Cultural Analysis of Brazil Essay

A key to manage effectively across national and cultural boundaries, which is critical to the success (Browaeys and Price, 2011), lies in the understanding the different means of in various cultures (Trompenaars, 1993). Hence, basic cultural analysis should be conducted to better plan the new manufacturing business unit in Brazil where there are many differences from the Swedish culture. The famous analytic models from Hofstede (1980) and Trompenaars (1993) are applied to identify the key distinct dimensions of the two national cultures in terms of their management implications. Cultural Analysis The most influential factors chosen from Hofstede’s model are PD and UA, with the largest gap in scores and significant differences from table 1. Table 1 Different Scores of Brazil and Sweden in the national cultural dimensions Power DistanceUncertainty AvoidanceIndividualismMasculinity Brazil69763849 Sweden3129715 Source: Hofstede (1980, p315) Firstly, PD refers to the interpersonal power or influence between the powerful member of an organization and the least powerful one (Browaeys and Price, 2011). It, however, reflects the human inequality with a range of aspects, including rewards, wealth, prestige and privileges, etc., in the hierarchies of the organization. Normally, a higher high PD value implies the requirements of a centralised and direct decision-making process rather than plural participations of members in different levels (Velo, 2012). Brazil is, as many as around one time larger in land size and populations of Sweden (Findthedata, 2012), which contribute to the centralisation trends of organisations. Meanwhile, the large PD of Brazil means inequalities of power and wealth are however likely tolerated (Stephen, 2006) since the resources are concentrated. For instance, Azevedo (2009) concluded that most companies from Sà £o Paulo Stock Exchange has strong power concentration characteristics in terms of fact t hat most controlling shareholders or their relatives hold or chaired CEO positions. However, Brazil also suffers from, in return,  burdensome bureaucracy and deep social imbalances (James, 2011). Reversely, Sweden companies are more democracy, less hierarchical and even, for employee able to make comment to their managers (Porter, 2006). Secondly, the UA represents the degree to which a culture prefers risky, flexible and new situations over conversational, rigid and regular status (Browaeys and Price, 2011). UA, as Hofstede (1980) noted, indeed suggests, uncertainty about the future and cope with it through technology, law and religion. Commonly, a high UA scores means the national residents are unlike to do risky things and try to avoid changes (Velo, 2012), which directs the activities in working are supposed to be planned with less ambitious and stable employees (Hofstede, 1980). The managers are expected to be more task-oriented and involved in more details to control, if not eliminate, the uncertainty in work (Hofstede, 1980). Oppositely, Sweden companies are high possibile to have adverse attitude towards risk with different attributes in management (Porter, 2006). Predominantly Catholic population in Brazil reinforces the philosophy of the existence of an absolute ‘Truth’, that those individuals, thereby, should make efforts to lower this level of uncertainty (Vincent, 2003). Instead, in order to prevent the unexpected, the ultimate goal of this society is to control everything by means with adopted and implemented strict rules, laws, policies, and regulations (Stephen, 2006). Brazil companies are operating under a highly complex and expensive tax with a regulatory environment (James, 2011) aimed at reducing uncertainty in business circumstances. Also, Brazilian companies are showing growing interests in implementing modern enterprise risk management techniques (Ernst & Young, 2012). In comparison, the Sweden companies are welcome the relaxed atmosphere in which managers are interpersonal and strategy centred and flexible in style whereas employees are ambitious with high turnover probability (Hofstede, 1980; Porter, 2006). The most vital factor taken from Trompenaars’ framework is individualism versus collectivism, which means people in certain culture are oriented to the self or common goals and objectives (Browaeys and Price, 2011). These two elements affects the international management in negotiation, decision-making and motivation and are often related to religions (Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner, 1997). Catholics are likely to do group work while Protestants rely more on themselves. Brazil is a typical  collectivist community that places family at the center of its social system and depend heavily on relationships (Malinak 2012). Accordingly, Brazilians are of loyalty and duty to their group, especially within their extended families (James, 2011). The firms are anticipated to care employees like family member. For example, a job are considered when it includes mandatorily paid vacations, Fundo de Garantia do Tempo de Servià §o, at least one meal for employees working eight hours and the 13th salary (Novais 2012). Sweden companies are generally quite different. The common Swedish word â€Å"lagom† are used to inform the importance of one’s own performances in workplace (Porter, 2006). MOST IMPORTANT DIMENSION IN THIS CONTEXT Among all the dimensions in these two models, individualism should be the most important one that calls for intensified attention when setting up a new manufacturing business unit in Brazil. From a theoretical level, individualism is contained in both Hofstede’s and Trompenaars’ model and is suggested by some scholars (e.g., Dunnette & Hough, 1990) as the essential dimension to analyse culture. Because a large number of studies have proved the impact of individualism on the behaviour of members belong to a social group (e.g., Smith & Bond, 1999; Ashmos & McDaniel, 1996). Moreover, individualism usually has impact on some other dimensions in the models. For instance, people belong to collectivist culture and individualist culture is suitable to different motivation method (Hofstede, 1980). In this case, the most significant reason is the big gap between Sweden and Brazil in individualism. Just as mentioned above, Brazil gets 38 points while Sweden scores 71 in Hofstedeâ €™s analysis (Hofstede, 1980). In Sweden culture, individuals usually are regarded as the end achieved by the improvements of communal arrangements (Hampden-Turner & Trompenaars, 1994). On the contrary, groups are regarded as end in Brazil culture achieved by the improvements of individual abilities (Hofstede, 1980). It can be reflected by the splendent performance of group sports in Brazil such as soccer (Wikipedia, 2012). The difference in individualism would lead to various factors that require more attention in management. Organizational structure usually takes the brunt of this change. People in Brazil would prefer group work rather than individual work. The group leader or the older and powerful member of a group is expected to offer help to younger colleagues (Hofstede, 1980). It also leads  to the changes in reward system. Since people in Brazil often motivated by group interests rather than their own, it would be better to set group goals and reward members on the basis of the group achievements. Decision making process is another significant different caused by individualism. In Sweden, people view themselves as being empowered to make the decisions needed to meet one’s own goals thus the decision making is very quickly. When it comes to group decisions, voting is a common method. However, Brazilians sometimes would give up their personal interests to collective interests thus decisions usually are not based on democratic voting (O’Keefe, 2004). Moreover, Brazil people are usually integrated into strong, cohesive groups thus they attach great importance to relationships. Businessmen should pay more attention to develop good relationships to their potential distributors and government officials. Senior manager should spend as more time as possible with chatting and making jokes. Similarly, making a call or talking to someone in person is preferred to writing e-mails. To sum up, the big gap between Sweden and Brazil in individualism demonstrates that it is the essential dimension to analyse culture as it would lead to various difference in organization structure, decision making process and the importance of relationships. Thus, from both theoretical and practical level, individualism is the most important dimension in this case. CONCLUSION In conclusion, there are several significant cultural gaps between Sweden and Brazil including power distance, individualism, uncertainty avoidance, neutral versus emotional and attitudes to the environments. Individualism comes out to be the most important dimension because of the considerable gap between the two countries in their attitudes towards collective interests and personal honour. And this difference would have a significant impact on transnational management. Thus, the management method should be sharpened in order to consider them when extending business in emerging economies of Brazil. This allows to avoid misunderstandings caused by cultural reasons and to improve the efficiency of management and communication in new manufacturing business unit. References Ashmos, D.P. & McDaniel, R.R. (1996) Understanding the Participation of Critical Task Specialists in Strategic Decision Making*. Decision Sciences. [Online] 27 (1), 103–121. Available from: doi:10.1111/j.1540-5915.1996.tb00845.x. Azevedo, S. M. G. (2009). Os papà ©is do Conselho de Administraà §Ãƒ £o em empresas listadas no Brasil. Master’s Dissertation, Faculdade de Economia, Administraà §Ãƒ £o e Contabilidade, University of Sà £o Paulo, Sà £o Paulo. Retrieved 2012-11-03, from http://www.teses.usp.br/teses/disponiveis/12/12139/tde-11092009-141955/ Browaeys, M-J and Price, R, (2011) Understanding Cross-Cultural Management (2nd Ed.), Harlow: Pearson Education Ltd. Dunnette, M. & Hough, L. (1990) Handbook of industrial and organizational psychology. 2nd edition. Palo Alto, Consulting Psychologists Press. Ernst & Young (2012). Risk-based capital and governance in Latin America: Emerging regulations (Report). London: Ernst & Young Global Limit. Findthedata (2012). [Online]. Available from: [Accessed: 01 November 2012]. Hampden-Turner, C. & Trompenaars, A. (1994) Seven cultures of capitalism†¯: value systems for creating wealth in the United States, Japan, Germany, France, Britain, Sweden, and the Netherlands. London, Piatkus. Hofstede, G.H. (1980) Cultures consequences†¯: international differences in work-related values. Beverly Hills†¯; London, Sage. James G. (2011). Business Basics in Brazil, Big opportunities, challenges go hand in hand. Journal of Accountancy [online]. Available from: [Accessed: 01 November 2012]. Malinak C. (2012). Doing Business in Brazil (report). London: Communicaid Group Ltd. Novais Andrà ©a (2012). Common Benefits in Brazil. The Brazil Business [online]. Available from: [Accessed: 01 November 2012]. O’Keefe, H. and O’Keefe, W.,M., (2004) Business behaviors in Brazil and the USA: Understanding the gaps. International Journal of Social Economics, 31(5), pp. 614-622. Porter A. (2006). ‘Taking care of business in Sweden’. Sweden.se [online]. Available from: [Accessed: 01 November 2012]. Smith, P.B. & Bond, M.H. (1999) Social psychology across cultures. 2nd ed. Boston, Mass, Allyn & Bacon. Stephen T. (2006). ‘Geert Hofstede Analysis for Brazil’. Cyborlink [online]. Available from: [Accessed: 01 November 2012]. Trompenaars F. and Hampden-Turner C. (1997). Riding the Waves of Culture: Understanding Cultural Diversity in Business (2nd ed). London: Nicholas Brealey. Velo, V. (2012). Cross-cultural management. New York, Business Expert Press. Vincent, J. S. (2003). Culture and customs of Brazil. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press. Wikipedia (2012) Brazil national football team – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. . [Online]. 2012. Available from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazil_national_football_team [Accessed: 3 November 2012].

