Play (The Zoo Story) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Play (The Zoo Story) - Essay Example It didn’t make a lot of sense to me. I had trouble understanding the way that Jerry talked. It seemed like he was crazy and abstract. I wanted him to get to the point. I sympathized a lot more with Peter. He seemed to be a character that was a lot more like me. I often find it annoying when strangers strike up conversations with me about nothing. In the course of these kinds of conversations, I often try to figure out what the other person wants. In this play, I kept wondering what Jerry wanted. Nothing he was saying had any kind of point. That for me was disorientating at first. After finishing the play, I began to understand that Jerry is really seeking fellow feeling and understanding. He is trying to create a narrative of his life that will help him find meaning. He is obviously not very good at this, and the surprise ending at the end of the play, where Jerry is impaled on the knife is the best example of this. In a way, Jerry is so out of tune with the world that he can’t live in it anymore. He seeks friendship and understanding—and so he has to die in this way. He can’t simply kill himself alone—he needs to have that human connection. I think that is why, in part, he makes sure that Peter picks up the knife. The idea of the zoo is important. It is clear that the author of the play thinks that people are too often trapped in their own cages by social norms and unable to escape and actually talk to one another in a normal way. I found this to be an interesting and thought-provoking play. It surprised and challenged me. I would like to read more works by Edward Albee and read other playwrights from this era in American history. Overall, I enjoyed this course. I found it invigorating and stimulating. In general, the professor was extremely approachable and it was clear that he had a real appreciation and interest in the subject matter. I now see things in a different light and I intend to go to the theatre for pleasure.

Individual vs Circumstance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Individual vs Circumstance - Essay Example lity can play a significant role in the history not only when it is more or less adequately expresses (or seeks to express) the interests of the masses, but also when it is guided by purely abstract ideas and ideals, and sometimes even only by its personal interests and ambitions that cannot be rationally confessed by itself. Modern investigators show Lenins personality from different points of view. For a long time Soviet ideology praised Lenin as a role-model person for soviet people, showing him as "the most humane man" and the liberator from the bourgeois-landlord oppression. From the other hand, many writers and historians show Lenin as unprincipled politician, organizer of fratricidal slaughter and starvation, as inspirer of extrajudicial executions and blame him in collapse of his social experiment. Vladimir Ulyanov-Lenin came from a family of progressive Russian intellectuals: his father worked as a teacher, was an inspector, and then a director of public schools in the province of Simbirsk, and his mother knew several foreign languages, played the piano well and had a tutor diploma. From his early childhood Lenin exhibited the traits of someone who needed to show others how to do things (Tumarkin, 64). His outlook during first periods of his youth was influenced by family upbringing and parents’ example. He also was under the influence of revolutionary and democratic ideas and learned about the existence of Marxist theory from his brother Alexander Ulyanov, who was later executed for participation in plotting of the assassination on Russian Tsar Alexander III. At the university young Ulyanov established links with the revolutionary-minded students, but then he was arrested for active participation in student gathering in December 1887 and later he was expelled from the University of Kazan and exiled to the village of Kokushkino, where he lived under the secret police surveillance spending his time on self-education. So Lenin’s personality was formed

Abortion Issues in Midwifery

Abortion Issues in Midwifery This topic has been chosen to examine in detail the impact of law and ethics upon nursing practice and midwifery, including the ethical dilemmas that face nurses and midwives on a day-to-day basis. It is thereby demonstrated that despite the governance of health professional practice by bodies such as the Royal College of Nursing and the United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting, ethics and law play a very important role, and health professionals must always act within the law to avoid legal actions being brought against them. The various schools of thought in relation to ethics are also examined and utilisation of the same via decision-making models. In relation to the general ethical dilemmas which face nurses and other healthcare workers in practice, Fletcher et al 1 discuss the ethical principles, explaining that although all health professionals face such dilemmas during practice, a multi-disciplinary approach has to be adopted in solving ethical problems. Fletcher et al outline the main ethical principles applicable to nursing ethics as the principle of respect for persons, respect for autonomy, justice, beneficence and non-maleficence. Fletcher et al explain that the origins of moral philosophy date from 600 BC, and that the two most influential schools of thought are consequentialism and deontology. Consequentialism is explained as the justification of an action by examining the consequences of undertaking that action. Branching out from this school of thought are the various approaches, the first explained is teleological theories or unilitarianism, associated with the philosophical writings of Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill. Fletcher et al state that Mill stipulated that the utility or ‘happiness’ principle stated that actions can only be regarded as moral if