Two Different Approaches To Literary Criticism Are Marxist

Two different approaches to literary criticism are Marxist criticism and feminist criticism. The Marxist approach looks at the hierarchy of the classes. â€Å"One form of historical criticism is Marxist criticism, name for Karl Marx (1818-1883). Actually, to say â€Å"one form† is misleading, since Marxist criticism today is varied, but essentially it sees history primarily as a struggle between socioeconomic classes, and it sees literature (and everything else) as the product of economic forces of the period† (1750). Alternatively, the feminist approach focuses on the differences between men and women. â€Å"Feminist criticism can be traced back to the work of Virginia Woolf (1882-1941), but chiefly it grew out of the women’s movement of the 1960s.†¦show more content†¦Thus, the feminist view shows that this play occurs during a sexist time in history. During the rising action in the play, we see that Linda is objectified, a workhorse, and is not seen outside of the home. She is always working and sleeps very little. She is obtuse to Willy’s lies. Willy has her believing that he is a well-liked man. Willy indicates that â€Å"the man who makes an appearance in the business world, the man who creates a personal interest, is the man who gets ahead. Be liked and you will never want† (1578). He believes he represents the well-liked man. The Marxist view show the characters in the light of a hierarchical structure. The two structures are the working class and the dominating class. This is shown in the relationship between Howard and Willy, and Bernard and Biff. Howard is Willy’s boss. He owns the firm that he works. He gives the orders and Willy must follow them. When looking at Bernard and Biff, Bernard is the dominating class. He is the one that made it through college, unlike Biff who did not pass high school. Bernard is Charley’s son and works as a lawyer. Willy asks, â€Å"Bernard is not well liked, is he?† Biff confirms, â€Å"He’s liked, but he’s not well liked.† Thus Willy confirms â€Å"Bernard can get the best marks in school, y’understand, but when he gets out in the business world,Show MoreRelatedThe School Of Marxist Criticism1703 Words   |  7 PagesA Strange American Approach In this particular assignment I want to focus in the school of Marxist criticism. And the reason why is because I find it very interesting to learn every concept of its background and the ways it is used in many literature works. Which this specific lens implies that those point of views are not the way to go. In other words it targets that there should not be an upper nor lower class or division of society rather there should only be one with equal opportunities, equalRead MoreWhat Is Literature? Essay1778 Words   |  8 Pagesliterature has become a problematic and a controversial issue among various literary schools. What is literature? What are the qualities that distinguish a literary text from a non-literary one? Does literature have any particular function in society? These are some crucial questions whose answers were supposed to limit and define the scope of literature. However, various literary and critical schools have advanced different and contradictory responses to th ese same questions, which have consequentlyRead MoreEssay about The Introduction of Feminist Criticism1815 Words   |  8 Pagesfeminism. Such literary women as Austin, Bront#235;s, Eliot and Dickenson appeared that time. In the early 20th century, women finally gained the suffrage which marked the climax of the womens liberation movement. In the 1960s, New Feminism concerned with the human rights for black people again came to its climax. This time, it was more pervasive and comprehensive in all fields of society, according feminist literary criticism found its way to critical theories. 2. Feminist Criticism FeministRead MoreA Literary Analysis of Ray Bradbury’s Short Story â€Å"the Dragon†1111 Words   |  5 PagesINDIVIDUAL WORK A Literary Analysis of Ray Bradbury’s Short Story â€Å"The Dragon† 1) The plot of the story The story begins with the description of a deep night and two men bent by their lonely fire. These men are speaking about a strange, mysterious creature, which seems to ruin everything on its way. They are talking about a dreadful dragon, which is described with much detail: â€Å"This dragon, they say his eyes are fire. His breath a white gas; you can see him bum across the dark lands†Read MoreLiterary Theories And The Metamorphosis2018 Words   |  9 Pages 25 April 2015 Literary Theories and The Metamorphosis There exists no one true approach to examine writing; consequently, Literature continually proves to be a misunderstood art. Emerging through time, theories have been conceived due to the study of literature, but different readers believe in different theories. For instance, Franz Kafka’s short story, The Metamorphosis, may be interoperated countless ways do to its intricacy, as well as by varying literary theorists. Kafka himselfRead More Criticism of Moll Flanders Essay1352 Words   |  6 PagesCriticism of Moll Flanders   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   How should readers interpret the seeming contradictory character that Daniel Defoe presents in Moll Flanders?   Is her penitence a construction of irony?   While the question of irony was prominent in the earlier criticism of the 1950s and 1960s, most scholars have moved away from that question, acknowledging the existence of various types of irony and validating the true reformation of Moll.   Critics are now articulating other subtle and complex authorial strategiesRead MoreCleanth Brookss Essay Irony as a Principle of Structure9125 Words   |  37 Pagesbe due to each individually. For the most part they are attempts, arising out of actual work for the party, to clarify the theoretical problems of the revolutionary movement in the mind ,of the author and his readers. The exceptions to this are the two essays Reification and the Consciousness of the Proletariat and Towards a Methodology of the Problem of Organisation which were both written specially for this collection during a period of enforced leisure. They, too, are based on already existingRead MoreEssay on Colonial Oppression of Women1123 Words   |  5 Pagessearch the answer to the question who is who in todays world when there is a continuous struggle between different countries not only politically and militarily but also culturally. In this situation the division of the world to First, Second and Third World countries also provides the opportunity and justifies the movements of some countries against some others while encourages different definitions for words such as tradition, modernity and civilization. Literature is one of the areas whereRead More Virginia Woolf as Feminist and a Psychoanalyst Essay1864 Words   |  8 Pages When first introduced to the feminist and psychoanalytical approaches to literary criticism, it seems obvious that the two methods are opposed to each other; at the very least, one method -the psychoanalytic - would appear antagonistic to feminism. After all, there is much in Freuds earlier theories that a feminist would find appalling. It also seems to be a conflict that the feminists are winning: as feminist criticism gains in popularity, the psychoanalytic approach has apparently fallenRead MoreEssay on Like water for chocolate6961 Words   |  28 Pageseven probability. Magical realism aims to seize the paradox of the union of opposites. For example, it challenges polar opposites like life and death and the pre-colonial past versus the post-industrial present. Magical realism is characterized by two conflicting perspectives, one based on a rational view of reality and the other on the acceptance of the supernatural as prosaic reality. Magical realism differs from pure fantasy primarily because it is set in a normal, modern world with authentic

