Comparative Politics Midterm Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Comparative Politics Midterm - Essay Example The answer to this question is simple and straightforward. This is the most popular pattern of democracy, practical from the functional point of view of the government in power. In a democracy, the political party that wins the election, turns to be the powerful chair and the party/parties those are defeated turn to be chair-less powers! Elucidating this issue further Arend Lijphart writes, â€Å"The majoritarianism-consensus contrast arises from the most basic and literal definition of democracy-government by the people or, in representative democracy, government by the representative of the people—and President Abraham Lincolns famous further stipulation that democracy means government not only by but also for the people—that is government in accordance with the peoples preferences.†(1) From the technical point of view, and going the by the rule book of democracy, the issue is clear. The party in majority, rules the country and its decisions are final and legal ly binding on the people. The Consensus Model is to accommodate for the viewpoints of the other party /parties, even though they have lost the election are obliged to sit in the opposition benches. In this model, there is always room for the others. They believe, two heads are better than one. Lijphart throws more light of the functioning of such democracies and he comments, â€Å"The alternative answer to the dilemma is: as many as possible. This is the crux of the consensus model. It does not differ from the majoritartian model on accepting that majority rule is better than minority rule, but it accepts majority only as a minimum requirement: instead of being satisfied with narrow decision-making majorities, it seeks to maximize the size of these majorities.†(2) Working as per the guidelines of this model, the majority party does not believe that whatever it decides is correct; rather it is willing to believe and implement, whatever correct is there, belongs to all. The French system of

Recommendations for the Best Interests of a Child Essay Example for Free

Recommendations for the Best Interests of a Child Essay Ted and Joanna Kramer have been married for six years before she decided to leave him and their son Billy. She believes that she is unfit to continue being a mother and has decided to force her husband into taking care of their child by simply leaving. Mr. Kramer had been ignorant of the depression that has gripped his wife through more than half of their married life because he was too busy with his job. Both father and son were hoping that Mrs. Kramer would come back but weeks turned to months and she would just write letters. Meanwhile, Mr. Kramer and the child have been able to establish their own relationship and routines. They grew fond of each other and have learned to put more effort in keeping their bond stronger. On the other hand, Mrs. Kramer had transferred to another state and has been undergoing therapy. Upon realizing that she does have self-worth, she decided to come back to work in New York and fight for custody. Mr. Kramer is equally determined to keep the child because he was not sure if his wife was stable enough to really take care of their son. Recommendation The court must ensure that its decision would be for the best interests of Billy Kramer who is now seven years old. Upon examination of the situation and both parties’ relationship to each other, the recommendation is for both parents to share legal custody of the child. Physical custody shall be solely granted to the father, Ted Kramer. Joanna Kramer shall be allowed visitation rights. Recommendations are based on the following reasons: 1. Although both parents show great affection for their son, the absence of a caring father at home may be particularly tough for a boy; those who see little of their fathers during their childhoods and have no substitute male presence in their lives may later have trouble making and keeping friends. (Eisenberg, et. al. , 1996, p. 792) 2. Although records from Mrs. Kramer’s psychologist show, her positive response to therapy, approximately six years of depression cannot be solved in merely fifteen months. It would be wise for Mrs. Kramer to gain more understanding of herself and her own needs before she takes custody of their child. 3. Billy Kramer has already established a daily routine with his father and this has helped this child cope with the distressful absence of his mother. Should the court decide to grant Joanna Kramer full custody, this shall uproot Billy from the lifestyle he has already gotten used to and may affect him negatively. 4. Joint legal custody in this case shall be needed to support the child’s needs. Mrs. Kramer’s salary is higher than Mr. Kramer’s and Billy would benefit most if both parents can provide his needs financially. 5. The impact of change on the child must be taken into consideration. When parents live far away, it can be hard for children to maintain a feeling of continuity between both of their homes. (Davis Keyser, 1997, p. 391) 6. In general, custody laws and decisions favor continued and frequent contact between the child and both parents, as well as an ongoing role for both parents in the raising of their children. (http://www. healthline. com/galecontent/child-custody-laws) Visitation rights for Mrs. Kramer can help Billy feel secure about his family and self. Evaluation has been done to ensure the child’s interest and therefore, the recommendation is for both parents to share legal custody; Mr. Kramer be granted full physical custody; and Mrs. Kramer be granted visitation rights. References Davis, L. Keyser, J. (1997). Becoming the Parent You Want to Be. Broadway Books New York, p. 391. Eisenberg, A. , Murkoff, H. E. Hathaway, S. E. (1996). What To Expect The Toddler Years. Workman Publishing New York p. 792. Retrieved May 11, 2007 from http://www. healthline. com/galecontent/child-custody-laws

Design Of Perfomance Linked Reward System Business Essay

