Beowulf vs. The Patriot essays

Beowulf versus The Patriot expositions When taking a gander at the examination of the narratives Beowulf and the Patriot, there are some distinct contrasts, yet there are likewise a few things regular to both of these saints. Lets examine a portion of the significant contrasts and normal focuses between the two characters. Beowulf was initially from Geatland, and once he heard the updates on Grendel assaulting Hrothgars realm, he gathered his packs and set out toward Danish grounds. At the end of the day, he battled for a nation alongside his own. The Patriot is vastly different, really the specific inverse. The Patriot is safeguarding his nation of origin, battling against individuals originating from the other nation (Britian). On the off chance that the Patriot came to American shores to battle, it would have been to battle against the Americans rather than for them. Another recognizable contrast in the styles of the two legends is how much assistance every get when battling. Beowulf faces each and every conflict without anyone else, and never appears to demand for help. It appears as though he would prefer to lose a fight alone that make with the assistance of a companion. Then again, the Patriot is continually scanning for partners to help with the fights. Which raises another distinction, managing numbers. Beowulf is reliably coordinated facing close to 1 adversary at once. The Patriot is constantly dwarfed, regardless of what the conditions are, on the grounds that his fight is a war. In Beowulfs case, it appears that everybody in the network he is attempting to help is neighborly and steady of his activities to guard the individuals of the network. Then again is the Patriot, who consistently attempts to keep his locale from going into the war, basically provided that they took part in war, his child would likewise join. Since nearly everybody in the network is for doing battle, and the Patriot isn't, nobody in the network truly concurs or backs his choice. Proceeding onward to likenesses between the two ch ... <!

8 Crazy Things That Could Happen to the Workplace Within 30 Years

8 Crazy Things That Could Happen to the Workplace Within 30 Years Ever consider how the work environment of things to come will be extraordinary? Here’s some something to think about: a couple of situations to consider as we plan our vocations in an evolving world. 1. Driverless CarsThis isn’t such a great amount about the work environment, yet will positively change drives and furthermore in a general sense modify fields like mass travel and transportation, and possibly additionally change the essence of the vehicle business forever.2. No More OfficesMore and more organizations may select to have laborers set up remotely, either at home or in shared cooperating spaces. This will set aside organizations bunches of cash on office space and enable them to enlist ability from around the world.3. Large BrotherGPS checking may empower bosses to follow your area, your wellbeing, and your efficiency. This absolutely won’t be famous, yet as long as the innovation exists, a few organizations will need to utilize it.4. Workers’ Ch oiceMore and more twenty to thirty year olds entering the workforce are requesting that their bosses fulfill their moral guidelines. Anticipate that laborers should switch organizations and occupations more than they used to as they follow their interests and attempt to shape their optimal careers.5. Work ‘Til You DropWe’re all living longer, and organizations are disposing of exorbitant retirement programs. We’ll all most likely need to work a whole lot longer, especially as clinical advances keep us alive well past the future of our parents’ parents.6. Low maintenance PlusFreelancing might be the rush of things to come. It’s a lot less expensive for a business to recruit a consultant, without giving advantages or medical coverage. What's more, numerous specialists incline toward the control and adaptability that way of life bears them. The consistent 9-5 might be a dinosaur when our children enter the activity market.7. Counterfeit IntelligenceArt ificial insight will begin to supplant the same number of employments as plausible, placing increasingly manual undertakings in computerized hands. This will obliterate certain occupations, however make others in innovation and service.8. No More BossesZappos did it with their dubious â€Å"holacracy.† More and more organizations are rebuilding from the run of the mill direct snort level-up-to-huge manager model. We can anticipate progressively horizontal, integrative chains of importance to begin shaping, which will change the essence of how we work and who we work for.9 ways the work environment will be diverse in 2050

On APs