The USA Patriot Act Should be Amended Free Essays

Every sane individual would agree with the assertion that what occurred on September 11, 2001 is indeed a tragedy for the American public. With this grief came the awareness and fear that terrorism has become a global dilemma. In line with such events, the US government led by President George W. We will write a custom essay sample on The USA Patriot Act Should be Amended or any similar topic only for you Order Now Bush Jr. initiated an all out war against terrorism (global war on terror). The latter called for measures within and outside the United States that would supposedly crack down on terrorist groups and safeguard national security (Ahmed, 268). The main legislative measure employed is through the USA Patriot Act. The said Act extended the powers of U. S. law enforcement agencies for the mentioned purpose of conquering terrorism domestically and abroad. For example, the act increases the ability of law enforcement agencies in terms of surveillances (electronic, medical, immigration or financial records et cetera). As the Max Brenn reports, the USA Patriot Act: â€Å"†¦furthered foreign intelligence gathering within the United States; expanded the authority of the US Secretary of Treasury to regulate financial transactions involving foreign entities; and permitted a high level of discretion of law enforcement and immigration authorities in detaining and deporting immigrants suspected of terrorism-related acts. † (Brenn, 2007) The term â€Å"domestic terrorism† was also included in the definition of terrorism in the said Patriot Act, this means that the exercise of authority of law enforcement agencies covered a larger scope of activities. This paper asserts that the US Patriot Act should be amended due to its vague policies, the overpower it gives governmental agencies (i. e. the SNL), and the incompatibility of some of its provisions with the American constitution. Further, it must be noted that despite being amended last 2006, a lot of provisions (even those that are permanently stipulated) continue to violate civil liberties; with at least two provisions of the said act already being deemed to be unconstitutional. Moreover, the USA Patriot act as it is does not meet the urgency it had in 2001, as such it order to be in line with its purpose, it must be amended in accordance to the needs of our time. First, it has been argued that the said law infringes the right of individuals in terms of privacy as well as due process as well as giving too much power to the FBI, CSI etc. This is exemplified by the provisions in the Patriot act that allows for delayed if not with held search warrants. This goes to say that law enforcement officers have the authorization to conduct â€Å"sneak and peek† searches, wherein the owner or person concerned are not given notice nor is asked for permission regarding a search. Moreover it is the case that the NSLs (National Security Letters) are deemed to be used to acquire documents including telephone, email, financial and even library records (all of which are deemed as private) without the proper approval of a judicial court. It is further the case that most of the public records which the Federal Bureau of Investigations gains access too are supposed to be covered by the fourth amendment of the constitution and not to mention governed by client-company/institutional/professional privilege. Further, in support of the argument that the Patriot Act infringes civil liberties, we may review the current rulings of certain courts. Take for example, last September 6, 2007 the rewritten Patriot Act was held by U. S. District Judge Victor Marrero as offensive to the fundamental principles upheld by our constitution. A more current blow to the said law is the ruling of a federal judge that at least two provisions of the Patriot act are unconstitutional last September 26, 2007. This is again with regards to the warrantless searches and acquisition of records through the NSL which are in direct violation of the fourth amendment. The constitution is the primary source of the laws that governs the land. In its current state, some aspects of the Patriot Act are contrary to the stipulations of the constitution. As such, there is a need to amend the Act otherwise, it would be nullified for not coinciding with the things that are upheld and safeguarded by the constitution. A lot of states have already agreed that the legislature contradicts with the fundamental principles of the constitution, one of this states is Montana (Graham-Felsen, 2005). The following are specific parts of the constitution that the Patriot Act needs to take into consideration and uphold at all times. In order for this to happen, the law would have to be amended. Aside from the fourth amendment, the Patriot act also needs to be amended in order to uphold the sixth amendment of the US constitution which assures the right of individuals to proper judicial processes. The USA Patriot Act warrants the use of shady courts in the sense that people suspected of terrorist activities despite lack of sufficient evidence are tried without due presence of outside juries and proper documentation open to public scrutiny. This directly violates the 6th amendment because it allows underground processing of suspects. There is also reason to believe that US citizens are subjected to surveillance based on their religion and other affiliations, a direct violation of one’s right to self-determination. This is through the authority given to law enforcement agencies to tap into records of individuals without enough probable cause (ACLU, 2007). Further, Americans and immigrants are subjected to unconstitutional investigations and interrogations even if there is insufficient proof of these persons being actual threats to national security. There are inconveniences that occur today that manifest the extent to which the Patriot Act is shown to be a hindrance rather than a protection of national security. This can be seen through the incidents reported wherein American citizens are forced to delay flights due to their inclusion to the no fly list by merely bearing the same name as a person suspected by the FBI or Homeland Security. One of the worst incidents perhaps is the wrongful accusation of Brandon Mayfield; whose fingerprints were mistakenly matched with the prints found in the Madrid Train Bombings of 2004 (Molina, 2007). Nonetheless, these faulty aspects of the Act can be amended to remove the errors it possesses. We cannot deny that there is indeed a need to safeguard our national security in order for us to live; rights do not function in a vacuum. There are certain conditions that have to be met in order for us to practice the liberties we love and cherish. The USA Patriot act and its rigidity is the right legislative course of action in 2001, its effectiveness can be improved to fit our society’s post-9/11 scenario. Certain provisions like those that continue to override the rights