Organizational Culture At The Workplace - 1749 Words

Organizations as culture are able to create a vision for leaders to use in order to guide organizational objectives. It can also provide a perspective so followers can measure their leader’s performance in achieving the vision. Organizational culture can determine the way employees interact at the workplace and helps guide and give them a sense of direction at the workplace. Through observing Foundation, the following provide examples to demonstrate how Foundation is operating within the culture metaphor: †¢ The culture at Foundation is professional but casual; it suits the organization’s personality. Employees are encouraged to dress casual so that they are comfortable when doing their job. There is no official dress code in place. Additionally, the design of physical space and work environments are that of a relaxed and casual feel with wide opening working areas, where people can come together to work and collaborate. †¢ The organization’s mission statement serves as the inspiration of the group and is the basis of why they do what they do. Employees regularly work together to help others by raising funds and gathering donations such as food and clothes to help families in need. †¢ The organization makes a serious effort to function as a community, working together to improve the quality of life of children they serve and believe that their work positively influences the lives of the children and families they serve. Teachers and staff volunteer their time to helpShow MoreRelatedOrganizational Culture And Workplace Norms898 Words   |  4 Pages Organizational culture defined as a distinct set of workplace, traditions, values, and practices, frequently shape how people behave in their current workplace. Three sources of organizational culture that influence how people behave are known as workplace values, workplace norms, and workplace artifacts. Understanding organizational culture changes how people act in the public workplace. People would behave around coworkers, and supervisors. The interpersonal communication used to talk to the personRead MoreOrganizational Culture And Its Impact On The Workplace Culture2040 Words   |  9 PagesAn organisatio n culture is developed when the members of an institution shared a set of common values, traits and symbols (Helms, 2001). This culture represents an identical trend in patterning and integration (Schein, 2004), in which the ways of thinking and believe are similar in the members of the unit (Marquis Huston, 2009). However, an organisation culture does not just form by itself. According to Schein (2004), culture and leadership are fundamentally interlaced and are able to influenceRead MoreOrganizational Culture : A Diverse And Inclusive Workplace926 Words   |  4 Pagesachievements. Entergy is a very large company who has its own unique culture that strives to be diverse and inclusive. This paper will talk about Entergy’s culture, how change effects that culture, how members are brought in and socialized, and how the spirit of our Lord is integrated. Entergy’s culture â€Å"Organizational culture is the pervasive system of values, beliefs, and norms that exist in any organizations. The organizational culture can encourage or discourage effectiveness depending on the natureRead MoreEssay On Organizational Culture In The Workplace1213 Words   |  5 PagesAn organization always faces challenges when allowing new employees into their culture. Brethren Woods Camp and Retreat Center encounters this change every year when they orient their summer staff. Last summer, however, a new problem occurred to challenge their organizational culture. During the fifth week of their six week summer camp program, they caught wind from a stakeholder that some of their employees had been in violation of the personnel policy they all signed earlier in the summer. AfterRead MoreOrganizational Culture And The Social Environment Of The Workplace1590 Words   |  7 PagesFoundation Organizational culture was discovered to be an important factor in the social environment of the workplace. The attitudes and beliefs of employees and management are what have shaped the culture of an organization. The culture of an organization has been particularly important in the healthcare setting because it has shaped the type of healthcare that the patients receive within the healthcare organization (Sovie, 1993). The construct organizational culture was developed after theRead MoreThe Organizational Culture On Workplace Productivity And The Overall Impact On The Organization1500 Words   |  6 Pagesdiverse leadership team, with the purpose of developing culturally appropriate groups to carry out the expansion goals in these markets. In order to develop a successful global team, I must scrutinize the organizational culture, the necessary leadership style, the impact of the group’s culture on workplace productivity, and the overall impact on the organization itself. Cultural Assessment Since the expansion