Project Definition essays

Project Definition essays Located at the heart of Beulah Bog County and established in 1990, Exodus Twp. currently has a population of three hundred. The township is faced with the problem of enticing businesses and residents to their locale. Previous residents and businesses vacated their homes and store fronts due to high taxes and crime rates. Since the current Administration has been in office the crime rates have dropped to acceptable levels and the operating budget has been streamlined in addition to being balanced enabling the Trustees to reduce taxes. The Board of Trustees, Perkins, Hardy and Markham, want to reach prospective businesses and residents through the Internet, but do not have a web page for the township. With the absence of any Intra/Internet in place, the new Trustees cannot efficiently develop or support a web page. Once this web page is implemented, prospective residents and businesses can make contact with the Trustees and voice their concerns and opinions of current policies and prac tices. They will also have twenty-four hours access to their representatives and services. The objective of the township is to have this web page operational by the beginning of the next physical year, November 2002. The Township Trustees are setting aside $10,000 dollars for the development of the web page. Once the web page has been designed and implemented the townships Data-Processing Unit will be responsible for the maintenance. The township is faced with the risks of this project not being completed within set budget limits and time frame. They are also faced with the possibility that the web page will not draw the potential businesses and residents to their location. The purpose of the Exodus Township web-page is to attract people to the fine living available in their community. It should also attract businesses as well. ...

Writer’s Guide for a Persuasive Essay on Sports as a Social Institution

Writer’s Guide for a Persuasive Essay on Sports as a Social Institution When you want someone with a generally stubborn and rigid mindset to agree with your point of view, you need a solid rhetoric technique known as persuasive writing. In this third and final writer’s guide for a persuasive essay on sports as a social institution, we explain how to write a persuasive essay in a way that persuades your audience by shaping your opinions to solidify and strongly support arguments. We’ve already covered some interesting facts in our 10 facts for a persuasive essay on sports as a social institution guide and provided you with 20 topics on the social aspect guide. Now let’s begin the third guide. Before you write: Start with Good Research Writing a persuasive essay requires both charisma and passion to reach your audience and entertain them with a good read. However, it is also necessary to conduct thorough research and have solid evidence to support your argument, compelling the readers to agree with your point of view. Write for Your Audience Most writers are unable to comprehend the significance of getting to know their audience before writing something for them. You should use specific arguments and examples that resonate with your audience and influence them to read your essay. How to start writing: Start with a Powerful Thesis A thesis should be so strong and powerful that it makes a reader â€Å"hungry† for more of your content. Your thesis is the central nerve point of your essay and it resonates with your writing from top to bottom. It provides an insight to what’s at the heart of your essay and plays an important role in influencing the reader to either read it thoroughly or just skim through it. Dr. Martin Luther King’s letter, â€Å"Letter from Birmingham Jail†, is an astonishing example of how brilliant, touching and entertaining persuasive writing can be. Structure Arguments like a Staircase Your arguments should be well-structured, like a staircase, leading to the nature of your thesis and bringing the reader closer to accepting your point of view. It is highly recommended that you support your arguments with credible sources, conduct your own research through interviews or include your own insights on what has already been discussed by well-known personalities or credible places and events. Addressing counter-arguments might seem like a dull idea, but it really brings a person closer to your point of view, when you refute that argument in your own words, by supporting evidence and credible research. Conclude the Essay with a Powerful Restatement Concluding an essay means you want to show the reader that there is nothing left to argue about. A perfect conclusion includes restatement of your thesis and a summary on how you’ve supported your arguments through solid evidence and credible sources. Tip: We highly recommend that you edit the content before submitting it to your professor. Read your custom essay from a critical outsider perspective and review your article multiple times if you have to. With a strong thesis, substantial research and thoughtful arguments supported by credible research and evidence, you’ll deliver a potent persuasive essay that will compel your audience into thinking and accepting your point of view.

Fourth Amendment forbids only unreasonable searches and seizures Essay

Fourth Amendment forbids only unreasonable searches and seizures - Essay Example The ultimate reason for the Officer searching the container in the car is to gather adequate evidence that prove the suspect illicit act. This stands out that, any evidence established would be worth to use against the defendant, and for further investigations of illegitimate act. In this case, the fourth amendment regards that, when under such circumstances, it is objectively sound for the officer to consider that the scope of the suspect’s approval authorized him to open the container in the Automobile (Legal professionals, 2012). In fact, it would be reasonable for the suspect to permit the Officer to open the container despite being guilt of the offence. Thus, I must conclude that, the evidences should be permitted against the defendant, and arrested if found guilt after carrying out comprehensive investigations. For instance, having seen a paper bag with cocaine clearly shows that the suspect appeared to be involved in a drug

Purpose of Article 234 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Purpose of Article 234 - Essay Example (3) Where any such question is raised in a case pending before a court or tribunal of a Member State, against whose decisions there is no judicial remedy under national law, that court or tribunal shall bring the matter before the Court of Justice. We can see that the European Court of Justice can only deliver preliminary rulings in certain circumstances and from a limited subset of organisations - namely courts and tribunals. Certain criteria must be fulfilled before a national court or tribunal can invoke Art 243. Closer examination of the provisions of the Art 234 leads us to ask the following questions: Article 249 makes it clear that a European Union Decision is 'binding in its entirety upon those to which it is addressed'. In this case the European Union Decision requires all member states to take necessary measures to ensure that pension schemes are equalised for male and female workers in order to eliminate any forms of discrimination based on gender. The Italian government has lead responsibility to make sure it is implemented. What is not clear on the facts before us is whether there is a question of Community law to be interpreted. The European Court of Justice will not hear any other matter. ... e the European Union Decision requires all member states to take necessary measures to ensure that pension schemes are equalised for male and female workers in order to eliminate any forms of discrimination based on gender. The Italian government has lead responsibility to make sure it is implemented. What is not clear on the facts before us is whether there is a question of Community law to be interpreted. The European Court of Justice will not hear any other matter. This is the only ground on which a national court or tribunal can request a preliminary ruling. If we refer back to Art 234(1) applicants must establish that they require a ruling which pertains to either the interpretation of the Treaty itself and or the interpretation and validity of an act by a European Community institution. With regard to Council statues, the statute itself must grant permission for preliminary hearings on the statue: Art 234(1) If there is no question of Community law to be interpreted then Maria will be denied her request for the Italian Medical Council to seek a preliminary ruling. The European Court of Justice has powers to neither interpret domestic law nor pass judgement on the compatibility of domestic law with European Community law: Van Gend en Loos (case 26/62). In Costa v ENEL (case 6/64) the European Court of Justice said: 'a decision should be given by the Court not upon the validity of an Italian law in relation to the Treaty, but only upon the interpretation of the above-mentioned [Treaty] Articles in the context of the points of law stated by the Giudice Conciliatore' The European Court of Justice also has no jurisdiction to rule on the application of Community law by national courts. Further it cannot invite national courts to refer matters to it: De

