Human Factors in Technology Essay Example for Free

Human Factors in Technology Essay Companies now more than ever are able to utilize technology to be able to one ensure that the company’s values and ethics are readily available to their employees and two technologies provide tools for managers to enforce company policies in relation to ethics. Companies use tools such as Microsoft Share point as well as an internal Intranet for posting its values and ethics making them easy to find as well as tools for understanding them. By doing so the company can then ensure that there isnt really any excuse that can be used for not being aware of the ethics and therefore create a zero tolerance for ethical violations by its employees. Technology provides several tools for managers to be able to monitor their employees use of internet; since many companies are opening up the use of the internet at work finding value in allowing their employees to use the internet especially social media while at work have to ensure that the usage is within the compliance of the companies values. Some of these tools range from having each employee sign a user agreement during the initial hiring process making it clear up front what type of usage is appropriate and spelling out what are clear violations of the usage policy. IT departments today are able to put into place system that will monitor and alert them to a user that may have either intentionally or unintentionally have ended up at a web site that would contain content that violates the companies ethical standards. When this happens typically the companies monitoring software will warn the individual that this site is not approved for use at work as well as send a message to their manager letting them know there has been a website accessed that isnt appropriate. This then gives the manager the opportunity to talk with the employee and establish if the site is truly inappropriate at work or if the user truly did not intend to access that site. This type of environment can be viewed in a couple of different ways, one wou ld be a big brother approach that the company is constantly watching over its employees shoulder creating a culture of suspicion and mistrust. Another view could be seen as a company taking responsibility for the resources it provides to ensure their employees are one remaining productive, two maximizing assists provided to the employees rather than wasting company time and cost for the technology and of course ensuring that the activity whether on break or during work hours does not violate the companies ethical standards. Technology provides valuable tools for human resources professionals today such as conducting background checks, maintaining employment records. There are several major areas in which HR has been changed dynamically through the advancement of technology and the effect that it has on corporate culture. These areas are: Recruiting (choosing the best qualified applicant for the job), Evaluations (metrics or best practices for measuring performance, pay scales and benefits packages), training within HR growing career managers, keeping up to date on labor laws and regulations and Retaining the talent pool (keeping a low turn-over) (ELLEN A. ENSHER, 2002). Recruiting has certainly seen a shift from advertising in the classifieds and job boards to internet search engines such as LINKDIN, usajobs.gov, monster.com, indeed just to name a few these sites allow job seekers to post their resumes and qualifications, and search for openings with companies all over the world. These sites also allow for recruiters to conduct searches for potential applicants who have the qualifications they are looking for. This has led to a quicker turn around time to finding and filling positions with the best-qualified applicants, ease of use for HR professionals as well as the cost savings for companies that used to utilize head hunters and the time it took for recruiters to screen applicants from all over the country. Another tool that has saved money and added convenience for both HR professionals as well as applicants is the ability to send questioners, interview with applicants through software such as SKYPE that utilizing both video and audio versus travel costs and online assessments (such as typing tests or call center simulations) (ELLEN A. ENSHER, 2002). Performance measurement tools are making improvements but not as quickly some methods that are available are tools that allow managers to be able to capture screen shots and track production levels through software. In call centers a manager is able to provide filters for specific types of calls to evaluate such as time parameters or other criteria when the call meets the criteria the screen records the entire transaction along with the audio from the phone call for performance counseling afterwards. Benefits handling has seen changes in the way they are handled and processed through newer technology. Employees are able through the internet or intranet to be able to review benefits, sign up for benefits or make changes as well as research differences between benefits packages to ensure the package is a good fit for their situation (ELLEN A. ENSHER, 2002). Training and Professional Development has always been vital to ensure that company’s employees are able to have the right training and knowledge to provide the most productivity. An important key to training is continual update training as newer processes are implemented or technology itself how to provide the training quickly for a seamless transition. Companies are able to provide step by step modules using what appears to be live screen shots simulated for the employee. The system will provide instructions on how to perform a function or task and then have the trainee perform the task, providing feedback if the user clicks in the wrong place or chooses the wrong command. This allows for almost real time experience handling using training accounts avoiding costly errors. This works has shown to be more beneficial since the user is seeing the same screen and commands, as they will when using the actual system. Conclusion Technology has provided tools in today’s workplace that allow company’s to help train and manage ethical guidelines, in turn shaping the culture and work environment for its employees. Human Resource Management through innovative technology is growing and saving company’s money in using newer methods for recruiting, retention, training and benefits than ever before. References Chapman, A. (n.d.). training and learning development. (Â © alan chapman 1995-2010 ) Retrieved December 01, 2012, from Business balls.com: http://www.businessballs.com/traindev.htm Elizabeth Regan, B. O. (2002). Implementing Individual and Work Group Technologies. Retrieved DEC 11, 2012, from University of Phoenix: https://ecampus.phoenix.edu/content/eBookLibrary2/content/TOC.aspx?assetdataid=0c85207c-4579-445d-b2e5-278c996a3835assetmetaid=9f9341ec-776c-4a2c-8e8c-422fc4e5f1fe ELLEN A. ENSHER, T. R.-V. (2002). Effects of the Internet and Technology on HR Processes. Retrieved JAN 14, 2013, from Organizational Dynamics,: www.organizational-dynamics.com Spears, S. (2012, DEC 13). Implement a New Technology Plan. Retrieved DEC 23, 2012, from University of Phoenix: https://classroom.phoenix.edu