effort includes several different cultural norms, the leadership team must both recognize theseRead MoreMy Personal Definition Of Organizational Behavior Essay1226 Words   |  5 Pagesdefinition of â€Å"organizational behavior† and how it affects the workplace in a both positive and negative way. As I established a definition for organizational behavior on my own, I realized how broad the term really is. I will discuss the different leadership styles and how they benefit the workplace, how the employees work ethic is based on the different organization structures, how organizational behavior can be promoted by organizational constraints, and how culture can affect the workplace negativelyRead MoreDiversity, Diversity And Culture Is The Most Important Strategy That Needs Be Address?1179 Words   |  5 PagesIn international business the topics of diversity and culture is one the most important strategy that needs be address. Making the decision to outsou rce for profit gain will not necessarily happen if preparation of cultural change is not in place first. What is values and a norms in a company’s country may be offensive to other social groups of people. For example, in Germany lack of attention to diversity and culture had a serious impacts on Walmart’s position. It build frustrations to both theRead MoreOrganizational Behavior1046 Words   |  5 PagesRunning Head: Organizational Behavior \ Erica Wilson Organizational Behavior AJS 512 Douglas Bryant III April 23, 2012 Organizational Behavior According to Schermerhorn, Hunt, Osborn, and Uhl-bien Organizational behavior is the study of individuals and groups in organizations (pg. 4). Organizational behavior is an applied discipline that is based on scientific method which was researched to help formulate teams and collegial work environments. The importance of organizational behaviorRead MoreDiversity in the Workplace964 Words   |  4 PagesRunning head: DIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE Abstract Select (highlight) this text and then begin typing your abstract, which should be limited to one paragraph of not more than 120 words A Survey of Organizational Culture and its Effectiveness on Managing Diversity in the Workplace Diversity in the workplace is a relatively new concept that has been attracting considerable attention from the executives of most businesses. â€Å"Ongoing demographic trends (increasing percentages of African-Americans

Kant VS Mill Free Essays

Immanuel Kant was born in April 1724 to a craftsman named Johann George Kant and Anna Regina Porter (Bennagen, 2000). He was trained more in Latin and Religion subjects as compared with science and mathematics consequently forming his concepts and ideas with regards to moral philosophy technically referred to as ‘deontology’ which actually reiterates that an act should only be carried out based on the an individuals’ responsibilities (Bennagen, 2000). John Stuart Mill John Stuart Mill was born in May 1906 to Harriet Barrow and a well known philosopher, James Mill (Bennagen, 2000). We will write a custom essay sample on Kant VS Mill or any similar topic only for you Order Now Being exposed to Greek when he was only three years old, Latin when he was eight, he was extremely brilliant, so intelligent that he acquired Greek Literature, Philosophy, Chemistry, Botany, Psychology and law before he turned eighteen years old (Bennagen, 2000). Furthermore, he is accountable for systematically putting together the utilitarian thoughts/concepts/ideas of his father and his father’s friend Jeremy Bentham (Bennagen, 2000). This is where Jeremy Bentham argues and reiterates that actions are correct only if they are inclined to bring into being the utmost happiness for the greatest number of people (Bennagen, 2000). This is simply because advocates of utilitarianism believe that happiness is the main criteria for doing something right or wrong, meaning if something is done and pleasure resulted from it then it is right, however, if pain was brought about from it then surely, it is wrong (Bennagen, 2000). Major Similarities in their Ethical System Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill’ ethical systems have similarities and these are the following: In act utilitarianism, laws are not taken into consideration as long as the act is said to have brought about happiness to most individuals then it is right (Bennagen, 2000). The same is true with deontology wherein duty is the basis for a right act which means that even if it means breaking the law just as long as the responsibility is fulfilled then the act is definitely right (Bennagen, 2000). Â  In addition, both cannot always be utilized as a guide to morals (Bennagen, 2000). There are several cases where a decision made based on utilitarianism or deontology fails (Bennagen, 2000). Major Differences in their Ethical System There are differences between the ethical systems of Immanuel Kant and John Stuart Mill and some of these are the following: In terms of goal, Immanuel Kant’s