Molly Drug Usage in the American Society

Article summary James McKinley article in The New York Times discusses overdose of an ecstasy drug called Molly, and death resulting from the same. Molly is a new ecstasy drug sold to the youth in the United States. To be precise, Molly is a street name for a drug referred as MDMA (3, 4 methylenedioxymethamphetamine). In most cases, the ecstasy drug is sold as a pill or powder.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Molly Drug Usage in the American Society specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Medical experts and psychologists allege that Molly is a typical stimulant and is used to help patients with mental disorders to open up during counseling sessions. From this perspective, the drug is essential in helping patients socialize and open up to people around them. The right dosage of the MDMA drug is recommended. However, an overdose of the drug is considered harmful and results to abuse. The article was written to provide in sightful information regarding abuse of Molly among the youth. In fact, the article uses an example to articulate on dangers of abusing the drug. The article discusses how two young individuals died as a result of abusing the ecstasy drug. McKinley’s article is based on evidence that the drug has previously affected the youth in similar occasions. For example, the drug seems to be sold among the youths attending electric music parties. From the article, it is evident that Molly is popular among the youths aged below 25 years. According to the author, the two individuals who died at the Electric Zoo festival during Labor Day of 2013 were aged 20 and 23 years old. Evidence showing how the drug is prominent among the youths indicates similar deaths in New York. Other indications showing dangers of the drug among the youths reveals that at least 4 people die of MDMA overdose every year in New York. In addition, statistics show that at least 43 young people died from MDMA overdose between 2000 and 2011. The reason why the youth are a target of the MDMA usage is because the drug is cheap and not physically addictive. Moreover, electric music parties where the drug is sold are attractive to young people. Prolonged usage and abuse of molly has negative physiological and psychological effects. From a physiological perspective, abusers of Molly lose appetite, experience exhaustion, insomnia, jaw soreness, dizziness and constipation. Psychological effects of abusing the drug include depression, impaired attention and paranoia. McKinley’s article is interesting since it focuses on current drug abuse in the United States. The article focus on a new drug abuse trend in the country raises fundamental issues about availability of the drug off the pharmaceutical shelves. MDMA drug is meant for psychiatry and is only licensed for sale in pharmaceuticals.Advertising Looking for essay on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The article also suggests a possible mixing of Molly with methylone, making the drug fatal. The article is interesting as it associates abuse of the drug with Electric music parties. The connection between the drug and music parties is intriguing and forms a basis for further research on the same. I chose the article for its significance in research on drug abuse among the American youth. The article provides a new dimension about popular drugs abused in the country besides cocaine, heroine, marijuana and alcohol. For example, the article has information on how drugs are adulterated with dangerous substances that are fatal to users. Therefore, the article’s information can harness further research about drug abuse and required interventions. Works Cited McKinley, C. James. â€Å"Overdoses of ‘Molly’ led to Electric Zoo deaths†. The New York Times 12 Sept. 2013. Web. https://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/12/overdoses-of -molly-led-to-electric-zoo-deaths/. This essay on Molly Drug Usage in the American Society was written and submitted by user Taryn Briggs to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Pronouncing the Spanish C and Z

Pronouncing the Spanish C and Z The letter c of Spanish has three sounds that are very different from each other - and one of those three sounds, which is also the z sound of Spanish, varies with the region. Fortunately, the distinction as to which sound is used follows a rule much like that used in determining the pronunciation of c in English. 3 Pronunciations of C The sound of the c depends on the letter that follows: When the c is followed by h, the two letters together form the ch sound, which is very similar to the the ch sound of English in words such as church and cheap. It is never pronounced like the ch in architecture (the Spanish equivalent is arquitectura).When the c is followed by any other consonant or by the vowel  o, or u, it has sound of the English k but is slightly less explosive. Note that the English c has approximately the same sound when followed by the same letters. Thus casa (house) is pronounced much like CAH-sah, and clase (class) is pronounced much like CLAH-seh.The third sound is the one that varies by region. For most Spanish speakers, including nearly all in Latin America, the c is pronounced much like the English s when it comes before an e or i. Note that the same is true in English. So cielo (sky) is pronounced much like SYEH-loh for most Spanish speakers, and cena (dinner) is pronounced much like SEH-nah. However, in most of Spain, especially outside the areas wh ere Catalan is also spoken, the c before e or i is pronounced much like that th in thin - but not the th in that. In most of Spain, then, cielo is pronounced like THYEH-low and cena like THEH-nah. (To avoid confusion between the two th sounds, linguists sometimes represent the unvoiced th with ÃŽ ¸, the Greek letter theta. So the pronunciations of the two words might be represented as ÃŽ ¸YEH-loh and ÃŽ ¸EH-nah.) Contrary to a common urban legend, the third sound of c in Spain is not a lisp. It is simply the way the letter is pronounced. Pronouncing the Z The third c sound represents the z sound as well. The z sound doesnt vary with the letters that follow. You can hear the letter, including regional