Reflective journal on management skills Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Reflective journal on management skills - Article Example fortunately the lead counselor personally requested that I hand the report directly to her instead of to the office manager and she was very disappointed when she read it. She conducted her own investigations and discovered that the entire report was my own work alone and that I had not involved the other staff in the creation of it. I felt so ashamed of my work that I avoided her for the next week. I was the topic of discussion in the office with all the other staff members talking about me and the report. The lead counselor forced me to repeat the entire project and report to her each day. I was also to bring her the recommendations of every person I interviewed and she would go and confirm these recommendations personally. I learnt a lesson that next time I would be given an opportunity like that, I would do my best. I will adhere strictly to what I need to do and make sure that I follow the instructions precisely. I am sure that if I follow the instructions to the letter, I will perform better. This is because whatever result I will produce will be compliant with the instructions and I will avoid a situation where I bring reports that are from my imagination. I ought to cultivate a sense of responsibility, which will help me respect my work. I have to respect my work and see it as an important responsibility that I must complete well. This will help me be an organized and responsible individual and will transform me into an asset for whatever organization I work with. This lesson ought to help me adapt and become a proper professional for my own good and the good of my professional

Compare and contrast the approaches taken by John Lewis Partnership Essay

Compare and contrast the approaches taken by John Lewis Partnership and Tesco plc with regard to their social and community resp - Essay Example This management style and culture is analyzed by assessing the social and community responsibilities of both the organizations. As with any company, both the organizations have put a great focus towards their corporate social responsibility. Both the organizations have worked immensely towards the building of society and shown great care towards the environment in which they operate. The only difference between the two organizations is the fact that Tesco plc operates around the globe whilst JLP has just to focus on its UK market community only as it operates over there only. Both the companies are heavily involved in volunteering and fundraising for charities and other local communities. Besides the community, the company has kept a great focus on the environment in which they operate. Both the companies are heavily involved in contributing a great deal towards the environment, both of these companies have a major focus on reducing their carbon footprints, Tesco has kept a long term view in this perspective, it aims to be a zero carbon business by 2050. Both the companies have kept huge objectives for themselves with respect to the environment in which they operate. ... it aims to plant 950,000 trees in Thailand, reducing carrier baggage use by 70% and 20% in UK and Japan respectively. As Tesco is a large organization, it has to cater to all the countries demands and has to focus within every country in which it operates so that it does not lose its appeal and goodwill created amongst its customer. This focus onto the environment is considered to be one of the major steps in creating greater goodwill amongst the customers of both the organizations. Tesco, as opposed to JLP has been really focused on to the climate change factor. Tesco knows that the climate change factor has been highly debatable these days and that is the reason that Tesco has aimed to create awareness amongst its customers about the climate change factor and how the reduced usage of packaging material and high focus of green recycling can help in contributing towards a better climate and environment. As far as the products are concerned, Tesco offers a wide variety of products as opposed to JLP. But as for the method of sale, both the companies have kept great quality standards within their products. Both the companies have ensured that their respective products are of the greatest value to their customers. Proper laws are also followed while selling off these products. Both the companies tend to ensure their customers that the products being offered are produced responsibly. The companies have kept special focus and great relationship with their suppliers as strong bondage with these suppliers ensure long term growth for both the company as well as the suppliers. The companies also have a great focus towards their customers as customers are the only people that generate funds for the company. Both the companies have had a great

