Reading Important Essay Example for Free

Reading Important Essay 1. Reading is fundamental to function in todays society. There are many adults who cannot read well enough to understand the instructions on a medicine bottle. That is a scary thought especially for their children. Filling out applications becomes impossible without help. Reading road or warning signs is difficult. Even following a map becomes a chore. 2. Reading is a vital skill in finding a good job. 3. Reading develops the mind. 4. Reading is how we discover new things. 5. Reading develops the imagination. 6. Reading develops the creative side of people. 7. Reading is key in developing a good self image. Non-readers or poor readers often have low opinions of themselves and their abilities. 8. Good reading skills improve spelling. 9. Ideas written down have changed the destiny of men and nations. 10. The power of written ideas communicated through reading is a foundational reason why some governments oppose free and honest communication. Illiterate people are easier to control and manipulate. They cannot do their own research and thinking. They must rely on what they are told. Words are the building blocks of life. You are, right now, the result of words that you have heard or read and believed. What you become in the future will depend on the words you believe about yourself now. People, families, relationships, and even nations are built from words. Think about it. Why is Writing Important? It seems like a silly question, but it is very important to be able to express yourself well. Our writings precede us, or introduce us. For example, when we apply for a job or to enroll in a school, we need to submit a resume and sometimes a cover letter, or when sending e-mails to someone we don’t actually know well or haven’t met yet (work partners, customers, or even responding on behalf of the company you work for). If we make a bad (or illegible) impression, the outcome for us may not be favorable. Poor writing may cost a lot; it may lead to misunderstanding and misconstruing due to sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, and spelling problems. We need to write well for the following reasons: To translate, communicate, and materialize our ideas and thoughts into accessible documents that are useful to ourselves and others To report our work in informative, concise, and professional formats Another important reason is that when writing, we are sending a message to our readers about who we are. Therefore, we need to be clear, focused, and accurate so as not to be misunderstood, underestimated, or ignored.

Information System In Allied Bank

Information System In Allied Bank Allied bank was the first bank to be established in Pakistan. It started out in Lahore by the name Australasia Bank before independence in 1942; was renamed Allied Bank of Pakistan Limited in 1974 and then Allied Bank Limited in 2005. Allied Bank was the first Muslim bank to have been established in Pakistan. Established in December 1942 as the Australasia Bank in Lahore with a paid-up share capital of Rs. 0.12 million under the Chairmanship of Khawaja Bashir Bux, the Bank attracted deposits equivalent to Rs. 0.431 million in its first eighteen months of business. Today, with its existence of over 60 years, the Bank has built itself a foundation with a strong equity, assets and deposit base. At the time, the Banks total assets amounted to Rs. 0.572 million. Today, Allied Banks paid up Capital Reserves amount to Rs. 10.5 billion, deposits exceed Rs. 143 billion and total assets equal Rs. 170 billion. It offers universal banking services, while placing major emphasis on retail banking. The Bank also has the largest network of over 800 online branches in Pakistan and offers various technology-based products and services to its diverse clientele. Vision: To become a dynamic and efficient bank providing integrated solutions and the first choice of bank for all customers. Mission: To provide high tech innovative solutions to meet customer requirements To create sustainable value through growth, efficiency and diversity for all stake holders To provide a challenging work environment, and reward dedicated team members To play a proactive role in contributing towards the society Values: Integrity Excellence in service High performance Innovation and growth Areas of Business: Allied bank is operating in all major cities of Pakistan. It has a network of 700 branches. Information Systems at Allied Bank Limited Information systems used at ABL differ from department to department and complete specifications of systems used in Customer Retail Banking Department will be mentioned in the later part of the report however, the IS used in Allied bank serves the common purpose of faster communication between all stake holders, updating of transactions process on daily basis, provision of better customer service, faster execution of data, easier access and communication to the central branch and other branches countrywide etc. However, Allied Bank used manual systems before 2002. The reasons for making the shift to automated information systems are summarized below: The need for converting from manual to automated systems: Personnel at Allied Bank are of the view that both manual and automated systems are effective ways of message entry and transmission but manual data systems have certain cons as compared to their counterpart the automated data systems. Manual data systems are slow and tedious as compared to automated systems. Moreover, there are more chances of human error occurring in the usage of manual systems as compared to automated systems and this error removing is crucial to the efficient functioning of the Allied Bank. Moreover, manual data systems are less secure and tampering with data is possible via their use and to minimize that risk Allied bank shifted to the use of automated Data systems in 2002. Moreover, Mr. Shahzad Shahid, Product Manager-Liabilities, was of the view that this change will result in cost reduction in the long run. Management Information System used at ABL The MIS used at Allied bank Limited is Oracle Database 10g. Oracle Data base 10g has completely transformed the outlook and operations of ABL. It has transformed the structure such that now