IT Planning at Modmeters Essay

Introduction This paper discusses the various aspects of IT planning at Modmeters Company which has two strategies of expanding globally and providing direct-to-customer sales. The role of IT is important in the expansion initiatives of Modmeters. The executives of various departments held a meeting to identify the budget requirements for the expansion. The plan is to establish new plants in Asia and Eastern Europe where the infrastructure facilities are not sufficient required for the operations at Modemeters. Brian Smith, CIO of Modmeters is worried about these two initiatives as the IT funding was very poor. The company has never invested in reengineering the existing systems, instead, they always introduced new systems on top of the other. John Johnson, CEO wanted to change the name of the company as MM for this updated strategy. The current budget levels at the company are not going support the expansion initiatives. Surprisingly, only 2% of the revenue was allocated to IT. According to Brian, 80% of the IT budget was fixed for running the existing systems and fixing errors. The remaining 20% was allotted based on ROI, where majority of the budget was used by manufacturing department, Human resources and marketing departments having minor share. Brian believed that this kind of budgeting is not effective for their new business strategies (McKeen & Smith, 2012). Brian explains the need to implement flexible systems to support the updated strategies. He stresses on the budget requirements to buy new infrastructure and problems with the existing systems. The systems are not integrated and use different terminologies in different divisions. IT needs investment for infrastructure, underlying processes and to manage the information. However, the outcomes of the budget meeting after having a long discussion were to prioritize the IT projects depending up on their contribution to the key objectives of the company and also how each of them is adding value to the Modmeters. To develop the direct-to-customer sales, the marketing department needs more investment to get the resources. Hence, to implement the new strategic  initiatives at Modemeters, the budget allocated to IT and marketing plays a key role. Recommendations An IT planning process needs to be developed to meet the demands of the new projects. First of all, the IT architecture has to be changed such that the systems are flexible to use. All the divisions should use similar terminology to manage the information and communicate with other divisions. A data dictionary need to be developed to address the terminology issues. IT should be involved in decision making at Modmeters. An enterprise architecture need to be developed to get the best out of IT. Though, I accept that IT projects should be measured in terms of ROI, the current situation at Modmeters is different. The systems are never reengineered and the communication between the systems look like a spaghetti, where failure of each system may lead to a complete failure. There is a need to invest on improving the architecture considering long term advantages of the investment. The IT and business should have a common goals and objectives in developing the existing business. The needs of the manufacturing, marketing, R&D and HR need to be understood and allocate the budget accordingly. Identify the core competencies of IT and a cost-benefit analysis should be made for the projects. The business employees’ opinions should be taken in using technologies. The key business staff needs to be identified and made account managers. They should present their findings to the top management so that, the governance body can look for interoperability of the systems. In the IT vision, guiding principles should be developed which links the business strategies. Meanwhile, existing business requirements and operations should be addressed as a continuous process. A departmental approach should be taken while prioritizing the projects. This approach focuses on improving the business by expanding globally, enabling direct-to-customer sales, satisfying Stan’s auditing needs, making use of existing projects and improving the infrastructure. Account managers should analyze how the proposed project would benefit their respective departments. The IT and business people should work closely while developing strategies. A SWOT analysis should be made while developing the plan. IT should be given enough budget and team work is essential to implement new strategies. The people need to be trained by allocating budget required to HR department.  The resources should be used effectively for the global expansion. A centralized IT structure is essential for Modmeters to share the information between the divisions. Fred, VP of manufacturing should understand the value of IT. At Modmeters, business needs should be understood by IT to deliver the best technology meanwhile, business people should provide necessary funding to IT. Apart from the ROI, Customer satisfaction, greater efficiency, product quality, cash savings and other intangible benefits need to be considered while assessing the business value of a project (Ferris, 2012). The marketing department funding needs to be increased. It is important to enable smooth transition while expanding and change should be managed carefully to be successful. Also, the policies and procedures in the IT plan should comply with the regulations. To conclude, IT and business collaboration is important in strategic IT planning. IT value should be understood by business and business needs should be understood by IT. At Modmeters, reengineering the existing systems, taking a departmental approach, satisfying the departmental needs and funding sufficiently will help to implement the two strategic initiatives. References Mckeen, J. D., & Smith, H. (2012). Delivering Value with IT (2nd ed). New Jersey: Pearson Education, Inc. Ferris, B. (2012, June 12). How to Measure the Business Value of a Project. Retrieved February 17, 2015, from http://cobaltpm.com/measuring-business-value-of-a-project/