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Essay

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation was created by the Banking Act of 1933 in response to the banking crisis that faced the nation after the stock market crash on Black Tuesday, October 29, 1929. Although the FDIC has grown and changed since then, its purpose is still the same – to guarantee the safety of bank deposits up to a certain amount. Until recently, that amount was $100,000 but Congress, in response to the current economic crisis has temporarily increased FDIC deposit insurance from $100,000 to $250,000 per depositor through December 31, 2009. (Who, n.d.) All of the banks that are members of the FDIC must adhere to certain liquidity and reserve requirements in order for the banks and their depositors to benefit from the insurance. (Overview, n.d.) If a bank becomes undercapitalized the FDIC issues a warning. If the undercapitalization worsens it can take other corrective measures which may ultimately result in the FDIC taking over management. All of this is meant to sustain the confidence of depositors so that there are no runs on the banks as so often happened in past history. The History of the FDIC To understand the importance of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation in today’s economic market one must look to the history that led up to its establishment as part of the Banking Act of 1933. After the crash of the stock market in 1929 the United States fell into the longest economic depression in its history – from 1929 to 1939. Since loans that were made to stock market speculators were not being repaid after the crash, many banks failed and bank panics were commonplace. This led to their depositors’ losing money, which only served to fuel the depression further. The bank failures of the early 1930s were not the first in the history of the United States, but they were the most severe to date. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt saw the need to stem the tide of failures by enacting the Banking Act of 1933. Part of this act established the FDIC, gave it authority to regulate and insure banks, and the act also provided its funding. The purpose of the FDIC was to build the confidence of the American people in their banks and to assure them that their funds would be safe, at least up to a certain amount. (FDIC Timeline, n.d., 1930) This is still the general purpose of the FDIC, although much has changed since its birth in 1933. According to the FDIC website â€Å"since the start of FDIC insurance on January 1, 1934, no depositor has lost a single cent of insured funds as a result of a failure.† (Who, n.d.) When the FDIC was established in 1933 it was a temporary agency. But just two years later the Banking Act of 1935 made it a permanent agency. (FDIC Timeline, n.d., 1930) This was the first of many changes and adjustments to the FDIC over the years. The Federal Deposit Insurance Act of 1950 raised the insured amount to $10,000 and that amount has increased steadily until now, it is $250,000. The 1950 legislation also gave the FDIC â€Å"the authority to lend to any insured bank in danger of closing if the operation of the bank is essential to the local community, and authorized the FDIC to examine national and state member banks for their insurance risk.†Ã‚   (Important, n.d.) In 1989, in response to the savings and loan crisis gripping the nation, the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act (FIRREA) added two more functions to the FDIC, eliminating the Federal Savings & Loan Insurance Corporation (FSLIC). The FDIC was given the authority to oversee and administer two other insurance funds that replaced the FSLIC – the Savings Association Insurance Fund (SAIF) and the Bank Insurance Fund (BIF). (FDIC, n.d.) Still more powers were given to the FDIC by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act (FDICIA) of 1991. This act addressed issues that the FIRREA did not, giving the FDIC more authority as well as more obligations. The FDIC continued to grow both in funding and authority until it reached the status that it holds in our economy today. The Structure of the FDIC The FDIC of today is run by a five-member board of directors headed up by Chairman of the Board, Sheila C. Bair who has been in that post since she was sworn in on June 26, 2006. She will serve a five year term and at the expiration of that term, she will remain on the Board of Directors until 2013. Each Chairman of the Board is appointed by the President to serve a five-year term and each appointment is subject to the approval of the US Senate. (Barrymore, n.d.) Since the chairman is appointed by the President, she can also be removed by the President. The other members of the Board are the Vice Chairman Martin J. Gruenberg, Director Thomas J. Curry, Comptroller of the Currency John C. Dugan, and Director of the Office of Thrift Supervision John M. Reich. (Board, n.d.) The Board meets about once a month in either open or closed meetings. The public may attend open meetings as a result of the Government in the Sunshine Act. (FDIC Board Meetings, n.d.) In 2008 there were ten open meetings held. The FDIC has seven divisions. The Division of Finance directs the accounting and auditing aspects; the Division of Information Technology oversees and maintains the computer network of the organization; the Division of Administration provides administrative support; the Division of Supervision and Consumer Protection conducts reviews to assure that each bank is sound and that its internal controls are adequate; the Division of Resolutions and Receiverships goes into action when a bank is in danger of failing; the Legal Division handles the corporations litigation; and the Division of Insurance and Research keeps an eye on the economic health of the nation, examining business activity, markets, etc. (FDIC Divisions, n.d.) To run these seven divisions the FDIC employs about 5,000 people in its Washington, D.C. headquarters as well as in six regional offices and in field offices around the country. (Who, n.d.)

New Technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

New Technology - Essay Example To ensure that the road to success remains intact, firms have to accept a dose of change and the idea of continuous change in their organisations. Bonas machine is a subsidiary of the Van de Wiele Group of Companies. It is the famous for its innovative design of electronic jacquards. The company has been manufacturing the best electronic jacquards primarily used for weaving. Its manufacturing headquarters is located in West Flanders, Belgium and the company has established communication arteries with its sales agents and consumers. The company continue to operate through its success cores and key attributes that include: speed, reliability, and performance. For the company, customer satisfaction is the utmost priority. The current strategies have remained the same since most of the initiatives to achieve the main goal are handled by the research and development team. The company contends that quality innovations along with after-sales support are the right combination to success. Aside from fundamental concepts, the company has provided several approaches that address the need to compete. These methods are planned, developed, implemented, and assessed over time. It is hard to doubt that the company has succeeded in turning a not so recognisable innovation to a highly demanded commodity. The recent success of Bonas Machines, however, reflects the some problems that the company has been facing. This paradox defined the complexity of predicament that company needs to overcome to ensure that its success will remain consistent. Although there are several concerns that need to be raised, the most crucial part of the existence of Bonas is its competitiveness. It is hard to discount that the company is capable of controlling the market; but its current position suggests otherwise. The market position of Bonas is crucial in its efforts to succeed. Contrary to popular belief that the position on the market is holistically, success is measured in each entity. Essentially, the decision of the company to become aggressive is insufficient to qualify the company as the leader. Each part of the organisation needs to recognise the necessity to be in the forefront of the market. The fundamental challenge for Bonas is to remain competitive and sustain its advantage. But to ensure that this will be realised, the company needs to make a shift. The process starts from gradual modification until the most radical change is performed and implemented. Motivations to Change Based on the idea of Beer et al (1990), successful organizational change deals with coordination, commitment, and competencies. The absence of one characteristics means that fruitful change has not been attained. More important, the manifestation of the three values has to be manifested systematically. Processes have to be defined to ensure that each stage is satisfied before proceeding with the next step. In organizations, each entity is provided with roles to play before a goal is achieved. To manifest changes in the production process, close coordination among the components of production has to be maintained. Technically, changes in organizations are designed to make firms competent. Essentially, training mechanisms are modified to improve the skills and competency of the workforce. Technology replaces the traditional tools to boost production and limit defects. The change happens when the form

European Law Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5750 words

European Law - Coursework Example & M. Coleman (1998). Preceding decades have witnessed enormous variations in the mode progressing nations administer their economy. It is observable that most regimes are drifting away from central planning toward underpinning a free fall market economy and enhancing the expansion of remote, independent owned commerce. Most state economies have become rather reliant on the abilities of personal companies that have been decisive regarding manufacturing of goods as well as services oriented on bazaar indicators. A gesture of liberalization across the globe has seen regimes pull out, in great aspect, from offering goods as well as structures and social amenities for their persons, Wilberforce, Richard (1996). National variations have taken place at the same interlude as enormous changes have swept the universal economy. Commodities commerce has become liberalized and more capital is accessible. Companies ubiquitously are advice to export while coupled with greater competition from imports no longer subject to high tariffs as well as foreign forms that construct commercial operations locally. More so, corporate organizations found in developing nations are progressively related with trading overseas by means of authorization, outsourcing, or long term purveying dealings. Conversely the bazaar is never completely liberal. Hindrances can emerge from the state that endeavors to secure its people. Privatized services and structure utility purveyors are controlled guarantee first rate coverage as well as eminent utility; financial structures are subject to prudential as well as other restrictions to guarantee constancy as well as good concert; health service suppliers have to meet regime-set specifications of care and conduct; and manufacturers of goods and utility have to abide by quality, functionality and safety specifications. A subsequent aspect of moderation emerges within the bazaar and is immensely objected at exploiting and over-taxing clients and regimes. Hush-hush companies conglomerate to agree on artifacts costs as well as utility, disagree to compete with each o ther or to outwit new entrants or in the case of mammoth companies, fundamentally exploit their supremacy in the bazaar. With the advents of globalization emerge the probability that these restriction enhance for the diffusion of proceeds as well as earnings overseas. Regimes are not always blameless in this subsequent form of restraint; inadequately developed control, inadequate supervision, opaque bidding traditions, as well as unqualified dishonesty all hamper with rivalry. Myriad legal structures and edicts do subsist to contradict this latter form of temperance. Collectively acknowledged as competition regulation, as well as policy, they have also been known as antitrust or antimonopoly set of laws. Divergent terms depend enormously on mores and practices rather than the substance of the edicts and policies themselves.Dominion has been viewed as a profligate and as closing off prospects for rival companies to sell off their artifacts. The affinity for proficiency and to enhance entry and novelty have supported much of the

Proposal of dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Proposal of - Dissertation Example The methods used and the resulting output in the company can be tallied against the academic researches on requirements engineering. For this, both qualitative and quantitative research methods may be used, wherein the quantitative data can serve as statistical measure, while the qualitative data can serve as the source of in-depth â€Å"reason† analyses (Laplante, 2009, 17). The same procedure may be done with another company, like a small software company who recently conducted some market research to evaluate how customers will react to a newly proposed PC-based application, and wherein the basis of modification are the feedback from these evaluations. Again, both qualitative and quantitative research methods may be used in the requirements engineering analysis, and the results may be again tallied against the academic researches available. The results of the requirements engineering in these companies, whether positive or negative, may be analyzed against how faithful the methods used were to the academic researches on requirements engineering (Berenbach, 2009, 12). The results will give a good head start for further researches on the relationship of the output of requirements engineering in companies to how well the processes followed the academic data available. Bibliography BERENBACH, B. (2009).

