The Greatest Ruler of Rome free essay sample

Despite the great contributions and peace he brought to Rome, his climb up the ladder for power was paved with destruction and violence. Octavian was ruthless in killing anyone he supposed was a threat to his power. He had no regard for any Roman laws and carried out his actions with the intention of building his own glory. It is easy to establish that Octavians rise to power was filled with unethical decisions. Before ying, Caesar adopted his grandnephew Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus in his will, making him Caesars principal heir. Octavian began winning over the support of many Roman citizens by offers of money. In 43, Octavian had the ambitions of becoming Consul, which was opposed by the Senate considering he was only nineteen years old. At this point, Octavian marched on Rome at the head of eight legions leaving the Senate with no choice but to give into Octavians command. We will write a custom essay sample on The Greatest Ruler of Rome or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page From the start, Octavian began bribing the Roman citizens with riches for their support and skipped his way to the top of the cursus honorum by use of force. It is clear that Octavian had no reverence for the Roman laws, and did not consider ethics when carrying out his actions. In an attempt to remove all threats to his power, Octavian commanded that Caesars assassins be condemned and outlawed along with Sextus Pompey, the son of Caesars former rival Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus. Octavian unnecessarily orders the death of three humans who no longer live in Rome and have not expressed any intention of removing Octavian of his power. He has allowed his greed for power to lead him in carrying out unethical actions. Moreover, in 43 Octavian along wit Lepidus and Antony established the Second Triumvirate, essentially making them dictators. They made laws without any reference to the senate or the people, exercised all orders without appeal, and nominated all magistrates with no regard to elections. The Triumvirate broke several important Roman laws, giving all three members unchecked power. In order to maintain an army of sixty legions, they enacted confiscations and proscriptions as Sulla had done before. The Second Triumvirate surpassed the precedent that Sulla set and proscribed as many as 300 senators and 2,000 equites. The creation of the Second Triumvirate is extremely ironic and shows that Octavian is willing to do anything in order to maintain his power. He initially despised Antony and wanted to remove Antony from Rome, but was willing to Join forces in order accomplish his own personal glory and gain unopposed power. After defeating Brutus and Cassius, those responsible for the assassination of Caesar, the Triumvirate carried out even more proscriptions and confiscations in order to meet the needs of their veterans. Italy was set into turmoil and plagued with injustices for years. During Octavians conquest in eliminating Sextus Pompey, Octavian renewed the Triumvirate with Antony and humiliated Lepidus by requiring him to live in exile. This represents Octavians ambitious mission in attaining absolute power even if it meant deception and betrayal. Octavian takes the final step towards becoming the sole ruler of Rome between 36 and 30 as he eliminates Antony. He exposes Antonys privacy by illegally seizing Antonys will and publicizing its contents. Before going to war with Antony and seizing Alexandria, Octavian deprives the Romans of their freedom by forcing them to pledge their loyalty. From 30 onwards, Octavian essentially served as Romes sole uler. He began to build the Roman empire and the destruction he enacted prior to this momentous point in his life was diminished. Under the First Settlement, Octavian was renamed Augustus and acknowledged Agrippa as a partner to the consulship. At the moment, it seemed to contemporary Romans that the Republic was restored, however historians have acknowledged that Romes rule remained authoritarian. It can be clearly understood that Augustuss rise to power was coated with injustice and immorality, however it can be Justified by the greatness that was brought to Rome in the following decades. Although he gave power back to the Senate and declared himself a Princep rather than an Imperator, Rome was not truly Republican since Augustus continued to hold the consulship year after year. Augustus resigned the consulship when he realized that he could retain its authority without having the title and took further power without office when he had himself renewed as a tribune annually. With his retainment of power but lack of title, Augustus successfully removed himself of being a dictator by name. Until his death, Augustus expanded the Roman empire more extensively than Pompey and Caesar and brought great wealth nd peace to Rome. The senate regained its former status and Rome was transformed as a city. Temples were restored, the Forum was rebuilt, and more importantly aqueducts were constructed to provide clean water to Roman citizens. Augustuss legacy was a great one; he died with the respect of the Roman people and ne was credited tor completely transtorming the Roman empire, making it greater than it had ever been. Augustuss unethical acts in his rise to power were Justified by the supreme condition he left Rome in. He laid the foundations for the Roman regime that would last at least a thousand years after his death.

