Kepak case study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Kepak case study - Essay Example Therefore, Kepak, over the years, has taken certain strategic initiatives such as commencing business through Agra Trading, offering convenience foods along with building a snacking brand spread across European market horizon among others. These incisive strategies as well as the use of co-opetition strategy can be invaluable prospects for the company in the future. However, it has to guard against aspects such as overcapacity to mitigate losses and to avoid downfall in sales. Table of Contents Executive Summary 2 Kepak has been recognized to be a leading player in the Irish Beef Industry which has over the years tacked several difficult scenarios with its incisive strategic capabilities. The company initially started its operations as a retail business of butchers. However, it gained its major success through supply of its wholesale beef products in the varied market segments especially the UK market. It has been recognized that the beef or meat industry possesses certain significan t challenges for companies operating in the industry such as threat of new entrants, and high buyers’ bargaining power among others. ... nts 3 Introduction 4 Analysis of Kepak’s Business Environment 5 Kepak’s Current Strategy 8 Critical Appraisal of the Strategy 10 References 14 Introduction Kepak was established by Noel Keating, initially as a retail business of butchers during the mid-1960s. Subsequently, Noel Keating commenced the supply of wholesale beef to the food service sector as well as in large markets. The industry for beef in European Union and Ireland during 1970s and 1980s was considered as a commodity business. The process of selling beef under the intervention of Common Agricultural Policy of European Union (EU) was extensively utilised mainly in the regions of North Africa and Middle East. During this period, the strategy used by Kepak was to decrease the prices of products and increase the margin of sales for building Economies of scale and achieving greater monetary success. In that situation, Noel Keating was of the view that the intervention which was applied in the conduction of bus iness was not sustainable in the long run. This prompted him to formulate a strategy based on customer service and differentiation. It was during this period that Kepak started working with Coop Italia, the leading meat producer which was well known for rendering utmost quality based offerings. The company recruited a set of Irish farmers to enhance the quality of production along with maintaining the needs of the customers in the global market context. Kepak used to sell the beef products to Irish and EU retailers for their own profitability and enhancement of their product line. The company also looked for maintaining the quality of products and delivering it to the customers. It has been stated that about 25% of beef volume and quality standards are rigorously controlled by Kepak through the

James Dickey Essay Example for Free

James Dickey Essay James Dickey (1923 1997) is one of the outstanding modern American poets. His criticism provides a scope of ideas on what humanity has gained throughout the twentieth century. His viewpoint is likely to amaze an observer by constant critical notes on what is universally called â€Å"amenities of life.† Thus, the figure of James Dickey cannot be underestimated in terms of his poetical style and criticism of perpetually developing progressive life of the mankind during the twentieth century. His inclinations to make people understand the charms of primitivism and animalism were straightforward. He could put his reasoning over the entire life through the eyes of animals and nature. Thus, the environmental problem of humanity and morality worried him much. It is reflected in his poetry by making emphasis on the significance of return to the nature in order to think like a â€Å"child of nature.† Dickey’s main motivation for claiming the importance of return to primitivism was not spontaneous. He had got through participation in World War II and Korean War (Thesing and Wrede 151). In this respect the poet was highly depressed by losing his older brother. In fact, it turned into a cycle of poems on the main themes of family, survival, spiritual rebirth, love, war and some other (Vaughan 115). With multiple poems included in the compilation The Whole Motion, Dickey described war as the source for cruelty and disfigured estimation of humanity at large (Thesing and Wrede 153). In this very collection one embraces the evolution of Dickey as a poet. The author followed a specific for Modernism feature of the stream-of-consciousness technique. He introduced it in personal evaluation of human civilization, as a self-destructing unity of people. Moreover, Dickey was trying to make a set of interrelated topics interwoven in terms of their collision and approach toward the concept of a â€Å"natural man.† Attacking the problem of civilization, James Dickey is likely to blame world’s progress on the example of his best-known poem The Firebombing: The enemy-colored skin of families Determines to hold its color In sleep, as my hand turns whiter Than ever, clutches the toggle – The ship shakes bucks Fire hangs not yet fire In the air above Beppu For I am fulfilling An ‘anti-morale’ raid upon it (Kendall 511). Based on this single excerpt from the poem, Dickey brings the main problem of the mankind to notice. It is grounded on misunderstanding of where the edge between morality and violence takes place. The author perceives an enormous and ominous power of violence supported by humanity. He understands personal helplessness. Thus, he had no choice but to reflect his rumination in the form of a holistic criticism of the civilization and its consequences. Hence, Dickey is constantly critiquing civilization, and it feels like he never repeated the same theme colored by a banal estimation. It is also included into The Sheep Child. His poetic language was easy to comprehend. Thus, the readers and followers can easily take Dickey as he is. As a matter of fact, born in Atlanta, Georgia, Dickey was loosely related to the concept of nature as he lived, studied, and worked for some period of time in the south of the USA (OBriant 158). His â€Å"southern† origin and what he once experienced in person gave him motivation for teaching the audience being glowering toward what the civilized life had fallen into (James Dickey 1). In this respect the primitivism and the concept of the â€Å"natural man† are the paramount alternatives represented in his poetry.

Native American and The US government Essay -- essays papers

Native American and The US government The Iroquois Nation was a nation of five tribes, which was comprised of Mohawks, Senecas, Oneidas, Cayugas, and Onondagas. These tribes were originally separated, but later brought together by two Indians named Hiawatha and Deganawidah. Hiawatha seemed to be the spokesman while Deganawidah took on the role as a philosopher. These two men formed a nation where some of the ideas are still intact today. One aspect that made them so strong was the way in which they governed themselves. Women in their society were basically in charge, except for the Sachems who were representatives appointed by the heads of the Ohwachiras. When this federal assembly met, the Sachems voted as tribes instead as individuals. This in many ways can be compared to present day government electoral votes. Another aspect I found that created a strong unity was the arrangement of power, which was demonstrated in their seating arrangement. The Mohawks and Senecas sat on one side, while the Oneidas and Cayugas on the other. The two tribes were separated with the Onondagas sitting between them. This arrangement was a lot like present day’s balance of power in the three different branches of the Federal Government. The government of the Iroquois Nation has set themselves apart from almost all other Indians of North America and made it a powerful force in denouncing the Indians as being savages. Today’s Native American has adopted many of the ideas of the Iroquois Nation. Native American history is handed down amongst the tribes through spoken language and rituals. Native American religion is centered on the idea that every day items as well as the nature surrounding them can possess spirit. Euro-Christian’s views are more anonymous as to religion and more scientific concerning their history. Native American’s view of history contains many inconclusive facts when looked at from a European point of view. When you consider their lack of a written language, there are many instances where they do name specific places from which they originate. Unlike the Euro-Christians, these places the Native American’s speak of can be found today. In contrast, Euro-Christian religion/history speaks of the Garden of Eden, but with no specific location as to where the garden can be found. Native American history is interwoven with... ...for what they needed to exist, not to turn a profit and destroy nature (the wilderness). Native Americans thought of gifts as symbolic gestures of friendship and peace at first. They would look at all trade as an exchange of gifts. They would have feasts after trades with the French, for instance to bolster the moral and finalize a deal. Even when the stakes were high and the Europeans knew that it was a gift and not a trade, the natives thought it to be a gift. When the Europeans traded gifts to the Natives for land, the Natives assumed they were trading a gift for the use of land, not knowing that land can be owned. Land was a sacred thing to the Natives and I doubt they would have traded any of it, if they knew the implications of these gifts they were receiving (in trade). The Europeans on the other hand knew that the natives didn’t know what some of these trades meant. A few Europeans tried to explain it to the natives, but to no avail. The Natives didn’t understand to the Europeans delight. They used this against the Natives who couldn’t have known the value of what they were giving up. The Europeans were at fault by knowing these trades to be absurd and unfair.

King Henry The IV :: Biography Biographies Bio

From king Henry's reign from 1399 to 1413 he had to deal with a lot tragedies. During his reign he foiled many assassination attempts, rebellions, and plots to restore King Richard to the throne. He was must successful at foiling these potential tragedies because of his well trained and loyal military (wikipedia). King Henry was born April 3, 1367(wikipedia), at Bolingbroke castle as a result of he is later nicknamed "henry of bolingbroke"(wekipedia). He was born to John of Gaunt the duke of Lancast , and Blanche of Lancaster(Britannia). As a child Henry would play with his cousin Richard the Future king of England who Henry would eventually over throw(Wekipedia). They were both admitted to the Order of the Garter in 1377. Later on in Henry's life he would participate in the Lords Appellant's Rebellion. After Richard regained his power he sentenced most of the rebels to be executed or exiled, but he spared the life of his cousin henry which would later come back to haunt him. In 1389 Henry and Richard had a second conflict when Richard exiled Henry with his fathers approval. Henry was banished to prevent a bloody confrontation with Thomas de Mowbray the 1st Duke of Norfolk who was exiled for life. The next year Henry's father John of Gaunt died, and king Richard decided to drop the legal documents so that Henry would be able to return. Henry inherited all of Guant's land(wikipedia), because he was the oldest son. While king Richard was in Ireland on a military campaign, Henry was on his own military campaign to kick Richard off the throne.