Succubus Shadows Chapter 16

Really, when you thought about it, what I was going through wasn't that much different from dying after all. They always said you saw your life flash before your eyes, and that's how it was for me. Dream after dream. I relived the most painful moments of my life, true dreams where I'd done terrible things and seen terrible things done to those I loved. More â€Å"realities† that had never happened were shown to me as well. In one, Roman's recent display of affection turned out to be a scam. It was a front to punish me for my role in the death of his sister. Only, he didn't go after me directly. He went after all my friends, mortal and immortal. I watched him kill them one by one as he ignored my pleas to just finish me off instead. The Oneroi latched onto how I was bothered more by the suffering of those I loved than of myself. They mocked me, claiming that Roman's rampage was a vision of the future that had come through the gate of horn. I didn't believe it†¦at least, I didn't think I did. Nyx could see the future. Could they? Or were they maybe in contact with her, despite her imprisonment? My higher reasoning was giving way to paranoia as I was stripped further and further of my essence. I even began to dread the true dreams from the mortal world, the ones that showed me my friends. They were no longer a comfort; they only plunged me further into darkness. Because as the Oneroi had predicted, there seemed to be no hope of rescue in sight. Still, I kept dreaming†¦. Roman, Hugh, and the vampires were in a van. Peter was driving, and the clock on the dashboard read two o'clock in the morning. No one spoke in the small space, giving me no clue as to what was transpiring. Their headlights illuminated a sign along the freeway that indicated an exit for Idaho State Route 41. Idaho? â€Å"Can you change the station?† asked Hugh. â€Å"I hate talk radio.† â€Å"Because you might learn something?† asked Peter. â€Å"Because I'm trying to stay awake.† â€Å"It's a rule of the road: driver controls the radio.† â€Å"What rule book says that?† â€Å"Enough,† said Roman. His voice was weary, his face more so. He looked like he hadn't been sleeping much, but considering the time of night, that wasn't a surprise. He unfolded a map and then checked a piece of paper with some notes scrawled on it. â€Å"It should be the next exit.† â€Å"How'd Carter even find this guy?† asked Cody. â€Å"Because Carter moves in mysterious ways,† said Hugh. â€Å"Hard-drinking, hard-smoking mysterious ways.† â€Å"Yeah, but if he knew, why didn't he tell Jerome?† â€Å"Because Jerome would go into blasting mode if he found out. I guess Carter was keeping it on the down-low as some sort of compassionate act. He's an angel and all.† â€Å"Oh, right.† Cody seemed to have forgotten about that. It was an easy mistake. â€Å"Jerome'll blast us too if he knows what we're doing,† warned Peter. â€Å"He's too distracted. He thinks we're just following a vampire lead.† â€Å"That's the point,† said Peter. â€Å"If he finds out we lied to him – â€Å" â€Å"He won't,† interrupted Roman impatiently. â€Å"Not if we just get what we need from this guy and get out of here. This is it – take that exit.† Hugh veered off onto what hardly seemed like a road at all. It had no businesses and only one streetlight to illuminate an intersection, just before darkness swallowed everything. Roman continued giving directions, steering them farther and farther into the countryside. â€Å"You can't do anything to him,† said Hugh, craning his head to look at Roman in the backseat. â€Å"Show any flare of power in another demon's territory, and you're dead – probably along with the rest of us.† â€Å"Do you think I'm stupid?† demanded Roman. â€Å"Not exactly. But I do think you're short-tempered, have poor impulse control, and would do anything for Georgina.† I expected Roman to deny all of that – or at least the last part – but he said nothing. Silence fell again until Roman at last pointed to a narrow gravel driveway. It was so hard to see that Peter drove past it, squealed the brakes, and backed up. They parked near the driveway's end and began walking up it. I saw then that the back of the van had blacked-out windows, and it was a safe bet that the vampires' coffins were likely back there in case daytime travel was required. Out here in the middle of nowhere, stars clustered the sky, and night insects rained down a symphony of chatter. The faint outline of a house appeared. No lights were on within. â€Å"Can we do it SWAT team style?† asked Cody eagerly. â€Å"Surround the house and swoop in?† â€Å"I don't think that's necessary,† said Roman. He gave the door a sharp kick. It shuddered but didn't come close to breaking apart action-movie style. Keeping his nephilim powers in check meant he had the same abilities as a human. Peter sighed. â€Å"Let me.† He took Roman's place, repeated the kick, and this time the door did burst in and break apart. With their goofy attitudes, it was easy to forget sometimes that both Cody and Peter had super fast reflexes and enhanced strength. Peter stepped back, brushing splinters off his pants. The foursome entered, and a light turned on in the back of the house. â€Å"What the hell?† a voice demanded. What the hell, indeed. Dante entered the room. He took one look at my friends and said, â€Å"Oh, shit.† Then he bolted back toward the room he'd come from, no doubt heading for a window. He was too slow, though. In a flash, Cody had Dante by the scruff of his shirt and dragged him back to the living room, shoving my ex-boyfriend into a chair. Dante immediately started to rise, noticed how my friends had closed rank around him, and then thought better of it. Dante sighed. â€Å"Well, I knew this had to happen some day. Why didn't your boss come himself?† He peered at Roman. â€Å"And haven't I seen you somewhere?† Dante had seen Roman on a beach when we rescued Jerome from the summoning. There'd been a fair amount of chaos, so I wasn't surprised Dante's memory was sketchy – especially since he'd been beaten up by a demon. â€Å"We're not here because of Jerome,† snapped Hugh. Then, he reconsidered. â€Å"Well, we are, but not for the reasons you think.† â€Å"Answer our questions, and you might live another day,† said Peter. Apparently, the action-movie theme was still going strong. â€Å"Where's Georgina?† demanded Roman. It was interesting that every time my immortal posse interrogated someone, they phrased the question that way first, instead of, â€Å"Do you know where Georgina is?† When you worked for Hell, everyone was guilty until proven innocent. Dante's face lost some of its fear and took on its usual cynical look. He tossed messy black hair out of his face. â€Å"In Seattle, sleeping with that fucking writer.† â€Å"No,† said Roman. â€Å"She's not.† â€Å"She's not what? In Seattle or sleeping with the writer?† Dante arched an eyebrow. â€Å"And who are you exactly?† â€Å"The muscle,† said Hugh dryly. â€Å"Georgina's gone. Vanished. And if anyone's got reason to make her disappear† – he paused and glanced uneasily at Roman – â€Å"it's you.† â€Å"I'm not the kind of magician that pulls rabbits out of my hat. Or makes them disappear.† Dante was growing more and more confident, now that he knew Jerome wasn't going to send him to the torture pits of Hell. â€Å"If you can't find her, ask your archdemon. Unless he's been summoned again, he'll know.† â€Å"He doesn't,† said Cody. â€Å"But maybe you already knew that.† Dante rolled his eyes. â€Å"You think I'm going to go anywhere near Seattle when there's a price on my head? Do you think I'm hiding out in the fucking sticks because I want to? The best I can do is sell charms and fake fortunes to tourists in Coeur d'Alene.† â€Å"Carter should have come with us,† said Hugh in exasperation. â€Å"He should have known that too after sending us here.† Dante stiffened, his arrogance faltering. â€Å"That angel knows where I am? Then Jerome has to know.† â€Å"He's keeping it from Jerome. For now.† Peter was still using that melodramatic voice. â€Å"That can change if you don't help us.† â€Å"I don't know where she fucking is, okay? I told you: I can't make a succubus disappear.† Roman's hand closed around Dante's neck in a fair approximation of Jerome. Even without supernatural abilities, Roman was still strong. â€Å"You've worked with immortals before. You could do it again and have them do the dirty work.† â€Å"I show my face to any immortal, and I'm a dead man,† choked Dante. Roman fixed Dante with a dark glare that reminded me of the time Roman had tried to kill me. And when he had killed me in a recent Oneroi dream. At last, Roman let go. Rubbing his neck, a puzzled Dante asked again, â€Å"Who are you?† Cody glanced at the others. â€Å"Do you think he's lying?† â€Å"Wouldn't surprise me,† said Hugh. He crossed his arms across his broad chest. â€Å"But maybe you can be useful. What could make a succubus disappear?† â€Å"What'll you give me for helping you?† asked Dante slyly. Yes, that was my ex. Always looking for an advantage. â€Å"We won't call Jerome,† growled Peter. This time, the anger in his voice was not faux movie style. It was real, again a reminder that at the end of the day, he really was a vampire who could break necks easily. This sobered Dante up. â€Å"Fine. Not that I care what the fuck happens to her. How did she disappear?† Again, the story was recounted, something that was beginning to depress me – largely because everyone seemed to emphasize just how depressed and miserable my life was. â€Å"It's a lure,† said Dante with certainty. â€Å"We know that,† said Roman. â€Å"Erik told us.† Dante scowled at the mention of his nemesis. â€Å"Of course he did. It's a wonder you need me with his almighty wisdom at your disposal.† â€Å"What would lure her?† said Peter, no doubt interrupting Dante from asking again who Roman was. â€Å"All sorts of things,† said Dante. â€Å"Anything could create a lure, but visions like that would most likely be tied to dreams. Did you guys lose Nyx again?† â€Å"No,† said Hugh. Dante shrugged. â€Å"Then look for something else that can control dreams, maybe try a – â€Å" I stood in the village I'd grown up in. The transition was so abrupt that I was dizzy for a moment. There hadn't been a transition, no fragmenting of the image or a fade to black. It had been a quick movie cut. A bad editing job. I stared around, seeing again the place that had caused me so much torment. I wondered what else the Oneroi had to show me here and why I'd come here so suddenly. I'd already relived the false wedding accusations. At one point, they'd even had me dream the true story of how my infidelity had led to me selling my soul. I was probably now in store for some new contrived horror. The world spun around me, the buildings and people moving around in rough-spun clothes dizzying me. â€Å"Are you all right?† a voice asked. Turning around, the scenery settled a bit and I found myself looking into the face of an ancient man. Bushy eyebrows stretched across a heavily lined brow, nearly obscuring dark brown eyes. â€Å"Yes†¦I'm fine.† I frowned and did a double take. â€Å"Gaius?† Those eyebrows rose. â€Å"Have we met?† I stared, unable to speak for a moment. I'd known Gaius since the time I could walk. He was a blacksmith, the brawniness of his arms proving as much. But he'd been young the last time I'd seen him, a man in his prime. With no control, words spilled off my lips, words I'd spoken before when I'd lived this event the first time. This was a true memory. So far. â€Å"We met a very long time ago,† I said. He chuckled. â€Å"Girl, I'd remember you. And ‘a very long time ago' could only have been a few years for you.† I became aware of my body, knowing what I looked like even without a mirror. I had shape-shifted just before entering the village, taking on a form I had sworn I would never, ever wear again. And, in fact, after this day, I never would wear it again. I was in my original body: fifteen-year-old Letha, too tall with thick, tangled black hair. I'd come here to find out something. Something I had to know. I gave Gaius a weak nod. My old self had been as shocked as my current self at what time had done to him. How long since I'd become a succubus and left my village? Thirty years ago? â€Å"Can you tell me†¦is there a man here – a fisherman – named Marthanes? Does his family still live here?† â€Å"Sure,† he said. â€Å"Same house they've always been in, out past the – â€Å" â€Å"I know where it is,† I said quickly. He shrugged, not minding my interruption. â€Å"He's probably down at the bay, though. He's too old to still be working but swears his sons-in-law can't get by without him.† Sons-in-law. Of course. My sisters would have gotten married long ago. â€Å"Thanks,† I said. I began to walk away. â€Å"It was nice seeing you again.† He gave me a puzzled look but said nothing more. I walked toward the bay, where the water glowed with such a vivid, teal-tinged blue that it seemed to be some Technicolor vision. Surely nothing in nature could produce such beauty. Longing and nostalgia welled up within my watching self. The town was busy at midday, and I recognized more faces than I expected. Children I'd known grown to adulthood, adults I'd known now in their golden years. The waterfront was just as busy, with ships loading and unloading goods that made commerce in the Mediterranean boom. It took me a while to find my father, and here, I earned more looks than I had in the village. Women were rare in this district, choosing to avoid the rough sailors and workers. I located my father largely because of his voice, shouting orders just as he had in my youth. â€Å"Are you trying to cost me a fortune? What do you do out there all day? My granddaughter could catch this many fish wading by the beach!† He was yelling at a man I didn't know, his face sheepish and cowed as he displayed what must have been today's meager catch. I wondered if this was one of my sisters' husbands. The man promised to do better and then scurried away. â€Å"Fa – Marthanes?† My father turned at my approach, and I tried not to gasp. Like Gaius, the years had carved away Marthanes the fisherman as well. How old would he be now? Sixties? Seventies? Time had grown blurred since I became immortal. â€Å"What do you want?† he snapped. â€Å"I've got no use for prostitutes anymore. Go down to Claudius if you're looking for business. He hasn't slept with his own wife in ten years. Not that I blame him. That woman's a harpy.† Age might have grayed and thinned out his hair, lines might have creased his face†¦but my father's tongue was still the same. â€Å"N-no. That's not why I'm here. I met you†¦a few years ago.† He frowned, looking me up and down. â€Å"Never seen you in my life. Pretty sure I'd remember someone as tall as you.† As a succubus, I could change into any man's fantasy, taking on the shape of a woman whose beauty transcended words. Yet, even with that ability, the old remarks about my height still stung. â€Å"Well, I remember you.† Seeing his eyes shift impatiently to his workers, I asked, â€Å"Do you know a musician named Kyriakos? He'd be my age – er, about thirty years older than me. He used to live south of town.† My father snorted. â€Å"That Kyriakos? He's no musician. He took over his father's business when he died. Does okay with it, even though the rates he demands for my fish are ridiculous.† â€Å"Does he still live in his same house?† â€Å"You mean his father's house? Yes. Like you said, in the south.† My father's restlessness was palpable now. He didn't know me. He had no use for me. â€Å"Thank you,† I said. I was about to tell him it was nice to see him, as I had Gaius, but my father was gone before I could. With a heavy heart, I walked back through town but instead of heading south, I took a detour to my old home, wondering what I'd discover. What I found was my mother, hanging clothing outside, humming as she did. Off to the house's side a middle-aged woman dug herbs out of the ground. It took me a few moments to recognize her as my younger sister. My mother's face was different, but her kind eyes were still the same as she gave me directions to a place I already knew. My sister glanced up and watched a moment, then returned to her work. Neither recognized me. Just like with my father, I was a brief interruption to their day. I'd known this would happen. It was what I'd sold my soul for. My contract with Hell had erased all memories of me from everyone who had ever known me. The Oneroi had shown me a lie on my wedding day. I'd been a virgin, faithful to Kyriakos. But a couple years later, weakness had struck me. I'd betrayed him, and it had devastated him more than anyone could have imagined. He'd wanted to kill himself over the heartache, and only my bargain had saved him. That was the truth. Still†¦some part of me had thought maybe, just maybe someone might recognize me. Just the faintest spark of remembrance. Kyriakos could have been down near my father, overseeing his fleet, but something told me he'd be doing administrative tasks, not manual labor. My hunch was correct. Before I'd become a succubus, Kyriakos and I had had our own house. He must have moved back to his family's home after Hell erased his memories. I braced myself to meet the lady of the house, the woman Kyriakos must have undoubtedly married. But when he came out to see who was visiting him, I found him alone. Seeing him made my heart stop. He too had been touched by age, but he was still young enough that the lines were few. Only the faintest of gray graced his hair, and like my mother, his eyes were the same. Dark and wonderful and full of goodness. â€Å"Do you need help?† he asked, voice friendly and curious. For a moment, I couldn't speak. I was drunk from seeing him, filled with a mix of love and pain. I wished so badly that I had stayed with him, that I had never committed such sins. I wished I didn't wear this youthful face. I should have grown old with him. My ability to conceive children had seemed sketchy at the time, but maybe we would have eventually had a family. Just like with everyone else, I claimed to need directions, stammering out the first random place I could think of. He described the way in detail, though I already knew it. â€Å"Do you want me to escort you there? This is a safe area†¦but you never know.† I smiled but felt no joy. The same Kyriakos. Infinitely kind to others, even a stranger. â€Å"I'll be fine. I don't want to take you from your work.† I hesitated. â€Å"We met†¦a few years ago.† â€Å"Did we?† He studied me, apparently searching for the memory. His eyes remained blank, though. No trace of recognition. I was a stranger. I had never existed for him. I wondered if he'd even remember me when I left here. He shook his head, sounding sincerely apologetic. â€Å"I'm sorry. I don't recall it†¦.† He was waiting for my name. â€Å"Letha.† The word burned on my lips. Like this shape, the name was dead to me. Only Hell ever used it. â€Å"I'm sorry,† he said again. â€Å"It's okay. Maybe I'm wrong. I thought†¦I thought you were a musician.† When we'd been married, he worked for his father but had hopes of giving that up and playing music full-time. Kyriakos chuckled. â€Å"Only as a hobby. Most of my days are hunched over numbers.† The loss of his ambition made me almost as sad as his lack of memory. â€Å"Well†¦your wife must be glad to have you home.† â€Å"Not married, I'm afraid.† He was still smiling. â€Å"My sister keeps house for me when she's around.† â€Å"Not married?† I asked incredulously. â€Å"But why? At your age†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I blushed, realizing how rude I sounded. â€Å"I'm sorry.† He wasn't offended. â€Å"At your age, marriage is all girls think about, huh? You probably have a dozen suitors with as pretty as you are.† Typical. Few had found me pretty while mortal; he had always believed me beautiful. â€Å"I just never found the right woman. I'd rather be alone than spend my life with the wrong person.† A dreamy, sad look filled his features, and then he shook his head and laughed. It was an uneasy laugh. â€Å"Anyway, you don't want to hear some old man babbling about romantic nonsense. Are you sure you don't want me to show you the way?† â€Å"No, no†¦I think I know where it's at now. Thank you.† I started to turn away and then paused. â€Å"Kyriakos†¦are you†¦are you happy?† This question from someone less than half his age caught him by surprise. And I was surprised he answered. â€Å"Happy? Well†¦content, I guess. I have a good life. Better than most. A very good life, really. Sometimes I wonder†¦Ã¢â‚¬  My breath caught. â€Å"Wonder what?† â€Å"Nothing,† he said, giving me another good-natured smile. â€Å"More nonsense. Yes, Letha. I'm happy. Why do you want to know?† â€Å"Nonsense of my own,† I murmured. â€Å"And you're sure you don't remember me?† I had my answer before I spoke. No. Those eyes had never laid sight on me before. I was just an odd, passing girl. I was no one. â€Å"I'm sorry, I don't.† He winked. â€Å"But I'll remember you now.† Somehow, I doubted it. Leaving him, I felt my heart break. Really, my heart was breaking all the time. You'd think it could only happen once. This was what I'd wanted. What I'd gambled eternity for. Kyriakos was happy. I'd saved him and should be happy in return. Yet, I felt unhappier than I had since becoming a succubus. I decided at that moment I'd never use Letha's shape or name again. I wanted to wipe her from my mind too†¦. â€Å"It's so easy with you,† hissed the Oneroi. It was Two, I thought. I was back in the box. â€Å"We don't even need the ivory gate.† I was so scarred from that memory of Kyriakos, by the truth of what it really meant to be erased from someone's life, that I was inclined to agree with Two. Then, a tiny spark within me glimmered just a bit. I studied the two Oneroi carefully. â€Å"What was the other dream?† I asked. â€Å"Before the one about my husband? Why didn't you let it finish?† â€Å"It did finish,† said One. Their blue, blue eyes were the same, revealing nothing. â€Å"It didn't,† I argued. â€Å"You cut it off. It didn't go the way you planned, did it? My friends found out something from Dante – something you didn't want them to know.† â€Å"They found nothing,† Two replied. â€Å"It was a lie. We gave you false hope, hope that will turn to ashes when you find yourself spending the rest of eternity here.† â€Å"You're the lie,† I said. The spark within my ragged, worn body flared just a little more. â€Å"The dream was true.† One continued the denial. â€Å"The only truth is that you can't tell the difference. And that there is no hope.† â€Å"You're lying,† I said, but as those cold sets of eyes surveyed me, my spark wavered. Uncertainty spread within me. I'd been through so much, a mental rape of sorts, that I questioned once more if I trusted myself. My words were bold, but I no longer knew if I could believe them. Two smiled, able to see into my mind. â€Å"Dream,† he said.