Compare and Contrast 2 Movies with Platos Allegory Essay Example for Free

Compare and Contrast 2 Movies with Platos Allegory Essay Humans depend on their five senses to confirm the authenticity of the reality that surrounds them, but how would they react when their comfort zone they call â€Å"the truth† is wrong? In Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, Plato answers that question with a series of symbols. The same symbolic meanings can be found in the 1999 film of The Matrix (directed by Andy and Larry Wachowski) where the protagonist Thomas A. Anderson is a man living two lives. Thomas is an average computer programmer by day but hacker Neo by night. Thomas is an obedient citizen; on the other hand, Neo has never been satisfied with the reality that has been spoon fed to him since he was born and has been searching for the truth through computers. When Neo is targeted by the police, Morpheus (a legendary computer hacker) contacts Neo and awakens him to the real world. Because of the obvious similarities, the dimensions present in The Matrix could be compared with Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. In The Matrix, Morpheus makes a perplexing point of â€Å"If real is what you feel, smell, taste and see, then ‘real’ is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain† (The Matrix) and continues to question â€Å"what is real? † (The Matrix). This argument then leads to Morpheus revealing the real post-apocalyptic world where machines who call themselves the â€Å"Sentinels† rule over humans. Morpheus explains that the Sentinels created a reality stimulator (the â€Å"Matrix†) to control humans. The Matrix is built to feed humans a false world and is manipulated by artificial knowledge. This make-belief world befits Plato’s representation of the ignorant world â€Å"the cave†. In Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, the cave is to symbolize the warped world that the everyday people would perceive as the one and only â€Å"reality†. Not forgetting the ultimate truth, Plato symbolizes it with the â€Å"world above the cave†. In The Matrix, the dark, machine-ruled world is The Matrix[’s] rendition of the world above the cave. Wanting to share the truth, Morpheus opens the door of the ultimate truth to Neo by giving him the choice between the blue and the red pill. If Neo was to choose the blue pill, it was a choice to continue living in the Matrix’s blissful ignorant illusion whereas if he chose the red pill, he will be able to embrace the hidden truth. Morpheus’ red pill is a portrayal of â€Å"the tunnel† in Plato’s Allegory of the Cave. The red pill and â€Å"the tunnel† are to symbolize the path to more information and to become more open-minded. After choosing the red pill, this path awakens Neo to the new world and Morpheus trains and teaches Neos mind to be strong enough to comprehend and differentiate the truth from the Matrix. Neo’s training of the truth is a depiction of Socrates the freed prisoner being pulled to the light because both dimensions are to symbolize the education the one has to go through to further understand the world and its surroundings. In Plato’s allegory, Socrates journey suggests that without the assistance of education and with the little knowledge one has, one is incapable of comprehending new information which makes the â€Å"tunnel† essential for enlightenment. After learning the ultimate truth through Morpheus’ education process, Neo realizes that the spoon that fed him information his whole life was a lie and that â€Å"there is no spoon† (The Matrix). Eventually Neo reacts to the world’s reality with acceptance and he believes that he lives in â€Å"a world where anything is possible† (The Matrix). Neo acknowledges and stomachs the actuality of the Matrix; however, Cypher (another â€Å"disciple of the truth† Morpheus had trained) loathes the truth and would much rather revert back to an ignorant Matrix citizen. As a portrayal of Plato’s allegory’s â€Å"rejection of the truth†, Cypher teams up with Agent Smith (the antagonist of the film) to catch Morpheus and prevent the spread of knowledge. The reasoning behind Agent Smith rejection of the truth and role to silence Morpheus is because the Sentinels (the robots that rule earth) believe that if the humans realize the false world that surrounds them, the humans might revolt which will inevitably lead to the dethroning of the Sentinels. Agent Smith’s role is The Matrix[’s] representation of Plato’s â€Å"guards†, because â€Å"the guards† are responsible for keeping the ignorant prisoners (which, in The Matrix[’s] terms, are the humans) from learning about the real world. Agent Smith’s hatred towards the real world is evident when he says â€Å"I hate this place, this zoo, this prison, this reality†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (The Matrix). Both Agent Smith’s and Cypher’s â€Å"rejection of the truth† leads to Cypher’s betrayal to Morpheus’ trust and consequently leads to several valued â€Å"disciples of the truth† deaths. Cypher’s double-crossing unfaithfulness progresses the plot and the flow of The Matrix[’s] and Plato’s Allegory of the Cave[’s] story leads to the â€Å"execution of Socrates† (ie. Neo’s death). The â€Å"execution of Socrates† is Plato’s metaphor of the information censorship when the ultimate truth is not accepted by the general public. Although Neo is revived in The Matrix, his death is essential because it is the a representation of the general public’s rejection to the one and only hope to understanding the ultimate truth and it also shows the consequences of the general public’s lack of better judgment. Neo was not revived until Trinity and the other â€Å"disciples of the truth† portrayed their hope and acceptance for Neo. When Neo was revived, Neo was able to defeat Agent Smith (â€Å"the guard†) and is now able to spread the legitimacy of the Matrix. Even though Plato ended his allegory with the â€Å"execution of Socrates† to better convince his audience that any information censorship will lead to no progression, The Matrix revived Neo to depict what could of happened to Socrates if the truth was accepted (which eventually be the general public’s acceptance of the truth). After analyzing and comparing The Matrix and Plato’s Allegory of the Cave, one can see that the two are very similar and are trying to get the same messages across. Through character development, themes, and symbolism both allegories were able to demonstrate the path to knowledge is often concealed by the faulty ideology the complacent majority desperately cling unto. Without the willingness to evolve and buildup of what we, as humans, know to further understand the misinterpreted world (ie. The reality), no positive progression will occur.

