Facts, Fiction and Commentary Examples

Facts, Fiction and Commentary Examples The Good, the Bad and Commentary Examples Commentary essays are among several kinds of essays utilized in writing. In the event the commentary has proved that the thesis is correct, it'll be reaffirmed via the conclusion. Writing commentary is undeniably the most difficult facet of the literary analysis essay. At length, directive commentary may also turn a writer off. For writing a superb commentary essay you're supposed to read the text or understand the concept in the beginning place. When you're reading articles, you could continue to keep this list handy in order that will help you to understand whether the writer is being honest or dishonest. To begin with you would like to make certain you know who your audience will be because you need to write for that audience. Think about the blurb on the rear cover of the book. Below are a few literary devices to secure you started. For this reason, you've got to be well-prepared regarding additional info, analysis, and researches of different people. Mind that downloading a few literary analysis essay examples is a terrific idea. The Examples from the Internet do, in actuality, come from the web. Perspective pieces may concentrate on current advances and future directions on a topic, and could consist of original data together with personal opinion. It is possible to find book commentaries in magazines and on the internet. These articles promote scientific discourse that challenges the present state of knowledge in a certain field. Opinion articles are by and large based on constructive criticism and must be backed by evidence. Be aware that physical education demands work samples in the shape of videos. There are many disagreements about what constitutes a commentary. If it's been proved that the thesis isn't right, then it is going to be refuted in the conclusion. Breadth is equally as vital as depth of analysis. Cite evidence to back up your analysis from the 3 student work samples you selected. Because it's not a one-passage review you've got to craft but an elaborate investigation of a literary work. Be aware the significant event whenever the significant work was introduced. The 2nd highest wrongful pattern on the world wide web is plagiarism. A commentary essay really isn't the most popular kind of academic assignment. Make sure the commentary follows the outline you've prepared in the start. To make it short, a literary commentary is a form of academic assignment aimed to reveal the outcomes of analysis and comprehensive description of a specific parcel of text. A literary commentary is specially focused on a comprehensive analysis and thorough description of a particular text. When you note down the ideas, be sure that you highlight the vital search phrases. PORTRAYAL the literary strategies and structure that reinforce the function of the passage are explained. When looking at style in conditions of lexis and syntax, you should think about what sorts of word are used and their register. Whether there are words just like you or we, you can say there are a couple of characters communicating with one another in the text. Naturally, you don't need to ad lib. As you see, there's no need to put in a reference page in the long run. Have a tough copy of the text so you can refer it every single time you demand. For instance, if a specific parcel of content was written as a member of a bigger collection and published at a certain time, you can mention it in your introduction section. 1 fundamental facet of a practical application is to do something every time a particular condition is met. The apparent overindulgence of the world wide web is presently debated. It is also feasible to incorporate a cause-and-effect concept in such a scenario. Once you have used these important thinking skills for some time, recognizing them becomes easier. That means you should guarantee that there isn't any writing mistake. Perhaps you merely want to rant audibly online. Superman, the most common comic book hero, is known for plenty of things. If your topic is all about controversial advances in medicine, your commentary is going to be slanted toward doctors and other professionals in the health care area and your goal is going to be to supply a commentary that will encourage these professionals to see the field in a way apart from initially presented.

In Cold Blood And Lord Of The Flies Analysis - 1479 Words

As Thomas Hardy once said, a book must be important enough to prove its words, it has to have a story unique enough to show the reader other experiences that the average man would not experience but still be relatable so the story can have an impact. Both the novel, In Cold Blood by Truman Capote as well as the novel, Lord of the Flies by William Golding fit this characteristic of individuality. The novel, Lord of the Flies, is relatable while also being incomprehensible in its use of theme regarding growth, a universal change, as well as the loneliness felt when stranded on an island, a feeling few people have felt. Similarly, the novel, In Cold Blood is gruesome and hard to understand in the details of the murder, while also leaving†¦show more content†¦The quote states, â€Å"They looked at each other, baffled in love and hate (54).