Programs and Interventions for Maltreated Children and Families at Risk

Latin America Affected by Illegal Drugs

Latin America Affected by Illegal Drugs Latin America is the region worse affected by illegal drugs. Countries such as Mexico and Uruguay act as producers and suppliers of a number of illicit drugs to the international illegal drug market. The aggressive war on drugs waged by the Latin American states has failed to yield significant results and the drug problem continues to plague the region.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Latin America Affected by Illegal Drugs specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More This has led to radical actions being proposed by Latin American leaders. Uruguays president Josà © Mujica has proposed for a government regulated and controlled marijuana market while Mexican President Felipe Calderon has called for a new way to reduce trafficking considering the fact that developed countries have been unable to reduce their consumption of illegal drugs. President Calderon argued that criminal networks had massive resources due to the lack of int ernational action by the drug consuming countries to tackle the issue (UN General Debate, 2012). Both leaders contend that legalization of drugs might be the solution to the drug problems that has plagued Latin America for decades. The argument made by the Latin American leaders fails to consider the adverse effects of drugs on the user. Drug use results in physical and mental effects and increases instances of violence. The UAE is strongly against illegal drugs and harsh penalties are imposed on individuals possessing or trafficking these drugs. This stringent approach is based on the understanding that drugs threaten social stability by promoting violence and making people economically inactive. The UAE perspective would therefore be against the proposed legalization of drugs since such measures would result in more harm than good. This argument is supported by Yacoubian (2007) who reveals that heavy marijuana use impairs a persons ability to form memories and it might result in a cute psychosis. Making the drug legal as the Uruguayan president proposes would result in more people suffering from the adverse mental and physical effects associated with drug use. Another argument made is that legalizing drugs such as Marijuana would have the positive effect of reducing trafficking. The Uruguayan president argues that legalization would give government greater control on the product, which would make it safer for the user while at the same time making the role of traffickers’ obsolete (Cave, 2012).Advertising Looking for essay on international relations? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More While this might be the case, marijuana is mostly a get way drug and most users move on to harder drugs such as heroin and cocaine. Making the drug legal would therefore lead to a significant increase in the number of people who are addicted to hard drugs. The UAE perspective would be against such a move sinc e increased drug use is an undesirable outcome for the nation. The international community must take decisive action to tackle the issue of illegal drugs. However, this action should not be legalizing the consumption of currently illegal drugs. If the leaders in Latin America are earnest about their efforts to reduce drug trafficking, they should concentrate on eradicating corruption among local authority officials and improve the economic standards of their citizens. These are the two factors that have guaranteed the survival of drug cartels and traffickers and dealing with them will significant reduce the drug problem in the region. In the mean time, the leaders should adopt the UAE approach that views drugs as an ill to be eradicated at all costs for the good for the society. References Cave, D. (2012). South America Sees Drug Path to Legalization. The New York Times. Web. UN General Debate (2012). Address by His Excellency Felipe Calderà ³n Hinojosa, President of the United Mex ican States at the General debate of the 67th Session of the General Assembly of the United Nations. Web. Yacoubian, G. (2007). Assessing the Relationship between Marijuana Availability and Marijuana Use: A Legal and Sociological Comparison between the United States and the Netherlands. Journal of Alcohol and Drug Education, 51 (4), 17-34.

Environment Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Environment - Research Paper Example The issue does not just end here with the high temperature; the area receives thunderstorms and very heavy rainfall in the second half of the year which disrupts the lifestyle of the people, and the area goes through a period of drought in the spring season (Climas). In Figure 1, the image shows that the southwest has very high average annual temperatures because the area of Arizona is marked by red spots, indicating that it is the area which experiences the highest temperatures. Considering that area is already experiencing such harsh weather and worse conditions are predicted in the future, there is a high probability that the people will be reluctant to move in Phoenix. Recently, there was a forum named On Point with Tom Ashbrook which discussed the issue of the changing climate in the American Southwest. The implications presented regarding the changing weather in Southwest was that the year 2011 was when there was record number of bushfires which unfortunately were also the most dangerous ones in the history of the area. It was also the hottest and the driest year in the area in its history with temperatures soaring above the mid-40C mark and periods of severe droughts in the first half of the period. (Ashbrook) If our organization goes ahead with the project, it is likely that many of the subdivisions go unsold at least in the foreseeable future. This is because people are unwilling to move in a state which is experiencing such a harsh climate accompanied by water problems. The area has been stated by many experts as overgrown and the state authorities have been reluctant to issue more licenses for housing projects. Figure 2 shows this fact by the graph where the state authorities have reduced the authorization of construction of housing units since the past few years. This action has been taken from the observation that the population is already far greater than the water resources available in the area. (Ackerman, 2011) William deBuys has gone as far as stating that the droughts of Southwest will potentially be so devastating that it will create the greatest water crisis known to the humans (deBuys). The writer has stated that the people need to get ready for a period which he states as the â€Å"Age of Thirst† and that if appropriate steps are not taken swiftly such as improving the water supply system and constructing additional reservoirs, then the whole of the civilization in the area will disappear as a result of the shortage of water. The writer has also presented some suggestions in his book out of which one suggestion is that the population in the area needs to be shifted out gradually because according to the author, it seems unlikely that the area will be able to survive this century given it fast changing climate. (deBuys, A Great Aridness: Climate Change and the Future of the American Southwest, 2011) Many authors and analysts have stated the construction and settlement of Phoenix as one of the biggest mistakes ever simply because it is not sustainable. Author Andrew Ross in his book has said that other cities need to learn from the mistake made by the developers of Phoenix, which he has stated as a horrible mistake (Ross, 2011). Also, the author Simon Winchester said in an interview that the city was not really a nicely planned city because it was never a sustainable project considering that it does not