deontological theory’s goal is to fulfill a certain duty, whereas, John Stuart Mill’s utilitarianism’s goal is to achieve happiness (Bennagen, 2000). This is clearly evident in the definition of the deontological theory which says that individuals ought to stick to their responsibilities in evaluating a moral quandary (Bennagen, 2000). Same is true with the technical definition of utilitarianism where it states that, in an assessment of an ethical issue, the alternative that will result in the greatest happiness to the most number of people is the option that is ethically right (Bennagen, 2000). Also, rule utilitarianism considers the law and fairness in finally making an act which is said to be right (Bennagen, 2000). Here, an individual who is about to make an act seriously thinks about making the most number of individuals experience pleasure through fair and just means (Bennagen, 2000). Furthermore, it gives importance to justice, as well as, beneficence (Bennagen, 2000). By justice here, we mean, that everyone involved in the situation are treated fairly, on the other hand, by beneficence, we mean, doing what is good, in opposition to what is evil (Bennagen, 2000). The aforementioned defies deontology in such a way that it does not involve justice and beneficence in it, rather it only focuses on fulfilling the ‘duty’, whether or not it is fair or just to everybody involved (Bennagen, 2000). Major Criticisms for Kant’s Theory There are also criticisms for Kant’s Theory and some of these are the following: First of all, since deontology is all about sticking to responsibilities, its rationale or logic is being questioned for it (Bennagen, 2000). For instance, how will individual duties would be defined (Bennagen, 2000)? If for example, if personally I consider my family as my first priority every time and it so happened that I am being called by my supervisor for an urgent or emergency meeting, would it be considered not doing my duty if I go to this emergency meeting that my supervisor has ordered (Bennagen, 2000). Another example is the fact that, citizens have to maintain a certain driving speed, however, an individual is running late for a qualifying exam in medicine, which is a make or break exam for him, would it be considered as not doing his duty if he went a little speedy just to make it to his exam, which is a personal duty for him in the first place. Very clearly, through the aforementioned examples, there are no limits or boundaries to this so called duty making it critical , even questionable, as an ethical theory (Bennagen, 2000). Secondly, obviously it is not extremely useful or helpful in making decisions since it is not applicable in all situations, as seen in the examples above (Bennagen, 2000). Last but not least, it is also being criticized because of its self-centeredness simply because it does not really consider the well-being of others (Bennagen, 2000). Going back to the aforementioned examples, it shows that deontology tends to take a certain side wherein the other side not chosen is left unprotected in terms of its welfare (Bennagen, 2000). Major Criticisms for Mills’ Theory The criticisms for utilitarianism include the following: First of all, in making a decision using the utilitarianism, it does not always achieve its goal of the experience of the utmost number of people of the greatest pleasure (Bennagen, 2000). If the head of the family decide to unleash his dog in his yard at night to make sure that no one will jump over his fence and to make sure untoward incidences in his home are avoided which may consequently hurt his family, but unfortunately the dog got out of his yard and went over the neighbor’s yard and destroyed the flowers in the garden (Bennagen, 2000)? This means that instead of his family being happy being they were well guarded, other people were terribly disappointed, disturbed, and definitely did not experience happiness as should be the outcome of utilizing utilitarianism as a technique in making ethical decisions (Bennagen, 2000). Secondly, many people criticize utilitarianism for its inadequacy of common sense (Bennagen, 2000). For example, would you give up the one you really love just because your best friend loves him too and for the reason that your family does not like him for you (Bennagen, 2000)? Your best friend will turn out happy and so will your family which complies with the technical definition of utilitarianism involving utmost happiness experienced by the greatest number of individuals (Bennagen, 2000). The questions however are ‘what about you’, ‘where is the common sense in that’, and ‘is selflessness common sense’ (Bennagen, 2000)? Thirdly, happiness is undefined here in utilitarianism (Bennagen, 2000). For example, a customer service representative at a certain company has been reported to be sleeping on the job (Bennagen, 2000). Utilizing utilitarianism, the act has been carried out: 1) to correct the mistake of the customer service representative; 2) to serve better more