Wednesday, December 25, 2019

The Battle Of Britain Is Regarded As The Most Famous...

The Battle of Britain is regarded as the most famous military engagement of World War II. The fall of France in June 1940 to Nazi Germany not only left Britain as the only European power working actively against the Germans but also left them vulnerable to bombing campaigns launched from Northern France, having only to travel twenty-five miles across the English Channel to reach targets in south-east England1. The quick surrender of France allowed German forces to direct their attention towards Britain. Although Hitler had publicly stated a desire to negotiate peace terms with Britain, preparations had been made for an amphibious invasion of the British Isles, codenamed Operation Sealion2. German High Command was aware of the fact that†¦show more content†¦The Battle of Britain marked a major turning point in the war, akin to the Battle of Moscow in the east, as it was the first time the German advance had been stopped. Had Britain fallen to the Third Reich during the summer of 1940, the repercussions would have been enormous. Hitler would have completed his conquest of Europe; there would have been no possibility of an invasion on the beaches of Normandy, enabling Hitler to dedicate more resources for Operation Barbarossa, the invasion of the Soviet Union. The invention of radar, known as Radio Direction Finding (RDF) at the time, by the Department of Scientific and Industrial research in 1934 initially allowed aircraft to be detected at a distance of thirty-eight miles. By 1937, improvements to RDF had enabled it to see aircraft at a range of one hundred miles, complete with the bearing of enemy aircraft4. The British recognized the potential of RDF to be used simultaneously with other electronic and communication aids to provide an early-detecting system. The development of an early-warning system was essential to the British war effort due to the length of the coastline being so close to enemy-occupied territory, with important commercial, industr ial and military centres well within the range of enemy aircraft5. An early-warning system also had two distinct advantages over traditional aircraft patrolling of the British coastline. It

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Understanding Epistemology - 2009 Words

Understanding Epistemology Introduction Epistemology is the study of knowledge and how we understand and come to know things. Its focus has evolved over the course of time, as cultures have changed and societal perspectives have shifted. For instance, in classical times, Plato focused on the relationship between philosophy and socio-political change, using the character of Socrates in his Dialogues to promote a vision of truth and servitude. Throughout the middle ages in Europe, philosophers and theologians focused on the connection between faith and reason, with Aquinas penning the ultimate field guide to this relationship in the Summa. In modern times, faith-based knowledge has been supplanted by empiricism and skepticism, with philosophers attempting to understand how they know and even whether they can know reality/truth, which is where much of epistemology focuses today. This paper will answer several questions concerning problems faced by epistemologists today. What can humans know for certain and how can they justify that they actually know what they think they know? Plato (Jowett, trans., 1952) contends that humans know by means of the intellect, as he shows in both Meno and Phaedo, stating that all inquiry and all learning is but recollection (p. 81). Implicit in the assertion is that we know by intuition. Plato calls it the act of recollecting knowledge that was imprinted on the soul. In Phaedo, Socrates asserts that truth is something written on theShow MoreRelatedThe Views On The Senses, But At The Same Time1368 Words   |  6 Pagesand ontological views have been discussed by French philosopher Rene Descartes and Greek philosopher, Socrates. The first view, where Socrates proposes that in understanding knowledge, the senses should not be of great importance to humanity. He instead believes that understanding the world of ideas is the theory that in terms of understanding the world around us is favorable, especially when it comes to learning. He sees it as considerably unfavorable to only rely on received knowledge and empiricismRead MoreIn troducing Plato s Theaetetus : A Dialogue About The Nature And / Or Limits Of Human Knowledge969 Words   |  4 Pagesknowledge (episteme). Episteme can be translated in many ways, such as knowledge-how, knowledge by acquaintance, knowledge that something is the case, etc. Plato is primarily interested in establishing that something exists, e.g. justice, and then understanding what that something is and why it is what it is. All of these claimants can be utilized for this purpose. While many of Plato’s dialogues deal with knowledge in different ways and in different contexts, the Theaetetus