The Opening Sequince of Witness by Peter Weir Essays

The Opening Sequince of Witness by Peter Weir Essays The Opening Sequince of Witness by Peter Weir Essay The Opening Sequince of Witness by Peter Weir Essay â€Å"Witness† is an American film made in 1985 produced by Australian film maker Peter Weir; he has successfully conveyed many themes, issues and concepts in this film. The opening scene of the film â€Å"Witness† establishes many features of the film. These features include the camera shots, camera angles, light, sound, and dialogue, positioning of characters and setting. The opening scene is significant as it examines the concepts of ; how the peaceful Amish communities are marginalised and isolated from the modern world; the sense of unity and affinity the Amish culture have with the land; and the contrast between the two different worlds of the slow paced and peaceful life style of the Amish and the fast paced, materialistic, hectic lifestyle of the modern world. In the peaceful Amish community, the examination of marginalisation and isolation from the modern world in which they co- exist is examined. The Amish culture differ from modern day culture dramatically as they are virtually fundamentalists and live very simply and do not have any material goods as we do. The Amish people reject modern conveniences such as cars,, television, electricity and the telephone, living self sufficiently from the land working together to make everyday necessities such as their simple clothing, food, furniture and housing. Weir shows the audience that the alternate lifestyle of the Amish is not â€Å"weird†, but strangely enlightened. The terms isolated and marginalised are often used to describe the social process of becoming or being alienated from the society around them. When placed into the society in which they are marginalised the ideas, values, habits to which these individual Amish members are accustomed are challenged or contradicted by the ideas, values and customs of the modern day group or community they enter. In the film Witness Peter Weir has created two different worlds with different value systems. The close up shot of individual Amish faces in the cramped room at the funeral creates a sense of close community, but also highlights the fact that they are confined from the outside world. Culture is also evident as the mysterious German language in which they speak represents a religious tradition, confinement and isolation from the English spoken society around them. The Amish widow Rachel Lapp is taking her young son Samuel to Philadelphia for the first time, to stay with her sister whilst she morns and recovers the loss of her husband; The long shot of the Samuel at the train station, trying to work out how the bubblers works, highlights his fragile and innocent personality, it emphasize the differences of the two worlds due to the isolation and marginalisation of the Amish community. The mid shot of Rachel trying to perchance a train ticket when another person pushes her out of the frame suggests that the different worlds can’t work together and that there are existing conflicts between the Amish and people modern world, it implies that the modern world has rejected her and her culture, creating a sense of isolation and marginalisation. The examination of the contrast between the two worlds of the slow paced and peaceful life style of the Amish and the fast paced, hectic lifestyle of the modern world is shown through the collision of two worlds; the idealistic world of the Amish comes into conflict with the ugly main culture of the modern world. The camera is set at Samuels head height showing the fast paced movements of the passing modern society and its people. At the start of the movie, before the murder scene, we see Samuel exploring around the train station, walking slowly in indifference to everyone else who are rushing about to be places. This reinforces the concept that the Amish community live a simplistic slow paced lifestyle. The slow paced opening credits relate to the Amish world as they are black and white, this echo’s the values and the slow pace of the Amish culture. The close up of the wheels on the Horse and buggy highlights the Amish’s pre-modern form of transport, The shot of the Horse and buggy which moves to long shot of a semi trailer following close behind, juxtaposes the difference between Amish and the modern American world, it highlights the difference in pace, in which the individuals feel they have to move. After close analysis, Peter Weir’s â€Å"Witness† successfully portray fascinating ideas to the audience. The idea of their unity and affinity with the land is suggested. Through the opening scene the sense of unity and the peaceful nature of the Amish community is examined through the wide shot of long, luscious grass, with the Amish emerging from as if they’re from the land itself. This shot is accompanied by natural abundant lighting, again suggesting there natural ifestyle and highlighting the gentle nature of the people thus establishing the Amish effectively as peaceful people who are in harmony with nature. Weir uses the techniques of the long shot in the opening scene where human figures walking together, whilst only seeing half of their body as if they are coming from the earth, the next shot of the close up of the human figures clearly demonstrating that they are Amish people, with this angle shot Weir has demonstrated the unity of the Amish community a s they walk as one together with the earth. Throughout this film Weir has clearly presented the concepts of,; how the peaceful Amish communities are marginalised and isolated from the modern world; the sense of unity and affinity the Amish culture have with the land; and the contrast between the two different worlds of the slow paced and peaceful life style of the Amish and the fast paced, materialistic, hectic lifestyle of the modern world.