consumers; and 3) to improve the company’s services and be appreciated by more clients (Bennagen, 2000). This may result in happiness for the consumers and the management; however typically, this will not bring in pleasure to the customer service representative being complained about (Bennagen, 2006). This only proves that an act may not always bring in happiness through the use of utilitarianism in carrying out an act (Bennagen, 2000). Last but not least, utilitarianism is being questioned because it violates human rights (Bennagen, 2000). For example, if a Bill is submitted by a minority group leader to be passed as a Law, and will not qualify as a Law simply because majority did not vote for it, then this may jeopardize the rights and happiness of the so called minority groups (Bennagen, 2000). This then may also be justified as an act which is right since happiness is being experienced by the most number of individuals though several people are suffering as well (Bennagen, 2000). Reference Bennagen, P. (2000). Social Economic and Political Thought. Quezon City: UPOU How to cite Kant VS Mill, Essay examples

Management Communication Fluor Construction

Question: Discuss the new rules introduced by the organization Fluor Corporation. Answer: Introduction Fluor Corporation is a multinational engineering construction situated in California. The organization was founded by John Simon Fluor in the year 1912 (Fluor.com 2016). The organization has flourished its business over the years and is spread across the world. In this assignment, the researcher has discussed the new rule which has been introduced by the organization. The rule will be implemented for all the employees of the organization. Additionally, the researcher has also tried to find out the whether the implication of the new law has created a positive or negative effect on the minds of the employees. Discussion Fluor Corporation is an engineering construction company with its headquarters in Irving Texas in the United States (Fluor.com 2016). The organization has also diversified its business in the field of Oil and gas, power and even in government projects. The organization has employee strength of over thirty-seven thousand and generates revenue of 1.2 billion US dollars (Fluor.com 2016). Fluor Corporation always looks after the welfare of the employees in the organization and has introduced a new bonus policy. According to Damoah and Ntsiful, (2016), the organization provides week off to its employees every Saturday and Sunday. According to this new policy, the employees can enjoy an extra holiday or a week off every alternative Friday (Devonish, 2013). In order to enjoy the benefit, the working hours on normal weekdays will increase by one to two hours. The employees have to work for a period of nine hours forty-five minutes in a day. The new timings will be from 6.45 am to 4.30 pm. On the alternative Friday, the employees would have to work for a period of only eight hours. A survey conducted by the organization shows that near about 94 percent of the employees supported the new policy (Frenkel, Sanders Bednall, 2013). In the recent days it has been found that most organizations are shortening their weekends whereas Fluor Corporation is increasing the week offs According to Kinnunen et al., (2015), the new policy will refresh the minds of the employees and will increase their productivity level. The organization intends to implement this new policy during the summer season. The main reason behind this action is that, during the summer season, the employees want to spread more time with their family and children. This was proved by a survey among the employees (Poole, 2013). The top management have said that the new policy is feasible because the state labor law has been changed. According to Shaout, and Khalid Yousif, (2014), the policy was also economically good because before the implication of the law the organization has to pay the employees for their overtime work. Fluor Corporation is using the policy for the companys own benefit." With the help of this new policy, the organization is also able to reduce the cost incur of the company. Fluor Corporation is also able to structure the timing of 40 hours according to their benefit. This policy if successful will also be implemented in the next summer. Extra week off will help the employees to spend quality time with their family members. As stated by Tansel and Gazolu, (2014), the employees can share their time with their close friends, relatives or other members. It has also been found that extra week off is also helpful in solving the personal problems of the individuals. An extra week off for the e mployees will also help them to plan the work they will do in the coming weeks. A planning process will help both the organization and employees to achieve their target and goal (Frenkel, Sanders Bednall, 2013). A positive learning for the employees The employees can also use their weekend to enhance themselves by gaining different