Second Foundation 4. Two Men and the Elders

The Elders of this particular region of Rossem were not exactly what one might have expected. They were not a mere extrapolation of the peasantry; older, more authoritative, less friendly. Not at all. The dignity that had marked them at first meeting had grown in impression till it had reached the mark of being their predominant characteristic. They sat about their oval table like so many grave and slow-moving thinkers. Most were a trifle past their physical prime, though the few who possessed beards wore them short and neatly arranged. Still, enough appeared younger than forty to make it quite obvious that â€Å"Elders† was a term of respect rather than entirely a literal description of age. The two from outer space were at the head of the table and in the solemn silence that accompanied a rather frugal meal that seemed ceremonious rather than nourishing, absorbed the new, contrasting atmosphere. After the meal and after one or two respectful remarks – too short and simple to be called speeches – had been made by those of the Elders apparently held most in esteem, an informality forced itself upon the assembly. It was as if the dignity of greeting foreign personages had finally given way to the amiable rustic qualities of curiosity and friendliness. They crowded around the two strangers and the flood of questions came. They asked if it were difficult to handle a spaceship, how many men were required for the job, if better motors could be made for their ground-cars, if it was true that it rarely snowed on other worlds as was said to be the case with Tazenda, how many people lived on their world, if it was as large as Tazenda, if it was far away, how their clothes were woven and what gave them the metallic shimmer, why they did not wear furs, if they shaved every day, what sort of stone that was in Pritcher's ring – The list stretched out. And almost always the questions were addressed to Pritcher as though, as the elder, they automatically invested him with the greater authority. Pritcher found himself forced to answer at greater and greater length. It was like an immersion in a crowd of children. Their questions were those of utter and disarming wonder. Their eagerness to know was completely irresistible and would not be denied. Pritcher explained that spaceships were not difficult to handle and that crews varied with the size, from one to many, that the motors of their ground-cars were unknown in detail to him but could doubtless be improved, that the climates of worlds varied almost infinitely, that many hundreds of millions lived on his world but that it was far smaller and more insignificant than the great empire of Tazenda, that their clothes were woven of silicone plastics in which metallic luster was artificially produced by proper orientation of the surface molecules, and that they could be artificially heated so that furs were unnecessary, that they shaved every day, that the stone in his ring was an amethyst. The list stretched out. He found himself thawing to these naive provincials against his will. And always as he answered there was a rapid chatter among the Elders, as though they debated the information gained. It was difficult to follow these inner discussions of theirs for they lapsed into their own accented version of the universal Galactic language that, through long separation from the currents of living speech, had become archaic. Almost, one might say, their curt comments among themselves hovered on the edge of understanding, but just managed to elude the clutching tendrils of comprehension. Until finally Channis interrupted to say, â€Å"Good sirs, you must answer us for a while, for we are strangers and would be very much interested to know all we can of Tazenda.† And what happened then was that a great silence fell and each of the hitherto voluble Elders grew silent. Their hands, which had been moving in such rapid and delicate accompaniment to their words as though to give them greater scope and varied shades of meaning, fell suddenly limp. They stared furtively at one another, apparently quite willing each to let the other have all the floor. Pritcher interposed quickly, â€Å"My companion asks this in friendliness, for the fame of Tazenda fills the Galaxy and we, of course, shall inform the governor of the loyalty and love of the Elders of Rossem.† No sigh of relief was heard but faces brightened. An Elder stroked his beard with thumb and forefinger, straightening its slight curl with a gentle pressure, and said: â€Å"We are faithful servants of the Lords of Tazenda.† Pritcher's annoyance at Channis' bald question subsided. It was apparent, at least, that the age that he had felt creeping over him of late had not yet deprived him of his own capacity for making smooth the blunders of others. He continued: â€Å"We do not know, in our far part of the universe, much of the past history of the Lords of Tazenda. We presume they have ruled benevolently here for a long time.† The same Elder who spoke before, answered. In a soft, automatic way he had become spokesman. He said: â€Å"Not the grandfather of the oldest can recall a time in which the Lords were absent.† â€Å"It has been a time of peace?† â€Å"It has been a time of peace!† He hesitated. â€Å"The governor is a strong and powerful Lord who would not hesitate to punish traitors. None of us are traitors, of course.† â€Å"He has punished some in the past, I imagine, as they deserve.† Again hesitation, â€Å"None here have ever been traitors, or our fathers or our fathers' fathers. But on other worlds, there have been such, and death followed for them quickly. It is not good to think of for we are humble men who are poor farmers and not concerned with matters of politics.