Mary Warren :: essays research papers

Mary Warren is an important character in Arthur Miller’s play, THE CRUCIBLE. Much of the action in Act III revolves around Mary’s testimony in court. She is a kind and basically honest girl who tries to do the right thing, saving her friends from harm. However, throughout Acts I and II, Mary is a follower who allows Abigail Williams to negatively influence her good judgment. To make matters worse, Mary is terrified of Abigail’s threats. Because of her weak will, the reader isn’t certain if Mary will maintain the courage to help John Proctor to win his court case in Act III. Mary Warren’s basic goodness is demonstrated on many occasions. She has been hired by John Proctor to help his wife Elizabeth with household chores. Mary proves to be a kind girl who gets along well with Mrs. Proctor. Although Mary has become a court official in Salem, she still gets up early in the morning to clean the Proctors’ house. While in court, Mary passes the time by making Goody Proctor a present of a small rag doll called a poppet. Upset by the court proceedings, Mary tells Mr. Proctor that she is "all shuddery inside" because Goody Osburn will hang. When the poppet becomes false proof of witchcraft against Elizabeth, Mary willingly explains that the poppet is hers. She also makes a vain attempt to comfort John Proctor as the court officials drag his wife away in chains. A basic sense of honesty is another of Mary Warren’s traits. In Act I she goes to Salem to convince Abigail to tell the truth about what really happened in the woods. When the witchcraft scare gets out of hand, Mary joins Abigail and the other girls in falsely accusing women of being witches. These false accusations are motivated by hysteria. There is evidence that Mary really believes that the women in court are bewitching her. She tells the judge that she thought she saw spirits. The other girls were screaming, and before she knew it, Mary was screaming with them. When she realizes that there are no spirits, Mary is willing to be truthful. After Elizabeth Proctor’s name is brought up in court, Mary Warren defends her against the accusation. At the end of Act II, the reader hopes that the basic sense of honesty will remain strong enough to allow Mary to testify on behalf of the accused women in Act III.

E.E. Cummings: The Birth of Modern Poetry Essay -- Poetry Analysis

â€Å"The greatest poets are those with memories so great that they extend beyond their strongest experiences to their minutest observations of people and things far outside their own self-centeredness.† This quote said by Stephen Spender depicts a great poet as someone who utilizes their past observations to increase their knowledge about people, nature, love, and life. Like a great poet, E.E. Cummings employed his past experiences in his poetry and life. Known as one of the preeminent poets of the 20th century, E.E. Cummings poetry has received an array of both positive and negative criticism. Nonetheless, Cummings’s poetry has inspired many poets and authors with his liberal views on love, nature, and religion along with his modern writing style. Although many criticized his contemporary style, E.E. Cummings modernized the traditional views of love, nature, and religion in poetry by emphasizing his contemporary beliefs, while incorporating a uniquely modern w riting style. As a strong advocate of individualism, E.E. Cummings ignored biased critics throughout his career and developed a contemporary writing style. From the beginning of his career, Cummings emphasized imagination and individuality in his poetry. He believed that humans had the ability to think for themselves and imagine beyond what was rational (Kidder 7). In believing so, E.E. Cummings refused to take advice or criticism on his lifestyle and poetry. Cummings also disliked organization, but rather believed in allowing the mind to imagine (Thompson 4). He saw imagination as the greatest tool for writing and rarely threw out bad poems because he did not see the waste basket as his ally (Webster 4). He firmly believed that with imagination anything was possible.... ...ury Poetry. New York: Wiley-Blackwel, 2003. Thompson, William E. "Intensity: An Essential Element in e. e. cummings' Aesthetic Theory and Practice." University of Windsor Review. 16.2 (Spring-Summer 1982): 18-33. Rpt. in Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism. Ed. Janet Witalec. Vol. 137. Detroit: Gale, 2003. 18-33. Literature Resource Center. Gale. OLD TAPPAN HIGH SCHOOL. 16 Mar. 2015. . Webster, Michael. "E. E. Cummings: Romantic Ideology and Technique." Reading Visual Poetry After Futurism: Marinetti, Apollinaire, Schwitters, Cummings. New York: Peter Lang, 1995. 111-140. Rpt. in Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism. Ed. Janet Witalec. Vol. 137. Detroit: Gale, 2003. 111-140. Literature Resource Center. Gale. OLD TAPPAN HIGH SCHOOL. 16 Mar. 2015. .