Essay example --

Margaret Thatcher is an iconic political figure that goes down in history as the longest serving, and only woman, British Prime Minister in the history of politics in the United Kingdom. Famous for her stern political stance and policies on international policies and relations, Thatcher was nick-named the ‘Iron Lady’, a name that well stuck with her considering her general approach to policies and outlook into international politics. Having served Britain for 20 years, Thatcher stands as an important political figure that brought with her great political changes in the United Kingdom. Not only is she notable for her efforts to revolutionize the British economy from Statism to Liberalism, but also her unending efforts to lower inflation and greatly reduce the high unemployment levels that were present in the country when she took office. Thatcher not only involved herself with her home politics, but also those of other countries bringing Britain politics to the internati onal map. She became a commonly familiar figure with Ronald Reagan, the then President of the United States of America, and even most surprisingly gained praise and popularity with the then Soviet Union leader, Gorbachev. During her long and eventful stay in office, Thatcher attracted praise and criticism in equal measure. Nevertheless, she remains a political enigma in relation to British and International politics. Margaret Thatcher was born in 1925, in the town of Grantham, to a local businessman who doubled as a grocer and Mayor of Grantham town. She was sent to a local grammar school where her oratory skills sprout roots at a tender age. It has been widely argued that her father served as an influential figure in her life and the towering figure behind her in... ...Britain`s economy behind. Thatcher also introduced a new strategy on government spending in addition to introducing the concept of home ownership to tenants (The Economist). Thatcher is highly remembered for her involvement in keeping the value of the Pound high, a move that has shielded Britain over the recent financial crisis being experienced in Europe. She also restored Britain`s sovereignty as a power to reckon with in international politics and the defeat of Argentina over the Falkland Islands(James). Margaret Thatcher remains one of the most famous politicians of all time. Having adopted controversial policies to save her own country from the economic mess that it was in, Thatcher became more popular to the rest of the world than in her own country. Nevertheless, she will remain in the books of history as one of the most iconic political enigmas of all time.

Advertising Paragraph Tenth Essay

Advertising is one of the best ways to get consumers’ attention. When the ad is spiced up with handsome men and beautiful women enjoying the great outdoors, people are likely to take a look at the ad, thinking it may be for a nice vacation or possibly for something healthy, but to the consumers’ surprise, it’s an ad for â€Å"Newport† cigarettes. How does this affect the audience? By creating an environment on the ad that is bright, lively and colorful, along with attractive men and women, it really gets the consumer’s attention well. The cigarette companies have used this strategy for years to reach their audiences, and the â€Å"Newport† ad is no different. The advertisement for â€Å"Newport† brand cigarettes does a good job of getting the consumers’ attention and even selling cigarettes in general, but when it comes to the advertisement of its own brand, the ad really lacks effectiveness. Looking at the picture, the only par t of the ad that sells the â€Å"Newport† brand are the three small packs of cigarettes in the top right corner and the word â€Å"Newport.† Everything else in the picture is just for getting the consumers’ attention. The main target audiences for this product are most likely avid male smokers, however, the ad can be geared towards both sexes. By showing the man running in front of the woman with the boogie board, he becomes the focal point. When looking at the picture, with the three packs of cigarettes and the text â€Å"pleasure† sitting directly above the man’s head along with the phrase â€Å"fire it up† pointing directly to the male, really shows how much more attention they want on or even from males. Also, by matching the colors of the man’s bathing suit, boogie board and the text, shows that the ad is more interested in helping the consumer focus on the man rather than the woman. It is because of these points that the ad fails to sell the â€Å"Newport† brand to both sexes. Another reason this ad fails to sell its product well is because it seems they put more attention i nto the picture, its surroundings and exaggerations, rather than the actual product â€Å"Newport† cigarettes. It seems they are depicting that even when the consumer smokes cigarettes, he or she can have a sexy, toned, muscular body and feel great all the time. This obviously is not true, considering that cigarettes contribute to weight gain, loss of respiratory stamina and many forms of cancer. Along with these disadvantages come stained teeth and bad breath, which all accompany the true criteria of an  everyday smoker. One of the most interesting selling points in this picture are the words â€Å"fire it up† posted right above the surgeon general’s warning. Positioning these words above the warning is a gross example of how much the cigarette companies don’t care about the negative effects their cigarettes have on their customers. Knowing that their product kills hundreds of thousands of people a year and permanently disables thousands of others, their decision to place this phrase above such a serious warning tells me that they want to convince the consumer to completely disregard how unsafe cigarettes really are. Also, the fact that the phrase â€Å"fire it up† does not include any information about the â€Å"Newport† brand cigarette itself also shows that the company really failed to sell its own brand. For an avid male smoker such as my-self, this ad does what it is intended to do. It makes us think to ourselves, â€Å"man, I could really go for a cigarette.† The ad does this well by setting a trigger off inside the consumer’s head, to start thinking about cigarettes. Unfortunately, when it comes to the advertisement selling its own brand, the ad really falls short, since the company producing the ad put more money into making the advertisement visually appealing rather than focusing on selling their own brand. In the future, it would be more advantageous for the company, if they focused more on integrating the specific benefits of using their brand over others, rather than creating an â€Å"eye pleasing† advertisement.