On APs To my surprise, one of Marilees quotes in my last entry about the role of Advanced Placement (AP) courses in college admissions turned out to be somewhat controversial: Jones believes that creativity and innovative thinking are taking a hit. Because students are so busy all the time, because parents think thats what they need to get into college, and we in college admissions officers reinforce that, they dont get into their imagination enough, Jones says. Her remedy: Lets free up a lot of kids to be able to do that and not force everybody to have all of those AP classes and all of those activities. Here are two of the comments that entry received: So, what can our students do to get your fair judgement about admitting them or rejecting them? Hide their APs on the application? W.L. Isnt taking several APs in the sciences and math a way to show the students passion in the sciences? I know many students who take loads of advanced courses because to them gaining knowledge is enjoyable. Deepta I dont know if Ill do this justice, but Ill give it a shot. Here goes. Look, were not saying you should drop or hide all of your AP courses. In many schools, I know, AP courses are the best (and sometime the only) option for students looking to be challenged and intellectually engaged. And Deepta, I wholeheartedly agree, taking advanced courses for love of learning is a great reason to do so. In our admissions process, we are looking for students who enjoy a challenge and love learning, becuase these are the students who will best thrive in the MIT community. What makes me sad is when students focus on their studies to the detriment of everything else because they think it is what we (college admissions officers) want. I think this is what Marilee is trying to say in the above quote. We believe that balance in life is important: balance between formal and informal studies, balance between work and play, balance between the work of the textbook and the work of the imagination. Too many times Ive had students tell me about the pressure to add another AP course sometimes a fifth, sixth, or seventh AP course for the year (!) and, consequently, drop something they really enjoy, like reading, band, field hockey, time with family, etc. It (sadly) isnt all that infrequent that I hear a student say something like, Well, Im cutting back on that to focus on more APs for my senior year, so I can get into a good college. Or, I dropped band because it was an unweighted course, even though I loved it, so I could take the weighted AP basketweaving cour se, because that is the most rigorous courseload available.' Marilee Jones isnt the only one who is concerned. I can tell you from conversations with my colleagues at other schools that this is something that is a concern across college admissions. Take, for example, this quote (from here) from Bill Fitzsimmons, Dean of Admissions at Harvard: There are people who arrive at college out of gas, says William Fitzsimmons, dean of admissions at Harvard College in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Its crazy for students to think in lockstep they must take four or five or six advanced-placement courses because colleges demand it. or this quote [PDF] from a couple years ago from Robin Mamlet, who, at the time, was Dean of Admissions at Stanford: One thing we are trying to do is dispel the myth that a curriculum loaded to the brim with Advanced Placement coursesâ€"with no regard to a student’s happiness or personal interestsâ€"is a prerequisite for admission to Stanford. Such a course load is not required, nor is it always healthy. Whenever we talk to students and parents, we encourage them to work with you [guidance counselors] to develop an appropriate course load. Of course we want students to challenge themselves, but we don’t want them to hurt themselves physically or mentally along the way. We try to explain to families that the students who will thrive at Stanford are those who are genuinely excited about learning, not necessarily those who take every single AP or Honors or Accelerated class. We tell students we expect them to take a reasonably challenging load, selecting from among the most demanding courses available to them. And we make it clear that we want students to work with you to exercise good judgment in course selection. We, too, expect students to challenge themselves, especially in the analytical disciplines (since MIT is, by any estimate, an analytically rigorous school). It is true that few students who had the option to take AP Calculus and an AP science (or similarly advanced calculus and science curricula, such as IB, A level, college classes, etc.) and chose, for no good reason, not to take them, find themselves admitted. And many students will avail themselves of further advanced coursework. For many students, we do see their creativity and excitement for learning coming through most clearly in the classroom and related activities, and when we see this, we do pay attention. There are now 37 AP courses. My high school offered just 3: Calculus, American History, and English. And I certainly had classmates who came from high schools that offered zero APs. Similarly, I had classmates who attended high schools that offered dozens of these courses, and, yes, some of them even took dozens of APs. But it is not necessary that you take all of these courses, or as many as possible. I know this isnt a problem everywhere, or even at most high schools. But with the interconnectedness between students, I have seen this super-anxiety over APs grow over the years. I hope this entry goes a small way in helping to reduce that stress. Let me state clearly: we do not admit students solely because of their AP courses/scores. There is no minimum or recommended number of AP courses. AP scores are not part of an admission formula. Were not simply going to look at a weighted GPA and throw everything else out. Challenge yourself in a way that is reasonable for you, while making sure that your courseload provides your with material that keeps you excited and engaged, and that you have balance in your life. What we are saying is that, despite what you may have heard, college admissions isnt a game of whoever has the most APs, wins.

Tobacco Consumption Is The Biggest Culprit Of Preventable...

