Critical Analysis of the Documentary My Kid Could Paint That Research Paper

Critical Analysis of the Documentary My Kid Could Paint That - Research Paper Example The media questioned whether she is the real artist behind the artwork or if she is just being used and exploited in order to sell up the â€Å"masterpieces.† Moreover, this argument is found to be important in this analysis because it has a relation with the focal question whether or not Marla Olmstead can be considered as â€Å"an artist.† There definitely are young people that are called child prodigies. But considering that art is construed as the mode of expression and the manifestation of emotion or pleasure, a four-year-old child is questionably capable of expressing herself or explain the reasons behind her artworks to be categorized as an artist. Thus, this paper would seek to determine the various criteria and theories of arts in order to consider someone to be an artist. For the purpose of providing reliable answer for this issue, the researcher would support the argument based on various theories of arts such as mimetic, expressive, aesthetic and institution al art as well as the three basic criteria in order to consider something as an art. Discussion Art, whether generally accepted or not is a representation of the artist’s knowledge and skills. ... tist’s intention so that a work is considered art if it is done by someone as a representation, for the purpose of attracting an aesthetic response from the audience. Hence, in creating art, the artist does not only want to provoke or please audience but also want to communicate something and the artwork would not only be perceived by the senses (Hermanson, pp. 2-3). The criteria also include the quality of the work, which means that it should be closely associated with the idea of skill wherein there is technical competence as well as traditionally associated with the idea of beauty. It is about form or the way the elements of the work is put together, or content which usually answers what it depicts or describe (p 5). A work is considered as an art if there is response from the audience (p 6). These criteria are also included in various theories of arts. The art theories include the mimetic, expressive, aesthetic and institutional art. Mimetic art theory is considered as the most basic theoretical principle because it is simply the imitation, mimicry or representation of nature. Coined from the Greek word â€Å"mime† which means â€Å"imitation† or to copy reality (Mr Hermanson, p 14; Spiegel, P1), this theory of art was established by Plato and Aristotle suggesting that all artistic creation is a form of imitation and the artist is the â€Å"imitator.† In the case of painting, subject should exist in reality and should be a type created by God in order to perceive the representation of the ideal type. Hence, a painting is supposed to look just like the real thing or recognizable, whatever it is portraying or resemblance of the model (Berleant, p.167). Aristotle further detailed that art is the imitation of an action of life. Hence, he theorized that art is the

The Hard Times in Life Essay Example for Free

The Hard Times in Life Essay Thinking of truly difficult times is life is far from difficult. Reminiscing on difficult times will always bring back sad memories and feelings. It seems as though the most difficult times are the easiest to remember. Personally, the most difficult time of my life was the first few days after my father’s bicycle accident. For almost three days, I could not see my father who had gotten hit head-on by a red Chevrolet truck. It was truly the most difficult thing I’ve ever experienced not knowing whether or not I would see him alive again. It started out like any other typical Tuesday. I had just gotten home from the state choral competition in Jackson and my father was setting off on his weekly Tuesday night ride. I came home around 6 o’clock, just in time to see my mom coming out the door crying. This was one of the few times I had ever seen my mom cry. Obviously curious as to why she was crying, I asked what was wrong. She blatantly said, â€Å"your dad’s been hit.† It took a while for her words to sink when, but after a few seconds I knew exactly what she meant and it was truly gut-wrenching to hear. She told my brothers and I that we couldn’t go to the hospital with her and that’s when I broke down. It was so nerve-wracking to think of what all was happening at the hospital and whether or not he would be okay. The next few days weren’t any better. My uncle, aunt, cousin, and grandmother, all of whom are on my mom’s side of the family, came and stayed the night with us, while my mom stayed at the hospital. It was nice to have support from my family being there but it was hard because I had to go to school the next day enduring all the horrible feelings and thoughts throughout those day. My other grandmother and grandfather, uncle and aunt, from my father’s side, came that Wednesday. Again, I was thankful to have so much family around, but it was just too much. Going 3 days without seeing my father was awful. Hearing what all had happened to him brought tears to my eyes. The worst feeling was the feeling that I could do nothing but wait. Seconds, minutes, and hours felt like days, months, and years. That Friday was the first day I was able to see him. Seeing my dad lying in a hospital bed, bruised from head to toe, with a broken leg and broken arm, truly broke me down and humbled me. I try to never take anything for granted anymore and I constantly remind myself that I am certainly so blessed by God to still have my father around.

Kubla Kahn :: Author, Literary Analysis

Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s poem â€Å"Kubla Kahn† is an example of imaginative poetry due to an opium addiction. This poem creates its own kingdom and paradise while Colridge expresses his ideas of Heaven and Hell through his own drug induced thoughts and opinions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Coleridge paints the picture of a kingdom, Xanadu, and the surrounding scenery is described with a heavenly, dreamlike vividness that can only result from smoking a little too much opium. This kingdom has a â€Å"pleasure dome† that was created by Kubla Kahn. The paradise-like kingdom consists of ten miles of â€Å"fertile ground† and is surrounded by walls that are securely â€Å"girdled† around the property. The gardens are â€Å"blossoming with many an incense baring tree† and are watered by a wandering stream. There is a river, and it gives life to Kubla Kahn’s creations and runs â€Å"through caverns measureless to man.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The landscape is described in an interesting fashion with contrasting adjectives. It is described as â€Å"savage,† but it is â€Å"holy† and â€Å"enchanted.† The enchantment is compared to a â€Å"woman wailing for her demon lover.† This image of sexuality leaves the impression that the Earth is anxiously mourning for a fulfillment of evil. The chasem below Kubla Kahn’s paradise â€Å"pleasure dome† is beset with â€Å"ceaseless turmoil† and chaos. It is described as â€Å"breathing in fast pants† and there is a powerful eruption, resulting in rock fragments bursting out and being flung from the river. The same river that sustained life for the â€Å"pleasure dome† floods the land. Additional to the noises of the chaos are â€Å"ancestral voiced prophesying war† and these voices of war are a reminder that the

