Surving Greenscape at Hard Time Essay Example for Free

Surving Greenscape at Hard Time Essay Robbins, S. , Organizational Behavior 2. Buchanan, D amp; Huczynski, A. , Organizational Behaviour 3. Mullins, L. , Management and Organisational Behaviour| Week 6| Feedback sessionFeedback on LO2| | Week 7| Motivation, what is motivation, motivational theories, critical assessment of motivational theories, reward and punishment| Books, Lecture Slides/Notes, Case Studies, Assignment-related resources| Week 8| Understanding Groups, what are groups, formation of groups, formal and informal groups | 1. Robbins, S. , Organizational Behavior 2. Buchanan, D amp; Huczynski, A. Organizational Behaviour 3. Mullins, L. , Management and Organisational Behaviour| Week 9| Team Development, types of teams, developing teams, why teams are not groups| 1. Robbins, S. , Organizational Behavior 2. Buchanan, D amp; Huczynski, A. , Organizational Behaviour 3. Mullins, L. , Management and Organisational Behaviour| Week 10| Feedback sessionFeedback on LO3amp;4| | Learning outcomes Outcomes| Assessment requirements| LO1 Understand the relationshipbetween organisational structure and culture| 1. 1 compare and contrast different organisational structures and culture1. explain how the relationship between an organisation’s structure and culture can impact on the performance of the business1. 3 discuss the factors which influence individual behaviour at work| LO2 Understand differentapproaches to management and leadership| 2. 1 compare the effectiveness of different leadership styles in different organisations2. 2 explain how organisational theory underpins the practice of management2. 3 evaluate the different approaches to management used by different organisations| LO3 Understand ways of usingmotivational theories in organisations| 3. discuss the impact that different leadership styles may have on motivation in organisations in perio ds of change3. 2 compare the application of different motivational theories within the workplace3. 3 evaluate the usefulness of a motivation theory for managers| LO4 Understand mechanisms fordeveloping effective teamwork in organisations| 4. 1 explain the nature of groups and group behaviour within organisations4. 2 discuss factors that may promote or inhibit the development of effective teamwork in organisations4. 3 evaluate the impact of technology on team functioning within a given organisation. Indicative resource materials Textbooks Buchanan, D amp; Huczynski, A. , Organizational Behaviour Mullins, L. , Management and Organisational Behaviour Brooks, I. , Organisational Behaviour, Individuals, Groups and Organisation Bloisi, W. , Cook, C. , and Hunsaker, P. , Management and Organisational Behaviour Journals Academy of Management Journal (Academy of Management) British Journal of Management (John Wiley and Sons) California Management Review (University of California, Berkeley) E uropean Management Journal (Elsevier) Harvard Business Review (Harvard Business Publishing) Journal of General Management (Braybrooke Press Ltd) Journal of Management Studies (John Wiley and Sons) Management Today (Haymarket Business Media) MIT Sloan Management Review (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) Websites www. businessballs. com HR and Organisational Behaviour articles and links www. changingminds. org Useful articles on strategic change by leading theorists www. mindtools. com www. 12manage. com www. cipd. co. uk www. incomesdata. co. uk

Sonoco Products Company

Sonoco Products Company According to (Chidambaram VijayabanuS and Ramachandran, 2012) success of a company is based on the human assets. This case study report is on Sonoco Products Company and its HR activities under the leadership of Cindy Hartley. It provides an overview of Sonoco Products Company, change requirements in the package industry and their influence on Sonocos strategy in tune with the objectives of the vice president of the company, analysis of the changes and judging their effectiveness, identifying the problems in Sonocos strategy with respect to HR management besides identifying ways and means to improve the HRM operations in Sonoco. According to ( Gibb, Stephen, 2003), HRM is essential. Finally suitable recommendations are given to Sonoco for the betterment of its strategies as world class HR organization under the leadership of its vice president Cindy Hartley. With leadership qualities senior management can take higher responsibilities (Jean-Francois Coget, 2011). About Sonoco Products Company In consumer and industrial packaging Sonoco is a global company with around 100 years of experience. In its chosen business, right from the inception from 1980s till initial part of 1990s, Sonoco enjoyed success and tremendous growth financially (Sonoco Products Case Study p1). However, due to its fixed pricing of plants, economic crisis in US markets such as manufacturing exports severely impacted Sonoco. For instance, due to such reasons, sales of Sonoco fell 6% down between the years 1995-1999. Nevertheless, the company, with its strategies to reduce expenses, managed to gain increase in profits by 14% in the period. Afterwards, sales of the company declined and that caused its stock values coming down and pressure was built on the company to maintain credibility with shareholders. At this juncture, new