In Tim OBrien Essay Example for Free

In Tim OBrien Essay In Tim O’Brien’s â€Å"How to Tell a True War Story,† the author tries to humanize war by letting the reader know how absolutely difficult telling a war story is. He does this by giving many unsolicited pieces of advice about how to tell a true war story, but many of them directly contradict each other or do not make sense when compared side-by-side. In giving these pieces of advice, he is also telling war stories that either do or do not fit his own criteria. And yet, he humanizes the people involved in fighting this war by giving the reader these lessons. One great example of this is when he tells the story of Rat Kiley and Lemmons. O’Brien begins by telling the reader that â€Å"a true war story is never moral†(O’Brien). He continues with, â€Å"If at the end of a war story you feel uplifted, then you have been made the victim of a very old and terrible lie† (O’Brien). Then he tells us first the story of Rat Kiley writing this letter to the sister of his best friend who died. Kiley pours his heart out to this woman and she never writers back, and he has a derogatory comment about the sister. This certainly is not uplifting, but Rat Kiley has been humanized. The reader can somewhat imagine writing this letter and understands what it would take to write a letter like this, and then to have it unacknowledged. While O’Brien tells us almost nothing directly of the character of Rat Kiley, the reader learns mounds of information about his character nonetheless. O’Brien continues on to tell us about the death of Lemmons, and then he explains that even his own telling of the story is subjective. What he thinks he saw versus what might have actually happened are two different things. We didn’t know Lemmons, but again, we feel like we know something of his character from hearing this story. O’Brien is able to provide such beautiful or not so beautiful characterizations of these men without really telling the reader anything. But these men are humanized for us. They are not statistics in a war; they are real men. Another lesson O’Brien teaches is that â€Å"In a true war story, if there’s a moral at all, it’s like the thread that makes the cloth. You can’t tease it out. You can’t extract the meaning without unraveling the deeper meaning. † He tells us that true war stories do not generalize but they make us feel it in our stomachs. We can’t generalize to something simple like â€Å"War is hell. † He then tells us another story of Rat Kiley when he slowly slaughters the water buffalo. The reader is horrified, but also at some level understands why Rat Kiley did this. The water buffalo becomes a symbol of the breakdown during war itself. The incredible need for violence and retribution is strong. It is a horribly sad story of the slaughter of an animal. But based on what we already know about just what Rat Kiley has been through, we understand him on some gut level. War is hell, but it is also mystery and beauty. â€Å"Though it’s odd, you’re never more alive than when you’re almost dead. † The reader can understand this and understand the characters better because of it. These men are not monsters; they are just men. They are fighting a terrible war and are forced to do terrible things, but they are human. â€Å"At the hour of dusk you sit at your foxhole and look out on a wide river turning pinkish red, and at the mountains beyond, and although in the morning you must cross the river and go into the mountains and do terrible things and maybe, die, even so, you find yourself studying the fine colors on the river, you feel wonder and awe at the setting of the sun, and you are filled with a hard, aching love for how the world could be and always should be, but now is not† (O’Brien). This passage describes all men in war, and even though Rat Kiley has done terrible things, we understand a little bit about what he must be thinking. We understand how these men value their lives even more because of war. In O’Brien’s unique way, these men are truly humanized. By providing the reader with various instructions throughout the story about what a true war story isn’t and what a true war story is, these men are deeply humanized. The reader understands from Tim O’Brien that war is never as simple as it seems, and neither are the men who fight the war. He tells us horrible stories about these men, and yet, these stories help us to understand the men better. With the commentary O’Brien provides about how to write a true war story, the reader understands so many things. We understand that these â€Å"true† war stories may not even actually be true in the most common sense of the word. We understand that, no matter what, they are never simple. The lessons are never clear. They are not pretty, and if they are, they are not true. In other words, the characters of war are as complex as the reasons we fight wars. While it would be nice to have a tidy moral, there are none. At the bottom of it all are human lives. These men are not heroes and they are not monsters.

