Use of Information Technology in Human Resource Planning Essay

Use of Information Technology in Human Resource Planning - Essay Example LITERATURE REVIEW Jacoby, Nason and Saguchi (77) argued that Information Technology is widely used in various departments of an organization in the United States and Japan. They insisted that IT plays a major role in the departments of human resources, aiding in the managerial processes of recruitment of workers and making of job schedules. Another group of researchers; SchoI?nberger and Lazer (221) proposed that the introduction of IT related operations in an organization, especially in the HR planning promotes efficient management and allocation of duties to employees and identification of nonperforming employees as every employee’s tasks are known. The major department of an organization is the HR department argued Haines and Lafleur (525) and incorporation of IT or digitizing the department will increase productivity of the organization by a significant margin. In the Journal of Knowledge Management, Klaila (138) claims that transformation of the information system from manual to digital in the HR department can reduce the bulk of the paper work involved in carrying out different tasks in the department. IT makes it easier to store employee information as it provides secure databases that are only accessible to the authorized parties. As IT has progressed from the old and slow mainframes to much quicker LANs (local area networks), WANs (wide area networks) and the World Wide Web, the business world follows suit in moving from the manual operations to computerized platforms (Ashbaugh and Miranda 144). Planning involves laying down strategies of an organization that are to be followed regarding performing various tasks. The HR department can work in conjunction with other departments in carrying these tasks, for instance, staff training and recruitment and job allocation among others. In order to plan adequately for a foreseeable progress of an organization, good strategies have to be laid down to avoid the failure of an organization. First is finding literature about HR tasks and functions, HR without IT and its implications. Investigate on the transformation process from HR without IT to HR with IT, and finally, how the computerized HR department will affect the planning process of human resources. Research Philos ophy, Approach and Strategy The research is based on phenomenological philosophy describing a number of individual experiences about a phenomenon. In this research, positivism philosophy has been adopted as it provides the researchers with a clear view of the current system in comparison to the old system. It focuses around the actual facts that exist in the IT introduction from the researcher’s point of view, coming up with related conclusions on what should and should not be done to ensure a successful IT incorporation in the planning process of the human resources. This philosophy allows the researcher to provide their own views about how IT is beneficial to human resource planning, while directly correlating their views to the current deliverables of the system. The research also takes a deductive approach since it works from a proven theory that IT helps in human resource planning, sampling different rules and already proven facts about our theory through collection of d ata on these facts, then use these data to back up

Guideline for Article Review Essay Example for Free

Guideline for Article Review Essay 1. Full Bibliographic Reference State the full bibliographic reference for the article you are reviewing (authors, title, journal name, volume, issue, year, page numbers, etc. ) Important: this is not the bibliography listed at the end of the article, rather the citation of the article itself! Grading: -3 if missing 2. Introduction: Objectives, Article Domain, Audience, Journal and Conceptual/Emprical Classification Note: For the on-line reviews done in some class sections, this category may be broken up into several separate subcategories. For the written review, please discuss all of these subcategories together as follows. Paragraph 1: State the objectives (goals or purpose) of the article. What is the articles domain (topic area)? Paragraph 2: †¢ Audience: State the articles intended audience. At what level is it written, and what general background should the reader have; what general background materials should the reader be familiar with to understand the article? †¢ Appropriate Journal? : Why is the journal appropriate (or inappropriate) for this article? (Check the mission statement or purpose of the journal itself from its cover or its Web site. ) Paragraph 3: State whether the article is conceptual or empirical, and why you believe it is conceptual or empirical. Empirical articles and conceptual articles have a similar objective: to substantiate an argument proposed by the author. While a conceptual article supports such an argument based on logical and persuasive reasoning, an empirical article offers empirical evidence to support the argument. Empirical articles offer substantial, detailed evidence which the authors analyze using statistical methods. Empirical articles must include hypotheses (or propositions), detailed research results, and (statistical) analyses of this empirical evidence. Empirical research includes experiments, surveys, questionnaires, field studies, etc, and to limited degree, case studies. Conceptual articles may refer to such empirical evidence, but do not provide the detailed analysis of that evidence. Of course, both types of articles can use real life examples to back up their points. Just because an article provides examples, does not necessarily mean that it is empirical. (The lesson to take home is not to consider a conceptual article to be an empirical one just because it provides some summarized or some unanalyzed data. ) Grading: Objectives: great 3; ok 2; poor 1 Grading: Audience/Journal Appropriateness: great 3; ok 2; poor 1 Grading: Conceptual vs. empirical: great 2; ok/poor 1 3. Very Brief Summary Prev Page For our article reviews, we do