† The anxiety in his voice, the universal concern in the eyes of all of them was obvious. Pritcher said smoothly: â€Å"Could you inform us as to how we can arrange an audience with your governor.† And instantly an element of sudden bewilderment entered the situation. For after a long moment, the elder said: â€Å"Why, did you not know? The governor will be here tomorrow. He has expected you. It has been a great honor for us. We†¦ we hope earnestly that you will report to him satisfactorily as to our loyalty to him.† Pritcher's smile scarcely twitched. â€Å"Expected us?† The Elder looked wonderingly from one to the other. â€Å"Why†¦ it is now a week since we have been waiting for you.† Their quarters were undoubtedly luxurious for the world. Pritcher had lived in worse. Channis showed nothing but indifference to externals. But there was an element of tension between them of a different nature than hitherto. Pritcher, felt the time approaching for a definite decision and yet there was still the desirability of additional waiting. To see the governor first would be to increase the gamble to dangerous dimensions and yet to win that gamble might multi-double the winnings. He felt a surge of anger at the slight crease between Channis' eyebrows, the delicate uncertainty with which the young man's lower lip presented itself to an upper tooth. He detested the useless play-acting and yearned for an end to it. He said: â€Å"We seem to be anticipated.† ‘Yes,† said Channis, simply. â€Å"Just that? You have no contribution of greater pith to make. We come here and find that the governor expects us. Presumably we shall find from the governor that Tazenda itself expects us. Of what value then is our entire mission?† Channis looked up, without endeavoring to conceal the weary note in his voice: â€Å"To expect us is one thing; to know who we are and what we came for, is another.† â€Å"Do you expect to conceal these things from men of the Second Foundation?† â€Å"Perhaps. Why not? Are you ready to throw your hand in? Suppose our ship was detected in space. Is it unusual for a realm to maintain frontier observation posts? Even if we were ordinary strangers, we would be of interest.† â€Å"Sufficient interest for a governor to come to us rather than the reverse?' Channis shrugged: â€Å"We'll have to meet that problem later. Let us see what this governor is like.† Pritcher bared his teeth in a bloodless kind of scowl. The situation was becoming ridiculous. Channis proceeded with an artificial animation: â€Å"At least we know one thing. Tazenda is the Second Foundation or a million shreds of evidence are unanimously pointing the wrong way. How do you interpret the obvious terror in which these natives hold Tazenda? I see no signs of political domination. Their groups of Elders apparently meet freely and without interference of any sort. The taxation they speak of doesn't seem at all extensive to me or efficiently carried through. The natives speak much of poverty but seem sturdy and well-fed. The houses are uncouth and their villages rude, but are obviously adequate for the purpose. â€Å"In fact, the world fascinates me. I have never seen a more forbidding one, yet I am convinced there is no suffering among the population and that their uncomplicated lives manage to contain a well-balanced happiness lacking in the sophisticated populations of the advanced centers.† â€Å"Are you an admirer of peasant virtues, then?† â€Å"The stars forbid.† Channis seemed amused at the idea. â€Å"I merely point out the significance of all this. Apparently, Tazenda is an efficient administrator – efficient in a sense far different from the efficiency of the old Empire or of the First Foundation, or even of our own Union. All these have brought mechanical efficiency to their subjects at the cost of more intangible values. Tazenda brings happiness and sufficiency. Don't you see that the whole orientation of their domination is different? It is not physical, but psychological.† â€Å"Really?† Pritcher, allowed himself irony. â€Å"And the terror with which the Elders spoke of the punishment of treason by these kind hearted psychologist administrators? How does that suit your thesis?† â€Å"Were they the objects of the punishment? They speak of punishment only of others. It is as if knowledge of punishment has been so well implanted in them that punishment itself need never be used. The proper mental attitudes are so inserted into their minds that I am certain that not a Tazendian soldier exists on the planet. Don't you see all this?† â€Å"I'll see perhaps,† said Pritcher, coldly, â€Å"when I see the governor. And what, by the way, if our mentalities are handled?† Channis replied with brutal contempt: â€Å"You should be accustomed to that.† Pritcher whitened perceptibly, and, with an effort, turned away. They spoke to one another no more that day. It was in the silent windlessness of the frigid night, as he listened to the soft, sleeping motions of the other, that Pritcher silently adjusted his wrist-transmitter to the ultrawave region for which Channis' was unadjustable and, with noiseless touches of his fingernail, contacted the ship. The answer came in little periods of noiseless vibration that barely lifted themselves above the sensory threshold. Twice Pritcher asked: â€Å"Any communications at all yet?† Twice the answer came: â€Å"None. We wait always.