† This quote shows how the two main characters are similar to any friendship duo in which there are many discrepancies, they know they argue and sometimes dislike each other, but overall love one another. These quotes show the way a reader may relate and be impacted by these quotes because they can agree with them. In addition to relatable quotes in Lord of the Flies, there are also quotes that may intrigue the reader based on the uniqueness of it and can also evoke a deep connection that the previous general quotes may not. An example of this kind of quote would be when first speculation was going around regarding the beast and its existence. This quote states, â€Å"Maybe there is a beast, maybe it’s only us (Lord of the Flies, 82). Although this quote is specific to this story, it is relatable outside as well. The beast mentioned in this quote doesn’t necessarily have to be a furry animal that preys on unexpecting victims, it can be an inner demon that appears when you least expect it. Interpreting the quote in various ways help it to be more understandable and relatable to the audience. Another e xample of this unusual relatability is when the boys stay on the island was reaching an end and they realized how much they changed since their arrival. This quote states, â€Å"(We should be) looking like we used to, washed and hairShow MoreRelatedSocietal Breakdown On The Island1720 Words   |  7 PagesSocietal breakdown on the island in ‘Lord of the Flies’ is due to the inherent evil of man 3.8: Develop an informed understanding of literature and/or language using critical texts. 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And that terrorists who fly no national flag are trying to acquire chemical and biological weapons. -George J. Tenet, June 14, 2001 I. Introduction Terrorism is far from new to nations around the world. Attacks that make the headlines in international news occur almost dailyRead MoreConfucianism in Journey to the West31834 Words   |  128 PagesUniversity of Leiden 14 June 2012 Department: Language and Culture of China Course: Visual Political Communication (BA3) Semester: Summer Semester 2011/2012 Lecturer: Florian Schneider Journey to the West A Textual-Visual Discourse Analysis Name: Stefan Ruijsch (Student No. 0620203) Major: Chinese Studies, BA 3 E-mail: s.ruijsch@umail.leidenuniv.nl Phone: 06-48369645 Address: Vrijheidslaan 256, 2321 DP Leiden Word Count: 9,387 Table of Contents page

Conservation of Water in the Tucson Water Basin Essay Example For Students

Conservation of Water in the Tucson Water Basin Essay WATER CONSERVATION IN THE TUCSON WATER BASIN ABSTRACT The City of Tucson is currently using far more water than it is replacing. Options and plans to solve this problem in the future are severely limited because of the fact that Tucson, Arizona is desert land. With the population continually growing, and each populant continually using more water, something needs to be done. The only answer that can be immediately put into action is water conservation. This solution can be practiced by individuals, corporations associations, and many other people people need to realize that they need to help now. Through research, this paper reveals the specific reasons that people need to conserve water now, gives some insight to help the reader understand why the water will run out, and tells the reader how they can help now. INTRODUCTION Water is the source of all life, especially in a desert community such as Tucson, Arizona where the states average rainfall is less than 10 inches a year (2c). Water is the reason that humans were able to settle in the Southwest, and without it, the great city of Tucson would be non-existant. Humans also have to realize that this supply of water is valuable and limited, and unable to support this region indefinitely. Since we, the local residents of Tucson, are currently using far more groundwater than we are replacing (8), consideration and planning need to be addressed in the form of conserving this precious supplier of life, water. MATERIALS AND METHODS In searching for materials relevant to my topic, I was faced with several options. First, Dr. James Riley gave me a couple of very useful phone numbers: one, to contact the Pima Association of Governments (520) 792-1093 and the other, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality 1-800-234-5677. Each was quite helpful and offered to send me information through the mail, but my time span would not allow this. So then, I turned to the University of Arizonas Sabio Library Reference search, available online at http://dizzy.library.arizona. edu/, and found numerous sources available by using the keywords Tucson, Arizona water conservation. Many of these were books that I felt were out-dated and inadequate to my needs, so I turned to some other search engines on the internet, using the same key words. I found several helpful sites, but the most helpful was the homepage for Water Resources in the Tucson Basin, available at http://ag.arizona.edu/swes/tucwater1/ I scrolled down to the area labeled internet links to find up-to-date sites with the most information available on water conservation in the Tucson area. RESULTS In order to conceive the concept that our water supply will not last forever, one must realize where the water is coming from. As Water words, a quarterly newsletter produced by SAWARA, explained it: Nearly all water used in this area comes from an underground aquifer formed over thousands of years of geologic time. The aquifer is made up of varying layers of clays, sands and gravels that have been deposited in Avra Valley and the basin which underlies the greater metropolitan Tucson and Green Valley area. Substantial volumes of water, accumulated from years of snowmelt and rainfall, are contained within the tiny spaces surrounding the grains of these sediments. (8) This picture, shown on the Water Resources Research Center WebPages, at http://www.ag.arizona. edu/azwater/ (2d) shows a nice diagram of the explanation from above. By understanding how these aquifers formed over thousands of years, hopefully you are able to associate that they do not quickly replenish themselves. Therefore, at the rate humans are using the water from the wells dug into these aquifers, it will soon be gone. So we must realize that there are many actions that must be taken, the most important being conservation. School Privatization Essay As show by the figure below (1b). Water Supplies Used To Meet Demand 1994 Source Acre-Feet Percent Central Arizona Project 24,000 7.7 Effluent 11,000 3.5 Groundwater 279,000 88.8 (One acre-foot equals 325,851 gallons.) As one can see, an .