ABLs IS does not consist of fragmented machineries working individually to attain goals but they now function as a fused collection of servers, storage devices, and systems to meet the changing processing needs of ABL. This resulted in dramatic cost reduction, overall efficiency and enhancement in the quality of customer service. It has also reduced hardware costs by efficient networking and amalgamating of functions performed by various servers and systems. Cost reduction also took place because Oracle 10g eliminated the need for the purchases and upgrading of management softwares and tools and third party interventions as it was a complete management solution in itself. Oracle 10g also enabled Allied Bank Limited in efficient and wider data base storage, high and faster accessibility of data, faster performance, secure data transferring and cheaper application development. Salient features of Oracle 10g from which ABL is benefiting from are described below in great detail:  [1]   Oracle 10g served as a very attractive investment for Allied Bank Limited as it cut down significant costs of Allied Bank on hardware because Oracle 10g provide the technology of Oracle Real Application Clusters which enabled the creation of communication clusters via use of just 3-4 PCs which become more easier to administer and run and are more efficient as compared to functioning of sole systems. Oracle 10g also enabled Allied Bank to cut down its costs on storage devices which prove to be a big cost for banks to store humongous amounts of daily transactions and data. However, this problem was solved by the use of Oracles automatic storage management which not only enabled the pooling of PCs but also enabled pooling of storage devices to the communication cluster as per required. This choice of addition of storage devices to clusters made the data transformation, collection and storage cheaper, easier and efficient. Oracle 10g has enabled Allied bank to save on its database management costs as its database administration is either completely automatic or much uncomplicated. This has enabled Allied bank to save its costs on the training of new database managers. Oracle 10g has its own cluster administration softwares which monitor, manage the performance of clusters and thus eliminates the needs for extra utility and program softwares. Oracle uses Oracle Enterprise Manager Grid Control and Management Packs to monitor clusters performance efficiently. Oracle 10g uses GUI tools and utilities for increasing the power and efficiency of the clusters. Oracle 10g also introduces self-administration in the databases through use of programs such as Automatic Storage Management, Automatic Memory Management, Automatic Optimizer Statistics Collection, Automatic Workload Repository, Automatic Database Diagnostics Monitor, Automatic SQL Tuning, Segment Advisor, Automatic Workload Management, Automatic Disk-Based Backup and Recovery to meet the changing processing, data transforming and storing demands. Thus, Allied Bank has benefited greatly from its shift from Manual systems to the automated Oracle 10g system. The benefits reaped are unparalleled in terms of cost reduction, efficiency, data disseminating and decision making. Allied Bank in addition to the use of Oracle 10g uses softwares such as Unibank, however it is planning to change its banking software from Unibank to Temenos t-24 in the mid of 2010. Shift from Unibank to Temenos T-24 When Allied bank shifted to automated Information Systems in 2002, it started using softwares such as UNIBANK .This software held answers to the management of all the chaos created by the use of manual systems.  [2]  Unibank was a branch centric cash management software which held answers to the banking problems of the time thus it was called the core banking solution. Unibank gave faster and safe electronic access to banking transactions and functions. Unibank enabled Allied Bank to: Evaluate the latest record of all account transactions taking place in the branch Exchange information with other departments of the branch such as finance and accounting Monitoring and management of deposits and withdrawals simultaneously Electronic transfer of data from one branch to another Provision of e-statements for the employees making their jobs easier. Secure data control and transfer. Electronic monitoring and management of employee payrolls Need for Temenos T-24 Although Unibank seemed to be the answer to all the banking problems at that time however due to changing technological trends, higher uncertainty in the environment, shift towards centralized functioning and policies, Allied Bank has decided to shift from Unibank to Temenos T-24. The reason being that, Unibank was branch centric software and due to this reason data could be lost or misplaced if server crashed at any particular branch. Moreover, considering the uncertain political situation in Pakistan, there was high possibility of raids and fires and due to this the threat of data loss was eminent thus a shift is being planned and implemented from Unibank to Temenos T-24 as we speak. This shift will be implemented in all the branches countrywide within a period of 6 months. The reason for shifting to Temenos T-24 is that it is centralized software with the central server in Kashmir Road Branch in Lahore. This central server acts as a hub and daily transmissions are not only recorded in branches but in the central hub too, thus making the information more secure. Moreover, designated user ids/passwords, bio-metric systems add to the security of information. All the transactions and operation take place in real time. Policies are designed at the central server in Lahore and are applicable to all the branches country wide thus making the operations uniform and consistent in all the branches.  [3]   Temenos T-24 in addition to providing all the functions that Unibank provided, offers a more secure platform and new and efficient data bases. Moreover, Temenos T-24 is partners with Microsoft and has adopted MS platform to make the functioning of the software more user-friendly and easy. Moreover, one of the reasons for adopting Temenos T24 by ABL is that its cost of owner ship is very cheap as compared to the benefits it provides. Moreover, it uses established programs such as HTTP, XML so that functioning it not an entirely new experience but adds on to the previous knowledge of the employees. Moreover, it has an edge over Unibank as it eliminates the need for end-of-day banking and is a true 24/7 banking system, which heaves away burden from the employees and enables employees and customers to access updated information at all times. Department: Commercial and Retail Banking Overview The Commercial Retail Banking Group (CRBG) offers a variety of asset and liability-based retail products to its customers. The Groups main focus has been on introducing various financing and investment products for its valuable clients, and contributing to the steady growth of the financial industry. CRBG consists of 4 geographic groups and is further divided across 27 regions in Pakistan. Each region is responsible for providing a quality service to its own customer-base. In recent years, the Group has been working to find alternate ways to bank for customers, and has installed more ATMs to its already strong and largest ATM network. The department offers the following product and services to its customers Internet Banking Online Banking Profit Rates ATM Network Unclaimed Deposits Deposit Account SME Agriculture Other Services Corporate Leasing The department has a total of 6000 employees all over Pakistan, the information flow and the data transfer rate thus is very high and poses a great challenge for the Information System of the department to maintain and keep it secure. Functional Hierarchy of the Department Technical specifications Allied Bank after its privatization has been following a pro I.T policy. The switch from the manual system to a more automated Information System requires certain infrastructure (PCs, Softwares etc) and ABL in this regard didnt compromise on quality; they have a contract with Digital World Pakistan Pvt. Ltd. (DWP) to provide state of the art computers with the best softwares to run the M.I.S system. The CRBG dept of ABL has the following I.T infrastructure: Hardware Specifications Personal computers- 14 in total Consisting of 9 desktop PCs and 5 laptops Desktop PCs Specs: Intel Pentium 4 2.5ghz, 512MB RAM, 80 GB hard-disk Laptop PCs Specifications: Intel Dual Core2 2Ghz, 2gb RAM, 160GB Hard-disk HP Printers 3 in total 2 HP LaserJet 1010 Colored Printers, 1 HP Desk-jet Black and white printer HP Digital Scanner IBM P5 Mainframe Server Specifications: Four 1.65GHz 64-bit POWER5 processors L2 cache: 1.9MB (2-way); 3.8MB (4-way) L3 cache: 36MB (2-way); 72MB (4-way) 32GB of 266MHz DDR1 memory Two 10/100/1000 Ethernet ports Optional 2 Gigabit Fibre Channel, 10 Gigabit Ethernet and 4x InfiniBand ® adapters Two USB, two HMC and two system ports Software Specifications Application Software CRBG department Employees uses the following application softwares; Microsoft Office 2007 2010 McAfee Anti-Virus 2010 Adobe Reader 8 System Software The departments computers were found to be using the following system softwares; Operating System: Windows XP for Desk-top PCs and Windows Vista for the Laptops. Windows NT server for mainframe server. Core Banking Solution The software currently in use is UNIBANK, however T24 has been introduced in one branch in LAHORE. Query Software ABL employees generate queries through these softwares, for example if I want to view a customers demographics I will put in a query in the Discoverer Viewer which will then seek the data from the Central Database Discoverer Viewer It is just for viewing of data, Discoverer PLUS The queries here can even be edited and employees have limited access to this software Network Type Allied bank is using the client/server network because the employees easily share the data and its cheaper than others and maintainable. All the data is saved in Central Database (CBS) and employees can easily access it. This type of computing system provides an easy access and efficient flow of data, which increase the functionality of organization. End-User and training In this era of cut-throat competition and diminishing profit margins Banks are becoming more lean, service oriented and efficient. As mentioned before Banks in order to keep this trend of efficiency going upward are adopting new information systems and updating the existing ones however one barrier to this are the employees, there is already a shortage of computer literate people in Pakistan and for this reason when new softwares or In our case a new CORE BANKNG SOLUTION is introduced it requires rigorous training session to train the employees so that they are able to use the software. The effectiveness of core banking systems is directly related to the skills and knowledge of those operating them; therefore training is an essential investment and not an expense. The training session have been divided into three stages When we talk of the end user its the employees themselves here, they use the information available and make different queries accordingly as mentioned before currently the Core Banking Solution (CBS) namely Unibank is being change to Temenos and this requires that the support and operations staff be trained to use this CBS. For this reason different training sessions have been organized by the Bank and the Temenos technical team itself. Apart from this Temenos, to support the contracted BANKS, also provides the following courses to their employees: Open Training Courses Bespoke Training courses End User Training (EUT) Training consultancy for design and development of EUT courses eLearning and Computer Based Training (CBT) The Train the Trainer approach The benefits of attending these training programs include dedicated premises and training equipment, and the added advantage of minimizing interruptions for the duration of training course. Information Intakes and Flow CRBG has information flow daily from all over Pakistan, the department has the responsibility to effectively manage the liabilities of the Bank. The information accessible by this department through the Information system includes: Daily Monitoring of Deposits The deposits intakes and off takes during the day Maintaining a minimum balance of funds ATM monitoring Monitoring the downtime of each ATM Monitoring which area has a consistent network/server issues