Case Study Analysis Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Case Study Analysis Paper - Essay Example Robins should have taken initiative to discover what his job would entail him to do. Since he had not, ideally someone else should have helped him to understand, and walked him through his first integration, so that no mistakes were made. Because so little paperwork has been completed, and it is unclear who should have completed the paperwork and scheduled physicals for the new employees, Mr. Robins will need to step up and complete the work himself. While there are several solutions, there are two that seem the most likely to be successful. First, Mr. Robins could go and speak to Ms. Carrolls, the woman for whom he hired the employees, and outright admit his mistake. Then, working together they could revise the timeline and determine what, if any, the consequences should be for his mistakes. Ms. Carrolls is also the most likely source of information as to who (if any one else is at fault) should have been helping him, and address those problems. The second, and more likely solution, is that Mr. Robins needs to pull it together. He should make a list of what he needs to complete, and put aside other work until he has fixed his errors. This solution allows him to complete his work on time, and not inconvenience Ms. Carrolls, or the newly hired workers. Mr.

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

Film review - Essay Example He found suicide to be the only way to get away from the troubles of life. But the twist which has been noted in the film is that Kim surviving from suicide. He is washed away to an island where he finds himself alone. He tries to go back to the normal life but he found himself to be stuck on the island. With the passage of some time, he finds himself comfortable on the island because he was away from debt collectors. It should be noted that the island could be viewed from the town tall skyscrapers. Jung-Yeon, a young lady who has been staying at her flat for about a very long time liked to take photos. She finds Kim when she took close photo shots of the moon. It comes to understanding of Jung Yeon that she has found herself an alien on the island (Hae-Joon). Since the genre of the film is adventure, the story has been set up in outdoor locations mostly. As a matter of fact, the director has created an easy transition of story from city life to the deserted island. The audience watching the movie will actually relate themselves with the situation of being deserted at an island. The film provides an interesting feel to the audiences because the story merely depicts people who are running from communicating with people. That is also visible through the context Kim and Yeon characters. Yeon was not leaving her flat which allowed her to get away with the communication process of people directly and Kim found island to be better than being in the town where he had the chance of skipping payments and burdens he could not tolerate (Hae-Joon). The usage of cinematography has been well managed in the film which makes it quite different from other films of similar plot line. The deserted island becomes a new land for Yeon who thought that she had witnessed aliens. The film provides both fictional and non-fictional feel to the plot making audiences of all ages watch and like it. There has been a lot of buzz in the media about this film because it provided a different

Leadership an important but controversial area of Organization Essay

Leadership an important but controversial area of Organization Behaviour - Essay Example For that matter, the paper will discuss more specifically on the role of leadership as it pertains to the development of a company. Individual alongside group behaviour is mostly affected by a wide variety of variables. However, it doesn’t matter what setting the individual in question find themselves in. Irrespective of that, within an organization, it is believed that there are many levels that craft behavioural patterns. One of the levels is said to be culture. On the other hand, management techniques are the other level. The next level is human psychology as well as individual communication. All of this are said to contribute to the development of organizational behaviour. In general, organizational behaviour can be defined as the study of behaviours within a business-oriented organization. The study can also observe individual employee behaviour. In addition, the study could also scrutinize behaviours regarding employees as a whole or even the behaviours of the entire organizational structural team. How different organization guide and also influence behaviour is a multi-layered investigation that could be handled from many angles(DuBrin 2008). Usually, individual behaviours are examined within an organizational environment. On the contrary, the examination can also be conducted between co-workers in a defined group. On other occasions, scientists have examined the overarching behaviours that are attributed to the entire organization. The latter included how the organization functions together with its policies as well as ethics. When scientists observe employees behaviours, they can be able to determine the kind of behaviours in a given company. However, the behaviours of employees within a culture are guided by several factors such as ethics and objectives of the company. In addition, education and beliefs can affect the behaviours of a particular organization. To date,