knowledge from the website. The employees can also go through different books which will also help them in enhancing their knowledge. According to Damoah and Ntsiful, (2016), the employees may also join different clubs and classes to develop their skills. The classes can be in the field of dancing, singing or even playing different instruments. Employees can also do yoga and meditation. Yoga and meditation will help the employees to keep themselves aloof from the daily workload. These will help the employees to remain focused at times of difficulties. I will also implement this extra weekend policy in my organization. The extra weekend policies will help my employees to remain focused in their job during the week days. The employees will also feel that the organization is thinking about the welfare of the employees, and this will be beneficial for my organization. A close bonding will be created between the employees and the top management. In my organization, the pay structure is on a weekly basis. Before implementation of the new policy, I have to pay a lot of the money because the employees perform over time duty. On implementation of this law, the expenditure of the organization will also reduce to a large extent. This will be beneficial for my organization. The employees will also have an extra week of off the alternative Fridays which will make them remain focused on their job. All these factors will help my organization to remain a step ahead of the competitors. Conclusion The researcher has thoroughly discussed the different facilities which Fluor Corporation will enjoy on giving an extra week off every alternative Friday. The implementation of the new policy will help the individuals to remain focused on their jobs and increase the productivity of the organization. The employees can also spend a lot of time with their family members, and this will maintain a proper work balance. The employees will also feel that the organization is looking after their well-being, and this will increase the trust of the employees towards the organization. References Damoah, J. O., Ntsiful, A. (2016). Childcare demands and employee performance.Team Performance Management,22(1/2), 36-50. doi:10.1108/TPM-09-2015-0038 Devonish, D. (2013). Workplace bullying, employee performance and behaviors.Employee Relations,35(6), 630-647. doi:10.1108/ER-01-2013-0004 Fluor Global Engineering Construction Company EPC Services. Fluor.com. (2016).Retrieved 30 May 2016, from https://www.fluor.com/pages/default.aspx Frenkel, S., Sanders, K., Bednall, T. (2013). Employee perceptions of management relations as influences on job satisfaction and quit intentions.Asia Pacific Journal of Management,30(1), 7-29. doi:10.1007/s10490-012-9290-z Kinnunen, U., Feldt, T., de Bloom, J., Korpela, K. (2015). Patterns of daily energy management at work: Relations to employee well-being and job characteristics.International Archives of Occupational and Environmental Health,88(8), 1077-1086. doi:10.1007/s00420-015-1039-9 Poole, L., (2013).Perfect phrases for coaching employee performance: Hundreds of ready-to-use phrases for building employee engagement and creating star performers. New York: McGraw-Hill. Shaout, A., Khalid Yousif, M. (2014). Employee performance appraisal system using fuzzy logic.International Journal of Computer Science and Information Technology,6(4), 1-19. doi:10.5121/ijcsit.2014.6401 Tansel, A., Gazolu, Ã… ¾. (2014). Management-employee relations, firm size and job satisfaction.International Journal of Manpower,35(8), 1260-1275. doi:10.1108/IJM-09-2014-0179

Pauls Case and Sunnys Blues Essay Example

Pauls Case and Sunnys Blues Paper The stories that have been chosen for the essay are Sonnys Blues by James Baldwin and Pauls Case by Willa Cather. These stories have a lot in common but they are also very different in their approach towards life. It can be said that the similarities become the contrasts due to the negative use of ideas. The main characters in both the stories are rebels. Their ideas are radical and against the norms of the society. The love for music, art, theater and the ambience of beauty is in the rebels, both Sonny and Paul. This is a similarity they share but the contrast comes in when music uplifts Sonny from his blues or misfortune and gives him a reason to live, Paul does not want to work towards a better life in order to enjoy the art which he loves. The ending in the stories is the surprise element. The difference in the point of view of the characters changes the ending, completely. Sonnys outlook is of hope and the future is bright because of positive thinking while Pauls end is a long tunnel of depression which ends in despair where he gives up his life. In Sonnys Blues, Sonny is a rebel who in his very young days became a drug addict. We will write a custom essay sample on Pauls Case and Sunnys Blues specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Pauls Case and Sunnys Blues specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Pauls Case