Reasons and Objectives free essay sample

As far as my eyes could see everything was divided into white and blue. There was barely any noise and there was an uncomfortable pressure in my ears. I had been on planes many times before but this would be the last time I would get on one. My family and I were leaving our home in Peru and moving to the U.S. permanently. Unbeknownst to me, we would not be allowed to return or enjoy many of the benefits Americans have. But I didn’t care about that then, I was enjoying the flight and the view for one last time. After a couple of week’s search, my parents found an apartment that we could move into. The rent was more that they were comfortable with but they knew the district had a good school so they took it. Ever since I can remember my parents have tried to give me a good education. We will write a custom essay sample on Reasons and Objectives or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page In Peru, they made an effort to sign me up to a good school, so it was no surprise that they would try here as well. At the time we moved I couldn’t do much to help their goal, all I could do was try my best at school. But now that’s changed. I keep my parents objectives at heart and try to obtain the best education I can get. Education is the first step towards financial stability. A degree from a respected college or university will allow me to secure this. I hope go obtain a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and get a job in a related field. With this, maybe I can one day pay back my parents for all of their hard work.

Research Paper on Satellite Communications

Research Paper on Satellite Communications 1. Overview The role of satellite networks in global communications is growing at an unprecedented pace. From direct broadcast satellite (DBS) television, to satellite phones, to credit card transactions, to the Internet, corporations and consumers are embracing these new services and placing demands on bandwidth. With this demand have come expectations in terms of basic service costs, hardware costs, and ease-of-use. These expectations have forced the industry to examine its traditional ways of operating in order to make satellite services as accessible and convenient as its terrestrial competitors. Recent current events, such as the World Trade Center tragedy and its aftermath, have demonstrated our need for and how reliant we have become on communication medium. As the World Trade Center lay in ruins, also destroyed were a vast array of communication equipment from transmission antennae for radio and TV stations to switching equipment for phone service. Though throughout all this people were still able to communicate, TV and radio stations were still transmitting their signal. Much of this was a result of wireless and satellite technology. With this paper I plan to explain the ever-growing world of satellite communication. How it is changing the way we perform our daily tasks and how it has effected our lives in general. How different businesses have adapted to and the ways they have begun to utilize these new technologies. Furthermore, we will take a look at what new theories and technologies are on the horizon. How these could effect our lives. When and who is trying to implement them, and to what cost, monetarily and professionally. 2. Satellite Communication at a Glance From the late 1950s with the launches of Sputnik and Explorer I, satellites have become a growing part of our world. From various types of platforms many different applications are run through these satellites. Since the first commercial model launched into orbit in 1965, the communications satellite has become the linchpin of global communications. From modest beginnings the first satellite could only handle 240 voice transmissions at a time the technology has blossomed to the extent that satellites now carry about one third of the voice traffic between countries and essentially all the television signals between countries. The backbone of this system is the geosynchronous orbit satellite (GEO), these are large communication satellites placed in orbit roughly 36,000 kilometers above the same spot on the earth at all times. Because of this high orbit each satellite is able to see about one quarter of the earth, so only four or so are needed for global coverage. Drawbacks to these satellites are that due to the high altitude it takes a quarter of a second for signals to travel to and from the satellite, delaying the responses during a conversation. Also the higher altitude means a weaker signal so larger antennas are needed to maintain overall coverage. The next layers of satellites are middle earth orbit (MEO) and low earth orbit (LEO). MEO satellites are generally placed in orbits above 10,000 kilometers, while LEO satellites are generally below 1,500 kilometers. Of course now with the lower altitude the signals are stronger so antenna size can be reduced, but with this also comes less coverage so more satellites are required. In the case of the LEO satellites at least 50 are usually required for full global coverage. The reasoning behind the orbit spacing comes from the presence of the Van Allen Radiation Belt. Originally discovered by Explorer I, the Van Allen Belt is composed of energetic ionized particles, which could damage solar cells and perhaps other solid state components. The belt spans altitudes roughly between 1,500 and 10,000 kilometers, thus the spacing. VSAT, very small aperture terminal typically refers to a class of Earth stations with a small diameter in the range of 0.95 meters to 2.4 meters. The terminals have both transmit and receive capability. The majority of traditional VSAT users such as gas stations, convenience stores and banks selected the technology primarily to manage transaction-based applications point-of-sales credit authorization and inventory control. 3. Impact on Personal Life You can see the impact of satellite and wireless communications in everyday life as you take a walk down the street. People everywhere using cell phones, pagers, PDAs. We are becoming a society that is instantly accessible. Though even now the mobile phone penetration into the U.S. make stands at only 35% nationwide, compared to European penetration levels of 65%. Thus we are still only scratching the surface for the potential growth in this field. Another application changing our lives is the Internet. This is a technology basically still in its infancy. The Internet has brought many resources to within the fingertips of the population, such as research, publishing, government services, education, entertainment, shopping, and financial services including investments and banking. Though the largest of these resources now made available is e-mail. E-mail was the introductory item that helped users become more familiar with this new medium. As of 2000 e-mail has become a regular or routine part of everyday activity for 80% of all U.S. households. Though as more people start using these technologies and the types of data and files they transmit change, including graphic material and streaming video, the more strain is being put on the carrying capacity. With this information providers of these services now face the dilemma of how to increase their capacity. The answer seems to be through satellite, as in 1998 alone commercial satellite operations included 1,700 payload launches. Though satellites have had a tremendous effect on how we communicate with one another, one other aspect that they bring to the table is a quality of life issue. Many health and emergency response teams, including the American Red Cross have adopted satellite technology within their means of communication in times of trouble, especially in remote areas. In 1995, Hurricane Marilyn devastated communications in the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. The only reliable means of communication at the disposal of the American Red Cross was INMARSAT satellite technology. Satellite phones were used for voice and fax transmissions, as well as data transmissions and packet switching, primarily for disaster welfare inquiries and contacting people to let them know their relatives were okay. This was also the fact when Hurricane Floyd struck the United States. The Red Cross had to patch together a wide range of technologies, from plain phones to two-way radios to satellite phones. They also had to utilize different frequencies to get the necessary coverage required. As stated by Bob Bavis, director of administration for the American Red Cross, The damage was so widespread that nothing covered the whole region except satellite phones. The mixing of different technologies is nothing new to disaster relief efforts. Due to geographic location, and degree of devastation emergency workers have always had to patch together the best qualities of different technologies to provide coverage to troubled areas. The nature of satellite technology its mobility, ubiquity, and flexibility easily lends itself to humanitarian efforts. The help satellite technology provides in disaster relief isnt only limited to the hardware. Companies like Verizon Wireless, has formed a team called the significant event response team (SERT) to respond to emergency and relief agencies in the communities they serve. The team provides wireless phones to public safety agencies and local police and fire departments to help them coordinate emergency operations. Other ways companies are helping is with free airtime on satellite phones and allocation of satellite bandwidth capacity. 