Dantes Inferno: Dantes Journey Toward Enlightenment Essay -- Dantes

Dante's Inferno: Dante's Journey Toward Enlightenment While reading Dante’s Inferno I couldn’t help but draw parallels between the journey of the protagonist and the belief system of the Buddhist religion. Dante believed we must understand sin before we can reject it, and Buddha believed that before we can reject sin, we must suffer also. Examining these two tenets side by side makes the similarities undeniably apparent; they both seem to be purporting the message that there cannot be pain without pleasure, truth without dishonesty or enlightenment with suffering. Dante’s version of hell is based on that of Medieval Catholicism, which professes to be quite divergent from the Buddhist faith. Yet the similarities are actually quite prevalent when reviewed from an impartial perspective. The first resemblance I noticed between the two faiths was in regards to the Roman epic poet Virgil, who acts as Dante’s mentor and protector while accompanying him on his extraordinary journey through Hell. This immediately made me think of the spirit guides that Buddhists believe channel them towards salvation. Dante views Virgil as many Christians view God; as a father figure, from whom guidance, information, and forgiveness is actively sought. Dante refers to Virgil as "Master", "Guide", "Teacher", "Poet" in the beginning; yet he eventually begins to refer to Virgil as "Lord", implying that he sees Virgil not as a traditional father figure, but as a spiritually divine one. This is evidenced even further in Canto XXX, line 130 – end, in which Dante needs Virgil’s forgiveness, which suggests that his clemency bears some divine power of atonement. This Christian tendency to have a spirit guide take on the characteristics of a ruling de... ... the truth of the path that leads to the end of suffering. More simply put, suffering exists; it has a cause; it has an end; and it has a cause to bring about its end. The notion of suffering in Buddhism then, is not intended to convey a negative world view, but rather, to connote a pragmatic perspective that deals with the world as it is, and subsequently attempts to remedy it. The concept of pleasure is not denied, but is rather acknowledged as fleeting in that the pursuit of pleasure can only sustain what is ultimately an unquenchable thirst. Works Cited [1] Carter, John Ross and Mahinda Palihawadana, trans. and ed. The Dhammapada. New York: Oxford University Press, 1987, verses 116-119. [2] Alighieri, Dante. The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri: Inferno. Trans. Allen Mandelbaum. Notes Allen Mandelbaum and Gabriel Marruzzo. New York: Bantam Books, 1980

Stakeholder management

A stakeholder is a party, an individual or a group of people who influence or can be affected or affect the actions of an organization examples are customers, suppliers, employes and owners or a given organization. Stakeholder management is a way of emphasizing that people support each other and taking an opportunity where others are not able to succeed.Stakeholder management is very important when it comes to success of any project in any given organization, this includes giving the right people the right responsibilities in the project, as one involves more people in the development of a project as the more people will affect the project development, and those people will come to rule out how the project will shape up and finally they will be the   more powerful people in that organization so great care should be taken when selecting stakeholders in the management of a project in the organization, as they will be sole determinants of the success of an organization .The success or failure or a project is greatly influenced by the way the management in the organization pursues and expects of their stakeholders, and how much they want to involve them in the development of the project.Research is necessary while deciding who the stakeholders should be while planning out a project; the management should have people carry out exclusive research to get the best possible stakeholders who will directly be affected by that specific project.Before making a decision on which the stakeholders should be you should try to allocate enough time on stakeholder management to decide on the critical decisions depending on how hard the project goals are, communication time and how much help you will need from the stakeholders to achieve your goals.It’s always important that while planning a project that the relevant people who are directly related to that project must be involved, this is because they are the ones who will make strategic decisions which will directly affe ct the success of the project.Each and every stakeholder should be involved to the extent of the success of that given project.   The management at the same time should not over involve stakeholders in their new project because they may end up interfering with the outcome of the project, only a limited number of stakeholders should be involved in the project.One needs to have a full understanding of the key stakeholders and how they are likely to be affected by the project.   Priority should be given to those that are affected more by the project and least priority to those that will be less affected. They need to communicate with the basic stakeholders so that they can always the part of the project and contribute to the success of the project in the best possible way.In conclusion, it’s important to note that the success of any project will depend on the involvement of all the stakeholders if positive results are to be realized.Maximum positive results can be achieved w hen all the stakeholders management communicates effectively to its important stakeholders incase the are to make any changes of while in progress with the project, the management should not keep changing its stakeholders from time to time because this will lead to inconsistent results due to different ideas contributed from the various stakeholders that will be involved.Reference: Earned Value Project Management, Third Edition by Quentin W. Fleming and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Joel M. Koppelman   