It is widely claimed that tobacco consumption is the biggest culprit of preventable death, which is responsible for more than 6 million of mortality worldwide per year, reported by the Centers of Diseases Control and Prevention (CDC). Recent research of CDC in 2015 also predicted that smoking in particular will be the cause of 8 million deaths annually by 2030. Such current trends prompt many nations to enact laws restricting the harvesting, distributing and selling tobacco products. One striking example is that in 2010, Bhutan became the first non-smoking country by imposing a nationwide tobacco products ban. According to that, all the acts of tobacco production, distribution and consumption were forbidden, otherwise the violators would†¦show more content†¦Furthermore, not only does it involve several environmental problems that we have to confront, but also plays an essential role in developing the United States economy. The implementation and enforcement of the anti-toba cco laws of America are central to such major issues of the nation’s standards of living, economic growth and social welfare. In the following points. I will examine the mentioned aspects and some considerable oppositions. To begin with, the first possible explanation for tightening anti-tobacco policies is that tobacco use has a detrimental effect on the users individually. In fact, the smokers jeopardize themselves by absorbing poisonous substances, which are active when ones are smoking. For instance, the chemicals in cigarettes include some in removers such as acetic acid and arsenic. The former is used to remove nail polish and hair dye, whereas the latter can be found in rat poison. Furthermore, methanol, tar and carbon monoxide, which are usually in vehicles’ released fumes, will be active in the smoker’s windpipe and lungs while he or she smokes. It is ironic, but literally the people who smoke are fumigating their respiratory system. Due to such poisonous chemicals, having a regular smoking habit will run higher risks of circulatory, respiratory and mental diseases.

From Zero to Hero - 1425 Words

From Zero to Hero Throughout history, many people have risen and fallen in power due to their weaknesses and strengths. Napoleon Bonaparte, the great war leader and eventual Emperor of the French, was brought down due to the brute attacks on France by the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, Russia, and even by his own arrogance and carelessness. On the contrary, George Washington, a wealthy farmer from Virginia, was able to lead the thirteen colonies into defeating the most powerful army in the world with his bravery. Sometimes, however, even the greatest of people are forgotten and left out from the history textbooks, their memories gone with their destroyed writings and lost philosophies. John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the†¦show more content†¦John Jay, however, had magnificent rhetoric, for â€Å"his legal training and experience gave him a facility for words,† making it easy for him to â€Å"grasp and resolve complex issues† (Stahr 387). His very skillfu l way with words made it easier for him to resolve the intro-national military issue. Along with being a very skilled foreign minister to Great Britain, John Jay also took the matter of convincing New York to approve the Constitution of the United states into his own hands. At first, New York was against approving it, but â€Å"John Jay spent long hours convincing the New York legislature to adopt the document,† managing to successfully getting the state’s congress to ratify the Constitution (Kallen 42). If it weren’t for both his cleverness, he could not have been able to win over New York’s assent. â€Å"He had the education and genius† to both get the United States out of its situation with Great Britain, and talk a powerful and large state into giving its blessings to the Constitution, displaying a true gift for negotiating with eloquence at every step of his career. Without such an active and vigorous talent, nobody could have done what John J ay did for the early Republic. Jay used all of his energy, heart, and capability to contribute his best efforts to the welfare of the United States, also guided the entire way by his good soul. John Jay helped shape theShow MoreRelatedFrom Hero to Zero1979 Words   |  8 PagesHero to Zero A tragic hero is of noble birth and is a great or virtuous character in a dramatic tragedy that is destine for suffering or defeat. Victor Frankenstein, a rich and highly educated man who questioned the role of God and created The Creature, soon abandons his creation and ends up getting a taste of his own medicine when all his loved ones are gone and he is left all alone. Victor learned his lesson after creating The Creature because then he is punished eternally for his actions ofRead MoreCritical Thinking Of The Grand Budapest Hotel1102 Words   |  5 PagesBudapest Hotel consists of a prologue, five parts, and an epilogue. The film features many successful actors, but the main story revolves around an interesting narration of Zero Moustafa (played by F Murray Abraham, but embodied in younger years by Tony Revolori), who encounters the Author (starred by Tom Wilkinson and Jude Law). Zero reveals the secret of how he became the owner of the Grand Budapest’s Hotel. The film d raws attention to such themes as crime, love, the family revolts, prison breaks, policeRead MoreHoles By Louis Sachar : A Unique And Dynamic Piece Of Children s Literature962 Words   |  4 PagesStanley does not come off as an exciting character, at first he could even be considered rather dull. Until after the twentieth century it was the standard to make all heroes representations of masculinity (Simon 155). Stanley is a good example of a