What dreams and visions motivate the characters of “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck?

No matter how well we plan the future, things often go wrong. ‘Of Mice and Men', a novella by John Steinbeck, highlights the despair and misfortune of the American citizens in the 1930s. Following the collapse of the New York Wall Street stock market, the US entered a prolonged period of economic depression. During this period of failed business, harsh poverty and long-term unemployment, thousands of migrant workers came to California in search for work. In attempts to escape the ‘dust bowl' (a series of droughts and failed crops) workers migrated west, but to find themselves in no better state; slaving in ranches from day to day, poorly paid, poorly fed with nothing to loose but their hopes of pursuing â€Å"The American Dream† and indeed, as Steinbeck illustrates, these hopes can be lost. Having lived and experienced this lifestyle, Steinbeck presents his views of society in the 1930s in the form of the characters of this book. He shows that the simplest elements of identity can be the reason of the shattering of one's dream. The luxuries of â€Å"The Promised Land†, the dream of being rescued of fear and loneliness and the desire to live a happy life are but visions of a supernatural future for the characters of this novel. Loneliness is a common quality that a ranch- hand would possess, however, weather or not it is an advantage can be argued. In the 1930s, Workers were never in one place long enough to even make friends; these men would grow impassive and often set aside their ambitions. Characters like Carlson and Wit have no emotional depth; they are not touched or motivated by anything. Steinbeck doesn't describe Carlson's feelings, but instead just the way he is ‘thick-bodied'. Carlson's first conversation in this book is one where he plots to kill Candy's dog. Here we immediately recognise Carlson's indifferent nature. He is one of the best survivors at the ranch because of this; he wastes no time in planning out ‘dreams' for himself. Steinbeck uses Carlson's character to model a typical ranch- hand, loneliness a key for his survival. However, in contrast to Carlson, Lennie and George are the main pursuers of the â€Å"American dream†. Their vision of their future motivates them every day; and has become the reason and main influence of their decisions. Together, George and Lennie carefully plan their dream and work hard on the ranch to earn money for their future. George has repeated their plan to Lennie so many times that Lennie has actually learnt the dream off by heart. George tells Lennie of how they are each going to get what they want; George freedom and Lennie â€Å"gets to tend the rabbits†. The two characters believe that each cannot seek their dream alone. Evidently, George says, â€Å"We got somebody to talk to that gives a damn about us†¦ ecause I got you to look after me and you got me to look after you,† and for Lennie especially, it has been the main reason for their survival. The recollection of this dream is met several times throughout the novel. This shows that even the weakest of people can be stimulated by the image of their â€Å"perfect life†. Even George, though he seems quite tough, weakens when he visualises their future, his voice becomes â€Å"deeper† when he tells the dream and he â€Å"repeats his words rhythmically as though he had said them many times before†. Steinbeck's use of language here convey George's feelings, his rhythmic tone and deep voice suggest that he is in an almost trance- like mode, fantasising about his dream. This is very ironic however, seeing that George actually ends this vision himself. He prevents his own dream from coming or ever being able to come true. There is a strong moral-thread in this story, generally identified as the concern for the â€Å"underdog†. Steinbeck sympathises with any â€Å"out of the normal† character, weather physically or mentally disabled, racially or sexually different, â€Å"diverse† people in the 1930s were considered outcasts. Crooks for instance, both physically disabled and of a different (inferior) race, illustrates the social pressure that is cast upon those in his condition. He represents Steinbeck's thoughts and what he thinks of life for these men. Like Crooks, Steinbeck sees dreams as useless fantasies, this is shown by the fact that Crooks does not actually have existing dreams, he is well aware that dreams will never come true for men like them; disabled, poor, â€Å"black†. Through the years, Crooks has come to his senses, he has realised that his race is a huge obstacle which stands between himself and his happiness. Crooks illustrates the need of a partner in order to be able to dream. He only starts to dream when he is around other characters. Being left out and ignored has driven Crooks to separate himself from the community, disabling him from planning any dreams. â€Å"He whined,' A guy goes nuts if he ain't got nobody. ‘† Here Steinbeck blames the social attitudes, we pity Crooks by the way he â€Å"whines† telling us how his dreams have almost been beaten out of him and which now have been reduced to memories. In contrast, George and Lennie's dream represents one's success if accompanied by a partner. This dream was the closest to becoming true as there seemed to be no faults in it. However, when Lennie dies, the dream becomes impossible to achieve. Perhaps like Crooks, this dream will become but a memory to George. Crooks' memories of his childhood mirror George, Lennie and Candy's dream, both similar in the way they were based on being