World War II Propoganda Posters Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

World War II Propoganda Posters - Essay Example Some also believe that it is basically the methodology employed in the persuasion that determines whether chanting of a slogan, jargon or an appeal is propaganda or not. (Taylor, S., n.p.n.d.) History bears testimony to the fact that greatest of propagandas have been used during wartime. In such times the warring nations often resort to propaganda campaigns that instigate people to acts which are most conducive to victory. The psychological warfare during cold war period was also a kind of propaganda that was meant to enfeeble the enemy's might and the will to fight. Another strategy, which is commonly known as 'brainwashing' and frequently used against prisoners unite political propaganda with bitter treatment of the prisoners to minimize its confrontation. (Taylor, S., n.p.n.d.) Several of the methods, which are employed in propaganda, are logical and common-sense techniques that include achieving the confidence of people, simplicity and repetition, and the use of symbols. (Taylor, S.n.p.n.d.) The propaganda may differ in nature from other educational forms which exist in literary societies, but in an autocratic educational set-up, it can involve educating the youth of a nation by practices that could be categorized as propaganda. The tutors in educated societies teach pupil 'how to think', but propagandists tell them 'what to think'. Many academicians may be inclined to change their opinions if and when new evidence emerges, but propagandists will always evade evidence that comes in their way. Thus the educators consider all aspects of a problem and are willing to advance a discussion but a propagandists on the contrary would never do that and enter into any kind of debate. The propagandists instead would always touch extremes and try to persuade and mold public opinion through strongest possible case which he builds so very desperately and ambitiously. (Taylor, S., n.p.n.d.) What makes World War II propaganda posters forms of propaganda Although the Propaganda Posters used in World War11 (1939-1945) were simple and randomly created to suit the newly emerging situations, they proved very effective on the belligerents simply because they were repeated over and over again. Also the words used to write catchy jargons, sensational slogans, and even appeals on the propaganda posters were often very simple but the pattern and symmetry in which they were used carried the message far and wide. For instance Nazis of Germany had used the below words of Adolph Hitler in one of their propaganda posters during World War11, "The intelligence of the masses is small. Their forgetfulness is great. They

Staff Satisfaction in Market Competition Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Staff Satisfaction in Market Competition - Essay Example As the paper declares employee satisfaction has been proven to be directly related to overall productivity within an organization, whether the employees are in direct contact with the end consumer or not. This relationship can perhaps best be seen in the service-profit chain described by a report given by members of the Harvard Business School faculty. This discussion stresses that the Purdue University study supported this service-profit chain in reverse by focusing on the employees within corporations who had little to no actual contact with the end consumer. This study also demonstrated that the happy employee deep within the company is more likely to work hard to help other employees within the company with whom they have contact. These other employees, feeling their voices are heard and satisfied that their needs are met, are then more likely to take personal interest in pleasing the customers. These satisfied customers increase exponentially into a loyal market base and much greater profitability for the company. More than a cooperative team working together to meet the customers’ needs, companies with happy, productive employees increase their productivity simply by reducing the need to train new employees as a result of high turnover thanks to an increased employee loyalty. This employee loyalty developed as a result of customer service within the organization further translates to a more competitive market edge. Loyal employees have an active interest in helping their company be successful.

Education is Important Because It Develops the Individual Essay

Education is Important Because It Develops the Individual - Essay Example The syllabus itself where learning to read, write, count, draw, take physical exercise, hear music, play games etc., serves to develop the mental and physical abilities. Once basic literacy and numeracy are achieved, many doors are opened for independent thought and action. The imagination expands, the world of books is available and with it, all areas of knowledge. Communication skills also grow, and with these comes the ability to relate to others and the world at large. Of great importance too, are the relationships formed with others in and outside of school. The other children, teacher, janitor, head teacher, classroom aide and so on, a great number of individuals outside of the family are now a part of the child's experience and serve to widen it.Such a world reflects society at large and the learning within is applied outside. The need to be polite to others, to respect those who help, serve or share knowledge, to learn to share, to participate and contribute, all these are vital elements within a good educational structure. Social skills developing thus are taking the child towards becoming an adult who can learn and who can contribute positively to society. Already we can see the value of education, both to the individual and the world. 'Social, emotional and beh... Recent research on social, emotional and behavioral skills suggests that by encouraging the attainment of these, 'Social, emotional and behavioral skills underlie almost every aspect of school, home and community life, including effective learning and getting on with other people' (Developing Children's Social, Emotional and Behavioral Skills: Guidance) The suggestion is that integrating such skills contributes to the individual's 'whole person' development, and their attainment is part of true education, which enables the person to reach their full potential. For example, the skills involved in self-motivation include the practice of sustained effort and learning, belief that a goal is attainable, the ability to deal with setbacks and to be proud of achievement. By using self-awareness too, a child or adult in fact, recognizes how thoughts, feelings and behaviors all interact and affect each other and devises ways to deal with this. Consider a child who discovers a talent or love for music, dance, art or books, or whatever. The good feelings this discovery bring about, encourage them to work at that talent and achieve goals, their potential in this area. Being 'good' at something then spills over into other aspects of life and learning, the confidence gained helps them towards a positivity which can only benefit 3. society. The ethic of working towards a goal, understanding how to deal with what goes wrong and still trying, makes for a rounded, fulfilled adult. Thus a structured education, in which formal knowledge-based education is underpinned by what is often described as 'emotional intelligence' is of vital importance to the individual and the wider society in

Abuse of authority the ethical implications Essay

Abuse of authority the ethical implications - Essay Example In some cases the abuse of authority is clearly seen as in situations like the RAMPART days in Los Angeles in other cases it is far less visible and can be seen in daily interactions between citizens and law enforcement. The purpose of this paper is to define what abuse of authority is, and to address the ethical dilemma that is rightly attached. Additionally addressed will be my personal stance, what changes could be made as well as the implications of the abuse of power when coupled with one’s faith. Abuse of Authority the ethical implications The definition of authority is a person who is command, or a government agency tasked with the role of administering to the public. The definition of abuse as defined by Merriam Webster dictionary is, â€Å"Improper or excessive use or treatment, physical maltreatment, a corrupt practice or custom† (Abuse, 2011). When combined and applied to the criminal justice system these words create a phrase that means a government agency w hich is corrupt or uses improper or excessive force. Some more common examples of abuse of power are, politicians using their position to profit, law enforcement using their position to promote non sanctioned methods, direct physically oppressive behaviors and using a nations military to secure private corporate monetary and physical gains. The abuse of power or authority can result in a loss of confidence by the general public, riots and war if it is advanced enough. None of these are beneficial to the state at large especially with regards to the criminal justice system and the desire to advance order through a fair and impartial justice system. With modern communications ability one event can quickly become a much larger political issue causing fractures in the fabric of society as a result. Personally, I believe that the abuse of power or authority is a crime and cannot be tolerated. Seeing that the abuse of authority can cause much larger problems it is necessary to ensure that when it occurs it is immediately stopped and if necessary an example is made so as to prevent future instances of this nature. As a professional member of the criminal justice world it is up to me to apply a fair and even approach regardless of the situation and to never use my power either perceived or real to profit personally or in an abusive manner. The United States is largely Christian and even though there are other religious and non-religious views that it is to a large part Christian can also have a positive or detrimental effect on the abuse of power. Researcher Joycelyn M. Pollock in her manuscript Ethical Dilemmas and Decisions in Criminal Justice states, â€Å"A fundamental question discussed by philosophers and religious scholars is whether God commands us not to commit an act because it is inherently wrong, or whether an act acquires its â€Å"badness† or â€Å"goodness† solely from God’s definition of it† (Pollock, 2008 pg. 41). Does this mean we act base on what we believe God wants or what we have agreed to do as per the law of the land. The Bible itself clearly states that we are to â€Å"Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God. Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves â€Å"(Biblegateway, 2011). Simply put by following the commands laid out for us in the Bible the abuse of power should never be an issue personally for Christians, however, we are all human as well. This means that mistakes can and are made, unfortunately, if a person is a Christian and is convicted of abusing their authority then it can have greater repercussions then just politically. Additionally because of the current various threats both external and

Feeding People versus Saving Nature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Feeding People versus Saving Nature - Essay Example For instance, humans are always looking forward to comfort which is the case why many inventions were invented from the past and at present time. On the other hand, he may be trying to emphasize that nature should not be sacrificed for the sake of achieving substantial human development because when nature falls; it would be for all humans because it is their life support system (Rolston 249). However, by simply understanding the statement of Rolston, it is clear that he admits there are times when human needs should be the first priority or sometimes the nature as top concern. After all, humans and nature coexist in which their ultimate goal is to move forward to the preservation of life. That is why Rolston acknowledges the importance of sustainable development and environmental protection. Based on the point of view of Rolston, it is clear that humans are just integral components of nature. The fact that we are sourcing all our needs from nature cannot deny the truth that we can d o nothing apart from it. In other words, we rely on nature all our needs. Now, on the issue whether we should not feed people first but save the nature instead, the argument may be based on identifying commendable values in human life. Finding which is more valuable between nature and the human life is, in fact, a very interesting topic to discuss. Â  Nature cannot be more valuable than the human life and vice versa, but it is clear that human life is an integral component of nature because it sources its needs from it. Â  