takes up this topic as centralRead MoreEpistemology Is A Better Choice Over Traditional Epistemology1479 Words   |  6 PagesEpistemology can be split into two areas: one being traditional epistemology and the other being naturalized epistemology. The distinction between the two forms of epistemology is that traditional epistemologists accept what they think they know whereas natural ep istemologists put what they think they know to empirical tests. The connotation of ‘empirical’ in this context refers to the methodologies of natural science; specifically, putting theories that we believe to know to scientific experimentationRead MoreEducators Struggle with Philosophy1075 Words   |  4 Pagesreflect on how to make classroom actions consistent with our beliefs related to learning. However, before we list our â€Å"beliefs† we need to delve deeper into what makes up our philosophy. There are four major components to philosophy – Metaphysics, Epistemology, Axiology, and Logic (Gutek, 2009). In order to be able to understand philosophy we need to be able to understand its components. Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of reality (Gutek, 2009). In metaphysics, oneRead MoreThe Allegory Of The People1374 Words   |  6 Pagesessay we will summarize the story and explore the philosophical views of those characters in and why in the end they feel the way that they do, â€Å"The Allegory of the People in the Cave† text is more than a story but rather an important Segway of understanding logical thinking. Socrates was one day speaking to a colleague where he began to illustrate a scenario for him. He told him to envision a cave deep enough where natural light could not enter. When venturing further into darkness a large areaRead MoreEssay on A Study of Epistemology890 Words   |  4 PagesA Study of Epistemology In the sixth century B.C., Homer alludes to a separation of knowledge between the mortals and the gods. He speaks of both gods and human beings as â€Å"knowing things†- creatures of knowledge. However, there is a â€Å"great difference in the quality and the scope of the knowledge available to the two groups† (Everson, Pg.12). For the mortal human being the contrast between â€Å"divine and human knowledge†, paired with possible deception by the gods, has led him to question theRead MoreEpistemology And Belief Of Epistemology Essay1128 Words   |  5 Pagesreferring to epistemology. I will be answering questions such as, â€Å"What is knowledge† and â€Å"What is belief†. I will also answer other questions related to the epistemology of knowledge and beliefs. Before we get into knowledge and beliefs, we must define what epistemology is and why epistemology is important. What is epistemology? The word itself derives from two Greek words: â€Å"Episteme† meaning knowledge and understanding and â€Å"Logia† meaning science of study. In philosophy, epistemology is the studyRead MorePhil 201 Study Guide Lesson 10 Essay864 Words   |  4 Pagesthis lesson, we begin a new unit on epistemology, which is the philosophical study of knowledge claims. In this first lesson on epistemology, we begin by examining the question â€Å"What do we mean when we say we know something?† What exactly is knowledge? We will begin with a presentation that introduces the traditional definition of knowledge. Wood then discusses some of the basic issues raised in the study of epistemology and then presents an approach to epistemology that focuses on obtaining the intellectualRead MoreUsing The Method Ipa Is It Favors Open Ended Questions With The Individual s Experiences1484 Words   |  6 Pagesidentity and the individual’s sense of self as it fav ors in-depth analysis into important life experiences (Scotland, 2012; Smith Eatough, 2012). Under this approach the researcher needs to be aware of there own pre-understanding of the topic and how this personal understanding may influences the issues being researched (Borell, Nygard, Asaba, Gustavsson Hemmingsson, 2012). IPA studies use a small sample size, to ensure each individual’s experiences are analyzed in detail. The researcher needsRead MoreEssay on My Philosophy of Education1206 Words   |  5 Pagesreflect on how to make classroom actions consistent with our beliefs related to learning. However, before we list our â€Å"beliefs† we need to delve deeper into what makes up our philosophy. There are four major components to philosophy – Metaphysics, Epistemology, Axiology, and Logic (Gutek, 2009). In order to be able to understand philosophy we need to be able to understand its components. Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of reality (Gutek, 2009). In metaphysics, one

Monday, December 9, 2019