4. Impact on Industry Most industry in America has begun integrating wireless, and satellite technologies into their daily routines. This can be seen in everyday life as FedEx employees use wireless handheld devices to help track packages, and determine sender and receiver information to help organizations conduct business more efficiently. To Hertz car rental employees pulling up driver and car rental information in a parking lot, several hundred feet away from their stationary computers. One of the most notable impacts of satellite technology has been in the news media. Although the video images had been jittery, and the audio sometimes dropped off, CNNs use of a videophone in Afghanistan after the events of September 11th proved that content is the most important element in news. Though initially used as a backup to CNNs more traditional satellite trucks, the videophone stepped to the forefront as getting live pictures out of Afghanistan became more problematic. The Talking Head videophone is about the size of a laptop computer, though twice as deep, and costs roughly $20,000. It can be used with any telephone line, ISDN connection, or satellite phone. For reporting out of Afghanistan, CNN used the worldwide INMARSAT satellite service, which requires a dedicated phone and dish, also about the size of a briefcase. Englands 7E Communications Ltd., the manufacturer of the Talking Head videophone, originally developed a unit that could only transmit at 64 Kbps. This forced CNN to squeeze the picture down to a small insert. The rest of the field was then filled with additional information related to the story. 7E has since developed a way to add a second satellite phone to the compression package, which allows transmission at ISDN rates of 128 Kbps, effectively doubling the quality and allowing for full-frame images to be broadcast. CNN first began using the videophones in December 1999, when correspondent Nic Robertson used an earlier model to broadcast exclusive pictures and sound of a hijacking in Kandahar, Afghanistan. The videophone was also prominent when CNN broadcast the first live pictures of the 24-crew members released from the U.S. Navy spy plane in China when they landed on the Pacific Island of Guam. CNNs chief news executive Eason Jordan states the units are easy to use and due to its portability, allows the reporter in the field to broadcast live TV in a matter of seconds. Other fields of industry, not so prominent, have also benefited from advancements in satellite technology. With more than 80 land and offshore drilling rigs around the world, Helmerich Payne (HP), an energy-oriented company engaging in contract drilling, oil and gas exploration, and production worldwide, needed a way to link all of its facilities across a single, central network. The company leveraged solutions from several companies to build and deploy a high speed, satellite and terrestrial-based network that delivers real-time voice and data capabilities to all HP locations. Prior to establishing the satellite network, HP had utilized a dial-up network, coupled with cellular phones for voice communications. The cellular service along was costing the company more than $3,000 a month per rig. Motorola Multiservice Networks Division (MND), integration consulting group FDDI-AVD, and InterSat Communications worked with HP to design and implement a customized solution to expand its existing network, and deliver a high-speed satellite system to connect the companys rigs and offices. A network-in-a-box was developed by combining routers, satellite and servers into a single self-contained unit. The solution was designed around Motorola Vanguard multiservice network units, which enable the convergence of data, voice, and video, while laying the foundation for wireless/wireline integration. The Vanguard units provide HP with on-demand bandwidth to support a broad range of high-speed transmissions, featuring 247 reliability. A microwave and/or satellite network deployed on each rig and remote location connects the companys offshore drilling operations in the Gulf of Mexico with the Tulsa, Oklahoma home office. The network units also offer built-in data encryption and compression features, enabling the secure transmission of sensitive data around the world. By achieving fully integrated field connectivity, HP has improved the companys business operations, offering a host of added benefits, including seamless information exchange, synchronized reporting and reduced telecom costs. Customers on-site can also share the available bandwidth to securely connect with their own internal information systems. Real-time drilling data can also be delivered to the customers regional or headquarter offices, providing them with updated information on each days activities. Some banks are finding that using satellites for data transmission can improve network performance and cut costs as well as provide benefits in staff training and customer satisfaction. Most banks have relied on 56 Kbps landline frame relay services to carry data traffic to and from their branches. But a pronounced increase in traffic, fueled by the explosive growth in Internet-based applications, is increasing clogging these circuits and causing bottlenecks. When reviewing the systems employed by banks in Canada, it was determined that most banks transmit large volumes of data from head office to their branches while branches typically return considerably less data to head office. Telesat, the owner and operator of Canadas fleet of communication satellites, capitalized on this fact to employ a service that uses a high-speed satellite link to transmit data to the branches, and the existing 56 Kbps network then transmits data back to the head office. This service can deliver data speeds of up to 24 megabytes per second more than 400 times faster than a 56 Kbps system. The introduction of satellite technology has also given the banks the bandwidth to offer a comprehensive suite of services to their remote branches that typically lack high-speed landline services. For Canada Trust bank, the service has been utilized to train employees at branches across Canada. Sessions are held at a Toronto studio and broadcast live to 200-300 employees at a time. School systems have also had to beef up their networks to the point where they rival or exceed the capacity of many corporate networks, due to the explosive growth in student Internet usage. School systems around the country have deployed unlicensed wireless networks, tapped the bandwidth of cable television systems and even employed satellite service as a cheaper and more reliable alternative to local telephone companies. The utilization of satellites has also offered the possibility of connectivity to schools in remote areas where they do not always have access to multiple wire-line providers. The University of Alaska, in combination with Starband Communications Inc. has deployed a VSAT satellite service to link 25 communities throughout the state. This deployment was initially designed to test speed and latency, as well as the toll the harsh Alaskan climate takes on performance. 5. Future Developments The telecommunications industry is going to see more technological change in the next five years than it has seen in the past 95 years. Five vital technologies that will contribute to these monumental changes are: Optical transmission Satellite communication Wireless and mobile communication devices Broadband digital technologies Internet resources Each one of these enhanced communication capabilities creates enormous moneymaking opportunities, as well as improvements in cost, speed, quality, and convenience for consumers. Satellite receivers initially were prohibitively expensive, beyond most consumers reach, and the antennas required for receiving signals were so large and unsightly that local governments and homeowner associations barred them from residential property use. Now, dishes measuring about three feet in diameter can be purchased for mere hundreds of dollars. As satellite services continue to improve there will be more encouragement for widespread use of wireless communication. Future advancements in global satellite cellular phone systems seem to be targeting one potential customer the business traveler. Within the business traveler there are two potential markets. First, for those from the developed world who do business in less developed countries where the local phone service may be unreliable, and second, those who need mobile communications in their own countries but travel beyond the reach of terrestrial cellular systems. Several different systems were proposed to handle this project. Two major U.S. based projects are Iridium, a joint venture between Motorola, Lockheed Martin, and Raytheon, and Globalstar, a joint venture between Loral Space and Communications, and Qualcomm. The Iridium plan calls for 66 satellites to be launched in six equally spaced orbital planes at an altitude of 780 kilometers. Services to be provided include voice, data at 2.4 kilobits per second and paging. The Iridium voice connection is more robust than other proposed systems, due to the fact that Motorola requires that the handheld unit be usable from inside a vehicle. The complexity of the Iridium system arises from the fact