Hurricane Charley Essay

Trees down every where, houses crushed, roofs gone, thousands of people without power, cars damaged, people dieing. Hurricane Charley was perhaps one of most devastating events that I have ever experienced, in my entire life. The next morning after hurricane Charley hit, we drove outside and saw the devastating remains that Charley left. The roads were full of chaos, with no traffic lights, and the gas lines were insanely long. I was very fortunate to only loose my power and cable, in comparison to some people loosing a loved one. This hurricane caused approximately $20 billion in damages, which is nothing compared the 19 lives it took. I learned to never underestimate the effects of a hurricane, always be prepared for a hurricane, and to always think and help the less fortunate. Hurricane Charley wasn’t perceived as a very powerful hurricane to a lot of people as it progressed more towards Central Florida. I feel that a lot of people were not very prepared for Charley, just as I wasn’t. When I heard about this hurricane coming I thought, â€Å"Oh, another hurricane coming, there is going to be a lot of rain.† I didn’t think it was going to be a big deal at all. After the hurricane hit, I realized that I was completely wrong. One should always be prepared for a hurricane. I think that this statement is most definitely true, and should be carried out by everyone. Every household should have plenty of water, money, gas, batteries, flashlights, and many other things stashed away in their houses. There were major gas outages at the gas stations, because people were filling up their generators and cars. One of the major problems was that almost everyone was out of power, so you could cook or keep things cold without a generator. This lead to everyone needed ice to keep their very expensive groceries cold. When I looked back at what resulted from Charley, I actually feel fortunate. Yes, Charley did cause my dad lost business, left a lot of yard for me, left power and cable outages, and hundreds of dollars of meat to go bad. When I thought about this I felt kind of unfortunate but, when I thought about the people that starve day after day on normal bases in places like Africa, I feel fortunate. A lot of people in other countries don’t ever have power, cable, or even houses for that matter. I think that after events like this,  we should all pull together and help one another. Volunteer to help your neighbors and people that had it worse then you, have free barbeques with your meat that is going to go bad anyway, and most of all give everyone moral support. I think that Charley was a very important learning experience for a lot of us and should be thought about in different views. If you think about it, were you that effected by hurricane Charley? Did you take your power for granted? Were you well prepared for this hurricane? Did you underestimate Charley? All of these are important things to think about as you look back on Charley.

Role of Industrial Manager

The modern industrial manager is largely responsible for overlooking management operations at the workplace along with the management of people and technology. The role of the industrial manager is mainly personnel management initiatives for the employees as well as operational management and technology management through HR principles and knowledge management involving technological advances. Some of the theories that could be discussed in the context would be McGregor’s theory X-Y, Taylor and Fayol theories of management and how leadership skills of the manager could affect output and general performance of employees and the company. Role of manager: The focus here is on the role of the industrial manager, what he does and the tasks he is expected to perform. McGregor has formulated his X-Y theory by examining theories of individual behavior at work and his assumptions for theory X and theory Y vary considerably (McGregor, 2006). The theory X assumptions are that employees inherently dislike work and the managers feel that workers are in the job mainly because of the money. This sort of management style has inherent flaws as tight controls could go against the freedom of employees and will finally make people unproductive and resentful. The theory Y shows the management style marked by open-mindedness allowing individuals to work with their own responsibility. In this case, the manager believes that employees commit to their organizations through imagination, and creativity (McGregor, 2006; Weisbord, 2004). If the job is satisfying, individuals will more often commit to their organization which is always good from any HR perspective. Theory Y is often considered a positive set of assumptions for workers and reflects higher order needs. The other theories of management that could be used in practice would be Taylor’s scientific management theory that suggests that man is a rational economic animal concerned with his own economic gain and people tend to respond individually. Taylor’s theory suggests that people could be treated like machines and these principles suggest that high wages could be linked to motivation. However, considering humans as standardized machines would be like overlooking several individual differences and this would not be advantageous for any organization. Fayol’s theory emphasized on team dynamics and employee efforts in an organization (Fayol, 1988). Division of labor, authority and responsibility, discipline, unity of command and direction, emphasis on general interest, remuneration, centralization, line of authority, order, equity, stability of tenure, initiative etc are some of the features in Fayol’s theory that points out to a successful management system within an organization. Conclusion: In conclusion the role of the industrial manager is associated with bringing out a balance between people’s sense of responsibility and economic and other gains of the company. The theories used here suggest that the industrial manager is responsible for understanding individual needs of employees as also their opinions and sense of responsibility. Bibliography Fayol, Henri. (1988) General and industrial management /Â  Henry Fayol. Pitman McGregor, Douglas. (2006) The human side of enterprise /Â  Douglas McGregor, updated and with new commentary by Joel Cutcher-Gershenfeld. New York ;Â  London :Â  McGraw-Hill, Weisbord, Marvin Ross. (2004) Productive workplaces revisited :Â  dignity, meaning, and community in the 21st century /Â  Marvin R. Weisbord. [2nd ed.]. San Francisco, Calif. :Â  Jossey-Bass ;Â  Chichester :Â  John Wiley

