Miss Brill Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Miss Brill - Essay Example Female poverty and loneliness are two central ideas of Mansfield’s short story titled Miss Brill. Mansfield’s Symbolism Miss Brill by Katherine Mansfield is a literary realization of an incredible life drama. Portrayal of the main heroine is achieved through detailed description of the woman’s characters and inner workings of her mind in a very short, only four-page essay. Mansfield’s creative and fine work can be compared to that of a jeweler dealing with some precious stones and jewelry. Symbolism is skillfully placed within a simple plot of Miss Brill. Literary masterpiece of Katherine Mansfield really deserves acknowledgement and admiration. Even the title of the story points out a great literary genius in this great writer, Katherine Mansfield. A great attention to details as well as author’s originality is presented throughout work of Mansfield. Miss Brill is a spinster who has neither friends nor any other close people. Source of her earnings comes from working as an English tutor. Besides, she is engaged in reading press to an old disabled person whose ability to hear and understand is very doubtful. Furthermore, it becomes obvious that Miss Brill lives somewhere close to the seaside in France. From the very beginning the reader begins to comprehend the mood of the main character as well as the atmosphere of the whole story. The weather is intriguingly unstable since â€Å"the blue sky powdered with gold and great spots of light like white wine splashed over the Jardins Publiuqes† (Mansfield) point out on possible rain in the nearest time. So, Miss Brill is obviously ready to such conditions of weather as she takes out her fur which she calls â€Å"Dear little thing†. Soon, the reader associates fur coat with Miss Brill. Both of them are approximately of the same age. Depression – Psychological State of Mind of the Protagonist As the story unfolds, we find out that the old lady is happy to live and be active observer of someone else’s life. Thus, she is an active participant of daily life drama surrounding her. It is Mansfield’s style of writing as well as language used in this short story that makes the symbolic meaning strikingly distinctive. Everyday routine is covering all life of Miss Brill and she, as many woman of her age and status, cannot afford to see other attractive sides of life available to her. being an active life observer, the main heroine does not have time to live her own life actively. Being an elderly lady Miss Brill does not realize that her beauty has vanished away with her youth years. Speaking as an observer of other people of older age the protagonist does not even have a clue that she is describing people like herself (Morrow 82). One of the descriptions made by Miss Brill is very similar to those she makes on regular bases: ...they were nearly always the same Sunday after Sunday, and – Miss Brill had often noticed—there was something funny about nearly all of them. They were odd, silent, nearly all old, and from the way they stared they looked as though they'd just come from dark little rooms or even—even cupboards! (399) Misery of the humankind depicted in this short story is underlined with the help of Miss Brill’s image of her surrounding. Female characters in Miss Brill do not have

The Efficacy of Counseling with Native Americans Essay

The Efficacy of Counseling with Native Americans - Essay Example In this paper, an assessment of possibilities that contribute to certain observable counseling efficacy values among Native Americans is made. The challenges faced by this ethnic group will be used to create the link that counseling process seeks to establish in the discourse. Four questions attempting to answer issues touching on unique historical perspectives, counseling process complexities, cultural interaction issues and spirituality are used in the design. The research reveals that it’s necessary for therapists to consider Native American cultural history when establishing the counseling process. The research also details a number of specific actions that should be considered, including linguistic and body language elements that aid the counseling process. The counselors must also be aware of their own biases in relation to the client. Finally, it’s indicated that the incorporation of Native American spirituality could greatly aid the therapist in the counseling p rocess. The Efficacy of Counseling with Native Americans Introduction The context of Native Americans is created with an understanding of the ethnic group’s history and cultural setting. ... However, very little information is available regarding the Native American suffering at the hands of slave masters, when compared with the famous African slave trade. The sensitive developments that the political arena in the United States exposed this group to are still fresh in the memories of a majority of the Americans, which brings nasty reactions among them. Cases of rejection, neglect and discrimination from certain sections of their aggressors appear in the broader image of a Native American. For counseling clients with such a historical background, it becomes difficult to appreciate the impact of counseling in confronting such challenges, unless a bold journey is taken to discover such a past acting as an impediment to the counseling process. How do historical injustice and modern racial discrimination issues affect counseling processes among Native Americans? To shed more light on the tumultuous historical background that the Native Americans have had to experience would p erhaps facilitate an understanding that would assist therapists to carry out a comprehensive counseling process. As briefly observed above, scars of mistreatment in the hands of foreign aggression by the European-backed slave trade would perhaps act as one of the biggest hindrances to successful therapy. Due to a rich cultural heritage and traditional cohesion practices that bound this â€Å"minority† group, roots of bitter past must haunt them in the hands of public mistreatment and racial discrimination. According to Trabich (1997), there must be some form of remnant heritage that has facilitated passing on of old wounds to the current Native American community to bear witness of untold atrocities that were committed against them.

