Twelfth Night Essay: Olivias Denial -- Twelfth Night essays

  Ã‚  Ã‚   After first reading Twelfth Night I was puzzled at Olivia's denial of Orsino's hand in marriage and her subsequent desire for Cesario. After considerable thought and research, I intend to propose and support the argument that Olivia is not being simply "coy" towards Orsino, nor does she desire Cesario because he/she is attracted to him/her. She denies Orsino because of her refusal to marry a man of higher rank and desires to marry Cesario because he is a man of lower rank. Olivia wants to give the impression that her mourning of her brother's death doesn't allow for the admittance of suitors. In the opening scene, Valentine says that Olivia "shall not behold her face at ample view" (1.1.27) because she "desires to season a brother's dead love" (1.1.31). Feste knows that mourning is the not real reason for her refusal to marry Orsino.    Clown: Good madonna, why mourn'st thou? Olivia: Good fool, for my brother's death. Clown: I think his soul is in hell, madonna. Olivia: I know his soul is in heaven, fool. Clown: The more fool, madonna, to mourn for your brother's soul, being in heaven. Take away the fool, gentlemen. (1.1.64-70)    Feste shows Olivia the foolish nature of mourning over her brother's death since he is in hea... ...t that Olivia may have a lesbian tendeny because she is attracted to Cesario (who is really a woman) is rendered less plausible.    Works Cited David, R. W., ed. The Arden Shakespeare: Love's Labour's Lost. London: Methuen, 1951. Erasmus, Desiderius. In Praise of Folly. Trans. Hoyt Hopewell Hudson, Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1970. McDonald, Russ. The Bedford Companion to Shakespeare: An Introduction with Documents. New York: Bedford Books of St. Martin's Press, 1996. Shakespeare, William. The Norton Shakespeare. Edited Stephen Greenblatt et al. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 1997.

My Antonia Essay: The Role of Women -- My Antonia Essays

The Role of Women in My Antonia  Ã‚        Ã‚   In her novel, My Antonia, Cather represents the frontier as a new nation. Blanche Gelfant notes that Cather "creat[ed] images of strong and resourceful women upon whom the fate of a new country depended" . This responsibility, along with the "economic productivity" Gilbert and Gubar cite (173), reinforces the sense that women hold a different place in this frontier community than they would in the more settled areas of America.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One manner in which this unusual place can be seen is in the women's privileged relationship to the land in the text. While Jim Burden attends school, it is Antonia who shapes and works the new land that the pioneers inhabit, going "from farm to farm" to fill the need for agricultural hands (111). While Otto and Jake fill this need early in the text, it is predominantly Antonia's cultivation of the land that is followed throughout the remainder of the text. Similarly, the concrete contributions of the "hired girls" stand in pointed contrast to the invisible and/or passive employment of male characters such as Mr. Harling.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the same way, Jim recognizes that it is the "hired girls" like Antonia who will form the backbone of the society when the next generation comes: "the girls who once worked in Black Hawk kitchens are to-day [sic] managing big farms and fine families of their own; their children are better off than the children of the women they used to serve" (150-1). These assertions--of the women's direct involvement of the development of the region, both agriculturally and socially--highlight an important point: "it is insufficient to think of nationalism affecting gender in a one-way relationship" (Walby 237). In other words,... ...Own: Attitudes Toward Women in Willa Cather's Short Fiction." Modern Fiction Studies 36:1 (Spring 1990): 81-89. Mosse, George. Nationalism and Sexuality: Respectability and Abnormal Sexuality in Modern Europe. New York: Howard Fertig, Inc., 1985. Ryan, Maureen. "No Woman's Land: Gender in Willa Cather's One of Ours." Studies in American Fiction 18 (Spring 1990): 65-75. Summers, Claude J. "'A Losing Game in the End': Aestheticism and Homosexuality in Cather's 'Paul's Case.'" Modern Fiction Studies 36:1 (Spring 1990): 103-119. Walby, Sylvia. "Woman and Nation." Mapping the Nation. ed. Gopal Balakrishnan. New York: Verso, 1996. 235-254. Woolf, Virginia. Three Guineas. London: Hogarth Press Ltd., 1938. Wussow, Helen. "Language, Gender, and Ethnicity in Three Fictions by Willa Cather." Women and Language 18 (Spring 1995): 52-5.          My Antonia Essay: The Role of Women -- My Antonia Essays The Role of Women in My Antonia  Ã‚        Ã‚   In her novel, My Antonia, Cather represents the frontier as a new nation. Blanche Gelfant notes that Cather "creat[ed] images of strong and resourceful women upon whom the fate of a new country depended" . This responsibility, along with the "economic productivity" Gilbert and Gubar cite (173), reinforces the sense that women hold a different place in this frontier community than they would in the more settled areas of America.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One manner in which this unusual place can be seen is in the women's privileged relationship to the land in the text. While Jim Burden attends school, it is Antonia who shapes and works the new land that the pioneers inhabit, going "from farm to farm" to fill the need for agricultural hands (111). While Otto and Jake fill this need early in the text, it is predominantly Antonia's cultivation of the land that is followed throughout the remainder of the text. Similarly, the concrete contributions of the "hired girls" stand in pointed contrast to the invisible and/or passive employment of male characters such as Mr. Harling.