variations, pronounced here. Note that the z sound doesnt have the buzz that it does in English. So while you may be tempted to prononce zumbar (to hum) as someing like zoom-BAHR, its correct pronunciation is either soom-BAHR or thoom-BAHR, depending on whether youre in Spain or Latin America. In the word pizza, however, the double-z is generally pronounced in imitation of Italian, giving the word a pronunciation similar to what it has in English. Spelling With the C and Z With few exceptions, the z isnt followed by an e or i; a c is used before those letters instead. Thus the equivalent of zero is cero, zinc is cinc, and zebra is cebra. Among the few exceptions are words of foreign origin such as zigzaguear (to zigzag) and zepelà ­n (zeppelin). When a noun or adjective ends in z and is made plural, the z changes to c. Thus the plural of faz (face) is faces, and the plural of pez (fish) is peces. More examples: una actriz feliz, dos actrices felices (one happy actress, two happy actresses)una nariz, tres narices (one nose, three noses)la luz, las luces (the light, the lights)el juez voraz, los juezes voraces (the greedy judge, the greedy judges) The c and z can also change in conjugated verb forms. The z changes to c if it becomes followed by an e, so one of the forms of empezar (to begin) is empecà ©. Also, the c changes to qu when followed by an e or i, so the forms of tocar (to touch or play) include toquà © and toquemos. Some other examples of verb  conjugations affected by these spelling rules: comenzar, comencà ©, que comiences, que comiencen (to begin, I began, that you begin, that they begin)trozar, trocà ©, que troces, que troccen (to break, I break, that you break, that they break)cocer, que yo cueza. que cozamos (to cook, that I cook, that we cook)

The Relationship Between Electricity and Magnetism

The Relationship Between Electricity and Magnetism Electricity and magnetism are separate yet interconnected phenomena associated with the electromagnetic force. Together, they form the basis for electromagnetism, a key physics discipline. Key Takeaways: Electricity and Magnetism Electricity and magnetism are two related phenomena  produced by the electromagnetic force. Together, they form electromagnetism.A moving electric charge generates a magnetic field.A magnetic field induces electric charge movement, producing an electric current.In an electromagnetic wave, the electric field and magnetic field are perpendicular  to one another. Except for behavior due to the force of gravity, nearly every occurrence  in daily life stems from the electromagnetic force. It is responsible for the interactions between atoms and the flow between matter and energy. The other fundamental forces are the weak and strong nuclear force, which govern radioactive decay and the formation of atomic nuclei. Since electricity and magnetism are incredibly important, its a good idea to begin with a basic understanding of what they are and how they work. Basic Principles of Electricity Electricity is the phenomenon associated with either stationary or moving electric charges. The source of the electric charge could be an elementary particle, an electron (which has a negative charge), a proton (which has a positive charge), an ion, or any larger body that has an imbalance of positive and negative charge. Positive and negative charges attracts each other (e.g., protons are attracted to electrons), while like charges repel each other (e.g., protons repel other protons and electrons repel other electrons).   Familiar examples of electricity include lightning, electrical current from an outlet or battery, and static electricity. Common SI units of electricity include the ampere (A) for current, coulomb (C) for electric charge, volt (V) for potential difference, ohm (ÃŽ ©) for resistance, and watt (W) for power. A stationary point charge has an electric field, but if the charge is set in motion, it also generates a magnetic field. Basic Principles of Magnetism Magnetism is defined as the physical phenomenon  produced by moving electric charge. Also, a magnetic field can induce charged particles to move, producing an electric current. An electromagnetic wave (such as light) has both an electric and magnetic component. The two components of the wave travel in the same direction, but oriented at a right angle (90 degrees) to one another. Like electricity, magnetism produces attraction and repulsion between objects. While electricity is based on positive and negative charges, there are no known magnetic monopoles. Any magnetic particle or object has a north and south pole, with the directions based on the orientation of the Earths magnetic field. Like poles of a magnet repel each other (e.g., north repels north), while opposite poles attract one another (north and south attract). Familiar examples of magnetism include a compass needles reaction to Earths magnetic field, attraction and repulsion of bar magnets, and the field surrounding electromagnets. Yet, every moving electric charge has a magnetic field, so the orbiting electrons of atoms produce a magnetic field; there is a magnetic field associated with power lines; and hard discs and speakers rely on magnetic fields to function. Key SI units of magnetism include the tesla (T) for magnetic flux density, weber (Wb) for magnetic flux, ampere per meter (A/m) for magnetic field strength, and henry (H) for inductance. The Fundamental Principles of Electromagnetism The word electromagnetism comes from a combination of the Greek works elektron, meaning amber and magnetis lithos, meaning Magnesian stone, which is a magnetic iron ore. The ancient Greeks were familiar with electricity and magnetism, but considered them to be two separate phenomena. The relationship known as electromagnetism wasnt described until James Clerk Maxwell published A Treatise on Electricity and Magnetism in 1873. Maxwells work included twenty famous equations, which have since been condensed into four partial differential equations. The basic concepts represented by the equations are as follows:   Like electric charges repel, and unlike electric charges attract. The force of attraction or repulsion is inversely proportional to the square of the distance between them.Magnetic