Business Issues And The Context Of Human Resources Commerce Essay

Business Issues And The Context Of Human Resources Commerce Essay XX is a leading International Healthcare Group with the purpose to help people lead longer, healthier and happier lives. The organisation does that by providing a broad range of healthcare services, support and advice to people throughout their lives. With no shareholders and its global presence in 190 countires, the organisation is said to be a industry leader. XXX is a 60 years old organisation providing services like Health insurance and Wellbeing, Healthcare provision, Healthcare Analytics and Care Services. The organisations vision to be world leader in the health care sector has been supported by the following objectives: Listen to its customers, act quickly and professionally. Living and Breathing organisations values monitored by HR on regular basis. Make a difference in peoples lives by offering all high quality and value added healthcare Creating diverse and mix work force of highly skilled and knowledgeable employees and invest in their development within the company via organised HR function. This report has been commissioned by the CEO of XXX. FINDINGS 3.1 Forces shaping the HR agenda Our purpose is to help people live longer, healthier, happier lives and the 52,000 people we employ are at the heart of making this a reality. John Handley, HR Director, XXX International It is essential for XXX to have a strong and distinctive identity that clearly seperates the organisation from others in the field. Everyone in XXX has a part to play in this and hence thats where the HR plays a vital role. Examples of External Forces that have shaped the HR agenda are Competition, Markets, Economic trends and the changing face of the Health Industry. Increasing expectations of the customers from the oraganisation and more competitors offering similar policies and products at lower rates, made XXX to look more further into the product designs and customer service management, which resulted in hiring more talented and knowledgeable people skilled in their sector to provide the best customer service to the customers and partners. To make sure that the right number of people are available to service the customers and are able to effectively deliver the right results to the costumers, HR department works in partnership with the management. They decided to provide the right environment for the people to learn, grow and develop them through Innovative Learning Approach and by recognising people for their contribution to the organisations success. By investing into the right people, XXXs objective was to provide the best customer service through all channels to its members. HR proposed to offer its employees both an open environment and an informal culture, encouraging fresh ideas and helping employees realise their true potential. To reflect their different business needs, all the business units have a tailored HR department i.e.operational HR, organisational development, reward, HR systems, employee recognition, and HR support. These units works exclusively to provide a direct, informed and tailored service to meet its unique needs. 3.2 HRs contribution to Organisational Effectiveness Creating competitive advantage through people. Group HR Management works in partnership with the Management. All business units individual HR heads who reports to the HR Director. This is to make sure that all the departments on its own are delivering higher levels of performance to the benefit of our customers and the bottom line. Individual HR in all these units perform common bundle of processes which impacts on organisational performance. Recruitment of talent that matches XXXs values. Leadership and management practices/ competencies Performance management Succession planning Recognition Organisational climate and workplace environment Facilitating effective change management Management development and training Career development 360 feedback tools All business units have their own Administration and Training departments. The Administration department looks after Payroll, HR Systems and Database Management to make sure that all the employee details are correct, secure and as a result in them being treated fairly. All the employees are paid correctly It has its own Change Management team who deals with changes in processes and work culture. The Training department works in partnership with the business in all individual units to create appropriate, skilled and tailored training solutions to keep up with the changing business needs. 3.3 HRs roles and functions in management structures XXX HR Map Administration Training Departments are in each business units and have individual Change Management Teams IS HR Organisational Development HR Director HR UK Membership International HR Group HR Management Development Care Services Information Systems HR Training Development Group HR Functions Reward Recognition Business Technology Training IS Resource Management Group Resource Management Pensions Benefits HR Systems XXX One Life HR within XXX works as a strategic partner, hence plays a very important role in finance, operations and other business departments within the organisation. The main objective is to provide high returns on the businesss investment in its people. XXX does not follow any set models of HR but do relates with the Harvard model in some manner. It sees employees as resources. It emphasises on issues like involving people in decision making and developing an organisational culture based on trust and teamwork. It has shared goals for coordination and control and a flat