Design Of Perfomance Linked Reward System Business Essay Performance-related reward system involves rewarding employees according to their performance, or results achieved or contribution to organisations performance as individuals or as a part of a group. It involves a shift of focus from remuneration models based on the worth of jobs and employee skills to their performance. Designing a performance-linked reward system is conditioned by a variety of factors such as the nature of business, type of technology, the attitude of unions and human resource management strategies of the organisation. Therefore, no particular model can be recommended; it has to be custom-tailored. Performance-linked reward systems reduce labour cost, result in increases in real wages and motivate performance. They provide a method of absorbing cost escalation on account of pay increases and thus help in sustaining competitiveness of the organisation. It has been increasingly realised that performance-related pay, if used in isolation, may have little impact on motivation for performance. Appropriate conditions in the organisation have to be created for performance-linked reward systems to be motivationally effective. These conditions, for instance, will involve proper information, consultation, communication mechanisms, training and development of employees, developing proactive attitude and performance-oriented culture, providing non- monetary incentives and evolving an efficient performance management system and so on. Reward system cannot be seen in isolation from compensation management. Compensation management is getting increasingly integrated with business and human resource management strategy. Reward system should, therefore, be considered as an aid to better performance in a performance management system which may be integrated with the overall business plan and strategy. FORMS AND CHOICE OF PERFORMANCE LINKED REWARD SYSTEM There are several types of performance-linked reward schemes. Generally, these are designed to-share with or distribute to employees as individuals, groups or a collectivity productivity gains, profit improvement or financial results of enterprise performance. Such schemes fall into the following broad categories: Schemes based on individual or small group performance including piece rates, traditional merit pay, and sales commission. Incentive schemes which may relate pay to profits on the basis of a pre- determined formula. Bonus schemes based on contribution to productivity and profitability according to a pre-determined formula with gains sometimes distributed among the individual employees on the basis of merit rating. Productivity Bargaining. Employee Stock Options Plan (ESOP). Competency-based pay. 1. Merit Incentive Pay A common method which has long been in existence is pay increase or bonus payment on the basis of performance rating. The merit incentive pay scheme provides another method of recognising and rewarding differential performance. This method could particularly be suitable for office staff. The scheme essentially involves the following steps: a) The determination of result-oriented merit rating procedures, b) The identification of job factors and their relative importance, c) The formulation of a scale of reward, and d) The communication of the basis of monetary reward. Illustratively, job factors of salesman can be identified as (a) sales promotion, (b) realisation of outstandings, and (c) good-will calls, (d) after-sales service and, (e) investigation of complaints. These tasks will differ in their degree of importance. This difference can be recognised by imputing numerical values to different job factors. Hypothetically, let us assign weight values of 5, 3 and 2 respectively to the above tasks. In practice, weight values can be ascertained through job analysis. The actual merit rating score will give the percentage of basic wage or basic wage plus D.A. as incentive bonus. Given a result-oriented merit rating procedure and its objective operation in an organization, it should not be difficult to install a merit incentive pay system. This is not to minimise the difficulties that are usually encountered in operating a -merit rating system. The effectiveness of the performance appraisal system will depend on the soundness of the performance appraisal system. Sometimes merit increments and merit awards are also given in recognition of superior performance on the part of individuals. These are poor substitutes for a system of merit incentive pay because of several shortcomings. Under a system of merit increments, there is no prompt relationship between reward and effort. The quantum of reward at a point of time will be considered inadequate. Additional cost in the form of enhanced allowances is built for the company on permanent basis. Employees continue to benefit from their best performance even if it remains below standard in the future. Employees getting merit awards cannot visualise a proportionate relationship between their performance and reward. The basis of determining the quantum can not be explained to employees who are not given such awards. This may evoke jealously and friction and may thus jeopardise cooperation and goodwill. Incentive Payments Lumpsum payments such as sales commission is another traditional method. Generally, the performance and the payment of lumpsum are linked by a formula. Sales commission, however, does not generally consider other parameters of performance such as realisation of outstandings and selling high profit margin products. Another traditional method of rewarding performance is piece rates. There are several weaknesses in this system. It is not easy to agree with workers on the standard output required. Frequent changes may be needed in the standard output due to technology changes and this may lead to conflict between unions and management. Also factors other than individual performance such as change in work method affect output. Conflicts may also arise between different work groups when one group is dependent on another. There is a potential for conflict when norms have to be revised because of such factors as technology changes. Also, modernisation of technology and automation has rendered piece rates somewhat obsolete. 2. Incentive Schemes Output-based incentive scheme are appropriate where tasks are repetitive and measurable. These involve the following steps: Selecting the objectives Determining the parameters of performance in accordance with the objectives Determining the norms or base values or benchmark values for each parameter Determining performance-reward relationship Fixing the relative importance of the selected parameters, that is, their weightages Designing information and procedure formats Determining the maximum payable incentive amount (incentive opportunity) and , payment period Formulating a communication and review scheme These are, however, not suitable for high technology and service activities, which require information sharing, problem solving and team work. Productivity gain or profit sharing or employee stock options plan (ESOP) may be suitable types for such activities. 