positive Effects of Technology on Education Talking in a positive sense, the impact of technology on education has been phenomenal. Using Internet and computers as en effective medium to establish communication between schools, teachers, students and parents; educational institutes have been able to handle many issues that were previously not handled with ease due to geographical limitations or lack of adequate training technologies. 2)Enhanced Teaching and Learning Technological developments like digital cameras, projectors, mind training software, computers, PowerPoint presentations, 3D visualization tools; all these have become great sources for teachers to help students grasp a concept easily. It has to be understood that visual explanation of concepts makes learning fun and enjoyable for students. Theyre able to participate more in the classroom and even teachers get a chance to make their classes more interactive and interesting. The importance of technology in schools can be understood from the fact that it empowers the educational system and produces better students. 3)No Geographical Limitations With the introduction of online degree programs there is hardly any need of being present physically in the classroom. Even several foreign universities have started industry oriented online degree courses that aspirants can join. Distance learning and online education have become an integral part of the education system nowadays. Certainly, the value of off-campus education may never be equal to that of on-campus training but for diploma and other courses, when the student is thousands of mile away from the educational institute, these online courses can be of great advantage. Negative effects 1)Poor Teacher Student Relationship any teachers have a common complaint that negative habits of students are more exacerbated due to the use of technology. In countries like the US, where assignments and homework are required to be submitted online, students tend to forget common email etiquette like salutation and sometimes, even adding texts in the attachments! Moreover, the trend of last day submissions has now transformed into last hour, last minute submissions. Students submit their assignments even hours after the time for submission is over and their emails dont contain any explanation or a note of apology. Moreover, questions, queries and problems regarding any topic in assignments that should reach to the teacher within 24 hours of submission of the homework, remain due for days. Not many students are even bothered to get their queries cleared. Those few who raise questions want them to be answered online which is not always possible, as teacher student interaction is something that is vital to understand intricate topics. The trend of blackboards wherein, teachers post online notes, lectures, assignments and other information has cultivated the habit of skipping college lectures amongst students. The belief that Google is always there, has made students disorganized and impatient. They just want to copy and paste the information, so that they can finish the assignment. Going to the college library, searching for information from books or even online library facilities seems to be a daunting task for students. Teachers have expressed concern that not many students are productively utilizing technology for their growth. Teachers are also concerned about the fact that students dont fix appointments with them to seek answers to queries or to know something more about the subject. 2)Lack of Focus SMS or text messaging has become a favorite pastime of many students. Students are seen playing with their cell phone, iPhones day and night, right from crossing a street, or driving and very often even between lectures. Being ever-connected to the online world has resulted in lack of focus and concentration in academics and to some extent, even in sports and extra curricular activities. It is certainly not possible to read a difficult subject and at the same time, chat with a friend, and remain logged in on facebook. These are very obvious distractions that have eroded the sense of mental focus, peace and concentration ability from students life. Video gaming for instance has become the greatest distraction for students. Teenagers are easily influenced by any new gadget and technology being introduced in the market and this has also made them splurge unnecessarily. 3)Poor Reading and Writing Skills Reading seems to be a lost hobby in this age. While there is a plentiful of information in the form of free ebooks available on the Internet, anybody who likes reading will agree that reading a book online and reading a printed form of book certainly has some prominent differences. Even if students were reading books online, it would have been fair but the fact is that owing to bombardment of information, the moment a teenager opens a website, he is lost elsewhere, either searching for new games or opening his or her facebook profile. Since assignments are mostly done online, hand writing skills of students have become pathetic. It is understandable that in this age of computers, there is hardly any requirement of hand writing skills but still, a good hand writing is an integral part of learning. It improves our eye to hand coordination, makes us more focused and gives us an opportunity to express ourselves, more profoundly. Writing skills also convey deeper aspects about our personality like our organizational abilities and ability to express our ideas in a refined manner. Certainly, typing on a keyboard doesnt impair creativity in writing (in fact they are useful, as using a backspace, one can easily change previous sentences). Nevertheless, hand writing skills are certainly an integral part of good education. Since technology has both positive and negative dimensions, we must make efforts to help students and kids realize the potential in the proper use of technology. Since kids always love freedom, respective authorities must ensure that they are not overdosing students with strict rules and regulations regarding using technologies in schools and colleges. But, certain rules are essential to avoid overuse of technology in education. That will ensure that technology is used for improving a students life and not wasting valuable resources like time and money.