structure to minimise status culture. It employs the multiple stakeholder model in which employees are seen as having interests along with other stakeholders, management, unions and government. The HR outlines four main policy areas which are Human resource flows : HR manages the flow of people within XXXs individual business units through recruitment and selection, through the organisation by placement, appraisal and promotion and lastly through out of the organisation by termination. It also makes sure at right number of people are available at all the times according to the business needs. Reward Systems : Even though each business unit has separate Reward System in place, it serves a common purpose to attract, motivate and keep employees happy within the organisation. Employee Influence : People being the heart of the organisation, their views and concerns are given equal importance as of stakeholders and customers. Work Systems : With the ever changing business needs and the medical climate, XXX makes sure that the information and technology used within the organisation provides the best outcomes. The HR function in all the business units currently concentrates on achieving the four Cs of the model. Commitment, Congruence, Competence, Cost Effectiveness. The XXXs hr structure also somehow resembles the Ulrichs hr model as all the business units do individually have their own separate departments to deal with change, strategies and administration. 3.4 Business Ethics and Accountability XXX follows a code of professional ethics which are based on the principles that determine the way employees behave and Brand personality that describes the way employees are suppose to perceive. Brand Values : Caring we genuinely care about peoples health and wellbeing. We exist for no other reason. Respectful : We respect peoples individuality, privacy and dignity and try to respond to their individual needs. Ethical : We are committed to acting responsibly and in the best interests of people and the environments. Enabling : We empower people with our knowledge and experience to help them choose the most appropriate solutions. Dedicated : We are dedicated to providing a professional, reassuring service and seek oppurtunities to go the extra mile to exceed peoples expectations. Accountable : We are accountable for the quality, efficiency and value of our services, and act in the best interests of our customers. Brand Personality : Warm Human Caring Understanding Approachable Health Care Expert Global Outlook BUPA Employee Individual Business units do have their own code of conducts in line with the group values. For example, the training and development department in all units have professional code of conduct from the Institute of Management Consultants which covers ethics as Integrity, Independence, Objectivity and Responsbility to the profession. All the core values and ethics are explained on the XXXs intranet which is available for all the employees across the organisation. It clearly mentions how employees are expected to act in relation to the various policies like Treating Customers Fairly, Health and Safety at work, Data Matters, Security Matters Policy and Data Protection Policy As a global healthcare company, XXX deals with the personal details, medical data and financial records of millions of people around the world. Protecting that information is essential is a key responsibility for all of us. XXX Chief Executive XXX as a major healthcare services provider, plays a very important role in designing and delivering medical procedures and policies. It works closely with NHS and makes sure that all the treatments offered to the members in their centres are within the medical guidelines applied by NICE (National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence). XXX has its media policy, Risk Management and Fraud Protection policies. XXX has its own Corporate Responsbility and Sustainability Policy under which it is made sure that healthcare expertise is used in the way that is good for business and communities. It covers many areas including employee giving support and volunteering, community health and wellness partnerships, addressing and minimising our impact on environment and affiliations with like-minded businesses and organisations (e.g Nuffield Health Centres, Physio Centres, Conservative treatment centres, etc.) XXX is an active partner with Life Education which supports youth health and drug education programs and with Can Too to raise funds for Cure Cancer. The Group HR provides support, encouragement and motivation to its employees to participate in various activities conducted to fulfil its corporate responsibility. Employees are expected to actively promote these services while having interactions with the customers at all the times. 