Language Instinctive Or Learned Essays - American Atheists

Language: Instinctive Or Learned? Language: Instinctive or Learned? Over the course of time the topic of language has been a catalyst for many discussions and debates as to if it is learned throughout ones life, or is it a hard copy instinct the one is born with. Many scientists and writers in the humanities field have their own opinions as to what they believe about language and its plight in human society. One writer challenges many of our educators and scholars today by expressing his thoughts on the instinct to understand, learn, and speak language. In The Language Instinct: How the Mind Creates Language, Steven Pinker maintains that language is not something that we learn like the way we learn how to tell time or learn about the presidents. Rather, Pinker suggests that the essence of language is already with us when we are brought into the world. You see this when Pinker argues, Instead, it is a distinct piece of the biological makeup of our brain(4). He uses metaphors and similes to further qualify his arguments. Pinker compares the idea that people know how to talk in the same sense that spiders know how to spin webs. The activity or practice of spinning webs was not invented by any one spider, but rather is an instinctive quality that spiders have much like humans and language. Pinker goes on to comment that a young childs knowledge of language and grammar is more refined than any artificial language system used by any advanced technology computer aided programs. Pinkers views that he establishes about language are in accordance with other notable figures in the humanities field. A man by the name of Noam Chomsky has views that are representative of the point Pinker is trying to convey: language is a biological makeup of the brain. As a professor of linguistics at MIT, Chomsky imparted sound arguments as to the nature of language. Chomsky has suggested the fact that every sentence that a human speaks or comprehends is an original combination of words that has not been voiced before. Therefore, language is not a learned trait that has an extensive gamut of expressions, but rather the brain must contain a hard drive that can fabricate an unlimited set of sentences from a limited amount of words. He also strongly feels that children are inherently equipped with the ability to cull the syntactic patterns of speech from their parents. We can see this when a young infant begins to babble at the youngest of ages. This furthermore qualifies and repre sents Pinkers views on the idea that language is instinctive. On the other side of the coin, there are those educated people that have different views and opinions about language than Pinker suggests, most of these being elementary and secondary English and grammar teachers. It is their obligation to teach young children and adolescence the proper syntax structure, pronunciation, and spelling of words. So it is only the nature of their profession for these teachers to firmly believe that language, of course, is a learned capacity. Just the way they learn that 2+2=4 and George Washington was the first President of the United States. But Pinker is trying to convince the ignorant that these opinions are wrong and language is not math problem or a history fact that we learn, but a rather an instinctive knowledge. The different views and opinions of the nature language will be discussed for time to come. Can there be some duality to language? Can it be both instinctive and learned, or does it have to be one or the other? It will be interesting to see if these questions can be answered. Maybe then will we see what is the origin of language. Personally, I still do not surely or firmly have a view or a belief to this topic, but I am leaning a certain way. So I leave you with a quote from Oscar Wilde that I read which also appears in Pinkers book. Oscar Wilde comments, Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing worth knowing can be taught. English Essays

