diversity in organizations

diversity in organizations Introduction This paper aims to show a deep examination of how diversity is interpreted and wrongfully applied in many organizations today. In this essay, I would explore and discuss the term â€Å"Diversity†, its definitions, merits, demerits, its varied applications and if there is a cause and effect relationship between diversity workforce and organizational effectiveness. This essay would also show why the term diversity is remotely satisfying and elaborate on the need for a new paradigm for understanding Diversity. My study supports the principles of the Diversity theory but not its varied applications which inhibit organizational effectiveness. Diversity The term â€Å"diversity† has found its place in almost all HRM literature; the front page. Jackson et al (1993), states that â€Å"the term diversity has little history within the behavioural sciences and is not (yet) a scientific construct. Instead, it is an everyday term that sprang to life rather recently, nourished by widespread media coverage of the â€Å"managing diversity† activities that organizations are adopting in response to changing work-force demographics. Nevertheless, the body of social science research relevant to understanding the dynamics of diversity in organizations is not large, although it is widely dispersed across sub disciplines that cross reference each other nor have a common terminology† (See Friedman, 1996:67). Another interesting definition is found in Ashkanasy et al (2002) which defines diversity as a concept that â€Å"encompasses acceptance and respect. It means the understanding that each individual is unique and recognizing our individual differences. They can be along the dimensions of race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs and other ideologies and the exploration of these differences in a safe, positive and nurturing environment. Diversity is about understanding each other and moving beyond simple tolerance to embracing and celebrating the rich dimensions of diversity contained within each individual† Allen et al (2008) asserts that diversity is a challenge and that â€Å"organizations have struggled to embrace and manage it successfully. Researchers have struggled to conceptualize and study the term effectively. Theorists predict differing effects of Diversity: that they will spark integrative insights, creativity and innovation (e.g. Finkelstein and Hambrick, 1996; Hoffman and Maier, 1961) or that they will provoke conflict, division and dissolution (e.g. Chatman, 1991; Tajfel and Turner, 1979)†. Workforce Diversity (A Critical Analysis) Structural Diversity Vs Demographic Diversity â€Å"The demographics of the workforce are changing and will continue to change rapidly. Almost every organization looks different – both in terms of who’s employed and they positions they hold, than it did ten years ago† (Sonnenschien, 1999:2). Jackson et al (1995) also asserts that the â€Å"changing work-force demographics and new organizational forms are increasing the diversity of work teams in general and decision making teams in particular. Given these environmental changes, work teams that are diverse in terms of sex, race, and ethnicity, national origin, area of expertise, organizational affiliation and many other personal characteristics are increasingly common. The changing demographics of today’s labour force, account for the increasing gender diversity, cultural diversity (including cultural differences due to race and ethnicity) and age diversity (See Kling, Hyde, Showers and Buswell, 1999; Konrad, Ritchie, Lieb and Corrigall, 2000; Roberso n and Block, 2001)†. According to Ongari and Argolla (2007) â€Å"Workforce diversity is a complex phenomenon to manage in an organization. The management of workforce diversity as a tool to increase organizational effectiveness cannot be underscored, especially with current changes sweeping across the globe. It is argued that organizations that value diversity will definitely cultivate success and have a future in this dynamic global labour market (Jain and Verma, 1996). Workforce diversity management has become an important issue for both governments and private organizations. Its importance has mainly been brought about by the free movement of labour due to globalization and the fight for human rights by certain minority groups who feel excluded from the employment sector. The workforce diversity emerged mainly to further the availability of equal opportunities in the work place. This equal opportunity philosophy is aimed at ensuring that organizational make the most out of the difference from a dive rse workforce rather than losing talent which might assist the organization to be more efficient and effective. The increased mobility and interaction of people from diverse backgrounds as a result of improved economic and political systems and the recognition of human rights by all nations has put most organizations under pressure to embrace diversity at the work place. Diversity brings with it the heterogeneity that needs to be nurtured, cultivated and appreciated as means of increasing organizational effectiveness†. A more diverse workforce according to Thomas and Ely (1996) will increase organizational effectiveness. â€Å"It would lift morale, bring greater access to new segments of the market place and enhance productivity. Yet if this is true, what then are the positive impacts of diversity? Numerous and varied initiatives to increase diversity in corporate organizations have been under way for over a decade† (Sonnenschein, 1992:49). â€Å"Rarely, however, have those efforts spurred organizational effectiveness, Instead, many attempts to increase diversity in the workplace have backfired, sometimes even heightening and hindering a company’s performance† (Tsui and Gutek, 1999). As is commonly ascribed, Riodan (2000) asserts most people assume that workforce â€Å"diversity is about increasing racial, national, gender or class representation in other words, recruiting and retaining most people from traditionally underrepresented