Cities Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Cities Development - Essay Example 2(Mike Douglass, Kong-Chong ho, 2008). Civic spaces should be available for daily practices and other collaborative engagements of the society. Civil society must actively participate in governance and making it a livable civic society. The concept of civic spaces should be understood and analyzed in the context of urban politics and metropolitan governance. The civil spaces are not empty spaces. Civic spaces are basically an extension of the civil society. It is viewed as a stage for our public life if working properly. It is the place where celebrations are held and where the social, political and economic exchanges take place. The benefit of transforming a civic society into a great public place goes a long way. It enhances civic realm not only visually but it ensures healthy growth, provides a forum for interaction and gives foundation for enhancing the livability of the community. Without great public places great cities are not possible. There are strong linkages between civic society and the forces that shape urban politics and governance. Civil society is a very elusive phenomenon which depends on a number of internal and external forces and a wide array of inputs from different segments of the society with rising and diminishing importance in different parts of the city. Global Cities Global cities are responsible for structural conditions of urban change. There exits strong relationship between emerging social disparities in global cities and their impact on politics. These income inequalities, political injustices and power differentials have led to social movements in global cities. The most recent lived economic crises along with... This paper stresses that global cities are responsible for structural conditions of urban change. There exits strong relationship between emerging social disparities in global cities and their impact on politics. These income inequalities, political injustices and power differentials have led to social movements in global cities. The most recent lived economic crises along with the bundle of other social and cultural injustices have resulted in the rise of the civil society. This rise of civil society is prevalent in all the global cities throughout the world. The role of civil society based organizations has increased manifolds especially in the context of recent downsizing and retreat of government from service delivery. Civil society based organizations are acting as important economic and social stabilizers in the neoliberalized political economy. This report makes a conclusion that with ever increasing Globalization and capitalism still being the most dominant system I don’t see the landscape of consumption in the civil societies will undergo any major changes. Although as we have already discussed that in some advanced industrial countries the trend is movement towards rural areas in search of less crowded and serene environment. This trend is still negligible and the major and dominant trend is towards urbanization and the mushroom growth of shopping malls, theme malls and even whole commercial cities such as Dubai. I don’t see that in the current scenario cities have the potential of moving from landscape of consumption to landscape of production in the near future. Capitalism marked by consumerism will remain the trend in the near future.

Employment Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Employment Relations - Essay Example Therefore, this present study seeks to critically evaluate this premise in order to establish whether it is a valid truth or not. While evaluating this statement, relevant theories and evidence with respect to the different formats of employee involvement and participation will be looked analysed, and additionally, some quote examples will be presented in order to illustrate the arguments presented within the paper. To begin with, it is critical to define the three key terms that appear on the title of this essay and this include employee involvement, which has been described by Blyton and Turnbull (2004), as the creation of an environment within the workplace whereby employees have an impact on the actions and decisions that relate with their roles and responsibilities. Bach (2005) on his part described employee involvement as the equal participation of workers in the decision making of how work is to be done, improvement of work performance, setting of objectives, planning and moni toring of their work performance. Secondly, Blyton and Turnbull (2004) described employee participation as a part of employee involvement that is intended to provide workers with the opportunity to influence and in certain circumstances play an active role in the decision making process of issues that affects them. As for employee empowerment, Ezzamel and Willmott (1998) simply defined it as a manipulation tool or management control that is critical in the attainment of full organisational potential. Alternatively, Bach (2005) described employee empowerment as management strategies for sharing decision-making power between the management and the employees. Employee involvement and participation does not empower employees It is noted that in the writings by Bach (2005) the term ‘empower’ means giving power to another party and hence giving the same party some form of independency. The statement suggests that employee do not gain power through involvement and participatio n in the work processes that includes the decision making process. Edwards and Wajcman (2005) lamented that the acts of involvement and participation do not transfer power to the employees. This is because it is still the powerful managers who get to decided and even design how employees will be involved in the actions and decision that relate to their job and to what extent they can participate in the decision making process within an organisation. Therefore, from the simple fact that powerful managers are the ones who get to set the extent or design of employee involvement and participation it definitely means that employees do not even have an actual power in their involvement and participation since it is the managers who set these on their own terms. From the definition of the term employee involvement and participation, it is evidently clear that in the strategies, employees are only meant to contribute or state their opinions or views regarding matters that affect their jobs. Therefore, it is not as if they are taking full charge of matters affecting their jobs, which could have meant that they are fully empowered through involvement and participation. Hyman and Mason (1995) further added that by contributing to a process it means that one does not have full control over the process. With reference to the writings by Lashley (2001), he argued that in the current

