To What Extent Did Hitler Manipulate the German Population...

To what extent did Hitler manipulate the German population into following his Nazi regime? From 1933-1945 Adolf Hitler rose to the peak of his political power, by creating a stronghold over the German people. The use of oratory skills, in conjunction with his knowledge and use of propaganda and his suppression of details of the Holocaust, created a vibe of â€Å"electric excitement† for Germany. (Fritzsche, 1998) His targeting of the German minority and his radical push for anti-Semitism allowed Hitler to corrupt a weak and innocent nation. Manipulative leadership was a dominant force in the birth of his extremist beliefs and propagation, though this was assisted by the responsiveness of the negligent-minded German population to his plans.†¦show more content†¦Thousands upon thousands of Berliners cheered and celebrated as Hitler spoke of his new ambitions and plans for Germany. The crowd, which was labelled by a fellow member of the group as ‘deafening’, were excited by the Hitler’s enthusiasm; this had been lacking under the reign of Weimar democracy. (Fritzsche, 1998) The editor of Berlin’s Nazi newspaper, Der Angriff, Joseph Goebbels, remarked: â€Å"Uprising! Spontaneous explosion of the people. Indescribable!† (Fritzsche, 1998) Even though later in history we see Hitler’s ultimate motive to be his own rise in political hierarchy, his speech introduced himself to the German public as a populist and a â€Å"revolutionary political genius.† (Grunfield, 1974) Hitler endeavoured himself to all economical classes, whether it be the bourgeoisie, peasantry or the aristocracy; to them it appeared Hitler’s priority was to move Germany out of the current economic crisis and strive to develop Germany into a world superpower. The passion illustrated in Hitler’s goals was prevalent in his speeches, which led to the acceptance of a nation and the new title of â€Å"our Fuhrer† (Grunfield, 1974) Hitler’s use of Nazi propaganda was a major part of his scheme to empower himself to a weak nation; it gained him respect from the German people and endeared himself to them. The key, well documented, emphasis of the propaganda was the mass slaughter of allShow MoreRelatedThe Rise Of Nazism And The Holocaust1668 Words   |  7 Pages Adolf Hitler is one of these individuals. Hitler, the figurehead of the Nazi regime that led Germany to World War II, and instigated one of the most infamous genocides in history, the Holocaust. The impact Adolf Hitler had on history, namely, the rise of Nazism and the Holocaust is also due to a favourable set of circumstances that without them Hitler himself would not have been enough. There is no denying that Hitler was not ‘Charismatic’, a leader that brought a type of cult following for millionsRead MoreConsolidation of Power of Hitler and the Nazis1410 Words   |  6 PagesThe ease with which Hitler and the Nazis were able to consolidate their power by August 1934, was due to the combination of luck, manipulation of legal procedures and a willingness to be uterly ruthless. The Nazi position was extremly unstable and in shaky circumstances during January 193. However, after the events and actions taken to consolidate their power the Nazis grew stronger and became invulnerable for the time they were in power. Luck played an extremely significant role in the contributionRead MoreGenocide†¦it’s a scary thought and hard to imagine. How such a thing could happen? Not only does it2400 Words   |  10 Pagesthroughout the history of mankind. In particular, The Jewish community has seen more than its share of persecution. Everyone thinks they know the basics on the Jewish Holocaust, but did you know that there weremillions more gentiles (non-Jews) also killed in the Holocaust as well, and their most famous genocidal killer, Adolph Hitler, was not the prize winning mass murdererin the twentieth century? Mao Zedong of China and Joseph Stalin of Russia killed way more people! (Top 10 Most Horrific Genocides In HistoryRead MorePsychological Effects of the Holocaust3873 Words   |  16 Pagesever to take place in our world’s history. It involved people all over the world and affected millions both directly and indirectly. It led to the death of over 11 million people, mostly Jews , and was started and controlled by the infamous German Nazis. Adolf Hitler, the mastermind behind the whole plan, was the chief organizer and began slowly starting to make those he thought were inferior suffer when he became Fuhrer in 1933. The circumstances during the time period leading up to and during WorldRead MoreWeimar Republic Essay2407 Words   |  10 Pagesfactors that contributed to the failure of the Weimar Republic of Germany and the ascent of Hitler’s National Socialist German Workers Party into power on January 30, 1933. Various conflicting problems were concurrent with the eventuation of the Republic that, from the outset, its first governing body the socialist party (SPD) was forced to contend with. These included the aspect of German imperialism, the unresolved defeat of 1918, financial collapse and the forced struggle against the activities ofRead MoreThe Revolution Of The Great War2691 Words   |  11 PagesPalazzo Venezia in Rome to hear the speech of their powerful and adored leader, Benito Mussolini. The Italian dictator was loved by the majority of the population and even referred to, by some of his own generals, as a god. Regardless of what outside opinions might have been towards Mussolini the country still respected him. The question then becomes, what were the circumstances in Italy that attributed to the dictator’s rise to power? Between the years of 1909 and 1945 Italy experienced a radical changeRead MoreThe Effect of World War II on the Lives of People at Home Essay5431 Words   |  22 Pageseffect on the morale of people, and roles of women, rationing and evacuation were all aspects in which significant changes in societies attitude were provoked. The war was described as a ‘Total war’ because the complete economy and populations of the participating nations were geared in to the production and support of the war effort. This made warfare totally reliant on the industrial capacity of its country, forcing everyone to be included somehow. In the case of BritainRead More Myth of Propaganda in the Balkans and Rwanda Essay6707 Words   |  27 Pagessenseless violence as stories from Germany began to emerge after World War II. The world shuddered as the actions of Hitler’s henchmen attempting to eradicate entire ethnic groups were revealed. It was inconceivable: what could incite such a large group of people towards genocide? What could inspire such hatred, such bloodlust? People were shocked, and for generations most of humanity has taken a hard line approach to acts of genocide: â€Å"never again.† But it has happened again. As the world witnessedRead MoreGp Essay Mainpoints24643 Words   |  99 Pagestaste of consumers, still integral part of their lives Mainstream BAD: Comparatively slower in its dissemination of news †¢ Chicago Tribune, official website chicagotribue.com, posts instant news coverage before newspaper hit the newsstands following morning †¢ Many different perspectives on important events and issues †¢ Citizen journalists closer to their subject matter than professional journalists †¢ Better position to uncover unique on-the-ground perspectives Mainstream GOOD: Sheer

Should Vaccines Be Required For Children - 1415 Words

Should Vaccines Be Required For Children? All living things on this earth are subject to attack from a disease-causing agent. Therefore, multicellular animals have dedicated cells and tissues that fight off infectious microbes in order to build immunity. A multitude of specialized cells carries out much of the immune system’s work. Each of these cells is intended to fight off diseases in a particular way. Vaccination, which is one of the methods that is used to prevent germs from proliferating, is subject of many discussions. While opponents believe that most of the diseases such as diphtheria and varicella are not necessarily harmful, and that injecting questionable vaccine ingredient into a child may cause side effects, such as seizures, paralysis, proponents believe that vaccination has been one of the greatest developments of the 20th century. It has served as a protection for the community, and has saved children and parent’s time money. The idea of increasing t he rate of vaccinating children at an early age during the twentieth century is what makes it unquestionable. A lot of diseases such as poliomyelitis, hepatitis A, and hepatitis B have been killing infants and causing a rising percentage in the infantile mortality. Some of the diseases such as polio, and diphtheria have been discarded completely while other diseases have not. However, vaccination has helped due to the fact that it has been contributing to decreasing the effect of the disease. For instance,Show MoreRelatedShould Vaccines Be Required For Children?997 Words   |  4 PagesShould Any Vaccines Be Required For Children? Although vaccines have been proven to be an essential way of preventing serious effects, including casualties from childhood illnesses, controversy still exists over whether the risk of side effects from the vaccinations overrides the risk of diminishing the diseases. Over these past couple of years, as the episode of many diseases has fallen dramatically as the results of vaccination programs, most parents do not want their child to receive vaccinationsRead MoreWhy Vaccines Should Be Required For School Children. The1310 Words   |  6 PagesWhy vaccines should be required for school children The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends receiving 29 doses of vaccines as well as a yearly flu shot. But as more and more kids are getting vaccinated a number of parents start to wonder if they should be injecting their healthy kid with such substances. Vaccination is not mandatory by any U.S. federal law, but all 50 states have some kind of vaccination requirement before children enter public schools. Many that promote vaccines pointRead MoreThe Controversy Of Childhood Vaccination1173 Words   |  5 Pagesprocess to protect their children in any way they can. Although, many parents do not see it that way. The controversy of childhood vaccination spans back more than just a few years it goes back as far as the 18th century (Nelson) but the fact of the matter is childhood vaccinations have very few side effects, there have been very few lines between autism and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) (â€Å"Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and Vaccines†; Shea, Diekem a), and when children come in to contact withRead MoreEssay Childhood Vaccinations: A Game of Russian Roulette?1551 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction Parents make sure their children get a proper diet, wear their bicycle helmet, and get enough sleep. Every parent wants to do what is best for their children and protect them from harm. No parent would allow their child to play with a loaded weapon, even with the safety on, and expect the best outcome. It would never happen. But it does. With every vaccine that is given, we are playing Russian roulette with our children’s lives. Childhood vaccinations have replaced common childhoodRead MorePersuasive Essay On Vaccines976 Words   |  4 Pages (not finished, please check the three page assignment part thank you) Vaccines are the treatment that helps the human body produce an immunity against certain diseases. Most people in the US have gotten some kind of vaccination in their life and routinely get check ups. But some people in the US have not gotten vaccines at all because of their parents not getting vaccines for them or because they don’t believe that vaccines actually work. Parents and adults also think that the ingredients mightRead MoreWhy Parents Should Not Parents1103 Words   |  5 PagesWhether or not parents should vaccinate their children has been something many parents have had to contemplate since the creation of the first vaccine in 1796. There is the constant battle of whether they should protect their kids against diseases or refrain from pricking them with a multitude of vaccines that could contain ingredients that go against their beliefs. Some vaccines contain ingredients such as aborted fetal tissue or animal residue which many parents think is unethical to inje ct intoRead MoreVaccinations: Vaccine and Vaccines Health Center1291 Words   |  6 PagesShould Parents have the right to not vaccinate their children? | GE217 | Ashley Starrett | Should parents have to right to say whether their child should be vaccinated or should it be automatically required? Many parents do vaccinate their children; however there are some that are against putting foreign substances in their child’s body. If parents choose not the have their child vaccinated then how do they go about getting them into school because most schools require students to have aRead MoreVaccines : The Causative Agent Of A Disease Essay1378 Words   |  6 PagesA Vaccine is defined as, â€Å"A substance used to stimulate the production of antibodies and provide immunity against one or several diseases, prepared from the causative agent of a disease. Its products treated to act as an antigen without inducing the disease.† Vaccines have been around for hundreds of years. It is believed that the first unofficial vaccine was created in 1661 by a Chinese Emperor. Throughout the years, vaccines have become more advanced. For example, in 1955, public vacci nation forRead MorePrevention And Prevention Of Vaccination1405 Words   |  6 Pagesbelieving that their children were at risk of neurological damage that had no scientific data behind it because it seemed scary. Parents stopped having their children receive vaccines, making them susceptible to the disease and its wrath. This an extreme example of a potentially real scenario, but luckily there is a way to prevent something like this from becoming reality: vaccination. According to the United States of America Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the CDC, a vaccine is inputtingRead MorePrevention And Prevention Of Vaccination1417 Words   |  6 Pagesbelieving that their children were at risk for neurological damage that had no scientific data behind it because it seemed scary. Parents stopped having their children receive vaccines making them susceptible to the disease and its wrath. This an extreme example of a potentially real scenario, but luckily there is a way to prevent something like this from becoming reality: vaccination. According to the United States of America Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or the CDC, a vaccine is inputting