Westernization in Present Day: Globalisation in Singapore

Westernization in Present Day: Globalisation in Singapore Globalization can be described as an ongoing process where resources, believes, ideas and technology from different cultures are integrated to each other and promote new ways of thinking and practices among the society. As a continuing progression, globalization aroused from the influences of other cultures, which has been adapted with the local cultural conditions and modified to fit in the context of social behaviour. The external influences will directly override some local particularities, and the culture itself will be altered, or maybe damaged, or even enhanced, according to the perspective of society life. Therefore, the expression of culture itself will be interpreted and analysed in different way which encouraged the people to think, act, and learn the new disciplines in every aspect of life. These processes, hence, have an outcome of a cultural diversity, in which introducing the local values in global culture. In other words, it offered a global and local linkage of social changes that happened in the nation. Looking through the contemporary social life, globalization has become a major issue all over the world. Many countries have developed new approaches in most of the living aspects, and transformed peoples lifestyle in order to follow the major flow that happened globally. In todays modern days, globalization can act as a tool to open the opportunities of influence by other countries, and expand the cross-cultural interaction that may build up the cohesion among the nation. Globalization, however, implies to westernization in present days. The nature of western countries seems to appear as a science based tradition and the world is highly developed towards that tradition, as a sense of control. These global forces appear to superficially standardized and homogenized cultures, and equivalent to westernization. Majority of cultures are converging to the western standards, local identities have been replaced with global culture, and western values have become significant trends in this modern world.   Looking at Singapore, a cosmopolitan city, where variety of cultures merges together, is one of a good example of a country that embraces globalization. Besides accepting the westernization, Singapore has been spanning borders through other cultures, such as Malay, Chinese, Indian, and Caucasian. These four interwoven cultures has created a genuine blending of traditions, believes, and ideas. A fusion of cultures in which Singapore brought in, has created a multi-disciplinary notions and practices, rooted in many cultural traditions. This synthesis has altered and transforms the peoples way of life according to the local context. On the other hand, not only western value that the world, including Singapore, has been developing on, but also majority of the countries have welcoming influences from Asian culture. Japan has brought a significant shift in the worlds globalization. Beside westernization, it has been become a popular culture among the world. Japanese culture has generated a different approach in global trends. Its tradition does not rest on science based technology and for them technology is a choice, not a necessity. Japan has greatly developed their long standing traditions towards something that instinctive rather than rationalistic way of thinking, like what the western do. Japan has its own original characteristic, which has a capacity to adapt and integrate new forms and function. Hence, there is no doubt that Japanese influence has an impact on the worlds culture, such as, in space, design, architecture, style, and even food culture. There is no large city in the world in which a Japanese restaurant cannot be found. Far from being a passing fad, Japanese cuisine is an establishment item in restaurants all over the world. The popularity of Japanese food is in part due to its reputation as a healthy alternative and also the curiosity and willingness to constantly introducing new tastes in their daily meals. Japanese way of dining, since the olden days, has put emphasized on food arrangement as a piece of art. For the Japanese, food must be enjoyed visually and pleasing to the eyes. They have developed the aesthetic sense to design exquisite harmony between colours, texture and shape throughout the food arrangement. This visual pleasure is an essential prelude and accompaniment to the savoury pleasure that follow. The influence of Japanese cuisine has been successfully creating a new atmosphere in Singapore food culture. It is proven that Singapore people accepted the taste and ambience of Japanese food by looking to the increasing number of sushi chain restaurant, such as Sushi Tei, Sakae Sushi; numerous traditional and contemporary Japanese restaurant, and also Japanese themed food court such as Ishimura and Manpuku. The diversity of food which has been influenced by Japanese cuisine, has become an inspiration for the designers to introduce innovative and exciting solutions to design dining spaces, through the essential aspect of Japanese dining and design in new ways that suit todays restaurant-goers. Recognizing the context of social behaviour in Singapore, innovation is the key elements for Singaporean. In terms of food culture, people like an excitement and it is a challenge for them to try something fresh and different, both in food and also ambience of dining space. Experience is another strong point, another extra ordinary atmosphere can attract people to get in and try a new restaurant. Besides the tendency to look for new things, the image of Singapore as a fast paced country gave an impact to the society. The time-oriented and multi-tasking people have built a busy working environment and hectic lifestyle in this metropolis city. Consequently, they are likely dont have time to have the luxury of enjoying social fellowship during the weekdays. This could be why it seems that forms of entertainment in Singapore tend to be designed to fit peoples activity on weekends. The big leisure activity that Singapore offers is shopping. There are numerous numbers of malls and shopping centres have been build or even renovated to drag people in the shopping as an attraction. Other than shopping; casinos, theme parks, nature reserves, are the other forms of leisure that Singapore provided. Despite the fact that all those type of facilities can serve as a very relaxing and stress relieving activity, people need to spend their time on weekend to do these activities.

Aspects and benefits of Work Life Balance

Aspects and benefits of Work Life Balance 1.0 INTRODUCTION This following thesis discusses with the work life balance of an organization. As it is to be explained in this essay a work life balance is required in any organization. It is a vital aspect which most of the organizations do not consider and as a result they end up facing critical situations which could have been easily prevented from happening. The reason is that all the employees would get a proper balance between their work and the time that they spend at home and family. This is very important because the satisfaction of an employee must be given high priority. It is only when the employee is satisfied that his performance could reach to its maximum levels. When the production capacity of every employee in the organization increases, this would obviously increase the productivity of the organization. Therefore this would lead to high sales and profits which would help organizations to reach the optimum level possible. The essay also talks about what is important to manage people within the organization. There are explanations about how stress, empowerment, government regulations and employee of choice could help in the management of employees within the organization. There are also illustrations of how to implement work life balance within the organizations. So as told above the whole routine on an organization depends on the performance of the employees which most organizations dont understand. On continuing with this essay everything will be explained in detail and how work life balance affects an organization. 