Assess the extent to which the practice of people management has Essay

Assess the extent to which the practice of people management has changed in the switch from personnel management to human resource management - Essay Example This change in attitude of the management gave rise to the concept of human resource management (HRM) through which personnel policies were implemented to maximize organizational integrity, employee commitment, flexibility and quality. However, there have been debates whether HRM has actually changed the management of people as it evolved from personnel management to human resource management, or even whether the roles of the then personnel manager and that of an HR director differ. Personnel management was concerned with obtaining, organising and motivating the human resources required by the corporation, while HRM has been described as â€Å"high-concept personnel management† (Armstrong, 2000). Armstrong believes that policies and practices such as performance appraisal, skill analysis and merit pay have all existed even earlier but they are now packaged differently without any discernible differences in their content. The HRM theory laid emphasis on organizational integrity, employee commitment, flexibility and quality but it was more of a label to wrap around the observable changes. The HRM concept focused on challenging deficiencies in attitude, coherence, direction and scope of the existing personnel management This fad in the name of HRM was growing because in 1990 only 6 percent of the people management specialists used the HR title which grew to 30 percent by 1998 (Caldwell, 2002). This was called HRMism which was a phenomenon that encompassed a nything to do with managing the employment relationship. Alagse contends that personnel management was traditionally aimed at non-managers whereas HRM focused on management development. Some like Armstrong do not believe that there is change in the way people are managed. The ‘progressive’ people management techniques were flourishing even before the emergence of the HRM practices (cited by Caldwell, 2002). As the competitive environment increased, changes in

La Jument Lighthouse Essay Example for Free

La Jument Lighthouse Essay The name of this well known light house is La Jument. It is located in Brittany, France. The lighthouse is built on a rock about 300 meters from the coast of the island of Ushant in the middle of the ocean. Construction of this lighthouse began in 1904 but wasnt finished until 1911 due to the rough seas and weather conditions. The west coast of Northern France has always been known for its rough seas. This heavily trafficked sea line experiences severe weather during much of the year. This area has experienced many shipwrecks over the centuries. Including one accident, the wreck of the steam ship Drummond Castle in June, 1896, was responsible for the deaths of nearly 250 people. Between the years 1888 and 1904 thirty-one ships were wrecked there. The construction was paid for privately by a wealthy Frenchman who had almost lost his life in a shipwreck. La Jument first became famous through a series of pictures taken by Jean Guichard in 1989. To take these pictures Jean Guichard hired a helicopter to fly over the Iroise Sea during a very dangerous storm. The infamous pictures, also named La Jument, were taken on December 21,1989 of the lighthouse keeper Theodore Malgorn, who was trapped in the lighthouse during a dangerous storm with gale force winds and surge waves of 20-30 meters. The waves from this storm smashed through the windows of the lighthouse, tore the front door off, and flooded the inside of tower carrying all the furniture out with it. Theodore Malgorn was taking refuge in the lantern room awaiting a rescue helicopter when he went outside to see a helicopter hired to take pictures where he almost lost his life when a huge wave came crashing all around the lighthouse just barley escaping death saving his life in a matter of seconds. These series of pictures taken by Jean Guichard inspired many places to take the safety of lighthouse keepers more seriously. The improved technology and increased mechanization have now made lighthouse keepers unnecessary. Today in the U.S. all of our lighthouses are automated except for one in Boston, which was the first one built on our shores. Many lighthouses are no longer needed because of advancements in technology making traveling the coast more safe. Some lighthouses are now being turned over to the government or other organizations to keep them maintained for future generations to learn about their place in the history of our country.