Acorn Industries Essay

It is the rare corporation that can recognizes the need to integrate its resources, policies, people, assets and procedures with changing business strategies. Rarer still is the organization that acts on this need. Yet, in today’s competitive global market, an integrated strategy is increasingly necessary. Given the speed with which change occurs in the global business environment, standard planning techniques and asset allocation methods have become woefully outdated. Indeed, achieving new levels of business sophistication is a never-ending process, requiring Acorn to rapidly a strategic organizational transformation to meet changing conditions. To effectively accomplish this transformation the company needs a system that provides continuous evaluation and improvement, ensuring effective use of both business (hard) and organizational (soft) assets. In particular, what is required is a balance and alignment between customer, organizational and business investment. In today’s market, organizations not taking such an approach run the serious risk of failing to meet the expectations of shareholders. The case of Acorn Industries highlights the lack of strong leadership, the need for a transformation in its organizational structure, the need for a balance scorecard system, the need for a programme manager and the effective operation and utilization of such a structure. Among the distinguishing characteristics of companies achieving sustainable shareholder value is that the management in these organizations constantly evaluates the key operational drivers of the business and, in response to changes in the business environment, strategically transforms the company’s resources among those drivers, whether they are in marketing and sales or in some area of production. This process must occur every time the business changes marketing strategies, experiences a merger, acquisition or spin off,  or moves to a new level of sophistication and globalization maturity. The result is a company experiencing an ongoing process of active, bottom line-oriented self-assessment and growth. When a company’s organizational and business assets are in alignment, adjustments occur naturally. For this alignment to occur, however, the business must measure its organizational and business assets differently than it did at previous levels of maturity. It also m ust be able to transform organizational assets rapidly to meet changing conditions. PROBLEMS AND CAUSES Many new projects implemented within organizations either partially or fully fail because the intervention does not adequately address the enabling environment within which the organization operates (UNDP, 1993). For example, Acorn tried to keep the commercial and government contracts separate. They were also managed as separate entities based on marketing and the resources from the functional departments. Any effort to diagnose and improve the performance of this organization requires an understanding of the forces inside and outside the organization that can facilitate or inhibit that performance (Savedoff, 1998). Enabling environments support effective and efficient organizations and individuals, and creating such environments is becoming an increasingly important aspect of developing this organization towards one that can operate on a programme organizational structure. The organizations natural resources, human resources, financial resources, infrastructure and technology together form what is call â€Å"capabilities.† They combine with rules and institutional ethos to create an enabling or inhibiting environment for organization’s growth and development. This point illustrates the overriding influence of rules and, as noted earlier, the interdependence of the various components of an enabling environment. Acorn embarked on launching ambitious programs to develop capabilities but neglected the importance of conducting a thorough institutional analysis. It involves mapping the institutional environment in terms of politics,  administrative capacity, culture, leadership, organizational structures, etc. in a manner that includes all stakeholders and measures their level of ownership and commitment to reform. Acorn had numerous projects underway with no formal project management process in place to effectively manage successful outcomes. They have not embraced programme management as the discipline to hold people accountable and execute the implementation of strategic change initiatives. Acorn had failed at the process to effectively manage all their projects. Projects emanate from the strategic plan, therefore to increase project success at the strategic level a process must be established to select and monitor projects and ensure projects and resources are in alignment with the strategic plan. For success to occur, synergy is required from all project participants at all levels. RECOMMENDATIONS Strategic leadership is associated with the organization’s vision, as well as with the ideas and actions that make the organization unique. It is the process of setting clear organizational goals and directing the efforts of staff and other stakeholders toward fulfilling organizational objectives (Mintzberg and Quinn, 1995). In essence, therefore, strategic leadership has to do with the organization’s ability to influence its internal and external stakeholders so that they will support organizational directions. Strategic leadership needs to empower its members to create the changes that are necessary for an organization to perform and survive (Byrd, 1987). It goes beyond simple planning, in that it creates ways of clarifying and obtaining organizational goals by looking within and outside the organization. It sets the stage for organizational action and the methodologies the organization will use to produce the results required. Thus, an organization’s strategic leadership involves developing ways of inspiring organizational members and stakeholders to perform in ways that attain the mission, while adapting to or buffering external forces. Strategic leadership consists of three main dimensions: leadership, strategic  planning and niche management: LEADERSHIP _Leadership is basically the process through which leaders influence the attitudes, behaviors and values of others towards organizational goals_ (Vecchio, 1995). Indeed, no one can deny its critical importance to the success of any organization, no matter where the organization is located or what it does. Salopek (1998) outlines four fundamental qualities of leadership, each of which has several specialized and associated competencies. These qualities relate to the ability to become and act as the following: Collaborators skilled at facilitating, coaching and fostering dialogue; Innovators skilled at visioning, championing and diffusing; Integrators skilled at organizing, improving and bridging; Producers skilled at targeting, improving and measuring. The need for leadership qualities is not restricted to executive senior managers, but extends to workers at all levels of the organization. Leadership exists at many places inside the organization, both formally and informally. Formal leadership, exercised by those appointed or elected to positions of authority, entails activities such as setting direction, providing symbols of the mission, ensuring that tasks are done, supporting resource development, and modeling the importance of clients. _STRATEGIC PLANNING_ Strategic planning entails formulating and implementing activities that lead to long-term organizational success. It is essentially a decision-making process that involves a search for answers to simple but critical and fundamental questions: What is the organization doing? How is it doing what  it does? Where should it be going in the future? What should it be doing now to get there? Strategic planning encompasses issues spanning the entire spectrum of the organization, from introspective questions of what the organization’s personality is or ought to be, to strategic operational issues connecting the focus on the future with work to do to move the organization forward. The strategic plan itself is a written document; setting out the specific goals, priorities and tactics the organization intends to employ to ensure good performance (Kaplan and Norton, 1996). Thus, strategic planning must typically include a scan of opportunities, threats and constraints presented by the environment. This means that the organization must repeatedly ask itself what potential or pending actions are likely to influence (positively or negatively) what it does and plans to do? How can the organization forestall or mitigate the negative influences, as well as take advantage of the potential opportunities? Another strategic issue for the survival of an organization is the acquisition of resources in the vital areas of funding, technology, infrastructure and personnel. Strategic planning must adequately pursue these resources by anticipating and capitalizing on opportunities in the external environment that might yield or support them. It also means predicting threats to organizational resources and intervening (politically, in general) to ensure that organizational performance and survival are safeguarded (Korey, 1995). This level of leadership and intervention generally transpires between the senior executive of the organization and the organization’s directors. Resource acquisition entails constantly being on the lookout to create opportunities that will augment the organization’s resources. For strategies to become operational, they need to be communicated, processed and revised according to feedback from stakeholders, both internal and external. All members of the organization need to work toward making the strategic plan a reality, from senior management down to the most junior worker (Mintzberg  and Quinn, 1995). ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE The ability of an organization to structure and restructure itself to adapt to changing internal and external conditions is important for maximizing organizational performance. Unlike other capacities, the structuring and transformation of an organization does not formally occur on a constant basis; however, adaptations of structure are always occurring. Organizational structure is defined as the ability of an organization to divide labor and assign roles and responsibilities to individuals and groups in the organization, as well as the process by which the organization attempts to coordinate its labor and groups. It is also concerned with the relative relationships between the divisions of labor: Who has authority over whom? How and why should an organization divide labour individually and by grouping people? How should organizations coordinate their work to maximize the benefits of the divisions of labour? What do people look for to indicate that problems are structural in nature rather than some other type of problem, such as one of leadership? OPERATING STRUCTURE The operating structure of an organization is the system of working relationships arrived at to divide and coordinate the tasks of people and groups working toward a common purpose. Most people visualize an organization’s structure in terms of the familiar organizational chart. The task of creating appropriate and manageable work units or departments has challenged managers and students of organizational development for decades. In looking at structure, we are interested in the extent to which  individuals, departments or other groupings understand their roles in the organization; whether they have the authority to carry out their roles; and whether they are accountable for their work. Structure also includes coordination issues (Mintzberg and Quinn, 1995). Coordination is the process of linking specialized activities of individuals or groups so they can and will work toward common ends. The coordination process helps people to work in harmony by providing systems and mechanisms for understanding and communicating about their activities. In organizations where innovation and productivity is key, interdisciplinary project teams are a competitive advantage. Entire networks are formed where the best minds collectively tackle difficult projects, with each contributor bringing his or her special perspective and expertise. The ease with which the programme office facilitates interdisciplinary approaches to projects is an indicator of organizational health. Many variables influence organizational structure, including history, size, technology, organizational goals, strategy, governance, funding and other pressures from the external environment, the specific fields of research, and technology. HUMAN RESOURCES The human resources of any organization are its most valuable assets. In the view of many top-level executives, employees are the key source of an organization’s competitive advantage (Brown and Kraft, 1998; Chilton, 1994). Critically important to effective human resource management is to develop and instill core values throughout the organization (Down, Mardis, Connolly and Johnson, 1997). These values include integrity and honesty, commitment to the organizational mission, accountability for and pride in one’s work, commitment to excellence, and building trust. They form the basis for developing cohesiveness and teamwork, as well as for developing policies, procedures and programs that focus on meeting the needs of customers or clients. In the case of Acorn Industries, human resources management functions is  charged with planning and controlling human resources to make sure that people’s needs are met so they can work to achieve organizational goals. Commitment to meeting employees’ needs is not merely an altruistic function-it is highly likely that staff who are reasonably comfortable with working conditions, and stimulated by the environment, will be productive (Miron, Leichtman and Atkins, 1993). From an organizational perspective, control over human resources is critical to hold managers accountable for organizational performance. Nevertheless, progress in this area has been slow. HUMAN RESOURCES PLANNING Human resources planning involve forecasting the human resources needs of the organization, and planning the steps necessary to meet these needs. This planning is the first step in any effective human resources management function. Human resources planning should be closely linked to the organization’s