Is the War on Terrorism a War Essay

The Global War on Terrorism is a military campaign that began shortly after the terrorist attacks of September 11th 2001. First used by George W. Bush, the phrase ‘war on terror’ has become to be conceptualized as a term used to signify ‘global military, political, lawful, and conceptual struggle targeting both organizations designated as terrorists and regimes accused of supporting them. † The war on terror main focus has been with Islamist militants and Al-Qaeda. The war in Afghanistan and Iraq are both considered to be part of the war on terrorism. There is much speculation on whether the war on terror is actually a war. This essay will argue that both points of view are valid. There are reasons which validate the war on terrorism as being considered an actual war such as the fact that an actual decelaration of war was waged by both the US and Al-Qaeda, it can be considered a new way of war, and that ultimately like war, terrorism is a mean to a political end. On the other side of the spectrum, it may not be considered a war because it does not have a clear end or possible victory, it does not have a confined battle space as regular wars, and it is a ‘war’ against an immaterial concept such as the wars on poverty, drugs, and crime. There is an extensive amount of literature on the subject of terrorism and especially the war on terror. Mia Bloom in ‘Dying to Kill: The Allure of Suicide Terror’ examines the use strategies, successes, and failures of suicide bombing in Asia, the Middle East, and Europe. She claims that in many instances the effort of Israel, Russia, and the United States have failed to deter terrorism and suicide bombings. Bloom also contemplates how terrorist groups learn from one another, and thus how they react and retaliate to counterterror tactics the financing of terrorism, and the role of suicide attacks against the backdrop of larger ethnic and political conflicts. Another current scholar writing on terrorism is Mark Juergensmeyer. Juergensmeyer studies religious terrorism more specifically. Bruce Hoffman gives a brilliant insight to terrorism and all its aspects. Hoffman describes its historical evolution and the mindset of the terrorist. He examines this invisible enemy and his tactics and motivation in a globalized world. Hoffman argues that the 9/11 attacks on the Twin Towers radically altered the USA’s and the Wests view on terrorism. When attempting to answer the above question it is important to clarify and define the terms. Terrorism has a vast number of definitions and varies greatly depending on who is trying to define it and from what perspective it is being defined and at which scope. For example one definition of terrorism is the FBI’s definition of it as ‘the unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a Government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in further political or social objectives’. Another definition is from the Department of Defense which states it to be as ‘the calculated use of unlawful violence or threat of unlawful violence to inculcate fear; intended to coerce or to intimidate governments or societies in the pursuit of goals that are generally political, religious, or ideological objectives. A final example of one of the many definitions of terrorism is that of the Department of homeland Security which states it as ‘any activity that involves an act that is dangerous to human life or potentially destructive of critic infrastructure or key resources; and†¦must also appear to be intended (i) to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; (ii) to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; (iii) to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction, assassination, or kidnapping. ’ These definitions vary quite greatly from one to another. Any definition of terrorism suits a particular agency and how they look at the act of violence, whereas very few look at the causes for it and what its essence is. Notice the selected vocabulary for each definition will suit the type of agency’s profile. The problem with defining terrorism is one that it is a subjective thing, and two that the parties trying to define it try to include everything and nothing in it. They try to put and various different events that happened and situations as well to help define it so as to make sure that terrorism encompasses a large number of things. For example the discotheque bombing of Bali. It seems that the definitions need to include anything that attacks the west. With regards to the war on terror, is it the war on terror or terrorism? Is there really a war on terrorism and if so according to whom? The USA? Al-Qaeda? And in which theatres and locations are we talking about? The war on terror might be a war on terror in Afghanistan but not in other places. Also the title of the question is quite ambiguous because is terrorism is an act of war, or is war is an act of terrorism? Each one can be unfolded onto the other easily. It is also important to consider who is included in the war on terror, is it all terrorists groups including terrorist groups like the IRA? Or is it just limited to Islamist militant terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda? It is not always clear who are the terrorists and who are the terrorized†¦ â€Å"All politics is a struggle for power, and the ultimate kind of power is violence. † Hoffman writes that terrorism is where politics and violence intersect in the hope of delivering power. And that all terrorism involves a quest for power. Power to do many things such as to dominate, coerce, control but ultimately to ‘effect fundamental political change. Clausewitz’s definition of war was ‘war is the continuation of Politick by other means’. In this context terrorism fits in accordance to his definition as terrorism too can be considered part of war. Terrorism can be considered a tactic or act of war, or war a tactic or act of terrorism. For example the French used torture during the Battle of Algiers, the US uses terror tactics itself such as Abu Ghraib. It is very difficult to separate war from terrorism neatly. Being a terrorist is a stepping-stone to becoming a politician. Thus because of the very ambiguous relationship and line between war and terrorism, terrorism can be considered as a new way, or military tactic of fighting war. Thus anything that tries to counter attack it can also be considered a war. Thus rending the war on terrorism a war. Terrorism is ‘a complex phenomena in which violence is used to obtain political power to readdress grievances ’ In order for one to consider the war on terrorism as an actual war, an actual statement of waging war has had to been made. This is the case with the war on terrorism. Al-Qaeda did declare war on the USA in 1998. The bush administration created the term of the ‘axis of evil’ and the USA did fight a conventional war in Iraq in 2003. The war on terrorism might not be a war in itself but it could be made up and composed by several on going wars such as Chechnya, the government of Sri Lanka versus the Tumult Tigers (which was actually the first country to successfully defeat terrorism), and Mali. There have been clear objectives set out and enemies to defeat. Although this enemy is invisible, and the way of fighting the battles are different (due to the asymmetrical aspect of the war on terror) it does not mean this is not a war. The rules have changed, the battle space as well, the way of thinking of the enemy and war has changed drastically. But it is still war. It is just a new face of war. However, the war on terrorism is hard to define as an actual ‘war’ for several reasons. One, because it seems the US and the West are just policing and engaging in nation building to promote liberal democracy. Hoffman mentions the second factor, which is vastly important in discrediting the war on terrorism as a war stating that ‘unlike traditional wars, the war on terror does not have a clear end’. This is because the victory seems unattainable. Terrorism won’t die along with the terrorist leaders. Not even when the most wanted terrorist has been killed. DCIA Leon E. Panetta stated that â€Å"I don’t think there’s any question that when you get the number one terrorist in the world, that we’re a little safer today than we were when he was alive. But I also don’t think we ought to kid ourselves that killing Usama Bin Ladin kills al-Qa’ida. Al-Qa’ida still remains a threat, they’re still going to try to attack our country, and I think we have to continue to be vigilant and continue the effort to ultimately defeat these guys. We damaged them, but we still have to defeat them. † In order for a war to be a war, shouldn’t it have a clear end? Or at least a possible one? The war on terrorism also is discredited as being an actual war because it does not take place on a clear battle space. The director of public prosecutions, Sir Ken Macdonald quoted â€Å"London is not a battlefield. Those innocents who were murdered on July 7 2005 were not victims of war. And the men who killed them were not, as in their vanity they claimed on their ludicrous videos, ‘soldiers’. They were deluded, narcissistic inadequates. They were criminals. They were fantasists. We need to be very clear about this. On the streets of London, there is no such thing as a ‘war on terror’, just as there can be no such thing as a ‘war on drugs’ He continues by stating that ‘the fight against terrorism on the streets of Britain is not a war. It is the prevention of crime, the enforcement of our laws and the winning of justice for those damaged by their infringement. † The war on terror could simply be a war against a ‘thing’ such as the war on poverty, drugs, crime tc†¦ There is no real way to defeat, destroy and rid the planet of such immaterial concepts. The war on terrorism looked under these aspects becomes more difficult to truly accept as a war. It is difficult to answer the question if whether the war on terrorism is an actual war. It appears that there is a struggle between Al-Qaeda fighting secularism, consumerism, and immorality and the US and the West is fighting against backwardness and against groups of people who reject western values and globalization. Is this what the real war being fought is about? Is this the actual war that is going on? There are both aspects crediting the war on terrorism as a war and others discrediting it. This question however is highly relevant and intertwines to other aspects of IR305 such as the changing nature of war (is the war on terror the new type of war? ), the different types of warfare (is the war on terror the new western way of warfare and terrorism the Arab way of warfare? ), and the topic of risk societies (are we breeding more terrorism by fighting the war on terror, thus creating more risk). All of these various aspects of IR305 are relevant to the topic of the war on terrorism.