identity groups†. Taking this commonly held supposition as a starting point, Thomas and Ely (1996) set out to investigate the link between diversity and organizational effectiveness and they found that â€Å"thinking of diversity simply in terms of identifying group representations inhibited effectiveness†. They also found that organizations usually follow â€Å"two paths in managing diversity, In the name of empathy and fairness, the organizations encourage women and people of colour to blend in or they set them apart in jobs that relate specifically to their backgrounds, assigning them, for example to areas that require them to interface with clients and customers of the same identity group†. In this kind of c ase, companies are operating on the assumption that the main virtue identity groups have to offer is knowledge of their own people. â€Å"This assumption is limited and detrimental to diversity efforts† â€Å"(See Elsass Graves, 1997; Finkelstein Hambrick, 1996; Jackson, May and Whitney, 1995; Milliken Martins, 1996; Reskin, McBrier Kmec, 1999; Shaw Barrett Power, 1998)† A recent meta-analysis of the effects of task related (e.g. tenure) and non task related (e.g. ethnic and gender) diversity, by Weber Donahue (2001) â€Å"revealed no dependable effects on organizational effectiveness, performance or cohesiveness†. Williams and O’Reilly (1998) assert that â€Å"diversity goes beyond increasing the number of different identity groups’ affiliations† in a company but that diversity should be seen and â€Å"understood as the varied perspectives and approaches to work that members of different identity groups bring†. Another argument is by Cummings (2004) which says that â€Å"effective work groups engage in external knowledge sharing- the exchange of information, know-how and feedback with customers, organizational experts and others outside the group. This paper argues that the value of external knowledge sharing increases when work groups are structurally diverse†. â€Å"A structurally diverse work group is one in which the members, by virtue of their different organizational affiliations, roles or positions, can expose the group to unique sources of knowledge. It is hypothesized that if members of structurally diverse work groups engage in external knowledge sharing, their performance will improve because of this active exchange of knowledge through unique external sources†. Cummings (2004) also assert that â€Å"scholars examining diversity in work groups have primarily focused on the consequences of demographic diversity (e.g. member differences in sex, age, or tenure) for processes such as communication, conflict, or social integration† ( See also Jehn et al, 1999, Pelled et al, 1999 and O’Reilly et al, 1989). â€Å"The consistently negative effects of demographic diversity on group processes are likely the result of heightened member emphasis on social categories rather than project relevant information. Demographic diversity should not increase the value of intra-group knowledge sharing or external knowledge sharing unless it exposes members to unique sources of knowledge related to the work† (for a review see Williams and O’Reilly. 1998). Relatively, â€Å"little attention has been given to member differences in organizational affiliations, roles or positions. With the rise in labour costs, global expansion and corporate mergers, workgroups are often used as a means for connecting members who are dispersed across different geographic locations, who represent different functions and report to different managers or who work in different business units â€Å" (DeSanctis and Monge, 1999; Jarvenpaa and Leidner, 1999; Maznevski and Chudoba, 2000). This variation in features of the group structure is introduced here as â€Å"structural diversity because of its potential to expose members to different sources of task information, know-how and feedback. Four types of structural diversity in work groups† are mentioned below as: â€Å"Geographic locations† (See Van den Bulte Moenaert, 1998), â€Å"Functional assignments† (See Bunderson Sutcliffe, 2002), â€Å"Reporting managers† (e.g. Burns, 1989) and in â€Å"Business units† (See Hansen, 2002) Another research done by Siciliano (1996) on 240 YMCA organizations, found no significant relationship between diversity and organizational effectiveness. Middleton (1987) also asserted that â€Å"diversity in any form has no impact on the operating efficiencies of an organization and diversity does not appear to influence one way or another, an organization’s tendency to perform its control function. Merits of Managing Workforce Diversity â€Å"Managing diversity can create a competitive advantage. Potential benefits of diversity include better decision making, higher creativity and innovation, greater success in marketing to foreign and domestic ethnic minority communities and a better distribution of economic opportunity† (Cox, 1991; Cox Blake, 1991). According to one study (Watson et al, 1993) â€Å"culturally diverse groups relative to homogenous groups are more effective both in the interaction process and job performance; these benefits occur after a diverse group has been put together for a period of time†. Mueller (1998) states that â€Å"as all the segments of society have a stake in the development and prosperity of society as a whole, creating and managing a diverse workforce should be seen as a social and moral imperative†. â€Å"As globalisation is increasing, diversity will help organizations to enter the international arena† (Cascio, 1998). â€Å"Diversity enhances creativi ty and innovation (Adler, 1997; Jackson et al, 1992) and produces competitive advantages (Coleman, 2002; Jackson et al, 1992)†. â€Å"Diversity teams make it possible to enhance flexibility (Fleury, 1999) and rapid response and adaptation to change (Adler, 1997’ Jackson et al, 1992)†. Organizational Challenges â€Å"Companies can succeed at diversity if the initiative to create, manage and value the diverse workforce has the full support of the top management† (Hayes, 1999; Jackson et al, 1992). Fiske, 1993 states that â€Å"for