strategic objectives and mission. Even in regions of the world with a plentiful, well-educated workforce, such planning is a challenge because the needs of the organization are constantly changing and sometimes do not converge (Cockerill, Hunt and Schroder, 1995). The challenge is even greater if the pool of people from which the organization recruits is limited by such factors as brain drain, or because labor market wages in the private sector are more attractive (Colvard, 1994). Forecasting in these environments is quite difficult. PROGRAMME MANAGEMENT According to Booth (1998), the term â€Å"programme management† is used mainly by two groups of professionals in ways that are consistent. The first group, those involved with information systems, employs the term to describe the management of _big projects, especially system implementations._ The second group, corporate strategists, uses it to mean the _practical task of translating grand strategies into operational reality._ In many organizations, individual managers typically pursue their own  projects and cite their own successes. In fact, the link between their efforts and organizational performance is generally quite obscure. By coordinating and linking the cascade of corporate goals reflected in diverse projects into specific sets of common-goal actions, program management helps to avoid this problem. Programme management is regarded as â€Å"an additional layer of management sitting above the projects and ensuring that they remain pertinent to the wider organization† (Booth, 1998). In the context of funded organizations in developing countries, organizations often receive financing from different donors or funding agencies for different projects that are not necessarily congruent with organizational goals. In such a situation, there is a clear need for programme management to align different projects with wider organizational goals and coordinate them into common-goal actions. PROGRAMME PLANNING Programme planning ranges from working out what to do on a day-by-day basis to long-term strategic planning. It should be happening constantly within a project and program. Programme planning must take into account what an organization has to do to create its goods and services, as well as the resources it needs to do so. Program planning requires thinking ahead and, as such, involves several concurrent questions. Whom are we serving? What demand are we supplying and at what cost? What are our objectives? What must be done to meet these objectives? Who will do this? How will they do it? How long will it take? How much will it cost? How will we know whether we have met our objectives? Programme planning has many levels and is time bound, so it can be short, medium or long term. However, when conducting an assessment, the extent to which the organization’s plans are well communicated and used as management tools must be determined. This will require written plans. PROGRAMME IMPLEMENTATION The major task of the leaders of an organization is to put the organization’s program into practice. It is all well and good to have a great plan-making  it work is the hard part. Programme implementation requires organization and having staff that can put their skills to work. It requires integration of the management skills needed to allocate resources and the technical skills needed to do what has to be done (for example, to do several projects con-currently and with the sharing of resources). Programme implementation is the stage at which an organization integrates all its resources to concretely achieve its goals. PROGRAMME MONITORING AND EVALUATION Sound project monitoring and evaluation need to be built into projects during their planning stage and carried out throughout the project (IDB, 1997). For example, an assessment of the volubility of a programme or project ensures that it contains the basic elements required to monitor results and ultimately determine whether development objectives are being met. The planning section should have an increasing array of tools that help project planners develop quality projects. The logical framework can be incorporated into a project both for use as a planning tool but also to provide indicators for monitoring and evaluation (IDB, 1997). Similarly, outcome mapping (Earl, Carden and Smutylo, 2001) is used as a tool to support better planning, monitoring and evaluation. PROCESS MANAGEMENT Functional managers with many organizations today view their business as a series of functional silos concerned with their own requirements (Dent and Hughes, 1998). This perspective is particularly pervasive among managers accustomed to being rewarded for optimizing the performance of their functions relative to the rest of the organization. Although managers talk about â€Å"big picture† processes, their efforts are often focused inwardly on their own requirements and are measured accordingly. In such situations, there is an obvious need for common systems and operations that apply uniformly throughout the organization and, like a thread, sew the various functional parts together into a common purpose. There is also a need for compatible strategies to optimize organizational performance. In other words, process management is required. Taking a vision and making it a reality through smooth-flowing daily work in an organization is largely dependent on ongoing â€Å"processes.† These are the internal value-adding management systems and operations that cut across functional and departmental boundaries. They are the mechanisms that guide interactions among all groups of people in an organization to ensure that ongoing work is accomplished rather than hindered or blocked. Thus, _process management is the task of aligning and integrating the various practices and cultures of different segments of an organization through the introduction of common systems and operations that apply uniformly to all segments of the organization_. These common operations or processes include problem-solving, planning, decision-making, communication, and monitoring and evaluation. If the processes are all working, the outcome is that the organization is learning and accomplishing a great deal. Process management takes place at every level of an organization, from the board of directors to the line worker. The board and senior managers must know how to problem-solve, plan and make timely decisions. If they are deficient in these areas, organizational direction is often hampered. As with the case of Acorn Industries, programme units, departments and other functional segments of the organization must plan and set short- and medium-term goals, as well as solve problems, make decisions and generate strategies to carry out appropriate activities to achieve results. VISION AND MISSION The vision and the mission of an organization emerge from important social, economic, spiritual and political values. They are meant to inspire and promote organizational loyalty. Vision and mission are those parts of an organization that appeal to the heart; that is, they represent the organization’s emotional appeal. They motivate people and draw upon staff  and stakeholders’ hopes and aspirations. In this sense, the vision and mission of an organization provide inspirational motivation. Clarifying the vision and mission are important in private organizations. Private sector organizations often identify the importance of serving their customers, and have created visions and missions to support this theme. At issue for many organizations is not only to write but to then live the statements. When vision and mission statements are not lived up to, the result is not to enhance motivation but to foster cynicism. Assessing an organization’s motivation primarily involves looking at its mission, since this is more closely linked to what the organization wants to do. However, in examining the mission, the link to the larger vision, as well as more operational components, must also be assessed. DEFINITION _An organization’s vision defines the kind of a world to which it wants to contribute._ Visions lie beyond the scope of any one organization. They represent the hopes and dreams of organizational members. The vision describes the changes in the prevailing economic, political, social or environmental situation that the programme hopes to bring about. Missions, on the other hand, are a step in bringing about the operational aspects into the vision, an organization’s raison d’à ªtre. _The mission is an expression of how people see the organization operating._ In this context, the mission lays a foundation for future action (Bart, 1997) and guides the organization’s choice of strategies and activities. Some of the main reasons for an organization to have a vision and mission expressed in clear statements are to: Promote clarity of purpose Function as a foundation for making decisions Gain commitment for goals Foster understanding and support for its goals. Whereas the vision locates the organization within a cluster of organizations, it is the mission that answers the questions: Why does this organization exist? Whom does it serve? By what means does it serve them? Those responsible for the performance of an organization increasingly recognize the benefits of clearly and simply communicating the direction in which their organization is going. Such descriptions of the organization’s future, whom it serves, what it values, and how it defines success can have a powerful impact on the organization’s personality. ASSESSING THE MISSION Those seeking to diagnose and analyze the mission of an organization often find themselves dealing with multiple realities-those that are written down, and those that are perceived by organization members. One task in an organizational assessment is to determine the degree to which the formal mission statement is understood and internalized by members and stakeholders of the organization; that is, measure the congruence of the perceived and stated missions. CULTURE While the mission statement formally articulates organizational purpose, it is the organization’s culture that gives life to the organization and helps make the realization of its mission possible. The concept of organizational culture has been the focus of much attention, with analysts associating it with superior corporate performance (Peters and Waterman, 1988), increased productivity (Ouchi, 1981), improved morale, and high rates of return on investment. _Organizational culture is the collectively accepted meaning that manifests itself in the formal and informal rules of an organization or a sub-group._ The culture embodies the collective symbols, myths, visions and heroes of the organization’s past and present. For instance, culture finds expression in the collective pride (and even embellishment) of the accomplishments of individuals. Values important to the organization are illustrated through stories about past successes and failures; these form a living history that guides managers and drives members’ behavior. DIMENSIONS Diagnosing organizational culture helps you understand the relative levels of consistency or inconsistency of â€Å"meaning† that exist in an organization. In some ways, culture is like an iceberg; it has both seen and unseen aspects. From an anthropological perspective, culture has material and non-material dimensions. Culture has both physical artifacts-mission statements, policy guides-as well as basic beliefs that direct the thinking, feelings, perceptions and behaviors of the people in the culture. To know why some people are in trouble, are rejected or punished, or are not appreciated by an organization, you need to know the belief system and norms that underlie the organization’s behavior. In this context, four dimensions of organizational culture can be identified: artifacts, perspectives, values, and assumptions (Bloor and Dawson, 1994). _Artifacts_ are the most tangible aspects of an organization’s culture. These are the physical aspects of an organization: the type of office, the logo, dress, rituals (Christmas parties), stories, language and so forth. Artifacts are the physical manifestations of the organization’s culture. _Perspectives_ are the ideas that people hold and use to act appropriately. For example, a perspective includes how the organization handles customer complaints or, for that matter, employee complaints. In some organizations, people go to great lengths to help customers obtain the products and services they say they need. In other organizations, customers are ignored. _Values_ relate to the ideals held by the organization, including concepts of standards, honesty, quality and integrity. Underlying or basic _assumptions_ are â€Å"the taken for granted† beliefs of an organization. This refers to what members of the organization feel is appropriate behavior for themselves and others. Since assumptions are considered a given, they are rarely if ever questioned. The set of tacit assumptions helps form the uniqueness of the organizational culture (Denison, 1996). BALANCE SCORECARDS Balanced Scorecard is a popular tool for implementation of strategy (Kaplan and Norton 1996a). As the founders of the concept, they promote the concept primarily as a tool that can provide aid in the implementation of strategy. They argue that the main causes of poor strategy implementation are: Visions and strategies are not actionable Strategies are not linked to departmental team and individual goals Strategy not linked to resource allocation Feedback that is tactical and not strategic The name BSC reflects the need for a balance between short and long time horizon for goals, between financial and non-financial measure parameter, between lag and lead indicators and between internal and external perspectives (Kaplan and Norton 1996a). The author argues that _†what you measure is what you get†_ The measurements have a running effect. In order to accomplish a strategic effect, the organization must measure what is strategically important. This can be achieved in the Balanced Scorecard concept. Hence, the concept is not a control tool, but rather a strategic tool to help managers look ahead. In addition, the BSC shows how the results are achieved not only that they are achieved. With the four dimensions; the financial perspective, the internal business perspective, the customer perspective and the innovation and learning perspective, BSC combines a  number of flows that are going on in the organization. By understanding the organisation in this context, t he manager can learn what connections exist between the different perspectives. The common picture of the four dimensions is one of the contributions of the BSC concept. _ARCHITECTURE OF BSC_ Kaplan and Norton (2001a) describes the building of a BSC as a process to define a set of near term objectives and activities, the drivers that will differentiate a company from its competitors and create a long term customer and shareholder value, the outcomes. The process begins in a top down fashion, clearly defining strategy from the perspective of the shareholders and the customer. In other words, the scorecard is supposed to define the short term goals and activities. These are the strategic drivers that are supposed to differentiate the organization from the competitors and create long term value for the customers and the owners. The financial goals for growth and productivity are the most important. Causes of growth are to be defined. When the financial goals are defined, we must ask the question _†Who are the target customers that will generate revenue growth_ _and more profitable products and services? What are their objectives and how_ _do we measure success with them?