Metals are different from other materials Essay Example for Free

Metals are different from other materials Essay Metals are different from other materials because they have electrons that are not joined to any specific atom, meaning that the electrons have the ability to move between the various atoms of that metal. These electrons are always in random motion due to their heat energy. If a metal wire is subjected electric force at its opposite terminals, then these free electrons, which carry a negative charge, move towards the electric force and we end up with what is called an electric current. Another way of saying this is that when charge is moving we have current, like the motion of electrons in wire leading to bulb. Ions found in water also carry a charge and current is able to flow in water. Movement of charged electrons in a vacuum is also a form of current. An example is the computer monitor or the T. V. set. Charged particles move across space, i. e vacuum, when they are released by the picture tube and strike the screen and light released which is seen as a picture. In order for current to be able to flow it needs a push and this push is supplied by voltage. 1 Charge will always flow from a potential of higher energy to low energy. Current is a measure of the quantity of charge that passes a location every second. The unit which current is measured in is Amphere [A]. The current law states that at any junction in an electric circuit, a point where the current is split into two or more parts, the total electric current output will be equal to the amount put in initially. A conductor, the object which allows charge to move through it, always puts up a certain amount of electrical resistance against the charge that is flowing through it. This friction in turn heats up the object. This transferring of electrical energy and the rate at which heat is put out is measured in Watts. The resistance put up by the conductor is measured in Ohms. 2 Another way of saying it is that Ampheres is the stuff that flows inside the wires (the charge, electrons), and the amount of charge is measured in Coulombs and finally the work Amphere is the same as one Coulomb of charge passing in one second. The more quickly a charge flows the higher the ampheres. Also the greater the amount of charge flowing, like a bigger wire, the higher the ampheres. Another words it is possible to have the ampheres if there is fast flowing charge through a thin wire as with slow moving charge through a thick wire. 2 It is easy to see why all this is very confusing. How ever 1Keiji Oenoki and Hector Judez, The flow of charge: The Current, [emailprotected] edu. pe] 2William beaty, How Are Watts, Ohms, Amps, and Volts Related? April 2, 2000, http://amasci. com/elect/vwatt1. html.

Effects of Computerized Cognitive Training

Effects of Computerized Cognitive Training CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION This chapter will discuss†¦ it will also discuss its public health significance†¦ and also report strengths and limitations of the review. 5.1  Summary and discussion of the evidence: 5.1.1  To what extent was the intervention effective? The overall aim of this study was to investigate the effects of computerized cognitive training aimed at improving cognitive function in individuals at a high risk of developing dementia. The ten trials that have been included in this study are spread widely across different countries. They vary enormously even within each subdomain analysed in terms of sample size, intervention characteristics (overall length of duration, number of training sessions and their frequency) and outcome measures used. Participants were assessed on a number of cognitive outcome measures that were unrelated to the trained tasks, this was necessary to show that cognitive improvement was not task specific as suggested by previous studies (Ball et al. 2002). The results from these ten studies suggest that computerized cognitive training is a promising approach for improving cognitive performance in persons with mild cognitive impairment. Participants showed improvements over a wide variety of neurocognitive o utcome measures, such as memory, attention, executive function, working memory, visuospatial ability, general cognition and speed of processing. Among these cognitive domains the most consistent improvements across all studies were observed in visual and verbal memory, attention, and executive function. Improvements in cognitive outcome measures suggests that individuals with MCI, despite cognitive deficit retain significant amount of neuroplasticity (Rosen et al. 2011) which makes them responsive to cognitive training. These findings are consistent with previous studies that demonstrate positive effects of cognitive training on cognitive performance in individuals with MCI (Brum et al. 2009; Ball et al. 2002; Rapp et al. 2002). Previously it has been suggested that training gains are influenced by the frequency and duration of the intervention (Gates et al. 2011), however, findings show no difference in training effects among studies with longer duration of intervention and those with smaller duration (Rozzini et al. 2007). The inability to conduct a meta-analysis due to heterogeneity of diagnostic criteria, intervention characteristics and outcomes measured made it difficult to precisely identify which cognitive domains benefited the most from the training. It has been pointed out several times over the years that unless accompanied by behavioural, psychological or other changes, changes in cognition let alone are not sufficient to justify a cognitive intervention (Woods, 2006). Out of the ten studies included, five studies assessed behavioural, psychological and everyday functional symptoms apart from neurocognitive outcome measures (Gaitan et al. 2013; Gagnon and Belleville, 2012; Finn and McDonald, 2011; Rozzini et al. 2007; Galante et al. 2007). The findings revealed positive effect of the intervention on some aspects of subjective measures of memory. Depressive symptom scores decreased most consistently. This was followed by reduction in anxiety levels. However, no significant improvements were observed in self-reported activities of daily living or everyday functioning memory. This could be explained by the fact that as individuals were carefully screened out in order to meet criteria for MCI, the participants were not impaired in everyday functional abilities and hence, it was difficult to assess the effect of training in terms of transferability to real world outcomes. No changes in well-being were reported. This is in contrast to the findings by Belleville et al. (2006) which reported positive impact of computerized cognitive training on the participant’s feelings of well-being. This can perhaps be explained by the inclusion of pre-training sessions on stress, self-esteem and imagery that were part of the intervention in their study. Despite the importance of quality of life to patients and caregivers, none of the studies measured quality of life. According to Rozzini et al. (2007) although use of cholinesterase inhibitors has also been associated with reduced depressive symptoms, but computerized cognitive training supersedes pharmacological therapy as no negative or adverse effects of training have been found in participants, contrary to adverse effects and high dropout rates reported in drug tri als in MCI (Clare et al. 2003). 5.1.2  To what extent were the effects maintained after the intervention? Four studies included a follow up assessment ranging between 3 months to a period of 12 months (Gaitan et al. 2013; Herrera et al. 2012; Galante et al. 2007; Rozzini et al. 2007) and one study used a longitudinal design (Valdes et al. 2012) to ascertain if the training gains lasted longer, showed stability over time and hence, could possibly contribute to preventing future cognitive decline. General cognitive function remained stable up to 9 months post training (Galante et al. 2007); recognition, attention and recall improvements were maintained at 6 months (Herrera et al. 2012); executive function (Gaitan et al. 2013), episodic memory and abstract reasoning (Rozzini et al. 2007) showed improvement trends at 12 month follow up; and effects on speed of processing were maintained at 5 years after the end of the training programme (Valdes et al. 2012). Two studies showed reduction in behavioural disturbances such as depression and anxiety (Gaitan et al. 2013; Rozzini et al. 2007) at a 12 month follow up. Evidence suggests that computerized cognitive training is at least effective in slowing or delaying the progression of cognitive decline and onset of dementia. Moreover, it also suggests that if computerized cognitive training show cognitive gains, these improvements are likely to be preserved at follow up. In summary, computerized cognitive training justifies Swaab’s (1991) phrase â€Å"use it or lose it† used to explain the relationship between declining neuronal activity and neurodegeneration. Overall, these results show findings similar to a recent meta-analysis by Li et al. (2011) that showed improved overall cognition, domain specific cognitive improvements and positive training effects on follow up in the intervention group after receiving traditional cognitive training. According to literature, computerized cognitive training has shown to be more effective than traditional cognitive training (Kueider et al. 2012), the results from this study suggest that structured computerized cognitive training produce significantly greater benefits in individuals with MCI as compared to those engaged in cognitively stimulating activities only. Evidence reveals that individuals with MCI that were randomized to intervention group showed larger cognitive gains as compared to active control groups. 5.2  Public health Significance: With the elderly population of the world increasing rapidly, the numbers of older adults suffering from dementia are bound to rise. With 1 in 3 people above 65 years developing dementia, the number of individuals with dementia are projected to be as high as 135.46 million in 2050 (Alzheimer’s Disease International, 2013). Dementia has several devastating consequences. The economic impact of dementia globally is quite alarming. This has diverted attention not only towards the treatment of dementia itself but also towards preventive therapies specifically aimed at individuals with MCI. In 2007, the average cost of care for a patient with Alzheimer’s disease in the United Kingdom was estimated to be around  £29,746 (Alzheimer’s Society, 2008). This makes the principles of disease prevention and health promotion particularly relevant to dementia (Geda, Negash and Petersen, 2011). The prevention of a disease involves the identification of groups that are at high ris k; MCI indeed, is a high risk state for dementia particularly of the Alzheimer’s type (Alzheimer’s Disease International, 2013). Individuals with MCI are identified as high risk groups as they are 3 to 5 times more at risk of developing dementia than those without MCI (Alzheimer’s Society, 2014). As findings from this study reveal that many of the cognitive domains retain effects from as low as 6 months up to 5 years post computerized cognitive training and demonstrate delay in the progression of cognitive impairment. This can have positive implications for public health. This is because according to the Alzheimer’s Society (2007) delaying the progression of cognitive decline and hence onset of dementia merely by 5 years would halve the number of deaths that are directly attributable to dementia. It would also reduce the huge economic costs associated with dementia care borne by the carers and the government. In addition, it would also cut down the costs borne by individuals or their carers as computerized approach itself is a cost effective approach as explained earlier. Growing evidence on the positive effects of computerized cognitive makes it a strong candidate to be on the priority agenda for policy making on tackling dementia in coming years. As demonstrated, much evidence in literature exists highlighting the positive impact of cognitive training on cognitive performance. NICE guidelines (2011) recommend the use of structured cognitively stimulating programmes for individuals with mild to moderate dementia irrespective of the drugs prescribed for the treatment of cognitive symptoms of dementia. Results from this study indicating the potential of computerized cognitive training and other relevant evidence in literature advocates that the use of computerised cognitive training for MCI patients can be included in the clinical practice guidelines. However, for that to be practically useful, there needs to be developed a structured computerised cognitive training service which can be commissioned when needed. Such service should identify in particul ar the software to be used, the duration and frequency of training sessions and sequencing of training sessions. Kueider et al. (2012) highlighted that older adults did not need to be tech savvy in order to complete and benefit from the intervention. Moreover, these findings could have positive implications as contrary to the old belief that older adults may not welcome the idea of using technology; research suggests that older adults in many cases are the fastest growing users of computer and internet technology (Wagner et al. 2010). Moreover, as mentioned earlier, computerized cognitive training offer flexible and personalized approach as the difficulty level can be adjusted according to the user’s performance, hence, keeping it engaging and enjoyable for users. 5.3  Strengths and limitations of the study: The review was undertaken after a thorough search of literature available around the research question. To the author’s knowledge this is the only systematic review to-date that has been conducted on this topic and includes up to date evidence. Another strength of this study is the strict inclusion criteria in terms of study design. Only randomised controlled trials were included in the review. Although there were other relevant studies available having other study designs but according to the Cochrane review guidelines (Higgins and Green, 2011), the author decided to limit the final studies to randomised controlled trials. This helped to decrease bias and increase the methodological quality of the overall review. The author intended to synthesize the results from best available evidence. Although efforts were made to ensure a transparent and reproducible review, a number of caveats need to be mentioned that might have influenced the results. 5.3.1  Time frame: The time frame to conduct a systematic review was extremely limited keeping in view that there was only one researcher carrying out the entire procedure. Maximum time was spent searching through different electronic databases and other sources and reading the abstracts of different articles in an attempt to identify relevant studies. There may be a possibility of selection bias as the selection and screening of studies was done solely by one reviewer. However, in order to minimise such bias, the search and screening of articles was done twice. 5.3.2  Methodological limitations: Across the literature on computerised cognitive training common but notable methodological limitations emerge. One of the general limitations of this systematic review was small sample sizes used in majority of the studies. The small sample sizes led to reduced statistical power which may have obscured the detection of potential differences between the groups. Larger groups could have allowed detecting smaller gains in performance. A second limitation was that several studies lacked an adequate active or placebo control group. Failure to include a proper control group may not only have had an impact on the results but also made interpretation of results difficult as attribution of cognitive benefits could have originated from other sources besides computerized cognitive training. These issues impact on the main aim of the study which was assessing how computerized approaches compare with traditional approaches. Only two studies used an active control group indulged in activities similar to traditional cognitive training (Gaitan et al. 2012; Herrera et al. 2012) making it difficult to directly compare both the approaches. The review supports findings from previous studies (Sitzer et al. 2006) that intervention groups show larger effect sizes when compared to waitlist instead of active control conditions. Several studies reported inclusion of participants receiving pharmacological therapy (Cholinesterase Inhibito rs) raising the possibility that the cognitive gains were not because of the training solely but were a result of the synergistic effect between pharmacological therapy and training. An important limitation of this study was the scarce availability of data for individuals with mild cognitive impairment despite the relatively large time span covered. Furthermore, although most studies used the Petersen’s criteria to diagnose and assess individuals with MCI but modifications in the exact application of this definition existed e.g. the use of MMSE- scores one of the included studies used MMSE scores > 24 () while one study used MMSE scores of 23 (). Additionally the heterogeneity of the outcomes measured across studies made cross-comparison difficult but at the same time highlighted the need of developing robust research designs for cognitive training intervention studies. According to the inclusion criteria, only studies that were randomised controlled trials were to be included. This led to the exclusion of many quasi-experimental studies that were related to the research question and that could have contributed to the results (Talassi et al. 2007; Belleville et al. 2006; Cipriani et al. 2006; Tarraga et al. 2006; Schreiber et al. 1999). 5.3.3 Dual vs Single person data extraction: The Cochrane Collaboration (Higgins and Green, 2011) expects each study included in the review to be data extracted by at least two independent researchers who are blind to the study authors and institution from which the study has been published. This however, was not possible owing to the time limitations and practicality of an MSc degree and therefore, data extraction was carried out by a single reviewer. According to Edwards et al. (2002) study screening and data extraction by two or more researchers increases the reliability and accuracy of the systematic review. 5.3.4  Language limitation: The requirement of studies being published in English language led to the exclusion of two studies deemed relevant by their abstract as the body of text was published in German and Spanish (Ott-Chervet et al. 1998; Fernà ¡ndez-Calvo et al. 2011). Summary: This chapter discussed on the results that were generated in the previous chapter. Computerized cognitive training had positive impact on multiple aspects of cognition, including behavioural and psychological symptoms. The effects of training on multiple outcome measures were retained for as less as 6 months to 5 years after the end of the training programme. This showed that the effects of training were not only immediate but also halted cognitive decline. These findings were extremely important from the public health.