free, happy and being around people; â€Å"The American Dream†. Also, both dreams similarly extinguished due to the effects of the people around them. When Lennie dies, George's dream becomes extinct, likewise, Crooks' dreams end when he is separated from his family, left with no motivation, ambition or vision to look forward to every day. This injustice, however, might be seen beneficial to some characters. For example, at the ranch, Curley has the upper hand; power, money and a wife. This is because, the prejudice society of the 1930s allowed offenders like Curley to take advantage of less valued people, enjoying some benefits of the â€Å"American Dream† at the expense of the weaker characters. Another view would be that on the contrary, Curley, though mighty and powerful demonstrates the suffering caused by prejudice. He is silenced when a weaker character, Lennie, takes a stand (when Lennie crushed Curley's hand). Steinbeck shows yet another dream shattered when justice starts to appear. At Lennie's shooting, George is more pitied because his dream is not fulfilled, and now he has to live with the same misery and solitude Crooks endures. â€Å"George's voice was almost a whisper. † Again, a dream extinguished, showing that justice has no place in this society. Steinbeck shows George's helplessness, how this was beyond his control and how this is how things should end. Obstacles in this novel are never overcome; they are barriers separating fantasy from authenticity. Lennie's obstacle in this story is clearly his mental disability. He places himself in problematic situations which in return pull him further away from his dream. An example of this is that when he kills Curley's wife, Curley becomes determined to seek revenge and kill Lennie which disables the latter from fulfilling his dream. However, Lennie is not aware of his actions, he simply lives by what George trains him to do, motivated by the vision George has built for him, looking forward to tending his beloved rabbits. He does not understand what obstacles are and does not see the ones he faces. When Curley's wife dies, Curley is only determined to seek revenge, like Carlson, Curley has become a lonely man with no ambitions. â€Å"He worked himself into a fury† this clearly shows how Curley has also become impassive and insensitive, the same way Carlson is, the same way George will be when he loses Lennie. Moreover, Lennie's death shatters Candy's dream too. Candy's hopes of a better life rebuild (as do Crooks') when he meets Lennie, he starts planning and preparing himself as if he was to relive his life again: â€Å"†He just sets in the bunk house sharpening his pencils and sharpening and figuring†Ã¢â‚¬  Candy is very enthusiastic about this dream, he has always found that his age and physical disability have prevent him from having a happy ending. He knows that, just like his old dog, he will be gotten rid of because he is of no use anymore. There is a pattern here which Steinbeck emphasises; he tells us that the strong and admirable will never have a happy ending at the ranch. Candy's brilliant sheepdog was shot because he became old and useless, Candy is going to be thrown out of the barn for the same reason and Slim is predicted to end up this way too. Your position in the community depends on how much you are accepted by society, which is based on cultural attitudes. It is ironic how Candy is helpless due to his old age whilst Curley's wife's helplessness is due to her young age. Steinbeck hints at prejudice here which is purely society's model man against the other types of people. Women, for instance were meant to be seen and not heard. They seemed to have no rights. Curley's wife is an example of this prejudiced idea. She is expected to stay at home and entertain her husband, regardless of her desires. No one cares about her ambitions to be a movie star or her longing for company. Even her mother tried to prevent her from achieving her goals because it was clear that women were weaker and less outspoken because of their sex. Curley's wife is a highly ambitious character, she says that she wants to make something of herself, she wanted to be like â€Å"in the movies†; rich, famous and glamorous. Her attempts to fulfil her wishes backfire on her every time. She was disrespected and called a â€Å"tart† when she merely tried to find company. This is ironic as the ranch hands repeatedly talk about going to the â€Å"cat house† and having â€Å"a hell of a lot of fun†. This illustrates the way women were considered property, men could think of them as they liked. They were not to have dreams but if they did their dreams were known not to have come true, simply because they are women. â€Å"Of Mice and Men† is indeed a tragic story of how prejudice, racism, sexism and intolerance of the weak prevented people from achieving their dreams. In this novella Steinbeck demonstrates the disturbing effects of rejecting those who are not seen worthy enough in the community. He blames society and, as I see it, mainly the physically and mentally strong white men for perpetuating with this concept. These men are even blamed for their own pathetic ways of life, they are the reason no one can achieve â€Å"The American Dream† because the â€Å"weaker† beings are part of this dream too. Steinbeck shows us how society is the main influence on people's lives. If one is not accepted in society, then their hopes and dreams will perish despite the injustice and immorality it may bring. He disgraces society for its prejudice ways and holds it responsible for the suffering of all of its members, weak or strong.