that the satellites are designed to communicate not only with the earth stations but also with each other. This cross-linking of satellites allows the system to use fewer ground stations, thus preventing signal blockage from buildings, trees, and other obstructions. To assure that traffic is routed properly, each satellite carries a set of routing tables from which new routing instructions are chosen every few minutes. The Globalstar venture, like Iridium, will be based on low earth orbit satellites. Though Globalstar will not employ cross-links between satellites. This means that for a subscriber to gain access a satellite in view would also have to be in view of a ground station. So to achieve global coverage approximately 200 earth stations would have to be constructed. For this reason Globalstar is being targeted more towards business travelers in a single country. The Globalstar system will employ 48 satellites organized in eight planes of six satellites each. The satellite orbits will be circular, at 1,414 kilometers and an inclination of 52 degrees with respect to the equator. The use of an inclined orbit concentrates the available satellite capacity at lower latitudes, where the largest populations exist; little or no coverage is provided beyond 70 degrees latitude in either hemisphere. Deregulation of the telecommunications industry in various developed countries is speeding the delivery of new services and prompting the investment of enormous amounts of capital in new facilities. A key factor in this is the explosion of the Internet. To serve this new market, many new satellite systems are planned, but due to the congestion of the frequencies currently being used for fixed satellite systems, these systems will operate in a higher range of frequencies, known as Ku-band. Though much work is still to be done in this area, as one major drawback to Ku-band, whose wavelength encompasses between one and 1.5 centimeters, is the signal is significantly attenuated by rain. For this reason, the use of Ku-band was confined until recently to use in just a small number of experimental satellites. Now U.S. communications regulators are considering an orbital scheme for broadband Internet users via Ku-band satellites that avoids interference with geostationary communications satellites in the same frequency bands by moving the spacecraft into elliptical orbits, phased to give them the longest hang time over the biggest markets. This approach should effectively double the capacity of near-Earth space to handle broadband satellite communications. One company behind this approach is Virtual Geosatellite, under their plan 15 satellites would occupy separate elliptical orbits measuring about 320 miles high at perigee and almost 17,000 miles high at agopee. With each orbit taking about 8 hours. Virtual GEO calculates it could get about 5 hours of operating time per orbit as the satellites approach and leave apogee. The Virtual GEO constellation would also be offset from GEO satellites by at least 40 degrees, relative to the equator. At that angle of separation, the satellites would not interfere with GEO spacecraft in the same frequency. 6. Advancement, but at What Cost While many companies are looking to the future to see what advancements they can develop to their niche in the communications market. The hard reality is that there is only so much money available to fund the research and develop the needed hardware. This combined with the fact that, in most cases, several companies or alliances are competing for the same piece of the market will cause some to be left behind, no matter whose technology scheme might be better. One case in point is the Iridium project, the joint venture between Motorola, Lockheed Martin, and Raytheon, who declared bankruptcy in 1999. The project, with a projected cost of $3.4 billion, failed to catch on with consumers. Major reasons being people unwilling to spend approximately $3,000 per unit and up to $7 per minute of airtime. These costs were astronomical to the consumer in an era when ordinary cellular telephone networks rapidly expanding. At the time of the bankruptcy filing, Iridium and its affiliates collectively owed creditors more than $1 billion. If itÐ ±Ã ¶s a risky venture, then why are so many companies spending tremendous amounts of money to try to stay ahead of the field. One simple reason, the potential profit is enormous. Annual revenues from telephone services, high-speed Internet access, and imaging generated by satellites are expected to reach $150 billion by 2008, according to the International Space Business Council. Conclusion As we have seen, satellites have had a major impact on our lives, in both personal areas and in industry. The technology has proven its versatility versus other communication formats with its ability to provide service to areas on the globe that are virtual inaccessible to most others technologies. This function has proven to be instrumental in assisting communities in times of strife and has also helped companies establish better information links with their facilities in more remote areas. As the communications market continues to grow at an astronomical rate, the main focus of the industry will be on how improvements can be made in cost, speed, quality, and convenience for consumers. While satellites have been a leading force in providing solutions in these areas, such as the reduction in size of receiver antennas to three feet or less making installation and usage much easier on the customer. The element that will be key to the future is the ability to give access to remote areas around the globe. While in the United States has many systems, especially fiber optic networks, global telecommunication, in many areas, lacks the internal infrastructure to support even the most basic of telephony services. Satellites are an excellent method to establish access to areas with poor terrestrial infrastructures where capacity is either not available or is cost prohibitive. The Internet is another area where satellites can be utilized to provide increased and enhanced service. While now the majority of Internet content resides in the United States, in the very near future increased amounts of content will originate from Asia, Eastern Europe, and South America. Also, the inherent broadcast architecture of satellites makes connectivity highly attractive to Internet service providers (ISP) who are experiencing bottlenecks and network management difficulties due to the exponential demand for bandwidth. As content providers look to push more audio, video, and animation over the Web, satellites may enjoy a unique advantage in the area of webcasting. While satellites enjoy increased accessibility to areas around the world, fiber optics enjoy a much greater capacity and speed potential. Where available future systems should look to mesh these two technologies together. Though meshing these two technologies together would require the development of gateways capable of optimizing the inherent benefits of each, while addressing the differences between the two. The major issue to be addressed will be accommodating the delay or latency due to the slower speeds by satellite, this will cause packets arriving at the fiber network to be dropped.

The study as an Undergraduate Student at Brooks Institute Essay

The study as an Undergraduate Student at Brooks Institute - Essay Example During the three-year journey of professional photography at Brooks Institute, I felt myself to be growing from an amateur photographer who shots everything he sees, to an advertising-oriented photographer who now has a clear focus on still-life and product photography. The credit for this goes to the great instructors at the Brooks Institute. With their guidance, I produced a body of work that can proudly be presented in the graduation review panel. In summer 2014, I was thrilled to get an opportunity of working as an intern with Bill Cahill (a top-class product photographer in Los Angeles, California) to get a hands-on experience in the advertising industry. I was of the view that everything will turn out to be perfectly fine after I graduate in August. At this point, however, I met Norman Maslovs; a successful businessman who represents numerous world’s leading photographers. Norman’s assertion was that photographers, who have a collection of fine-art work, always draw more attention of the art buyers and agencies than the ones who only work in the commercial sector. Norman’s words broadened my vision of the photographic world and I was convinced that a blend of commercial and fine art photography would give me a spark in the industry. I came to the conclusion that fine art together with my commercial photography background would lead me to a better photography career in the long run. Consequently, keeping in view Norman’s advice I decided to pursue my study further to earn a graduate degree in Fine Art related Photography. During my affiliation with the Brooks Institute, I have always been profoundly interested in works of arts that were made by master students of fine arts. I feel that that photograph of a dead chicken lying in a wooden box (The Recipe Can Change, by Hugo Martinez) or a shattered ambrotype of a railway (Disconnected, by Cyndi Di Micco) are both amazing to look at. Having figured out the meaning behind such pieces of arts, my desire to appreciate such artworks has always increased.  