Organization Change Management for Theory -myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theOrganization Change Managementfor Theory and Practice. Answer: Introduction: Organisational culture and change is inevitable, this is because of the change in the external as well as internal environment of the organization (Burke, 2017). This change in the organizations is not always welcomed and this resistance is mainly done by the employees of the organization. This essay discusses about the basic concept of organizational change and the response to overcome the resistance of these changes. This study can be used by the organizations to make the strategies in order to overcome the resistance of change by the employees. It also helps in understanding of the issues that makes the employees to resist such changes in the organization. Organizational change: Organizational change can be referred to as the changes that take place in the companys processes, strategies, and structure etc. these changes need to be done in order to withstand in the industry and in order to maintain the balance between the organizational processes and the dynamic environment (Cameron Green, 2015). When any of the change is implemented in the organization, it has been resisted by some or the other factors. It is always said that change is good but these changes is still being criticized and resisted by the employees of the organisation. It has been analysed that employees are found to be the biggest reason of resistance of change in the organization. Causes of resistance to change: There are different causes that have been suggested that causes the resistance to change among the employees. Some of them are discussed below: Selective perception: it is the type of perception where the people used the limited knowledge to make the perception that matched with their thinking (Palmer, Dunford Akin, 2009). Thus, this results in a kind of perception that is difficult to alter with the reference to the change in the organization. Lack of confidence: Most of the employees resist the changes in the organization. This is because the changes that are made may require the employees learn new things and employees have fear that they do not have that much confidence to learn new things and implement in the processes. Loss of job: when any of the change in the structure of the organization is implemented, it may require to right size the organization. Thus, fear of job loss is always there in the minds o the people (Lscher Lewis, 2008). Poor engagement: If the employees are not engaged in the process of decision making, they do not have any idea about what are the changes that are going to be implemented in the organization. Thus, facing the challenges of learning new things and unlearning the old process become hectic and difficult for the employees. Habit: It is habit of some of the peoples to be in the stable environment and thus they resist kind of change in the environment whether it is good or bad. Theories related to resistance: As far as the theoretical aspect of change and resistance is considered, there are two variables suggested that form the basis of resistance to change and the assumptions of the employees regarding the change (Carter, 2008). The first one is changeability and second one is emotionality. The changeability can be referred to have the assumed prospect of influencing the resistance of level of change of the employees while emotionality referred to as the level of emotions involves with the resistance. When both these elements are placed I the diagram, it results in four interpretations. Resistance as opinions: High Changeability and low emotionality It is the situation where an opinion has been made by the employees regarding the change. This needs to be managed by the leaders by educating the employees about the change and the reason of the change in order to alter their opinions (Hayes, 2014). Resistance as psychological reaction: High changeability and high emotionality It is the situation where the employees have social stereotypes thinking about the change. The social psychology of the person is highly influential factor in this case that causes resistance to change. In this situation, the cage can be managed by making the employees accept the panned changes while in first interpretation the opinions are altered by negotiations in the panned changes. Resistance as conviction: Low changeability and low emotionality In this case, the resistance to change is understood as the result of ethics and ideals. Here, the employees resist the change because of their emotional ideals and fundamental priorities. Morality is also one of the factors that drive the resistance to change (Cummings Worley, 2014). The change can only be managed by alteration in the thoughts and the priorities of the employees. Resistance as personality: low changeability and high emotionality Here the major reason of resistance to the change is the personality of the person that is based on his emotional context. Making the changes in their opinions of the employees in this case is very difficult as it is required by the management to change the personality of the person. After understanding the theoretical aspect change, it has been identified that different reasons are there that affect the resistance of change. The above framework provides the information about the change management theory that can be used in order to manage the change in different resistance cases. Overcoming the change resistance: The organizational change can be in structure, process or technology but the organization bring the change only to improve the quality and quantity of the services and the outcomes of the organizations. In order to implement the changes effectively, it is required by the organizations to understanding the influence of resistance to change and the process of implanting the change. Neglecting such reasons may results in poor implementation of the change and restricts the improvement that was expected from the change (Burnes Cooke, 2013). It is important for the management to realize the importance of change management and overcoming the barriers or the resistance to change. The strategies or model should be used by the management or the leaders in order to support the employees and the organizations well to adopt the changes implemented in the company. Lewins has given a great model of change management that needs to be adopted in order to management the change in the organization by the management. The theory involves three steps that are unfreezing, transition and refreezing (Shirey, 2013). Following is the brief description of all the steps that needs to be practiced in order to implement the change in the organization: Unfreezing: It is the step where all the old processes or the old leanings of the employees need to be unlearned. Here the management has to ask the employees to forget all the processes they are using till now so that they can be open for the new learning and the change. This is the major step to be conducted because filling the empty mind is easy but learning the already existing process in the minds of the people is very difficult. Transition: It is the most important stage of the process. Here the changes have been implemented in the organizational processes or the structure. The changes are implemented according to a proper format (Ford, Ford D'Amelio, 2008). All the employees must be aware of the changes implemented. Proper training should be given to the employees regarding the changes so that they can easily about the same. Freezing: this is the last step of the process. Here the employees have to adapt the changes that have been implemented. As they have unlearned the old process and the change have been implemented, now the time has come where they have to adopt the changes. At this stage, the employees start working according to the new process and develop the familiarity for the new processes (Jones Jones, 2010). The above theory or the change management model is used by many companies and is proved to be very successful in the field. This model is most effectively used by the companies implement the change in the organization. Conclusion: It has been concluded from the repair that making changes in the organization is very important. This fact of resistance to change cannot be denied but the management of the organization need to identify the reason behind the resistance and then implement the strategy that can be used to manage the change effectively. It has been analysed that there are various reasons that drives the resistance among the employees to adapt those changes. These resistance need to be overcome by the practices or the strategies. One of them is given by Lewins for the change management. This is the theory or the model that supports the employees to adopt the changes with the steps such as unfreezing, transition and freezing. References: Anderson, D., Anderson, L. A. (2010).Beyond change management: How to achieve breakthrough results through conscious change leadership. John Wiley Sons. Burke, W. W. (2017).Organization change: Theory and practice. Sage Publications. Burnes, B., Cooke, B. (2013). Kurt Lewin's Field Theory: A Review and Re?evaluation.International journal of management reviews,15(4), 408-425. Cameron, E., Green, M. (2015).Making sense of change management: A complete guide to the models, tools and techniques of organizational change. Kogan Page Publishers. Carter, E. (2008). Successful change requires more than change management.The Journal for Quality and participation,31(1), 20. Cummings, T. G., Worley, C. G. (2014).Organization development and change. Cengage learning. Ford, J. D., Ford, L. W., D'Amelio, A. (2008). Resistance to change: The rest of the story.Academy of management Review,33(2), 362-377. Hayes, J. (2014).The theory and practice of change management. Palgrave Macmillan. Jones, G. R., Jones, G. R. (2010). Organizational theory, design, and change. Lscher, L. S., Lewis, M. W. (2008). Organizational change and managerial sensemaking: Working through paradox.Academy of Management Journal,51(2), 221-240. Palmer, I., Dunford, R., Akin, G. (2009).Managing organizational change: A multiple perspectives approach. New York: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Shirey, M. R. (2013). Lewins theory of planned change as a strategic resource.Journal of Nursing Administration,43(2), 69-72.