Case Study: Application Architecture

Case Study: Application Architecture Brian Jerozal   For any given organization, it is vitally important to always ensure that the payroll system is designed in such a way that overall effectiveness in enhanced. Traditionally, payroll systems were not quite complicated since employees were more or less few in number. However, the modern-day payroll systems have to take into consideration numerous aspects such as insurance cover, house allowances, bonuses, advance payments and the like. In addition to this, the world has experienced tremendous innovations in terms of cutting-edge technological advancements; these technological innovations have enabled organizations to streamline their payroll systems and thus enhance the standards of effectiveness. For this case study, a comprehensive analysis of the payroll system of a leading American firm will be done. Emphasis will be made upon the specific type of architecture that should be used while establishing the new payroll system for the organization. The various technological platforms tha t shall be integrated into the new payroll system will also be documented while also presenting a graphical illustration of the new model. In addition to this, a comprehensive analysis of possible issues of ethical concern with regard to the new payroll system shall also be conducted. Considering the fact that this organization has a wide area network that interlinks the numerous offices in different parts of the United States of America, it is of paramount importance that the new payroll application system be based on a solid architectural framework. Such an architectural framework must consider all-important factors such as the avoidance of errors, synthesis of data contained in inventories, evaluation of allowances, and integration of the prevailing rates of income tax. Following is an analysis of the specific components of the architecture for the new payroll system. As mentioned above, the payroll system of such a large organization should be based on a solid framework that considers all-important factors. Firstly, the architectural framework must have the capacity to evaluate the fine details pertaining to the payment of employees. The number of hours of work done by individual employees should be included in the new architectural framework; this is one of the most critical aspects of any kind of payroll system (Bragg, 2004). The hours vary from one employee to another and as such, this results into pay variations even among employees who are categorized in the same job group. Apart from the number of hours, another important variable that must be included in the architectural framework for the new payroll program is the prevailing rates of tax or revenue deductions. On an annual basis, the Federal Government of United States of America reviews the rates of income tax in accordance with the specific budgetary projections. These rates must be ta ken into consideration while calculating the total pay of all employees and as such, the new architectural framework should have the same (Steinhoff, 2000). Another important variable that should be included in the design of the new payroll system is the labor data; the nature of work done within an organization varies from one employee to another. This results into pay variations and as such, it must be included in the design of the new payroll system. The employee master file is another crucial aspect that must be taken into consideration while designing the new payroll system; the master file provides all the fine details about the employee including pending bonuses, increments and other miscellaneous information. Apart from the employee details, the architectural system of the new payroll program shall also include the relevant platforms for making precise calculations. Some organizations incur huge expenses every now and then as a result of using payroll systems that are characterized by substandard levels of accuracy. In order to avoid such eventualities, the new payroll system should be carefully designed in such a way that high l evels of accuracy are attained while performing calculations. Finally, the architectural design should also have the capacity to provide an updated payroll without any kind of delay; this will go a very long way towards helping the organization avert unnecessary instances of time wastage (Bragg, 2004). As already mentioned in the introductory section of this paper, the extensive advancements in technology have made it possible to streamline the payroll systems in all kinds of organizations. In order to successfully implement the architectural system for the new payroll system as outlined above, it is of paramount importance to examine some of the most important technological components that shall be used. Firstly, internet connection will serve as an important element from a technological point of view. This is because the organization has offices in different parts of the United States of America and as such, reliable connection is required (Steinhoff, 2000). Considering the expans ive nature of United States landmass, it would be critically important to back-up the wide area network connection with high-speed fourth generation internet connectivity. In order to enhance the security of the data transfer from one office to another, unique internet protocol addresses must be used. All the IP addresses must be encrypted in accordance with the specifications provided by the main server in order to streamline communications while also enhancing the standards of security. Apart from internet connection, another important technological platform that must be integrated into the architectural framework of the new payroll system of the organization is the use of quality software applications (Bragg, 2004). There are numerous payroll software applications available in the United States and global market; however, this fact notwithstanding, some are characterized by fundamental flaws such as the lack of accuracy and susceptibility to cyber-crime. One of the most effective payroll software for corporate organizations is the Dynamics GP. Produced by Microsoft Corporation, this software has the capacity to streamline the payroll systems within the organization since it has high levels of accuracy and also saves time. TRAVERSE by Open Systems is another software application that might come in very handy for the payroll system of this organization since it is characterized by high levels of effectiveness (Boroughs, 2008). Despite the fact that the new architecture for the payroll application in this organization would be characterized by high levels of efficiency, it is critically important to pinpoint the fact that there are several potential issues of ethical concern that might characterize its implementation (Boroughs, 2008). For instance, the new application might contribute immensely towards the infringement of fundamental rights of the employees because of being too dependent on detail. The potential ethical issue can arise in the connection with the new architecture for example reduced jobs,if the company uses the architecture method for the new payroll, then the employee might no longer be essential. Usually, the company has a department where it looks at the payroll of the employee, but with this system, most of the job will be done and handled by the computer. Fraud is another concern, the employee who knows about computer and networking can easily manipulate the information like changing th e time sheet. Hacking is one of the most common problems in todays world. No matter how secure the company system is, there are people who can back the system company. Putting their information in the web can be hacked and the information can be used against them. In addition to this, the fact that the computer systems of the organization are connected with one another might result into the disclosure of the payroll details of employees to unwanted parties.   Ã‚   References Boroughs, A., Hunter, I., Palmer, L. (2008). HR Transformation Technology: Delivering Systems to Support the New HR Model. New York, NY: Routledge. Bragg, S. M., Bragg, S. M. (2004a). Creating a Payroll System. In Accounting for Payroll: A Comprehensive Guide (pp. 3-15). John Wiley Sons, Inc. Bragg, S. M. (2004b). Setting Up the Payroll Department. In Accounting for Payroll: A Comprehensive Guide (pp. 251-258). John Wiley Sons, Inc. Steinhoff, J. C. (2000). Human Resources and Payroll Systems Requirements (United States, Government Accountability Office). Retrieved from www.gao.gov/special.pubs/ai002123.pdf