Report writing for consultants - Emphasis

Report writing for consultants Report writing for consultants The last few weeks have been a punishing combination of late-night problem solving and early-morning meetings. Finally, the consultation period is over and the moment of truth has arrived: the time has come to write your final report. You have probably spent a lot of time with your client and may have built up a strong relationship – but this does not change the fact that leaving the right impression will depend ultimately on the quality of your report. So, whatever you do, don’t leave the report until the very last minute, without time for enough preparation and planning to do it real justice. But before we look at some guidelines on how to produce a document that will be a glowing testament to your firm’s experience and expertise, it is worth pausing for a minute to put your report in context. Our research has shown that mountains of paperwork stifle most companies: the average manager claims to receive eight reports or other long documents each day. This roughly equates to being asked to wade through War and Peace five times a year – a sobering thought. To put it plainly, your report is going to have to be pretty good to compete with all the other documents that will be vying for your client’s attention. Yes, your client may have made a substantial investment in employing your services, which might push your report further up the queue, but then, of course, the flip side of this will be that their expectations will be so much higher. Your firm might be expert in its area but this expertise will be lost if you fail to communicate it effectively. And you will simply become one of the many thousands of people who regularly spend hours struggling to write a turgid business document that nobody will read. So what can you do to make sure that your report goes to the top of the pile, makes a lasting impression and demonstrates your firm’s proficiency and understanding? What the client wants First things first. Your report should be client-centred, rather than consultant-centred. The chances are that no sooner do you realise that the report deadline is looming, then you immediately fall into the ‘getting it done’ trap. Your focus now is on yourself and ‘getting it done’ rather than on the client and their needs. At this point, it is worth taking a couple of deep breaths and spending a few minutes thinking about what your client actually wants. This may sound obvious. Indeed it should be – and yet so often reports tend to follow a standard template structure that poorly reflects an individual client’s brief. Why not ask the client exactly what they want to see in the report and even how long they would like the report to be? Alternatively, ask yourself a few simple but telling questions. What information does the client expect? With what level of detail? How much knowledge do they already have? What will they use the report for? Who will read it? And it goes without saying that the old copy and paste technique needs to be handled with extreme care. It is all too easy to forget to change the company name or to leave out a vital piece of client-specific information. Key messages And what about the key messages and recommendations that you want to get across? How can you make sure that these really stand out and are not lost among volumes of periphery detail and background? Many consultants use a basic structure in which they start with their findings, then outline their conclusions, and then give their main message – their recommendations – at the end. The effect on the client is to keep them guessing or arguing with every point and perhaps ending with a conclusion that differs from your own. A far more effective structure is to start with your main message and then provide the information that supports it. Avoid jargon and ‘businessese’ Then comes the next common trap: falling into jargon or business speak, or using unnecessarily flowery language. This, many people believe, demonstrates knowledge, intellect and know-how, or even superior industry expertise. But does it really? The truth is that your client has no interest whatsoever in the sophistication of your use of vocabulary. What’s more, the public and private sectors are becoming increasingly cynical about consultants, believing that they produce overlong, overwritten reports on purpose to justify their ‘exorbitant fees’. Whatever you do, avoid providing any additional ammunition to that particular argument. The bottom line is that clients will not appreciate long words, complicated language, management speak and ‘businessese’ jargon, nor will they want to plough through lots of acronyms and abbreviations. They will find them irritating, confusing and time consuming. Take the time to find a more effective way of writing whatever it is you want to say. If using complex technical terms is absolutely unavoidable, make sure you provide a glossary in the appendix. Humans or robots? On the subject of language, remember that when companies and organisations appoint consultants, they hire people, not robots. Language like ‘It is recommended’, ‘It is estimated†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, or ‘It has been proven†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ does not sound more professional; it simply depersonalises your report and makes it less accessible. Your client wants to know that their consultants are real human beings, so be bold and put people at the heart of your writing: ‘We recommend†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, ‘We estimate or ‘We have proven†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢. It is far more interesting and meaningful to read about organisations and individuals taking actions than to read about all sorts of actions and events mysteriously occurring. Think ‘Tarvex’s customers are crying out for the new product range’ rather than ‘The new product range has experienced considerable demand’. Or ‘The CEO has transformed the company’s performance in the exports market’ instead of ‘The company’s performance in the exports market has been transformed’. Make your language as lively as you can. If you are trying to ‘sell’ a particular recommendation, paint a vivid picture of the excellent results it will bring; or of the horrendous pitfalls that will befall your poor client as a result of not implementing it. And it goes without saying that you also need to examine all the pros and cons, including the cost implications, of following – or not following – your recommendations. Count your words Generalisations or exaggerations are another characteristic of poor writing to be wary of. Take ‘record levels of profit’, for example. Are they truly record levels – ie. the highest ever – or do you really mean the highest in recent years? And what about ‘a large percentage’? (Is this 51 per cent or 99 per cent? There’s quite a big difference, after all.) Beware of words and expressions such as ‘record’, ‘significant’, ‘considerable’and ‘wide section of the community’ unless you can actually quantify them. Painful punctuation It has been very difficult to escape the recent newspaper headlines about the woeful state of young people’s literacy. School and university leavers are, we are told, virtually incapable of writing a properly constructed sentence or presenting a coherent and logical argument, never mind using the correct punctuation, grammar and spelling. A university degree, it seems, no longer guarantees the kind of literacy that blue chip employers expect. Despite, or perhaps because of, this sorry state of affairs, we are a nation of language aficionados. Countdown attracts millions of viewers every day; we are obsessed with crosswords and wordplay; Eats Shoots and Leaves, a book about punctuation for goodness sake, dominated the bestseller list for months. My point here is this. We notice words and language and how people use them; pulling up people for poor punctuation, dodgy spelling or dubious grammar is almost a national pastime. And the likelihood is that your client will have a similar awareness of language – and irritation with its misuse. So never delude yourself that it is only what you say that counts and not whether you know how to punctuate correctly. It is amazing the bad feeling and ill will that a misplaced comma or a misjudged apostrophe can cause. Navigation tactics Another common error is to try to plan and structure the report simultaneously. It is, in fact, much easier to do these two things separately. Start by ‘brainstorming’ all the information that needs to go into the report. When you are sure you have covered everything, it is time to tackle the issue of what goes where and in what format. The structuring process requires an element of bloody-mindedness. Only information that is essential to your client should go in the main body of the text; any information that is ‘important’ or ‘of interest’ should be relegated to appendices, footnotes or a separate chapter. Additional detail, figures, references or diagrams are all examples of ‘important’ information. Put yourself in your client’s shoes. How would you react to a report if you felt your valuable time was being wasted on nonessential detail? Remember that while your client may be interested in the background to the project and in how you carried out the research and the consultation process, they are actually paying you to identify the cause or causes of a problem or challenge and to tell them how to solve it. If you make them wait until the end of the report to tell them your recommendations, the chances are that their patience will be wearing very thin indeed. This brings us to another tip on helping your client to navigate your report. As you start to structure your report, plan how best to divide it into logical sections and give some thought to your subheadings. Subheadings should be clear and meaningful, rather than generic, so that they act as signposts, guiding your client through the report and showing them where to find specific topics. Executive summary Pay particular attention to your executive summary. As we all know, this may be the only part the real decision-makers read, so make sure it can stand alone and that it contains real information, including hard facts and figures. If your report includes recommendations, the executive summary should make it clear what these are and include their implications, values and costs. What about length? As a general rule, it is advisable to stick to a maximum of two pages, using headings and bullets (but not too many), and perhaps a carefully selected graph or pie chart, to get your main message across. A final word If your report is well-written, it will influence your client’s thinking and decisions and galvanise them into action. It will also act as a first-rate marketing tool for your firm. But if your report is poorly written, it will exasperate your client and jeopardise your reputation and the chances of your recommendations being implemented. It might even lose you the business. The value of a well-written consultant’s report is perhaps best summed up by the MD of one of the UK’s leading radio stations when asked recently about his own personal experience of consultants: ‘One particular US consultant charged a fortune for producing a series of badly presented and poorly written reports critiquing the station and, frankly, stating the obvious,’ he said. ‘But then I hired McKinsey who worked with me to formulate our 10-year strategy and I learned a lot from them, including how to present an argument and rationale on paper, which is key if you want to be successful in influencing people’s thinking.’ Robert Ashton is Chief Executive of Emphasis. Want to improve your teams report writing? See our report-writing course for companies and our business-writing courses for individuals. You can also call us on +44 (0)1273 732  888  for a no-obligation chat with one of our friendly advisors. To learn more about making  report writing a much easier and less painful task, check out our free webinar  recording How to turn your expert analysis into exceptional reports.  Its ideal if you have to write reports to colleagues and clients as part of your day-to-day job – whether thats as a traditional written report or as a slide deck.