they promote the greater amount of happiness and the absence of pain. Thompson et al 2 explains this ideology as a means to try to justify moral principles with regard to an overall goal or sense of purpose in society, the purpose being the pursuit of happiness, which is ‘built in’ in man. They discuss that that this stemmed from Aristotle in 320 BC, and that this form of ethics is known as teleological eudaemonism, the former word referring to his belief in the ‘built in’ purpose in nature, and the latter word describing the quest for happiness. They further explain the significance to health care, as they are under a duty to try to prevent or reduce pain wherever possible and promote the health and well-being of patients. ______________________________________________________________________________ 1 ‘Ethics, Law and Nursing’ (1995) pp 7-17 2 ‘Nursing Ethics’, pp233-238 Thompson et al justify the means by which health professionals can evaluate what likely consequences of treatment may be including side-effects. As act unilitarianism, although they note that where health professionals have to take into account the wider responsibilities to the patient, the hospital, research or otherwise, then rule utilitarianism is more applicable. They conclude that this ideology emphasises the achievement of goals that are important to the context of human life, and the practical application of principles or rules and that consideration of the consequences of application are important to consider to determine whether a particular course is right or wrong. Fletcher et al set out the separate branches from this notion, ‘act’ and ‘rule’ utilitarianism. Firstly dealing with ‘act’ utilitarianism, this is explained as each action is to be considered according to the consequences that ensue from it, morality determined by examining whether the greatest good came from that act. In relation to ‘rule’ utilitarianism, this is described as following of the general basic rules being in existence, forbidding murder, theft etc, rather than looking at the consequences that may ensue from that action, as by following these rules the greatest good must ensue as a natural result. Fletcher et al also discuss ‘preference’ utilitarianism, as being the allowance of discretion of individuals in undertaking a certain action and to judge the morality of each with regard to their own judgement rather than following a rule or principle. This is plainly applicable to health practice. The second school of thought explained by Fletcher et al is deontology, explained as the promotion of the importance of compliance with a duty when undertaking an action, the consequences thereof being irrelevant when considering to take such an action. This is explained as stemming from religious justification, that the explanation of such duties are the ‘laws’ sent from God, as God can be relied upon to distinguish what is right and wrong. Fletcher et al discuss the contribution to the school of thought by Immanuel Kant, a German philosopher (‘Groundwork of the Metaphysic of Morals’) who stipulated that the basis of morality lay in the ‘categorical imperative’, a moral command, set by established moral laws. Following such moral rules is regarded as imperative, regardless of the consequences of an action taken in compliance. Fletcher et al emphasise that the deontological perspective reinforces the need to follow obligations, what ought to be done, and how, in a certain situation. The obligations that befall nurses are described as contractual, as part of the terms and conditions of employment; obligations similar to family ones are seen via the role of carer, though artificially created, and moral obligations, such as the obligation to respect patient confidentiality, patient’s autonomy, to do good (beneficence) and to do no harm (non-maleficence). Fletcher et al explain that these obligations can conflict in practice situations. The obligations of nursing staff must be balanced against the rights of the individual as patients, as enshrined in The Patient’s Charter, effective from April 1992. Thompson et al further explain that deontological theories can also be distinguished into act deontology and rule deontology, the former being based upon the ability of an individual to impose their own moral duty into a situation when considering whether to take a form of action, and the latter being the emphasis upon moral duties and laws taking a universal form. They discuss the linkage of this school of thought to religious beliefs, as such rules can be argued as coming directly from God, as in the Ten Commandments. They do not discuss how this school applies to health practice, though it can be seen that this could be applied in paternalism (see below) when considering a patient’s autonomy. Religious writers such as J.F. Keenan, from the Catholic perspective 3 explain that there has been a turn to virtue ethics which has rejected the modern practice of establishing that morality is governed by human rights language, which is considered the extent to which the principle of autonomy can be exercised. Keenan states that virtue ethicists ask whether there is a character building nature to the proposed course of action and that all moral evaluations are subject to a three sided question, who are we, who ought we to become, and how can we get there? He further explains that virtue ethics considers that actions should be considered in the context of whether they will affect the type of person they will become by undertaking that action, rather than asking whether there is a right in a certain way. Fletcher et al discuss the issue of autonomy 4 as a basic principle that health professionals should always fully inform a patient about the diagnosis, forms of treatment available, and obtain his consent thereto, that is to treat him an an ‘autonomous being’. It is discussed that this may cause problems if the patient is mentally impaired or a minor, therefore it is recognised that there cannot be strict adherence to this principle, as patients would often