Managerial Effectiveness In Indian Organizations Management Essay

Managerial Effectiveness In Indian Organizations Management Essay Purpose- This paper seeks to explore the dimensions of managerial effectiveness within the context of Indian organization and to analyze the impact of experience and level of manager (senior, middle, junior) on their overall effectiveness, and also to compare the female and male counterparts. Design/Methodology/ approach- This study based on Motts scale to explore the dimensions of managerial effectiveness adopted by managers while discharging their functions and responsibilities. The scale is used to analyze overall effectiveness and also subsets of effectiveness i.e. productivity (three items), flexibility (three items), and adaptability (two items). Findings- Results of study presents a pattern of relationship between dimensions of managerial effectiveness within the context of Indian organization. Practical implications- Study through its empirical evidences provide a clear picture of managerial effectiveness perception of Indian managers at different level and further help managers to improve his/her managerial performance. Originality/ Value- The study enrich the existing literature and theories of managerial effectiveness and provide understanding of the issue of managerial effectiveness in Indian organization. Keywords- Managerial effectiveness, Indian organization, productivity, adaptability, flexibility, responsiveness, resources. Paper Type- research paper. Introduction With Increasing cut throat competition and dynamic business environment around the globe Organizations require a team of effective managers to run the day to day operations. Managers play significant role in the development, formulation, and execution of the organizations long as well as short term strategies that determines the organizations success. As mentioned by the Peter F. Drucker; Management is a dynamic, life giving element in every business; without it the resources cannot be converted into high production. There are many attributes which are the necessities of time and critical to delivering improved results, effective operations, and programs (Kotter, 1995; Hacker and Washington, 2003). In the ever changing business environment and with increased dependency of business on information technology, managers are required to sort-out new ways to facilitate production and sustainable growth of self as well as of the organization. Regardless of its increasing importance, the fie ld of managerial effectiveness has been neglected as compared to other issues of management (Willcocks, 1992). So it is the need of the hour to study managerial effectiveness in a new dimension and dynamic business environment. Managerial Effectiveness The concept of managerial effectiveness has always been a big issue of concern for academicians, scholars and practitioners. The problem is mostly attributed to the presence of a great deal of misunderstanding and vagueness regarding What is Effectiveness? and who is an effective manager? (Brodie and Bennett, 1979, p.14). Due to its complex nature and vast sphere, in literature managerial effectiveness has been defined in different ways (Langford, 1979). Brodie and Benett (1979, p.14) defined it as, results and consequences, bringing about effects, in relation to purpose, and giving validity to particular activities. Reddin (1974) explained managerial effectiveness as the degree to which managers achieve the output requirements corresponding to their respective positions. In other words it is the act of fulfilling multiple expectations rather than optimizing one (Kirchoff, 1977), while Drucker (1988) termed effectiveness as the foundation of success. Boyatzis (1982, p. 35) underlined effectiveness as qualities, intrinsic abilities or personality strengths of an individual. Mintzberg (1973, p.24) defined effective manager as one who identifies the need to understand the functions and uses the available resources to carry out managerial functions. Rastogi and Dave (2004) explained effectiveness as something a manager generates from a situation by managing it appropriately, and thereby achieving the targets in every sphere of the organization. Managers have many resources and authorities at their disposal and the performance of any organization is largely dependent on how well these resources have been utilized (Rastogi and Dave, 2004). So, the ability of the managers and the techniques to increase their degree of effectiveness is becoming important day by day (Analoui, 1997). Why organizations need effective and skilled executives? because effectiveness is a key component which enables an executive for effectual operation and delivery of complex initiatives (Analoui et al. 2010). Effective managers also provide leadership to the business and help in achieving core objectives of the organization. Drucker (1967, p.1) explained that an executive is expected to get the right things done and this is simply saying that he is expected to be effective. So from the available literature study it can be concluded that there have been as many explanations as there are researchers in the field, and there is not a single clear cut definition for managerial effectiveness, which could be single handedly applied in every aspect of management. Comprehensive review of literature reveals the three important perspectives of research areas of the managerial effectiveness are Conventional Perspective, Organizational level proficiency based perspective and individual level competency based perspective. Conventional approach stresses the ability to set and achieve goals (Bartol and Martin, 1991, p.11) and explains that it is the managerial effectiveness which is responsible for organizational effectiveness. The organizational level proficiency based theory explains that internal and external factors have influence on long term future orientation of the organizations. Organizations mission, vision, and strategic plan formulation plays vital role in achieving future goals. This approach further divulges that any organization incorporates the internal resources