Job Enrichment

Organizational Behavior Concept: Job Enrichment Jared Stern Introduction The concept of Job Enrichment is a very broad theory within the field of organizational behavior that is applicable within all sectors of organization. Used synonymously with â€Å"job enlargement†, the term job enrichment refers to different methods that are aimed at increasing employee’s job motivation, satisfaction, self-worth, in an attempt to ultimately increase the overall employee productivity within the organization.Research studies conducted on Job Enrichment and its influence on employee productivity date back to the 1950s and 1960s and throughout those years a wide variety of methods have emerged. Most commonly job enrichment is attributed to the process of job redesign in order to reverse the negative effects monotony of employee tasks, which will include boredom, lack of autonomy and dissatisfaction. Other variances of job enrichment include providing worker incentives by involving the employee in the decision making process, the implementation of quality work groups and team building, and job independence as an incentive to increase productivity.Evolution of the concept of Job Enrichment Beginning in the middle of the 20th century up until present day, the theory of job enrichment has offered many compelling concepts to increase employee productivity while simultaneously enriching the employees work experience, all of which remain applicable today. The early works which established Job enrichment among organizational behavior theorists was Frederick Herzberg’s â€Å"Hygiene Theory† and Hackman and Oldham’s â€Å"Job Characteristic Model†.The Hygiene Theory The central figure in developing the theory of job enrichment within the framework of organizational behavior was Frederick Herzberg who’s pivotal â€Å"Hygiene Theory† has contributed a solid basis and foundation for subsequent generations to expand upon. According to Herzberg, for a worker to be happy and therefore productive the environmental factors of his workplace must not cause him discomfort. Herzberg further asserts that although providing employees with a more comfortable environment may in turn make them more productive, this does not necessarily mean they will be motivated to perform their duties.Simonds & Orife, 1975) Herzberg believed that the process of motivating workers is by enhancing their feeling of responsibility and connection to their work. In this case, Herzberg proclaims that it is the work itself that is rewarding. Managers can help the employees connect to their work by giving them more authority over the job, as well as offering direct and individual feedback. The Job Characteristics Model In 1975 Hackman and Oldham advanced the ideas of Herzberg by introducing what they called â€Å"The Job Characteristics Model†. This model is formulated on the assumption that if five core job characteristics are present, thre e psychological states critical to motivation are produced, resulting in positive outcomes. † (Griffin, Patterson, & West, 2001) The five core job characteristics consist of skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback. Hackman and Oldham state that the three psychological states that motivation is dependent upon are experienced meaningfulness of work, responsibility for work outcomes, and knowledge of results. Hackman andOldham then proclaim that to the degree that these psychological states are present, high personal employee work motivation will result. Relevance of Job Enrichment in 2007 The early works of Herzberg and Hackman & Oldham have provided a feasible and effective framework for increasing employee productivity through job enrichment that is just as applicable today as it was when their research was first conducted. Within the past half century there have been numerous researches conducted that provides useful empirical evidence to illus trate the rewards and benefits of job enrichment.We will further discuss each method that an organization can implement in an attempt to improve worker productivity through job implementation. Employee autonomy In a study analyzing job independence as an incentive device to increase employee productivity, Kay Mitusch emphasizes that when employee autonomy is present it can compensate for an organization lacking an extrinsic reward program yet still remain productive. â€Å"This is pivotal for explaining why workers in independent, responsible jobs are willing to invest in their jobs even if there is no reliable, formalized system of rewarding them. (Mitusch, 2000) To provide further evidence of the success of employee autonomy as a method of job enrichment Griffin, Patterson, and West explored the relationship between teams and satisfaction using data from a large research project in the U. K. that investigated management practices and employee attitudes in manufacturing companies. The researchers conducted this study by distributing a questionnaire survey which asked them to rank their preferred working conditions in response to hypothetical situations which were designed to relate to their actual work duties.The study showed that â€Å"job enrichment was positively related to job autonomy but was not significantly related to perceptions of supervisory support. † (Griffin, Patterson, and West, 2001) The researchers also concluded that â€Å"while both autonomy and supervisory support were important positive influences on job satisfaction, the positive association of teamwork on job autonomy was explained by job enrichment that accompanied teamwork and could not be attributed to teamwork itself. (Griffin, Patterson, and West, 2001) This data shows that by simply trusting an employee’s expertise at his or her job and allowing them to operate more independently an employee will develop an increased level of job satisfaction and in turn increase t he productive output of that worker. Skill Variety Another technique to enrich an employee’s work experience is to utilize employees with a wide range of skills so they can apply them to their daily work routine.In his article White Collar Job Enrichment: The Pay Board Experience, Tim McNamar explored the Pay Board’s experience with job enrichment. By replacing a traditional method of processing cases with an approach built around work groups performing interrelated tasks, it increased productivity, provided better motivation, and vastly improved opportunities for individual self-actualization and esteem. † (McNamar, 1973) By changing the previous operational procedures and by allowing employees to engage in more of a shared task structure, the Pay Board experienced increased productivity across the spectrum. The decision to adopt a team concept for case management was not due to any of the traditional reasons given for blue collar job enrichment – high ab senteeism, low morale, and the like. Rather, it was instituted in hopes that it would drastically increase productivity. Nevertheless, the approach turned out to provide a variety of benefits, many of which directly related to the question of job enrichment. † (McNamar, 1973) Also, the inclusion of employees in critical decisions that will effect the organization as a whole, shows improvement in the employee’s orale regarding their importance within the organization and in turn increase their motivation.â€Å"In general, research on participative decision making has found that participation improves employees’ attitudes and increases their organizational commitment and job satisfaction. † (DeLancer Julnes, 2001) Job Feedback Another key aspect of job enrichment can be achieved through the simple process of providing employees with useful feedback concerning the work performance along with clearly established expectations. Job enrichment focuses on creating individual tasks that give people feedback, increase their influence how work is done, require them to use a variety of skills, and give them a whole piece of work. † (Mohrman, Lawler, Mohrman, 1992) Task significance and task identity The installation of job enrichment by way of task significance is the extent to which an employee’s work has a meaningful impact on other jobs in the same workplace.This can be accomplished with the installation of teams within the employee work population. Teamwork typically involves groups of interdependent employees who work cooperatively to achieve group outcomes. Effective team implementation can enhance the motivational properties of work and increase job satisfaction. † (Griffin, Patterson, and West, 2001) A direct correlation between task significance and task identity can be seen by the use of teams and specific job duties. The idea of task identity is the measure to which the job requires completion of a number of whole a nd identifiable pieces of work. Theoretically, the choice between teams and individual job enrichment should be made based upon the technology of the workplace. Teams are more complicated to build and to maintain, but may be necessary if the work is such that no one individual can do a whole part of it and get feedback about it. Teams are often appropriate, for example, in process production facilities such as a chemical plants and oil refineries and in complex service organizations such as banks and airlines.Where the technology allows an individual to do a whole task or offer a whole service, individual designs are preferred because they are simpler to install and give the individual more direct feedback. † (Mohrman, Lawler, Mohrman , 1992) The city of Rockville, MD conducted an experiment where managers and line staff collaborated in the decision making process and the result was astonishing, including cost savings, improvement of morale and the appreciation of the need for productivity within the organization increased. The key ingredients in the program’s success was the consultation with supervisors and employees and their involvement in selecting the projects. † (Hobbs, 1976) Counter argument of job enrichment Despite all of the overwhelming evidence of the success that is attributed in implementing job enrichment programs there is a minority of speculators that job enrichment is not always the best option when an organization’s sole objective is to reduce costs. The possible increase in the satisfaction of the employees is probably not a sufficient reason for managers to support job enrichment programs. A survey by Reif and Schoderbek showed that the main objective of top management in companies introducing job enrichment programs was to reduce costs. Hence, management support for a new job design approach has to be gained through a cost-benefit treatment to job design. † (Globerson, 1977) If a company’s sole aim is to reduce costs then investing in your current work force might not be the preferable avenue.However, if an organization or company is interested in fully utilizing its talented workforce and provide increased worker motivation and in turn increase worker productivity, then adopting a job enrichment program is the most effective option. Conclusion Throughout the last few decades, the implementation of a job enrichment program has successfully shown to increase employee’s job motivation, satisfaction, self-worth, in an attempt to ultimately increase the overall employee productivity within the organization.No matter what the function or sector of an organization whether it be a government agency, non-profit organization, or company operating within the private sector, the implementation of job enrichment into your organization will result in the key areas of employee production and worker motivation. It is obvious through years of conducted research that a happy and motivat ed workforce coupled with an effective and flexible management will ultimately result in a highly productive organization.Works Cited Albers Mohrman, Susan, Lawler III, Edward E. , Mohrman, Allan M. 992. â€Å"Applying Employee Involvement in Schools. † Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis DeLancer Julnes, Patria. 2001. â€Å"Does Participation Increase Perceptions of Usefulness? † Public Performance & Management Review Globerson, Shlomo. 1977. â€Å"The Just Noticeable Difference in Complexity of Jobs. † Management Science Griffin, Mark A. , Patterson, Malcolm G. , and West, Michael A. 2001. â€Å"Job Satisfaction and Teamwork: The Role of Supervisor Support† Journal of Organizational Behavior Hobbs, Daniel D. â€Å"Productivity Through Worker Incentive and Satisfaction. Public Productivity Review King, Albert S. 1974. â€Å"Expectation Effects in Organizational Change. † Administrative Science Quarterly McNamar, Tim. 1973. â€Å"White Col lar Job Enrichment: The Pay Board Experience. † Public Administration Review Mitusch, Kay. 2000. â€Å"Job Independence as an Incentive Device. † Economica Simonds, Rollin H. and Orife, John N. 1975. â€Å"Worker Behavior Versus Enrichment Theory. † Administrative Science Quarterly Staudohar, Paul D. 1975. â€Å"An Experiment in Increasing Productivity of Police Service Employees† Public Administration Review Job Enrichment Based on a major study of High Performance Work Practices (HPWPs) in North America by Appelbaum et al. (2000) found that new forms of job design provided production line employees with the opportunity to contribute increased discretionary effort and to participate in workplace problem-solving. These researchers provided empirical evidence that conscious efforts by employers to increase employee discretion and job autonomy resulted in improved job satisfaction for employees and higher levels of organizational performance (Appelbaum et al. 000). Workforce involvement in decision-making may also be consistent with job enrichment practices (Spence Laschinger et al. 2004). Job enrichment involves providing increased levels of responsibility to lower level employees, including the delegation of work tasks previously undertaken by supervisors, and the provision of increasingly skilled tasks to line employees.The theoretical basis for enrichment efforts is Hackman and Oldham's (1975) ‘ job characteristics' model, which explores how a combination of specific job characteristics such as skill variety and task significance affect the individual's experience of meaningful work and their sense of responsibility for work outcomes. These characteristics have, in turn, been linked to improvements in work motivation, job satisfaction and work quality, reduced absenteeism and lower labour turnover (Ford 1969; Hackman et al. 1975).However, job enrichment has received wide publicity but has not always produced favourable results in the workplace. A great deal of debate exists over the benefits and limitations of job enrichment: it clearly is not for everyone. Ralph Brown (2004) summed it up very nicely: Some people are very resistant to more responsibilities or to opportunities for personal growth. Researchers report that some people they expected to resist seized the opportunity. Enriching jobs is a particularly effective way to develop employees provided the jobs are truly enriched, not just more work for them to do.The disadvantages are that job enrichment may lead to greater work pressure and that employees have to start performing tasks which were not originally required of them. Job design: Job design is the specification of the content of a job, the material and equipment required to do the job, and the relation of the job to other jobs. A well-designed job promotes the achievement of the organization’s strategic business objectives by structuring work so it integrates management requirements for efficiency and employee needs for satisfaction.Thus, effective job design presents a major challenge for the HR manager. And job enrichment is one of the methods of job design. Job enrichment is an attempt to motivate employees by giving them the opportunity to use the range of their abilities. It is an idea that was developed by the American psychologist Frederick Hertzberg in the 1950s. It can be contrasted to job enlargement which simply increa ses the number of tasks without changing the challenge. As such job enrichment has been described as ‘vertical loading' increases the complexity of work to promote interest.Thus, job enrichment builds motivating factors into the job content by: combing tasks, establishing client relationships, creating natural work units, expanding jobs vertically and opening feedback channels. Supporter: Patterson, West and Wail (2004) found that firms providing lower level employees with job enrichment and skill enhancement experienced a significant boost in productivity and profitability. A Sri Lankan study of the impact of introducing self managed teams in a large textile mill reported increased productivity, higher product quality, lower reject rates and higher employee satisfaction.The process of delegating increased decision-making responsibility to workplace teams changed the organization’s structures, decision making processes and job design at workplace level, with increased l evels of empowerment and training being provided to team members (Jayawardana and Fonseka 1996). Nevertheless, the potential for improved performance outcomes to follow the provision of increased employee input into workplace decision-making relies on employee acceptance of the relevance of these practices and on the existence of a climate of involvement.One means of creating this climate is to appoint work group leaders who will model the behaviours valued by the organisation, and who are also able to motivate employees to mirror these behaviours (Richards and Vandenberg 2005). In Sri Lanka's Garment Industry, the manager introduced process controllers into the three production lines from January to April 2002; line employees underwent a series of training programs. The training focused on the company's customers and products, the production process and techniques related to increasing quality and problem-solving.The sessions were conducted by the plant manager, the quality assuran ce manager and the work study manager. Each session was followed by a discussion with production line members. The training programs lasted for two hours after work, with all line employees paid for their participation. At production meetings, held once a week, line employees were given feedback on their performance, in particular in relation to line efficiency and end-line rejects. During the initial training, production line employees were given a briefing on market conditions in the industry and customer requirements.They were also provided with an opportunity to study their line's performance for the previous three months in relation to on-time delivery, total rejects and customer returns. The training provided encouraged employees to take responsibility for performance outcomes such as product reject rates and on-standard efficiency levels. The training manager provided feedback to line employees where the performance of one production line lagged that of the organisation as a whole. The training also addressed skill development, the organisation of work and the use of computer-aided information systems and quality control systems.Each machine was equipped with a computer terminal, which gave details of efficiency standards, losses, stoppages and earnings based on incentive payments. The case explored the impact of a job enrichment initiative to devolve increased responsibility for monitoring workplace productivity, product quality and workforce attendance to line employees. We found that the introduction of process controllers generated substantial improvements in LM Collection's performance over this period.Efficiency levels rose from 41 per cent to 61 per cent and product rejects declined from 10 per cent to 2 per cent, while absenteeism levels declined from almost 10 per cent to 2. 