†_ The customer perspective should also include a value proposition that defines how the company differentiates itself to attract retain and deepen relationship with targeted customers. The defined measurements in the customer and financial perspectives should not describe explicit how this should be achieved internally. It is the internal processes, like product, design, marketing development, sale, service, production that are about to define the necessary activities to achieve the goals in the customer and financial perspectives. The fourth perspective, learning and growth, should put pressure to execute internal business processes in new and differentiated way, based on the organizations infrastructure; the skills, capabilities and knowledge of employees; the technology they use and the climate in which they work, in other words what Kaplan and Norton (2001a) refers to as the learning and growth factors. _IMPLEMENTATION OF BSC_ Kaplan and Norton suggest implementing the BSC to overcome the strategy implementation problems: Visions and strategies are not actionable, strategies are not linked to resource allocation, and feedback is tactical and not strategically. However, when studying Balanced Scorecard, there is no common theory or model for implementation. Some use more perspectives than Kaplan & Norton’s initial four, others not. For example, some have added a human focus or an environmental focus. Kaplan and Norton do not include the human focus as they believe the human is contained in all of their focus areas. This might be a result from the stepwise development of the BSC. The first concrete model for building a BSC is presented by Kaplan and Norton (1993) where they use a system model in eight steps to create a BSC that should link the measurements to the strategy. In the article _†Using the BSC as a strategic management system†_ by Kaplan and Norton (1996b), the development of BSC is extended from the eight step to a ten step model. According to the authors, after the tenth step, BSC has been included in the routine part of the strategic management system. The communication within the organization follows the different units in the business plan and lies in line with BSC. Through follow up of BSC, learning in the organization is enabled through performance and deviation assessments. However, Kaplan & Norton (1996a) mean that this might not be as easy as it looks. This is probably an understatement. They show failures in several cases with structural and organizational problems. The step wise development by Kaplan and Norton is also influenced by other research findings. This also applies to the implementation of BSC system. Kaplan and Norton start out with an implementing model in eight steps, while the Kaplan and Norton 1996b article present another 10 step model. For all models, a common theory for building and implementing BSC is missing. Despite this observation, Kaplan and Norton have developed principles for  how to become a successful strategy focused organization. However, these principles do not tell _how_, but rather _what_ matters to implement strategy successfully. In the article by Kaplan and Norton (2001c) the authors show how organizations use their scorecard to align key management processes and systems to the strategy. Although each organization achieved strategic alignment and focus in different ways at different paces and in different sequences, each eventually use a common set of principles to become what Kaplan and Norton refer to as the principles of strategy focused organization. The five principles are: 1. Translate the strategy to operational terms 2. Align the organization to the strategy 3. Make strategy everyone’s everyday job 4. Make strategy a continual process 5. Mobilize leadership for change When Kaplan and Norton (2001c, 2001a) talks about the first principle _†TRANSLATE THE STRATEGY INTO OPERATIONAL TERMS†_ they mean that the scorecard creates a common and understandable frame of reference for all organization units and employees through the translation of strategy into a logical architecture of a strategy map and the Balanced Scorecard to specify the details of the critical elements for their growth strategies. The second principle _†ALIGN THE ORGANISATION TO THE STRATEGY†_ (Kaplan and Norton, 2001c, 2001a) relates to the organizational performance to become more than the sum of its parts. It must be linked and integrated. The Balanced Scorecard defines what is expected to create synergy and ensure that linkage actually occurs. This will prevent the strategies of different units to go in opposite directions. As many organizations have difficulties  communicating and coordinating across the different functions, suboptimal behaviours may become a major barrier in strategy implementation. The third _principle_ _†MAKE STRATEGY EVERYONE’S EVERYDAY JOB†_ means that the BSC should be used to communicate and educate the organization about the strategy. Scepticism towards unlimited communication to the entire organization risking leakage of valuable information to competitors is answered: â€Å"_Knowing the strategy will do little good unless they execute it. On_ _the other hand we have no chance to execute it if people don’t know about it†._ This is also in line with Kotter (1996) who argues that real power first occur when those involved in the enterprise or activity have a common understanding of goals and directions. The author argues that it is not a top down direction, but rather a top down communication. When Kaplan and Norton (2001a, 2001c) talks about â€Å"_MAKE STRATEGY A CONTINUAL PROCESS†_ they claim that the BSC introduce a new â€Å"double loop process† to manage strategy. The process integrates the management of tactics with the management of strategy using three important processes. First, organizations link strategy to the budget process where they use BSC as a screen to evaluate potential investments and initiatives. Just as the BSC attempts to protect long term objectives from short term sub optimization, the budget process must protect long term initiatives from the pressures to deliver short term financial performance. The second step is to make strategy a continual process by introducing a simple management meeting to review strategy. Information feedback systems are changed to support the new management meetings. Finally, a process for learning and the strategy evolves. The initial BSC represent a hypothesis about the strategy. At the time of formulatio n, it is the best estimate of the action expected to create long term financial success. The design process of the scorecard establishes the cause and effect linkages of the strategic hypothesis explicit. As the scorecard puts it to action and the feedback system start reporting actual results, an organization can test the hypothesis of its strategy. In the fifth principle _†MOBILIZE LEADERSHIP FOR CHANGE†_ also named  _†mobilize_ _change through leadership†_ (Kaplan and Norton 2001a); the authors claim that the first four principles focus on the BSC tool, the framework and the process to support it. They also argue that active involvement of the executive is the single most important condition. If the top management are not active leaders of the process – change will not occur, strategy is not implemented and the opportunity for breakthrough performance is lost. Over time, a new management system will evolve; this is a strategic management system that institutionalizes the new cultural values and processes into a new system for management. This is also in line with Kotter (1996) where he describes how transformational change occurs. By linking traditional processes such as compensation and resource allocation to a BSC that describes the strategy, they create a _strategic management system_. Furthermore, the author claims that the strategy must be a continual process that reflects shifts in opportunities and threats. Here, it is important that the integration of the new strategy into the organization does not create a barrier to future progress. CONCLUSION The relationship between organization and innovation is complex, dynamic and multilevel. The existing literature is voluminous and diverse. For Acorn to be a successful organization, I looked at the aspects of organizational structures, human resources, programme management, process management, their vision and mission, the organizational culture and balance scorecards. These are the potential different aspects of the relationships that form the coherent conceptual framework for understanding the phenomenon of ‘organizational innovation’. Executive Management needs to engage organizational functions in programme execution to obtain information evaluate progress and learn from failures regarding strategic change initiatives. If they don’t, they, like most projects, will fail. Committed leadership is required to provide the right environment for people to succeed when implementing change initiatives.  Projects are essential to the growth and survival of their entities because, when executed successfully, they help deal with changes in the environment, fiscal conditions and citizens’ needs. Directors must be held accountable for managing change and the best way to manage change is to employ a project management methodology that enables the Department to manage strategic project initiatives as a portfolio of budget investments and prioritize them in accordance with their importance to the Department strategy. Acorn Industries needs to focus on making change happen to improve their organizations performance!! Programme management is their ticket to that success. It will enable them to get on the road to quicker implementation of strategic initiatives and keep Acorn Industries moving forward. Organizations that want to be successful need to establish an integrated programme management process in order to execute strategic initiatives and enhance the organizational and individual’s project management capability. BIBLIOGRAPHY Bart, C. 1997. Sex, Lies and Mission Statements. _Business Horizons_ (November/ December): 9-18. Bloor, G., and P. Dawson. 1994. Understanding Professional Culture in Organizational Context. _Organization Studies_ 15(2): 275-95. Booth, R. 1996. Accountants Do It by Proxy. _Management Accounting-London_ 74(5): 48. 1998. Program Management: Measures for Program Action. _Management Accounting-London_ 76(7): 26-28. Brown, S. J., and R.J. Kraft. 1998. A Strategy for the Emerging HR Role. _Human Resources Professional_ 11(2): 28-32. Brudney, J., and S. Condrey. 1993. Pay for Performance: Explaining the Differences in Managerial Motivation. _Public Productivity and Management Review_ 17(2): 129-44. Byrd, R. E. 1987. Corporate Leadership Skills: A Synthesis. _Organizational Dynamics_ 16(1): 34-43. Cockerill, T., J. Hunt, and H. Schroder. 1995. Managerial Competencies: Fact or Fiction? _Business Strategy Review_ 6: 1-12. Colvard, J. E. 1994. In Defense of Middle Management. _Government Executive_ 26(5): 57-58. Denison, D. 1996. What Is the Difference between Organizational Culture and Organizational Climate? _Academy of Management Review_ 21(3): 619-54. Down, J. W., W. Mardis, T.R. Connolly, and S. Johnson. 1997. A Strategic Model Emerges. _HR Focus_ 74(6): 22-23. Earl, S., F. Carden, and T. Smutylo. 2001. _Outcome Mapping: Building Learning and Reflection into Development Programs_. Ottawa: International Development Research Centre. Inter-American Development Bank.1997. _Evaluation: A Management Tool for Improving Project Performance._ IDB, Washington, D.C. Kaplan, R.S. Norton, D.P. (2001 b) â€Å"_Transforming Balanced Scorecard from performance measurements to strategic management:_ Part 1†, Accounting Horizons, Mar, Vol 15, Issue 1, pp 87-105. Kaplan, R.S. Norton, D.P. (2001 c) â€Å"_Transforming Balanced Scorecard from performance measurements to strategic management:_ Part 2†, Accounting Horizons, Jun, Vol 15, Issue 2, pp 147-161 Kaplan, R. S., and D.P. Norton. 1996. Using the Balanced Scorecard as a Strategic Management System. _Harvard Business Review_ 74(1): 75-85. Korey, G. 1995. TDM Grid: An Effective Tool for Implementing Strategic Plans in Academic Institutions. _Management Decision_ 33(2): 40-47. Mintzberg, H., and J.B. Quinn. 1995. _The Strategy Process: Concepts, Context and Cases._ New York: Prentice Hall. Miron, D., S. Leichtman, and A. Atkins. 1993. Reengineering Human Resource Processes. _Human Resources Professional_ 6(1): 19-23. Ouchi, W. 1981. Theory Z: _How American Business Can Meet the Japanese Challenge._ Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley. Peters, T. J., and R.H.J. Waterman. 1982. _In Search of Excellence._ New York: Warner Books. 1988. _In Search of Excellence: Lessons from America’s Best Run Companies._ New York: Warner Books. Salopek, J. 1998. The New Managerial Mentor: Becoming a Learning Leader to Build Communities of Purpose. _Training and Development_ 52(12): 61. Savedoff, W. D. (ed.). 1998. _Organization Matters: Agency Problems in Health and Education in Latin America._ Washington, D.C.: Inter-American Development Bank. Vecchio, R. P. 1995. _Organizational Behaviour._ Orlando, FL.: Harcourt Brace and Co.