i.e. man, material, money, machinery, know-how and the external surroundings as a system to accomplish tactical intent. The individual competency approach focuses upon the in dividuals rather than the association of external actors and puts stress on the enhancement of convenient management skills and tactics. Katz (1974) allied managers job with three major dimensions-technical, conceptual, and human. So it can be said that the efficiency of any organization can be amplified by the effective union of all the above three dimensions. Analoui (1995, 1997, 1999, and 2007) proposed following eight parameters (i.e. Managerial perception; The need for managerial skills; Organizational criteria; Motivation; Degree of demands and constraints; Presence of choices and opportunities; Nature of intra- and inter-organizational relationships; and Dominant managerial philosophy) of managerial effectiveness and explored that personal, organizational and environmental contextual factors influenced these parameters significantly. Mott (1971) also developed an instrument to measure managerial effectiveness and identified productivity, adaptability, flexibility as the dimension of managerial effectiveness, while in another study, Jain (1999) has recognized three dimensions of executive effectiveness namely fu nctional, interpersonal, and personal effectiveness. Drucker (2006) further identified the following eight factors : need identification, familiarity with organization culture and climate, development of action plans, responsiveness towards decisions, effective communication, taking advantage on opportunity, productive meetings and, team work, which are very common and enables the executive with required content knowledge and also helps him in translation of this knowledge into advantageous output. Sen and Saxsena (1999) enrich the list by adding i.e. do right things; focus on self contribution; time handling; motivational aspect; management of change; value system and ethics; as some important traits of an effective manager. In another study, Bao (2009) explored that provisions of necessary resources, appropriate staffing, training, and setting achievable goals are the factors that are able to promote managerial effectiveness. Stewart (1991, p.102) pointed that demand, constraints, and available choices of jobs are three important ele ments that are required in order to be an effective manager. The above discussion suggests that different researchers have highlighted different dimensions and aspects of managerial effectiveness and also suggests mapping of the degree of effectiveness of any individual basis not only on his skills, knowledge and personal competencies but also on his interpersonal interactions and the ways how he manages his team. Scope of the study Managers have been defined as those who organize business activities and every organization depends on managers. With growing competition, boom in information technology and availability of substitute products and services, job of a manager has become very complex and important. Not only the organization but also the development of any nation depends upon the effectiveness and contribution of its people. India is being a rapidly growing country and with different dynamic market forces (i.e. science and technical breakthrough, economical growth, infrastructure development, flow of FDI, Global Mergers and acquisition of firms etc.) increasing in number and tendency, needs organizations equipped with effective and efficient managers who can optimally utilize the available resources, and can contribute in the national development. So, it is very important to explore the perception of Indian managers towards different dimensions of managerial effectiveness. Objectives and Aims of Study Main objective of this paper is: To explore the perception of managers towards dimensions of managerial effectiveness. To investigate the managerial effectiveness perception of managers at different level (senior level, middle level, and junior level) To compare managerial effectiveness perception of male and female managers in Indian organization. Research Methodology Sample, Size and Instrument The study targeted all level of managers (senior, middle, and junior level) in large public and private sector companies in India and based on primary data. A survey was carried by means of a self administered and open ended scale developed and validated by Mott (1971). The scale basically divided in to three subscales (productivity, adaptability, and flexibility) consisting of eight items. The Cronbach alpha for the present scale is .78 as overall effectiveness scale. After establishing rapport, the subjects are asked to tick mark his or her choice against any of the five statements in each set. Scoring for the scale was done manually after getting response. There is no right or wrong answer to the statements or items. A total 63 response collected from 16 Indian (Service and manufacturing both) organizations (Details given in Table I). After collection of response data was initially administered by using Factor analysis, average and means. Factor analysis was used to reduce the dimensions of the factors and also to explain the variance in the observed variables in terms of latent factors (Kundu, 2003). Finally mean of the overall scale used to interpret managerial effectiveness with experience, position held by executive. Profile of Respondents: Position, Gender and Age A large fraction (Table II) of the respondent were male (N=52; 82.5%) and female comprise small fraction (N=11; 17.5%). Age profile of respondent varies with the youngest manager at 24 and oldest executive at 57 years old with average age of 40 years. All the respondents have some experience of work which varies between a range of 1 year to 34 years and with an average value of 16 years of experience. Most of the respondent (N=30) held senior level position, small portion (N=10) held junior level position and remaining (N=23) belongs to the middle level position. Analysis and Results Since the objective of this study is to find out the dimensions of managerial effectiveness. To achieve this, factor analysis