hero that isn’t excessively manly, he is timid and content. Interestingly his nickname at camp was Caveman. This name would suggest a very masculine nature. However, he is not wild or strong, he is chubby and insecure. Stanley also never seems to have luckRead MoreBeginning to the Great Alaskan Race826 Words   |  3 Pagesantiserum. So twenty dogs sled teams relayed the serum from the town of Nenana to Nome. The hardships of the dogs and mushers went through along with the hero dogs, and teams of mushers and dogs will forever be alive in Alaskan history.This journey is a gratifying accomplishment and a proud moment in Alaskan history. There were twenty teams of dogs varying from seven dogs to twenty-three dogs with a total of over a hundred dogs running from town to town carrying a life saving serum to the peopleRead MoreMarketing Audit: Coke Zero1125 Words   |  4 PagesMarketing audit: Coke Zero Positioning strategy The American soda manufacturer Coca-Cola has been under widespread criticism for contributing to the worlds obesity epidemic. However, the company also offers many diet beverages to whet consumers appetites. The health benefits of diet beverages are somewhat controversial in the scientific community, regarding weight gain, and some research indicates that consumers who drink more diet beverages actually weigh more (Diet sweeteners increase weightRead More Arthur Millers Death of a Salesman is A Modern Tragedy Essay1044 Words   |  5 Pagesto be defined by his basic observations. It was not until the modern age that playwrights began to deviate somewhat from the basic tenets of Aristotelian tragedy and, in doing so, began to create plays more recognizable to the common people and, thereby, less traditional. Even so, upon examination, the basic plot structure of some modern tragedies actually differs very little from that of the ancient classics. In spite of its modernity, Arthur Mi llers great twentieth-century tragedy, Death of aRead MoreThe Tragic Hero Of Sophocles Antigone1521 Words   |  7 PagesAn Aristotelian tragic hero is a literary character who makes a judgment that ultimately leads to his or her own destruction. An example of a true Aristotelian tragic hero is Creon from Sophocles’ play, Antigone. Creon is the tragic hero because he goes through the five stages of a tragic hero which leads to his destruction. His tragic flaw is him being afraid to admit that he has made a mistake. He is too proud of his power and his ability to make laws which leads to his son and wife committingRead MoreThe Movie The Nightmare Before Christmas 1701 Words   |  7 Pagestrail back farther than five thousand Before Common Era. The question that goes through all minds at some point, however, is what makes a hero? Joseph Campbell wrote his theory of The Hero’s Journey in which he describes the path the hero will tread and the trials and tribulations ahead of them. That is not to say that there are not multiple ways to go about a hero tale, there are various kinds of heroes, which all change the story. There are tragic heroes, classic heroes, epic heroes, and more. InRead MoreThe True Success Behind Ms. Marvel923 Words   |  4 Pagesparents, has that one friend who has a secret crush but is never noticed, a small group of friends, and the desire to be able to fit in with the â€Å"popular† kids at school. This story isn’t just about how any other every day person became to become zero to hero. The true success behind Ms. Marvel is because it s something different Marvel Comics brings to the readers they don t usually see comparing to previous superheros. They didn’t only bring an urban legend back .. Even before Kamala came alongRead MoreSir Gawain And The Green Knight1035 Words   |  5 PagesHero to Zero Has Been Sir Gawain and the Green Knight is a wonderful example of how context can change the way a story is accepted and interpreted. In the time of this poem, there was power in the idea that Gawain blundered and was not perfect. And this imperfection showed his subservient nature to God and his court, further instilling his heroic characteristics. However, in today s society, perfection is idealized; therefore, Gawain’s mistakes allude to him being less of a hero and in a greater

Ode to Autumn Free Essays

ODE TO AUTUMN John Keats This poem, an ode, is the last of Keats’ odes. In it, the poet exhibits a rich mood of serenity by describing autumn as a season of mellow fruitfulness – a season of ripeness and fulfillment. This ode is known for its remarkable sensuous beauty that is crafted by employment of several visual, tactile and auditory imageries together with the personification of autumn as a woman engaged in various autumnal activities. We will write a custom essay sample on Ode to Autumn or any similar topic only for you Order Now In the first stanza, the poet has described the bounty of autumn. It is the season of mists and the ripening of fruit. Autumn and the sun work together for the ripening of all kinds of fruits. The vines running round the edges of the thatch and apple trees growing in the cottage garden are weighed down with fruits. Their fruits are ripening during autumn. Besides the gourds are becoming larger and the hazel nuts are being filled with sweet kernels. For the bees, it appears as if there is no end to their happy days – summer – as there are some later flowers still blooming in autumn, providing honey to them, even if their sticky combs are over-brimmed. The beautiful word pictures and various visual and tactile imageries make the stanza a well-crafted one. In the second stanza, the poet moves from the country cottage to the outside field and describes various activities associated with autumn. He does it by employing personification that one almost visualizes these activities. It