Recruitment and selection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Recruitment and selection - Essay Example is mandated to ensuring that the organisation acquires quality workforce to enable the organization achieve some of its primary objectives and the company’s vision. However, getting the right people for the job has always been a major challenge for most organisations. This explains why most of the organisations have invested heavily in human resource. McDonalds began operations in the early 1954 and subsequently grew to become the world’s leading food retailer with over 30,000 food outlets in over 199 countries. It is estimated that McDonalds serves approximately 47 million customers on a daily basis. In addition to its retail success, McDonalds has become a global brand a situation that is evidenced by the increasing share capital of the firm. According to McDonalds & Hite, (2005, p.437), the department of human resource in any company is accountable for the management of the workforce to ensure that employees work effectively to achieve the company’s mission and vision. In view of this, the HRM department plays a key role in the management process of an organisation. Some of the responsibilities that the HRM department is charged with include; recruitment, selection, performance management, employee training and administration. The HR process of any organisation aims at recruiting skilled labour to help an organisation achieve competitive advantage particularly in competitive sectors. The process of recruiting new employees at McDonalds runs through the entire year. The process is often both internal and external. However, most of the management team at McDonalds is picked internally which implies that there is employee appraisal. By picking the management team internally, the management team ensures that those selected to the organisation are knowledgeable of the restaurant’s operations in the food industry and also maintain the organisational culture. The recruitment process at McDonalds is broken down into smaller and manageable departmental

Cultural diversity in human resource management within hospitality Essay

Cultural diversity in human resource management within hospitality industries - Essay Example The literature published on the particular issue is explored. It seems that the forms of cultural diversity as part of the HRM in hospitality industry can be differentiated across firms in accordance with the local social and cultural principles; the ethics of each organization in regard to this issue have also an important role in choosing the HRM strategies of firms operating in the hospitality industry. The aspects of HRM in three major organizations in the hospitality industry, Hyatt, Hilton and Marriott are presented in order to show the common forms and effects of cultural diversity for HRM in organizations operating in this industry. It has been proved that the practical forms and implications of cultural diversity in the workplace can be differentiated from their theoretical context, at the level that market conditions tend to change continuously requiring different approaches when developing critical organizational decisions, such as decisions related to the level of cultura l diversity accepted within each organization. In order to understand how diversity can impact human resource management it would be necessary to refer to the role of HRM within modern organizations. Human Resource Management (HRM) can be characterized as a framework for managing employee issues across organizations. The role of HRM, even if seems simple, it could be described as quite complex, having to align the needs and the skills of individuals with the needs and the resources of the organization. The above view is verified through the following fact: HRM is divided into many categories, i.e. forms, each of which aims to address specific organizational problems, for instance, hard and soft HRM, the strategic HRM Management and so on (Talwar 2006). In accordance with Lee-Ross et al. (2010) HRM aims to support the relationships between employer and employees; it is explained that these relationships are often difficult to be managed, due to the lack of communication skills of HR managers but also due to the lack of willingness by the employees to support innovation and change. From a similar point of view, Saee (2006) supports that HRM is used for resolving disputes between the employer and employees especially in regard to the methods and the time framework related to the completion of various organizational projects or the alteration of existing business practices. It is also noted that HRM is a framework indicating the level of capabilities of managers involved in the relevant activity. On the other hand, Riley et al. (2002) supports that HRM is a mechanism/ framework reflecting primarily the interests of the organization; it is for this reason that HRM policies are usually based on the organizational aims and targets, either in the short or the long term. The level at which cultural diversity is promoted by HR managers within a

Job Satisfaction And Quality Of Work Life Psychology Essay