of the people need to be further amended to suit the constitutional system of our country. Some of the provisions are indeed too drastic and need to be re-evaluated and if necessary repealed; however some of the contents of the said Act do address the need to protect our land from terrorism. It must once again be clarified that even if the author deems that some provisions should be repealed, it does not necessarily follow the law in its entirety should be abolished. Specifically, the US congress could start by setting the limits to the use of NSLs by the FBI. Truly this aspect of the Patriot Act has been proven to be problematic. According to CNN. com, the White House itself expressed its concern regarding this misuse of powers last March 2007 which the FBI director at that time claim responsibility for (Arena Quijano, 2007). In addition the reauthorization of the Patriot Act includes new policies that once again contain vague and ambiguous terms like, â€Å"an offense against the United States† and â€Å"reasonable grounds†. Indeed the latter would be significant in the sense that the said law warrants also the forming of a secret/special police force are given power to arrest and keep out people at their own discretion in lieu of a â€Å"special event of national significance† present (Roberts, 2006). The latter again is left undefined. These limitations, and the necessary provisions that safeguard the rights of the people, within reason, would be resolved through an amendment of the USA Patriot Act. The law needs to adapt to the necessity of the time on which it is suppose to serve its purpose. The aforementioned are samples of the provisions of which our congress could start reviewing and amending. Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness would regain its fullest meaning if and only if, we accept the need to safeguard, first and foremost, this country. Works Cited Ahmed, Nafeez M. The War on Freedom: How and Why America was Attacked September 11, 2001. CA: Tree of Life Publications, 2002 Arena, Kelli and Quijano, Elaine. â€Å"Audit: FBI’s Patriot Act snooping broke rules. † CNN. com. March 9, 2007. Accessed 5 October 2007 http://www. cnn. com/2007/LAW/03/09/security. letters/index. html. Brenn, Max. â€Å"Sections of the Patriot Act Unconstitutional- Judge. † Efluxmedia. September 7, 2007. accessed October 8, 2007 at http://www. efluxmedia. com/news_Sections_of_the_Patriot_Act_Unconstitutional_Judge_08381. html Graham-Felsen, Sam. â€Å"Sweet Victory: Montana Acts Patriotic. † The Nation. April 8, 2005. accessed 6 October 2007 http://www. thenation. com/blogs/edcut? pid=2311. Molina, Mike R. â€Å"Federal judge rules Patriot Act search, surveillance provisions unconstitutional. † Paperchase news burst. Jurist; Legal News and Research. September 26, 2007. accessed 6 October 2007 http://jurist. law. pitt. edu/paperchase/2007/09/federal-judge-rules-patriot-act-search. php. Roberts, Paul Craig. â€Å"Unfathomed Dangers in PATRIOT Act Reauthorization. † Anti-War. com. January 24, 2006. accessed 3 October 2007 at http://www. antiwar. com/roberts/? articleid=8434. â€Å"Federal Court Strikes Down Patriot Act Search and Surveillance Provisions. † American Civil Liberties Union. September 27, 2007. Date accessed 7 October 2007 http://www. aclu. org/safefree/patriot/31989prs20070927. html. How to cite The USA Patriot Act Should be Amended, Papers

Gender Studies in Bangladesh free essay sample

Labor, sharecropping and loans are complementary aspects in household economic strategy and together contribute to households class position. They also indicate multi-stranded links between two particular households in a patron-client pair. Sharecropping is the main way for poorer households to gain access to land. In Bangladesh, in the standard form of sharecropping, the cultivator bears all the costs and gives one half of the crop to the landowner as rent. The wealthiest households, share out land to cut cash outlays, bestow patronage and to minimize investment of should labor, particularly as educated sons are less interested in working on the land, preferring businesses or salaried Jobs. Lower class households also share out their lands, either because of distance or shortage of household labor. Many of these households are headed by widows, or have male members who are unwell or incompetent. Sharecropping is not simply a matter of economics; it indicates a wider relationship between the landowner and cultivator. We will write a custom essay sample on Gender Studies in Bangladesh or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page It is not simply their wealth but also the upper or vulnerable households better social connections that underlie their referential access. Agricultural labor: Cropping changes have expanded the market for agricultural labor in Jumper. Like sharecropping arrangements, labor is freer than it was. Contracts are shorter term and most work is done by daily labor. No Bengali woman is hired as an agricultural laborer in Jumper. Again, benefits are therefore divided by gender as well as class: households without able adult men members are unable to take advantage of the new opportunities. However, Santa woman works as agricultural laborer. But they work the longest of all. Here, clearly, is a classic case of womans outside employment, meaning they have to work a double day. Changing in labor contracts indicates shifts in the local form of class relations. Only young boys still have year-round contracts. Otherwise, regular labor is hired on a seasonal basis. Rates for regular work vary by season, age and skill. Seasonal contracts normally cease in the slack period before harvest. The change in the cropping system has meant more labor demand for more of the year. Migrant labor comes in at peak times. Many of the migrants are young unmarried sons of middle class and small holding households. The migrants also include a few Santa and other ethnic minority female groups. Credit: Credit is the main step of so much of village life that it is difficult to identify one class as more dependent on it than another. Different classes enter into various kinds of credit arrangements for different source of purposes. Large debts do not necessarily indicate weakness: they also show the ability to mobile credit. Here we are not with institutional credit but with loans between individuals, as they express different relationship within the village. Loans are most commonly taken for consumption, cultivation and wedding or funeral expense. If possible, transfers within the households are arranged to avoid having to take credit outside. Interest-free loans may be given between close relatives, particularly brothers and married or widowed sisters. Loans between people within the lower status group are a relatively new phenomenon in Jumper. It increases the dependence on the market for basic consumption needs. It may represent a desirable alternative to accumulating dependencies on a richer patron. The classic kind of loan relationship, off richer patron loaning to a poorer client, is also evident in Jumper. Employees often go to their employers for loans and sharecroppers to their landowners. Patronage generally refuses loans to those who do not have a current functional relationship with them. Loans are not always given by richer patrons to poorer clients. Loans may also be given by workers or sharecroppers to employers or landowners. This is regarded as shameful.