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the same way, Jim recognizes that it is the "hired girls" like Antonia who will form the backbone of the society when the next generation comes: "the girls who once worked in Black Hawk kitchens are to-day [sic] managing big farms and fine families of their own; their children are better off than the children of the women they used to serve" (150-1). These assertions--of the women's direct involvement of the development of the region, both agriculturally and socially--highlight an important point: "it is insufficient to think of nationalism affecting gender in a one-way relationship" (Walby 237). In other words,... ...Own: Attitudes Toward Women in Willa Cather's Short Fiction." Modern Fiction Studies 36:1 (Spring 1990): 81-89. Mosse, George. Nationalism and Sexuality: Respectability and Abnormal Sexuality in Modern Europe. New York: Howard Fertig, Inc., 1985. Ryan, Maureen. "No Woman's Land: Gender in Willa Cather's One of Ours." Studies in American Fiction 18 (Spring 1990): 65-75. Summers, Claude J. "'A Losing Game in the End': Aestheticism and Homosexuality in Cather's 'Paul's Case.'" Modern Fiction Studies 36:1 (Spring 1990): 103-119. Walby, Sylvia. "Woman and Nation." Mapping the Nation. ed. Gopal Balakrishnan. New York: Verso, 1996. 235-254. Woolf, Virginia. Three Guineas. London: Hogarth Press Ltd., 1938. Wussow, Helen. "Language, Gender, and Ethnicity in Three Fictions by Willa Cather." Women and Language 18 (Spring 1995): 52-5.         

Just War and Pacifism Essay -- War Pacifism Peace Essays

The question "Can war be justified?" plagued mankind since the first war. The Just War Theory holds that war can be just. The theory has evolved for thousands of years and modern theorists, such as Michael Walzer, author of Just and Unjust Wars, puts forth criteria for a just war, such as jus ad bellum and jus in bello. Jus ad bellum includes reasons for going to war, and jus in bello deals with the people who wage war. The criteria in jus ad bellum include; just cause, declaration by a proper authority, right intention, a reasonable chance of success, the end proportional to the means, and war as a last resort. Jus in bello includes keeping innocents outside the field of war, and limiting the amount of force used. Just War Theorists hold that all of these criteria must be followed for a war to be just. I will analyze The Just War Theories most debated arguments, self-defense, pre-emptive strikes, and the killing of innocents. In the second half of this paper, I will briefly explain Pacifism, and provide a counter argument for each Just War argument. Walzer includes self-defense in the just cause section of jus ad bellum. Walzer holds that states have the right of self-defense by making an analogy to individual rights. He contends that individuals have the right to self-defense. From this he infers that states also have that right of self-defense. Walzer's inference is based on the logic that the state is a collection of individuals. He reasons that individuals cannot defend against an invading army, the military is a tool that the state uses to defend itself and it's way of life. The right of self-defense for states also is justified by the premise that it is the duty of the government to protect the people. John Locke'... ...ve for a more perfect world rather than give up and accept hatred and death. Works Consulted Clark, Mark. The Paradox of War and Pacifism. ULeadership. 7 Oct 2002. <www.leaderu.com/socialsciences/clark.html> Holmes, Robert. On War and Morality. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1989. Moseley, Alex. Just War Theory. The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 3 Oct. 2002. <www.utm.edu/research/iep/j/justwar.htm>. Moseley, Alex. Pacifism. The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 3 Oct. 2002. <www.utm.edu/research/iep/p/pacifism.htm>. Orend, Brian. War. Stanford Enyclopedia of Philosophy. 5 Oct 2002. <http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/war/> Teichman, Jenny. Pacifism and the Just War. New York: Basil Blackwell, 1986. Walzer, Michael. Just and Unjust Wars: A Moral Argument with Historical Illustrations. New York: Basic Books, 1977. Just War and Pacifism Essay -- War Pacifism Peace Essays The question "Can war be justified?" plagued mankind since the first war. The Just War Theory holds that war can be just. The theory has evolved for thousands of years and modern theorists, such as Michael Walzer, author of Just and Unjust Wars, puts forth criteria for a just war, such as jus ad bellum and jus in bello. Jus ad bellum includes reasons for going to war, and jus in bello deals with the people who wage war. The criteria in jus ad bellum include; just cause, declaration by a proper authority, right intention, a reasonable chance of success, the end proportional to the means, and war as a last resort. Jus in bello includes keeping innocents outside the field of war, and limiting the amount of force used. Just War Theorists hold that all of these criteria must be followed for a war to be just. I will analyze The Just War Theories most debated arguments, self-defense, pre-emptive strikes, and the killing of innocents. In the second half of this paper, I will briefly explain Pacifism, and provide a counter argument for each Just War argument. Walzer includes self-defense in the just cause section of jus ad bellum. Walzer holds that states have the right of self-defense by making an analogy to individual rights. He contends that individuals have the right to self-defense. From this he infers that states also have that right of self-defense. Walzer's inference is based on the logic that the state is a collection of individuals. He reasons that individuals cannot defend against an invading army, the military is a tool that the state uses to defend itself and it's way of life. The right of self-defense for states also is justified by the premise that it is the duty of the government to protect the people. John Locke'... ...ve for a more perfect world rather than give up and accept hatred and death. Works Consulted Clark, Mark. The Paradox of War and Pacifism. ULeadership. 7 Oct 2002. <www.leaderu.com/socialsciences/clark.html> Holmes, Robert. On War and Morality. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1989. Moseley, Alex. Just War Theory. The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 3 Oct. 2002. <www.utm.edu/research/iep/j/justwar.htm>. Moseley, Alex. Pacifism. The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 3 Oct. 2002. <www.utm.edu/research/iep/p/pacifism.htm>. Orend, Brian. War. Stanford Enyclopedia of Philosophy. 5 Oct 2002. <http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/war/> Teichman, Jenny. Pacifism and the Just War. New York: Basil Blackwell, 1986. Walzer, Michael. Just and Unjust Wars: A Moral Argument with Historical Illustrations. New York: Basic Books, 1977.