Heroism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Heroism - Essay Example The theme of heroism find its way in this film due to several factors that range from the courage of the documentary team and the wildlife manager who is Hans in this case. Critical observation of the film indicates that the troll is very harsh and beastly animals that are cannibals and can feed on people. After Hans has escaped the dragnet of three university college students, Thomas (Glenn Erland Tosterud), Johanna (Johanna MÃ ¸rck) and their cameraman Kalle (Tomas Alf Larsen).Despite the danger of being mauled by the dreaded trollers, they quietly follow Hans into the bush silently and when he realizes their unrelenting desire to do a documentary in this topic, he begins to avoid them (Found Footage Horror Films 56-7). It takes a hero to accept a mistake or admit a fact. After Hans has denied participation in bear attacks, the group pursues him into the bush where he later confesses that he is a troy. The concept of heroism can be seen from the relentless efforts of the students to the extent of submitting to Hans. In normal circumstance, it would be easy to note the reluctance or general withdrawal after considering the danger of these cannibals. Even after Hans has warned them that proclaiming Christianity would make the troll to sense danger they went on. Heroism is been to the last breath of the Christian when Thomas is attacked and bitten by a large animal and eventually dies. Although Hans admit being not a bear hunter and giving clear risks of the troll, the spirit of the students does not die (Kaklamanidou and Margaret 67-9). Although biting from the animals which mean other species of troll, they decided to proceed with the investigation. A twist of irony comes in when the camera holder get sick. The sickness he got must have been as a result of the bite he received previously. The troll had indicated infection of rabies and this is what killed one of the students before the next Muslim student. Even the

Urban Life in the Middle Ages Essay Example for Free

Urban Life in the Middle Ages Essay The book â€Å"Urban Life in the Middle Ages† by Keith D. Lilley discusses historical development and urban changes affected urban population during the Middle Ages. The author claims that: †the Middle Ages is a contested heritage – it means different things for different people† (p. 21). Lilley describes a medieval town as the main regional and even cultural unit which kept traditions, values and unique way of life. The book consists of an introduction, 7 chapters, conclusions, tables, figures and plates. The first three chapters address urban culture and heritage, legal foundations of towns and the main institutions. The author describes medieval culture and legacies, the main factors and driven forces of change. Also, Lilley draws a line between medieval urban heritage and contemporary culture stating that â€Å"medieval urbanism impinges upon the modern age’ (p. 17). The second chapter describes the main institutions and their impact on and role in urbanism. Lilley pays a special attention to chartered towns, functions of municipal government and urban governance. The fourth chapter discusses emergence of and development of towns in England and Wales, France and in east Central Europe. Lilley explains that in many countries, towns’ population was numbered thousands rather than hundreds, and the city was clearly differentiated from the rural settlements around it. Within the city, however, population, as not particularly dense, and certainly was not uniformly distributed. Lilley suggests that a significant proportion of the area within towns was used for agriculture or viniculture, while a town remained a center of cultural, religious and material life. The fifth and the sixth chapters are devoted to urban planning and ownership. Lilley writes that urban population paid much attention to landscapes and urban planning which marked city’s identity and national culture. Lilley gives examples of urban designs, structure of urban settlements and location of the central part and periphery of the city. The sixth chapter describes the main types of property rights and landholding. The fundamental fact about the property rights was their fragmentation. Holdings were scattered over a wide area: a couple of holdings in one settlement, a vineyard in the next, an estate in the next still. Even within rural settlements large, compact blocks of land or sizable estates comprising an entire settlement were extremely rare. In the seventh chapter, Lilley describes domestic life and personality of townspeople, their values and preferences, way of life and traditions, occupations and trade. The book does not have a separate chapter for church and its impact on town life, but Lilley discusses the problems and issues of churches in every chapter. He underlines that religion played a crucial role in lives of medieval people determining their way of life and traditions. Churches were predominantly found in urban contexts, and monastic foundations were increasingly favored by the elite. The surrounding countryside was dotted with small family monasteries, nunneries and proprietary churches. A society in which rural elites were increasingly prepared to invest in a local church or a family monastery was one in which they might also be prepared to make donations to large-scale monastic foundations to build up their local prestige. I would recommend this book to everyone interested in history and sociology, archeology, urban planning and cultural studies. The book is based on substantial analysis of resources and historical documents, and involves excellent illustrative materials for every chapter. A unique vision of historical development and comparative analysis with modern city planning and culture Works Cited 1. Lilley, K. D. Urban Life in the Middle Ages: 1000-1450 (European Culture and Society). Palgrave Macmillan, 2002.

A Woman Mourned By Daughters: An Analysis :: essays research papers

A Woman Mourned By Daughters: An Analysis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"A Woman Mourned by Daughters†, by Adrienne Rich, is a very descriptive poem in which two women are speaking to their dead mother. There are several parts to this poem starting from the when the mother dies, and moving gradually backward to when the daughters were young girls.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It begins with the daughters sitting in their mothers kitchen, â€Å"mourning† over their mothers death, only they aren't upset or crying (Lines 1-3). They are â€Å"spent† (drained and tired) from all the pressure their mother put on them, before and after she died.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The next section (Lines 4-10) is a description of their dead mother as a persistent presence in their lives. They are so burdened by the power she still carries over them, even though she is no longer living.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  They proceed in speaking about her as an elderly woman, weak and frail, â€Å" a straw blown on the bed† (Lines 11-14). The describe her on her death bed. â€Å" Like a corpse pulled from the sea†.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the fourth section (Lines 15-20) they discuss that what upsets them now that she is gone, isn't the fact that she died, it is all the things that she used to do to them. A knot forms in their throats (â€Å"what rises in our throats like the food you prodded in†) as they think about how they used to be treated.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After the mother dies, the daughters are left with several responsibilities which are discussed in the next section (Lines 22-28). These responsibilities are not ones which the daughters would be happy to take care of. They are so hateful toward their mother and the problems she left are only a burden to them. They feel that they are still being pushed around even after she is dead. Even the thought of taking care of their sick and dying father is thought of as a chore instead of a blessing.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The final section of this poem (Lines 29-33) basically states that if they do something, and it isn't exactly the way their mother would have wished it done, they will be punished. They will feel the guilt from their mother, from beyond the grave, if they do not do things the way she did them, or would

Human Values and Ethics in the Workplace