poles always exist as north-south pairs. Like poles repel like and attract unlike.An electric current in a wire generates a magnetic field around the wire. The direction of the magnetic field (clockwise or counterclockwise) depends on the direction of the current. This is the right hand rule, where the direction of the magnetic field follows the fingers of your right hand if your thumb is pointing in the current direction.Moving a loop of wire toward or away from a magnetic field induces a current in the wire. The direction of the current depends on the direction of the movement. Maxwells theory contradicted Newtonian mechanics, yet experiments proved Maxwells equations. The conflict was finally resolved by Einsteins theory of special relativity. Sources Hunt, Bruce J. (2005). The Maxwellians. Cornell: Cornell University Press. pp. 165–166. ISBN 978-0-8014-8234-2.International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (1993). Quantities, Units and Symbols in Physical Chemistry, 2nd edition, Oxford: Blackwell Science. ISBN 0-632-03583-8. pp. 14–15.Ravaioli, Fawwaz T. Ulaby, Eric Michielssen, Umberto (2010). Fundamentals of applied electromagnetics (6th ed.). Boston: Prentice Hall. p. 13. ISBN 978-0-13-213931-1.

Asset Assesment and E-Commerce Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Asset Assesment and E-Commerce - Essay Example early internal audit reports Delineation of Authorities and Responsibilities Roles defined and responsibilities delineated for: Overall fixed asset officer: 1. planning and overseeing of system asset management 2. involving in the implementation of asset management plan 3. taking action of defective or obsolete assets Hardware and software custodians (as related): 1. obtaining resources 2. performing functions 3. documenting and maintaining records 4. deployment and controls 5. managing contract agreements, internal and external customers’ relationships Asset Management manual and strategic plans, roles and responsibilities specified in the job description Organization-wide communication of the specified responsibilities Minutes of meetings, e-mails, posting in bulletin board Policies and Procedures Availability of policy and procedure development, periodic review, approvals, issuance, and control Approved policy and documented implementation Documented policies including: 1. Employees and leadership responsibilities on of software and hardware in use 2. limitations on the use of assets and software for personal use 3. compliance to legal and regulatory requirements, propriety and protection of data 4. asset acquisition 5. approval on installation and use of software 6. consequences of violating the policies Review of policies and documents on implementation Organization-wide communication of policies including: 1. newly joined employees during orientation period 2. continuing annually through in-house trainings 3. signing on acknowledgement 4. accessible to all anytime needed Publications through the e-mails, system database for manuals, adding to the code of conduct, e-mailing and minutes of meeting MANAGEMENT OF ASSETS INVENTORY Identification of Software Asset... This study shows that per audit checklist used, internal audit is not conducted periodically. Hardware changes are not covered in internal audit. Technology resources were not considered in the current year budget plan. Functions in control of assets overlap with overall fixed custodian and software and hardware custodians. Purchasing officer has nothing to do with assets contracts. Computer games are installed in the computer networks. No regular training of employees related to information technology. Positive findings deserve appreciation from the management to the responsible employees. â€Å"Keep up the good work.† On the other hand, all employees should get training on information technology. IT Department should be part of orientation program presenters for new employees. The human Resources yearly training program should include information technology topics. All employees should sign the â€Å"statement of confidentiality†. Storage of software, backup system an d consequences of information system violations should be included in the security policy.Findings from Belarc Advisor system audit recommendation should configure settings on account lockout, passwords, event logs, files permission, security options, user-right assignment and system services. Define policies for password issuance and usage, audit, the Internet, Explorer Seven and local computer. Impose restrictions on local computer administration templates, network, systems, and Windows. Create profiles for Windows firewall, domain, and standard.

Code Red For The Red Regimes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Code Red For The Red Regimes - Essay Example After Britain’s Margaret Thatcher and the United State’s Ronald Reagan took power in 1979 and 1981, respectively, they effectively called for and predicted the demise of the iron grip of communism, virtually declaring war on the Soviet influence throughout Europe and Asia. Reagan’s increased military pressure on the Soviets in the Cold War and the emergence of a more western-embracing Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev − coupled with the U.S.S.R.’s widespread economic demise − ushered in the avalanche that ultimately dissolved the grip of communism throughout the region. Furthermore, the ‘80s â€Å"Solidarity† movement challenged the communist grip in Poland and the Soviet Union, eventually leading to the Warsaw Pact, making Poland, followed by Hungary, the first nation to strip away from Soviet control. East Germany was soon caught in the wake, as Ronald Reagan’s famous June 17, 1987, speech at the Berlin Wall, when he excl aimed, "Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!" − symbolizing the end of the age of communist oppression − became a reality just a couple years later. The support beams undergirding the Red – or â€Å"evil empire,† as Reagan called it – were now pulled, and what â€Å"The Gipper† predicted would become â€Å"the ash heap of history† came crashing down in the following years, as communism lost its grip to more liberated western rule from East Germany to modern-day Russia’s Siberia.