Conflict Management for Poor Communication†MyAssignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theConflict Management for Poor Communication. Answer: Introduction and Thesis When different individuals are working together, conflict is likely to arise and is mainly caused by differences in the values and personalities of employees. A lot of people try to avoid conflicts at all costs whereas other people have the tendency of blaming something else or another person for causing the conflict. Such responses cannot resolve the conflict and might in fact worsen the situation (Whillas, 2010). It is of note that managers spend at least 25% of their time resolving conflicts within the place of work (Trudel Reio, 2011). Conflict often stem from issues between managers and staff members and/or between different staffs working in the company (Brubaker et al., 2014). It arises whenever there is a perception of incompatible or contrary interests between various participants in the place of work (Rahim, 2016). A conflict could be very destructive if left unresolved. Dealing with conflict within the place of work in a timely fashion is of great importance in maintainin g a healthy work environment. The manager should not believe that a conflict would just fade away. This would be an erroneous assumption to make considering that simple conflicts could actually grow into big problems if not handled in an appropriate way (Papenhausen Parayitam, 2015). Thesis statement: This paper evaluates causes of conflict in the scenario described. In addition, the possible strategies for conflict resolution which could have been applied by Nick are discussed. Evaluation of the Causes of Conflict Poor Communication Poor communication is a major cause of workplace conflicts in business organizations. Singleton et al. (2011) pointed out that dissimilar styles of communication could bring about misunderstandings between staff members or between a manager and an employee. Poor communication could lead to a difference in communication styles. It could also bring about failure to communicate. Lack of communication is a form of poor communication. Poor communication in the place of work does not does cause conflict, it also reduces employee morale and productivity (Runde Flanagan, 2010). Cases of poor communication are common in the scenario that resulted in conflict in the place of work. For example, owing to poor communication between Nick and the Senior Manager, Nick was not given adequate guidance by the Senior Manager regarding how he should do his duties. During Nicks initial week at work upon joining the Central Community Agency as a Programme Coordinator, the Senior Manager gave him the duty roster. Additionally, the Senior Manager informed Nick of the days that he was to attend to counter as well as other events and committee meetings that he was supposed to attend. However, the Senior Manager did not give additional information regarding how Nick should perform his job duties. The Senior Manager told Nick if he had any questions, he should liaise with the organizations Assistant Manager. There was also lack of communication between Nick and the Assistant Manager. At his first Womens Wing meeting, Nick was not sure of what to do and when he approached the Assistant Manager for help, the Assistant Manager did not help him but instead asked him to return later because the Assistant Manager was busy at the time. For the next 2 days, the Assistant Manager was away and therefore Nick could not find him for help. Nick then tried to approach the other employees in the organization for guidance on how to organize an event but this was not successful because they were all too busy with their own events to provide Nick with any appropriate guidance. Conflicting Perceptions The other notable cause of conflict in the scenario is conflicting or different perceptions between Nick and the Assistant Manager. For example, Nick wanted the Assistant Manager to help him in his task on several occasions when there were many customers but the Assistant Manager declined to assist him apparently because that was not his duty; it was Nicks responsibility to attend to customers. It is worth mentioning that there were a number of occasions in which Nick was on duty with the Assistant Manager and when Nick was attending to an enquiry at the counter or was on the phone attending to an enquiry, the Assistant Manager would not step in to help him if there were other clients at the counter waiting. Even though Nick mentioned this issue to the organizations Senior Manager, the Senior Manager just told him to learn to give and take, which infuriated Nick. This also made Nick dissatisfied with his work. Misunderstandings Conflicts in the place of work could be caused by misunderstandings regarding the objectives, aims and nature of a job; wages and work conditions; differing expectations with regard to how duties should be performed; differences in priorities, needs, beliefs and values; and the different responsibilities of staff members and the managers (Dillon, 2017; Brandt, 2011). Thanks to misunderstandings at the place of work, Nick did not recognize that he had to attend an event on his day off and not getting time-off in lieu because he is given an allowance. It is notable that to Nicks understanding, the allowance that he