and Sunnys Blues specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer His brother, the narrator of the story, had not met him for a very long time. The brother wanted to help Sonny to get on with his life. Sonny loved music. He loved to play the piano, it uplifted him. This was his world. It liberated him from his troubles and turbulation of life. Sonny takes his brother to the club where he plays, to make him understand his passion and conviction for music and how much he has suffered. He is now on the path to recovery. After his performance Sonny looks at his brother, nods and takes a sip of the drink sent by his brother for him. This moment describes the understanding which they share and how their relationship grows. In Pauls Case, Paul is a rebel who is in constant trouble at school with his teachers as he has an attitude problem. His defiant manner and his whole attitude was symbolized by his shrug and his flippantly red carnation flower which he wore when he had to appear before his principal and teachers. His relationship with his family, his father is nonexistent. He took Paul out of school and put him to work at a factory, while his job as an usher at Carnegie Hall which acted as his temporary refuge from his life was snatched away from him . Paul too loved music. He loved the ambience of Carnegie hall and even though the symphonies did not mean anything to him it freed some hilarious and potent spirit within him. He felt a sudden zest of life. He loved the good life which he tried to live with the stolen money in New York. He stayed at Waldorf Astoria Hotel, got fancy shoes, shopped at Tiffanys and this was how he wanted to live his life as he describes it as only for a moment, these were his own people, he told himself. However, the difference in the point of view of the main characters changed the end of the stories. Sonny is a recovering drug addict who makes music his source of inspiration to work towards a better future. His family is his support. He makes his brother understand what he has gone through and explains his need to get away from the atmosphere which had pulled him in the dark hole. In Sonnys Blues life is approached with a positive attitude. In Pauls Case, Paul had no reconciliation with his family, when he had to return to Cornelia Street (his home) he did not want to go back. He ends his life rather than face the reality of the situation. He lived in his dream world but had no intention of working for a better life. Hence, we see that the difference of attitude of dealing with problems of the main characters, Sonny and Paul affect the stories. Though the stories are set in different times, the characters and the problems are prevalent in every generation. The main thing is how we deal with them because that is what changes the direction of ones fate.

All Hail the Divine Ruler, Queen of Kish

All Hail the Divine Ruler, Queen of Kish Want to know which monarch of ancient Sumer reigned supreme at any given time? You’d have to check out the aptly named Sumerian King List. But the Sumerians had a super-special idea of â€Å"kingship†: it was a force that liked to travel. For generations at a time, nam-lugal, or â€Å"kingship,† was bestowed upon a particular city, represented by a monarch who ruled for a long time. Only one city was believed to hold true kingship at any given time. After a few hundred years, kingship went from one city to another, which then held the honor of nam-lugal for a few generations. Apparently, the gods, who bestowed rulership as a privilege, not a right, upon humans, got fed up of one place after a period of time, so they regifted it elsewhere. In reality, the list may have reflected a particular city’s rise to power or military defeat in Sumer: if City A came to prominence, then its hegemony could be justified by claiming divine right. This mythological idea wasnt realistic - many cities had individual kings reigning at the same time – but since when did myth have reflect reality? Its Ladies Night Tons of monarchs make an appearance on the Sumerian King List, but there’s only one lady named: Kubaba, or Kug-Bau.  Not to be confused with the monster Huwawa or Hubaba in the Epic of Gilgamesh, Kubaba was a woman alone – the only queen regnant who’s recorded as bearing divine rulership. The Sumerian King List records that the city of Kish held nam-lugal multiple times. In fact, it was the first city to hold kingship after a great mythical flood – sound familiar? After sovereignty bounced around to a lot of different places, it landed in Kish a few more times – although that’s since been cast in doubt. On one of those occasions, a woman named Kug-Bau ruled the city. Drink Up!   Kubaba is first identified in the King List as the â€Å"the woman tavern-keeper.