CEO by name Harris DeLoach was appointed by Sonoco. The main challenges before DeLoach were to reduce operational costs; to ensure top-line business growth; restructuring the consu mer packaging division; bring about cooperation across the divisions; considering human resources as corporate resources rather than a talent managed under general manager; revamping and restructuring divisions including HR (Sonoco Products Case Study p1). Since the beginning of Cindy Hartley in the capacity of senior VP of HR division, she was working totally towards the throats of the companys CEO DeLoach. In her tenure she introduced many changes and new policies in order to improve the business performance of the company, succession planning, development, compensation etc. Earlier when the company was in full swing of profits, the managers did not take the inefficient employees seriously as business growth was evidenced. Now it is changed and Cindy Hartley as per the DeLoachs challenge responded quickly and pondered over the problem and improve efficiency in HRM wing. Towards all these things, and reduce the cost Cindy Hartley set forth three important objectives as outlined in other section of this report (Sonoco Products Case Study p1). Packaging Industry and Sonoco Sonoco has been into the packaging industry. In 19900 packaging industry was making good revenues. The revenue generated by around 100, 000 companies worldwide was worth $400 billion. Consumer packaging paper and board reported very good increase in its growth. Paper and board recorded 34% revenues while consumer packaging recorded 70% and industrial packaging at 30%. In the later part of 1990s, due to globalization, businesses encountered competitive challenges and also growth opportunities (Sonoco Products Case Study p2). Manufacturing became decentralized as many companies from USA moved to other countries such as India and China where human resources were not costly. Later years i.e. between 1998-2000 there was dramatic increase in the share of five big companies reported at 40% to 60% increase in revenues. Consumer preferences were changed and domestic consumer markets recorded the segmentation of products were changed as per the preferences. When it comes to food industry more evidence is observed. In the retail markets products are even altered as per the customer requirements. Due to customer preferences instead of one version of product seven or eight becomes a common place. Packaging also was playing an important role while branding and thus it attracts more people. In those days in retail business packaging was more influential than advertising for getting new customers and retaining the existing one (Sonoco Products Case Study p2). As there are many changes in global economy and market conditions in USA, the effect of globalization, it was the responsibility of packaging companies to be more innovative and implement changes in the business as required. As said by an observer to win in the race one has to use emerging technologies as that gives winning edge to organizations. Companies who were into packaging invested a huge amount for making timely changes to their product designs. Afterwards the concept that appeared was one-stop-shop which attracted manufacturing firms, and other related businesses. The issues in the packaging industry include globalization of businesses, fixed price concept of Sonoco, USA firms started investing overseas, adapting to technology innovations, abrupt changes in the product design, decline in sales and revenues etc. The changes in the business arena, especially in the packaging industry influenced Sonoco to change its strategies and focus on more customers and solutions oriented and understood the words of Proctor Gamble. It also started looking at markets with focused coordination (Sonoco Products Case Study p3). What were Cindy Hartleys objectives for changes at Sonoco? Cindy Hartley, after becoming VP or HR department of Sonoco, she set forth three objectives to be achieved which were in tune with the thoughts of the new CEO of the company who wanted to cut short expenses of the organization more than 20% (Sonoco Products Case Study p1). The objectives are as given below. Making GMs accountable for managing talent and ensure that inefficient employees are not entertained. Considering HR talent as corporate resource rather than GMs talent and utilizing the human resources evenly across divisions. Developing consistent practices towards HRM. Optimizing HR to support business objectives of GM. Before she took office, employees were given salaries even when they are not performing. It does mean that as the company was in good profits, it ignored the HR best practices towards people who do not perform well. Cindy Hartley in the capacity of VP under the guidance of CEO wanted to make this organizational change to see that human resources are optimally utilized. GMs were made responsible for optimal usage of human resources and considered HR talent as corporate resource instead of just looking at it GMs manpower (Sonoco Products Case Study p1). HR Changes at Sonoco When Cindy Hartley was hired as new VP of HR window of Sonoco, she identified many problems with HR function as it was ruined and not consistent. The organizational structure in 1995 has some inherent problems. The focus on