The Future of History free essay sample

These details are then confirmed by a fuller reference in the bibliography. Eve read the sections on referencing and plagiarism in the handbook or in the WIT plagiarism policy and I understand that only submissions which are free of plagiarism will be awarded marks. By submitting this dissertation I agree to the following terms. I further understand that WIT has a plagiarism policy which can lead to the suspension or permanent expulsion of students in serious cases. (WIT, 2008). Signed: Date: 18/11/2013 Table of Contents A Critique of Haydn, T. 2012) History in Schools and the Problem of The Nation Education Sciences, 2(4):276-289 Why Chose this Article There is a very high-spirited campaign among Irish academics to present Junior Certificate History in its current format at present, I had planned to critique an Irish academic article on this topic but unfortunately high caliber, carefully considered, peer reviewed materials were simply not at my disposal here, highlighting how excitable but often inadequate the quality of debate on this topic has been to date. We will write a custom essay sample on The Future of History or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I chose to critique History in Schools and the Problem of The Nation instead because of the striking parallels between GEESE History targets in England (OCCUR, 2009) and the aims prescribed for Junior Certificate History here in Ireland (NCAA, 2008). Wanted to investigate if the defense of Junior Certificate History is justifiable and if the learning objectives of the subject are still relevant and useful to students a quarter of a century after the revised syllabus was first launched. Background, Discipline and Political Persuasion of the Author Professor Terry Haydn, PhD. Is a highly respected academic and with good cause he is indisputably an expert in his field. Haydn constantly researches the predicament of History in school settings with University-backed projects such as Childrens Ideas about School History and Why they Matter and is regularly published and co published, in academic literatures and esteemed, peer-reviewed periodicals (AAA, 2012). History in Schools and the Pr oblem of The Nation was published in Education Sciences, an international, academic, reputable, open access journal (Deed auction Sciences, 2013). The Quality, Relevance and Compilation of his Sources Heydays academic articles are always accompanied by an impressive, purposeful and up-to-date bibliography. Haydn himself appears a conspicuous 6 times in the Nations bibliography although on closer scrutiny, the article is a cumulative product of his assembly of empirical data and relevant case studies with papers such as Factors Influencing pupil Take- up of History and Pupils Perceptions of History at Key Stage 3. (Haydn, 201 2, p. 286-289). Therefore the multiple self-citations are justified.Spokespersons in the fortunes of English school History are cited and cross- referenced aplenty unconstitutionality, politicians, academic historians, subject inspectors, teachers and, aforementioned, school students. The newspapers Haydn references are a model of objectivity with titles cited equitably from across the Left/Right political gambit (BBC, 2013). Paradoxically though, despite the fair-mindedness and far reach of Heydays compilation of source material generally, his academic work always appears to strike the same, preordained political note: a Liberal and Left-leaning one.Introduction: The Main Issues Raised by the Author The articles main goal is to discredit the reintroduction of a traditional, triumphal kings and queens History syllabus in England. In discrediting the hard line .. . Humanists of the New Rights (Phillips, 2006) restoration agenda, Haydn spends the article defending Englands current History syllabus, a model recognizably Junior Certificate-like in its breadth.The Conservative-led New Right, according to Haydn, believe History can be used as a social binding agent for young people, whereas he believes curricular History is mind opening, not socializing. He believes History should be used to encourage young peoples critical and democratic literacy, mandating a balance between regional, National, European and World political, economic, social and cultural History empowering students with skills to interpret and sees historical events and contemporary civil society for themselves (Haydn, 201 2, p. 84). In Department of Education literature and in my own professional practice recognize these objectives as the same as those prescribed for Junior Certificate History (Department of Education, 1996). The Authors Findings and Conclusions A wide circle of academics echo Haydn of the disconnect of students to the emblematically positive portrayal Of. .. National History in the sasss and asss (Haydn, 2012, p. 282).Haydn claims that if the same content-driven, nationalistic agenda was still imposed on the Internet savvy students of today, hey would comparatively refute and dismiss such a golden age History agenda very quickly online (Thornton, 1990. P. 53). In complete contrast to this, the Internet affords the process-driven Junior Certificate and GEESE History students of the present, the opportunity to connect to the subject like never before.Haydn finds Junior Certificate-style History adjustable to purpose, promoting right up-to-date 21st Century topics, often transnational in nature for example the environment, work, poverty, the role of the state, gender, crime (Haydn, 201 2, p. 282). The study of History in the first 3 years of an Irish or English Secondary students school life is often a History of human activity, as opposed to the previous narrow timeline of heroic Irish or English historic struggle. But Haydn also stresses the deficits of Junior Certificate-style History.He acknowledges that the widespread practice of students mechanically responding to historical snippets is Death by sources a to f, a symptom of the piecemeal effort to teach historical detective skills. He also points out that the fragmented and disjointed teaching of isolated satirical events, often leaves students with an incoherent mental map of the past (Haydn, 201 2, p. 280). But Heydays criticisms can be offset with the pervasive access students now have to relevant historical illustrations, sources and short movie and documentary clips online.The Internet facilitates students to behave like History detectives at the stroke of a keyboard an area which Haydn himself has failed to exploit to its full potential at times: there is a total absence Of any uploading activity on his own History slide-sharing weapon to date (Slideshows Inc. , 2013). Live the Internet has fuelled Historys remarking as a favorite academic subject (Harris and Haydn, 2008) for present day students.The Internet affords digitally acquainted students the opportunity to fill in and investigate the historical record of any topic not covered to their satisfaction in class independently. The World Wide Web has connected students to History in a manner only dreamed of by the champions of curriculum reform in the sasss. With Haydn finding the new syllabus is now enjoyed by a majority, bordering on 70%, of surveyed student populations, in comparison to dents in the sasss/asss, who found the subject useless and boring (Hayden, 2012, p. 280), the future of History appears bright.The Scope and Bias of the Article First I must acknowledge my own bias: I thoroughly enjoyed this article. The more times read, the more impressed was. As a History teacher I was more than satisfied that Haydn captured the essence of the New History curriculum effectively, objectively and concisely. His endorsement of the New History syllabus was also based an impressive array of empirical and experiential evidence. His attempt to contextual the strengths and nakedness Of the syllabus from a series of important perspectives was not quite as objective though.In chorus with other scholarly and popular works by Haydn he ultimately surrendered the topic to his Liberal