First Secondary Learners Linguistics Needs

Possible Title Since there are various linguistic needs that students require to satisfy especially at early academic lives, the envisioned research could be based on a title that focuses on analyzing linguistic need of first secondary learners in general English Syllabus. However, it is evident that such different academic personnel such as teachers, head of departments, and administrators could have diverse perspectives concerning these needs. As a result, the envisioned research could seek to investigate on mentioned needs form students’ perspective.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on First Secondary Learners’ Linguistics Needs specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Introduction Understanding linguistic needs of first secondary learners is one of the most fundamentally vital steps which are essential to developing a self-sustaining English curriculum. Whereas many authors have focused on such needs fro m teachers’ perspectives, it is essentially important to understand students’ perception towards their needs. In that regard, since the inquiry focuses on the students, it could provide a better solution than the latter bearing in mind that students are the main actors. This implies that they understand their challenges in a better manner than any other personnel who purports to identify and satisfy these needs. Background Rationale The four fundamental skills of linguistics in general English, which include speaking, learning, reading, and writing, form the basic foundation which determines the progress as well as ultimate success of a student. Additionally, acquisition of these skills at the preliminary levels of secondary school is the surest way of molding students’ proficiency in English. Otherwise, determining the needs of students who are at higher levels of the curriculum could not reflect a progressive development of linguistic proficiency. As a result, focusing on the first secondary students is a better option since the nurturing of students capabilities should start from the base. Literature Review There are various types of methods that are used in need analysis which include use of existent data, attitude survey, key informant and holding group sessions. When using existent data, researchers refer to previous reports that discuss preference of the community in order to determine what they could need. Attitude survey involves questioning selected population to identify their needs. The envisioned research will use this approach when seeking to identify the linguistic requirement of first secondary students. When using key informant, the researcher obtains information from a selected person who has interacted target population (Needs Assessment for continuing education activity 4). In group sessions, researchers hold group with the target gropus in order to identify what they require.Advertising Looking for proposal on edu cation? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Need analysis has critical importance that underpins the appropriateness of its application in English and other fields of education. In this regard, it enables academicians to identify essential English skills that students require thus enabling them to instill necessary skills only (Needs Assessment for continuing education activity 4). Failure to conduct such analyses could lead to teaching skills that students do not require. This results to wastage of resources and time since the instilled skills are not correspondent to the student requirement. Additionally, avoiding need analysis could result to lack of proficiency in skills such as reading, writing and speaking English. In regard to the Saudi Arabian context, there should be a thorough need analysis on how various skills of learning English are instilled. Bearing in mind that English is not the native language in Saudi Arabia, analyzi ng the needs of students in regard to learning that language is essentially crucial. Importantly, there is a higher reluctance to acquisition of reading skills in English. This implies that analysis of reading needs should be conducted profoundly so as to attain effectiveness in learning the language (Teale, 702). Objectives of Envisioned Research To critically review the existing literature on the acquisition various linguistic skills which include writing, reading, speaking English. To collect data from first secondary students concerning their perceptions towards acquisition of the three skills. To analyze the collected data in order to draw relevant conclusions and make recommendations about improving proficiency in English. To create suggest the possible areas for future research incorporating issues that cannot be investigated currently. Research Questions What are the students’ perceptions concerning reasons as to why they should learn English and attain proficiency ? What academic value do students attach to attaining the skills of reading, writing, learning and speaking English? Given that the four skills have some sub-skills, what are students’ opinions regarding attainment of those sub-techniques? How do students perceive various challenges and difficulties they face when learning the four skills? What are the students’ opinions about how the current text book, known as Flying High for S.A Students Book, satisfies the four needs? Methodology and Data Collection Research Method The envisioned research will adopt a descriptive survey method in light of collecting data. This method will play a crucial role in ascertaining the respondents’ perspectives by answering questions posed by the researcher (Schram, 231). It will thus help in obtaining first hand information concerning the opinions of students towards their needs in learning English. As a result, using research survey increases validity, reliability, and credibilit y of research considering that information is obtained directly from sample population. Type of Data Since the survey will collect opinions on students’ needs, the collected data will be qualitative rather than quantitative data. This implies that the entire research study will adopt a qualitative approach in other areas such as analysis and representation. Participants Essentially, the target population includes the first secondary students taking English in the curriculum. However, the entire population will not be included in the research survey owing to limited resources and time. As a result, sampling will be conducted in order to select a part of the population which will take part. During sampling, participant will be selected using a method known as random purposive technique which incorporates both the aspect of randomization and purposeful selection. Randomization ensures that the researcher does not obtain some desirable results that fit personal preferences rather than depicting the true opinions (Stein and Monika, 270). On the other hand, purposefulness ensures that sample population has the relevant information about the research topic. This further increases the reliability and credibility of results which will be obtained in this research.Advertising We will write a custom proposal sample on First Secondary Learners’ Linguistics Needs specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Questionnaires Since this research follows a descriptive survey, questionnaires will be used to pose questions to respondents. These questionnaires will include both open and closed questions which are arranged in logical order. Open questions ensure that respondents give expansive information on an inquiry while closed ones limits respondents when researcher needs straight forward answer (Schram, 202). Additionally, these questionnaires will be flexible to allow addition of more themes that could arise during data collection or removal of irrelevant questions. Analysis Each questionnaire will be analyzed separately so as to identify perception of each individual. This will ensure that opinions of every respondent are regarded as worthy inputs that can be used to make generalized conclusions. Additionally, analysis will be conducted alongside and after data collection. Simultaneous analysis and collection ensures that researcher can identify new themes that can be included in the questionnaires. On the other hand, post-collection analysis allows harmonization of analyzed data to make conclusions. Time Schedule Time Range Activity Week: 1-3 Detailed Literature Review Week: 3-7 Sampling of Population Week: 7-13 Data Collection Week: 13-17 Data Analysis Week: 17-21 Interpretation, Documentation and Reporting Works Cited â€Å"Needs Assessment for Continuing Education Activity.