Functions of Organizational Communication

Functions of Organizational Communication INTRODUCTION Organizational Communication can be defined as a process through which organizations are created and in turn create and shape events. The process can be understood as a combination of process, people, message, meaning and purpose. Functions of Organizational Communication: It is the means by which a manager ensures co-operation of subordinates. It is the exchange of meanings among members of an organization. It is the glue which binds the elements of an organization together. It builds the very structure of an organization i.e. who communicates with whom about what. Can misunderstanding of a few words literally mean the difference between life and death? They can in airlines business. A number of aviation disasters have been largely attributed to problems in communication. There are other fields also in which there are examples to illustrate how miscommunication can have deadly consequences. Good communication is essential to any groups or organizations effectiveness. Research indicates that poor communication is probably the most frequently cited source of interpersonal conflict. Because individuals spend nearly 70 percent of their working hours communicating-writing, reading, speaking, listening-it seems reasonable to conclude that one of the most inhibiting forces to successful group performance is a lack of effective communication. No group can exist without communication: the transference of meaning among its members. It is only through transmitting meaning from one person to another that information and ideas can be conveyed. Communication, however, is more than merely imparting meaning. It must also be understood. In a group in which one member speaks only German and the others do not know German, the individual speaking German will not be fully understood. Therefore, communication must include both the transference and the understanding of meaning. An idea, no matter how great, is useless until it is transmitted and understood by others. Perfect communication, if there were such a thing, would exist when a thought or an idea was transmitted so that the mental picture perceived by the receiver was exactly the same as that envisioned by the sender. Although elementary in theory, perfect communication is never achieved in practice, due to unavoidable reasons. 2.1 What is Communication? The term communication has been derived from the Latin word communis which means common. It was Aristotle who, for the first time, brought about a systematic study of the communication process. According to him, there are three essential elements in a communication system, namely, the speaker, the speech, and the audience. Communication strictly stands for sharing of ideas in common. The word communication, however, has many and varied meanings. Popularly speaking, it refers to the various means of transmitting information from individual to individual, individual to a group of individuals or from one place to another. It is a transmission of messages, ideas, methods, skills, and thoughts between two or more persons. It is a mutual exchange of facts, thoughts, opinions or emotions by the use of symbols, words, pictures, figures, graphs and so on. Communication is the chain of understanding which permeates an organization from top to bottom, from bottom to top, and from side to side, and which moves the organization ahead towards its stated objectives. It is the cohesive force which holds the group together. Vardaman and Halterman opine: Communication is the flow of material, information, perception and understanding between various parts and members of an organization. In the words of Allen, Communication is the transfer of meaning from one person to another. Mitchell goes a step further and observes, Communication involves more than just having the right information — the information should be believed, weighed correctly, reach the right decision-makers and result in the appropriate action. Rogers and Rogers have reiterated this point of view. They opine Communication is a process by which an idea is transferred from a source to the receiver with the intention of changing behaviour.. ..Communication is made with the intention of achieving results/change in knowledge, attitude and overt behaviour. Communication is a process in which senders and receivers of messages interact in a given social context. Interpersonal communication refers to the exchange of information and transmission of meaning between two people. Organizational communication is the subject that deals with the exchange of information and transmission of meaning throughout the organizational hierarchy. Since the leader or the manager accomplishes organizational objectives through people, it is essential to communicate what the leader or the manager wants people to accomplish, how to accomplish, where to accomplish and more important, why to accomplish. To communicate the organizational philosophy, objectives, procedures, and practices to all employees is not easy, because communication is a very complex phenomenon. In communication, the people must understand what they are trying to communicate; they must be willing and able to understand them; they must accept their communication or message or information or goals. Thus, all social phenomena are a function of communication. 2.2 FUNCTIONS OF COMMUNICATION: Communication serves four major functions within a group or organization: Control, motivation, emotional expression and information. Communication acts to control member behaviour in several ways. Organizations have authority hierarchies and formal guidelines that employees are required to follow. When employees, for instance are required to first communicate any job related grievance to their immediate boss, to follow their job description, or to comply with company policies, communication is performing a control function. But informal communication also controls behaviour. When work groups tease or harass a member who produces too much (and makes the rest of the group look bad), they are informally communicating with, and controlling, the members behaviour Communication fosters motivation by clarifying to employees what is to be done, how well they are doing, and what can be done to improve performance if its supbar. The formation of specific goals, feedback on progress toward the goals, and reinforcement of desired behaviour all stimulate motivation and require communication. For many employees, their work group is a primary source for social interaction. The communication that takes place within the group is a fundamental mechanism by which members show their frustrations and feelings of satisfaction. Communication, therefore, provides a release for the emotional expression of feelings and for fulfillment of social needs. The final function that communication performs relates to its role in facilitating decision making. It provides the information that individuals and groups need to make decisions by transmitting the data to identify and evaluate alternative choices. No one of these functions should be seen as being more important than the others. For groups to perform effectively, they need to maintain some form of control over members, stimulate members to perform, provide a means for emotional expression, and make decision choices. Almost every communication interaction that takes place in a group or organization performs one or more of these four functions. 