Importance of Friends Essay

â€Å"The silver friend knows your present and the gold friend knows all of your past dirt and glories. Once in a blue moon there is someone who knows it all, someone who knows and accepts you unconditionally, someone who is there for life.† This is a quote I read once in an article by Jill McCorkle in my cousin’s house. McCorkle’s description of a â€Å"gold friend† describes a friendship that I have with a group of girls who mean the world to me. These friends are the pearls of my life. This word bears its great meaning to me and only to those who could understand the greatness of its meaning. It’s something sacred, it needs to be cherished and build up for many years with much care. It’s a complex, magical process, which must contain fluid that will start spinning the wheel. Let me tell you something about my friends.When I was a freshman in high school, I became friends with these girls-Guia,Krisha, Carla, Magz, Cj, Jian, and Chantel. Since the beginning of that year, we have all been best friends. There were many times we rode around together. However, this particular Jeep ride was very significant because I realized what friendship is all about. One Tuesday night, we all went to Greenwich in SM, except Chantel, and eat there with the parents of Guia because it was the celebration of her birthday. This experienced will remain and will never be erased from me because it was one of the happiest things that had happened to me. Friendship like ours was something many people had never experienced. To me, the significance of our relationship is a unique bond that I feel with these ladies. They are like sisters that God did not give me. They have been there for me at times when my world was falling apart. As I finally drifted off to sleep that night, I thanked God for allowing me to have them in my life. These eight girls, including RIchel of course, have been my guardian angels. I have always been able to count on them, no matter what the situation is. They have helped me face the next day when I did not know if it was possible. We have been through everything; we have laughed, cried, and then laughed at ourselves for crying together. There have been many times when I have been lonely and I reminisce back to the experiences I had with them. It reminds me that there are people who care about me and accept me for who I am. A true friendship is a magnificent thing and as Talbot Jennings said â€Å"Friend is the finest word in any language. Life without friends is a life I could not imagine.

Compare Microsoft and VMWare for virtual computing Essay

There are two types of firewalls, there is the in-bound firewall that protects against all things that come into your computer. Then there is the two-way firewall. With this firewall it protects both inbound and outbound threats. This type is used quite often these days. Many computer only have a one-way firewall, but many of them like Zone alarm are two way firewalls. Firewalls are used to block or accept information into your computer that is not a threat. It will either send it to where it needs to be or it will block it if the potential of the file is threatening to your device. A type of firewall is your basic McAfee, which works with Microsoft Corporation on your basic computer it is a program that is already installed into your device. It is a virus protector that works with your computers already installed firewall to keep out and potential harmful viruses or threats to your computer. You can do basic setting for the firewall or you can put it to your liking to make sure of no type of threats can enter your computer. With the security of a computer it can get very complicating. You have to make sure you are aware of what you are using and how it operates in your system. In today’s society there are a million anti-virus software programs. Many of them have free versions and some just have trail versions you can test drive before buying the full version. McAfee and Norton have trail versions you can sample before getting the full version. With Panda, AVG, and other anti-virus programs they have a free version and full upgraded version you can use. When it comes to viruses and the types that get put onto your computer there are many of them. For example: the Trojan Horse, it is put into your computer by saying it is good for file converting or cleaning a system out, when it is really putting bad programs into your computer along with spyware and other potentially harmful programs. Just like when you go into your email and you see an email with a suspicious name, you click it and it automatically downloads something into your computer and you computers starts to malfunction. When it does this it is because the files that were put on your computer are basically eating up you memory. It is extremely important to keep your computers malware and anti-virus programs up to date to prevent any type of program getting into your system. When you back up a system you have different types of backups you can use. For instances you have your full back up which is where you can back up all your information onto a DVD-R or DVD-RW, so you can recover your system at a later time is it crashes or is lost. You should also look at your back up disks periodically to make sure they are in good form if needed to be used. You also have your deferential back up is where you can select certain things to back up and incremental back up is where your computer sets up a certain time after you have put so much into your system to back it up for later use if needed. Checking back up disks are extremely important to check as well to make sure that they are able to be used on the future. Also it is really important to burn your files to a disk not on your hard drive in case they are lost or damaged. Five passwords that are good to use in the way of remembering and using are, â€Å"Bab1eg1r!†, â€Å"Crazy8ight$†, â€Å"GoP!a1†, or â€Å"Playf00!† They can be used to help protect your passwords by replacing a letter by a number and capitalizing some of the other letters that you choose to use, along with using symbols of some sort. Another way of using passwords is using movie titles and shorting them to remember for instance, the day I left your mother to make our love stronger could be shortened by using the first letters of each word like this, â€Å"Tdilymtmols.† Also I can count the ways I love you, â€Å"Icctwily.† Many times the world went around, â€Å"mttwwa†. Honey I shrunk the kids,†Histk†. I love the way you love me, â€Å"iltwylm.† Many of my passwords were very strong in the aspect of how I wrote them. Passwords are very important and they have a good use to them. To keep people out of your system and protect you information as well as identity you really need to choose wisely and carefully on what ones you use.