† Advances in Skin Wound Care 14.1 (2008): 4. Print. Schram, Thomas. Conceptualizing and Proposin g Qualitative research. 2nd ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Merrill Prentice Hall, 2006. Print. Stein, Heide, and Monika Springer. â€Å"Comparison of Two Sampling Methods for Biomonitoring Using Aquatic Macroinvertebrates in the Dos Novillos River, Costa Rica.† Ecological Engineering 34.4 (2008): 267-275. Print. Teale, William. â€Å"Students Learning English and Literacy Instruction in Urban Schools.† The Reading Teacher 62.8 (2009): 699-703. Print.Advertising Looking for proposal on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This proposal on First Secondary Learners’ Linguistics Needs was written and submitted by user Terrell Huber to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Critical evaluation of impact of stress on employee performance and productivity The WritePass Journal

Critical evaluation of impact of stress on employee performance and productivity Introduction Critical evaluation of impact of stress on employee performance and productivity ), and should, be an important factor in management with managers as stress moderators  (Shanks, 2011). Stress on Employee Performance and Productivity As research shows, there is a relationship between stress and organization effectiveness.   Stress at work is a result of incompatibility or mismatch between demands at work and one’s mental moderation process, which includes the way information, is processed, planned and implemented  (Health and Safety Executive, 2006). Workplace stress is detrimental to employee health and work and is a major source of psychosocial illnesses  (Schumpeter, 2010). Stress has adverse effects on employees and stress management is necessary to minimize organizational failures. However, stress is not the only factor that causes organizational ineffectiveness; stress is an occupational Health  and  Safety issue that can be remedied with good management practices (Dowell, 2001; Health Safety and Environment , 2013). Stress is not the real cause of organization ineffectiveness, but rather a result of loop holes in the management process.   Instead of isolating stress as a single independe nt factor in organizational ineffectiveness, ineffective management skills need to bear the brunt share of responsibility.    Learning and Knowledge Management Organizational effectiveness is a key factor in strategic management, and this is the main point of focus for every business stakeholder. However, this tends to make businesses look at projects in the short term in lieu of looking beyond the traditional neglected and non-integrated methods of learning and knowledge management. The culture predicated on learning and knowledge management approach is beneficial to businesses in tackling the stress issue and refocusing their efforts on organizational effectiveness  (Gold et al., 2001). The impact of stress on employee performance and productivity is a notion that is misplaced as stress is a symptom of challenges in management and not the real cause of low performance or productivity  (Vajda, 2012). In today’s business world, managers seem to fall in the pit of conflicting priorities with differing objectives each with a unique way of performing work  (Beer Eisenstats, 2000). This is detrimental to sharing of knowledge, whic h is important to the successful management of any business. Lack of quality direction contributes significantly to disunity in organizations and gives rise to situations of conflict  (Beer Eisenstats, 2000, p.32). Crucial to the success of any organization is learning and knowledge management. Information as a source of knowledge is vital in any economy and knowledge can give businesses the much sort after competitive advantage. Effective knowledge management, as Gold et al. (2001) explain, is the implementation of infrastructure that consist of technology, structure and culture in combination with the knowledge process design of the collection, transformation, application and protection. Effective and efficient knowledge management is more likely to aid most companies in enhancing organizational performance than research on stress as a limiting factor. As a component of knowledge management, knowledge sharing is a conduit through which effective integration between employees ca n be achieved. This integration is critical in reducing conflict and an important a stress mediator. Effective knowledge sharing can be analyzed through the employees and transfer of knowledge as well as mechanisms in place. Ingirige and Betts (2003), assert that most businesses fail to grasp the importance of sharing information between employees a fact that has been reiterated by Darroch (2005), who points at the fact that knowledge management is commonly taken for granted, but is an important antecedent of businesses performance or innovation. It is important for businesses to focus on the implementation of knowledge management, to improve on their effectiveness. Knowledge management antecedents critical to the effectiveness of business are organizational culture and organizational learning  (Darroch, 2005). With the implementation of these measures, it is less likely that stress will any longer feature in any aspect of organizational effectiveness. Knowledge management and org anizational learning are effective stress managers that are the foundations of ideal management processes  (Sommerville et al., 2004). Organizational culture determines an employee’s expectations be it formal or informal.   It is what describes the kind of individuals most likely to fit a company, and what influences employees way of communication both in and out of the organization. Organization culture is significant in shaping the way employees work within an organization. It is imperative for an organization to create a culture of honesty, faith, independents, and satisfaction  (McGuire et al., 2009).   Organizational culture is the conduit through which employees enhance their knowledge and satisfaction that breeds businesses effectiveness. Rai (2011), presents a significant connection between organizational culture and knowledge management. In addition, organization culture facilitates organizational learning, an important component in employee motivation. Organizational learning is an important business process through which knowledge is built and existing knowledge is rebuilt. An organization wi th a culture inclined to learning, provides an enabling environment of knowledge creation and sharing making them more competitive in a dynamic environment  (Fong, 2003). Organizations are more likely to benefit in organizational effectiveness when focused on learning behaviors.   