2.3 THE COMMUNICATION PROCESS: Before communication can take place, a purpose, expressed as a message to be conveyed, is needed. It passes between a source (sender) and a receiver. The message is encoded (converted to a symbolic form) and passed by way of some medium (channel) to the receiver, who retranslates (decodes) the message initiated by the sender. The result is a transference of meaning from one person to another. The exhibit above depicts this communication process. This model is made up of seven parts: (1) the communication source, (2) encoding, (3) the message, (4) the channel, (5) decoding, (6) the receiver, and (7) feedback. The source initiates a message by encoding a thought. The message is the actual physical product from the source encoding. When we speak, the speech is the message. When we write, the writing is the message. When we gesture, the movements of our arms and the expression on our face are the message. The channel is the medium through which the message travels. It is selected by the source, who must determine whether to use a formal or informal channel. Formal channels are established by the organization and transmit message that are related to the professional activities of the members. They traditionally follow the authority chain within the organization. Other forms of messages, such as personal or social, follow the informal channels in the organization. The receiver is the object to whom the message is directed. But before the message can be received, the symbols in it must be translated into a form that can be understood by the receiver. This step is the decoding of the message. The final link in the communication process is a feedback loop. Feedback is the check on how successful we have been in transferring our messages as originally intended. It determines whether understanding has achieved. 2.4 DIRECTION OF COMMUNICATION: Communication can flow vertically and laterally. The vertical dimension can be further divided into downward and upward directions. Downward Communication that flows from one level of a group or organization to a lower level is a downward communication. When we think of managers communicating with employees, the downward pattern is the one we are usually thinking of. Its used by group leaders and managers to assign goals, provide job instructions, inform employees of policies and procedures, point out problems that need attention, and offer feedback about performance. But downward communication doesnt have to be oral or face-to-face contact. When management sends letters to the employees homes to advise them of the organizations new sick leave policy, it is using downward communication. So is an e-mail from a team leader to the members of her team, reminding them of an upcoming deadline. Upward Upward communication flows to a higher level in the group or organization. Its used to provide feedback to higher-ups, inform them of progress toward goals, and relay current problems. Upward communication keeps managers aware of how employees feel about their jobs, co-workers, and the organization in general. Managers also rely on upward communication for ideas on how things can be improved. Some organizational examples of upward communication are performance reports prepared by lower management for review by middle and top management, suggestion boxes, employee attitude surveys, grievance procedures, superior-subordinate discussions, and informal gripe sessions in which employees have the opportunity to identify and discuss problems with their boss or representatives of higher management. For example, FedEx prides itself on its computerized upward communication program. All its employees annually complete climate surveys and reviews of management. This program was cited as a key human resources strength by the Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award examiners when FedEx won the honor. Lateral When communication takes place among members of the same work group, among members of work groups at the same level, among managers at the same level, or among any horizontally equivalent personnel, we describe it as lateral communications. Why would there be a need for horizontal communications if a group or organizations vertical communications are effective? The answer is that horizontal communications are often necessary to save time and facilitate co-ordination. In some cases, these lateral relationships are formally sanctioned. More often, they are informally created to short-circuit the vertical hierarchy and expedite action. So lateral communications can, from managements viewpoint, be good or bad. Since strict adherence to the formal vertical structure for all communications can impede the efficient and accurate transfer of information, lateral communications can be beneficial. In such cases, they occur with the knowledge and support of superiors. But they can create dysfunctional conflicts when the formal vertical channels are breached, when members go above or around their superiors to get things done, or when bosses find out that actions have been taken or decisions made without their knowledge. Diagonal Communication This occurs when communication occurs between workers in a different section of the organisation and where one of the workers involved is on a higher level in the organisation. For example in a bank diagonal communication will occur when a department manager in head office converses with a cashier in a branch of the bank based on the high street. 2.5 INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION: How do group members transfer meaning between and among each other? There are three basic methods. People basically rely on oral, written and non-verbal communication. Oral Communication The chief means of conveying messages is oral communication. Speeches, formal one-on-one and group discussions, and the informal mill or grapevine are popular forms of oral communication. The advantages of oral communication are speed and feedback. A verbal message can be conveyed and a response received in a minimal amount of time. If the receiver is unsure of the message, rapid feedback allows for early detection by the sender and, hence, allows for early correction. The major disadvantage of oral communication surfaces in organizations or whenever the message has to be passed through a number of people. The more people a message must pass through, the greater the potential distortion. For example, if you ever played the game telephone at a party, you know the problem. Each person interprets the message in his or her own way. The messages content, when it reaches its destination, is very often different from that of the original. In an organization, where decisions and other communiquà ©s are verbally passed up and down the authority hierarchy, there are considerable opportunities for messages to become distorted. Written Communication. Written communications include memos, letters, electronic mail, fax transmissions, organizational periodicals, notices placed on bulletin boards, or any other device that is transmitted via written words or symbols. Why would a sender choose to use written communications? They are tangible and verifiable. Typically, both the sender and the receiver have a record of the communication. The message can be stored for a indefinite period. If there are questions concerning the content of the message, it is physically available for later reference. This feature is particularly important for complex and lengthy communications. The marketing plan for a new product, for instance, is likely to contain a number of tasks spread out over several months. By putting it in writing, those who have to initiate the plan can readily refer to it over the life of the plan. A final benefit of written communication comes from the process itself. You are usually more careful with the written word than the oral word. You are forced to think more thoroughly about what you want to convey in a written message than in a spoken one. Thus, written communications are more likely to be well thought out, logical and clear. Of course, written messages have their drawbacks. They are time consuming. You could convey far