Pttls Roles and Responsibilites of an Fe Teacher

| 2012 | | Blackpool and the Fylde College Leigharna McKenzie | [an examination of the roles and responsibilities and boundaries of a contemporary subject specialist teacher. ] | Within this essay the author discusses the roles and responsibilities of a teacher within the context of the teaching cycle and makes reference to legislation and codes of conduct, internal and external points of referral and record keeping. |As a contemporary teacher in Academic Studies there are many roles and responsibilities to be considered, most can also be found across a range of teaching sectors. Gravells suggests teachers practice differing roles within a model referred to as the Teaching Cycle, which encompasses five stages; Identify Needs, Plan and Design, Deliver, Assess and Evaluate. Gravells also states one is not only a teacher but a coach, counsellor, trainer, and assessor amongst others encouraging and supporting learners where necessary. Associated article: Roles, Responsibilities and Boundaries of a TeacherSuch roles and responsibilities are shaped by legislation, organisational policies, and situation requirements, (Gravells, 2010). At the initial stage of Identifying Needs, the teacher acts as an assessor of their learners, either using information from assessments on learning styles such as the Honey and Mumford test, (1986), which can aid in choosing assessments and learning activities, or information gathered from initial interviews/applications to the course, i. e. what learners wish to achieve at the end of the course.The teacher is responsible for selecting and applying different initial assessment methods and using information from these to create an inclusive framework. As a boundary, learners may not want to disclose needs and the teacher must respect their right to refuse to divulge sensitive information. The Data Protection Act (1998) provides key principles such as only be using data for the specific p urposes for which it was collected and not be disclosing to other parties without the consent of the individual whom it is about to guide teachers in this area.Inclusivity may be addressed by adapting lessons to fitting activities to the learning styles of the learners i. e. in respect to the Honey and Mumford test, having group discussions and role-play included for active learners but also having time to think about how to apply learning in reality for pragmatic learners in the class. Other needs may be physical e. g. with a leaner that is differently abled. Guidance in this area is covered by much legislation, such as the Disability Discrimination Act (2005).Norse and Wilkinson state that this act means legally an organisation should not treat disabled students less favourably than their peers however the Disability Rights Commission (2006) suggest 52% of those covered by the act do not consider themselves disabled and do not want to receive unfavourable/special treatment. With r espect to disability a teacher should find out what can be done to make things easier for the person concerned but also be aware that everyone’s abilities are different and different people have developed differing strategies to help them cope with challenging situations.It may be wise to discuss with the learner themselves how they wish to be treated within the learning environment at this stage, (Norse and Wilkinson, 2008). Gravells reminds us that there are also internal points of referral for instance such as Senior Tutor Support and Guidance who can give advice from their experience and the organisation’s policies or a teacher may wish to ask the college’s Learning Support department to become involved should the learner wish for additional aid. In the event that a learner discloses sensitive information that cannot be referred to internally, (e. g. here is an incident of violence in the learners home life) external points of referral such as the National D omestic Violence Helpline are available, (Gravells, 2010). An inclusive framework is of upmost importance in ensuring that no learner is excluded from the learning process and forms a major part of the second stage of the second stage of the cycle, Planning and Design. Ashmore et al. propose that valuing diversity creates a learning environment which includes and respects difference. Inclusivity can be as simple as using gender neutral language in presentations and hand-outs or being lexible with work arrangements to allow for cultural and religious practices. Legislation such as the Equality Act (2006), which has 9 areas protected by law, (age; disability; gender reassignment; marriage and civil partnership; pregnancy and maternity; race; religion or belief; sex; and sexual orientation), requires one to eliminate unlawful discrimination and harassment as well as promote opportunity between men and women amongst promoting other areas of inclusivity, and can be used by all teachers a s a guide to promote equality, (Ashmore et al. 2010). With an inclusive plan one can move into the third stage of the cycle, Delivery. Here a teacher acts as a guide to learning, it is key not to spoon-feed learners information but use a variety of approaches to engage and enthuse learners to take responsibility for their progress. To give teachers guidance on conduct during delivery the Institute for Learning provide a Code of Professional Practice which was enforced April 2008; it outlines the behaviours expected in terms of Integrity, Respect, Care, Practice, Disclosure and Responsibility.This code protects not only the interest of the learners but defines professional behaviours expected of a teacher. In Delivery teachers have a boundary to overcome in that they are also responsible, along with the learners, for being safe within the classroom; this is a requirement legally due to the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) which covers a wide range of subjects, from control of sub stances to working at height. Being safe in the classroom can be as simple as ensuring bags are kept under tables or arranging the classroom so that routes to fire exits remain unblocked.During the Delivery there should be also be differing forms of Assessment which itself forms the fourth stage of the learning cycle. Gould and Francis suggest at this stage it is key to ensure that progression is checked and that methods are fair linking to planned tasks. Assessment on the course forms an on-going record, which is important to look at how learners are grasping objectives and provides valuable feedback for both the learners and teacher.Monitoring student achievements, skills, abilities and progress through on-going assessment tracks their progress and giving feedback using these records can confirm that learning objectives have been met. Records can also assist in evaluating the teaching programme, and show if improvements or redesigning is necessary, (Gould and Francis, 2009). Redes ign can form a part of the final stage of the teaching cycle, Evaluation. Morrison states evaluation  is an essential part of the educational process, and suggests that it ensures teaching is meeting students' learning needs.Through this stage teachers are constantly learning their best practice and improving standards so that correct deficiencies can be acted on, that methods continue to improve, and that content is updated. Once Evaluation is complete then the teacher can start the cycle all over again, (Morrison, 2003). From this review it may be suggested a teachers role is never stagnant and always adapting. REFERENCES: Ashmore. L. , Dalton. J. , Noel. P. , Rennie. S. , Salter. E. , Swindells. D. , Thomas. P. , Equality and Diversity (2010) in Avis.J. , Fisher. R. , Thompson. R. (Eds. ) Teaching in Lifelong Learning, Berkshire: McGraw Hill Norse. D. , Wilkinson. J. , Supporting Learning (2008) in Fawbert. F. (Ed. ) Teaching in Post-Compulosry Education, 2nd Edition, London: C ontinuum. Gould J. , Francis M. , Achieving your PTTLS award (2009): London: SAGE Publications Gravells, A. (2010) Passing PTLLS Assessments, Exeter: Learning Matters. Morrsion J. (2003) â€Å"ABC of learning and teaching in medicine: Evaluation†, British Journal of Medicine, vol. 26, February, p. p. 385-387 BIBLIOGRAPHY: Ashmore. L. , Dalton. J. , Noel. P. , Rennie. S. , Salter. E. , Swindells. D. , Thomas. P. , Equality and Diversity (2010) in Avis. J. , Fisher. R. , Thompson. R. (Eds. ) Teaching in Lifelong Learning, Berkshire: McGraw Hill Norse. D. , Wilkinson. J. , Supporting Learning (2008) in Fawbert. F. (Ed. ) Teaching in Post-Compulosry Education, 2nd Edition, London: Continuum. Gould J. , Francis M. , Achieving your PTTLS award (2009): London: SAGE Publications Gravells, A.Passing PTLLS Assessments, (2010) 2nd Edition, London: Learning Matters. Gravells A. Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector, (2010) 5th Edition: London, Learning Matters Morrsion J. (2 003) â€Å"ABC of learning and teaching in medicine: Evaluation†, British Journal of Medicine, vol. 326, February, p. p. 385-387 Tummons, J. , Powell S. , Inclusive Practice in the Lifelong Learning Sector (2011): London: Learning Matters Wilson L. , Inclusive Practice in the Lifelong Learning Sector (2007): London: Thomson Learning EMEA