4 per cent by March 2003. On the whole, productivity levels improved, product quality increased and workforce absence and turnover episodes declined over the period of this study. Critiques: In the other hand, there are drawbacks of job enrichment when the HR managers do not think about the matters from employees, and no one seems to mention the costs.In some employees eyes, the job enrichment is merely an enforce change to jobs in order for the organisation to obtain higher productivity from its workers. With the pressure of more responsibilities and tasks, the employees may not have enough time to give the feedback of performance. Either actually the workers do not want enriched their jobs or the job is not that easy to enrich. . Job enrichment is a type of job redesign intended to reverse the effects of tasks that are repetitive requiring little autonomy.Some of these effects are boredom, lack of flexibility, and employee dissatisfaction (Leach & Wall, 2004). The underlying principle is to expand the scope of the job with a greater variety of tasks, vertical in nature, that require self-sufficiency. Since the goal is to give the individual exposure to tasks normally reserved for differently focused or higher positions, merely adding more of the same responsibilities related to an employee's current position are not considered job enrichment.Job enrichment can only be truly successful if planning includes support for all phases of the initiative. Ohio State University Extension began a job enrichment program in 1992 and surveyed the participants five years later. The results, broken down into 3 sub-buckets of data beyond the main grouping of advantages/disadvantages as shown in Table 1, indicate the University had not fully considered the planning and administrative aspects of the program (Fourman and Jones, 1997).While the benefits are seemingly obvious, programs fail not because of a lack of benefits, but rather due to implementation problems. These problems can include a perception of too great a cost, lack of long-term commitment of resources, and potential job classification changes (Cunningham and Eberle, 1990). In order for a job enrichment program to produce positive results, worker needs and organizational needs must be analyzed and acted upon. According to Cunningham and Eberle (1990), before an enrichment program is begun, the following questions should be asked: 1.Do employees need jobs that involve responsibility, variety, feedback, challenge, accountability, significance, and opportunities to learn? 2. What techniques can be implemented without changing the job classification plan? 3. What techniques would require changes in the job classification plan? A job enrichment program can be a very effective intervention in some situations where a Performance Technician is faced with a request for motivational training. Conclusion:In my opinion, job enrichment can bring about improvement in both job performance and job satisfaction. A survey of almost 100 research studies found job enrichment resulted in greater productivity, improved product quality, fewer employee grievances, improved worker att itudes; reduce absenteeism and labour turnover, and lower costs. Therefore, improved quality of working life brought about by job enrichment has not only social benefits but also bottom-line benefits to the organization. Job Enrichment Organizational Behavior Concept: Job Enrichment Jared Stern Introduction The concept of Job Enrichment is a very broad theory within the field of organizational behavior that is applicable within all sectors of organization. Used synonymously with â€Å"job enlargement†, the term job enrichment refers to different methods that are aimed at increasing employee’s job motivation, satisfaction, self-worth, in an attempt to ultimately increase the overall employee productivity within the organization.Research studies conducted on Job Enrichment and its influence on employee productivity date back to the 1950s and 1960s and throughout those years a wide variety of methods have emerged. Most commonly job enrichment is attributed to the process of job redesign in order to reverse the negative effects monotony of employee tasks, which will include boredom, lack of autonomy and dissatisfaction. Other variances of job enrichment include providing worker incentives by involving the employee in the decision making process, the implementation of quality work groups and team building, and job independence as an incentive to increase productivity.Evolution of the concept of Job Enrichment Beginning in the middle of the 20th century up until present day, the theory of job enrichment has offered many compelling concepts to increase employee productivity while simultaneously enriching the employees work experience, all of which remain applicable today. The early works which established Job enrichment among organizational behavior theorists was Frederick Herzberg’s â€Å"Hygiene Theory† and Hackman and Oldham’s â€Å"Job Characteristic Model†.The Hygiene Theory The central figure in developing the theory of job enrichment within the framework of organizational behavior was Frederick Herzberg who’s pivotal â€Å"Hygiene Theory† has contributed a solid basis and foundation for subsequent generations to expand upon. According to Herzberg, for a worker to be happy and therefore productive the environmental factors of his workplace must not cause him discomfort. Herzberg further asserts that although providing employees with a more comfortable environment may in turn make them more productive, this does not necessarily mean they will be motivated to perform their duties.Simonds & Orife, 1975) Herzberg believed that the process of motivating workers is by enhancing their feeling of responsibility and connection to their work. In this case, Herzberg proclaims that it is the work itself that is rewarding. Managers can help the employees connect to their work by giving them more authority over the job, as well as offering direct and individual feedback. The Job Characteristics Model In 1975 Hackman and Oldham advanced the ideas of Herzberg by introducing what they called â€Å"The Job Characteristics Model†. This model is formulated on the assumption that if five core job characteristics are present, thre e psychological states critical to motivation are produced, resulting in positive outcomes. † (Griffin, Patterson, & West, 2001) The five core job characteristics consist of skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback. Hackman and Oldham state that the three psychological states that motivation is dependent upon are experienced meaningfulness of work, responsibility for work outcomes, and knowledge of results. Hackman andOldham then proclaim that to the degree that these psychological states are present, high personal employee work motivation will result. Relevance of Job Enrichment in 2007 The early works of Herzberg and Hackman & Oldham have provided a feasible and effective framework for increasing employee productivity through job enrichment that is just as applicable today as it was when their research was first conducted. Within the past half century there have been numerous researches conducted that provides useful empirical evidence to illus trate the rewards and benefits of job enrichment.We will further discuss each method that an organization can implement in an attempt to improve worker productivity through job implementation. Employee autonomy In a study analyzing job independence as an incentive device to increase employee productivity, Kay Mitusch emphasizes that when employee autonomy is present it can compensate for an organization lacking an extrinsic reward program yet still remain productive. â€Å"This is pivotal for explaining why workers in independent, responsible jobs are willing to invest in their jobs even if there is no reliable, formalized system of rewarding them. (Mitusch, 2000) To provide further evidence of the success of employee autonomy as a method of job enrichment Griffin, Patterson, and West explored the relationship between teams and satisfaction using data from a large research project in the U. K. that investigated management practices and employee attitudes in manufacturing companies. The researchers conducted this study by distributing a questionnaire survey which asked them to rank their preferred working conditions in response to hypothetical situations which were designed to relate to their actual work duties.The study showed that â€Å"job enrichment was positively related to job autonomy but was not significantly related to perceptions of supervisory support. † (Griffin, Patterson, and West, 2001) The researchers also concluded that â€Å"while both autonomy and supervisory support were important positive influences on job satisfaction, the positive association of teamwork on job autonomy was explained by job enrichment that accompanied teamwork and could not be attributed to teamwork itself. (Griffin, Patterson, and West, 2001) This data shows that by simply trusting an employee’s expertise at his or her job and allowing them to operate more independently an employee will develop an increased level of job satisfaction and in turn increase t he productive output of that worker. Skill Variety Another technique to enrich an employee’s work experience is to utilize employees with a wide range of skills so they can apply them to their daily work routine.In his article White Collar Job Enrichment: The Pay Board Experience, Tim McNamar explored the Pay Board’s experience with job enrichment. By replacing a traditional method of processing cases with an approach built around work groups performing interrelated tasks, it increased productivity, provided better motivation, and vastly improved opportunities for individual self-actualization and esteem. † (McNamar, 1973) By changing the previous operational procedures and by allowing employees to engage in more of a shared task structure, the Pay Board experienced increased productivity across the spectrum. The decision to adopt a team concept for case management was not due to any of the traditional reasons given for blue collar job enrichment – high ab senteeism, low morale, and the like. Rather, it was instituted in hopes that it would drastically increase productivity. Nevertheless, the approach turned out to provide a variety of benefits, many of which directly related to the question of job enrichment. † (McNamar, 1973) Also, the inclusion of employees in critical decisions that will effect the organization as a whole, shows improvement in the employee’s orale regarding their importance within the organization and in turn increase their motivation.â€Å"In general, research on participative decision making has found that participation improves employees’ attitudes and increases their organizational commitment and job satisfaction. † (DeLancer Julnes, 2001) Job Feedback Another key aspect of job enrichment can be achieved through the simple process of providing employees with useful feedback concerning the work performance along with clearly established expectations. Job enrichment focuses on creating individual tasks that give people feedback, increase their influence how work is done, require them to use a variety of skills, and give them a whole piece of work. † (Mohrman, Lawler, Mohrman, 1992) Task significance and task identity The installation of job enrichment by way of task significance is the extent to which an employee’s work has a meaningful impact on other jobs in the same workplace.This can be accomplished with the installation of teams within the employee work population. Teamwork typically involves groups of interdependent employees who work cooperatively to achieve group outcomes. Effective team implementation can enhance the motivational properties of work and increase job satisfaction. † (Griffin, Patterson, and West, 2001) A direct correlation between task significance and task identity can be seen by the use of teams and specific job duties. The idea of task identity is the measure to which the job requires completion of a number of whole a nd identifiable pieces of work. Theoretically, the choice between teams and individual job enrichment should be made based upon the technology of the workplace. Teams are more complicated to build and to maintain, but may be necessary if the work is such that no one individual can do a whole part of it and get feedback about it. Teams are often appropriate, for example, in process production facilities such as a chemical plants and oil refineries and in complex service organizations such as banks and airlines.Where the technology allows an individual to do a whole task or offer a whole service, individual designs are preferred because they are simpler to install and give the individual more direct feedback. † (Mohrman, Lawler, Mohrman , 1992) The city of Rockville, MD conducted an experiment where managers and line staff collaborated in the decision making process and the result was astonishing, including cost savings, improvement of morale and the appreciation of the need for productivity within the organization increased. The key ingredients in the program’s success was the consultation with supervisors and employees and their involvement in selecting the projects. † (Hobbs, 1976) Counter argument of job enrichment Despite all of the overwhelming evidence of the success that is attributed in implementing job enrichment programs there is a minority of speculators that job enrichment is not always the best option when an organization’s sole objective is to reduce costs. The possible increase in the satisfaction of the employees is probably not a sufficient reason for managers to support job enrichment programs. A survey by Reif and Schoderbek showed that the main objective of top management in companies introducing job enrichment programs was to reduce costs. Hence, management support for a new job design approach has to be gained through a cost-benefit treatment to job design. † (Globerson, 1977) If a company’s sole aim is to reduce costs then investing in your current work force might not be the preferable avenue.However, if an organization or company is interested in fully utilizing its talented workforce and provide increased worker motivation and in turn increase worker productivity, then adopting a job enrichment program is the most effective option. Conclusion Throughout the last few decades, the implementation of a job enrichment program has successfully shown to increase employee’s job motivation, satisfaction, self-worth, in an attempt to ultimately increase the overall employee productivity within the organization.No matter what the function or sector of an organization whether it be a government agency, non-profit organization, or company operating within the private sector, the implementation of job enrichment into your organization will result in the key areas of employee production and worker motivation. It is obvious through years of conducted research that a happy and motivat ed workforce coupled with an effective and flexible management will ultimately result in a highly productive organization.Works Cited Albers Mohrman, Susan, Lawler III, Edward E. , Mohrman, Allan M. 992. â€Å"Applying Employee Involvement in Schools. † Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis DeLancer Julnes, Patria. 2001. â€Å"Does Participation Increase Perceptions of Usefulness? † Public Performance & Management Review Globerson, Shlomo. 1977. â€Å"The Just Noticeable Difference in Complexity of Jobs. † Management Science Griffin, Mark A. , Patterson, Malcolm G. , and West, Michael A. 2001. â€Å"Job Satisfaction and Teamwork: The Role of Supervisor Support† Journal of Organizational Behavior Hobbs, Daniel D. â€Å"Productivity Through Worker Incentive and Satisfaction. Public Productivity Review King, Albert S. 1974. â€Å"Expectation Effects in Organizational Change. † Administrative Science Quarterly McNamar, Tim. 1973. â€Å"White Col lar Job Enrichment: The Pay Board Experience. † Public Administration Review Mitusch, Kay. 2000. â€Å"Job Independence as an Incentive Device. † Economica Simonds, Rollin H. and Orife, John N. 1975. â€Å"Worker Behavior Versus Enrichment Theory. † Administrative Science Quarterly Staudohar, Paul D. 1975. â€Å"An Experiment in Increasing Productivity of Police Service Employees† Public Administration Review