is the season of harvest and since most of the harvest works are performed by women, autumn is described as a woman. First, it is seen as a woman doing the work of winnowing. Secondly, one may see it as a reaper, asleep in the half-finished furrow of crops. Thirdly, it may be seen as a gleaner, keeping her corn-burdened head steady as she crosses a brook. Finally, autumn may be seen as a woman standing patiently beside a cider-press for the last drops of apple juice. Unlike the first stanza where autumn was bustling with activities, Autumn is found static in suspended activity or arrested motion in the second stanza and the readers are invited to move from one scene to another in search of Autumn. In the final stanza, the poet appears to be overwhelmed by a pessimistic idea and asks about the sweet music of spring which is absent in autumn. However, he immediately rectifies himself and says there is nothing to worry about the songs of spring as autumn too has its own music. He then lists the various sounds of autumn which are generally heard in the evening time. The mourning of the gnats, the loud bleating of the full-grown lambs, the singing of the hedge-crickets, the whistling of the red-breast and the twittering of the swallows are the prominent sounds that the poem deals with. Thus, the third stanza is about the music of autumn and the imagery is auditory. If in the first stanza, the positive side of autumn as the handmaid of summer is stressed, here the season is hailed as the prelude to winter. The theme of the poem is a delighted, sensuous enjoyment of the rich and mature beauty of autumn season. The poet’s imaginative response to the beauty of autumn appears in a series of pictorial personifications of the season. The course of autumn traced in the poem is not restricted to autumn. The movement of the poem from fruition to harvest, from satisfaction to ending epitomizes the very process of life. Even sadness is seen in its true perspective as inseparable from and part and parcel of the complete process. The poem is an acceptance of the beauty and the pain in life, and an affirmation of its dignity. Thou hast thy music too’, is a relevant reminder that each one has his own talent and should attain contentment in life. Extracts: a) Season of mists and mellow fruitfulness, Close bosom-friend of the maturing sun Conspiring with him how to load and bless. i) Why does the poet address ‘autumn’ as the ‘season of mists and mellow fruit-fullness? A ns. The poet addresses ‘autumn’ as the season of mists as during this season, we can see mists on the open fields and on the other wet places in the mornings and evenings. He calls it a season of mellow fruitfulness because it’s during autumn that the fruits are in the process of ripening. i) How is ‘autumn’ a close bosom-friend of the maturing sun? Ans. Autumn is a close friend of the maturing sun as both of them together help the fruits to ripen to the core. iii) What do the close friends conspire? Ans. The two close friends, autumn and the sun conspire to load and bless the vines and apple trees with fruits, to swell the gourds, to plump the hazel shells with sweet kernels and to help bloom some more flowers. b) And still more, later flowers for the bees, Until they think warm days will never cease. i) What does the poet mean by the ‘later flowers’? Ans. By the ‘later flowers’, the poet means to convey that flowering does not stop immediately after summer; in fact it continues though the number gets reduced. These are known as later flowers. ii) What makes the bees feel that warm days will never cease? Ans. The presence of later flowers and availability of honey for the bees makes them feel that the warm days shall never cease. iii) Describe the bee hives. Ans. The bees have collected a lot of honey during summer, yet the presence of the later flowers makes them collect more and add it to their collection which is now over-filled in their sticky cells. ) Sometimes whoever seeks abroad may find Thee sitting careless on a granary floor, Thy hair soft-lifted by the winnowing wind; i) Who or what is being talked of here? Ans. ‘Autumn’ is being talked of here. ii) What is the poetic device employed here and what is its effect? Ans. The poetic device employed here is personification as ‘autumn’ is bei ng described as a woman engaged in various harvest related activities. iii) Why is she seen sitting carelessly on the granary floor? What activity was she involved in? Ans. She can be seen sitting carelessly on the granary floor as she was engaged in winnowing work, i. e. eparating the chaff from the corn and she is sitting carelessly because she is not worried as the harvest has been very good. It is picture of fulfillment or contentment. iv) Mention at least two more places she can be seen. Also mention in what condition she can be seen at these places. Ans. She can be seen in a sleeping posture, as she had been induced to sleep by the intoxicating smell of the poppies growing in the field along with the corn, in a half-reaped furrow while her sickle spares the next swath. She can also be seen as a gleaner, crossing a brook and keeping her head steady. She can be seen sitting patiently at a cider-press and watching for the last drops of apple juice trickling down from the press. d) Think not of them, thou hast thy music too, — i) Who is being addressed here? Ans. Autumn is being addressed here. ii) This line is the answer to a question asked by the poet. What is the question? Ans. The question is: ‘Where are the songs of spring? Ay, where are they? iii) What is being referred to as ‘them’ here and why should the addressee not think of them? Ans. ‘The songs of spring’ is being referred to as ‘them’ here and the addressee, i. . autumn should not think of them