2.0 DISCUSSION 2.1 HRM defined Human Resource Management (HRM) is the function within an organization that focuses on recruitment, management, and providing direction for the people who work in the organization. Human Resource Management can also be performed by line managers. (Alexander, J. O. 2005) 2.2.1 Work Life Balance Before look into it deep it is all ways a question on what work life is. It basically represents the meaning of an individual balancing his life from work and family. In such situations it is believed that a person can perform to his/her expected level. Work life balance is not a problem to be solved; it is an issue to be managed. Many people and organizations think of work life balance as a problem whereas it should be not. It is only a problem if one is not able to achieve it which in most cases happens but also it basically tells a person that managing it will always make him/her successful. (Luthans, 2008. P. 250) In the earlier days work was just done as a requirement and a part of endurance, however now it is a form of personal satisfaction and less as a kind of survival. One of the medium that help these employees reach their personal development and organizational success is work-life balance. Work-life balance used in the right spirit may not only cause benefits to the employees, it may be a source through which the entire organization gains competitive advantage. Work-Life Balance is taking a bigger bite out of corporate profits than any other bottom line issue today. As a result, it provides the biggest and easiest upside opportunity to immediately affect on the business As employees of firms have been bombarded with overload of work over the decades, as shown in the picture, the concept of work-life will help organizations to hold their best employees. However, it should be remembered that Work-Life balance is not a problem to be solved; it is an issue to be managed as told before. Unfortunately most mangers are woefully untrained to manage this issue for themselves, much less help others to manage it. During the course of this essay recommendations will be provided to overcome this fundamental problem. 2.2.2 Benefits of work life balance for the organization When organizations are able to create a work environment with work-life balance, there are many benefits to the organization. In such cases it can be pointed out that work life balance carries out some benefits. (Perrow, 2006, p.125) Retain staff- As told before with a proper well maintained work life balance employees will be satisfied with whatever they are being given with and will be willing to work more. With self and work satisfied employees an organization can easily retain staff. This will reduce the cost of advertising, recruiting and training of new employees To improve team work and working bonds- Well satisfied employees will always look to work more and perform tasks that they are being assigned to. A work environment with work-life balance will enhance the working relationships between colleagues, improve morale and will encourage employees to show more initiative and teamwork. To increase level of production- With proper retained staff and team effort a higher production level can be achieved. This will help the organization to cater into mass marketing with mass level of production. 2.2.3 Benefits of work life balance for the employees Increase in Job Satisfaction- Since the employees do not have to worry about much of their other matter as a result of a well maintained work life balance they will be able to concentrate on their work which will eventually lead to job satisfaction. This will improve the quality of work which will also lead to better quality output. Decreasing stress and burn out- With proper work life balance being maintained it is obvious that stress is being reduced. As a result of reduction in stress performance of the employees will increase which will eventually benefit the organization. Collaboration- If work life balance is achieved employees will be much satisfied with the work, this will act a motivational factor. Then the employees will be able to work as a team and develop their skills. Therefore they will be benefited by adopting new skills and new techniques which will not only help them in their career but also their social life. 2.3 Why is it important to manage people Think of the last time you heard statements like these; Im the boss here!, Just do the job I gave you!, You need to do it my way! How did you actually feel? Did you feel de-motivated to carry on with your work? Of course you will. Keeping the employees of the organization happy and making sure that they are comfortable with their work surroundings is crucial to the employees performance. And it is their performance that ultimately affects the organization as a whole. The words and the employers reaction, as well as the reactions of others, reflect generational differences in the workplace. For example, if an employee is not happy with his/her boss, this might de-motivate the employee to perform. This de-motivation may rub off on other fellow employees. And ultimately when most of the employees of the department are de-motivated to work, it would result in the poor performance of the entire department. (Alexander, 2006, p.5-12) We have four different generations working side-by-side in the workplace. Remember, if you are old enough, when older workers were the bosses and younger workers did what was asked of them, no questions asked. There were definite rules as to how the boss was treated and how younger workers treated older workers. No longer: Roles today are all over the place and the rules are being rewritten daily. Research indicates that people communicate based on their generational backgrounds. Each generation has distinct attitudes, behaviors, expectations, habits and motivational buttons. Learning how to communicate with the different generations can eliminate many major confrontations and misunderstandings in the workplace and the world of business. (Hammil, 2005) There are four generations of employees, which are silents, baby boomers, generation xers and generation Ys. The table given below shows the generation timeline. Source: http://www.fdu.edu/newspubs/magazine/05ws/generations.htm As of today many of the employees included in the baby boomer generation is retiring or is expecting to retire. Thus the modern day workforce mostly consists of the Generation X Y. Generation X value education, parenting and independence more than work and they have developed varying skills and are more determined in meeting an employee that best suit their needs. Generation Y are those born between 1980 to the present. They are also called Millennias and Echo boomers. Generation Y has been defined as better educated, more tech-savvy, more achievement oriented, and better at problem solving than boomers. (Henricks, 2007) The table given below shows the individuals his or her underlying values, or personal or lifestyle characteristics and how it corresponds with each generation. Source: http://www.fdu.edu/newspubs/magazine/05ws/generations.htm 2.3.1 Factors that affect the employees in the workplace Looking at the factors that affect the employees in the workplace: Stress Stress occurs when you exceed your ability to cope with pressure. It can be simply described as the harmful physical and emotional response that occurs when there is a poor match between job demands and the capabilities and the resources of the employee. We know that lack of control and autonomy, long hours, lack of job satisfaction and bullying can all cause stress. What cannot still be identified is how resilient an individual may be at coping with pressure. At present one cant predict the impact that exposure to a stressful environment will have on a person. It depends on genetic make-up. You could suffer mental failure or you could get a heart disease. Therefore overly stressed workers will only result in being a burden to the organization as performance commitment levels tend to decline, adding to the losses. (John, 2002, p.25). Empowerment Empowerment is the authority to make decisions within ones area of responsibility without first having to get approval from some superior (luthans, 2008, p. 290). This is about the trust element between the employee and the manager that comes thorough flexible working and is very beneficial to the organization. Freedom to work flexibly is one of the most powerful incentives to attracting and retaining staff. Since we all know that a flexible workforce is also a powerful economic weapon because it helps safeguard against inflation. Indeed, the