Human Values and Ethics in the Workplace Improving Leadership and Performance in the Water Education, Supply and Sanitation Sectors RESOURCE PAPER Teaching Managers Human Values â€Å"Human Values and Ethics in the Workplace† is a capacity-building initiative developed in a collaborative effort between the Global Dharma Center (GDC) and UN-HABITAT, within the framework of the Human Values Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Education (HVWSHE) Initiative of the Water for African/Asian Cities Programmes. The purpose of the capacity-building is to improve leadership and performance in every aspect of the water education and water supply and sanitation sectors, and to help bring about a new ethic in water use and management.  © 2005 UN-HABITAT and Global Dharma Center For more information: www. globaldharma. org/hvew. htm 2 Teaching Managers Human Values by B. Gustavsson, School of Business, Stockholm University, Sweden; A. N. Tripathi, Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, India; G. P. Rao, Department of Management Studies, Madurai Kamaraj University, India. Abstract The authors are convinced of the necessity in a human dimension in managerial decisionmaking. The problem is to define values in a human context. We have suggested a framework for understanding the origins and scope of human values. We trace values to theistic, humanistic and empirical origins, and connect these to individual, sociological and ecological levels of application. We have illustrated our framework with a case study of a systematic approach to teach human values to managers in India. While this approach is mainly using a theistic approach, we recommend that other approaches to values can be included in courses teaching human values to managers. Human values are necessary in today's management. Business is no longer confined to a national state but is really borderless. Hence business from the international viewpoint, cannot be regulated by governments unless international agreements can be reached. In this â€Å"lawless land† the responsibility of the executive is greater than ever. Which values does s/he promote in her/his actions and decisions? Which responsibility does s/he take? Only towards the bottom line or also towards the growth of mankind? On a national level we find similar concerns with ethics and values in management. Being a generator and facilitator of human material wealth, does her/his responsibility towards human values end there? We do believe that the manager of today has a wider responsibility than that. We believe that it is in the interest of the managers themselves to have a heightened awareness of the values of humankind and also to promote them. I. Human values: what are they? Like most basic areas of human knowledge and experience, the concept of human values defies definitions. Yet it can be instinctively felt, cognitively grasped, discussed as a shareable experience, and thus made a valid area of enquiry. This enquiry is a major under-current of the wisdom literature of all the ancient civilisations and of the later day philosophers, scholars and great leaders of social and political movements. The profusion of ideas, divergent approaches and intermixing of several strands of thought make the effort of conceptualising human values a daunting task for modern scholarship. However, for a clearer understanding of the scope, significance and interrelationship of these ideas it is necessary to have a conceptual framework for classifying them. In the following paragraphs we make a humble attempt at this difficult academic endeavour. Classical literature does not make a distinction between values and human values. Perhaps there was no need for it then. Philosophical ideas on value enquiry were directed towards finding the nature, meaning and purpose of human existence. In the present century search for a theory of values has become a separate branch of modern philosophy and has been called axiology. Although the different realms of this value enquiry cover all areas of human concern like ethics, religion, art, science, social science, law etc. , no separate or special significance is attached to the term human values. One main approach to this classical value enquiry we would like to call the ideal-normative approach. In the Western tradition it is represented by Plato's formulation of the absolute values of Truth, Goodness and Beauty. They are conceived as having independent existence of their own and are 3 used as ideal norms for value judgement at the relative level of human existence. In the Indian tradition absolute values are related to the absolute reality whose nature is described as Sat,Chit and Anand. Attainment of a state of eternal bliss by the realisation of identity of the individual self with the universal Self of this absolute reality is the highest and ultimate object of human striving. Closely related to this absolutist perception is the theistic view which may be called a sub-group of the idealistic-normative approach. It is based on a metaphysical belief system which accepts the reality of a divine cosmic order and faith in the authority of a creator God who is also the upholder of all values. The basis of all ethical, social and other human values is sought in the enduring truths, either revealed or obtained through super conscious insights of sages, contained in the sacred religious literature. Although differing in their belief systems, rituals and customs, the great world religions have a large area of agreement on the basic moral values, conceptions of personal virtues and social group behaviour based on humanistic values of love, brotherhood, caring and sharing. Many leaders of the Indian renaissance, e. g. Swami Vivekananda, Sri Aurobindo, Rabindranath Tagore and Mahatma Gandhi, were inspired by the absolutist-theistic value system and used it as the basis for their efforts towards the spiritual, social and political rejuvenation of the Indian society. In recent times the term ‘human values' has been used for this theistic approach to value system (Chakraborty, 1995a,b; Swami Ranganathanand, 1991). This is perhaps because of the need to highlight the universal humanistic aspects of this value approach, as against the merely speculative, mystical, or life-denying ascetic aspects. In the modern interpretation of theistic value approach the authors have shown its relevance and significance to the managers and other professionals. Another reason for the use of adjective ‘human' before these values may be to distinguish this value approach from the modern, so-called scientific, approach to human phenomena and associated values. Interpreted in its narrow sense this scientific approach robs man of the dignity of his divine association, his spiritual nature and reduces him to a biological organism of a random collection of atoms. It denies any meaning and purpose to life and rejects all considerations of faith, belief, feeling and intuitive religious perceptions. This mechanistic, deterministic interpretation makes man merely a malleable automaton, to be ‘programmed' to meet the demands of the existing socio-technological order, through manipulation of his lower order needs and desires. In the second sub-group of the idealistic-normative approach to human values we would like to place all the different strands of humanistic thoughts, ranging from love and compassion of Buddha to the radical humanism of Marx. Included in this sub-group are the ideas of humanists having varying degrees of theistic, non-theistic and atheistic leanings but attaching prime importance to man and to human values. As Fromm (1981, p. 148) points out â€Å"There is a remarkable kinship in the ideas of the Buddha, Eckhart, Marx, and Schweitzer: their radical demand for giving up the having orientation; their insistence on complete independence; their metaphysical skepticism; their godless religiosity, and their demand for social activity in the spirit of care and human solidarity† (emphasis added). These humanist ideas and movements developed as protests against oppressive constraints on human spirit of freedom, creativity and dignity, imposed by religious dogmas or by dehumanising social or technological orders at their day. They developed a new ethics of man based on interconnectedness of humankind, love and respect for life, the joy of sharing and caring, and the faith in man to shape his own destiny. They find deep reflections in the literary traditions of both the East and the West over the last few centuries (Bharati, 1990), and gave rise to different kinds of social and political theories, like liberalism and socialism, for the betterment of humankind, particularly of the oppressed and the exploited. In recent times it has led to the declaration of Universal Human Rights by the United Nations. The term human values has generally been understood in this context of humanistic thoughts. The second main approach to human values we would like to call the empirical-purposive approach adopted by modern psychologists and other social scientists like Rokeach (1973), Schwartz (1994) 4 and Mukherjee (1965). It views the of values as a distinct component of the total human personality, which guide or affect attitude and behaviour of the individual and social groups. In Schwartz's view values are â€Å"responses to three universal requirements with which all individuals and societies must cope: needs of individual biological organisms, requisites of coordinated social interaction and requirements for smooth functioning and survival of groups† (Schwartz, 1994, p. 21). This approach is non-normative and is not based on any religious, philosophical system of ideas or world view, nor on any social-political ideology. Identification of values, their classification, and search for interrelationships