RESEARCH METHODS FOR BUSINESS Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

RESEARCH METHODS FOR BUSINESS - Assignment Example There is evidence that the average customer satisfaction score is age-dependent. These are questions number 2 and number 7 in the questionnaire that the customers of the gymnasium during the weeks filled. The relatively younger customers tend to have been more satisfied by the services of the gymnasium as compared to the older ones. Those in the age groups 16-24 and 25-44 scored highly in the level of customer satisfaction in the ranges of 4 and 5 as opposed to the older ones in the age groups of 45-64 and above 65 who had lower scores of customer satisfactions in the ranges of 1 and 2 on average. The data establishes that indeed the mean willingness-to-pay for membership of the upgraded Gymnasium is at least  £75. This is question number 6 in the questionnaire that the customers of the gymnasium during the weeks filled. More than half of the people from whom data was collected concurred the maximum amount they would be willing to pay for monthly membership to the upgraded Gymnasium is more than  £75. This makes it a fact that the members of the gym are willing to pay a minimum of  £75 monthly for the services of the gymnasium. The gymnasium has way much more males than females. However, on average, there is a slight difference between the willingness-to-pay for membership of the upgraded Gymnasium of male and female customers. The females are slightly more willing to pay a higher amount on average of the fee than the willingness of the males on average. In accordance to a two-variable linear regression that describes the relationship between household weekly net income and willingness-to-pay for membership of the upgraded Gymnasium there is indeed a relationship between the household weekly net income and willingness-to-pay for membership of the upgraded Gymnasium. According to this regression, the estimated willingness-to-pay of a customer with a household weekly net

Condition monitoring - fault detection and diagnosis Literature review

Condition monitoring - fault detection and diagnosis - Literature review Example Hybrids of SVM methods such as combined SVM (CSVM) have been used extensively for process control such as in the Eastman process. Results indicate the superiority of SVM based methods over other methods of control (Tafazzoli & Saif, 2009). SVM methods have been employed extensively in order to classify reciprocating compressor faults. SVM methods were employed in order to classify faults of reciprocating refrigeration compressors through the application of wavelet transform and statistical methods. Significant features were extracted from both raw noise signals and vibration signals. The selection of relevant RBF kernel parameters was carried out through iteration (Yang et al., 2005). In a similar application, SVM methods were applied to reciprocating compressors butterfly valves to classify cavitation faults (Yang et al., 2005). A comparable research was performed on reciprocating compressor valves to classify faults through vibration signals alone. Data for this purpose was gathered from the surface of the valve and the resulting vibration signals were decomposed by applying local wave methods (Ren et al., 2005). One of the larger problems posed by reciprocating compressor valves is the non stationary and non linear characteristics of the extracted vibration signals. In order to deal with the non stationary and non linear nature of such data, information entropy with good fault tolerance potential was utilised as the feature parameter fed to a SVM. This was utilised as being a comprehensive characteristic of the raw vibration signal. The resulting decision function was used to solve the limits of traditional fault classifications. The added strength of the SVM was its ability to be trained with only a few input samples to deal with multiple new faults (Chen & Lian, 2010). The small linear pattern recognition performance and relatively small data sets extracted from reciprocating

Language Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Language Development - Essay Example ing process, the young, impressionable children not only learned the three R’s, but also developed holistic personalities, by internalizing knowledge into awareness, wisdom, rigorous denial and self-discipline. The Gurus not only taught them the Holy Scriptures, but also the manner of living and leading virtuous, noble and beneficial lives. This process ensured that the children became worthy citizens in their later lives. When the learning environment in the house is conducive to studying, and the parents of the child are themselves well educated, the child would be in a position to imbibe the teachings of the parents quickly and learn fast. Similarly, the child’s friends and neighbours also play a very important part since the influence of the friends and relatives with whom the child is interacting plays an important role in moulding his future personality. If the friends and neighbours are well-trained and intelligent children, coming from respectable and well- to-do families, it will be seen that the child would be able to pick up good learning habits from early years itself, which would sustain him in his later life. The formative years of the child, that is the period between 4 – 12 years are very crucial for the child, and whatever good inputs and reading habits are acquired by the child would stand him in later life including his learning habits and writing skills. Thus, it is s een that the situations that foster early language developments could be seen in terms of the parental influence, including that of early teachers, governesses, friends and relatives. If these were well attuned to nurturing and nourishing the child’s natural curiosity, forming good learning and reading habits, it would foster his language skills. Moreover, it is also necessary to build good reading, writing and recitation skills that could be â€Å"validated by research and practice while delivering the basis of all major aspects of research work.† (Gunning,