has been used for data analysis. Before employing factor analysis data was examined whether the size of sample is adequate to run factor analysis and outputs shows that the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin (KMO=.703) value is near to 1 and indicates that the patterns of correlations are condensed. Bartletts test of sphericity with approximated chi square value 91.068 and with 28 degree of freedom, which is significant at the 0.05 level and held the factor analysis appropriate. A total of 8 variables regarding perception of managerial effectiveness were subjected to principal component analysis with varimax rotation by using the factors with eigen value more than 1.00 were retained. Harman (1976) indicated that factors with Loading score greater 0.29 at the 0.05 level were significant but in this study the factors having loading greater than 0.4 were considered and included to define the factor. Factor analysis has extracted a good amount of variance with values of communalities vary from 0.465 to 0.838. Three factors were extracted on the basis of eigen value criterion more than 1 (ranging from 1.058 to 2.790) and explaining 63.334% of variance. Table III gives rotated loading of variables for extracted three factors, Eigen value, and variance explained by each factors. At last on the basis of results from statistical analysis (Table III) of primary data a total of three factors are extracted and explained hereunder. Productivity This is first factor which shows highest value of variance and measure the productivity in terms of physical output of product and service delivered. This factor also includes using new method of production for capacity enhancement, optimum and efficient utilization of resources, and problem anticipation. Adaptability Second important factor with variance value 15.237% includes the variables i.e. acceptance of new system design, and adjustment to new work situation. Quality Flexibility The last one includes two variables each for quality and flexibility and measure the perception of employees towards work quality, and coping with new emergencies rapidly and successfully. Table IV shows the pattern of correlation between the items/variables measured reveals the correlation among eight items/variables used in the study. It can be observed that variable 6 (acceptance of change) has highest correlation with Variable 7 (adjustment to new situation) with a correlation coefficient of .450 (p> .01) followed by variable 1 (productivity) with variable 5 (change management). Table further reveals that highest correlation is observed among variable 2 (quality) and variable 8 (damage control) with a value of .405 and followed by variable 1 (productivity) and variable 4 (problem solving) and further with variable 4 and variable 5. Overall correlation matrix reveals the association among variables is statically significant. Table V shows the mean value of overall managerial perception of managers held different position and having varying work experience. It shows mangers at senior level (with mean value 3.42) have significant in compare to junior level (with mean value 3.06) but very little low than managers at middle level (mean value 3.5). The overall mean value of scale is (with mean value 3.40) very near to mean value of senior managers but significantly differ in the case of junior level managers. Their managerial perception lies below the average score. Managers at middle level have larger value than total mean value of overall scale and they also show greater perception than both other levels. But it gives contrary results with increasing work experience, from junior to middle level it increases but from middle to senior level it falls again. Results also show that mean value (3.42) of overall perception of managerial effectiveness remains above from mean value of total sample (3.40) and the mea n value of male participants (3.36) remains little somewhat lower than mean value of total sample (3.40). Average work experience of male (26) and female (9) participant support that it has no a significant impact on overall managerial perception. Discussion This study provides an overview of managerial (senior, middle, and junior level) effectiveness perception. A scale consisting of subscale (productivity, adaptability, and flexibility) and eight variables used to get responses from the sample. Mott (1971) grouped these eight variables under three factors i.e. productivity (three items/variables production output, optimum utilization of resources, and adoption of new method of production), adaptability (three items/variables i.e. quality, problem anticipation, and acceptance of changes) and flexibility (it includes two items/variables adjustment to new situation and cope with emergencies readily and successfully). Luthans et al. (1988) in his study also explained the same variable and describe a model of managerial effectiveness. Results of present study reveals the grouping of variables under the factors, factor analysis sorted the three important factor which are explained as productivity (including four items/ variables production output, optimum utilization of resources, and problem anticipation, and adoption of new method of production) As result shown in Table III, productivity has the maximum variance with 34.881% it shows that managerial productivity is highly related with managerial effectiveness and it is measured by the extent of their output (Laufer and Jenkins 1984; Reddin 1970; Campbell et al. 1970). Analoui (1997) explained that managerial effectiveness is depends on the extent of output of productivity. Dayal also (1984) in his study identified the developing capability of employees as an important dimension; the present study also identified the efficiency of employees as important variable for managerial effectiveness. Productivity of employees in this study includes items i.e. output of pro ducts and services, optimum utilization, problem anticipation and adoption of new method for production, these all variables can be concluded under competence of mangers and competence is identified by Gupta (1996) as one of significant