Music Copying Essay

Everyone should admit that he or she, at one point or another, has copied music or movies from TVs or downloaded music and videos from the internet. Everyone knows it is illegal and wrong ethically, but very few follow the regulations that outline the practice to be illegal (Moore). Artists have licensed and copy righted their music and videos and when individuals go ahead and copy to be their own for selling it is overtly illegal and unethical. It is possible for one to borrow a CD and enjoy the music. Upon finishing up with it; he or she should return the CD. However, most individuals go ahead and copy the music into their computers, for their own or in sometimes making copies of music CDs and selling them. This adds to pain to the music producers and even artists themselves. The artists and the music producers go at a loss since the music they produce and intend to sell end up going to waste and cannot be compensated for their efforts (Moore). The main reason why people do these activities is because they see it being done by someone else. When a friend sees another copying music into his or her computer, he or she also wants to have a copy of the same music. They do these not knowing what impact they are causing to the real owners of the music. Another reason why people copy other people’s music without permission is because they know the real owners of this music are so far from them. Therefore, they know that even if they copy their music, the owners will not catch up with them so as to sue them (Moore). Generally, copying of music is a global problem and it has been a great challenge to the artists and producers. This is because before they sell the music to the customers, most of the music consumers will already be having these songs with them. This has been blamed on technology since once the music has been produced, it is uploaded in the internet and some cyber pirates go ahead and download the music, to sell it at a lower price than the real price. Governments have tried their best to control these actions of music piracy but it has never been successful. The solution of music piracy lies in individual behavior and discipline. Work Cited Moore, Charles W. Is music piracy stealing? Applelinks, August 8 2003. Web: July 16, 2010 from http://www. applelinks. com/mooresviews/pirate. shtml

Impact Of The Latest Advances In Technology On Recruitment And Selection

ABSTRACT In the face of a new era of downsizing, garnering of qualified workforce remains a key organizational goal. A commonly held view among the human resource managers is that the human resources are the most important assets of an organization and that they offer the only non-imitative competitive edge. As the point of entry, the process of recruitment and selection of employees plays a crucial role in enhancing the success and survival of the organization in the extremely competitive and turbulent business environment. This paper explores on how the latest advances in technology have impacted on the process of recruitment and selection of employees. Different aspects of the use of new technology will be examined including internet based recruitment, telephone and video conferencing, computer based testing and IVR or Automated telephone interviewing. This will include an overview of the potential advantages as well as challenges arising with the use of each wave of technology. INTRODUCTION In the face of a new era of downsizing, garnering of qualified workforce remains a key organizational goal (Bauer 2004). As the point of entry, the process of recruitment and selection of employees plays a crucial role in enhancing the success and survival of the organization in the extremely competitive and turbulent business environment. Traditionally, the recruitment and selection process relied on fairly low-tech methods such as employee referrals and newspaper ads, in locating and attracting qualified candidates (Lievens, et.al 2002). Successful job seeking included frequenting the local job center (Lievens, et.al 2002). This has however changed over the past few decades as a result of advances in technology. The recruitment process, just like all other business functions, has become increasingly tied to technology (Lievens, et.al 2002). The common practice of mailing applications and waiting to be called for an interview via a phone call has been trumped by technological advances which have eased communication. Technological advances such as internet-based recruitment and candidate assessment, computer-based testing, Interactive Voice Response (IVR), telephone and video-based interviews among other information technologies are now increasingly being used in recruiting and selecting qualified candidates (Chapman & Webster 2003). In this paper, we examine how the latest advances in technology have impacted on the process of recruitment and selection of employees. The following sections will explore on these technological advances, in particular, how they are impacting on recruitment and selection process. This will include an overview of the potential advantages as well as challenges arising with the use of each wave of technology. We begin by exploring on internet based recruitment, which involves recruitment via the web.a. INTERNET BASED RECRUITMENTThe most popular ways through which advances in technology have significantly impacted on recruitment and selection is through the internet. Organizations are increasingly making use of the internet technology, particularly the World Wide Web, as a platform for testing and recruiting potential candidates (Baron & Austin, 2000). Social networking websites, software and online job boards has helped in linking applicants to hiring professionals with focus on knowled ge, skills and abilities (Baron & Austin, 2000). Social networking sites such as LinkedIn, CareerBuilder, monster.com and universe.jobs hold millions of jobs and resumes in their databases (Neil 2003). These professional networking sites play a significant role in the process of recruitment and selection. LinkedIn, for example, is used as a business-oriented social networking site whereby applicants are linked with the employers. LinkedIn