not want you to spend much space summarizing the article. Instead we are more interested in your analysis of the article. Thus, in this section, summarize the article only very briefly (2-3 paragraphs). If possible, use the IS research paradigm as the format of your summary, but remaining very brief: †¢ Paragraph 1: what is the problem or opportunity being addressed †¢ Paragraph 2: which solution is proposed (the solution could be a new model or a theory that explains the problem) †¢ Paragraph 3: what evidence is put forth that this solution is appropriate (If this is an empirical article, be sure to briefly describe what kind of empirical study was done as part of the evidence) Grading: great 4; ok 2; poor 1 4. Results. Very briefly summarize the important points (observations, conclusions, findings) and take home messages in the article. Please do not repeat lists of items in the articles just summarize the essence of these if you feel they are necessary to include. Grading: great 8; ok 5; poor 2 5. Class Readings 1. Does this article directly cite any of the class readings, i. e. , does any class reading appear explicitly in its bibliography or reference section? If not, state this explicitly. If so, clearly describe how the authors use the cited article. How does the article you are reviewing relate to and/or build upon the class article it cites? If this article does not cite any class readings then just state this. (If you do not state this explicitly, you will not receive credit for this section. ) Do not discuss any other readings, such as other readings on the same topic or by the same author. Save any discussions of similar articles for your synthesis section below. 2. Do any of the class readings cite your article (besides the textbook)? If so, clearly describe how. If no class readings cite your article, then write in your review No class readings cite this article. (If you do not state this explicitly, you will not receive credit for this section. ) Be sure to add all references you cite to the bibliography. Grading: great 4; ok 2; poor 1 {If none, then score 4 by default if this has been stated explicitly. } 6. Contributions An article makes a contribution by adding to the knowledge of researchers in a research field. An article can make a contribution to the research field in many ways. Does it provide a new way to look at a problem? Does it bring together or synthesize several concepts (or frameworks, models, etc. ) together in an insightful way that has not been done before? Does it provide new solutions? Does it provide new results? Does it identify new issues? Does it provide a comprehensive survey or review of a domain? Does it provide new insights? Also, is it salient (relevant and current) to a particular scientific issue or managerial problem? Are the issues addressed introduced in a way that their relevance to practice is evident? Would answers to the questions raised in the article likely to be useful to researchers and managers? Note: Do not discuss the contributions of the technologies the article describes, but rather the contributions of the article itself! The articles contributions should be original. To the best of your knowledge, are they? Are the articles take-home messages new? Describe each contribution clearly in a separate paragraph or bullet point. Discuss why the contribution is important. Alternatively, if you believe the article makes no contributions, explain why clearly. Grading: great 8; ok 5; poor 2 7. Foundation Good research often is built upon theories and frameworks that other researchers have developed. Sometimes articles will be substantially based upon this prior work, and refer back to it in some detail. (Not all research articles will do this. ) Which theoretical foundations does this article and research build on, if any? In what ways? Include references/citations of the foundation work. (You can determine this in part from the works the article Prev Page cites. ) Note, however, that most works cited are not core foundational work, but rather just support certain aspects of the article. Similarly, do not confuse a general discussion of related topics as foundational work. If the article does not build upon key pieces of prior research, then write in your review This article does not build upon any foundation research. (If you do not state this explicitly, you will not receive credit for this section. ) Grading: great 4; ok 3; poor -1 {If none, then score 4 by default if this has been stated explicitly} 8. Synthesis with Class Materials The synthesis section should be at least one full page. Synthesis means analyzing a particular topic by comparing and contrasting it with, and thinking about it from the viewpoint of, the class materials from across the semester. These materials include the articles, models, frameworks, guidelines and other concepts weve covered. (Of course, only certain materials will be relevant for any given article. ) Note: You have to do this synthesis! You need to relate this article to other things we have studied, so by definition you will not find this analysis in the article itself! Discuss the articles research ideas and results in terms of any relevant materials covered in class or which you have found in the readings. You can also check the concepts in the to know link on the quick links portion of the course Web site. Cite these readings explicitly, including their source in the bibliography and a bibliographic marker in the text (e. g. , [Turoff et al. , 1999]). You also could analyze the approach the author took to the articles analysis and discussion. Discuss the articles approach and results in terms of one or more of the frameworks, etc. , from the text or readings, or any you find elsewhere. For example, if the authors discuss any type of information system, you could use Alters WCA analysis to examine how they approached that information system. Try to do this for all the models and frameworks, etc., which apply to your article. As part of this analysis, reference other articles youve read, when appropriate. Compare the approach, results and contribution