not have the specialist knowledge to enable them to make a well-informed decision. The dilemma described in this instance is that the principle of autonomy can conflict with the principles of beneficence and non-maleficence. Fletcher et al explain that paternalism may be used quite often by health professionals, namely the belief that they can make a decision in terms of treatment on a patient’s behalf without considering their wishes or overriding the same. This is exercised in accordance with the principle of beneficence, though it is explained that usually patients are told and their wishes are taken into consideration. Fletcher et al 5 distinguish between legal rights and natural rights, the former enforceable via courts, and the latter deriving from natural law, originally thought of as coming from God, but in modern terms, has become enshrined in the concept of human rights, which have also become legal rights via the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948, itemising rights including the right to liberty and to life. ______________________________________________________________________________ 3 Catholic Medical Quarterly May 1992: Assisted Suicide and the Distinction Between Killing and Letting Die: J. F. Keenan 4 Ethics, Law and Nursing’ (1995) pp 35-56 5 (ibid) pp139-143 Fletcher et al 6 discuss the law governing abortion, stating that it is a criminal offence under section 58 of the Offences against the Persons Act (OPA) 1861 to unlawfully do any act with intent to procure a miscarriage, which made abortion illegal prior to the enactment of the Abortion Act (AA) 1967. Fletcher et al explain that the Abortion Act 1967 did not repeal this earlier Act, but set out grounds which specified when abortion was legal, as a defence to a charge of criminal abortion. They state that this has been amended by section 37 of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act (HFEA) 1990, which specify five grounds, including that a pregnancy has to be less than 24 weeks advanced; the risk or threat to the mother’s life, mental or physical health is too great to allow continuance of pregnancy; if there is a substantial risk that the child would be born with abnormalities rendering it severely handicapped; and, a unilateral act by a doctor to avert an immediate risk to the life or health of the mother. Fletcher et al explain the right of nurses to exercise a conscientious objection, for example to carrying out an abortion, the rights of which are enshrined under section 4 of the AA 1967 and the HFEA 1990, the former being the refusal to participate in an abortion, the latter a right to refuse to participate in any treatment defined by the Act. This can be utilised where the individual health worker’s personal moral code conflicts with such a practice. However, as stated by McHale and Tingle, 7 this must be actual participation in treatment, not a mere refusal to type a letter of referral 8. It is explained that such an individual can leave him/herself open to a legal action against him for an omission if there is a duty to act, though in practice this is rarely undertaken as another member of staff could perform the same treatment. Nursing staff may also record their objections to a specific course of treatment prescribed by another health professional on personal moral grounds, which might be affected by their contract of employment when the employers make decisions with regard to this. Additionally, Ann Young 9 states that the refusal of the health professional can be made unless the treatment is necessary to save life or prevent grave permanent injury to the physical or mental health of the mother. However, she criticises the ambiguity of the word ‘grave’ as this could constitute depression as well as a serious heart defect. In Selective Reduction and Feticide: The Parameters of Abortion 10, David Price emphasized that there is ambiguity in the use of the term of abortion by medical practitioners and lawyers alike. He noted that Glanville Williams’ definition of abortion 11 states that For legal purposes, abortion means feticide: the intentional destruction of the foetus in the womb or any untimely delivery brought about with the intent to cause the death of the foetus. ______________________________________________________________________________ 6 (ibid) 7 ‘Law and Nursing’ p 208 8 Jannaway v Salford AHA [1988] 3 All ER 1079 9 ‘Legal Problems in Nursing Practice’p 209 10 (1988) Sweet Maxwell Limited and Contributors: David P.T. Price 11 Textbook of Criminal Law, (2nd ed., 1983), p.292 In the context of non-consensual abortion, Price explains that this can occur where the death of a foetus was caused by an act of non-consensual violence upon a pregnant woman. He argues that this act may not necessarily fall within the definition of a criminal abortion under section 58 OPA 1861, and would rather be treated as an assault. He states that in the United States, courts are prepared to extend the crime of abortion, which is similar to section 58, to non-consensual assaults upon women resulting in foetal death 12 though in this case the man causing foetal death was charged with assault rather than foetal murder. Looking at an American viewpoint, in Bioethics and Medical Ethics 13, Thomas Platt considers that the emphasis on autonomy ignores the deeper metaphysical issue of the degree to which any human act can be regarded as freely chosen. He states that the scientific perspective purely states that human behavior is the result of genetic and environmental factors. He stipulates that it has to be the environment in which a person has been raised which will determine how a person will respond to a suggestion, for example abortion, and that in less technologically developed cultures, they would respond in a different way to the West. Verena Tschudin 14 explains ethical decision making models in many forms including Jameton’s model, which requires identification of the problem, gathering of data to identify options and make a decision to act and then assess the