Organizational culture can positively impact the execution of a knowledge sharing strategy, organizations that uphold trust and co-operation, are potential beneficiaries of a tacit sharing environment. The design of organizational learning should connect knowledge sharing to the benefits of the concern parties and this is best achieved by taking advantage of the organization culture. Fong (2003) is of the opinion that a common culture in Japan has made its industries innovative as a result of the high level of socialization such as sharing tacit knowledge. With a favourable organizational culture that supports effective managerial skills  (Sommerville et al., 2004), stress is unlikely to prevail, an indication that stress moderators are in built in good managerial process. It is clear that stress should not be the culprit in organizational effectiveness; it should be as mentioned above, an indicator of loopholes in the management process. In some jurisdictions, it is the management’s responsibility to adequately address employee stress at work failure to which legal action could be taken under the Health and Safety in Employment Act     (New Zealand Government, 2009 ; Health Safety and Environment , 2013).   It is misleading to focus on stress as a factor in organizational effectiveness rather than as a health and safety issue. Stress is increasingly becoming a challenge in management because of the failure to fully perceive it as common issue in todays world and organizations need to develop strategies on how to deal with employee stress. As a matter of fact, it is imperative that organizations are run effectively to avoid the increased occurrence of work stress.   Knowledge management is a Stress Mediator making it a valuable managemen t tool in this regard. As Fong (2003) alludes, knowledge management through sharing promotes team building an important aspect of innovation. Stress in any business environment has the potential for claims that is detrimental to the individual, the organization, and ultimately the reputation of the industry. With a suitable and appropriate design, knowledge within the organization can be collected and shared in a manner most likely to mitigate stress inducers. Sommerville et al. (2004) explains that knowledge management is a broad term, to realize its potential; there is a need for a detailed analysis of its different facets. Among them, knowledge sharing is revealed as a potential cause of competitive advantage as well as a stress mediator. It is important to demystify the notion that stress is an independent factor in the production equation. Instead, focus need to be shifted to the treatment of people within the organization in regard to focusing on how the individuals within the organization are treated in terms of knowledge generation and sharing will aid the organization in its efforts to reduce workplace stress. Organizational Performance and Development through People Human resource is a major aspect of organizational performance and development, and this must be a focal point for every organization. It is no wonder that most organizations continually invest in people, in the today’s soft economy, so that they could have a competitive edge; have a loyal customer base, as well as a motivated work force (Cascio Boudreau, 2010 ). Business strategies involving the implementation of organizational development approaches are most likely to enhance performance of an organization, and most important tackle work related stress among employees. As noted in the above paragraphs, stress has been focused on as a major cause of low performance. This fallacy has been the cause of unnecessary attention on symptoms of the real issue. In the current world, investment in people has often helped most organizations achieve better performance, because investing in people often develops and retains highly skilled employees while holding them accountable to ensur e business success (IBM Business Consulting Services, 2005). There are organizations in this century that are still filled with individuals who are in the wrong jobs or those whose talents are not fully tapped in their current jobs(Wheeler et al., 2007).   Any management has an opportunity, through investing in people,to focus on improving their employees talents and tap them in ways that are beneficial to everyone in the organization.In the same line, investing in people encourage them to be creative, innovative, and support their efforts. The same logic is applicable to other resources: most organizations can discover its hidden resources, as well as those that are underutilized. On the contrary, lack of quality investments contributes significantly to disunity in organizations and gives rise to situations of conflict (Wheeler et al., 2007). Organizations that do not employ or implement appropriate investment in its human resource suffer great losses(Kreisman, 2002). Crucial to the success of any organization is a positive interaction between enterprise strategy and employee rewards. For most organizations, people performance management entails the redirection of resources to focus on the important aspects of the business such as motivating employees to enhance performance and organizational development. In these organizations, organizational performance and development is undertaken in more ways than one to improve organizational effectiveness. Organizational development antecedents vital to the effectiveness of business are good leadership, training, rewards, alignment and communication, which are anti dotes to stress. Good leadership and ability to motivate employees is a determinant in an effective human resource management in an organization. Good leadership is the determining factor in regard to people’s expectations whether formal or non-formal. Sanhueza(2011), posit that organizations that have leadership programs and incorporate them in their strategic plan are most likely to avoid leadership challenges that the organizations are likely to face in the future. There is not only a positive correlation between good leadership and organizational performance, but also with reduced workplace stress(Lopez et al., 2011). Leadership ensures the retention and selection of persons suitable for the company, and influence customers and other stakeholders. An organization can create leadership development programs in response to significant challenges, such as stress, other than leaving it to chance. It is imperative for an organization to create a culture of good leadership to foster honesty, sati sfaction and performance. Good leadership and motivation encourages organizational performance, an important aspect in any organization. According to Wirtenberg, et al. (2007), leadership is the passion and management the system that drives an organization to achieve the required performance (Wirtenberg, et al., 2007). Quality leadership entails developing a smart vision for the company, listening to customers, employees and other stakeholders, providing beneficial feedbacks, rewarding employees for their achievements and prioritizing customers’ needs. In addition, business leaders are supposed to nurture their employees, inspire and lead by examples. In this way, the company’s employees can adapt their habits to increase their individual performance. The major aspect of leadership that requires improvement is the need for leaders to understand the benefits of people to the development