with all articles about similar topics or with a similar approach. For example, if your article develops a new framework, compare it with Bandyopadyhahs Prev Page framework criteria (and vice versa whoever does Bandyopadyhahs article could test his criteria on frameworks from the other readings). Include any articles you cite in the bibliography and use bibliographic markers in the text. For all of these, do your synthesis comparison in as much depth as you can! Grading: four items up to 20 points total (12 points plus 8 points extra credit) for each item: great 5 ok 2; poor 1 Great: discussed deeply and relating the article in detail with the synthesized models and frameworks. OK: the synthesized information is only discussed in general 9. Analysis Note: Many people assume this category is the same as General Critique. It is not. General Critique is a different category from this, and follows below. What has changed since the article was written? How do its lessons, ideas and theories still apply? To what extent has its issues been resolved? Grading: great 4; ok 2; poor 1 Additional Analysis Optionally, try applying the articles models, frameworks and guidelines, etc. yourself. Do you find them useful? In addition, you may optionally add your own additional analysis in a separate subsection. (Do not repeat the authors analysis in the paper you could summarize this as part of the results section. ) Grading: this section is extra credit only: great 8; ok 5; poor 2 10. General Critique In this section you should state your opinions of how well (or poorly) the authors did their research and presented the research results in the article. Your critique can contain both positive and negative comments. Justify and explain in detail each of your critique points in a separate paragraph of at least 4-5 sentences. The following are suggestions only: †¢ Does it build upon the appropriate foundation (i. e. , upon appropriate Prev Page prior research)? †¢ Did the authors choose the correct approach, and then execute it properly? †¢ How confident are you in the articles results, and why? †¢ Are its ideas really new, or do the authors simply repackage old ideas and perhaps give them a new name? †¢ Do the authors discuss everything they promise in the articles introduction and outline? †¢ What are the articles shortcomings (faults) and limitations (boundaries)? Did it discuss all of the important aspects and issues in its domain (topic area)? †¢ In what way should the article have made a contribution, but then did not? †¢ Do the authors make appropriate comparisons to similar events, cases or occurrences? †¢ How complete and thorough a job did the authors do? Do the authors include an adequate discussion, analysis and conclusions? Did they justify everything adequately? Did they provide enough background information for the intended audience to understand it? For you to understand it? †¢ Were there adequate and appropriate examples and illustrations? For full credit, ask yourself these questions when justifying your critique points: †¢ why/why not? †¢ how? †¢ what distinguishes the differences/different approaches, and in what ways? Grading: four items up to 16 points total (10 points plus 6 points extra credit) for each item: great 4; ok 2; poor 1 11c. Further Critique of a Conceptual Article *** only for conceptual articles {adapted from guidelines from Dr. Dan Robey, Georgia State University} A critique of a conceptual article examines the logic of the arguments made by the authors. Both strengths and weaknesses should be identified in a critique. Explain and justify each of your critique points in at least 3-4 sentences. Give examples whenever possible. To the best of your abilities, discuss each of the following categories in a separate paragraph: 1. LOGICAL CONSISTENCY: Do any parts of the article or research contradict or invalidate other parts? If so, have the authors acknowledged and explained this adequately? 2. COHERENCE: Does the article make sense? Did the authors approach this article (and this research) sensibly? Does the article develop Prev Page  an argument that follows a coherent line of reasoning? Are the boundaries of the argument reasonably well defined? Does the argument anticipate most, if not all, rival arguments? Does the article flow in a logical sequence? Do later parts build logically upon earlier parts? 3. SUBSTANCE: Does the article provide an argument or a line of reasoning that offers insight into important issues, or does it merely summarize previous studies in a shallow way that does not reflect depth of analysis? Does the article provide ways (a model, framework, guidelines, etc. ) to guide future thinking about the issue(s) the author is addressing? 4. FOCUS: Is there a clear audience that the authors address? Was the article written at the appropriate level for this audience? Grading: for each: great 3 ok 2; poor 1 11e. Further Critique of an Empirical Article *** only for empirical articles {adapted from guidelines from Dr. Dan Robey, Georgia State University} A critique of an empirical article examines the strength of the empirical evidence supporting the authors argument. Both strengths and weaknesses should be identified in a critique. Explain and justify each of your critique points in at least 3-4 sentences. To the best of your abilities, discuss each of the following categories in a separate paragraph: 1. CLARITY: Is the articles purpose and argument clear? Do the researchers clearly develop a major research question, proposition, or hypothesis that is to be evaluated in the empirical study and discussed in this article? If the study is exploratory (preliminary), is sufficient justification for an exploratory strategy given? 2. THEORETICAL GROUNDING: Is the researchers argument grounded in more basic theory? Is it clear whether the structure of the empirical study (i. e. , what they do) was derived from theory, or just made up? In theory-building articles, is the need for new theory adequately established? 