Portfolio A Systematic Collection Education Essay

As instructors we interact, work and program activities for pupils. These activities are geared to develop their acquisition, hence be aftering for pupils progress instructors need to document the development of the kids betterments on a day-to-day footing. To make this a system that is easy to utilize and one that is flexible plenty to account all or most of the activities they participate in, therefore appraisal is an umportant portion of entering advancement. Appraisal is the procedure of happening out what kids can make, what they know and the things they are interested in. appraisal besides involves all methods through which instructors can derive an apprehension of kids ‘s development and acquisition. Assessment is of import because once information is gained, appropriate activities and experiences can be implemented for continued growing in all countries of development. Appraisal comes in many signifiers, and some work better than others. The National Association for the Education of Young Children ( NAEYC ) provides assessment guidelines in its publicationA Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children From Birth Through Age Eight. In this publication, NAEYC states that: â€Å" Developmental appraisal of kids ‘s advancement and accomplishments is used to accommodate course of study to fit the developmental demands of kids, to pass on with the kid ‘s household, and to measure the plan ‘s effectivity † ( Bredekamp, p. 13 ) . â€Å" Appraisal of single kids ‘s development and acquisition is indispensable for planning and implementing developmentally appropriate plans, but should be used with cautiousness to forestall favoritism against persons and to guarantee truth. Accurate testing can merely be achieved with dependable, valid instruments and such instruments developed for usage with immature kids are highly rare. In the absence of valid instruments, proving is non valuable. Therefore, appraisal of immature kids should trust to a great extent on the consequences of observations and descriptive informations † ( Bredekamp, pp. 12-13 ) . Portfolios Portfolio is a systematic aggregation or sample of kids work, with information associating to each kid ‘s developmental advancement which depicts the pupil activities, achievements, and accomplishments within the educational scene. As explained by Carol Gestwicki in Developmentally Appropriate Practice: Course of study and Development in Early Education, â€Å" Portfolios may incorporate aggregations of representative work of kids that illustrate their advancement and achievementsaˆÂ ¦ † and â€Å" Children are encouraged to add their ain choices of work that they feel show their advancement to the portfolios † ( Gestwicki, p. 304 ) . Portfolio promotes a positive, enthusiastic position is the statement in Janine Batzles ‘s book, A Portfolio Assessment and Evaluation: â€Å" A portfolio should be a jubilation of the kid ‘s alone abilities, accomplishments, and advancement, displayed through reliable samples † ( Batzle, p. 60 ) . There are two major types of portfolios which instructors can utilize which is procedure and merchandise portfolio. The procedure portfolio is used to document each phase of larning which provides a progressive record of pupil ‘s growing. The merchandise portfolio demonstrates command of a learning undertaking or a set of larning aims and contains merely the best work. Teachers use process portfolios to assist pupils place larning ends, papers advancement over clip, and show acquisition command†¦ In general, instructors prefer to utilize procedure portfolios because they are ideal for documenting the phases that pupils go through as they learn and advancement ( Venn, 2000, p. 533 ) . Student ‘s portfolios can take assorted physical signifiers, depending on which 1 is comfy for the instructor and the type of kid attention plan offered. They can be boxes, squeeze box files, booklets, three-ring binders, exposure albums, and or combinations and similar points can be used as receptacles for cogent evidence of advancement. Teachers can hold two containers: one for 3-dimensional samples of the kid ‘s attempts and another for signifiers and planar beginnings of information. Portfolios are an individualised manner in measuring pupils hence each kid should hold their ain portfolio. Portfolios can include many points of each kid ‘s alone involvements, besides pupils demands can be addressed harmonizing to what is included in their portfolio. Teachers can utilize exposures, drawings, colloquial notes, sound and picture recordings and observations. Photographs are taken of kids when they work on undertakings that can non be saved for future mention, like edifice blocks, modeling clay, bead threading where at times they threading harmonizing to pictured forms, and when they build mystifiers without aid. Samples of the kids ‘s work is saved in their portfolios as they are placed each kid advancement, helps the instructor and parents to derive a better apprehension of the pupil strengths and failing depending on the age and development degree of each kid. With this information from the portfolios, instructors are able to be after for future course of study. Some advantages of portfolio appraisal is where instructors can mensurate public presentation based on echt samples of the kids ‘s work, it enables instructors and pupils to portion in the duty for puting learning ends and for measuring their advancement toward run intoing those ends and portfolios can supply a procedure for structuring acquisition in phases. The disadvantages of portfolio appraisal could be hard in garnering all the necessary informations and work samples which therefore makes portfolios bulky and hard to pull off, and besides to develop a systematic and calculated direction system tends to be hard, but this measure is necessary in order to do them a random aggregation of pupils work. Systematic Observation Systematic observations are observations where instructors become really familiar with the involvements, demands, and strengths of all of the kids in their schoolrooms. With this type of observation instructors become cognizant when kids exhibit discernible forms of behavior that indicate they are fighting with larning prior to formal procedure of acquisition, every bit immature as age three ( Lowenthal, 1998 ; Steele, 2004 ) . With a tool to aim their observations, instructors can utilize systematic observation as a speedy and cost-efficient manner to find which kids might be fighting with acquisition and benefit from extra support ( Satz & A ; Fletcher, 1988 ) .A With the usage of systematic observation the instructor observes the whole category hence allow him/her to go cognizant of the pupils needs whereby the instructor can be after suitably. This type of observation agencies that decisions or readings are based on observations of the kid over clip instead than a erstwhile appraisal of a kid ‘s accomplishments and abilities.A Systematic observation is to be done when kids, are playing entirely, in little groups, in big groups, at assorted times of twenty-four hours and in assorted fortunes. Systematic observation must be nonsubjective, selective, unnoticeable, and carefully recorded ( Bertrand and Cebula, 1980 ) . Teachers are to detect the kids interacting with their environment and with others and document what they see. Some instructors use checklists, stock list, evaluation graduated table, anecdotal notes, recordings or other signifiers to enter their observations. This procedure seems to be natural and appropriate for preschool instructors because â€Å" Preschool kids demonstrate growing and larning through activity ( Worthham, 1994, p. 213 ) . The checklist or stock list is entering tools which are used for entering pupil ‘s advancement and this procedure is easier for instructors to work with. Checklist or stock list are to be based on instructional aims and the development associated with the acquisition of the accomplishments being monitored, thereby these observations should be based on regular activities, non on specially designed or contrived activities. These tools can besides include infinites for brief remarks, which provide extra information non captured in the checklist. Rating Scale is used to assist instructors and parents gather and portion information about immature kids with specific attending to features that might be early marks of larning disablements. The evaluation graduated table besides allows instructors and parents to reflect consistently on their concerns and helps them acknowledge if the kid would profit from extra support. The information gathered about the pupils across developmental spheres, which are the Perceptual and Motor, Self-Management, Social and Emotional, Early Math, Early Literacy, Receptive Language, and the Expressive Language sphere. The consequences will inform communicating and planning among parents, school forces, and others. Anecdotal notes are used to enter specific observations of single pupil behaviors, accomplishments and attitudes, these notes provide cumulative information on pupil acquisition, uncovering penetrations about the kid ‘s advancement when they are reviewed consecutive and provides way for farther direction. Anecdotal records are besides factual, nonjudgmental notes of kids ‘s activity ( Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory, 1991 ) . They are most utile for entering self-generated events. The advantages are that the perceiver does non necessitate particular preparation, and the observation can be used to concentrate specifically on the behavior of involvement. The disadvantages of this type of appraisal are that the consequences depend upon the memory of the single perceiver, and the perceiver may overlook much important behavior to concentrate on a specific behavior. Systematic observation strengths are that it is used in the natural scene of the kid ‘s schoolroom environment, the instructor can detect what causes the pupil specific behavior and topographic points minimum restraints on kids ‘s behavior and activities, leting them to act of course and exhibit their full scope of accomplishments and abilities while prosecuting in activities that hold intending for them, such as dramatic drama activities or block building ( Hills, 1993 ; Schweinhart, 1993 ) . Systematic observation besides has its weak countries where the teacher/observer may falsify information which can do them invalid, some pupils do non work efficaciously when they are being watched and they may execute otherwise. Traditional Trial Traditional appraisal ( TA ) refers to standardise proving that uses inquiries with a limited figure of reply picks. They can be multiple-choice trials, fill-in-the-blanks, true-false, duplicate, essays and some short reply responses. Students typically select an reply or remember information to finish the appraisal. These trials may be standardized or teacher-created, and may be administered locally, province broad, or internationally. Other proving methods, sometimes known as performance-based appraisal, alternate appraisal or reliable appraisal, focal point on the procedure by which a pupil arrives at an reply in add-on to the concluding response. Most standardised trials are non designed to measure the individualised growing and development taking topographic point in your schoolroom. But there are other assessment tools that do! Early on childhood pedagogues are uncomfortable with the thought of proving the immature kids they work with. This is because the traditional appraisal tools were designed chiefly for older elementary-school pupils. Children taking these trials are assessed on stray accomplishments in ways that are unfamiliar to them, and the trial consequences frequently do non reflect kids ‘s personal experiences or cognition. One of the primary benefits of traditional appraisal is the easiness in which decision makers and admittances professionals can analyse and compare pupil tonss. Standardized proving that relies wholly on quantifiable responses produces an appraisal that is easy to hit. Test shapers can categorise inquiries to find which countries pupils excel in and which they have trouble with. Students ‘ consequences are comparable over clip and across a big, diverse group of pupils. Recently nevertheless, new attacks to appraisal has been deriving credence among early childhood and primary class instructors. These are known as â€Å" public presentation † or â€Å" reliable † appraisal ; these new tools have many benefits that standardized trials do non, which are, that they consistently document what kids know and can make based on activities they engage in on a day-to-day footing in their schoolrooms. They are flexible plenty to let instructors to measure each kid ‘s advancement utilizing information obtained from ongoing schoolroom interactions with stuffs and equals. They are a agencies for bettering direction, leting instructors to be after a comprehensive, developmentally oriented course of study based on their cognition of each kid. Traditional appraisal methods have the disadvantage of missing real-world context. Students answer inquiries one by one without the demand to use long-run critical logical thinking accomplishments. They besides lack opportunities to show their logical thinking accomplishments despite a deficiency of cognition about a inquiry ‘s specific capable affair. Alternate assessment methods allow pupils to use their accomplishments and cognition within a context that more closely resembles job work outing and knowledge application in most occupations or day-to-day undertakings. Traditional appraisal besides has both advantages and disadvantages when it comes to the manner pedagogues teach. Traditional appraisal forces pedagogues to pass clip learning pupils how to pull off trials, including schemes for choosing right replies from a listed group. Alternative appraisal allows pedagogues to concentrate on critical logical thinking accomplishments, which pupils will be able to use of course to long-form trial inquiries. However, in state of affairss where alternate appraisal replaces traditional appraisal, this means instructors need to larn new methods of trial readying and schools need to develop alternate signifiers of public presentation appraisal for their pupils and instructors. Decision Appraisals are utile, effectual tools to help early childhood professionals in admiting and documenting each kid ‘s advancement. Appraisals can be alone to each kid and the contents can concentrate on each kid ‘s specific interactions with his or her environment, stuffs, equals, and instructors. Both parents and kids can work together positively. This tripartite conferencing and planning method, affecting instructors, parents, and kids, is a major end of reliable appraisal today ( Ryan, p. 2 ) . Appraisals are practical and utile for both coverage and planning. The signifier and format are adaptable to each educational plan of immature kids.