Data Analysis Chapter Analysis

Data Analysis Chapter Analysis Part One: Based on my NTU username (N0687816), my data set is: (0,6,8,7,8,1,6) Section A) Forming a 99% confidence interval for my data set:       Our confidence interval is: We can therefore say with 99% confidence that the mean number of tattoos per student for the population of all students at NTU is between 0.54 and 9.74 Using Minitab for a 99% confidence interval for data set (0,0,0,1,3,3,7): Section B) Looking for evidence at the 97% confidence level of a difference between the samples: Sample 1 (0,6,8,7,8,1,6) Sample 2 (0,0,0,1,3,3,7) Sample sizes Sample means Sample variances I am going to use a two-sample T test to analyse this data as there are two small samples formed from data that is not paired. We can say with 97% confidence that there is no difference between the two samples. Using Minitab: Section C) Testing data from trialing a new inhaler Person 1 Person 2 Person 3 Person 4 Person 5 Person 6 Person 7 Before 0 6 8 7 8 1 6 After 0 0 0 1 3 3 7 To analyse this data, I will use a paired T-test as there are two sets of data for the same group of people (before and after using an inhaler). It is also unknown if the data is normally distributed and the sample is small which are both other factors which suggest the use of a T test. This test could be one or two tailed depending on whether you were looking for an improvement/reduction or a general change. In this case, however, we want the inhalers to have improved the peoples lung function so we will do a one tailed test. Null hypothesis Alternative hypothesis. (The data is for recovery time in seconds so a reduction in the mean recovery time shows an improvement in lung function). Decision Rule: Performing the test: Let So There is not a specified confidence interval so I will use a 95% confidence interval so: Therefore:       We can therefore say with 95% confidence that the inhaler did improve the lung function of the people who used it. Testing the Manufacturers Claim I am going to use a one tailed hypothesis test. This is because it does not matter if the inhaler improves lung function in over 80% of cases, only if it does not reach this claim. I will take to be that and to be that . The lung function recovery time reduced in four of the seven trials so 4 events out of 7 trials, leading to and   Part Two: Section A) The Lady Tasting Tea Experiment The lady tasting tea experiment was a statistical experiment conducted by Ronald Fisher. As explained in The lady tasting tea experiment (Winkler, 2015), a lady claimed she could tell whether milk or tea was poured first in a cup of tea she tasted. Ronald Fishers book The Design of Experiments (see Winkler, 2015) outlined the ideas behind this test: [It] consists in mixing eight cups of tea, four in one way and four in the other, and presenting them to the subject for judgement in a random order. The subject has been told in advance [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] that she will be asked to taste eight cups, that these shall be four of each kind Fisher, 1935. According to Imai (2016), Fisher introduces the idea of a null hypothesis, which in this case, is the idea that the woman is guessing and cannot actually distinguish between the cups. Fisher then used the ladys answers to work out the likelihood of her getting this result whilst guessing. From this, he found that there were 70 ways to choose 4 cups out of 8 and that from these, there was 1 way of getting none and four correct, 16 ways of getting one and three correct and 36 ways of getting two correct, as shown by Inglis-Arkell (2015). Although pioneering, however, the test itself was not powerful. As explained by Stark (2010), the small sample size caused the probability of her guessing randomly only coming out less than 0.05 (the condition required to reject the null hypothesis) if she got a perfect score. This is because guessing all four correctly carried a probability of whereas guessing three out of four correctly carried a probability of . This issue would have been reduced with a much bigger sample size. For another mathematical example, we will look at the following question: Suppose the lady samples 10 cups of tea, among which 5 had the teapoured first and 5 had the milk poured first.a. What is the probability she correctly identifies all five cups which had the tea poured first? Sloughter, 2006. Following the logic displayed by Stark (2010) for the lady tasting tea problem, there would be only 1 way of choosing all five correctly. Using the formula (Simmons, 2016), we get ways of choosing five cups of tea out of the ten. This means that the probability of getting all five correct is . As stated by Inglis-Arkell (2015), the number of cups that the lady guessed correctly is unknown. Despite this, the lady tasting tea experiment is still extremely influential and led to Ronald Fisher being praised for his book The Design of Experiments due to how clearly he explained why randomisation is important and how he decided what would be acceptable evidence to accept or reject a statement. Reference List Imai, K., 2013. Statistical Hypothesis Tests [online]. Princeton University. Available at: http://imai.princeton.edu/teaching/files/tests.pdf [Accessed 9th January 2017]. Inglis-Arkell, E., 2015. How A Tea Party Turned Into A Scientific Legend [online]. Io9. Available at: http://io9.gizmodo.com/how-a-tea-party-turned-into-a-scientific-legend-1706697488 [Accessed 9th December 2016]. Simmons, B., 2016. Combination Formula [online]. Mathwords. Available at: http://www.mathwords.com/c/combination_formula.htm [Accessed 9th January 2017]. Sloughter, D., 2006. Mathematics of a Lady Tasting Tea [online]. Furman University. Available at: http://math.furman.edu/~dcs/courses/math15/lectures/lecture-19.pdf   [Accessed 9th December 2016]. Stark, P., 2010. StichiGui [online]. Available at: https://www.stat.berkeley.edu/~stark/Teach/S240/Notes/ch3.htm [Accessed 9th January 2017]. Winkler, A. 2015. The lady tasting tea experiment [online]. Brainder. Available at: https://brainder.org/2015/08/23/the-lady-tasting-tea-and-fishers-exact-test/ [Accessed 5th December 2016]. Declaration: 1. I am aware of the Universitys rules on plagiarism and collusion and I understand that, if I am found to have broken these rules, it will be treated as Academic Misconduct and dealt with accordingly. I understand that if I lend this piece of work to another student and they copy all or part of it, either with or without my knowledge or permission, I shall be guilty of collusion. 2. In submitting this work I confirm that I am aware of, and am abiding by, the Universitys expectations for proof-reading. 3. I understand that I must submit this coursework by the time and date published. I also understand that if this coursework is submitted late it will, if submitted within 5 working days of the deadline date and time, be given a pass mark as a maximum mark. If received more than 5 working days after the deadline date and time, it will receive a mark of 0%. For referred or repeat coursework, I understand that if the coursework is not submitted by the published date and time, a mark of 0% will be automatically awarded. 4. I understand that it is entirely my responsibility to ensure that I hand in my full and complete coursework and that any missing pages handed in after the deadline will be disregarded. 5. I understand that the above rules apply even in the eventuality of computer or other information technology failures. 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The character of Simon appears different from the other boys in many :: English Literature