was given by the organization was for counter duty and shift duty, not for attending an event on his day off. This was a major source of conflict that Nick faced in the organization. Differing Values Differing values are a significant cause of conflict in organizations. Any place of work comprises people who view the world in different ways. Conflicts arise when there is a lack of understanding and acceptance of these differences (McNary, 2012; Papenhausen Parayitam, 2015). Differing values is a notable cause of conflict in the organization. In particular, Nick and the seniors in the agency had different values that resulted in conflict between them. At one particular time, Nick spent a number of hours of his own free time to create a proposal on overcoming some of the challenges that he was facing in the organization. He gave that proposal to the Senior Manager who then asked the Assistant Manager to look at it. However, when Nick approached the Assistant Manager, the Assistant Manager informed him that the proposal was not a priority. He also told Nick that the proposal was not part of the Key Performance Indicators and therefore he would only attend to that proposal if he had time. Put simply, while Nick considered his proposal important, the Assistant Manager did not consider it important and thus had no time for it. Consequently, Nick was not motivated to continue working in the agency and his job performance started to decline. Frustrations Because of Criticism and Lack of Support by the Assistant Manager Whenever people become stressed or frustrated, they become more irritable and have a higher likelihood of creating conflicts than at other times (De Dreu et al., 2010). The main causes of work-related stress that caused Nick to create conflict in the agency were criticism and lack of support from the Assistant Manager, as well as tension between Nick and the Assistant Manager. During one particular incident between the Assistant Manager and Nick, the Assistant Manager was sitting at his desk and not giving a helping hand although there were 5 customers at the counter waiting. One of them criticized Nick for being slow. The Assistant Manager then told Nick that he has to be more efficient in his task and that he would record this on Nicks performance review. The two then argued given that Nick was very frustrated and felt that the Assistant Manager did not have basis for making such as a remark. Nick was also frustrated because he felt that whatever was to be addressed by the Assistan t Manager should have been done in private, not in front of customers. Evaluation of the Conflict Resolution Strategies Compromise There are several conflict resolution strategies that businesses often employ. They include collaboration, compromising, avoidance, accommodating and competing (McAllum, 2013). However, not all these approaches are suitable for the scenario described. For the situations in the case study, the appropriate conflict resolution strategies that can be utilized to resolve the conflict between Nick and the managers are compromise and collaboration. Through compromising, the compromiser would try to find ways of making a deal and meet halfway. It is worth mentioning that in this conflict resolution strategy, the needs of each party are met only partially (Lipsky, 2015). The conflicting parties find the middle ground in which a little is given and a little is gotten by each party. According to Lawless and Trif (2016), a compromiser exhibits skills of negotiation and moderation. An over-utilization of compromise signifies a lack of trust and a loss of the broader picture perspective. In additi on, there might be needless confrontations and frequent power struggles if compromise is under-utilized (Doherty Guyler, 2012). Using the compromise strategy to resolve the conflict in the workplace at the agency, Nick and the Assistant Manager would both give up part of what they needed/wanted in order to resolve the problem and conflict between them. As a result of using this conflict resolution strategy, the Assistant Manager wins some and Nick also wins some since both of them were ready to give a little (Katz Flynn, 2013). In essence, this conflict resolution strategy reduces the probability that one party in the conflict feels slighted by how the conflict was settled. Collaboration This strategy for resolving conflicts is also known as the ideal alternative. The goal of collaboration is essentially to find a creative solution that everyone would accept. Through this strategy, the conflicting parties work together to find a solution that is mutually beneficial (Brubaker et al., 2014). The collaborator using this strategy for conflict resolution exhibits reasonableness as well as a capacity to listen, empathize and understand. When there is no adequate collaboration, low empowerment and a lack of commitment could occur (Runde Flanagan, 2010). Conversely, when collaboration is over-utilized, too much time might be spent on matters that are