3. Group Incentive and Productivity Gain Sharing Under the productivity gain sharing schemes, productivity gains are shared in accordance to an agreed pre-determined formula. Profit sharing gives a share of profit. Sometimes, the quantum of bonus is determined on the basis of profit as well as productivity improvements according to a pre-determined benchmark value for each of them. 4. Productivity Bargaining Productivity bargaining can provide yet another method of improving productivity and linking wage increases- to such improvements. Productivity bargaining, however, does not mean an incentive scheme or wage increases in return for assurances and promises from unions for achieving production targets. This method implies (a) a detailed analysis of the firms operations, (b) the identification of cost reduction possibilities, (c) estimation of savings in cost, and (d) the development of a system o indexing wage increases with cost reductions actually realised over time. The climate for productivity bargaining has never been more favourable than now. It is for managements to take initiative and build this approach in their collective bargaining relationship with Unions. 5. Long-Term Incentive (ESOP) Long-term incentive in the form of employee stock options schemes are operated both to improve long-term incentive and to reduce fixed cost. ESOP envisages employee participation in and ownership of a companys equity. This plan is intended to provide an incentive to the employees to improve the all- round performance and growth of the company and share its prosperity. The plan usually involves allotment of equity shares according to a laid down procedure and subject to governmental regulations, laws and rules. The employees benefit in the form of enhanced market value of his shares and capital gains, which in turn depend on companys and employee performance. Several software and high-tech organisations such as Infosys have conceived and designed such plans. 6. Competency-based Pay The competency is a critical determinant of performance. Therefore, there is an increasing interest in offering monetary incentive for acquiring competencies required for higher performance on the present job or for the next job. Such competency may for instance include values, attitude and behavioural characteristics which influence performance. In designing a performance linked reward scheme, choice of an appropriate scheme should be considered as critical. The choice will be determined by a variety of factors such as the nature of the organisation, the nature of technology, the nature of profits, the nature of markets, the human resource strategy and business objectives. STEPS IN DESIGNING There is a variety of forms of performance-linked schemes. These must be closely adapted to the particular conditions of individual enterprises and the concerned groups of companies. In designing a custom-tailored performance-linked reward scheme, the following steps are important: 1. Custom-Tailored There is little scope for relying on model or standardized schemes. Attempts to impose specific performance-linked reward systems through central regulations generally appear to fail. Frequently the appropriateness of what is being required may appear questionable from the perspective of individual enterprises. Therefore, care must be taken in adapting such schemes to the particularities of individual enterprises. 2. Objectives The objectives of the schemes need to be carefully formulated. Such objectives are needed to guide the selection of performance measures, the specification of bonus calculation formulae and the reaching of common understanding on the size of bonuses that may be expected through the schemes. The potential for performance improvement may vary greatly from one enterprise to another, as well as with the passage of time. Both the short and long run objectives for the scheme should be identified. 3. Selection of Performance Measures The selection of performance measures must be consistent with the scheme objectives; these must encourage those types of behaviour considered important for organizational performance such as increasing output, reducing labour and other costs, improving quality or timeliness of delivery, encouraging co-operation amongst work groups, enhancing adaptability and innovations, etc. In addition, they must not be pursued at the expense of other performance parameters. At the same time, the measures of performance selected should, to a large extent, be under employee control, and not influenced by external influences. Employees will be demotivated if their best efforts are offset by factors they cannot control. The unit, the performance of which is measured, should be small enough to ensure that workers can see some relation between their efforts and rewards. To ensure motivational effectiveness, the measures of performance should also be easily understood by the workers concerned, subject to ready verification if suspicions arise, and be calculable at frequent intervals. 4. Basis Depending on circumstances, performance awards may be determined on the basis of improvements over the previous year, improvements over a base period performance, or the maintenance of a high level of performance. Bonuses which become exceptionally large should be integrated into basic wages in order to avoid distortions in pay structures. Where necessary, it may be advisable to resort to procedures for stabilising bonuses of lengthening the period over which performance is calculated. 5. External Influences To the extent possible, the initial agreement establishing the scheme should specify how target performance levels are to be dealt with when their achievement is affected by external influences such as changes in. production methods, product mix and prices of inputs and outputs. 6. Distribution The rule for the distribution of bonuses amongst workers should be simple and widely supported. It may be based on wage rates or average earnings. Also, to discourage excessive absenteeism, bonus is sometimes varied with the number of hours or days worked. However, distributions in accordance with assessments of individual worker performance by supervisors may be problematic, especially if such assessments lead to significant variation in pay. 7. Equity There should be equal opportunities to earn bonuses, even though the performance measures may vary. In addition, performance targets should be set after a careful scrutiny of the historical behaviour of the measures selected. The quantum of bonus should be significant enough to evoke extra efforts. At the same time performance awards should not be so large as to put at risk a significant part of employee earnings for reasons beyond their control. 8. Safeguards Such schemes should not be substituted for wage increases that otherwise would have been granted or replace fixed wages with variable wages. Performance pay should supplement rather than replace existing wage bargaining arrangements and should not question the need to maintain basic wages at adequate levels. Perhaps of even greater importance in some contexts may be the need to give assurances to existing employees that productivity improvements would not place jobs in jeopardy. 