Police Officer Essay Example for Free

Police Officer Essay * Police officers work in partnership with the communities they serve to maintain law and order, protect members of the public and their property, prevent crime, reduce the fear of crime and improve the quality of life for all citizens. They use a wide range of technology to protect individuals, identify the perpetrators of crime and ensure successful prosecutions against those who break the law. Police officers work closely with members of the criminal justice system, social workers, schools, local businesses, health trusts, housing authorities, town planners and community groups to provide advice, education and assistance to those who wish to reduce crime or have been affected by crime. I chose to research this job because I like to help people and the best way I can imagine doing this is becoming a cop. * Many police departments require that applicants be high school graduates; an increasing number expect some college education. Applicants usually must be at least twenty-one years of age and U.S. citizens. In many communities, applicants must meet minimum requirements for height, weight, eyesight, and hearing. Because most police departments fall under civil service regulations, applicants must pass written tests that measure their analytical skills. Rigorous physical examinations and background checks are also required. New recruits often participate in formal classroom training in police academies. After graduating they continue to train on the job with experienced officers for three to twelve months. In small communities there may be no formal training program. Officers are usually encouraged to continue their education by taking college courses in criminal justice. Police Officers usually wear a uniform while on duty. Police work can be dangerous and stressful. Officers often deal with violent criminals and may be injured or killed. They must make quick decisions while on duty, yet be tactful and patient with people who are in trouble or have been victims of terrible crimes and abuse. Police protection is provided twenty-four hours a day, so officers may work outdoors in all kinds of weather. Work shifts are usually rotated; however, officers are on call at all times for emergencies. Overtime may be required. Earnings vary, depending on location. In 2004 the median salary for police officers was $45,210 per year. As officers advanced through the ranks, wages increased. The average minimum salary for police sergeants was $49,895 per year, while the average minimum for lieutenants was $56,115 per year. The following are some of the benefits provided to police officers: Family/Domestic partner health and dental plans for active employees and their eligible dependents. Sick leave disability benefits Sworn employees receive twelve days of 100 percent paid sick leave, five days at 75 percent, and five days at 50 percent, upon hiring. Employees may accumulate up to 100 days at 100 percent, 75 percent, and 50 percent paid sick leave. Employees are eligible for a service-connected disability retirement from the date of graduation from basic training.

The Break Through in American Baseball :: essays research papers

The Break Through in American Baseball   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Baseball, what is baseball? Baseball is a game about runs, hits and errors; 73 homers by Barry Bonds and seven no hitters by Nolan Ryan, a .367 lifetime mark by Ty Cobb and 511 wins by Cy Young. It’s all about the 15,000 people who have had the privilege to make it in the league and more, from homerun hitting Babe Ruth to the lately retired Cal Ripken Jr., but there is more to baseball then records and fame; the thing, the man, goes by the name of Jackie Robinson.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Jackie Robinson. The name alone is inspiring and pure. Jack Roosevelt Robinson (Jackie) was born on 1919, in Cairo Georgia and quickly found out that life wasn’t going to be easy. When Jackie was one-year-old his father, Jerry, packed up and left his whole family, after his deserting; Jackie’s mother, Mallie, then rounded up her five children and moved to Pasadena, California, where she found work as a maid.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Not long after moving to Pasadena Jackie soon enrolled at George Washington High School at the age of 17. Not only did he play four sports in high school but he also won the city’s Ping-Pong championship. While Jackie was still young and in high school his brother was way over in Berlin, Germany competing in the Summer Olympics. Mack got second in the 200-meter dash, finishing behind the all-time great Jesse Owens.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After graduating high school Jackie then attended UCLA in 1941 and was the first athlete in UCLA history to ever letter in four sports (baseball, football, basketball, and track) in a single year. Not only did he make history there, but he met the love of his life, Rachel.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After one year of college, Jackie entered the army for World War II. He was stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas, and while he was there he was denied entrance into the Officers’ Candidate School because of his skin color. Being the man he is, he protested and protested and stood up for what he believed in and in 1945 was discharged as a lieutenant.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After being discharged, Jackie met Branch Rickey on August 28, 1945 and Rickey offered Jackie a contract with one of the Dodgers farm clubs, the Montreal Royals of the International League. Jackie Robinson became the first African American to play in the International League, and as you can guess had to overcome a lot of adversity.