Scottich Witch Trials of 1590 :: essays research papers fc

The European witch-hunts that took place from 1400 to 1800 were complete monstrosities of justice, but the brutality seemed to have been concentrated more in certain parts of Europe than other parts. This is especially true in the British Isles during the witch trials of 1590-1593, where Scotland, a country with a fourth of the population of England, experienced three times as many executions as them. Before these particular trials, England and Scotland were both only mildly involved in the hunts, but a Scottish witch’s confession in late 1590 unveiled a plot to kill King James VI by creating a storm to sink his ship. This confession led to the implementation of others and quickly festered into the widely publicized hunts throughout Scotland in the late 16th century. The Scottish witch-hunts of 1590 began in Tranent, a city just outside of Edinburgh, with the accusation of a maidservant named Geillis Duncane. Duncane was a kind hearted woman who used her vast knowledge of medicinal herbs and healing techniques to â€Å"[take] in hand all such as were troubled or grieved with anie kinde of sickness or infirmitie: and in short space did perfourme many matters most miraculous (sic).† Her ability to cure illness caused her master David Seaton, a deputy bailiff, to become suspicious of her. He was a callous and unsympathetic man who could not comprehend why someone would continuously go out of their way to help others. He was also wary of how a woman in such a humble position had acquired such an extensive knowledge of medicines and healing. Seaton’s suspicions seemed to be confirmed when he found Duncane sneaking out of the house late at night. When she was unable to answer where she was at night and how she gained her power to heal, sh e was immediately accused of consorting with the Devil. When she refused to confess to the crime of witchcraft, Seaton had her tortured. There was a plethora of torture devices used on those accused of witchcraft in the 1500’s, Duncane was fortunate to only have experienced a few. The first device used on Duncane was a vice called the pillwinkles, also known as thumbscrews, which crushed the bones in her fingers. When that did not work, her head was â€Å"thrawed†, which consisted of it being bound with rope or cord, then twisted and wrenched savagely. When she still would not confess, a diligent search of her body was conducted where the Devil’s mark was found on her throat.

John Lennon Essay -- essays research papers fc

John Lennon "You've got to admit it's getting better it's getting better all the time," because of John Lennon, and the way he effected the world. "Imagine" the world without John Lennon. John Lennon had a huge effect on the world. Throughout his life Lennon was many things. He was a musician, lyricist, singer, artist, actor, humorist, political and peace activist, and writer. Because of Lennon the world was changed musically, socially, and politically. Musically he brought rock music into mainstream music. Socially he inspired a generation of teenagers. Politically he started up the movement to "Give Peace a Chance." He became the leader of the sixties, one of the most turbulent eras to date, and the role model to many people young and old around the world. John Lennon did not have any easy childhood. Lennon was born on October 9, 1940, in Liverpool, England (Bil 1). This was during the height of World War II, and his parents named him John Winston Lennon after legendary British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill. Lennon's parents were divorced and his father was working on a ship away from home when he was born. When his father came back, his mother would not let his father see him. So his father tried to kidnap him. His mother could not let this happen again so she sent him to live with his Aunt Mimi and Uncle George. Aunt Mimi ran a strict household, and he did not really relate to her while he was growing up. So Lennon became a very close friend with his mother. Tragically in 1958 his mother was killed in a car accident right in front of him (Norman 1). Aunt Mimi sent him to Quarrybank Grammar School, but he was very bored and preferred writing and drawing. Lennon did not enjoy school life, and became a rebel at a young age. He often skipped class, and when he did go to class he sat and drew. His future looked very grim. When Mimi asked the headmaster of the school to write a letter of recommendation to the Liverpool School of Art, it gave everyone new hope. Lennon didn’t do well here either, while he loved to draw, he found the Liverpool School of Art too ridged and structured. He liked his drawings to be from his heart and full of emotion. He found that the curriculum did not allow him to do this. During his art exam Lennon drew cartoons, so he failed (Norman 1... ...e alive today, but "Let it Be." Works Cited Bil. "Working Class hero" Home of Classic Rock. 1997 <http://www.casagrande.com/~bilig/lenhist.html> (16 Feb. 2000). Gottlieb, Agnes Hooper, et al. 1,000 People, 1,000 Years. New York: Kondansh America Inc., 1998. "John Lennon-Biography." <http://www-cds-music.com/john_lennon.htm> (16 Feb. 2000). "John Lennon." Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Inductees. 1994. <http://www.rockhall.com/induct/lennjohn.html> (16 Feb. 2000). "John Lennon shooting 1980." Great Events IV. 3pp. Bell & Howell Information and Learning- Proquest. 16 Feb. 2000. Morgan, Joan M. "A Tribute to John Lennon." 1999. <http://www.josnsukjournal.com/links/lennon.htm> (16 Feb. 2000). Norman, Philip, et. Al. "John Lennon Portfolio." 1998. <http://www.getback.org/bjohn.html> (16 Feb. 2000)

Organisational Behaviour Essay -- Business Management

â€Å"The study of the structure, functioning and performance of organisations, and the behaviour of groups and individuals within them† Derek Pugh’s (1971) This influential definition of organisational behaviour was by Derek Pugh in 1971. Human behaviour is the way people act and react to situations and circumstances, each individual is different, therefore it is essential for an organisation to study human behaviour in order to understand the workforce. By observing and understanding each individual the organisation would improve performance; organisational behaviour can be considered as the key area of management. Organisations study organisational behaviour within by; investigating individuals, social perception, attitudes and emotions. By doing so they are able to determine whether motivation is existent and if so, is it successful. How individuals work in groups and teams is important for unity within organisations therefore it is crucial to know how people communicate amongst their group/teams and how well is the outcome when they do. Employees can become stressed which would affect them a great deal because an employee stressed would not be able to work to his/her potential. However this would be the least of the organisations worry because stress affects an employee’s psychological well-being a great deal, this is dire for both the organisation and the individual. We know how these factors fit into the reason behind studying organisational behaviour however its relevance in today’s organisations is still a question, I’m going to discuss two of the factors in more det ail and relate to whether they are relevant or not in today’s organisations. †¢ Personality Human Behaviour in an organisation needs to ... ...line Etymology Dictionary. Source location: Douglas Harper, Historian. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/motivation. Available: http://dictionary.reference.com. Accessed: December 08, 2010. http://tutor2u.net/business/people/motivation_theory_introduction.asp http://vintechnology.com/journal/?p=47 http://www.mmdnewswire.com/sham-dayal-pmp-13943.html http://www.management-issues.com/display_page.asp?section=opinion&id=6100 http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=8PvwwrWnX5IC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q=motivation&f=false (book reference) pg 249, 2000 http://www.accel-team.com/human_relations/hrels_05_herzberg.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Herzberg http://www.accel-team.com/maslow_/maslow_nds_02.html http://www.management-issues.com/display_page.asp?section=opinion&id=6100 http://www.love2reward.co.uk/rewards/info-centre/motivation.jsp Organisational Behaviour Essay -- Business Management â€Å"The study of the structure, functioning and performance of organisations, and the behaviour of groups and individuals within them† Derek Pugh’s (1971) This influential definition of organisational behaviour was by Derek Pugh in 1971. Human behaviour is the way people act and react to situations and circumstances, each individual is different, therefore it is essential for an organisation to study human behaviour in order to understand the workforce. By observing and understanding each individual the organisation would improve performance; organisational behaviour can be considered as the key area of management. Organisations study organisational behaviour within by; investigating individuals, social perception, attitudes and emotions. By doing so they are able to determine whether motivation is existent and if so, is it successful. How individuals work in groups and teams is important for unity within organisations therefore it is crucial to know how people communicate amongst their group/teams and how well is the outcome when they do. Employees can become stressed which would affect them a great deal because an employee stressed would not be able to work to his/her potential. However this would be the least of the organisations worry because stress affects an employee’s psychological well-being a great deal, this is dire for both the organisation and the individual. We know how these factors fit into the reason behind studying organisational behaviour however its relevance in today’s organisations is still a question, I’m going to discuss two of the factors in more det ail and relate to whether they are relevant or not in today’s organisations. †¢ Personality Human Behaviour in an organisation needs to ... ...line Etymology Dictionary. Source location: Douglas Harper, Historian. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/motivation. Available: http://dictionary.reference.com. Accessed: December 08, 2010. http://tutor2u.net/business/people/motivation_theory_introduction.asp http://vintechnology.com/journal/?p=47 http://www.mmdnewswire.com/sham-dayal-pmp-13943.html http://www.management-issues.com/display_page.asp?section=opinion&id=6100 http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=8PvwwrWnX5IC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q=motivation&f=false (book reference) pg 249, 2000 http://www.accel-team.com/human_relations/hrels_05_herzberg.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_Herzberg http://www.accel-team.com/maslow_/maslow_nds_02.html http://www.management-issues.com/display_page.asp?section=opinion&id=6100 http://www.love2reward.co.uk/rewards/info-centre/motivation.jsp