4.1 HRs role in strategy formulation and interpretation All organisations will at some point need to focus on the activities and actions that it will undertake to meet its long term aims and objectives. XXXs vision taking care of the lives in our hands is at the heart of all strategies that are planned and practiced within the organisation. The two main objectives helping HR to form strategies within the organisation are Management capability : Through validated processes and development, this objective is met by XXX recruiting, retaining and developing managers the meet the business challenges of today and future. It involves different strategies designed around Recruitment, Core competencies, Performance Management, Succession Planning, XXX One Life, Climate Surveys, Change Management, Management Development, Career Development, 360 feedback tools and Customisable Questionnaire. Enabling systems and processes : This objective is met by developing and maintaining a performance-oriented culture. It includes Induction and Measures of Success. Business priorities are cascaded through the different levels of the organisation through a process whereby they become increasingly more detailed and focused. They trigger departmental objectives which are translated into team objectives and in turn provide the foundation for personal objectives which are based on SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timebound) targets that are to be met on consistent basis. These objectives are discussed, set and measured as part of the performance management plan of all employees depending on their roles and business units. XXX does not fit into any particular model of relationship between the HRM and the Business Strategies but it does work on the theories based within these models. In the best fit model (Schuler and Jackson example), employees are seen as key in the implementation of the declared organisational strategy and the HR strategy is designed to fit with this. XXXs individual departments propose strategies to be implemented via management surrounding functions, systems and processes within the department which enable the functional strategy to be achieved. This is then responded by the HR by defining the strategy to meet organisational needs. In the Resource based approach, the focus is to sustain competitive advantage through development of human capital rather than aligning human resources to current strategic goals. XXX invests in regular development of its employees within the organisation to make sure that they are updated with all the knowledge required to perform their job well and so to add value to the company. 4.2 Business and HR Strategies Each business within XXX evaluates its current position, its market and competitor environement and identifies its key strategies and plans in its annual 3 Strategic Year Plan (explained in 5.3). They work together in order to achieve common objectives of the organisation. Two of these most important objectives to be achieved in XXX are Cost Control : To utilise the resources in the most productive and effective way. To recruit and retain effective and skilled staff More training and development options to the existing employees to perform various roles Flexible working patterns according to the business needs Authorising treatments that are medically appropriate and within clinical guidelines only, leaving a small room for exceptional cases Covering as many as health-care workers to work within XXX limits to make sure that the customers are happy with the policies Competion : to regularly update the products and services offered within the health and care sector. To provide best customer service on levels of the business To design and offer most flexible and tailored policies to the members. To retain customers by offering alternative treatment options and longer support services. HRs role in meeting this objectives has been analyised through SWOT/STEEPLE which looks at the internal strengths and weaknesses and the external oppurtunities and threats. Below is the combined SWOT Analysis for XXX Strenghts : No Shareholders : this enables all the profits to be utilised to provide better customer service and products to the members. People : highly skilled and mix work force which knowledge of various sectors and products. Team of qualified health care consultants and providers. Customer-focus work culture Technology : Most advanced technology in the health care sector relating to the processes and procedures for medical treatments. Guidance on health issues online and on the phone. Operations : Working with various organisations and health groups to provide the best health care to everyone. Weeknesses : No Shareholders : If profits margins not gained, not enough money to invest back into the business People : mix work force and long-serving staff who are resistant to change. People lacking knowledge of all the departments as specialising in one specific area. Operations : because of the high turn-over of the staff, no standard operating procedures. Regular changes to keep up with the changing demands of the business. Cost-control : Staff redundancies in many business units resulting in low moral within the organisation and heavy work load on the rest of the workforce. Oppurtunities : Partnership with various organisations within the healthcare sector. As a lead health care service provider, had access to higher numbers of consultants and medically trained people Works closely with NHS, hence very influential when it comes to decisions relating medical treatments and funding for certain experimental treatments International presence to make sure private healthcare is available and provided to people around the world. Threats : Competition from other insurance providers who offer private health insurances on lower rates. Outsourcing of many business units which lacks communication and information transformation in a quick and appropriate manner. Higher medical costs which makes the premiums of the policies go higher every year. Increased customer demands to cover more experimental treatments and drugs because of globalisation. 