Managing Bullying and Harassment in the Workplace

Workplace Bullying (the persistent exposure to interpersonal aggression and mistreatment from colleagues, superiors or subordinates) is a reverent problem in contemporary working life, with devastating effects on both targets and organizations (Nearest, Hole, Zap, & Cooper 2003; Earner & Seashell, 2005) There are different forms of bullying in this 21 SST century as it need not be physical with such advancement in technology. Bullying can be direct, indirect passive and through social media as well. Therefore we must outline the scope on what is bullying and what is not before we are able to draw up a way to manage such incidents.There is no specific legislation to combat workplace bullying in Singapore (Jay Parka's, Inciting Injury: An Expos of workplace bullying in Singapore). There are many a time where workplace bullying is so minute in nature and often left undulate with that it is left unnoticed, however this acts of bullying builds up in time creating a hostile and fragile wor king environment. What is bullying and harassment? Physical and verbal abuse can be factored in as bullying but other forms of bullying may be too subtle. Harassment can be a highly sensitive topic as each individual person can take it to be in different ways.What one individual considers being an act of playful gesture the involved party may think otherwise. The Workplace Bullying Institute defines workplace bullying as â€Å"abusive conduct that is; threatening, humiliating, intimidating, or work interference and verbal abuse†. The consequences to the employers may include; reduced efficiency, productivity and profitability. Increase in absenteeism, sick leaves and staff turnover. Increase in indirect costs such as management time, engaging mediators and counselors. This list is not exhaustive as there are many other uniqueness an employer might face due to workplace bullying.On the other hand when we are to look at the consequences for the employees workplace bullying and harassment can cause extensive health problems including physical and psychological illnesses and injuries causing detrimental effects for them. Therefore for the organization to work towards sustainability it is important to first identify and try to eradicate if not hundred percent at least 90 percent of this problem, reason being it is not only the victim who suffers and feels the effects of bullying it is felt across all bevels of the organizations as we have seen from the non-exhaustive list given above.While it may seem that the above analysis may provide an insight into bullying in organizations, it is becoming evident that management has to start taking proactive steps and measures in identifying and putting forth solutions and implementations to address these pressing needs whereas if not losses can be incurred for the organization. 00006718 The first step to this is that the organization spells out clearly their stance and their outline on bullying and harassment before a person is being pointed to any post in the organization, also the management of the organization should clearly state and constitute which activities are considered to be bullying or harassment therefore making it difficult for employees to find any loopholes in the system therefore escaping the penalties.Once this is done, a directive should be spelled out and sent out to all employees in the organization regardless of their position or role in the organization, therefore bringing everyone in the organization to a common single understanding. Clear penalties and actions should also be included in he directive so as to deter any potential bullies from committing such acts. All staff across the board should be made to sign this directive enabling the management to take actions and hold guilty employees liable .These directives should be clearly formalized and well communicated to the frontline managers so that they can take actions if any one of the staff were to breach the directive . Secondly the organization should have a clear communication channel across the board from bottom up. Staff and personal across all level should have access to this communication channel and mad ware of such communication channel. The magnitude of effective internal communication is evident in past researches ( Muhammad Raff et al. 2009; Mark Chon, 2007) For example, Barrett (2002) accentuates, the best way to reach and employee is via face to face communication than relying on indirect channels such as electronic media. Falkland and Hide (2008) emphasizes on bottom-up communication. Furthermore, Welch and Jackson (2007) claims that, rather than treating employees as a single public, they should be segmented based on say structural levels of demographics. This can help in insuring that the relevant information targeted to reach the relevant person can reach them in a meaningful and smooth manner.Therefore with such communication channels put in place the management team are well aw are of complaints against bullying in any levels of the organization and necessary steps and actions can be taken swiftly. Special helpline or trained HER staff in the area of counseling can be put in place to tackle sensitive issues which some employees may find it difficult in putting forth to their direct supervisors. Information from all cases must be upheld with the highest infallibility so as to protect the interests of the employee who is suffering or facing bullying or harassment in the organization.Lastly is to create a strong bond among the employees working in the organization. Inculcating a strong sense of bond between them and creating a strong sense of ownership towards the company and its common goal would enable the employees to work hand in hand to achieve the goals thus enabling the organization to realize its true benefits and bring out the fullest from an employee. If strong bonds are created at the start employees would e able to identify the differences which t hey have and sort them out accordingly without the help of the management of the interference of their superiors thus creating a better working environment.To achieve this, the organization can hold yearly bonding activities for their employees, invite professionals to give their opinions and facts on employee relationships, hold monthly meetings to iron out any issues arising and to let the employees swiftly handle the matter within themselves, Muhammad Shaffer s/o Mohamed Kids In conclusion, a well working and robust organization largely depends on heir sustainability of their employees. Toxic and unfriendly working environment may lead the organization to lack in certain areas, therefore immobility's the organization in their growth.Organizations should therefore from the Start deter such bullying and harassment issues, even if these issues were to crop up in the later part of the organizations growth the management must be swift in handling and weeding out such problematic activ ities before it impacts the whole organization. As said above, bullying or harassment does not only affect the person who is the victim it's effects can be felt across the hole organization as a whole.