HR was different in those days. They thought it as something like back-room operation (Sonoco Products Case Study p4). The organizational structure was tactical in nature rather than strategic. In 1990s large divisions in the company have their own HR functions which are individual and not aligned to the overall corporate HR function properly. There were inconstancies in payroll related activities and also confidentiality was not maintained in such matters. The main problem was that corporate HR was seen in different perspective. It was seen as an entity that simply takes care of recruitments and relationships between employees and organization. Strategic planning was not possible due to staff structure which was complex. GMs of divisions exercised discretion and make mistakes in the process of providing compensation to staff members (Sonoco Products Case Study p4). The reporting structure of the company has less useful things and HR people were taking things for granted. The process of compensations was considered entitlements rather than looking them at in practical cost related perspective. Sonocos employee appraisal strategy was also not perfect. The timing of it and the encouraging merit employees was not flawless. There were cases of manipulation of performance reports. The performance evaluation was not actually reflecting the efficiency of employees. At the same time experienced employees are an asset (Barbara A. Anderson, 2005). Worst case is that the best performed employees were fired due to reasons other than performance. There were not action plans, and there were complaints from the employees with respect to their career (Sonoco Products Case Study p4). When Hartley took office in 1995, she was determined to build HR group with much focus on business orientation and professionalism. Priority was given for making leaders in the organization. It does mean that leadership traits were taught to HR people. The companys growth strategy, cash flow, working capital management was given focus. Favourable work conditions also play a role (ISIK U. ZEYTINOGLU GORDON B. COOKE KARLENE HARRY JAMES CHOWHAN1, 2008). The priorities set by Hartley to set the things right are as shown below (Sonoco Products Case Study p4). The compensation strategies and measuring performance of individualos is given top priority as this ensures that the best performers are given right compensation. Planning for making good number of leaders for the ensuing generation. A robust employee development process that ensured that employees skills are improved constantly. Organizational performance results in financial growth (Brain becker and barry garhat, 1966). From the perspective of changes in the organization she was regarded as a change maker. She was well known among her colleagues as a good manager. A counsel was built to help in HR management. When she stared change management, many in the organization did not allow it. For instance HR heads of the divisions resisted her actions towards making changes in HR strategies (Sonoco Products Case Study p4). The first problem tackled was compensation and performance management as they are fundamental issues of HR. In 1996, HR management was revised again to make it more effective. Its main focus was on alignment and consistency. For change management all stake holders are convinced. For each plant manager specific set of metrics are given. For Instance the metrics are safety, customer returns, quality, machine downtime, plat profit etc. The metrics of individual units are aligned with overall busine ss objectives of the company. In 1997, the Sonoco Products Company adopted a shared vision with respect to performance management. In other words Sonoco discussed the performance management strategies with employees as well (Sonoco Products Case Study p4). The compensation management and salary system are combined. The mangers were encouraged to follow guidelines and educate employees so as to make them to give best services and also measures value addition of individuals. With respect to succession planning and leadership development the strategies are to be agreed up on by divisional senior management. And advisory team was built by Hartley for improving the system (Sonoco Products Case Study p4). The six leadership traits are recorded. They include coaching and monitoring, knowledge management, teamwork, strategic integration, communication and customer satisfaction through excellence. Sonoco followed three sources for assessing the capabilities of managers. They include successi on planning, performance management system and 360-degree feedback. HR function is improved every year. By 2000, almost all fundamental changes were made to the organizational HR function. Hartley revamped aspects like IT systems, performance management, compensation, diversity and succession planning. However, it has must to do to make strides in business growth. Intensive and basic compensation plans were subjected to major changes (Sonoco Products Case Study p1). HR Structure Recommendation for Sonoco HRM efficiency is possible through right personnel (Y. Paul Huo, Heh Jason Huang, and Nancy K. Napier, 2002). Hartley wanted to restructure HR function. There are two models for structural organization of HR division. They include centralization model and hybrid model. In the