Patient Bill of Rights Essay Example For Students

Patient Bill of Rights Essay Patient Bill of Rights All patients have the right to receive safe service that respects all of their core values. This paper will focus on the patient’s bill of rights. It will explain it meaning and how it is set in place to aid the patient. This paper will list two obligations found in the bill of rights. It will also explain which rights are currently provided in the sanction of law. ? The basic rights of human beings, such as concern for personal dignity, are always of great importance. The function of patient rights is to help improve patient outcomes by respecting each patients rights and conducting clinical and health organization relationships in an ethical manner (Fremgen, 2009). The patient’s bill of rights was created in 1973 by the American Hospital Association (AHA). It protects the privacy and integrity of patients, doctors and other health-care providers (ehow, 1999-2010). This basically means that it is a bill that will help with the communication skills between all parties to provide the best care. Listed below are obligations to the items found in A Patient’s Bill of Rights. First, the patient has the right to considerate and respectful care (Fermgen, 2009). The provider has to respect the dignity of the patient by being considerate and caring. The patient should not be discriminated against. Second, the patient has the right to and is encouraged to obtain from physicians and other direct caregivers relevant, current, and understandable information concerning diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis (Fermgen, 2009). Every patient has the right to be informed on any issue that they are faced with unless it is in an emergency. This also fall under know and accepting your provider. The patient has the choice to pick who they would like and would not like to see. Third, The patient has the right to make decisions about the plan of care prior to and during the course of treatment and to refuse a recommended treatment or plan of care to the extent permitted by law and hospital policy and to be informed of the medical consequences of this action (Fermgen, 2009). All patients should be provided with their treatment options. Providers should also allow patients to participate in their treatment options. The patient has the right to have an advance directive concerning treatment or designating a surrogate decision maker with the expectation that the hospital will honor the intent of that directive to the extent permitted by law and hospital policy (Fermgen, 2009). All patients have the right to make informed decisions. The providers should honor the wishes of the patients as permitted by law. The patient has the right to every consideration of privacy (Fermgen, 2009). According to law, patient information should not be disclosed. The provider should always discuss any situations with their patient in a private location. The patient has the right to expect that all communications and records pertaining to his/her care will be treated as confidential by the hospital, except in cases such as suspected abuse and public health hazards when reporting is permitted or required by law (Fermgen, 2009). Any of patient information cannot be shared unless a physician has patients consent. All patients’ information should be kept in a secured location. The patient has the right to review the records pertaining to his/her medical care and to have the information explained or interpreted as necessary, except when restricted by law (Fermgen, 2009). Medical records should be available to all patients when they require them. Medical records can be revoked if possible abuse or public health hazards are reported. .u6c2a9d7ba6f4fde8ce9747a6e7193bc2 , .u6c2a9d7ba6f4fde8ce9747a6e7193bc2 .postImageUrl , .u6c2a9d7ba6f4fde8ce9747a6e7193bc2 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u6c2a9d7ba6f4fde8ce9747a6e7193bc2 , .u6c2a9d7ba6f4fde8ce9747a6e7193bc2:hover , .u6c2a9d7ba6f4fde8ce9747a6e7193bc2:visited , .u6c2a9d7ba6f4fde8ce9747a6e7193bc2:active { border:0!important; } .u6c2a9d7ba6f4fde8ce9747a6e7193bc2 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u6c2a9d7ba6f4fde8ce9747a6e7193bc2 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u6c2a9d7ba6f4fde8ce9747a6e7193bc2:active , .u6c2a9d7ba6f4fde8ce9747a6e7193bc2:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u6c2a9d7ba6f4fde8ce9747a6e7193bc2 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u6c2a9d7ba6f4fde8ce9747a6e7193bc2 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u6c2a9d7ba6f4fde8ce9747a6e7193bc2 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u6c2a9d7ba6f4fde8ce9747a6e7193bc2 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u6c2a9d7ba6f4fde8ce9747a6e7193bc2:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u6c2a9d7ba6f4fde8ce9747a6e7193bc2 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u6c2a9d7ba6f4fde8ce9747a6e7193bc2 .u6c2a9d7ba6f4fde8ce9747a6e7193bc2-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u6c2a9d7ba6f4fde8ce9747a6e7193bc2:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Crucible: The Evil Of Fear EssayThe patient has the right to expect that, within its capacity and policies, a hospital will make reasonable response to the request of a patient for appropriate and medically indicated care and services (Fermgen, 2009). The hospital must perfume the best service that it can for all patients. The patient must provide the hospital with all necessary information that will prevent risk. The patient has the right to ask and be informed of the existence of business relationships among the hospital, educational institutions, other health care providers, or payers that may influence the patients treatment and care (Fermgen, 2009). All patients have the right to know what type of business is associated with the provider or hospital. This right includes formal complaints and what was done about it. The patient has the right to consent to or decline to participate in proposed research studies or human experimentation affecting care and treatment or requiring direct patient involvement, and to have those studies fully explained prior to consent (Fermgen, 2009). All patients have the right to decide which treatment methods are best for them. Even if a provider recommends a treatment, the patient has the right to consent to or decline services. The patient has the right to expect reasonable continuity of care when appropriate and to be informed by physicians and other caregivers of available and realistic patient care options when hospital care is no longer appropriate (Fermgen, 2009). All patients have the right to receive the best quality of care from a provider. The patient has the right to be informed of hospital policies and practices that relate to patient care, treatment, and responsibilities (Fermgen, 2009). All patients should know all hospital charges they are faced with and any payment methods that are available. All the principles listed above are not law, but standards of conduct which define the essentials of honorable behavior for the physicians (Fermgen, 2009). The bill was introduced in 2001 by John McCain and co-authored by Ted Kennedy and John Edwards. It was approved by the Senate in a roll call vote but was not voted on in the House (ehow, 1999-2010). These standards are not only rights but ethical standards for physicians. Every provider has a responsibility to his/her patient and theses standards helps them understand how crucial it is to maintain those relationships. The Patient’s Bill of Rights is set of standards that are not only for the provider but also a guide for patients. Understanding these right help protect the patient right to quality medical care. ? References E How (1999-2010) AHA Patient Bill of Rights retrieved July 31, 2010 from http://www. ehow. com/about_6170705_aha-patient-bill-rights. html Fremgen, B (2009). Medical Law and Ethics. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall.