as it is useless to think of the past. It’s rather wise to live in the present. Besides, autumn has its own music too. iv) Name a few sources of music associated with the addressee. Ans. The mourning of the gnats, the loud bleats of the full-grown lambs, the songs of the hedge-crickets, the whistles of the red-breast and the twittering of the swallows are the prominent sounds associated with the addressee, autumn. e) ‘Where are the songs of the Spring! Ay, where are they? Think not of them, thou hast thy music too, While barred clouds bloom the soft-dying day, And touch the stubble plains with rosy hue†¦ ’ i) Name the poet and the poem. Ans. The poet is ‘John Keats’ and the poem is ‘Ode to Autumn’. ii) Who is being referred to as ‘thou’? Ans. Autumn is being referred to as ‘thou’. iii) What does the poet mean when he says ‘songs of spring’? Ans. By the songs of spring the poet refers to the joy and exuberance of spring season. iv) What image is conjured up with ‘stubble plains’? Ans. The grain has been harvested and only the short, dry stalks remain like the stubble of hair on the face. How to cite Ode to Autumn, Essay examples

Work and private life

The major changes taking place in the job market across the globe are pushing organizations and governments all over the U.S. and the U.K. to rethink their approaches to dealing with the workforce. Big and small organizations alike are compelled to apply policies that seek to create a good balance between work, family and social life. It is imperative that employers realize that their employees are people with a life away from work.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Work and Private Life specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The European Union for example, is encouraging the implementation of guidelines that benefit the organization while at the same allowing employees to meet deal with out of work responsibilities. Advances in technology are also forcing organizations to undergo radical transformations in the way they transact business. The recent global economic meltdown destabilized both employers and employees throw ing all into panic and uncertainty of what the future holds. With reduced income and production going down, organizations were left with no option but to carry out massive lay offs. This frightening phenomenon led to the emergence of other challenges that are now pose new threats to the social settings within the community. Job insecurity for example, would raise alarm at home as families begin to worrying about how to make ends meet. This has seen an increased number of women taking full time employment to supplement husbands’ efforts to provide for families. Negatively, this has increased the rate of divorce and an upward surge of the number of children growing without parental guidance. In addressing this dilemma, most governments are struggling to create healthy work environments that are appealing to employees. Similarly, organizations are working hard to redesign human resource operations with clear intentions of retaining high caliber staff. Flexibility is increasingly becoming a preference for both employers and employees as both parties see work and private life as being inseparable. Most employers are now more concerned about their employees out of work problems are willingly to listen and make it easy for staff to create a balance. According to the EFILWC (2006), these issues are very critical to both the employees and the employers. This paper discusses stress and how it affects work and social life. It also examines how organizations can get flexible enough to create interesting work environments as they seek to maintain employees for longer periods.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Stress in Organizations Stress Defined Many definitions exist to explain what stress is but generally, stress is defined as a response to some form of pressure or interruption. In the book by Cartwright Cooper (1997), stress may lead to worry, nervousnes s or anxiety. Sources of Stress Stress may be the end result of working for very long hours and in poor conditions, having unhealthy work relationships, ambiguity in work roles, and stagnated career development or even non-work related cause. Some of the problems associated with stress are; loss of man hours as absenteeism becomes the order of the day, workers committing suicide, and alcoholism which may lead to even more serious troubles. A number of organizations in the U.S. and the U.K. have had to be subjected to massive losses that are directly linked to stress. Valuable employees have died from stress related causes. Due to the rising costs of dealing with the consequences of stress, organizations are resolving to fight the root causes of stress at work. There is need to invest enough time and resources to reduce the effects of stress. A great number of companies in the U.S. are now paying close attention to the well being of employees so as to avoid incurring so much in healt hcare. Being overworked can also act as a source of stress. Poor time management and lack of skills necessary to do the job are some reasons why employees get overworked. Too much time is therefore spent to accomplish the given tasks. This leads to crises that only worsen the situation by draining the employee’s energy. Usually, those overworked are managers or professionals in various fields who have to answer to the needs of others time and again. Sadly, these employees will be working while at home or even when on vacation. If left unchecked, this could have a serious negative impact on family relations. Any understanding employer knows not to interfere with an employee’s family life. They will instead encourage employees to enjoy every moment they have with the family. Galinsky Backon (2004) conclude that the employees should be advised to see to it that any vacation serves the intended purpose.