Political perspective on employees performance

The supervisor helps the department or team he or she is leading to clarify their goals and mission as well as approaches to achieving their aims. He or she helps to shape the common goals and approaches of the team. Thus, he or she builds confidence and commitment to the team and every individual in the team.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Political perspective on employees’ performance specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Supervisors empower members of their team with problem-solving, technical, teamwork, functional, interpersonal as well as decision-making skills. They have the power and the ability to manipulate forces within the team or department towards common direction or objective. The political perspective assumes that an organization is a political arena which comprises selfish goals, deception as well as in-fighting. Thus, they always manipulate, push as well as bargain to advance their own inter ests as well as the interests of their teams or departments (Katzenbach Smith, 2003). They can therefore easily convince others, especially their subordinates, to achieve the desired results. This may sometimes involve deception tactics or selfish acts even though the supervisor may do that for the benefit of the organization. He or she is the advocate of the organization and institutes actions plans and programs which are in line with the organization goals. Some tactics applied by the supervisors could include keeping the goals flexible as well as manipulating the channels of influence to achieve the desired result. They may also advance their agendas patiently to achieve the determined aims. It is the supervisor who is in direct contact with the workers and responsible for managing performance within the departments or organization. Therefore, he or she can always investigate the cause of performance problems that exist within the workplace, department or organization. They also give direct attention to the cause of the performance problem. Thereafter, the supervisors can develop action plans to overcome the problem and achieve the results. The action plan includes empowering workers to find a solution to the problem or devise an alternative to the problem. Supervisors provide direct communication to workers about the goals of every task which are always in line with those of the organization. Supervisors are responsible for setting goals for every task or for the particular department. This can be achieved effectively by incorporating the subordinates within the department in setting the goals of the task or the department.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More After formulating the goals, the supervisor communicates the goals to the employees and puts in place strategies which ensure that the goals will be attained. He or she provides feedback to work ers on whether the goals are being achieved or not. The supervisor conducts performance appraisals regularly and assesses employee performance to enable him or her to communicate what the employee can do to improve his or her performance. Besides, supervisors are responsible for instilling strong organizational cultures in employees by communicating their goals and ideas about the work to employees. Strong cultures encourage commitment, flexibility as well as adaptability among the workers (De Silva, 2010). The role of supervisor as coach and resource coordination Supervisor as a coach provides training and promoting of the employees. He or she ensures that new members of staff in his or her department and the organization as a whole are oriented to the tasks assigned. Supervisors develop training plans with the staff to ensure that employees acquire the necessary expertise in performing their jobs. They work with the staff/subordinates to set suitable goals, time lines as well as a ction plans. They are also responsible for delegating duties and providing support and guidance to the employees on how to go about the job. Since supervisors are the ones responsible for overseeing as well as observing their units, they have the responsibility of ensuring that resources are available to employees. They have to negotiate and help to secure resources for their departments or teams in order to maintain workflow in the department. This enables supervisors to acquire and achieve cooperation from the team as well as individual within and outside the organization (Byham, Wellins Wilson, 1991). As decision makers within the department, supervisors allocate resources and determine how the limited resources are distributed within the tasks in the department to achieve maximum effectiveness within the team.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Political perspective on employees’ performance specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Supervisors also need to help their subordinates identify action plans which enable them to solve their performance problems. They are in charge of the production process and responsible for the products until they leave the production area to the market. This means that they have to offer additional training or help employees to devise action plans which improve their performance, and hence, quality of the product or service. They are to help employees who experience performance problems which need corrective actions and make them do what the employees aspire to achieve. The supervisor has to empower the employee to implement the action plan successfully. Helping employees identify and implement action plans motivates the staff eliminates the possibility of poor quality products and gives employees confidence in their jobs. They also develop trust and confidence in the supervisor. Dimensions of performance Performance dimensions are measures for evaluating em ployees. They are universally applied to employees within the organization. Thus, they are those characteristics or things that an employee has to demonstrate to be effective in the organization or workplace. He or she represents knowledge as well as skills which are necessary for the success of the organization. This includes critical aspects within an employee’s roles in the organization. They are normally organizationally focused and not job focused. Performance dimensions are usually included in each employee’s performance plan. According to Sanderson and Urwin (2002), performance dimensions are designed to examine competencies of individual employees. Some of the dimensions for measuring competencies of employees include determining the employee’s verbal/nonverbal communication abilities/skills, relationship skills, organizational skills, ethics and integrity, decision making and analytical skills, objectivity, leadership and initiative skills as well as fl exibility and adaptability.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More They also include examining the employee’s application of the organization’s policies, standards as well as procedures. However, the dimensions may vary from organization to organization depending on the sector in which the organization operates in as well as its vision and goals. Absolute judgment scale Advantages of absolute judgment scale Absolute judgment scale can be utilized in evaluation of responses which do not have physical measurable items or characteristics. This makes it be an appropriate tool for conducting performance appraisal of employees’ performance dimensions which can not be quantified. According to Helson (1954), the method does not require direct comparison of variables and standards. Evaluation is done by performing a weighted geometric mean of the current and past behavior or characteristic. The judgments are therefore based on comparative rating scale such as low, medium and high. The absolute categories offer fair distribution of appra isal characteristics over a range of stimuli in use. In addition, absolute judgment scale can be used to conduct performance appraisals for groups or departments since it allows experts or a team of managers to discuss and come to a consensus. Disadvantages of the absolute judgment scale In some cases, the absolute judgment scale results in a skewed frequency-distribution curve where the predominance of judgments is placed at the upper end of the scale. It means that it is subject to relative judgment by the individual doing the appraisal/evaluation. Besides, the judgments are also relative to the standard of reference adopted by the organization. Judgments are sometimes influenced by the relative time-error in that the person or panel performing the evaluation may make their judgments based on the past characteristics or behavior of the employee. Judgments could also be affected by individual bias by the person conducting the evaluation. Thus, the confidence/accuracy level of absol ute judgment scale may be low in some cases, and in addition, the judgments can not be quantified. Reference List Byham, W., Wellins, R., Wilson, J. (1991). Empowered teams: Creating self-directed work groups that improve quality, productivity, and participation. New Jersey: Jossey-Bass. De Silva, S. R. (2010). Human resource management, industrial relations and achieving management objectives. Web. Helson, H. (1954). The use of comparative scales for the evaluation of psychological data. The American Journal of Psychology, 67(2), 321. Katzenbach, J. R., Smith, D. K. (2003). The wisdom of teams: Creating the high-performance organization. New York: Harper Business Essentials. Sanderson, M., Urwin, C. (2002). A performance dimension approach to competence. Web. This report on Political perspective on employees’ performance was written and submitted by user Paula E. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Military Conscription †Argumentative Essay

Military Conscription – Argumentative Essay Free Online Research Papers A rising issue that many people are beginning to notice is the need for more American troops to defend our great nation. Every year, our military has had less and less people volunteer to fight threats to our freedom. Until the World Trade Center attacks, we had a substantial military force, but the number of troops is beginning to dwindle where we need them most. There comes a time when the people of a nation need to rise up and take a stand for this country. Throughout history, the only way sizable forces, forces large enough to win wars, are acquired is through Military Conscription, commonly known in America as the Draft. The Draft is not only useful, but also necessary to win a war, and the time has come to make use of it. Today, in the United States, citizens enjoy the comforts of American society as they go along in their everyday lives. Many people, as they go along their day, tend to forget the sacrifices being made to defend the simple things they enjoy. Others, like me, want to do something about it. Until the war in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Army has had a substantial number of servicemen and women to defend our country. But today, as men are leaving the military, the need for more volunteers rises each day, while the number of volunteers decreases each day. President Bush should have enacted the draft long ago, when the problems with the Middle Eastern people started greatly affecting our economy. But now, with a possible war with North Korea, the draft seems all the more inevitable. We simply do not have the numbers possible to fight two wars at once. George Washington once stated, â€Å"†¦it must be laid down as a primary position and the basis of our system, that every citizen who enjoys the protection of a free Government owes not only a proportion of his property, but even his personal service to the defense of it.† I completely agree with our first President, because I also believe that people have no right to enjoy the freedom of our country without making their own sacrifices for it. The people who protest the draft need only to learn a little history to change their minds. In World War II, we only had six million volunteers to fight. We would not have won that war without the help of over ten million draftees. If somebody wants to complain about the war in Iraq taking so long, they should enlist and help in the effort to end it sooner. It may not matter though, if we end up at war with North Korea, because that will leave three choices for Americans. One: join the military. Two: Enact the draft. Three: Lose the war. I don’t know about everyone else, but I would prefer one of the first two. If enough people do not join the military, than the Government will have no choice but to enact the draft. As thin as the military is already spread out, we have no choice as it is but to have the draft. Believe it or not, the more people we have fighting, the less lives we will lose, and the quicker the wars will end. That is the ultimate goal. Whether voluntary or not, we need more service members. It will be one, or eventually the other. We will soon find our which it will be. Research Papers on Military Conscription - Argumentative EssayThe Effects of Illegal ImmigrationNever Been Kicked Out of a Place This Nice19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraPETSTEL analysis of IndiaAppeasement Policy Towards the Outbreak of World War 2Quebec and CanadaTwilight of the UAWDefinition of Export QuotasAssess the importance of Nationalism 1815-1850 EuropeInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married Males