and socialistic predisposition. Even at a subliminal level Haydn echoed the same note. He unintentionally peppered the article in obscure references to flamboyant sasss Liberal-Leftist historical figures like Thomas Abomination Macaulay and Alexander Augusta Elder-Roiling. Haydn would like you to think this is an article of strict objective solitariness but despite his range and inclusiveness f research, the fringe issue of partisan politics and personality-driven points does exist. But in the overall scheme of things I believe these issues are not important enough to significantly undermine the articles robust test of evidence and the attention to detail that Haydn devoted to compiling his study. I believe Haydn strikes a Liberal-Leftist chord because he truly believes that that is the most appropriate counteraction to combat the New Rights restoration agenda (Phillips, 2006). Having read widely on this topic, from writers of every hue, I concur with Haydn. The Implications for ProfessionalPractice The New History Junior Certificate syllabus replaced a received, rote, nationalistic Intermediate Certificate History syllabus in 1 989, 2 years before England followed suit. When asked the chairman of the 1 989 NCAA curricular reform panel, Peter Gallagher, what the motivation behind the reconstruction of General History was, all his points mirrored those made by Haydn in his Nation article (Gallagher, 2013). Gallagher record of events has prima facie credibility be cause of his central role in General History reform. But the absence Of high caliber, peer reviewed articles on the topic here inIreland IS disappointing nonetheless. Think as a community of professionals home-grown theses on this topic should be made available to the Department of Education as a matter of urgency, as the introduction of the new Junior Certificate History syllabus is not to be rolled out until 2017, so preserving and enhancing the most relevant and precious elements, in whatever guise they take, is still possible. Academics in the media are mistakenly lamenting History downgrading from a universal subject to an elective subject because of a lack of proper research to date (Independent. E, 2013). But surveying Irelands Council for Curriculum and Assessment website I discovered that curricular History is to be re-wired into the new Junior Certificate as compulsory for all students, although not necessarily as the New History subject, as weve known the last 25 years, but as one of a portfolio of Learning Statements, meaning all students will be minimally required to, understand The importance of the relationship between past and cur rent events and the forces that drive change on Junior Certificate completion (NCAA, 2008). The demotion to History in Ireland is not in its tutus as a pillar subject, but to the amount of time students will have to devote to it, an issue Haydn records in his article as a deficiency already in existence in England. Our belief in the subject in its current format, as a group of professionals, is warranted and a principle worth fighting for. Haydn doesnt romanticizes History, he deconstructs it along very rigid academic lines and validates the subject as relevant, empowering and useful for students both in school and in later life.Overall think Haydn does not go far enough in his affirmation of History, as my teaching of the subject has become more elegant and meaningful with the advent of universal Internet access, in the quality of resources at my disposal and the immediacy of historical events to students online. In fact I now think extra time should be made available to History if we are also to optimize its detective element in electronic portfolio project work. Interest ingly Peter Gallagher the chairman of the 1989 reform panel pointed out that the present Junior Certificate Paper is marked out Of a curious 180 marks.Originally there was meant to be a separate 220 marks for project work, to be corrected locally in-house but teaching Unions refused o countenance such a suggestion at the time (Gallagher, 2013). Believe if we embed, not just project work, but electronic project work, into Junior Certificate History, as it was originally intended, students, teachers and society itself would stand to benefit from the proceeds of such a progressive, cutting edge mode of History teaching in schools.Conclusions Reading this article helped me understand the wisdom of reconfiguring History in 1989. The article raised fascinating issues about the value and value systems that refashioned History teaching in Ireland and England. I agree with Hayden that there are shortfalls to New History but not significant enough to reinvent the subject from scratch. History in Ireland is the only subject thats professional Association is affiliated to a federation Of European equivalents the European Association of History Educators, Resource (Resource, 2013).Junior Certificate History was a product of that collectivities and ably benchmark itself against European best practice and was a subject that was well ah ead of the curve both in terms of globalization digitization. Believe the defense of the current format of Junior Certificate History is justifiable but would be enhanced by retro-fitting the aims and objectives to include portfolio work, albeit internet-enabled and electronic portfolios to keep in check with students I. T. Deeds and demands. Academics in the media who applaud Junior Certificate History need to become more familiar with syllabus detail, so their campaign can be taken as seriously as I now unequivocally believe it needs to be. Reflection on Learning Is the high-spirited defense of the current format of Junior Certificate History among Irish academics justifiable? Was the theme that eventually led me to hosing, History in Schools and the Problem of The Nation as my article of choice to critique.Heydays Nation article was never my first choice, if I wanted to investigate the merits of Junior Certificate History, the least I planned on doing was to pick an Irish peer-reviewed academic article, as the question was posing was very Irish indeed. In the first stages of my research thought it was crucial to my critique to prove History a universally important academic discipline. When I inputted Why History should be taught in School online, the word taught climbed to the top rank of my sear ch any articles I mound were more directly linked to general teaching practices than to History the subject. However some of the articles bibliographies led me to American academic articles, revealing history is, in fact, a mandatory module of every students secondary studies in the U. S. Prophetically, the one article I found arguing for the scrapping of History as a subject, wanted to see the Junior Certificate-type soft skills associated with curricular History, diffused to other Secondary school subjects in recompense because he considered them so important (Schumann, 1980).From this broad search online I was pleased to earn that History is held in high esteem among education managers, and more importantly among students, on both sides of the Atlantic (Thornton, 1990, p. 54). This was the genesis of my robust defense of Junior Certificate History in my critique. From these more topic relevant articles and their bibliographies I found a plethora of scholarly popular international papers on the theme of History in schools (Dillon, 2011), including Heydays Nation article but I was still struggling to find any academic papers, on the topic, from Ireland!Instead I turned to the very mainstream Council for Curriculum ND Assessments website. To my surprise I discovered History was to be re- designated one of 24 prescribed Statements of Learning, meaning all students were to be minimally exposed to some measure Of local, national and international heritage (NCAA, 2008) in their 3 years of Junior Certificate study. Many academics in the Irish media had been mistakenly lamenting Historys downgrading from a universal to an elective subject (OConnor, 201 3) because of a lack of proper research.