increased effectiveness and adaptation of the diversity discourse, companies have to start thinking about diversity more holistically- â€Å"as providing fresh and meaningful approaches to work and stop assuming that diversity relates simply to how a person looks or where† they are from, only then would companies reap diversity’s full rewards† and â€Å"Organizations with a diverse workforce can provide superior services because they can better understand customers’ needs (Weitling Palma-Rivas, 2000). Hiring women, minorities, disabled, etc will help organizations to tap into these niche markets (Mueller, 1998) and diversified market segments† (Fleury, 1999). Jackson et al (1995) state that â€Å"the business economy has received much recent attention, with trade barriers are removed and competition intensifies, many companies are beginning to expand their operations in order to take advantage of foreign labour and consumer markets. For smaller companies, foreign activities may be limited to a single joint venture or to offshore production or distribution systems that involve one or two other countries. For larger corporations, foreign offices may be in over one hundred different countries (See Fulkerson Schuler, 1992). The presence of international affiliations, although not inevitable, is likely to lead eventually to the formation of teams of people with diverse cultural backgrounds, including management teams, design teams, operation teams and marketing teams (Adler Ghadar, 1991; Kanter, 1991; Von Glinow Mohrman, 1990) of which engage in decision making activities† â€Å"Theories and techniques of diversity management have been developed and enthusiastically supported by a growing number of chief executives, training specialists, diversity consultants and academics† (Saji, 2004)). Diversity can improve organizational effectiveness. â€Å"Organizations that develop experience in and reputations for managing diversity will likely attract the best personnel (Carrel et al, 2000). â€Å"Diversity requires a type of organizational culture in which each employee can pursue his or her career aspirations without being intimidated by gender, race, nationality, religion or other factors that are irrelevant to performance† (Bryan. 1999). Managing diversity means â€Å"enabling the diverse workforce to perform its full potential in an equitable work environment, where no one group has an advantage or disadvantage† (Torres Bruxelles, 1992). â€Å"Diversity in the workplace can be a competitive advantage because differing viewpoints can facilitate unique and creative approaches to problem-solving, thereby increasing creativity and innovation, which in turn leads to better organizational performance† (Allen et al, 2004). â€Å"For example, in Botswana, the society is becoming multicultural due to the increasing migrant population and their descendants. For organizations, this means that their market share, efficiency. â€Å"Human capital, international competitiveness and level of innovation will depend on their ability to effectively manage a diverse workforce both within and across organizational boundaries† (Barker Hartel, 2004; Dass Parker, 1996; Kandola et al, 1995; Strauss Mang, 1999)† Conclusions Jackson (2003) â€Å"In today’s business environment, work teams are becoming more common and more diverse, intensifying the importance of understanding the dynamics of work- team diversity. Of particular importance, is diversity within decision making teams. Organizations are rapidly restructuring to take advantage of the potential benefits of diverse decision making teams are worth the risk (or can be successfully avoided). Many of the specific assets and liabilities of work teams arise directly out of diversity†. Despite various intensive efforts to measure diversity and predict its outcomes, Jackson (2003) asserts â€Å"many literature offer few conclusive findings about the effects of diversity in the workplace. Lack of a common paradigm will make it difficult to accumulate comparable findings over time, while agreement around some issues could accelerate our ability to learn from previous accumulated evidence. One useful element that could be suggested could be a common paradigm; it would be for researchers to agree to a common theme or definition of diversity which would in turn lead to less confusion about this concept† (See also Carroll Harrison, 1998; Bedeian Mossholder, 2000). Jackson (2003) affirms that â€Å"Pettigrew (1998) used a very different approach to developing a blueprint for enabling organizational effectiveness. Based on a comprehensive review of a large body of research conducted in a variety of settings, Pettigrew identified the conditions needed to reduce intergroup bias and its negative consequence and described several processes that could be engaged to create these conditions. To the extent an origination’s diversity initiatives support these processes, they would encourage the development of positive intergroup relations, employee commitment, improved productivity and increased organizational effectiveness (See also Gaertner et al, 2000) and they are: Learning about the other group(s) was one key process identified by Pettigrew, Inaccurate stereotypes resist change for a variety of reasons but inaccurate stereotypes can be modified if people receive sufficient disconfirming evidence. Such learning is often the objective of diversity awareness training. Behavioural Change is the second key process that is needed to promote positive intergroup relations. Engaging repeatedly in positive behaviour with members of a work team can lead to long term attitudinal change towards members. Providing training in the behavioural competencies needed to work effectively in organizations characterized by diversity is one way to encourage people to engage in positive behaviour towards work group members Creating positive emotions associated with the work group is the third key process. For example, mentoring programs may encourage the development of intergroup friendships. The value of personal friendships may help explain the apparent