Chebyshevs Inequality in Probability

Chebyshev's Inequality in Probability Chebyshev’s inequality says that at least 1-1/K2 of data from a sample must fall within K standard deviations from the mean (here K is any positive real number greater than one). Any data set that is normally distributed, or in the shape of a bell curve, has several features. One of them deals with the spread of the data relative to the number of standard deviations from the mean. In a normal distribution, we know that 68% of the data is one standard deviation from the mean, 95% is two standard deviations from the mean, and approximately 99% is within three standard deviations from the mean. But if the data set is not distributed in the shape of a bell curve, then a different amount could be within one standard deviation. Chebyshev’s inequality provides a way to know what fraction of data falls within K standard deviations from the mean for any data set. Facts About the Inequality We can also state the inequality above by replacing the phrase â€Å"data from a sample† with probability distribution. This is because Chebyshev’s inequality is a result from probability, which can then be applied to statistics. It is important to note that this inequality is a result that has been proven mathematically. It is not like the empirical relationship between the mean and mode, or the rule of thumb that connects the range and standard deviation. Illustration of the Inequality To illustrate the inequality, we will look at it for a few values of K: For K 2 we have 1 – 1/K2 1 - 1/4 3/4 75%. So Chebyshev’s inequality says that at least 75% of the data values of any distribution must be within two standard deviations of the mean.For K 3 we have 1 – 1/K2 1 - 1/9 8/9 89%. So Chebyshev’s inequality says that at least 89% of the data values of any distribution must be within three standard deviations of the mean.For K 4 we have 1 – 1/K2 1 - 1/16 15/16 93.75%. So Chebyshev’s inequality says that at least 93.75% of the data values of any distribution must be within two standard deviations of the mean. Example Suppose we have sampled the weights of dogs in the local animal shelter and found that our sample has a mean of 20 pounds with a standard deviation of 3 pounds. With the use of Chebyshev’s inequality, we know that at least 75% of the dogs that we sampled have weights that are two standard deviations from the mean. Two times the standard deviation gives us 2 x 3 6. Subtract and add this from the mean of 20. This tells us that 75% of the dogs have weight from 14 pounds to 26 pounds. Use of the Inequality If we know more about the distribution that we’re working with, then we can usually guarantee that more data is a certain number of standard deviations away from the mean. For example, if we know that we have a normal distribution, then 95% of the data is two standard deviations from the mean. Chebyshev’s inequality says that in this situation we know that at least 75% of the data is two standard deviations from the mean. As we can see in this case, it could be much more than this 75%. The value of the inequality is that it gives us a â€Å"worse case† scenario in which the only things we know about our sample data (or probability distribution) is the mean and standard deviation. When we know nothing else about our data, Chebyshev’s inequality provides some additional insight into how spread out the data set is. History of the Inequality The inequality is named after the Russian mathematician Pafnuty Chebyshev, who first stated the inequality without proof in 1874. Ten years later the inequality was proved by Markov in his Ph.D. dissertation. Due to variances in how to represent the Russian alphabet in English, it is Chebyshev also spelled as Tchebysheff.

Applying Training Concepts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Applying Training Concepts - Essay Example As the business environment has changed, so have the skill requirements. This necessitates identification of training needs analysis. The training strategy is essentially aligned with the business objectives but the situation that Wal-Mart now faces, is more of youth employment. The youth come with their own expectations of the job role and their career progression. Besides, as employee turnover in the retail sector is high, cross-training becomes essential. Now more than 20% of Wal-Mart employees have university degrees. To retain talent and to assure career progression, Wal-Mart needs to identify talent with good skills and potential. The training needs of such employees would differ from mainstream employees. Such employees are sent to the US for specialized training but in Asian countries and particularly in China, Wal-Mart identified that some of the best people could not communicate in English fluently enough to benefit from the training in the US (Trunick, 2006). As the situat ion has changed, organizations would have to reinvent themselves to retain talent. This requires identification of training needs. ... Besides, the employees or the associates, as they are known at Wal-Mart, must have different qualifications for different function areas such as on the sales floor, in logistics and in the back room. Training needs of each individual associate would differ based on the job role. The trainer is responsible to conduct the training needs analysis without which training may be rendered ineffective. TNA is conducted based upon the objectives of the organization and can be conducted at the organization, person or the task level. When all of these are integrated it provides an effective strategy (Leat & Lovell, 1997). The training needs should be best directed to match the organizational needs. In the retail sector organizational effectiveness results from customer satisfaction which in turn depends upon process improvement. Therefore, Wal-Mart would need to explore the organizational climate in addition to the skills resources available. At the task level, the training needs analysis would be based on the demands of the job role. The associate in that particular position would be able to reveal inherent difficulties that may not be readily apparent. At the individual or the person level also TNA would help improve performance and employee development and career progression. TNA is not merely meant to assist employees in their work but to achieve greater proficiency and satisfaction. A typical TNA, according to Chiu, Thompson, Mak and Lo (1999) would aim to answer four related questions: Source: Chiu, Thompson, Mak and Lo (1999) Therefore, to conduct TNA at the organization, person and task level requires gathering information. The first step therefore, at Wal-Mart should be to conduct an initial

Corporate finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 6

Corporate finance - Essay Example Company’s capital structure can comprise of majority of equity or debt component, an equal combination of both or only one of them. Each approach includes its own advantages as well as disadvantages. The hypothesis on capital structure from the Modigliani & Miller is considered as one of the significant developments or progress in the area of corporate finance (Miller, 1988). The report will highlight the main foundations and implications of Modigliani & Miller approach towards the capital structure. It will also focus on how this theory is related to the purpose of weighted average cost of capital (WACC) for a company. Further, the report will take into consideration the practical applicability and usefulness of the theory in real life business. There are five assumptions of this approach which involves: no taxes; transaction price/cost for selling and buying securities and also the cost of bankruptcy is nil; there is evenness of information which means that the investor will have the right to use the similar information that the corporate would and it also means that the investors are required to behave rationally; the borrowing cost is same for companies as well as investors; and financing of debt does not involve any effect on the firm’s earnings before interest and tax (EBIT). The approach of Modigliani & Miller signifies that the value of leveraged company (i.e. the company having the mixture of equity and debt) is similar to the unleveraged company’s value (i.e. the company which is completely financed by means of equity) if the future prospects and the operating profits are same. It further explains that if the investor buys leveraged firm’s share, it would rate him on the same scale as purchasin g the unleveraged firm’s share (Casamatta, 2003). The theorem of Modigliani & Miller makes the basis of contemporary corporate finance. It defines that this

Human Relations Movement Essay Example for Free

Human Relations Movement Essay Human Relations Movement refers to those researchers of organizational development who study the behavior of people in groups, in particular workplace groups. It originated in the 1930s Hawthorne studies, which examined the effects of social relations, motivation and employee satisfaction on factory productivity. The movement viewed workers in terms of their psychology and fit with companies, rather than as interchangeable parts. The hallmark of human-relation theories is the primacy given to organizations as human cooperative systems rather than mechanical contraptions. George Elton Mayo stressed the following: Natural groups, in which social aspects take precedence over functional organizational structures Upwards communication, by which communication is two way, from worker to chief executive, as well as vice versa. Cohesive and good leadership is needed to communicate goals and to ensure effective and coherent decision making (Wilson Rosenfeld, Managing Organizations, McGraw Hill Book Company, London, p. 9. ) It has become a concern of many companies to improve the job-oriented interpersonal skills of employees. The teaching of these skills to employees is referred to as soft skills training. Companies need their employees to be able to successfully communicate and convey information, to be able to interpret others emotions, to be open to others feelings, and to be able to solve conflicts and arrive at resolutions. By acquiring these skills, the employees, those in management positions, and the customer can maintain more compatible relationships. (DuBrin, A. J. (2007). Human Relations Interpersonal Job-Oriented Skills, Pearson Prentice Hall, 9th. ed. , New Jersey, p. 2. ) Institutes where human relations are studied include: The Tavistock Institute, co-publishers of the Human Relations journal; the NTL Institute for Applied Behavioral Science; The Oasis School of Human Relations, Masters Degree in Globally Responsible Leadership (Oasis Press publishes human relations books and manuals); Trevecca Nazarene University, Bachelors Degree in Management and Human Relations for working adults; the University of Oklahoma offers a Bachelor of Arts in Human Relations, as well as a Master of Human Relations; Concordia University (Montreal, Canada) offers a Bachelor of Arts in Human Relations, as well as a Master of Human Systems Intervention.

Role of Religion in Determining the Earths Shape :: Geography

Role of Religion in Determining the Earth's Shape The Greek geographers of the later Roman period developed systematic calculations for the mapping and shaping of the earth. However, what would come to replace these systematic calculations? Why were the ideologies of a flat earth accepted and why were those of a spherical earth ridiculed? The answer to this question is very simple and can be answered by one clear and concise word: Religion. "Thus saith the Lord God; This is Jerusalem: I have set it in the midst of the nations and countries that are round about her." (Ezekiel 5:5) This verse from the of book Ezekiel simply states that the city of Jerusalem should be in the center of all maps created. This eliminated the need for any latitude or longitude. Before hand, there had been more than six hundred maps created, not one having this holy city as the center. There was nothing new about putting "the most sacred place at the center" says Boorstin. The Hindus placed Mount Meru, a mythological 70,000 foot high mountain at the center of their map. In the Muslim faith, the Ka'bah in Mecca was the highest point on earth and the polestar showed the city of Mecca to be opposite the center of the sky. As one can clearly see, many maps, had different centers. Each map had a different center, each based on a different religion. Many years before the birth of Jesus Christ, the Greeks theorized that the earth was a globe. But after that, there was a period in history called "The Great Interruption." This period was categorized by a complete silence where people in general, forgot about the issue of whether the earth was flat or whether it was a globe. Another reason that brought the theories of a globular world to rest was because the priests told the general public that the earth was flat. Priests such as St. Augustine and others invented the Antipode theory, which stated that a world shaped like a globe is impossible because objects would be hanging downwards and growing backwards. Once again, religion played a major part in this argument that would rage on for many years to come. To conclude, much like the theories of the priests in the first 400 years after the birth of Jesus Christ, who said that Jerusalem was the center of a flat earth, one might be able to relate this period in time to a much more recent and modern one. Prior to the French Revolution in 1789,