† He got out of bed. It was cold in the room and he pulled the furry blanket around him as he sat in the chair and stared out at the crowding stars so different in the brightness and complexity of their arrangement from the even fog of the Galactic Lens that dominated the night sky of his native Periphery. Somewhere there between the stars was the answer to the complications that overwhelmed him, and he felt the yearning for that solution to arrive and end things. For a moment he wondered again if the Mule were right – if Conversion had robbed him of the firm sharp edge of self-reliance. Or was it simply age and the fluctuations of these last years? He didn't really care. He was tired. *** The governor of Rossem arrived with minor ostentation. His only companion was the uniformed man at the controls of the ground-car. The ground-car itself was of lush design but to Pritcher it appeared inefficient. It turned clumsily; more than once it apparently balked at what might have been a too-rapid change of gears. It was obvious at once from its design that it ran on chemical, and not on atomic, fuel. The Tazendian governor stepped softly on to the thin layer of snow and advanced between two lines of respectful Elders. He did not look at them but entered quickly. They followed after him. From the quarters assigned to them, the two men of the Mule's Union watched. He – the governor – was thickset, rather stocky, short, unimpressive. But what of that? Pritcher cursed himself for a failure of nerve. His face, to be sure, remained icily calm. There was no humiliation before Channis – but he knew very well that his blood pressure had heightened and his throat had become dry. It was not a case of physical fear. He was not one of those dull-witted, unimaginative men of nerveless meat who were too stupid ever to be afraid – but physical fear he could account for and discount. But this was different. It was the other fear. He glanced quickly at Channis. The young man glanced idly at the nails of one hand and poked leisurely at some trifling unevenness. Something inside Pritcher became vastly indignant. What had Channis to fear of mental handling? Pritcher caught a mental breath and tried to think back. How had he been before the Mule had Converted him from the die-hard Democrat that he was. It was hard to remember. He could not place himself mentally. He could not break the clinging wires that bound him emotionally to the Mule. Intellectually, he could remember that he had once tried to assassinate the Mule but not for all the straining he could endure, could he remember his emotions at the time. That might be the self-defense of his own mind, however, for at the intuitive thought of what those emotions might have been – not realizing the details, but merely comprehending the drift of it – his stomach grew queasy. What if the governor tampered with his mind? What if the insubstantial mental tendrils of a Second Foundationer insinuated itself down the emotional crevices of his makeup and pulled them apart and rejoined them? There had been no sensation the first time. There had been no pain, no mental jar – not even a feeling of discontinuity. He had always loved the Mule. If there had ever been a time long before – as long before as five short years – when he had thought he hadn't loved him, that he had hated him – that was just a horrid illusion. The thought of that illusion embarrassed him. But there had been no pain. Would meeting the governor duplicate that? Would all that had gone before – all his service for the Mule – all his life's orientation – join the hazy, other-life dream that held the word, Democracy. The Mule also a dream, and only to Tazenda, his loyalty- Sharply, he turned away. There was that strong desire to retch. And then Channis' voice clashed on his ear, â€Å"I think this is it, general.† Pritcher turned again. An Elder had opened the door silently and stood with a dignified and calm respect upon the threshold. He said, â€Å"His Excellency, Governor of Rossem, in the name of the Lords of Tazenda, is pleased to present his permission for an audience and request your appearance before him.† â€Å"Sure thing,† and Channis tightened his belt with a jerk and adjusted a Rossemian hood over his head. Pritcher's jaw set. This was the beginning of the real gamble. The governor of Rossem was not of formidable appearance. For one thing, he was bareheaded, and his thinning hair, light brown, tending to gray, lent him mildness. His bony eye-ridges lowered at them, and his eyes, set in a fine network of surrounding wrinkles, seemed calculating, but his fresh-cropped chin was soft and small and, by the universal convention of followers of the pseudoscience of reading character by facial bony structure, seemed â€Å"weak.† Pritcher, avoided the eyes and watched the chin. He didn't know whether that would be effective – if anything would be. The governor's voice was high-pitched, indifferent: â€Å"Welcome to Tazenda. We greet you in peace. You have eaten?† His hand – long fingers, gnarled veins – waved almost regally at the U-shaped table. They bowed and sat down. The governor sat at the outer side of the base of the U, they on the inner; along both arms sat the double row of silent Elders. The governor spoke in short, abrupt sentences – praising the food as Tazendian importations – and it had indeed a quality different if, somehow, not so much better, than the rougher food of the Elders – disparaging Rossemian weather, referring with an attempt at casualness to the intricacies of space travel. Channis talked little. Pritcher not at all. Then it was over. The small, stewed fruits were finished; the napkins used and discarded, and the governor leaned back. His small eyes sparkled. â€Å"I have inquired as to your ship. Naturally, I would like to see that it receives due care and overhaul. I am told its whereabouts are unknown.