Should the government provide free public education to children of Essay - 1

Should the government provide free public education to children of illegal immigrants - Essay Example Arguably, every young individual has dreams for a better future, and this can only be achieved from education. In addition, the schools are aimed at prepare an active participant in the future of American society when such attain maturity. Though illegally within the country, the government should understand that they are part of the country. As such, illegal immigrants should be provided with knowledge and skills to avoid making them dependants. They might be a vital asset in the future. If ignored, the immigrants may even cause problems to the country such as committing crimes. These crimes may even affect their home countries to extend of destroying the relationship between the countries (Grandrath, 2011). A scholar once stated that if a society governance values individuals, believes in both education and children, then it should be ready to take care and educate each child in its area of jurisdiction. In American government’s case as a society, it should then be ready to fund the education of these illegal immigrants irrespective of their race and origin to better individual’s and the country’s future (Grandrath, 2011). Education usually acts as stepping-stone for many people and denial to the right for education may lead to destruction of people’s goals. ... Some may be talented in many aspects of benefit to the country. They maybe even grow up to become great people in power and bring a change in government, coming up with policies and rights favoring each person in that country. Obama tries to sensitize the people on t he importance of each person in the nation. From the president’s sensitization speech, we get to know how innocent and important these children are to the nation. Therefore, ignoring them will lead to many problems to the entire nation. For instance, their lives will be affected. Since the immigrants are eventually part of the United States nation, Lack of education translates to unemployment, which means the rate of poverty will increase. This eventually affects the lives of most parts of the nation. Some of the effects caused by poverty may include prostitution, which is a social crime (Grandrath, 2011). From these social crimes, problems like spread of diseases like HIV/Aids will erupt. These may lead to loss o f lives and decline in the economy. This is because funds will be set aside for treatment purposes. Further still, education is important in a nation irrespective of the individual being educated since it helps one gain knowledge and skills in different fields. Therefore, failure to educate these aliens may lead to insufficient specialists in different fields and inadequate labor in the country. Denying such individuals access to education means important labor force is left out. As a result, labor import, which is expensive more compared to when labor was readily available, might turn to be the solution. In essence, education helps boost the labor market and hence the economy at large through increased per capita income. Changes in the Dream Act have enabled

A self assessment on intercultural negotiating skills Essay - 1

A self assessment on intercultural negotiating skills - Essay Example This paper looks at issues surrounding intercultural negotiations. Qualities of a Good Intercultural Negotiator A good cross-cultural negotiator should be a good observer and listener. He is able to observe how people from two different cultural backgrounds communicates and is thus able to develop a common ground where the two parties can understand each other. Another characteristic that a good communicator should bear is the ability to communicate clearly and precisely. He should be able to identify the root problem of the conflict and communicate it to the parties involved (JANDT, 2010: 65). He should then communicate the need to first deal with the root problem as a way of eradicating the problem completely. A good intercultural communicator should never assume anything. When in doubt about something, he should ask for clarification from the parties involved. He should also not shy away from paraphrasing statement to ensure that there is no misunderstanding Assumptions may lead t o the negotiator making decisions based on stereotypes and not fact. This would make the party which is affected by the cultural stereotype to be dissatisfied with the solution and the conflict is not amicably resolved. A negotiator should also be flexible in terms of negotiation (FISHER & PATTON, 1992: 32). It is okay to conduct a background research on the conflict and come up with ways of resolving the conflict before meeting the parties. However, a good negotiator should be able to change his solutions in line with new information acquired during the negotiation process. Self assessment on the Simulation of the role of an Intercultural Negotiator In the case I was negotiating upon as an MP of Dunston area involved convincing Spitzer UK Company to continue operating within the area. The company had invested in the area but was now closing its operations in Duston as it stopped some of its research projects respiratory and allergy. This move would result in 2400 people losing thei r jobs. This is against my promises to the people of increasing job opportunities. I resolved this problem by talking to Duston mayor to find a way that we could stop the company from leaving the district. A meeting was organized between the Spitzer company managers and the mayor. For the company to continue operating in the district, the mayor would provide the necessary infrastructure needed such as roads. He would also relax the tax requirements making this region attractive to Spitzer. This was with the condition that they retain all the employees. The company would then work on its existing researches in Dunston. Eventually the company agreed to continue with its operation but would have to reduce the current employees by 20% in order to cut on costs. One mistake that I made when going to the negotiations is that I believed that the only solution to the problem was having all the employees retained. However, after talking with the parties involved and almost repulsing the Spitz er company manager, I realized that there was another solution. If the company agreed to retain its operations in the district with 80% of employees, it would soon need to employ more people as it started working on new project. The deal may not be what I wanted at the moment but the company would employ more people in the longrun (GIBSON, 2002: 49). If the company refused the deal and moved its