centralization model many HR activities are handled by four centers of expertise. These divisions are managed by field experts who have wealth of knowledge. It helps in the reduction of administrative and other costs pertaining to process improvement. However, it faces fewer opportunities when it has to be aligned with individual businesses (Sonoco Products Case Study p7). Centralization requires clever way of handling HRM (Asma Zaineb, 2011). The second option is named as hybrid structure. In this approach the divisions have provisions in the involvement of compensation, personnel programs, succession planning and staffing. It leaves the individual HR manager on which GMs rely. The both structures meant for imp lementing HR strategy that is common in both. The HR changes done by Hartley are sustainable as they are meant for reducing expenses and improve large scale business opportunities (Sonoco Products Case Study p7). For HR structure of Sonoco I recommend centralized model as it has many advantages over hybrid structure (Heidi Cardenas, 2012). The advantages include reduction in operational costs, concentration of HR skills, sharing of knowledge, optimization processes and organizational support. Centralized human resources model can save operational costs for various activities of HR such as recruiting, benefits and compensation management, and recruiting. Sharing of knowledge among the divisions is possible through centralized computing. Technology should be used in recruitments (Derek S.Chapman and Jane Webster, 2003) Centralized HR managers are easily accessible and one can get faster service (Heidi Cardenas, 2012). It promotes HR skills improvements. Business processes can be optimized effectively using centralized HR model. It facilitates easy and consistent development of processes for various activities like performance management, recognition, recruiting, and payroll. Its easy to develop companywide aspects such as resource processes, easy to develop communication with all places in the organization. Another advantage of centralized computing is better organizational support for company. Centralized approach well suites organizations where staff members are trained as to how to communicate effectively. The approach provides (Heidi Cardenas, 2012). SHRM also gained popularity (Patrick M. Wright, Benjamin B. Dunford, Scott A. Snell, 2001). Nevertheless, centralized model of HR has its limitations such as administration causing inequalities, strict conformity of official norms etc. and dictatorship which does not take employees into confidence while making policies (Asma Zaineb, 2011). Size of the organization also has consideration for HRM strategy (GEORGE CALLAGHAN AND PAUL THOMPSON, 2002). Fig. 1 Centralized Model for HR Structure As can be seen in fig. 1, the HR structure of Sonoco has VP at the top of the hierarchy. The single rooted hierarchy with administrative, experts and field staff services. The study of Sonocos business scenario and HR function closely from the views of Hartley and CEO of the company, there was lot of improvement in its functioning due to the efforts of Hartley. However, it can be said that it needs further improvement. The following are the recommendations for Sonoco. First and foremost importance has to be given to a centralized mode of HR structure as it has many advantages. It reduces costs of process improvement activiti4es and also administrative costs. As Sonoco VP of HR and CEO of the company want to reduce the operational costs, the centralized model is best suited. The existing practice of linking HR operations and processes with business objectives of Sonoco, culture and values has to be continued with further changes if required. HR influences many key systems (Coro Strandberg, 2009). The best practices are pertaining to it such as organizational core competencies, performance management, 360 degree reviews, building tomorrow leader through career development and training, organizational reviews, learning by doing, online performance and learning, training for sales and marketing people, team skill development, reward and recognition including broad banding, and centennial shares. There is relationship between training and organizational performance (Salem Shiryan, Dr. Himanshu Shee and Deborah Stewart, 2012). And training makes organization stronger (Rebecca Grossman and Eduardo Salas, 2011). Reflection The HRM module has given me adequate insights into the HRM activities that help me in putting in into use in my future endeavors. Understanding certain concepts of HRM has led me to know the fundamentals of HRM. From the study it is understood that human resource department is not meant for acting as back-room while it has tremendous utility when harnessed properly. The study also let me know the important structure for HRM such as centralized hybrid models. Moreover Sonoco case study has given me in depth understanding possibilities in realizing the case with respect to HR management. From this experience I came to know certain facts related to HR structures known as centralized and hybrid. No changes can be implemented without people involving in the process. This is the reason continuous education and training is required to staff members in order to improve quality in service and also produce leaders for future generation.