Chanel’s Exhibition Compared to Vermibus Essay

Two exhibitions, both held during October 2012, will form the bases of this comparative essay. Chanel’s fashion photography exhibition entitled ‘The Little Black Jacket: Chanel’s Classic Revisited’ held at the Saatchi Gallery 12th October – 4th November 2012, and Vermibus’ display of appropriated adverts called ‘Unmasking Kate’ shown at the Moniker Arts Fair 11th -14th October 2012 will be used to explore the links each exhibition has to the themes of advertising and celebrity. ‘The Little Black Jacket: Chanel’s Classic Revisited’ is a celebration of the ‘timelessness’ (Saatchi, 2012) that is the Chanel jacket first introduced in 1953 (Armstrong, 2012), which Karl Lagerfeld, the creative director for Chanel, has revamped for the twenty-first century. ‘The Chanel jacket is a man’s jacket which has become a typical feminine piece†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Lagerfeld cited Making of- The Video, 2012), co-writer and photographer for the exhibition Lagerfeld, articulates the versatility of the garment, which is a key theme expressed throughout the show. The exhibition consists of 113 photographs of celebrities modelling (Saatchi, 2012) the jacket to which the entire exhibition is a tribute to (Saatchi, 2012). In contention with the notion of product and brand celebration the Spanish-born artist Vermibus presented his ‘Unmasking Kate’ series at the Moniker Arts Fair, ‘†¦now in its third year, the fair†¦[of] contemporary artists with urban roots†¦[is] an assembly united by a desire to rebel’ (Spence, 2012). Amongst the rebels is street artist and ex-branding photographer turned contemporary artist (lamono, 2012), Vermibus. The principle of his work is the appropriation of designer advertising posters found publically, as a statement against the image of our materialistic consumer driven society (Finucane, 2012). The title of Vermibus’ current series ‘Unmasking Kate’ refers to both his method of appropriating the posters and to his subject, namely the model Kate Moss. Vermibus argues that he uses Moss’s image ‘†¦because she has been the flagship of fashion for the last 20 years’ (Lamono, 2012) and is therefore an easily recognizable icon of modern fashion and consumer society ‘Kate Moss †¦had to construct thousands of masks to hide her fears†¦ [she] internalized those masks from the beginning and we bought them all†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢(Lamono, 2012) Vermibus reveals his ideas about masks fueled by the advertising industry. He further uses Moss’ image to show, simultaneously, the vulnerability of the human subject and the medias exploitation of the notion of celebrity. This theme parallels the way Andy Warhol used Marilyn Monroe’s image after her death (Modern Masters: Andy Warhol, 2010). Likewise, the Chanel exhibition echoes some Warhol themes, yet using the celebrity image to celebration its brand and product originally from the 1950’s (Modern Masters: Andy Warhol, 2010). The exhibitions work on Warhol themes differently either to criticize or celebrate advertising and product branding (Modern Masters: Andy Warhol, 2010). The title of the exhibition ‘The Little Black Jacket: Chanel’s classic revisited’ uses a play on the now clichà ©d notion of ‘the little black dress’ this seemingly playful reference to an item that Coco Chanel arguably made ubiquitous in 1926 (Fritz, 2012) as ‘a uniform for all women of taste’ (Crystal, 2007) carries the suggestion that the redesigning of the Chanel jacket has caused the garment to become as revolutionary and versatile as the little black dress and thus deserves the same universal appeal and fashionable credibility. This is further reflected in the exhibition’s promotional use of words such as ‘classic’ (Armstrong, 2012), ‘iconic’ (Saatchi, 2012) and ‘timeless’ (The Exhibition Opening – The Film, 2012), phrases often made in reference to the little black dress, conveying the item as an essential part of both a man and woman’s collection, in this way almost surp assing the success of the little black dress. Despite their difference, the most prominent connection between both exhibitions is the use of fashion photography. While Vermibus appropriates already publish photographic based adverts, Lagerfeld endeavours to create a series of fashion photographs, seemingly ready for an advertising campaigns (fig:1) sans the alluring taglines and buyer information. However, perhaps text is not necessary in conveying advertising messages: ‘As advertising has become so subject to the influence of photography that in some cases it is nothing other than fashion photography in its pure form.’ (Zahm, 2003 p.267) Lagerfeld’s photography could, therefore, be read as adverts for the Chanel jacket. This is illustrated in the use of a shallow depth of field added to the blank studio backdrop, uniform in all of Lagerfeld’s shots and reminiscent of many advertising campaigns. The technique seems to encourage the viewer to read the model as the main focus of the shot. The positioning of the models, strictly following the rule of thirds in all displayed images, seems actively styled to further accentuate the Chanel jacket as it is after all the subject of the photographic exhibition and perhaps the product to be endorsed. Looking at the images from this angle makes the work seems more sinister; putting the gallery viewer in the position of a consumer. Vermibus’ acquired advertising posters are often comparable in style and content to those featured in the Chanel exhibition. The Vermibus technique involves the systematic removal of layers of gloss and colour from the face of the models (fig:2) using solvents such as white spirit ‘in a unique painting counter-action’ (Open Walls Gallery, 2012) creating gestural, painterly brush marks reminiscent of Lucian Freud ‘s ‘naked’ series (fig:3). This method of working directly on to the photographic image creates an interesting juxtaposition between the flat, glossy, original photographic elements left untouched in the clothe and hair of the advert compared to the textured, painterly brush marks and colours crated by the solvents application on the glossy flesh of the models image (Finucane, 2012). This all helps to convert the adverts ‘†¦flawless and sanitized icons†¦into harrowing and contorted figures evocative of ‘Francis Bacon’s seminal works’ (Finucane, 2012) (fig:4). Through this treatment Vermibus is trying to uncover the essence of the figures by ‘dehumanizes those figures †¦ trying to find the aura of the individual, the personality that was lost†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢(Moniker Art Fair, 2012) in the world of advertisement, which seems in direct contention with the image and brand driven concept of the Chanel exhibition. Nonetheless, a form of distortion is also evident in the instillation part of the Chanel exhibition (fig:5), large glass etched version of selected prints create intertextual connections to the work of pop artist Roy Lichtenstein (fig:6) namely in the use of the pixelated bendy dots and primary colours. Through pixelating the benday dots Lagerfeld seems to marry a nostalgic past of image reproduction with modern-day digital innovations. This mirrors the merging of past and present in fashion exhibition. The link to Pop Art is further contextualised as the original Chanel jacket would have debuted around the time that the pop art movement was emerging (Gersh-Nesic, 2012). Unlike many Pop artists and Lagerfeld’s work, Vermibus eradicates branding from his work. Then returns the adverts to their original places in the advertising shelters as ‘gifts for the passers-by’ (Moniker Art Fair, 2012 p.19). As he stats that ‘private companies have taken over these spaces and what I want to do is return them to the public’ (Lamono, 2012). Chanel’s exhibition in this way also stands in contrast to the notion that a luxury brand ‘buys its way into our public spaces [and it] must be passively accepted as a one-way information flow.’ – (Klein, 2002). This is an argument held and expressed within the work of Vermibus. Instead of following this traditional model of advertising which relies heavily and spend vast amounts of money on limited single-way communication advertising (Jackson, 2009), Chanel arguably used a credible gallery to advertise under the guise of culture enrichment; a ‘more interactive, experiential and customised communication’ (Jackson, 2009, p. 273). However, Anderson (2000) argues that shows like this ‘illustrates [the] approaches taken by those in the commercial sphere, who are completely unfettered by museological traditions’ (Anderson, 2000, p.386). However, the Saatchi gallery; was set up by Charles Saatchi like many ‘high net worth individuals who operate their collections like museums for the public’ (picassomio.com) thus needs not to uphold traditions of the museum and is not duty bound to provide advertisement-free exhibitions. This may seem like devious undercover advertising ‘†¦however visitors will construct their own coherence†¦.which may or may not comply with that of the curator†¦'(Hooper-Greenhill, 2000, p.7) thus the advertising undertones of the exhibition may be passively accepted or rejected by viewers. In this way Chanel opens the flow of communication, although, arguably ‘even the best fashion photography is still an industry in service of industry’ (Zahm, 2003, p.265). Therefore, in blurring the lines between free cultural experiences and marketing gimmicks Chanel is clearly attempting to increase their revenue, as Lagerfeld affirms ‘I am not a commercial person †¦ but the final complement is†¦when you buy [the product]’ (The World of Karl Lagerfeld, c.2010). The fact that Lagerfeld’s creative and corporate elements merge in the exhibition is sinisterly convenient ‘†¦it is undeniable that the motivations of designers to co-operate with curators in having their work displayed in museums are largely about prestige, self-promotion and profit’ (Anderson, 2000, p. 375) marring the impression of such