is widely used globally as a professional network service and has currently 90 million users (Neil 2003). It is currently valued at over $2.51 billion USD and operates in more than 200 countries (Neil 2003). Advances in technology have indeed shaped the process of recruitment and selection. Online ads are now the lead recruitment methods employed by employers. Recruitment and selection via the web has enabled the employers to build a ‘talent pool’ of qualified candidates and lessen their reliance on conventional print media (Thompson et al., 2008). This has led to significant cost savings as employers lessen their reliance on recruitment agencies (Thompson et al., 2008). In this regard, Harris & Dewar (2000) noted a significant reduction on the cost per-hire from $ 3,295 (for the conventional recruitment methods) to $377 (for internet based recruitment). There are many benefits arising with the use of internet based recruitment method as well challenges that it present to the organizations. It should be noted that internet based recruitment is not without its shortcomings, but the cons must be weighed against the pros in order to determine if this recruitment method is supported. BENEFITS OF INTERNET BASED RECRUITMENT The internet provides efficiency in the administration and scoring of test as the content can be easily modified and answers captured in electronic form (Van Hoye & Lievens 2007). It also enables routine checking of errors, automatic scoring of tests and provides instant feedback to the applicants (Van Hoye & Lievens 2007). This administrative ease enables recruiters to save on costs and time giving them a competitive hedge in the tight labour market. It also provides for increased flexibility for both the employer and applicants in the administration of tests and performance of work in varied geographical locations (Van Hoye & Lievens 2007). Moreover, the widespread of information in a globalized market widens access to a diverse geographical labour pool (Lievens & Harris 2003). Additionally, there is a greater transparency in the selection process as candidates are selected based on their skills, experience and competence (Lievens & Harris 200 3). CHALLENGES TO INTERNET BASED RECRUITMENT While it is apparent that online recruitment help cut on recruitment costs, increase efficiency and transparency in the selection process; there are some potentially major drawbacks. Due to the high number of applicants, screening and checking the authenticity and mapping of skills may be a time consuming exercise (Lievens & Harris 2003). The large number of indistinguishable resumes from the various applicants coupled with inadequate software and procedures may lead to poor results in the selection of the ideal candidate (Lievens & Harris 2003). This problem can largely be attributed to the existing methods for parsing resumes which is dependent on software that truncates and exclude the totality of content (Lievens & Harris 2003). Also, failure by the industry software to produce optimum candidate and position convergence may result in correspondingly low retention rates of the new employees hence costing client companies thousands of dollars (Lievens & Harris 2003). Despite having automated assistance, managing the workload remains a daunting task for HR managers. While software has reduced on the number of resumes from the applicants, that would otherwise be manually reviewed, it has not been successful in narrowing candidate resume pools to the ideal qualified applicants (Harris & Dewar 2000).It should be noted that most of the software employed in the process of recruitment and selection generally uses rudimentary lexical and semantic algorithms (Harris & Dewar 2000). These algorithms tend to generate a large candidate pool with most candidates insufficiently suitable for effective use (Harris & Dewar 2000). This is because the industry software lacks the ideal filtering capabilities necessary for the proper parsing of resume. Crucial data that could help in identifying the ideal candidate and position convergence is therefore lost. Without sufficient data, there is not enough variance that could be used in distinguishing among candidate and position suitability (Harris & Dewar 2000). This next section will explore on interactive voice response (IVR) which is also known as automated telephone interviewing. The method is also gaining popularity and is increasingly being used by firms in recruiting and selecting new hires. b. AUTOMATED TELEPHONE INTERVIEWING/INTERACTIVE VOICE RESPONSE (IVR) The use of interactive voice response (IVR) which also referred to as automated telephone interviewing is one of the newest ways to recruiting and selecting new hires (Thompson et.al 2008). IVR technology allows for human interaction with the computer via a telephone keypad or through the use of voice recognition (Thompson et.al 2008). This wave of technology is increasingly gaining popularity in the recruitment and selection of employees due to its many advantages. ADVANTAGES OF THE IVR IVR is an easily accessible technology. Take for example the United States where 95% of the households own phones (Thompson et.al 2008). With IVR, applicants can initiate the interview at any time. The applicants or potential employees can initiate an interview by simply making a phone call to a toll-free phone number and be automatically interviewed without any intervention from the operator (Thompson et.al 2008). IVR or rather automated telephone interviewing can help in eliminating interview biases (Thompson al 2008). It is highly cost effective in screening the candidate pool. DISADVANTAGES OF USING IVR While IVR is increasingly being used by many businesses to cut on the costs and give a better experience, it is not without its shortcomings. One of the greatest challenges to using IVR systems in recruitment and selection of employees is that the users find it hard to follow telephone menus and lengthy instructions (Thompson et.al 2008). Also, IVR screening is considered lower in terms of treatment and openness as well as in reconsideration opportunities than the conventional face to face interviewing (Thompson al 2008)..c. TELECONFERENCING