3. DESIGN OF RESEARCH INVESTIGATION: Is it clear exactly how the empirical study was carried out? Is the design of the research approach (field study, experiments, questionnaires, etc. both contents and how they will be used) adequate to address the common threats to internal and external validity? Have appropriate controls been established, and is the selection of research sites justified? Are the hypotheses and experiments, Prev Page etc. , significant? 4. MEASUREMENT: Empirical studies can have quantitative measurements (i. e., numeric results) and qualitative or subjective measurements. Are the measures used adequately described (i. e. , what is measured in the study and how)? Are data on the reliability and validity of these measures reported? Does the article feel anecdotal or solidly supported with evidence? For example, in case or field studies, are the results well documented? Is it clear who the subjects were, and with whom interviews were carried out? Were important results cross-checked, i. e. , determined across a range of subjects or just gotten from one or two subjects? 5. ANALYSIS: Is the analysis of empirical data conducted properly? Do the data conform to the requirements of any statistical tests used? Are qualitative data adequately described and presented? 6. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: In discussing the results of the empirical study, do the authors remain true to the actual findings of the study? Are the claims made in the conclusion of the article actually supported by the empirical data? If the study is exploratory, do the authors offer research questions or hypotheses for future research? 7. BIASES: Do the biases of the authors affect the design of the research or the interpretation of the results? Are the authors aware of potential biases and the affect on the study? Grading: for each: great 2 ok/poor 1 12. Issues (listed by the author) What open questions or issues has the author stated remain unresolved? Discuss each in a separate paragraph of 5-10 sentences. Each issues paragraph should take the following format: †¢ what is the issue? †¢ why do you believe this is an important issue? †¢ in what way is it unresolved †¢ suggestions for resolving it if you give your own suggestions (instead of or in addition to the authors, then precede each with I would propose If it has been resolved since the article was written, then state how it was resolved. Note: If you have any critiques in this section, they most likely belong in the General Critique section instead. Grading: 3 items up to 9 points total (6 points plus 3 points extra Prev Page credit) for each item: great 3; ok 2; poor 1 13. Issues (in your opinion) List several open questions or issues which remain unresolved in your opinion? For example, what possible future research questions could arise from this article? Discuss each in a separate paragraph of 5-10 sentences. Each issues paragraph should take the following format: †¢ what is the issue? †¢ why do you believe this is an important issue? †¢ in what way is it unresolved †¢ suggestions for resolving it Note: If you have any critiques in this section, they most likely belong in the General Critique section instead. Grading: 4 items up to 12 points total (6 points plus 6 points extra credit) for each item: great 3; ok 2; poor 1 14. Impact To determine how much impact this article has had, do a citation analysis. Discuss what this citation analysis shows, and why; dont just list the citations! (See the Citation Analysis Guidelines (.doc) and Handout (. pdf) posted on the course Web site. ) If the article has no citations, then write in your review I found no citations in the Science Citation Index, the Social Sciences Citation Index or on the Internet. Then clearly explain why you believe there were no citations at all. If you found citations in some indexes or on the Internet but not the others, then explain this as well. Include your citation lists in an appendix to your review (see below for details). Grading impact discussion: great 3; ok 2; poor 1 15. Questions List three insightful questions of your own, arising from this article. Do Prev Page not ask definitions, but rather questions that really make one think. Grading: 3 questions, up to 6 points total for each question: great/ok 2; poor 1 16. Annotated Bibliography For every item you have cited in your report, you need a full reference and an annotation explaining it. This includes references to any class materials, as well as the three additional citations utilized in sections 6-14. 1. List the full bibliographic references (authors, title, journal name, volume, issue, year, page numbers, etc. ) for anything you have cited in your review. IMPORTANT: This is NOT the bibliography listed at the end of the article. It is the bibliographic references for any readings you yourself referred to inside your review. 2. Write 2-4 sentences describing the article. 3. Write 2-3 sentences describing why you cited it. Also, be sure that you have included a bibliographic marker to each (such as [Bieber Smith, 2001]) in the text of your review. Grading: -5 if missing references; -3 if you mention the authors explicitly in your text and put the references in this bibliography section, but forget to explicitly place citation markers in your text. 17. Citation Analysis Appendix There is a separate page on the course Web site describing citation analysis. This appendix will have three sections: †¢ the citations you found in the Science Citation Index †¢ the citations you found in the Social Sciences Citation Index †¢ the citations you found through a thorough Web search on the Internet If the article has no citations for any of these three, then write in that section I found no citations in the [Science Citation Index or the Social Sciences Citation Index or on the Internet]. Note, if your article has more than 20 citations, you only need to include a selection of them: †¢ State how many citations each index has and the Web search found †¢ List Prev Page 1-2 citations for each year in which the article has been cited. Try to include citations from several different journals spread over your selection ? Include a citation analysis to see who has cited it and how.