Performance management system at TCS Essay

The performance management process involves all levels in an organization. Strategic goals set by the organization filter through the organization and affect the goals and activities of each employee. In addition, the performance management process gathers and updates current employee data to maintain the human resource information system (HRIS). The HRIS contains a skill bank of employee information that enables the HR department to determine if the organization has the right mix of skills and people to achieve the organization’s goals in an ever-changing world. This information is used in all areas of HR decision-making. Effective performance management requires ongoing communication between supervisors and staff. The assessment and review part of the process provides the opportunity for documentation and formal communication. It’s the time for the supervisor and the employee to set developmental goals that reinforce the organization’s strategic plan and, if th ere are areas of problem performance, action plans for improvement. There should be discussion of the employee’s career progress and plans made for training and long-term career growth. Many supervisors see the appraisal process as a motivation tool to improve employee performance. The employee’s main objective is to obtain feedback from the supervisor on his or her work performance. Ideally, employees receive feedback at all times and not just through the review process. The employee will also expect organizational support in his or her career growth.  Together, the employee and the supervisor should identify areas for improvement and set goals for training and skill development. Anything the supervisor can do to enhance the employee’s skills will benefit both the employee and the organization. If the organization links performance appraisal to compensation, most employees will expect a raise as a result of a positive review. Though supervisors generally conduct the review, they may not have a say in the amount of compensation awarded because compensation is normally determined by organizational policy. This can be particularly problematic for supervisors who want to motivate employees through the appraisal process but find the organizationâ₠¬â„¢s compensation to be a de-motivator when increases are not as much as employees would like. For this reason, many supervisors prefer that compensation increases are not linked to the performance appraisal process. Difference between Performance management and performance appraisal Performance Management Performance Appraisal Performance management is a goal-oriented system to ensure that organizational processes exist to maximize the productivity of employees, teams and, ultimately, the organization. A performance appraisal is a formal system of review and evaluation of individual or team performance. Performance management is an ongoing organizational process that is conducted to maximize the productivity of employees with the overall intention of improving the organization’s effectiveness. The performance appraisal is a periodic event to reflect and evaluate past performance with the intent to identify strengths and weaknesses of an employee’s performance and to identify developmental goals. It is strategic in nature and involves every person and all HR processes in the organization. All are directly tied to achieving the organization’s goals. A performance appraisal is just one part of a performance management system. The Importance of Performance Management The employees are an integral and indispensable part of running a business smoothly and efficiently. That’s why, keeping in mind the crucial role of the employees, a recent trend known as Performance Management has come into practice. Using performance management, we can ensure that our employees not only fulfil their responsibilities, but do so to the best of their abilities and up to your expectations. Performance management allows us to tap the full potential of our staff. It can be described as a comprehensive process starting from monitoring and developing the desired traits to rating their progress and rewarding them for their achievements. I. Involve Employees in the Planning Stage The making of plans alone will not help us to run our business successfully. We must also focus on the appropriate ways to get business tasks done. One way of doing this efficiently is to involve our employees in the planning process. This will not only boost their morale and confidence, but also help us avoid any communication gaps in the process. Additionally, it will also help in providing them with a clear picture of what we expect from them and what they need to accomplish. II. Monitoring the Progress of Our Employees Just as revision of business plans is sometimes necessary for the success of our business, measuring the performance of every employee is also important. This ensures that tasks are efficiently completed on time and on or under budget. It also points out to you any shortcomings of either our staff or business plans, and helps us to take the appropriate corrective actions. III. Ensuring All Around Development of Employees Performance management gives us the tools to install the desired qualities in our employees in order to get the job done. Development is not limited to only individuals in our workplace, but also addresses the performance of the team as a whole. All around employee development not only ensures the  personal and professional growth of our employees, but also the expansion and improvement of our business. IV. Evaluation of Individual Performance Evaluating and rating the performance of our employees on an individual basis is essential. This gives