success of informal mentoring programs†. In conclusion, it seems likely that active diversity management will be required in order for organizations to comprehend the potential benefits locked up within their diverse work forces and as such organizations must put in place strategies to enhance workforce diversity. â€Å"Research based principles for achieving these benefits and minimising potential losses have been offered. Some organizations are undoubtedly experimenting with practises that are consistent with these principles† Jackson et al (1995). By the end of this decade, perhaps another review of diversity will yield useable suggestions for how to create a sustainable and effective organizational condition called for by Pettigrew’s analysis. References Allen, R.S., Dawson, G., Wheatley, K and White, C.S. (2008) â€Å"Perceived Diversity and Organizational Performance† Employee Relations, Vol. 30, No. 1, pp. 20-33. Ashkanasy, N.M., Hartel, C.E.J. and Dass, C.S (2002) â€Å"Diversity and Emotion: The New Frontiers in Organizational Behaviour Research† Journal of Management, Vol. 28, pp. 307-338. Barker, S. and Hartel C.E.J (2004) â€Å"Intercultural service encounter: An exploratory study of customer experiences† Journal of Cross Cultural Management, Vol. 11(1) pp. 3-14. Bedian, A.G and Mossholder, K.W (2000) â€Å"On the use of the coefficient of variations as a measure of diversity† Organizational research Methods, Vol. 3: 285-297. Bryan J.H (1999) â€Å"The diversity Imperative† Executive Excellence, pp6 Bunderson, J.S and Sutcliffe K.M (2002) â€Å"Comparing alternative conceptualizations of functional diversity in management teams: process and performance effects† Academy of Management Journal, 45:875-893 Carroll, G.R and Harrison, J.R (1998) â€Å"Organizational demography and culture: insights from a former model and simulation† Administrative Science Quarterly, vol. 43:637-667 Cascio, W.F (1998) â€Å"Managing Human Resources Productivity, Quality of Work Life, Profits†, McGraw Hill, Boston, MA Cox T Blake S. (1991) â€Å"Managing Cultural Diversity: Implications for Organizational Competitiveness† The Academy of Management Executive, August. Cox T (1991) â€Å"The multicultural organization† the academy of management executive, May Cummings J (2004), Work groups, structural diversity, and knowledge sharing in a global organization, Management Science, Vol. 50 pp.352 364. Cummings, J. N. Cross, R. (2003) â€Å"Structural Properties of Work Groups and their Consequences for Performance† Social Networks, Vol. 25 (3), 197-210. Dass, P Parker B (1999) â€Å"Strategies for managing human resource diversity: from resistance to learning† Academy of Management Executive, vol. 13: 68-80 Elsass, P.M Graves L.M (1997) â€Å"Demographic diversity in decision making groups: The experiences of women and people of colour† Academy of Management review, Vol 22: 946-973 Ely R.J Thomas D.A (2001) â€Å"Cultural diversity at work: The effects of diversity perspectives on work group processes and outcomes† Administrative Science Quarterly, vol 46: 229-273. Fiske, S. (1993) â€Å"Social Cognition and Social Perception† in Rozenwig M.R L.W Porter (Eds) Annual Review of Psychology, Vol. 44:155-194. Pato Alto, CA: Annual Reviews Inc. Friedman, R.A (1996) â€Å"Defining the scope and logic of minority and female network groups: can separation enhance integration?† Research in Personnel and Human Resource Management, vol. 14: 307-349 Fleury, 1999 Gaertner S.L, Dovidio, J.F, Banker B.S, Houlette, M, Johnson K.M and Mc Glynn, E.A (2000) â€Å"Reducing intergroup conflict: From super ordinate goals to categorization, recategorization and mutual differentiation† Group dynamics: Theory, Research and practise, Vol 4: 98-114. Hayes, E. (1999) â€Å"Winning at Diversity† Executive Excellence pp.9 Klein, K. J. Harrison, D. A. (2007) â€Å"On the diversity of diversity: Tidy logic, messier realities† Academic of Management Perspectives, 21(4): 26-33. Jackson, B.W, La Fasto, F, Schultz, H.G, Kelly, D (1992) â€Å"Diversity† Human Resource Management, vol 31,pp.21-34 Jackson, S.E, Joshi, A and Erhardt, N.L (2003) â€Å"Recent Research in Team and Organizational Diversity: SWOT analysis and Implications† Journal of Management, vol. 29, No. 6, pp.801-830. Jackson, S.E, May, K.E Whitney, K. (1995) â€Å"Under the dynamics of diversity in decision making teams† in Guzzo, A Salas, E. (Eds) Team effectiveness and decision making in organizations, pp. 204-261. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Jackson, S.E, Stone, V.K Alvarez, E.B (1993) â€Å"Socialization amidst diversity: impact of demographics on work team old timers and newcomers† Research in Organizational Behaviour, Vol. 15: 45-111. Jehn, K.A, Northcraft, G.B Neale, M.A (1999) â€Å"Why differences make a difference: a field study in diversity, conflict and performance in workgroups† Administrative Science Quarterly, vol.44, pp. 741-763. Kandola, R, Fullerton, J and Ahmed, Y (1995) â€Å"Managing diversity: succeeding where equal opportunities have failed† Equal Opportunities Review, 59:31-36. Kling, K.C, Hyde J.S, Showers, C.J Buswell, B.N (1999) â€Å"Gender differences in self esteem: A Meta-analysis† Psychological Bulletin, Vol. 125:470-500 Konrad, A.M, Ritchie, J.E, Lieb, J.R Corrigall, E (2000) â€Å"Sex differences and similarities in job attribute preferences: A Meta-analysis† Psychological bulletin, 126:593-641 Milliken, F.J Martins, L.L (1996) â€Å"Searching for common threads: understanding the multitude effects of diversity in organizational groups† Academy of management review, 21: 402-433 Ongori, H and Argolla, J.E (2007) â€Å"Critical review of literature on Workforce Diversity† African journal of Business Management, pp. 72-76 Pelled, L.H, Eisenhardt, K .M Xin, K.R (1999) â€Å"Exploring the black box: An analysis of work group diversity, conflict and performance† Administrative Science Quarterly, 44:1-28. Pettigrew, T.F (1998) â€Å"Intergroup Contact Theory† Annual Review of Psychology, 49:65-85 Reskin B.F, McBrier, M Kmec, J.A (1999) â€Å"The determinants and consequences of workplace sex and race composition† Annual Review of sociology, Vol 25:335-362 Riordan, C.M (2000) â€Å"Relational demography within groups: past developments, contradictions and new directions† Research in Personnel and Human Resource Management, Vol 19:131-174 Roberson, L, Kulik, C.T and Pepper, M.B (2001) â€Å"Designing effective diversity training: influence of group composition and trainee experience† Journal of Organizational Behaviour , vol. 22: 871-885 Shaw, J.B Barrett-Power, E (1998) â€Å"The effects of diversity on small work group processes and performance† Human Relations, Vol 51: 1307-1325. Strauss, P, Mang, J (1999) â€Å"Culture shocks in inter-cultural service encounter?