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Work and Priva te Life specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Effects of Stress Stress and work pressures do not only affect an employee’s performance at work. More often than not, the effect trickles over to the home as it is very difficult to separate work from home life. For most people, managing organizational and family demands can get quite tricky leading to important family relations getting really messed up. Damaged family relations in turn, negatively impact on the employee’s performance at work and the result is a vicious cycle that unless dealt with, will not end. Work disturbing home and home affecting work. Though, home is generally regarded to be a haven of peace where employees can get support and encouragement, a crisis at work easily finds its way into the home and creates instability as it is almost natural and employee to carry work related fears to the home life. When this happens, it weighs down on the spouse who may the n not be able to provide the much needed support to produce a relaxing environment at home. In a case where job loss is eminent for example, a non-working spouse may have to look for employment to enable her assist her worried husband. In the end women are faced with an even bigger task as they have to work while at the same time they are expected by their husbands to manage the home environment. Dealing with Stress For better results, both the employer and the employee should be involved in the fight against stress. A number of strategies can be adopted by organizations to deal with stress and one such solution is to ensure that all employees have their jobs clearly defined to avoid any doubts and conflicts. This makes it easy for everyone to know what is expected of them and in a way, help to build employee confidence. Social events organized by the organization can also play a big role in relaxing and re-energizing employees. On their part, employees can aid the war against stres s through proper time management, building self confidence through whichever means are available, and engaging in healthy practices among others. Organizations and Flexible Forms Background Information To remain relevant and competitive, it is mandatory that companies devise attractive working arrangements. With more and more employees now willing to place carriers in the back burner as they pursue the benefits of healthy family relations, employers have to do quite a lot to attract and keep the best employees.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More A big number of employees would love to have a job that is challenging, can present opportunities for growth and more importantly, able to offer more time off. A strategy being used by most organizations is to formulate mechanisms that give workers an opportunity to achieve a good work-life balance. Simply put, companies are leaning more towards providing a flexible work environment for their workforce. Top on the list of flexibility is having an environment where employees can work but also have room to attend to non-work related matters without fear of punishment. A great number of employees are now using this as a measure when assessing the prospects of a new job. Most employees, especially male are getting tired of missing out on private life and as a remedy, will sneak out of work during the day without the bosses knowing to participate in family. The reason this is happening is because most companies are still managed in a way that separates work and family life. Oblivious of the fact that employees can actually be at work but completely disengaged, some organizations are still under the false impression that employees will consider work to be a priority over family, or other private engagements. Companies quite unrealistically expect workers to always be available to deal with work matters anytime when called upon. Flexibility in Organizations Flexibility has gained popularity over time as an important component of success at the workplace and is seen as a means to give an answer to the changes the discussed above. For success to be realized, flexibility must be seen to benefit both the employer and employees. Employees subjected to flexible working environments are more likely to propel the growth of the organization. Usually, they are satisfied with their jobs, exhibit better mental health and are more willing to stay with their employer much longer. According to Peeters and colleagues (2005), numerous changes affecting families and the subsequent inc rement of women working full time, have made it difficult to draw a line between work and home life. This is further aggravated by technological advancements that have led to possibilities of performing work related tasks from anywhere. A job is generally considered more attractive if it can assist the employees to meet family obligations. Workers making use of the available work-life balance options provided by employers are able to stay longer with the employer than those who do not. The strong relationship between flexibility and commitment is a major reason why flexibility should be a clear choice for both the employee and the employer. Flexible work practices also help to reduce stress, which is a major contributor to absenteeism at work. Employees with high quality jobs and more supportive work environments have been found to be much more relaxed and less stressed. They return home in better moods and ready to give to the important people in their lives. Work can therefore hel p to enhance life off the job but this is if and only if work and family