unimportant and additional work may be created consequently. It generally takes energy and time to execute collaboration in a correct manner (Trudel Reio, 2011). Using collaboration as a strategy to resolve the conflict in the agency as described in the scenario, Nick and the agencys Assistant Manager would work together for the purpose of finding an agreeable solution to the conflict between them. When Nick and the Assistant Manager collaborate to find an agreeable solution, the result would be win-win for the two: Nick wins and the Assistant Manager also wins since the two of them are ready to work together. Conclusion In sum, there are five main causes of conflict in the scenario. The first one is poor communication between Nick and the managers at the agency. For instance, as a result of poor communication between Nick and the Senior Manager, Nick was not given sufficient guidance by the Senior Manager with regard to how he should carry out his duties. The second cause is different perceptions between Nick and the agencys Assistant Manager. Nick, for instance, wanted the Assistant Manager to assist him in his task on many occasions in which there were a lot clients but the Assistant Manager refused to help him because apparently that was Nicks duty, not his. The third cause is misunderstandings in the place of work. The fourth cause is differing values between Nick and the managers. Nick and the seniors in the agency had different values that resulted in conflict between them. For instance, while Nick considered his proposal important, the seniors in the agency did not see it as a priority. The f inal cause of the conflict is frustrations due to criticism and lack of support by the Assistant Manager. Collaboration and compromising are the conflict resolution strategies appropriate for the scenario. Through collaboration, the conflicting parties, who in this case include Nick and the senior managers at the agency, work together to find a solution that is mutually beneficial. On the other hand, through compromising, conflicting parties find the middle ground in which a little is given and a little is gotten by each party. Financial thought on the topic is that in any place of work, conflict is a normal occurrence and it could occur amongst staff members and between managers and staffs. Any conflict in the place of work should be resolved as quickly as possible before it grows into a bigger conflict. A conflict could be very destructive if it is not resolved. References Brandt, M. A. (2011). How to make conflict work for you. Nursing Management, 32(11), 32. Brubaker, D., Noble, C., Fincher, R., Park, S. K., Press, S. (2014). Conflict Resolution in the Workplace: What Will the Future Bring?. Conflict Resolution Quarterly, 31(4), 357-386. doi:10.1002/crq.21104 De Dreu, C. W., Evers, A., Beersma, B., Kluwer, E. S., Nauta, A. (2010). A theory-based measure of conflict management strategies in the workplace. Journal Of Organizational Behavior, 22(6), 645-668. doi:10. 1002/job. 107 Dillon, K. (2017). Managing conflict constructively. Rotman Management, 52-57. Doherty, N., Guyler, M. (2012). The Essential Guide to Workplace Mediation and Conflict Resolution : Rebuilding Working Relationships. London: Kogan Page. Katz, N. H., Flynn, L. T. (2013). Understanding Conflict Management Systems and Strategies in the Workplace: A Pilot Study. Conflict Resolution Quarterly, 30(4), 393-410. doi:10.1002/crq.21070 Lawless, J., Trif, A. (2016). Managing interpersonal conflicts at work by line managers. Irish Journal Of Management, 35(1), 74-87. doi:10.1515/ijm-2016-0005 Lipsky, D. B. (2015). The Future of Conflict Management Systems. Conflict Resolution Quarterly, 33S27-S34. doi:10.1002/crq.21133 McAllum, K. (2013). Workplace Conflict: Three Paths to Peace. IESE Insight, (18), 48-55. McNary, L. D. (2012). The Term "Win-Win" in Conflict Management: A Classic Case of Misuse and Overuse. Journal Of Business Communication, 40(2), 144-159. Papenhausen, C., Parayitam, S. (2015). Conflict Management Strategies as Moderators in the Antecedents to Affective Conflict and its Influence on Team Effectiveness. Journal Of Business Management, 21(1), 101-119. Rahim, M. A. (2016). Reducing job burnout through effective conflict management strategy. Current Topics In Management, 18201-212. Runde, C. E., Flanagan, T. A. (2010). Developing Your Conflict Competence : A Hands-On Guide for Leaders, Managers, Facilitators, and Teams. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Singleton, R., Toombs, L. A., Taneja, S., Larkin, C., Pryor, M. G. (2011). Workplace conflict: A strategic leadership imperative. International Journal Of Business Public Administration, 8(1), 149-163. Trudel, J., Reio, T. G. (2011). Managing workplace incivility: The role of conflict management styles-antecedent or antidote?. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 22(4), 395-423. doi:10.1002/hrdq.20081 Whillas, S. (2010). No better time to manage conflict. MHD Supply Chain Solutions, 40(4), 79.