Police stress Essay

Introduction Stress is a psychological factor and a common feature of almost every kind of work. But it is important to note that it was only in the mid-70s that industrial psychologists focused their attention on the importance of stress in the workplace. â€Å"To serve and protect,† is the law enforcers’ motto as he works to accomplish the goals of his job which is primarily to provide protection to the citizens of his state. There accompanies with the work the kind of people whose shady and dark characters pursue the primary purposes in life which are to commit a crime and study ways to evade the long arm of the law. In policing work, stress is not underestimated but rather an important and critical aspect of the job (â€Å"it goes with the territory,† so to speak); stress comes in different forms. It is a given then, that police work is pictured as a form of service where the challenges are not the same as the regular kind of job; more so when the person is in active post or duty and expected to meet the most difficult types of experiences but usually on a regular basis. It is this scenario that this paper explores and presents to the reader the nuances of the job, the stresses a police officer regularly encounters, possible consequences on his personal and home life, as well as probable interventions. Significance of the study Two reasons are suggested why there was a growing recognition of the importance of stress on the job. First, there is the general awareness that stress-related diseases have reached epidemic proportions. More people die or are disabled today as a result of stress than at any other time. Because stress is so physically damaging and pervasive in people’s lives and because it is primarily psychological in nature the discipline of psychology as a whole and especially the specialty area of health psychology is interested in studying and treating stress and other psychosomatic disorders (Chang et al. 2006). The second reason for the growing awareness of the importance of stress at work is practical. The effects of stress on the job are costly and are reflected in a lower productive efficiency. Stress has been known to reduce drastically employee motivation and the physical ability to perform the task well thus, increasing absenteeism, turnover, and tardiness (Cahill 2003; Chang et al. 2006; Williams 2003). Statement of the Problem What is stress at work and how is this demonstrated in a particular individual worker like the police officer? What has personality trait or individual differences do with the development of stress as well as how do people cope with stress when the source is the place of work? This paper attempts to define, describe and explain the nature of stress, factors that contribute to the development of stress in an individual, and in particular what job stress or stress in the workplace can do to an individual. Discussion ~ The Nature of Stress Inside the body, dramatic physiological changes take place under stress. Adrenalin, released from the adrenal glands, speeds up all bodily functions. Blood pressure rises, heart rate increases, and extra sugar is released to the bloodstream. The increased circulation of the blood brings additional energy to the brain and muscles, making us more alert and stronger sp that we can cope with the sudden emergency (Landy 1985). A stressful situation mobilizes and directs one’s energy beyond its normal level. But if a person remains in that state of supercharged energy for too long, the body’s reservoir of energy will dissipate. Rest is needed to replenish the energy supply (Williams 2003). Prolonged stress leads to psychosomatic disorders. Remember that psychosomatic diseases are not imaginary. They are real and involve specific tissue and organ damage even though their cause is psychological. In prolonged stress, the body may suffer physiological damage and the person may become ill (Landy 1985). A. Individual Differences in Vulnerability to Stress One factor that affects vulnerability to stress on the job is social support, one’s network of social and family ties. The person who is alone physically and psychologically is more vulnerable to stress than someone who has strong social relationships. Social support on the job is also important to reduce stress and to have better health (Cahill 2003; Chang et al., 2006; Landy 1985; Williams 2003). One’s physical condition also relates to one’s vulnerability to stress effects. Persons in better physical condition suffer fewer effects of stress than those in poor physical condition (Cahill 2003; Landy 1985; Williams 2003). Level of ability to perform a job can make people more or less resistant to the stresses of that job. Employees with a high level of the skills needed for the job finds the work easier and less stressful than employees with a lower ability (Landy 1985; Williams 2003). Personality seems to be related to one’s ability to tolerate stress. This is particularly apparent with those of apparent with those of Type A and Type B personalities and their susceptibility to heart disease, one of the major effects of stress (Landy 1985). The Type A personality is highly prone to heart disease by middle age, independent of physical factors or their type of work. The two primary characteristics of a Type A personality are a very high competitive drive and a constant sense