Inspired by Nature, Perfected by Science Assignment

Inspired by Nature, Perfected by Science - Assignment Example Research was conducted by Dr. Alan Darlington — a world-renowned expert on indoor-air biofilters who is now our company President — along with a team of researchers from U of G. Findings from this research were so positive that Dr. Darlington was awarded a fellowship to take the technology to market. In 2001, Air Quality Solutions Ltd was launched. Through ongoing research and strong product development, the company soon gained more than an impressive — and growing — share of the market: it also gained the attention of the NEDLAW Group, respected specialists in both conventional and living roofs. In 2008 the two companies joined forces and Air Quality Solutions became NEDLAW Living Walls Inc. What are the options for making NEDLAW Living Wallsâ„ ¢ active? There are three ways air can be drawn through the Living Wall to make it active: The most effective way is for the wall to be designed as an alternative return-air path back to the HVAC. The air, which is normally drawn from the space, is first cleansed as it passes through the wall and is then disseminated through the space by the HVAC. Ideally a bypass is integrated into the design so that air can be drawn from the space without passing through the wall (for periods of free cooling, wall establishment or wall maintenance). The second approach is to build fans right into the wall so it functions as a stand-alone unit, separate from the building’s HVAC. Although this works well, it is not as effective as the first method since it has a much more localized effect. The third method is a hybrid of the first two. The Living Wall has its own fan system but it also has a duct system to better diffuse air through the space. We can help select which scenario would work best in your space. Return to the top What do NEDLAW active Living Wall biofilters look like? A wall covered in plants, our system is essentially vertical hydroponics. Water from a basin planting is lifted by a pump system to the top and flows back through the interior of the plant wall, circulating through a closed water loop system. Return to the top Is anyone else trying this approach? To the best of our knowledge, the NEDLAW patented system is the only one to use plant walls as biofilters to control indoor air quality. Return to the top Could native plants be used in the system? Some native plants may be present. However, most native plants would not survive well indoors. Plants adapt to their local climate and, as such, plants from northern climates generally require the different seasons to grow properly. For most native plants to survive indoors, the climate in the wall would have to mimic these seasons, making routine use of the space difficult and its performance irregular. Return to the top How long do the plants survive in the space? We expect about 90% survival of the plants each year; but this is largely dependent on the choice of plants and local conditions. Return to the top Are pesticides used in the wall? We use only methods that can be considered organic to control pests in our walls; we emphasize management practices and biological controls such as predators. So-called pests such as white flies, fungus gnats, spider mites and their respective predator species are necessary, even desirable. They contribute to the ecosystem’s species diversity and ecological stability. Return

Doctrine of Freedom of Seas Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Doctrine of Freedom of Seas - Term Paper Example In the First United Nations Conference at Geneva in 1958, and the second conference in Geneva, 1960, third conference in Caracas in 1973, later in Geneva and New York, the problem was discussed; but unanimity decision could not be arrived at for a long time. According to some, the earlier doctrine of Freedom of Seas, the Laissez Faire â€Å"has been designed specifically to favor the strong countries over the weak countries, the industrialized countries over the poor, and the developed over the developing,† Njenga in Payoyo (p.69), because there are inequalities in the traditional law of the sea. Hence it was necessary for the modern doctrine to adjust well with the Doctrine of Coastal State Sovereignty. Countries outside Europe feel that the present law is rather ‘Eurocentric’ â€Å"The idea that beyond the narrow confines of the territorial sea, the Coastal State would retain jurisdiction and control over adjacent resources, living and non-living, as well as all economic activities conducted therein, was realised through the sui generis regime of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ),† (Ibid, p.72). Modern Freedom of the Seas governs unrestricted access to the high seas, beyond the national territory. Initially, it was established by Romans, was challenged by Papal Bull in the 16th century, trying hard to divide the oceans between the then naval powers of Portugal and Spain. In the 18th century, the rights over the territorial waters were extended up to 3 miles. During the war, the United States argued that neutral ships should be permitted into the territorial waters to carry goods, while military blockade, war planning all affected this law in those unsettled days. When naval power was at its zenith, this law was an important bone of contention. After the French revolution when Britain and France imposed the maritime blockade, the matter went to the extent of America declaring war on Britain!