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 159

Summary - Essay Example Their intention was to prevent the sale of cotton until the intervention of the government authorities to increase the prices. As a result, the Klan warned the warehouses and other stores to stop operating, pending decisions from the government (Zerzan, n.p). In this regard, it is apparent that the Klan had campaigned for economic restoration and improvement of welfare. I think the Klan received enjoyed massive support in the Southern where its leadership had influence among the citizens. Economic and social issues were the motivations of the people to join the movement, enabling the group to gain prominence among the low-income workers. For instance, some veterans wanted compensation after the World War 1 after observing the treatment of soldiers from other countries. This implies that the Klan consisted of a diverse membership that had a common agenda with different implementation modes. However, the poor living standards, social injustices and inequality were among the elements that causes friction within the group. This is because some members thought that the Klan focused on political and economic issues without considering their personal welfare. For instance, the poor white sympathizers did not want their black counterparts to join the movement. They thought it was a way of empowering the black to stop working in the plantations. This caused friction between the two groups, leading to racist battles. The moral intolerance in the groups dissolved their missions, which weakened the labor movements across the country. The article further indicates that the other aspect of the Klan was its contribution towards eliminating gangs of organized crimes. This was evident in Oklahoma and Indiana, where criminal cases were enhanced to terrorize the locals. The radical nature of the members led to the establishment of civil movements and labor

Why is media studies an important academic discipline Essay

Why is media studies an important academic discipline - Essay Example The basic field of media studies or media sciences as one might inter relate the two terms is to make sure that there is complete harmony of understanding the different media related regimes when it comes to getting the message to the right people at the right time and in the right capacity. The media contributes to public opinion and provides understanding of the news. The media entertains us, watches government and social institutions, and gives the public information for debate and discussion about local and international affairs. The role of media in the world of today is unparalleled, so much so that it literally overshadows the extent of impact any other field of life or work can have. Media manipulations thus also are quite rampant and would remain in the thick of things until a sense of responsibility and fair play is brought into this scenario. Thus this issue brings to light the task played by the spin doctors with the passage of time. These people are basically biased towards a cause, an event or have a set objective to start with. Media has a huge role to play in any country’s day to day activities and the mannerisms in which it usually deals with the people living in a region or country for that matter. (Curran, 2000) Its role cannot be denied its du e right especially since it can literally make or break the cultural values and traditions of any country. When we speak of media studies, we must remember that it is composed of a number of subsets namely advertising, film, television, print, animation and so on and so forth. Media communications demands a lot of word of mouth approach that essentially takes into consideration the fact that the more people are happy and satisfied with the brand and its related associations, the more they will buy it again and again as well as encourage their near and dear ones to take that step of having the eventual purchase on

Critical Leadership Competencies Needed in 2020 Assignment

Critical Leadership Competencies Needed in 2020 - Assignment Example Johnson & Army War College (2000) assert that there has to be accountability in leadership because of the dynamic nature of the society. It is recommendable for a leader to have persuasive skills and be open to other people’s ideology. Understanding future leadership indicates that a leader should have a formidable followership. This is attainable only when the boundaries of the expectations of leadership are defined. According to Marx (2006), learning has to be continuous in the leadership approaches in future. Respect will be mandatory for both parties to benefit from leadership; honesty will be a plus. Competition in the society is forcing leaders to exude positivism in the attitude. As such, the leader has to be friendlier in his approach to command a following in the current society. Leadership will be complicated because of the introduction of measures for monitoring performance. Globalization will influence leadership in various ways. It will lead to the introduction of technology that forces leadership to devise new strategies of handling organizational challenges (Hesselbein, Goldsmith & LLI, 2006). Diversification due to interaction of people in the globe requires a leader to be versatile and informed. Technological programs that assist in decision-making will alter leadership needs in an organization. External changes such as the use of technology in management will revolutionize leadership to a more inclusive