Alexander the Great’s Policy of Fusion Essay

From his conception, Alexander was destined for greatness. Born to Olympias, Princess of Epirus and Phillip II, King of Macedon, passion and purpose were the driving forces of his young life. As a young boy, in Philips absence, he entertained Persian envoys and much to the surprise of the guests instead of asking about the Persian hanging gardens, he asked about the state of the Persian army and the roads. Clearly, at his tender age, his thoughts were already set on conquering. Years later, after the death of Philip in 336 BC, Alexander adopted Philips plans to conquer Persia and travelled across the Hellespont in order to rightfully earn his glory and write his name into the history books. In the years that followed, Alexander did just that, proving his tactical brilliance in battle and as a result, conquering the largest empire of the age. With Persians, Macedonians and Greeks under his rule, Alexander devised a policy that would ensure the smooth running of his empire. It has been dubbed by scholars as his ‘Policy of Fusion’. What was Fusion?! The dictionary deï ¬ nes fusion as: the process or result of joining two or more things together to form a single entity. In the case of Alexander, it refers to his ‘fusing’ of the Persians with the Macedonian and Greeks to create a super empire, combing the best of Persian and Macedonian Kingship. Alexander did not wish to destroy Persia and replace it with Macedonian rule, instead he took several actions to actively encourage the combination of the two cultures. His concept was simple: treat the natives as equal, not inferior, tolerate the native customs and religion and adopt some of the native  customs. According to Curtius Rufus, Alexander said: â€Å"Everything is taking on the same hue: it is no disgrace for the Persians to copy Macedonian customs nor for the Macedonians to imitate the Persians. Those who are to live under the same king should enjoy the same rights†. The nature of Kingship Macedonian The Macedonian nature of Kingship is that the King was ‘prima inter pares’- ï ¬ rst amongst equals. This meant that the King would not bask in splendour, he would wear the same clothes as his men and be approachable to them. (Alexander knew most of his men by name). The epitome of leading from the front, the King would play a major role in battles, earning respect from his men as they shared in the glory of victory. Persian! In stark contrast the Persian King had an exulted status as all subjects were required to perform proskynesis before him. He was considered to be god’s representative on earth. He lived a life of luxury and was attended by ushers, bodyguards and eunuchs. Access to the court was controlled by the Vizier. His dress was extravagant and set him apart from his subjects. He wore a purple tunic, gold cloak and belt and a jewelled scabbard. The vastly different styles of Kingship highlighted the need for a policy of Fusion. Similarities and Differences Philip: Philip’s policies for dealing with conquered people differed vastly to Alexander’s Policy of Fusion. For after the Battle of Chaeronea the Greek States were forced to become a member of the League of Corinth of which Philip was hegemon. From the Greek States money, men and allegiance was needed to ensure peace. Although the Greek states had ‘autonomy’ it was within the Macedonian parameters. A bit of an oxymoron really; incarcerated freedom. Strict Macedonian Garrisons and a pro- Macedonian Government were in play to maintain order and provide a tool if there was disorder. Conversely, Persians and Macedonians were encouraged by Alexander to co-exist and live together, enjoying the same rights and governed by the same rules under the same King. Wether the purpose of Alexander’s policies was ‘homonoia’, or as a practical means to rule or was an attempt to Helenize Asia- Persians beneï ¬ tted from his rule. In the case of Philip, the Gree ks did not receive the same treatment. Lycurgus once famously said: â€Å"The Battle of Chaeronea marked an epoch for all ages. With the dead was buried the freedom of Greece.† The purpose of Philip’s policies was entirely for the beneï ¬ t of Macedonia. Hamilton states that: â€Å"Philip’s policy was primarily aimed at the advancement of Macedon and for this he found Greeks useful, perhaps essential. Alexander and his contemporaries received a good Greek education and in them Greek culture was more securely rooted. But admiration for Greek culture need not imply a desire to secure the welfare of Greece†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Was Fusion even Alexander’s idea- Persian policies! Although it is hard to deï ¬ ne when exactly the idea ï ¬ rst ‘popped’ into Alexanders head, it certainly would have manifested itself during the Macedonians stay in Babylon. Because it was from here that he had the ability to fuse the two cultures, as after Gaugamela- the Persian Empire was effectively his. At the time Alexander’s policy was considered revolutionary, the complete opposite of the Macedonian dealing with conquered people. However, as Fox suggests without the â€Å"Persian background Alexander’s own plans for government have been made to seem unnecessarily radical.† Persians in fact, had been fusing ideas and cultures for generations as â€Å"two hundred years before Alexander, they had overthrown the empire of the Medes and annexed the ancient civilisation of Babylon, but in each case they had availed themselves of their subjects’ experience.† Alexander’s policy and the policy of the Persian King Cyrus (both e arned the title ‘Great’) were very similar. In around 550 BC Cyrus expanded his annexed Median and Persian lands to include the Fertile Cresent. After conquering â€Å"He adopted a policy of toleration toward the people he conquered. For example, he allowed them to speak their own languages, practice their own religions, and follow their own ways of life. He also declared the ï ¬ rst Charter of Human Rights. Etched on a clay cylinder, this charter set forth Cyrus’ goals and policies. His respect for the people made Cyrus popular and made it easier for him to create a peaceful and stable empire.† Reasons for Similarities or Differences! Philip had no reason to fuse the Greek and Macedonian cultures as, aside from Macedonian being governed by an absolute monarchy and the Greek States being governed by democracy the two cultures were fundamentally the same. This was because Macedonia was Hellenized. Alexander on the other hand, was dealing with two tangibly different cultures and needed fusion to effectively rule over both. There were also differences too between King Cyrus, and Alexander’s policies. King Cyrus’s policy worked. As the most important man of the nation, if Cyrus tolerated the Medes and the peoples from the Fertile Cresent, the rest of his subjects would have too. Unlike the Greeks and Macedonians, they did not believe themselves to be superior to the people they conquered. The nature of Persian Kingship ensured the stability of the empire for the next 200 years. Alexander would have known of Cyrus’s policy and could potentially have tried to mimic it, seeing as it was so effective. Without Persian Background Alexander’s own plans for government have been make to seem unnecessarily radical (Fox). Purpose The purpose of Alexanders Policy of Fusion has been widely debated. There are several arguments. On one hand, we have William Tarn’s utopian view of homonoia- Alexander’s desire for universalism, to create a ‘brotherhood of man’. On the other, we have the juxtaposed AB Boswoth’s view that Alexander did not really attempt to ‘fuse’ the two cultures together, instead he was really playing one off against the other. As discussed in Nicholas Ed Foster’s thesis, both Classical Historians have ï ¬â€šaws in their arguments. Tarn is perceived to practically worship Alexander and his achievements, focussing on creating the big picture of the great king, while overlooking massacres that occurred during the campaign. Bosworth does the opposite, as he focuses on the massacres and ignores Alexander’s intentions. There are other ideas surrounding the purpose of fusion, one is that it was used because it  provided the practical means to rule the two peoples. Other’s argue that fusion was an attempt to spread Greek culture. Brotherhood of Man At the time, Alexander’s ideas were considered revolutionary. His actions completely went against the ideas of Aristotle, where captured people were barbarians, treated worse than animals. Alexander changed this completely. When he declared that all men were alike sons of one Father and when, at Opis he prayed that Macedonian and Persians might partners in the commonwealth and that the peoples of his world might live in harmony and unity of heart and mind (Tarn). According to Curtius Rufus Alexander justiï ¬ ed his entire conquest by saying that he had hoped to annex his empire to many famous peoples. He also justiï ¬ ed his actions around marriage by saying that his intention â€Å"was to erase all distinction between conquered and conquerer†. Practical Means to Rule Alexander’s Policy of Fusion is considered by some to have stemmed from necessity. Put simply, fusion was a practical way to bring Hellenic and Eastern cultures under one rulethis was the purpose of it. Due to the vast expanse of the empire, the area simply became too large to be controlled solely by the Macedonian Army. Furthermore, â€Å"By appointing Persian satraps, or in many cases simply leaving them in their previous positions of power, Alexander was able to prevent the rise of dissent from the populace.† (Nicholas Ed Foster, Thesis LSU) Tamsin Woolf AS91397 Policy in Action: Alexanders Policy wasn’t a mere Policy of words, it was a Policy shown in action. Alexander showed his policy in various ways, both big and small. After entering Babylon, Alexander was quick to initiate his policy of fusion through action. His ï ¬ rst action, after entering the great city, was to restore the temples that were destroyed by Xerxes, including the great Temple of Bel, where he made a sacriï ¬ ce. Much to the surprise of the Macedonians, respect was shown to Persian nobility, especially to Kings of the past. Bessus, for the murder of Darius, was paid special attention. After having his face customarily mutilated and torturing him, Alexander â€Å"had him torn limb from limb. He had the tops of two straight trees bent down so that they met, and part of Bessus’ body was tied to each. Then when each tree was let go and sprang back to its upright position, the part of the body that was attached to it was torn off by the recoil. (Plutarch) Persians were given positions of power and included in Alexanders army. Previously considered ‘barbarians’ were made Satraps of provinces with the most signiï ¬ cant being Mazeaeus re-established as satrap of Babylon and Porus, being given back his rule after his defeat at Hydaspes. Alexanders elite Companion Cavalry which previously was comprised of men from the ranks of Macedonian nobility, who had proven their worth in the ï ¬ eld of battle now included Persian Lords. Alexander adopted the Persian dress, wearing the diadem along with a pure white robe and sash, a compromise between Persian and Median costume. â€Å"He may have done this from a desire to adapt himself to local habits, because he understood that the sharing of race and of customs is a great step towards softening men’s hearts.† (Plutarch) Like his father Philip, Alexander also used marriages for political reasons. Through his own marriages to Roxanne (the captive daughter of Oxyartes, a Bactrian noble), to Barsine, the eldest daughter of Darius and (according to Aristobulus) to Parysatus daughter of Artaxerxes Ochus, Alexander had linked himself with both branches of the Achaemenid Persian House. Alexander also encouraged marriages between his men and Persian women. This was demonstrated at the mass marriages at Susa which according to Hamilton: â€Å"brought to a climax his policy of fusing Macedonians and Persians into a single race.