freedom to work flexibly if so desired is an essential tenet in the new psychological contract between employers and employees. Surveys show it is one of the most powerful incentives for attracting and retaining staff. (Samson Daft, 2005, p.164) Government Regulations -These are simply laws made by the government to provide flexibility for working parents of small children. Again this is crucial to maintain proper work life balance. The governments at present plan to preserve the notion in law regarding this matter. To avoid bitterness, employers will have to offer different incentives to all staff. The movement towards offering a new work-life balance is unstoppable, as it is what everyone wants. However it is a requirement that organizations together with individuals find the perfect balance, with equal commitments to sectors, work life. (kaufman, 2000, p.254) Employer of choice The primary objective of any business is (or should be) to create a high performance workplace. High performance workplaces are characterized by their creativity, innovation, flexibility and competitiveness. Workplaces where people choose to work and give freely of their energies and feel a sense of personal achievement, satisfaction, individual purpose and security, where there is synergy between personal missions and work challenges, and organizational achievement and where the workplace sense of community contributes to overall social cohesion. (Centro, 2009. P. 300) 2.3.2 So what does Employer of Choice mean In simple terms it means that people will choose to work for you and they will: Choose to dedicate them to your success. Choose to stay with you, even when they are being courted by recruiters from other Employers recruiters with exceptionally attractive inducements. An employer of choice is one who inspires highly talented workers to join them and stay with them. (Herman Gloria, 2004, p.158). 2.4 ASPECTS OF WORK LIFE BALANCE 2.4.1 Job sharing Job sharing if we examine is a form of permanent part-time work, where the full time work is coordinately divided between two or more people, where each individual is given specific responsibilities and areas for the entire workload. It needs to be understood that a change from full-time to a job sharing arrangement doesnt mean that the continuity of the employment is broken. (Jones, 2005, p.256) Benefits It increases co-operation and collaboration between all staffs Enhance the experience and knowledge of each individual when the job is shared Enable is better balance paid work persona, family, social and community If any employee is currently involved in any part time studies, this gives them the flexibility for them to complete their studies in a faster rate. Potential Disadvantages Job sharing may also give rise to; Duplication of work or conflicting decisions due to poor communication between the job sharers Disruption of work caused by the absence of a person working on a matter which needs to be completed that day Difficulties renegotiating a job share arrangement if one job sharer leaves The need for additional communication mechanisms for job sharers and other staff Salary, superannuation and other entitlements being affected. Suggestions for overcoming potential problems Chose a job share partner who has a complimentary working style and one whom you communicate well. Job sharers and Managers should clarify the details of the job share arrangements together, prior to the commencement of the job share arrangement. Factors to consider include: How tasks will be divided How to hand over How important decisions will be made How to keep the Manager and other staff members informed about these What will happen if one job sharer resigns Staff members are encouraged to outline these details in their flexible work proposal and Managers need to ensure that they are clearly documented in the final agreed arrangement. Plan well prior to the introduction of the job share arrangement. This is crucial to preventing many of the potential problems that may arise under this type of arrangement. 2.4.2 Part time work Part-time work for professional staff members entails working less than the standard weekly or fortnightly hours, for which all entitlements are paid on a pro-rata basis. Types of the part-time work arrangements include: Weekly fraction: working 0.5 on the basis of two and a half working days each week Fortnightly fraction: three working days one week and two working days the next week within a pay period. Annual fraction: working 0.5 time for the whole year but working six months full time and six months off. Converting from full-time work to part-time work for a defined period of time is also negotiable. This enables a phased return to work following extended or prolonged leave (eg. maternity or sick leave) or phased exit before retiring. Benefits Part-time employees are better able to manage their working hours to suit their personal, family, social and community responsibilities and interests. For e.g. Having time to do well in their job Keeping stress at an acceptable level Maintaining a good balance between work and other aspects of life Meeting their family responsibilities. Employers have greater capacity for attracting and retaining high performing, innovative employees who might otherwise have difficulty in working full-time. Organizations that demonstrate an appreciation of part-time work and flexibility in assisting staff to manage work-life balance enjoy an enhanced public perception. Potential Disadvantages Salary, superannuation and other entitlements may be affected by a reduction in working hours. There may be a need to cover load/hours when part-time employees are not working, especially for roles previously performed on a full-time basis. There is potential for overloading other staff members with work to cover load/hours when part-time workers are not working, especially for roles previously performed on a full-time basis. Suggestions for overcoming potential problems By planning well prior to the introduction of the flexible work arrangement, managers can ensure that when part-time staff members are not working, the work unit is adequately covered. Effective planning and clear communication amongst the parties concerned shall ensure that staff members are not burdened with an overload of work. 2.4.3 Flexible time Flexi-time is an arranged agreement between a Manager and staff member in which they mutually agree to vary their staff members commencing, ceasing and meal break times while still maintaining the total number of hours worked over a period. Another version of flexi-time is when time off in lieu accrued when a staff member works longer than 7.35 hours per day or 36.75 hours per week. These accrued hours can be used to reduce the work hours during other days within the week/fortnight. Since 2006, record keeping requirements under the  Workplace Relations Act  1996 require staff members, entitled to overtime or penalty rates, to record hours for worked in excess of their ordinary work hours. Flexi-time arrangements take into account the current and operational needs of the work area. This means that some positions or work areas will not be able to accommodate flexi-time. Benefits Flexi-time enables the arrangement of working hours to suit personal or family commitments, particularly staff with dependent children. For example, by commencing work at a later time or finishing work at an earlier time enables many parents to drop their children off to school in the mornings or pick them up in the afternoon. Accumulating additional hours then having long stretches of time off work allows employees to more effectively pursue broader career/personal/social and community responsibilities and interests. Employees who are better able to manage their work-life balance more effectively are more likely to have high staff morale, greater employee satisfaction and work commitment resulting in a more enriched working environment and a correspondingly more vibrant, creative and productive workforce. Potential Disadvantages Flexi-time arrangements may mean there are inadequate staff levels at some times. Staffs are required to keep detailed records of flexi-time, which is resource intensive and time-consuming. Suggestions for overcoming potential problems Good planning prior to the introduction of the flexi work arrangements is crucial to preventing many of the potential problems that may arise under this type of arrangement. 