Resolving Conflicts And Possible Outcomes

Resolving Conflicts And Possible Outcomes There are many ways through which people can resolve conflicts between warring factions. These warring factions can be as few as two individuals, or they might be large people groups like countries. However, the ways of resolving conflicts do not all work in any one given situation? A person or groups of people ought to decide upon which the best way of resolving a given conflict is. A model of dual concern might be assumed where an individual tries to strike a balance between the concern he has for other people and the concern he has for himself. On the one hand he may choose to be assertive and have things done his way. On the other hand, he may choose to be empathetic, and do things according to the way the other person feels things ought to be done. When engaged in a conflicting situation, some people might decide to resolve the conflict by staying aloof of the problem (Bayazit Mannix., 2003). To these people staying aloof is the best way of letting things get resolved. They prefer no active participation in seeing to it that the situation is resolved. They do not care much about what other people feel in the circumstances. They do not think much about their personal feelings either. High conflict situations are not best resolved with this kind of approach, however, because things can easily run out of control. An example of such a situation is when a group of employees go on strike and the management sits back to see what might happen, without taking any active role in what is going on. The strike might escalate into such bad situations as burning of company assets by the disgruntled employees or even roughing up of the employers. A bad situation grows worse in that case, because the employees feel that the aloofness of the management does not address their concerns. The management, however, feels that the assertiveness of the employees ought to have been toned down. If consensus could be reached between the two parties it would be at the point where the management has taken an active role in addressing the employees grievances. The employees, on the other hand, ought not to be greatly aggrieved, seeing that at least their cries are being heard by a management that cares for them. It is rather unfortunate that a number of people who fall into this trap are the so called faithful. They let things be, and say to themselves and to others that things shall be sorted out by divine intervention (Van de Vliert Euwema, 1994). However, things ought to be done differently, because not everyone has the same beliefs or religious leanings. Many people sere different deities and some believe in a deity that asks them to help themselves before deity comes to their aid. Therefore, instead of their faith being a source of respite, it fuels the flames of conflict for some people. Another way of resolving conflict is by adorning a compromising attitude (Goldfien Robbennolt, 2007). Such an attitude says to oneself and to others that it is good to be fair to both sides of the conflict. Such people are ready to listen to the arguments on both sides and to yield a bit to the demands of the other side. They also expect the other side of the conflict to yield to some of their demands, hence being fair. In the case study above, for example, the employees would be expected to yield to some of the demands of management while the management also gives in to some of the demands of its employees. Ideally, not all demands from each side shall be met, but a balance can be struck wherein some of the wants from each side shall be addressed (Kolb Williams, 2010). Like in the previous case, the more assertive of the two groups will be expected to yield a bit, by being conciliatory. This will be expected of the employees who hold the management in ransom by their actions. Bein g fair would not see the employees flare up into a fracas situation of burning and looting. Being fair would also see the management taking an active role in the resolution of the conflict rather than sitting back and watching as situation change from bad to worse. Conflict does not have to be a bad thing or a nasty experience. Where there are two or more people interacting with different interests at heart, disagreements are inevitable. However, such disagreements might be a source for better understanding of each other and even greater cohesion. In the workplace scenario above, conflict might have arisen out of one employees obsession with letting the management know about everything that goes on while they are not being watched. The conflict of interests comes in with the other employees being opposed to close supervision. It is further aggravated by the fact that one of their peers would like to make a good name for oneself by making the rest of them look bad in the presence of their superiors. Solving such a conflict might require one to have high levels of assertiveness as well as empathy. With these traits he can easily cooperate with his contenders to reach an amicable solution to their conflict. Such an individual is not only interested in his own welfare but has a heightened interest in the welfare of the people he contends with, as well (Sternberg Dobson, 1987). He shall cooperate with the other people to find a solution with which they shall all be agreeable. His cooperation might tend to favor the side of the fellow employees, or it might be in favor of the management. However, what would a person caught in the middle of such a conflict do? Through discussion with both parties, people get to be aware of the points of views that their contenders have. In effect, they do not undermine the goals of each other. There are three possible outcomes to any conflict resolution endeavor. Each of these outcomes depends on how the conflict resolution exercise is carried out. In the first place, a conflict resolution exercise might work in favor of both sides concerned. Since both parties win in the end, this is called a win-win situation (Covey, 2004). The first type of conflict resolution that was mentioned in this dialogue would never amount to a win-win situation. Not both parties win in the end. This is because one of the parties stays aloof from the goings on of the resolution process. Since its stand is neither here nor there, it becomes rather difficult to tell whether things are going the way they should for this group of people. Whether they win or lose is not the issue for this group, but rather, they only want tranquility in the end. They want peace but they are not ready to work or to fight for it. Maybe, therefore, one might be right in assuming that when peace prevails