more information to a college instructor in a one-hour oral exam than in a one-hour written exam. In fact, you could probably say the same thing in 10 to 15 minutes that it would take you an hour to write. So, although writing may be more precise, it also consumes a great deal of time. The other major disadvantage is feedback, or lack of it. Oral communication allows the receiver to respond rapidly to what he thinks he hears. Written communication, however, does not have a built-in feedback mechanism. The result is that the mailing of a memo is no assurance it has been received, there is no guarantee the recipient will interpret it as the sender intended. The latter point is also relevant in oral communiquà ©s, except it is easy in such cases merely to ask the receiver to summarize what you have said. An accurate summary presents feedback evidence that the message has been received and understood. Employees Handbook: As business grows in size, management often turns to the use of an employee handbook as a communication tool to inform employees on issues such as company history and products, human resource policies, employee compensation and benefits, training assistance, health services, safety, security, employee responsibilities, and work standards. Handbooks are also useful to supervisors and administrators for ensuring consistent implementation and enforcement of company policies. These are intended to help in the induction of newcomers and to provide all the employees with a clear-cut understanding not only of the general policies of the management but also of the nature of the business, its sources of supplies, its customers, its products and the range of benefits and services available to its employees. Many organizations publish illustrated handbooks, depicting cartoons, charts and photographs. House Magazines and Newspapers: Some organizations maintain one or more employee magazines or journals. These are meant to keep employees well informed of the development in the business and to acquaint them with the personalities and activities of the organisation. It can explain the policies of the management in easily understood terms. House magazines contain news, and personal and social items. There may be references to parties, marriages, births, retirements, honours and awards. Financial Reports: Such reports describe the essential facts concerning the conduct of business, its expenses and profits, its income and distribution of financial standing. of the organisation and create understanding between the management and its employees. Bulletin Boards: Usually, big organizations keep a bulletin board for 50 to 100 employees in attractive colours, types and formats. These boards contain a wide range of material such as someones choice of cartoons from newspapers and magazines, pin-up photographs, events in the lives of present or former employees and other items of common interest. Audio-Visual Aids: Sound films, movies, slides, tapes may be played back to the workers. Such audio-visual aids have an obvious advantage of describing a companys range of operations and products, in illustrating how financial and other decisions are made, or in explaining work rules. Notice Boards: Notices are often pasted o the factory walls or gates or placed in glass covered notice boards, and these are hung at appropriate places in the premises of an organisation, near the canteens or factory gates. These notices usually depict abstracts as desired under the various statutes as well as notices of the various institutions in the establishment such as the sports club. Suggestion System: The suggestion system is designed to enlist the co-operation of subordinates in effecting improvements and in eliminating waste and to provide an avenue for a working communication with the management. Rewards are offered for suggestions which results in greater productive efficiency. In some organizations, suggestion boxes are located at convenient places throughout the plant. Communication with Public and Government: Organisations educate the public about their various activities through advertising, campaigns, meetings and conferences. Organisations also establish and organize special groups to communicate with the important segments of government. Proper communication plays an important role in a large organization, and there has to be a proper balance between the oral and written forms of communication. It need hardly be said that the choice of any method depends upon the purpose to be accomplished and the likelihood of its success. Quite often, it is better to use more than one method to convey the same information so that one can reinforce the other. Nonverbal Communication Every time we verbally give a message to someone, we also impart a nonverbal message. In some instances, the nonverbal component may stand alone. For example, in a singles bar, a glance, a stare, a frown, and a provocative body movement all convey meaning. As such, no discussion of communication would be complete without consideration of nonverbal communication-which includes body movements, the intonations or emphasis we give to words, facial expressions, and the physical distance between the sender and receiver. It can be argued that every body movement has a meaning and no movement is accidental. For example, through body language we say, Help me, Im lonely; Take me, Im available; Leave me alone, Im depressed. And rarely do we send our messages consciously. We act out our state of being with nonverbal body language. We lift one eyebrow for disbelief. We rub our nose for puzzlement. We clasp our arms to isolate ourselves or to protect ourselves. We shrug our shoulders for indifference, wink one eye for intimacy, tap our fingers for impatience and slap our forehead for forgetfulness. The two most important messages that body language conveys are (1) The extent to which an individual likes another and is interested in his or her views and (2) The relative perceived status between a sender and receiver. For instance, we are more likely to position ourselves closer to people we like and touch them more often. Similarly, if you feel that youre higher status than another, youre more likely to display body movements-such as crossed legs or a slouched seating position-that reflect a casual and relaxed manner. Body language adds to, and often complicates, verbal communication. A body position or movement does not by itself have a precise or universal meaning, but when it is linked with spoken language, it gives fuller meaning to a senders message. If you read the verbatim minutes of a meeting, you wouldnt grasp the impact of what was said in the same way you would if you had been there or saw the meeting on video. Why? There are no records of nonverbal communication. The emphasis given to words or phrases is missing. Facial expressions also convey meaning. A snarling face says something different from a smile. Facial expressions, along with intonations, can show arrogance, aggressiveness, fear, shyness, and other characteristics that would never be communicated if you read a transcript of what had been said. The way individuals space themselves in terms of physical distance also has meaning. What is considered proper spacing is largely dependent on cultural norms. For example, what is considered a businesslike distance in some European countries would be viewed as intimate in many parts of North America. If someone stands closer to you than is considered appropriate, it may indicate aggressiveness or sexual interest; if farther away than usual, it may mean disinterest or displeasure with what is being said. Its important for the receiver to be alert to these nonverbal aspects of communication. You should look for nonverbal cues as well as listen to the literal meaning of senders words. You should particularly be aware