4.3 Vertical and Horizontal Integration XXX works with NHS and other health-care providers to provide better health care services. The Vertical Integration is practiced within XXX as many of the services are offered via other providers who specialises in Travel, Home Care and Conservative treatment. This does serves the purpose to achieve the organisation to provide more treatment options to its customers which results in more appropriate and affordable policies been given to its customers. The option of been treated via NHS or Privately is always available for the customers leaving room for them to choose the most appropriate and time-saving option. The horizontal integration is defined within XXX as all the HR functions are inter-related and inter-connected to each-other. This is achieved by a business units specially looking for skilled employees in customer service, information technology, nursing and administration sector which leads to internal recruitment or resourcing, further leading to development, performance management, rewards and recognition and employee relations. 5.1 HRs role in Business Planning The Global expansion of XXX in the current times have resulted in fine-tuning of the policies and functions throughout the organisation to ensure that required support is provided to drive XXX forward. This has created a demanding and fast changing environment to work in. XXX expect high standards from every one of its team members and in return offer the opportunity to enhance their career with one of the most biggest and most successful brands in private healthcare. HR being the part of the Organisation Development team within the Group functions, has a very wide role to play to achieve the organisations one common goal. It works to make sure that all business units within XXX had right level of people with right level of skills are available to effectively deliver results to its customers at all times. Introduction to flexible working hours, change in employment contracts, inter-departmental transfers to suit the business needs, more systems and procedures to work with resulted in introduction to the change management team within HR of all business units. The things that caused XXX to go through change are Challenges of growth within global market i.e increasing cost of medical treatments and more experimental treatments introduced within UK market Technological changes i.e different technologies to work with to make sure that all processes and procedures are up to date according to the changing demands of the business Customer Pressure i.e. customers looking for more options and better services at lower costs The HRs involvement in various aspects of change was identified as Restructuring the recruitment and resourcing policies Advising team managers in skills available within the organisation, career development and transfer oppurtunities. Assessing the impact of change in one department on another part of the organisation. Making sure that the communication is clear and consistent within all departments of all business units within the organisations. Helping its to cope with change , performance management and motivation. 5.2 Environmental Planning It is very important for XXX to scan through the environment and consider all the present and future forces affecting the direction and goals of the organisation. Environment Planning involves external factors like trends and markets and internal factors like infrastructure and personnel. The STEEPLE analysis for XXX shows all the forces affecting organisational change Social Technology Economic Environment Political Legal Ethical Lifestyle changes of the customers involved with the company Energy costs and usage Inflation rates Natural resrouces Regulations related to private healthcare Employment Laws Reputation Living conditions of its employees and customers related to the business Changes in IT new systems and processes Consumer confidence within the companys products and services Strong Environmental policy Safety regulations Consumer Protection Business Ethics Income distribution within the community New inventions and software developments Medical costs Recycling Trade policies/ globalisation Trade Unions Client Confidentiality 5.3 Measures of Effectiveness What gets measured, gets attention and gets done. Tom Peters XXX has its own business priorities. To keep them accountable and focused on their key objectives, all businesses in XXX go through an annual process of setting their major priorities for the coming year. These are agreed in annual meetings, together with the key financial targets and from the basis of what the business will be measured on the following year. This is a similar process as Performance Management in employees. The organisation has The 3 year Strategic Plan (3YP) which describes the direction the Group as a whole and the individual business units will take over the next 3 years. This plan is completed every year and is an important part of XXXs strategy and planning processes. Group HR delivers this plan to different business units which is then cascaded to its employees. The context of each business is then evaluated on the basis of three important management tools. The Annual Operating Plan : It sets the detailed financial targets for the year for each individual department including HR. (sets targets for sales, costs, profits, etc) The Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for each individual in each business units. Thess are set of key operational, customer, strategic and people performance metrics. The Business priorties : The change acceptance rate of all individuals within the organisation. All these tools are available on organisations intranet for the convenience of all its employees. Performances of the employees are measured with the Brand values and behaviours been achieved, delivered and maintained. These are maintanined within the organisaiton as Performance Review and once completed along with