Critically Assess Whether Strategic Hrm Leads to ‘High Performance’’ Essays

Critically Assess Whether Strategic Hrm Leads to ‘High Performance’’ Essays Critically Assess Whether Strategic Hrm Leads to ‘High Performance’’ Essay Critically Assess Whether Strategic Hrm Leads to ‘High Performance’’ Essay Essay Question 1: ‘Critically assess whether strategic HRM leads to ‘high performance’’ Introduction There is a controversy whether the Strategic Human Resources Management (SHRM) leads to ‘high performance’. A general idea of SHRM is that â€Å"the linkage of management and deployment of the individual within the firm to the business overall and its environment whereas HRM is the activities that take place under this area. † Truss and Gratton (1994). It spotlights on long-term strategy. Two theoretical perspectives to the Strategic Human Resources Management (SHRM) will be introduced and compared to determine whether they manage to ‘high performance’ or not. First, the Universalist approach is ‘one best way’ of dealing human resource to improve business performance. Second, the Contingency approach is to align HR policies and practices with the details of business strategy to create a positive impact on business. In addition, two examples: a large company and a medium-size company will be used to illustrate both approaches practically. At the same time, there are issues associate with theoretical perspectives that need to be discussed. Such issues are the implementation problems as well as the measurement problems. After all, the question will be answered with analysing all of the above. The advantages and disadvantages of each approach will be identified by gathering views of researchers. To the final stage, both approaches are being recognised if the linkage is existence to ‘high performance’ and to the level of measure that are being noticed. Different approaches to SHRM * Universalist approach A Universalist approach is known as ‘best practice’ human resource management (HRM). This approach describes there is ‘one best way’ to manage people in order to improve organizational performance. It argues that all organizations, regardless of sector, size or country, will benefit from identifying, gaining commitment to and implementing a set of best HRM practices. The job of a researcher is to identify what the practices are, and a job of HR professional to implement them. For example, a research from Delery and Doty (1996) identify certain practices that improve organizational performance. The detailed components are ‘high performance work systems (HPWS)’ Berg (1999); Appelbaum et al (2000), ‘high commitment management’ Walton (1985); Guest (2001a, 2001b) and ‘high involvement management’ Wood (1999a). Another researcher by Jeffrey Pfeffer (1998) identifies that seven universally applicable practices will benefit all firms. The components include: 1) Employment security, 2) Careful hiring, 3) Self-managed teams and decentralized decision-making, 4) Comparatively high compensation, 5) Extensive training, 6) Low status distinctions and barriers, 7) Extensive sharing of financial and performance information. The implication is that when a coherent bundle of HR practices is outlined, the integrated HR practices will impact positively on organizational performance. The ‘best practice’ HRM sees there is ‘one best way’ of managing people and that is appropriate across all circumstances. * Contingency Approach On the other hand, the Contingency approach is known as ‘best-fit’ HRM. It takes account of factors such as organizational size, location, sector, strategy and the nature of work. Baird and Meshoulam’s (1998) model advocates that HRM approaches will differ giving to different life-cycle stages. These life cycle stages ranges from start-up to maturity. While an organization is growing and maturing over time, it becomes gradually complex. Therefore, more sophisticated HR structures and policies are needed. This approach focuses on two types of ‘fit’ and ‘line management integration’. The first type is ‘External fit’ and it is commonly known as ‘vertical fit’. It is in coherence and alignment with business strategy and external market factors. When HR policies and practices are aligned to strategic focus, performance will improve. Porter’s (1985) strategic options on 1) Cost Leadership, 2) Differentiation and Innovation and 3) Focus are adopted. The second type is ‘Internal fit’ and it can also interpret to ‘horizontal fit’. HR policies and practices are all fit together so that they are in coherence. They are also mutually reinforcing and are applied continuously. Jeffrey Pfeffer’s (1998) seven practices are adopted. Lastly, ‘Line management integration’ is when line managers act as a critical character in implementing HRM strategy. Best-fit’ HRM suggests that the best to manage people will vary depending on organizational circumstances, and hence, the link to business strategy is key. Empirical evidence of SHRM model * A large company – Tarmac The UK quarrying company Tarmac has over 12500 employees at present. The operations function is key to overall company’s performance. It needs the support of finance managers, zone managers and H R managers. A finance manager delivers financial and management accounts to contribute the strategic decision-making process by forecasting financial performance. A zone manager manages operational performance. They meet and improve targets for cost, quality, delivery, safety and business ethics shown in key performance indicators (KPIs). Lastly a HR manager ensures business managers apply HR policies and procedures. The company’s goal is to achieve objectives by motivating all individuals working together as one team across the business units and functions. Each objective has its strategies. The followings practices are to achieve ‘Engage employees’ and ‘Act Responsibly’ objectives. Firstly, Tarmac focuses on a high level of employee involvement and encourages high employee commitment to the organization so that workers feel they are trusted and treated in an open and positive attitude. For example, employees regularly discuss with managers about their viewpoints within development teams. This helps workers feel part of the wider team, strengthens employee engagement and commitment to the company. Secondly, team-working practices create a closer supervision and a flat hierarchy. A coaching style manager develops employees to manage themselves rather than to manage each task. Employee’s suggestions are offered, and this contributes to improvements in