of contradictions between the messages. Your boss may say she is free to talk to you about a pressing budget problem, but you may see nonverbal signals suggesting that the is not the time to discuss the subject regardless of what is being said, an individual who frequently glances at her wristwatch is giving the massage that she would prefer to terminate the conversation. We misinform others when we express one message verbally, such as trust, but nonverbally communicate a contradictory message that reads, I dont have confidence in you. 3.1 COMMUNICATION TYPES: Internal/Organizational Communication This is communication that takes place within (or across) an organization. In addition to the usual face to face, telephone, fax or mail; modern organizations may use technology to communicate internally. Technology may be used for e-mails or a linked internal communication system such as the intranet which is an internet system designed solely for use by those working for the organization. External communications Conversely external communication is communication between the organization and those outside the organization. Modern organizations may design technological systems so that they can communicate with customers and undertake e-Commerce. Alternatively they communicate with other businesses through the internet or similar systems and undertake e-Business. Functions of Internal and External Communications; Technology has rapidly expanded the types of internal and external communication available to organizations. The diagram illustrates the vast array of internal and external communication available. Combined together internal and external types of communications allow various sectors of the local, national and international community to interact, liaise and conduct business. 3.2 Objectives of Communication Communication is not an end in itself. There is no use of communicating just for the sake of communicating. It is a means and a very effective means for the solution of managerial problems and for attainment of managerial objectives. Since managers work through others, all their acts, policies, rules, orders and procedures must pass through some sort of communication channel. The purposes of communication are: To develop information and understanding which are necessary for group effort? To provide an attitude which is necessary for motivation, co-operation and job satisfaction? To discourage the spread of misinformation, rumours, gossip, and to release the emotional tensions of workers To prepare workers for a change by giving them the necessary information in advance. To encourage ideas, suggestions from subordinates for an improvement in the product and work conditions, for a reduction in time or cost involved and for the avoidance of the waste of raw material. To improve labour-management relations by keeping both in contact with each other. To satisfy the basic human needs like recognition, self-importance and sense of participation. To serve auxiliary functions such as entertainment and the maintenance of social relations among human beings. The purpose of communication is to establish asocial environment that supports effective interaction and to ensure that the workforce has the skills to share information and co-ordinate their achievements efficiently 3.3 Importance of Communication Organizations cannot exist without communication. If there is no communication, employees cannot know what their respective associates are doing, management cannot receive information on inputs, and management cannot give instructions. Co-ordination of work is impossible, and the organisation will collapse for lack of it. Co-operation also becomes impossible, because people cannot communicate their needs and feelings to others. Every act of communication influences the organisation in some way or the other. As such effective communication tends to encourage better performance, improves job satisfaction, creates proper understanding, and develops feeling of involvement among the people. Chester Bernard (1938) has considered communication to be the very first function of a manager and has viewed it as the shaping force which links people and purposes together in any co-operative system. In the practice of management, Peter Drucker (1954) has observed that the managers main instrument for operating his affairs is information. The management process has widely been discussed as one which embraces the functions of planning, organizing, leading and controlling, which are intimately involved with and dependant on, communication. Organisational structure is definitely tied to the communication systems. Communication is the key to effective teamwork, for both are based on the common fundamentals of information, understanding, consultation and participation. Communication is an essential skill at every level of organisational functioning and for organisations of all types, whether social, governmental, or commercial. According to Miner and Miner there Ware four basic types of communication network: (a) the regulative network ensures security, conformity to plans and the achievement of productivity through the communication of policy statements, procedures, and rules; (b) the innovative network is concerned with problem-solving and change through such techniques as suggestion systems and meetings; (c) the integrative network is directly related to consideration of employee morale and organisational maintenance; and (d) the informative network relates to employees effectiveness and productivity through a direct dissemination of information and training programmes. 3.4 Rules for Communication: A few basic rules should be followed in planning for and carrying out communications of all kinds, written and oral, regardless of form or format. Clarity: To be effective, communications must be understood, and to be understood, they must be clear. Brevity: It makes both written and oral communications easier to understand. Only one idea should be used in a sentence. Simplicity: Short, simple words, phrases, and sentences should be used. Every word should count. Extra words only serve to confuse. Precision: Precise words should be used. Integrity: Communication should always be used as a means, never as an end. During any major change programme, internal communication in an organisation is extremely. Important. It must be borne in mind in this context that communication is more than a dialogue. It builds on trust and openness among colleagues, and results in common understanding of the organisational issues that have a long-term bearing on the future of the organisation. 3.5 Formal and Informal Communication Basically, the two most important media of communication in an organisation are formal and informal communications. Formal communications are those that are official, that are a part of the recognized communication system of the organisation. A formal communication can be from a superior to a subordinate, from a subordinate to a superior, intra-administrative, or external. These communications may be oral or written. Informal communication is those that are outside the formal, recognized communication system. Informal communication originates spontaneously outside the formal channels and is the natural responses to the need for social interaction. Within the organisation, whatever its style or form, cohesive informal groups develop. Extensive research has shown that these informal work groups have tremendous power in shaping attitudes, behaviour, and consequently, production. They share a set of beliefs, values, and socially acceptable behaviours. In other words, group members come to think and act in similar ways, and this encourages feelings of closeness among them. In industry, at every level of organisational life, employees are bound together in informal groups and develop a