in the end, then that is a win situation for the people who do not want to stand up for what they believe in. It may be rightly opined that these people are cowards who do not have enough spine with which to face up to other people, even though they might be transgressed against. A win-win result of conflict resolution is the best result that one can achieve. It results in greater cohesion among group members than before the conflict caused a rift between them. They also get to learn more about each others way of thinking and what things can cause them to be drawn apart. In future, they will not fear conflicting situations, but they would rather strive to keep away from those things that divide them. They will strive for those things that cause them to be drawn closer together as a single unit. The other result of a conflict resolution is where one side wins and the other loses. In such a case, no workable consensus has been reached. One side of the conflict is way too aggressive while the other is too empathetic. The aggressive side is bound to have its way over the empathetic side. Thus, the aggressive side wins while the empathetic side loses. This example of a scenario is called a win-lose (Covey, 2004) situation because one side wins while the other side loses. It would be likened to an employer-employee conflict situation in which the employee has a field day over the employer, with all the employees demands being met. The employers demands, on the other hand are not heeded to. Otherwise, the employer might be too high handed towards the employee. Following such a situation, the employer ends up sacking the employee for reasons such as insubordination. In the latter case, where neither the employer nor the employee wins in the argument between them, it is called a lose-lose situation (Covey, 2004). Neither the demands from the employer to be respected for the role he plays in the life of the employee, nor the demands of the employee are met in the end. Both the employer and the employee are losers in the conflict with which they were involved. In conclusion, this paper has addressed two types of conflict resolution and three possible outcomes of the same. To recap it all, first, there is conflict resolution wherein one side stands aloof from the proceedings while hoping that things will just work themselves out in the end. Secondly, there is the active participation on the one side of the conflict where one takes a very empathetic stand. The said person also does not forget his own needs in the process. Depending on how assertive or how empathetic a certain side of the conflict might be, there can be up to three possible outcomes to the effort of conflict resolution. A conflict can be solved very amicably, resulting in a win-win situation. It might be solved by one side stepping down from its demands, thereby being a win-lose situation. Otherwise, both sides of the conflict end up losing in the confusion.

The Military Draft: An Unwise Solution Essay -- Bush Iraq War Afghanis

The Military Draft: An Unwise Solution   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The United States of America's military is currently involved in two major wars with U.S. opposition in Afghanistan and Iraq. All though both of these efforts can be said to be in the clean-up stages, many more soldiers will be needed to stabilize the regions, to provide police work, and to fight the insurgencies that have risen in opposition to the invasion of U.S. troops into foreign lands. The current presidential administration states that to adequately deal with the problems of post-war Iraq and unstable Afghanistan the United States needs to increase the number of active-duty soldiers serving over-seas. Top officials in the administration have said that a reorganization of the military is already in progress, and it will create more combat regiments, but the quoted additional 25,000 new military participants needed per year can hardly be met through these minor reorganizations. In addition, recruiting numbers are at their lowest in over ten years (?All Thing s Considered?, NPR News Source.) Many feel that the reenactment of the military service draft is inevitable because it is the only way to come up with the astounding number of new troops needed to finish the jobs started in the Middle-East by George W. Bush and his Republican administration. If increasing the size of the military is inevitable, then the draft is the wrong way to go. Aside from the moral objections that many Americans have to a draft, there are major logical fallacies in the reasoning that a draft would benefit the military, America, or its interests abroad; therefore, the draft should not be reenacted to increase the number of the United States? combat troops.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The most obvious problem with a military draft is that it creates soldiers that do not want to go to war. Currently our army is volunteer-only, and no one can be forced to enlist if he or she does not want to. This maintains our army as efficient and dedicated to its goal with its members being committed and personally connected to the well-being of American interests. These voluntary soldiers are the best kind of soldiers because they believe in what they are doing. Generalizing slightly, they are willing to give their lives for this country and the missions that it takes on in the world. If a draft were reenacted, this would not be so. Upon forcing citizens to enlist, ou... ...war in Iraq, if the draft were to be reenacted, the underlying statement by wealthy politicians and businessmen would be that they are willing to sacrifice the lives of the youth at random to maintain their own financial comfort. The draft is an unwise solution to any military endeavor that cannot find the adequate number of troops to fulfill its mission. If people have to be forced to participate in a war, perhaps it was irresponsible to carry it out in the first place without a plan as to how the entire thing would be carried out with the existing military forces. Needing a draft to aid a military campaign also shows that the citizens do not wholly support the cause, because they are not standing up to fight for it. Forcing these people to fight would be disastrous. At home, riots and protesting would ravage the nation and bring to our domestic life a great deal of turmoil. Abroad, soldier morale and ability would be greatly reduced by forcing people who have never been soldiers, and who never wanted to be soldiers, to be soldiers. The draft is therefore an obsolete mechanism of war, and should never be reenacted for the good of our stability, morale, and military strength.