Human Resources Functions Essay

Human resources or personnel function fulfils a number of needs. It is responsible for the hiring and firing of employees, for staff training and development, and for dealing with matters relating to industrial relations. In this report I will be analysing each of the functions related to human resource and then take one of them and make an in depth analysis of it. Once I collect the information I need regarding the responsibilities of the human resources and how they should be carried out, my next step will be to compare them with a medium or large size company to see how they carrying out the responsibilities and what alterations they have made to suit their particular needs. To do this I have chosen Tesco. Below I will briefly look at the four functions of human resource and how they affect Tesco: 1. Human Resource Planning Human resource planning can be defined as: â€Å"The activity of management which is aimed at coordinating the requirements for and the availability of the different types of employee† In simplicity, this means to make sure that the organisation has the right number of employees and of the right quality. For the human resource to achieve their targets they need to have a good understating of the labour market in the local area. When planning human resources Tesco need to take into account the following factors: a) Local employment trends Local employment trends tells Tesco about the levels of employment in the area and gives them a general idea of the type of jobs people are getting and the type of jobs that there are a shortage in. b) Local skills shortages Local skills shortages is an important aspect to Tesco’s human resource because it informs them about the lack of people with certain qualities in the local area. This is important as it can be used to compare against the Tesco’s skills criteria for new employees. If they are looking for certain skills from people and theses are not available then they will either need to compromise or look elsewhere. Also, if they know the general skills of the people then when they advertising for a job, it will reduce the chance of them asking for qualities which are absent in the people, which might keep very suitable people from applying and few applicants might mean that further advertisements are needed, costing time and money to Tesco. c) Competition for employees There may be very few people with top qualities willing to work for a company like Tesco. It would be in the best interest of Tesco to seek and take theses enthusiasts on board. If they don’t, then other similar retailers will recruit them and then they will become rivals to Tesco. Competition for employees may even be on the lower skills end where there may be a shortage for cashiers, for example. Tesco will need to provide suitable incentives to attract these key people. One simple way in which to attract the mass of people is to increase their wage. This is not always the case due to the financial constraints on a business. d) Availability of labour Availability of labour is an important factor for Tesco. They need to make sure that they are aware of the quantity and quality of workers available when recruiting. This understanding will allow them to make right decision when employing people. If there are very few suitable candidates then they will have to choose someone amongst those. However, if there are many people suitable for the job then they can carry on with their search until they come across some one who fulfils all the requirements. It is important for Tesco to know the availability of workers in their locality as this will enable them to prepare and make back up plans for when there is a shortage of suitable people willing to work for Tesco. Human resource planning also involves looking at how labour is organised within a business. The factors that Tesco must take into account are as follows: a) Labour turnover This is about forecasting supply of labour. It asks the question ‘how many employees will we have in the future?’ It therefore means looking at internal and external sources of labour. When Tesco is looking at the total supply of labour in its organisation it is important for them to look at labour turnover. Below is an example of one of many ways of working out employee turnover: This is sometime called the ‘percentage waste rate’. It tells Tesco what percentage of workforce left in a year. There are also other indexes which deal with stability, which give a good idea of how long employees are staying with the organisation. If employees are not staying very long in certain departments of Tesco, then this can be pinpointed and investigated. b) Sickness and accident rates A high level of sickness absence will affect the supply of labour very badly. If genuine then Tesco can do very little in the short term. If they are bogus then moral within honest workers will be low and confidence in managers can sink. There are many ways in which the human resource team can monitor performance against: o Performance in the previous year o Trends in other organisations in the same industrial sector o National sickness absence figures Accident rates can be lowered and kept to a minimum if health and safety guidelines are followed properly. c) Age, skills and training This is also known as stock taking. It asks the question ‘what is the quantity and quality of staff available in the organisation?’ It uses the following techniques: o Job analysis involves gathering information about all employees. It collects information regarding their duties and skills required to fulfil those duties. o Skills audit is a survey of the skills, qualifications and experience of all existing staff. o Performance review involves looking at the performance of all employees in order to: o identify potential staff o identify where staff have more training needs This information will give an idea to the rest of the company about the skills and training of their employees. Weakness can be tackled using these information and strengths can be built upon. d) Succession This really only applies to employees at supervisor/line manager level and above. Succession planning enables the organisation to ensure that staff with potential to fill top jobs are given extra training or wider experience so that when the time comes they will be able to fill those positions. Without this type of planning Tesco would see good employees leaving for better opportunities elsewhere. This will make it harder for Tesco to fill gaps at a later date. Conclusion on Human Resource Planning Humans are the most important resource to Tesco and they will need to make sure that they plan properly to ensure that they employee the best people who are best suited to the job. This will ensure they have an advantage over their rivals, as rivals can copy products but not staff. 2. Recruitment and Selection Tesco recruit staff for a number of reasons. Initial recruiting is needed when a new store opens and after that there will be a constant need for recruiting due to the changing needs of Tesco and the needs of he employees. o The growth of Tesco is usually seen with the opening of new stores. The opening of stores means that they need to recruit so that the employees can run the store. o Changing job roles within the business o Resignation, retirement, dismissal also means that recruitment needs to take place in order to replace these workers and keep the business running as before o Internal promotion means that new recruits are needed when existing employees are being promoted to higher positions, which leads to vacancies which can be filled by internal candidates. Promotion usually means that there are now gaps at the lower skill level in the store and this creates jobs for external candidates with less experience. Extra costs are always frowned upon by businesses and recruitment, if not properly done can cost a business a lot of money and time. This means that it is very important for a business to recruit accurately and this will mean that the recruiting team have a clear idea of what sort of person the business is looking for and what is expected from them. The team can save the business money and time by: o Preparing person specifications and job description which clearly outline what kind of person they are looking for and with what qualifications. The job description will clearly linked with what they are expected to do once recruited and what is expected of them. o Carefully planning how, when and where to advertise as this will save time and money for Tesco. Tesco need to weigh out the costs and benefits of different methods of advertising (e.g. using internet or the local newspaper), when the best time for advertising is (in the summer holidays or beginning of the school year) and where to advertise (e.g. in the stores or at the job centre). o Identifying the strengths and weakness of job applications, curriculum vitae and letters of application. The recruiting team will need to be very experienced at electing candidates. Their experience in recruiting will be reflected in the quality of candidates they recruit. o Short-listing candidates involves selecting a small number of applicants for the next stage. This may well be training or more tasks to lower the number of people for the next stage. This selecting will carry on until the right numbers of candidates are found with the desired quality. The recruiting team need to be able to distinguish easily the strong applicants from the weak as there may be hundreds of applicants. When recruiting every applicant deserves and expects the same opportunity as their rivals. There are many legal and ethnic responsibilities relating to equal opportunities which Tesco must uphold so that they don’t break the government law and trust of the public. Below are a few acts passed by the government which will govern the recruiting method and process. o Equal Pay Act 1970, requires employers to pay same rate of pay to men and women if they are doing the same job. o Sex Discrimination Act 1975 states that employers may not discriminate on grounds of gender. This act makes it illegal to discriminate against a particular sex when: o Advertising to fill jobs available o Appointing employees for those jobs o Promoting staff into better jobs o Determining the terms and conditions of the ob o When offering employees opportunities for training and development There are Exceptions to this act where this act does not apply. However, these exceptions do not apply to Tesco and this means that the whole act is to be followed by Tesco. o Race Relations Act 1976 makes discrimination on grounds of race illegal in the same areas as the Sex Discrimination Act 1975, i.e. advertising jobs, appointing staff, promoting staff and providing staff benefits. Again there are exceptions which do not apply to Tesco which means the whole act is to be followed by Tesco. o Disability Discrimination Act 1995 updates the protection for disabled persons and places it onto a similar basis as for other forms of discrimination. Key aspects of the Act warn against discriminating when advertising jobs, appointing staff, promoting staff and providing staff benefits. It also states that reasonable steps must be taken to ensure that a disabled person can work on the premises. This act does not cover organisations employing fewer than 20 people. It is therefore correct to say that this act is to be followed closely by Tesco as their employees’ number thousands. However, Tesco only have to do what is reasonable. If modifications are very expensive then this would be deemed unreasonable. There is some government financial