The character of Simon appears different from the other boys in many ways. What effect does this give, and why has Golding used such a character for a contribution to the novel as a whole? Use a study of character to justify your response, and closely ... The character of Simon appears different from the other boys in many ways. What effect does this give, and why has Golding used such a character for a contribution to the novel as a whole? Use a study of character to justify your response, and closely analyze one passage describing Simon. The novel ‘Lord of the Flies’, written in the early 1950’s is an allegorical, adventure story; a castaway story about the loss of innocence. Within this novel William Golding presents many ideas and themes on levels which require a depth of consideration, but which can also be interpreted in different ways by all. The main theme Golding puts forward is the idea the book is based around. The island is a microcosm of the world, and so the behaviour in which the boys partake represents that of society. Therefore, the degeneration of civilization which occurs, shows that society holds everyone together, without the restraints and rules of society, man loses sense of right and wrong, and anarchy and savagery can come to light. The beast within will slowly but surely reveal itself, when there is nothing to hold it back, leading to a return to primal states, ultimately resulting in afore said savagery. The novel shows that it is Golding’s belief that the human impulse is not as deeply rooted to civilization, as it is to savagery. The novel shows our morals come directly from our surroundings, and the boys’ behaviour justifies this as their surroundings are changed. Most of the boys do encounter these changes, except for one. Simon. He stands on an entirely different plane from the rest of the boys. Although he is younger than Jack, Ralph and Piggy, he is good, pure and has the most positive outlook. He is insistent that even in the worst of situations, they will be rescued, even when the likes of Ralph are doubting the odds. Simon seems to have a spiritual human goodness which is deeply connected with nature. He is kind to the younger children, and sees the good within all. He is the first, and perhaps the only one to realize that the beast on the island is not in the physical form, but the evil which lurks within all human beings, - ‘â€Å"What I mean is †¦maybe it’s only us†Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. ‘Simon became inarticulate