organizational performance. An example of Tarmac targets and measures a decline in waste. In 2010, eighteen workshop-training sessions were held for all site employees on CO2 awareness and energy. All district managers were involved in the programme. Some external experts from Carbon Trust were also invited to support the rollout of the training programme. As a result, Tarmac gained benefit from 500 energy and CO2 reduction. Overall, Tarmac adopted a high commitment strategy to meet the objectives. Therefore, it improved the company’s performance. * A small-medium size company – i-LEVEL i-Level is one of the most innovative digital media companies and is ranked the ‘Sunday Times 100 best companies to work for’ in 2004. It has a size of workforce of 60 employees. The i-Level company has a high level of financial performance. There was a 33 per cent increase in earnings per annum. Their guiding principles are used as a framework. This is to ensure the internal fit and the external fit of company. The company is at the growing stage which a lot of the recruitment effort is on discovering the potential staff. -Level frequently seeks appropriate employees to be supported to work with the company. To fit HR policies and practices together, i-Level uses physical arrangements to remove top-down hierarchy in order to encourage employees’ participation, communication, creativity, self-managed teams and organisational values. As a result, a complete, open plan office is the environment where employees conduct their normal day-to-day operations. Moreover, i-Level sees pay is significant for performance. 15 per cent of the company’s pre-tax profit is kept for performance bonuses from 2003 to 2004. Meanwhile, the company argues pay is not their primary motivating force. On the other hand, the company aligns with business strategy and external environment by providing training courses for technical skills in media advertising. The company also offers an unusual training budget. There is an annual allowance provided for personal training and development purposes that are no obvious relation with work. The belief is to develop the skills and interests of workers in ways not studied before. This is expected to enhance i-level workers’ innovative thoughts at work through practices outside the company’s work area. To summaries, i-LEVEL achieves competitive advantage through innovation and which competes in very tight labour markets. It adopted Porter’s strategic option of ‘Focus’ and Pfeffer’s 7 practices to enhance the companys performance. Additional issues to reflect * Problems of implementation Line managers are central HRM performers in the organization, and they play a vital role in implementation of HR policies and practices. They influence their team‘s performance in a direct manner. A number of factors account for the line management problem. Firstly, it seems there is devolution to line managers. For instance, line managers do not want the responsibility of being a line manager or do not have enough time to deal with it accurately. They might not have the skills to handle HR issues successfully or are unaware of recent developments in view of HRM. Some managers do not consider a long-term view of the company or are inefficient for making policy in this area. Secondly, McGovern et al (1997), Marchington (2001) and Hutchinson and Purcell (2003) identify there are differences between ‘espoused’ and ‘actual’ policies that are relatively recognized to line managers. For example, some policies are normative rather than positive. Some descriptions of policies and practices are in general terms rather than analytical about actual situations. Hence, managers are unable to implement them specifically to meet the company’s goals. Furthermore, a broader issue, the line manager jobs in firms become progressively complex due to new firms’ structures. For instance, virtual and network companies have less clear line manager characters than the layered hierarchical company. One observable implication is pressure for reducing the size of the HR department. There will be a cut down in numbers of HR professionals. Ultimately, these factors all affect the organizational performance due to unsuccessful implementation of HR policies and practices. * Problems of measurement Fitzgerald (1991) and Neely (1998) stated that performance measurement is a key issue in guaranteeing the effective implementation of a firm’s strategy. However, using inadequate measurements is poor in supporting managements’ business objectives. The followings are the circumstances. Scientists use large-scale data groups made self-completed questionnaires. This will lead to two problems. First of all, there is dependence on one person, to represent the whole group. Secondly, there is dependence on a design of questionnaires. For example, respondents are answering yes or no questions rather than giving thoughts and opinions. This type of questions may generate a less accurate result. Moreover, there is uncertainty of how the data should be gathered, presented and analysed. The major problem is mis-reporting single respondents. Respondents may have limited knowledge of the area and use of policies. Furthermore, the measures of performance commonly take account of the financial performance, whereas there is a few findings focus on the broader issue of employee attitudes and well-being. Equally, there are matters to the range of HR practices. For instance, a report shows statistics of whether a company has self-managed teams, some may look at the proportion of workers running in a self-managed team. Lastly, Atkinson (2005) suggests that the measurement of productivity in the service sector can be exceptionally challenging. It is always easy to get typical, comparable financial statistics. To sum up, the measurement of data are related to the level of relevance to business performance. Critical analysis of the beyond * Best practice Pros ; Cons Research states there is a positive link between the HR practices and organisational performance. Firstly, Huselid (1995, p. 667) discovered that ‘the degree of returns for investments in High Performance Work Systems is significant’. In fact, ‘A one standard deviation rise in High Performance Work Systems practices is associated with a comparative 7. 