The Nationwide Legalization of Euthanasia essays

The Nationwide Legalization of Euthanasia essays In today's society there are many disagreements about the rights and wrongs of euthanasia. Although death is unavoidable for human beings, suffering before death is unbearable, not only for terminal patients, but for the family members and friends. So what is the solution? How can we ease the suffering of those whose death is both impending and imminent. The answer, Euthanasia. Euthanasia comes from the Greek word `Thanatos' meaning death and the prefix `eu' meaning easy or good (Russell 94). Thus, `eu- Thanatos meaning easy or good death. Euthanasia is clearly better choice for terminal patients than suicide. The question is however, is it morally, ethically, and socially right. In our society, suicide is always traumatic for families and friends. If there is no alternative to relieve the suffering of terminal patients, then the more humane option to suicide is euthanasia. This is not the only option however, "An option for people that are unsure of euthanasia is called DNR or do not resuscitate" (McCuen 2). This means that if the patient has a heart attack or another potentially fatal problem in the hospital, "the doctors are told to perform a `No Code' which means that they should let the patient die peacefully with any amount of painkillers or medication requested by the patient" (McCuen 3). Doctors that are treating a dying patient should treat them with care. They should make them as comfortable as possible and give them medication to dull their pain. Let's not forget that a doctor, or physician's job is to ease suffering. Instructors tell doctors in training to treat dying patients as people, `that are alive but just that their death is more imminent than our own'(Moroney 2). Many families could rest easy possessing the knowledge that their relative is being treated well, and is receiving the necessary attention. A lot of terminal patients decide to sign DNR forms or, re...

L.A essays

L.A essays Eduardo Galeanos Open Veins of Latin America looks at the political, economic and social history of Latin America. Mr. Galeano argues that the More Developed Countries played a main role in the Lesser Developed Country status Latin America has been accustomed to. Throughout the book he gives examples of how the M.D.C are responsible for the social hierarchy that has formed over generations. This hierarchy sees the peasants, who assemble the population, of this agriculturally abundant land starving while the few acquire riches and control the destiny of the land and its people. Galeano takes you through the history of Latin America from the discovery of this great land by Christopher Columbus to the 1970s. He will argue that the riches of the land have bonded the people of the Americas to poverty and suffering. The invasion of Latin America first began with Spain and Portugal in the 1500s, than gave way to Britain in the 1800s and finally ended in the hands of the United States in the 20th Century. Its has seen political and economic power concentrated in a few, instituted by the ones that colonized, that do not have the peoples best wishes in mind. Instead, their main goal was to acquire riches for themselves and more importantly for their country. Spain was the first to plague Latin America. They did not colonize to help the indigenous people increase their standard of living; instead they colonized to plunder the land of its natural riches to be exported back to Spain and pushed the native population into an era of oppression. It first started with the extortion of the natural minerals that were so abundant throughout Latin America and the enslavement of its native population. That eventually opened the doors for sugar, cotton, coffee, and other agriculturally grown products to be harvested and exported. The lands of Latin America have served the purposes of other countries ...