AND VIDEO CONFERENCINGThere is also the use of telephone and video conferencing. Teleconferencing involves setting up of a conference telephone call between the selection committee and potential candidates (Gilliland 1993). Job interviews by teleconferencing are common where the applicant and the selection committee are located in geographically sparse regions. Video conferencing, on the other hand, involves the combination of both the audio and video transmissions, hence allowing for communication to take place by a way of an audio visual link (AVL) (Gilliland 1993). With video confer encing, both the applicant and selection committee members are able to share their views and at the same time see each other on the screen. BENEFITS OF VIDEO CONFERENCING Despite reducing the in-person meetings, video teleconferencing as well offer the advantages of face to face communication (Gilliland 1993). There is also significant cost reduction for both the applicant and the employer as there is no need of travelling and associated costs of lodging and meals (Gilliland 1993). There is also the added environmental benefit as a reduction in traveling implies a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (Gilliland 1993). Further, upon placement this technology allows for the continued collaboration with the team members from remote locations (Gilliland 1993). CHALLENGES OF VIDEO CONFERENCING Similar to other technological innovations, video conferencing is not without its shortcomings. There might be a difference in time zones when conferencing in remote geographical locations (Gilliland 1993). Also, some of the human ways to communicating may not translate well with video conferencing (Gilliland 1993). For example, eye contact may not be easily delivered through a webcam, unlike in the conventional face-to-face interviewing where one can easily make eye contact and judge whether the interviewee is paying due attention. Last but not least, we explore on how computer based testing has impacted on recruitment and selection process.d. COMPUTER BASED TESTINGThe use of computer based interviews has increased in the recent years with a wide range of organizations utilizing computer-based online tests for selection purposes (Aptitude/psychometric tests) (Chapman & Webster, 2003). There are several reasons for increased reliance on psychometric tests in the recruitment and selection of employees. Key among these is the increased regulation and legislation, and loss of confidence in academic qualifications (Chapman & Webster, 2003). INCREASED REGULATION AND LEGISLATION Reliance on test use in the selection process has been used as a defensive strategy to regulation and legislation (Chapman & Webster, 2003). Tests are seen as objective indicators of how the skills of potential candidates align with the job description (Chapman & Webster, 2003). These competency tests promote fairness and equal access to opportunities available. LOSS OF CONFIDENCE IN ACADEMIC QUALIFICATIONS There is a growing body of evidence for a loss of confidence with the formal academic qualifications. This is largely attributed to bad governance and corrupt institutions that may award degrees or certificates to incompetent individuals. As such, competency based tests are increasingly being used in screening the candidate pool and in identifying candidates with skills that align with the â€Å"competency profile† for the job in question (Chapman & Webster, 2003). Computer based testing facilitates the selection process by quickly pinpointing the candidates ability more accurately (Chapman & Webster, 2003). Take for example the BULATS online test, a robust business English language test, which is widely used in helping organizations make timely decisions in the recruitment process (Chapman & Webster, 2003). This online test provides a fast and more accurate method of pinpointing the candidates’ ability and suitability to work by using adaptive testing techniques (Chapman & Webster, 2003). CONCLUSION Clearly, we have identified a number of benefits to using technology for purposes of recruiting and selecting job applicants. A quick recap of some of the benefits include increased efficiency in the administration and scoring of tests, increased flexibility, greater transparency, reduction in biases, widened access to a diverse geographical pool of potential candidates, and cost reduction among others. There are however challenges arising with the use of technological advances in recruitment and selection process. For example, the exercise may be time consuming as a large number of applicants need to be screened. Other shortcomings include poor results due to inadequate software and procedures, and difficulties in filtering of potential candidates, among others. Nonetheless, the latest advances in technology have significantly impacted on recruitment and selection process. As pointed out by Kay (2000), the power of the Web and e-technology has changed the way recruitment and selections of employees occur. Technological advancements and the ubiquity of the internet (especially with social networking) have become powerful additions to the process of recruitment and selection. However, these should not be considered as the only solutions to finding the ideal candidate. While changes are still underway, it is clear that advances in technology have dramatically impacted on the recruitment and selection process. REFERENCES Bauer, et.al, 2004. â€Å"Applicant reactions to different selection technology: face-to-face, interactive voice response and computer-assisted telephone screening interviews†, International Journal of selection and assessment, Portland State University: Blackwell publishing ltd. Baron, H., & J. Austin, 2000. Measuring ability via the Internet: Opportunities and issues. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, New Orleans, LA. Chapman, D.S., & J. Webster, 2003. â€Å"The use of technologies in recruiting, screening and selection processes for job candidates†, International journal of selection and assessment, Vol.11 (2), pp. 113-120 Gilliland, S.W, 1993. â€Å"The perceived fairness of selection systems: an organizational justice perspective†, Academy of management review, 18, pp.694-734 Harris, M., and K. Dewar, 2000. Understanding and using web-based recruiting and screening tools: key criteria, current trends and future directions. Workshop presented at annual meeting of the society for industrial and organizational psychology, San Diego, CA. Kay, A. S., 2000. â€Å"Recruiters embrace the Internet.