Empowerment supports organisational objectives at the expense of the individual worker Essay Example for Free

Empowerment supports organisational objectives at the expense of the individual worker Essay Introduction Companies today are designed in someway, at some level, to develop individuals either for their own sake, the companys sake or hopefully for both. The team has become a sophisticated structure. I t is finely engineered, maintained to a high standard, and when running smoothly it is highly productive (Cole, G, A, 1997: 63). It provides an environment in which energy can be maximised towards corporate needs, which also allows the individual to satisfy his or her own needs within work, rather than only outside of it. So often seemingly dull unimaginative and uncreative employees surprise their companies when they reveal the depth of their energy outside work. However it is the corporate attitudes (Legge, K, 1995: 104) that stifled them, and when released companies recognise they have a pool talent, a wealth of resources, at their fingertips. In the 1980s and 1990s rationalisation and downsizing (Legge, K, 1995: 53) were very much the order of the day therefore empowerment became a business necessity. Empowerment has been in the forefront of quality improvement efforts (Cole, G, A, 1997: 23). Several businesses worldwide have been and still are currently closely watching quality the ability to produce superior and distinguished goods and services to meet customer needs. The commitment to quality today is very present in service industries, non-profit organizations, government agencies, and educational institutions (Mabey at el, 1998: 48). Total Quality, also known as Total Quality Management (TQM), is seen differently by different people. Organizations are reportedly introducing soft and hard (Cole, G, A, 1997: 67) employee relations policies associated with the shift to human resource management (HRM). Softer aspects of HRM, based on the encouragement of employee commitment in support of management aims, have received particular attention given their proposed linkage with improved organizational performance (Cole, G, A, 1997: 67). This has, in turn, led many organizations to adopt schemes designed to encourage employee involvement. The concept of empowerment has been identified as a recent and advanced manifestation of employee involvement (Cole, G, A, 1997: 68). Empowerment has been defined in different ways. Some have claimed it is a fundamentally different way of working together (Spencer Pruss, 1992: 271) and quite different from the traditional notion of control (Cole, G, A, 1997: 94). Cole (1997) is able to define the concept of empowerment as an application to none managerial roles such as team members. However, he argues there are several possible meanings. These can range from having increased authority (Cole, G, A, 1997: 53) and therefore their ability exercise a wider range of choices at work and to be given a more varied and interesting job in the form of job enrichment. At best empowerment increases individuals discretion over how they do their work. It may also provide additional opportunities for group problem solving on operational issues. Empowerment is seen as ways of giving people more opportunity or power (Mabey et al, 1998: 38) to exercise control over, and have responsibility for, their work. It is intended to encourage individuals to use their abilities by enabling them to take decisions. According to Potterfield (1999), empowerment will be best defined as a way of bestowing upon employees the power to use more judgment and discretion in their work and to participate more fully in decisions affecting their working lives (Legge, K, 1995:84). Others are more sceptical. Armstrong (1996) points out that Empowerment, for example, may mean little more than giving employees the opportunity to make suggestions for change (Armstrong, 1996: 76). In practice, empowerment is intended to release active employee engagement only so long as it falls within the parameters for which it was selected as a strategy. In most organisations it is management which defines and adjudicates and ultimately exercises control (Armstrong, 1996: 78). The concept of empowerment is based on the belief that to be successful, organisations must harness the creativity and brain power of all the employees not just a few managers (Graham Bennett, 1995: 3). The idea that everybody in the business has something to contribute represents a radical shift in thinking away from the old idea that managers managed and the workforce simply followed orders. The fact that empowerment does represent a radical shift in thinking explains why, in many organisations, the initiative has failed. Empowered organizations are composed of empowered persons, although it is not necessarily true that a group of empowered persons automatically creates an empowered organization. Organizations that are truly empowered have moved out of the old paradigm of competition and beliefs in limitation and scarcity (Sparrow Marchington, 1998: 291). The face of the contemporary workplace is drastically changing. More and more companies are realising the value of more flat democratic organisational structure (Mabey et al, 1998: 23) over the traditional autocratic, hierarchical management styles. In contrast to empowered workplaces, disempowered workforce suffers from poor self-esteem, lack of a personal vision and a feeling of hopelessness. These attitudes and beliefs form inner barriers that block growth and proactive development (Legge, K, 1995: 63) and manifest in the worker in the form of reluctance to accept responsibility, hesitance to communicate openly, lack of commitment and ownership and, ultimately, in below average performance. Such employees become passive passengers who are more focused on having their personal needs met than on contributing fully (Sparrow Marchington, 1998: 82) so that the company can grow. Because they feel afraid, uncertain and insecure, they will unconsciously sabotage new interventions and approaches. An example of this is the resistance management often experience