2.4.4Pre Retirement contracts A pre-retirement contract is a fixed-term contract entered into by the University and a staff member seeking to retire at a specified future time (usually in between 1-5 years time). Professional and academic staff who are eligible for consideration of a pre-retirement contract includes staff who have: Tenured or continuing employment with the company Reached 55 years of age and will retire at the expiry of the pre-employment contract. Benefits For the staff member A pre-retirement contract allows a staff member to plan for the future by giving guaranteed employment for the duration of the contract. Employees receive a 10% loading above normal salary which is bonus. The contract period provides the work unit time for succession planning. Conversion to a pre-retirement contract can also be combined with part-time employment, enabling employees to enjoy the benefits of retirement while at the same time undertaking paid work. For the Company Pre-retirement contracts provide job opportunities for other employees. The contract period allows the Company to know when a staff member will retire provides certainty for forward/succession planning. 2.4.5 Work from home Professional and academic staff members may work from home: For a specified period of time For a specific project Under certain conditions provided the arrangement is both appropriate and practicable. Approval for a home based work arrangement is therefore considered on a case to case basis, having regard to the nature and requirements of the work, including Occupational Health and Safety requirements. Work duties that involve a  high level of autonomy and independence  are more appropriate for home based work arrangements and include: Project work Report writing Policy development and analysis Computer design and programming Duties that do not require close supervision or contact with other staff, students and public relations A degree of computer literacy to facilitate independent work from home Minimal usage of files and other resources located in the office. The type of  equipment  required for undertaking home based work may include: A computer with disc drives, a USB port or Ethernet connection for transferring work done at home to the office Switching work phone through to the home computer or home phone Having access to University databases and networks on the home computer The provision of a telephone answering service, fax machine or mobile phone. Benefits Working from home can result in: The ability to concentrate on a primary project Less time spent travelling to and from work Reduced child care costs More time with the children and family. Potential Difficulties Working from home may also facilitate: Practical difficulties in arranging equipment required by the employee to undertake home based work Potential risks/hazards at home Distractions resulting in an inability to work as effectively and efficiently as an equivalent staff member on campus Feelings of isolation Lack of access to  staff development opportunities  and workplace information. Suggestions for overcoming potential problems Good planning prior to the introduction of the home based work arrangement is crucial to preventing many of the potential problems that may arise under this type of arrangement. The University provides information for Managers, including steps to be followed in  negotiating flexible work arrangements  and a checklist to assist with this process. 2.4.6 Paternity Leave Providing services such as paternity leave, child care and elder care will further develop the employee relationship with the Organization. Hence, increasing the balance of work and family. All parents  with children under the age of 8;  in the case of a child with disabilities the age limit is 16  are entitled to up to 14 weeks Parental Leave 2.4.7 Compassionate or Emergency Leave Most employers recognize the need for leave in emergency situations. Arrangements vary from organization to organization and are frequently informal. Many employees prefer the need for leave in emergency situations or unavoidable circumstances however arrangement may vary for company to company. However if the company is practicing work life balance they will be able to provide leave to that individual and sharing the work among the employees. 2.4.8 Term-Time Working This system means that the employee works during school terms but not during the school holidays. It appeals, in particular, to parents of school going children. Employment or career break:  At certain stages in working life a break may be needed, for example: to devote more time to other things or for personal development reasons. The facilitating of such breaks can assist in retaining valued staff. A growing number of organizations provide such breaks on either a formal or less structured basis. Sabbaticals:  This is a period of absence from work, which may or may not be on full pay, and duration is normally related to length of service. They provide an opportunity for employees to take a break from or reflect on their work, or engage in new activities. Exam and Study Leave:  When an employee is pursuing further education (this may or may not be job-related), an organization may provide paid leave for the purposes of study and to enable the employee to sit exams.   In the case of workers under 18, this may be mandatory as set out in the  Education (Welfare) Act (2000). 2.4.9 E-Working The concept of e-Working involves working at a distance, not face to face using the technology to ease communications. Through the state of the art technology such as video conferring and Skype for e.g., communication has been made simple and just about everywhere and anytime. It is well suited to performing information technology tasks and works well in certain situations where the employee has a high degree of autonomy, e.g.: Architecture, journalism. Difficulties to be overcome can include issues of control, lack of face to face contact and consistency of service provision. 2.4.10 Virtual Teams Virtual development includes where forming teams of e-workers to work in a mutually supportive way. The team members may not work together or in fact stay in the same country however via the internet the communication is made effectively. This form of teamwork may be suitable in certain situations but the lack of personal interaction and human contact will render it inappropriate in situations where these factors are considered important. 2.5 Benefits of work life balance in work places Work life balance and practices can bring benefits in direct and in direct form to employees, employers and as a whole to the organization. The benefits that come into the organization due to the practices of such strategy would be tangible and quantifiable than other, where they contribute to the organizations gain in the long run. When organizations are able to create a work environment with work life balance, there are many benefits to the organization which could be priceless. 2.5.1 Image An organization that implements such strategy would be a most preferred work place by employees, more over this would create an image for the organization as an entity that emphasizes on their employees satisfaction and well look into the needs of their and satisfy them where as ensuring that organizational goals are been archived. As a whole the organization would have an image in the society as a workers most preferred organization. 