† Informationweek: pp.72-80. Lievens, F., K. Van Dam and N. Anderson, 2002. â€Å"Recent Trends and Challenges in Personnel Selection†. Personnel Review, 31 (5-6), 580-601 Lievens, F., & M.M. Harris, 2003. â€Å"Research on Internet Recruiting and Testing: Current Status and Future Directions†. In: C.L. Cooper & I.T. Robertson (Eds.) International Review of Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Chicester: John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. vol. 16., pp. 131-165. Neil, A., 2003. â€Å"Applicant and recruiter reactions to new technology in selection: a critical review and agenda for future research†, International journal of selection and assessment, Vol. 11 (2) Thompson, L. F., P.W. Braddy, and K.L. Wuensch, 2008. E-Recruitment and the Benefits of Organizational Web Appeal. Computers in Human Behavior, 24 (5), 2384-2398. Tourangeau, R., D.M. Steiger & D.Wilson, 2002. â€Å"Self-administered questions by telephone: evaluating interactive voice response†, public opinion quarerly, 6, pp.265-278 Van Hoye, G. and F. Lievens, 2007. â€Å"Investigating Web-Based Recruitment Sources: Employee Testimonials versus Word-of-Mouse†. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 15 (4), 372-382.

Canadian Wood Toys INC. Essay

I will begin by highlighting the importance of the audit in assessing the risk and identifying the steps in reducing and mitigating the risk that our company is facing. The impact of the risks on global business it is dramatic in our days, changing the entire look of the industries and financial services. Some risks could be anticipated and identified but some could not. Companies now are using more and more key steps and principles to better manage the risks by; *** identifying the risks relevant to the organization *** assess the significance and implications of those risks to the business *** identify and establish a process for collaboration on risk mitigation with other organizations and partners *** integrate Enterprise Risk Management into the organization *** focus resources on key risks in order to achieve the organization’s objectives (Source – PricewaterhouseCoopers – effective ERM) Under IAA Standard 2120 – Risk Management: â€Å"The internal audit activity must evaluate the effectiveness and contribute to the improvement of risk management processes.† Practice advisory 2120.C1 states: –â€Å"During consulting engagements, internal auditors must address risk consistent with the engagement’s objectives and be alert to the existence of other significant risks. In manufacturing companies, production is usually the most important aspect of the entire process mostly due to the high cost incurred, the staffing and the complexity of the departments involved – Production is of vital concern to management because of the important risks associated with the process. I have identified some of the most important risks and how to manage the risks to minimize the impact. Along with the  production process, other areas can be identified as posing risks; distribution, finance, human resources †¦ I have identified below some of the risks with the highest impact in our company: KEY RISKSMITIGATON (examples) The risk of manufacturing defective or substandard products Determine the cause of the quality defect (human error or machine) Trend analysis reports to address the recurrence of the defects The risk of missing deadlines for toys deliveries at Christmas time Review the production scheduling to agree with the specific job orders to avoid overproduction of toys that are not scheduled for delivery The risk of labor insecurity; potential strikes Review labor contracts and minimum wage government regulations; negotiations with union and labor boards The risk of unknown competition on international markets Use various econometric and statistical analysis to monitor the movement of market interest The risk of foreign exchange Use a foreign exchange contract Accept payment in one currency only (US) Hedging of foreign exchange Risk of unanticipated or sudden changes in regulations, codes or standards in regards to the exploitation of the wood and equipment and machineries used The company has to be actively involved in the development of regulations, codes and standards to further improve the safety of the equipment The risk of damage to ecology, scenery – due to over exploitation of forestry Use environmental mitigation programs able to protect and restore the forest Government fire protection programs The risk of accidents in the process of transportation of the logs Regular monitoring of the vehicles Checking drivers hours of work – implementing special schedule of hours Risk of loss of licensing for cutting and harvesting the trees Renewal in advance of the licenses, request from government of auditing the harvesting areas The risk of logging and lumbering fire damage and vehicle damage Forestry and timber Insurance that focuses on logging and lumbering, sawmills, automobiles and equipment The risk related to the liquidity and payment schedules which could lead to credit losses Establish rules for tendering, levels of approval authority and rules for credit control The risk of reporting erroneous financial information for internal and external decision Use external appraisers to evaluate fair value of assets and properties Senior managers should assess their financial reports to determine when they require estimates based on significant judgment; And ensure that independent expertise is applied in deriving the reports The risk mitigation step involves development of mitigation plans designed to manage, eliminate, or reduce risk to an acceptable level. Once a plan is implemented, it is continually monitored to assess its efficacy with the intent of revising the course-of-action if needed. I would like to reiterate as stated in the