A critique of the national literacy framework and the hour Essay

A critique of the national literacy framework and the hour - Essay Example The literacy hour is a means of implementing the objectives designed by the Framework. In this one hour teachers devote themselves entirely to making literates of their students.The National Literacy Framework and the training it provides are based on the National Literacy Project. Its aim is laudable and it has shown a degree of success in improving literacy standards. However it has been condemned on a number of counts and many teachers are up in arms against it. Therefore it is imperative for a teacher to subject the Framework and the literacy hour to intense scrutiny and analyze its positive and negative features with respect to the subject of teaching of reading. This examination with its salient features and results are outlined below.In the words of Jeanne S.Chall and Steven Stahl, reading is an "activity characterized by the translation of symbols, or letters, into words and sentences that have meaning to the individual". From their earliest years, children acquire the skills needed for learning to read. According to Chall and Stahl children as they become acclimatized to the sounds in their environment, "learn that spoken words are composed of separate sounds and that letters can represent these sounds." Itzhoff (1996:20) also stresses the importance of language proficiency in reading proficiency. Therefore parents can help children on their journey to fluent reading by diligently reading bedtime stories, having conversations and indulging in language play. Children having equipped themselves with these skills are now ready to learn reading. The National Literacy Framework has outlined three levels of work that children have to master in order to become literate; 1. Word-level work that includes phonics, proficiency in spelling and an improving vocabulary. 2. Sentence-level work pertaining to grammatical and punctuation rules. 3. Text-level work with regard to comprehension and composition skills. Wray et al. (2001:2) state that, "Each of these three levels was seen as essential to effective reading and writing and there is a close interrelationship between them." It now remains for the teacher to impart knowledge to the students about these skills as they constitute the entire foundation of their future proficiency in reading and writing. EFFECTIVE TEACHERS AND METHODS OF TEACHING "Success in literacy is measured not by what children know about texts, print etc. but by what they can do with them."(Wray et al. 2001:6) this statement captures the essence of what literacy is meant to do. The prerequisites for effective teachers and methods of teaching given below are derived from the research done by Wray, Medwell, Poulson and Fox. Effective teachers have a clear idea of what they are going to teach and how they are going to go about it. They are systematic in their teaching methods. Teaching is done using "shared" texts, where the teacher and students pool their resources to negotiate their way through the obscure and sometimes treacherous terrain of grammar, punctuation and other literacy essentials. The many aspects of reading and writing are taught not as so many isolated shards of information but as part of a larger, comprehensive whole. Good teachers have well-developed system for monitoring every individual student's progress and catering to their needs accordingly. Effective methods of teaching include careful attention to the teaching of pronunciation, word features like syllables and inflections, synonyms, punctuations, grammatical constructions etc. A suitable "literate environment" must be constructed bearing in mind a

Esaay Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Esaay - Essay Example The paper will explore my career objective, learning style, my team role, personal attributes and abilities as a mathematician in computer science and information technology. My career objective is to work for a reputable organization as top-level management in the fields of finance, management, public service or actuarial management where I would be able to use my mathematical and analytical skills to solve mathematical problems related to computer science. I will also be able to use my outgoing personality, enthusiasms, positive attitude, and will to work as a team to enhance the performance of the organization. Learning style preference is a factor that dictates the things that students learn and the ease with which they are learnt. This is because they have the potential of exerting powerful manipulation on the learning effectiveness. For this reasons, Honey and Mumford formulated a four learning style questionnaires that learners may prefer to adopt and a preferred learning methodology. These include the activist, reflectors, theorist, and pragmatism learning styles. I being interested in mathematics that requires deep analytical and complex computations and my preference of working as a team, I prefer the pragmatic learning style. This is because it allows me to ask questions on the spot from my lecturers who are experts in the field of mathematics. Pragmatic learning style enables discussion with my colleagues easy as one who is more knowledgeable in a particular area is given a chance to demonstrate to others the problem instead of struggling as an individual making trial and error as is the case with activist style (Pont 87) Leaning power refers to the skills and psychological traits that enable learners to engage effectively in diverse learning challenges. In this regard I believe that I posses different learning traits and powers that has seen me improve and get good marks in mathematics. My