5 per cent drop in labour turnover. On ‘per employee’ base, $27,044, $18,641 and $3814 more in sales, more in market value and profits respectively. Secondly, the workplace employee relation survey (Cully et al 1999) indicates that there is 14 per cent of organisations adopted high commitment strategy. In contrast, researcher (Delery 1998) also emphasized ‘deadly’ bundles of practices need to be avoided. For example, it occurs to managers giving reward based on individual performance while they are working as a team. Furthermore, Boxall and Purcell (2003, p. 64) commented while multi-national companies make the effort standardise their practices across nations, national perspective and organisational sectoral perspectives show criticism on the effectiveness of these practices. Marchington and Grulis (2000, p. 1117) argue the most common example is in labour intensive organisations recognise costs are expensive when they use these practices. To summaries the best practice approach, Guest’s (1987) argues that there is no best practice. At the same time, he also suggests a set of best practices such as high commitment management is the route to survival of UK business. This leads to an argument that in order to enhance company performance, managers must alter their HR policies and practices to the framework that is operational. The interpretation comes to ‘best-fit’ approach. * Best-fit Pros ; Cons Thompson (2000) conducted two studies of firms in the UK aerospace industry. His first study in 1997 showed that with higher levels of value added per worker encourages greater diffusion of innovative working practices with their non-management employees. These organisations are towards to more heavily engaged in specialist production for niche markets and hired technical and professional workers. The second study in 1999 showed evidence that organizations introduced a larger number of high performance work practices had much enhanced business performance. As a result, companies moving from less than five to more than six innovative practices created a 34 per cent increase in value added per worker. On the other hand, Miles and Snow (1984) align suitable managerial types to three genetic strategies of prospector, defender and analyser. If managerial properties and skills are aligned to company strategy, there will be a higher level of link to organisational performance. Thomas and Ramaswamy (1996) offered such support. As a result, performance in aligned firms was statistically excellent. In comparison, (Purcell 1999 p. 35) outlines that a number of successful organisations features that are unable to model. These are the cultural norms that have been developed gradually over a long period associated with accomplishment. It is easy to identify the key factors that drive to success. Especially when the organisations are large and complex. Imaginably the major problem is that many organisations exist inside complex external environments with multiple contingencies that are not to be ignored or recognized. * Comparing both approaches Each approach has advantages evidence and disadvantages evidence. It could be argued that different approaches can apply in different sectors. For example, Guest (2001) advocates that there is the possibility that a high commitment management is most applicable in manufacturing i. e. Tarmac, while strategic choice for fitting with business strategy, is more credible in the service sector i. . i-LEVEL. As a whole, critically discuss the link between SHRM and performance. Evidence from Patterson et al (1997) examined sixty-seven manufacturing businesses in the UK for a period. The outcomes were 19 per cent of profitability and 18 per cent of the variation in productivity could be certified to HRM practices. This demonstrated HRM practices has a positive impact on organisational performance. C onclusion In summary, SHRM consists of a number of practices and is an organization level analysis of how HRM systems impact on performance. Two theoretical perspectives outline different views. The ‘best-practice’ approach defines there is ‘one best way’ of managing people. It is appropriate across all circumstances. Whereas ‘best-fit’ approach terms the best to manage people will change depending on organizational circumstances. It highlights the essence of linking business strategy. Tarmac was used as an example. It applied the ‘best practice’ approach and adopted a high commitment strategy to meet the objectives. Hence Tarmac improved its firm’s performance. I-Level was used an example to describe the competitive advantage the company had achieved through innovation while competing in extremely tight labour market. It adopted Porter’s strategic option of ‘Focus’ and Pfeffer’s 7 practices to enhance the firm’s performance. Empirical evidences show both organisations are successful with adopting different approaches to their specific, targeted firms. These firms had a positive impact on performance. This can be concluded that SHRM has a clear link to business performance practically. In depth, other issues such as implementation and measurement roblems are considered. Problems of implementation affect the organizational performance due to unsuccessful implementation of HR policies and practices in line management. On the other hand, problems of measurement are valued on the basis of how easy and difficult the data is to represent and most importantly the level of relevance to business performance. If the r elevance is slight, it may have little or no impact on business performance. In the final stage of comparing both approaches, many researchers’ point of views is gathered. ‘Best-practice’ approach has advantages and disadvantages. It seems to argue that high commitment management is the route to successful business performance. On the other hand, the advantages and disadvantages of ‘best-fit’ approach suggest that applying this approach can be rigid and inflexibility due exists of complex external environments. Furthermore, in recent arguments, the product labour market seems to be emerged to a new post-industrial age where employers will tend to hire self-employed workers to carry out specific, time-limited projects for companies. This is due to the prediction of radical change. It can lead to a view that ‘best-fit’ approach should to be managed appropriately. This means practices should be adequate in different company’s life-cycle stage and align with different strategies. So that, it can feasibly enhance the organizational performance. Finally, strategic human resources management gives evidences, views, researches and facts to enhance organizational performance. However, the degree of high performance in context varies in different organizations under their circumstances. Hence, it does not necessary impact to ‘high’ performance.