of urgency about time. Type A personalities are hostile people although they successfully hide it from others. That is why Type A personalities are always in a state if tension and stress (Landy 1985; Williams, 2003). Persons with the Type B personality never have heart attacks before the age of 70, regardless of their jobs or their eating and smoking habits. Type B people may be just as ambitious as Type A people, but they have none of their characteristics. They function under far less stress in all aspects of life including work (Landy 1985). B. Stress at work There are occupations that are considered very stressful. The following twelve are those that engender highest levels of stress: law enforcer, labourer, secretary, inspector, clinical lab technician, office manager, first-line supervisor, manager or administrator, waiter or waitress, machine operator, farm worker, miner, painter. This is taken from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Other occupations considered to be in high stress are the fire fighters, computer programmer, dental assistant, electrician, fire fighter, social worker, telephone operator, and hairdresser (Landy 1985). Survey is also found that among working women, the most stressful jobs are in the health care industry. For example, nurses, medical, dental, and lab technicians and social workers (Cahill 2001). Psychologists renamed the concept of overwork into the term overload and have identified two types: 1. Quantitative overload 2. Qualitative overload Quantitative overload is the condition of having too much work to do in the time available. Qualitative overload involves not so much work to do but work that is too difficult (Landy 1985; Williams 2003). Another stress factor in the workplace is change. Many changes occur in the workplace. The introduction of a new work procedure may require employees to learn and adapt to different production methods (Landy 1985; Williams 2003). Performance appraisal is a source of stress for a great many people. Few people like the idea of being evaluated whether at school or work. An employee’s role in the organization can be a source of stress. Role ambiguity arises when the employees’ work role is poorly structured and ill-defined. Role conflict arises when there is a disparity among the demands of a job and the employees, personal standard and values (Landy 1985; Williams 2003). Problems of career development may lead to stress at work. Stress can arise when an employee fails to receive an anticipated promotion (Landy 1985; Williams 2003). Being responsible for other people is a major source of difficulty for some supervisors and managers (Landy 985).   Contact with a stress carrier is also a cause of stress. A person free of stress can be infected by someone who is highly stressed (Landy 1985). Assembly-line work has been associated with stress because it is characterized by repetition and monotony (Landy 1985). Overall, then, each person must confront and deal with a large and recurring number of stress-producing events everyday both at home and at work. Although most people experience at least some of the harmful effects of stress at one time or another, most people, fortunately, do manage to cope (Landy 1985; Williams 2003). One effect of stress on the job resulting from overwork is called burnout. The employee becomes less energetic and less interested in the job. He or she becomes emotionally exhausted, apathetic, depressed, irritable, and bored; finds fault with everything about the work (Cahill 2003; Chang et al, 2006; Landy 1985; Williams 2003). Figure 1.0 National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Model of Job Stress (Source: NIOSH, http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/stresswk.html) Burnout develops in three distinct stages: 1. Emotional exhaustion, with a feeling of being drained and empty (Cahill 2003; Landy 1985; Williams 2003). 2. Cynicism and the lack of sensitivity toward others (Cahill 2003; Landy 1985; Williams 2003). 3. Futility, the feeling that all the effort put forth previously was wasted and worthless (Cahill 2003; Landy 1985; Williams 2003). Employees with burnout become rigid about their work, following rules and procedures blindly and compulsively because they are too exhausted to be flexible or consider alternative solutions to a problem (Landy 1985; Williams 2003). There is a price to pay for such overwork over a long period of time. Stress accumulates and leads to the psychological and physiological ailments described earlier. These people work so hard that they burn away their energy faster than the body can replace it. Such persons have been described as workaholics, or employees addicted to work (Cahill 2003; Landy 1985; Williams 2003). Nature and Dangers of Police Work Studies done by Malloy and Mays (p 177 1984) point to the importance of understanding the kind of job that policing involves. The authors not only examined the stress levels within the workplace but a comparative study was made as well with the amount of stress experienced by law enforcement officers and other workers in other organizations or institutions particularly in government entities. The findings show that few jobs can equal the kind of stress that police work entails; fire fighters may come close though the frequency of negative or distressful events or occurrences become a regular