Reflections on World's Leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Reflections on World's Leadership - Essay Example Effective leaders are capable of setting and achieving challenging goals along with taking speedy and crucial actions even in complicated circumstances. These activities are undertaken by the leaders to outperform their opposition and also to take designed risks for the purpose of persevering in the state of failure. Effective communication skills, confidence, ability to handle others and willingness to adopt changes also exemplify good leaders. Not all leaders are able to follow these broad aspects while deploying their leadership. However, those who are able to follow are characterized as good leaders but on the other hand those who are not able to comply with the fundamental aspects of leadership can be considered to be bad leaders (Daft, 2008; Fairholm, 2011). Correspondingly, the essay will specifically highlight a good leader i.e. Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and a bad leader i.e. President Bashar al-Assad in terms of their stance in a societal context. The essay will also pr ovide an in-depth knowledge pertaining to the aspects that highlight both the leaders’ leadership style. In addition, the essay will also reflect upon valuable aspects of both the leaders that put them in good and bad leadership positions. In-depth knowledge in this respect would prove to provide valuable insights about both individual’s leadership patterns as well. Analysis of Leadership Dimensions of Two Leaders Background and Contributions of Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum According to Daft (2008), certain desirable characteristics of a preferred leader whom the followers like to follow vehemently include forward thinking, honest, inspiring and competent. With this consideration, it can be apparently observed that Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum who is currently the Prime Minister and Vice President in the United Arab Emirates possesses these valuable qualities. He is also one of the rulers in Dubai. He has been holding these positions since the year 2006 begi nning from the month of January. He was born in the year 1949 on July 15th in the Al Maktoum house in Shindagha, which is located near a famous stream of Dubai. He has been deploying his wide assortment of duties since 2006 in a very skillful and effective manner, which substantiates his competence. Also, he has been able to work upon the interests of the public which puts him in a very good position as a forward thinking leader. He had been witnessed to get involved in various activities i.e. allowing free funds in mosques and launching initiatives to support the World Health Organization (WHO) among various other activities, which prove his loyalty for the people along with his forward thinking characteristic. In addition, he displayed his leadership attributes in a diversified and well-grounded manner. There are many instances and events that corroborate his valuable contributions towards the region where he leads. In the month September 2007, it has been reported that he launche d the Dubai Cares campaign. This campaign was primarily launched for the purpose of raising money in order to educate around 1 million children in most of the poor countries. The broader aim of the campaign was to ensure Dubai's active involvement to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals. It was essentially targeted for offering the ‘Children’s Primary Education to every child’ in the UN by 2015. The amount which was donated for this campaign