Communication Barriers

Eliminating Barriers to Cross-Cultural Communication through Curricular Interventions By David Dankwa-Apawu (Lecturer) Ghana Institute of Journalism P. O. Box GP 667 Accra, Ghana +233208704133 +233302228336 [email  protected] co. uk 1 ABSTRACT With the world fast becoming a global village, communicating across cultures has become an inevitable reality. On one hand, cross-cultural communication or intercultural communication presents a fine opportunity to foster global peace and prosperity as we mine the potential value of cultural diversity. Also read: Explain the Importance of Ensuring That Communication Equipment is Correctly Set UpOn the other hand, it can present unpleasant consequences if not well managed. The latter seems more prevalent in our world today as a result of the barriers cultural diversity imposes on intercultural communication. Intercultural or cross-cultural communication barriers such as anxiety, uncertainty, stereotyping, and ethnocentrism are caused by inadequate cultural knowledge and the lack of intercultural communicative skills. Eliminating these barriers will require adequate training in intercultural communication and exposure to cultures outside ours.The school provides the best motivation, structures, and resources for training or socializing our younger generation therefore this paper proposes a number of curricular interventions the school can implement to equip learners to overcome intercultural communication barriers. These interventions include the adoption of multicultural education i n our schools, the introduction of literature and cultural studies as subjects, the use of communicative language teaching approach in teaching language, and the use of the new media in the classroom.The justification (for these interventions) presented in this paper is drawn mainly from published accounts and exploratory ethnographic studies. INTRODUCTION Intercultural communication or cross-cultural communication is a relatively new field of study, yet it has generated a lot of interest. Research in this area has been diverse yet interdisciplinary, making it possible to link intercultural communication to a broad spectrum of disciplines such business, sociology, anthropology, linguistics, and psychology. Studies in intercultural 2 ommunication gained prominence after efforts by anthropologists and linguists like Hall and Lado to link language, culture, and communication (Kramsch, 2001). Initial research in the area focused on developing guidelines or principles for training people who were engaged in multinational businesses, international diplomacy, and missionary activities (Kramsch, 2001). Today, however, many new grounds, in terms of research approaches, have been broken, and more and more theories have been developed to deepen our understanding of intergroup communication.For instance, through various studies it has been possible to distinguish between intercultural and cross-cultural communication, with the former focussing on face-to-face communication between people of different national cultures while the latter involves the comparison of face-to-face communication across cultures (Gudykunst and Mody, 2001). But these two areas are two sides of a coin, and sometimes the terms are used interchangeably (Kramsch, 2001).More than the pioneering work of early researchers, global dynamics have remarkably made the field of cross-cultural or intercultural communication attractive. Today there is rapid internationalization of every institution and system in our world: school, religion, business, governance, and so on. This rapid globalisation, being fuelled by unprecedented technological advancement in transport and telecommunication, means people of different cultural backgrounds are increasingly getting close to one another to maximise the value cultural diversity offers.But as we get face-to-face with people of different cultural backgrounds the challenge of dealing with our cultural differences and harnessing the potential benefits of cultural diversity becomes enormous. Cultural differences have significant impact on our intercultural communication. They are the source of misunderstanding, misinterpretation, 3 anxiety, and uncertainty, which ultimately result in miscommunication (Stephan and Stephan, 2002:127; Gudykunst, 2002; Gudykunst and Lee, 2002).Studies in intercultural or cross-cultural communication are helping shape many facets of our human interaction by drawing attention to the characteristics of verbal and nonverbal be haviour across cultures, the impact of culture in constructing meaning, the structure and communicative goals of discourses, and factors that influence our ability, or otherwise, to interact and interpret discourse (Kramsch, 2001). Theories and empirical studies in intercultural communication have had serious implications for social action and social change (Rogers and Hart, 2002:14).It is the purpose of this paper to justify the inclusion of activities that promote intercultural training in school curriculums. This paper proposes a number of activities or interventions the school can implement to help learners deal with the barriers inherent in intercultural communication, and eventually equip them to be effective communicators. The justification presented in this paper is drawn mainly from published accounts and exploratory ethnographic studies.KEY CONCEPTS Culture, Communication, and Intercultural Communication In studying intercultural communication many researchers have attempt ed to conceptualise culture and communication from various perspectives in order to appreciate their interrelationship. Generally, culture is conceptualised as a shared way of life collectively developed and shared by a group of people and transmitted from generation to generation (Tubbs 4 and Moss, 1994).Culture embodies many complex elements such as beliefs, values, language, political systems, and tools which together give a group its code or characteristics (Griffin, 2000; Tubbs and Moss, 1994). This code is not imposed by one individual or an external body. Rather, it is â€Å"socially constructed† (by members that make up the group) and â€Å"historically transmitted† (Philipsen, 1992, cited in Griffin, 2000:390). More significantly, culture is owned by a group of people who by consensus accept and share a common code, verbal or nonverbal, reflective of specific values, beliefs, customs, and so on (Barnet and Lee, 2002).Goodenough (1964) views culture not in term s of things or behaviour but in terms of a picture of things a people form in their minds, and their models for perceiving, relating, and interpreting things and behaviour (cited in Barnet and Lee, 2002:276). The convergence one could draw from all these definitions is the fact that each group is bound by a certain unique way of doing things and interpreting things or behaviour. Communication, though variously defined, generally describes a process by which information is exchanged among two or more people in a given context.Ultimately, this process of exchanging information is bound by a purpose: that is, to reduce uncertainty and develop a common understanding among the interactants (Barnett and Lee, 2002). Intercultural communication is thus â€Å"the exchange of information between well-defined groups of people with significantly different cultures† (Barnett and Lee, 2002:277). The process is quite complex in the sense that this exchange of information takes place in a co ntext which is a fusion of significantly different systems. The process also requires conscious attempts by each party at reducing â€Å"uncertainty about the future behaviour of the other party through an increase in understanding of the other group† (Barnett and Lee, 2002:277; Gudykunst, 2002). Clearly, cultural variability (the extent to which cultures differ) is key to any conceptualization of intercultural communication. Various studies have examined cultural variability at the level of power distribution (or power distance), uncertainty avoidance, gender roles, face negotiation, individualism-collectivism, and others (Gudykunst and Lee, 2002; Griffin, 2000).One popular conclusion is that cultural variability is the main predictor of how successful one can be in any intercultural communication encounter. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK Gudykunst’s Anxiety and Uncertainty Management Model Gudykunst and associates developed the anxiety and uncertainty management theory to exp lain what happens when we communicate with people of different cultural backgrounds. The theory suggests that when interlocutors of different cultural backgrounds clash in face-to-face interactions, they are confronted with uncertainty (which Gudykunst describes as cognitive) and anxiety (affective) (Griffin, 2000:396).The uncertainty describes our inability to explain actions and reactions of the â€Å"strangers† we communicate with. It demonstrates how unsure we are about the interpretations we impute on the behaviour of the people we communicate with (Griffin, 2000). Anxiety, on the other hand, portrays our feeling of uneasiness and apprehension about what might happen in the intercultural communication encounter. The extent to which we are influenced by anxiety and uncertainty would determine how effective we would be in our intercultural communication (Gudykunst, 2000). 6Although anxiety and uncertainty exert some influence on intra-group communication, their impact is p rofound in intercultural communication. Anxiety and uncertainty filter the mutual understanding that must exist to make any communication encounter successful. But anxiety and uncertainty are not entirely negative. Rather they compel us to approach our communication with a level of â€Å"mindfulness†, a deliberate thought over the communication process. In our state of uncertainty and uneasiness, we constantly become conscious of our choices and in the long run manage the communication situations to minimise misunderstanding.In intercultural communication anxiety and uncertainty are heighten by cultural variability. If the differences between cultures are profound, anxiety and uncertainty would increase when members of the different cultural groups engage in intercultural communication. In a schematic representation Gudykunst demonstrates the underlying causes of uncertainty and anxiety as motivational, knowledge and skill factors. For this paper these factors offer relevant support for the need to incorporate various interventions into our school curriculum to train learners in intercultural communication.The skill factors include our ability to empathise, tolerate ambiguities, adapt communication, and gather appropriate information. Knowledge of more than one perspective, similarities and differences, alternative interpretations are some of the knowledge factors relevant for effective intercultural communication. The motivational factors are needs, attraction, social bonds and openness to information. Clearly, all these factors are not divorced from the traditional aims of education for which schools are established. Fundamentally society has vested in the school the responsibility of 7 quipping the young generation with skills, knowledge, and the right motivation for dealing with personal and societal challenges (Sadker and Sadker, 2003: 140; Ornstein, 1995). It is therefore not out of place if the school realigns its curriculum to accommodate interv entions that would train young people in intercultural communication, a growing challenge in this globalised world. Through curricular interventions proposed in this paper learners would acquire the requisite skills, knowledge, and motivation to manage their intercultural communication in more effective ways. Training in ntercultural, among other things, exposes learners to barriers such as anxiety, uncertainty, stereotypes, and ethnocentrism inherent in intercultural communication and equips learners with skills such as mindfulness necessary for managing intercultural communication. This theory strongly support the need for training in intercultural communication and in my view the school has the