9. Involvement and Communication Such schemes must be perceived as acting in the interest of employees as well as employers. Accordingly such schemes must be implemented in ways that convince employees that they will receive a fair share of the benefits derived from their extra efforts and their jobs will not be threatened. Schemes based on collective performance work more effectively when the scheme objectives and operation are explained in detail to all the employees concerned. The success of schemes depends to a large extent on the amount of effort given by management to consultation at various stages in the planning and design of the scheme, in the process of implementation and monitoring of results. In addition, the schemes have a better chance of success if employees are provided with full opportunities to present their ideas for bringing about improvement. Performance- linked schemes function most effectively when they are accompanied by a formal participative system that facilitates: (a) the transformation of agreed practical suggestions into actual changes in operating methods and procedures; (b) two-way communications at all levels on operating difficulties and general business trends. 10. Union Participation in the Design Performance reward schemes may work most effectively when worker representatives are given full opportunity to participate in their design and administration. Such involvement may facilitate comprehension and acceptance of scheme objectives. Moreover, workers may only fully trust the scheme if it has been elaborated in consultation and agreement with worker representatives and they are subsequently given opportunities to verify that awards is being calculated fairly. Also, the commonality of interests of workers and employers in improved productivity, performance, earnings and equity is likely to be much more apparent where pay systems are developed and elaborated in accordance with rules established through collective bargaining. 11. Review There should be a clear provision for modifications owing to changes in production methods or in prices or inputs or outputs. The effectiveness of all pay systems decays with time and the duration of schemes based on collective measures of performance are particularly short. Accordingly it should be foreseen that the basic parameters of such schemes would undergo regular periodic revisions. Indeed it should be expected from the outset that the collective performance measures and targets would undergo continuing change every few years in the light of the experience. ISSUES AND TRENDS There are many issues and trends occur in linking performance with reward system which are as follows:- 1. Level of Education The level of education of the employees, among other factors, will determine what type of scheme is likely to be easily understood by them and will motivate them. The nature of the business and the operations will also influence. Organisations in low cost manufacturing or which promote innovation, skills and higher performance or which are in service industries may need to consider different forms of performance pay. Their business and human resource management strategy will differ; the form and content as well as objectives of performance pay should be consistent with them. 2. Trade Union The chance of success of performance-linked pay will depend on the tradition of collective bargaining and attitudes of unions. While the negative attitudes hinder its introduction, the positive attitude considerably facilitates it 3. Organisational Culture Performance pay gives better results in organisations characterised by employee involvement and team spirit. A pro-active culture in the organisation is found to be valuable to performance and productivity. 4. Package of Monetary and Non-Monetary Incentives Performance pay is at best an element in the reward management and motivational system. Besides performance pay, it is essential to pay attention simultaneously to such aspects as re-organisation of work process, training, employee involvement and participative decision-making, opportunities to contribute ideas and knowledge, non- monetary recognition, career development and goal setting. 5. Rewarding Good Performance Rewarding good performance may include, among others, such mechanisms as cash awards, appreciation letter and certificates, training in reputed institutions, foreign travel, job enlargement and enriched roles, publicity in newsletters and membership of professional societies, etc. For higher effectiveness of performance-linked pays system, such reward mechanisms should also be used. 6. Performance Pay and Performance Management It is increasingly realised that performance is affected by a variety of factors. These factors, for instance, will include knowledge and skills which are developed through training, work attitudes and intrinsic rewards. These and other factors which affect performance are considered in the wider context of performance management and human resource management with performance pay constituting an element of it. 7. Caveats It is being increasingly realised that The performance pay systems should be designed to promote the kind of performance an organisation needs. It should, therefore, be integrated with human resource management strategy for better performance and growth of the organisation. The performance pay should underpin the organisations main values such as team work, creativity, flexibility and quality. The system should provide an impetus to and support the behaviour expected of the employees. Therefore, it must communicate to employees the type of behaviour to be rewarded and the way in which it will be rewarded. The reward system should be strengthened through re-organisation of work process and enlarged job responsibilities, training, consultation, communication and participatory system. Employees should also be consulted in the formulation of the plan. The criteria for determining performance should be objective, measurable, easily understood and related to what employees can control. The quantum of performance pay should be significant enough to be motivationally effective and its distribution should be equitable. The payment of performance pay should follow the performance as soon as possible and as frequently as possible. The performance level should be achievable; otherwise it will have a demoralising effect. The quantum of pay should be sufficiently flexible to absorb downturn and adequately reward when performance is good; it should also safeguard the minimum remuneration for the value of the job. QUESTIONS Q1. Explain what is performance-linked reward system? Q2. What are the various ways in which performance can be linked to reward system? Q3. In designing a performance-linked reward system, what considerations will you take into account? Q4.List out the various steps involved in designing a performance-linked reward system. Give an example. Q5. Examine the current issues and trends in linking performance with reward system.