Customer Demographics ABLs information system is linked to NADRAs system for verification of Customers IDs CRBG has access to all the information of its customers and employees as it is responsible for managing the liabilities section Account Opening Run Rate The accounts opened each day along with their balances Employee Check in Check out time Through monitoring of this data employee efficiency can also be measured. Query Regarding an Employee Employee Record Information Flow We observe TRANSACTION PROCESSING SYSTEM functional in this department apart from the Office Automation Systems, all the activities and transactions done throughout the chain of command in this department is recorded first at the Branch level then after EODs (End of Day) are Run all the data of that days transactions are transferred to the ORACLE CENTRAL DATABASE located in ABL HEAD-QUARTERS LAHORE. Real-time Monitoring is being done of this information flow by the department, once the days information is saved in the ORACLE CENTRAL DATABASE in their respected fields and tables, it can be accessed through the DISCOVERER VIEWER/PLUS Software the next day by creating a query for it. Issues with the Information System To function effectively as an interacting, interrelated, and interdependent feeDatabase Administratorck tool for management and staff, MIS must be useable. The five elements of a useable MIS system are: timeliness, accuracy, consistency, completeness, and relevance. The usefulness of MIS is hindered whenever one or more of these elements are compromised. The IS at Allied Bank, although effective to a great extent, has certain weaknesses as we found out: From a branch centered approach, the bank has moved to a centralized system. Transactions at the branches, previously used to be stored and processed at the branches only. It was only at the day end, that all data and information was relayed to the head office. Now, however, this practice has changed. Branches only facilitate interactions with customers, whereas the information is directly send to the head office and is processed there in real time. The problem with this is the time lag that results subsequently. Data flow from the point of transaction to the head office, back to the point of transaction is a longer and hence a slower process. Also the security procedures inbuilt in the new software, Temenos, make processing slower. In the new IS, cash transactions taking place go from a Temenos account head to a buffer account and then to the customers account. Previously, the cash transactions were directly debited/ credited to the customer account. Buffer accounts created, although increase the overall security; make the processing of data slower. Too much reliance on information systems also means that in the scenario when server crashes down, or gets hanged, banking transactions will be completely disrupted. Security Measures and Backup One of the major concerns of organizations using information technology to carry out their business processes is how to secure the data against internal and external threats. With modern advancements, mitigating information security threats has become an ongoing battle. Viruses, worms, hacker attacks, spam, phishing, and instant messaging attacks are just some of the problems. Data bank faces risk of security breaches not only at the hands of customers and outsiders, but also from the employees working within the organization. Therefore it is highly crucial to build security parameters to detect whatsoever threats there might be and also to ensure data safety. At Allied Bank, data security is the thing that cannot be compromised at all. For this reason, the MIS department has taken stringent measures to ensure data security. The Corporate and Retail Department which deals primarily in confidential data of bank customers has taken numerous steps to avert security threats. Employees have individual Ids and passwords that they use to log-in to the system database. But this does not mean that all the employees have same access to the data and information. There are proper hierarchy levels: which implies that there are gatekeepers at each level, supervising who access what data! Password protection is there to prevent just everybody from viewing confidential data. Moreover, Allied Bank uses SSL certified encryption to secure its data channels. SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is the standard security technology for establishing an encrypted link between a web server and a browser. This link ensures that all data passed between the web server and browsers remain private and integral. SSL is an industry standard and is used in the protection of online transactions with customers. Encryption of data exchanged by customers and the bank ensures that data security, even if breached on its way, will make decrypting and understanding the data difficult. Anti-virus and anti-spam packages like McAfee Anti-Virus are also installed to secure data against viruses, spam, etc. There is also a Disaster Recovery System in place, in case of fire, raids, and other unforeseen and unexpected events. The backups are stored at both hot and cold sites. The head office in Lahore is the hot site. It is the central database of Allied Bank where all the transactions taking place in the eight hundred or so branches are recorded and updated on a real time basis. The cold sites are at the twenty seven regional offices all over Pakistan. These cold sites are updated at appropriate intervals, on a weekly basis sometimes. In accordance with the State Bank of Pakistan regulation, data and information of three years is stored and maintained at these cold sites. Also, USBs are widely used as potable storage devices. Future Plans Allied bank is planning to replace the current Core Business Solution Uni Bank with Temenos. This transformation is in its phase I. The software is being tested in one branch near the Head Office in Lahore. This testing phase will end on June 30th. Training of employees is being conducted and further more sessions are in the pipeline Allied bank plans to introduce Temenos in 107 branches out of the whole network of 800 braches within six months. Implementation in further branches is still unplanned. Allied Bank has opened its branch