The Tarantella Dance in A Dolls House :: A Dolls House Essays

The Tarantella Dance in A Doll's House In A Doll's House, Ibsen uses many symbols. One symbol that is used to symbolize Nora's character; is a dance called the Tarantella. The Tarantella is a folk dance from southern Italy. It goes from an already quick tempo to an even quicker one, while alternating between major and minor keys. It is characterized by swift movements, foot tapping, and on the women's part, exaggerated ruffling of petticoats. It involves a lot of very fast spinning and jumping until one cannot dance anymore and is so exhausted they fall to the ground. It is in constant uncertainty, like Nora's character. The tarantella has a very interesting history. Its name derives from a little southern town of Italy called Taranto. It was believed that if a spider called the tarantula bit the townspeople, the only way to survive its bite was to do a dance called the Tarantella. The locals believed this was the only cure. If the people bitten did not dance they would suffer severe pain, muscle spasms, vomiting; most eventually died. There were not any drugs that could counteract the venom. Many believed that the sweating associated with the dance flushed the venom from the dancer's bodies. They would continue dancing for hours and even days. It was so common that musicians patrolled the fields where most of the bites took place in expectation of being hired to play for the injured. Just as the dancer is trying to get rid of the venom, Nora was trying to rid herself of the deadly outside poison. The tarantella serves as her last chance to be Torvald's doll, to dance and amuse him. "HELMER: But, my dear Nora, you look so worn out. Have you been practising too much?" "NORA: No, I have not practised at all." "HELMER: But you will need to -" "NORA: Yes, indeed I shall, Torvald.

Effects of Peer Pressure on Decision Making Essay

Our Peer-to-Peer interaction affects us every day. From decisions, we make, to the places we go. It is human nature to listen and learn from other people. Though we would like to think we have control over outside influences, studies show that our surroundings play a key role in how we function. Solomon Asch’s (1950) social experiment demonstrated, consumers often modify their responses, consciously or subconsciously, when surrounded by others with conflicting opinions. Peer Pressure is only rising in today’s society; it can’t be escaped! Our teenagers are the most influenced by peer pressure. Peers influence people because they want to fit in, be like peers they admire, do what others are doing, Its only natural for people to identify with and compare themselves to their peers as they consider how they wish to be (or think they should be), or what they want to achieve. see more:negative effects of peer pressure Peer Pressure is essential to social development. Its can’t be escaped! In turn peer pressure can develop a good character, if its learned to be worked the right way. There are 3 main goals that individuals have in the long term: †¢Accuracy – in that individuals seek practical, consistent actions that are reproducible, through the information they already have and the actions that they do. Think of it as a need to achieve goals effectively and with the greatest perceived reward. †¢Affiliation – in that individuals seek gratification that their actions ingratiate them with other individuals. Think of it as a need to create social relationships with others in a meaningful, maintainable manner. †¢Maintenance of a Positive Self-Impression – in that people have a constant want to increase their own self-awareness so that they can feel better about themselves. Think of it as a need to behave in a manner that boosts their pre-existing self image – through action, statement, belief etc.