† â€Å"True.† Channis replied lightly. â€Å"We have left it in space. It is a large ship, suitable for long journeys in sometimes hostile regions, and we felt that landing it here might give rise to doubts as to our peaceful intentions. We preferred to land alone, unarmed.† â€Å"A friendly act,† commented the governor, without conviction. â€Å"A large ship, you say?† â€Å"Not a vessel of war, excellency.† â€Å"Ha, hum. Where is it you come from?† â€Å"A small world of the Santanni sector, your excellency. It may be you are not aware of its existence for it lacks importance. We are interested in establishing trade relationships.† â€Å"Trade, eh? And what have you to sell?' â€Å"Machines of all sorts, excellency. In return, food, wood, ores.†*** â€Å"Ha, hum.† The governor seemed doubtful. â€Å"I know little of*** these matters. Perhaps mutual profit may be arranged. Perhaps, after I have examined your credentials at length – for much information will be required by my government before matters may proceed, you understand – and after I have looked over your ship, it would be advisable for you to proceed to Tazenda.† There was no answer to that, and the governor's attitude iced perceptibly. â€Å"It is necessary that I see your ship, however.† Channis said distantly: â€Å"The ship, unfortunately, is undergoing repairs at the moment. If your excellency would not object giving us forty-eight hours, it will be at your service.† â€Å"I am not accustomed to waiting.† For the first time, Pritcher met the glare of the other, eye to eye, and his breath exploded softly inside him. For a moment, he had the sensation of drowning, but then his eyes tore away. Channis did not waver. He said: â€Å"The ship cannot be landed for forty-eight hours, excellency. We are here and unarmed. Can you doubt our honest intentions?† There was a long silence, and then the governor said gruffly, â€Å"Tell me of the world from which you come.† That was all. It passed with that. There was no more unpleasantness. The governor, having fulfilled his official duty, apparently lost interest and the audience died a dull death. And when it was all over, Pritcher found himself back in their quarters and took stock of himself. Carefully – holding his breath – he â€Å"felt† his emotions. Certainly he seemed no different to himself, but would he feel any difference? Had he felt different after the Mule's Conversion? Had not everything seemed natural? As it should have been? He experimented. With cold purpose, he shouted inside the silent caverns of his mind, and the shout was, â€Å"The Second Foundation must be discovered and destroyed.† And the emotion that accompanied it was honest hate. There was not as much as a hesitation involved in it. And then it was in his mind to substitute the word â€Å"Mule† for the phrase â€Å"Second Foundation† and his breath caught at the mere emotion and his tongue clogged. So far, good. But had he been handled otherwise – more subtly? Had tiny changes been made? Changes that he couldn't detect because their very existence warped his judgment. There was no way to tell. But he still felt absolute loyalty to the Mule! If that were unchanged, nothing else really mattered. He turned his mind to action again. Channis was busy at his end of the room. Pritcher's thumbnail idled at his wrist communicator. And then at the response that came he felt a wave of relief surge over him and leave him weak. The quiet muscles of his face did not betray him, but inside he was shouting with joy – and when Channis turned to face him, he knew that the farce was about over.

Research Proposal †Brief Provisional Title Essay

Brief Provisional Title: To what extent does media reporting, during a two-month period in 2000 contribute to the vigilantes towards paedophiles. The main aims of the dissertation: It can be suggested amongst academic literature that much of the heightened attacks against paedophiles is media generated, generally the media is perceived as instigators of provoking and motivating heightened anxiety and vigilantes amongst the public domain (refer to Kitzinger, 1999b and Soothill, 1991). Ultimately it can be claimed that tabloid newspapers have led the way in the construction of the personification of paedophiles, often portraying them as ‘perverts’, ‘evil’ and ‘beasts’, reinforcing the public’s beliefs that paedophiles are somewhat a different species apart from ‘ordinary’ people. It can be platitude amongst academic commentators â€Å"that the newsprint media do more than merely reflect social reality† (Greer, 2003, P.44 ), the media can be accused of amplifying a moral panic or even cultivating a mob rule mentality through such conceptualisations. The print media potentially play an active role in criminological theory, too exemplify labelling theory. The labelling theory focuses on the premise that crime and criminal behaviour is a social process, that of the relationship between an individual who is defined as deviant and those who have the power to label such individual as deviant. These general propositions attribute the media as an important factor in such process, thus helping to construct the paedophile with a hate figure identity. The process by which labelling occurs has social and psychological implications on those who are labelled, which in my research is paedophiles. Embedded within such theory exists the belief that such individuals who are labelled are likely to incorporate the label within their