Job Satisfaction And Quality Of Work Life Psychology Essay Job satisfaction and quality of work life go hand in hand when talked about real satisfaction since one is the outcome of other .The present paper attempts to examine the impact of job satisfaction and its attribute on quality of work life of employees working in management colleges in Faridabad region The basic objective of the study was to determine the difference in job satisfaction based on gender and its relation with quality of wok life between male and female workers. Also attempt is made to measure the level of quality of work life among the employees. Also the paper focuses on role of different demographic variables on job satisfaction and quality of work life with respect to male and female employees. .Data was collected using questionnaire. Data was analyzed using tools like t-test, chi-square, ANOVA, and regression analysis to test the hypothesis and reliability of the collected data. From the findings it is clear that there exists a positive relationship between job sati sfaction and quality of work life. Also it is seen that as the feeling of quality of work life increases satisfaction from job also gets enhanced. The results indicate that academic industry which demands high quality people in term of intellect and knowledge and are considered to be the turners in economy of any country require a qualitative work life first in order to be satisfied and give their best. Thus focus on measures like job monotony, unclarity in goals, employee attrition, and role stress need to be properly handled. Key words- Job satisfaction, Job stress Quality of work life, Academics JEL Classification INTRODUCTION India has been witnessing an upsurge in the departure of technical expertise in virtually all sectors over the last five years (Stilwell, 2003). This has resulted in qualified personnel seeking greener pastures abroad. Movement of people from developing countries towards the developed world especially Europe and the Americas has been conspicuous. Anecdotes show that during the 1990s, total migration of professionals towards Western Europe and North America accounted for 30% of the flows registered throughout the world (ILO, 1996). It is estimated that in 2000 approximately 175 million people, or 2.9% of the worlds population, were living outside their country of birth, compared to 100 million, or 1.8% of the total population, in 1995 (Stilwell, 2003). Assistant Professor, Lingayas University, Department of Business Administration, Faridabad *Assistant Professor, Lingayas University Whilst a number of factors such as the inimical macro-economic environment could explain the loss of human resources in the country, job satisfaction and quality of work life is often identified as one of the factors that influence the decision to quit. Various studies (Onu et al., 2005; Sur et al., 2004; Tutuncu and Kozak, 2006; Knowles, 1978, Salmond, 2006; Wiedmar, 1998; DeVaney and Chen, 2003; Greenberg, 1986) have identified factors that influence job satisfaction and quality of work life. These include inter-personal relationships, conditions of service, type of social insurance possessed, supervision, promotion, job design, organizational environment, age, gender, equal treatment by management, income and attitude. Much of the discussion on job satisfaction and work quality has been done in the context of the developed countries with few studies in the developing countries. The broad objective of this study is to ascertain the association between job satisfaction and quality o f work life among academic professionals teaching in management colleges in Faridabad region. The job satisfaction of an employee is a topic that has received considerable attention by researchers and managers alike. The quality of work life is concerned with type of work environment and its resulting impact on overall effectiveness of organization and equally on individuals as employees. This includes all such dimensions and parameter which are having an impact on employees decision to remain in organization and level of performance. There are several measures and means by which organization attempts to augment their performance like participative leadership style, job autonomy, clarity in career graph, equity based decision, good physical conditions, merit based promotion etc. The present study attempts to find role of different job satisfaction attributes like- Stressful nature of work, unclarity in direction and overall satisfaction from job that also affects quality of work life with respect QWL factors like- Compensation structure, policies of organization, role of trade union, security benefits, facilities, growth opportunities, Work load ,reward structure, type of supervision ,participation, recognition and reward and whether is relevance of these factors in making employees satisfied, making work life more qualitative. REVIEW OF LITERATURE According to study conducted by DeVaney and Chen (2003) on impact of different demographic variables as leading factors of job satisfaction affecting employees and its impact on quality of work life. They found that with respect to demographic factors like age, gender and education job satisfaction and feeling towards quality of work life varied. The findings of their study inferred that with increase in age employees satisfaction towards job also increased and similar such result were seen with education where highly educated workforce felt more satisfied than less qualified employees. Male workers were found to be more satisfied than female workers. Thus it could be inferred from the study that demographic factors affect to large extent the job satisfaction leading to a highly satisfied quality of work life. It was also found that certain attributes related to work like relations with management, job security (permanent or contract jobs), higher pay, a sense of control over ones wo rk were identified as main attributes of quality of work life and made employees more productive and satisfied with their jobs when these attributes as a tool for improving quality of work life were worked upon. Bharati T; Nagarathnamma B; Viswanatha Reddy S(2008) studied the impact of selected variables causing job satisfaction like retention ,higher performance, support, team work and task characteristics on job satisfaction and resulting quality of work life on 266 Israeli prison guards. It was found that extra organizational factors, especially clarity in direction, low stress level, low burnout, clear communication, timely