Essay about Online Ethics Assignment

Essay about Online Ethics Assignment Essay about Online Ethics Assignment There are many interesting and surprising facts that I have found in the Radio Television Digital News Association’s Code of Ethics. The first things that I noticed is that many of points overlap between the main codes of conduct: public trust, truth, fairness, integrity, independence, and accountability. There is an overarching theme among the rules, which is that journalists are expected to be â€Å"trustees of the public†. It is interesting that there is a lot of emphasis on journalists being held up by the public to such a high standard of trust. It is more interesting to see the emphasis on journalists having an obligation to holding up that standard. As I understand it, that is due to the fact that the public’s source of information regarding what goes on in the world are journalists. The code of conduct that was most interesting to me is the one on integrity. The code make that point to refrain from â€Å"extended coverage of events or individuals that fails to significantly advance a story, place the event in context, or add to the public knowledge.† This rule is complemented in an earlier code by the rule to guard against over simplification of issues and events. These two complementary codes are interesting because they warn against something that I see done a lot in radio and television journalism. It was also very interesting for me to read that using confidential sources is mainly frowned upon in journalism, especially since I think of great and important news stories

The War on Marijuana essays

The War on Marijuana essays Slowly, the old man inhales the sweet smelling smoke and instantly relaxes. Time goes by slowly, stress melts like an ice cube, and the man feels a great sense of fatigue. Finally the man can go to sleep and rest in peace. These are just a few of the reasons people smoke marijuana. By making marijuana illegal, the government is deciding for the people what is healthy for them. Decriminalizing marijuana causes more harm than good. The war on drugs seems to be failing to achieve what it is meant for. Illegalizing marijuana violates civil liberties, causes social disorder, and increases crime and violence. The best solution to reduce these problems is to legalize marijuana for medicinal and recreational use. Marijuanas effects are nearly harmless. In fact, lethal overdose of marijuana is virtually impossible (Lowry 36). No one can say the same about alcohol. President Nixon once said, There is little proven danger of physical or psychological harm from the experimental or intermittent use of natural preparations of cannabis... (qtd. in Glasser). The author, Richard Lowry, of Weed Whackers agreed in his article by stating, ...it makes little sense to send people to jail for using a drug that, in terms of its harmfulness, should be categorized somewhere between alcohol and tobacco on one hand and caffeine on the other (36). Not only is this drug practically harmless, but people enjoy this drug for many personal reasons. They smoke it to relieve stress, mellow out, or just have fun (Kalet 82). The British medical journal Lancet could not have said it better by saying, When used in a social setting, it may produce infectious laughter and talkativeness (qtd. in Lowry). The effects of marijuana do not affect anybody else except for the user. If the effects of marijuana feel good to the user and no one else is harmed, why should it be illegal to use the drug? Drug warrio...

Social Security Reform Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Social Security Reform - Essay Example This discussion briefly explains how Social Security is collected and distributed, how it affects different segments of society and why the fund is shrinking. It then examines the Bush administration’s proposed solution to the problem and debates the merits of this plan designed to privatize Social Security. The Social Security system operates by collecting taxpayer money and redistributing it to selected persons in need. Employees pay about six percent of their salary into Social Security and their employer contributes a matching amount. The fund earns interest by investing in U.S. Treasury bonds then pays retirees who have paid into the fund as employees. It also pays to the spouses of deceased retirees and to disabled persons of working age. Half of the nation’s elderly would live below the poverty line if not for the benefits paid by Social Security as opposed to the ten percent presently in poverty. Today, nearly 60 percent of retirees acquire more than half of their income from Social Security. For a third of recipients, benefits account for 90 percent of their total income. Today, Social Security is taking in slightly more money than it is paying out but, according to government estimates, the reverse will be true â€Å"within the next fifteen to twenty years† (Johnson, 2006) but will still be capable of paying full benefits until about 2042. The Social Security Administration estimates that the funding balance will tip by 2028 and steadily decline until the fund is exhausted in 2042 at which time it will retain the interest paid from the Treasury bonds and when that is depleted these bonds are sold back to the government to replenish the fund. An insufficient Social Security fund translates to reduced benefits. If the current system is not changed, full benefits would be paid through 2042 then decreased by at least 25 percent from then until 2078 and cut again after that. This looming deficit could be offset if

Art History Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Art History - Essay Example es of war thereby assisting then to instil the desire as well as the commitment of ending war, working collectively for peace and security in the society. Visual arts like paintings and sculptures are mostly considered in this case. Most of the considered paintings and carvings are found to depict an intersection of peace history and historical art. One of the historical arts is the Standard of Ur, which is based on the prehistoric art style of Mesopotamia. This Sumerian artefact was excavated from a royal cemetery with Ur, an ancient city in the modern-day Iraq. The main theme presented in this historical piece of art is the promotion of peace and societal security. This theme is attributed to the depicted war and security scenes. The function of this piece of art has been suggested to be a standardized team of keeping peace and security during the time it was created about 4,500 years ago. Some suggestions have also been raised that it was a chest for storing funds for use in works associated with warfare or even associated with civil and religious activities. Nevertheless, the scenes seem to show oneness in a war towards protecting the society. Side mosaics are part of the prehistoric style applied to show the war sides as well as the peace side. The first row of paintings seem to depict the preparation to war, the second one depicting the movement to the war, and then a victorious celebration of having conquered the enemy to promote peace and security. The visual art is considered to be parallel with merism, which is literary device used by Sumerians to describe the totality of situations by pairing the prevailing opposite concepts (Kleiner 24). Another piece of art is the Funerary Mask, which is an ancient Greek artefact discovered at Mycenae. The theme presented by the mask is that of death of a legendary Greek leader. This artefact is as shown below: As a leader, his superiority of being in a position to maintain peace and security through his authority