space, time, orientation, and resources to offer such training. Communicative Competence Hymes (1972) developed the theory of communicative competence to establish a link between language and culture (Richards and Rogers, 1986:69).This theory asserts that both linguistic knowledge and soci ocultural or contextual knowledge are prerequisites for any effective intercultural communication (Richards and Rogers, 1986:69). Communicative competence highlights the view that language and culture are inseparable. Therefore linguistic competence should go along with a commensurate cultural competence, that is, one described as communicatively competent must have both linguistic and cultural competence.Linguistic competence is demonstrated in the grammatical knowledge one possesses, such as knowledge of words, phrases, and sentences and rules governing their combination in discourse. Cultural competence, on the other hand, focuses on the cultural propriety of linguistic choices in a real 8 communication encounter. Different social situations require different routines that are culturally defined. The competent communicator chooses the appropriate linguistic forms that meet the cultural expectation of the context in which the communication takes place.In some contexts in Ghana, fo r instance, â€Å"Please† is a polite marker not just for requests but all forms of speech acts or discourse, especially with adults. Therefore, it is not uncommon to hear expressions like â€Å"Please, Good morning,† â€Å"Yes, Please,† and â€Å"Please, my name is Kofi†. The speaker with communicative competence would have to vary his routines to meet the differences in cultural expectations. If the same communicator meets a native British the above use of â€Å"Please† would be avoided.The theory of communicative competence lends enough credence to the call for training in intercultural communication in our schools through direct and indirect curricular interventions. Traditionally, our school system has focused on training learners to acquire grammatical knowledge. This paper calls for a commensurate training in contextual competence. Such competence will include knowledge of the different expectations different cultural contexts impose on diff erent communication situations. This knowledge is vital in reducing anxiety and uncertainty which are inherent barriers in intercultural communication.Recent studies in intercultural communication strongly support the need for intercultural training of employees, both domestic and international, in areas of cultural diversity and intercultural communication (Albert, 1994). The position of this paper is that the school (from the basic to the tertiary levels) is a better placed to offer this training. 9 BARRIERS TO INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION Misunderstanding is the ultimate barrier to communication (Griffin, 2000:394). Communication is said to have taken place when interlocutors have been able to reach some common interpretation of their intentions.Even in intra-group communication it is almost impossible to reach absolute understanding. This makes inter-group or inter-cultural communication even more challenging. The existence of cultural variability is in itself a barrier to interc ultural communication. When cultures are widely apart or different, it means the level of cultural variability is high, resulting in high levels of anxiety and uncertainty, which ultimately bring tension and misunderstanding into the intercultural communication situation. To illustrate: I gave a gift to a colleague who came from a different cultural background.My expectation was an extended response of appreciation from him. My disappointment was with the left hand with which he took the gift and the brief appreciation he expressed. He didn’t like, or he didn’t value it. I was worried he would not be nice towards me again. All these interpretations I made reflected my uncertainty about his actions and my anxiety reflected my worry and apprehensions about what might happened. My cultural context reflects a high context type in which more attention is given to interpreting non-verbal behaviours.By sharp contrast my colleague belonged to a low cultural context which stres ses direct and explicit communication, that is, verbal messages are vital in a communication process. 10 Mistranslation Barriers to verbal communication include cultural mistranslation (Tubbs and Moss, 1994). This is common in second and foreign language context. Scholars are divided over how such mistranslation should be perceived (Kachru, 1990). While some have described mistranslation in derogatory terms like â€Å"interference† and â€Å"sub-standard forms†, others have perceived them as innovations which reflect cultural dynamics.But the reality is that in intercultural communication mistranslation undermines understanding. Literal translation such as â€Å"I am going to come† instead of â€Å"I shall return† can be sources of misunderstanding. Expressions such as â€Å"I am going to greet the king† or â€Å"to the white house† or â€Å"to the end room† (meaning â€Å"I am going to the toilet†) are cultural innovations tha t can be sources of misunderstanding in inter cultural communication. Norms and Roles Norms are culturally defined rules for determining acceptable and appropriate behaviour (Tubbs and Moss, 1994).They include those that govern social situations and conversational routines such as greetings, making requests, and expressing various emotions. In intercultural communication interlocutors may be tempted to transfer their cultural norms to contexts that are not appropriate (Richards and Sukwiwat, 1983). Roles are also sources of cultural variability. Roles are sets of norms applicable to specific groups of people in society. In a particular culture, different roles are assigned to men and women, children and parents/guardians, usbands and wives, and so on. In some Ghanaian contexts women are expected to kneel while talking to men; subjects cannot talk directly to a chief except through linguists. Violations of these roles may pose serious threats to intercultural communication. 11 Belief s and Values Beliefs and values impede understanding in intercultural communication. Some interlocutors will not be forthright with information on personal ambition, finances, and career plans because of their beliefs, especially beliefs that assert strong influence of the supernatural on man.Beliefs in witchcraft, for instance, would scare people from giving out personal information to strangers. On the other hand, people would usually readily communicate their values and feelings, especially when such values are being disrespected. Stereotyping Stereotypes are our value judgements about people (Pang, 2001:114). They are born out of our inadequate information about people, making us make unintelligent choices in our intercultural communication. Cultural stereotypes, like any other type of stereotypes, hinder understanding because they exaggerate or overgeneralize what we perceive about people (Tubbs and Moss, 1994).Overgeneralised thoughts result in misinterpretation of actions, th us heightening anxiety, which is a threat to understanding. Almost everyone imposes one stereotype or the other on individuals or groups of people. Stereotypes can be favourable or unfavourable to a group (Pang, 2001). Some stereotypes include perceiving some groups as quick tempered, dishonest, smart, and liars. Generally, stereotypes are born out of our fear of the group we stereotype or the lack of knowledge of the group, or misconceptions, or high levels of cultural variability (Pang, 2001).The media is unfortunately perceived as a strong promoter of stereotypes (Tubbs and Moss, 1994; Pang, 2001). This is because the media is a major source of information about foreigners or strangers. As we watch movies or international news we form exaggerated opinions about the 12 groups represented. Usually the amount of information we gather is limited thus leading us to form such inadequate conclusions. Dispelling stereotypes seems almost impossible, and in intercultural communication the challenge to dispel stereotypes is even more profound.However, since stereotypes are born out of inadequate cultural information or experience of other cultures, cultural awareness and intercultural training can be helpful in dealing with cultural stereotypes. Ethnocentrism Our own cultural experience inadvertently causes us to feel that culture is innate. Hence we are forced to feel or think that our group’s way of life is the standard against which all other groups’ culture should be assessed. Therefore any contrary code or behaviour is considered improper or irresponsible or politically motivated (Hall, 1976, cited in Tubbs and Moss, 1994:443).This tendency to judge the code of other cultures by using our culture as the standard is described as ethnocentrism. Ethnocentrism creeps into intercultural communication to filter understanding by heightening anxiety, which, as shown, is a threat to understanding (Stephan and Stephan, 1992). The higher the level of ethnocent rism, the higher the level of anxiety. Cross-cultural awareness is can go a long way to reduce ethnocentrism and, invariably, anxiety and enhance our capacity to handle intercultural communication in effective ways.CURRICULA INTERVENTIONS Curriculum refers to the totality of the experience the school offers learners. It includes both planned and unplanned activities, the physical and socio-cultural environment which impact directly or indirectly on the learner. This paper proposes that the school, through its curriculum, make conscious efforts at promoting intercultural training. Below are the interventions proposed: 13 Multicultural Education With the world shrinking into a global village, nations, businesses, schools, organizations, and our societies at large are becoming culturally diverse (Spring, 2002).On daily basis we are compelled by globalization to interact or relate with people of different cultural origin. To deal with the challenges of cultural diversity there is the ne ed for our schools to adopt the multicultural educational approach. Multicultural education is not just accommodation different cultures in a school setting. Rather multicultural education aims at providing an enabling school environment which equips learners to function in other culture without losing ties with their original culture (Spring, 2002).A multicultural school environment brings together learners of different cultural background for the purpose of equipping them with skills, knowledge, and attitudes that will make them functional both to themselves and to the larger society. Such settings are better posed to respond more effectively to children of different cultural backgrounds and exploit those differences as foundations on which new learning can be built (Tozer, Violas, and Senese 2001). Multicultural education directly or indirectly equips learners to be able to manage the uncertainty and anxiety that usually characterise intercultural communication.Gudykunst’s axiom 37 asserts that when we share a common objective with strangers our anxiety levels decrease and we are able to build the needed confidence in predicting their behaviour. At the very superficial level, just putting together people of different cultural origin under the common goal of schooling or education would help reduce misunderstanding that usually comes from uncertainty and anxiety (Griffin, 200:401) 14 A multicultural curriculum offers an excellent educational environment for learners to learn more about people of other cultures, thus reducing stereotypes and ethnocentric tendencies.Stereotypes results from limited experience or information about other cultures. If learners get to experience other learners of different cultural backgrounds they learn more about their cultures. In Ghana, until recently, secondary schools and colleges were characterised by students of different cultural backgrounds. This provided real opportunities for students to appreciate the cultural diversity of the country. Though each school was culturally diverse there existed a strong common bound in each school, especially during inter collegiate competitions.Here diversity well managed brings unity. This situation is unfortunately being replaced by I proposed that when community schools, which are generally culturally homogenous. community schools are established educational systems should promote diversity in the positing of students to school and colleges. Cultural Studies Not long ago, cultural studies was a subject in basic schools in Ghana and learners were exposed to the diverse cultural groups in the country. Beneficiaries of this curriculum acquired basic knowledge of the different cultural groups.They had the opportunity to acquire, among other things, knowledge of conventional routine differences, differences in political institutions and values. A unique feature of the cultural studies curriculum was the approach. Teachers were encouraged to use resource person s in their communities. These were indigenes of the cultures being represented or taught. Again, role plays, field trips and audio visual materials were included in the teaching methods of the subject.Cultural studies provided a platform for learners to juxtapose their culture with others in order to appreciate the diversity and its prospects, especially in this age of globalisation. 