in Kashmir and plans to extend its network and reach in the remote areas of the country. Recommendations The disaster recovery system at Allied Bank is inappropriate to bear the load of 800 branches. There is one common hot site of all the branches at the Head Office and cold sites at the regional offices, 27 in number. But we feel that these backups are too less, keeping the current security scenario in view where banks have even been raided and burned by mobs. Therefore the backups should be set up at places other than the bank branches. The training period for a batch of 50 people is three weeks on average. We feel that this is insufficient as the new banking system Temenos has far complex procedures as the user interface is not friendly. Proper temperature controls are needed for the server to operate efficiently. We feel that the current infrastructure is insufficient to support the system. References http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/topics/0,295493,sid14_tax299811,00.html http://tldp.org/HOWTO/SSL-Certificates-HOWTO/x64.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disaster_recovery http://info.ssl.com/article.aspx?id=10241 http://www.occ.treas.gov/handbook/mis.pdf http://www.temenos.com http://www.abl.com.pk http://www.oracle.com

The Social Lie Exposed in The Pillars of Society :: Pillars of Society Essays

The Social Lie Exposed in The Pillars of Society The disintegrating effect of the Social Lie, of Duty, as an imposition and outrage, and of the spirit of Provincialism, as a stifling factor, are brought out with dynamic force in The Pillars of Society. Consul Bernick, driven by the conception of his duty toward the House of Bernick, begins his career with a terrible lie. He sells his love for Lona Hessel in return for the large dowry of her step-sister Betty, whom he does not love. To forget his treachery, he enters into a clandestine relationship with an actress of the town. When surprised in her room by the drunken husband, young Bernick jumps out of the window, and then graciously accepts the offer of his bosom friend, Johan, to let him take the blame. Johan, together with his faithful sister Lona, leaves for America. In return for his devotion, young Bernick helps to rob his friend of his good name, by acquiescing in the rumors circulating in the town that Johan had broken into the safe of the Bernicks and stolen a large sum of money. In the opening scene of "The Pillars of Society," we find Consul Bernick at the height of his career. The richest, most powerful and respected citizen of the community, he is held up as the model of an ideal husband and devoted father. In short, a worthy pillar of society. The best ladies of the town come together in the home of the Bernicks. They represent the society for the "Lapsed and Lost," and they gather to do a little charitable sewing and a lot of charitable gossip. It is through them we learn that Dina Dorf, the ward of Bernick, is the issue of the supposed escapade of Johan and the actress. With them, giving unctuous spiritual advice and representing the purity and morality of the community, is Rector Rorlund, hidebound, self-righteous, and narrow-minded. Into this deadening atmosphere of mental and social provincialism comes Lona Hessel, refreshing and invigorating as the wind of the plains. She has returned to her native town together with Johan. The moment she enters the house of Bernick, the whole structure begins to totter. For in Lona's own words, "Fie, fie--this moral linen here smells so tainted--just like a shroud. I am accustomed to the air of the prairies now, I can tell you.

Are Dogs Getting the Attention They Deserve? Essay -- Symbols Wealth A

Are Dogs Getting the Attention They Deserve? It used to be that you could tell just about how poor a family was by how many dogs they had. If they had one, they were probably doing all right, two dogs meant that the couple were dog lovers, but if a citizen kept three, you could begin to suspect he didn’t own much else. What type of dogs these were also lead people to believe their social status in society. (Hoagland, 1995) Would this lead people to believe that this is true? In my opinion, No it does not. In Edward Hoagland’s â€Å"Dogs, and the Tug of Life†, he describes the significance of dogs in our lives, both as social symbols and as reminders of why dogs are taken for granted. He explains why having a dog is giving people the wrong impression and how people need to know the true significance. Are dogs a symbol of social status? Hoagland wholeheartedly agrees with this argument, as stated in the first paragraph, as well some people do too. I, personally, would have to agree with this term of being a social status. Dogs have always been part of many homes. But nobody stops to think that the kind of dog one owns, signifies what type of lifestyle that person lives. This bit of information is incorrect. Just because a family is wealthy, does not mean they are spending lots of money on high class dogs. Who’s to say they aren’t taking in every stray dog that mosies up to their house? Maybe richer people do more with their dog, such as spend lots of money on grooming, feeding, and showing off, but it doesn’t mean the dog is always a pure bred, one of a kind. People are beginning to take dogs for granted. They feel that it is just an animal with no feelings and don’t consider what kind of role a dog really ... ...er of dogs owned and the income of the family have nothing to do with each other. For the most part, Hoagland’s argument was very informative and significant. It is agreed that people are trying to use dogs as a sign of social status, but people who know the real meaning of having a dog, know this is incorrect and falsely justified. Dogs are being taken for granted, and people need to realize the importance of why they have dogs as pets. Dogs are more than lazy animals, dumb creatures, or ways of showing off to others. Dogs don’t help with social status, rather they help with companionship, loyalty, trust, and a bodyguard. In my opinion, dogs don’t help determine how poor or wealthy a family is. Maybe people spend lots or little money on a dog, but that just depends on what type of people they are, not what type the dog is. Nothing more, nothing less.