Denied SSD Applicants Face Economic Challenges

Denied SSD Applicants Face Economic Challenges Few Alternatives in the Face of SSDI Denials A new study examined economic outcomes of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) applicants denied benefits by the Social Security Administration (SSA). Findings indicate such applicants suffer economic harm and fare poorly in the job market. A detailed article on the findings appears here.Older SSDI applicants denied benefits due to stringent SSA standards go on to struggle with greatly decreased earnings in the job market. Though disability causes applicants economic harm, most are denied benefits at first. Without an appeal, these applicants face dim prospects going forward.About SSDIThe SSA provides SSDI to those who have worked, paid into the system, and suffered a disability that leaves them unable to work. SSDI benefits carry over until the recipient reaches retirement.About the StudyResearchers Jody Schimmel Hyde and April Wu of Mathematica tracked a group of applicants who were initially denied SSDI benefits through SSA. Among the sample group studied:All applicants wer e at least 50-years-oldThe average age of the group was 59 yearsEach had worked enough hours to qualifyMost worked five years before applyingFew worked for five years after denialOver 50% of the sample group eventually received benefits before reaching their full retirement age, including successful appeals, new applications, or reduced benefits at early retirement.About the FindingsThe study shows poor economic outcomes for those denied benefits. For those who came close to qualifying, too disabled to return to their jobs, yet capable of other work, employment numbers fell off sharply. This confirms a 1989 Government Accountability Office (GAO) study in which few people denied SSDI benefits ever worked again, and those who returned to work saw declining wages and high poverty. A summary of studies from 2011 and 2015 supports these findings.We Can HelpIf you are disabled and unable to work, call Disability Attorneys of Michigan for a free confidential consultation. We’ll let you know if we can help you get a monthly check and help you determine if any money or assets you receive could impact your eligibility for disability benefits.Disability Attorneys of Michigan works hard every day helping the disabled of Michigan seek the Social Security Disability and Veterans Disability benefits they need. If you are unable to work due to a physical, mental, or cognitive impairment, call Disability Attorneys of Michigan now for a free consultation at 800-949- 2900.Let Michigan’s experienced disability law firm help you get the benefits you deserve.Disability Attorneys of Michigan, Compassionate Excellence. Michigan Social Security Disability Lawyer, Michigan Social Security Disability Lawyers, Social Security Disability Benefits

The Borgia Codex, Precolombian Treasure

The Borgia Codex, Precolombian Treasure The Borgia Codex: The Borgia Codex is an ancient book, created in Mexico in the age before the arrival of the Spanish. It consists of 39 double-sided pages, each of which contains pictures and drawings. It was most likely used by native priests to predict cycles of time and fate. The Borgia Codex is considered one of the most important surviving pre-Hispanic documents, both historically and artistically. The Creators of the Codex: The Borgia Codex was created by one of many pre-Hispanic cultures of Central Mexico, likely in the region of southern Puebla or northeastern Oaxaca. These cultures would eventually become vassal states of what we know as the Aztec Empire. Like the Maya far to the south, they had a writing system based on images: an image would represent a longer history, which was known to the reader, generally a member of the priest class. History of the Borgia Codex: The codex was created sometime between the thirteenth and fifteenth centuries. Although the codex is partly a calendar, it contains no exact date of creation. The first known documentation of it is in Italy: how it arrived there from Mexico is unknown. It was acquired by Cardinal Stefano Borgia (1731-1804) who left it, along with many other possessions, to the church. The codex bears his name to this day. The original is currently in the Vatican Library in Rome. Characteristics of the Codex: The Borgia Codex, like many other Mesoamerican codices, is not actually a â€Å"book† as we know it, where pages are flipped as they are read. Rather, it is one long piece folded up accordion-style. When completely opened, the Borgia Codex is about 10.34 meters long (34 feet). It is folded into 39 sections which are roughly square (27x26.5cm or 10.6 inches square). All of the sections are painted on both sides, with the exception of the two end pages: there are therefore a total of 76 separate â€Å"pages.† The codex is painted onto a deer skin that was carefully tanned and prepared, then covered with a thin layer of stucco which better holds the paint. The codex is in pretty good shape: only the first and lest section have any major damage. Studies of the Borgia Codex: The content of the codex was a baffling mystery for many years. Serious study began in the late 1700’s, but it wasn’t until the exhaustive work of Eduard Seler in the early 1900’s that any real progress was made. Many others have since contributed to our limited knowledge of the meaning behind the vivid images. Today, good facsimile copies are easy to find, and all of the images are online, providing access for modern researchers. Content of the Borgia Codex: Experts who have studied the codex believe it to be a tonalmatl, or almanac of destiny. It is a book of predictions and auguries, used to search for good or bad omens and precedents for a variety of human activities. For example, the codex might be used by priests to predict good and bad times for agricultural activities such as planting or harvesting. It is based around the tonalpohualli, or 260-day religious calendar. It also contains the cycles of the planet Venus, medical prescriptions and information about sacred places and the nine Lords of the Night. Importance of the Borgia Codex: Most of the ancient Mesoamerican books were burned by zealous priests during the colonial era: very few survive today. All of these ancient codices are greatly prized by historians, and the Borgia Codex is particularly valuable because of its content, artwork and the fact that it’s in relatively good shape. The Borgia Codex has allowed modern historians a rare insight into lost Mesoamerican cultures. The Borgia Codex is also greatly valued because of its beautiful artwork. Source: Noguez, Xavier. Cà ³dice Borgia. Arqueologà ­a Mexicana Edicià ³n Especial: Cà ³dices prehispnicas y coloniales tempranos. August, 2009.

I.e. vs E.g. vs Ex. Which Is Which

I.e. vs E.g. vs Ex. Which Is Which SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Struggling to figure out when you should use e.g. vs i.e.? What about i.e. vs ex.? E.g. vs e.x.? Those are enough abbreviations to make your head spin! In this article, we’ll break down what i.e., e.g., and ex. all stand for and explain how to use each properly in a sentence. We’ll also give you some quick tips for remembering which is which. The Bottom Line: What’s the Difference Between I.e., E.g., and Ex.? I.e., e.g., and ex. are all abbreviations. I.e. and e.g. are abbreviations for Latin phrases and ex. is an abbreviation for an English word. Let’s take a deeper look at each them. What Does I.e. Mean? â€Å"I.e† is an abbreviation for the Latin phrase â€Å"id est,† which translates to â€Å"that is† or â€Å"in other words.† Here’s a look at â€Å"i.e.† in action: â€Å"I am a vegetarian, i.e., I don’t eat meat.† In the example, â€Å"i.e.† is used to provide more clarification about what being a vegetarian means. You could also read the sentence as, â€Å"I am a vegetarian, in other words, I don’t eat meat.† What Does E.g. Mean? â€Å"E.g.† is an abbreviation for a Latin phrase as well. The Latin phrase â€Å"exemplia gratia† is the longer form of â€Å"e.g.† â€Å"Exemplia gratia† translates to â€Å"for example.† Let’s take a look at an example of â€Å"e.g.† in a sentence: â€Å"I love to eat vegetables, e.g., carrots, spinach, and arugula.† You use â€Å"e.g.† to introduce examples of something. In the sentence above, it’s used to introduce examples of the vegetables that the subject of the sentence likes. What Does Ex. Mean? â€Å"Ex.† is another abbreviation, but for an English word: â€Å"exercise.† Writers use â€Å"ex.† in their work to refer to an exercise. Many people think that â€Å"ex.† stands for example, but that’s a common mistake. â€Å"Ex.† is used to introduce exercises. Here’s a look at how: â€Å"Please refer to ex. 4.† The sentence instructs the reader to refer to an exercise later in the text, likely in an appendix. Rules for Using I.e., E.g., and Ex. in Writing Now that we know what e.g., i.e., and ex. mean, let’s look at how to use them correctly in writing. E.g., i.e., and ex. should all be written in lowercase when you use them in the middle of a sentence. E.g. and i.e. should be followed by a comma, as seen in the following examples: â€Å"There were many flavors of ice cream at the shop, e.g., chocolate, vanilla, cookie dough, and mint chocolate chip.† â€Å"I don’t like eating raw fish, i.e., sushi.† Even though e.g. and i.e. are both Latin abbreviations, you don’t need to italicize them in your writing. Tricks for Using I.e. vs E.g. vs Ex. Stuck trying to figure out when to use i.e. vs e.g., i.e. vs ex., or e.g. vs ex.? Don’t worry, there are a few tricks for remembering which abbreviation works for which situation. You don’t need to remember the Latin translations for i.e. or e.g. to know when to use them. Instead, remind yourself what each means! â€Å"I.e.† is another way of saying â€Å"in other words.† You can remember this because â€Å"i.e.† and â€Å"in other words† both start with the letter â€Å"i.† Whenever you write a sentence with â€Å"i.e.,† read it back to yourself and replace â€Å"i.e.† with â€Å"in other words.† If it makes sense, you’re using it right. If not, take another look at the sentence. â€Å"E.g.† in Latin is â€Å"exemplia gratia.† â€Å"E.g† means â€Å"for example,† so you can remember that â€Å"e.g.† is used to introduce different â€Å"exemplia† or â€Å"examples.† If you’re writing a sentence with â€Å"e.g.,† read it back to yourself and replace â€Å"e.g.† with â€Å"for example.† If it makes sense, you’re all set! If not, you’re probably using â€Å"e.g.† incorrectly. â€Å"Ex.† is short for â€Å"exercise.† You can remember that because â€Å"ex† and â€Å"exercise† both start with â€Å"ex.† Final Thoughts It’s tricky to remember the differences between i.e. vs e.g. vs ex. But it doesn’t have to be! Each has its own specific usage: â€Å"I.e.† is another way of saying â€Å"in other words.† â€Å"E.g.† is another way of saying â€Å"for example.† â€Å"Ex.† is an abbreviation for â€Å"exercise.† Remember that and you’ll be all set! What’s Next? Are you studying clouds in your science class?Get help identifying the different types of clouds with our expert guide. Need help with English class- specifically with identifying literary devices in texts you read?Then you'll definitely want to take a look at our comprehensive explanation of the most important literary devices and how they're used. Want to know the fastest and easiest ways to convert between Fahrenheit and Celsius? We've got you covered! Check out our guide to the best ways to convert Celsius to Fahrenheit (or vice versa).