consequences thereof; Crisham’s model; initially ‘massaging’ the dilemma, outlining the options, reviewing the criteria, before the act and evaluation thereof and the Nursing process model, which requires assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation. The latter involves a series of questions at assessment level, planning identifies whether the ethical problem is a question of teleology or deontology, with a series of questions to follow, implementation requires consideration of whether one would like to receive the same treatment, and finally evaluation considers whether the act has solved the problem and what was gained, with a series of questions. In relation to the exercise of patient consent, this is described as an exercise of a patient’s autonomy. The UKCC’s guidelines re that the health professional must ‘explain the intended test or procedure to the patient without bias and in as much detail as the patient requires’, and that if no questions have been asked then the health professional should assess the amount of information the patient requires 15. It is explained that a nurse, as per Clause 1 of the UKCC Code of Professional Conduct must ‘act in such a way as to promote and safeguard the interests and well-being of patients and clients’. This is explained to go so far as stating his/her opinion that there has been insufficient information provided to the patient to render the same fully understandable to him and enable him to make a fully informed decision 16, which can affect the judgment given by a doctor. ______________________________________________________________________________ 12 Hollis v. Commonwealth 652 S.W. 2d 61 (Ky. 1983) 13 Medicine, Metaphysics and Morals: Thomas Platt: West Chester University 14 ‘Ethics in Nursing’ p 85-95 15 ‘Exercising Accountability’ 16 (ibid) It is explained further 17 that the principle of autonomy is enshrined in law as the right to self-determination. Written consent is usually provided before surgery, in a standard form from the Department of Health, which has been amended in 1991.The case law relating to consent stems from the general principle that every adult person of sound mind and body has a right to determine what happens to his body, and that a surgeon who performs an operation without his consent has committed an assault 18. However, this principle is heavily qualified is discussed. In the case of informed consent, where the patient is given insufficient information about the risks of a certain procedure, the patient must sue in negligence rather than in battery 19. Even the standard set in negligence is weighted heavily in favour of the health professional, as it has been ruled that a doctor is not guilty of negligence as he has acted in accordance with the accepted practice in that field by other doctors 20. This case was affirmed in Sidaway v Bethlem Royal Hospital 21, and in further subsequent cases such as Blyth v Bloomsbury AHA 22 and Gold v Haringey AHA 23, where the restrictive disclosure policy was supported by general medical opinion. It was highlighted that despite this, Lord Bridge has emphasised in Sidaway 24, that even if a health professional acts in accordance with general practice, the court may still take a decision that there has been non-disclosure of material facts. Specific problems are highlighted in the context of where a patient is incapable of providing consent, which is governed by law. The case law has established that a health professional must only do what is absolutely necessary to save the patient’s life, which does not include removal of a womb if it has been considered a further pregnancy would jeopardise the patient’s life 25. Therefore, it is argued that this principle of doing what is necessary to save a life overrides the right to autonomy 26. However, this does not extend to the life of a foetus in risk 27. Regarding accountability, Fletcher et al 28 states that the Code of Professional Conduct stipulates a registered nurse, midwife or health visitor is personally accountable for her practice, even off-duty. This ties in with the professional’s legal duty of care, as explained by Tingle Cribb 29, deriving from Donoghue v Stevenson 30, as the need to take reasonable care to avoid acts or omissions that can be reasonably foreseen to injury a person affected by the acts or omissions, which can result in an action for negligence. Tingle Cribb state that the nurse has to weigh up the potential harm and benefit of the patient at that time, and reach the decision involving the least harm. ______________________________________________________________________________ 17 (Fletcher et al: ibid) 18 Schloendorff v Society of New York [1914] 19 Chatterson v Gerson [1981] 20 Bolam v Friern Hospital Management Committee [1957] 21 [1985] 22 [1985] 23 [1988] 24 (ibid) 25 Devi v West Midlands AHA 26 Re T 27 Re F (in utero) [1988] 28 (ibid) pp104-129 29 ‘Nursing Law and Ethics’ p 13-19 30 [1932] The professional standards are maintained by the UKCC in the Code of Professional Conduct, and each nurse or midwife is under that duty, though they argue that this standard is set by the profession itself. In the case of an allegation of a breach of such a duty, the health professional can be subject to disciplinary action for misconduct. They explain that accountability merely requires a health professional to be able to justify their actions. Fletcher et al consider that it is important for the professional to have regard to the interests of patients and clients rather than purely the rules of the UKCC. Verena Tschudin 31 states that nurses have both a legal and moral accountability, which arises from patient autonomy. Fletcher et al discuss the dilemmas that may occur in healthcare practice, and where the health professional’s moral code is at odds with her duty, The Code of Professional Conduct stipulates that the professional must ensure that no action or omission by that person will be detrimental to the condition of the patient, which can be seen as the principle of non-maleficence. An