Ethics and Intervention Techniques Essay

Using all three e-Activities and with reference to Intervention Techniques For Integrating Ethics Into Agency Operations in Denhardt, Chapter 4, select the two most effective of the 13 Intervention Techniques for Integrating Ethics into Agency Operations and defend your choices. Denhardt explains that ethics is a process by which we clarify right and wrong and act on what we take to be right. Instead of having employees follow a certain set of rules that management is exempt from, Leaders need to behave by example to reset an ethical culture. Consequently, I would consider ethical values and character in recruitment to be the first important and effective intervention techniques to be mentioned. I would require management to develop a statement of management philosophy for the organization (Denhardt) and a code of ethics like the federal government. In the recruitment of new employees, I would integrate a personality assessment for new applicants that will give the employer insight i nto the genuine ethics and integrity of the applicant before adding them to the organization. For existing employees, I would secondly follow this intervention technique with both compliance and integrity training and counseling. I would begin by developing training programs and/or other devices for communicating those ideals (Denhardt). Intermittently, during employment, I would integrate refresher courses for all employees, including management. It is imperative for new and continuing employees to sign off with a signature that confirms they understand the policies set forth and agree to comply during their tenure with the company. Stillman’s Chapter 16 Case Study describes the ethical tensions that may accompany leadership in the public sector. Analyze the ways in which George Tenet was challenged ethically, and present and assess at least two resolution strategies he used to handle these challenges. Although the goal of any firm should be to increase its owners’ wealth, to do so requires the public’s trust. Ultimately that trust depends on ethical business practices. George Tenet was described in many ways by observers and peers. Stillman describes Tenet as effective and efficient. However, some staffers felt he would oversimplify difficult issues. During the Clinton administration, he worked so hard that he had a heart attack during his term. Before Tenet joined the CIA, he was pretty much inexperienced which would be cause for concern because the CIA was in disarray. There was low morale, high turnover, outdated computer technology and major budget issues because there was no central accounting of funds spent. Tenet immediately began to rebuild. He worked hard to bring in funding and great staffers and recruits to support the upgrades in technology. As time progressed, Tenet became more involved in peace talk negotiations with Yasser Arafat and the Israeli Prime Minister which many thought was inappropriate was an ethical concern. All the while, the CIA continued to have major intelligence failures. People began to question have grave concerns with activity regarding war and attacks in other countries. Then the terrorist attacks in American with the World trade center s, Pentagon, etc†¦All of a sudden President Bush gave Tenet millions of dollars, resources and increased powers to take down our enemies. In my opinion Tenet decided to take a back seat like a coward and take a low profile. When Bush was pressing to go to war, he had an opportunity and an obligation of loyalty to speak up but rather down played crucial information that could have possibly prevented that war. To me Tenet failed with the ethical dilemma of being honest to his colleagues, field officers, and most significantly the entire nation by knowing that the statements about Saddam Hussein and chemical weapons were false. This decision cost American families over four thousand lives. There was a reference in our readings by Stillman that as public administrators climb higher in organizational hierarchy, they must contend with an increasingly intense tug and pull of competing ethical obligations, which in the end caused George Tenet to resign and also the decline of CIA. Two resolution strategies he used to handle these challenges were to resign from the CIA and influenced the government to restructure the agency more effectively and in a better position in the government. http://fs.huntingdon.edu/jlewis/Syl/PA/306StillmanStudOuts.htm Stillman, R.J. (2010). Public administration: Concepts and cases: 2010 custom edition. (9th ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin – Cengage Learning