Human Resource Outsourcing in India Essay Example for Free

Human Resource Outsourcing in India Essay This article attempts to discuss HRO in Indian context and the possible future of HRO in the Indian business scenario. Certain preparatory actions are also prescribed to effectively used HRO as a strategic business tool. HRO – HRM Architecture: Today, as we have moved into service – economy, dealing with knowledge and knowledge workers is very important as human capital has become a critical success factor for organizations. HRM is seen as a distinct identity, separate from Administration and Facilities section of the establishment. This can be clearly seen from the importance being given to HRM Architecture. In addition to the traditional roles for HR, over the years, in the IT and ITes sectors, distinct roles have emerged such as corporate HR, business HR, generalist HR, techno – functional HR, etc. The job holders in these roles are expected to give different â€Å"deliverables† as related to their functional aspects. It is pertinent to note that a 1998 survey by center for effective organization at university of southern California’s Marshal School of business shown that 79% of HRM managers describe themselves as â€Å"business partners† and 53% of line managers agreed that HR managers are now performing the roles of business partners. Thus, today HRM is getting well embodied into business functions such as marketing, finance or operations. This can be, in a way, considered as a starting point of HRO, because, from this, emerges the need for HR function to work smart for business results – whether by doing functions and activities all on their own, or by getting some of them done through outsourcing. Additionally, it also puts pressure on HR function to find â€Å"partners† who can â€Å"take over† specific transactions and processes at a lower cost. In this way, HR will get focused on â€Å"tangible† results (which was one of the complains against HR in the past). Thus, to some extent, it will help free up time for core-HR activities that result in improvements which positively influence the bottom line. A word of caution though that it may not â€Å"free up† time, and should not free up too much time. After all, HR is essentially a personal touch button of the organization and too much outsourcing might result in lack of personal touch and decreased human interaction which may frustrate the employees. HRO Evolution: HRO is always an evolutionary exercise for the organization. Initially, companies are reluctant to outsource, they prefer to do every act in the own backyard. As the organization grows in terms of its life cycle, slowly, â€Å"experimentation† phase will begin when they start outsourcing certain simple transactions or processes. Sometimes, they may even take a parallel run with the vendor. When the experience is positive and as they make progress, companies may make decisions to penetrate further into the HRO space. According to Everest Research institute’s annual HRO study, the most commonly outsourced HR functions include: †¢Pay roll †¢Benefits †¢Employee data management †¢Info systems †¢Contact centers. As the companies find that there are substantial benefits from outsourcing, they feel attracted to go in for deeper penetration. Thus, it is possible to categorize companies adopting different levels of HRO in their organization. (See Table 1) Table 1 LevelActivities OutsourcedType of HROBenefits 1Admin services, pay – roll, pension, PF mgt. , etc, temporary staffingTransactionCost efficiency 2L1 + training, new employee induction and executive searchProcess†¢Standardization †¢Cost †¢Replication of good practices 3L1 + L2 + campus hiring, online assessments, HR audits, employee surveys etc. Function†¢Quality †¢Cost, benchmarking etc. HRO in Indian Business The debate on HRO in India still hovers around the following questions: ‘Has HRO really arrived in India? ’ ‘Are we missing the HR outsourcing bus? ’ ‘Should companies outsource their HR functions? ’ We also seem to be aware that â€Å"The New Mantra is HR Outsourcing† In this maze of debates and arguments, some facts need to be cleared. â€Å"HR outsourcing in India has not seen the required momentum and is limited to trickle effect, with companies outsourcing a few selected, low end HR processes† – Says Anil Mahajan in an interview for an article on HRM. In India, most common outsource processes are related to training, pay – roll processing, benchmarks studies and legal compliance. Some HR consultants feel that in Indian HRO scene, quality is an issue. It is reported that some MNC’s wanted to outsource end to end HR solutions, but could find a suitable vendor and hence decided to set up its own outsourcing centre. While many experts in the field believe that there is a good scope for HRO in India, it is a fact that our present share in the global market of US $ 80 bn. is only a minuscule. Estimates show that size of HR outsourcing in India is about US $ 2. 5 – 3. 