Libyan Negotiations to Join the World Trade Organization Dissertation

Libyan Negotiations to Join the World Trade Organization - Dissertation Example The World Trade Organization was developed as the successor of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade or GATT was initially developed as an international organization dealing with multilateral agreements that focus on economic cooperation on a worldwide level. It was developed together with the Bretton Woods institutions – the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. When it was established, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade were merely composed on twenty-three members. As time passed by, the membership therein has increased to fifty which in turn also launched the initiatives pertaining to the establishment of the World Trade Organization. As reflected in the earlier parts of this introduction, the establishment of the World Trade Organization is premised on its capacity to enforce global trading by providing important rules and regulations related thereto. The proponents of the World Trade Organization ha ve then been responsible for the development of the charter of the former. In the same manner, they are also given the task to come up with bilateral or multilateral agreements that cover the following in the international arena: (1) labor, (2) business practices, and (3) investments. Finally, the members of the World Trade Organization are also concerned with the significant reduction of trade restrictions so as to be able to properly implement the tenets of free trade, as envisioned by the World Trade Organization.... ablishment of the World Trade Organization is premised on its capacity to enforce global trading by providing important rules and regulations related thereto. The proponents of the World Trade Organization have then been responsible for the development of the charter of the former. In the same manner, they are also given the task to come up with bilateral or multilateral agreements that cover the following in the international arena: (1) labor, (2) business practices, and (3) investments. Finally, the members of the World Trade Organization are also concerned with the significant reduction of trade restrictions so as to be able to properly implement the tenets of free trade, as envisioned by the World Trade Organization. 8 9 The establishment of the World Trade Organization has likewise been propelled by the aftermath of the two World Wars.10 Indeed, countries all over the world have identified the two World Wars as well as the Great Depression as the darkest years in the history of human kind.11 It is in relation to this fact that they have considered the significance undertaking various steps in order to promote progress.12 Parenthetically, the establishment of international institutions is premised on the need to promote not just global peace but also, global prosperity. Once again, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), the predecessor of the World Trade Organization was primarily established as an avenue where disputes related to trade can be submitted.13 14 The immediate and effective resolution of these trade disputes is deemed of paramount importance in the attempt to reduce the chances of another World War. The complicated issue related to globalization is one of the major sources of disputes amongst countries. As a result thereof, it is of utmost

The Function and Process of Perception Essay Example for Free

The Function and Process of Perception Essay The function and process of perception can vary depending on a particular state of consciousness. Normal waking consciousness is a mental state that encompasses the thoughts, feelings, and perceptions that occur when we are awake and reasonably alert (Morris Maisto, 2010, p. 123). Since this state of mind expires after an amount of time, other forms of consciousness follow; whether naturally or self-induced. While sensory data is inevitable, the brains interpretation and perception of such stimuli during an altered state of consciousness will differ from that of waking consciousness. This mini-paper will elaborate on the effects of perception, including its process and function, related to three altered states of consciousness. The first being sleep and dreams, next drug-altered consciousness, followed by hypnosis. Before discussing the effects of perception while in an altered state, an overview of the basic function and process of perception in a normal setting is needed. Sensation is the bodys initial encounter with a sensory experience. This begins when the sensory receptors receive energy from a particular stimulus, which trigger receptor cells. The physical energy is converted into electrochemicals, then passes along sensory nerves, to the central nervous system where the brain receives the energy as a detailed message. However, not all physical energy produces a sensation. A minimum intensity, termed absolute threshold, must be achieved in order to produce a sensation. Perception takes place when the message reaches the brain and is then deciphered. Here, the sensory information is organized and interpreted to be made sense of. Using sensory information as raw material, the brain creates perceptual experiences that go beyond what is sensed directly (Morris Maisto, 2010, p. 06). Again, this is the series of events in the normal waking state of consciousness. During an altered state of consciousness the effect, process, and/or function of perception may vary. Sleep is the bodys natural way of recharging itself mentally and physically. Research has shown that adequate sleep contributes to cognitive functioning such as enhanced creativity, decision-making, and problem-solving skills, and also crucial to the formation of long-term memories (Morris Maisto, 2010). These are some of the basis of perception, hence the reason for its peak during waking consciousness. REM sleep, or paradoxical sleep, ironically, is a close resemblance to waking consciousness. However, REM is a deep sleep, it is difficult to wake the person, and is when most dreaming takes place. Dreams, in a way, could be considered perception. The brain subconsciously interprets information without the need of sensory stimulation. Psychologists define dreams as visual and auditory experiences that our minds create during sleep (Morris Maisto, 2010, p. 131). This is an example of a natural occurrence of altering consciousness. Drug-altered consciousness on the other hand, is self-induced. Psychoactive drugs are substances that change peoples moods, perceptions, mental functioning, or behavior (Morris Maisto, 2010, p. 134). Drugs are taken to purposely alter ones state of consciousness. To analyze the effect drugs have on the nervous system, three categories of drugs will be mentioned: depressants, stimulants, and hallucinogens. Depressants slow behavior, thinking, and perception by increasing or decreasing nerve impulses. Stimulants, such as amphetamines, produce feelings of optimism as well as never-ending energy by stimulating the sympathetic nervous system. These drugs cause the release of norepinephrine from adrenergic nerve endings (Weil, n. d. ). Lastly, hallucinogens distort the users senses and induce perceptual changes by causing experiences that resemble hallucinations. A positive for psychoactive drugs is the ability to explore different parts of the brain while in this altered state of consciousness. Although, the negative consequences of abuse and addiction are high risk. The last section is a technique that has been used for centuries for positivity, without the risk. Hypnosis is a trancelike state in which a person responds readily to suggestions (Morris Maisto, 2010, p. 50). This is an altered state of consciousness that works like sleep. The subconscious person receives a suggestion, which acts as a stimulus, and is sent to and interpreted by the brain. Hypnosis can help ease pain as well as cure an addiction. In conclusion, perceptual experiences vary in different forms of consciousness. Whether it be the sensory organs or the brain itself, interpretation of the coded message is somehow changed. The process and function of perception in waking consciousness differs from those while in an altered state of consciousness.