15 Cultural knowledge reduces â€Å"cultural shock† which sometimes leads to negative attitude towards a new culture (DeVito, 2002). Gudykunst’s axiom 41 supports the view that an increase in our knowledge of strangers’ language and culture will produce an increase in our ability to manage our anxiety and an increase in our ability to accurately predict their behaviour (Griffin, 2000:400).Certainly there are enough reasons for the inclusion of cultural studies in our school curriculum. The Study of Literature Literature as a discipline provides an ideal opportunity to integrate cult ural content into the school curriculum (Pang, 2001:224). While providing delight and enjoyment, literature sharpens our imaginations and offers us a vicarious experience in the world we live in (Huck, Helper, Hickman, and Kiefer, 2001:8). Literature offers us the fastest, cheapest, but the most thrilling cruise around the world. The experience we enjoy in literatures is timeless as we read from across the globe.We can also travel as far back as the era of Beowulf, Sophocles, Chaucer, and Shakespeare or fly into the year 2044 in Welwyn Wilton Katz’s Time Ghost. In all these experiences literature offers a unique approach to learning about the culture of people in different parts of the world, how their culture existed, how it is evolving, and how it may change with time. Texts which portray authentic intercultural interactions provide readers with the motivation, knowledge, and skills to overcome anxiety, uncertainty, and other barriers of intercultural communication.The Comp rehensiveness of literature experience provides meaningful ways of reducing stereotyping and ethnocentric tendencies. 16 Language Teaching and Learning Traditional language curriculums focus on grammatical competence while communicative competence suffers neglect. Products of such curriculums usually display high competence in linguistic knowledge but lack requisite skills in handling authentic communication (Dzamishie, 1997; Richards and Rogers, 1986; Richards and Sukwiwat, 1983). What they lack is a basic understanding of the socio-cultural function of language.In second and foreign language learning contexts the challenge has always been which model learners should be exposed to and which language culture should be emphasised. Of course it makes sense to adopt the target or native speaker model, with all the cultural attachments, as medium of instruction. But such a choice without recourse to the changing communication needs of learners will not be appropriate. To address the dil emma of which model to use, Norrish (1978) calls for a liberalisation of views on non standard language varieties. The English language, for instance, has metamorphosed into several Englishes.Therefore, â€Å"to teach only one form of English would seem to be asking for a conflict between the different Englishes in use. † (Norrish 1978:35). The most meaningful approach then is to â€Å"consider the different uses of English in a particular country† (Norrish, 1978:35). The question should be: Which models will serve the communication needs of learners? If learners need English to communicate with native speakers, then the native model should be taught. Similarly, if learners would largely communicate in a typical Ghanaian context, for instance, then the Ghanaian model, with its cultural innovations, should be the model.In so far as it is possible, more than one model should be taught. This is the poly-model Norrish proposes. The poly-model exposes 17 learners to the cul ture behind language. It emphasises socio-cultural or contextual awareness in communication especially between inter-groups. Concerning approach, the communicative language teaching model is popular today (Richards and Rogers, 1986; Dzameshie 1997). This approach focuses on communicative competence. Its curriculum is experience-based and learner-centred (Richards and Rogers, 1986).The content generally includes â€Å"well-selected experiences† that reflect the real life or authentic communication needs of learners (Richard and Rogers, 1986). The value of this approach in intercultural communication is the experience the language curriculum offers. Communicative language teaching addresses learners’ language needs, equipping them to communicate effectively in a world of cultural diversity. The New Media in the classroom The digital age is not only making it easier and faster for us to get closer to each other, it is also making it possible for us to see and know what ot hers are doing.The new media in the classroom provides learners with a window through which they can see people of other cultures. Through virtual tours to places of different cultural backgrounds, documentaries, interviews, and social sites, learners bridge the gap of knowledge they know about people on the other side of their culture. The prospects are tremendous but the challenges are enormous. The digital divide is still too wide for us to be able to explore other cultures. In many developing countries access to the new media is still a luxury. 18IMPLICATIONS The inclusion of intercultural training in our school curriculum is worthwhile for our schools, and the world of work, which are fast becoming culturally diverse. Unfortunately many students, teachers, and school authorities are being frustrated by the diversity invading the school. Training learners and educators to deal with the barriers diversity creates in their intercultural relationships will transform our schools int o peaceful and conducive learning and working environments while preparing learners to face the communication realities in the world outside the school.Intercultural training will certainly link the school with industry or the world of work. If the school provides adequate intercultural training through various curricular activities, it will reduce the cultural shock learners are bound to face after school. Although many disciplines are craving for attention and inclusion in our school curriculum and curriculum developers are overwhelmed by what should be where at what time and with what resource, the best decision lies in counting the cost, weighing the options available and taking bold political and socio-economic steps.Implementing these curricula interventions would involve the realignment of the school curriculum, bearing in mind various needs and interests. In this case there should be a clear policy framework that will guide design, implantation, and evaluation of the new cur riculum being proposed. Again, there would be the need to adequately resources our schools to accommodate the changes proposed. CONCLUSION This paper has proposed that the school curriculum provide space for activities that will train learners to overcome barriers inherent in intercultural communication.There could be many other interventions, but what this paper seeks to suggest is that interventions through the school 19 curriculum should be the first option. Neither educational level nor geographical boundaries are specified in this paper. This is born out of the belief that intercultural relation or communication is real and knows no limits. This paper has provided justification for the inclusion in our school curriculum training in intercultural communication. The next challenge that should attract the attention of researchers is how to design, implement, and evaluate the propose curricula change.REFERENCES Albert, R. D. (1994). Cultural Diversity and Intercultural Training in Multinational Organizations. In Wiseman, R. L. and Shuter, R. (eds. ) Communicating in Multinational Organizations. International and Intercultural Communication Annual. Vol xviii (153165). London: Sage Publications. Barnett, G. A. and Lee, M. (2002). Issues in Intercultural Communication Research. In Gudykunst, W. B. and Mody B. (eds. ) Handbook of International and Intercultural Communication (pp 275-290). London: Sage Publications. DeVito J. A. (2002). Messages: Building Interpersonal Communication Skills.Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Dzameshie, A. K. (1997). Towards a Communicative Approach to Teaching English as a Second Language in Ghana. In Dakubu, M. E. K. (ed. ) English in Ghana (pp 173-194). Accra: Ghana English Studies Association. Griffin, E. (2000). A First Look at Communication Theory. Boston: McGraw-Hill. Gudykunst, W. B. (2002). Intercultural Communication Theories. In Gudykunst, W. B. and Mody B. (eds. ) Handbook of International and Intercultural Communication (pp 183-2 05). London: Sage Publications. 20 Gudykunst, W. B. and Lee, C. M. (2002).Cross-Cultural Communication Theories. In Gudykunst, W. B. and Mody B. (eds. ) Handbook of International and Intercultural Communication (pp 25-50). London: Sage Publications. Gudykunst, W. B. and Mody, B. (2002). Foreword. In Gudykunst, W. B. and Mody B. (eds. ) Handbook of International and Intercultural Communication (pp 25-50). London: Sage Publications. Huck, C. S. ; Helper, S. ; Hickman, J. ; and Kiefer, B. Z. (2001). Children’s Literature in the Elementary School. Boston: McGraw-Hill. Kachru, B. (1990). World Englishes and Applied Linguistics.World Englishes 9 (1): 3-20. Kramsch, C. (2001) Intercultural Communication. In Carter, R. And Nunan, D. (eds. ) The Cambridge Guide to Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (pp 201-206). Cambridge: CUP Norrish, J. (1978). Liberalisation of views on non-standard forms of English. In The British Council. ELT documents: English as an international la nguage. London: The British Council, English Teaching Information Centre, pp. 34-39. Ornstein, A. C. (1990). Strategies for Effective Teaching. Madison: Brown and Benchmark Publishers. Pang, V. O. (2001).Multicultural Education: A Caring-Centred, Reflective Approach. Boston: McGraw-Hill. Rogers, E. M. and Hart, W. B. (2002). The Histories of Intercultural, International, and Development Communication. In Gudykunst, W. B. and Mody B. (eds. ) Handbook of International and Intercultural Communication (pp 1-18). London: Sage Publications. Richards, J. C. and Rogers, T. S. (1986). Approaches and Methods in Language Teaching: A Description and Analysis. Cambridge: CUP 21 Richards, J. C. and Sukwiwat, M. (1983). Language Transfer and Conversational Competence. Applied Linguistics 4 (2): 113-125.Sadker, D. M and Sadker M. P. (2003). Teachers, Schools and Society. Boston: McGraw-Hill. Spring, J. (2002). American Education. Boston: the McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Stephan, C. W. and Stephan, W . G. (2002). Cognition and Affect in Cross-Cultural Relations. In Gudykunst, W. B. and Mody B. (eds. ) Handbook of International and Intercultural Communication (pp 127-142). London: Sage Publications. Tozer, S. E. ; Violas, P. C. , and Senese, G. (2002). School and Society. Boston: McGraw-Hill. Tubbs, S. L. and Moss, S. (1994). Human Communication. Boston: McGraw-Hill. 22