Religion and Politics Work on Childrens Sex Education

Table of Contents Introduction Introducing Religion into Politics The influence of Secularism on Religion The Role of Religion in Democracy Relationship between the Church and the State Conclusion Works Cited Introduction The many arguments given by secularist groups to support the exclusion or restriction of religion from politics rely on a misunderstanding of modern pluralism in the society. A democratic society needs both political and religious views for a true democracy. The secularists hold that one’s religious views should remain personal and private and never should they be subjected to public discussion or undergo any form of public voting. A pluralist society accepts both religious and anti-religious viewpoints without preference to any.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Religion and Politics Work on Children’s Sex Education specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More While many people agree the im portance of sex education to children, there is a controversial debate whether to incorporate sex education in school curriculum or contents of sex education. From a religious perspective, schools should root for abstinence not safe sex; sex, condom use, or use of any contraceptive should never find its way into a classroom. Others view that the school sex curriculum should entail issues to do with safe sex. The discussion on sex education inevitably attracts both secular and religious views. However, the religious arguments ought to be rational in order to persuade even unbelievers. Therefore, religion plays a role in any democratic secular society in the formulation of laws. Introducing Religion into Politics The efforts to bring religion into public debates and more so regarding public policy formulation should also target to counter any problems that may arise. Perry argues that the introduction of religious conceptions to the public discourse makes compromise difficult to achie ve (47). He further argues religious people, in spite of what the religious books demand, be able to work through their ideas and compromise rather than being fanatical. This implies that the religious views should be rational for them to fit into public debates and any disagreements that may arise handled rationally. Christians have different views from non- Christians about sex and sexuality (Greenawalt 45). In formulating policies regarding sex education in schools, the views of religious leaders are important. Historically, the health experts advocated for sex education in schools that teaches children about avoiding pregnancy and keeping them from sexually transmitted diseases while the religious leaders advocated for abstinence education. The conventions about sex education are intimately bound to ethical teachings that insist on good moral behaviors. Nevertheless, members of specific religions bound by specific religious views regarding sexuality should not impose them on non -believers in a pluralist society.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The influence of Secularism on Religion Majority of the religious beliefs are in one way or another under the influence of secularism. The influence of secularism is more notable in issues to do with morality where the influence on the religious people by a secularist view is high (Audi 133). Christians hold the view that sex education should entail abstinence from sexual intercourse but agree to a secularist belief; that is, use of contraceptives to prevent pregnancy and transmission of sexually transmitted diseases. Christians submit to the fact that their religious beliefs have little impact in an overwhelmingly secular society. This calls for a compromise between secularism and religion in formulation of acceptable moral laws that can serve the religious believers and secularists/atheists alike to avoid cr eating a scenario where either party feels oppressed by the laws. The Role of Religion in Democracy In a democratic political system, religious beliefs play an important and inalienable role. In a democratic system, religious freedom is allowed and one is entitled to voice his/her religious views (Hillel 99) However, religious arguments that are not rational or evidence based should not be brought into public debate, as this will be rejected on the basis for public or social policy. This arises because people that hold a different religious belief rarely convince others by arguments not based on reason. Only rational religious or secular belief deserves public debate based on reason rather than on fanatical beliefs. This creates an understanding for proper formulation and implementation public policies in the social places including schools. According to Perry, true democracy â€Å"does not provide for an official state religion or peg citizenship on the adherence to an official re ligion† (44). World developed democracies like in the western world allows the citizens to openly express their religious views and beliefs and can even establish institutions that are consistent with those views without fear of committing an offence; for instance, establishing a school that is run according to the religious principles and values. In State-run schools, the government does not enforce particular religious practices or interfere with worship services. Liberal democracies provide for the principle that freedom of citizens to practice their faith; that is, the religious practices remain unregulated. This means that religious and nonreligious citizens and nongovernmental organizations receive equal treatment. Relationship between the Church and the State The church plays an important role in a democratic political system as it provides guidance to its faithful (Sweetman 98). It is the responsibility of the church leaders to introduce rational religious beliefs into the public debate. This is necessary in legislating new public policies.