when implementing a quality management system (Sparrow Marchington, 1998: 82). In this way employees become a stumbling block to progress instead of much-valued assets. In companies where managers make a concerted effort to delegate and share power and control, the results are not always impressive (Graham Bennett, 1995: 93). The reason for this is either a lack of understanding of the nature of empowerment, or a greater focus on applying a set of managerial techniques than on creating conditions that are essential for empowerment to thrive. Where empowerment does not work it is because people do not think it through (Mabey Salaman, 1997: 83). To avoid such failures it is important to gain commitment for the senior management team, and then to cascade this down to other levels of management. The hardest group to convince about empowerment are middle managers (Spencer Pruss, 1992: 92), because it is their jobs that are most likely to be affected. It is because these managers often have the most to lost that they may have a tendency to undermine or delay implementation of a new policy. The implementation of empowerment in organisations instead of the traditional hierarchies means a flatter organisational structure (Cole, G, A, 1997: 57), which can give rise to considerable resentment and individual resistance. There are, naturally, many problems that can arise in the empowerment process. Many workers may resist these new responsibilities (Mabey et al, 1998: 23); they in fact like having their decisions made for them and will resent the extra burdens (and work). There still may be those workers who resent the implications of greater self-direction, possibly even arising from an obvious fear. There is an interesting theory underlying this reaction. Maslow has called this the Jonah Complex, the fear of ones own greatness (Maslow, 1971: 34). While Maslow discussed this term in a more mystical, spiritual context, it is associated as a sort of classic block to self-actualisation. Since empowerment speaks to the same sort of needs as self-actualisation, it could be drawn that there is the possibility of a collective sort of Jonah Complex at the heart of many conflicts in organizational transitions. Employees may also be cynical and suspicious of this approach (Gennard Judge, 1997: 235, Hitchcock and Willard, 1995:27) as another way to get more work out of them for less money. However allowing employees to take an active part in the change process from the very beginning, and showing them that their organization is truly changing will remove some of their wariness. There is also the danger of the employees feeling too empowered (Legge, K, 1995: 57); in feeling so independent of other facets of the organization that there might also be troubles in transitioning to teams. Empowerment supports organisational objectives at the expense of the individual worker to speed up the decision making processes and reducing operational costs (Sparrow Marchington, 1998: 293) by removing unnecessary layers of management such as staff functions, quality control and checking operations. In retrospect empowerment is usually advocated to release the creative and innovative capacities of employees (Armstrong, M, 1996:386), to provide greater job satisfaction, motivation and commitment and giving people more responsibility enables employees to gain a great sense of achievement from their work therefore. The reasons for empowerment emerging as a concept for our time (Armstrong, M, 1996:385) is the need to generate energy release in employees by providing them with visionary leadership and a supporting environment and by treating them as a valuable asset to be invested in rather then as a cost despite the fact that organisations are driven by profit generating, cost reduct ion and market pressures. Empowerment at workplace level has greater justification for management in HRM terms (Beardwell Holden, 1994:582). Management needs to decide how much power to delegate to employees while controlling their levels of creative energies and at the same time not undermining managerial prerogatives (Beardwell Holden, 1994: 582). TQM (total quality management) suggests a system whereby worker empowerment is restricted very much within the boundaries set by the management (Beardwell Holden, 1994: 582). Training can provide an opportunity to empower and motivate employees (Honold, L, 1997). Empowering workers in this small way (i.e., schedule the training sessions) during the actual implementation of the organizational change can provide workers with a small degree of control over what is essentially a change in process over which they have no control. Empowerment can be argued as an objective in its own right as a means of extending worker satisfaction (Gennard Judge, 1997: 211). This can be related to the concept of Quality of Working Life (QWL). It refers primarily to how efficiency of performance depends on job satisfaction, and how to design jobs to increase satisfaction, and therefore performance. The early psychological basis of QWL and of justifications of empowerment relating to increased worker motivation was Herzberg (1968). Herzberg developed a theory called the two-factor theory of motivation. Herzberg argued that job factors could be classified as to whether they contributed primarily to satisfaction or dissatisfaction (Spencer Pruss, 1992 : 64). There are conditions, which result in dissatisfaction amongst employees when they are not present. If these conditions are present, this does not necessarily motivate employees. Second there are conditions, which when present in the job, build a strong level of motivation that can result in good job performance. Management very rarely discusses the practical problems in attempting to apply empowerment through quality management (Mabey Salaman, 1997:34) therefore employee views and feelings are unheard. The argument in supporting quality management requires an increase in workers skills and results in genuine employee empowerment (Mabey Salaman, 1997:34). However, in contrast to the optimistic approach is the argument that empowerment through