† Journal of Services Marketing, vol 4, no 5 pp.329-346 Sonnenschein, W. (1992) â€Å"The diversity toolkit: how you can build and benefit from a diverse workforce† Contemporary Publishing Company, USA. Thomas, D.A Ely, R.D (1996) â€Å"Making differences matter: A new paradigm for managing diversity† Harvard Business Review. Sep/Oct: 79-90 Torres, C, Bruxelles, M (1992) â€Å"capitalizing on global diversity† HM Magazine, pp.30-33 Tsui, A.S Gutek, B.A (1999) â€Å"Demographic differences in organizations† Lanham, MD: Lexington Books Watson, W.E, Kumar, K, Michaelsen, L (1993) â€Å"Cultural diversity’s impact on interaction process and performance: comparing homogenous diverse task groups† Academy of Management Journal, 36(3) pp.590-602. Webber, S.S Donahue L.M (2001) â€Å"Impact of highly and less job-related diversity on work group cohesion and performance: A Meta-analysis† Journal of management, vol 27: 141-162. Wentling, R.M, Palma-Rivas, N (2000) â€Å"Current status of diversity initiatives in selected multinational cooperations† human resource Development Quarterly, 11(1) pp.35-60 Willaims, K.Y O’Reilly, C.A (1998) â€Å"Demography and Diversity in organizations: A review of 40 years of research† in BM Staw Cummings LL (Eds), Research in Organizational Behaviour, Vol. 20: 77-140, www.springerlink.com/content/h2j1304710738k50/ [accessed on 10.4.09] www.adc-assoc.com/the%20Business%20Case%20for%20Diversity [accessed on 30.04.09] www.sns.se/forskning/valfard/migration/occpap86.pdf [accessed on 24.04.09]

Essay on Horatio Essay

Often overlooked in the critical analysis of the play, Horatio is a character whose actions are of no major importance, yet in the context of the play’s meaning, his role is crucial. Like the Ghost, Horatio helps Shakespeare to refine the concept of the virtuous man. This is shown through Horatio’s ideals, his relationship with Hamlet, their differences and similarities. We assume that his studies in Wittenberg make develop his rational thinking and thus he would naturally reject the possibility of a ghost – however he is the one to tell Hamlet about his father’s apparition. Even after witnessing the Ghost, Horatio remains a rationalist. His mind is sober, and he encourages Hamlet to preserve self-control – a key virtue of the Stoics. Yet when Hamlet dies (possibly in Horatio’s arms, depending on stage directions) the roles reverse – Horatio, charged by Hamlet’s passion, almost dies with the prince. For the audience, Horatio becomes a separate and important entity as Hamlet delivers the speech about his character that defines Hamlet’s own ideals. Shakespeare gives Hamlet the chance to voice the faculties he admires, thus giving us another chance to understand the greater aspirations and aims of the protagonist. He says: ‘Horatio, thou art e’en as just a man As e’er my conversation coped withal. Nay do not think I flatter,†¦ †¦ Since my dear soul was mistress of her choice, And could of men distinguish, her election Hath sealed thee to herself; for thou hast been As one, in suff’ring all, that suffers nothing; A man that Fortune’s buffets and rewards Hath ta’en with equal thanks; and blest are those Whose blood and judgment are so well co-mingled That they are not a pipe in Fortune’s finger To sound what stop she please. Give me that man. That is not passion’s slave, and I will wear him In my heart’s core, ay in my heart of heart, As I do thee. ‘ (3. 253-73) Horatio is not passion’s slave – if passions, like Fortune, is personified, then it becomes a sort of ancient deity that chooses to blind humans and deny them all rational choice. To a certain extent, all other characters in the tragedy are to varying degree subject to their passions. Horatio by contrast is calm and stable; he is skeptical and rational, as can be seen from his encounter with the Ghost. If passion is a disease-like quality that Hamlet believes to be defectious, then Horatio exemplifies a pure and honourable person – honest by definition, since he does not allow passions to fool his conscience and justify any selfish means or aims. However the most important aspect highlighted by the Prince is Horatio’s philosophical understanding of life. The speech suggests Horatio is a follower of Stoicism, an ancient way of thinking developed once by the ancients and then revived by the great thinkers of the Renaissance. Founded by Xenon, (334-262b. c. ) the philosophy taught to discipline one’s behaviour according to one’s rational mind. Hamlet states that his ideal is such. However the prince himself is not ‘free’ or deprived of passions. The qualities he admires in Horatio are starkly different to the ones he himself displays in his very first monologue. He speaks of evil as ‘self-slaughter’ and cannot come to terms with things ‘rank and grosse in nature’ (1. 