What Does Education Mean to You? Reflective Piece

What Does Education Mean to You? Reflective Piece Education, in my opinion, is something that has an enormous scope. It does not only covers academics, but also every aspect of a persons character and mentality. For instance, a man, with moral integrity, even without education academically wise, may be someone yearned for in the society but a man, equipped with just academic excellence may become a pest in the society. Those who think of education narrowly would presume that all of it is just about studying and achieving good academic results. Education is wide and to me, it is the thing that makes me alive. Since young, my parents mould my character and attitude. In school, teachers educate me academically and aid me in my character development. Stepping into the outside world, my experiences educate me every moment. In my point of view, Singapores education is generally fine However, in early stages of academic education, it seems to focus way too much on books and examinations. This sets the mentality of academic education slightly haywire in the young minds. They may think that cooping themselves up in a room studying is the only way to be first in academics. To me, education is way much more than simply just sitting in a classroom and reading textbooks. It is about experiencing the world, discovering and learning through different ways. Education in academics should not be based on conformity. For instance, learning mathematics is one which does not stimulate creativity in students mind. The steps needed to solve a question are actually similar throughout every other questions of its same topic. This may result in students having apathy towards such subjects as it is nearly all repetitive. Prior to this, I think that a new subject could be introduced into secondary school curriculum to help students develop much better academically and that is critical and creative thinking skills. This subject would get students to think unconventionally and look at questions from different perspective, allowing them to reach a new level of innovativeness, problem-solving and mind philosophy. A university degree will give people a competitive edge in the workforce and it is only achievable by education. However, in this fast-changing world of ours, even with a degree, one may still be losing out to others. This is because these degree-holders may be held onto their conventional way of thinking while others, even those with lower academic qualifications, have proceed far ahead with their creativity. Increasingly, employers want employees who are creative problem-solvers. Problems creep up in the workplace everyday, particularly regarding customer service. Employees need to be able to think on their feet and must be willing to try fresh approaches to solving problems. Cited from a website, this is something that I absolutely agree with. This aspect of employee is extreme important to an employer as it will prevent their business from stagnating. Hence, the demand for creative talents has escalated immensely. Despite that, it is important to have good attitude and moral integrity in order to be wanted by employers. This is something that academic education by a teacher is unable to achieve. In educating one in his attitude and character, the teacher is himself. Often, it is extremely difficult for someone else to drill in these characteristics into him though they still do play a small part in aiding his character development. In this day, our academic education system has become an instrument for one to earn a livelihood and climb the corporate ladder. The objective has shifted drastically from all-rounded education to making the student more viable in the job market at the shortest time possible. It is more emphasized on mere textbook knowledge rather than overall development of student. Thus, creativity, veracity and social values have been lost in this transformation. In conclusion, complete education is something that helps one in utilizing ones senses confidently and innovatively. Good education would be one that aids the learner in differentiating right from wrong, making the accurate choice and transcending the boundary of conformity. Self-discipline is a trait that only complete education can impart and it is of upmost importance to anyone who wants to become someone great one day.

The Role of African Americans in the Revolutionary War Essay -- essays

The Role of African Americans in the Revolutionary War An estimated 100,000 African Americans escaped, died or were killed during the American Revolution(Mount). Roughly 95% of African Americans in the United States were slaves, and because of their status, the use of them during the revolution was inevitable(Mount). This led many Americans, especially those from the North, to believe that the South's economy would collapse without slavery due to the use of slaves on the front lines. However, only a small percentage of the slave population enlisted in either army. The concept of using slaves as soldiers was hardly revolutionary. Blacks had served our country with honor and bravery since the country's earliest days. Not only did the black troops fight for the United States, but also for England. The British crown used their heads and made an agreement which would help them draft slave troops. This was a chance for emancipation of slaves who fought against their masters. African Americans were active prior to the start of the war. The Boston Massacre was an event which created a want for independence. On March 5, 1770, the British troops stationed on King Street in Boston were confronted with an uprising and began shooting into the crowd(Davis 206). Crispus Attucks, a black man, led the 1770 uprising against British troops that resulted in the Boston Massacre. It is alleged that he cried out, "Don't be afraid!" as he led the crowd of protesters against armed British...