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorn Essay -- revenge, chillingwort

Revenger consumes the soul of the extractor, and leaves him a shell of his former self. Revenge often leads him down an irreversible path that ultimately proves to be detrimental to him. Such acts are especially grave according to Puritan belief, which holds that vengeance belonged only to God. As a Puritan, Nathaniel Hawthorn knew about such believes, and as a master of words, a literary genius who had a deep understanding of human emotions and boundaries, he develops a story whose central theme was revenge. Hawthorne uses The Scarlet Letter to reprimand revenge as a detrimental act never allows a person to be satisfied and in the end, destroys him. He uses Chillingworth’s conversations with others to characterize Chillingworth’s radical transformation from a scholarly person to a devil whose sole purpose was to torment Dimmesdale as retribution for committing adultery with Hester. In his exposition, Chillingworth, a learned man justly demanded that his wife’s fellow sinner speak up and identify himself. This was no doubt a perfectly normal response for a man, who after being in the company of Native Americans for over three years, happens to come to the right place at the right moment to see his wife on the scaffold, humiliated by the overbearing sin of adultery. In his conversation with Hester in jail, Chillingworth made it clear that he did not intend to harm neither Hester nor Pearl. He contended that had he been a more open caring husband, and not devoted his youth to books and the pursuit of wisdom, such an incident would had never occurred. In admitting partial responsibility for Hester’s sins, Chillingworth is characterized as a humble and sagacious man, which Hawthorne employs as the peak from which he strips away Chil... ...intellectual force – seemed at once to desert him† (254). As a man whose sole purpose thereof was to extract revenge, when death moved one-step ahead of him, he had no more purpose in life, and thus too died within the year. Through an analysis of his dialogue with other characters, the reader can witness Chillingworth’s transformation from a leaned man to a vengeful demon. Hawthorne reveals the detriment of revenge, which ultimately drove Dimmesdale and Chillingworth himself to their unintended death, and condemns it as an act that only God can execute. Only Hawthorne could have conjured such an elaborate love story whose central theme is the devastating effects of revenge. This novel serves to remind people of the harmful consequences of extracting revenge without constraint, and how once a person embarked on the path of vengeance, his demise is set in stone.

Lying Is the Most Fun You Can Have Essay -- American Government, The B

The propaganda machine set up by the Bush administration channeled many lies concerning the story of Jessica Lynch. The media, in turn, played and replayed her story to excess. These numerous lies were then published in an article by the Washington Post, on which Krakauer remarks that: Thanks largely to details first revealed in this article, as well as dramatic video of the rescue distributed to the media by the Army, Jessica Lynch dominated the news for weeks. The details of the incident provided by military public affairs officers made for an absolutely riveting story that television, radio, and print journalists found irresistible: a petite blond supply clerk from a flea-speck burg in West Virginia is ambushed in Iraq and fearlessly mows down masked Fedayeen terrorists with her M16 until she runs out of ammo, whereupon she is shot, stabbed, captured, tortured, and raped before finally being snatched from her barbaric Iraqi captors during a daring raid by American commandos. (207-208) Krakauer admits that the article expresses there had been no verification of the details relating to Jessica Lynch's story, but this was largely ignored (208). It seems as though the administration was as good at covering their asses as they were at manipulating the public at large. This can be seen in the disclaimer in the article by the Washington Post. The article states that â€Å"Pentagon officials said they had heard â€Å"rumors† of Lynch's heroics but had no confirmation†(qtd. in Krakauer 208). They knew that truth about Jessica Lynch would eventually come through, and as long as the lies had their desired effect; they didn't care. The real story of what happened to Jessica Lynch is much less extreme. As Krakauer emphasize... ...t provided support for the war in Iraq and kept our troops there, the better. As illustrated by Krakauer, â€Å"Bin Laden regarded the invasion of Iraq as a tremendous gift from President Bush―a 'rare and essentially valuable' opportunity to spread jihad† and that â€Å"the American occupation was fueling Muslim rage even more than the invasion of Afghanistan had, inspiring throngs of Arab men to join the ranks for al-Qaeda† (255). The Bush administration's treatment and spinning of the stories of these heroic soldiers into a vehicle of propaganda for their own ends was abhorrent. I feel disgusted at their using of people and lies to maintain their unjust war, and their war must be indeed have been unjust if they had to go to such extremes to support it. It is tragic that the people of the United States and other countries have been subjected to this kind of betrayal.