of their organization, and know that like any manager they should motivate and encou rage all stakeholders in the organization in order to enhance organizational effectiveness. Employee training as a component of organizational development is an important business process through which knowledge is built, and existing knowledge is rebuilt. An organization with a culture of training provides an enabling environment of knowledge creation and sharing making it more competitive in a dynamic market environment  (Fong, 2003). Training is necessary for supporting the organization’s alignment process, as well as, equipping employees with knowledge required when dealing with customers. The training includes customer service management aspects, improving services, and streamlining operations to reduce business costs (Bradford Burke, 2005). Necessary adjustments in training programs for organizations should include training of customers. This entails guiding them to be good clients by raising awareness of the products and providing them with useful information about the organization. Organizations are likely to benefit from training since training influences the execution of most business processes and co-operation to encourage business success as well as limiting workplace stress. Rewards and recognition are significant in shaping the way employees work within an organization. These are the conduit through which employees enhance their knowledge and satisfaction that breeds businesses performance and development. Besides, recognition and rewards facilitate organizational performance and development, which are vital aspects of improving organizational values and full utilization of resources. Recognition of employees and incentives encourage loyalty, commitment and foster participation in communication. Organizations with reward systems for their top-performing employees encourage productivity and development of business activities. Recognition of employees entails giving feedback on their performance, rewarding their achievements either formally or informally (Wirtenberg, et al., 2007). Rewards may be a trip to a company event, merchandise price of cash bonus; these reinforce positive behavior and eradicates workplace stress since workers tend to repeat behavi ors they are rewarded for. Improvements essential to rewards include structured customer promotions which thank customers thus building their loyalty over time via continual recognition. Organizational alignment and communication encourages the flow of business processes, which fosters organizational performance and development. In any organizational setting, communication begins with the establishment of vertical alignment, which entails moving the organization’s strategy through the company while turning objectives into actual work. Business alignment relies on continual communication within the organization which entails face-to-face contacts with all employees, regular meetings and internet. A clear understanding of the organizations’ workflow helps employees perform effectively since they are aware how their performance affects company success and consumer satisfaction (Rausch, et al., 2013). Communication helps employees understand their performances and understand the course of their actions to ensure that their work remains organized and jointly reinforcing completely eradication workplace stress. Success and Failure of Organizational Activities Organizations increasingly struggle to achieve competitive advantage and the success or failure of such achievement is dependent on business implementation. Center for Creative Leadership and Vangent(2007), explain that human capital is the most important component of business implementation. This is also evident in the fact that most researchers relate employees mental well being to organizational effectiveness.  Ã‚   It is critical for organizations take full advantage of their human capital investments by incorporating it in their strategic plan for effective management of employee talent base. Success and failure of organizational activities can be as a result of radical shifts in the business’ external as well as internal environment(Scott, 1992). Consistent with this paper’s argument is the fact that failure in organizational activities connected to the effectiveness of the management team.   There are several challenges in management that can lead to either s uccess or failure of organizational activities.   It is possible for the management to be composed of people who are homogeneous or heterogeneous in ideas and style of leadership. In situations requiring decision-making during turbulent times, heterogeneous groups are efficient than homogenous groups. Fink (1986) outlines that, in situations requiring fast decision-making in a catastrophic event, homogenous groups are effective. Besides, long serving and homogenous teams are unable to diagnose the causes of failure in escalating situations effectively (Fink, 1986).   For example, a homogenous management team may cut costs by increasing employee work load as a measure to increase production. Such wrong decisions can amplify the existing problem leading to complete failure of the business; these are some known cause of stress in the workplace (Schumpeter, 2010; Health and Safety Executive, 2006). Long-tenured managers often perceive business failures to come from external and temp orary issues while ignoring internal factors responsible for the failure, such as employee working conditions. Long serving managers are rigid to change, slow at decision-making and entrenchment, and spend more time identifying threats facing the organization (Geroski, 2001). Managerial succession improves organizational performance and survival rates. For example managerial succession in most organizations reduces conflict, increase business financial returns, and growth rates in situations whereby the successor is an outsider. Nonetheless, Miller (1990) asserts that success often results in over-confidence and arrogance among most organizations. Arrogance prevents firms from making small changes in their operations which leads to failure (Miller, 1990). In addition, successful organizations in reaction to external competitive pressures result to conservatism or even arrogant attitude. This is consistent with the common phrase in the business circles â€Å"success breeds failure a nd failure brings further failure in a spiral of business decay†(Ranft ONeill, 2001, p. 126). Besides, most businesses have the tendency to develop successful routines which grows into habits and routines ultimately become traditions thus preserving the company’s way of conducting business. As a result of redundancy in business processes, companies that were previously successful become unable to prevent their own downfall in the future. This is partly due to their inability to adopt a new and better method of business operations, such as implementation of knowledge management; this mitigates all other factors that could impede performance such as workplace stress. Moreover, success of organizational activities is often attributed to skills and training of managers, internal work environment, and psychological traits of employees. This part of the study focuses on managerial skills, training, and external environmental situations that encourage business success. As indicated in the below paragraphs, these two issues are essential because they are often influenced by policymakers in the organization(Henry Evans, 2008).According to a study by Levin-Epstein (2002), the most essential factor contributing success is