Childrens Literature and the Holocaust Essay -- essays research papers

Children’s Literature and the Holocaust During the 1940’s Jewish Europeans experienced an unthinkable and atrocious collective trauma. In her work â€Å"Survivor-Parents and Their Children† taken from the anthology Generations of the Holocaust, Judith S. Kestenberg has argued that regardless of location, the effects of the Holocaust are felt on survivors parenting. The children of survivors receive a secondary traumatic impact by being forced to deal with the impact the Holocaust had directly on their parents. The novel Briar Rose by Jane Yolen is an example of a Holocaust survivor sharing her experiences through a fictionalized tale made for young adults. Some may believe that a traditional, educationally focused history source or a first hand account from a survivor is the best way to inform children about the Holocaust. It has been discovered through research of survivors and their families that first hand accounts passed down from parent to child are traumatizing. However, history books are ineffecti ve because people are turned into statistics, thereby trivializing the terror of the Holocaust. This essay argues that a fictional style of storytelling or literature is the best way to inform children and adolescents about the Holocaust. Witnessing is important, however, there is no educational value in traumatizing children; it is better to use literature that explains the Holocaust at a level children and young adults can handle. Milton Meltzer, author of Never forget: The Jews of the Holocaust discusses the importance of witnessing: â€Å"To forget what we know would not be human. To remember (it) is to think of what being human means. . . Indifference is the greatest sin. . . . It can be as powerful as an action. Not to do something against evil is to participate in the evil† (Sherman 173). Meltzer gives the straightforward conclusion that people must be educated about the Holocaust because to remain silent about it is just as bad as playing a role in persecuting Jews. This conclusion also gives the rationale for teaching children about the Holocaust. But more specifically, why else may witnessing be important and what are the drawbacks of witnessing? Despite the logic and seemingly usefulness of witnessing, it can be a traumatic experience fo... ...sues at a level young adults can relate to, the characters, although emotionally provoking, are distanced enough that the young readers are not traumatized. Works Cited Eskenazi, Joe. â€Å"Historian’s WWII Book Sanitizes History for Youth.† Jewish Bulletin. 105.50 (2001). Hirsch, Marianne. "Projected Memory: Holocaust photographs in Personal and Public Fantasy" Machet, M.P. â€Å"Authenticity in Holocaust Literature For Children.† South African Journal of Library & Information Science. 66.3 (1998): 114-22. Sherman, Ursula F. â€Å"Why Would A Child Want To Read About That? The Holocaust Period in Children’s Literature.† How Much Truth Do We Tell the Children?. Ed. Betty Bacon. Minneapolis: MEP Publications, 1988. 173-184. Walter, Virginia A., and Susan F. March. â€Å"Juvenile Picture Books About the Holocaust: Extending the Definitions of Children’s Literature.† Publishing Research Quarterly. 9.3 (1993): 36-52. Generations of the Holocaust. Ed. Martin S. Bergmann and Milton E. Jucovy. New York: Basic Books, Inc., Publishers, 1982. â€Å"The Holocaust In Fiction; Naming The Unnamable; Morality In Literature.† Chronicle of Higher Education. 48.19 (2002)

Drama at the Farm: A Canadian Survival Story Essay

Canadian Writer Margaret Atwood would argue that every country in the world has a single unifying and informing symbol, to act as a belief system that keeps everyone together and working for common ends. These unifying symbols manifest in the literature produce by authors and literary thinkers; whether or not it is done consciously or subconsciously. According to Atwood, in the United States â€Å"Frontier† is the unifying symbol, the exploration of new land, the west and independence from imperial powers. In the United Kingdom the â€Å"Island† is a distinct symbol of common national sentiments, the idea of the central island nation controlling its lands and wealth from behind the safety of its metaphorical walls; this symbol is perfectly represented by the medieval castles and fortresses of that nation. With these examples in mind Atwood states that the unifying symbol for Canadian Lifestyle, and consequently literature, is â€Å"Survival†. As a result of the Canada’s geographical shape, its vast landmass and bitter climate, as well as the nation’s origins as subordinate to imperial rule, Survival becomes the common thread which bonds the lives thought and experiences of all Canadians. It is more real to us than the frontier or the island. In her essay, † Survival : A Thematic Guide to Canadian Literature†, Atwood goes into great detail about this idea of survival and victimization, she outlines her four victim positions with the intention of increasing understanding of Canadian literature, and how these guidelines apply to anyone, Canadian or otherwise. In â€Å"The Watcher†, by Guy Vanderhaeghe, Atwood’s concepts can be used to identify and understand the position of Vanderhaeghe’s main character, Charlie Bradley, as well as increase understanding of Vanderhaeghe’s work as a piece of distinctly Canadian fictional Literature. Atwood’s four victim positions can be used to understand characters from Canadian fiction from the distinctly Canadian point of view, survival. The hero of most Canadian fiction is the survivor, the main character or protagonist survives where the other characters do not, or they survive one ordeal only to succumb to something else, â€Å"The survivor has no triumph or victory but the fact of his survival; he has little after his ordeal that he  did not have before, except gratitude for having escaped with his life.