Nushu, a Woman-Only Language of China

Nushu, a Woman-Only Language of China Nushu or Nu Shu means, literally, â€Å"woman’s writing† in Chinese.   The script was developed by peasant women in Hunan Province, China, and used in Jiangyong county, but probably also in nearby Daoxian and Jianghua counties.   It nearly became extinct before its very recent discovery.   The oldest items are from the very early 20th century, though the language is assumed to have much older roots. The script was often used in embroidery, calligraphy and handicrafts created by women.   It is found written on paper (including letters, written poetry and on objects such as fans) and embroidered on fabric (including on quilts, aprons, scarves, handkerchiefs).   Objects were often buried with women or were burned. While sometimes characterized as a language, it might better be considered a script, as the underlying language was the same local dialect used also by the men in the area, and usually by the men written in Hanzi characters. Nushu, like other Chinese characters, is written in columns, with characters running from top to bottom in each column and columns written from the right to the left.   Chinese researchers count between 1000 and 1500 characters in the script, including variants for the same pronunciation and function; Orie Endo (below) has concluded that there are about 550 distinct characters in the script.   Chinese characters are usually ideograms (representing ideas or words); Nushu characters are mostly phonograms (representing sounds) with some ideograms.   Four types of strokes make u the characters: dots, horizontals, verticals and arcs. According to Chinese sources, Gog Zhebing, a teacher in South Central China, and linguistics professor Yan Xuejiong, discovered calligraphy used in the Jiangyong prefecture.   In another version of the discovery, an old man, Zhou Shuoyi, brought it to attention, preserving a poem from ten generations back in his family and beginning to study the writing in the 1950s.   The Cultural Revolution, he said, interrupted his studies, and his 1982 book brought it to the attention of others. The script was well known locally as â€Å"woman’s writing† or nà ¼shu  but it had not before come to the attention of linguists, or at least of academia. At that time, about a dozen women survived who understood and could write Nushu. Japanese professor Orie Endo of Bunkyo University in Japan has been studying Nushu since the 1990s. She was first exposed to the existence of the language by a Japanese linguistics researcher, Toshiyuki Obata, and then learned more in China at Beijing University from Professor Prof. Zhao Li-ming.   Zhao and Endo traveled to Jiang Yong and interviewed elderly women to find people who could read and write the language. Orie Endo: 1999 research report (English): Endangered System of Women’s Writing from Hunan China (presented at the Association of Asian Studies Conference, March, 1999.Orie Endo: Nushu in 2011, including information on a Japanese-made documentary â€Å"The Chinese Women’s Script for Writing Sorrow.† The area where it has been used is one where the Han people and the Yao people have lived and intermixed, including intermarriage and mixing of cultures.   It was also an area, historically, of good climate and successful agriculture. The culture in the area was, like most of China, male-dominated for centuries, and women were not permitted an education.   There was a tradition of â€Å"sworn sisters,† women who were not biologically related but who committed to friendship.   In traditional Chinese marriage, exogamy was practiced: a bride joined her husband’s family, and would have to move, sometimes far away, not seeing her birth family again or only rarely. The new brides were thus under the control of their husbands and mothers-in-law after they married.   Their names did not become part of genealogies. Many of the Nushu writings are poetic, written in a structured style, and were written about marriage, including about the sorrow of separation. Other writings are letters from women to women, as they found, through this female-only script, a way to keep in communication with their female friends.   Most express feelings and many are about sorrow and misfortune. Because it was secret, with no references to it found in documents or genealogies, and many of the writings buried with the women who possessed the writings, it’s not authoritatively known when the script began.   Some scholars in China accept the script not as a separate language but as a variant on Hanzi characters. Others believe it may have been a remnant of a now-lost script of eastern China. Nushu declined in the 1920s when reformers and revolutionaries began to expand education to include women and to raise women’s status. While some of the older women attempted to teach the script to their daughters and granddaughters, most did not consider it valuable and did not learn.   Thus, fewer and fewer women could preserve the custom. The Nà ¼shu Culture Research Center in China was created to document and study Nushu and the culture around it, and to publicize its existence.   A dictionary of 1,800 characters including variants was created by Zhuo Shuoyi in 2003; it also includes notes on grammar.   At least 100 manuscripts are known outside of China. An exhibition in China that opened in April, 2004, focused on Nushu.   China to reveal female-specific language to public - Peoples Daily, English Edition

A Film Review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

A Film Review - Essay Example All the changes that the characters undergo, however slight it may seem, affects their future and shows how they are all connected and how they affect each other though they may not realize it. Each of the three attempts to save Manni ends differently but the ability to go back in time and to repeat her day allow her to reconsider her decisions and to make a better one. Along the way she encounters people that she bumps into in the streets and her actions show that time does not only affect her but also these people whose future is projected after their chance meeting. First is the woman who has a baby in the stroller that she bumps into, then the guy who tries to sell her a bike, then Mr. Meyer coming out of a driveway and the bank employee. The other people she sees along the way also have an effect on how she is able to solve the problem and how they interact in her future. Her father and his mistress is an important part of finally having a different decision. Additionally, the slight differences such as the dog on the stairs, the group of nuns, the bank security guard, the old woman Lola asks for time, the ambulance, and the blind lady who lent Manni the phone card al l have participations in what happens and how their future play out. The first attempt is a failure where Lola dies as she comes too late and Manni had already entered the grocery store declaring robbery. At first she goes to her father who is an executive at a large bank but he refuses to give her money and sends her away. When she finds Manni inside blaming her for being too late, she enters and takes a gun she doesn’t know how to operate and Manni tells her to take off the safety. They made a run for it but the police caught up and one was surprised and fired a gun to Lola and she dies. In this first attempt, the woman with the stroller loses her child to child services and