assistance available for modifications to buildings. To ensure that only suitable candidates are chosen and to make the selecting process easier and less time consuming, there are testing method and techniques available to the recruiting team. Aptitude tests It has become increasingly common for employers to expect job applicants to carry out tests to give a fuller picture of their ability to do the job applied for. They are appropriate or manual work where there is some skill involved and also for office work. These types of tests are appropriate for Tesco to use as they will allow them to find out more about the applicant before selecting and will allow the applicants to show their full potential. Psychometric tests These types of test assess the intelligence and personality of applicants. They are much more sophisticated then aptitude tests and Tesco must have properly trained staff to carry out and analyse the tests. The producers of such test argue that they are unbiased and that they can sow, for example, if a candidate would work well in a team. Human resources department must have good interviewing techniques and the interviews must adopt these methods and techniques when interviewing to ensure they reach out comes in the best interest of Tesco and its entire staff. Tesco must make sure that recruiters are aware of all the criteria for evaluating the recruitment process and must ensure that all the guidelines and methods are followed carefully. Many employers now use their employees in a ‘flexible’ way so that they can get the most value form them. Tesco must understand the importance of recruiting and maintaining a flexible workforce if they are to remain competitive. There are different bases for recruiting people for a flexible workforce, and below I have mentioned a few: o Different modes of employment o Different terms and conditions Just as methods of working have changed, so have the terms and conditions under which people are employed. People may be employed full-time or part-time under a number of contractual arrangements. o Core employees are highly paid workers who offer ‘firm-specific’ skills which are hard to acquire form anywhere else. Often such skills will have been acquired within the organisation itself. They provide functional flexibility because they do a range of tasks. Because they are so ‘firm-specific’ they have high job security. o Part-time, temporary and contract labour Sometimes temporary staff are required for short periods of time either to replace employees who are absent or to help out in busy times. When labour is plentiful the short-term contract enables firms to meet present staffing needs without making a long-term contract. Tesco use this type of recruitment when there is a shortage of staff or when there s a busy period (e.g. Christmas) which demands more assistants in the shop floor. Conclusion on Recruitment and Selection Tesco must ensure that their recruiting team is the properly qualified as a good team will lead to good recruits. Tesco must ensure that they use the best and fair methods suited to their environment to select the right candidates. This will ensure the best people are working for them to create the top company. 3. Training and Development A general definition of ‘training’ is: ‘the acquisition of a body of knowledge and skills which can be applied to a particular job’ Training can be divided into two main categories: ‘on the job’ training or ‘off the job training. ‘on the job’ training This means that the employees acquire their training or development in the workplace itself. An example of this in Tesco is when they recruit a school leaver who has little work experience. One of the supervisors will show the new recruit what they have to carry out and may show them how this is done. ‘off the job’ training This means attending courses which may be in a collage or training centre away from the work place. This usually applies when there are insufficient facilities or people to train the trainees. Tesco may want its entire senior staff to have a high degree of understanding in health and safety and for this they may send their seniors to a course where they would acquire this knowledge from experts. Induction This is an introduction to the organisation for new employees. It is designed to familiarise new recruits with the organisation, its rules, facilities, policies and key staff. Usually an introductory pack containing the main details will be provided. In Tesco this would be carried out once a recruit starts working or when they are being promoted and new responsibilities are put on them. The induction is very important to both Tesco and their new employee. Tesco need to ensue that they give the best possible start to the recruit and the employee needs to be satisfied that this it is in their best interest to work for Tesco. Tesco will also get their first impression of their recruit so this stage is important for Tesco. Mentoring This can take a number of forms. It may involve an experienced member of staff supporting a new recruit through initial stages after joining the organisation. The aim is to give a new member of staff a point of contact where problems can be taken and advice given. The meetings are usually informal and supportive and the mentor is often someone at the same level in the organisation as the new recruit. Mentoring will allow the new member to pick up new ideas quickly and will be more beneficial for the company. Coaching Coaching is a term which is becoming increasingly used in association with training in business. It involves an expert helping employees to develop specific skills through explanation, practice and encouragement. Coaching is becoming popular as a means of developing the skills of senior managers. This is important as it targets employees at the higher end of the chart. Their success will be passed on to the juniors and this will mean that better managers will mean better staff. Apprenticeships Traditionally, an apprenticeship involved a trainee working for a period of time with a craftsperson in order to learn a trade. In-house raining This is where employers run courses inside their own organisation. Courses run ‘in house’ will be ones where it is impractical and unrealistic to offer any other alternative – an oblivious example would be the organisation induction programme. This type of training is very useful to Tesco because this means that they can easily gather all their employees and teach them new methods or make them aware of surrounding situations. This will give them advantage over rivals as it will mean that all their staff are always up-to date with the latest knowledge, skills and methods. External training Sometimes it is necessary to send staff to do courses elsewhere. This may be at a factory of a n equipment supplier (when an organisation buys new equipment the supplier will usually run training programmes at its own factory to get employees accustomed to using it). This type of training will make the employees more efficient as they won’t be wasting valuable time on the shop floor trying to figure out what certain buttons on a machine do. Transferable skills These are skills that, once learnt, may be applied in many different situations. The key skills of Application of Number, Communication and Information Technology are transferable. This could be for example cashing up the till. Non-transferable skills These are narrow skills that are job specific; they apply only to a particular situation. This for example could be the procedure of dealing with out of date food. Conclusion on Training and Development Knowledge and skills of staff are vital to the success of Tesco. Therefore, they must ensure their employees are best trained and that they are always developing. 4. Performance Management A business needs to ensure that its employees are performing effectively. It will wish to: o Identify areas which are unsatisfactory o It may wish to find areas where employees need to be trained and developed o It may wish to encourage and reward good performance – perhaps with performance-related pay in the form of bonuses or pay increases. Performance management refers to the practice of setting targets, measuring performance against these and suggesting courses of action. A number of methods may be used to check performance the choice will depend upon the business in question. Performance reviews including appraisals An increasingly important way of getting feedback on employee performance is through appraisal. Appraisal may be closed, in which case the report remains confidential. More usually the process is open, in which case the appraisee takes an active part in the review process and discusses the results. The appraisal essentially looks at what an employee’s job is, how well it is being performed, and what action should be taken for the future. Self-appraisals Self-appraisals involves employees assessing themselves against a series of criteria. These results can then Peer evaluations This involves employees on the same level within the organisation assessing each other. This may mean that managers in different of Tesco observe each others and write a report. Target setting for individuals and groups All employees should know just what’s expected of them on the job. When setting targets the Human Resources department for Tesco must make sure that their targets meet these criteria: o They should be specific. Every person doing a job should know exactly what he or she is expected to do. o They should be measurable. Tesco should have a touchstone against which performance can be measured. o They must be attainable. Unless the targets can be met, staff will consider them unfair and Tesco may find that their staff, resist working towards them. Measuring individual and group output/production Tesco employ staff in order to help the organisation sell the products and provide its customers with quality service. The efforts of the human resources managers will be towards improving the performance of employees and thereby enabling the organisation to achieve its objectives. Performance can be measured in a number of ways: o Performance through profit This may mean comparing its profit for different years or against its other stores. o Performance through quality Today, quality is a word used in all organisations, those providing services as well as those providing goods. This means that Tesco can use methods such as suggestion box for customers to praise customer service or to make complaints against staff. This will enable management to work with the employee in question or to reward them. o Performance through productivity In Tesco, sales representatives, for example, keep records of sales they make. Tesco can for example, compare two staff at the checkouts working the same shifts to see how fast they are serving the customers, by analysing how many customers they have served. They can use this to determine training needs. After setting these performances, the staff will be monitored and their results analysed. In order for Tesco to prosper amongst their rivals they must use the performance results as a way to find and solve problems. For example, the results may show that a particular employee or a group of employee lack certain aspects of knowledge in their jobs. Using this information Tesco can target these employees and send them on training programmes so that they are more developed. Motivation It may seem obvious that staff should be motivated; however, from the point of human resources management this is only true if motivation leads to improvements in the work. Over the years a number of management