feedback, career advancement were found to be strong predictors of job satisfaction and led to strong satisfied feeling towards quality of work life. It could be inferred from this study that job satisfying factors largely affects feeling of quality of work life. Thus job satisfying factors should be properly worked upon so that a better quality of work life can be felt by employees. Tett, R. Meyer, J. (1993) in their study on impact of job satisfaction on quality of work life with reference to faculty members found that management style in form of leadership, 2-way feedback,informal climate setting, participation in organization decision making to large extent caused greater satisfaction towards job and employees perceived a better quality of work life when these attributes were worked upon by management to enhance quality of work life amongst employees. Management leadership was found to be major factor leading satisfaction towards job and improving quality of work life. Cooper and Marshal (1976) also in their study on impact of job satisfaction on quality of work life found that certain variables like work overload, role ambiguity, role conflict and poor working conditions associated with a particular job which reduces job satisfaction and affects low feeling towards quality of work life as well In their study majority of employees agreed that with less satisfying job, employees performance and initiative taking ability also reduces to a large extent. Thus management should focus on factors that lead to job satisfaction sine it also affects feeling towards quality of work life to large extent. Theoretically Lawler (1982) also identified QWL in terms of job characteristics and work conditions. He highlighted that the core dimension of the entire QWL in the organization is to improve employees well-being, satisfaction and productivity. An employee with high job satisfaction enjoys a qualitative work life in comparison of employees who are dissatisfied with job. Thus job satisfaction to a large extent is a strong predictor of quality of work life. Pelsma et al(1989).and Hart(1989) in their study on impact of selected QWL attributes found that psychological distress and morale contributed equally to teachers QWL. A balanced workload level, regular feedback, opportunities for training and improvement along with provision of suitable financial and non financial motivators largely enhanced employees satisfaction towards their job as well as improved employees quality of work life. These factors largely improved functional outcomes like improved productivity, better retention and initiative taking ability of employees. This also helped in improving occupational role and performance of employees. Winter et al(2000) in their study on impact of job satisfaction on quality of work life with reference to academicians studied the role of selected variables like role stress, job characteristics, and role of supervision job characteristics, feedback, compensation structure, participation of employees and work environment as factors affecting job satisfaction and affecting quality of work life as well. They viewed QWL for academicians as an attitudinal response to the prevailing work environment and posited five factors that affected job satisfaction including role stress, job characteristics, type of supervision, structural characteristics that directly and indirectly shaped academicians experiences, attitudes and behaviour and resulting positive feeling of quality of work life. Rice (1985) tried to focus on relationship between work satisfaction and Quality of peoples lives. His study also focused and found a strong relationship between certain job related factors like work experience and work outcomes that affect persons general Quality of life. He also found that certain factors like family interactions, leisure activities and levels of health and energy also to a large extent affect employees satisfaction towards job and quality of work life that employees view and perceive and feel towards their job Thus this study emphasized the role of work related characteristic and employees experience as major determinant of job satisfaction and resulting quality of work life. Bhatia and Valecha (1981) studied the absenteeism rates of textile factory and recommended that closer attention should be paid to improve the Quality of Work Life since due to low feeling of work quality due to high stress, unclarity in direction, low participation workers derived low satisfaction from job and that affected efficiency. It is thus clear from this study that work related factors like high stress, unclarity in direction, low participation of workers caused low feeling of satisfaction towards their job and they perceived low quality of work life towards their core task..Thus studies like these focus on role of emphasizing job satisfying factors on quality of work life to make employees more productive, involved and committed towards work at large. In a study, Sirota (1973) in their study on impact of job satisfaction on quality of work life found that underutilization of workers skill and abilities either due to lack of interaction or lack of instruction in performing job causes perception of low Quality of Work Life and suggested job enrichment program to correct the problems of workers skill and abilities to make them feel highly satisfied towards job. This study also emphasizes the role job satisfaction plays significantly in improving quality of work life. Thus studies like these focus on role of job satisfaction and feeling towards work life quality on employees satisfaction at large. Smith and Bourke (1992), also in their study on factors causing stress in teachers in academic institutes found that there were four major sources of stress and these work related factors created feeling of low work quality namely unclear