self-image and such stigmatisation is likely to affect how they are treated by others in the future. Indeed Spencer, 1999 proclaims that â€Å"where paedophiles are hounded out, they will go underground† (Spencer , 1999, P.178). Such a theory will be applied into my dissertation to attempt to explain whether the labelling of paedophiles by the print media contribute to the vigilantes towards paedophiles. However throughout my research process there existed an identifiable relationship between the failures of legislation, in accordance to the protection of children and vigilante attacks towards paedophiles, as â€Å"people seem to have lost confidence in the system and have decided to take the law into their own hands† (David, 1997, P.20). But such a relationship will not be acknowledged within my research, as my aim is to examine the way in which paedophiles are represented and labelled through print media reporting. Examining such relationship between legislation and vigilante attacks would inevitably result in me exploring outside the realm of my research question. The central research question I wish to explore is: â€Å"To what extent does media reporting, during a two-month period contribute to the vigilantes towards paedophiles?† My initial hypothesis is that negative labelling of paedophiles perceived through the print media structure individuals perceptions. There also exists a certain complicity towards the way in which the print media reinforces or contributes people’s actions to act violently towards paedophiles. Reasons for undertaking research: Although I have never worked with sex offenders or with victims who have experienced such abuse, the desire to focus my dissertation on paedophiles originated from the tragic death of Sarah Payne in July 2000 by Roy Whiting, a previous convicted sex offender. What jilted my interest was the profound response of the public and media, which triggered a campaign for the implementation of ‘Sarah’s Law’. Such a campaign resulted in the actions of the Sunday newspaper, the News Of The World publicly naming and shaming convicted paedophiles. To me this is detrimental not only to children but also to paedophiles are they are likely to pose a greater risk to children. A great concern of mine is the way in which paedophiles are stereotypically represented by the media, as it notably feeds the hysteria of public fear and incites such hostility for lynch mob frenzy. Methodology and methods: To investigate the way in which paedophiles are portrayed in the print media and does such portrayal reinforce violent behaviour, I wish to examine both written text and visual images, thus resulting in my methodology consisting of a qualitative approach. My methodology will allow me to explore the ideological themes and stereotypical language embedded within such press report, evaluating whether conceptualisations of the paedophile incite a violent mentality. The source of documentation I wish to analyse in my methodology, will be from national newspapers from the year 2000, such as the News Of The World, The Sun, the Daily Mail and The Guardian, which will consist of a time framework of two months, preferably being the months July and August. I wish to explore these specific months as the newspaper, the News Of The World, in the summer of 2000 undertook such initiative to publicly name and shame convicted paedophiles. Examining newspapers during this period will inevitably provide me with a rich source of information to evaluate and analyse. Due to my study concentrating on a limited time framework and a specific theme it is fair to illustrate that my study will not represent the norm of the print media in relation to the way in which paedophiles are ascribed with such label, my study will only represent a fragment of the print media. However my intentions from my findings is to elucidate the representation of paedophiles within the print media and provide a rigorous analysis concerning the way in which the media militates violent behaviour towards paedophiles. Thus in relation to my research there may exist some difficulties I may encounter these may include, with respect to a paedophile report, me questioning to what extent a report featured in a newspaper is actually valid, which could result in my findings representing a misinterpretation of paedophiles. With respect to resources, I may encounter difficulties in relation to gaining access to newspaper articles from the year 2000. Some articles can be gained from UWCN Library but other articles from newspapers such as the News Of The World and The Sun may result in me researching beyond the UWCN library to libraries such as Cardiff or even paying to order back issues from the internet. Bibliography: David, M. (1997). Child Protection, Moral Outrage or Mob Rule? Community Care. 7 August, PP. 20-21. Greer, C. (2003). Sex Crime And The media, Cornwall: Willan Publishing. Kitzinger, J. (2002). The Ultimate Neighbour Form Hell? Stranger Danger And The Media Framing Paedophiles. In: Jewkes, Y and Letherby, G. Criminology: A reader, London: Sage Publications. McDonald, l. (2001). Sex Offender, The Home Office And the Sunday Papers, Journal of Social Welfare and family Law 23 (1), PP. 103-108. Reiner, R (2002). Media Made Criminality. In: Maguire, M and et-al. The Oxford Handbook Of Criminology, Oxford university press. Thomas, T. (2002). Sex Crime, Sex Offending And Society, Cornwall, Willan publishing. Tierney, J. (1996). Criminology, Theory And Context, England: Longman. White, R and Haines, F. (1996). Crime and Criminology, An Introduction, Oxford University Press.