fare for law enforcers contributing to the overall danger and threat to their personal well-being. Reports of suicide or attempted suicide have reportedly been high despite increasing awareness to the stresses of the job (Brown 2008). Symptoms may be there already but the few people close to the person refuse to recognize or identify the signs. These include irritability, lowered sex drive, digestive upsets, fatigue, muscle aches like backaches, insomnia or restlessness, overeating or drinking too much, muscle tics or rashes, a pounding heart, headaches and light-headedness may be evident on the individual. Cardiovascular disease, diabetes, or mental health issues can be some of the effects when prolonged stress is experienced and may even affect the immune system’s ability to protect the person’s body from everyday illnesses. Because an officer regularly deals with stress and anguish experienced by people they meet on the job, emotions can easily be bottled up, or set aside and compromise one’s health or in many instances, affect the officer’s ability to deal with the issues and problems in his own personal and family life.   Studies self-management skills program for the police officers show that there is a great difference when police officers go through programs that help them understand the emotional upheavals that go with the job. There was the reduction of signs and symptoms of imminent distress or physical and psychological manifestations of stress (McCraty et al 1999). Other techniques specifically used in other studies make use of films as tools to help debrief these individuals (Mann 1973 p 63). C. Interventions and organizational techniques The techniques for dealing with stress on the job involved both the prevention of stress and its reduction and elimination. Techniques that individual employees can practice on and off the job include relaxation training, biofeedback, and behavior modification. Some methods provided by organization include altering the organizational climate, providing employee assistance programs and treating victims of stress-related illnesses (Cahill, 2003; Landy, 1985; Williams, 2003). Industrial/organizational psychologists have proposed several organizational techniques for managing stress at work especially with police work: 1. Emotional Climate Control. Because of the stressors of modern organizational life is change, the organization must provide sufficient support to enable employees to adapt to change. This can be accomplished by providing a climate of esteem and regard for employees and by allowing them to participate in all decisions involving change in their work and in the structure of the organization (Chang et al. 2006; Landy 1985; Williams 2003). 2. Provision of social support. Social support can reduce one’s vulnerability to stress. Organizations can enhance social support by facilitating the cohesiveness of work groups and by training the supervisors to be supportive of their subordinates (Landy 1985; Williams 2003). 3. Redefinition of employee roles. To reduce the stress caused by role ambiguity, managers must clearly state to their subordinates what is expected of them and what the precise scope and responsibilities of their jobs are (Landy 1985; Williams 2003). 4. Elimination of work overload and work underload. Proper selection and training, equitable promotion decisions and fair distribution of work can do much to eliminate these causes of stress. 5. Provision of assistance to stressed employees. More and more organizations today are recognizing the harmful effects that stress can have on employee health and productivity. As a result, they are providing in-house counseling programs that teach individual stress-control techniques and supplying facilities for physical exercise (Landy 1985; Williams 2003). Some stress is necessary for normal functioning. The nervous system apparently needs a certain amount of stimulation to function properly. But stress that is too intense or prolonged can have destructive physiological and psychological effects. The actions of autonomic nervous system that prepare the organism for emergency can, if prolonged lead to such physical disorders as ulcers, high blood pressure, and heart disease. Severe stress can also impair the organisms’ immune responses, decreasing its ability to fight off invading bacteria and viruses. It is estimated that more than half of all medical problems are believed to be related to emotional stress. Psychosomatic disorders such as allergies, migraine, headaches, high blood pressure, heart disease, ulcers and even acne are among the illnesses that are related to emotional stress (Hilgard, et al., 1983). Conclusion Frustrations occur when progress toward a goal is blocked or delayed and when two motives conflict, satisfaction of one leads to the blocking of the other. For as long as a human individual is alive and functioning in whatever milieu he is in, these forces are at work, often straining and draining him. Coping and defense strategies oftentimes become indispensable but later become debilitating for most if no longer controlled and regulated. The severity of stress depends on the situation’s predictability, the potential for control, the individual’s cognitive evaluation, his feelings of competency, and the presence of social supports (Halonen and Santrock, 1996). Works Cited: Atkinson, R.L., R.C. Atkinson, E.E. Smith, D.J. Bem, and S. Nolen-Hoeksema, Introduction to Psychology, 13th ed. (1993). New York: Harcourt College Publishers. Brown, Hal. Introduction to Police Stress. Accessed February 27, 2008 Cahill, C. A. 2001. Women and stress. In Annual Review of Nursing Research, 19, 229-249. Chang, E. M., Daly, J., Hancock, K.M., Bidewell, J. W., Johnson, A., Lambert, V. A., & Lambert, C. E. 2006. The Relationships Among Workplace Stressors, Coping Methods, Demographic Characteristics, and Health in Australian Nurses. Journal of Professional Nursing, 22(1), 30-38. Landy, F.J. 1985. Psychology of Work Behavior. 