instructions and work environment , time pressures and low opportunities for rewards and recognitions. These factors not only reduced satisfaction towards job but also caused dissatisfying feeling towards quality of work life. In a similar study determining impact of work related factors causing job satisfaction and its impact on quality of work life Kenneth, R. (1977),reported that unclarity of roles creates difficulty and was negatively associated with job satisfaction which makes satisfaction generated from qualitative work life quite low , especially among women. Thus impact of unclear directions, feedback, blocked communication channels and job misfit affected satisfaction towards job and quality of work life also. In another study conducted by Fraser, Draper and Taylor (1998) on factors affecting job satisfaction and its resulting impact on quality of work life among school teachers it was found that female teachers felt less satisfied with their influences over school policies which they considered as a major factor affecting quality of work life compared to male teachers. They also reported significant differences in work satisfaction based on work experience it was found that teachers who stayed longer at the job consistently had greater ratings of dissatisfaction. Thus this study gives a clear indication that work related and demographic factors like work experience and employees involvement to a larger extent affects employees satisfaction towards their job and resulting feeling towards work life quality. In a similar study conducted in Malaysia by Che Rose et al (2006) further concluded that the most important predictor of QWL is organizational climate, followed by career achievement, career satisfaction and career balance which all lead to job satisfaction. This study also focused on role of job satisfying factors on employees feeling towards his work life quality. Thus, management of organization should focus on identifying important job satisfaction causing variables and design policies, procedures and management style in such a way so that employees feel high and positive about quality of wok life. OUTCOMES OF LITERATURE REVIEW- The above selected studies focus on role of job satisfaction on quality of work life. Most of the studies irrespective of different work related variables helped in determining impact of job satisfaction on quality of work life. It can be concluded from these studies that when employees feel highly satisfied from their jobs their feeling towards quality of work life also becomes high which results into better productivity, performance , commitment , involvement and initiative taking ability of employees. It was found in most of the studies that when employees feel less or dissatisfied with their jobs either due to organization related, work related or individual factors the quality of work life also gets negatively affected. Thus irrespective of the sector management should strive harder to make jobs more enriching thus employees getting higher satisfaction and resulting into highly satisfying feeling towards quality of work life as well. OBJECTIVES OF STUDY To assess the level of quality of work life among men and women To determine the association between job satisfying factors and attributes of quality of work life(Nature of work, level of participation, working condition, work schedule, Grievance procedure. To identify the impact of different demographic factors on quality of work life and job satisfaction. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY For the present study 15 different management colleges were selected in and around Faridabad region. Employees including lecturer, Assistant Professor and Professor between age group 25-55 were selected for the study. The data was collected through structured questionnaire which was personally administered by researcher. The reliability of the questionnaire was found to be 0.76 which is good enough for study. The questionnaire consisted of close ended question (Likert scale) to gauge the reaction of employees. A pilot study was conducted with 25 respondents (faculty members) to check the reliability of questionnaire. Total 250 questionnaire were distributed out of which 238 were returned and usable questionnaire were 220 in total .So sample of 220 is considered for present study. Details about Questionnaire The scale used for measuring attitude of employees for present study is LEA (Long employee attitude scale) developed by Dr.H.C Ganguli which is a 26 item job satisfaction scale. The items of LEA were earlier standardized on Indian employees on Nepalese female subject working as Bank officers, college teachers and Nepal government officers. The areas covered are Nature of work 2 items Income 5 items Security 1 item Organization aspect 5 items Personal aspect 1 items Colleagues /co-workers 2 items Promotion and training opportunities 3 items Welfare facilities, health and canteen facilities 2 items Union management relation 1 item Company policy and practices 4 items Scoring of responses The present scale is scored according to Likert scale of summated rating .The total score of a subject is an addition of score value of respondent from the alternative choosen.25 items of LEA scale has 5 response alternative( 1,2,3,4,5) and 1 item has 3 alternatives (2,3,4) higher is the score greater is the satisfaction. The subject has to answer all the 26 items and no omission is allowed. If there is any omission then a score of 3 has to be provided as the middle value Validity Reliability of scale used About the scale Dr. H.C Gangulis job attitude scale which helps in assessing job satisfaction of employees at different level has test retest reliability of r = 0.90 and odd even reliability after Spearman -Brown correction was r = 0.81 and has proved validity. The validity of this scale was checked