Criticism of a Social Group

Criticism of a Social Group The intergroup sensitivity effect occurs when people perceive criticism of a social group they belong to. Group members evaluation of the criticism depends largely on the source of the message. According to social identity theory outgroup members are typically evaluated less positively than ingroup members because people are motivated to perceive their group (and themselves) as more favorable than a reference group. Applying this ingroup preference to intergroup criticisms; outgroup critics are evaluated less positively than ingroup critics, and their comments arouse greater sensitivity than do the same comments made by an ingroup member. Since ingroup members receive more positive appraisal, their criticisms are perceived as more constructive, provoke less sensitivity, and are agreed with more. Research by Hornsey and Imani (2003) supported the intergroup sensitivity effect by revealing that ingroup critics were met with less defensiveness than were outgroup critics, regardless of t he amount of experience they had with the ingroup. The black sheep effect is another phenomenon related to social identity. When ingroup member deviate from the defining norms of the group they threaten the image of the group. One goal of group membership is positive distinctiveness; to be distinct from a reference group in a more positive way. When ingroup members deviate from norms that define the group they threaten the positive distinctiveness of the group. These individuals are then negatively evaluated. The black sheep effect refers to more negative evaluations of ingroup deviants compared to outgroup members, deviant or otherwise. Outgroup deviants cannot threaten the positive distinctiveness of the group like an ingroup member can. Groups may have a tendency to agree on more extreme positions than those held by individuals through a process called group polarization. Often this occurs following group discussion. Two theories may account for this phenomenon, social comparison theory (SCT) and persuasive arguments theory (PAT). According to SCT, people are motivated to evaluate and present themselves positively, in order to do this an individual must be continually processing information about how other people present themselves and adjust their self-presentations accordingly. People also want to be perceived to be better than average so they present themselves in a more favorable light. When all members of a group engage in this comparing process the result is a shift in a direction of perceived greater value. To do this people engage in removal of pluralistic ignorance, where they present their views as compromises between the ideal and the desire to not be too deviant from the group. People then tend to shift towards the ideal position, leading to group polarization. The bandwagon effect, or one-upmanship, also occurs because people want to be different and distinct from other people in their group in a more favorable direction. This happens when people infer the norm of the group, then shift their respo nse to a more ideal position. The persuasive arguments theory (PAT) suggests that an individuals choice or position on an issue is a function of the number and persuasiveness of pro and con arguments that that person recalls from memory when formulating their position. Discussion causes polarization because it provides persuasive arguments to the individual. These arguments tend to be evaluated on their validity and novelty. A meta-analysis by Isenberg (1986) suggested that, while there is evidence for both SCT and PAT as mediators of group polarization, PAT tends to have a stronger effect. While both may occur simultaneously, there is evidence that they are two conceptually independent processes. One of the primary ways that individuals maintain independence from norms associated with social groups is through social support. Allen (1975) proposed that social support serves to provide an assessment of physical and social reality. Under situations of conformity (experimentally manipulated by consensus on an incorrect answer) social support encourages individuals to express responses inconsistent with those of the group. Social support counteracts negative social factors related to dissent by reducing anxiety related to potential rejection, and reducing the perception that the group will make negative dispositional attributions about the dissenter. On a cognitive basis, social support helps nonconformity by simply breaking the expectation of group consensus, by cognitively restructuring the meaning of a given stimulus, and by reassuring the dissenting person that they have not lost touch with reality. Nonconformity aided by social support is enhanced by previous social contact w ith the supporter, and occur whether the supporter is an ingroup or outgroup member (as long as the conformity issue is not related to the salient social identity. The effectiveness of minority influence relies on a number of factors. According to Moscovici Faucheux (1972) one of the main factors is consistency of the message. People are motivated to seek consistency in their social world and it is easier