example is provided that if the incorrect dose of medicine has been administered to a patient, then that health professional’s self-interest should not override her duty to disclose the error as this could not be argued to be in the patient’s best interests. In relation to professional competence, Fletcher et al state that The Code of Professional Conduct stipulates that a health professional must maintain and improve their professional knowledge and competence. As regards midwives, Fletcher et al state that they requirement is to attend a five-day refresher course, five approved study days every five years or another approved course. There has been an impact in the context of European Community (EC) legislation, as explained by Bridgit Dimond 32, the activities of a midwife are defined in EC Directive 80/155/EEC Article 4, including providing family planning advice to recognise warning signs of abnormalities necessitating doctor referral. Fletcher et al criticise the limitations of the Post-registration Education and Practice Project in 1990 for newly qualified nurses, and those returning to health care practice after five years, requiring five days study leave every three years and demonstration of professional knowledge and competence. However, since then, Ms Dimond has argued that Project 2000 has sought to integrate nurse clinical teaching and practice 33. Fletcher et al explain that ethical dilemmas can arise from the instructions provided by a senior member of staff, which does not accord with the health professional’s personal or moral beliefs. When making a decision on how to act, that professional will have to consider whether she is acting within the law, according to the Code of Professional Conduct, and also in the best interests of the patient as well as her own beliefs. They discuss the remedies available to patients or clients, which are a complaint to the UKCC which would result in a hearing before the Professional Conduct Committee; use of the formal Hospital Complaints Procedure; or a complaint to the nurse’s employer. ______________________________________________________________________________ 31 (ibid) p 116 32 ‘Legal Aspects of Nursing’ pp 444-457 33 (ibid) p 270 In conclusion, in the context of conscientious objections, it has been suggested that there should be ward-based abortions carried out only 34 in special units by professionals who have taken up such jobs as they do not have moral or ethical objections to abortion. Verena Tscudin 35 states that here is however, always a conflict between a nurse or midwife’s duty to preserve life rather than destroy it. The culmination of ethical perspectives in decision-making models assist the professional, though she must also always be mindful of her duty to the patient, the Code of Professional Conduct and the law. ______________________________________________________________________________ 34 Ann Young, p 209 35 (ibid) p 137 BIBLIOGRAPHY Bioethics and Medical Ethics :Medicine, Metaphysics and Morals: Thomas Platt: West Chester University Catholic Medical Quarterly May 1992: Assisted Suicide and the Distinction Between Killing and Letting Die: J. F. Keenan ‘Ethics in Nursing’ (2nd edition) 1992 (Butterworth/Heinemann) pp 85-95: Verena Tschudin ‘Ethics, Law and Nursing’ (1995) Manchester University Press pp 7-17; pp 35-56; pp 139-143: Fletcher et al ‘Legal Aspects of Nursing’ (2nd edition) 1995 (Prenctice Hall) pp 444-457: Bridgit Dimond ‘Legal Problems in Nursing Practice’(2nd edition) 1993 (Chapman Hall) p 209: Ann P.Young ‘Law and Nursing’ (2nd edition) 2001 (Butterworth/Heinemann) p 208: McHale and Tingle ‘Nursing Law and Ethics’1995 (Blackwell) pp 13-19: Tingle Cribb Selective Reduction and Feticide: The Parameters of Abortion ((1988) Sweet Maxwell Limited and Contributors: David P.T. Price ‘Nursing Ethics’(2nd edition) 1993(Churchill Livingstone), pp233-238: Thompson et al 104134 Legally Binding Undertaking 1. I Rebecca Asghar undertake that in line with my contractual obligations this work is completely and wholly original. 2. 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US Citizenship by Natural :: essays papers

US Citizenship by Natural The United States is a nation of Immigrants. For centuries people have come to the U.S. in search of prosperity, freedom and financial success. By definition of the Microsoft Bookshelf Encyclopedia an immigrant is a person who leaves one country to settle permanently in another country or region to which one is not native. People immigrate for different reasons -- A group of people may immigrate to another country because of some conditions which make it difficult for them to live in their home environment. According to Microsoft Bookshelf Encyclopedia, the reason for immigration is often social for example, population increases, defeat in war, desire for a better life through material gain and the search for religious or political freedom. These reasons have usually prompted many more immigrants to the U.S. than natural causes have. The website of the Federation for American Immigration Reform explains how the first great wave of immigrants came to the U.S. In the early 19th century, large numbers of people from Western Europe left their countries to escape poverty. Many of the immigrants also came to escape religious persecution and political oppression. By the end of the 19th century, the majority of the immigrants were from Southern and Eastern Europe. After 1921, immigration declined due to new and better conditions in Europe and to limitations established by the U.S. government. The first law was passed by the United States Congress in 1862, restricted immigration to the U.S.. This law forbade American vessels to transport Chinese immigrants to the United States. Later, in the 1800s, the U.S. Congress passed acts which prevented convicts, polygamists, prostitutes and persons suffering from contagious diseases to enter the U.S. In 1917, Congress passed an immigration law that required a literacy test. Aliens unable to meet minimum mental, moral, physical and economic standards were excluded form the U.S. as well. In 1921, a congressional enactment created a quota system for immigrants, by which the number of aliens of any nationality admitted to the United States in a year could not exceed three percent of the number of foreign-born residents of that nationality living in the United States. It would seem that the number would be quite small, however, the year was 1919 and the majority of the U.S. population was foreign born. In 1924, the basic immigration quotas were changed to a system based on the desirability of the different nationalities. A congressional act of 1943 repealed the laws keeping the Chinese from entering the United States. (Microsoft Bookshelf Encyclopedia) One will probably agree that it is