exhibitions as nothing more than an oblique advertising campaign. The ‘anti-publicist’ (Lamono, 2012) Vermibus’ illustrates his distain for the advertising industry which Lagerfelds work seems to represent, ‘the brands goal is to remove the model’s identity†¦the model is not a person any more but an image whose only value is for selling’ (Finucane, J. 2012). Vermibus’ ideas are reminiscent of the Situationist International’s concepts of the spectacle (Debord, 1957-61) equally, Vermibus’ appropriated posters carry strong connections to their notion of detournement ‘reusing preexisting†¦elements in a new ensemble’ (Debord, 1957-61). Thus Vermibus’ symbolic use of white sprit on adverts, can act as an allegory for reestablishing identity from the spectacle. This notion of brands taking over ones identity is also suggested in the Chanel exhibition video ‘†¦and with each person’s personality the jacket lives through them †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Chloe Moretz cited in ‘The Exhibition Opening -The Film’ 2012) presenting the consumer product as a sort of symbiotic parasite using and replacing the identity of the wearer. This relates further to Williamson’s (1995) argument that ‘people are made to identify themselves with what they consume’ (Williamsons 1995 p.13). People become use brands and styles to project their identity through non-verbal communication thus: ‘Advertisements are selling us something else besides consumer goods†¦in providing us with a structure in which we and those goods are interchangeable, they are selling us ourselves.’ (Williamson, 1995 p13) This would explain why so many of the videos produced by Chanel surrounding the Black Jacket exhibition continuously stress the versatility of the jacket ‘†¦ You can do a lot with it†¦it suits everyone’ (Carine Roitfeld cited in Making of – The Video, 2012) conveying almost subliminally that people need to have this item that can fit their already established style; ‘the bohemian look, the Victorian look, the more kinda [sic] fun Kate Moss look†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Chloe Moretz cited in The Exhibition opening -the film’ 2012) further promoting its value and illustrating the ‘cannibalistic’ nature of fashion (Zahm, 2003 p. 266), which feed into the spectacle (Debord,1957-61) by assimilating and reproducing the same items and feeling of desire within society. The Chanel exhibitions use of celebrity images differs to that a Vermibus, as it seems to reflect the wider marketing idea that using celebrity endorsements is a ‘strong marketing plus†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Jackson, 2009 p191). Along side the photographers the behind the scenes film presents testimonials from celebrities ‘I consider it [the Chanel jacket] a prized possession. I feel very lucky’ (Sarah Jessica Parker cited in Making of- The Video, 2012) enticing the viewer to desire the item. Atkin (2010) contend that this is because humans are prehistorically ‘hardwired’ to want to glean information about how to become successful survivors by watching and copying the most successful in our society, i.e. the celebrities (Star Suckers, 2010). advertisers like Chanel are manipulating this evolutionary flaw to give ‘[a] product which initially has no meaning †¦.value by a person†¦who has a value to us†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Williamson, 1995, p.31). In contrast, celebrities are utilized by Vermibus to liberate the human being from the celebrity ‘mask’ evoking sympathy from the audience however, it is not clear how much the celebrity image entices the viewer’s prehistoric urge and interest in Vermibus’ work. In conclusion the two exhibitions on the surface have very different and opposing motivations. However, on inspection both deal with similar themes of fashion photography, advertising and celebrity in different ways. Although it falls beyond the scope of this essay compare every element of the exhibitions it has attempted to demonstrate that Lagerfeld’s approach has strong advertising undertone, while Vermibus’ work is anti-publicist in nature. Therefore, despite displaying work at arts fair, with the purpose of promoting and selling his work, the artist maintains his anti-establishment ethos ‘Being at [an art fair] is another way to attack from within’ (Lamono, 2012) which conveys the fundamental difference between the two exhibitions; they both exploit the image of celebrities to draw attention to their work but while Vermibus’ ideology remains paramount it would seem that for Lagerfeld the financial gain is the principal purpose of the exhibition. References: Anderson, F (2000) ‘Museum as Fashion Media’, in Bruzzi, S. and Gibson, C. (eds.) Fashion Cultures: Theories, Exploration and Analysis. London : Routledge pp. 371-389. Armstrong, L. (2012) ‘Chanel’s Little Black Jacket: How Chanel split the fashion atom’, Telegraph [Online] Available at: http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/news-features/TMG9602510/Chanels-Little-Black-Jacket-How-Chanel-split-the-fashion-atom.html (Accessed 3/12/2012 Crystal, (2007) Little Black Dress Quotes. Available at: http://no-white-marks.blogspot.com/2007/10/little-black-dress-quotes.html (Accessed: 3/12/2012) Debord, G. (1957-61) ‘Writings from the Situationist International’ in Harrison,C and Wood, P.J. (eds.) (2002) Art Theory 1900-2000. Oxford:Blackwell. pp.701-707 Finucane, J. (2012) New