dimensions of managerial effectiveness. Labbaf et al. (1996) referred competence as key stone of managerial effectiveness and also mean for improved organizational performance and effectiveness, and this competence further considered to reiterate the overall capability of management. Another important dimension of managerial importance which appeared from the study is the adaptability (includes two items i.e. acceptance of changes, adjustment to new situation) and it shows some contrasting results from the literature (Mott 1971: Chauhan et al. 2005; Luthans et al.1988) and only two variable shows significant rotation loading (0.6978, 0.907) with factor two adaptability with a variance of 15.237%. The third factor which evolved from the factor analysis has been named as quality concern and responsiveness and include two variable i.e. quality of services and products, and cope with new emergencies readily and successfully with a variance value of 13.226%. The important findings from the study are that this study reassembles the variables/items of original scale with significant alpha value and correlation pattern for perception of managerial effectiveness. The study also (table V) found that effectiveness perception has little significant effect of work experience and position held and increases with the experience. Mean value for overall effectiveness increases from junior level (3.06) to middle level (3.5) and again falls from middle to senior level (3.42). These findings are in tune with Sriastva and Kumar (1984) who explained that junior level executive are less effective than middle level executive. The study also found that overall managerial effectiveness of female managers (mean value 3.42) is more than their male counterpart (mean value 3.36) and their overall effectiveness is also greater than the average effectiveness of the whole sample (with mean value 3.40) and support the view of Schwartz (1992) that if a company attrac t, promote, reward and values women it will speaks directly and also provide a evidence for equal opportunity on employment. Overall mean value for the effectiveness remains close to the senior level and middle level and it proves that degree of effectiveness raises with respect to the position of managers in the hierarchy of the organization. Results further explain the if all variables are considered independently than Variable like adjustment to new situation, quality, and optimum utilization of resources (Table III) shows the higher loading value (0.8 Conclusion and implications The present study aimed to explore the dimensions of managerial effectiveness within the context of Indian organization and to analyze the impact of experience and level of manager (senior, middle, junior) on their overall effectiveness, and also to compare the female and male counterparts. Results of the study support the findings of other studies and suggest that effectiveness of managers at work place is generally a function of items, and importance of these items vary form manager to manger and from organization to organization, and it is, therefore assumed as the extent to which a mangers achieves. Findings from the study indicate the changed perception of managers in Indian organization from past, the reassemblies of items and emergence of responsiveness as new factor shows it clearly. Each of three factor shows a good value of Cronnbach alpha (productivity 0.78, adaptability 0.69, and quality and responsiveness .74) and validate the reassembly of items in the factors i.e. productivity, adaptability, and quality and responsiveness. Furthermore, the study reveals that there is a clear indication that female managers are more effective as compared to their male counterparts and hence strives for increased number of female managers in Indian organization at all level. Another important finding of the study is that effectiveness is not associated with the age of mangers (it increases from junior to middle and again fall form middle to senior level). In case of junior manager the study support that training and development programs can play significant role to raise their effectiveness. On the basis of review of referred literature and empirical evidence from the study it is concluded that managerial effectiveness can be referred as continuous improvement of the output and it plays an important role in overall organizational effectiveness. 9. Scope for Future Research The present is study is based on the limited number of subjects and targeted organization, and also restricted to geographical boundaries. Further research can be done with large sample size and with more number of organizations. One more important aspect untouched by the study is the moderators and mediators of managerial effectiveness; these can be studies within same context with their degree of influence on effectiveness. Many scholars devised the items to measure the effectiveness (i.e. Analoui, Gupta, Dhar) but present study based on Mott scale. More research can be done with other available parameters also.

Essay --

Twyla Tharp Twyla Tharp, an American dancer and choreographer, was born on July 1, 1941 in Portland, Oregon. When Twyla was a child her and her parents moved to Southern California and the family opened a drive-in movie theater the Twyla worked at from the age of eight. Twyla began taking piano lessons at the age of two and dance lessons at the age of four. Twyla’s mother wanted her daughter to be accomplished in many fields so she enrolled her daughter in various arts and other classes such as French, German, and shorthand. Soon after beginning her dance lessons Twyla developed a deep interest in all the types of dance available to her. Twyla attended Pacific High School in San Bernardino, California and studied at the Vera Lynn school of Dance. After High school Twyla left home to attend Pomona College and later transferred to Bernard College in New York City where she studied art history. Twyla later found she had an intense passion in dance so she took dance classes off campus and be gan to study at the American Ballet Theater School where she studied with many great dancers and...