Transcending Place and Time in Mirror for Man :: Mirror for Man Essays

Transcending Place and Time in Mirror for Man In the given passage from Mirror for Man, Clyde Kluckhorn explains the similarities and differences between cultures by first defining the anthropological concept of "culture" and then explaining his definition. The definition Kluckhorn gives relies heavily on common sense. Culture is: "the total life way of a people, the social legacy individuals acquire from their group. Or culture can be regarded as that part of the environment that is the creation of human beings." By giving us this definition, Kluckhorn immediately deletes any chance of mininterpreting the word and concept of culture. Kluckhorn starts his explanation of this definition by simplifying the concept. He says that a person's acts cannot be explained merely in terms of biology, the life experiences of that person, and/or the immediate situation. Instead "the past experience of other people in the form of culture enters into almost every event". It is not we who determine our culture, but our ancestors who determined for us. Kluckhorn is saying that who we are -- our culture -- is based on how the people who have the responsibility of raising us were raised by their role models, who were influenced by their role models, and so on. To illustrate his point, Kluckhorn gives examples of times when the culture someone was raised in plays a major role in determining how the person will react in a given situation -- often how they will react to an aspect of another culture. The examples all showed that one's own culture is where one feels safest. Kluckhorn's illustrations of how people react negatively to other cultures seems to prove the axiom that man's biggest fear is of change. Despite the almost overwhelming influences of culture, there is still human nature to consider. Basically, all human being are the same. All are similar in biology and in that they must observe the physical laws of nature. Yet the differences between cultures stem from the once original, individual ways of dealing with these problems. Man and his problems are universly the same, but it is his dealing with these problems that is different, and these dealings are determined by the predecessors of each culture. This is the very essence of how Kluckhorn explains the anthropological differences and similarities between cultures. As for my views, I agree with Professor Kluckhorn wholeheartedly although all of my experience has been in the American culture with various subcultures.

Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away and Japaneseness Essay

Japan is a country rich in tradition and culture. Hayao Miyazaki, the face of Japanese anime film world wide, has displayed this culture and Japanese value(s) throughout his career in many of his films. Spirited Away (2001) is arguably his most famous and successful film to date. Throughout the film, there are numerous displays of â€Å"Japaneseness.† The themes present in the film represent the value structure, and what Japan sees as important among its history and tradition. Hayao Miyazaki was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1941. His father was an executive member of the family company, Miyazaki Aircraft, at which he helped build military aircraft parts during WWII. As a result, his family found ease with the great wealth that they shared in, which young Miyazaki was sometimes troubled by. He felt guilty for living well during a period in time where many Japanese were suffering at the hands of the war (MacWilliams and Schodt 256). He graduated university with a degree in political science and economics, which heightened his understanding of the distressed Japanese economic climate. This expertise, coupled with his childhood guilt, would lead him to write certain subject matter into many of his films. In 1985, Miyazaki joined forces with fellow anime director and writer, Isao Takahata, to create Studio Ghibli (Napier). The studio went on to produce some of the most popular animated films to come out of Japan –including Miyazaki’s masterpiece, Spirited Away. Studio Ghibli, and specifically, Mr. Miyazaki’s work, has been compared to America’s Walt Disney Studios, and has even been unofficially dubbed â€Å"Disney of Japan† and â€Å"Disney of the East† by some fans and critics. â€Å"Miyazaki’s films do not operate on Hollywood logic, and his storytelling style may seem strange, even frustrating to a Western audience brought up on Disney†¦the fantastic is more accepted in Japanese culture than it is in the Western world, which carries the heritage of the Enlightenment in its psyche† (Baskan). Miyazaki  has become the well-known face of fantastical anime film across the globe. He integrates Japanese spiritual beliefs and culture in all his films in such a way that his characters and themes surpass ethnic borders and resonate with all viewe rs. His most famous film, Spirited Away, creates a seemingly abstract view of the world through Japanese values and traditions while subtly presenting the realities of today’s world. Some common themes among the film, Spirited Away include: themes of life and death, survival, maturation, the economy and its influences, and transcendence (whether it be physically transcending a threshold, or otherwise). By showcasing these themes, Miyazaki is able to showcase the Japanese Value system. For example, there is a big presence of elders in Miyazaki films. The Japanese put a big emphasis of respecting elders. Other values, which may appear to be subtle among the Japanese, but showcase widely for the international audience, include things like taking off your shoes when entering a home, or respect for nature or the spirits. In class, we talked about the Shinto tradition and the relatedness between the spiritual, natural, and human worlds. This is very widely emphasized in Spirited Away. The entire film is based on the relation between the spirits –among themselves –and among the human world. In Spirited Away, Chihiro’s parents’ transformation into pigs is the first symbol of gluttony in the film. It can also be interpreted as the first sign of capitalism. The motif continues to appear throughout the film with the business run in the Bath House. The workers and the owner, Yubaba, are concerned only with making money. This also can translate into an attack on a capitalist society (Yoshioka 258). Japan adopted capitalism after World War II, so Hayao Miyazaki grew up in a capitalist country. Not only that, but Japan, as a country is an extremely nationalistic. These factors, combined with his college expertise in both political science and economics, can be seen throughout the film. Miyazaki uses these undertones concerning his life experiences with society, as well as his education, within many his films. â€Å"Miyazaki’s belief that all Japanese share a certain sense of past is another important focal point. The subtle blending of personal experience into historical ‘fact’ formulates a sense of past that looks and feels familiar to the audience, even though they have never experienced it† (MacWilliams and Schodt 257). One of Miyazaki’s characteristic directing techniques is his apt combinatio n of his personal experience with elements  of Japanese culture. Driving much of his work is the influence of Shintoism. This â€Å"religious† understanding of the spirits and nature in relation to humans that is distinctly Japanese in practice. Spirited Away is the perfect example of a film that illustrates this spiritual practice, albeit in a somewhat stretched manner. There’s wide use of Japanese folklore within Spirited Away. The title itself says, â€Å"Kamikakushi† meaning â€Å"hidden by entities† which, in Japan, is used when women or children go missing (Reider 8). This itself is a very mature theme, and while the film is fun to watch, it takes a deeper understanding of the content to fully appreciate it. The importance of one’s name is also a key concept in the film, and within Japanese society. In the film, to forget your given name is to forget yourself, and if you forget yourself, you become stuck in Yubaba’s control for eternity. This is how Haku found himself a servant to Yubaba for so many years. It was not until Chihiro helped Haku remember that he is the River Spirit that Haku was free at last. The film reflects the importance of identity, which is not just a Japanese concept, but a universal one, as well. Another theme of the film is that of growing up and maturing. Because Chihiro is forced to be by herself in this unknown place, she’s made to adapt and mature without much thought. To bring her to this point, it took the traumatic experience of losing her parents, the fear of never seeing them again, and —her biggest fear—not surviving. Miyazaki was well-off when he was young, so this could be a reflection of seeing people forced into early independence during the War. Only through trusting in someone who claimed to be a friend was she able to get along as well as she did, and succeed in ultimately getting her life back. Many of the other characters were based loosely off of Shinto legends. The Shinto belief is that there’s a very thin line between the spirit world and the human world, which is reflected throughout the film in the bizarre interactions between the bathhouse world and outside reality. Through the use of Hayao Miyazaki’s extensive personal experience with Japanese culture, and his education in Political Science and economics, he has been able to showcase Japanese values and traditions through his film. He is a world-ren owned writer and director, and through his work in Anime film, he has opened the eyes of the western world to this Eastern culture. My understanding of Japaneseness is the nationalistic and traditional points of view showcased throughout  Spirited Away. The idea that spirits are all around you, and encompass nature. The importance of family above all else, the emphasis on self-responsibility, and so-on. Japaneseness is not one single thing, but a compilation of many things. It is to fully take in all aspects of being Japanese. Bibliography Baskan, Funda Basak. â€Å"Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (Gake no Ue no Ponyo).† Marvels & Tales 24.2 (2010): 363,366,368. ProQuest. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. MacWilliams, Mark W., and Frederik L. Schodt. Japanese Visual Culture : Explorations in the World of Manga and Anime. M.E. Sharpe, Inc. : Armonk, NY, USA, 2008. Print. Napier, Susan J. â€Å"Matter Out Of Place: Carnival, Containment, And Cultural Recovery In Miyazaki’s Spirited Away.† Journal Of Japanese Studies 32.2 (2006): 287-310. Academic Search Elite. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. Reider, Noriko T. â€Å"Spirited Away: Film Of The Fantastic And Evolving Japanese Folk Symbols.† Film Criticism 29.3 (2005): 4-27. Academic Search Elite. Web. 20 Nov. 2013.