Reflection Paper on Organizational Behavior Course Essay

When the Philippine Army (PA) gave me a Masteral Degree Scholarship, I was told to take a Human Resource Management (HRM) course. Since I chose to take my graduate course in UP Diliman {where I took my BA in Public Administration undergraduate course before going to the Philippine Military Academy (PMA)}, I enrolled in the School of Labor and Industrial Relations (SOLAIR) because they have an equivalent graduate course in HRM, which is the Master of Industrial Relations where I can specialize in Human Resource Development. The intent of my graduate study is to educate me with the latest trends, principles, procedures, programs, policies and concepts in HRM, and be able relate and apply them in the personnel management of the Philippine Army. Although the MIR at SOLAIR is more of the empowerment of labor, enlightened industrial relations and social justice, still there are courses that would be very useful and relevant for the Philippine Army. Among those relevant course is IR 213 or Organizational Behavior in Industrial Relations, which covers interactions of organization, individual and group in unions, management and government in IR situations, with emphasis on sociological, psychological and cultural factors. I took this elective course because when I saw the description of the course I immediately believe that this would be very relevant for me. I came from an organization that is among the largest single employer in the country, which is the Philippine Army. We are more or less 85,000 strong, and with that number cultural and social diversity is a certainty. Thus for an officer like me who would be handling a large number of personnel in the future, a course in organizational behavior would be essential. Although I already took a similar course in my BS major in Management at the PMA, still that is an undergraduate course and I believe the level of teaching and approach would be higher, and that the focus would be more of the professional level since my classmates would be graduates students many of whom are already practicing their professions. At the initial part of the course I was a little bit overwhelmed by the volume of readings required for a three hour once a week class with a quiz on said readings at the beginning of each class. Although I was not that surprised since my instructor for said course, who is Prof. Ronahlee A. Asuncion, PhD, or â€Å"George†, happens to be my instructor also in my IR 202 Class the previous semester where the same technique was used in our class. But as with my previous class, I have learned to appreciate this style of â€Å"semi† forcing in effect each student to really read all the readings. Indeed somehow that â€Å"torture† like shock for the second time around, was replaced with my curiosity and enthusiasm as the semester went by. Unlike my undergraduate course in organizational behavior, where I never really had much appreciation, maybe because it’s more of the theoretical level, this course now really enabled me to get involved on how it is in the real situation. My experience with the Philippine Army, especially in my field assignments in the Visayas and Mindanao, enabled me to handle from 30-100 men in a combat area, initially as a platoon leader and later on as a company commander. During this time I have to be a leader, adviser, counselor, brother, father, friend and commander all at the same time. Although I am not really that good or efficient on the roles I just mentioned, since it’s my first time to be assigned in the field, perhaps my leadership training at PMA and other experiences in life allowed me to somehow overcome my shortcomings and finish my tour of duty with flying colors. But looking back at that episode in my career and as I relate those that were discussed in IR 213, I just wondered if I had taken this course prior to that experience, would I have been a better leader of men and a more efficient commander of a unit. It is common knowledge that the military is a highly regimented organization, wherein everybody must strictly obey orders from commanders, if not you will be punished under the articles of war or the military version of the penal code. So in a way many would say that it is very easy to manage a military unit or organization since everyone must follow orders, but this is easier said than done. In my experience, especially in my field assignment in a combat unit in a critical area, as a platoon leader I had my initial challenge as an officer. â€Å"Greenhorn† as I am, leading a group of majority veteran soldiers, wherein their previous area of operations enabled them to be involved in combat encounters with the communist insurgents with a more experienced and senior platoon leader, it is like a rookie trying to be a go to guy in a basketball team, where I have to earn their respect first before being accepted truly as their leader. Yes, they will follow your orders, but there wi ll be times where this rule will be challenged especially in combat situations. Now here lies the relevance of the course on organizational behavior. Knowledge in human personality, perception and attitude would indeed be very important in this situation, although this is well covered in my undergraduate course in management, the ideas of Fred Luthan’s on the chapter on Personality, Perception and Employee Attitude; and Natasha Marinkovic Grba’s (Lisa Matthewman, et al. â€Å"Work Psychology†, Chapter 3) chapter on Personality and Individual Differences refreshes my previous knowledge on the topic and gave me new incite on the nurture-nature debate on personality, the â€Å"Big Five† personality traits, the Myers-Brigg types, organizational commitment, and organizational citizenship behaviors. I really can relate on the issue whether personality is genetic or influenced by the environment. As I was observing then the individual personality and attitudes of my men, I can really distinguish what part of their personality and attitude were really is a result of their training in the military, so I have no problem with that since most of that pertains to discipline and technical expertise as a soldier. Now the problem lies on what other individual personality and attitude that may have been inborn or environment influenced that could affect my relationship with them. Although their initial indifference on my leadership is a group learned attitude, wherein it’s a kind of an initiation period where I must first pass before being accepted in the group, still I have to consider their individual personality, perceptions and attitudes in dealing with them individually. I consider the topic on organizational commitment essential, since this pertains to the very essence of a military organization. As defined by Luthans, organizational commitment is a strong desire to remain a member of a particular organization, a willingness to exert high levels of effort on behalf of the organization and a definite belief in, and acceptance of, the values and goals of the organization. In short loyalty to the organization is what’s keeping discipline and order in the military organization. Perhaps a lecture on this organizational commitment to soldiers on my future unit assignment would be inspirational and reassuring for this will strengthen their zeal as soldiers and allegiance to fight against the enemies of the Filipino people and the state. Organizational Citizenship Behaviors (OCBs) is also very much military in nature. Everything that are ideal behaviors in a military organization may be considered as organizational citizenship behaviors. Actually military discipline, which is discipline or following an order in the absence of a commander, is part of these so called OCBs, and this really what differentiate the military organization from other organizations, and what makes it very efficient and effective. A review and reorientation of the OCBs in the military would also be very important and fundamental in keeping the military highly motivated and committed to the call of the service. Thus I really appreciate being reoriented in these OCBs, for this will also be included on my future lectures to my would be soldiers in my next tour as a field unit commander. Another very relevant part of the course where I can really relate to is on the topic on stress. A soldier’s job is very demanding both physically and psychologically, and this what makes it very stressful. Identifying these sources of stress is crucial in enabling commanders like me to provide opportunities for my men to cope up with stresses that they would encounter on the job. Fred Luthans pointed out on the Chapter on Stress and Conflict of his book on Organizational Behavior, (1) that stress is not simply anxiety, (2) that stress is not simply nervous tension, and (3) that stress is not necessarily something damaging, bad or to be avoided. Luthans said anxiety operate solely in the emotional and psychological sphere, whereas stress operates there and also in the physiological sphere. Thus stress may be accompanied by anxiety, but the two should not be equated. It’s good that Luthans clearly differentiate anxiety with that of stress, because soldiers sometimes only suffers from anxiety and at times real stress, knowing what is from the other enables me to provide the appropriate approach or method for them to cope up with either one or both. Luthans also said that like anxiety, nervous tension may result from stress, but the two are not the same. He further said that unconscious people