An Analysis of the Semai People of the Malay Peninsula Research Paper

An Analysis of the Semai People of the Malay Peninsula - Research Paper Example In the case of the Semai too, this is true. Their unique model of a society is based mostly on the needs of their mode of subsistence. The unique manner in which modern society has permeated the society of the Semai having left untouched certain features of their value systems is astonishing. The Semai people have not become a part of the Malay society; there are however, intermarriages that lead to the descendants leaving the community sooner or later. The importance of the Semai for most anthropologists lie in the position that they occupy within the debate as to whether humans are innately violent or not. People on either side of the barrier, especially during the time of the Vietnam War, appropriated the customs and beliefs of the Semai people to argue their beliefs. With an increasing emphasis on Freudian analyses in the twentieth century, the peaceful Semai’s ways began to be scrutinized more closely. The peaceful modes of their living were seen as an instance of repress ion. The violent tendencies that were supposedly repressed over centuries through a cultural system could apparently burst forth any minute according to certain commentators. The instances where they have indulged in violence have been sporadic and exceptional. Even though both sides of the spectrum are not free of tendencies to exoticize the Semai, the fact remains that they are a peace-loving tribe that lives a life that is unique and in many ways, unaffected by the ways of modern societies and economies (Robarchek and Dentan, 1987). Many ways of saying the same story have led, according to certain commentators, to distortions in the way that the Semai have been perceived. This is mostly done for the purposes of the people in power at any given point of time (Rawski and Ngah, 1998). Since the Semai do not enter into the process of representation and its politics, the representations of the west are the ones that dominate. The reason for this peaceful organization of society can be traced to the commitment that the Semai demonstrate towards their mode of subsistence-horticulture. They mostly employ the methods of slash and burn agriculture. This refers to a mode of agriculture where a particular space in the forest is cleared by cutting down the trees in that area. The place is then burnt. This results in the production of a great amount of ash that can assume the function of the fertilizer. Following this preliminary preparation of the field, sowing of the grain is done. Both women and men are a part of the process of cultivation. This also reveals the gender relations in the society of the Semai. Both men and women are considered to be equal in this society and they are both a part of the decision-making processes of the society. Since women are a part of the process of the production of food, they are also entitled to a say in other matters as much as men are. Women also perform domestic chores such as cooking and fetching water. The important thing to not e in this regard is that women are not forced to do these activities and they can also be done by the men of the society. No work is considered to be the exclusive field of members of a particular sex. This is a refreshing change from patriarchal societies that exist in most parts of the world. Food is also acquired through the process of hunting, trapping and fishing, with most of these activities

Supporting Statement for a Secondary School Teacher of ICT Role Essay

Supporting Statement for a Secondary School Teacher of ICT Role - Essay Example Over the years, I have been able to identify many settings other than the regular class room, such as the laboratory, the cafeteria, or even a sporting event. As a teacher, it is my firm belief that my duty is not limited to a few hours of teaching. Rather, I also have an obligation of teaching my students to think out of the box and extend their thinking beyond the surroundings of the course. Therefore, my aim is to create such learning experiences for the students that allow them to recognize the innovative outcomes, understand the concepts, and identify places where these ideas connect in real life. My experience with teaching indicates that an idea is better understood if related with real life. I take teaching very seriously and believe it to be one of my greatest skills. As far as the teacher’s evaluation is concerned, my score had always been higher than the average score of other departments in almost all categories. The categories included the likes of encouraging tea mwork, zest in teaching methods, and whether or not the students would suggest me to other students. The evaluation also recorded students enjoying my teaching and indicated their interest in taking another course with me in future. As a teacher, I believe in collaborative learning and always aim to foster teamwork in the class room. Although my students will work as an independent unit, but in-spite of forming a group, they will also learn to work as a team where not only they are an independent unit but also recognize ‘one’ same goal. Considering the fast pace of the ICT environment, I understand that a teacher must learn to make the most of this subject and must continuously match the pace with the remarkable changes of the setting. As an ICT teacher, I would be aiming to help the students make use of this subject to enhance their capabilities in various areas of the subjects. Therefore, my diploma in this field will work as an important tool in helping me educating and training the students. As for the professional practice in ICT, I hope to make the most of this diploma as well. When it comes to leadership and management of the curriculum, I can easily instill the expectation of setting high standards for all. I always promote good attendance and have, in the past, achieved a 3 percent increase in attendance over my years of service. In order to develop such a culture, I always support the habit of ‘fun learning’ so that they learn to identify the worth of education and consequently maintain good attendance. In the past I have used tools like videos, competitions, and presentations that encouraged the importance of time management and how they can enjoy their work with effective prioritization. Newsletters and assemblies were also used which gave way to achievement oriented behavior in the students. Therefore, my aim is pretty simple, rather than presenting creative education as an alternative to literacy, I strive to maintain a teaching style that is a balance of both. I have also gained a substantial amount of familiarity with data base management system in the past. Being the primary instructor, I have thus gained enough sound knowledge of working with others. With the art of analyzing and applying various software development methodologies at hand, my delivery method in teaching inculcates the same style. I understand that one class can never be like the previous one. Where a new class changes with a new