Human Resources - Managing & Developing People Essay

Human Resources - Managing & Developing People - Essay Example This paper will review the roles and responsibilities of line managers in management of human resources and to what extent they contribute to organizational effectiveness. Top managers according to Thornhill and Saunders generally concentrate on formulating corporate goals and objectives. They offer ‘transformational leadership’ and they share their vision for future success with other employees. The middle managers play a vital role in any organization because they are the ones who interact most frequently with the employees. They are thus expected to have the ability to inspire, encourage, motive, enable and facilitate change by allowing the employees to become committed to the organization. This role of middle managers and their ability to strategically manage the human resources has been challenged. Bond and McCracken (2006) agree that organizations are increasingly adopting the HRM approach where personnel practices have become devolved to the line. This implies that the line managers should become more involved in HRM at the operational level. The role of the personnel specialist has also undergone a change. He concentrates on formulating strategy and is not concerned with what happens at the operational level from the perspective of the line manager. A study on local pay in the NHS revealed that middle managers used their discretion on a number of issues thereby operationalizing HR strategy. Line managers definitely have more opportunity to translate the HRM policies into practices at the operational level. A study of four companies in the financial sector by Bond and McCracken showed that line managers do take decision when employees make requests for time off at a short notice. This decision depends on several factors which include how committed the employee is to work and to the organization, the nature of

Take two states and compare their juvenile justice systems Research Paper

Take two states and compare their juvenile justice systems - Research Paper Example When they enter the system it’s a totally new ballgame for them. They come in proximity of those adults who have already committed crime. This can exert a negative effect on the young. Juvenile justice system has also criticized on the grounds of less interactive, lack of respect for the defaulter, lack of inputs which could persuade or give a fair chance to the defaulter to correct his or her fault encouraging them to take a right course of action (Glass, 2012, pp. 1-5). Juvenile justice, as mentioned, varies from state to state and each state has its own jurisdiction for such system. It has been said by the authors that the juvenile justice system in California is not racially neutral. This was one of the worst drawbacks which the California juvenile justice system suffered. The decision points suffered from the effect of race. The authors emphasized that, â€Å"Minority youth are more likely than the majority youth to become involved in the system†. There were severa l issues that needed to be directed based on this system. In comparison with the adult criminal justice, the juvenile justice lacked supervision and review. On the contrary it had also been found that in the juvenile justice system there had been cases which witnessed no disparity amongst the young defaulter. But when inequalities prevailed it involved either large differentiation at some point of stage in the system or else followed a sequence of accumulations of comparatively minor divergences in processing with a moderately hefty net effect. Moreover the system prevailed in California was volatile in nature which allowed the disparity in the system. The system lacked an analytical model which desirably would simplify the problems existed within the system (Pope & William, July 1995, pp. 1-15). However in the light of the above mentioned critic, the juvenile justice system in California was subjected to some recommendation which, if implemented, would help it to become a system wi th more fluidity. It lacked a systematic monitoring which if developed would facilitate the processing at each stage of the juvenile justice. Introduction of research program was suggested. Consideration in training and development of the staffs of the system was highly suggested which would make improvement in dealing with minor offenders. Critical examination at local stages, if implemented, would lower the gap between the minority and majority youth. Restructuring of laws in the juvenile justice was advised where problems of inequalities prevailed. Workshop for the youth psychoanalysis might help them to come out of mental disorder if any. The jurisdiction itself was suggested to be strengthened enough to carefully evaluate the decision making at every stage and should make a note of the thing that their dealings were with the minors with an derailed mindset, but not with the criminals (Pope & William, July 1995, pp. 19-20). In this contrast author Muncie, 2008, said, â€Å"Juve nile justice systems throughout America now give greater weight to punishment as an end in itself† (Muncie, 2008, pp. 3). A comparative analysis can be done by comparing the juvenile justice laws prevailing in Florida. In contrast with California juvenile justice law the Florida law was less flexible and followed extreme consequences. In many cases it was noted that the victims were tried in adult court and received imprisonment for life. The psychoanalysis part was not at all strengthened in the Florida law, rather

International Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words - 4

International Marketing - Essay Example Because of the wrong interpretation of globalization, many organizations were failed in their attempts to market their products in international market. The best example is the writing equipment manufacturer Parker Pen Company which tried to market their pens all over the world using the same marketing strategies and failed in their attempt. â€Å"Globalization requires many internal modifications like changes in philosophy concerning local autonomy, concern for local operating results rather than corporate performance, local strategies designed for local rather than global competitors etc.† (Marketing across cultures, p.194, n.d) International Marketing strategies need to be tailor made not only for each country, but even for each states or regions based on the cultural, communal, political social and economical differences. In this paper the main focus is limited to the cultural aspects of international marketing alone. â€Å"Technology has been one of the single most powerful driving forces to internationalism† (Global agricultural marketing management) As technology and science advanced, the agricultural and industrial segments have developed immensely in many countries. Developing and developed countries have produced goods more than what they actually required and that forced them to explore international arenas for marketing their surplus products. International marketing has not been evolved over a night. It has gradually came into exist because of the immense technological developments. â€Å"Many global opportunities have arisen because of the clustering of market opportunities worldwide. Organizations have found that similar basic segments exist worldwide and, therefore, can be met with a global orientation† (Global agricultural marketing management) Countries like US though a prominent manufacturer of goods, not a main international marketing player like China because of imm ense domestic requirement of

Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words - 3

Human Resource Management - Essay Example it is responsible for the development of people, the most vital element in identifying a strategic plan for future use and improving the operation of any organization. From my experience and reading, an HR specialist is only as good as his knowledge of people. For this reason I have seen many HR managers in some large companies who have attained at least a master’s degree. This level of qualification is important to HRM. I remember when the employment of the company was handled by the owner of company himself. The performance of organization at that time was very poor. Later on, a manager who specializes in Human Resource Management came along and the performance of all the departments improved. To sum up, all organizational departments depend on HRM to some extent and HRM skills becomes a main support of any organization. Collaborative work between HR and line managers is necessary but it is better to give each manager a specific function. Overlapping of function and powers may cause serious internal threats to an organization. Clear delineation of roles would lead to fewer objections that could work for the benefit of both workers and staff. Some of the external factors that affect Human Resource Management include economic factors surrounding the organization as well as the economic situation in the country. However, more important than economics is the education of the workforce because having qualified personnel assumes that each hired person has achieved education which qualifies him or her in that position. On the other hand, internal factors include the financial situation of the company which dictates to some extent its hiring limits compared to the marginal productivity of a person. Logistical support from senior management of the company also plays a key role as they must have smooth interpersonal skills with both clients and employees. Lastly, personal factors, which includes the satisfaction of the employee with his or her work along with the

Health education standards Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Health education standards - Essay Example These topics were addressed at aiding the students in assisting students to obtain better personal relationships with their families, to introduce the notion of community health, to emphasize individual responsibility in regards to attaining a healthy lifestyle with particular attention paid to the need for physical activity and the dangers associated with tobacco use. The changes, in sum, mandated a more structural and comprehensive approach to health education. Teachers were expected to present health education in terms of the individual, the family, and the community. This more comprehensive approach to health education was to be illustrated using such fluid contexts as the school, mental health, and the prevention of violence. The apparent goals were to create an awareness of health issues in real life situations. The vision espoused by the proponents of these changes is fundamentally empowering. Rather than delving into basic health values the changes seek to truly and inspire the youth of California to identify health issues at a number of levels, to understand how health issues are best taken care of, and to promote a sense of individual responsibility. Again, the most novel aspect of today’s health care vision is its integrated and structural nature. There is a stress placed upon interdependence; more particularly, the vision stresses the interrelationships among health ideas, healthy people, healthy families, healthy schools, and healthy communities. Individual responsibility is important, but it serves mostly as a foundation upon which to construct larger types of healthy communities and groups. In short, the individual student is encouraged to accept a personal responsibility to contribute to each group he or she encounters and to function as an essential building block of a lar ger community. In order to pursue these noble objectives students are encouraged to view health issues, be they physical or mental, as part of their