Leaves a lot to be desired

Charleston, South Carolina area. But excluding all of its faults, my paychecks have never been late and I have yet to be laid off, which lay-offs are not uncommon in the DoD world. V. T. Malcolm – Leaves a lot to be desired I work for V. T. Malcolm, we are a Department of Defense contractor out of Charleston, SC. Our main corporate office is in Chesapeake, VA, we also have offices in CA and FL. Our main specialty is communications. There is a Joke at Malcolm, â€Å"that for a technology driven Communication Company our inter-company communication is antiquated at best. † My so-called rise in the companyI have worked there for four years and all four years I have had â€Å"supply specialist 2† as my official title. Titles do not mean much at Malcolm. In those four years I have held the positions of; shipping and receiving clerk, warehouseman, forklift operator, forklift trainer, safety officer, tool room clerk, tool room supervisor, inventory specialist, building maintenance, warehouse supervisor, production supervisor, government tool specialist. My rate of pay has increased a dramatic seventy three cents from my starting date. There are no bonuses for non-managerial staff.If my valuation is up to snuff and the moon is in the right orbit I have been lucky enough to get a Cost Of Living Adjustment of twenty-five cents for my yearly raise. Other than that we receive no other improvements in pay or incentives for our work. It has been written multiple times in emails and said in meetings to â€Å"be done with your work and you will be rewarded with more work†. This has been explained that you need to do you work as soon and as good as possible and your â€Å"reward† for this hard work will be more work. Meaning if they feel that you are not up to speed or quality on your org there is a possibility you could be furloughed.At V. T. Malcolm they do not fire workers, but they do furlough. The idea being behind this is if you are fire d you can collect unemployment almost immediately, which Malcolm has to pay into, however if you are furloughed there is a six week waiting period (hoping that they call you back to work) enacted by the unemployment department before you can begin collecting unemployment. During this time Malcolm figures you cannot go that long without a paycheck, so they are hoping you will find another Job so they do not have to pay any extra towards your unemployment check. These are Just a few ways in which they feel they motivate workers to work.A sliver of management style Now when I first started at Malcolm they would do an â€Å"all-hands† meeting approximately every six to eight week in which the general manager would basically give us a â€Å"state of the company' update and finish it with a grilled hamburger and hotdogs lunch with a couple of sides and a drink. About a year and a half ago we had a steak lunch with baked potatoes and all the dressings. Starting a week later we had a massive layoff of approximately half of our working force. Since that point we had one lunch meeting in which we were, for lack of a better term, told that we are doing k but things are looking up.That was over six months ago and things are not looking great. There is a large contract that is going to run dry by the end of the year if we do not get replacement contract there will be a layoff in that department. In the department that I am currently in we have approximately six contracts currently at work. However three of them are not large and do not last for more than a few months. One is in the beginning stage and is contingent on a lot of things happening t the beginning and from what I understand we are struggling to keep up to the deadlines.One is in full swing and it is also struggling to keep up. And the last one is the one I am on, it is scheduled to end September 30th of this year. As we sit right now it is well known that we will not be able to complete it successfully by the end of contract. There is currently sitting a possibility that the contract could be extended if we can show that we can do the work and meet the deadlines, but at this point with the amount of work left to do and the amount of employees currently assigned to the contract it will be very unlikely to happen.Individual Management Style I have given you all this information to give you an idea of what it is like where I work. Now management wise, I will begin with myself, and tell you how I work with my employees. I am the immediate supervisor for four employees currently. I recently had one move to a different project and the other left the company for a better Job. I have an employee who is degreed but is currently working at a low end laborer Job go for an interview on Friday for a position that is within her area of study.So there is a distinct possibility soon to have only three employees which will make it interesting n ending this contract successfully. I try to be a very people orientated manager. I have an open door policy with my employees and encourage dialogue flow both ways. I want to know when something is working and when something is not working. I ask them often if they need anything from me, if there is something I could do or get for them to make their Jobs easier. If the time is available for me and the workers