Job Satisfaction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Job Satisfaction - Essay Example (1) Job satisfaction of the employees, and retaining them has become a growing concern in business organizations with the need to be more competitive, as a result of the growing globalization being witnessed. This stems from the belief that satisfied employees tend to be more productive, creative, and committed to the organization. There is evidence from the field of healthcare that job satisfaction among employees tend to make the healthcare organization more competitive in a market noted for its high rate of competitiveness. This competitiveness is through the improvement in quality and cost-effectiveness of satisfied employees. (2) Any discussion on job satisfaction needs to take into consideration the positive and negative factors of job satisfaction. According to Hezberg et al 1959, the positive factors known as motivators are achievement, recognition, the job responsibilities itself, and advancement opportunities. Negative factors known as hygiene factors include supervisors, fellow workers, company policy, workplace environment, and personal life. These findings of Hezberg et al were supported by studies conducted at the workplace, where workers were asked to present their perspectives of critical incidents that had occurred, but this remained the only manner in which the theory was supported. Wall et al in 1971, on the basis of confidentially collected data from workers, found that ego-defensive processes were responsible for the findings of Hezberg et al. These processes led to good events being the result of one’s own achievements, and bad events the due to the failings as a result of others. Thi s led to the general discarding of the Hezberg et al theory. However a subsequent study conducted in 1971, and as reported by Argyle, found relevance in the theory of Hezberg et al. This research on joy in workers found that while achievement was important, relationships

Editing in Memoirs of a Geisha Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Editing in Memoirs of a Geisha - Essay Example This is especially well done in the sumo wrestling scene, where the viewer is able to watch the geisha, the Chairman, Nobu, and her mentor as they meet and discuss the match and life in the real world outside of the ring and the tea house. This focus on expression and verbal interplay continues throughout the film and enhances the final scenes when the Chairman and the geisha meet and finally express their devotion for one another. The editor frequently cuts back and forth to the vast sky and the large town, as seen from the rooftops. These scenes are used to convey motion and the growing of the geisha. Her initial journey from the country to the city is played out by cutting from her departure from the train station, to a view of a moving train as seen from a distance to her arrival at another station. She grows from child to woman when the editor cuts from the scene of her praying at the temple to the city in winter from an aerial view. When she first considers running away the edi tor cuts back and forth between her on the roof looking out at the city and the vast amount of rooftops that stretch out below her. The scenery plays almost as important a role, conveying unspoken emotions, as the characters do. Every scene is beautifully edited in a manner that makes the most of the characters’ facial and physical expressions, their interactions, and the world around them, making this an interesting and entertaining movie for the viewer. It is easy to get swept away and I was left wanting more.

Audience use of media texts is inextricably linked to the formation of Essay

Audience use of media texts is inextricably linked to the formation of social identities and the forging of cultural distinctions. Discuss - Essay Example It seems that question is no longer whether it does rather how much and in what manner. In current times we have seen how television has morphed from simply a provider of entertainment and a means of recreation, into a god-creator of a proxy-community – where people are drawn to the images and to the text and use them to form social identities and forge cultural distinctions. The notion of a â€Å"fan culture† is a complex one. There are a whole plethora of reasons why an individual finds himself â€Å"hooked† to a particular television show. When these individuals come together, a whole community is created, a whole subculture is forged, and the fans cease to be peripheral observers and become active agents and manipulators of the text itself. From â€Å"borrowed material†, or the material churned out by television producers, scriptwriters and directors, fans craft a patchwork quilt all their own – fusing their own individual experiences and perceptions and coming up with an entirely new animal resembling in parts, and far removed from, in other parts, the original text. This is the theory posited by Jenkins in the book â€Å"Textual Poachers: Television Fans and Participatory Culture† (1992) where he navigates through the media fan community and demonstrate how the cultural practices within it serve to rework the text and create its own social institutions, with its own hegemonies and rules. In order to explore how media defines social identity and on what level, this paper shall take as an example the success of the 1990 hit television show Twin Peaks. It illustrates that the effect of media on social identity can be both normative and prescriptive. First, the portrayal of young adults in Twin Peaks can be prescriptive in terms of lifestyle and behavior. Second, the developments in television genre occur simultaneously with developments in sub-culture. And that the