quality management results in the increasing subordination of employees in return for little or no extra reward (Mabey Salaman, 1997:35). Recently, empowerment has become an important Human Resource Management tool (Graham Bennett, 1995: 93) in many organisations. It has been portrayed as the ultimate tool to access unleashed potential and help leaders get the best from their people. In reality, however, organisations that are trying to empower people may be fighting an uphill battle. Managers who harbour a fear that affirmative action may jeopardise their jobs, may be more worried about keeping their jobs than about empowering others. With the rationalization of layers of management, promotion is becoming less realistic and, therefore, middle managers share with non-managerial employees growing feelings of cynicism as well as a heightened sense of estrangement from the predominant goals and values of their employing organizations (Denham, N et al, 1997). According to Maslow (1998), people need a sense of self-determination, autonomy, dignity, and responsibility (Legge, K, 1995: 221) to continue to function in a healthy, growth-motivated way. When placed in an environment where any or all of these qualities are removed from them and they are instead forced to submit to anothers will and think and act under constant supervision (Legge, K, 1995: 221), their sense of esteem and self-worth is robbed from them. The implementation of empowerment can be used successfully as a HRM tool as it provides a competitive advantage ensuring organisational survival (Mabey Salaman, 1997:25) and at the same time protecting employees jobs. However, employees maybe compelled to work harder and more flexibly for their own good (Mabey Salaman, 1997:25) otherwise they might be made redundant for the greater good. The aim of empowerment is to enable employees to actually have to deal with problems to implement solutions quickly and without recourse to supervisors (Gennard Judge, 1997: 71) and or higher levels of management. This is increasingly necessary as large and bureaucratic organisations delayer (Beardwell Holden, 1994: 91) management hierarchies in the search for administrative efficiency and lower costs. Employee empowerment is a very important aspect when considering human resource management. The failure of employers to give employees an opportunity to participate in decisions affecting their welfare may encourage union member ship (sparrow Marchington, 1998: 53). It is widely believed that one reason managers begin employee involvement programs and seek to empower their employees is to avoid collective action by employees (Cole, G, A, 1997: 83). Employee empowerment offers the employers and the employees the chance to be on the same level, so to speak. Empowerment allows them to help make decisions that affect themselves, as well as, the company. Basically, through empowerment, employers and employees are in a win-win situation. The employees feel like they are needed and wanted, while the employers gain satisfaction through their prosperity (Mabey Salaman, 1997: 64). Employee empowerment can be a powerful tool. The now advanced leadership style can increase efficiency and effectiveness inside an organization (Graham Bennett, 1995: 13). It increases productivity and reduces overhead. Overhead expenses are those needed for carrying on a business, i.e. salaries, rent, heat and advertising (Mabey Salaman, 1997: 39). It gives managers the freedom to dedicate their time to more important matters. Managers can highlight the talents and efforts of all employees. The leader and organisation take advantage of the shared knowledge of workers (Beardwell Holden, 1994: 64). Managers at the same time develop their own job qualifications and skills attaining personal advancements (Spencer Pruss, 1992: 38). Empowered employees can make decisions and suggestions that will down the line improve service and support, saving money, time and disputes between companies and their customers (Gennard Judge, 1997: 291). Empowerment of qualified employees will provide exceptional customer service in several competitive markets; therefore it will improve profits through repeated business (Beardwell Holden, 1994: 76). Customers prefer to deal with employees that have the power to manage arrangements and objections by themselves, without having to frequently inquire of their supervisors (Beardwell Holden, 1994: 76). Empowerment is a strong tool that will increase revenue and improve the bottom line (Sparrow Marchington, 1998: 280). Empowerment is also the best way to promote a good long-lasting employee-customer relationship (Sparrow Marchington, 1998:32). Empowerment also brings benefits to employees. It makes them feel better about their inputs to the company; it promotes a greater productivity, and provides them with a sense of personal and professional balance (Cole, G, A, 1997: 91). It exercises employees minds to find alternative and better ways to execute their jobs, and it increases their potential for promotions and job satisfaction. It results in personal growth (Mabey at al, 1998: 174) since the whole process enlarges their feelings of confidence and control in themselves and their companies. It is a process that makes workers utilize their full potentials. This enables them to stay behind their decisions, assume risks, participate and take actions. It is a win-win situation (Wilkinson, A, 1998); customers benefit from sharp employees; organizations benefit from satisfied customers and sharp employees; and employees benefit from improving their confidence and self-esteems. Benefits come with changes in the organizations culture itself. Benefits require changes in management and employees (Mabey at al, 1998: 54). For empowerment to succeed, the management pyramid (Mabey et al, 1998: 54) must be inverted. Old-fashioned managers must take a step back and for the first time serve their subordinates and give up control. Old-fashioned employees must also agree to changes. They could see empowerment as a threat (Spencer Pruss, 1992: 147), especially if they became use to the convenient old