†(Atwood 33). The Canadian protagonist or survivor doesn’t portray the myth that they can beat adversity to better themselves or their situation, rather they are no better of than before their ordeal, or maybe worse, by are fortunate to have escaped with their lives. The survivor is therefore inherently and unavoidably a victim in one form or another, and Atwood’s position can be use to identify and grasp a greater understanding of the survivo r character, his actions, thoughts, and decisions. To understand Charlie Bradley one must first understand the four basic victim positions. A person of the first victim position is in denial of the fact that they are the victim, usual their slightly elevated status above their peers makes them feel that anyone can succeed if they wanted to and those that don’t are just lazy. A person from the second victim position acknowledges their victimization but resigns to it because of feelings that it is the result of uncontrollable exterior forces such as fate, they feel their position as a victim is inevitable and cannot be changed. Individuals of the third position acknowledge their victimization but refuse to accept the role is inevitable as in position two. However a person in position three doesn’t use their frustration at their victimization in a creative manner, they don’t use their energy to change their position they just loath themselves and are jealous of those who are not victims. A person in position four is what Atwood calls â€Å"a creative non victim† (Atwood 38). For these individuals victimization is not a reality, they use their energy to rise above the existence of victimization and are positively creative with their situation. Vanderhaeghe’s main character from his short story, â€Å"The Watcher†, Charlie Bradley fits perfectly into Atwood’s definition of the second victim position. Charlie Acknowledges his victimization but feels there is nothing he can do about it. Evidence of Charlie’s position can be found numerous times throughout the text. From the very first sentence of Vanderhaeghe’s story one can cast type Charlie. He says, â€Å"I suppose it was having a bad chest that turned me into an observer, a watcher, at an early age.† (Vanderhaeghe 207). From this statement you already know that Charlie blames his situation as being an observer on his bad chest, an uncontrollable external for, he cannot control his sickness and so resigns to be a victim of it. The rest of the story centers around Charlie’s talent for observing events but never participating, the situation he deals with when he is shipped of to his grandmas farm and forced to deals with his mentally unstable aunt and her freeloading boyfriend Thompson. Charlie fancies himself a spy observing the details and doing nothing. More evidence of his position comes from thoughts on his aunt’s situation, Charlie says, â€Å"†¦ Evelyn, was evidence enough of how firmly bound we all are to the wretched wheel of life and its stumbling desires.† (Vanderhaeghe 221). Again resigning everything to the whims of fate. Charlie’s true position as the surviving victim comes at the end of the story when he is forced into the game, no longer a watcher, and must chose between taking the side of his Grandma or that of Thompson in identifying the assailants, who identity he does know to be the Ogden Brothers hired by his Grandma to beat up Thompson. â€Å"And now he is asking me to save him, to take a risk, when I was more completely in her clutches than he would ever be. He forgot I was a child. I depended on her.† (Vanderhaeghe 239). Charlie admits to withholding the truth to save himself, even if it meant hurting Thompson. Charlie is the survivor, he is the victim of circumstance be he has the foresight to save himself even if it isn’t the right thing to do. Canadian short stories are full of survivors, the characters created by Vanderhaeghe as well as those of many authors face different challenges than the characters of literature from other nations. Canada is a nation of survivors, if only just barely. Margaret Atwood is one Canadian writer who fully understands this survivor position and the levels of victimization that come along with it. Canadian heroes are the ones who face adversity to gain something, but those who are pounded by the outside world and are just able to have on to their lives. This situation, at least metaphorically, will be familiar to all Canadians and the great cross section of writers from various cultural backgrounds. Their diversity only reinforcing the notion that this country, the land changes you, give us all something in common, that unifying symbol that Atwood praises as the center of everything  Canadian. Survival. As Atwood aptly puts it, â€Å"A writer’s job is not to tell a society how it ought to live but how it does live.†(Atwood 42) Works Cited: Atwood, Margaret. â€Å"Survival.† Survival: A Thematic Guide to Canadian Literature. Toronto: Anansi, 1972. 25-43. Vanderhaeghe, Guy. â€Å"The Watcher.† Man Descending. Toronto: Macmillan of Canada, 1982.