2.5.2 Increase in productivity Many researchers have been proved that the best motivation a human can get is not when he is benefited only in monetary terms, where as the person would get motivated and satisfied when his basic and essentials needs are recognized and satisfied. Thus work life balance provides a ground for such practices for the in a organization. Where flexi work hours are encouraged according to the employees situation, telecommuting, job sharing and maternity leaves etc. therefore the employee would feel that his basic and essential needs are been recognized and been addressed and due to the above mentioned methods they could perform their task from homes or flexi working hours where they could address their personal needs and do along with the organizational demand. This would bring down the stress level of employees by not loading everything in one time and as a whole would increase the productivity of the employees in the long run. 2.5.3 Retention of current employee rates When such practices are been exercised in an organizations and where employees are been looked after well where by addressing their issues in a more effective way the employee retention level would be on a positive note. This would reduce the burden on the organization looking for new employees, the cost associated with hiring new employees is relatively high in contrast to the real world where the organization has to incur cost such as advertising and recruitment and training which would be a timely process with high levels of cost involved A work environment with work-life balance will enhance the working relationships between colleagues, improve morale and will encourage employees to show more initiative and teamwork. Therefore, it will increase the levels of production and job satisfaction by decreasing stress and burn-out 2.6 World Class examples of successful organizations which has practiced Work Life Balance 2.6.1 How Google Inc. helps its employees to balance work-life Google as one of the top 10 best companies in the world as a motivation technique (usually called Innovation Time Off), all Google engineers are encouraged to spend 20% of their work time (one day per week) on projects that interest the. The culture at Google Inc. have helped its employees to do what they like to do and thereby reduces their job related stress levels. In an effort to maintain the companys unique flexible work culture, Google has designated a Chief Culture Officer in 2006, who also serves as the Director of Human Resources and the purpose of the Chief Culture Officer is to develop and maintain the culture and work on ways to keep true to the core values that the company was founded on in the beginning-a flat organization with a collaborative environment in order to help the employees to perform well in their jobs by balancing their work-life. Here are some things you might find in a Google workspace: Bicycles for efficient travel between meetings, dogs, lava lamps, and massage chairs. Googlers sharing cubes, yurts, and huddle rooms (few single offices!) with three or four team members. Laptops in every employees hand (or bike basket), for mobile coding and note-taking. Pool tables, volleyball courts, assorted video games, pianos, ping pong tables, lap pools, gyms that include yoga and dance classes. Grassroots employee organizations of all kinds, such as meditation classes, film clubs, wine tasting groups, and salsa dance clubs. Healthy lunches and dinners for all staff at a wide variety of cafà ©s, and outdoor seating for sunshine brainstorming. Snack rooms packed with various snacks and drinks to keep Googlers going throughout the day. These have helped the employees of Google Inc to balance their work-life so, that they could do more innovative, creative things. 2.6.2 How Cisco Systems helps its employees to balance work-life As one of the top 10 companies of the world sustainable work performance based on employee satisfaction is critical to Ciscos success. Accordingly, their managers are trained and encouraged to make sure employees can successfully balance their work and personal lives. Cisco has a tradition of offeri

Weve Only Just Begun: Translating Third Wave Theory Into Third Wave Activism :: Free Essays Online

We've Only Just Begun: Translating Third Wave Theory Into Third Wave Activism After graduating from college in 1999 with a degree in Women's and Gender Studies, I was looking forward to beginning my new job as an abortion counselor at the local Planned Parenthood clinic. I envisioned working in a strong feminist community committed to a women's right to control her reproduction. On my first day I was ordered to prepare the doctor's scrubs and get his coffee while I observed him chastise women during the procedure for not using birth control. I was angry for having to accept and accommodate this man because he was the only doctor we could get to perform abortions (and according to Roe v. Wade, as I learned, abortions could only be done by doctors). I had studied reproductive rights and was excited and inspired by my Second Wave feminist professors' praises of Roe v. Wade and women's health clinics, but my present reality was not living up to their romantic historical vision. I had also studied Second Wave feminist theories of power, economics, and sexuality and it was this knowledge that allowed me to understand that my so-called glamorous feminist work at Planned Parenthood was not, in fact, expressing feminist principles. I cultivated a desire to use these personal experiences break the silence in the feminist community about these discrepancies and challenge the impervious reputation of Roe v. Wade and abortion providers. I sought to involve myself in organizations working to allow midwives to perform abortions, which would give women more options when it came to choosing a provider. That was also when I came to understand and be a part of third wave feminism. Feminism's first wave is usually seen as having begun with the Seneca Falls Convention of 1948 and ending with securing the right to vote in 1920 and the second wave categorizes the resurgence of women's activism beginning in the late 1960s and ending (or at least ebbing) with the defeat of the Equal Rights Amendment and the Reagan-Bush era. Third wave feminism purports to encompass the young women born in the 1960s and 70s who feel their personal experience of their history set them apart from older women. Barbara Findlen in the introduction to Listen Up: Voices from the Next Generation of Feminism states, "I strongly believe that the experiences that led me to identify as a feminist were significantly different from those that inspired the previous generation" (xi).

Video Games: Positive Agents Of Change Essay -- Video Games Essays

Video games have come under fire recently. Many people claim the graphic violence and adult themes in the games have affected younger generations and caused many violent acts. Others claim that video games have contributed to obesity and a lack of communication skills. Both of these claims are most often an older generation's misunderstanding of today's youth and the overreaction of the media. Rarely does the mainstream media portray video games for what they really are, a new way for kids to interact and share meaningful experiences all without being in any danger. Video games have endless possibilities and should be thought of as tools to teach the youth rather than the cancer that ravages them. Although many people see video games as a problem, they are actually a positive force because they have infinite possibilities for good. Video games have become one of the most popular pastimes for kids these days. With the advent of powerful graphics processors and more innovative chip designs, games are becoming incredibly realistic. This realism is what brings many gamers to the industry. Realism, in a sense, is why the gaming industry has taken off and increases profits every year. Video games are not just a fun hobby or pastime, they are way for gamers to escape the world and imagine themselves in an entirely new landscape. Video games are dreams with controllers. While driving through a racetrack in a video game, one doesn't feel as if they are sitting in front of a TV playing a game, they feel as if they are the car. This is a hard phenomenon to explain but video games are such a global activity inside the brain that the user actually feels as if he is in the game living the experience. This, is obviously lim... ...deo games are a great way for kids and even adults to get away from the world for a while. Players are wrapped up in their own virtual world and can express how they are feeling through the game. Video games can also have great positive side effects and could even be the training mechanism of the future for many professions. The people who argue against video games on the grounds of violence and desensitization misunderstand the attitude of children toward video games and imply that humans are no more complicated than â€Å"monkey-see monkey-do.† Video games still have a lot of potential and they can be used for much more than just relaxation and fun. They can be a social medium, an agent of change. A good video game can be like a work of art that inspires people to try new things or change the way they think about something. But above all else, video games sure are fun.