style of management structure where the rules and decisions always came from above (Legge, K, 1995: 94). Employee involvement and participation schemes are to enhance job responsibility (Legge, K, 1995: 24) by providing individuals with more influence over how they perform their tasks (employee empowerment). Each individual can make a personal decision on how to perform his or her task instead of being instructed on how to do so by management. When employees are involved, they have some influence on how they perform their job. This in turn is likely to increase their contentment with the job (Mabey at al, 1998: 134), the probability that they will remain in that job and their willingness to except changes in the task that make up the job. Individual employees are more likely to be effective members of the workforce (Sparrow Marchington, 1998: 76) if management taps into their knowledge of the job by seeking their opinion on how the job should be performed and how it can be organised better. For employees, the greater empowerment and control given to frontline staff and to their teams has meant a great degree of freedom than ever before in controlling their own working lives (Sparrow Marchington, 1998:166). The power that managers have, the capacity that managers have to influence the behaviour of employees and work responsibilities, must be now shared with employees (Gennard Judge, 1997: 73) through the creation of trust, assurance, motivation, and support for competitive needs. Work-related decisions and full control of the work is being pushed down towards the lowest operating levels (Armstrong, M, 1996: 58). Self-conducted teams have also emerged, which are groups of empowered employees with no or very little supervision. These groups are able to solve work problems, make choices on schedules and operations, learn to do other employees jobs, and are also held accountable and responsible for the quality of their outputs (Beardwell Holden, 1994: 12) Guest (1987) argued under high commitment management workers would be committed to managements vision, and that management would favour individual contracts over collective agreements as a mean of furthering worker commitment and dependence, thus making unions redundant. Employees who feel they are in a stable work environment will feel more secure and empowered (Cole, G, A, 1997: 94). Advancement opportunities and rewards/incentive programs should also be implemented, as they feed into how committed and employee feels to making positive contributions and whether or not they are recognised for their efforts. Morale, too, provides a good measure of the culture of the organisation. Organisations with a restrictive, secretive environment where information is tightly controlled (Beardwell Holden, 1994: 162) will have less informed less empowered employees. Organisations with a more open environment, where ideas are encouraged from all levels will have a freer flow of information, better-informed employees, and thus higher empowerment. Through the process of employee empowerment, employees feel more valued (Beardwell Holden, 1994: 40) because they are able to participate in the planning process and the decision making process. Empowerment gives employees the opportunity to contribute to the companys overall success (Beardwell Holden, 1994: 40). This helps an employee feel that he/she is truly valued, rather than that they are just a back to be stepped upon by those trying to reach the top. All in all, if the employee is happy with their job, than a paying customer will see that and want to return. Empowerment allows an employee to find new ways to express their creativity (Armstrong, M, 1996: 161). Through creativity, employees are able to make sales or transactions an unforgettable and pleasurable experience for customers, thus ensuring the customers return. Employee empowerment can have a profoundly beneficial impact on the bottom line if used correctly (Mabey et al, 1998: 18). Empowerment allocates responsibility to an employee and creates the motivation to surpass customer expectations. In order to keep customers for life, employers must empower their employees to make their own decisions. Empowerment gives employees the opportunity to make decisions and suggestions (Cole, G, A, 1997: 39) that will down the line improve service and support, saving money, time and disputes between companies and their customers. Empowerment is an aspect, which must be considered in negotiating an effective team contract (Spencer Pruss, 1992: 69) .The team must be empowered to seek and find information across the existing management structures. The communication aspect of empowerment means that the team must be clearly shown where their work adds value to the company, where their effects will show results and where their work fits in with the companys objectives. Organizations wishing to instil a culture of empowerment must find a way of establishing systems and processes that do not restrict employees. By concentrating on what behaviour is considered optimal for the employees and what they do well, management can adapt, develop and change the organizational structure to produce the sought after behaviour (Erstad, M, 1997). Culture changed programmes are commonly promoted (Mabey et al, 1998: 132) to increase the power of the worker, through empowerment. However, critics have argued empowerment is a means of increasing work intensity and gaining greater managerial control over labour (Brambell, 1995, Legge, 1989). Conclusion Work place attitudes such as praising teams for success and punishing teams for failure are inherent in our society (Mabey et al, 1998: 32) where winning and survival have become synonymous. Businesses are installing empowerment into their organisations to give people more responsibility and asking them to test the corporate boundary limits (Graham Bennett, 1995: 91). A t the same time, organisations are asking staff to be more entrepreneurial, and take more risks. It can be argued employees who empower themselves can be called troublemakers and those who take entrepreneurial risks and fail are referred to as