to persuade individuals of the legitimacy of ones view on issues when the message is consistent, particularly when the answer is unknown (e.g. how to fix  the economy). Moscovici also suggests that rigid minorities tend to have a less direct influence than more flexible minorities, which may imply that Palin needs to portray her views as more moderate. Alvaro and Crano (1997) suggest that indirect minority influence may be effective at changing attitudes. In an effort to effect popular opinion about highly contested and core political issues (e.g. abortion rights) she ought to target an associated, less contentious issue (e.g. sex education in public schools). In order for her to have any success at indirect influence however, she needs to present herself as an ingroup member. She might focus on her identity as a woman, a mother, cite a long familial American heritage or any other potential cross-cutting categories. She will have more success if she portrays herself as more similar to the majority of Americans. Old fashioned prejudice may be characterized as overt prejudice where discrimination is obvious and public. Modern prejudice can be conceptualized as aversive racism (Gaertner Dovidio, 1986) which is characterized by ambivalence between feelings and beliefs associated with a egalitarian value system and unacknowledged negative feelings and beliefs about African Americans. For most Americans an egalitarian value system is important to the self-concept, demanding a nonprejudiced self-image. This is the result of sympathy for victims of past injustices leading to support of public policies that promote racial equality. However, negative attitudes toward African Americans are still pervasive. These feelings and beliefs may be derived from a historical and contemporary culturally racist contexts (creating uneasiness or discomfort). They may be biases derived from cognitive mechanisms that contribute to the development of stereotypes. They may also develop from any combination of historic al stereotypes, institutional racism, need for self-esteem, or economic competition. As opposed to the direct link between old fashioned racism and acts of prejudice, aversive racism has more complex antecedents for expression of prejudice. When there is weak, ambiguous or conflicting normative structure defining appropriate interaction or if a prejudiced response can be rationalized or justified through attribution to some factor other than race, actsof prejudice are more likely to occur. When there is clearly appropriate normative structure and a prejudiced response cannot be rationalized acts of prejudice are less likely to occur. Deindividuation effects have classically been described as anti-normative behavior stemming from decreased self-awareness and decreased self-evaluation, occurring when the presence and identity of a group supersede individual identity. Specific antecedents of deindividuation effects were proposed by Zimbardo (1969), which included anonymity, sensory overload, novel situations, loss of individual responsibility and substance abuse. Zimbardo proposed that deindividuation effects manifested as behaviors that were violations of norms and largely characterized as antisocial. Diener (1980) further elaborated on the effect as decreased self-awareness by an individual, making them responsive to external stimulus over internal monitoring and planning. It is important to note that these classical conceptions of deindividuation effects largely as an individual process, rather than a group process. A more contemporary model that challenges classical conceptualizations of deindividuation is the social identity perspective on deindividuation effects (SIDE; Reicher et al., 1995). The SIDE model proposes that deindividuation effects fall into one of two categories; (a) cognitive effects and (b) strategic effects, depending on whether the self or other group members are anonymous. Cognitive effects are believed to occur in relation to others being anonymous or identifiable. When group members are anonymous the individual has a tendency to perceive indicators of group membership, making social identity and group norms salient, however when other group members are identifiable, individual identity becomes salient, decreasing the power of group norms. In contrast, strategic effects occur when the self is either anonymous or identifiable to the group. They are named as such because rather than being involved in perception of social identity, they are involved in displaying social identi ty. Studies suggested that when an individual was anonymous they expressed more punishable than unpunishable ingroup norms, when they were identifiable, they expressed more unpunishable than punishable ingroup norms. When identity is available to an ingroup, individuals express group norms in an effort to enhance social identity, but when identity is available to an outgroup, individuals are less expressive of group norms, possibly for fear of retribution. The SIDE model suggests that crowd behaviors related to anonymity rarely result from deindividuated states, rather that behaviors were context dependant and consistent with group norms.