A Review of ‘Of Mice and Men’ Essay

Of Mice and Men was written by John Steinbeck in 1939, during the Great American Depression. It tells the story of two men striving to understand their own unique place in the world. Traveling in search of work, George and his simple-minded friend Lennie have nothing in the world except each other and the dream they share: to one day settle down in a farm of their own and count out their days. Eventually they find work on a ranch, their hopes are doomed as Lennie becomes a victim of his own strength leaving their dream to be crushed. Much of Of Mice and Men is based upon Steinbeck’s life and experiences. He highlights many social issues which he experienced first hand. For example, the climatic changes in the West of America resulting in destruction of fertile land, this had supported the homesteaders represented in the novel by the ‘promised joy’ dreamt of by the workers in the story. Another problem shown in the novel is the great financial collapse of 1929 which heralded the Depression that increased unemployment and poverty through the United States. Because of these problems intinerant American workers were exploited by farm owners on low pay and appalling conditions. They were only in demand for short periods of time causing them to have to save enough from seasonal work to support for the rest of the year and their extreme mobile lifestyles. Most of the characters in the book face many of these problems or are suffering from them especially the main characters, George and Lennie. George is a small, intelligent man. He is very strong-minded but also like most of the characters in the book very dreamy. He is very keen to change the monotomy of his present situation. Lennie, is a huge, lumbering, kind but child-like man. Although he has a terror of violence he is a man of great physical strength, something he is quite unaware of causing him to be clumsy. Lennie has an obsession with petting small animals that occurs throughout the book. He is very passive it is for this reason, in my opnion that George and Lennie are the incomplete halves of one whole person. George keeps Lennie by his side partly for comfort and friendship, but mainly as he is very strong and can work on a farm better than most people. Lennie is both an advantage and hindrance to George. George also supports Lennie, helps him and puts ideas in his head, wh ich keep him motivated but mainly acts as a fatherly figure. On arrival at the ranch one of the first characters George and Lennie meet is Candy, the oldest ranch worker who is coming to the end of his life. Candy is a very warm character in my opnion. He shares the dream that George and Lennie do, and therefore they become attractive ‘friends’ to him. He is a gossip and tells the newcomers of the ranch workers and owners. He tells George and Lennie about Curley and his newly wed wife. Curley is a small man, because of his height disadvantage he dislikes tall men. He is continually agressive and always trying to show his masculanity. He is humilated by his wife’s disastifaction and needs to boost his confidence. Curley’s wife’s name is never mentioned in the book it is for this reason she comes across as Curley’s possession. She is portrayed in the book as a tarty, flirtatious woman, who is ‘friendly’ to the men who work on the ranch. She claims not being understood in the book. Curley†™s wife has often been caught by other members of the ranch giving Slim and Carlson the eye. Slim is a friendly and gentle character compared to the others. He is a dignified master craftsman. Slim in my opnion is descibed by Steinbeck as an idealised character, however, his words and actions are quite realistic. Carlson is the more agressive character, we do not know that much about him but he usually appears in violent scenes. He is not a very sensative man. One of my favourite characters is Crooks. Crooks is a literate black cripple who tends horses. He interests me because his natural personality has been taken away from him by years of racism which I am very against. He is a very lonely character and has been automatically rejected in the novel by the other characters. My other favourite character is Lennie because of his unusual personality and need for a father figure despite being a fully grown man. In my opnion one cannot help but to feel sorry for Lennie. Within the story their are many themes, important ideas that run through the book. One of my favourites is dreams, each character has their own dream which is used throughout the book. The majority involve the ‘American Dream’, to be able to ‘live off the fatta the lan’. Curley’s wife’s dream revolves around Hollywood and being a moviestar but her dream she believes was ruined by her mother. She is also lonely just like many of the other characters, this is another theme in the book. Each of the workers is an induvidual and works for themselves. They all seek comfort in different things such as Candy in his dog. However, quite early on in the book Candy’s dog is killed, this is the first mention of violence. Throughout the book the world of the men is filled with unneccesary violence. The killing of the dog is quite similar to that of Lennie at the end of the book. Alot of authority is shown within the book aswell such as the condition of the worker’s living area and the Boss’s clothes, black and severe. However I feel the book is centred on the idea of mutual dependence. Each of the main two characters depends on each other hugely. But this relationship, at the end of the book, is breached and George takes advantage of Lennie who trusts him, and kills him, so that his dream is secured. The book is written in an easy to read form, it is not in the country language they would of spoken, but in proper English the majority of the book. The story is out of date of course, but the actual language and style used in the book is quite modern. I really like the way that Steinbeck at the beginning of each chapter gives you a vivid description of the surrondings. It is for this reason that although there have been many films made of this book nothing can compare to the pictures the pages of this book generates inside your mind’s eye and as you turn the final page these pictures stay with you. At first glance the story was not very enthralling but as I got deeper into the plot I started to really enjoy it. As I got more into the book I started to think more about the themes and characters of the book which drew me in to it even more. It is the kind of book that is not only a story but also holds an interesting background behind it and applies to the history of America and the Great Depression. It is for this reason I feel it deserves its title as a classic and I would recommend it to any reader.