between them is based on empirical methods of observation, attitude surveys, statistical validation techniques etc. Conceptualisation of human values based on the findings of empirical research is fast becoming a distinct area of social science research. These empirical studies and researches on human values are not merely idealistic or intellectual exercises. They are purposive in the sense that the knowledge gained by them is sought to be utilised for practical purposes in diverse areas like, management science (leadership and team building, human resource development etc. , socio-political policy decisions (welfare programmes, race relations, positive action programmes for minorities, population control programmes, environmental policy etc. ). Hence the use of the term purposive in the descriptive title 'empirical-purposive' for this approach to human values. Another way of classifying the different approaches to human values could be in terms of the level of aggregation they focus their attention on. These levels may be called the individual, the sociological and the ecological. The first level focuses on the individual human being, taken as an independent entity. Some illustrative value terms referring to this level are survival values, character, personal virtues, aesthetic appreciation, human rights, salvation, self-realization, etc. At the second level individual values are subordinated to the sociological values. It is concerned with operation of values at the collective level of human society and includes values associated with family and other social institutions and professions; caring nd sharing, sense of social responsibility, social and economic justice, sarvodaya, values of humanity and human interconnectedness, etc. Similarly the ecological level subordinates the first two and consists of values from the standpoint of human beings as a part of the total ecological system. In the reports commissioned by the Club of Rome there is a concern for developing a â€Å"new world consciousness†¦ , a new ethic in the use of material resources, a new attitude towards nature, based on harmony rather than on conquest †¦ sense of identification with future generations† (Mesaroric, M. D. and Pestel, E. , 1974, p. 148) to avoid global catastrophe caused by unrestrained economic growth. â€Å"For the first time a demand is being made for an ethical change, not as a consequence of ethical belief but as the rational consequence of economic analysis† (Fromm, 1988, p. 149). Human values perceptions from this perspective focus on the inter-dependency of human beings and nature and include expressive terms like respect for and harmony with nature, concept of Mother Earth, sustainability, conservation etc. We thus arrive at a two-dimensional matrix for the classification of human values concepts. One dimension of this matrix consists of the different approaches and the other of the three levels of aggregation, shown as the horizontal and the vertical columns of the table below. Approach Level Individual Sociological Ecological Table 1: Two-dimensional classification framework of human values IDEAL-NORMATIVE Theistic Humanistic x x x EMPIRICALPURPOSIVE x x x 5 It needs to be emphasised that the categories in this proposed classification scheme are far from being exclusive. In fact they very much overlap. For example many of the humanistic approaches have theistic foundations and many items of the empirical approach are reformulations of the idealistic approach. What is being implied in the classification is the identification of the main emphasis or main focus of the approach. The entries in the matrix indicate what we consider to be the main level(s) of aggregation which a particular approach focuses on. In our view the theistic approach focuses mainly on the individual level in its quest for making a â€Å"good† man, whereas the humanistic approach is concerned with both the â€Å"good† man and the â€Å"good† society. This is not to deny the sociological and ecological concerns of the theistic approach; however we feel that these concerns are secondary to that for the individual. On the other hand the different empirical approaches together cover all the three, individual, social and ecological levels. The progression in the above matrix, both in the vertical and the horizontal directions, has a chronological order. The earliest human value perceptions were related to the individual level. The growing complexities and tensions of the human societies enlarged the scope to include the sociological considerations as its second focus. And the disastrous impact of the rapid technological developments, coupled with the population explosion, of the present century has made ecological concern as the third focus. Once again this chronological flow has no exclusivity. The philosophical speculations and beliefs of the earliest civilisations, including the aboriginal civilisations in existence today, have remarkable sensitivity and insights about the nature and man's relation to it. However it is only in the recent times that the theme has acquired an urgency to prompt development of a concerted approach to human values in relation to ecology. Similarly many of the later day humanistic values have been traced to the earliest Upanishadic idealistic-theistic views on life and its value (Devaraj, 1988). Yet there is a general chronological flow from the absolutist, theistic view of human values to the humanist view and finally to the present day empirical view. II. Can human values be taught? The question of interest to us is if human values can be taught to modern managers in any systematic way and, if so, to what effectiveness. S. K. Chakraborty, Management Centre for Human Values, Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta, has since 1983 been giving workshops on the theme â€Å"Human Values† on an in-house basis in many companies and as open workshops for managers from different companies and academics, mainly from India, but also from abroad. The impetus for this development is said to have come from managers at various management development programmes given at Indian Institute of Management in Calcutta, asking for Indian insights that could be valuable for organizations and management. The objective of the workshops is to enhance in course participants the sensitivity to and sustenance of the value-system, which Chakraborty has distilled from what he calls â€Å"the Indian ethos†, based on studies of Buddhist, Vedantic and Yogic literature together with Indian epics and Pauranic literature. It is claimed that Indian values are found in the deep-structure of the Indian psyche, as reflected in these sources. The basic idea is purification of the mind, partly through a mind-stilling technique, and partly through practice of nourishing noble thoughts (e. g. compassion, friendliness, humbleness), and rejecting wicked ones (e. . greed, jealousy, arrogance). Such practice will reveal the â€Å"divine†, or â€Å"higher self†, within the individual and s/he will be able to perceive the same in others. The goal is that in a management setting these practices will have repercussions on business life, more specifically in respect of the individual, improve d cooperation, non-attachment to the selfish rewards of the work, increased creativity, service to the customer, improved quality, creating an ethico-moral soundness, cultivating self-discipline and self-restraint, and enhancing generosity (Chakraborty, 1991, pp. 9-20). 6 The content of the workshops varies according to the duration. There are three modules, the first one lasting three days and the next two lasting two days each. Each module elaborates on different principles. Module I, also called the â€Å"foundational module†, develops the basic concepts and practices. It is argued that managerial effectiveness is dependent on a sound values system, undergirding the superstructure of skills, which in turn emanates from a pure mind. The factors influencing a pure mind are discussed in terms of higher and lower self, disidentification and reidentification with the latter and the former respectively, the guna, karma, samskaras, nishkam karma and other theories. The first steps of the mind-stilling technique relating to these principles are given at this stage. Module II focuses on leadership and teamwork and elaborates on a number of principles from the Vedantic and Buddhist literature connected to the theme. Additional steps in the mind-stilling techinque are also introduced. Module III covers the topics stress, counselling and communication. The main issue here is to identify with one's innermost self, which is ananda, as the basic remedy for stress-generating influences. A few more steps are included in the mind-stilling process in this module. These modules can be taken separately or jointly. In the annual workshop at the Management Centre for Human Values all three modules are offered integrally. The workshops are promoted directly and indirectly: directly through mailing of pamphlets to selected companies, and indirectly through the network of previous course participants on the workshops. Initiatives to the in-house