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Religion and Politics Work on Children’s Sex Education specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Although the primary role of religious leaders is to explain and defend their respective religious beliefs, they also need to articulate these religious beliefs politically. This is important as it enables the electorate and the government to know the religious stand as regards certain issues that affect the society. According to Sweetman, religious texts or religious traditions are important in a religious argument. He further argues that, religious issues should be supported with rationality before articulating them (107). Moreover, Christian arguments have to be persuasive enough even to non-Christians. This is justifiable as the legislation of new policies applies to both the secular and the religious people. I n a democratic system, no religion dominates to an extent that it imposes religious views on everyone. Religious leaders should consider whether it is prudent to impose religious beliefs even to nonbelievers as this may amount to violation of individual rights. Conclusion Both religious and secular viewpoints are necessary in public debate arena in the formulation of new social policies. The belief by secularist groups that religion should not play part in this process is misleading. All policies including sex education in schools need secular and religious perspectives to arrive at acceptable laws. However, the religious and secular beliefs should be rational and convincing enough for them to qualify into the public debate arena. The controversial issue of whether or not sex education is appropriate in schools calls for both religious and secular views in order to make policies. It is evident that comprehensive sex education is necessary in schools dealing with all aspects of sex a nd sexuality to avoid risks associated with irresponsible sexual behavior amongst unsuspecting and inexperienced schoolchildren. Works Cited Audi, Robert. Religious Commitment and Secular Reason. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2000. Greenawalt, Kent. Private Conscience and Public Reasons. New York: Oxford University Press, 1995.Advertising Looking for essay on religion theology? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Hillel, Fradkin. â€Å"Does Democracy Need Religion?† Journal of Democracy 11.1 (2000): 87-94. Perry, Michael. Religion in Politics: A constitutional and moral  Perspectives. New York: Oxford University Press, 1997. Sweetman, Brendan. Why Politics Needs Religion: The Place of Religious  Arguments in the Public Square. New York: Inter Varsity Press, 2006. This essay on Religion and Politics Work on Children’s Sex Education was written and submitted by user Arachne to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

A Synopsis of the Movie The Princess Bride Essay Example

A Synopsis of the Movie The Princess Bride Essay Example A Synopsis of the Movie The Princess Bride Paper A Synopsis of the Movie The Princess Bride Paper Essay Topic: The Prince Buttercups father continued and said, Not with water.. You reek like a Italian, (43). While I was reading the book I pictured this beautiful girl with long blonde hair, and then I find out that she doesnt properly bathe, and that made me rethink how I looked at Buttercup as a beautiful young lady that guys were highly attracted to. The author did this to make you question who she really was and if she was as beautiful as you pictured she would be. Meanwhile, in the movie she was a very beautiful young lady that had long blonde flowing hair and pretty blue eyes. Prince Henpecking and Wesley were fighting over her and would do anything to be tit her. Everyone always talks about how beautiful Buttercup Is and she Is probably getting tired of all the comments and she may be getting tired of them. She says, Enough about my beauty, Everybody always talks about how beautiful I am. Ive got a mind, Wesley. Talk about that; (196). The only thing people know her for is her beauty. I know being called beautiful means a lot, but Im sure it gets old very fast. But at the same time all Buttercup wants to be recognized for is her knowledge and what she knows. Buttercup wasnt always the best decision-maker and made plenty f mistakes throughout the book, one being the choice not the bathe. Buttercup was always on the top on the list of being the prettiest young ladies, and she had a lot to look forward with being the prettiest. The book said, She hated to wash her face, she loathed the area behind her ears, she was sick of combing her hair and did so as little as possible (44). She was slowly but surely beginning to get lose her beauty and others were replacing her, In the movie, I believe that she would still be considered the most beautiful, because there were no other girls in the movie that she had to moment with. Another not-so-smart decision Buttercup made was the choice to marry someone she didnt even like just to marry them. She states It wasnt wrong to marry someone you didnt like, it Just wasnt right either (88), she states that because she didnt want to marry someone she didnt want to be with. People marry people because they love their special someone and want to be with them and not for their money nor whatever else they have to offer. In the movie she doesnt marry anyone. Prince Henpecking was trying to get her to marry him Instead of being with Wesley, the farm boy. Through the whole story and movie, Buttercup doesnt have the best relationships with other characters. Most of the relationships she has with other characters are very violent and not a good situation to be In. However, she has a very sweet, romantic relations Walt Wesley, especially In ten movie slyly Decease you could actually see them and not have to think about it while reading the book. They are perfect for each other. l can live without love (188), this was said by Buttercup when she was talking about she had to love someone and the person she loved could NOT die. Living without love is hard, and its lonely. Everyone needs someone in their life to depend on so they will have them for them when they need someone to talk to about anything at any