† How could she have gone from owning a bar/inn to ruling a city? We can’t be sure, but female tavern-keepers actually held important positions in Sumerian mythology and daily life. Perhaps that’s because of the mega-importance of beer in Sumerian culture. While some scholars theorized that taverns equaled brothels in Sumer, apparently â€Å"tavern keeping was a common and respectable female occupation until later periods in Mesopotamia,† according to Julia Assante. Regardless of what kind of show they were running, women often ran taverns, holding perhaps one of the only independent female positions of power in ancient Sumer. In the Epic of Gilgamesh, an important character is Siduri the tavern-keeper, who runs an inn in the Underworld. She must be an immortal of some sort to live where she does, and gives Gilgamesh sage advice like â€Å"Who of the mortal can live forever? The life of man is short†¦.let there be pleasure and dancing.† So, in what was probably a very important epic even in antiquity, a female tavern-keeper was seen as a guide  along perilous paths  and a figure worthy of veneration. Real-life politics may or may not have allowed a tavern-keeper co to rule over her city. But what was the purpose in identifying her profession? By associating her with the mythical Siduri and a prominent feminine profession – whether she ran a brothel or not - the recorder of the King List literally immortalized Kubaba and made her the one of world’s most independent women before Beyoncà ©. According to Carol R. Fontaine in her essay â€Å"Visual Metaphors and Proverbs 15:15-20,† there was a sacredness attached to female tavern-keepers. She wrote that, â€Å"given the association of Inanna-Ishtar with the tavern and the sweet (sexual?) wine to be drunk there, as well as female ownership of taverns and involvement with the process of brewery, we should not assume Ku-Baba to be some sort of prostitute but a successful business woman with divine associations herself.† So what else did Kubaba do? The King List says she â€Å"made firm the foundations of Kish,† indicating she fortified it against invaders. Lots of monarchs did this; Gilgamesh even built a lot of walls to protect his city of Uruk . So it sounds like Kubaba carried on a grand royal tradition of building up her city. According to the King List, Kubaba ruled for one hundred years. That’s obviously exaggerated, but a lot of other monarchs on the list have similarly long reigns. But it didn’t last forever. Eventually, â€Å"Kish was defeated† – or destroyed, depending on the version you’re reading – and the gods decided to remove kingship from this city. It went to the city of Akshak instead. A Womans Work Never Ends But Kubaba’s legacy didn’t end there. It seems that later generations weren’t crazy about women occupying traditional men’s roles. A later omen reading indicated that, if an individual is born intersex, it’s the â€Å"omen of Ku-Bau who ruled the land; the land of the king will become waste.†Ã‚  By taking on the duties of a man – a king – Kubaba was seen to have crossed a boundary and transcended gender divisions in an improper fashion. Combining male and female genitalia in an individual would echo her reign as lugal, or king, which the ancients saw as violating the natural order of things. The omen texts indicate that both an individual with the sexual organs of two genders and a queen regnant were seen as unnatural. â€Å"These were linked in the elite mind as a challenge and threat to the political hegemony of the king,† said Fontaine. Similarly, in another omen reading, if a patient’s lung didn’t look so good, it was the sign of Kubaba, â€Å"who seized the kingship.†Ã‚  So, basically, Kubaba’s legacy served as a means of identifying bad stuff that went against the way things should be. Its also worth noting that Kubaba is portrayed as an improper usurper here. Kubaba’s legacy might not have been limited to her reputation. In fact, she mightve founded a real dynasty! After her reign, kingship transferred to Akshak; a few generations later, a king named Puzur-Nirah ruled there. Apparently, Kubaba was still alive at this time, according to the Weidner Chronicle, and Kubaba, a.k.a. â€Å"the alewife,† fed some local fishermen who lived near her house. Because she was so nice, the god Marduk liked her and gave â€Å"royal dominion of all lands entirely over to Ku-Baba.† On the King List, royal power is said to have gone back to Kish after Akshak†¦and guess who ruled? â€Å"Puzur-Suen, the son of Kug-Bau, became king; he ruled for 25 years.† So it looks like the story about Marduk giving kingship back to Kubaba’s family demonstrates her real-life family taking power eventually. Puzur-Suen’s son, Ur-Zubaba, ruled after him. According to the list, â€Å"131 are the years of the dynasty of Kug-Bau,† but that doesn’t add up when you tally the years of each reign. Oh, well! Eventually, the name â€Å"Kubaba† became best-known as that of a Neo-Hittite goddess, hailing from the city of Carchemish. This Kubaba probably didn’t have any relation to our Kug-Bau from Sumer, but an incarnation of the deity so prominent in Asia Minor might’ve become the goddess the Romans knew as  Cybele (nà ©e Cybebe). If so, then the name Kubaba had come a long way from Kish!