are at a certain point where I can step in then I get in the warehouse and work with them.On Fridays I bring in donuts in the morning, knowing which specific ones employees prefer and try to have them available. I do what I can do to have a good working relationship with the employees. I have had personal one on one meetings with the employees to get to know them better and tell them a little about myself. I tried to find out what their fears at work are and what they feel about the work they are doing, what I can do to help them, and what motivates them.When I get emails regarding them or that concern them in any way I make it a point to either post the email or at least go to the ones involved and let them know exactly what was said so there is complete open dialogue. Now if there is something negative happening guarding one of my employees from higher up the hierarchy and I am made aware of it, depending on the situation I may make the employee at least partially aware of what is happening (I would want to know if the roles were reversed, and try to keep that in mind). Group Management Style Unfortunately this type of interaction between supervisors and employees stops with me.My immediate supervisor has yet to come to my warehouse and check on me and the production rate since I took over from Just being a warehouse manager to both the warehouse manager and production manager which has been a little over a onto. When I go to his office for help or guidance I receive short curse-filled answers, when he is there, or get told how busy he is and that he couldn't possibly do (whatever it is I ask of him) now but maybe later in the week he might have a chance, he will get back to me. Which doesn't happen I usually have to get the answer else wards or make it up myself.This is the response I receive from the project manager as well (for him it is usually by email for he is impossible to locate in person). I recently sent an email to the project manager breaking down all the tasks we have until the end of the contract (September 30th) as per time it will take to do them in man hours and material needed and compared that to the employees I have at my disposal, their amount of man hours left till the end of the contract and asked for a specific number of more employees to be able to complete this Job successfully by the end date.He then did not address the email I sent him but sent out a department wide email asking what resources we need to complete the tasks at hand and gave a sooner closing date. I then adjusted my numbers and sent him back an mail asking for the adjustment, Justifying th e reason why and attached the previous email to the one that was sent out for all to see with the hopes that some good will come of it.In a later email that I was cad on he briefly mentioned that he is requesting additional help in areas needed but we need to strive to complete this contract with what we have since that is the task that we were originally given and at this late stage the â€Å"Calvary' may not arrive in time. But at the end of each email he writes â€Å"motivate your people to be done with the work that they have and they will be rewarded with more work†. I liken that to telling someone in captivity to each your slop (even though the dogs refuse to eat it) and we will give you more.From my perspective on an upward trend this is where the management skills end and threats and intimidation begins. Then the department head always has a bad attitude and is in a hurry to be going somewhere. I have tried to have conversations with this man and it always ends with him telling me we are working on getting more contracts but right now he's not even sure if he will have a Job come tomorrow. That is the last thing you want to tell your employees!! Next as a general manager for the Charleston division's level this man is more concerned about the aesthetics of the place then how the place is actually running.We may not have working toilets (true story) but he was very upset that our lawn service was a day behind on cutting the grass. When the air conditioning was out in the building besides the one he works in there was a 10 day delay in getting it fixed due to cost? But when it went out in his building and the part was going to take two days to get delivered, he paid extra to overnight it and have it installed the following day. Which by the way while waiting for the part he went home because it was Just too hot to work.The place was 80 degrees. My warehouse hits 80 by eleven am and is usually hovering between 94 to 97 degrees by the time we go ho me. Of course we have no air conditioning and during the summer we have two small heaters. I had to â€Å"acquire† individual space heaters for the workers to get them close to being warm enough to do their work. Corporate Style Management Finally at the corporate level, well basically if you are not in the corporate office you are an annoying little ant that keeps getting in the way.Once a year we have awards sent out for â€Å"outstanding† workers. It always works out the same, one award for San Diego, one award for Pensacola, one award for Charleston, and the rest for Chesapeake. All of the events and recognition on our company web site goes to VA. We have even had pictures of work that was done by workers in Charleston, at Charleston locations mislabel as VA Jobs. And even though there were corrections sent into the main office about that fact a re-print, correction, or update was never publicized acknowledging the mistake.All of the current events are about VA, lo cally e have volunteered at charity events and those have been overlooked to write about how the CEO ran a marathon (not for a charity, Just for his own good). The one time the CEO came to Charleston for an â€Å"all hands meeting† it was to tell us that we were doing good and keep up the good work and that VA thanks Charleston for supporting them. Even though at that moment in time Charleston had the highest amount of revenue coming into the company including all North America entities. When