have exhibited stress, and some people may keep it â€Å"bottled up† and not reveal it through nervous tension. Soldiers do suffer nervous tension, thus I must consider the fact that stress could complicate things that may result in a more damaging situation than just a simple stress for the soldier. Luthans further pointed out that eustress is not damaging or bad and is something people should seek out rather than avoid. He mentioned that the key is how the person handles the stress; distress may be prevented or can be effectively controlled. As mentioned there are stresses that soldiers encounter that are positive in nature and thus may not have to be avoided, and furthermore negative stress may be prevented or effectively controlled by using coping up methods. Survival in combat situation is a skill that every soldier must possess. This skill is the reason why the PA or the entire military organization is very strict in its recruitment of soldiers, neuro-psycho test is one very stringent examination wherein it must be proven that the recruit is psychologically prepared in becoming a soldier. I also mentioned that I must also be a counselor to my men. Since all of us are away from our families and civilian friends, and at times we are in combat situations, stress will definitely be a problem if it will not be addressed. John W, Newstrom mentioned on the chapter on Stress and Counseling from his book â€Å"Human Behavior at Work†, that stress affects performance; it can either be helpful or harmful to job performance, depending on its level. Thus to enable commanders like me to maximize soldiers performance, I must consider stresses that tends to increase performance or avoid stresses that tends to decrease it. Indeed stress management is a must in every organization, Newstrom mentioned that in attempting to manage stress, individuals have three broad options (1) is to prevent or control it, (2) escape from it, or (3) learn to adapt to it (handle its symptoms). Adapting these steps will enable commanders to reduce or eliminate stressors for soldiers. Newstrom mentioned about social support, which he defined as the network of helpful activities, interactions and relationships that provides an employee with the satisfaction of important needs. That’s where commanders like me come in; first I had to provide the necessary opportunity for my soldiers to have social interactions with fellow soldiers and at times with the civilian populace around our area of assignment; and then I must also be available always to provide counseling to my soldiers as the need arises. Newstrom mentioned about relaxation and sabbaticals both designed to give soldiers a peace of mind and time to somehow escape the world of combat that we are living in. We regularly schedule field trips and social events that soldiers engage into when situation allows it. Rest and recreation for soldiers are periodic where every soldier has the opportunity to go home to their families in a certain period of time. Another issue I am concerned with regarding stress and counseling is the debriefing of soldiers after a combat operation wherein they are exposed to violent actions and at times incurring casualties in our ranks. During my time in the field this so called after operation debriefing to soldiers does not exist, every soldier is just expected to recover psychologically on their own, since they are supposed to be psychologically prepared when they entered the military service. As defined by the handbook on military combat and operational stress, traumatic stress injuries are literal damage to the brain and mind due to an experience involving real or threatened death or serious injury, or its aftermath. Not everyone who is exposed to real or threatened death or its aftermath is damaged by that experience; most people are not. But everyone is susceptible to experiencing intense terror, horror, or helplessness when confronted with their own or their peers’ mortality, and each soldier’s susceptibility varies over time due to the accumulation of stress from other causes. No one knows how common traumatic stress injuries are among soldiers engaged in combat operations because most are minor, more like bruises than fractures, and most heal quickly on their own without help from others. Even more serious traumatic stress injuries tend to be disabling for only a matter of seconds or minutes, although completely normal functioning may not be regained f or days, weeks, or months. Although now this problem is being addressed by the PA, wherein support to field units on these matters are increasing. I consider this issue as very crucial one since we have been witness to several fatal effect of combat and operational stress that led to several deaths and injuries by soldiers running amok in barracks or at home killing members of their families and neighbors. Newstrom said that counseling is discussion with an employee of a problem that usually has emotional content in order to help employee cope with it better. Its goal is improved mental health and it is performed by both managers and professional counselors. In a similar fashion that appropriate leader actions for managing traumatic stress injuries are analogous to those for managing physical injuries in soldiers, including (1) applying psychological first aid for affected individuals, (2) applying psychological first aid for affected units, (3) assessing the need for professional care, and (4) monitoring heal ing and mentoring back to full health and readiness. Another relevant topic in IR 213 that I want to emphasize is on organizational development (OD). According to Newstrom organizational development is the systematic application of behavioral science knowledge at various levels (group, intergroup and total organization) to bring about planned change. Whereas according to the book of Lisa Matthewman, et al in their book, ‘Work Psychology†, strategic change is concerned with broad, long-term organizational issues, which involves OD programs designed to change vision, mission or corporate philosophy on matters such as growth, quality, innovation and values. It is this kind of OD that the Philippine Army is undergoing right now. The PA has crafted the Army Transformation Roadmap (ATR) which is a transformation program that highlights the commitment of the PA to pursue genuine reforms founded on good governance and performance excellence. Its primary purpose is to transform the Army into a more capable, responsive, reliable, and professional organization committed to its mandate. This was not made by one man for one unit. This was created by several people representing different units for the Philippine Army and the people it serves. As mentioned by Newstrom OD requires transformational leaders. These are managers who initiate bold strategic changes to position the organization for its future. They articulate a vision and promote it vigorously; just like what senior commanders in PA are doing under the direction of the Commanding General of the Philippine Army, the PA is promoting a newly crafted vision that is â€Å"By 2028, to be a world-class Army that is a source of national pride†. I am also part of these so called transformational leaders, where I am tasked to take up a Masters Degree in HRM and be able to contribute in the transformation of the personnel management of PA. Also it is very important to take note of the sources of resistance to change, thus my part in making sure that the resistance among the personnel of the army would be addressed so that complications arising from these resistance would be avoided. For years, the Philippine Army has been viewed negatively by the very people it aims to serve. But times are changing and so are the needs of the nation. Although war fighting is still the core function of the Armed Forces, the Army is increasingly expected to perform non-traditional roles such as disaster response, humanitarian assistance, peacekeeping operations, and support to national development. Thus I believe the topic on organizational development would equip me somehow to enable me to relate them in my attempt to contribute in the area of Human Resource Development for the PA. And finally, the experiences that were shared by my classmates in class is priceless, for as a military and government worker, their opinions and shared actual on the job know how both in the private and public sector setting, has given me better understanding of theories applied to actual practice. Indeed this makes graduate school better, since many of the students are practicing professionals, wherein their shared work experiences and higher level of opinion on relevant matters would be an additional learning experience aside from what the instructor would be teaching the students. It has been a long while for me since I returned back to civilian school, and I’m glad I returned to my Alma Mater for it brought back memories and pride in my being a UP student, I’m not disappointed with this course and as in the other courses that I took in SOLAIR, for it really educated me on matters that I really need to. My work as an officer in the military allows me to interact wit h many military personnel and my rank allows me to occupy position that is managerial in nature thus this course on organizational behavior has equipped me with the knowledge that I have just enumerated. I believe the objective of the course has been achieved, and I do hope that it will continue to do so for the other students that would be taking this course.