5 bn. But another study shows flat markets in HRO world wide between 2005 – 2007 but 2008 promises to be different! In the flat world of today, as India becomes more and more global in business and economy it will be a compelling need for companies to resort to outsourcing in the interest of survival and growth. Thus, even though, as of now, HRO in India has not caught up sufficiently time is right for making rapid strides to catch up and make best use of the opportunities presented by the wave of HR outsourcing. HRO as Double – edged Weapon: In India, we are fortunate to have the double advantage of HRO as we all know, HRO operates in an environment where there are abundant takers and abundant givers. HRO activities have two edges one as the service provider and another as a client who is outsourcing the process / transaction. At present many Indian companies are acting as service providers as a natural step, India with its vast millions of English speaking, trainable youth who are willing to learn and serve clients as and idle platform to take on the HRO wave. Thus, India may finally become the outsourcing centre for HR services. The growth in the HRO itself may trigger further developments. Any HRO companies may, in turn, begin to outsource some of their process to another service provider. Thus, a virtuous HRO business cycle may get activated. After all, â€Å"We Are All in Services Now† (Prof. James Teboul). According to him, the process, people and credibility are 3 key elements in the making of value proposition. People interaction may place a sort of limitation on HRO spreading without a human face! The basic tenet of HR philosophy should be that HRO must be implemented with utmost regard to â€Å"Human face† of activities being outsourced. This is because of the uniqueness of the HR issues. There cannot be a straightjacket solution for all human issues hence human interaction element needs to be always kept in mind and given a priority. We need to get over certain drawbacks as a community of employers in order to benefit from the HRO wave. If we have to shape up, good future we need to know aht we should to and what we should not so that our progress is never stalled. Hence, it is necessary to appreciate the barriers identified for the spread of HRO in our country. The following are some of the barriers identified in literature on the subject: †¢Cultural shift and top management thinking †¢Confidentiality and cost factors †¢Lack of awareness on cost-to-benefit equation of HRO †¢Quality of end results. A word or two about each of these barriers will clear the aspect. Cultural shift requires us to trust and be trusted. The two parties’ involved, namely service provider and client, need to trust each other not only about confidentiality but also about the capability to delay it. Many employers and top management feel that it is better to have own HR persons dealing with all the issues instead of outsourcing. Reasons may be many for such outlook, but there is a need to change in order to think professionally and ethically. If we can trust an advocate or a doctor or the tax consultant, why not HR service provider? Confidentiality and cost factors relate to the ability of HR service provider to handle information professionally and confidentially. Ethics both personal and corporate – play a great role. If we think proper work ethics can be created through good leadership, we need to develop and nurture such leaders appropriately. Lack of awareness among persons about cost / benefit equation needs to be overcome by education right from the top level to look at HRO as a hard core business option and to quantify the benefits correctly. Lastly, quality issues need to be addressed again through building a quality culture by following the total quality management (TQM) practices. Internal and external customer orientation among all and education and training for all on TQ practices and bring about improvement in quality. The Indian experience of TQM is quite satisfactory in this regard and there is a bright chance of success for improving the quality aspects of HRO. Preparatory Activities: While is it necessary to be clear about changes that we need to make on an individual or a company basis, it is equally important to focus on the preparations needed by us a community of service economy. For any service economy to grow, especially in the network era of today, there is a need for adequate preparation so that ultimately, the environment of business responds favorably to the needs of the market. In this regard, certain preparatory activities have to be undertaken immediately. The various activities for this purpose can be broadly classified as: †¢Infrastructural †¢Educational †¢Business/ operational †¢Social Under each of these, there are various elements that have to be taken under consideration. The following matrix will show these points clearly. As most of these items are self explanatory in nature, a detailed description of individual items is not done in this article. However, it has to be emphasized that these sub elements are very important contributions to the climate of HRO in a microeconomic sense. The elements given in the matrix are only illustrative and are not exhaustive. Preparatory activities needed for HRO Infrastructural / Technical †¢Telecommunications and network accessibility †¢Roads †¢TransportEducational – Training Related †¢Curriculum in colleges †¢HRO training centers †¢E Learning transactions / process Counseling centers Business Related †¢Performance parameters †¢Quality measures †¢Feedback †¢Relationships / Cultural sensitivitySocial †¢Quality of the work – Life balance †¢Stress management †¢Time management †¢Security at workplace Conclusion: In conclusion, it may be said that HRO is going to slowly but steadily beco me a part of business strategy. HR professionals will drive the initiatives of HRO, of course with support from top management. The time is now ripe for HRO to succeed in view of HRM being seen and treated as an important element of business resources in the service economy of today. Certain new roles have emerged which confirm this position. Though the Indian share of the revenue pie today is very small, there is a very good possibility of our riding high on the HRO wave that is round the corner. As a community, it is necessary to identify barriers and identify the changes or adjustments we need to make as individuals and companies. As HRO operates as a subset of BPO and overall business environment, certain preparatory steps need to be taken as a community in general. With all this, it is possible to ride high on HRO wave in the next few years.