workshops can come from top management, HRD (personell) department, open workshop participants who want to bring in the workshop to the company, persons who have come in contact with Chakraborty's ideas, etc. The participation in the workshops are mostly on a voluntary basis, whereas there could be occasions when managers have been asked by the CEO or someone high up to attend the workshops. Following our categorization of human values above, these workshops would fall into the â€Å"idealnormative† approach, with theistic leanings. The source of the values taught at the workshops are derived from the sacred texts of Indian wisdom literature, and the values are claimed to have an eternal and universal character to a great extent. It is normative in the sense that the values are something people ought to have from the ideal perspective, not accepting certain values, or disvalues, just because people are having them. The basic foundation of values is taken to be divine, implying a theistic approach, whereas the humanistic elements are found in caring values, concern for others, love and compassion. The level of focus is mainly on the individual in terms of personal virtues. It is stated that in order to change the environment we must start with ourselves. Thus, more aggregated human levels (organizational, political, societal, ecological, global) are not neglected, but the starting point is the individual. III. Participant responses The participants are asked to submit on the last day of the workshop plans of action which they would like to implement in the six months to follow. We have such plans of actions from a total of 208 participants who attended seven in-house workshops and one Annual International Workshop, held between August 1995 and February 1996, as per the following particulars: 7 Serial No. 1 2 Workshop Tata Iron and Steel Company (TISCO) Tata Engineering and Locomotive Limited (TELCO I) Bokaro Steel Plant (BSP) Ordnance Factory Ambajhari (OFAJ) Tata Engineering and Locomotive Limited (TELCO II) Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) Indian Farmers and Fertilisers Company Limited ( IFFCO ) TOTAL No of participants 22 32 4 5 23 17 23 6 7 17 32 166 42 208 8 Annual International Workshop ( IIMC ) GRAND TOTAL Table 2: Workshops examined TISCO and TELCO belong to the well established and highly reputed Tata Group of Companies in India, while the others are leading public sector undertakings / government organisations. Managers belonging to senior and middle management cadre normally participate in these in-house workshops. The rank during the workshop s can vary; some are pure peer-groups and at some there can be a superior-subordinate relationship during the same workshop. The annual international workshop, on the other hand, attracts top and senior practitioners, owner-managers, academia, consultants, and government officials from India and abroad. The respondents whose plans of action would be analysed thus represent a cross section of highly educated,motivated and successful persons in their chosen spheres of activity. The responses/ data which constitute their plans of action, however, have certain built in limitations : 1. We can only make inferences from the immediate time at the end of the workshop; 2. We can only study the managers' responses to, and expectations of human values, not how they are reflected in their behaviour; 3. We do not know whether there has occured any changes in the managers' attitudes towards human values, as we don't have data from them prior to the workshop; 4. We do not know how honest their attitudes are due to perceived group pressure from peers, super/subordinates, from the course leader, desire to give a good (or bad) impression or other possible factors. 5. The answers are given spontaneously without forewarning and therefore may not be well thought out ideas. 8 The analysis of the plans of action meant to understand the intentions of the participants, and make inferences from their statements the extent to which these workshops have influenced human values in managers. The intended actions are analysed with reference to (a) the contents of the workshop, and (b) the purpose of, and the direction in, which they want to make use of the contents, inputs, knowledge and skills they have learnt from the workshops. A) Content Analysis A content analysis of the responses shows that the most frequent item figuring in almost all of the course participants' plan of action is the resolve to practice the mind-stilling and breathing exercises taught in the course as an essential experiential practice for Chitta-Shuddhi and for communion with the higher Self. Its enthusiastic reception may have also been prompted by the urgent need for maintaining a calm mind in the tension ridden life of practicing managers. The next most common resolve relates to the practice of a cluster of values and value-principles emphasised in the course. It includes, (i) cultivation of values related to higher self and suppression of disvalues associated with lower self, (ii) practice of nishkam karma (self-less action) in work-life as well as personal life, (iii) practice of giving model of life based on the concept of five fold debts (deva rin, rishi rin, pitririn, nri rin, and bhuta rin) (iv) cultivation of satwaguna over rajoguna, and (v) introspection to examine, and to rearrange one's career goals, life styles, attitudes and value systems in the light of the above noted paradigm of higher values. Some responses indicate a desire to propagate and share the ideas learnt in the course with members of the family as well as members of the work-group. A smaller number of responses show the desire to learn more about these ideas by reading the sacred wisdom literature of India, like Gita, Upanishhads, writings of Vivekanand, etc. One can conclude from this content analysis that the value concepts of Indian psycho-spiritual tradition have been well received. They have had a positive impact on the participants as indicated by their resolve to internalise them and to use them as a basis for self-development. B) Purpose/Direction Analysis A perusal of the plans of action indicated that the purpose of the participants was to apply the knowledge gained by them for development of the self, members of his/her workgroup, viz, superiors, colleagues, and subordinates, and of his/her family members and friends. They also wanted to transmit or communicate the knowledge they gained to the members of their workgroup, family and friends. The purpose thus was three-fold (development of self, workgroup members, and of family and friends): and, the direction two-fold (toward workgroup members, and toward his/her family and friends). Juxtaposing the purpose and direction, a table is prepared containing relevent particulars and percentage analysis. 9 WORKSHOP NO. OF PRTICIPANTS WITH MAJOR FOCUS ON SELF DEVEL. OTHERS TOTAL NO. OF PLANS OF ACTION FOCUSING ON SELF OTHER PERSONS DEVEL. IN OUTSIDE ORG. 5 85 (75%) 89 (96%) 92 (80%) 29 (66%) 61 (90%) 37 (54%) 147 (96%) 540 (82%) 215 (87%) 755 (84%) 6 14 (12%) 3 (3%) 18 (16%) 11 (25%) 4 (6%) 25 (37%) 4 (2. 5%) 79 (12%) 21 (9%) 100 (11%) 7 15 (13%) 1 (1%) 5 (4%) 4 (9%) 3 (4%) 6 (9%) 2 (1. 5%) 36 (6%) 11 (4%) 47 (5%) TOTAL PLAN TO COMMUNICATE KNOWLEDGE TO OTHERS WITHIN ORGAN. 15 (52%) 2 (67%) 11 (48%) 7 (29%) 1 (100%) 15 (88%) 5 (63%) 56 (53%) 5 (38%) 61 (52%) OUTSIDE ORG. 10 14 (48%) 1 (33%) 12 (52%) 17 (71%) nil 2 (12%) 3 (37%) 49 (47%) 8 (62%) 57 (48%) TOTAL 1 1. TISCO (N=22) 2. TELCO (N=32) 3. BS P (N=23) 4. OFAJ (N=17) 5. TELCO (N=23) 6. HAL (N=17) 7. IFFCO (N=32) TOTAL 8. MCHV (N=42) GRAND TOTAL 2 11 (50%) 28 (87%) 11 (48%) 4 (24%) 18 (78%) 4 (24%) 31 (97%) 107 (65%) 37 (88%) 144 (69%) 3 11 (50%) 4 (13%) 12 (52%) 13 (76%) 5 (22%) 13 (76%) 1 (3%) 59 (35%) 5 (12%) 64 (31%) 4 22 32 23 17 23 17 32 166 42 208 8 114 93 115 44 68 68 153 655 247 902 11 29 3 23 24 1 17 8 105 13 118 Table 3: Analysis of plans of action from course participants on workshops for human values As stated, two values (percentages) have been calculated, viz. number of participants with 50% or more plans aimed at self-development; and, number of plans aiming at self-development as a percentage of total number. of plans. For example, in the first workshop included in the table (TISCO, N=22), 50% of participants had their plans aimed at self-development (column 2), while 75% of the total number of plans discernible from the statement of the participants of the workshop were meant for self-development (column 5). The most forceful and consistent finding from above relates to the self in terms of both the number of participants focussing on themselves, and also the number of plans made for their own development. In all, 69% of participants had 50% or more of their plans aimed at self-development (column 2) and 84% of the plans of actions envisaged related to self -development (column. 