theories have been put forward in an attempt to explain the nature of motivation and suggest ways in which it may be improved. Frederick Taylor’s principles of scientific management Taylor’s belief was that complex tasks should be broken into separate operations so that little could go wrong. Each operation would be performed by a separate employee. The whole job could then be completed in a series of stages by a number of employees working together. This theory can be seen if one aspect of Tesco is looked in to detail. For example, when a delivery comes one employee doesn’t unload the truck, check them off, and put them on the shelves. This process of getting goods from the truck on to the shop floor is done by a number of employees working in team so that once one stage is completed the second can be tackled by another set of employees. This way each set of employees knows exactly what they are required to do and chance of something going wrong is decreased. Fredrick Herzberg’s two factor theory Herzberg’s theories, produced in the 1950s, concern job design and satisfaction. From numerous interviews with accountants and engineers he concluded that two sets of factors are important. o Hygiene factors, which include reasonable pay, satisfactory conditions of work and benefits such as sick pay. o Motivators, which include responsibility, challenge and self-improvement. Hertzberg believed that properly designed jobs provide satisfaction and personal development for the employee. The workers become motivated, perform well and are less likely to be absent. To Tesco this theory is very important. They have taken advice from such theory and adapted their policies where possible to suit their employees. Tesco pay competitive rates, their working conditions are of top quality and they have many benefits. These are a result of understanding this theory and implementing them so that they get the desired results that all companies want. Abraham Maslow’s hierarch of needs Maslow developed his ‘Theory of Human Motivation’ in 1943. He believed that motivation comes from a desire to satisfy needs. He placed these in a hierarchy with the basic needs at the bottom of the pyramid and higher needs at the top. In practice Maslow accepted that a variety of needs will exist at the same time, but suggested that once lower needs are satisfied then higher needs become the strongest motivators. Maslows theory has the same basis of Fredrick Herzbergs’s two factor theory because they both argue that what satisfies a person is the hygiene factors and the Motivators. Fredrick just says that a combination of these two factors leads to better performance where are Maslow goes further to say that they come in a set order where once basic needs are satisfied, higher, more complicated desires will be sought. Both Maslow and Fredrick speak of the same requirements in their theory. Evidence of both these theories can be seen in the day to day running of one of the Tesco stores. One such examples is the promotion of senior managers to managerial positions. In this instance the desire of the employee in question has been fulfilled and soon their desire will advance and they may start looking for further responsibility. Douglas McGregor’s Theory X and Y. In his book , The Human Side of Enterprise, he put forward two extreme views about the way in which organisations manage their employees. He called theses ‘Theory X’ and ‘Theory Y’. ‘Theory X’ states that all employees are lazy unambitious and dislike extra responsibilities. They will always resist change of any kind and are totally uninterested in the future success or otherwise of their employer. They are not interested in how the organisation works and prefer to be told what to do. ‘Theory Y’ is exactly the opposite. Employees are interested in their work and want to be asked for their opinions on how to improve things. They want to be given more responsibilities and will naturally work hard without having to be told what to do all the time. They are also prepared to accept change because they understand it is in everyone’s best interest to move with the times. In practice theses views are extreme ends of the scale and Tesco like most other organisations falls between the two. They have both employees who have the characteristics of ‘theory X’ as well as employees with characteristics of ‘theory Y’. Naturally the more characteristics an employee holds of ‘theory Y’ the more likely that that person will be promoted to higher, more responsible positions as it’s in the best interest for Tesco to make ‘theroy Y’ employees managers key workers. One reason is that ‘theory Y’ employees are more likely to have better attendance and punctuality rates because they are self motivating, and this is a great advantage to Tesco and will help Tesco move further. McGregor’s theories are similar to Muslow’s and Fredrick Herzberg’s. They are all closely related because they all base their theories on the same principle of desire. All their theories show that if a person desires for something and the condition is right then they will work towards it with all their effort. For example, if their s a managerial position and they have the ability to grasp that position then they will, but only if they have the desire to take such responsibility. If however, the conditions are right but the desire is absent then they may not try for such a position or may be promoted with no desire which could lead to chaos. On the other hand, if there is an employee with the desire and no opening is in sight then he/she may decide that the best option for them is to move to another company. Therefore, Tesco endeavours to provide eager, hardworking employees the benefits and promotions they rightly deserve. Relationship between Training & Development and Performance Management Before Tesco can give its staff advance training it needs to know what they lack. It will be very expensive for Tesco to give training to its entire staff regarding all the different aspects of the company. Therefore Tesco needs a way of knowing what their staffs lack knowledge in and which staff or group of staff in particular. As I have mentioned earlier there are many different ways of finding out the training is needs and there is a variety of training programs to suit the needs of the employees. Tesco will set training according to the needs which arise from the performance reviews. Once training is given another performance review will be done to asses its success and further training may be suggested. This cycle of training and reviews will always be part of any company due to advances in technology and constant changes in employees and the attitude of society. The training methods Tesco decide to use and they way in which they review performance will be according to the way in which the person in charge understands and evaluates the A business needs to ensure that its employees are performing effectively. It will wish to: o Identify areas which are unsatisfactory o It may wish to find areas where employees need to be trained and developed o It may wish to encourage and reward good performance – perhaps with performance-related pay in the form of bonuses or pay increases. Performance management refers to the practice of setting targets, measuring performance against these and suggesting courses of action. Conclusion on Performance Management Tesco must ensure that performance of staff are at their very best. They must use suitable methods to find weakness in staff and improve. T succeed they must make certain that the correct attitude is always emanating from their employees and that they are ready for change. Quality of information collected from recruitment documents When Tesco are recruiting people they have set procedures to deal with application forms and there are several key recruitment documents that are used by them to evaluate the quality of the person applying. Before any candidate is given the an interview they must pass the selection process. When Tesco are advertising for a recruit they will provide the person with a job description. A job description lists the main tasks required in a job. The person flicking through the newspaper for example, will decide if the tasks suit them and they will then apply if they do. Along with the Job description, Tesco will also provide what is known as a person specification. This sets out the qualities of an ideal candidate whereas a job description defines the duties and responsibilities of the job. The best-known method of drawing up person specification is based upon seven separate groups of characteristic: 1. Physique, health and appearance 2. Attainments 3. General intelligence 4. Special Aptitudes 5. Interests 6. Disposition 7. Circumstances This specification clearly sets out the description of the ideal candidate and applicants can be easily measured against this. This makes the job of the interviewer much easier and will ensure that Tesco are recruiting the right people for the right job. One a person has seen the advertisement and they want to work at Tesco, there are many ways they can apply. Below I will list them and analyse the advantages and disadvantages of each: The curriculum vitae (CV) This is the most common way in which applicants let Tesco know that they are interested to work in Tesco. CVs are very useful to Tesco as they advantages Provides an overview of the applicant Easy to produce Taught at school Can be used in the selection process Can be used to compare against requirements disadvantages May not provide vital information Not everybody has easy access to computers The letter of application This is simply a letter asking for the job and explaining why they are suitable it. Human Resources department staff may need to read hundreds of application letters so it is in the applicants interests to pay attention to doing it properly. advantages o Can be used in the sorting process o Provides an overview of the applicant disadvantages o The person taught to write letters well at school will stand out even though their other qualities might no be so good o The letter may miss out information, which is important, and conversely is likely to dwell on factors, which make them look a more attractive applicant. The application Form This is a far more commonly used method of selection. Consultants devote hours to designing a new and better forms which will extract even more accurate information from people. advantages o Specific requirements from the job and person specification can be compared with the application form o Questions, which might otherwise not be answered in CVs or letters, can be asked. o The form can act as a framework for the interviewer, making the interview easier to conduct. o Forms can be kept of all short listed candidates and drawn on them again if another vacancy arises. o The form for the successful applicant will become a very useful part of his/hers personal records. disadvantages o Costly to design and produce. The effects of I.C.T on recruitment documents The advance of I.C.T means that companies like Tecso use their web site to advertise jobs. They also have online application forms that will appeal to a wider range of audience. Their website also facilitates for C.Vs to be sent directly to Tesco. The new ways of capturing information is a great advantage to Tesco. They receive application forms and C.Vs within minutes, which saves them time and money. However initial costs of setting up the websites are very high, but the Human Resources Department doesn’t have to worry about this because Tesco will have a website whether the Human Resource department want to use it or not.