good managerial skills coupled with financing, and personal traits. In this study, a manager with poor managerial skills is callous to the employees and makes the workplace environment unsuitable for most workers. This stresses some employees to the extent that their workplace productivity reduces. However, well-behaved and welcoming managers increase the employees’ morale thus increasing productivity which translates to business success. Besides, understanding the needs of the employees and customers increases the workers’ job satisfaction which increases productivity and ultimate success (Wheeler et al., 2007). Hard work is also an essential factor contributing to business success though the recommended eight hours may lead to improved satisfaction among employees. Such situations increase employees’ productivity and performance resulting in business activities success. Internal work environment and psychological traits of employees are the other factors that determine business success or failure. Most psychological studies indicate that high-esteem among employees regarding their roles in the organization reduces stress thus making them committed to the company (Dowell, 2001). In such scenarios, their productivity and performance increases contributing to business success, and failure in the contrary. Besides, self-competence and commitment increases business success; self-concept are ideas a person has about themselves based on their interactions with others. Based on this, if a person has a positive self-concept, they will act in a positive manner to increase their productivity and success of organizational activities. Employees who have high self-concept often believe in their abilities to accomplish any duty which makes them successful in most business errands; this increases performance, as well as, business success and most important creates a zero stress environment. Conclusion Stress is a symptom of a much complicated management challenges; it is not the problem as many researchers claim. Despite the fact that stress has a negative impact on employee performance and productivity, it is more important that organizations incorporate learning, knowledge management, and effective people management in strategic planning that support organizational effectiveness, as well as understanding the causes of success and failure in organizational activities. This would help demystify the common fallacy that stress is king in organizational effectiveness. Nonetheless, as indicated in the preceding paragraphs, stress has adverse effects on employees and stress management is necessary to minimize organizational failures. However, it is not the only factor that causes reduced workplace productivity and performance. Individuals in an organization must be able to share important knowledge through a well guided and effective organizational culture. This is a great motivator as well as a stress moderator. In addition, an organization must have in place good managerial structures that positively impact individuals in the organization. Human capital has been seen as vital in business implementation, a factor that has led many to focus on stress and its effects on organizational performance instead of management as a moderator of such a condition. Moreover, failure and success depends on factors such as the composition of the management, environmental changes, skills and training of managers, internal work environment among others. To alleviate organizational problems, methods such as social support, better workplace conditions, and self-perception among others are necessary to mitigate workplace failures. Additionally, engaging in interesting and complex tasks combined with flexible work procedures reduce failure rates which increases their productivity, but intra-department competition and poor interactions may alleviate the problems. Despite the numerous consequences associated with workplace issues, most organizations are reluctant to deal with the problems. It is critical for organizations to focus on internal management factors as key to alleviating issues such as stress instead of struggling to gain a competitive edge while shifting the blame to employees’ mental abilities in the name of stress.   Bibliography Beer, M. 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Discussion 9 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Discussion 9 - Coursework Example Indeed most federal and state laws prohibit convicted felons from legally owning firearms. Although such individuals may have rehabilitated and changed, they may be a potential threat to the public. There are many. Some of the advantages of releasing sex offender registries to the public include making the public aware of potential threats and therefore be prepared. It also gives a sense of responsibility to the sex offenders since they know that they are under public scrutiny. Although this might provide some safety measures, it is unjust to properly rehabilitated persons since they have become just like the rest of the public. Additionally, the sex offenders might face discrimination from their past behavior although they might be good persons. Laws requiring sexual offenders register with local law enforcement department are important since they ensure proper follow up of the offenders by the local law enforcement departments to ensure society is safe. On the other hand, the laws have a limitation since they still hold the offenders as suspects although they were properly evaluated and found to be safe to the public (Robinson & Crow,

Identity Formation and the Bordelandsof Self Essay

Identity Formation and the Bordelandsof Self - Essay Example g thought-provoking complicated autobiographical work that has significantly led to the construction of Chicana and â€Å"mestiza† collective identity. The author narrates her experience of spiritual awakening and growth as well as her introduction to self knowledge. This experience is not for her consumption alone. The author also delineates the social implications of spirituality as a source of power for all Chicanas. Anzaldua’s concept of spirituality is central to â€Å"la mestiza’s† cultural experience defined by the borderlands. Let us now asses the relevance of the concept of â€Å"borderland†. Literally, the term refers to the borders between Mexico and the United States. The term â€Å"border† brings to mind the war between these tow countries which culminated in the annexation of Texas to the US in the 19the century. This annexation, ironically, has resulted in the Chicanos becoming second-class citizens in their own country. Gringos in the US Southwest consider the inhabitants of the borderlands – transgressors, aliens, whether they possess documents or not, whether they are Chicanos, Indians or Blacks. Do not enter; trespassers will be raped, maimed, strangled, gassed, shot. The only â€Å"legitimate† inhabitants are those in power, the whites and those who align themselves with whites. Consider the plight of Pedro, a Chicano in the following extract from Anzaldua’s text: â€Å"In the confusion, Pedro ran, terrified of being caught. He couldn’t speak English, couldn’t tell them he was fifth-generation American. Sin papeles – he did not carry his birth certificate to work in the fields La Migra took him away while we watched. Se lo llevaron. He tried to smile when he looked back at us, to raise his fist. But I saw the shame pushing his head down. I saw the terrible weight of shame hunch his shoulders.† The term â€Å"borderland† in Anzaldua’s work points to the strict boundaries that Western thought has laid down in the