Basic Approaches And Contemporary Issues In Leadership Management Essay

Basic Approaches And Contemporary Issues In Leadership Management Essay The first complete contingency model for leadership was presented in 1967 by Fred Fiedler’s. His contingency hypothesis was the first to identify how situational factors interrelate with the traits and behaviors of leaders to have an impact on the effectiveness of leadership. The theory proposed that the â€Å"favorability† of the circumstances is what decides how effective the task and the behavior of the person-oriented leader will be. Favorability is established by (1) the amount of trust and respect that devotees or rather followers have for their leaders; (2) the degree to which the responsibilities of individuals who are second to the leader can be organized and the performance measured; and (3) the power that the leader has over the rewards of followers. The circumstances is most encouraging when subordinates have trust and respect for their leaders, respect and trust the leader, the job is greatly structured, and the control over rewards and punishment is held by the leader (Barnett, 2010). The research done by Fiedler showed that leaders who were task-oriented were more valuable and effective when there was either an extremely â€Å"favorable† or extremely â€Å"unfavorable† circumstance, however, leaders who were person-oriented were more valuable if the circumstances were either â€Å"moderately favorable,† or unfavorable.† This hypothesis did not really suggest that in various situations, the leader could become accustomed to their leadership styles, but rather that leaders who had various styles would be more valuable when they are put in situations that go with the leadership style that they prefer (Barnett, 2010). Fiedler is of the assumption that the leadership style of an individual is â€Å"fixed† because if the circumstance has a need for someone who is task-oriented but the person who is in that leadership position is relationship-oriented, then either the leader has to be changed or the situa tion needs to be altered (Robbins, and Position power: The leaders power by virtue of the position in the organization and the extent to which, as the leader, he or she can implement power on followers so that they obey and receive the leaders’ guidance and leadership (â€Å"Feidler’s contingency model,† 2009). Feidler’s position is that leader-member relations are either good or poor, task structure is either high or low and position power is either strong or week. The healthier the relationship between the leader and followers the more organized the job will be and the more resilient the position of power the more command the leader will have (Robbins, so the whether the intellect and know how of an individual has any bearing on the performance of leadership is determined by the level of stress. Other studies corroborated the fact that when the level of stress is low and the leader instructed followers on what he needed done, intellect was key to the effectiveness of the leader, but if the circumstance was a high stress one then intellect did not help as much because the leaders’ thought process was strained. In the same manner, if the leader does not tell his followers what he wants done then intellect do not help because of his reluctance (Robbins, & Judge, 2009). The recommendation of Feidler is that organizations employ and choose persons with the essential intellect, know how, and understanding, and then allow those individuals to work under those situations that let them use the resources that they have cognitively. Additionally, the feeling that the leader has of being in control of the circumstance and the level of stress that he is experiencing is essential (Carter, III, 2006).