Paying For The Latest War In Iraq essays

Paying For The Latest War In Iraq essays At the onset of the latest war with Iraq, in the early spring of 2003, it was already certain that the cost for the war alone would be staggering. The cost of the first Persian Gulf War (1990-1991) was somewhere in the area of sixty one billion dollars (International Security Studies Commission). On the 7th of September, 2003, President George W. Bush, backed by the White House, made a request to congress that would allow for an additional $87 billion in spending for the continuing occupation and reconstruction of the countries of Iraq and Afghanistan. This comes following the $65 billion that the White House recently received for its activities in Iraq in 2003. Of the $87 billion, the White House says that $66 billion would go towards military operation, while the remaining $21 billion would be used in the reconstruction of both Iraq and Afghanistan. We can now see, that what once was labeled a Quick Yield investment in the reconstruction of Iraq has become a heavy burden for American taxpayers. One very big debate about the money for the restoration and rebuilding of Iraq is whether it should be a grant or a loan. This is the task undertaken by Appropriations Chairman Ted Stevens and his committee, who in turn accepted the presidents full package. More than a dozen senators led by republican Pete Domenici and democrat Dianne Feinstein, worked on plans which would shift some of the burden of the reconstruction plan from American taxpayers to the Iraqi people (Stone- USA Today Oct. 1). Bush administration officials have admitted that the $21 billion will fall short of the estimated $50-100 billion required for Iraqi reconstruction o ver the next few years (Weisman -New York Times Oct. 8). The Bush administration has admitted that its initial claims that Iraqs oil revenues would be able to cover the huge costs of reconstruction were greatly overstated. United States officials project Iraqi oil revenues ...