Managing Team Conflict

Potential sources of conflict for the team include team member’s schedules, member disagreement, lack of consideration of deadlines, lack of input, and ineffective communication. One issue to contribute to conflict is the lack of input of all team members and the failure for team members to show up and meet at the designated time agreed upon by all team members.   Since there are different knowledge and skill set levels of all the members of the team, there can be areas where these levels overlap. In addition, there can also be areas where the team is missing necessary strengths to fully assist the team in its goals.Without effective communication, team members cannot fully express skills each person currently possesses, and areas of knowledge where assistance is needed.   Communication barriers pose potential problems as well. One communication barrier that exists is failure for group members to utilize active listening. According to Hamilton (2001), â€Å"Many times whe n we are discussing a problem with others, we listen selfishly. In other words, we listen to gather ammunition for our rebuttals and to determine when we an insert our viewpoints into our conversation. Active listening requires us to listen from the speaker’s viewpoint† (312). With this in mind, it is important for all team members to utilize active listening and be open to new ideas and thinking. It is through learning from other team members that a team can increase strengths and gain additional knowledge to assist the team in its goals.One way to assist with communication is having a leader of the team. The role of the leader is essential because it helps the team maintain organization and structure. Having a leader can assist the team when decision making must be performed. In the decision making process, three leadership styles used are autocratic, democratic and laissez-fairre. Each of these leadership styles can be used by any individual within the team. Ultimate ly, the goal of the team should be to use the democratic leadership style. The democratic leadership style is the preferred method of decision making because, â€Å"two-way communication exists between leaders and followers,† (Hamilton, 319). It is this two-way communication that will assist all team members in having a say about the decision and making the decision that will best benefit all team members.Failure to utilize effective communication can lead to conflict within the group. One conflict already experienced within the group is lack of input and failure for all members to show up for designated meetings. This creates a problem since all input is needed to make effective decisions within the group. It becomes a problem for completing assignments without all input from team members and creates tension within the team since less members are available to perform all the work needed to complete the assignment. Those members who are actively working on the assignments are doing work for those members who fail to give input or report as a team.One source of conflict that is beneficial to the team is that conflict surrounding differences of opinions. Since each individual is unique and brings knowledge with him or her, having challenging opinions and views will ultimately assist the team in its knowledge and long term goals. 2. How will the team deal with a team member who will not cooperate with the team goals and objectives – for instance, the team member who is personally offensive; or, the team member who is a social loafer?Having a leader who will be in charge of the team is a way to limit the issues that arise in the team. In addition, ground rules must be established when the team is formed to minimize the risk of issues among the team. If a team member is consistently disrupting the team and not assisting the team in its goals, then action needs to be taken. If the leader of the team is unable to resolve the issue with the team member, then additional intervention may need to occur.3. Reflect once more on the experiences you’ve had within your current learning team. Describe a time when the members of your team have managed conflict by: a. Avoidance b. Competition c. Accommodation d. Collaboration e. Compromise Next, discuss which of the above conflict management methods seemed to yield the best outcomes for your learning team. Explain your rationale. Since lack of input poses to be a problem with the current learning team, avoidance is used by team members. The remaining team members who show up for meetings and actively contribute have done so in a collaborative manner in order to finish the task at hand. The six conflict management strategies can occur in all teams, but the conflict management strategy that yields the best outcome is using collaboration. Collaboration is a means of problem solving that takes all ideas and finds the best solution based upon the ideas. If all team members bring ideas to the table, the learning team can then take all ideas into consideration and determine the best solution to the conflict.4. Summarize the responses to #3 into five specific team rules about conflict management that describe how team members will respond and behave in challenging situations. Consider adopting the following phrasing: When faced with conflict, our team will manage it by†¦. A. Create a schedule that lists who is responsible for what portion and the due date for inclusion in the overall project.B. Everyone will communicate in a respectful manner.C. Take constructive criticism and compromiseD. Work cooperatively with other members of the team.E.   Participate and complete assignment on timeReferencesHamilton, Cheryl R (2001) Communicating for Results. Belmont: Wadsworth / ThomsonLearning.