the Development Plans are then sent to their respective HRs administration department who works closely with the training and development team to provide immediate attention to key issues. This process of measuring the human capital and oraganisations data provides a clearer picture within the working culture of the organisation. So, in this way, management, training and development team and HR administration works together to manage people and policies to achieve set business objectives. CONCLUSIONS XXXs vision to provide the best healthcare options in the world to every individual possible is a long term goal to be achieved along with the changing face of the medical sector and economic trends. It provides value-added products and services to its customers on the possible grounds making sure that the increasing private health insurance cost does not put the customer off from using the private healthcare. It needs policies and procedures to be updated all the time to match the technology offered within the market. XXXs diverse network of organisational structure which is divided in separate business units gives an opportunity to the organisation to look into greater details and specialise in its area of expertise. HR within XXX perform within its own business units providing tailored services to its people which makes its more approachable and easier for it to stay in touch with the business requirements. International HR looking after all the aspects of border control, trade ru les and regulations, etc contributes highly to the organisation to go through globalisation. The Group HR looks after all the functions of the organisational development and Rewards recognition which is kept separate from the administration department to give it more time and resources to look into organisational strategies and planning and run smoothly. Though it looks like a complex structure, it does allow the organisation to perform and deliver its objectives on consistent basis. People being the heart of the business, the organisations investment in its resources is incredibly valued. RECOMMENDATIONS Leadership Development : Employees within the organisation to go through planned management traingin to deliver consistent business results. HR to be more influential in individuals growth through a leadership development programme. This should discussed and put in place in the next 3YP meeting. More uniformed structure of Training and Development : Stuctured and uniform induction program for all employees delivered by HR. Learning and Development team then to look into more specialised training of its employees. This should be auctioned immediately with ongoing continuous improvement plan. Adaption of Competency Framework : Even though employees are evaluated on the brand values and behaviours, a competency based mapping should be followed in the performance development plans. This will help to achieve higher levels of organisational and employee effectiveness.

Gender Emergence in England’s History Essay -- European History

Gender Emergence in England’s History "Historicizing Patriarchy: The Emergence of Gender Difference in England, 1660-1760" by Michael McKeon is a powerful and original hypothesis as to "how and why the modern system of gender difference was established during the English Restoration and eighteenth century" (295). McKeon, a professor of English literature at Rutgers University is also the author of several essays, including "Politics and Poetry in Restoration England" and "Origins of the English Novel." McKeon uses the term 'patriarchalism' because it attaches itself to a "traditional regime" which will in later centuries be replaced by the "modern conception of gender" (296). This term is mainly identified with as traditional because it is not normally questioned nor objected to; people interpret it as the natural order of things. McKeon's patriarchal system is founded on the belief that there was a "hierarchical notion of authority" which existed not only in Britain's government, but in the family as well. The oldest male figure of the household was most often looked upon as the leader; he simultaneously played the roles of father, husband, and ruler of the house. His word was absolute law for the family. As with most issues, there are two sides. Parliamentarian Henry Parker and feminist Mary Astell disagreed on many issues, including whether the family and state were both founded on the concept of absolute power. However, they both agree on the "continued plausibility of the analogy between family and state" (297). So, although many critics do not feel comfortable with absolute power being the ruling force of family and state, they do agree that there is a direct correlation between them. Debates continued until arou... ...es embraced it sooner than others. The ideology and rationale are there, yet this change has many exceptions and abstractions which will not allow historians to fully confirm their thesis. There are many overlapping levels of experience, class, and gender that encompass a broad sexual, political, economic, cultural, and intellectual range. A good metaphor that McKeon uses throughout the essay to compare gender to a web from which other lifestyles stem. McKeon cleverly sums up his argument by stating that "it is therefore a determinant regime in that it establishes the outer limits of our experience, and it is under the aegis of difference that we formulate our efforts to go beyond it" (316). Works Cited McKeon, Michael. "Historicizing Patriarchy: The Emergence of Gender Difference in England, 1660-1760." Eighteenth-Century Studies vol. 28, no. 3, 1995: 295-322.