failures. The business ethic which condemns failure as a bad thing is going to restrict its best people (Beardwell Holden, 1994: 12), force them to avoid taking risks that may one day be beneficial and will prevent the team experiencing the excitement of the empowerment which is vital to motivation and team dynamics. The advantages gained through empowerment are numerous. Employee empowerment allows an organization to unleash the vital, untapped forces of employee creativity and motivation to solve business problems (Legge, K, 1995: 50). Empowering employee also allows them to make decisions on the spot. This is very important when you work in an industry where you work directly with a paying customer. When employees are empowered, the employer enables them to offer full service to their clients and protect them from the competition. The rewards of empowerment outweigh the risks of losing the employees themselves (Spencer Pruss, 1992: 203). The retail industry is a perfect example. Managers are learning to give up control and employees are learning how to be responsible for the actions and decisions (Cole, G, A, 1997: 34). It is fundamental that management shares information, creates autonomy and feedback, and trains and creates self-directed teams for empowerment to work properly. Managers often prefer not to communicate with employees, and not to share some extremely important information (Beardwell Holden, 1994: 247) with them, but an effective leader must have no hidden agendas. They must treat employees as stakeholders for the road of success (Beardwell Holden, 1994: 247). Employees must have a clear vision of success, because if they are not aware of what success means to the company and where the company is heading, there is no way they can feel empowered to help accomplish this success. Empowerment is not something, which can be passed over from management to employees as a pen is handed from one person to another. It is a complex process, which requires a clear vision, a learning environment both for management and employees, and participation and implementation tools and techniques in order to be successful (Erstad, M, 1997). Bibliography Armstrong, M (1996) A Handbook of Personnel Management Practice, Sixth Edition, Kogan Page Beardwell, I Holden, L (1994) Human resource Management- A contemporary perspective, Pitman Cole, G, A (1997) Personnel Management, Fourth Edition, Letts Denham, N, Ackers, P Travers, C (1997) Doing yourself out of a job? : How middle managers cope with empowerment , Employee Relations; Volume 19 No. 2; Erstad, M (1997) Empowerment and organizational change, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management; Volume 9 No. 7; Gennard, J Judge, G (1997) Employee relations, Institute of Personnel Development Graham, H, T Bennett, R (1995) Human Resources Management, Eight Edition, M+E handbooks Honold, L (1997) A review of the literature on employee empowerment, Empowerment in Organisations; Volume 5 No. 4 Legge, K (1995) Human Resource Management-Rhetorics Realities, Macmillan Business Mabey, C Salaman, G (1997) Strategic Human Resource Management, Blackwell Business Mabey, C, Skinner, D Clark, T, (1998) Experiencing Human Resource Management, Sage Sparrow, P Marchington, M (1998) Human Resource Management-The New Agenda, Pitman Spencer, J Pruss, A (1992) Managing your team, Piatkus Wilkinson, A (1998) Empowerment: theory and practice, Personnel Review; Volume 27 No. 1

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Amongst the pandemonium of relentless sparring and political unpredictability of the Shang and Zhou era, various intellectual thinkers ascended and conveyed such insightful perspectives in the fields of religion, politics and philosophy; the study of ideas about knowledge, truth, the nature and meaning of life. During Chinas rise to Empire, Chinese Philosophers like Kongfuzi, or Confucius, Mencius, and Han Fei implemented two prestige philosophies Confucianism and Legalism. Although Confucianism and Legalism approaches bare a couple of distinct similarities, the differences between the philosophies are significantly evident. The first difference between Confucianism and Legalism is they have completely different beliefs. Based off the teachings of Confucius the Confucianism beliefs were established. The main focus of Confucianism is to instil how to live a harmonious life and adapt socially. Knowledge, humaneness, integrity, righteousness or justice, and etiquette or propriety are the five core virtues that arose from the teachings of Confucianism. The virtues are further instilled in filial piety, contingency, loyalty, and righteousness. Confucianism also communicates that relationships and family are top priorities within one’s lifetime. In contrast to Confucianism, Legalism is a pragmatic political philosophy, and believed using a system of rewards for good citizenship "set clear strict laws, or deliver harsh punishment" for law-breaking citizens, and its essential principle is one of jurisprudence. They believed that human nature is inherently bad, which is why strict laws were needed to keep people under control. This belief about human nature justified dictatorships and authoritarian rulers, which often led to corruption in ... ...he Chinese civilization in to a successful empire. In China from ca. 770 B.C.E. – 220 C.C, two magnificent philosophies were introduced to the Chinese civilization. Although Confucianism and Legalism philosophy approaches bare a couple of distinct similarities, the differences between the philosophies are significantly evident. Since we have examined the similarities and differences between Confucianism and Legalism. It’s clear that Confucianism is an ethical and philosophical system that is normally considered one of the world’s religion. Legalism is a political philosophy that does not address higher questions pertaining to the nature and purpose of existence. Just strict and harsh punishments. Even in our modern day these philosophies are still being practices in the Chinese culture. â€Å"It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.†- Confucius