Marx And Durkheim s Theory Of Social Inequality - 933 Words

Theoretical foundations of both Marx and Durkheim can be readily applied to social inequality in the context of present day Canada. Durkheim’s theory is founded in analyzing how societies function by focusing on the ideas of the division of labour, merit and functionalism. Marx, on the other hand, views society as divided into social classes of the bourgeoisie and proletariats, while stressing the importance of the role of capital plays in society in relation to inequality. Both Marx and Durkheim’s theories of modern society can be used to critically discuss social inequality in Canada. However, this paper will demonstrate the strength of Marx’s theory when compared to that of Durkheim in terms of their applications to Canadian social inequality. Marx’s theory is stronger in application due to Marx’s view of society accounting for conflicts and frictions between classes, while Durkheim’s view is problematic in application to Canadian social inequality as it ignores inequalities such as gender and class, which produce conflicts that disrupt Durkheim’s idea of a social equilibrium in society. People in present society are divided up into different positions in the work force. Durkheim sees society from a structural functionalist perspective and refers to society as a system of different organs, each with a special role that differentiates parts from one another (pg 122). According to Durkheim, the differences we hold in society create interdependence among one another dueShow MoreRelatedMarx And Durkheim s Theory Of Social Inequality955 Words   |  4 PagesDiscussion of social inequality has been present in sociological works dating back as far as early 18th century in the works of Karl Marx and Emile Durkheim. 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