5) such as those discussed under the content analysis. The first three workshops in the first category, viz. the percentage of participants with focus on self, are IFFCO (97%), IIMC (88%) and TELCO-I (87%). TELCO-II, IFFCO, and TELCO-I workshops occupy the top three positions with 96, 96 and 90 percentages respectively in the second category, viz. the percentage of plans aimed at self-development. The remaining three workshops have corresponding percentages as follows: BSP (48% of participants, and 80% of plans being selforiented), OFAJ (24 and 66), and HAL (24 and 54). Even in the case of OFAJ and HAL workshops which have lowest percentage of participants with 24 each, also have more than 50 percent plans each (66 and 54%) aimed at self-development. It thus appears that self-orientation in terms of the percentages of participants and of plans of action cuts across, and permeates, all the eight workshops covered. The other finding deserving attention relates to the desire of the participants to use their knowledge gained through the workshops for the development of their workgroup members, i. e. superiors, 10 colleagues and subordinates of the participants. On the whole, 31% of participants had their plans primarily aimed at the deveopment of their workgroup members (column 3). Eleven percent of the plans of action were aimed at such development (column 6). However, the public sector organizations, OFAJ, HAL and BSP, show significantly higher interest in their workgroup members. This can bee seen in both the number of participants with major focus in their plans on others (76, 76 and 52 % respectively, column 3), and in the number of plans of action focusing on others persons in the organization (37, 25 and 16 %, column 6). The inferences are that the public sector managers perceive -as compared to their counterparts in private sector – higher need for training of others and lower need for themselves. This difference may be indicative of a different organizational behaviour and social thinking in these organizations with respect to individual and group focus. It may indicate that the managers in the governmental organizations consider themselves less needy in development than their subordinates (â€Å"I'm OK but you're not†). Or it may indicate a sincere concern of the managers in the governmental sector for their fellowmen. Such difference in organizational behaviour could stem from factors connected to the difference in ownership influencing the organizational culture. However, the responses in our data are too inconclusive for us to make any definite conclusion on this point. IV. Our conclusions Chakraborty's innovative approach to value education for practising managers is impressive. He has culled out selected psycho-spiritual values from the traditional wisdom literature of India, suitably reinterpreted them and woven them together to form a coherent theory of human values. This theory is then utilised to explain the problems and tensions of both personal and work life of modern professionals and to indicate the way for a better quality of life. That this approach finds deep resonance in the hearts and minds of Indian managers is evident from our observations of the course participants' enthusiastic, and at times deeply moving, articulations at the conclusion of the workshops. At the beginning of section II we raised the question whether human values can be taught and with what degree of effectiveness. Judging from the course participants responses, Chakraborty's approach seems to have met with mostly deep appreciation. Such response undoubtably provides a fertile soil for reexamining and developing one's human values. To that extent it is evident that the workshops have been effective in influencing the human values of the course participants. However, it is difficult to reach any conclusion as to what extent the course objectives have been interiorised by the course participants and the general learning effects of the workshops in the daily lives of the participants. What are the effects in the managers' work and family lives, and do their decisions reflect an increased awareness of human values? Neither can we draw any conclusions about the duration of the effects, i. e. whether it will last for a day or week and then vanish, or if the effects are stable and enduring. It is also evident from the responses and the stated objectives of the course that the main focus is on the self; self-awareness, self-analysis and self-development. It is consistent with the view that the individual is the cornerstone of all changes and transformations at the organizational as well as the societal levels. While the necessity of this self-development as a precondition for the value transformation in society may not be in doubt, the emphasis on it may convey the message that it is also sufficient for all the value problems of today's living. At the organizational level the difficulty may be posed in terms of two distinct, though related, categories of intra-personal and inter-personal values. The latter are of vital significance to managers' organizational role of a team leader, a change agent or a member of a work group. A heightened sensitivity to personal virtues, which is very effective t the intra-personal level, in itself may not be sufficient for values needed for effectiveness at the inter-personal level. Additional emphasis on humanistic values like human warmth, friendliness, acceptance of the other person as s/he is, trust, 11 empathy etc. , may help bring about a better value balance. As indicated in our study, the emphasis on the inter- and intra-personal levels, as also th e extent to which other approaches to human values should be emphasized, may have to be adjusted depending on the type of organization that is approached. The manager significantly affects, and is affected by, the value culture of the society, through the mediating agency of organizations and other social institutions. Proper appreciation of this value dynamics requires understanding, and interiorisation, of the operation of human values at the societal and ecological levels of our categorization. It is not clear as to what extent values at these levels can be developed and nourished through the present structure and approach of the human value workshops. An evaluation of the impact of the workshops, including long-term effects and effects on different levels of human values, may help clarify the position and lead to suggestions for expansions and alterations in the course contents as well as the methodology of the workshops. References Bharati, D. (1990). Mnav Mulya Aur Shitya (in Hindi; transl. : â€Å"Human Values and Literature†) Delhi, Bhartiya Jnanpith. Chakraborty, S. K. (1991). Management by Values. Delhi: Oxford University Books. Chakraborty, S. K. (1995a). Human Values for Managers. Delhi: Wheeler Publishing Co. Chakraborty, S. K. (1995b). Ethics in Management. Delhi: Oxford University Press. Devaraj, N. K. (1988). Humanism in Indian Thought. Delhi: Indus Publishing Co. Fromm, E. (1981). To Have or To Be. New York: Bantam Books. Mesaroric, M. D. and Pestel, E. (1974). Mankind at the Turning Point. New York: E. P. Dutton, quoted from Fromm, 1988, p. 148. Mukherjee, R. (1965). The Social Structure of Values. Delhi: S. Chand. Rokeach, M. (1973). The Nature of Human Values. New York: Free Press. Schwartz, S. H. (1994). â€Å"Are there universal aspects in the structure and conduct of human values? † Journal of Social Issues, 50, no. 4, 19-45. Swami Ranganathanand (1991). Human Values in Management. Delhi: Bharati Vidya Bhavan. Notes 1. The authors are grateful to professor S. K. Chakraborty, convenor of the Management Center for Human Values, Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta, India, for his collaboration, support and comments on this paper.  © Gustavsson, Tripathi & Rao 1996. No part of this work may be reprinted in any form, physical, electronic, or otherwise, without written consent from the author. About the authors B. Gustavsson graduated (civ. ek. ) 1975 from School of Business, Stockholm University, Sweden, and received his Ph. D. (Ekon. r. ) there in 1992. He is presently working as assistant professor at School of Business, Stockholm University. His latest project is a study on values transition in Indian management. A. N. Tripathi is a professor of electrical engineering at the Intstitute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, India. He obtained his B. Sc engg (electrical) from Banaras Hindu University in 1 960, M. Tech (control systems) from Indian Institute of Technology, Karaghpur in 1965, and Ph. D. from University of Wales in 1971. He is presently working on a project called â€Å"Human Values in the Engineering Profession†. G. P. Rao is senior professor and head of the Department of Management Studies, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai, India. He has an M. A. in economics and postgraduate Diploma in Management 12 (PGDM) from Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta (IIMC). He has recently finalized a project called â€Å"Human Values in Industrial Organizations: A Feminine Perspective†. . 13 United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) P. O. Box 30030, Nairobi, KENYA www. unhabitat. org www. unwac. org Tel: +254-20-623060 Fax: +254-20-623588 Global Dharma Center (GDC) Dallas, Texas 75240 USA www. globaldharma. org Tel/Fax: +1-646-514-8260 14