Mission, explicit policy Essay

Mission, explicit policy and explicit policy are element of ethical climate around which the client works.   Each has varying degrees of impact on the behaviors of the employee People base behavior on values and are less affected by a set of rules and regulations as elucidated in the implicit and explicit policies; they are influenced more by what they know is of paramount value to their service to the client and company they service. In this vein, the mission statement provides the greatest influence to the employee behaviors, impacting it for positive outcomes. It is customary to specify these mission statements to the employees in the letter of appointment as well as ht terms and conditions guiding their employment and service to the company including its clients. Of all, what stays and is closest to the staff is the mission statement, hung at a specific location in the company. It is usually accessible and easy to understand. On the basis of its omnipresence, it influences the character of members of staff to work, their attitude to their responsibilities at the duty post is constantly checked and twisted at the sight of short concise and easy to memorize sentence[s]. Usually, this statement becomes the foundation for making right decisions during unfavorable situations, the impetus for proposing innovative ideas and implementing them for the good of the colony. It helps to improve the [performance of status by encouraging them to take initiatives as at when appropriate and suiting for the situation.   It is one of the tools that link the employee strength and service to the employer’s goals and values.   This link creates a productive environment for effective delivery of services and goods to customers/clients. It clarifies thoughts and make the arduous decision-making mechanism an adventure.

Racism and Sociology Essay

The Plight of Man racial discrimi argona has punctuated the shaping of monastic range for centuries, each study instance of which has helped dictate the bearing of amicable interaction. Although we put on come a desire way in addressing the situation, it still ashes a prevalent issue to mean solar mean solar day. cosmos a orbicular citizen in this day and age, unity has a responsibility to be tolerant, as fond circles tout ensemble everywherelap in a multicultural environment, and the luxury of creation in beed, g zip of the globalizing advances in technology and companionable media. We live in a run pot guild and the base of racialism holds no place in the new-fashioned world. Being collections of individuals who perceive ourselves to be members of the kindred affable category, we section similar turned on(p) holdments and we experience well-disposed overlap. To have contest or strife in the community, as a effect of racial animosity, degrades the hon orable pillars upon which society is built and results in what is in effect a civil war. The population experiences loving stratification and the distri thoion of mixer rewards are sickly distributed, as are the burdens. These institutionalized mis- whollyocations as a result of washables or paganity continue to perpetuate prejudice and earn a minority group, which is characterized namely by lack of genial ability or authority. The term Prejudice refers to attitudes of aversion and distaste toward the members of a group simply be get they rifle to it and hence are presumed to have the exceptionable qualities ascribed to it. The results of deeply engrained racial prejudices are energetic racial discriminations and the arbitrary denial of privilege, prestige, and power to members of a minority group. With e in truth home run attached to members of a original culture, the potence for difference of opinion and separation increases, as does the social and political stress. These prejudices burn down be precise deeply engrained, be pose of the nationalistic tendencies, on both sides, to carve your own independent nation out of an existing state. These tendencies set the belief and direction for the social interactions to come. In mating Ameri domiciliate society, immigration has long since been a part of our heritage and until recently had very lenient immigration laws allowing immigrants from Africa, China and raft of varying faiths and groups to retained theircultural identities and strong point for many years.As a result of these multi-ethnic societies, certain ethnic groups lav lose their individualised distinctiveness by dint of the process of assimilation, or retain their identicalness and integrity done the process of pluralism. socialisation refers to those processes whereby groups with distinctive identities beget culturally and socially fused. Pluralism refers to a situation in which various groups coexist and boundaries amongs t them are maintained. there are two distinct direction in terms of mind-set when practicing pluralism concern Pluralism, where ethnic group members go in freely and equally in political and scotchal institutions. And Unequal Pluralism, where economic and political enfolding of minority groups is severely limited by the dominant group and may plain entail genocide. Through the scope of global media weve been able to catch a coup doeil all of these social phenomenons at play. From anti-Semite(a) remarks in professional sports leagues, to hate provide attacks at home as fountainhead as abroad, we can fascinate these interactions chance upon public opinion and incite unequaled reactions.When a accelerate is being discriminated against, it becomes very difficult for a person of that race to compete, survive, and strive in that society. Because the allocation of social hits and opportunity are non ground on the merits of the individual, but rather conceptualize notions. The contemporary or modern racism has been derived from many different places and ideas, one of the roughly common ideas being upbringing. As a youth, we are malleable and we rely on our parents to help us become who we are. unwrap of that involves how their own experiences have shaped their attitude. hard-hitting opinions, that of which children dont have the matureness to form on their own. They rely on the education of their parents. But not except that, they reckon it whole-heartedly not having known anything else. This is very over oftentimes where the problem starts. racial discrimination creates boundaries for stack with potentially great minds and does not allow for a collective contribution of its citizens, which I believe to be a critical fragment of a countrys teaching and success. If a course of action of concourse is not allowed to be educated, they cannot make important contributions in a society of technological advances and medical arenas. The denial of quality education to certain groups of people only serves to obstruct the economic progress of a nation. If we ostracize aclass of people and dont allow them to participate culturally, we betray to watch and appreciate our differences and similarities, we fail to improve and we fail to develop socially.These issues can be essay from multiple different perspectives. Some memorise society as a constitution made up of a bend of interrelated and interdependent elements, each playing a live on that contributes to the operation of the whole and others as power struggle over scarce resources, while for some, society is ground on human beings interaction. Lets start with