Freedom for Rousseau and Individual Liberties Essay -- Jean Jacques Ro

Freedom for Rousseau and Individual Liberties The purpose which Rousseau ostensibly gives his social contract is to free man from the illegitimate chains to which existing governments have shackled him. If this is his aim, then it follows that he should be most concerned with the preservation of freedom in political society, initially so that savage man might be lured out of nature and into society in the first place, and afterwards so that Rousseau’s framework for this society will prevent the present tyranny from reasserting itself. Indeed, in his definition of purpose for man’s initial union into society, he claims that, despite his membership in an association to which he must necessarily have some sort of obligation if the contract is to be valid, he will â€Å"obey only himself and remain as free as before† (I.vi. 4). However, hardly a paragraph later, he appears to contradict this idea entirely, saying instead that men’s union into society constitutes â€Å"the total alienation of each associ ate with all of his rights to the whole community† (I.vi.6). This apparent contradiction begs the question, what is the freedom that Rousseau envisions for man, and how does this kind of freedom relate to individual rights and protect the individual within a society governed by the general will? Rousseau’s conception of freedom begins to take shape in the transition from nature to society, in which a fundamental shift occurs in human nature that translates into a change in the nature of freedom between the two states. Entrance into civil society, Rousseau argues, â€Å"produces the most remarkable change in man by substituting justice for instinct in his conduct† (I.viii.1). That is, entering civil society allows man to exist peacefully in ... ...s him without any recourse except to accept the constant error of his ways and obey. Rousseau opens The Social Contract with the claim that he is â€Å"taking men as they are,† but he is in fact taking man as he wishes he might someday become, as his theory of human perfectionism betrays (I.i.1). And while Hobbes understands that man will never bow voluntarily to coercion and will fight for his life inside and outside of society, Rousseau thinks man can be conditioned to accept coercion as a blessing so that no force will need to be exerted to keep him in order. And in the process of shaping men in the image of his mind’s eye, he is willing himself to tolerate what he calls â€Å"the most enormous abuses,† from the subjection of men’s very thoughts to the jurisdiction of the law, down to the right of the sovereign to execute citizens it deems a danger to its amorphous good. Freedom for Rousseau and Individual Liberties Essay -- Jean Jacques Ro Freedom for Rousseau and Individual Liberties The purpose which Rousseau ostensibly gives his social contract is to free man from the illegitimate chains to which existing governments have shackled him. If this is his aim, then it follows that he should be most concerned with the preservation of freedom in political society, initially so that savage man might be lured out of nature and into society in the first place, and afterwards so that Rousseau’s framework for this society will prevent the present tyranny from reasserting itself. Indeed, in his definition of purpose for man’s initial union into society, he claims that, despite his membership in an association to which he must necessarily have some sort of obligation if the contract is to be valid, he will â€Å"obey only himself and remain as free as before† (I.vi. 4). However, hardly a paragraph later, he appears to contradict this idea entirely, saying instead that men’s union into society constitutes â€Å"the total alienation of each associ ate with all of his rights to the whole community† (I.vi.6). This apparent contradiction begs the question, what is the freedom that Rousseau envisions for man, and how does this kind of freedom relate to individual rights and protect the individual within a society governed by the general will? Rousseau’s conception of freedom begins to take shape in the transition from nature to society, in which a fundamental shift occurs in human nature that translates into a change in the nature of freedom between the two states. Entrance into civil society, Rousseau argues, â€Å"produces the most remarkable change in man by substituting justice for instinct in his conduct† (I.viii.1). That is, entering civil society allows man to exist peacefully in ... ...s him without any recourse except to accept the constant error of his ways and obey. Rousseau opens The Social Contract with the claim that he is â€Å"taking men as they are,† but he is in fact taking man as he wishes he might someday become, as his theory of human perfectionism betrays (I.i.1). And while Hobbes understands that man will never bow voluntarily to coercion and will fight for his life inside and outside of society, Rousseau thinks man can be conditioned to accept coercion as a blessing so that no force will need to be exerted to keep him in order. And in the process of shaping men in the image of his mind’s eye, he is willing himself to tolerate what he calls â€Å"the most enormous abuses,† from the subjection of men’s very thoughts to the jurisdiction of the law, down to the right of the sovereign to execute citizens it deems a danger to its amorphous good.