Strategies for Teaching Aggressive Children

Strategies for Teaching Aggressive Children There are many reasons behind aggressive behavior in children. As teachers, its important to remember that these kinds of behavior issues can spring from environmental stresses, neurological issues or emotional coping deficits. Rarely is the aggressive child simply a bad kid. Despite the varied reasons behind the aggressive behavior, it can be addressed with success when teachers are consistent, fair, and relentless in establishing a one-on-one connection. What Does the Aggressive Childs Behavior Look Like? This child will often antagonize others and is drawn to physical fighting or verbal arguments. She might be the class bully and have few real friends. He prefers to solve problems by winning fights and arguments. Aggressive children often threaten other students. These students often fear the aggressor, who delights in showing herself as a fighter, both verbally and physically. Where Does Aggressive Behavior Come From? The aggressive child usually has a lack of self-confidence. He gains it through aggressive behavior. In this regard, aggressors are first and foremost  attention seekers,  and they enjoy the attention they gain from being aggressive. The aggressive child sees that power brings attention. When he threatens other children in the class, his weaker self-image and lack of social success falls away, and he becomes a leader of some renown. The aggressive child usually knows that his behavior is inappropriate, but the rewards for him outweigh the disapproval of authority figures. Are Parents to Blame? Children can be aggressive for many reasons, some of them related to conditions that may be hereditary or home environments that are unhealthy. But aggression is not handed down from parent to child. Parents to aggressive children who are aggressive themselves should be honest with themselves and recognize that while they are not responsible for these behaviors in their children, they may be part of the problem and certainly can be part of the solution.   Interventions for Classroom Teachers Be consistent, be patient and remember that change takes time. All children need to know you care about them and that they can contribute to their environment in a positive way. By committing to a one-on-one relationship with the aggressive child, you will deliver this message to her and help to break the cycle. Never ignore inappropriate aggression, but do not get drawn into a power struggle with the aggressor.Be firm, but gentle. The aggressive child can handle your tough side, but he will succumb to gentleness.   Thats what he really wants- the right kind of attention.Deal one-on-one with the aggressor and devise a plan for her to take control of her own behavior.  Be genuine. Successful teachers know that when they establish a one-on-one relationship with the aggressor, success soon follows.  Provide opportunities for this child to act appropriately and get some badly needed attention, give him responsibilities and provide praise.Catch the aggressor behaving well and provide immediate, positive feedback. In time, you will see that the aggressive behaviors will start to diminish.Provide her with activities that bring forth leadership in a positive way, always let her know that you care, trust and respect her. Remind her that its the inappropriate behaviors that you dont like.Provide as many methods as you can for this child to take ownership of his inappropriate behavior. Suggest how such conflicts can be handled the next time.

Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 95

Essay Example orn in 1445, emanated from a poor background that made his future appear unpromising where he joined Franciscan monastery in Sansepulero before associating himself with a businessman (Hogg, Tilling, Edwards, Medlin & Hoggett, 2012). He loved mathematics and it is while working under this businessman as an apprentice left to become a mathematician scholar. In 1494, Luca Pacioli authored his book by the name (translated) Summa - â€Å"The Collected Knowledge of Arithmetic, Geometry, Proportion and proportionality† that prompted him to be a celebrity even to date (Hogg, Tilling, Edwards, Medlin & Hoggett, 2012). In this book, he critiqued the poor mode of instructing mathematics during his time besides devising new accounting concepts that are evident to the present. He was the first person to give a vivid description on double entry accounting alternatively referred as Venetian Method (Hogg, Tilling, Edwards, Medlin & Hoggett, 2012). This new technique utterly revolutionized economy and business besides prompting Luca Pacioli to be a celebrity (Hogg, Tilling, Edwards, Medlin & Hoggett, 2012). Since the time of authoring his book to date, numerous people in diverse fields and especially accounting refer Luca Pacioli as â€Å"The father of accounting† (Hogg, Tilling, Edwards, Medlin & Hoggett, 2012). This is because of incomparable contributions he made in this field regardless of his humble background. Consequently, Summa became one of the most read books in Italy besides being the first for publication by Gutenberg Press (Hogg, Tilling, Edwards, Medlin & Hoggett, 2012). The book’s content comprised of â€Å"book keeping methods† and knowledge on how to compute â€Å"Assets† and â€Å"Liabilities† that are evident to date (Hogg, Tilling, Edwards, Medlin & Hoggett, 2012). Hence, this prompted Luca to be an essential icon in the field of accounting because most of his aspects that are in use even after five Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 15 Essay Example According to the figures in ‘Key World Energy Statistics: 2008’ coal is responsible for 42% of carbon dioxide emissions in the world. Carbon dioxide builds up in the atmosphere and increases global warming by locking in sunlight on earth like a greenhouse. This global warming is causing rise in temperatures and bringing many changes in the weather patterns causing regular floods and droughts. Oil and natural gas also produce carbon dioxide which increases global warming. In addition, although there are large coal-reserves in the world which is expected to last through the next century, the mining of coal in EU can be dangerous and costly in terms of time and money. This is because some coal-reserves across EU are deep in the ground. Even if resources are used to extract coal, the supply will soon run out as it is a finite resource. Like coal, oil and natural gas are also finite sources which might seem abundant now but will eventually deplete as per the consumption. Europe imports 50% of its total energy supply (oil and natural gas) from Russia and Middle East. High demand across the globe for these sources has raised the question of future availability of oil and gas. It is estimated by the Belkin (2008) that Europe will import 65% of its total energy by 2030 the costs of which till that time would have doubled. This dependency of Europe on carbon-based energy is seen as a threat to its economic stability and uncertain increase in energy prices. As the use of carbon based energy will increase, EU has pledged to reduce its carbon-emissions by 20% till 2020 (Belkin, 2008). In addition, the electricity industry in EU is facing a huge challenge of generation capacity investment which will be needed in the future. As technological advancements are increasing the move towards sustainable economics, the growth in wind power generation is seen as one of the domestic sources for electricity generation in EU and as a

Financial and Management Accounting information Essay

Financial and Management Accounting information - Essay Example Management accounting information is mainly used for internal purposes and communication to management (Berry & Jarvis, 1997). The use of financial and management accounting information to the running of an organisation are discussed in the first and second part of this essay respectively. One of the main uses of financial accounting information is for funding purpose. Capital from shareholders and loans and credit from creditors require reporting of financial accounting information to solicit funds (Atrill & McLaney, 2003; Berry & Jarvis, 1997). Since the owners or shareholders provide the funds for the organisation to run, they are interested in the returns earned on their investments. Financial ratios such as return on shareholders' funds can be calculated to assess the returns earned on their investments. They use information on past performance obtained from the financial statements comprising the profit and loss statement, balance sheet, and cash flow statement together with the present economic market conditions to predict the future returns. Also, since the shareholders elect the board of directors, they would want to regularly evaluate the management's performance. Profitability ratios, indications of earning capacity and ability to make profits, can be used by the shareholders to evaluate the management's performance. Examples of profitability ratios are the gross profit ratio, the net profit ratio, and the return on total assets. Loan creditors, such as bankers are interested in the financial stability and liquidity of the organisation, as assessed by the liquidity ratios, solvency ratios, and capital structure ratios, such as the fixed assets to long-term liabilities ratio and the capital gearing ratio. Loan creditors would also like to know whether the organisation is able to pay interest on time and to repay the principal of the loan. They can use financial ratios such as the coverage of fixed interest charges to assess the organisation's ability in this regard. They are also interested in the amount of security existing for their debt, other liabilities the organisation has and security offered for them. The balance sheet offers this information. Trade creditors let the organisation obtain goods or services with postponed payment. They are interested in the ability of the organisation to pay its debts as they fall due, as revealed by liquidity ratios, such as the current ratio and the acid test ratio/liquidity ratio/quick ratio. Both shareholders and creditors use financial accounting information to assess the timing and uncertainty of prospective cash receipts. The prospects of cash receipts depend on the organisation's ability to generate enough cash to meet its obligations when due and its other cash operating needs. The cash flow statement, when used in conjunction with the rest of the financial statements, provides information that enables users to evaluate the changes in net assets of an enterprise, its financial structure (including its liquidity and solvency) and its ability to affect the amounts and timing of cash flows in order to adapt to changing circumstances. Another use of financial accounting information is to solicit investments from potential investors (Atrill & McLaney, 2003, Berry & Jarvis, 1997). Potential investors require information on various matters, including solvency,