time of the day and no matter where they may be in life. This has to do with Buttercup because she is lonely and needs someone. Something that Buttercup is very happy with is riding her horse. She doesnt have very strong relationships with people so she chooses the horse because she can get on it and ride it and get away from everything she is going through. That is something she has a good relationship with. Her passion was to ride her horse and taunt the farm boy. The author says, What she liked to do, preferred above all else really, was to ride her horse and taunt the farm boy (44). Throughout the book she makes me feel like she thinks she is better than everyone else but she doesnt think she is too good for anyone she Just like to be alone. Buttercup states, .. L Just like riding by myself, thats all (44). I think me and Buttercup have a lot in common considering she likes to be alone and I very much like to be alone and get mistaking to being stuck up and rude because of this. Everyone always thinks she is too good for anyone because she has always been under the light and everyone always caters to her. But she always keeps people thinking and on their toes. Buttercup and Hummingbirds relationship is not a loving relationship because they dont love each other the way Buttercup and Wesley does. Henpecking is nice to Buttercup when she is around him, but behind her back he talks bad about her and contemplates murdering her. Buttercup has a feeling that Henpecking is talking about her behind her back and later on she has a feeling that he didnt send Wesley to his ship and that he is holding him hostage somewhere.

Sustainablility practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Sustainablility practice - Essay Example nd, that the recent growth in tourist related number is adversely impacting not only the local culture endemic to the land, but is also causing irreparable harm to the environment. As such, sustainable tourism activities, such as the one describe herein, are essential to the future of the country, in addition to the necessity of meeting the current needs of the people and land. The objective of this report is to highlight sustainable tourism operations in Thailand and to illustrate the critical need to further develop this endeavour in order to protect both the land and the environment of this Southeast Asian nation. This objective was primarily accomplished by researching currently literature related to sustainable tourism in Thailand, as well as conducting an in-depth analysis of the Thailand Tourism Authority of Thailand’s website. It was discovered that, while sustainable tourism is on the rise throughout the nation, there is still far too much reliance on international projects, which are creating harm to the land, the people, and the culture. In the future, more focus is needed in terms of developing tourist operations that are directly impacting the people of Thailand, while doing little to no harm to the environment in which they live. Throughout time, tourism has been in a constant state of change, and along with it has come a consistent need to look towards the future. For tourism to be sustainable, and for it to have a positive environmental effect for future generations, companies must look for ways to protect the lands in which they operate. The average tourist today has different expectations that have been evolving over the years. While the tourist industry has struggled at time to keep up with global demand, it has largely performed brilliantly across various sectors (Hamzah & Hampton, 2011). The flip side of this, however, has bough about grave environmental concerns that, left unaddressed, will completely alter the tourist landscape of

Paternity civil case and calculation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Paternity civil case and calculation - Essay Example These include the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) Combined DNA Index System (CODIS) markers used in DNA evidence. Butler (2006) indicates that markers were first described as an effective tool to ascertain human identity in the early 1990’s. Since then they have become important tools which have been employed in order to resolve numerous paternity testing cases. Identigene (n.d.) indicates that genetists developed this set of markers to ensure a level of consistency in identifying individuals and named them according to their chromosomal location. Each of the marker location shows two alleles (variation values) represented by the numbers in the table below. In this case Identigene (n.d.) indicates that the alleles are measures of short tandem reports (STR). One of the STR alleles is from the mother and one from the father. If at least one of the markers for each STR locus matches then there is assumed to be a high probability of a paternity relationship. On the oth er hand if at least one of the markers for each STR locus does not agree with the alleged father’s then this is an indication that there is no paternity relationship. A paternity index that is greater than 100 yields a CPI of 99.0000%; one that equates to 200, yields a CPI of 99.5%; and one that equates to 1000 yields a CPI of 99.9900%. Identigene (n.d.) indicates that immigration cases require a CPI value of 200 or better. The International Society of Forensic Genetics (ISFG) has a number of recommendations on biostatistics in paternity testing. These include: the importance of a statement of a hypothesis; information on how the calculations are done, considerations for the possibility of mutations whenever a genetic inconsistency is observed; guidance relating to the possibility of a single allele in a tested subject; as well as the details that should be presented in test reports. According to Gjertson et al (2007) the International

Hotels in Bangkok