life are well balanced. The way people manage work and personal life is closely linked to how people assess and decide on priorities. Most flexible organizations recognize the value of employees and consequently put the needs of employees ahead of any other. Employee with pressing family issues to deal with must be given time off and any action to the contrary is unacceptable for a flexible working culture. This springs from the fact that when employees are happy customers too will be happy making the organization profitable in the end. Flexibility is strongly supported by the use of existing technologies such as mobile phones, computers and the Internet. Employees can be allowed to work wherever they are using laptops and incase communication with the office is needed, teleconferencing can be used. Working from home, they may be able to take care of parental duties, or even look after a sick relative. To furth er reinforce the achievement of a flexible environment, part time schedules can also be agreed upon. Although there are times when flexible arrangements have failed to work, proper use of a flexible work environment will benefit both the employer and the employee. To advance the use of flexibility, organizations have followed different approaches. Some have allowed employees to work from home one day a week arguing that it is possible for one to concentrate more when phones are not ringing. Others will guarantee workers time of after they have worked for a certain period of time. Given that work-life balance is the need of the hour, organizations are now required to work out systems that enable workers to effectively deal with work-private life pressures. Currently, adopting a flexible working culture is seen as the only way out as organizations strive to retain dependable employees and remain competitive. In the study done by Miller (2006), however, most managers are afraid that a flexible worker may not be trusted. This type of management would prefer to see employees seated and doing work from workstations provided for them at the workplace. Conclusion In as much as most employees favor a job that allows them to strike a good balance between work and private life, all these will not bear much fruit without good management policies that guarantee a strong foundation for success. It is therefore important that an organization develops helpful work-life balance programs. Besides, the organization’s culture must be one that strongly supports these initiatives and uses them to the advantage of the organization as well as the employees. If this is not recognized as a way of working in the organization, even the best designed work-life programs are bound to fail. There is also a need to put in place laws that compel both employers and employees to abide by the use of such available flexible programs. There are instances where some employees have not taken a dvantage of the flexible options offered by their employers simply because the organizational culture does not allow for this to happen. Others, however, have failed to use work-life balance plans out of fear that their jobs could be affected in one way or another. In the U.S. for example, the Family Leave and Medical Act allows fathers to take twelve weeks of paternity leave. Sadly, only a small percentage of eligible men request for this. Similar arrangements in the U.K. have not resulted into any tangible benefits. While most employers offer the work-life balance programs as a way of recruiting and retaining staff, some offer the initiatives to improve production and employee commitment levels. More importantly, some employers use these programs to support employees and their families. It is worthwhile noting that even if a company does not support work-life balance, it is possible for workers to go around the system and to attend to pressing family demands. This rat race can be avoided if companies can appreciate the fact that work and private life are indivisible and greatly complement each other for the success of the employees. People who consider work and personal life to be equally important have been found to be more fulfilled, successful and less stressed. By setting tight boundaries between work and family life, they are able to concentrate on what matters most at any given time. One strategy employed to achieve this is to leave work at work. It does not help to transform home into an office. It is important to make sure that when one is at home, he is really at home an emotionally engaged. Another helpful tactic is to take time for rest and recovery. Also, one can ensure that their priorities are clear set. What is important should be treated as such and must not in any way, be undervalued. It is about being intentional as far as how one wants to live is concerned. Employees operating on extremes emphasizing work more than personal life or vice ve rsa often feel dissatisfied with work and life. Reference List Cartwright, S. Cooper, C.L., 1997. Managing Workplace Stress. California: Sage Publications. Web. European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions (EFILWC)., 2006. Reconciliation of work and family life and collective bargaining in the European Union. Loughlinstown. Web. Galinsky, E. Backon, L., 2007. When Work Works. New York: Family and Work Institute. Web. Miller, H., 2006. When Work and Life Balance, Everyone Wins. Michigan: Herman Miller Inc. Web. Peeters, M. C. W., Montgomery, A. J., Bakker, A. B., Schaufeli, W. B., 2005. Balancing Work and Home: How Job and Home Demands Are Related to Burnout. International Journal of Stress Management, 12 (1), pp. 43–61. Web. This essay on Work and Private Life was written and submitted by user Isabel Ramirez to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.