† It was at Susa that 90 of Alexanders men married noble Persian women at a mass celebration. The brides received considerable dowries. One of the most dubious enforced actions introduced by Alexander was the Persian court practice, proskynesis. Researcher Herodotus of Halicarnassus observed the practice: â€Å"When the Persians meet one another in the roads, you can see whether those who meet are of equal rank. For instead of greeting by words, they kiss each other on the mouth; but if one of them is inferior to the other, they kiss one another on the cheeks, and if one is of much less noble rank than the other, he falls down before him and worships him.† As part of his Policy of Fusion, Alexander believed that the action would bring Persians and Macedonians together, however instead of this, it only managed to highlight the differences between races. While Persians already performed proskynesis to their King, for Macedonians, the action was reserved only for gods. Along with his other actions, Alexander ensured sustainability for the future and had 30,000 Iranian boys trained for the military, they were taught Greek, wore Macedonian attire and used Macedonian weapons. They were called ‘The Successors’. According to Arrian, Alexander called them his Epigoni- his inheritors. The title for the boys was apt as they would inherit the empire, and before Alexander’s death, they were obliged to him only. Persian Reaction: Implications and Impacts The Persian people viewed Alexander as a liberator, his actions repeatedly encouraged them to trust him. Unlike the Macedonians, the Persians did not have to do anything to be a part of Alexanders policy, instead, Alexanders actions encouraged the Macedonians to adopt Persian customs. Through sacriï ¬ cing to the Temple of Bel, ensuring a proper funeral for King Darius and hunting down Bessus for Darius’s murder, Alexander showed great respect for the Persian people and their customs. Before Persepolis Alexander’s men followed their leader blindly. They would die for him. They would die for the noble cause of punishing the Persians. As Alexander started to implement his Policy of Fusion discontent began to brew amongst the Macedonian Camp. Having to live in harmony with the ‘barbarians’ who they came to Asia to conquer was something they were not prepared for. This was something they struggled with as the Macedonians and  Greeks believed that they were the superior race. Furthermore, many Macedonians felt that Alexander was no longer loyal to them and thus became resentful. The strain in the relationship is shown through several events some of which are explicit reactions to fusion, while others are implicit. Division between Old Guard and New Guard The division of the Old and New Guard is shown through the Old Guard’s more extreme reactions to Alexander’s Policy of Fusion early on in the piece. Many of the Old Guard had fought under Philip and were used to his ways. This, combined with their distaste for the Fusion Policy and that the Old Guard felt that their actions at Battles past, had been forgotten created a divide between the young and old. Philotas and Parmenio In late 330 BC, in the early stages of the implementation of Fusion, a plot was hatched to kill the King. Philotas was informed to consult the King immediately, but failed to twice. Because of this he was connected to the plot and killed. Shot down by the Macedonian javelins together with his fellow conspirators (Arrian). There are several other factors that could have contributed to his death. Philotas was known to condemn the Policy. His death was a combination of Alexander’s growing insecurity concerning plots and the Macedonian resentment of Fusion. These factors blinded Alexander into believing Philotas’s guilt. There is no hard evidence to suggest Philotas’s guilt. The only proof of it appears to be his failure to organise an audience for Cebalinus or to inform Alexander of what he had been told (Hamilton). As a result of the danger of a Parmenio ï ¬ lled with vengeance at the death of his son, Parmenio was murdered too. These incidents prove how adamant Alexander was to continue with his policy, using brutality for the greater good of ensuring harmony between two peoples. Cleitus Cleitus the Black was the Commander of the Royal Squadron of Companion Cavalry and a friend of Philip. In Maracanda, 328 BC, at a drinking party Cleitus and some of the older members became offended by an insulting chant. The division between the old and young is highlighted as the â€Å"older members shouted their disproval of both the composer and the singer, but Alexander and those next to him listened with evident enjoyment and told the singer to continue Whereupon Cleitus who, besides being naturally surly and having a savage temper, was by now drunk, became extremely angry† (Plutarch). In his speech, Cleitus vented all his feelings over the last few years, particularly around fusion. â€Å"It was not right for Macedonians who were much superior to those who mocked them, even if they had met with misfortune, to be insulted before natives and enemies.† â€Å"The dead I call fortunate; they don’t live to see the Macedonians ï ¬â€šogged by the the rods of Medians and begging Persians for permission to have an audience with their king.† (Plutarch) †¦ â€Å"Go, and live with foreigners, slaves who will bow down before your Persian girdle and your white tunic.† (Plutarch) As a result of Cleitus’s comments, Alexander (who was also drunk) snatched a spear from one of his bodyguards and ran it through Cleitus. Proskynesis Historically, Persians had performed proskynesis when recognising someone of higher rank than them, as they had done to Darius, they prostrated themselves before Alexander. The action was not one of worship, merely recognising someone of higher rank. For the Macedonians however, the action was something only the slavish barbarians did. For them, the action was strictly reserved for gods. Despite Alexanders attempts to prove his divinity, he was human. What added salt to the wound was that before the campaigns he had adopted the historical Macedonian form of Kingship- prima inter pares- ï ¬ rst amongst equals. Despite knowing this, Alexander had counted in the action to enhance his fusion policy. In 327 BCE Alexander attempted to introduce proskynesis at a drinking party. According to Plutarch Alexander passed the cup to one of his friends, who took it, rose from his couch, turned to face the hearth, drank, and performed proskynesis before kissing Alexander and resuming his place. All the guests followed suit except for the philosopher Callisthenes, who refused to prostrate himself. One opposed to the action seems insigniï ¬ cant. Indeed, he was the only person to voice openly his disproval of what all the best and oldest of the Macedonians resented in their hearts. By preventing the introduction of this practise he saved the Greeks from great disgrace and Alexander from a greater (Plutarch). Mutiny at Opis One of the most illuminating examples of the Macedonian reaction to Fusion was the Mutiny at Opis- as it highlights the extent of the discontent  between Alexander and his troops. With a previous mutiny, conspiracies and the rejection of proskynesis already under their belt, the arrival of the ‘Successors’ in Susa was the tip of the iceberg for the Macedonians. The 30,000 Iranian boys arrived in Susa wearing Macedonian clothing and carrying Macedonian equipment, performing a dazzling display of discipline and deftness  before the Macedonian Army. At Opis, Alexander announced that he was releasing from the Army those who, because of old age or disablement, were no longer ï ¬ r for service and was sending them home (Arrian). This greatly vexed the Macedonian Army as they assumed that Alexander intended to replace them with the young ‘war dancers’ as they resentfully termed them (Hamilton). This assumption, combined with their distaste in Alexander’s dress throughout the campaign, his appointment (or re-appointment) of foreign Satrap leaders and inclusion of Persian in the Army (including into the prestigious Companion Cavalry) lead to their response. Arrian states that: â€Å"they did not stand passively in respectful silence, but shouted to him to dismiss every man of them and carry on with his ‘father’, mocking Ammon by this remark.† A mutiny against Alexanders actions as a result of his Fusion policy is signiï ¬ cant because it shows just how widespread the discontent was, this discontent was not something felt only by the Old Guard. Patterns of Reaction Fusion- Can we trust it?! Fusion rufï ¬â€šed the feathers of the Macedonians. It created tension which lead to recurring negative reaction. Although most Macedonians were opposed to  the policy from the outset, the Old Guard seemed more offended by it and people knew where they stood. The execution of Philotas and Parmenio and the murder of Cleitus show just how important the policy was to Alexander and how seriously he took opposition to it. As time went on war weariness and Alexander’s change in status from ‘ï ¬ rst amongst equals’ to Son of Ammon started to take a toll on the rest of the troops, the discontent in the Macedonian Army regarding fusion became more widespread, ultimately resulting in Mutiny. As none of the primary sources exist today, I have used all secondary sources in my report. This begs the question- can the sources be trusted? The secondary sources each used different primary sources from both the Good Tradition and the Vulgate. I used Arrian, Plutarch and Curtius Rufus. Arrian used mainly Ptolemy and Aristobulous but he also used Nearchus and Callisthenes. Plutarch used all sources, while Curtius Rufus used an unknown source, embellished with Cleitarchus who used sensational popular beliefs, rather than facts. This ultimately made Curtius Rufus less reliable than Arrian and Plutarch. However, it is highly improbable that the secondary sources used the primary sources word for word, rather they used the primary sources to back up their own conclusions about Alexander. There is also the question of what the primary sources had to gain from their writing. Although the good tradition are considered to be more reliable than the vulgate, they were all close to Alexander and potentially built up his achievements for their own personal gain. Conclusion: In conclusion, Alexander’s Policy of Fusion was implemented in order for Alexander to effectively govern both Persians and Macedonians. It sparked many negative reactions from the Macedonians who viewed themselves as superior. Initially the more extreme reactions were shown by the Old Guard, but with time, the whole of the army came to oppose the policy, as shown  through the Mutiny at Opis. Despite the opposition, Alexander chose to continue to pursue his policy with great perseverance. Bibliography Websites: http://www.mainlesson.com/display.php?author=abbott&book=alexander&story=death Date http://www.livius.org/pp-pr/proskynesis/proskynesis.htm http://student.kc.school.nz/ClassWebs/ClassicsWeb/Classics301/Alexander%20The%20Great/ Alexander%20PwrPts/E.%20Alexander%20&%20the%20Macedonians/1.ThePolicyofFusion.pdf! http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-04112005-150526/unrestricted/Foster_thesis.pdf http://www.google.co.nz/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=5&ved=0CDsQFjAE&url=http %3A%2F%2Feduco.vln.school.nz%2Fmod%2Fresource%2Fview.php%3Fid %3D4300&ei=WMlpU5XECIilkQXVkIHwBg&usg=AFQjCNExDT4GSgLAlubZldzs7r8rQUMag&bvm=bv.66111022,d.dGI http://www.eduplace.com/kids/socsci/ca/books/bkf3/writing/02_empires.pdf Books Arrian. (1976) The Campaigns of Alexander, page 356 Penguin Classics Hamilton, JR. (1973). Alexander the Great. Hutchinson & Co (Publishers) LTD page 28 Plutarch. (1973). The Age of Alexander. Penguin Classics- page 301, 283 The History of Alexander Penguin Classics pages 244,245