General Management †George David Essay

George David has been CEO of United Technologies Corporation (UTC) for more than a decade. During that time he has received numerous accolades and awards for his performance as a CEO. Under his leadership UTC, a $343 billion conglomerate whose operating units include manufacturers of elevators (Otis Elevator), aerospace products (including Pratt & Whitney jet engines and Sikorsky helicopters), air conditioning systems, and fire and security systems, has seen earnings grow at 10–14 percent annually—impressive numbers for any company but particularly for a manufacturing enterprise. According to David, a key to United Technologies’ success has been sustained improvements in productivity and product quality. The story goes back to the 1980s when David was running the international operations of Otis Elevator. There he encountered a Japanese engineer, Yuzuru Ito, who had been brought in to determine why a new elevator product was performing poorly. David was impressed with Ito’s methods for identifying quality problems and improving performance. When he was promoted to CEO, David realized that he had to lower the costs and improve the quality of UTC’s products. One of the first things he did was persuade Ito to work for him at UTC. Under David, Ito developed a program for improving product quality and productivity, known as Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE), which was subsequently rolled out across UTC. The ACE program has been one of drivers of productivity improvements at UTC ever since. Early in his tenure as CEO, David also radically reorganized UTC. He dramatically cut the size of the head office and decentralized decision making to business divisions. He also directed his accounting staff to develop a new financial reporting system that would give him good information about how well each division was doing and make it easier to hold divisional general managers accountable for the performance of the units under them. He then gave them demanding goals for earnings and sales growth and pushed them to improve processes within their units by implementing the ACE program. At the same time David has always stressed that management is about more than goal setting and holding people accountable. Values are also important. David has insisted that UTC employees adhere to the highest ethical standards, that the company produce that have minimal environmental impact, and that employee safety remain the top consideration in the work-place. When asked what his greatest achievement as a manager has been, David refers to UTC’s worldwide employee scholarship program. Implemented in 1996 and considered the hall-mark of UTC’s commitment to employee development, the program pays the entire cost of an employee’s college or graduate school education, allows employees to pursue any subject at an accredited school, provides paid study time, and awards UTC stock (up to $10,000 worth in the United States) for completing degrees. Explaining the program, David states, â€Å"One of the obligations that an employer has is to give employees opportunities to better themselves. And we feel it’s also very good business for us because it generates a better workforce that stays longer. † David states that one of his central tasks has been to build a management team that functions smoothly over the long term. â€Å"People come to rely upon each other,† he says. â€Å"You have the same trusting relationships. You know people; they know you. You can predict them; they can predict you. All of that kind of begins to work, and it accelerates over the tenure of a CEO. If you have people bouncing in and out every two to three years, that’s not good. According to Sandy Weill, former chairman of Citicorp and a UTC board member, David has the right mix of toughness and sensitivity. â€Å"When somebody can’t do the job he’ll try to help; but if that person is not going to make it work, that person won’t be on the job forever. † At the same time Weill says, â€Å"He does a lot of things that employees respect him for, I think he is a very good manager. Even though David is demanding, he can also listen—he has a receive mode as well as a send mode. †

Shaman as a Hero