Hotels in Bangkok The Regency Grand Hotel is one of the most prestigious and luxurious hotels in Bangkok, Thailand. Since its inception, it has earned a brand name in the industry owing to the exceptional salaries and benefits offered. The hotel staff and managers felt privileged being a member of the hotel, and perceived that they were being taken well care of under the leadership of the then General Manager. The following case study illuminates the dilemma of the employees undergoing the management changeover following its acquisition by an international group. In the earlier set-up, the employees were expected to follow the orders of their managers without questioning them. Initiatives to solve problems at personal level were discouraged and it led to lack of innovation and risk-averse behavior. Eventually, the hotel staff got accustomed to the style of management over the past fifteen years, and it made the work go smoothly with minimal number of conflicts. However, the recent sale of the hotel to a new American group introduced an altogether new style of administration to the employees. The management style of the new GM was entirely opposite to what the staff was familiar to, and it caused problems bringing the hotels performance and reputation down the drain. Problem symptoms and indications The former style of management gave limited authority to the front line employees and did not permit them to take any action on the spot without referring to their superiors. On the contrary, the new General Manager (John Becker) encouraged them to perform beyond their routine duties to provide customized services and thus make them feel special. This is directly related to empowerment, which is a key aspect in the service industry especially the hotels (Hubrecht Teare, 1993). Beckers motive in employee empowerment was linked with his intention to achieve competitive advantage through upgrading the staff competencies. As stated by Wall, et.al (2002, p.147) employee empowerment results in motivation, inventiveness, implied knowledge, participation, and enthusiasm necessary to survive in todays cutthroat competition. Although, Becker saw empowerment as a means to enthuse employees and delight the customers (Barbee Bott, 1991, p. 27) the hotels current managers expressed their disappointment. They were discontented with the idea of giving bottom line employees more authority and decision powers. The disparity in management approach is attributed to the cultural differences in these countries, for instance power distance, and uncertainty avoidance (Hofstede, 1980, p.45-55). Thailand and USA fall in the extreme ends of the cultural continuum presented by Hofstede (1980). Efforts are generally focused towards equal distribution of power in USA, while only a few people are given authority in Thailand given the larger power distance in the latter. Also, there is strong uncertainty avoidance in Thailand, calling for more written rules regulations, whereas uncertainty is easily accepted in USA and emphasis is laid on minimal formal rules (Hofstede, 1980, p.51). Becker failed to recognize these cultural differences while implementing his theories into practice. Joining a new organization and country demands awareness about the various social and cultural issues involved before transforming the existing practices (Lane Beamish, 1990, p.88). What worsened the situation further was his previous experience in places with poor performance and low employee morale. It is noticeable that his new assignment was doing sound business; therefore, his approach ought to be different in this case. Becker spent a great deal of time with the employees in an effort to elucidate his expectations from them. The role theory (Bush and Busch, 1981; Teas et al., 1979) mentions that the frontline employees have a greater need for role precision to carry out their duties efficiently. Role clarity perceived by the customer-contact employees is not only advantageous for customer satisfaction, but is also associated with employees job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and performance (de Ruyter et al., 2001). Yet, he did not succeed in putting a clear demarcation between complex and small issues. This kind of uncertainty was a continuous threat and led to higher anxiety and stress among the employees since strong uncertainty avoidance prevails in Thailand (McShane and Travaglione, 2007, p.47). The employees did not have a clear role perception due to role ambiguity. In this regard, Saks (1996, p.301-23) states that role perception is a result of role ambiguity, and with time this may result in stress specially when working under a new management. In addition to that, the employees were not able to distinguish between a major and a minor problem because of the lack of training (assumption). They had never been assigned a decision-making role before, and unfortunately did not receive a proper guidance from their seniors in such difficult situations. A further study into the Regency Grand Hotel shows that in quest of employee empowerment, power was transferred from the middle-line managers to the lower rank staff. Daft (1995) suggested that the recent trend of flatter organization structures have considerably altered the traditional role of supervisors. Consequently, the managers found their job meaningless and reversed employees decisions by terming them complex issues. They insisted that upper managements approval is required to address such problems and thus, tried to regain their supremacy. The managers reactions are associated to their control needs, achievement needs, and recognition needs () that forced them to maintain their grip on routine decisions. Furthermore, the employees did not receive any kind of support, feedback or appraisal for taking initiatives and going out of their way to enrich customers experience. As per Herzberg (1959) theory, motivation techniques such as superiors support and a positive and timely feedback have enduring productive influence on the employee behavior and resulting performance. In this context, experts have referred to the ABCs of behavior modification theory (McShane and Travaglione, 2007, p. 85-86) which states that employee behavior can be modified by managing its antecedents (for example encouraging staff to take initiative) and its consequences (for instance approving their decisions and constructive feedback). The theory further states that people have a propensity to repeat behaviors and actions that are followed by pleasant consequences, and extinction occurs when no consequences follow at all. Since the managers did not provide any support to the employees engaged in the desired work behavior, their self-driven decision-making process disappeared. The absence of motivation from the superiors eroded the employees self-confidence and they started to totally rely on their superiors to make decisions on their behalf. This is because of the high collectivism in Thailand (Hofstede, 1980, p. 45) where there is a strong need for consensus. The overall problem with the Grand Regency Hotel is directly linked to the MARS model, which identifies four key factors that have a direct effect on employee behavior, viz. motivation, ability, role perception, and situational factors. The employee performance levels drop if any of these factors is absent from the organizational context (McShane and Travaglione, 2007, p. 36). It is apparent from the study that the employees were not motivated to continue the new task behaviors, and they lacked the ability to define the complexity of the decisions, which again led to ambiguous role perceptions. Moreover, the dissatisfaction of the hotels staff affected their work behavior as evident by the increase in the number of turnovers and absenteeism. These are undoubtedly identifiable with the EVLN model of employee responses to dissatisfaction at work. It is found that exit is the most frequently used response of the four reactions in a notion that no better alternatives exist. (Withey Cooper, 1989, p.533). As indicated by (Lau et al., 2003, p.77) role conflict and a low degree of job involvement leads to a higher absence rate. Low levels of supervisory support and immediate social control resulted in increased absenteeism. (Price, 1998, p.227-246). The number of employees mistakes reported to upper management increased; this is because of the lack of training, feedback and motivation. With passage of time, an organization wide culture emerged in the hotel where lower level employees throw their work over the wall to upper level employees indulging in counterproductive act (Lau, et al., 2003, p.75). As a result, the performance of the employees dragged the overall hotel performance down leading to an increase in the number of guest complaints.(Heskett, et al., in Koys, 2001, p.113) This was demonstrated in the heightened criticism in the newspaper and magazine reviews where the hotel was named as one of the Asias nightmare hotels. The hotel General Manager and the employees experienced high levels of stress. Beckers stress was clear from his statement unless the hotel is on fire dont let anyone disturb me. He was annoyed by the increasing number of consultations from managers regarding minor issues, which otherwise were supposed to be sorted out by themselves. This reflects lack of training on the managers front as well. The role ambiguity was the main reason behind the employees stress as they misunderstood their roles. Role conflict and role ambiguity have been found to be the major causes of role stress (Boles Babin in Siegall, 2000, p.427). The ever-increasing stress levels experienced by the employees weakened all the good relationships that were existent under the older management. The employees were no longer united, and because of that, counterproductive behaviors surfaced in the form of backstabbing and employees not taking responsibility for their actions. In brief, even though Becker introduced empowerment with kind intentions, his plan failed because of poor implementation. He acted too fast that the spontaneous empowerment in fact snatched power from everyone involved. He did not give sufficient time to the newly empowered to be trained or get mentally prepared for their new roles. The next blunder Becker made was of believing that the managers would readily pass on their powers to their subordinates the minute he declared empowerment program. In his zeal to initiate empowerment, he ignored all other factors to support his decision. RECOMMENDATION The recommendations for improving the performance of Regency Grand Hotel are presented for all the three hierarchal levels mentioned in the case study. General Manager The current managers of the hotel backlashed on the new General Managers decision of giving more decision powers to the front line employees. Those dissatisfactions were the consequences of cultural differences (low power distance in America, while high power distance in Thailand). Obviously, dealing with cultural clashes is difficult since cultural patterns change very slowly (Hofstede, 1980, p.53). Therefore, Becker should consider these issues and address them beforehand. We would recommend higher degree of compatibility in his leadership style. In this situation, he should conduct meetings with the managers in order to clarify their doubts, and communicate the same down the hierarchal levels. It would be logical to check on their performance on regular intervals of time. Next, he should try to lessen the power distance between the managers and the front office staff by means of social events and gatherings. It would definitely ease out the managers egos and identify the hidden potential of their subordinates. In the end, this would help them to act like mentors to facilitate change rather than being directive in their approach. As said by Quang William (1998, p.361) influence of multicultural leadership on flexibility, empathy, understanding problem solving, and communication leads to a successful organizational change. Moreover, emphasizing on trust, communication and mutual objectives should be taken into account. Becker should train the managers in their new roles as coaches to assist the employees in taking independent decisions. Goal sharing for improving customer service and hotels overall performance should be implemented to bring them together as a team. In order to have a successful