you get that kind of support then you question why moral is as low as it has almost ever been?I think you have answered your own question. V. T. Malcolm used to not be like this from what I hear from the â€Å"old-timers† even as short of a time as seven years ago Malcolm valued their employees. Bosses used to take pride in what their workers did and in reflection workers took pride in what work they put out. After being sold four times and this final one to a holding company out of England I think workers are Just too shaky in their Jobs and bosses are too concerned with their Jobs and the bottom line to care what happens to the company.The consensus is that the company will be broken apart and sold piece by piece to the highest bidder. And that leaves everyone's Job in a state of limbo. Management is either too self-absorbed or too nervous as what's going to happen next that all management training (if any) has been thrown out the window and it is simply look out for one's own good. Meanwhile we are bidding and receiving Jobs we are not even remotely qualified for, but get them because we are the lowest bidder.Which means we have to cut costs (usually on the working man, not the overpaid administration) and thus we have multiple mistakes by workers who are making barely above minimum wage so they don't care what kind of product they put out. So we transfer everyone around hoping to make a change but we still have low skilled, low paid workers doing Jobs th at are scrutinized by government employees (usually paid a lot higher) and thus the product is rejected and our management cannot figure out why they are receiving such low quality work.So I have a couple of theories; first you get what you paid for, meaning low paid workers gets low quality work. Second, when the only time you check the work is when it has already gone through your customers Quality Assurance program and failed miserably, that leaves a bad taste in the SQ rep and they will be expecting poor laity work from your company so things will fail even if they are within passing range. Finally issues like this start from the top down and if you want good work you have to hire good workers and support them.Poor management breeds poor workers. I believe it is time for a shakeup at Malcolm from the top down. 1 . Set Goals, setting clear and concise goals lets you know exactly what you expect and where you expect to go. 2. Prioritize, what tasks to I need to do to achieve my go als, how does this task help me complete my goal, and what extent does this task help me achieve y goal. By choosing which one of those your tasks falls under it helps you achieve your goal quicker and easier. 3. Keep a task list and use the above guidelines to help prioritize those tasks. . Schedule tasks; this helps keep them in control and gives you a guideline to follow 5. Focus on one task at a time; trying to do too much at once gets confusing an leads to frustration, failure, and ultimately giving up. 6. Minimize distractions; we are used to multitasking today but if we can concentrate on one thing and do it to the best of our abilities we will succeed. 7. Overcome Procrastination: simply stop being lazy 8. Take breaks; Even superman took a break every now and again. 9. Say â€Å"No† – when you feel overwhelmed Just say no.There are times where you Just can't do it all. 10. And finally Delegate Tasks; you have people who work for you and you hired them to do mor e than make copies and get your coffee. Use their skill set and ease your load a bit. (William) These are all things that Malcolm supervisors need to learn. Add these in with people skills and V. T. Malcolm is set for success. We put out a good product usually. We need good people working for us. To get good people working for you, you need to have good management.Management that trust and uses their employees to the fullest. Management at its lowest form is managing people. You don't manage people by scare tactics and bullying them. That is something that most people learn in high school. Management is a bit like water once the flow starts downhill it usually trickles all the way to the bottom. References William, D. K. (n. D. ). Http://www. Lifelike. Org/articles/productivity/lo-proven-time- management-skills-you-should-learn-today. HTML. Retrieved from http:// www. Lifelike. Org.

Deep Sea Fishing

â€Å"If deep-sea fishing is the most dangerous of all civilian occupations, it is especially so during winter months or during storms at any time of year. † Yet, â€Å"risk taking is something they are paid to accept† (Cockerham, 131). [Epigram] As depicted by Sebastian Junger’s nonfiction account, The Perfect Storm, deep-sea fishing requires a level of determination that can override scientific data and superstitious judgment, in the interest of getting money. He tells the story of the Andrea Gail, which sets out for its fatal last voyage. In October 1991, the crewmembers say their last goodbyes and leave their loved ones behind.It’s late in the season, to go so far out at sea. Also, a number of people had been having strange feelings about the trip and are struggling to push them aside. Since the very beginning in the book, there have been many premonitions presented. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, a premonition is â€Å"a strong feeling t hat something is about to happen, especially something unpleasant† (â€Å"Premonition†). â€Å"Premonitions are often about something that is a threat to our survival tells us the purpose they serve: they are overwhelmingly about survival† (USA, Under Attack).Some fishermen hired to work the Andrea Gail are willing to take this risk regardless of the premonitions they have. Others decide not to go. While the Andrea Gail is out fishing, events unfold that lead to the sinking of the boat. The last voyage of the Andrea Gail proves the tension that must be faced between scientific data and superstitions the crewmembers had and the need for money. Based on extensive interviews, Junger describes the determination shown by deep-sea fishermen.