The philosophical position of positivism and its role int he Essay

The philosophical position of positivism and its role int he management knowledge creation process - Essay Example As described by Johnson and Duberley ( 2000) Rene Descartes, the 17th century French mathematician and philosopher was the major mover behind the idea of positivism as a concept in philosophy. It was Descartes who first brought in ideas such as using systematic skepticism as a basis for justification in a rational way that was both valid and which could be used to verify available knowledge. This whole concept is described as ‘Cartesian Dualism’.when any attempt is being made to understand nature and events. Another major influence on positivism was the Englishman John Locke ( 1632-1704) who in 1690 , as quoted by Johnson and Duberley ( 2000, page 15) put forward the argument that :- Human beliefs about the external world only became valid when they have survived the test of experience. Galileo and Bacon and later , another philosophic Frenchman, Auguste Comte ( 1798- 1857) ( Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy 2007) would have further argued that exacting scientific met hods are the only true ,appropriate, justifiable and legitimate ways in which to accurately determine the facts when it comes to interactions and events and to the understanding of various phenomena. The epistemology of positivism places the focus upon both external internal validity, and upon objectivity as well as reliability (Thorpe and Holt, 2008) There must also be the ability to replicate because of the stress upon the use of scientific research methods and the use of evidence which is empirical. It promotes rigour (Shrivastava, 1994) in delineating the different causes and effects in a systematic way (Donaldson, 2008) and is about the actuality of scientific truth and facts which as verifiable. This has implications when it comes to knowledge creation such as the need to develop laws and theories and ways of testing the authenticity or otherwise of existing methods and theories. Donaldson (2008) argued for functionalism and positivism and pointed out that the way in which an organisation is structured is decided by the totally of the environment in which the organization operates, that is its size, and the products and services it provides, the contingencies. Contingency theory with regard to knowledge production is described by Thorpe and Holt , ( page 59, 2008).† most effective organizational characteristics are those that fit the contingency variables.† They describe structural contingency theory as being studied most often using positivistic methodology. In 2008 Donaldson stated that the ‘determinist picture’ can be comprehended using positivist methods. Although non deterministic factors do affects situations , these leave a gap in knowledge which must be addressed using critical realism. This method maintains that the use of methods which are truly scientific are an attempt to discover truth, but that nothing can be really known absolutely because of the fallibility of both researchers and their tools. Therefore say Thorpe and Holt ( 2008, page 182`) â€Å"Science must  critically evaluate and test its knowledge claims to determine their truth content.†   Interpretivism as a substitute for post positivism In contrast to positivism, the theory of interpretivism states according to Williams ( 2001 cited in Clarke, 2009, p29) that â€Å"there are distinct ‘ways of knowing’ between which there is no way of according common standards.† Interpretivism, sometimes referred to as the hermeneutics approach (Thorpe and Holt, 2008) is about ontology i.e. the metaphysics of nature, as opposed to epistemology i.e. the nature of knowledge. Interpretivism implies no separation between the subject and its researcher. It is a way of enabling researchers to make use of qualitative methods. They use such things as case studies, ethnography and phenomenology. They interpret their situations and behaviour, while at the same time allowing interaction with participants. . Such qualitative meth od

Lifeline Community Fellowship Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Lifeline Community Fellowship - Assignment Example The church leadership comprises of one senior pastor and three associate pastors †¢ The church ministry is classified into six categories namely: children ministry, youth ministry, young adult ministry, men group, women group, and married couples. †¢ The church has partnered with a number of organizations to spread the gospel as well as provide humanitarian assistance to the needy. Some of these organizations include Outreach to the world, Angels Forgotten, and Global Health Partnership. †¢ Most of the church staffs are volunteers who serve as guest ushers, instrumentalists and cleaners. Other staff members in the church payroll include ministry leaders, security personnel, and accountants. †¢ The church primary source of funds is from members’ contributions, tithes, and donations. Most of these funds are used to support the church internal operations such payment of the staff. †¢ The church also finance their missionaries sent to spread the gospel in other parts of the world such as Haiti, Philippines, Mexico, India, Nicaragua, and El Salvador (Lifeline Community Fellowship). †¢ Lifeline Community Fellowship assets include cars, property, and other assets held by the church’s humanitarian foundations.

Eating disorder Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Eating disorder - Essay Example The image in the media, which is a construct, proves to be a great influence in deciding the way young girls want to look and hence, I too was influenced by it. To add to it, frequent comparisons are made by people regarding the weight of an individual also proved to be a big factor. As I was on the heavier side, I started feeling that I was unattractive and I could not concentrate on anything but just the ways to reduce weight. Initially, it began with a simple harmless dieting plan to get off the excess carbohydrates, but slowly it became a habit and later an obsession. The goal was to get to the next lower size. Additionally, I started exercising also and soon began to work out in a compulsive manner. By controlling my need to eat, I was got the feeling that I could control my body in the way I wanted to and hence, the initial feeling was that of happiness and euphoria. Later, even though I knew that the habit of not eating was bad, I could not have any control over it. I could st ay without food for days and even after I ate, I would immediately vomit it off. Though I do not recall exactly how many times I would vomit in a day, I knew that it was proving to be very difficult obsession both physically and mentally. Even though, I do not remember how exactly a simple exercise to reduce weight became a big obsession. It is true indeed that memory gets faded and hence, I am not able to recollect the exact details. The notion of memory getting faded holds good even with slave narratives. For example, Emma Crockett admits that she remembers the whippings, but her memory fails her on whether the whippings were good or bad (Tart, 1997). The obsession of not eating and looking thin and lean began to take its toll on me very soon. I realized that I could not eat anything even if I wanted to, because my body began to react and vomit out the food on its own. I started feeling tired and depressed. Even though my weight reduced considerably, I started feeling that it was not enough for me. After some time, I once had a fainting episode and the body became extremely weak and fragile. Depression and anxiety also set in; hence, I was under physical as well as mental stress due to the obsession of losing weight. With the suggestion of my friends, I decided to get in touch with a dietician who could help me get over this obsession. I was put through rehabilitation that was an intensive program that helped me get over my mental obsession with my physical self. There were withdrawal symptoms, but slowly the results started showing and I started recognizing the need to respect the body. The counseling sessions proved to be good revelations. I came across information that showed how stereotyping of female bodies’ results in the mental construct that being slim is beautiful. The obsession of being lean and slim takes away from the notion of healthiness. Even though most women do not have the ambition to become actors or model, they get attracted by the stereotype created by media and hence, get obsessed with weight loss. Though, it is healthy to lose excesses weight, the thin line between maintaining the correct weight and losing weight obsessively should always be drawn (Grogan and Wainwright 1996). More than everything, the one factor that helped me most was acceptance from family and friend and how they supported me throughout the process. Over the

Lifeline Community Fellowship Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Lifeline Community Fellowship - Assignment Example The church leadership comprises of one senior pastor and three associate pastors †¢ The church ministry is classified into six categories namely: children ministry, youth ministry, young adult ministry, men group, women group, and married couples. †¢ The church has partnered with a number of organizations to spread the gospel as well as provide humanitarian assistance to the needy. Some of these organizations include Outreach to the world, Angels Forgotten, and Global Health Partnership. †¢ Most of the church staffs are volunteers who serve as guest ushers, instrumentalists and cleaners. Other staff members in the church payroll include ministry leaders, security personnel, and accountants. †¢ The church primary source of funds is from members’ contributions, tithes, and donations. Most of these funds are used to support the church internal operations such payment of the staff. †¢ The church also finance their missionaries sent to spread the gospel in other parts of the world such as Haiti, Philippines, Mexico, India, Nicaragua, and El Salvador (Lifeline Community Fellowship). †¢ Lifeline Community Fellowship assets include cars, property, and other assets held by the church’s humanitarian foundations.

Aircraft Icing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Aircraft Icing - Research Paper Example Icing does not spare any type of aviation. In extreme cold conditions, ice forms naturally. An aircraft, despite its size and shape, has no control over formation of ice over its surface. Deicing and anti-icing treatment helps ward off icing on aircraft surface. But even with these treatments, it is necessary to be on the lookout for sneaky icing to happen unobtrusively. No region in the world can boast of ice-free aviation condition. Icing is not known as the silent killer for nothing. It has taken heavy toll arising from complacency and lack of vigilance. Early in the 1940s when the problem of icing began to get noticed, people in the aviation industry did not view it very seriously. Aviation was not a huge industry then. However, when the industry began to grow in leaps and bounds in the late 1970s, icing problem began to get noticed. Customer base grew. It became a demanding market. It became necessary for flights to be frequent and time adherent. It was then that problems such as icing began to get noticed in the way it should. On 13 January 1982, the Air Florida flight 90 accident at Washington National Airport sounded alarm bells to the lethal hazards of ground icing (William M. Leary). The clear and smooth ice with air pockets that has the lumpy and translucent appearance. The more the accretion, the less the glazed ice takes the form of the wing. This ice is clear and hard to break and is more transparent. Mixed ice Rime ice and clear ice together form the mixed ice. Conditions that cause icing High humidity and the low winter freezing levels are the main causes of icing. The airframe icing are caused when planes are flying through visible cloud, rain and drizzle and the temperature reaches at a point zero or sub zero. The aerodynamic danger The weight of ice on the body of the plane causes accretion; the accretion occurred is asymmetrical that causes higher uncontrollability to the plane and aircraft movements. The visibility in front of the plane is also lost because of the ice. The propeller blades of the plane if iced causes reduction in thrust and may result in danger by causing imbalance to the movements of the plane; surface movement may be cut down because control of the plane may be lost, causing flutter. The antennae of the plane that helps in bridging communication may render ineffective. The speed of the plane may be stalled because its flaps may be extended. Technology of icing detection Anti icing technology The technology is used at a pre icing stage, to avoid ice to shape form on the body of the plane. Various areas of plane are heat up including carburetor heating, prop heating, pilot heating, fuel vent heating, and wind shield heating, etc. Deicing This procedure is used after the icing conditions have engulfed the plane. Surface deicing equipment is to prevent any ice from inhibiting the