Thomas Aquinas Essay Example for Free

Thomas Aquinas Essay Science and religion by its very natures have always been clashing throughout history.   Although heated arguments have usually sprouted from Christianity and its contradictory principles to science, most religions have been in the same boat with Roman Catholicism when it comes to the fundamentals of faith against science. The Egyptians would have raised arguments against astronomers if they had been confronted with the idea that their sun god was merely a ball of fire at the center of the solar system. However, during the medieval times, those who were in economic and political power understood the world merely as a place to perfect their holiness and therefore, any scientific study that contradicted Biblical statements had to be considered wrong.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This point of view was only adjusted when scholars such as Thomas Aquinas were able to reconcile religious obedience with the discoveries of science.   Had this turn around in philosophical understanding not happened, the world would not have reached the body of knowledge and progress that man is enjoying today.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   According to an article of John Courtney Murray, S.J. entitled, Medieval Synthesis from the Problem of God (1964), Thomas Aquinas bridged the seemingly endless gap between science and Christianity by helping man understand his faith and discoveries in a different light.   First of all, Thomas Aquinas believed that the universe was made by God but this did not mean that it is perfect like the omnipotent God. The universe is merely an expression of God’s love for mankind but its strengths and weaknesses do not limit God’s greatness. Thomas Aquinas believed that God sends messages of His love through physically tangible things that are present in the world but these are merely ways for Him to make His presence felt in man’s life. Secondly, Thomas Aquinas also believed that man was created by God with an intelligence that cannot be rivaled by any other creature on the planet and this makes man the steward of everything else that surrounds him. It is this second principle that allows man to discover his world without the guilt of overstepping his Christian beliefs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Although medieval history has already shown that religion can be sidestepped to understand how the world moves, contradictions between faith and science still abound and causes rifts and differences of opinions.   There are those who believe that the theories on the evolution of man should not be taken up in the academic field because it goes against the basic story of Creation in the Bible.   However, if one will turn to Thomas Aquinas’ perspectives between science and religion, one would understand that there should be no problem in the learning of these scientific lessons because these are merely theories that men of science have reported based on their interpretations of evidence.   These theories are man’s understanding of his world outside the views of faith.   God gives man the permission to discover things and use his intelligence to interpret these so that humans can better appreciate the intricacy of the world He has created out of His great love.   Therefore, if Thomas Aquinas would be asked about the theories of evolution, he would probably just shrug and tell those who do not allow it to be taught in classrooms to understand that the bodies of knowledge that science brings should only make us wonder and love God more.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thomas Aquinas is relatively clear in his position on the permission to study evolution in the classrooms, his stance on a more scandalous issue such as embryonic stem cell research can be a bit vague.   His train of thought can be used for and against the issue.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Thomas Aquinas believes that man must protect all forms of life because God granted him the intelligence and therefore stewardship over all creatures.   In the debates that have ensued in the past, scientists and Christians already agree that an embryo is a live individual merely waiting to develop into a full human being. Therefore, man must protect embryos from being killed merely for the progress of science.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   However, man’s stewardship also means that he has to discover ways to protect and save lives.   Embryonic stem cell research can produce many discoveries that could help save the lives of many sick people in the future.   Its discoveries can lead to the much greater good of mankind if the embryos used for the research would be sacrificed.   Secondly, many embryos in the fertility clinics are merely flushed into toilets when these are not needed anymore.   Embryonic stem cell research would put these embryos to better use for the propagation of life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Philosophical principles abound on this world and can be easily twisted by anyone to favor a perspective as can be seen with the view of Thomas Aquinas. In the end, it is still man’s faith or curiosity that would guide him towards the progress he wants to achieve.