2) Hamlet is a man of many different moods and tempers; in this one speech he begins disgusted, grows more passionate in his hatred and it is not until the last two line of that speech when Hamlet says ‘I must hold my tongue’ and regains control of his emotions. It is clear the protagonist cannot remain unaffected when he sees evil’s manifestation in any form; his whole being actively protests and rejects amoral and dishonourable actions. Because of this, Hamlet’s ideal human nature that Shakespeare personifies through Horatio’s character remains, until the time comes at the end of the play, unlike Hamlet’s own. Preparing to fight Laertes, says to Horatio who is desperately trying to prevent the Prince from fencing, convinced he will lose: ‘There is special providence in the fall of a sparrow’ (5.2). This whole speech signifies the way Hamlet matures from admiring into exhibiting Stoic ideals, yet applying them in a more universal way than Horatio. Through hardship and experience Hamlet accepts Fate, but refuses to step aside and give up fighting for his cause. He takes Horatio’s logic and focus, acknowledges all the basis of the teachings of Stoicism, yet unites this with his burning desire to fight evil and restore justice. Horatio’s attempts to save Hamlet from death are doomed, because the protagonist believes the question about his own life has been decided, and thus no longer bothers him. A true Stoic does not fear death. Hamlet’s mysterious last words, uttered to Horatio, echo this: ‘†¦ the rest is silence’ (5. 2. 351) Furthermore, if at the beginning of the play Hamlet and Horatio lack the virtues of each other (Hamlet, unlike his friend, cannot distance himself from anxieties, whereas Horatio comes across as almost emotionally withdrawn), by the end different dimensions of both characters are revealed to us. Horatio, although still wise and composed, truly loves Hamlet. Realising the imminence of the Prince’s death, Horatio grabs the cup with the remaining poison, ready to follow his friend in death. Hamlet stops him and, on his deathbed, urges Horatio to remember the philosophy they both adored, and live by it: ‘If thou didst ever hold me in thy heart, Absent thee from felicity awhile, And in this harsh world draw thy breath in pain To tell my story. ‘ It is important that Hamlet hands over his secret to Horatio, trusting him to clear his name and justify his actions to posterity. Horatio obeys and we trust him to communicate the truth, restoring Hamlet’s innocence. Horatio’s character helps us to understand Hamlet better, to realise how the protagonist matures, and witness the best in him even as he lay dying. Shakespeare’s inclusion of Horatio and his relationship with Hamlet stresses the importance of nobility, dignity, felicity and other moral principles and virtues valued by the Ancient. And lastly, Horatio rules out a conclusive judgment concerning Hamlet’s death and his suffering, and tells of them as ‘carnal, bloody and unnatural acts’ ensuring the audience perceived those strong feelings too.

Managing Change of British Petroleum Essay - 4075 Words

managing change in british petroleum CONTENTS: * A view of British Petroleum * A brief description of BP incident in the Gulf of Mexico. * Critical Evaluation of Potential changes that may take place in BP * Evaluation the importance of change and Potential problems when implementing change * Evaluation the effectiveness of BP strategy for managing change within the organisation * Conclusion * A view of British Petroleum British Petroleum also known as BP Amoco is one of the largest petroleum industries located primarily in London. It is regarded as one of the top four petroleum and oil petroleum firms and establishment in the global market. BP plc (British Petroleum) is an†¦show more content†¦Efforts by multiple ships to douse the flames were unsuccessful. After burning for approximately 36 hours, the Deepwater Horizon sank on the morning of 22 April 2010. As a result, the drilling riser running from the wellhead on the ocean floor up to the oil rig was destroyed. 24 April, Landry announced that a damaged wellhead was indeed leaking oil into the Gulf and described it as a very serious spill. BP has not given a cause for the explosion. According to the US Congressional investigation the rigs blowout preventer, a fail - safe device fitted at the base of the well, built by Cameron International Corporation, had a hydraulic leak and a failed battery, and therefore failed. * Spill flow rate To date, almost 116,000 claims have been submitted and more than 67,500 payments have been made, totalling $207 million. The cost of the response to date amounts to approximately $3.95 billion, including the cost of the spill response, containment, relief well drilling, grants to the Gulf states, claims paid, and federal costs. On June 16, BP announced an agreed package of measures, including the creation of a $20 billion fund to satisfy certain obligations arising from the oil and gas spill. * Spill area Offshore oil and gas in the US Gulf of Mexico is a major source of oilShow MoreRelatedBritish Petroleum: Analysis of the Different Management Leadership Styles1506 Words   |  6 Pagesand Motivation Abstract In this paper, we will analyze British Petroleum which is a well known multinational firm. We will also assess the working culture of Britain which will mainly focus regarding its workforce and then provide some motivational strategies which can be linked with better productivity. Finally we will recommend different management leadership styles that would best fit our chosen firm. Overview British Petroleum is a well renowned multinational oil and gas firm which hasRead MoreBritish Petroleum1639 Words   |  7 PagesGoode February 4, 2015 Week 4 Assignment 1 Professor Richard Carrol BUS 475 Business and Society Introduction The Anglo-Persian Oil Company which is now known as British Petroleum (BP) was founded in 1909 and is one of the world’s leading international gas and oil companies. The multinational British company’s headquarters is located in London, United Kingdom and is one of the five largest oil companies in the world. The pioneer of the Middle Eastern oil industry, BP discoveredRead MorePetroleum And Natural Gas Exploration Essay1701 Words   |  7 Pages Executive Summary April 20, 2010 was the beginning of the end for British Petroleum. BP was started in 1901 by William Knox D’Arcy. Their mission is to operate oil and natural gas exploration, while marketing and distributing all over the globe. The primary issues the company faces are rebuilding their business after the tragic oil spill, their low oil prices and internal leadership promotions. Following the 2010 oil spill, all of BP’s top