IAA Standards that the organization should fully understand that management remains responsible for risk management. As Internal auditors, we should provide advice, and challenge or support management’s decisions on risk, as opposed to making risk management decisions. Below are some of the responsibilities that will not fall under the audit team: †¢ Setting the risk appetite. †¢ Imposing risk management processes. †¢ Management assurance on risks. †¢ Taking decisions on risk responses. †¢ Implementing risk responses on management’s behalf. †¢ Accountability for risk management. Question 4 MEMO To: Director of Internal audit Department From: †¦. Assistant Director Internal audit Date: October 06, 2014 CC: As requested, I have prepared a plan for auditing the division of Student Services as part of the Central College Institution. I will detail 6 steps in the audit process but firstly I want to highlight the Standard 2200, Practice Advisory 2200-1 that states the requirements for the engagements planning and outlines the steps. â€Å"Internal auditors must develop and plan for each engagement, including the engagement’s objectives, scope, timing and resource allocations†. â€Å"The Internal auditor plans and conducts the engagement, with supervisory review and approval† 1. The first step is: To obtain specific knowledge of the unit to be audited. In this stage of the process we will gather and review the specific documentation that will help us getting more familiar with the division of food service – residential and campus. Some of the documents we will be reviewing: The annual budget; we have information about how much the overall budget is (8.9mil.); need to know how much is allocated to the food service program and how is spent. Policies and procedures Previous internal audit papers and reports List of the staff; org charts Contracts with food suppliers Documented projects and how the implementation process took place Upon reviewing of the documents we will be able to assess the problems that incurred; it will help us identify any managerial mistakes, any miscommunication between suppliers and management; if there is enough staffing 2. The second step in the audit plan is to: Establish the audit objectives and the scope of the audit. At this stage we need to review all the activities involving food service program step by step. This is to identify areas of weakness, why there are negative reviews; why there is such a small budget allocated to such important segment in the student’s activity in the campus. Also we will be  able to identify whether the appropriate policies and procedures were followed. Is the part time staff working in the 6 food service facilities skilled for the specific job they do? Why there is only part time staffing and no full time jobs; if there are enough employees considering the large division of food service included 6 cafeterias and restaurants plus residential food service. 3. The following step is: The audit methodology. In this stage of the audit process we will be able to gather additional information by interviewing individuals involved in all aspects of the student services division. We will be asking questions in order to determine if there are possible weaknesses that can have a major impact of the effectiveness of the operating and managing the 6 restaurants and cafeterias as well as the residential food service. We will be interviewing the part time staff about the schedule they have, if there are any complaints, if there is enough coverage at specific time of the day i.e. morning and lunch – for the cafeterias and the restaurants. We will be interviewing the students and teachers about the hours of operation of the locations of the food service – they should be open late and they are actually closing early. We will be asking questions about the meal plans and find out if there is anything to improve on 4. The next step is: Determine the audit criteria. This very important step in the audit program will help us identify some of the criteria we can use in order to better assess the practices in the food service division. Budgeting The food service division must have a well established budget and a cost control in place and overseen by qualified staff. Price Management There should be a price verification policy in place to manage better the price of meals provided by the restaurants and the cafeteria – in comparison to other food providers around the campus (beat the price) Staffing there must be a criteria that analyze and conform with the labor standards –  achieve and surpass the minimum wage for the part time employees Food Quality and diversity there should be put in place a more divers meal plan based on the requirements and suggestions from the customers (students –divers ethnicity) new standards for nutritional meals are put in place and need to be followed Food locations management the standards for cleanliness and sanitation that are put in place need to be followed surveys will be handed out or on line surveys to measure the customer satisfaction 5. The following step is: Preparing staffing plans and time budgets At this stage in the audit plan we are dealing with establishing the budget necessary to accomplish the audit scope and the staff required to accomplish the plan in a timely manner. Since we are dealing with specifics in food industry – we have identified areas where there is not enough expertise from our team; therefore we require an additional external consultant (possible a nutritionist that possess the necessary knowledge). For the satisfaction survey we will be using the expertise of the actual marketing staff from the service department to create and implement the survey. 6. The next step is: Communication with management Subsequently, the audit plan needs to be discussing with the management. We will set up time for a meeting with the management to discuss the details over the purpose of the audit. We need to discuss further about the time allocated to the audit plan and go over each proposal for the relevant criteria that was chosen. In the meeting we will highlight the importance of the management active contribution and support to the audit process.