Albert Einstein Essays - Physics, Science And Technology

Albert Einstein Of all the scientists to emerge from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries there is one whose name is known by almost all living people. While most of these do not understand this man's work, everyone knows that its impact on the world of science is astonishing. Yes,many have heard of Albert Einstein's General Theory of relativity, but few know about the intriguing life that led this scientist to discover what some have called, "The greatest single achievement of human thought." Einstein was born in Ulm, Germany on March 14, 1874. Before his first birthday, his family had moved to Munich where young Albert's father, Hermann Einstein, and uncle set up a small electro-chemical business. He was fortunate to have an excellent family with which he held a strong relationship. Albert's mother, Pauline Einstein, had an intense passion for music and literature, and it was she that first introduced her son to the violin in which he found much joy and relaxation. Also, he was very close with his younger sister, Maja, and they could often be found in the lakes that were scattered about the countryside near Munich. As a child, Einstein's sense of curiosity had already begun to stir. A favorite toy of his was his father's compass, and he often marveled at his uncle's explanations of algebra. Although young Albert was intrigued by certain mysteries of science, he was considered a slow learner. His failure to become fluent in German until the age of nine even led some teachers to believe he was disabled. Einstein's post-basic education began at the Luitpold Gymnasium when he was ten. It was here that he first encountered the German spirit through the school's strict disciplinary policy. His disapproval of this method of teaching led to his reputation as a rebel. It was probably these differences that caused Einstein to search for knowledge at home. He began not with science, but with religion. He avidly studied the Bible seeking truth, but this religious fervor soon died down when he discovered the intrigue of science and math. To him, these seemed much more realistic than ancient stories. With this new knowledge he disliked class even more, and was eventually expelled from Luitpold Gymnasium being considered a disruptive influence. Feeling that he could no longer deal with the German mentality, Einstein moved to Switzerland where he continued his education. At sixteen he attempted to enroll at the Federal Institute of Technology but failed the entrance exam. This forced him to study locally for one year until he finally passed the school's evaluation. The Institute allowed Einstein to meet many other students that shared his curiosity, and It was here that his studies turned mainly to Physics. He quickly learned that while physicists had generally agreed on major principals in the past, there were modern scientists who were attempting to disprove outdated theories. Since most of Einstein's teachers ignored these new ideas, he was again forced to explore on his own. In 1900 he graduated from the Institute and then achieved citizenship to Switzerland. Einstein became a clerk at the Swiss Patent Office in 1902. This job had little to do with physics, but he was able to satiate his curiosity by figuring out how new inventions worked. The most important part of Einstein's occupation was that it allowed him enough time to pursue his own line of research. As his ideas began to develop, he published them in specialist journals. Though he was still unknown to the scientific world, he began to attract a large circle of friends and admirers. A group of students that he tutored quickly transformed into a social club that shared a love of nature, music, and of course, science. In 1903 he married Mileva Meric, a mathematician friend. In 1905, Einstein published five separate papers in a journal, the Annals of Physics. The first was immediately acknowledged, and the University of Zurich awarded Einstein an additional degree. The other papers helped to develop modern physics and earned him the reputation of an artist. Many scientists have said that Einstein's work contained an imaginative spirit that was seen in most poetry. His work at this time dealt with molecules, and how their motion affected temperature, but he is most well known for his Special Theory of Relativity which tackled motion and the speed of light. Perhaps the most important part of his discoveries was the equation: E= mc2. After publishing these theories Einstein was promoted at his office. He remained at the Patents Office for another two years, but his name was becoming too big among the scientific community. In 1908, Einstein began teaching party time at

Article Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 12

Review - Article Example The major functions generally involve searching of the relevant literature for establishing the contact with the discipline for writing the relevant literature. At the time of searching of the literature, practitioners are faced with various challenges. In this regard, the practitioners search for the journals which are not accessible for everyone. Some journals are only accessible for key users, which are recognized as one of the big issues for the practitioners. The second problem relates to the accessing of the journals during the research. There are few prominent solutions, to this issue, such as many sites are provided for accessing the articles without any subscription charges and the research scholars are suggested to figure out a list of the relevant journals for the research purpose (Carr &Briggs, n.d.). The study is based upon the indirect behavioral observation. Thus, the study is qualitative in nature. Correspondingly, the research design has been established. The study can be referred to base on indirect observation as it involves reviewing the articles of others. The research design will be rated three as per the SMRS application (The National Autism Center, 2009). The measurement of the dependent variable is related to the availability of the subject related literature articles. The practitioners are engaged in exploring articles of others. Hence, they are dependent upon the availability of such accessible articles. The indirect observation also explains that the problems related to the unavailability of the accurate articles are the dependent variable of the research. On the basis of the given information, the writer will rate four by using the SMRS (The National Autism Center, 2009). The independent variable of the study is the subject of the research paper. On the basis of the indirect observation, it can be determined that approximately 80% of the literature review to be