How to Be a Defensive Driver

How to Be a Defensive Driver Most of Americans carry on a DL (Driver License) with them. They know it is mandatory to have a driver license since they drive to work or to school every day; however, that is without mentioning the people that someone else takes to such places. When someone requests a DL, that person goes through a process of practice and examination in order to be able to have one. Most of them pass the examinations and practices, and they become a licensed driver for the State they reside in.Obviously, a good driver is not the one that has received a driver license, but the one that drives defensively. These strategies can only be learned in several stages. Precaution is one of the most important strategies to consider when driving a motor vehicle. When a driver operates his or her vehicle on freeways and highways, there are some precautions that need to be performed. Looking in the sides-mirror is very important since the driver needs to be alert of any strange movem ents of other vehicles.No one knows when others are driving under the influences of drugs or alcohol, or both. Also, paying attention to the traffic is very important. All drivers need to know how the traffic flows in order to consider the speed of the vehicle. Being alert on the road is the important key because other vehicles can also hit the brakes unexpectedly in seconds without the other driver noticing it. Distractions can be a challenge for a motor vehicle driver. Each driver is surrounded by many distractions, and these can be found inside the car or outside of it.While monitoring a motor vehicle, a driver is challenged with today’s electronic devices and technology. Today, cell phones play a big part in a driver’s distractions since they have been improved. The availability of internet on Smart Phones is one example of it, and most Americans own these devices. This distraction can be really dangerous since it encourages the driver to use the Social Medias freq uently. Drivers need to ignore cell phones at all time during operation and concentrate on the road.Moreover, manipulating the radio and changing stations back and forth to find the one preferred can also be quite dangerous since the driver has his eyes concentrated on the radio display. Driver must maintain concentration and avoid distractions as much as they possibly can. One more example of some driver’s distraction can be â€Å"kids†. Children, especially when they are young and immature, can get restless in the back seats which can cause the driver to turn around to see what they need. As a result, the driver loses concentration, and the situation can be seriously risky.In other words, kids can exasperate the driver and keep him distracted from the task behind the wheel. Even though there are so many distractions, there always will be a solution to avoid them in order to be a defensive driver. Sitting on the seats of a vehicle, starting the engine, and pressing th e gas can be an essay way to call someone a driver, but when it comes to the situation when a driver needs to demonstrate some of the skills that he or she has learned, most of those drivers out there can’t show any.A real driver is the one who takes the process seriously to archive the goals of a defensive driver. However, to be on the list of the real drivers only take to know some simple strategies that can be learned and comprehended step by step. Precaution and avoiding distractions are part of how to be a defensive driver, but also experiences in monitoring a vehicle is important to consider.

English short story Charlie Mcsweeney Mrs Kurt Essays

English short story Charlie Mcsweeney Mrs Kurt Essays English short story Charlie Mcsweeney Mrs Kurt Essay English short story Charlie Mcsweeney Mrs Kurt Essay Fire, how was I supposed to know it would lead to this? Why was fire created? What is its purpose? Why did I not take these points into consideration before?When I was just a small boy (about ten) for the first time a lighter flame flickered in front of my eyes, an obsession of mine had just emerged. You see after the first sight of the luminous hypnotising flame I was hooked like an addiction always wanting to see a bigger and more ferocious fire.The first fire I spawned needed three fire engines to extinguish it. It was these old tin sheds, that were derelict or that was what I had thought until I had seen the local news that evening,Homeless man found scolded in derelict tin sheds in Longfield.I did feel guilty for the homeless man vacating the sheds, but at the same time a sharp exhilarating rush emerged throughout my body. The next time made the local news again, an old rundown house in the middle of the woods which went up a treat. The fire engines where unable to get to the sc ene, while I watched on fascinated by the flames flickering fiercely in the wind. The police where getting a bit suspicious now and where trying to stereotype people walking down the street as pyromaniacs whatever one of them would look like. You see I was a typical teenager with tracksuit bottoms a t-shirt covered by a hooded top and a baseball cap. This was the fashion for children my age so I didnt stand out at all, although the rush of being caught was another stimulation that I knew one day I would come to an end.For the next couple of months I had been going around causing carnage burning down old houses to dustbins. The rush was building up; my mind telling me to make a fire and to burn something, at this stage knew something was wrong with my mind but I was so involved in the fires my common sense had faded away. I knew the police were hot on my trail they had narrowed the suspects down to a teenager living locally in Longfield. This next fire was to be my last it would be t he biggest fire I have ever seen. For the last two months I had been planning it, thinking of all my pyromaniac skills that I could use.I set off from my house and walked the three miles to the shops to pick my shopping for the fire; it consisted of two jerry cans full of petrol, a lighter and I took a trip to Glovers farm to pick five bails of straw. I set off to the council estate which was packed with over two hundred houses. I positioned my tools around the back in one of the garages and proceeded towards the nearest fire alarm and let it off, and observed all of the people flee to the car park some hundred yards away. I then immediately began to position the hay bails in the middle of the estate. You see the estate had two large buildings joined by a smaller one in the middle. I then swiftly moved to the base of the middle building placed the straw and then went to the retrieve the lighter and petrol. All that was need now was for me to rig the lighter to explode when I heard s irens; it must be the police and fire brigade responding to the fire alarm as I placed the rigged lighter there was a banging on the door,Come on open the door, whos there.It must be a kid just playing with alarms again go and get the fire brigade to search the area!The lighter was set in place and I was trapped the only way to go was up, at this stage my heart was pounding and my veins ready to explode because of the adrenaline flowing through them. I then stood on the roof of the middle building and all of a sudden heard a deafening blast of the rigged lighter exploding. Looking down I could see fir roaring out of the windows and rising upwards.Time was fading away forcing me upon a decision to live and get caught due to the drop being so high, or stay and get burnt to death. At this point staring death right in the eyes I realised there was no rush or urge to do it again but a desire to live my life as a usual sane person again not a pyromaniac and not end my life at sixteen. The fire was now two floors below me I could feel the heat through the roof. My actions always have seemed to go before my mind so before I knew it I was in mid air on my way down to earth. I passed through the flames out the window I got slightly scolded; as I hit the floor with a horrifying thud and no sense of feeling in my legs feeling completely paralysed. Whilst I was trying to crawl away I was spotted by one of the policemen,Lads Ive found him. Hes the one who started it I saw him through the window.I wasnt really left with a choice to plead my innocence seeing as one of the residents saw me set the alarm off.So here I am now sitting in juvenile prison saying to myself,Fire, how was I supposed to know it would lead to this? Why was fire created? What was its purpose?

Rid your Vocabulary of Business Slang!

Rid your Vocabulary of Business Slang! It’s a logical tendency to use business slang for workplace interactions- you’re seeing the same people and having the same meetings, so obvious clichà ©s creep in from time to time. Here are a bunch you should work to eliminate. â€Å"Drink the Kool-Aid†I’m guessing what you mean here is â€Å"convince† because even cults probably find this clichà © distasteful by this point.â€Å"Break down the silos†Are you a farmer trying to get your harvest consolidated? No? Find another metaphor.â€Å"It is what it is.†Gertrude Stein would say â€Å"There is no there there,† but this literally means nothing.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Do more with less.†Double down on trite and add a dollop of vagueness for this one. Be specific! Be measurable! Be meaningful!â€Å"Tee it up.†Ah the sports metaphor. You’re not fooling anyone with that tiny putting green- this is work, not golf. Even â€Å"cue it up† is less contrived. Ditto: â⠂¬Å"Par for the course.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Take it offline.†Unless you’re having a conversation in an email you soon intend to continue   over the phone or in someone’s office (and remember to be precise about when), a meeting is not â€Å"online† so having a different meeting is not â€Å"offline†. Similarlyâ€Å"Let’s circle back†Ã‚  and â€Å"This is a hard stop†- say what you mean without resorting to dusty, imprecise phrases.â€Å"It’s a paradigm shift.†Do any of your employees know what a paradigm is? Are you really introducing a new model or pattern? If so, why not just introduce the new thing? This is a placeholder for a real idea.â€Å"We can’t boil the ocean.†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.what? Why? Climate change concerns aside, how is this helpful? What insight is it meant to provoke?â€Å"Low-hanging fruit†If you were a customer, would you want to be visualized this way?  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Out of pocket†We pay for things out of our pockets because that’s where our wallets are. If what you mean is â€Å"out of office† or â€Å"unavailable†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦why wouldn’t you just say that?â€Å"Move the needle.†Are you a geologist? One who studies earthquakes?â€Å"Bite the bullet.†Think of retiring this one as your contribution to dismantling gun rhetoric in the United States. It refers to the practice of biting a bullet in lieu of having anesthesia during surgery. How is this something you want emulated in your workplace?â€Å"Run it up the flagpole.†Is it possible you mean â€Å"test† or â€Å"try out† or â€Å"send to a focus group? Would you actually learn anything from suspending your idea in the air? How many ways to wave are there, really?â€Å"On the cutting edge†I feel like The Sharper Image took this phrase down- even the newest most exciting technology isn’t really â€Å"on the cutting edge† anymore. "Think outside the box.†Yawn. Thinking inside the box would be more surprising than a corporate supervisor bringing this one out of mothballs.â€Å"Peel back the layers of the onion.†Maybe it’s getting close to lunch time, but either way swap this one out for â€Å"Take a closer look.† Delete â€Å"drill down,† â€Å"unpack,† and â€Å"double-click† from your repertoire too.â€Å"Synergize†This one makes me cringe because what you mean is â€Å"synthesize† with an overlay of technobabble.I’m making a separate category for phrases reality TV has murdered:â€Å"Don’t throw him/her under the bus.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Take it to the next level.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"If/When push comes to shove.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"I’m not here to make friends†(Okay, probably nobody says that last one at work but it’s my very favorite reality trope.)And lastly, the one I have the most personal investment in- stop using workplace â⠂¬Å"catchphrases† that have an offensive or appropriative meanings! My mom is one of two American Indian employees in her office, and still occasionally hears â€Å"Let’s pow-wow about this later† and â€Å"She really went off the rez.† You are having a meeting. A MEETING. You can tell because it’s in a conference room and not in a sacred ceremonial space accompanied by drumming and other traditional rituals. And as for â€Å"off the rez,†Ã‚   â€Å"going outside of expectations† is not the same as â€Å"escaping from the forced housing communities your people were driven to after years of exploitation and genocide,† if you really think about it.Also throw on this pile of outdated and offensive phrases, â€Å"indian giver,† â€Å"open the kimono,† â€Å"gypped,† â€Å"chink in the armor,† â€Å"peanut gallery.† If you don’t know why, look it up. Make your workplace communication meaningf ul.