Zeynep Tons A Minimum Wage Essay -- elastic supply, demand, employees

The article that I am studying is Zeynep Ton's A minimum wage hike could help employers, too, in the Harvard Business Review. This article is a speculative piece about the effects of proposed minimum wage increases at the federal level. The author takes a look at companies that superior wages and benefits for their industry. The underlying theme is that this is juxtaposed against a common argument that raising the minimum wage will be universally harmful. The common argument takes beginner's level supply and demand graphs and uses them as the basis for the claim. The basic elastic supply and demand graph shows that as the cost of a good increases, demand for that good declines. Thus, if the minimum wage increases, businesses will face higher costs, will pass those costs onto consumers, will suffer lower profits or will reduce employment, or some combination of these negative outcomes. The author here is pointing out that the world is a heck of a lot more complex than that. Microeconomics does not end with the study of rudimentary supply and demand graphs, but incorporates a broader range of considerations into its arguments. The author highlights a couple of those arguments. The first is the "good jobs strategy". The second is the efficiency concept. The two are at times related. First, microeconomic principles can be used to examine the good jobs strategy. The author cites four firms in particular – Trader Joe's, Costco, Spanish supermarket chain Mercadona and convenience store chain QuikTrip. The author acknowledges that these companies do not have too many similarities, perhaps except for the nature of the goods they sell – they are all in convenience and food retailing. This industry is characterized by a st... ...vers. Better people won't work for minimum wage, but better people make for stronger companies. And what of customers? There are price elasticities of demand to consider in this argument. They are not relevant at Costco, and Trader Joe's is good value for its competitive niche, but many Americans are perfectly willing to pay a higher price for better quality. Yes, there are other considerations not mentioned here – the effect of minimum wage on overall inflation and things like that – but the article is a great starting point for understanding the complexity of microeconomic analysis that goes beyond the superficial analysis we often see in the media. Works Cited Ton, Z. (2014). A minimum wage hike could help employers, too. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved February 2, 2014 from http://blogs.hbr.org/2014/01/a-minimum-wage-hike-would-help-employers-too/

pete rose & the hall of fame Essay -- essays research papers

Pete Rose & the Hall of Fame When I go watch my Chicago Cubs at beautiful Wrigley field I am concerned with the game and what is in front of me, not what is going on off the field. I go to enjoy the game and the talent of the athletes that play. I could care less about what Sammy Sosa is doing off the field, he is the man because of his skills on the field and what he does for Americas’ past time. Last time I was sitting on the third base line and Sammy stepped up to the plate I did not think to myself â€Å"I wonder if he hits his wife like he hits a baseball,† or â€Å"he looks like a big time gambler,† I was shouting his name and clapping in support for hope of another homer being sent over the ivy covered wall. My enthusiasm was booming for this mans talent and what he brings to the table to help my cubbies win. Now would you not think that a baseball player in the Hall of Fame should be looked at the same way? Should a hall of famer not be jugged based on his baseball skills and what he did on the field? Well that does not seem to be the case when it comes to Pete Rose. Since being banned from baseball in 1989 for off field actions he denies, he has repeatedly been denied access to Cooperstown. Pete Rose was one of the greatest baseball players ever and should be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame because of it. Pete was placed on the ineligible list of baseball players in 1989 for allegedly betting on baseball, the worst baseball â€Å"sin† you can commit. He was reported to the FBI by one of his bookies, Ron Peters. â€Å"Peters testified that Rose also bet on his own Reds (only to win, allegedly), even placing calls from the stadium† (Goldman 23). Rose claims that he never bet on baseball only other sports, but various bookies say otherwise, claiming that Rose started betting on baseball after losing largely on other sports. Checks received by bookies had been linked to Rose through finger prints and handwriting further incriminating him. With no direct proof that he bet specifically on baseball Pete Rose was still banned from the game. â€Å"I can't say if Rose bet on baseball—I don't know. But he has paid his dues. The guy deserves to be back [in baseball] and in the Hall of Fame,† former Cincinnati Reds player Tommy Helms told newspapers. In 1991 one year be fore he would be eligible to be inducted into the Hall of Fame, players banned from the game coincidently ... ...amidst the crowds roar, I can only imagine what the suspense must have been like when Rose tied the all-time hit record in the windy city, a game before his home crowed in Cincinnati. What Pete Rose did for the game is undeniable. Alleged actions should not restrict one of Baseballs all-time greatest players from being inducted into the Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame. Rose’s records will continue to stand further on reminding us all of his greatness! Goldman, David. â€Å"The Saga of Pete Rose.† Biography. April 2003. Vol. 7 Issue 4: Academic Search Premier. http://search.epnet.com/direct.asp?an=9299185&db=aph Sowell, Thomas. â€Å"Pete Rose & Shoeless Jackson.† Human Events. March 24, 2003. Vol. 59 Issue 10: Academic Search Premier. http://search.epnet.com/direct.asp?an=9357506&db=aph Kindred, David. â€Å"Give Pete a Chance? No way.† Sporting News. March 17, 2003. Vol. 227 Issue 11: Academic Search Premier. http://search.epnet.com/direct.asp?an=9296786&db=aph Orecklin, Michelle. â€Å"Another Rose May be Blooming Again.† Time. Vol. 160 Issue 26 p1/5 Costas, Bob, Joe Garner, and George Foreman. And The Fans Roared. Naperville, Illinois: Sourcebooks Inc, 2000. www.PeteRose.com

Attitudes Towards Test Tube Babies