On the Grand Finale in Samuel Clemenss :: essays papers

On the Grand Finale in Samuel Clemenss Samuel Langhorne Clemens (Mark Twain) not only tells a story in this famous contribution to American literature, he also goes to great length to depict civilized humanity in a light that is anything but glamorous or glorious. In fact, his descriptions of typical representatives of society regarding their motivations, actions, habits, and morals are conveyed with subtlety but with unmistakable critical intentions. The metatextual aspects of this work appear gradually but intensify toward the end until the novel reaches a point where it begins to border on the absurd, a literary aspect explored more fully by later writers, such as playwright Samuel Beckett. Distinct elements of absurdity materialize when Huck Finn searches for Jim, his fellow traveler on the raft, who had been sold as a runaway slave by a con-artist. In the course of this search, Huck stumbles upon the farm of Aunt Sally and Uncle Silas who mistake him for Tom Sawyer. Huck goes along with this mistake, creating a situation that gets compounded when the real Tom Sawyer shows up. The latter, however, volunteers to go along with the ruse by posing first as a stranger and then as his own brother Sid. The novel depicts Huck Finn as a character who learned to stand on his own two feet at an early age and is used to surviving by his wits. He lacks formal education, and it is clear that he likes to view himself as un-"sivilized," but he is smart enough to wiggle himself out of almost any difficulty. His intelligence manifests itself in an uncanny ability to recognize human motivations and shortcomings and to act accordingly. However, he does not exploit people and generally refuses to compromise his own moral code which is fairly strict and amazingly conventional. Tom Sawyer, by comparison, is a well-read boy who clearly represents Clemens's view of the "learned" factions and aspects of society. The picture that emerges when Huck and Tom start to collaborate is one of almost perpetual conflict of the two in their mutual quest of a common objective: the liberation of Jim. Clemens turns this conflict into a tit-for-tat comparison of an "honor" student from the school of hard knocks in the so-called "real world" and his counterpart from the school of human civilization who functions mostly by using knowledge acquired from books.

Abraham Lincoln and Huckleberry Finn

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a novel that was written by Mark Twain. The novel was published in 1884 in England and a year later in the United States. The book chronicles the adventures of Huckleberry Finn, a boy running away from being â€Å"sivilized† and Jim, a runaway slave. The book follows them as they travel down the Mississippi River. As the novel progresses and Jim and Huck become closer friends, we begin to see Huck’s inner struggle. He is torn between two different moral commitments- to the slave society he has grown up in and his friendship with Jim.Huck has been trained to tolerate and support slavery, and his friendship with Jim enables him to see the injustice of the institution. Completing my part of the PIOP, Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation, enabled me to see the similarities in the beliefs of Abraham Lincoln and Huck. Both grew up in a time and place where slavery was considered acceptable and racism was ever-present. As the two grew up, or in Huck’s case spent time with a slave, their views began to gradually change. It took Lincoln a while longer to believe that slavery was morally wrong, but for most of his life he advocated for the abolishment of slavery.My part of the project gave me an opportunity to research one of the greatest reformers, orator, and president this country has ever seen. Abraham Lincoln’s humble beginnings in a one-room log cabin in Kentucky gave him the ability to empathize with the common man and those less fortunate than him. From the beginning of his political career until his assassination, Abraham Lincoln advocated for the abolishment of slavery, at first saying it would benefit the United States economically and then on the basis that it was morally wrong. Even though his point of view made him unpopular in the South, he was still elected president in 1860.Abraham Lincoln being president guaranteed slaves and free blacks that they had someone on their side; s omeone to advocate on their behalf. When southern states began to secede from the Union and the Civil War broke out, Lincoln was presented with an opportunity to free the slaves once and for all as a war tactic. On January 1, 1863, Lincoln issued a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation that freed all slaves in rebellious states. Although Lincoln maintained that his duty was to â€Å"save the Union, and is not either to save or destroy slavery,† emancipation is argued as one of his greatest achievements.Lincoln was the first president to combat the issue of slavery head-on. Even though the Emancipation Proclamation didn’t as work as well as he hoped, it paved the way for the passage of Amendment 13 which outlawed slavery in the United States. Mark Twain wrote The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn twenty years after the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation. Slavery had been abolished and the North and South were somewhat getting along. Why would Twain publish a novel about morals about an institution that was no longer in place? Legally, blacks and whites were equal, but there was still a problem with racism.