Company analysis - Bancolombia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Company analysis - Bancolombia - Essay Example The different culture and characteristics of the three banks participated in the merger were not easy to be managed. The recent retirement of the firm’s CEO would set the future of Bancolombia in risk, if the new CEO would not be able to understand the firm’s culture but also the employees’ needs. Table of contents Executive Summary 2 Problem Statement 4 Supporting Evidence 4 Key decision criteria 7 Recommendations 8 References 11 Appendices 12 Problem Statement The development of the problem statement in regard to this study requires the reference to a series of events that led to the formation of Bancolombia, as in its current form. Bancolombia is an organization resulted from two mergers. In its initial form, Bancolombia resulted by the merge between the Banco Industrial Colombiano (BIC) and the Banco de Colombia. The above merger took place in 1998 and led to the establishment of Colombia’s most powerful firm in the banking industry (case study, p.3). Bancolombia, the firm resulted by the above merger, reached a market share of 11.5% (case study, p.3). ... The identification of effective HR management practices was of critical importance in Bancolombia, as a business entity established in 1998. In the context of the second merger, a similar issue has appeared. The second merger took place between three firms of the Colombian banking industry: Bancolombia, Conavi and Corfinsura. These firms used different approaches in regard to the management of their HR: a) in Bancolombia, emphasis was given on cooperation for ensuring that organizational targets in regard to profitability are met; the ‘Added Value System, (ADV), a customer profiting strategy’ (case study p.4) was used in Bancolombia to achieve this target. In addition, managers in Bancolombia have promoted a scheme called ‘Cultural Transformation Workshops’ (case study p.3) for ensuring that employees in Bancolombia are fully aware of the culture of the firm; b) in Conavi, employees’ needs were highly valued; in fact, ‘high job stability and con tinuous interaction between employees and managers’ (case study p.5) have been the key characteristics of the firm’s HR strategy; c) in Corfinsura employees had to deal mostly with ‘large corporate clients’ (case study p.5); therefore, most of the firm’s employees were experts in investment banking services (case study p.5); Bancolombia, in its final form, had to deal not only with investment banking services but also to retail services. This problem has been highlighted by managers in Bancolombia, after the firm’s merger with Corfinsura. According to the above, this study’s research problem could be described as follows: would Bancolombia be able to secure high employee performance taking into consideration the important differences in the HR strategies of the three firms participated in the

NEXT Plc Analysis Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

NEXT Plc Analysis - Case Study Example s result of these figures it is obvious tht the British fshion industry is highly dependent on other countries' textile. lrge number of British consumers hve becme more price sensitive under the slogn 'look good-py less' however some consumers re willing to buy higher priced nd exclusive clothing. The number of millionires in the UK incresed by more thn 80% between 2001(230000) nd 2004(425000) (Finch, 2007). This leds to luxury nd strong brnd wreness. lthough the forml wer is more nd more substituted by csul wer, the UK is still the country with highest mrket shre of forml wer. The UK retiling mrket is currently highly competitive. Due to high competition the prices of outerwer went down in the mid 90's. The mjor groups in UK clothing retiling re the mixed nd deprtmentl stores, designers clothing, discount stores nd mrket stlls (Lnds' End, Inc., nnul Pper Jnury 2006). The UK economy hs been mong the strongest in Europe. Consumer confidence hs been high s result of low interest rtes, low level of unemployment nd strong increses in house prices. Growth in household expenditure ws driving force behind the UK's GDP growth. These positive economic dt for the British explin to lrge extent the fct tht UK consumers' most fvourite leisure time ctivity is shopping (Lnds' End, Inc., nnul Pper Jnury 2006). The min fctor in buying decision of British consumers is disposble income which is continuously incresed in recent yers. Clthes retilers fll int tw brd ctegries: firstly, thse selling wn-brnd clthing nd, secndly, thse selling third-prty wer. Mjr retilers such s Mrks & Spencer nd the rcdi Grup re gd exmples f the first grup, s re chin pertins such s NEXT nd Gp. The secnd grup includes the mjr deprtment stres nd the mjrity f independent retilers in the UK. Clthing retiling is highly diverse industry. The retil sectr rnges frm lw-cst nd discunts retilers thrugh t independents, sprtswer, frml wer nd highly exclusive designer butiques. Hwever, s in mst cnsumer gds mrkets, it is t the middle level where the mjr plyers re t be fund nd mney cn be erned. Porter's Five forces nlysis ny compny must seek to understnd the nture of its competitive environment if it is to be successful in chieving its objectives nd in estblishing pproprite strtegies. Porter's five forces nlysis dels with fctors outside n industry tht influence the nture of competition within it1. The originl competitive forces model proposed by Porter identified five forces which would impct on n orgniztion's behviour in competitive mrket. The bjective f such n nlysis is t investigte hw the rgnistin needs t frm its strtegy in rder t develp pprtunities in its envirnment nd prtect itself ginst cmpetitin nd ther threts (Lynch, R 1997). The pper will use the Prter Mdel t give n ide wht kind f influences exists nd hw cmpny cn del with it, s described in the grph below: Fig. 1 Prter's Five Frces Mdel Brgining pwer f custmers S fr s the custmer is cncerned he hs prbbly the mst pwer becuse it is he wh buys the prduct nd spends his mney. The impct f

The Importance of Artifact Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Importance of Artifact - Assignment Example For instance, Lithuanian has a game called Blind Chicken and it identifies itself with it in all corners of the world (Kawan 297). Their cultural practices are pegged on this game, and they find much inspiration from it. For this reason, this paper will analyze "Blind Chicken" as a cultural artifact of the Lithuanians society. This artifact is very important for this discussion because of its role in the Lithuanian society and it is very common with children. It is fun playing this game; hence people from this culture appreciate it in whatever circumstance. Similarly, it represents the values of this culture and helps the children during physical and emotional development (Nashleanas 630). For this reason, its characteristics made it worth discussing as an artifact in this society. The Blind Chicken is an outdoor or indoor game played by children, in a safe and free place away from obstacles that might cause them injury. The game is played by children of age 4 to 9 though other age groups can also play and enjoy, and it comprises a group of 3 to 12 players. It is played through blindfolding one player with a piece of cloth and then he or she is expected to find the rest of players within a certain boundary. The blindfolded player becomes the Blind Chicken, who looks after others. The blindfolded individual is expected to walk or run around, capture and identify one or more of the players. Accurate identity relieves the Blind Chicken, and the captured players take the role (Kawan 298). The Blind Chicken game has a long history since it began a long time ago in Europe before industrialization. It began in Eastern Europe among the Lithuanian communities who were poor and did not have toys to play with like other people. This community was destitute and their children used toys made of sisal, clothes, and wood, borne among others (Nashleanas 634).  

R&D Proposal TMGT421 (R&D for HVAC Replacement) Essay

R&D Proposal TMGT421 (R&D for HVAC Replacement) - Essay Example This essay stresses that the HVAC systems are vital towards energy consumptions as well as thermal comfort especially in the residential buildings. These conditions can only be met by using effective and efficient HVAC equipment that in this project is the air conditioners. The essential integral part in energy conservation using this HVAC equipment or the air conditioner is the design of the equipment, control system, distribution system, and the building envelope as well as the optimization of the system. The improvement of the efficiency and effectiveness of the HVAC systems requires high level of understanding of the inter rations in the system issues especially the primary engineering issues. Additionally, detailed trades off issues relating to the energy conservation designs must be exploited fully before conclusion are drawn and recommendation made and National Academies Press. This paper makes a conclusion that the desired air conditioner will be designed not to run continuously as it is in air conditions that are being used currently. This kindly of system design will be achieved through installation or embedding thermostat into the home used air conditioners so that it is automatically switches off and on the once the desired temperatures are attained. This modified air conditioner will reduce the amount of energy used in running the air conditioner thereby leading to a great deal of energy conservation. This kind of energy conservation system will help reduce energy consumption rates that will reflect as low electricity bills.

Topic is enclosed in the description Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Topic is enclosed in the description - Essay Example bes revolves around situations when the sovereign state needs to call upon the strength of its citizens to provide the state and its people the protection it needs. In dangerous situations, a rational egoist would most likely not risk his life for the protection of the sovereign state. However, if such protection is not provided by the citizens, then the state will revert to a state of nature. And, our lives would be forfeit if the orders of the state are not followed and protection is not provided to the state by the rational egoist. This paper shall be a critical analysis paper on Hobbes’ previously mentioned statement. This analysis shall clarify the position being examined, shall elaborate arguments for or against the position in question, shall carefully assess the adequacy and strength of the arguments by considering possible responses, counter-arguments, or counter-examples, and offer this student’s own assessment of where the arguments for and against the position being considered leave us – and is we should accept, reject, or remain neutral regarding this orientation or position. The dilemma in Hobbes’ statement is on how to bring consistency into his argument or if consistency is even possible in his statement. If consistency is to be brought to his statement, is a state of nature inevitable? Hobbes seems to be advocating that a rational man is not obligated to render service to the state in order to help protect sovereign interests. The dilemma in Hobbes statement can be phrased in the question – why would a rational egoist surrender his sovereignty in the state of nature? (Stanford University Press â€Å"Social Order†). A rational egoist would work through the logic of risking his life and limb in order to protect the state. He would deliberate and ask himself if his sacrifice would be worth the imposed danger on his life. The egoist in him would do everything to avoid danger and pain. He would be thinking of ways to save himself,