art New Ideas London: Moniker Arts Fair Fritz, M. (2012) A Short History of the Little Black Dress. [Online]. Available at: http://www.realsimple.com/beauty-fashion/clothing/dresses-skirts/little-black-dress-00000000046948/index.html (Accessed: 29/11/12) Gersh-Nesic, B. (2012) About.com. Available at: http://arthistory.about.com/od/modernarthistory/a/Pop-Art-Art-History-101-Basics.htm (Accessed: 08/11/12) Hooper-Greenhill, E (2000) Museums and Interpretation of Visual Culture London: Routledge Jackson, T. and Shaw, D. (2009), Fashion Marketing Hampshire: Palgrave Klein, N. (2002) No Logos. New York:Picador Lamono (2012) Vermibus, Attack From Within [Online]. Available at: http://lamonomagazine.com/hunter/vermibus-ataque-desde-dentro/ (Accessed 28/11/2012) Making of – the video,’ 2012, by Chanel [online] available at: http://thelittleblackjacket.chanel.com/en_GB/makingof (Accessed 16/11/12) Modern Masters: Andy Warhol – Documentary – Artist, (2010) by Alastair Sooke, UK [Online] available at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sWU7I6fGpMI&feature=share&list=LLU15G_d3N4Dd14H85X-eCCg (Accessed: 08/11/12) Moniker Art Fair, (2012) Moniker Art Fair About. [Online] Available at: http://www.monikerartfair.com/2012/ (Accessed: 18/10/12) Open Walls Gallery (2012) Vermibus [Online] Available at: http://www.openwallsgallery.com/artist/vermibus (Accessed 15/11/12) Picassomio, General Art Articles[online]. Available at: http://www.picassomio.com/art-articles/what-is-the-difference-between-a-museum-and-a-gallery.html (Accessed: 28/11/12) Saatchi gallery (2012) The Little Black Jacket. [Online] Available at: http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/current/the_little_black_jacket.php (Accessed: 15/11/12) Spence, R. (2012) ‘Go forth and multiply’, The Financial Times [Online] Avalible at: http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/0a062f4c-1486-11e2-8cf2-00144feabdc0.html#axzz2EEPdaatD (Accessed: 14/11/12) Star Suckers, (2010) by Chris Atkins UK [DVD] The Exhibition Opening – The Film, (2012) by Chanel [Online] Available at: http://thelittleblackjacket.chanel.com/en_GB/exhibition/london (Accessed: 16/11/12) The World of Karl Lagerfeld, (c. 2010) by Anjali Rao China [Online] Avalible at: http://youtu.be/m0ljhBgy0Hc (Accessed 20/11/12) Williamsons, J (1995) Decoding Advertisements: Ideology and Meaning in Advertising. London: Marion Boyars Zahm, O. (2003) ‘On the Marked Change in Fashion Photography’, in Welters, L. and Lillethon, A. (eds.) (2007) The Fashion Reader. Oxford: Berg, pp. 263-269.

Collective bargaining Essays

Collective bargaining Essays Collective bargaining Essay Collective bargaining Essay A labor union is an association of workers formed for the primary objective of influencing the employers decisions and policies concerning employment conditions. In the event that demands of employees are not met by management, employees turn to the labor union for assistance. Labor isolation Labor relations are governed by a number of legislations. Said legislation provides among other things the following: 1 ) Procedure for union elections 2) Requirement for employers to bargain with a union 3) Defines and prohibits certain unfair labor practices on the part of the employer that might discourage fair bargaining) Controls for improper practices 5) Rights of union member 6) Government-regulated system of collective bargaining COLLECTIVE BARGAINING G Collective bargaining is a social process. It requires negotiations between representatives of management and labor to accomplish in writing an agreement covering terms and conditions of employment. Collective bargaining is aimed at working toward the attainment of new equilibrium between two social forces and to make easier the maintenance of the established equilibrium. Notwithstanding the difficulties to be met, elective bargaining is an effective practice to preserve labor-management autonomy in a free and democratic society. Collective bargaining is a continuous process. Although negotiations take place only periodically, after the contract is signed, a number of parts of the bargaining process remain to be performed. Stipulations contained in the contract must be communicated to managers, employees and other union officers. Meanwhile, both parties keep watching for flaws in their contract so that they can introduce amendments at the succeeding negotiations. They furthermore study local industry-wide and nationwide labor relations developments to see how their own contract may, in some ways, be affected. Collective bargaining is a flexible, give and take process, it, therefore, requires both careful preparations and skilful maneuvering with flexibility. Negative attitudes bring about a wrong emotional tone in bargaining sessions. Planning for Negotiations Management must first look into the state of its labor relations because each forthcoming bargaining will be contingent on what has gone before that. This will help the management determine if they will be antagonistic or cooperative. Management should also consider the possible attitude it would face across the bargaining table. Trouble existing within the union may spill over the bargaining sessions. Top management should appoint a bargaining team and work with it in developing the basic bargaining strategy and an effective bargaining plan. Participation by supervisors and middle managers should be encouraged