Mythic proportions Essay Example for Free

Mythic proportions Essay Linton Heathcliff is a contradiction in terms. His name signifies the unnatural union between Heathcliff and the Lintons or between passion and convention and his sickly nature demonstrates the impossibility of such a union. In Linton both love and convention emerge as corrupted by each other. He is described as a pet, a puling chicken and a whelp. Like both his parents, however, Lintons view of the world is singular, and it is his inability to see it in any way but his own terms which renders him absolutely available for manipulation by Heathcliff. Hareton Of his generation, Haretons character is perhaps the most intriguing, reversing the comparative lack of interest we feel for his father, Hindley. Hareton is brutalised by Heathcliff, structurally repeating Heathcliffs own suffering at the hands of Hindley. Haretons relationship with Cathy has similarly been read as mirroring Heathcliffs with Catherine, in as much as he is desirous of impressing her, and he is proud in her presence. His love of Cathy, however, might be said more closely to resemble Edgars love of Catherine in as much as it is moderate yet tender, devoted yet restrained. Hareton also exhibits an unwavering love for Heathcliff, in spite of the ill-treatment he has received at his hands. Like Catherine, Hareton is constant in his initial affections, and when Heathcliff first arrives into his life they form an alliance against Hindley. Although Haretons name is inscribed above the door of Wuthering Heights, his inability to read, coupled with the repetitious doubling of names and signatures, means that he fails to inherit his rightful property. Hareton is dispossessed by Heathcliff, but can also be seen as a rewriting of Heathcliff, a surrogate or symbolic Heathcliff. The development of Haretons characterisation revolves around his education. He is initially nursed by Nelly, the novels surrogate mother, and under her tuition he begins to learn his letters. However, left to the ministrations of his dissolute and unpredictable father Hindley, Hareton grows wild and uncultivated, unable to read, and with no social skills. His attempts at self-improvement are the source of mockery and derision by Linton and Cathy, and it is not until the end of the novel that he is able to acquire the skills necessary for him to achieve social status with Cathy and come into his rightful inheritance. The domestic romance which typifies the final union between Cathy and Hareton may well resolve some of the conflicts that thwart the other relationships in the novel, but their union lacks the grand passion, the wild power of the original love between Catherine and Heathcliff. Cathy Structurally the second Cathy can be seen as revising her mothers story. She achieves her identity at the price of her mothers, and Edgar always differentiates her in relation to the first Catherine, whose name he never diminished. Unlike Linton, who has the misfortune of inheriting the worst of both his parents, Cathy appears to have inherited the best from both of hers. Nelly sees Lockwood as a possible escape route for Cathy should he be induced to fall in love with her. We are privy to reports of Cathys pride, and her insensitive mockery of Haretons lack of formal knowledge. The revolution of the novel in which she and Hareton form their attachment is something of a mythical resolution, a romantic conclusion which transcends the central conflicts of the novel to restore a traditional novelistic plot of courtship and marriage. Cathy and Haretons relationship restores to the novel and version of domestic bliss that was the Victorian ideal, but it is well to bear in mind that Brontes is a version in which Cathy clearly has the upper hand. Nelly Nelly Dean is the second and dominant narratorial voice in this novel. She takes up the story from Lockwood and gives it both substance and credence. Lockwoods inability to read the signs of the culture in which he finds himself cannot sustain the story, though it acts to remind us that all narratorial voices, including Nellys, are partial. Nelly Dean is a local, and has known each generation of the Earnshaw and Linton families. She is therefore well-placed to offer Lockwood a commentary upon the events she describes. Her position of servant is differentiated from that of that of other servants, both in terms of the fact that she appears to move effortlessly between the two houses, mediating between their differences, and in terms of her voice. Nelly Dean does not share a regional dialect with the other servants but she understands it perfectly. She also emerges as an educated woman, having read most of the books in the library at Thrushcross Grange the house of culture and in having experienced the vicissitudes of Wuthering Heights the house of nature. In keeping with her dual roles, Nelly has two names, Ellen, her given name which is used by those wishing to accord her respect, and Nelly, the name her peers and familiars employ. Nelly is one of the most interesting characters in this novel, not least because of the language she uses. She occupies a unique cultural position in this novel. She has access to a range of discourses that might be considered beyond her ken in terms of her position as a family servant; yet as the central narrator Bronte presents her as a speaking subject, partially excluded from culture but nonetheless positioned so as to be able to comment upon it. Nelly acts as a surrogate mother to many of the motherless characters in this novel: she brings up Hareton for the first five years of his life; she cares for Cathy from birth through to her marriage to Linton; she regrets the brevity of her charge of Linton, which is forced by circumstance; and she acts as confidant and advisor to Catherine and Heathcliff. She also acts as a mother-figure to Lockwood as she nurses him back to health. As surrogate mother Nelly provides food and moral sustenance to her nurslings. Nelly Dean is most carefully, consistently and convincingly created for us as the normal woman, whose truly feminine nature satisfies itself in nurturing all the children of the book in turn. This reading of Nelly as the mother-figure alerts us to another of her roles, for Nelly is a mother goose, the teller of this fairytale, the keeper of its wisdom. The name might also be a corruption of Mother Gossip. Both of these definitions are pertinent to the figure of Nelly, since the knowledge she conveys is at least twofold: it is about womens experience, and it is about the nature of love. Nelly knows that her story has to entertain and ensnare us. Yet her voice is rooted in the realist narrative. With her love of a well-brushed hearth and gleaming copper pans, Nelly weaves for us a fairy tale of mythic proportions. Given our narrators sympathies we are inevitably drawn to the novels celebration of passion, and find the strictures of its dominant discourses of marriage and religion as stifling and incomprehensible as do its main protagonists.