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde :: essays research papers

Oscar Wilde, the author of The Importance of Being Earnest, was most definitely a peculiar character. This is present in his writings, particularly in the aforementioned work. The Importance of Being Earnest uses unusual situations and striking puns to produce a humor that would be enjoyed by nearly all peoples.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Importance of Being Earnest was nearly a Victorian example of an episode of 'Seinfeld.'; The characters contained within often find themselves in the most peculiar of situations, so strange that we can find them humorous. They even, at times, seem to represent situations in which we may find ourselves involved. One such example is in Act One, where Jack realizes that Gwendolyn loves the name Ernest. He tries through several ways to talk to her and find out if she could love him if his name was Jack. She considers the entire question to be hypothetical and unimportant, since she's always known him to be Ernest. The entire dialogue that occurs during the discussion has humorous pieces that add to the colorful nature of the play. One piece of the dialogue is spoken by Jack, where he says, 'Gwendolyn, I must get christened at once—I mean, we must get married at once.'; Wilde shows how society would tend to care about what was on the outside of a person, such as their name or wealth, rather than their character.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another such example of this situation is when Algernon is speaking to Cecily in regards to their engagement. Cecily knows Algernon to be Jack's brother, Ernest, and is in love with the name the same as Gwendolyn. Algernon tries to inquire, in a similar manner whether Cecily could love him if he bore another name, such as Algernon. Cecily responds in a similar manner. Wilde found one piece to be humorous, and as a result included it into the first Act. He then decided to repeat a similar situation in the second Act of the play.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another example of Wilde's use of humor is in his witty remarks and epigrams. By using these devices, it adds color to a character, and helps to balance them well against others instead of creating a 'flat'; appearance. The most prominent character that demonstrates these attributes is Algernon, whose timing throughout the story is impeccable. In Act One, after Jack has finished speaking to Lady Bracknell about marrying Gwendolyn, Lady Bracknell exits the room.

Determinism, Compatibilism, Incompatibilism

Determinism is a philosophical standpoint, which advocates that every action and event, including humans' mental processes and decisions can be predicted using chains of previous occurrences. In this manner, humans' futures are not necessarily predetermined but can be shaped and influenced by past and present circumstances. Compatibilism is a philosophical viewpoint, which postulates that free will and determinism are complementary ideas. Free will can be defined as man's freedom to choose and be responsible for his actions and decisions. Compatibilists believe that as long as man's actions and decisions are not forced on him, or he is not constrained or coerced to do anything he doesn't want, then he is exercising his free will. In theological aspect, compatibilism argues that even if God is all-knowing, He didn't took away from man his capacity to decide whether he'd choose the right or wrong path. Man is left with the moral responsibility of his actions. Incompatibilism, as the term implies, is a notion that is opposite to that of compatibilism. Incompatibilists argue that free will and determinism are not complementary. There are two types of incompatibilism. First is the libertarianism, which states that the universe can't be deterministic and believers of this concept assert that free will exists. The second one is called hard determinism, which asserts that determinism exists but it is not compatible with free will. The Consequence Argument was formulated by Van Inwagen to support the Incompatibilists' assertion that free will and determinism can never go together. This argument operates on the no-choice premise, which states that if determinism exists, then man has no control over events and the nature's laws, and their consequences. There are two inferences that support Inwagen's argument: Inference A: man has no choice of what went on before his time and how things happened prior to his birth; Inference B: man has no choice on the laws of nature and how they affect and shape events of the present and future. From these inferences, Inwagen's argument concludes that the result or consequences of the natural laws and past occurrences are not up to man. Man, therefore, has no choice. If I were a compatibilist, I would argue against the Consequence Argument by contradiction. If I can prove that either A or B is not true, then, that would negate Van Inwagen's claim that incompatibilism is true. For instance, if Raul's father died because of weak lungs and Raul also has weak lungs because of his genetic make up, then Inference A would be true because he can't do anything about his genes. The natural conclusion, under determinism, would for Raul to also die because of weak lungs. However, Raul can make Inference B false by taking care of himself and avoiding any substance that would further weaken his lungs. He can also fight his condition by taking medicines and exercising. Raul has every chance of overcoming his weakness and need not die from weak lungs. Even if Raul has no choice about his genetic make up, he still has a choice on how to address this matter. Since Inference B is proven false, then, the Consequence Argument does not hold true.