Weathering Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Weathering - Research Paper Example The rate of weathering is also affected by various factors such as climate, geology, relief, soil or vegetation cover, as well as human activity. Research studies regarding the causes and effects of weathering continues and play a vital role in understanding the history of earth movement and development. Weathering is defined as group of slow processes by which surface rocks are broken into smaller pieces or dissolve into water as caused by the impact of the atmosphere and hydrosphere. It is considered as the primary stage in the denudation of the landscape since rocks are loosened by the weathering process. The length of time that rocks and minerals have been exposed at the surface of the earth will dictate the degree to which they have weathered. Pushkar (799) explained the process of weathering: Soils are derived from the parent rocks by the process called weathering. Formation of soil is initiated by disintegration or weathering of parent rocks by certain physical, chemical or bi ological agents. As a result, soil-forming rocks are broken down into small particles called regoliths, which finally develop into mature soil by pedogenesis. After the loosened rock particle moves due to flowing agents specifically air, water or ice, erosion or mass wasting occurs. Erosion refers to the â€Å"movement down slope due to gravity† (US Geological Survey National Park Service). Physical weathering or mechanical weathering is a type of weathering in which the breakdown of rock relies solely through mechanical forces such as freeze thaw, pressure release, thermal expansion, salt crystallization, sand blast, and glaciation, which do not alter the chemical composition of the rock. Freeze thaw refers to the breakdown of rocks as a result of the expansion of water during freezing which is common in places where temperature often fluctuates around zero degrees Celsius like in upland Britain. This procedure is most effective in jointed rocks particularly granite. Pressur e release or dilation happens when weathering and erosion removes overlying rocks. The released pressure expands the rocks, making it to have fractures which weaken the rocks as they become susceptible to weathering agents. Sheeting of rock follows when cracks develop parallel to the surface. Thermal expansion, also called as insolation weathering, results from large diurnal temperature ranges that influences heating and cooling of the rock. The rock expands when heated and contracts when cooled. The changes caused by differing temperature results in stresses in the rock layers. Salt crystallization takes place when saline water passes through crevasses and joints in rocks, evaporates, and salt crystals are formed as the dissolved salts crystallize. The crystals can cause granular disintegration or the gradual breaking off grains of rock. Sand blast occurs in arid and desert conditions when wind and sand disrupts rocks. Lastly, glaciation or ice formation corrodes and breakdown rock s into sand particles as the melting of ice during summer season move downwardly on the slopes and produces glacier movement (Codrington 252). On the other hand, chemical weathering is defined as â€Å"the decomposition of a rock by alteration of its chemical composition† (Codrington 252). The processes of chemical weathering are solution, hydrolysis, chelation, hydration, carbonation and oxidation-reduction. Solution involves the removal of certain mobile components of rocks for instance, calcium sulphates and chlorides, making the rocks porous and easy to disintegrate. Hydrolysis breaks down or washes out components of rocks such as alumina silicates and silicon which leads to simpler mineral matter like

A Critique of Tess Onwueme’s Tell It to Women Essay Example for Free

A Critique of Tess Onwueme’s Tell It to Women Essay To Women, we travel back to a Nigerian village in postcolonial Africa. The story enlightens the audience about the dichotomy of traditionalism versus modernism and the ways in which different cultures interact. It ends by revealing the true meaning of culture; the real quality in a society that arises from a passion for what is excellent in arts, manners, and customs. Overall, the play discusses the role of women within this Nigerian village and largely examines the conflict of whether it is better to advance with the rest of the world, or to hold on to the traditions that truly make a society independent and beautiful. The play begins with Yemoja, the most important woman in the village, in a house with Daisy and Ruth, two feminist western-educated scholars. They are the primary antagonists in the play. At this early stage, we see that Daisy and Ruth are not fond of Yemoja. Daisy and Ruth are leaders of the â€Å"Better Life for Rural Women† campaign, which inspires women to believe that they are not only equal to men in many ways, but are even superior in others. The two of them select Yemoja as the mediator between the village and the western world that they are so desperate to force upon the women. The movement causes a great disturbance in the village between the men and women, and especially with Yemoja’s husband and father. Back in Daisy’s home, she has been getting into many disagreements with her family. Her husband Okei, disagrees with her passion about the feminist movement and they frequently fight about it. Her mother-in-law, Sherifat, still encourages Yemoja to participate in the village’s traditional tribal rituals. Sherifat expresses that it would a terrible fate if Yemoja attempts to assimilate to the modern culture and loses her roots. As the story goes on, Daisy becomes estranged from her daughter Bose, as Bose is beginning to understand more and more the culture of the village and becomes closer to Yemoja and Sherifat. Towards the end of the play, the villagers organize a march, for which Daisy gives Yemoja steps to teach to the rest of the women. It becomes clear to Yemoja at that point that western culture is not for them. Daisy and Ruth’s superior arrives to enlighten the women about her ideas of feminism. She is the one that will decide whether or not the movement has succeeded or not. When it is time for Yemoja to perform the dance, however, she and Sherifat perform one of the Idu rituals instead. Bose even joins in the dancing. Ruth falls and becomes extremely injured while Daisy is thrust into the middle of the action. The play ends here in a beautifully tragic scene as Ruth chokes to death while the rest of the villagers celebrate having revitalized their culture. Tess Onwueme’s play was delightfully written and captivating to any audience. The story was intriguing and definitely matched it’s title. Now I see that, Tell It To Women, is a statement on how the women of the village are always being told to do or be something. Whether it is by Daisy and Ruth or by their husbands, the women never really find their own voice until the very end. We see in the first movement, Sherifat telling the chorus of women that being a wife is â€Å"meaning that a wife deserves to be treated like a daughter and not something that you possess. † Yet, throughout much of the story, we see the women being treated like servants and as subhuman to Daisy and Ruth, the village men, and western civilization as a whole. However, I believe that even as a woman, the author was at times, very objective in her portrayal of feminism. She was able to write a play that showed both the positives and negatives of modernism, while advancing the ideals of traditionalism. She does all this without losing sight of what is most important to women of a small village like that. At one part she even has Ruth say â€Å"these rural women are very gullible, you know. All you need to do is make them feel they are important†¦ we need them anyway, maybe even more than they need us. † The author is commenting here on the passive-aggressive attempts of Daisy and Ruth but also shows that the village women do not actually need to be modernized. Perhaps here, the author is a little biased because she is making Daisy and Ruth out to be selfish and slightly cruel. To a western reader, the play was not very easy to read. The names of the villagers were at times tongue tying and I found myself changing opinions about a character because I in fact, thought they were another. Onwueme also does not really explain the native African dialect and proverbial expressions that are used, which was slightly confusing as well. Many play-writes include footnotes at the bottom of the page to explain vernacular that is not known to the reader and that would have been very helpful here. That being said, the true meaning of the play was present the entire time. The clash of cultures and the lingering pains of colonialism in Africa come through wonderfully in the author’s interpretation. In one eloquent line we see that colonialism left its mark of the villagers. Sherifat says to Daisy that â€Å"it’s easier for those who inflict the pain on others to forget. † Tell It To Women, while at times was hard to follow, beautifully captured the struggle of traditionalism versus modernism and is a true mark of feminism. Overall, I thought that the play was well written and captivating. Even as a man, when sometimes it is hard to understand the desires of women, let alone women of another culture, I was able to grasp the true value of this play. It enlightened me about African culture and the roles of men and women in society. I believe Onwueme did a tremendous job in exposing the struggles of postcolonial Africa in an artful representation.