Supply Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Supply Management - Essay Example Further, tendering is an intense process where the government advertises the specific areas that would require procuring. Through bidding, the lowest bidder receives the contract to do supplying for a specified period of time. Therefore, all supplies receive equal treatment in terms of information access, enquiries on specifications, and lastly the responding time to participate in the bidding. However, the winner of the bid also receives further scrutiny to determine whether they are the responsible and responsive lowest bidder that submitted the bid. They have to prove that they are responsive in relation to effective answering to the questions that the issues of the bid may have. In addition, their responsive nature also applies in their ability to provide samples in good time as per the request of the bid issuer. On the other hand, the winning supplier also becomes responsible because of passing the integrity and desirable background test (UN HABITAT, 2003). In contrast, the priv ate sector operates differently as it uses sample views, interviews with potential suppliers, physical visits to the private site, and using their reference and their credit review. On the contrary, the private contract investigative agencies where the provision of information is on a confidential basis. In the public sector procurement, the process becomes flawed if the responses received are not clear enough meaning that there none qualifies to receive the tenders on offer .sequentially, the awarding of tenders experiences delay and may start all again till the suppliers comply with the set requirements. This translates to time wastage hence making the suppliers despair and losing trust in the process. In essence, this serves as one of the outcomes of an ineffective supply and management process by creating sour relations between the two parties. In addition, there exists a substantial difference between the procurement departments in both the public and private sectors in referen ce to the work force and performance. The latter invests in the workforce by ensuring that there exists competence in task execution, which may not be the situation for the former. For the public sector, it is vital for them to cut on costs rather than accessing quality, which is quite different from the private sectors view. Therefore, the supplier satisfaction in the private sector deems fit as compared to that of the government purchasing and supplies management. Levels of buyer and seller relationships Over the years, buyer and supplier relationship has been on a transformative path to make transactions between relative easy and effective. Ideally, the relationship between the two had an inclination on reactive and mechanized procurement, which later changed to proactive purchasing. In essence, the reactive form of purchasing implied that one party’s gain would be the others loss. Later, the transformation process brought partnership between the two where there would be e qual benefits. Subsequently, there are three levels of buyer and seller relationships that are the adversarial, barometric and complementary relationships. Ideally, the adversarial relationship has the buyer benefiting more than the seller as they tend to push for more discounts at the peril of supplier (Moser, 2006). Therefore, the focus is solely on accessing lower cost for the buyers desired items of choice hence making

The Tiebout Model Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Tiebout Model - Essay Example The main finding included the fact that inter-jurisdictional competition is a vital element of the mechanism. The key players in Tiebout’s model are individual citizens and governments. business firms are not an explicit part of the model (Brueckner 2004, p 138). It was meant to be applied to local governments and to a lesser degree, to state governments. The model assumes citizens have full knowledge of government revenue and expenditure packages, that there are a large number of communities among which individuals can choose to live, and that people will opt for the community that best satisfies their preferences. Moreover, the model assumes that government services exhibit no spillover effects (Billings 2008, p 45). Tiebout’s model made three additional assumptions; one, that jobs impose no locational constraint on individuals; two, that a community’s optimal size, meaning the size for which the average cost of producing a particular packages of public service s is minimized, can be determined; and three, that each community seeks to attain its optimal size (Feiock 2004, p. 76). The model envisions citizens sorting themselves out among available communities so that demands for government services within any particular community would become homogenous. In theory, Tiebout concluded that to the extent these rather restrictive assumptions are met, good and services provided by the local public sector will exhibit both allocative efficiency (the right amounts of the various good and services are produced ) and productive efficiency (they are produced at least cost) (Rivkin 2001, p. 206). In Tiebout’s model, community taxes would be benefit taxes, or proportional to the benefits citizens receive form public services, rather than taxes based on the ability to pay. Tiebout’s model implies that any redistribution of income is taken care of by the federal government (Rivkin 2001, p. 207). Despite all the pros of the Tiebout model, va rious changes in the finance systems of local governments over the last three decades, such as fiscal centralization, work against the establishment of Tiebout effects. This uniformity is undesirable and future reforms should target to encourage a greater diversity of service provision. Competition among local governments, cities and municipalities, as depicted in Tiebout’s model, most at times serve to improve efficiency and delivery of service and goods to the citizens. Based on Tiebout’s model, where there is competition, citizens will come together to take care of all types of demands for public goods and service (Widmer & Zweifel 2008, p. 5). Moreover, individuals will relocate to communities that best meets their demand for public goods and services and the productivity is improved and more efficient since shady and/ ineffective providers of public services and goods will not get any clients. Tiebout model has all the benefits of a competitive market (Feiock 2004 , p. 97). According to Tiebout, it is clear that decentralization of provision of public goods and services results in a positive influence on performance. The rationale is that citizens will procure from the providers who give them the best quotient between public service and tax paid. In a study on fiscal equalization, where disparities among local