implementation of empowerment we must have strong self-determination, meaning, competence and impact. If any of those four dimensions is weak then it reflects directly on the empowerment process. (Forrester, 2000) Though Beckers idea of empowerment was positive in itself, yet his plan proved disastrous. One way to make the process more effective is selective empowerment, which limits delegating power to employees who display the appropriate competencies. Invest in enhancing their knowledge and skills through formal training, mentoring, and self-learning because rightful application of power depends on ones capabilities. Employees should be given a chance to demonstrate expertise by employing simulations, case studies, mentors, and supervised trials. They should be assigned low-risk decisions first, and progressively work up to challenging judgments since achievement at the safer levels would boost confidence through expectancy of success. The employee pe rformance could be improved due to the self fulfilling prophecy of the managers. (McShane and Travaglione, 2007, p.80) Becker should influence the managers perceptions that better results are obtained through empowerment than not. This may be done by following a sequential approach. First, focus on empowerment that does not steal complete authority from the mid level managers. Instead, enhance employees power by widening their knowledge set and providing them with more training and development opportunities. Second, begin the process from the top levels of management and trail down the changes to the subsequent lower ranks. This would allow the seniors exercise greater power and, going through a successful empowerment experience would raise their expectations from the change. Finally, concentrate on specific materialistic results, for instance initiating a performance appraisal and reward system based on the level of power demonstrated by a managers subordinate and reward more generously to team work as compared to individual performance. For successful implementation of empowerment, managers need to believe that they are in control of their outcomes. Middle Managers The employees were confused in differentiating major and minor problems, which originated from their lack of role clarification. Role clarity implies the required information that is provided for employees in order to do their jobs efficiently (Kelly and Hise, 1980 cited in Mukherjee and Malhotra, 2006, p.446). In the given case study, it could be prevented by following the three key essentails of role clarity, i.e. feedback, participation and finally team support. The effectiveness of employees depends on their perception about wielded power by superiors. (Yukl, 1981). Managers should focus on providing their employees with feedback, paying more attention to normative feedback as it positively affects the individuals performance by improving either perceived competence, competence valuation (Sansone 1989) performance pressure (Butler . Nisan, 1986; Ryan, 1982) or a combination these factors. The effect of positive normative feedback on the performance would not be relevant unless employees were well trained in a way that their skills would match the tasks they were entailed to handle. This would enhance their perceived competence (Sansone 1988), which is handling customers minor problems without referring back to their supervisors. The employees were uncomfortable in their newly assigned role and hesitated to accept the responsibilities. In addition, lack of motivation from the seniors wore down their confidence. Instead, the performances should be followed by adequate rewards to ensure staff that they are on the right track (Locke and Latham, 1990, p.241). Providing on the job training to employees should be one of the middle managers priorities, as it has been proven a good way to learn (Wood, 1994). Also, well-trained employees will be better prepared to face the organizational change (Lange, 2006) occurring at the Regency Grand Hotel, which will in return help them overcome the challenges involved with the process of empowerment. Employees Apart from General Manager and the managers, the front line employees should also share responsibilities for making the empowerment program successful. McShane Tavaglione (2007, p.186-89) identifies four core necessities in employees behavior, namely competencies, self-monitoring and designing natural rewards. To participate in the empowerment process, employees should possess adequate capabilities to deal with the additional decision making roles. Another suggestion for the employees proposes practicing self-leadership. Certainly, it was the managers duty to provide the employees with proper training and feedback, but we should not overlook the part of employees themselves. They should try to set goals for themselves to create self-direction and self-motivation required to execute the new tasks. Self-leadership incorporates five key elements that is personal goal setting, constructive thought pattern, designing natural rewards, self-monitoring, and self-reinforcement. Employees who indulge in all the above-mentioned practices would perform jobs better than the ones being supervised by others, and as Larkin asserts, high self-monitor generates more confident individuals to adapt to the empowerment approach. In addition, speaking up of the employees should be regarded as an important solution (Premeaux Bedeian, 2003, p.1537). They should express their point of views about work related issues, recommendations, or requirement of changes and alternative approaches. The problem rose in Grand Regency Hotel because employees were hesitant to speak out their positions due to the fear of punishment. McShane Travaglione (2007) argue that the voice of employees should be established as a way to communicate dissatisfaction and to propose ideas to the manager to improve situations. Finally, employees who possess self-awareness, as one of the four dimensions of emotional intelligence, would have better emotional responses. 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