Analyzing the functions of music in upcoming Rappers Essay Example for Free

Analyzing the functions of music in upcoming Rappers Essay Prach Ly’s Power Territory and Rice functions as a link between his heritage as a Cambodian and his ambition to give back to those who became targets in the tragedy of Cambodia. He communicates the lyrics in a provocative rhythm which sets the tonality for the listeners in a grave and arguably concerned poise deeming his lyrics to be of a serious nature. His rap therefore takes a distinct tone that is akin to the musical function of other rappers who compose lyrics around their precarious lifestyles in the ghettos and their fight for survival amongst the hostility they are faced with everyday. As Prach relays in the telephonic interview, his urge to make music was met with a purpose around the time he discovered the true extent of the tragedies that were faced with the Cambodian people (Ly, 2004). Even though he was born at the time of the Cambodian massacre, his memory was only riddled with sparse recollections of the chaos, and through the eyes of his brother he managed to piece them together and write about it, his lyrics reconnecting with the adults who understood and the kids who appreciated alike. His intention was to use his music for emotional expression, a function that allows the artist to communicate more effectively than normal speech. While this sat well with the adult listeners, the song also seemed to incorporate the function of entertainment for the younger listeners. On a bigger picture, the powerful lyrics also contribute to the integration of society, largely educating the people of the struggle of the Cambodian people and reinvigorating their sense of compassion for them. Mandeep Sethi’s Adair Sethi is more focused on hip-hop as an art form that educates as well as entertains (Sethi, 2009). While he considers music as a tool for the oppressed, Adair shows that he intends the song to function primarily as a fusion of entertainment and emotional expression given the beat it follows and the lyrics that surround the regular questions about life and religion. His intention is further made vivid by the line Music has its own sound, as it invites the listener to indulge further into the entertainment function while still engaging in the mystical side of the rhythm that each artist utilizes in order to communicate a message. Sikh Knowledge’s Ch-Ching The music here functions primarily as a form of emotional expression. The slow beat and rhythm perfectly complements the mood that Knowledge is trying to set, and his lyrics, which discuss the conflict in Palestine, particularly the ruins of Gaza, aim squarely to inform those who do not know and those who sympathize equally. This function of music is of course a utility that highlight matters of grave concern to the public or a specific community and Knowledge reinvigorates the feeling by mentioning other more entertainment oriented music such as two-step bhangra and declaring that this song is nothing like them. Thus, he expresses himself in rap of matters that he finds deeply emotional putting himself on the Palestinian side of the battle. Conclusion One prevailing characteristic of the aforementioned rappers is their Asian American ethnicity, and it is evident that their origins greatly encourages their listeners to see their viewpoints, just like their chosen genre sets them up against stigmas of being unable to thrive in a field dominated by African Americans. The subject matter of the song, thus, becomes very important and the function of music in turn plays a much more important role in determining success. It is interesting to note that the rapper acquires acceptance a lot easily amongst people of his race before anywhere else as was the case with Prach who became a no. 1 hit in Cambodia whereas he composed the album elsewhere. It can easily be concluded from the popularity of these rappers that their ethnic origins account for a large percentage of their success, since that success takes root in first instance amongst the people of their own race. References Ly, P. (2004). Art of faCt: An Interview with praCh. (S. May, Interviewer) Sethi, M. (2009, October 26). The Brown Underground. (N. Dhillon, Interviewer)