them a clear picture of where they presently stand, areas that they need to work on and what they are good at. This way, they can focus more on their weaknesses and work to strengthen those areas. We should make it company policy to issue performance reviews while providing your employees with the feedback that they need to perform better at their jobs. V. Rewarding Our Employees Rewarding and appreciating our employees’ efforts ensures that the level of their performance and consequently the performance of our business is not compromised. It ensures optimum productivity, Performance and maximum profitability. Rewarding our staff for a job well done not only enhance their performance but also serves as a tool to keep them motivated. Therefore, performance management is an effective system that allows us to achieve the financial goals of our small business. Methods of Performance Appraisal There are a variety of appraisal methods available to organizations. The method selected by the organization should fit well with the organization’s goals and be appropriate to the job being appraised. Some organizations use different methods for different positions. Regardless of the system used, regular communication and feedback from managers are more important than the method used. Graphic rating scale A graphic rating scale is the most commonly used appraisal system. Evaluators record their judgments on a scale that includes about 5–7 categories. Categories are defined by adjectives such as outstanding, meets expectations or needs improvement. This method is popular because it is easy to administer and can be quantified, if desired, by adding a numeric value to each description. Ranking method In the ranking method, the evaluator places employees from a particular group in the order of overall performance, starting with the top performer–who is rated the highest–and moving down to the poorest performer in the group who receives the lowest ranking. Paired comparison is a variation of the ranking method in which the performance of each employee is compared with every other employee. The comparison is often based on a single criterion, such as overall performance. The employee who receives the greatest number of favorable comparisons is ranked the highest. This can be difficult to administer if your work group consists of a large number of employees. Forced distribution method The forced distribution method requires the evaluator to assign individuals to a limited number of categories, much like a normal frequency distribution curve. A few individuals will get very high ratings and a few will get very low ratings, with the majority averaging in the center of the curve. Generally, those with very low ratings are subject to termination. As with the ranking method, this system requires the evaluator to place some employees at the bottom, even if their performance is acceptable, and some at the top, even if performance may actually be less than outstanding. The system makes the erroneous assumption that there must be some outstanding workers and some poor workers, even when that may not be the case. Forced distribution is unpopular among managers because many believe it destroys teamwork and fosters cutthroat competition among employees. Critical incident method The critical incident method requires the evaluator to maintain records of employees’ favorable and unfavorable performances. These critical incidents become the basis for evaluation. The incident log must be maintained over the entire evaluation period to eliminate the problem of just evaluating an employee’s most recent Performance. Essay method In the essay method, the evaluator writes a brief narrative of the employee’s performance. The major criticism of this method is that it is very  subjective because the evaluation criteria left entirely to the discretion of the evaluator and the results are dependent on the writing skills of the evaluator. It can be difficult to compare the results of employee evaluations that use the essay method because there are no common criteria used for evaluation. BARS–behaviorally anchored rating scale BARS is a behaviorally anchored rating scale that combines elements of a traditional rating scale and a critical incident method. Various performance levels are described on a scale, and the evaluator compares the employee’s performance to the levels described. The descriptions provided reduce the amount of judgment required of the evaluator and rely on the evaluator’s observations of the employee’s work behavior. MBO–management by objectives Management by objectives, or MBO, is a results-based system that relies on the manager and the employee to jointly agree on objectives, the attainment of which becomes the basis of evaluation for the next appraisal period. TCS- Tata Consultancy Service About The Company Tata consultancy services limited (TCS) is the world-leading information technology consulting, services, and business process outsourcing organization that envisioned and pioneered the adoption of flexible global and pioneered the adoption of the flexible global business practices that today enable companies to operate more efficiently and produce more value. They are part of one of Asia’s largest conglomerates- the TATA Group- which, with its interests in Energy, Telecommunications, Financial Services, Chemicals, provides us with a grounded understanding of specific business challenges facing global companies. The role of HR assumes unthinkable proportions and is subject to mammoth challenges. With this sensitive breed of IT professionals, how has TCS grown to and sustained at the number one position is a question which market watchers have asked themselves a thousand times. There is but