Human Resource Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words - 3

Human Resource Management - Essay Example it is responsible for the development of people, the most vital element in identifying a strategic plan for future use and improving the operation of any organization. From my experience and reading, an HR specialist is only as good as his knowledge of people. For this reason I have seen many HR managers in some large companies who have attained at least a master’s degree. This level of qualification is important to HRM. I remember when the employment of the company was handled by the owner of company himself. The performance of organization at that time was very poor. Later on, a manager who specializes in Human Resource Management came along and the performance of all the departments improved. To sum up, all organizational departments depend on HRM to some extent and HRM skills becomes a main support of any organization. Collaborative work between HR and line managers is necessary but it is better to give each manager a specific function. Overlapping of function and powers may cause serious internal threats to an organization. Clear delineation of roles would lead to fewer objections that could work for the benefit of both workers and staff. Some of the external factors that affect Human Resource Management include economic factors surrounding the organization as well as the economic situation in the country. However, more important than economics is the education of the workforce because having qualified personnel assumes that each hired person has achieved education which qualifies him or her in that position. On the other hand, internal factors include the financial situation of the company which dictates to some extent its hiring limits compared to the marginal productivity of a person. Logistical support from senior management of the company also plays a key role as they must have smooth interpersonal skills with both clients and employees. Lastly, personal factors, which includes the satisfaction of the employee with his or her work along with the

Scholarly Critique Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Scholarly Critique - Assignment Example Therefore, the study contributes meaningful evidence that can be used in the nursing practice. This is because it gives the health care institutions the knowledge of understanding that the nurses need a break from their work just as other employees in other areas of work (Garrett, 2008). Additionally, the research has given the government some insight where they should increase the patient to nurse ratio in all health care institution to reduce nurse dissatisfaction and burnout. The researcher indicates the implications of the study for the clinical practice. In that, the researcher indicates that nurse burn out puts the patients at risk because the nurses do not have the capacity to treat the patients properly as they are tired. The implications are reasonable and complete because they have clearly elaborated the causes of nurse dissatisfaction and burn out. In the sense that, there is inadequacy of nurses in the United States, where the government has been given the obligation to ensure that all hospitals have enough nurses to reduce the workload of the present nurses, which will in turn reduce job dissatisfaction and nurse

Plato Analysis Essay Example for Free

Plato Analysis Essay Platos The Republic centers on a simple question: is it better to be just than unjust? In answering this overlying question, Socrates outlines the ideal city and how justice is a virtue of that city. From there, he characterizes justice as a virtue of the soul. It is while he is discussing the soul that Socrates begins to define the different types of souls. Rather than comparing and contrasting each soul, Plato quickly jumps into contrasting the tyrannical soul with the aristocratic soul ? the most unjust with the most just. In Book IX of Platos The Republic, Socrates describes a man in an awful state asserting that the worst of souls is the tyrant. This accurate assertion can be seen through the consideration of not only the tyrants personal characteristics but also the negative ______ he contributes to the city. In Book VIII of Platos Republic, the five types of people are presented in parallel to the fives types of regimes. The most inferior of the five regimes is tyranny. Correspondingly, the tyrannical soul is then the most inferior person. Socrates examines the steady decline from one regime to the next, starting with the fall from aristocracy to timocracy when factions arise between auxiliaries and guardians. This decline comes because of injustice and the spirit of the auxiliaries not abiding by the edicts of reason. Further decline due to an excess of desire and the degradation of spirit ultimately leads to tyranny. This is the most wretched of all the regimes as the tyrant is the most wretched of souls. Book IX of The Republic begins with a story of two young men whose lives take opposite paths. The first is raised in a home more Spartan than Athenian, born to a parsimonious father who honors the money-making desires while despising the ones that arent necessary but exist for the sake of play and showing off (572c). The son rebels against his austere upbringing, and revels in the company of subtler men who delight in the pleasures of the world (572c). However, because the young man has been brought up to abhor such worldliness, in the end he chooses a middle path ? neither illiberal nor hostile to law ? having become what Plato describes as a man of the people (572d). This introduction is important, because Plato uses the young man previously described to contrast the second. The second man is perhaps the son of the first, raised in moderation, to appreciate both the diligence of work and the joy of pleasure. When the same influences, friends, and ideas that changed his father begin to work on him, this young man does not have the inner moral courage to chart his own path. With his father urging moderation and his friends encouraging irresponsibility, the young man is torn between the two. Herein lies the downfall of the man ? the dread enchanters and tyrant-makers who espouse reckless pleasure-seeking realize that they will not win him over with continued persuasion, so they seek to make him a slave to his own desires (573a). Plato calls these desires love, but lust may be a more apt description (573b). Having now become a drone, the young man is imbued with desire to satisfy the temporal passions that bring momentary pleasure (573b). This desire drives him insane. He has madness as his bodyguard, and runs amuck, eliminating those whose own decency contrasts with his own lack thereof, killing them out of shame. The tyrant is characterized as the worst of souls because of his personal attributes that are detrimental and undesirable to any man. Drunken, erotic, and melancholic, he lives solely to satisfy the passions and desires that run rampant in his mind (573c). This man does little good by himself or his fellowmen, and, if given the opportunity, would become the most terrible of rulers. Plato defines this man to be his tyrant and describes him as the most miserable person in society. Socrates and Glaucon characterize the person ruled by lawless attitudes as enslaved, having the least amount of control to what he wants. The tyrant is full of confusion and regret, fearful and poor, with an insatiable appetite (577c-578a). To any human being, it would be least desirable to become a person as described above who is never satisfied. The greatest control an individual can obtain is control over their own thoughts and desires. Without this control, a person is miserable and relies on the outside world to fill his appetite. To illustrate the idea that a tyrant is simply one whose passions are out of control, Plato compares the tyrant to a drunken man. Just as a drunken man has a tyrannical spirit, so a man drunk on his own lustful desires has the same (573c). The tyrannical soul is seen as enslaved because it desires satisfactions that solely depend on external circumstances. As long as these desires continue to consume the tyrant and are never completely satisfied, the tyrant is least able to do what he wants. By virtue of not being able to do what he wants, the tyrant is full of confusion and disorder. This man is in an awful state and lives only in misery. By showing the development of the tyrant from undisciplined childhood to irrational adulthood, Plato shows his reader the warning signs that accompany such a person. He describes the despots of the ancient world for what they were: lustful men whose bodily appetites reign over their personal lives and the societies unfortunate enough to be at their command. Socrates explains that the only thing worse than the tyrannical soul is the tyrannical soul who goes public and becomes the political tyrant (578c). Socrates continues, The man who is mad and deranged undertakes and expects to be able to rule not only over human beings but gods, too (573c). With this phrase, Socrates begins to show why the reader should be wary of the rise of a political tyrant. He describes how a tyrants rule is bad for those he rules over. Having gotten the idea that he should rule over both men and gods, the tyrant uses this power, once obtained, to satisfy his selfish desires. Feasts, revels, parties, courtesans, and everything else of the sort, are hallmarks of his reign (573d). Such living, however, rapidly depletes his income and resources, and he is then forced to obtain resources from others which consequently becomes to the city. The tyrannical man can only give so much to the people of the city. He will therefore enlist them in necessary and just wars to continue his popularity and to account for the poor economy. These just wars serve to perpetuate the continual need for a tyrant. Because the tyrants actions displease those who helped set him up, he must gradually do away with them until he is left without a friend or foe. Socrates contrasts this to the work of a doctor. A doctor is seen as helpful and needed because he takes off the worst of the body and leaves the rest (567c). However, the tyrant does the opposite, taking off the best and leaving the worst. This is a necessity for him to rule; consequently, he hurts the city. The tyrant, slave to his love, or personal passions, becomes a tyrant over others. He begins to find those with means and seeks to deprive them of it, usually by force. He is addicted to his desires, racked with pains and aches when he cannot fill them (Plato, 263). No one is immune to his wild demands. He will victimize his own parents, claiming he deserves to get the better of his father and mother (574a). If they resist, they will meet the same fate as anyone else who opposes the madman. In short, his childhood of moderation has become a career of chaos. The tyrant is a slave to himself and his desires in the city. The moral of Platos argument is clear. Even a small minority of tyrants can cause trouble within a community. Plato suggests that in times of war, tyrants flock to the battlefront, volunteering their services to distant tyrants as mercenaries and bodyguards (Plato, 264). But in times of peace, they remain at home and comprise a class of lawless criminals. Thieves, burglars, cutpurses, pickpockets, temple robbers, kidnappers, all are tyrants waiting for their chance to take power (Plato, 265). Platos warning to society is to teach temperance and philosophy to the rising generation, so that they do not become tyrants and lead their city into ruin. In an age where democracy was a new and rare commodity, the threat of becoming subject to a tyrant in ancient Greece was very real indeed. Philosophers like Plato tried to discover how the tyrants of the age became so, so that they could avoid coming under their power. Having philosophically defined tyrants as evil and unjust in the realm of philosophy, Plato uses logic in Book IX of The Republic to support the assumption that totalitarian societies, like those of Athenss neighbors, suffer under the reign of such leaders. This argument will later lead to his assertion that philosophers are the best leaders a state can have. Bound by ethics and reason, philosopher-kings would ensure that society is properly educated, supremely tolerant, and, most importantly, true to the ideal of justice that Plato holds dear.