executives were fired, and the company has continuedRead MoreExxon Mobil1642 Words   |  7 Pagesairports and seaports can not use alternative energy in their endeavors. Competition Although Exxon is the largest fossil fuel producer they do have some competition with British Petroleum, Royal Dutch Shell and Chevron. These companies’s do not have the same output as Xom, but some might say they are ahead in many ways. British petroleum (BP) has been doing a lot with alternative energy for the future unlike Exxon which has mainly focused on gasoline. Shell has also made some large landmarks in alternativeRead MoreEssay About Greenwash1287 Words   |  6 PagesFirstly, greenwashing activities help to attract customers so that profits can be remarkably increased (Berkeley Media Studies Group 2008, p.20). According to Solman (2008, p.24), British Petroleum (BP), a well-known oil company, profited from the rebranding effort as the corporation changed its name to Beyond Petroleum which can be associated with nature. Meanwhile, greenwashing can help to improve a company’s reputation (Solman 2008, pp.22-23). For example, Solman (2008, pp.22-23) states that BPRead MoreAnalysis of Recruitment and Selection Process3149 Words   |  13 Pagesquantitative or qualitative. In this report quantitative information is involved. The major purposes of this report are to review the existing process of recruiting amp; selecting employees, to measure the efficiency of the process, to suggest changes in the process if necessary. * Sample Design In this internship program, Padma Oil Company Limited, Head Office, Chittagong has been selected to carry out the study. There are two units used for sampling design. The primary Unit was all departments’Read MoreInternational Management: Market Entry2382 Words   |  10 Pagesanalysis of the marketing entry mode that British Petroleum may use to enter the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) market. In this manner, the discussion of the current situation of Hong Kong will be analyse as well as the international management approach that can be used by the company to sustain competitiveness within the international market. Overview of the Company British Petroleum known today as BP Amoco is a petroleum industry based in London. It is recognizedRead MoreIct Used By Petrol Stations Essay1166 Words   |  5 Pagesconvenience to your customers and higher throughput during peak-times for you. The G6 OPT offers many features at lower costs with value-added services which are easier and makes the payments faster. 3. Point of Sale (POS): POS helps companies in managing the fuel retail business. It combines large touch screen graphic display interface with software tools which allows the company to connect to other systems like dispensers, indoor and outdoor payments, CCTV, tank level gauges, back office and carRead MoreHess3375 Words   |  14 PagesRefining (Mamp;R) as well as Exploration and Production (Eamp;P) operations in 23 countries. They have a concentrated focus in the exploration, production, purchase, transportation, and sale of crude oil and natural gas as well as markets refined petroleum products, natural gas, and electricity. This company owns thousands of Hess gas stations, which include small convenience stores or Dunkin Donuts stores, throughout the East Coast of the United States to hundreds of thousands of acres of land inRead MoreExploration And Production Of Petroleum1780 Words   |  8 Pagesoil rose and regulations on the prices of oil became nonexistent (Congressiona l Digest 2010). The petroleum industry continued to spread through open waters. By the 1950s â€Å"oil became the second-largest revenue generator for the country† (Congressional Digest 2010). Advancements in technology resumed to progress and grow throughout the years allowing for easier â€Å"exploration and production of petroleum in deeper water† (Congressional Digest 2010). In 1969 crude oil was poured out into the Dos Cuadras

Before Night Falls Essay - 1365 Words

Before Night Falls In the novel, Before Night Falls by Reinaldo Arenas who lived from 1943 to 1990, the author conveys many subjects and captures the reader to the full extent. Reinaldo Arenas, the author and the person who lived the experience writes this book for us in hopes of capturing our feelings and sympathy of the Cuban Revolution. Arenas wrote over twenty books, including ten novels and numerous short stories and poems. Arenas was not the only writer affected though as he states that, â€Å"All the literature of this century is somewhat burdened by the theme of uprootedness,† (Arenas, 36) which means every piece of literature surrounded the system of being exiled or the fear of being caught or doing wrong and being thrown out to†¦show more content†¦The book opens to the succulent, splendor forest, full of vivid emotion and color where Arenas started the beginning of his life in Oriente Province, Cuba. The setting is one of poverty, but the natural world around him seemed to be beautiful and dazzling. Arenas shows this by saying, â€Å"The splendor of my childhood was unique because of its absolute poverty and absolute freedom surrounded by trees, animals, and people who are indifferent towards me (Arenas 332).† This quote foreshadows the rest of the story in that Reinaldo soon faces indifference from other people because he is unique and is doing something a â€Å"different way†. Also, this quotation points out the wonderful time he had as a child where there seemed to be opportunity, before Fidel Castro came into power restricting most rights. Furthermore, Arenas was free as a child and was uplifted by the cognitive nature of opportunity, but as he got older the setting started to change and dreams were tarnished and opportunity was thrown away by political interference. Reinaldo Arenas’ childhood was the only time of happiness and immaculacy and throughout the rest of the story Arenas is on a desperate search for enchant ment in his once short lived paradise. As Arenas states in the book, â€Å"These, to be sure, were farfetched hopes, hopes born of despair, but hope is, after all, mostly for the desperate (Arenas 260).