by top management in planning for negotiations. They are the people who are actually posted on the provisions of the contract and are well-informed on the strong and weak points contained therein. Bargaining Tactics The following are the three (3) tactics commonly used by bargainers to make their bargaining more effective: 1) A recess Whenever negotiators become fatigue or when members of a bargaining committee desire to discuss some important points privately, they request a recess. This allow the parties to return to the conference table with united front, after reconsidering their position and after gathering more information to back up their stand. ) Delay of Deliberation When negotiations are stalled on troublesome issues they request that the matter be tabled and taken up in subsequent meetings. They expect that the situation or the negotiating atmosphere will change to enable them to more easily resolve the issue under consideration. 3) Counterproposal Alternative solutions to problems are presented by negotiating parties. Usually the union does most of the asking. Management, on the other hand tries to reduce whatever may reverse the one-way relationship and grab the initiation of ideas away from the union negotiators. Mediation and Contract Settlement In the event that an agreement cannot be reached, the union may stage a strike or a mediator brought to the negotiating table by one of the parties or by the government. The mediator must be an outside specialist who is unbiased, emotionally stable and with a wide experience. He must be able to present fresh viewpoints, not previously considered, in settlement of the issues under consideration. He serves as a confidential intermediary for both parties. When an agreement is reached, it should be put into writing as clearly and to the point, as much as possible. Unless most readers can understand it, it will not be of benefit. The contract is written to stabilize relationships so that the use of legal terminologies should be minimized. After the signing of the contract, the next Step is to communicate it to those who are to work under its rules, in accordance with it stipulations. GRIEVANCE SYSTEMS A grievance system is a formal system through which disputes over working rules are expressed, processed and judged in an organization. It provides a means by which all edged wrongs may be justifiably resolved among an organizations members. What is grievance? Grievance is defined as any real or imagined feeling of personal injustice that an employee has about the employment relationship. In some unionized organizations, a grievance is taken to mean any protested violation of the labor agreement. A person harboring dissatisfaction may present a grievance with for himself and/or for others. A person may file a grievance with the grievance system formally. If stated informally, it is at times referred to only as a complaint or a gripe. Grievance Rates The grievance rate is stated in terms of the number of written cases in a erred. Grievance rate is usually 5 to 20. A low rate is not necessarily desirable because it may manifest a suppression of grievances. Grievances are developed by all employees of all types and at all levels. Ways to reduce grievance: 1) Effective contract administration- Fair, open and prompt adjudication of problems that arise tends to lessen misunderstanding underlying many grievances. 2) Participative management- Whenever employees participate in decision-making regarding working conditions, they have fewer reasons to file grievances about them. Benefits of Grievance System ) Helps make employees problems known 2) Encourage solution of problems before they become serious 3) Helps prevent future problems 4) Gives employees emotional release for their dissatisfactions 5) Helps establish and maintain a working relationship in the group 6) Provides a check and balance on arbitrary management actions Grievance Procedures 1) Employee (the grievance) discusses grievance with the supervisor 2) Employee presents grievance in writing to the supervisor 3) Steward present grievance to department head 4) Union present grievance to general manager 5) Grievance is submitted to impartial arbiter It is important that a grievance be processed within a short span of time and that, delays should be avoided. Delays in action prevent immediate settlement, which may be misunderstood by the grievance. A supervisor who delays acting a grievance in effect strengthens the grievances cause and gives the impression that the impression that the supervisor sees the soundness of the grievance which he is afraid to face. Arbitration If the grievance is not settled at the organizations hierarchical level, either labor or management may submit the case to arbitration, for a final and ending decision by a third party or parties. The arbitrators decisions govern only until the next collective bargaining negotiation. The interpretation of what the existing contract means is referred to as grievance arbitration. Arbitration to establish new contract terms is referred to as contract arbitration. The former leads to grievance settlement, whereas the latter replaces collective bargaining agreement. Benefits of Arbitrators in Arbitration 1) Arbitrators are outsiders who bring a fresh perspective. 2) Arbitrators are not emotionally involved in the dispute ) They can render a decision that usually is enforceable in the courts.