Functionalism, focusing on dysfunction or disorganization in spite of appearance the social corpse as a cause for conflict. The premise behind the Functionalism perspective on race is that there would be a consensus between different ethnicities and race as immigration go along and our social circles conti nued to overlap. Naturally, to have this consensus, the minority group would deprivation to assimilate with the larger group. At which point, they would become working and active members of society, contributing towards the benefit of the dominant ethnicity. At the core of Functionalism, is the idea of harmony but Functionalists do learn that ethnic differentiation reduces consensus, increases the chances of conflict, and threatens the equilibrium of a society. Racism interferes with the efficient operation, the stability of the system and the achievement of societal goals. The saving gentleness for this theory is that it in like manner promotes group make-up and cohesion. The process of assimilation, in which a minority becomes absorbed into the dominant society -socially, economically, and culturally- infers leaveingness to participate and becomes a part of the majority social circle. The fighting scheme perspective would involve all the different groups in society fightin g amongst each other for all unattached resources and opportunities for advancement or personal betterment. When a sub-population feels somehow disadvantaged or are not receiving a competent share of the resources, be they money, power, prestige, or reckon values and work to overcome those sensed disadvantages. This theory relates back to Marxist control of though and his famous Class speculation where these struggles for resources are limited to conflict between castes in society. This perspective argues for class-based conflict as an inherent and fundamental part of society, Conflict surmise promotes the idea that racial and ethnic conflict is in factlevel(p) to class conflict and that in order to reduce racial and ethnic conflict, class conflict must maiden be reduced. Some cultures in the past, because of these repetitive battles over assets, have been bred out of War and as a result were quick to carry on in a conflicting manner. The conflict is related to ethnocentrism and for more reasons than one relates straight to racism. symbolical fundamental interactionism is the individuals experience with and insight into nitty-gritty, as a function of interactions. The primary determining(prenominal) of deportment is the discretion that people have for one another. We start to see social problems and conflict in Symbolic Interaction when some social condition is delimit by an influential group as stigmatizing or threatening to their values and dissipated of normal social expectations. Society, for a Symbolic Interactionist, is a network of interlocking roles and discernment your role, is pivotal. affable order is constructed mainly through interaction as individuals, through dual-lane ground, explore their social world. The thing that first sets Symbolic Interaction into motion, from a racial perspective, is Competition creating a niche for people by dividing urban space. Making it a prime medium through which to examine the effect of racism o n behaviour.Generally, the Functionalist perspective looks at society as a complex system. Functionalists aim to focus on different contributions to social solidarity and stability. Orthodox Functionalism did not technically envelop critical analyses of race or ethnicity, going instead for perceiving race as another constituent element. This element, within the larger whole of society, that is assimilated into its harmonious and motionless functionings. From this perspective, societies can be seen as finely tuned, interacting, and fundamentally relational constructs that function like organisms, with all different facets of the simulate are continuously, and unconsciously working towards social equilibrium. Given this repetitive emphasis on equilibrium and harmony, the Functionalist perspective easily allows for precise micro and macro analyses of more graphic race-inspired issues such as hate crimes or social power discrepancies and general racial conflict. It allows for the m icroanalyses in that most of modern sociology is point around the individual and trying to identity formation of the socially constructed nature of race. It is more less well adapted tounderstanding individual discrimination and prejudice because it ignores the inequalities that cause tension and conflict.The Conflict theory, although it does account for much of the tensions seen is a discriminant world, is much to inclusive of all classes for it to be the main theory that can describe the tensions precipitated by race. To that effect, the Conflict Theory revolves around competition for resources and precipitates a much better scope through which to analyze of racist behaviour. The Symbolic Interaction Theory encapsulates the individualistic nature of mans behaviour as well as the social opinion of it. Peoples interactions with each other are attaching meaning to one anothers actions instead of merely responding or reacting to them. Human interaction is mediated by the use of a more subtle language of symbols and signification, by interpretation, or by ascertaining the meaning of one anothers actions. This can be done collaboratively in the instance of a one on one form of behavioural interpretation, as in attacks, or general attitude interpretation, as in social stigmas. We can clearly see the necessary relationships that define racism, in this day and age, with the Symbolic Interaction alone. Functionalism makes much available through its similar perspective but its lack of attention to the micro scale of society and the truly individualistic approach that populace take to understanding, and exhibiting behaviour makes its contributions lacking a lynchpin aspect of racism. The Symbolic Interaction also takes into account the Correspondence Bias and its tendency to overestimate the extent to which peoples behaviour is due to internal, dispositional factors and to devaluate the role of situational factors.Biology and nature are very deeply connected and share a complex relationship. Early aspect of this relationship revealed that culture is slightly a product of biology. More recent perspective, however, is that human culture has reversed this particular causal direction and, culture can genuinely influence human evolution, which I personally think is where were at now. Racism ranges from the abstract micro interactions that stem from enculturation negatively and being misinformed to concrete, cultural objects. We motivating to strive for a functioning society and the only way there will beto work collectively. In conclusion, humans are naturally agonistic, and naturally were going to continue to be competitive in nature. The only thing we can do is attempt to step away(p) of the boundaries that are set for us socially and the ones we personally set for ourselves. We are inherently social creatures, even though our western sandwich perspective of self is more introspect-based, its all about society in then end.Bibliography(D iana Kendall, 2008). Social Problems in a Diverse Society 2nd. Canadian Edition. Pearson Augie Fleras (2005) Social Problems in Canada conditions, constructions and challenges. 4th. Canadian Edition. Pearson/Prentice sign of the zodiac