Crime Prevention Programs Children And Young People Essay

Crime Prevention Programs Children And Young People Essay Currently we suffer from overpopulation in our prisons today. One of the main reasons is due to a constant increasing flow of non-violent drug offenders being sentenced to serve time. Drugs are a major problem in our country, so we must be proactive in our efforts and try to come up with programs that would steer youth away from initial drug use that would potentially lead to future incarceration. There are many programs that try to do just that. These programs focus on the youth to try and keep them captivated in healthier venues as opposed to starting drug use or a life of crime. These programs have seen much success in the areas that they are in by means of crime prevention. This paper will discuss the programs and how they actually help in crime prevention by helping the youth within those communities. Adult-supervised, youth-development afterschool prevention programs reduce the onset or intensity of alcohol, tobacco, and drug use. These programs serve many important purposes including: Positive interaction with and supervision by adults Enrichment programs and activities help youth develop drug/alcohol free hobbies Occupying free time with positive choices in a supervised element Helps create a service ethic through community service Development of social skills and the keys to just say no to drugs and alcohol The programs with the most positive results tend to be those that combine fun with structure and teach prevention through activities. When afterschool prevention programs, run by Boys and Girls Clubs, were started in selected public housing developments in New York, drug use, presence of crack cocaine use, police reports of drug activity all decreased significantly. Drug activity decreased 22%, juvenile arrests dropped 13%, and vandalism in the public housing developments decreased 12.5%, and parental involvement increased, compared with public housing developments that were not selected to implement the afterschool programs. The program included structured, adult-supervised recreation and youth development activities combined with a focused prevention activity, Smart Moves, developed by the Boys Girls Clubs specifically for non-classroom settings (Bailey, 1998). Worldwide over the past couple of decades, we have seen an increase in the amount of recreational organizations being created. Recognizing the increasing jail and prison populations, these places were constructed to benefit the entire community in the long run. These facilities have many things that lured youth in such as batting cages, pools, tracks to run, basketball, weight rooms, a healthy and productive alternative to running around on the streets. Programs that engage the youth while keeping them on a straightened path is what will really make the difference in a community. One organization that incorporates healthy alternatives to substance abuse and criminal activity in youths is The Boys Girls Clubs of America. This organization is among the top of the lists of facilities to aid in crime prevention in youths. Their programs are nationally recognized as well as tested and proved effective in addressing problems that modern day youths face as well as showing them tools to make them successful throughout their lives. Programs are available nationwide and focus on areas such as alcohol and drug prevention, various areas of education, gang prevention, pregnancy prevention, athletics, the environment and leadership development. The Boys Girls Clubs of America commend accomplishments while also adding an extra goal for young adults to aspire for, such as the opportunity to meet important role models on a global scale; these actions have led to a high success rate within the organization. One of the ways that the Boys Girls Clubs of America commend accomp lishments through their organization is through their own Youth of the Year awards. These awards are given out to those who show outstanding contributions to the Club, family, and community as well. Each state produces a winner and the winners from each state then compete for the title of National Youth of the Year; with the ultimate Youth of the Year being recognized by the President of the United States, which is the ultimate honor (Boys Girls Clubs of America, 2007). The hopes of this competition is to instill in these young adults that they can accomplish any dream if the put their mind to it and stay away from drugs and alcohol or resorting to violence. There are over 2,000 YMCAs worldwide, which makes it the largest not-for-profit community service organization in America working to meet the health and human service needs of 20.2 million men, women and children in 10,000 communities in the United States. YMCAs are at the heart of community life across the country: 42 million families and 72 million households are located within three miles of a YMCA (YMCA, 2007). Because of their non-profit services and unique locations around the world, 20.1 million members have joined these clubs, 9.5 million of which are under the age of 18. Thousands of Ys work with local elementary, middle, and high schools, hospitals, and churches to promote child care and teen leadership and provides services that they may need. So many kids today are starting down the wrong paths in life at earlier ages. The fact the children are being left alone and unattended at their homes between the hours that they get out of school until their parents get home is not helping the matter. Kids are often taking advantage of the situation and doing whatever they want. If this continues to happen for some time before they get caught, they might not stop when asked to. Lucky for us, YMCAs is the largest providers of childcare in the United States, operating nearly 10,000 childcare sites throughout the United States providing affordable and high quality care to more than a half million children. The YMCA does also serve nearly 10 million children under the age of 18 through activities such as camping, sports, and afterschool programs. YMCAs are the largest employers of teenagers in the country (YMCA, 2007). YMCAs nationwide even offer an After School Program. It is a safe and caring environment in your childs own school that is offered at school dismissal (including scheduled half days) until 6:00 PM and before school care begins at 7:00 AM until school begins. You can choose between 2-5 days a week and they also offer childcare on holidays and snow days. During this time your children participate in arts and crafts, games, gym activities, group activities, special events, and trips. Homework time and help is also provided, as well as an afternoon snack. And you dont have to worry about the type of people that are watching your kids because they are just as much qualified to work with children as are teachers. Our staff members are selected from a wide range of applicants who undergo strict background checks, most of whom have been with us for several years (YMCA, 2007). This next organization is about taking the next step and preparing youth for their future involvement in the workforce. The Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) was created in 1996 in order to consolidate resources and provide the City of New York with higher-quality, more efficient youth and family programming. Our central task is administering available city, state, and federal funds to strong and effective community-based organizations (NYC Department of Youth and Community Development, 2007). DYCD funds a wide range of innovative, practical and quality programs that positively impact youth and communities. These programs include but are not limited to: Runaway and Homeless Youth Outreach, Youth Workforce Development, Corporate Internships for Youth, Summer Youth Employment Program, and the nations largest municipally funded Out-of-School Time initiative. It is programs like these that we need to see more of, programs that prepare young teens for success, sending t hem off on internships to meet well-known successful people. We need to raise their hopes and help them realize that their dreams can become reality. Like the YMCA, the Department of Youth and Community Development (DYCD) also has after school programs. With the increased number of parents entering the workforce, the need for expanded quality after-school services to support young people and their families is a must. The DYCD supports two major after-school initiatives: the Out-of-School Time Program and the Beacon Program. As previously stated, the Out-of-School Time (OST) Program is the largest after-school program throughout the nation. The programs offered are free of charge and offer an equal balance between recreational activities, the arts, sports, and academic tutoring and support for elementary school students throughout high school. OST programs operate on most school holidays to meet the needs of working parents (NYC Department of Youth and Community Development, 2007). The Beacon Program is slightly different in that it was designed for kids ages 16-21. In this program, young adults are offered the experience of academ ic support and college preparatory, sports such as basketball and martial arts, as well as art infused themes such as photography. These centers operate six days and 42 hours a week in the afternoons and evenings, and on weekends. Weve explored the opportunities of childcare and support during the day and after school hours, but what are these children to do at night? Is this not the most popular time for individuals go out, cause mischief, and commit crimes? What can be done to attempt to suppress this? Seattle Parks and Recreations new Late Night Program could very well be the answer. The Late Night Recreation Program is a fun, safe environment for high-risk Seattle youth. Our goal is to save the lives of our youth, create opportunities for success and provide positive alternatives to drugs, gangs, and other undesirable activities, stated Betty Jean Brooks the Interim Superintendent. The Late Night Recreation Program targets youths most prone to harmful behavior and shows them the possibility of having a positive future. It offers a variety of activities: educational services such as tutoring, computer and teen parenting programs, inter-cultural activities such as ethnic dance and bead-making and athletic ac tivities such as basketball, volleyball, martial arts and other sports. According to the Seattle Police Department, crime has been reduced an average of 30 percent near the Late Night centers. A new program has also come about in Vancouver and Richmond called Night Hoops: Nocturnal Basketball. Night Hoops is a late night basketball program for youth 13-18 yrs. of age. Its goal is to use basketball as a vehicle to promote asset development in a supported environment. Night Hoops offers youths the opportunity to experience the thrill of playing on an organized basketball team. The youth really benefits from having something as fun and positive as this. Those who need an alternative to where they spend their Friday and Saturday nights dont have to look far. Youth who are experiencing difficulties at home, in school, and would benefit from physical activity and being around positive role models would be perfect candidates. Religious Youth Group organizations put on by local churches is also an option. Along with religious education classes for children, these groups offer programs for youth age 12 19. The First Unitarian Universalist Church of San Antonio has created two different groups: Club M2U and YRUU. Club M2U is for Middle School students (grades 6 8). Focus is on having fun, making friends, and doing projects together. Some of their recent activities have been ice skating, collecting school supplies for hurricane victims, and planning an Animal Dedication service for the entire church. The YRUU serves youth from 14-19 years old. Guided by national goals and purposes, each local group determines its own vision. The five components of balanced youth programming are Worship, Community Building, Social Action, Learning, and Leadership. Youth in this program have many opportunities to grow into leadership at group, congregational, district, and continental levels. There is a youth group similar to this where I live. It is held on Friday nights from 8-midnight. There is a lesson service for each group of kids (10-14 and 15-21) in the beginning and then the last 2 hours we are free to partake in recreational activities such as basketball, volleyball, floor hockey, Frisbee, football, etc. And what I thought was great was to see all these other kids from other towns coming over to be a part of this event. It is really quite impressive for a word of mouth establishment. With all the opportunities the youths have within their reach it is still beyond me why so many become involved in breaking the law. The continuation of education these young minds of how bad gangs and drugs and violence are is most important, and not only after school but in school as well. The G.R.E.A.T. Program (Gang Resistance Education and Training) is a school-based, law enforcement officer-instructed classroom curriculum that is intended as an immunization against delinquency, youth violence, and gang membership. G.R.E.A.T. lessons focus on providing life skills to students to help them avoid using delinquent behavior and violence to solve problems. Because this is a four-component program (elementary school, middle school, high school, and summer classes) it is not something that is easily forgotten. It would be a major problem and of no significance if they only taught it to you in one of those sections. If you were taught it at a young age, you might not understand and ofte n forget and if you were taught it in high school you might laugh at the program and not pay attention at all. The thoroughness throughout the years is the most effective form of education. The other program that is offered to you through school is the D.A.R.E. program (Drug Abuse Resistance Education). This is one of the highly acclaimed programs that give kids the skills they need to avoid involvement in drugs, gangs, and violence. This is a series of classroom lessons that teaches children from kindergarten through 12th grade how to resist peer pressure and live productive drug and violence-free lives. Because this is a police officer led discussion, I feel that with the powerful authority figure you can get more across to the kids and they are more apt to listen to what he/she is saying. Once the students understand and commit to memory what it is the officer is saying they can then precede through life not having to worry about falling victim to the perils of crime. As you can see, there are countless organizations that are trying harder and harder every day to grow and promote their establishments so that there will be less crime. We cant expect the children to make all the decisions and to know that all these programs are out there either. Parents need to look into these types of organizations around their area for their children and suggest them. The children are not going to know about them without the parents help. Maybe a late night basketball program is exactly what your son/daughter wants and you just didnt know because you never brought it to their attention. Youth groups are a great way to meet new people in a safe and friendly environment. If they still seem uninterested there is still the trial and error approach. Tell them that you and he/she will go once, just to see if they like it or if there is anything there that they are interested in. YMCAs and the Boys Girls Clubs have almost anything you could possible want to do. You cant go wrong here so use it as a reserve option. The effort is being made to help, but this isnt a one-way street. Parents, let your children know about the opportunities they are missing out on that will help keep them out of living a life of crime.

Brecht and Dudow Essay -- Film Analysis

Kuhle Wampe (Brecht and Dudow, 1931) is often noted as the first communist film produced in Weimar Germany and was produced by a collective of men, heavily involved in the formation and success of Weimar cinema. The collaborative team consisted of Hanns Eisler, who composed the musical score for Berlin: Symphony of a Great City (Walter Ruttmann, 1927), Ernst Ottwald, a distinguished novelist and screen writer, primary director Slatan Dudow who participated heavily in the production of Metropolis (Fritz Lang, 1927) and finally Bertolt Brecht. The aforementioned trio heavily influenced the industrialised surrounding that encompass’ the location and narrative of Kuhle Wampe, however, fellow script writer and co-director Bertolt Brecht had very little experience in film production –aside from aiding the preparation for Karl Valentin’s The Mysteries of a Hairdresser’s Shop (1923). Brecht’s influence upon Kuhle Wampe came much more in the form of philosop hical grounding, with himself, at the time developing his ‘materialist aesthetics’ in trying to conceptualise the answer to the question: ‘what is political art?’ Bringing together politics and art formulae, in this case montage, we can assess the messages that were conveyed through the use of montage and how it was used as a tool of political suggestion. From the opening sequence, Kuhle Wampe’s stylisation appropriates itself with that of Soviet Montage, of which is Sergei Eisenstein’s theories are based on the idea that montage originates in the "collision" between different shots in an illustration of the idea of thesis and antithesis. This basis allowed him to argue that montage is inherently dialectical, thus it should be considered a demonstration of Marxism and Hegelian philos... ...h the montage sequences in Kuhle Wampe. Works Cited Brooker, Peter (2004) â€Å"Key words in Brecht’s theory and practice of theatre† in Brecht. Eds. Peter Thomson and Glendyr Sacks. Cambridge University Press, Pp. 185-200. Eisenstein, Sergei; Jay Leyda (translator) (1947). The Film Sense. Hardcourt Brace and Company Eisenstein, Sergei; Jay Leyda (translator) (1977) The Film Form: essays in film theory. Hardcourt Brace and Company Kracauer, Siegfried (2004) â€Å"Montage† [from From Caligari to Hitler: A Psychological History of the German Film (1947)] in German Essays on Film. Eds. Richard W. McCormack and Alison Guenther-Pal. New York & London: Continuum, Pp. 181-189. Silbermann, Marc (1995) â€Å"The Rhetoric of Image: Slatan Dudow and Bertolt Brecht’s Kuhle Wampe or Who Owns the World† in German Cinema: Texts in Context. Detroit: Wayne State University Pp. 34-48.