Conflict: Science against Religion Essay

Throughout the ages science and religion have struggled with one another. They both are constantly striving to gain the upper hand against the other. Within this struggle both are trying to assert the fact that their ideas are accurate and how the others ideas are inaccurate. Science yearns to answer the questions of how things happen through the means of solid facts. Religion, on the other hand, seeks to answer the question of why things occur and its thought process is grounded in faith. Some believe that the two views are not in turmoil with one another. This thought process is extremely skewed because these two belief systems contradict one another consistently and believers of each view then struggle to prove their perspective is correct. Science and religion, â€Å"do not have the same viewpoints about the nature of the world or agree about how truth is perceived or confined† (Neese, 2001). These two ideologies are at war with one another. The issues between the two cann ot be overlooked or brushed under the rug because there are too many opposing aspects. Because of this there is no way for these two ideologies to coexist harmoniously. When science and religion have overlapping topics that attempt to answer the same questions, conflict occurs between believers of each theory. A good example of this overlap is the Evolution theory. This theory has caused controversy from its beginnings in history. Evolution, as defined by Webster’s Dictionary, is â€Å"a theory that the various types of animals and plants have their origin in other preexisting types and that the distinguishable differences are due to modifications in successive generations† (Webster, 2012). The placement of this theory in high school text books has been very controversial. Multiple court cases have been fought over the theory of evolution and its existence within public schools’ curriculum. There are cases dating back from 1968 up until present day arguing about whether this theory should be taught to students (Masamura & Mead, 2001). According to religion, God made all things. This is known as creationism. Within the creationism theory there is no margin for compromise. God made man and there is no other explanation in accordance with the creationism theory. The Theory of Evolution contradicts everything that religion is based on. The Bible says that God created the animals but he also created man. The Bible speaks nothing of God creating animals and they evolving into mankind, so the idea that religious parties could agree with the evolutionary theory and accept it is ludicrous. Regardless of whether it is acknowledged or not, science is deeming what religion believes as a lie. There is no way to avoid the turmoil that it causes by attempting to prove that God didn’t make man but instead we evolved from animals. Debates regarding where mankind comes from seems to elevate tempers and leads to arguments. History shows us that people have not agreed upon these two opinions and it has led to judicial action b ecause there could not be an agreement made about the subjects. These are not issues of the past but are still currently raging throughout society even today. It is absurd to think that the theory of creationism and the theory of evolution do not cross over into one another and create conflict. How could two views that are polar opposites possibly be agreed upon? It is a simple answer; they can and will not be agreed upon. Another argument that rages between science and religion is the argument about the approximate age of the Earth. Science believes that the Earth is billions of years old; meanwhile, religious groups believe that the Earth is approximately 10,000 years old. Scientists believe that the earth can be dated back over 4 billion years using a method of Argon-Argon dating (Robins, 2006). On the other hand religious groups use the Bible as a reference to date the earth. Science argues that their method of dating is accurate and they have found fossils that are millions of year old; yet, religion argues that â€Å"The Great Flood† trapped carbon around the fossils and therefore would negate the carbon dating process that is typically used when dating fossils (Fossil, 2011). There are drastic differences between the timeline that science has created and the one religion uses. Science relies on gathering evidence that allows a conclusion to be made about the Earth’s age; meanwhile, religion relies upon the Bible and declares nothing can be questioned because the Bible is absolute. The argument regarding the age of the Earth is definitely a continuing issue. These two viewpoints have no common ground and will continue to conflict one another. The question of why someone is a homosexual has plagued debates for years. This argument is very emotional for a lot of people. Science and religion both have very opposing views of this topic. Some scientists believe that homosexuality is linked to genetics and have been trying to locate the gene that causes someone’s homosexuality (Abrams, 2007). Yet, religious sects believe that homosexuality is a choice. Science is trying to prove that people do not choose to be gay but instead are born with the predisposition to like someone of the same gender. In religious groups this view is widely rejected because the Bible states that homosexuality is wrong, and God would not make someone more prone to â€Å"sin†. The debate regarding the origins of why someone lives the homosexual lifestyle has not fully been pinpointed in science yet but this still doesn’t calm the argument with religious groups. The fight over giving homosexuals the right to legally marry in the U.S. gives us a good example of how heated this debate actually is and how far it is from being resolved. Several states have voted to allow gay marriage while the majority of states still have not latched on to the idea due to religious backgrounds within the communities. Not as widely discussed but still a conflicting issue for science and religion is the iss ue of death. The belief in the hereafter, or lack thereof, is strongly debated among scientists and religious groups. Science does not prove or disprove the existence of anything occurring after death. Some scientists argue that the phenomenon of an out of body experience is simply the result of the brain continuing to work even though the body does not (Fitzpatrick, 2010). This discredits people’s stories of experiencing the hereafter and coming back from it. Religion gives a greater purpose in life and the ultimate goal is to spend eternity in the heavenly realm. By some scientists disregarding the possibility of a hereafter it adds to the tension that already exists between religion and science. Since science leaves for the possibility that nothing exists after we die, it