3rd Ed. Dorsey Press. Malloy, Thomas E., G. Larry Mays. â€Å"The Police Stress Hypothesis: A critical evaluation. Criminal Justice and Behavior. 11 (1984): 197-224. Sauter, Steven, et al., â€Å"Stress at Work† NIOSH publication. Retrieved December 20, 2007 http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/stresswk.html Williams, C. 2003. Stress at Work. Canadian Social Trends, Autumn, 7-13. Halonen, J.S. and J.W. Santrock. 1996. Psychology: Contexts of behavior, Dubuque, IA: Brown and Benchmark, p.810. Hilgard, ER, RR Atkinson, and RC Atkinson, 1983. Introduction to Psychology. 7th ed., New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanich, Inc. Mann, Philip A. â€Å"Stress Training.† In Psychological Consultation with a Police Department: A Demonstration of Cooperative Training in Mental Health, by Philip Mann, 62-64. Springfield Illinois; Charles C, Tomas, (1973). McCraty, Rollin, Dana Tomasino, Mike Atkinson, Joseph Sundram. â€Å"Impact of the HeartMath Self-Management Skills Program on Physiological and Psychological Stress in Police Officers.† Institute of HeartMath, Publication No. 99-075. Boulder Creek, CA. (1999). Morris, Charles G. & Albert Maisto, 1999. Understanding Psychology. 4th ed. Prentice Hall, Inc. P. 73.

Importance of employee performance management Essay

Importance of employee performance management - Essay Example 72). â€Å"Given the current challenges of the economic climate and high rates of unemployment, performance management and employee evaluation is likely to remain a hot topic† (Gliddon, 2004 cited in Newman, 2008, p. 172). In simple words, performance management of employees is a process of getting the most out of employees. In order to achieve this, organizations need to work on a range of factors that include but are not limited to employees’ motivation, continued learning, skill improvement, allocation of right jobs to the right people, fostering teamwork, and providing the employees with an environment where they can thrive with their capabilities. Performance management has probably never been as important in the organizational context as it is today since the workplace is more dynamic than ever before with new kinds of technology surfacing and being integrated into the work setup so frequently. Managers in the contemporary age not only face the challenge of keepin g updated with the latest advancements of technology and integrating them into the workplace, but they also have to take the required measures to enable the employees to make effective use of those technologies. This makes it a continuous process with great margin of trial and error, requiring great knowledge and experience to handle the intricate issues with respect to performance management. â€Å"If you are a manager, the progress principle holds clear implications for where to focus your efforts. It suggests that you have more influence than you may realize over employees’ well-being, motivation, and creative output. Knowing what serves to catalyze and nourish progress—and what does the opposite—turns out to be the key to effectively managing people and their work† (Amabile and Kramer, 2011). Discussion Why is performance management important? Performance management of employees in an organization derives its importance from the fact that it is a way to reinforce the decisions related to organizational personnel like those related to transfer, promotion, compensation and reward, training and skill development, planning of human resources, and development of the organization as a whole (Bhattacharyya, 2011, p. 58). The level to which each of these factors is considered important may vary from one organization to another but all of these factors govern the performance of employees in any organization. Besides the primary importance of the different factors in different organizations, performance management strengthens the relationship between the management and the subordinates, and improves motivation and flow of communication in the organization, thus improving its overall performance. From the perspective of human capital, performance management plays a very important role in the development of the human capital of an organization (Smither and London, 2009). The importance of performance management of employees in the organizat ions is elaborated with the help of some case studies below: Case Study 1 One of the prime motivations behind conducting performance reviews is eradication of bad performers from the organization. This is a case in which performance management helped in the identification and weeding out of a bad leader. Usually organizations tell their managers to establish a paper trial to justify the termination of an employee that is deemed a poor performer. In such cases,