Night’s Dream Essay

Task: Discuss the importance of magic in A Midsummer Night’s Dream 10c1 English Coursework Magic is probably the main theme in A Midsummer Nights Dream. It plays a vital and extensive role in each story – line. Each time Shakespeare uses magic, there is an important – if subtle – consequence. Shakespeare explores many aspects of magic, including how it causes problems and how it solves them. Magic is often used by Shakespeare to support and implement the comedic sections of the play. Before I explore the importance of magic in the play, I must explore magic itself,as it means different things to different people and to different cultures. Magic is defined in the dictionary as â€Å"Any art that invokes supernatural powers†. However, to other people and the majority of religions, magic is an evil force within the world, practiced by sinners and wrong – doers. This seems to be the main view of the society Shakespeare lived in. However, nowadays magic is generally not believed in. This seems to be Shakespeare’s point of view; this can be seen by his use of magic to create a comedic and mischievous – though certainly not evil- atmosphere throughout the play. In this way, Shakespeare could be seen as a writer ahead of his time. The effects of magic in A Midsummer Night’s Dream may have been influenced by the social attitude of the Elizabethan era. During Elizabethan times magic – unlike today – was widely believed in. It was considered a crime to practise magic and was an offence punishable by law. People (usually single women) were executed if they were suspected of committing this â€Å"crime†. I think that this may have influenced Shakespeare to make magic have such a dramatic and often catastrophic effect. An example of the disastrous effects of magic is when Robin Goodfellow pours the love potion in the wrong man’s eye, causing him to fall in love with another woman. This shows us that magic often has devastating and consequential effects, which affect the play as a whole. It also insinuates that magic might be a devious, if not evil, force. Magic plays a large and indispensable part in the play’s main plot, with the lovers. Magic is actually used to structure the main story – line. This can be seen where Oberon says: â€Å"A sweet lady is in love/ With a disdainful youth: anoint his eyes -/ But do it when the next thing he espies/ May be the lady†¦ † This shows us that magic is an extremely significant theme throughout the play. There would have been no main plot, had Robin Goodfellow not anointed the wrong man’s eye with the love potion. Magic also plays an essential part in many of the subplots. This can be seen where Bottom’s head is turned into that of an ass. Titania is then made to love him through magic. This suggests that magic is crucial to make the play the comedy that it is. These subplots can seem slightly insignificant and trivial at times, however, they all merge to create a gripping and interesting story. Magic is also used to solve or correct the problems at the end of the play. This can be seen where Shakespeare writes â€Å"†¦ Jack shall have Jill; / Nought shall go ill: / The man shall have his mare again and all shall be well†¦ † This can also be seen in Puck’s final speech, for example â€Å"†¦ Think but this and all is mended†¦ † The lovers are all as they were – except Demetrius who now loves Helena (though this is a good thing); Bottom’s head is restored etc. These, when combined form the resolution/conclusion of the play. Without the use of magic, normality would not have been restored. The play would not have had a proper ending. This supports my opinion that magic plays a fundamental and imperative part in the play. Magic is also used to make the lovers happy. Demetrius is made to fall in love with Helena. Consequently, Hermia can marry Lysander, with whom she is in love. This also makes up a critical part of the conclusion – another main role. Magic affects the environmental setting in the play. This can be seen when Titania says â€Å"†¦ Therefore the winds, piping to us in void/As in revenge for having sucked up the sea†¦ † This shows us that the whole of nature has been set off – balance by a mere argument between the rulers of the fairies. This shows us the intensity and extent to which magic influences the setting and design of the play. The name of the play, itself suggests the importance of magic. The reference to â€Å"midsummer† at first does not seem significant to the story. Why, then, did Shakespeare include it in the title? The reference to â€Å"midsummer† is actually an inconspicuous clue of the events in the play. Midsummer is widely considered to be a time of magic and mystery. Such tales of fortune personified walking on Earth support this. The fact that this play is set in midsummer contributes to the mysterious effect created by Shakespeare. This seems to be a direct and deliberate indication of magic, before you have even read the first word. Another hint of the content of A Midsummer Night’s Dream is the use of the word â€Å"dream†. Dreams are also widely considered to be a magical aspect of life. They are often interpreted and read by those who believe in magic. This, again, seems to suggest that magic will play a crucial role in the play. Even the word â€Å"night† could be interpreted as a reference to magic. Often – especially in older writings – magic plays a more vital role during the night, i. e. the hours of darkness. This is another obvious hint of magic, situated by Shakespeare before the play begins. This further reference to magic implements the role of magic as a theme in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and highlights its criticality to the story as a whole. In fact, Shakespeare actually seems to personify magic. After all, what is Puck? A mischievous being of magic that invokes supernatural events. This again is evidence of the importance of magic. Puck is often the character to inflict magic upon others resulting in a catastrophic yet comedic effect. Without the use of Puck’s magic, the lovers would not have ended up falling in love with the wrong people, and as this is the main storyline in A Midsummer Night’s Dream I think this is one of the most significant roles that magic plays and proves its necessity to the play. Magic, is therefore a significant factor of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It is woven into most of the subplots and plays an extremely important role in the main plot. In my opinion, it would have been impossible for Shakespeare to have written this play without including magic. Therefore, magic is almost definitely the most important and essential theme of the A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Shakespeare impresses this significance on us using all of the story – lines in the play. It affects nature, physical appearance and even the mind. Magic is used both positively and negatively throughout the story. It is often the cause of problems, but ultimately it solves them.