The Executive Branch of US Government

The Executive Branch of US Government The President of the United States is in charge of the executive branch of the United States federal government. The executive branch is empowered by the U.S. Constitution to oversee the implementation and enforcement of all laws passed by the legislative branch in the form of Congress. As one of the foundational elements of a strong central government as envisioned by America’s Founding Fathers, the executive branch dates to the Constitutional Convention in 1787. Hoping to protect the liberties of individual citizens by preventing the government from abusing its power, the Framers crafted the first three articles of the Constitution to establish three separate branches of government: the legislative, the executive and the judicial. The Role of the  President Article II, Section 1 of the Constitution states: â€Å"The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America.†Ã‚   As the head of the executive branch, the President of the United States functions as the head of state representing U.S. foreign policy and as the Commander-in-Chief of all branches of the U.S. armed forces. The president appoints the heads of the federal agencies, including the Secretaries of the Cabinet agencies, as well as the justices of the U.S. Supreme Court. As part of the system of checks and balances, the president’s nominees for these positions require the approval of the Senate. The president also appoints, without the approval of the Senate, more than 300 people to high-level positions within the federal government. The president is elected every four years and chooses his vice president as a running mate. The president is the commander-in-chief of the U.S. Armed Forces and is essentially the leader of the country. As such, he must deliver a State of the Union address to Congress once each year; may recommend legislation to Congress; may convene Congress; has the power to appoint ambassadors to other nations; can appoint Supreme Court justices and other federal judges; and is expected, with his Cabinet and its agencies, to carry out and enforce the laws of the United States. The president may serve no more than two four year terms. The Twenty-second Amendment prohibits any person from being elected president more than twice. The Role of the  Vice President The vice president, who also is a member of the Cabinet, serves as president in the event that the president is unable to do so for any reason or if the president steps down. The vice president also presides over the U.S. Senate and can cast a deciding vote in the event of a tie. Unlike the president, the vice president can serve an unlimited number of four-year terms, even under different presidents. The  Roles of the  Cabinet Agencies The members of the President’s Cabinet serve as advisors to the president. The cabinet members include the Vice President and the heads of 15 executive branch departments. With the exception of the vice president, cabinet members are nominated by the President and must be approved by the Senate. The President’s Cabinet departments are:   The Department of Agriculture, among other functions, ensures that the food Americans consume is safe and regulates the nations vast farming infrastructure.The Department of Commerce helps regulate trade, banking and the economy; among its agencies are the Census Bureau and the Patent and Trademark Office.The Department of Defense, which includes the U.S. Armed Forces, protects the nations security and is headquartered at the Pentagon.The Department of Education is responsible for ensuring equal access to a quality education for all.The Department of Energy keeps the U.S. plugged in, regulating utilities, ensuring the security of power supplies and promoting new technology to conserve energy resources.Health and Human Services help keep Americans healthy; its agencies include the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Disease Control, National Institutes of Health and the Administration on Aging.The Department of Homeland Security, established in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, is charged with preventing terrorist attacks in the U.S. and helping to fight the war on terror and includes the Immigration and Naturalization Service. Housing and Urban Development promotes affordable home-ownership and ensures that no one is discriminated against in the pursuit of that goal.Interior is dedicated to protecting and nurturing natural resources, national parks, and wildlife. Among its agencies are the Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.Justice, led by the Attorney General, enforces the nations laws and includes, among other agencies, the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).The Department of Labor enforces labor laws and keeps workers safety and rights protected.State is charged with diplomacy; its representatives reflect the United States as part of the world community.The Department of Transportation established the Interstate Highway System and keeps the U.S. transportation infrastructure safe and functioning.Treasury ensures the countrys financial and economic stability, manages federal finances and collects taxes . Veterans Affairs provides medical care for wounded or ill veterans and administers veterans benefits. Phaedra Trethan is a freelance writer and a former copy editor for The Philadelphia Inquirer newspaper.

HRMD 665- MANAGING VIRTUAL AND GLOBAL TEAMS Research Paper

HRMD 665- MANAGING VIRTUAL AND GLOBAL TEAMS - Research Paper Example The start of video conferencing has marked an era wherein the virtual environment has been created, resulting in the converging of ideas and viewpoints of business people present at different points across the globe. The formation of such virtual teams has resulted in revolutionizing key business decision making and communication, very simple and effective. Thus virtual teams are the teams that have been formed by the HR department of the organization, with an aim to achieve the goals of the organization. (Eric 2010) In the case of the Human Resource wing of the organization, the creation of such virtual teams which has got a global reach will make it very effective and this indeed plays a very significant role in the speedy development of the strategies and plans, which can be communicated within seconds. Thus the evolution and creation of the virtual teams has resulted in the speedy exchange of ideas, time saving, increase in the commitment of the team members and the improvement o f trust. (Levi 2007) Though before the development of the internet the virtual teams were considered impossible, today they have been considered as a solid reality. Thus when compared to the other face to face teams present in the organization, the virtual teams are very well considered by most of the industrial and business experts, as the one that can add more value to the existing teams and its structures. The traditional structures found in common business and industrial firms have been the lightweight, tiger and heavyweight teams. Hence for any organization to develop a very good virtual team, the HR department has to play a very important role and take much effort for the formation of a very successful team. (Duarte & Snyder 2006) For the virtual team to become very highly successful, the presence of good teamwork is a primary requirement. Hence for the virtual team’s success the main ingredients that has been formulated by the HR team is the creation of a very good cul ture as well as infrastructure, which imparts very easily understandable guide for the knowledge and development of skills. Thus when compared to the face to face teams, the virtual team is gathering a very speedy acceptance and application to most of the industries and the academic institutions worldwide. (Duarte & Snyder 2006) Most of the countries are becoming technologically advanced and this has led to the virtual teams to become much stronger and also to be considered as the best means of communication and decision making network due to which it has become a norm for the organizations all over the world. The HR of the modern day organizations, find it very easy and useful to recruit the team members of the virtual teams, which results in the successful and speedy selection of the best and the highly talented individuals across the globe and also the retention of such virtual teams and the team members for a longer period of time. (Konradt & Hoch 2007) The HR of such organizati ons also takes the utmost care to develop such individuals over a period of time, with an idea of turning them into assets for the organization. Since most all the team members present in the virtual teams can be contacted almost at the same time through the global network, instantaneous interaction and views can be exchanged between them, which show the universality of the virtual te

Arab and Israel Conflict Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Arab and Israel Conflict - Article Example According to Antony Best, the real causes of the Arab-Israeli conflict were the product of distinct historical developments of the late-nineteenth century and early twentieth century which include European anti-Semitism and the rise of Zionism, the emergence of Arab nationalism and the quest for Arab independence, the Ottoman defeat in the World War I, the British mandate in Palestine, the World War II, and the Holocaust. In a reflective analysis of the pre-partition period of Palestine, it becomes lucid that the colonial influence has been a major aspect of the conflict, although there is the difference of opinion about the role of colonialism in the Arab-Israeli conflict. The World War I offered an essential opportunity for the Arab nationalists to insist on the independence of the nation through a military alliance with the British, just as it provided the opportunity for the Zionists to obtain international recognition of their aspirations in Palestine. Therefore, the Western colonial rule has influenced the emergence of Arab nationalism as well as Zionism in the Middle East which ultimately contributed to the conflict between two sides. Although there were important expectations for independence among the Arabs as well as the Jews at the end of the war, their hopes were dashed when Britain became first de facto and later de jure in control of Palestine. â€Å"Indeed, the Arab territories of the Ottoman Empire were divided up and placed under French and British mandates awarded at San Remo in 1920 and ratified by the League of Nations in 1922, a territorial division†¦ Yet, while Britain, on the one hand, was clearly expanding its power in the Middle East, on the other, it continued to back Arab, Jewish, and Armenian claims for independence, often as to undermine rival European Powers, particularly France.† (Best 2008, P. 113). It is important to realize that the British policy was mainly driven by European factors or imperial considerations which placed the British authorities in an awkward position in Palestine when the Arab-Israeli conflict escalated. With the expansion of Jewish presence in Palestine, the Zionist demands for the land increased and worsened the struggle for work. The increased Jewish immigration into Palestine due to the development of Nazism and Fascism in Europe in the 1930s also caused the Zionist demands for the land.