BTVET in Uganda

BTVET in Uganda AN INVESTIGATIVE STUDY OF FACTORS AFFECTING ENROLMENT AND COMPLETION RATES IN INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING (BTVET) IN UGANDA Introduction This study attempts to conduct an investigation of the factors affecting enrolment and completion rates within the Business, Technical & Vocational Education and Training (BTVET) institutions in Uganda. The study covers a period of ten years (between 1999 to 2009), rationally decided upon as it was during this time when the government Implemented major reforms within the education system of the country, as a result of the Education Review Commission (1989). It will be noted that 1999 falls two years short of the actual time (1997) when the government implemented Universal Primary Education (UPE) free to four children of every Ugandan family in the country a step towards meeting Education for all (EFA) by the year 2012 as one of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) in the country. The study takes place more than ten years down the line since t he inception of UPE and three years after Universal Secondary Education (USE) programmes. Whilst many primary schools are still struggling with the influx of pupils who would otherwise have had no chance of getting a formal elementary education if it were not for UPE and USE, this author seeks to investigate whether the implementation of these programmes has in any way made a difference to people’s attitudes towards education in general and vocational education in particular. The study seeks to investigate the trend of enrolment and completion in institutions of higher learning and in particular those in the Business, Technical, Vocational Education and Training (BTVET) sector during the time when Education For All (EFA) by the year 2012, has been on top of the agenda as one of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDG) for developing countries. The UPE programme took off amidst a barrage of problems including widespread public criticism resulting from the initiall y poor performance of typical UPE schools in the country. Among the problems that pledged this programme from the very start was the issue of congestion of the available classrooms. Because of the UPE programme many schools reported overwhelming enrolments leading to an influx of the hitherto non school going children. This became a cause for concern as a result of the overstretched existing facilities within schools. In spite of the inadequate conditions under which some of the schools operated, and whilst some schools were still lamenting the lack of space and inadequate facilities, it was about this time that the government made good its second promise regarding free education and introduced the Universal Secondary Education, (USE) free for all. The programme, which started in 2007, was introduced in a similar way to UPE ten years earlier. Similar in a sense that the programme was ill prepared for as it was started within the existing school infrastructure and with the same manpo wer. Three years down the line however, reports from the media and evidence from schools seem to suggest that the USE programme has produced increased rates of enrolment in secondary schools by the year since it was started. It is the assumption of this author that if these reforms in the education sector have so far been a success story they could have a similar impact on people’s attitudes regarding education in general and vocational education in particular, and it is from the results of this study that this fact will be fully established. It is on this basis among other factors that this author is to conduct a study of the rates at which students enroll and complete their courses paying particular attention to such factors as cause them to drop out and what to do about it.

Week 2 workshop Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Week 2 workshop - Assignment Example The graph is now positively skewed from mean as shown in the diagram below: The appropriate measures of central tendency for skewed distribution are either mean or median. Median is a more appropriate measure for highly skewed distributions. The skewness of the graph that we have plotted is not very high. Hence the best measure of central tendency is the mean. The average salary of the corporate customers is now $345,455. Gender is an example of nominal data. It can take either of the two values: Male or Female. Mode which is the value which has the highest frequency in the given data set is the best measure of central tendency in this case (QuickMBA, 2010). The mode of the distribution will tell us whether the data has more males or more females which is an appropriate measure for central tendency. The three key different measures of central tendency are Mean, Median and Mode. All the three are not the best measures for all types of distribution. They have different values for differently skewed distributions. For a symmetrical distribution, all the three measures converge on the same value. Mean is the most sensitive measure to skewness (Levin and Rubin, 2009). In case the distribution contains outlier values which impact the skewness of the distribution positively or negatively, the mean moves from being the highest (positively skewed distribution) to being the lowest (negatively skewed distribution). In any distribution, median is always in the middle of mean and mode. Median is the least sensitive measure for skewed distributions. Standard deviation and variance are both the measures of dispersion. Standard deviation is the square root of variance. Variance is the average value of the squared difference of the each value and the mean. Since variance is calculated after squaring, all the differences take positive value. Moreover, larger differences get more weight and are more suitable in cases where there are more outliers. Standard