Monday, December 2, 2019

Judgments And Antigone Essays - Mythological Kings, Antigone

Judgments and Antigone Throughout history mankind has always been faced with judgments. According the Oxford English Dictionary, judgment means "the mental ability to form an opinion" (AHD, 454). We are forced to make decisions based on our "mental opinions." Then, one's actions are based on ?mental opinions' which are judged by other people. Then there is the inevitable justification of these actions by other people or the person themselves. According the Oxford English Dictionary, justify means "to demonstrate sufficient legal reason for (an action taken)" (456). Once those actions are justified, they are considered morally and legally acceptable and are therefore are left alone. However, many times in a person's life, some decisions based on judgments are not justifiable. That is what causes conflict and separation among people. Often this disparity in perception on judgment leads to crime and punishment. This is very apparent in young children. If a younger brother bothers his older sibling, the older sibling often cannot understand why. So he or she feels that the younger sibling's action is not justifiable. Since it cannot logically be justified, the older brother or sister usually decides to punish the younger sibling by hitting him or her. This leads to crime and punishment. Now it is difficult for the parents of those children to justify the reason for argument. So they punish their children by putting them in ?timeout'. And this whole concept is what underlines both Antigone, by Sophocles and The Reader, by Bernard Schlink. In both stories, judgments arise and decisions are made based on those judgments. When those judgments cannot be justified, they are sent to be judged upon by a higher authority. This is all due to a difference in opinion which leads back to whether those unjustifiable decisions were considered a crime that deserve punishment. The focus of this paper is to point out some decisions based on judgments that could not be justified. It is also a discussion questions the possibility of justification in these judgments. When a person thinks of Antigone, his or her first thought is usually, "Oh yes, I know her, she was that tragic hero." This shows that Antigone did something right, and was falsely accused because one, heroes do not ever do anything wrong, and two, something tragic or uncalled for happened to her. Basically, Antigone lived with her sister in their uncle's royal house in Thebes. Creon was king there, and his decisions, opinions, and judgments were the law in Thebes. Laws that even superceded the laws of the gods. Creon's power shows when he and Heamon are having a conversation; Heamon was angered by his fathers thought to kill his fiance and reacted by questioning. "Protect your rights? / When you trample down the honors of the gods?" (Schilb 1328). Heamon was trying to say that Creon's right to make judgments could not be defended when those judgments go against the Gods. Creon reacted by saying "Is that so! / Now, by heaven, I promise you, you'll pay- / taunting, insulting me! Bring her out,/ that hateful- she'll die now, here, / in front of his eyes, beside her groom" (1328-1329). This proves as an example of Creon's power in Thebes. Antigone did the worst possible thing in Thebes. She defied the power of her uncle. After Antigone's brothers, Eteocles and Polynices, killed each other in combat, Antigone was saddened. What made her feel worse was that Polynices was not to be buried and paid respect to because Creon did not like him. Grief-stricken, Antigone decided that she was going to bury her brother no matter what the cost. So she went ahead and buried her Polynices. Antigone's determination was shown in her conversation with her sister Ismene when Antigone said: Why not? Our own brothers' burial! / Hasn't Creon graced one with all the rites,/ disgraced the other? Eteocles, they say, / has been given full military honors, / rightly so- Creon's laid him in the earth/ and he goes with glory down among the dead. / But the body of Polynices, who died miserably/ - why, a city-wide proclamation, rumor has it,/ forbids anyone to bury him, even mourn him. / He's to be unwept, unburied, a lovely treasure/ for birds that scan the field and feast to their heart's content. (1308) Antigone was able to justify her judgment that it was all right to bury her brother because he deserved to be mourned just like Eteocles. There was nothing that could have stopped Antigone from burying her brother. So she listened to her