Imprisonments Effect on Recidivism

Imprisonments Effect on Recidivism Free Online Research Papers The subject of recidivism in the Criminal Justice System has been long studied. It has also been argued over as to the extent of its effectiveness. Recidivism is defined as the repeating of a negative action after experiencing negative consequences from that action or receiving treatment for that action. In regards to the criminal justice system, recidivism occurs when one is rearrested after serving a sentence. With this in mind, recidivism is only discovered when an arrest and or conviction has occurred. Therefore the true number of recidivism cases only covers reported cases. The question develops of just how does incarcerating criminals affect the rates of recidivism? As of mid 2008 there was approximately a population of 2,310,984 held in federal or state prisons or jails in the United States. Of these 1,540,805 were serving out sentences under federal or state jurisdiction. There was an increase of 509 from 506 sentenced prisoners per 100,000 United States residents from yearend 2007. This was an overall increase of 0.8% from the previous yearend. This was however less than the average increase of 2.4% annually for the years 2000 to 2007. (1) These numbers show the growth of the United States inmate population which leads to problems with overcrowding. Within the next year the Federal Bureau of Prisons will open three federal correctional institutions which can hold an approximate 10,500 federal inmates at maximum capacity. (2) According to a national study in 2003 showed that seven out of ten male prisoners that were released will return to prison. (Viser) The question of how does incarceration effect recidivism seems to be obvious. It doesn’t have an impact on those who serve there sentences in prisons or jails. However there are factors that could influence those who serve time and thereby have an impact on recidivism. The dependant variable of the articles reviewed is recidivism itself in the reincarceration of those who were released. The independent variables found were substance addiction, mental illness, and readjustment to society after release. One problem in an inmate’s rehabilitation is dealing with addiction. In 2002 half of jail inmates were held for drug as well as violent offenses. Drug offender population was up by 37% and more than two thirds of the population growth in local jails was due to the increase of those charged with drug law violations. (4) In a personal interview with a federal inmate I was told that most of those who are in violation of drug laws of possession and trafficking do so to support their own drug addiction. This inmate had been in and out of the judicial system since 1972 stating that â€Å"every time I get out I end up on the dope again†. Because of this problem substance abuse treatment has become implemented into the recovery mind set of incarceration. A qualitative study over a five year period tracked a cohort of nonviolent inmates participating in an alcohol and drug treatment program in Monroe County. The success of this program was shown through the finding that of those who participated in the program were less likely to recidivate within the first year than the control group (Turley). Mental illness is another problem impacting recidivism of inmates. A number of studies have shown that many inmates have shown signs or have been diagnosed as having mental disorders in comparison to other inmates. In a study of 79,211 inmates serving sentences from September 2006 thru August 2007 information on mental disorders and history of incarceration during the previous six years was collected from statewide medical information system and studied. It was found that inmates that had major mental disorders including depressive disorders, bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, and non schizophrenic disorders had a substantially increased chance of reincarceration .Inmates with bipolar disorders were found to have a 3.3 times more likely to have had four or more previous incarcerations than those without the disorder. (Baillargeon) One issue that arises is those who have been labeled as â€Å"career criminals† or those who have the label of being psychopathic. Psychopathy is defined by an uninhibited gratification in criminal, sexual, or aggressive urges and being unable the make improvements with treatment. Those who have this disorder receive gratification and to some extent pleasure from their antisocial behavior. These subjects are also found to have little to no remorse for actions. This includes the not only the consequences for their victims but for themselves as well. It has also been shown that those with psychopathy have a 2.5 times higher probability of being released from incarceration than those who are undiagnosed as suffering from this disorder, even though they are more likely to recidivate. This is in part to the findings that psychopathy is mostly unaffected by not only punishment but rehabilitation techniques as well. Not only does rehabilitation not affect psychopathic individual s but incarceration leads to them becoming better at hiding their disorder and their behavior. (8) Yet another reason that many inmates find themselves incarcerated multiple times is that they have a hard time adjusting to life after being imprisoned. Many inmates become accustomed to the structured life that imprisonment establishes with set times and procedures for working, going to school, eating, and sleeping. In a majority of cases those who are released from incarceration are released under parole and under some extent of supervision. The planning for ones release should begin before their release as well as afterwards. According to an analysis conducted by the Florida Department of Corrections based on 18,414 inmates from 1996 to 1997 showed that those who completed reentry programs including education, vocational, and substance abuse programs were less likely to recidivate than those who did not participate or complete these programs (7). The success rate was increased when reentry programs were continued after release. Part of the hardship with reentering society after being imprisoned is the reintroduction to an environment that brought about their original incarceration. While it is important for those who are incarcerated to distance themselves from the environment and those within that environment that lead to their incarceration it is just as important to for them to strengthen their relationship with those who support them and support their recovery. A study was conducted in Florida with 7,000 inmates who were released to observe the testing of the influence of visitation on recidivism. They looked at whether visitation occurred, the frequency of visits, as well as whom the visitors were (family, friends, or other). They also took into account the inmates age, sex, as well as the reason for incarceration. Overall they found that visitation did have an impact on the amount of time recidivism was delayed over a two year period after release. Within this the closer the visit was to the end of in carceration and the visits of spouses over other family and friends had more affect on the amount of time between recidivating.