How are women portrayed in The Millers Tale Essay

The Miller’s Tale was written and is set in medieval England, a time when women had much fewer rights than men, and were more or less just owned by their fathers, and then by their husbands when they got married. 17th century United States in The Crucible has a slightly different society but also has the similar male dominance. The Handmaid’s Tale is set in a dystopian future where women are also heavily dominated by men, but in a completely different way. This essay is about the ways that women in general are portrayed and perceived in these three stories, as well as touching on the characters of the individual women in these tales. The Miller’s Tale is one of the stories from the Canterbury Tales series, all written in poetic form, by Geoffrey Chaucer. These tales in the series are all told by different pilgrims, who are also fictional, so this uses a story-within-a-story literary device. Their tales are part of a contest to entertain each other on their pilgrimage from Southwark to Canterbury Cathedral. In The Miller’s Tale, it is the miller’s turn to tell a tale, and he tells the story of a devious young student called Nicholas, who is attracted to the much younger wife of a carpenter, his neighbour, and plots a cunning plan to sleep with her. He does this by telling the dim and simple carpenter that a flood is coming, and that he must tie some tubs to the ceiling of his home for the three of them in order to keep them safe. Whilst the carpenter is away at work on these orders, Nicholas takes the carpenter’s wife Alison downstairs and manages to seduce her until she very willingly has sex with him. Alison from The Miller’s Tale is eighteen years old, and described as passionate and highly attractive. Her faithfulness in marriage to her husband is very questionable when she allows herself to be easily taken in by this other man, her neighbour, and commits adultery with him without much care for her own husband. Near the beginning of the Miller’s Tale, there is a clear, physical description of Alison, being a lively woman who might want to have an affair. For she is â€Å"wilde and yonge†, meaning that her behaviour is rather uncontrolled, and her older husband is jealous and possessive of her. The miller describes her as having a â€Å"body gent and smal† as a weasel’s, meaning that she has an attractive slim figure, and that suggests that she is also a very sly character just like a weasel. Alison is also vain and very concerned about her appearance. She is selfish and cares more about herself than of other people, and she does not even think much of all the men that take a strong liking to her. She has established herself as a not at all a likeable character in this story. The fact that she sleeps with Nicholas right in her very own marital home, whilst her own husband is just upstairs at work at the very same time, must show how very daring she is, because he could have easily come downstairs and catch them in the act. But it could also mean that she does not actually really mind or care much about the carpenter’s feelings or whether he knows that she is being unfaithful to him or not. We feel some sympathy for the carpenter, who is being conned like this by two people, as well as being cheated on by his wife and having to bear the shameful title of a â€Å"cuckold†. Alison is certainly one to take risks in exchange for her own selfish sexual desires, going against the female stereotypes of the time by being rebellious and free-spirited and instead of being faithful and modest like a woman should be in her time. Alison from The Miller’s Tale is a lot like Abigail Williams from The Crucible. They are similar ages, and are both selfish and sexually immoral women who both have illicit sexual affairs and go against societal and moral rules that are expected of them for their own personal gain and pleasure. Also, neither Alison nor Abigail show any shred of remorse for their sinful actions. Where Alison goes behind her albeit dim husband’s back to sleep with her neighbour Nicholas, she is in turn fulfilling his desiring lustful plan. Sex outside of marriage was very wrong in her time, let alone committing adultery. Alison might have just married the carpenter for the sake of security, since he is described in the story as a â€Å"rich gnof†, but obviously cannot control her extramarital sexual urges and is very open to acting on them whenever the chance arises. Seventeen year old Abigail betrays her position as a house servant in the Proctor’s home by having an affair with John Proctor whilst he is still married to his kind wife Elizabeth, who happens to be ill at the time the affair occurs. However, there is much more to Abigail than involvements in adultery, as this leads to her seemingly falling in love and becoming obsessed with John Proctor. She says to him in Act One before the trials: â€Å"I know how you clutched my back behind your house and sweated like a stallion whenever I come near†¦ It’s she put me out, you cannot pretend it were you. I saw your face when she put me out, and you loved me then and you do now†. Abigail has seriously formed an impression that John is just as infatuated with her and she is with him, even though he constantly denies it and tells her she is speaking a â€Å"wild thing†. So at the very start of the play, she is casting a spell to kill Elizabeth so that she can be out of the way for herself and John to be together, as she believes that Elizabeth is the only person in her way of having John. We can sympathise a little with Abigail, as we know she has had a very troubled past. She is an orphan, who had watched both her parents being viciously murdered by Indians one night a long time ago. She reveals this in Act One, after ordering the girls to lie about their activities in the woods, she viciously threatens to get them in the night, and in her own words says â€Å"you know I can do it: I saw Indians smash my dear parents’ heads on the pillow next to mine, and I have seen some reddish work done at night, and I can make you wish you had never seen the sun go down! â€Å". This traumatic event that was imposed upon her at such a young age does provide some explanation and understanding as to why her personality seems rather unstable, and why she acts so brutally towards other people. On the other hand, we don’t really know anything about Alison’s past, so we assume she is just a nasty sly character and though her crimes are not as dire as Abigail’s, we do not really have the evidence to feel as much sympathy for her behaviour. Though I think we can like Alison to some extent, as even though we condemn her behaviour, the men in her story are not as admirable as John Proctor so maybe her behaviour does not seem so bad. She even has the advantage of being secure in a marriage, unlike Abigail who is an unmarried orphan living with her uncle. The presentation of Abigail in The Crucible is rather dark and frightening, a good example of this being at the court scene, where she is deliberately causing hysteria by throwing around accusations of witchcraft, and even going as far as pretending to be bewitched by Mary, and getting all the other girls to make believe the very same thing and repeat Abigail’s exact chants and actions.