Attitudes towards Test Tube Babies [pic] Name of Student: Yuhan Huang (Sheley) AE teacher: Michelle Crockford AE Class: February 4 Abstract The objective of this report is to present the attitudes and ideas shared by International Education Services Limited (IES) students and students from the university of Queensland (UQ) in relation to their knowledge and personal opinions concerning Invitro fertilization The survey used data collected from male and female students between the ages of 15 and 30 living in the State of Queensland.The participants were given 20 questions to answer in privacy and without any degree of pressure. The questions related to their personal details and to the IVF program in particular. The aim of the investigation was to gather an overall point of view as to whether IVF was indeed seen as an accepted type of program among this age group. In conclusion it is reasonable to think that another survey with an older more experienced age group would more likely give a variation in results. Because this selected age group were students, their knowledge and experience directly with IVF was limited.However, it is important to recoginse the opinions of youth as they are the future generation of adults. Introduction In recent years, babies conceived through in-vitro fertilization (IVF) have been a topic of moral discussion around the world. This form of reproduction is not considered a natural and acceptable way of giving birth in some people’s eyes. Many infertile couples in particular, rely on this new technology since it allows them the choice of having their baby using this method. In-vitro fertilization is defined by, â€Å"a process by which egg cells are fertilised by sperm outside the womb (Papanikolaou et al. 006)†. The definition of a test tube baby is one which is the result of a female ovary or egg having been fertilised with a male sperm inside a test tube, the resulting impregnated egg is implanted in the uterus of a fem ale, growing into a foetus and developing baby by the time of birth. (Muffin, 2007). According to Walsh (2008), three million test tube babies have been born throughout the world in this way so far, and this number continues to increase at a rate of eleven thousand each year.In 1978, the world’s first successful â€Å"test-tube† baby, Louise Brown, was born in Great Britain. The baby girl weighed five-pound 12- ounces and was delivered early via Caesarean section. The process had been a success; this process proved Dr. Steptoe and Dr. Edwards had accomplished the first of many test tube babies (Rosenberg, 1970). In Australia, the first test tube baby, Candice Elizabeth Reed, was born in 1980 (Screen Australia, 1982). Infertility afflicts thousand’s of married couples feeling frustration at being childless.In India, there is an infertility clinic which provides moral, emotional and the most advanced technical support for couples wishing to solve their fertility i ssues. However, the religion of Islam is totally against IVF and has been banned by the by Islamic Fiqh Council (1986). In addition, they thought that in-vitro fertilization was unlawful because it could result in confusion with regard to parentage (Islamic Perspective, 2007). Prior to the birth of the first test tube babies such as Louise Brown, people worldwide were hesitant to use this method thinking that there could be risks involved.However, in time the health and well being of those babies born through IVF programs have proven to the world that this method is indeed safe. Hence the fears have almost disappeared. However, many people still have many misconceptions about a test tube baby and some countries do not allow the manufacturing of test tube babies. If a baby can be created in a test tube, then infertile couples stand a better chance of having a family then by other means. The aim of this report is to examine the attitudes of people towards the adoption of in vitro-fert ilization.This paper will first discus the methodology and select the survey question from this research, then a summary of the questionnaire results will be introduced,   followed by a discussion, conclusion and recommendations. Method In this report, quantitative methodology was chosen for this research. Because of the complexities associated with unstructured interview technique and time constraints. A questionnaire was designed to examine the different opinions of International Education Services Limited (IES) and University of Queensland (UQ) students attitude towards the adoption of in vitro-fertilization (refer Appendix A).The main types of questions asked included; those about personal details and personal experiences together with questions on people’s points of view about in–vitro fertilization. There were 30 students who were all volunteers. 10 out of participants were male and 20 of them were female. The students were chosen randomly from state library an d UQ library all full time students between the ages of 15 to 30. Religion, political affiliation and socio-economic status were considered unimportant. Confidentiality was ensured by not recording names.Questionnaires were completed by students and the data was then collated and analysed. The questionnaire was limited by the fact that many of the participants were too young to have had any real personal experience in dealing with IVF, however some were able to relate to friends or family who had used the IVF program successfully. Some of the participants only vaguely knew any of factual or historical knowledge about IVF. The interest that the questionnaire generated among participants and their honest and forthright answers proved to be a bonus as far as the questionnaire was concerned.Interpretation of Results Questions 1 and 2 were basic and asked about personal knowledge of in vitro-fertilization (IVF) and test-tube babies. The participants generally have heard about IVF. There are about 83. 3% students know about this topic as can be seen in the results, the ridiculous thing is that there are five students who have never heard of IVF, but one of them knew the process involved in making a test-tube baby. Questions 3 to 13 were probing and in-depth in order to obtain the participant’s sincere and knowledgeable reaction to each question.It was rewarding to see that so many agreed with the IVF program and its aims and benefits. In addition, a high percentage of participants were neutral about many of these questions. This could have meant that they really didn’t know a great deal about IVF or weren’t sure of the answer. Questions 14 through to 19 extended the questioning into the sphere of Government funding. Here 70% of males and 80% of females believed that the Government should provide funding for the IVF program. 