(9) The results of research seem to show that incarceration itself has little overall effect on recidivism rates o prisoners. It is only with rehabilitation programs that any improvement can be found. Even so the success that is found is more in extending the amount of time between recidivism than with reducing it. Substance addiction issues require long term treatment after release in order to increase the rate of recidivism for these offenders. Recidivism rates with those who suffer from mental disorders are a more difficult problem to control. The problem is more due to the lack of diagnoses and the treatability of the disorder than the matter of long term treatment. Review of articles shows that while incarceration is not the answer to recidivism the treatment and training that inmates receive while incarcerated improves the time between recidivism if not the chances of recidivism. To see more improvement there needs to be an improvement not so much with the treatments and programs p rovided but in the duration of these treatments and programs. Bibliography (1) (n.d.). Retrieved October 1, 2009, from www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/prisons.htm (2) (n.d.). Retrieved October 15, 2009, from www.bop.gov (3) Viser, C. A. (2003). â€Å"Transitions from Prison to Community: Understanding Individual Pathways†. The Urban Institute, Justice Policy Center, District of Columbia Washington, 20037. (4) Retrieved October 15, 2009, from ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/crimoff.htm (5) Turley, A., Thornton, T., Johnson, C., Azzolino, S. (2004). International Journal of Offender Therapy Comparative Criminology, 48(6), 721-728. (6)Baillargeon, Jacques, Ingrid Binswanger, Joseph Penn, Brie Williams, Owen Murray: American Journal of Psychiatry; Jan2009, Vol. 166 Issue 1, p103-109, (7) (n.d.) Retrieved September 16, 2009, from dc.state.fl.us/pub/recidivismprog/execsum.html (8) (n.d.) Retrieved October 2, 2009, from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7833672.stm (9) Bales, w. D., Mears, D. P. (2008). Inmate Social Ties and the Transition to Society Does Visitation Reduce Recidivism?. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 45(3), 287-321. Research Papers on Imprisonments Effect on RecidivismThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationThe Relationship Between Delinquency and Drug UseQuebec and CanadaResearch Process Part OneInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married Males19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraEffects of Television Violence on ChildrenTwilight of the UAWRelationship between Media Coverage and Social andIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in Capital

Hotel and Motel Beginner English Language Practice

Hotel and Motel Beginner English Language Practice Make sure to understand the use of the verb like when checking-in to a hotel, as well as how to ask polite questions with the modal verbs can and may. Understanding vocabulary related to travel will help you communicate when you are in a motel or a hotel. Getting a Room for the Night Desk clerk: Good evening. Can I help you?Guest: Yes, please. Id like a room for the night.Desk clerk:  Would you like a single room, or a double room?Guest:  A single room, please. How much is the room?Desk clerk:  Its $55 per night.Guest:  Can I pay by credit card?Desk clerk:  Certainly. We take Visa, Master Card and American Express. Could you fill in this form, please?Guest:  Do you need my passport number?Desk clerk:  No, just an address and your signature.Guest:  Ã‚  (fills out the form) Here you are.Desk clerk:  Heres your key. Your room number is 212.Guest:  Thank you.Desk clerk:  Thank you. If you need anything, dial 0 for the reception area. Have a good stay! Key Vocabulary Can I help you?Id like a roomSingle, double roomCan I pay by credit card?Fill in this formPassport numberRoom numberReceptionWhere is the...ElevatorLobbyIs breakfast included?Do you offer room service?

Final paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Final paper - Essay Example The destruction of Qing dynasty in 1911 put seeds for the economic development of modern China. All the administrations followed by the Qing dynasty played their own part in making China in its present form. The economic progress of China during post Qing dynasty period can be classified into many stages. Leaders like Sun Yat Sen, Chiang Kai Shek, The nationalist era, Mao Zedong, Deng Xiao Peng etc played their roles effectively in restructuring and streamlining the Chinese economic growth back on track. Foreign policies and international relations of China are also debatable. Even the leaders of the same communist regime adopted different foreign policies. But the basic purpose of such policies were aimed at the economic progress of China rather than anything else. Sun assumed power immediately after the destruction of Qing dynasty, but forced to resign in 1912 because of his differences with the Nationalist party and the government. But he was successful in regaining the power in 1923 and worked hard for revival of the Chinese economy. He has received immense political, economical and moral supports from USSR. â€Å"Sun summarized his policies in the Three Principles of the People--nationalism, democracy, and socialism† (Chinese Cultural Studies). Sun was a great admirer of Soviet Union and the socialist policies implemented in Soviet Union. He made every conscious effort to plant a Soviet model of economic growth in China. At the same time he was aware of the value of democracy and nationalism in promoting economic growth in China. He never tried to rule China with iron fist unlike the communist regime at present. The Qing dynasty has destroyed the Chinese economy because of their dictatorship and visionless policies. Sun Yat Sen, the father of modern China can be considered as the first person who worked hard for the revival of Chinese economy after 1911. After the death of Sun Yat Sen in 1925, Chiang Kai Shek assumed power and continued