doesn’t support the theory that religion does. In not supporting the idea of something existing after we die, it creates an invisible wall between science and religion and leaves room for argumentative discussions. One of the most overlooked conflicts between science and religion is the separation of the languages. There are multiple theories about how language developed and changed according to s cience. Most scientists will agree that they believe evolution played a large part in the diversity of languages. Science bases the evolution of multiple languages on people slightly changing their current dialect as they migrated to different regions. Many scientists believe that the first language was developed somewhere in Africa (Wade, 2011). Religion seeks a completely different approach to the development of the separate languages. Religion bases the changing of dialects to the event that occurred at the tower of Babel, as recorded by the Bible. The Bible says that people were joining together to build a tower to reach to heaven. God was displeased with this act so he separated the languages so the people could no longer understand one another; thus, stopping their ability to work together to build the tower (Genesis 11, KJV). These two counter ideas both answer the question of how languages evolved but in two extremely different ways. In no way are these two theologies coexisting seei ng that there are no similarities between their theories. People argue about the existing conflict between religion and science. Some argue for the presence of a conflict, while others argue that turmoil simply does not exist between the two. A man by the name of Stephen Jay Gould â€Å"referred to the non-overlapping magisterial of science and religion, with the former describing reality – what is – and the latter dealing with values – how we ought to act† (Fish, 2010). Gould argued in his book, â€Å"Rock of Ages†, â€Å"that science and religion can coexist because they occupy two separate spheres of the human experience. According to Gould, science and God are inherently divided and thus can easily co-exist in the human belief system. Science, he argues, answers questions of fact, while religion covers questions of morality† (Clark, n.d.). Many people have the same viewpoint as Gould or a similar one. This argument suggests that these two ideologies run parallel to one another, therefore there is no possible way for them to conflict. By making this kind of claim it is saying that there is a limit to what science can investigate and theorize about. If science and religion do not overlap as Gould and many others suggest, then it would box these two ideologies in and limit their topics of discussion. In reality, this can never occur. You cannot limit the topics in which both science and religion have opinions about, because this would be the only way for these two to have no overlapping viewpoints. This argument defines science and religion as being two separate entities that do not cross over into one another. This is not reality however. Whether it be creation, sexual preference, death, or the separation of languages; all of these things have obviously been delved into by both science and religion. The argument that these two approaches of doctrine exist parallel is unrealistic. If that were the case then that would mean that no topic discussed by science or religion has ever or will ever be of the same subject. As everyone knows, throughout history science and religion have undoubtedly had discussions about the same subject ma tter; thus, negating the whole basis for Gould’s argument and others who believe as he does. If logic is used and we look at both of these ways of thinking we see the drastic difference in their opinions. This leads to a dialogue about who is right and who is wrong. There is no middle ground with these conflicting views. â€Å"Science is based on verifiable facts, whereas religion rests on faith that is not amendable to verification† (Dias, 2010). These two thought processes show no similarities; therefore, they do not have common ground and cannot agree. The desire for knowledge will always be prevalent in the human race. With this obtained knowledge comes theory and with theory comes disputes. Here stems the disagreements between science and religion. The never ending feud about whose viewpoint is right is raging as strong today as it has been in the past. The conflicts encountered within these two ideologies have no end in the foreseeable future. Their methodologies keep these two polar opposites continually disputing with one another. If there is a way for science and religion to harmoniously exist with one another, society has yet to find it. There are utopian ideas that attempt to reconcile science and religions altercations but no attempt at calming this argument has been successful thus far. Albert Einstein said that â€Å"science without religion is lame; religion without science is blind,† (Neese, 2001). His statement is rather idealistic and unfortunately we do not currently live in a world where this way of thinking is widespread. No matter how good it would be for these two groups to coexist, it will never happen due to their drastically different views. Maybe in time things will progress but as for now the two remain at war with one another. References Abrams, M. (2007). BORN GAY?. Discover, 28: 58-83. Retrieved Friday, August 10, 2012 from EBSCOhost database. Clark, Josh. (n.d.) Can God and Science Co-exist? Retrieved from http://science.howstuff works.com/science-vs-myth/everyday-myths/god-science-co-exist.htm. DIAS, P. (2010). Is Science Very Different from Religion? A Polanyian Perspective. Science & Christian Belief, 22(1), 43-55. â€Å"Evolution†. (2012). In Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved August 28, 2012, from http://www. merriam-webster.com/dictionary/evolution. Fish, J. M. (2010). Science VS Religion DEBATE. Humanist,70(4), 27-31. Fitzpatrick,L. (2010). Is There Such a Things as Life After Death?. Time. Retrieved from http://www.Time.com. Fossil and Radiosiotope Dating. (2011). Retrieved August 28, 2012, from http://creationscience today.com/28-Carbon-14_Dating.html Helden, A.V. (1995). The Galileo Project. Retrieved from http://galileo.rice.edu/bio/narrative _7.html. Masamura,M. , Mead, L. (2001). Ten Major Court Cases About Evolution and Creationism. Retrieved from http://ncse.com/taking-action/ten-major-court-cases-evolution- Creationism. Neese, L. H. (2001). SCIENCE vs. RELIGION: The Challenge of Interpretation. USA Today Magazine, 130(2674), 70. Robins, M. (2006). How We Know Earth’s Age. Discover, 27(3), 22-23. Retrieved Friday, August 10, 2012 from EBSCOhost database. Wade, N. (2011). Phonetic Clues Hint Language is Africa – Born. New York Times, Retrieved from http://newyorktimes.com.