political views of federalists and republicans :: essays research papers

The political views of the federalist and the republicans towards the government of the United States of America were different. The republicans stressed equality of rights among citizens allowing people to govern themselves. The federalists believed in a stronger government one in which was sovereign and had superior power over the local governments.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The republicans view almost always proved to be a disaster but the republicans believed that if a republican government could succeed anywhere, it would be within the virtuous communities of the United States of America. The republicans felt that replacing a monarchy government with a republican government would give the people many more rights and freedoms. Many people thought that it required too much public integrity for the people to govern themselves and live independently. It would require the people to obey laws and maintain order with the absence of monarchy forces.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The federalists view saw the republicans view as a weakness. They insisted on a stronger common government. The federalists had an understanding that there could only be one sovereign in a political system, one final authority that everyone must obey and no one can appeal. They thought this was the only effective way in creating an effective central government. The independent states seemed to think it was clear that each one of them were independently sovereign, although based on history only small countries were suitable for the republican government. With history proving the republicans wrong for trying to create a republican government in the states the federalists were slowly trying to create a stronger central government. There first step was making the sovereign states agree to the Articles of Confederation which established a close alliance of independent states. The federalist central government was referred to as a â€Å"confederacy†. political views of federalists and republicans :: essays research papers The political views of the federalist and the republicans towards the government of the United States of America were different. The republicans stressed equality of rights among citizens allowing people to govern themselves. The federalists believed in a stronger government one in which was sovereign and had superior power over the local governments.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The republicans view almost always proved to be a disaster but the republicans believed that if a republican government could succeed anywhere, it would be within the virtuous communities of the United States of America. The republicans felt that replacing a monarchy government with a republican government would give the people many more rights and freedoms. Many people thought that it required too much public integrity for the people to govern themselves and live independently. It would require the people to obey laws and maintain order with the absence of monarchy forces.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The federalists view saw the republicans view as a weakness. They insisted on a stronger common government. The federalists had an understanding that there could only be one sovereign in a political system, one final authority that everyone must obey and no one can appeal. They thought this was the only effective way in creating an effective central government. The independent states seemed to think it was clear that each one of them were independently sovereign, although based on history only small countries were suitable for the republican government. With history proving the republicans wrong for trying to create a republican government in the states the federalists were slowly trying to create a stronger central government. There first step was making the sovereign states agree to the Articles of Confederation which established a close alliance of independent states. The federalist central government was referred to as a â€Å"confederacy†.

Essay examples --

Infant and Toddler Parent Awareness Workshop Day 1 8:00-9:00 A.M. Diapering & Toileting /Diaper or Potty, too soon or not too soon â€Å"To Potty or Not to Potty† That is the question! How to Create Diapering and Toileting Routines for your infant or toddler. There will be a handout on daily diapering opportunities for ages 0-36 months. You will also be introduced to the 8 proper steps of changing your child’s diaper. We will also be discussing the importance of proper diapering and the appropriate time to for toileting. We will discuss the pros and cons of pull ups vs. underwear. This activity is important to parents because knowing when to change an infant’s diaper can prevent many different things, such as, sores or illnesses, also knowing when to start toilet training a child is a monumental decision in a child’s world. 9:00-10:00 A.M. Attachment / Separation Anxiety Why they won’t let you leave and know when it’s okay to go. Learn the appropriate strategies for preventing and dealing with separation anxiety in your child. How anxiety affects your child and managing their feelings. Understanding when your child is safe and what common triggers for anxiety are and how to calm your child. Games on handling separation anxiety such as the smiling goodbye, peek-a-boo play and distracting with play. It is important for parents to understand that when they leave their child with a caregiver of their chose the child will be apprehensive until they form an attachment. 10:00 -10:15 A.M: Break 10:15 - 11:00 A.M: The 4 Developmental Areas of Your Child / Physical, Social, Emotional & Cognitive/Language Play Is the Way Parents can benefit from understanding the developmental phases of their infants and toddlers. This will help t... ...hile you care for the new baby or yourself. We will have pamphlets with tips and ideas on introducing a new sibling This is important to help growing families to learn how to adjust and prepare for a new baby so they will have a less stressful environment. 2:30-2:45 P.M Break 2:45-4:00 PM: Germ Control / How to keep your infant/ toddler germ free We will discuss ways for keeping infant/ toddler healthy, maintaining a hygienic environment, the differences between cleaning and sanitizing. We will teach the ways to understand germs, the proper why to wash hands. The safe household cleaning and disinfecting products to use and how far should you go. We will have demonstrations on how to clean and how wash your hands. We will also have visual aids and product. This is important because parents need to understand how to properly clean and when they are go too far.

The triggering event that led to the Wall Street stock market

The triggering event that led to the Wall Street stock market crash in October 1929 was the result of a steady decline in production, prices and income over the period of three months. Anxiety gave rise to panic thus resulting to the crash.   The stock market crash affected various countries and the effects were intense.   The depression affected greatly the United States because of the absence of welfare benefits for the laid off workers.   Between 1929 and 1933, money income fell by 53 percent and as a consequence, demand fell significantly, which in turn led to lower production and more lay-offs up to 25 percent rate of unemployment in 1933.And yet despite the severity of the stock market crash, the Federal Reserve did not pursue a monetary expansion policy which would have stimulated the economy through lower interest rates and increased the stock of money in circulation. As part of the efforts of the United States to cope with the Depression, the Hawley Smoot Tariff of 193 0 was enacted which made US more protectionist than ever thereby sending import duties to record highs.   As a result, other countries retaliated as the new tariff act hastened the downfall of American trade volume. Since President Hoover has been protective of the tariff act, he failed to see the results of the move.Immediately thereafter, the Depression spread through out the world especially in Europe.   Particularly affected was Germany whose economy was unable to cope with the slow disappearance of American capital. It is also worth discussing that Germany was still paying reparations for World War I which made its position even more delicate. Germany was then forced to borrow from Great Britain and France.   The country had to pursue deficienary policies in order to gain the confidence of investors and attract foreign funds.The problem of devaluation further posed a major problem. Although the United Kingdom was not hit in the same way as Germany, it however experienced a notable decline in its export which was even greater than the decrease in its imports.   Latin America was also greatly affected as it depended heavily in selling raw materials in the US. It could not be surmised that the Wall Street crash was the immediate cause of the decline in world trade.   The decline in world trade was largely due to the protectionist legislation passed by major trading nations.When Hoover was replaced by President Roosevelt in 1932 and brought with him the New Deal which was intended to provide direct relief, recovery and financial reform to the country suffering from the Great Depression. One of Roosevelt’s primary programs was to deal with the country’s banking catastrophe. Since one-fifth of all of the banks in the US were forced to close and many people were already starting to lose their life savings, Roosevelt asked Congress to legislate a law which will protect the saver’s investment in times of the same crisis. This eventua lly restored the people’s trust in the banking system. Perhaps one of the most important legislation and mark left by the New Deal is the Social Security Act which set up a national system of old-age pension and also coordinated relief for the unemployed.   Both agriculture and industry were also supported by policies to restrict output and increase input.Perhaps the most durable   policy left by the New Deal was   the great public works project such as the Hoover Dam and the introduction by the Tennessee Valley Authority of flood control, electric power, fertilizer and education to a depressed agricultural region in the south. However, the New Deal was certainly not a perfect example of economic management as it did not lead to rapid economic recovery.   Income per capita was no higher in 1939 than in 1929, although the government’s welfare and public works policies did benefit many of the most needy people. The big growth in the US economy was, in fact, due t o rearmament. (Modern American Poetry)Despite the promises of the New Deal, it nevertheless reaped various criticisms as the programs were questioned.   For example, the National Industrial Recovery Act of 1933 which was originally intended to make possible â€Å" a great cooperative movement throughout all the industry in order to obtain wider reemployment, to shorten the working week, to pay a decent wage for the shorter week and to prevent unfair competition and disastrous overproduction.† However, the NIRA was attacked because it gave stimulus to the industries that needed it least and ignored the industries that needed it the most. It also gave Roosevelt unprecedented powers over the economy and other businesses.The increase of criticisms against Roosevelt and the New Deal, Roosevelt was forced to look for support elsewhere.   During the presidential campaign in 1936, he built the â€Å"Roosevelt Coalition† a political bloc that made modern politics.   While the Republicans were still relying on their traditional base of political support such as big businesses, farmers and conservatives, Roosevelt and the Democrats turned to small farmers in the Midwest, urban political bosses, even ethnic blue collar workers, the ethnic minorities, Jews and intellectuals.   As evidence by the support of African-Americans, Roosevelt was certainly changing American politics. Thus, it was no surprise that the Democrats won the race in 1936.On the other hand, labor and labor unions played a great role during the 1930s.   In fact, many Americans became alarmed by the labor union’s power which they felt might be irresponsibly used under certain circumstances.   For the labor force, they are responsible in continuing industrialization although many of the workers are divided from each other ethnically, regionally and religiously.   Nevertheless, with mass unemployment and real distress among the workingmen, public opinion, which had long look ed upon unions as â€Å"radical† outfits, came to sympathize with their purposes for the first time. Reflecting that public opinion, the new deal Congresses passed laws which favored organization and recognition of labor unions. Meanwhile, the courts, which had taken a restrictive view of the rights of labor when they seemed to conflict with those of private property, rendered more favorable decisions and upheld the new laws.Reference:Monique Ebell. (2006). Welfare Capitalism, Union Power and the Great Crash of 1929: Toward a Neoclassical Explanation of the Great Depression.†Ã‚   XIV International Economic History Congress, Helinski 2006 Session 20.F. William Engdahl. â€Å"Some Conventional Reflections on the Great Depression and the New Deal.† GeoPolitics-GeoEconomics.   Online http://www.engdahl.oilgeopolitics.net/History/New_Deal/new_deal.html accessed October 1, 2006.Stanley Schultz. â€Å"Dr. New Deal Becomes Dr. Win-the-War.† American History 102: Civil War to the Present. Online http://us.history.wisc.edu/hist102/lectures/lecture20.htmlLabor and Labor_Management. Online https://www.netsafa.navy.mil/ipg/labor_and_labormanagement.htm   accessed October 1, 2006.â€Å"Legacy of the New Deal in Comparison with Other Deals† : http://www.bergen.org/AAST/Projects/depression/legacy.html