Case Study: Wheelworks

Running head: Case Study: Wheelworks Case Study: Wheelworks Principle of Management After analyzing Wheelworks’ compensation and benefits structure, I have found that this organization meets every need demanded by its employees and motivates them in every level. When it comes to needs and motivations, there are two commonly used theories that explain each step. One of the most commonly used theories to explain the levels of needs and motivators is Maslow's hierarchy of needs. The other commonly used theory when explaining levels of needs and motivations is Herzberg’s Two  Factor Theory.Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Starting at the bottom with physiological needs and moving upwards to safety, love/belongings, esteem, and eventually reaching self-actualization, Maslow's hierarchy of needs is often shown as a five level pyramid. Wheelworks meet its employee’s first need, Physiological needs, just by paying them a salary. When Wheelworks pays its employees, it allows each employee to buy food, water, and pay for a shelter and clothing to maintain a constant body temperature.This first need on Maslow's hierarchy of needs is essential and without it, humans would not be able to survive. Wheelworks meet Maslow second need, safety, by providing its employees with benefits such as health insurance, bonuses, and 401k plans. Because of the plans that Wheelworks offer its employees, areas such as financial security and health and well being are covered. Love and belongings, the third level of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, is also covered by Wheelworks. Humans need to feel that they belong and are loved.Due to the positive atmosphere that Wheelworks offers, its employees feel loved and like they belong to the group. Due to this, Wheelworks also meets Maslow’s third need. The forth level of Maslow's hierarchy of needs is esteem. Wheelworks also cover this level by recognizing its employees for its qualities. By recognizing each of its employee†™s qualities, Wheelworks helps them build a stronger self-esteem and self-respect, covering the forth Maslow's hierarchy of needs. The fifth nd last level of Maslow's hierarchy of needs is self-actualization. This level of Maslow's hierarchy of needs has been already reached by Wheelworks employees because of their love for the sport of cycling. Many of Wheelworks employees are highly educated and have better opportunities in other companies, but their love for cycling keeps them working at Wheelworks helping them reach Maslow’s need of self- actualization. Herzberg’s Two  Factor Theory Unlike Maslow's five level hierarchy of needs, Herzberg’s theory has only focuses in two factors.Herzberg believed that there is a two-step approach to understanding employee motivation and satisfaction. These two steps are the hygiene factors and the motivator factors. Hygiene factors consist of the need to for a business to avoid unpleasantness at work. † If these fac tors are considered inadequate by employees, then they can cause dissatisfaction with work  Ã¢â‚¬Å"(tutor2u. net). Wheelworks meet the hygiene factor by providing a good salary, pleasant work environment, and health and 401k plans.These factors are not taken in account when one measures satisfaction, but the absence of these will cause dissatisfaction. The motivator factor is based on an individual's need for personal growth. Wheelworks meet this factor by recognizing its employee’s qualities, challenging them, and giving them responsibilities. By doing this, Wheelworks employees stay motivated achieving above-average performance and effort. Number One Motivator Having a passion for the sport of cycling has become Wheelworks’ employees’ number one motivator.Many times, one would think that salary, health benefits, and good working conditions would rank high when it comes to job motivation, but without love of the work itself, all of these benefits would not be enough to motivate one’s employees. The main reason Wheelworks’ employees perform above-average and put an extra effort to do the job better is because their love for the sport of cycling. As long as Wheelworks provide its employees with the hygiene and motivator factors, its employees will stay motivated. Financial RewardsEven though that passion for the sport of cycling has become Wheelworks’ employees’ number one motivator, financial rewards also helps motivate them. One of the many ways that Wheelworks motivates its employees financially is by paying them the highest possible wage. By doing this, Wheelworks makes sure that its employees are well paid motivating them to stay within the company. Another method that Wheelworks uses to financially reward its employees is by offering vacation and sick pay, 401k, profit chairing, and health plan.By offering these benefits, Wheelworks ensures that its employees feel well taken care of resulting in a motivat ed staff. The last financial reward that Wheelworks uses to motivate its employees is giving them seasonal bonuses. Each bonus is subject to how good the company does during the season. Due to this, each employee is motivated to improve its performance which will eventually result in a bigger bonus. Commission One of the best strategies that Wheelworks has used to motivate its sale persons, but yet, maintain a superior customer services is giving seasonal bonuses instead of commission.Due to this strategy, Wheelworks customers receives a superior customer crevice and do not feel pressured to buy an expensive bike. This strategy also improves team work instead of having a constant competition among team members. Even though this strategy has worked greatly for Wheelworks, it could be improved. One way Wheelworks could improve its number of units sold is by giving a reward to the person that averages more units sold per hour in a week. For example, the person that averages the most un its sold per week could choose one day to leave early and get paid for the whole day.Rewards like this one could significantly increase the number of units sold increasing the yearly revenue of Wheelworks. Works Cited (n. d. ). Retrieved April 10, 2010, from tutor2u. net: http://tutor2u. net/business/people/motivation_theory_herzberg. asp Janet A. Simons, D. B. (1987). Retrieved April 10, 2010, from honolulu. hawaii. edu: http://honolulu. hawaii. edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/maslow. htm W. Griffin, R. (2007). Management. Houghton Mifflin. Wheelworks_part1. (n. d. ). 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