Illustrate thoroughly the essential characteristics of the shaman by referring to events in the mythical narratives about at least two ancient heroes of this type (e. g. , Gilgamesh, Herakles, and Cu Chulainn). Shaman as a Hero Traditionally, the shaman is a character in a religious position who communicates with the afterlife in some way. By altering forms of consciousness, the shaman is able to encounter and interact with the spirit world. In early myths and tales in oral literature the motif of shaman like characteristics is a trend that is evident. However, in these tales the shaman is intertwined with the stereotypical epic Hero.This creates characters that are complicated and intriguing. Tales such as The Epic of Gilgamesh and The Labors of Herakles display a heroic figure that is not only strong in physique but also possesses a divine connection with the afterlife and the gods. With these attributes, these heroes encounter many obstacles that require more than pure brawn to ov ercome and venture to dark spiritual places alluding to the afterlife/ underworld. A very common tradition in these oral myths is a conquest of either beasts or some type of wild force that inhibits the shamanistic hero’s culture or people from prospering.In The Epic of Gilgamesh, Gilgamesh is faced with many challenges. One challenge particularly threatens his kingdom. Once Gilgamesh and Enkidu have returned from their forest journey, the goddess Ishtar becomes overcome with lust for Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh refuses Ishtar and out of spite, Ishtar asks her father to send down the Bull of Heaven to punish him, bringing seven years of famine with it. With the help of Enkidu, Gilgamesh wrestles and kills the bull. By doing this, Gilgamesh overcomes the beast for the good of his people. Gilgamesh’s morality and greed is questioned but his ability as a leader never falters. His lust leaves no virgin to her lover, neither the warrior's daughter nor the wife of the noble; yet th is is the shepherd of the city, wise, comely, and resolute. † Nearly the entire tale of Herakles revolves on the hero overcoming some type of impending force, whether that be slaying the Hydra or obtaining the Belt of Hippolyte. None of these tasks directly inhibit his people, but they do offer atonement for his own pain/ guilt that he feels for slaying his own children. The heroes’ epic triumphs are much more than just grand acts of strength and bravery, these triumphs offer the hero a chance to grow in spirituality during their journey.Gilgamesh’s defeat of the Bull of Heaven results in the death of his friend Enkidu at the hands of the gods, which therefore sends him on a quest to discover himself and overcome his fear of death by speaking with Utnapishtim. On the other hand, Herakles’ many obstacles offer him the opportunity to put his mind at rest for his past actions. Both heroes’ journeys result in a feeling of peace, accomplishment, and unde rstanding. The Heroes in both of these epics also travel to places that seem to be of another world. By eluding to the afterworld/ afterlife these heroes share another shamanistic characteristic.In The Epic of Gilgamesh the hero travels far and wide in search for the answer to eternal life. Gilgamesh battles two large scorpions that guard an entry into a dark place between two mountains. In this journey he comes across a veiled tavern keeper who warns him of his futile pursuit and sends him onward to a ferryman. This is an allusion to the River Styx, which separates the living world from the dead. During the passage across the sea, the water is constantly referred to as death, and the environment continues to be ominous and haunting. This particular part of Gilgamesh’s journey directly relates him to the shaman.In his search for the answer to eternal life, Gilgamesh interacts with the dead and ventures to places where no mortal had been before. Similar to Gilgamesh, Harakles also ventures to places of the undead. Herakles must travel to the Underworld to take on the vicious guard dog of Hades, Cerberus. This task is the twelfth and final labor of Harakles. In this labor, the theme of the dead is very obvious. Herakles interacts with many â€Å"souls† and spirits. In particular, Herakles encounters phantoms empty of blood. This mention of bloodless creatures directly is related to the dead and life after death.This interaction displays the shaman characteristics of Herakles. Although Herakles is a brut and heroic force that is impending to any opposing challenege; Herakles also shows a great sense of wisdom and understanding of the spirit world. Both of these heroes use their wisdom and shamanistic characteristics to alleviate some type of concern in their life. Herakles’ actions alleviate his guilt, and Gilgamesh’s journey alleviates his overwhelming fear of death. After reviewing and enjoying these myths, I have come to realize tha t Gilgamesh and Herakles are much more than just a traditional hero.Gilgamesh and Herakles are quite complex characters that have inner struggles as well as physical battles/ challenges. The struggles of these heroes’ spirituality give the reader a sense of connection to the character and offer something that can be directly related to. This spirituality also can be seen as a sense of weakness; however this weakness eventually leads to an overwhelming sense of accomplishment and drives the heroes to seek out the answers that allow for the hero to become stronger in mind and physicality.