Original Aims of the European Community

Original Aims of the European Community This paper considers the original aims of the European Economic Community on its formation under the Treaty of Rome 1957 as a background to the transformation of the EEC into the European Community. A discussion of the subsequent development of the EC thereafter forms the main body of this work and the staged development of the EC through subsequent amending treaties provides the focus of the analysis offered. A brief historical survey of the European Economic Community The European Community of 2008 sees its origins in the six member European Economic Community formed by the ratification of the Treaty of Rome in 1957. The signatory member states were France, Germany, Italy and the Benelux states. It is submitted at the outset that the EEC was founded largely on fear. It is hard to appreciate from the perspective of 2008, exactly what motivated the founding fathers of the Treaty of Rome to pursue integration because the world has moved on, but in the 1950s the base motivation was manifest and pressing. The continent of Europe had endured two catastrophic World Wars in the space of one generation. War had ravaged each and every country of Europe, and in particular the founding member states. The architects of the Treaty of Rome, including Italian Prime Minister Antonio Segni, French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman and French civil servant Jean Monnet, while undoubtedly harbouring in the back of their minds lofty notions of improving the economic and social conditions of European citizens, were above all preoccupied with the goal of reducing the chances of a third world war starting on the continent. As stated, this fear is difficult to understand in the context of the early twenty first century and this is a testament to the greatest achievement of the European Economic Community and its successor organisations. The political and economic worlds of the major European powers are now so inextricably linked and integrated within the European Union that the notion of armed conflict between those powers has become almost unthinkable. It is argued that this is precisely what Segni, Schuman and Monnet were striving for above all other considerations. All the architects of European integration had suffered great personal and family losses as a result of the two most appalling wars ever to be fought in the modern world. Their most important and profound legacy is that their grandchildren and great grandchildren have been spared a similar experience. The substance of the integrationist treaty that preceded the Treaty of Rome is certainly no coincidence. The European Coal and Steel Treaty was signed in 1951. Why? Because coal and steel were the two great industries of twentieth century war. On the same day as the Treaty of Rome was signed, EURATOM was also signed, and the European Atomic Energy Community was created in order to institute cooperation and joint research that would presumably avoid an imbalance and power and knowledge which could threaten an unthinkable atomic war in Europe. The preamble to the Treaty of Rome sets out a broad range of aims and objectives cast in terms of political, economic and social goals, but make no mistake, the raw, basic and original aim of the European Economic Community was the avoidance of future war in Europe. At a certain level, buried deep in the political and institutional foundations of the European Community since its foundation under the Treaty on European Union (popularly known as the Treaty of Maastricht), the overarching goal of the avoidance of conflict and preservation of harmony in Europe remains to this day. The fear that proved the overwhelming catalyst for European integration underwent a metamorphosis over the latter decades of the twentieth century. The fear of conflict between Western European powers was replaced by a fear of the threat from behind the Iron Curtain and the spectre of the Soviet Union. The desire to bind together and integrate more fully came to be fuelled by the challenge presented by the Soviet Bloc, and one of the reasons why the Soviet threat dissipated with the break up of the Soviet Union in the late 1980s and early 1990s was because the citizens of Eastern Europe looked at their counterparts in the West and became dissatisfied with their own lot in life. By the time of the break up of the Soviet Union, the fear that held the European Community together had changed again. Now the preoccupation was binding together for strength and protection against the rising â€Å"Tiger Economies† of Japan and the Pacific Rim. Today, the EC is concerned with maintaining and enhancing its position with an increasingly competitive global economy. ‘Fear therefore, in the form of pragmatic reactions to political and economic conditions around the world, has held the European Community together, and motivated to bind and integrate itself ever more closely, since the day the Treaty of Rome was signed on 25 March 1957. Seven years earlier on May 9 1950 Robert Schuman declared: Europe will not be made all at once, or according to a single plan. It will be built through concrete achievements, which first create a de facto solidarity.† It is submitted that Schuman would be content with the European Union of 2008. It has bumped through various potholes and progress has not been either smooth or rapid, but it has fulfilled its original and overwhelmingly most important objective in exemplary fashion. Just to prove the thrust and theme of this introduction, the point that Schuman chose to make immediately following the above statement is reproduced below: The coming together of the nations of Europe requires the elimination of the age-old opposition of France and Germany. Any action taken must in the first place concern these two countries.† From the European Economic Community to the European Community Steiner succinctly describes the development of the European Community in her text, EU Law. The EEC enlarged in stages over the decades after its creation. The United Kingdom, Denmark and Ireland joined in 1973, Greece joined in 1981 and Spain and Portugal acceded to membership in 1986. Austria, Finland and Sweden joined in 1995. This was the size and state of the European Economic Community when it underwent transition to the European Community under the superstructure of the European Union in 1992. Ten further states, mainly from Central and Eastern Europe (including Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic) joined in 2004 and the last states to join were Bulgaria and Romania in 2007. In the 1980s there was consistent pressure to embark on moves towards deeper and closer integration in Europe. The signing of the Single European Act in 1986 saw the Community reform and improve its institutions and decision making processes with a view to supporting such deeper integration and in 1989 two intergovernmental conferences were held (under procedures established by the Single European Act) to consider the issues of political union and economic and monetary union respectively. These conferences resulted in a new treaty, the Treaty on European Union (The Maastricht Treaty), which was signed on 7 February 1992. The 1992 TEU introduced substantial reforms and amendments to the original EEC Treaty and created the legal and political entity of the European Union. Perhaps one of the most profound, but simple and easily overlooked changes instituted by the Maastricht Treaty, was the renaming of the ‘European Economic Community as the ‘European Community. This small change had massive implications. It signalled the Communitys intention to move on from its original exclusively economic boundaries and develop far reaching new competencies in other socio-economic, social, cultural and political spheres. Building on the EEC: The original aims of the new European Community With specific reference to the title to this work, the preamble to the Treaty on European Union sets out the basic aims and objectives of the European Community at the point of its creation. These aims, which are formally summarised as stated objectives in Article B of the TEU, include in particular: attachment to the principles of liberty, democracy and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and of the rule of law† to deepen the solidarity between their peoples while respecting their history, their culture and their traditions† These fundamental objectives underpin the legal order and socio-political foundations of the European Union and have been articulated in EC law and in the judgments of the European Court of Justice in seminal cases such as C11/70 Internationale Handelsgesellschaft mbH v Einfuhrund Vorratsstellle fur Getreide und Futtermittel8 since the creation of the European Economic Community. The preamble to the 1992 Treaty also pledged: to enhance further the democratic and efficient functioning of the institutions so as to enable them better to carry out, within a single institutional framework, the tasks entrusted to them† It is clear that the architects of the nascent European Community realised that the modus operandi of the EC, its institutions and legal and political processes would need to be extensively reformed and refined, even beyond its new constitution, if it was to be capable of functioning effectively to administrate and govern a more deeply integrated union of states (which was anticipated to grow rapidly, and of course did grow rapidly, over the following years). The 1992 preamble also pledged: to achieve the strengthening and the convergence of their economies and to establish an economic and monetary union including, in accordance with the provisions of this Treaty, a single and stable currency† This objective sees the EC articulate its specific aims in regard to the economic integration of the member states and confirmation of the ECs intention to take this integration to a new and deeper level in the shape of monetary union and the creation of a single currency, the Euro, which has of course now been achieved. Other pledges stated in the TEU preamble include: to promote economic and social progress for their peoples, within the context of the accomplishment of the internal market and of reinforced cohesion and environmental protection, and to implement policies ensuring that advances in economic integration are accompanied by parallel progress in other fields† to establish a citizenship common to nationals of their countries† It is submitted that progress has been made on each of these aims to a greater or lesser extent. For example, the Single Market project has been assiduously protected and the concept of EU citizenship and the rights attached thereto have been advanced by the European Community and it has received cogent support in this regard from the European Court of Justice in proactive rulings that have put flesh on the bones, and in some purposive decisions a few more bones on the flesh, of EC law: see inter alia, C- 46 48/93 Brasserie du Pecheur SA v Germany and R v Secretary of State for Transport ex parte Factortame (and for comment see Contravening EC law: The liability of the Member State (1996)). As the Court of Justice held in Rudy Grzelczyk v Centre Public dAide Sociale dOttignes-Louvain-la-Neuve, the status of citizenship of the European Union: is destined to be the fundamental status of nationals of the member states, enabling those who find themselves in the same situation to enjoy t he same treatment in law irrespective of their nationality, subject to such exceptions as are expressly provided for†. Other pledges made by the European Community on its creation include commitments: to implement a common foreign and security policy including the eventual framing of a common defence policy, which might in time lead to a common defence, thereby reinforcing the European identity and its independence in order to promote peace, security and progress in Europe and in the world† to facilitate the free movement of persons, while ensuring the safety and security of their peoples, by including provisions on justice and home affairs in this Treaty† to continue the process of creating an ever closer union among the peoples of Europe, in which decisions are taken as closely as possible to the citizen in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity† Again, some progress has been made on all these fronts, although advances on the CFSP have proved unsurprisingly controversial and difficult to achieve, certainly in comparison with development in the free movement of persons, which has grown from strength to strength after the marriage of the concepts of EC workers and EC persons within the unified legal status of EU citizen. Successive Treaties It is true to say that the EC lost momentum after the Treaty on European Union. The subsequent Treaty of Amsterdam (1997) and thereafter the Treaty of Nice (2001) added layers of reform designed to expedite progress towards the achievement of the ECs aims, but did so only in a piecemeal and relatively half-hearted fashion in comparison to the giant leap forward taken by the Maastricht Treaty and even in comparison to the advances of its predecessor the Single European Act. The Amsterdam Treaty made some innovative changes and improvements in the EU fields of the Common Foreign and Security Policy and Justice and Home Affairs but its substantive amendments of the Treaty of Rome and EC law were lacklustre and minimalist. The Treaty of Nice was forced on the member states, reorganising and rationalising the EC/EU institutions to facilitate their more efficient administration and operation after the Unions contemplated enlargement to 27 member states, but the Nice Treaty fell short of achieving its full range of proposed substantive reforms of the Treaty of Rome because they proved too controversial. Political development became patchy, sporadic and hesitant as a Euro-sceptical agenda gained influence and support within Europe. This culminated in the rejection of the draft Constitutional Treaty in 2005. Although the integrationist lobby has since gained the upper hand again in the form of the Lisbon Treaty. This issue is discussed in more detail in the fol lowing section. The Development of the European Community: An Overview The European Community has come a long, long way since its beginnings as the European Economic Community, which saw the introduction of a common market and free movement of goods between six Western European states in the 1950s. In 1992, when the European Community was formed from the member states of the EEC and took its place under the superstructure implemented by the Treaty on European Union, various aims and objectives were set out and progress has been made in the intervening years towards the fulfilment of all of these aims to some extent. This progress has come in the form of the staged, incremental development of the Community by means of the Treaties that followed Maastricht. Many of the reforms introduced have been forced upon the Community by its growth from 15 largely homogenous Western European member states when the Community was created in 1992 to a sprawling organisation of 27 member states, including many from Eastern Europe by 2007. That is not to say the picture is entirely positive however, The Treaties of Amsterdam and Nice and now the Lisbon Treaty, have one thing in common and that is that none of them went as far or as deep as the integrationists within the Community wanted. The effect of this has been to slow the progress of convergence within Europe and such was inevitable given the strong Euro-sceptic lobby in various parts of the Community. One manifestation of this was the failure of the Constitutional Treaty, which was rejected by France in May 2005 at a national referendum by a 54.68 per cent majority, and by the Netherlands just days later by a 61.6 per cent majority. The United Kingdoms shadow Foreign Secretary of the day, the Conservative Dr Liam Fox, offered an unequivocal opinion as to the fate of the draft Constitutional Treaty: I may no longer practice medicine, but I can tell a corpse when I see one and this constitution is a case for the morgue if ever I saw one this is a dead constitution.† It is a testament to the commitment, drive and determination of those seeking the fulfilment of the European Communitys base objectives that Dr Foxs confident predictions ultimately turned out to be false. The Lisbon Treaty represents the reincarnation of the draft Constitutional Treaty in all but name, disposing only of peripheral matters such as the Union anthem and flag but retaining almost all the crucial institutional and legal process reforms in word for word, line by line form. Moreover, given that the European Community and its supporters are now wise to the folly of actually allowing national populations to decide on their own future (a lesson that UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown is learning the hard way), it is submitted that the Lisbon Treaty will not meet the fate of its almost identical predecessor. The entry into force of the Lisbon Treaty will constitute another significant step towards the achievement of the ECs goals. In addition to political reluctance to invest more and more power centrally in the European Community body, the expansion of the Community has itself acted as a brake on further and deeper integration, as new challenges and issues relating to the accession of so many disparate and in some cases fragile new member states have fallen to be confronted. The expanding membership of the EC has thus frustrated the aims of the most passionate integrationists. Time will tell whether this proves to be a temporary effect or a permanent obstacle to the goal of a federal United States of Europe, which is not so proudly or overtly promulgated in 2008 as it was in the early 1950s, but which has been reflected in the Treaty of Rome and the Treaty on European Union by direct implication if not express commitment. Concluding Comments In closing, it is appropriate to refer back to the title to this work, which asked for a critical analysis of the development of the European Community since its creation in 1992 in terms of the degree of achievement of its original aims. The fact is that the EC remains ‘work in progress. While progress has been certainly made almost across the board to a greater or lesser extent, the institution still falls short of the ultimate fulfilment of those objectives set out in the Treaty on European Union. This is unsurprising, given the sheer enormity of the task and the difficulties that have confronted integrationists have also proved entirely predictable. It remains to be seen whether the European Community will ever achieve the complete satisfaction of its ambitious agenda, but one thing is certain. The European Community continues to fulfil its first, most fundamental and overwhelmingly most important role and that is the preservation of peace and stability between its member states. For this reason and this reason alone, the European Community has proved a great success, despite its many detractors.