Free business-writing tips on new website - Emphasis

Free business-writing tips on new website Free business-writing tips on new website Writing-skills experts Emphasis launch a series of online resources A new, interactive website launches today, giving users practical advice and expert feedback on their business-writing skills. Launched by leading business-writing trainers Emphasis, the site features a comprehensive set of resources designed to help anyone who has to write emails, reports, tenders, proposals, letters or other documents at work. Users can sign up to receive a regular podcast and writing tips e-bulletin. They can also access a unique writing-skills forum where the Emphasis trainers guarantee to respond to any queries within two working days. One of the sites main advantages is that users can improve their writing in private and in their own time. People often feel uncomfortable about revealing any weakness in their writing skills, explains Rob Ashton, Chief Executive of Emphasis. With the resources available on this site, they can improve their writing in private and whenever they like. The Write On podcast, presented by the BBCs Clare McDonnell, is effectively the UKs first business-writing radio programme. Its full of expert advice and insight on everything from writing better executive summaries and press releases to speech writing, emails and the psychology of proofreading. Other resources include a blog with contributions from writing experts and the comprehensive Knowledge Bank. Visitors can even order a free copy of the Emphasis style guide, The Write Stuff, directly from the site. Press enquiries For more information, please contact us on +44 (0)1273 732 888. or email us here. Notes for editors Emphasis Training Ltd is the UKs leading business-writing training company, providing bespoke courses for a huge range of private and public sector organisations, both in the UK and internationally. Since 1998 it has helped thousands of people in government departments, law firms, blue-chip companies, universities and charities to produce first-class business writing. With headquarters in Brighton, East Sussex, Emphasis has a dedicated team of experienced, specialist trainers who run bespoke courses on-site for organisations across the UK. It also runs open courses for smaller groups or individuals throughout the year in London.

Poor Little Rich Boy essays

Poor Little Rich Boy essays Everyone has heard the saying, from rags to riches. What if you were in a situation where that saying was reversed? Would it change you forever? This is exactly what happened to Alex, the protagonist in the novel The Wild Children by Felicia Holman. This drastically changes Alexs life and he must find different ways to live. He is affected mentally and physically by this, and throughout the novel, Alexs personality changes in many ways. Alex grows up in a very comfortable house, with his parents, little sister, and grandmother. He is used to feeling secure, and safe. His parents have raised him with high standards and morals, and he definitely knows right from wrong. All that changes though, when one day he wakes up, only to find that his family has been taken away by the government. That feeling of security is immediately destroyed, as he tries to comprehend what has happened to him. When his teacher, Katriana Sergyeva gives him a push, he slowly tries to start his life anew. Alex meets Peter in a crowded Moscow marketplace after he tries to find his uncle; it was an event that completely changed his life. Now living with Peter and the Bakers Band, Alex quickly learns that the things he took for granted before could now save his life. He was always a picky eater, He thought of the time-could it be only a few days ago? -when he might have pushed his oatmeal away if it tasted a bit scorched... (pg. 41) Being in the band teaches him to value even the small things in life. Also before he joined Peters band, he was very innocent, intelligent, polite, and educated. Many of the boys in the band can not even read, and that makes him feel a little important. His innocence shows through, in how he reacts to some of the boys actions. When Ivan and Kostia trip an old woman to try and rob her, his first instincts are to help her, but he listens to a different part of him, which tell ...

Media censorship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Media censorship - Essay Example e forms of media censorship are justifiable and the concerned parties should always uphold such regulations in order to foster the growth of a peaceful and cohesive society as the discussion below portrays. Censorship of the mass media has numerous moral, political and economic advantages. The media for example has a series of gatekeepers in the form of editors and subeditors all of who strive to eliminate some errors thereby facilitating self-censorship (Thomas 42). Such are basic forms of self-censorship. The government on the other hand through the department of information imposes strategic censorships on the media thereby regulating the information that reaches the public. Among the basic justifications of the various forms of censorship is the need to uphold the moral values of a society. Moral censorship requires the removal of any obscene content from the messages. Pornographic content, images of dead bodies and images of victims of sexual assault have moral implications. As such, both the government and the mass media managers must always either eliminate or conceal such images. Government intelligence must also always remain with the government. This implies that the government must always censor specific information that concerns some of the most vital features of the government. Military intelligence among other information that concerns the national security is vital to the safety and stability of the country. As such, the government must always regulate the content that reaches the public. Military censorship is therefore important in a country since it such intelligence and tactics enhances the security of a country and the country’s ability to counter external aggression (Magoon 54). Political censorship on the other hand is always the most contentious form of censorship since the public would always want to know the pertinent information concerning the stability of the country. However, both the government and the mass media managers should

Native Americans Trailer Feather War Bonnet and Tipi Essay - 51

Native Americans Trailer Feather War Bonnet and Tipi - Essay Example There is also a window which makes it possible to think that the tip is placed inside a bigger room probably a tent, and thus maybe the structure is used to display the Native Culture. Most of the time nowadays, this kind of a war bonnet is seen by the young generations during movies, because most of these native wears are not concentrated on in today’s societies. The Indian tribes associated with such headdress and housing includes the Sioux, Crow, and Blackfeet, Cheyenne, and Plains Cree. They are commonly found in the Great Plains region, which is concentrated with tribes of the Native Americans. A war bonnet is a very important attire worn during important ceremonies by the Native American chiefs and warriors. These headdresses are only worn by men in the Native American tribes, and especially during the fighting. There are different kinds of war bonnets such as the Halo war bonnet, which is a combination of eagle feathers, spread out around the face and fashioned in an oval shape. There is another one which is known as the straight-up feather headdress; it is a taller, narrower and in this kind of headdress, the eagle’s feathers stand up straight. In the picture, the kind displayed is a trailer headdress. It is a headdress with single or double rows of eagle feathers designed in a long tail that touches the ground. The tipis are houses used by the red Indians for shelter. Every Native American tribe had a different kind of tipi that would serve their needs and especially one that would suit their particular lifestyle. It looks like a cone-shaped wooden house. It is made of a wooden frame and is covered with hiding and especially with buffalo hide. Tips are very easy to construct and also to bring down, as the tribes that use them are pastoralist, hence, they do not need permanent residence.