† This quote purely gives an edge to Arenas’ personality, saying that he,Show MoreRelated Dick as Tragic Hero in Fitzgeralds Tender is the Night Essays1709 Words   |  7 PagesDick as Tragic Hero in Tender is the Night      Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Fitzgerald’s Tender is the Night tells the story of an American psychiatrist Dick Diver and his wealthy, schizophrenic wife Nicole. We follow the deterioration of the seemingly wonderful, happy marriage of the stylish couple presented in the first book, to the finalizing divorce of the newly empowered and relatively stable Nicole and the somewhat broken, yet content Dick. Dick’s fall from grace is not entirely surprising considering the weaknessesRead More The Compulsion Toward Evil in Hawthornes Young Goodman Brown1102 Words   |  5 PagesCompulsion Toward Evil in â€Å"Young Goodman Brown†      Ã‚   It is the intention of this essay to demonstrate the compulsion toward gross evil in â€Å"Young Goodman Brown† that is indicated by the actions of the characters, a compulsion that includes not only the leading characters but virtually everyone in the tale.    In Salem village that fateful night when the young Puritan husband was departing home for the night, he exchanged â€Å"a parting kiss with his young wife.† The wind was playing with â€Å"theRead MoreThe Problem Of Teenage Sleeping Disorders1020 Words   |  5 Pagesfalling asleep and staying asleep, the ones who fall asleep at the wrong times, people who sleep too much, and people who have abnormal behaviors while sleeping. The most common types of sleeping disorders in teens is that they have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep. This is because a teens natural sleeping pattern would be to fall asleep at 11 p.m.(National Sleep Foundation), so when they try and to go to sleep early, it is very hard to fall asleep. Also, teens have very irregular sleepingRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem Why Leaves Turn Color On The Fall By Diane Ackerman1005 Words   |  5 PagesSnow Storms Diane Ackerman wrote an essay called â€Å"Why Leaves Turn Color in the Fall†, in which in great detail she explains why leaves change color in the fall. She uses subjective description with science terms to provide the reader with the feeling that science, or nature is amazing as it does all of this wonderful things to leaves. â€Å"Early frost sits heavily on the grass, and turns barbed wire into a string of stars† (86) Ackerman combines two ordinary things like frost and barbed wire, and usesRead MoreShould Schools Compensate And Start Later?1347 Words   |  6 Pagesning head: ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY 2 BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! A door opening and a parent saying â€Å"wake up, time for school,† is the average child s worst part of the day. Most kids hate having to wake up before noon to go to school. But why? Why is waking up early as a child such a problem, when adults wake up just as early to go to their jobs? Is it because children stay up later into the night than they used to? Or just because they’re bodies are on a different time schedule all together? And ifRead MoreEssay Grade Justification967 Words   |  4 Pagesoverall earned a B+ as a final grade. During the semester my grades have been consistently average and my essays have gotten progressively more detailed and although they haven’t been the most concise they have gotten a lot stronger and showed more promise as the semester progressed which is showing that, during the time I have been learning things in class and applying those skills towards essays, and homework. During the class period I have also participated in almost, if not all of the class discussionsRead MoreA Short Story1483 Words   |  6 Pagesalgebraic equations, and unquantifiable amount of differential equations, the clock struck midnight. It was late at night and I was winding down from a long day of school work. My body sagged with fatigue, arms unable to rise above my waist, and my head drooped in eagerness to meet my bed. Of course I was eager in turn to meet my head’s throbbing expectations, leaping into bed to a night long and full of eventful dreams. Then I heard those fatal words, courtesy of my darling mother ,† Did you have goodRead MoreCollege Writing And High School Writing941 Words   |  4 Pagesand research than I have ever had to do before. Throughout the semester, I have definitely improved my diction and how I organize my essays and my introductions, but I feel as though my time management skills could use some enhancement. English was always my strongest subject, especially when it came to vocabulary tests. I had a talent for memorizing words and definitions and it always came easy to me. So when I would review my work on these previous essays, I noticed how strong my writing soundedRead MoreRomeo and Juliet: Romeos emotions for Juliet compared to Rosaline941 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Romeo and Juliet Essay One of Shakespeare’s most famous tragedies is ‘Romeo and Juliet’. Romeo, the male protagonist, is a thoughtful, sensitive character who comes across as a very non-violent person. He behaves a little immaturely at times (usually under the influence of his cousins) but is generally a very serious person. At the beginning of the play, he seems to be love-sick as he has an unrequited love – better put as an infatuation – for Rosaline from the house of Capulet, but later, in ActRead MoreAchebe1599 Words   |  7 Pages Achebe’s Defense of The Ibo People in Things Fall Apart Option 1 The late Chinua Achebe is considered to be one of the most important voices in African literature. Born in colonial Nigeria in the 1930’s, Achebe joined the first wave of African writers who were determined to represent their country in a way that would truthfully depict the past and present. Before the arrival of the first wave writers, the history of pre-colonial Africa was portrayed as a place of barbarous activity. European