Management Genius Peter F. Drucker

Management Genius: Peter F. Drucker By Md. Faruk Hossain (Faruk) Dear reader, there are many kinds of writings, many kinds of posts, that depict different kinds of tips, suggestions, etc. But I will try here to post something different, because there are really something differences to write. Actually sometimes there exist lots of geniuses in our invisibility, but we don't know well about them though we did hear a little or knew the names of them. Today I will write about one of the best Management Genii of all time, who is Peter F. Drucker!It might keep you all in a feeling that I am trying to make you all to read management books, but Good News is that, it is not. It will be tried here to make you know because we really should know about Drucker! And if you don't believe that, then the proof will undoubtly knock you at the end of reading this post. Anyway, is this the time to start now? Well we can move on! I am not actually writing Drucker's born city, time, parents name, etc. I j ust would like to write why he is important for us, especially for business background students, because that should create more appeal.Drucker is actually much popular for his renowned book â€Å"The Practice of Management† (1954), though the world first looked at him through his â€Å"The End of Economic Man† (1939) book. The Practice of Management created some different expressions because he really put some different things there. This is a lively and forceful book. It proclaims that the manager is the dynamic, life-giving element in every business. It emphasizes the fact that management is Performance, it is Practice. In 1943 General Motors (GM) Corporation invited him to study its top management policies and organization structure.The result of this study was his book, Concept of the Corporation (1946), which turned out to be a landmark in management studies. The real subject matter of this book is social and political problems of industrial society. Drucker's ac hievements are due to his extraordinary self-discipline. His time management is superb. His energy is boundless. He has the genius to concentrate and he unflinchingly adheres to his ideals and objectives. In a sense he has been practicing management by objectives (MBO) and self-control throughout his life. He is no doubt endowed with unusual gifts, which he has cultivated to great advantage.He is also a great accomplished time manager. He works in three capacities, as consultant, professor and author. He has reserve about 100 days for consultancy and speaking work. He has no office staff! Isn? t it amazing? It is remarkable how he handles all his work by himself. He is ruthless as far as time wasters are concerned. He responds to most of his mail. Drucker takes his work seriously and expects others to do likewise. Once when he found that one of his clients, a very big fir, had not done their homework properly, he walked out of the meeting! Drucker is immensely interested in teaching and teachers. Teacher Watching? has been his major hobby over a number of years. He also worked as consultant for scores of firms throughout the world and „consulting is my laboratory? , he says. This is the source of his astonishing knowledge of the working of organizations, their technologies, their methods of management and their markets. He reads very little about management itself. He has developed his own approach to consultancy work. Now this is the time to ask question about â€Å"Why Study Drucker? † One great thing is, He raises simple questions which have profound practical implications.For instance, he once asked the chairman of a well-known firm manufacturing glass bottles, „What us your business The chairman was surprised at this elementary question. He said, „We are obviously in the business of manufacturing glass bottles.? Drucker said, „No, this is not correct. You are in the packaging business.? The reason being that glass can be rep laced by plastic, tin or cardboard, but the basic purpose is packaging. These few words of Drucker made all the difference as the firm turned over to other types of packaging and benefited greatly by it.Drucker has developed the art of raising such practical questions and providing practical guidelines for their solution. His suggestions are not ad hoc solutions based on guess work. They are based on wise experience, rigorous analysis, penetrating insight and unerring sense of practicability. To understand Drucker is to know the essentials of management. For this reason, F. C. Dyer once said about Drucker, â€Å"Whenever I pick up the writings of Drucker, I feel that I am in the presence of genius. † This is all about today? s writing.If it could make the readers happier and with useful, then again Drucker might come back here along with his lots of indispensable works, or with the similar post. At the End, we can finish our reading by simply brainstorming and looking at â₠¬Å"What we can learn from Drucker? †: ? ? ? ? ? ? ? Self-Discipline Strong Time Management Asking simple question to get flawless ourselves Self-Confident Accustomed to working alone with self-reliance Serious with work, what is relied upon Thinking more Thank you all and it is really grateful for showing your perseverance to read the whole article. Md. Faruk Hossain [email  protected] com ———————-