6 months to 1 year in Question 18 seems a short time time for most to choose, however this would reflect the experience of the participants.The respondents were generally concerned about this topical issue and its bearing on modern society. They all saw the positive outcome where couples could become happy and have a baby of their own. They concerned themselves with the possibility of defective babies being born. Their eagerness to be involved in the questionnaire showed the openness which they had in being part of the solution to any problem involving IVF. Because their was no influence give by other parties to participants in answering the 20 questions, it can be said that this was a survey with genuine results.Notwithstanding that there were factors which did not fit in exactly with the aim of the survey, such as the young age of some participants along with people having limited knowledge there was sufficient suitable data collected to give a commendable result. The language used in the questionnaire was understood by all participants. Key words such as: in-vitro fertilization, partially, afflicts, infertile, federal funding, prohibitive, DNA did not require any explanation, however some Asian students did request help in sentence meanings.Most people showed a basic understanding on what IVF was meant to do; that is to enable pregnancy to take place, surprisingly in the same question, number 16 very few saw any real concern for safety, acknowledging the medical competency that exist with this program. Recommendation As the findings have indicated, most people were concerned with couples having the need to have a baby if they so desired. It would therefore be in the interest of the â€Å"powers to be,† that Government and medical bodies proceed vigorously with greater implementation and assistance for the IVF program.Question 17 showed that most participants saw two important concerns; that of costing, and concern for babies having defects. Both government and medical procedures can overcome these potential barriers with more funding and improved research respectively. I t is interesting to note that in question 13, 30% of females strongly disagreed with the concept of the IVF program producing babies as if they were some kind of commodity or product. No males registered any comment.It appears from this statistic that there is no need to educate people further on this ethical side of any argument brought forward. It can be deduced that the data obtained will in some way enlighten readers of this survey, thus strengthening the argument for a continued IVF program existing in the forefront of society for years to come. . The implications of these results are that more research needs to be carried out to provide a more comprehensive understanding of how other age groups see the IVF program.There could also be surveys done involving those of mixed ethnic backgrounds as well as those of different religions and those with ethical and moral demands. Such surveys would need to address a different kind of questioning but it would still be a recommended that can be made here. Researches in the field of Social Science would definitely find this convincing survey beneficial in exploring the human condition surrounding the human condition, be it only for the point of view of 30 young people.

Family Expecations Essay

I have found that family expectations are both problematic as well as helpful as I have grown and matured.   My family’s expectations revolve around our shared histories and aspirations as well as their perceptions of what I might be successful at or enjoy in life.   On the other hand, my life outside of my family has developed to a point where I gain encouragement and confirmation about my abilities and projections from other sources, such as my peers, my work, and through socializing. My ultimate priorities are up to me and only I can determine whether or not I am meeting my expectations no matter what my family believes.   That being said, pressures and expectations from my family has helped me to identify certain paths that I might prove successful for me in the long term.   My family usually has my best intentions in mind when they discuss their expectations for me and that can be a comforting and confidence inspiring motivation.   Additionally, if I have doubts about meeting my expectations, my family is there to advise me on what they feel I should or should not be doing in a particular situation based on their wisdom and previous experiences. In contrast, I often feel that my family’s expectations for me are based around what they knew of me as a younger adult or child.   Instead of asking me about my current goals and projects, often times they will revert back to telling me what my dreams were as a kid, or even worse, what dreams they had for me when I was a kid.   I understand that they are trying to be optimistic and positive influences on me, but at the same time I have grown up outside of my family and have created new ideas and goals for my future; not the necessarily the future that they always have had envisioned for me. Prioritizing family expectations is a balancing act for me because I want to make my family proud while at the same time living life according to my own principles.   This can be a difficult terrain to traverse, but ultimately it leads to more open and honest discussions about the best way to live life.   In our family, these discussions can at times become heated, but they are always interesting and we come out of them with newfound respect and hopes for the future. I have found that sometimes not living up to family expectations has been the most fruitful decisions I have personally made in my life.   Making my own choices and following my dreams in spite of my family’s expectations has paid off.   My family is proud of me for having the courage and the ambition to follow through on what I believe in.   If that is in fact their ultimate expectation for me, then I have found the balance necessary to surpass those expectations in the face of all obstacles.