Human Effect on Climate Change Essay

Very few people doubt that it is normal for there to be climate change. The rotation of the earth on a tilted axis leads to this, as well many natural events, like volcanic eruptions, earthquakes and hurricanes. However, human activities are having a much greater impact on climate change. For example, the jump in earths’ population from 1950 through 1985 more than doubled from 2. 5 billion to over 5 billion. (Meyer, 1996: 24) The importance of this growth is a drain on the Earths’ resources causing even more altering. It is not as much the altering of these resources that are causing climate change but the type of human activities which are taking place, and the way in which they are impacting the climate. One major influence is increased waste and pollution as a result of burning more fossil fuels. The introduction of chlorofluorocarbons in the mid-20th century, which were used for refrigerants, solvents, and propellants, cause a reaction in the atmosphere that break down the ozone layer. (Meyer, 176) CFL’s and burning of fossil fuel create an added layer of insulation around the earth. Since the earth is naturally surrounded by gases the added human processes cause a phenomenon called the greenhouse effect. This is when these gases change and more heat from the sun is retained than before resulting in planetary temperature rise. Changing of seasons and somewhat consistent weather patterns are a normal occurrence on our planet. However, in the past 30 years there have been many natural disasters that can be attributed to climate change and global warming. Massive earthquakes which subsequently cause tsunamis, hurricanes wreaking havoc in areas they never before touched, volcanoes erupting years before the experts predictions and the melting of ice caps causing sea level rise. It is obvious that our normal weather patterns and temperatures have been and are changing. It wasn’t until 1938 when a Mechanical Engineer named Guy Stewart Callendar challenged the Experts. (Weart, 2) Callendar had confirmed more completely than anyone else that his data proved global warming was occurring. Global warming is not climate change but it is a symptom of climate change. Although, Callendar was not a meteorologist, studying weather patterns was his passion and with every spare minute he analysed all the data he could acquire. He showed through his research that as the industrial era was booming it was doing so while burning fossil fuels. These fuels were emitting millions of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and subsequently adding to the greenhouse effect and climate change. (Weart, 2) This was the first time in recorded history mankind was able to prove humans were damaging the Earths biosphere. Before the great baby boom of the mid-20th century and prior to the industrial revolution in the eighteenth century carbon dioxide levels were at about 265 ppm and today because of human processes it is about 392 ppm. (Pittock,7) Currently carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is increasing about 2 ppm per year and average world temperature is climbing in step with it. Many experts agree that 400 ppm of carbon dioxide will probably cause a temperature rise of about two to four degrees Fahrenheit. (Gossling and Upham, 3-4) If this occurs so many tipping points will have been crossed, or soon will be crossed, that climate change and global warming will become unstoppable, and the point of no return will have been passed. There are a number of potential sources of human activity that impact climate change. A major consideration is that of cause-and-effect, looking at the type of human activities which take place, and then examining the way in which they may be impacting on the climate in order to create change. Some examples are farming with the fabrication and use of fertilizers and pesticides, manufacturing with burning fossil fuels, deforestation, power stations, cars and other vehicles as well as aircraft. The impact from all of them is similar, with the proof being two points. First a hole in the ozone layer over Antarctica, which was discovered in the 1970’s. Second an increase in earths’ temperature of approximately two degree Fahrenheit. (Pittock, 78) There is also a potential for additional erosion of the ozone as a result of the continued use of hydro-fluorocarbons. Therefore, it is the output of this consumption process that is having an impact. The emissions made are also those that are seen to cause longer term damage to the ozone layer. The emissions also have an impact on the climate of the earth either directly or indirectly. Directly this includes the emission of carbon dioxide and indirectly the impact of jet aircraft in the way they emit water vapour in their contrails. (Gossling and Upham,42-43) In the late 1950s Walter Orr Roberts a leading astrophysicist noticed that cirrus clouds were forming daily over Boulder, Co. (Weart, 66) Orr observed that Jet contrails were mixing with the existing cirrus cloud formations to the point of not being able to distinguish between either. This phenomenon was occurring daily my mid-afternoon from the heavy airline traffic. (Weart, 66) The fuels used by aircraft are the main problems. Aviation fuel is made up mostly of kerosene, which originates from fossil fuels. (Gossling and Upham, 311) There are two main problems with the combustion