Political Dynasty

Political Dynasty in the Philippines Political dynasty is very prevalent in our country for a long time now. The 1987 Philippine Constitution, Article II, Section 26 states â€Å"The State shall guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service and prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law†. The provision provides for the prohibition of political dynasty but it did not give a clear definition of what political dynasty is, instead it left this task to the Congress. Many arguments had already been presented as whether to ban political dynasty or not.These are some arguments supporting the prohibition of political dynasties: promote political and personal interests; promote nepotism, favoritism and corruption; political clans are motivated by the preservation of wealth rather than the implementation of basic political ideologies; formation of political kingdoms inhibits democracy in the country; elections have become mere formalities rather that idle legal pr ocesses; dynasties are reflections of the prevailing socio-economic inequalities in the nation; the existence of political clans prohibits economically- disadvantaged but efficient candidates; basis for qualifications of public officials are distorted; and people come to accept the existing succession of political clans as a tradition. For the counter arguments: dynasties make up an effective collaboration promoting good governance and there is an increased devolution of power over the localities which empower them. As seen with the arguments, it is clear that the disadvantages of political dynasty outweigh its advantages. But with the present composition of our government, enacting a law that will prohibit this cannot immediately be done. Thus, it rest in the hands of the voters to choose who will lead and rule our country, and whether to let this political dynasties remain or finally end.

Changing Your Social Class Essay

Social stratification is a ladder of positions with respect to economic construction which influences the social rewards to those in the positions (â€Å"Questions on Social Stratification†). With that, a person may belong to a specific class while being part of the whole society. Social class means the existence of sharing among the people of similar status with respect to wealth, power and prestige. For a layman’s understanding, social class refers to being rich or poor as regarded by the society. A concrete example of this is a situation wherein a person’s social class has changed overnight, where he suddenly becomes homeless. That situation happens to me, and I could say that at that particular moment, my life has changed drastically and dramatically. The privileges that I experienced when I am still rich were lost when I become suddenly homeless. In addition, my opportunities in life also changed when I become poor. While I am still in a higher social class, I do not need to work hard just to earn a living. At that time, I can hire people to work for me and help me to improve my life’s station. But when I become homeless, everything was altered such that I cannot even afford to pay all my basic commodities like food, shelter and clothing. For me, there is always shortage of food when I am already in the lower social class. My family is suffering so much since we need to share a little amount of food everyday. All we can do is to think of those times that we enjoy eating all the food that we want. Since I become homeless, seeking for a good shelter is a problem. I realized that living in the streets is possible. I learned to look for places where squatters stayed. Aside from that, my clothing materials are not enough to keep me warm all day. I need to ask help from those who have enough clothes and request for old but clean and usable clothing materials. With all these hardships that I encountered, people view me as living in extreme poverty. Moreover, the opportunity to work is limited since those people who knew me before no longer consider me as a friend. Yet, I tried hard to find a job just to earn a living. Although people view me recently as poor, I need to work hard and show to them that I am worthy for a decent living. I will work hard for me to rent a house for my family. While it is true that housing costs pose the biggest obstacle for low-wage workers, I also believe that there are realistic solutions to the lack of affordable housing. The government is the only hope for the poor people to help them have their own homes. What the government should do is to facilitate a housing project that offers an affordable housing loan to low-wage workers. The government may also provide homes for the homeless in such a way that presence of perennial squatters will be lessened.   In that way, those who are living in poverty will have the chance to work hard and pay for a simple yet decent home. As a worker, having a work system that does not offer benefits like overtime pay, retirement funds, and health insurance is not fair. The workers should be given good working conditions as they are considered the strength and backbone of the economy. Besides, the request for an increase of salary for workers is not the solution for lack of benefits. Both provision of benefits and increase of salary for workers is necessary things that a worker must have in the society. It is but fair for workers to receive compensation that could improve his station in life and escape from extreme poverty. Therefore, an increase of salary for workers could not redress the lack of benefits for them such that it is completely a separate problem. References Sociology Guide. (2006). Questions on Social Stratification. Retrieved November 11, 2008, from http://www.sociologyguide.com/questions/social-stratification.php.

Ariannadenyse A. Gagonia

Arianna Denyse A. Gasgonia III-Hosea Reaction Paper in Filipino (Noli Me Tangere) When we watched the stage play of Noli Me Tangere, I was excited but not until we knew that we were headed to the Star Theater, and not at the CCP Theater as we expected. When we got out of the bus, we brought or jackets with us because we expect it to be cold as the AFP Theater. But once we were inside, it was hot and eventually, we had to fan ourselves with the hand-outs that we bought. When the play started, I was a bit disappointed because some parts of the scene were just played with a projector.We thought it was very boring and uninteresting because of the lack of props. The last 2 years, we watched Ibong Adarna and Florante at Laura at the AFP Theater and they gave us their full performance which is interesting enough. While at the Star Theater, I really thought that it sucks compared to the AFP Theater. They lack in props (as I had already said) and even the ones that they have are old and looks battered. Their costumes look cheap and I don’t find it entertaining. They have a projector background and we thought it was so uncool.At the AFP Theater, they have backgrounds and props colorful and pretty enough to be entertaining for us. At the Star Theater, they even lack characters. In some scenes, I find it odd because it was different from what I’ve read and I was looking for my favorite chapters and lines and I found out it was the ones that they’ve cut. I really thought that it was poorly directed, though the characters portray their roles well and I found no fault in them. They are good at acting but sometimes their mic would just turn on and off at their slightest movements. Overall, I think it was a tiny bit unpleasant (no offense! and I would prefer watching at the AFP Theater if given the chance. For me, everything was almost always out-of-placed, except for the characters. Well, at least they’re worth watching. They are the only ones that I liked at the play and I particularly enjoyed the last scenes where there we loud booms enough to prattle our bored minds. At least it was exciting even though it’s the only one I found interesting. It was the least of what we expected and I know its an awful lot of expecting. One thing I know is, though, is I would never ever prefer Star Theater from the AFP Theater. Ever.

Reconstruction of the Union following the Civil War Research Paper

Reconstruction of the Union following the Civil War - Research Paper Example The Reconstruction also brought several black members to Congress and to all other government positions including the sheriff and the judge. Moreover, the Reconstruction brought with it the formulation of certain laws that protected and underlined the rights of black people in the American society (â€Å"Reconstruction: The Second Civil War†). The first problem associated with the Reconstruction is that the first reconstruction plans were themselves problematic. Lincoln’s 10 percent policy was not accepted by Radical Republicans for they said it was too easy for the Confederate states to use to gain readmission and that the plan was not enough in terms of protecting the former slaves. Because of this deficiency, Congress passed its own Wade-Davis Bill, which tried to limit the political participation of white Confederates and proposed the equality of the blacks before the law, but Lincoln did not sign the bill into a law (â€Å"Reconstruction†). ... Many of the problems concerning the Reconstruction actually had their roots from selfish political agenda of certain politicians both from the North and the South. Another problem with the Reconstruction is that it brought with it certain disagreements among blacks and whites on the newly institutionalized laws of equality and emancipation of the Negro slave. This resulted in several complications about the ownership of land and about the new sharecropping practices such as those experienced by the landlady Butler when negotiating with her former slaves as to how much of the proceeds of the plantation would go to her and how much would go to the black worker. In fact, she could sense so much animosity among her former slaves that is why she always slept at night with a pistol beside her. The complications and tension also extended to the state governments, such as that of Georgia, where the white lawmakers defied the command of the Northern States by banning black people from taking part in the state government. Although this was remedied, hatred and tension have developed between blacks and whites (â€Å"Reconstruction: The Second Civil War†). There was also the problem of the impending Negro rule or the supremacy and dominance of blacks. Certain influential black leaders during the time of the Reconstruction like the preacher Tunis Campbell has encouraged blacks to fight for their rights by instilling in them a hatred towards whites and the idea that the whites were always taking advantage of blacks. Campbell has also inspired blacks to complain to their masters about what is supposed to be rightfully theirs (â€Å"Reconstruction: The Second Civil War†). Another problem with the Reconstruction is the group of white Republicans who want to settle down