one answer- passion for excellence in the workforce practices. TCS has developed an unbreakable bond with sound HR  practices in an environment that defines traditional roles and responsibilities. The TCS-HR group operates with technical experts to create a synergy which is enviable. The role of HR, which is that of a facilitator. So whether it is recruitment or even career development, HR is the catalyst which initiates and institutionalizes processes. To manage all the functions for over 14000 employees is a difficult task but the smoothness of operations is intriguing. The HR structure, which allows flexibility and empowerment, is the solution. Performance Appraisal Criteria at TCS Objective Data relating to performance assessment of employees are recorded, stored and used for different purposes: MAIN PURPOSE OF PERFORMANCE APPRAISAL General Applications Specific purposes Developmental Uses Identification of individual needs Performance feedback Determining Transfers and job assignments Identification of individual strengths and development needs. Administrative Uses Salary Promotion Retention or termination Recognition of individual performance Lay-offs Identification of poor performers Organizational Maintenance/ Objectives HR planning Determining organization training needs Evaluation of organizational gal achievement Information for goal identification Evaluation of HR systems Reinforcement of organizational development needs Documentation Criteria for validation research Documentation for HR decisions Helping to meet legal requirements Performance Appraisal and Competitive Advantages in TCS The objectives of performance appraisal, point out the purpose which such an exercise seeks to meet. What needs emphasis is that performance evaluation contributes to TCS’s competitive strength. Besides encouraging high levels of performance, the evaluation system helps identify employees with potential, reward performance equitable and determine employee’s need for training. Specifically, performance appraisal has helped the TCS gain competitive edge in the following ways: Improving performance Making correct decisions Ensuring legal compliance Minimizing dissatisfaction and turnover Values and behaviour Strategy and behaviour TCS conducts two appraisals: 1. At the end of the year 2. At the end of a project Appraisals are based on Balanced Scorecard, which tracks the achievement of employees on the basis of targets at four levels: Based on their individual achievements, employees are rated on a scale of one to five (five = â€Å"superstar†). If employees get a low rating (less than two) in two consecutive appraisals, the warning flags go up. â€Å"If the poor performer continues getting low scores then the exit option may be considered. Over the years TCS has found the pattern that leads to the maximum decline in performance. If employees work for more than two years on  the same project, typically either their performance dips or they leave the organisation. To avoid that, TCS shuffles its employees between projects every 18 months or so. â€Å"Performance drops if motivation drops† the employee satisfaction depends upon the fact whether his performance is being appreciated and recognized. TCS’s performance management system has metamorphosed into one that emphasizes objectivity and a system that mandates performance evaluation against pre-determined criteria. What Deserve special mention is the active participation of the senior management in the determination of guidelines for the Performance Appraisal Process. The process ensure buy in of the employees since the guidelines for the rating system and its conversion into money terms is not unilaterally decided by HR but is a consensus of a cross functional team with representation from all levels. TCS’s performance appraisal system is supported by an online system called the Human Resource management system an Oracle Developer 2000 based tool. An employee’s performance history at the click of a button and this accurately maintained for 14000 employees. Right from his entry, an employee in TCS get formal performance feedback once every 2 months till such time that he is confirmed after which the performance feedback is provided twice every year on a formal basis. TCS however widely encourages informal feedback discussions between Project leader & Team Members and this concept have found an overwhelming appeal among the people. Recognition at TCS Guaranteed high motivation levels at TCS through competitive compensation packages, stimulating job content, outstanding development opportunities, and not the least, an innovative recognition mechanism. The various ways in which TCS recognizes its people are listed below: Project milestone parties — to encourage efficient execution of projects. Recognition of star performers / high fliers — to recognize outstanding talent. Nomination to covet training programmes — to encourage self-development. Best project award — to promote a spirit of internal competition across work groups and to foster teamwork. Best PIP award — to encourage innovation and continuous improvement. Best auditor award — to acknowledge participation in critical support roles Spot awards — to ensure  real-time recognition of employees. Recommendations for new technology assignments / key positions — to ensure career progression and development of employees’ full potential. Performance-based annual increments — to recognize high performers Early confirmations for new employees — to reward high-performing new employees Long-service awards à ¢â‚¬â€ to build organisational loyalty EVA-based increments — to ensure performance-based salaries. On-the-spot recognition —to guarantee immediate recognition of good performance.