of kerosene by the aircraft; the waste products they produce are major pollutants as well as the carbon dioxide and water vapour. Both of these have a negative impact on the atmosphere. (Weart, 132-133) If we consider the problem of carbon dioxide, it needs to be remembered that aviation fuel is only one source of this pollution, and as such, it is adding to the overall totals that are creating climate change and global warming. The creation of added clouds by water from jet exhaust adds to the global warming effect and climate change by trapping more heat in earths’ atmosphere. The increased amount of particles in the air that help trap the heat from escaping from the earth’s atmosphere are one of the culprits of the greenhouse effect. This has been achieved by pollution put into the atmosphere over the last century, most notably since the industrial revolution (Meyer, 37). Since then there has been a greater and greater amount of waste containing carbon, as well as other gases and chemicals, burned and released into the atmosphere. Also, during this time there has been large scale deforestation and the carbon that was contained in these large areas, locked away in the wood was then released directly into the atmosphere (Meyer, 60). The increase in carbon from the release due to deforestation alone is projected at accounting for 15% of the greenhouse effect between 1990 and 2025 (Meyer, 61). When we then consider the relatively high amounts of carbon in other deposits such as coal that is burned for power we can start to appreciate why the levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are increasing. The earth’s atmosphere has always contained several types of gases. It also has a certain percentage of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. (Meyer, 1996: 150) Carbon dioxide lets the short wave length radiation from the sun through and then the rays hit the earth and warm it. The earth re-radiates longer wave length heat radiation but the carbon dioxide won’t let most of this long wave radiation out again. (Pittock, 7) As carbon dioxide levels increase in the atmosphere, the more trapped heat and the hotter the earth gets. However, we need some carbon dioxide in the atmosphere otherwise all the sun’s heat would be lost and temperatures would drop by ninety one degrees Fahrenheit and we would quickly freeze to death. Therefore, the climate is being changed as a result of increasing levels of carbon dioxide and chlorofluorocarbons being placed into the atmosphere, which is helping to retain heat and as a result is having an impact on climate, increasing the temperature of the planet and impacting on natural processes. Under current conditions it is estimated that by the end of the 21st century global sea level temperatures could rise as much as thirty nine degrees Fahrenheit. (Gossling and Upham, 3-4) Obviously, if this happens life will once again recycle on planet earth.

Essay on Think about itEssay Writing Service

Essay on Think about itEssay Writing Service Essay on Think about it Essay on Think about itExploring the case, and thinking a lot about its main components and acting persons, I think that Ms. Motley is a very tired woman with many psychological problems. Of course, I express sympathy with her situation and feel a kind of regret about the life of this woman. On the one hand, I see a woman who ignores her grandmother’s requests and leaves her alone at home, and these actions seems to be rather bad and awful regarding the old woman, but on the other hand, I see a little girl who lives in the heart of Tanisha Motley, and who tries to give the same pain back to the person who abused her in her childhood. This case and situation in Tanisha’s family demonstrates that a young woman needs to reconsider her life and the attitude to her grandmother because she shows bad example of behavior to her little children.Being another caregiver attending the group, I would say that there are no hopeless situations and Tanisha should change her attitude to the situation. Undoubtedly, it is hard to take care of children and old women, but she needs to find a piece of time for her own wishes and hobbies. Very often people experience the feelings similar to Tanisha’s, when they are deprived of possibilities to realize their potential, as a result, they try to compensate this discomfort through the anger. This is a destructive way of communication and having time for own preferences, this young woman may experience pleasant feelings and change her life in better side.If I were a facilitator of the support group, I would begin a discussion of how people can realize their potential and how to do some little steps for the purpose to become more pleased with the own life. It seems that Tanisha needs a support from others, and the matter is not in her grandmother but in her impossibility to change her life, and impossibility to overcome offences from the childhood. Moreover, there exist many psychological techniques which can help peop le to feel the emotions of the other person, and it is possible to suggest the group to try some of these techniques in practice. All these steps would help caregivers to feel a kind of rest in the support group and develop a new vision on their situations. Moreover, even one right thought may change a person’s life. Thus, the support group may become a place for such constructive thoughts.