through internal consistency method, by way of item analysis which requires low correlation between items and high correlation between item scores and total scale scores TOOLS USED In order to analyze the collected data SPSS 16.0 was used. In order to determine significant relation between satisfaction with QWL attributes) between male and female t-test was used. .Further, Chi-square test was used to determine the association between level of job satisfactions (job characteristic factors) and quality of work life dimensions. Also regression analysis was used to determine impact of different variables like overall job satisfaction, unclarity in direction and job stress on quality of work life. Further, to determine significant difference between demographic factor and job satisfaction (job characteristic) t-test ANOVA and Levens test for equality of variance was used. Hypothesis formulated Null hypothesis 1 -There is no significant difference between male and female with respect to feeling towards quality of work life in academic industry Null hypothesis 2 There is no association between job characteristic /satisfying factors and QWL Null Hypothesis -3 There is significant impact of demographic variables like age and nature of work on feeling towards quality of work life Null hypothesis 3.1 Employees of higher age groups expect more qualitative work life Null Hypothesis 3.2 Employees with stressful nature of work require high quality of work life Null hypothesis 3.3 Employees with long tenure needs more quality of work life ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION Null hypothesis 1 -There is no significant difference between male and female with respect to feeling towards quality of work life in academic industry. As clear in Table -1 t-test was used to determine the significant difference between genders with regard to feeling towards dimension of QWL feeling. Table-1 t-test showing significant difference between gender with regard to feeling towards dimension of QWL feeling QWL dimension Male Female t- value P value Mean S.D Mean S.D Satisfaction from job 31.25 3.65 29.34 4.23 2.04 0.035* Unclarity in direction 44.65 5.84 42.45 5.35 2.76 0.002** Job Stress 20.45 2.98 18.67 2.65 2.68 0.004** Overall QWL feeling 96.53 10.87 91.46 11.12 3.24 0.001** ** denotes significance at 1% level * denotes significance at 5% level It is clear from the table-1 that since the value of P is less than 0.01 with respect to unclarity in direction, level of stress in job and overall feeling of QWl thus null hypothesis is rejected and it can be inferred that there is a significant difference between feeling towards QWL dimensions between male and female workers. Also since the value of P is less than 0.05 with respect to feeling of job satisfaction it is clear that null hypothesis is rejected. Female workers are more affected by feeling of lack of satisfaction, unclarity in direction and job stress than male workers. It is due to the fact that female workers need to create a balance between a good professional as well as a good homemaker so the burden is more on them to manage. This is the reason they expect and require more quality in work life that will result into effective performance. Thus, if organization provides them with certain provisions like flexi timing, suitable arrangement of crà ¨ches and safe work environment with less stress the feeling of qualitative work life will definitely enhance. Null hypothesis 2 There is no association between job characteristic /satisfying factors and QWL From Table -2 it is clear that value of P is less than 0.01 thus rejecting the null hypothesis at 1% level, thus there is a significant association between job satisfying dimension and quality of work life. Table-2 Chi-square showing association between job characteristic and quality of work life Level of job characteristics Level of QWL Row total Chi-square value P value Low Average High 91.503 0.000** Low 39 12 6 57 Average 10 74 40 104 High 13 17 29 59 Column Total 62 103 55 220 It is clear from the table that as the level of quality of work life increases job satisfaction among employees also gets increased .Thus it becomes imperative that if the organization works for introducing innovative ways to make work life more qualitative then job satisfaction will also increase which will result into improvement in performance and in development of a desired behaviour in individuals. Further to confirm the relation between job characteristic and quality of work life multiple regression model was applied. From Table -3 it is clear that in this model quality of work life is taken as dependent variable and job satisfaction(X1), unclarity in direction(X2), job stress(X3) are taken as independent variable and predictor variables .The calculated value of multiple R was found to be -0.342 ,R squared value was -0.124.The calculated F -value was -10.120 and P value was -0.000**.. The estimate of model coefficient is 109.136 for ao, for a1 is 0.821, a2 is -0.182 and for a3 is -0.258.So the estimated model becomes 109.136 = 0.821 (X1) 0.182 (X2) 0.258 (X3) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. (I Table-3 Multiple regression table Variable Unstandardized coefficient Standardized coefficient t-value P-value B Std. error of B Beta X1 0.821 0.165 0.311 3.284 0.000** X2 -0.182 -0.132 0.102 1.213 0.161 X3 -0.258 0.281 -0.062 -0.812 0.342 Constant 109.136 5.525 14.304 0.000 The R squared value of 12.4% indicates that predictor variable explains 12.4 % variance in QWL. From the ANOVA table (Table -4) it is quite clear that F-value 10.120 and P value 0.000 is highly significant less than 0.01. Table-4 ANOVA Table Sum of Squares d.f Mean square F Sig. Regression 4163.414 3 1326.162 10.120 .000** Residual 31257.612 216 138.420 Total 35421.026 219 It can be interpreted from this that the estimated model line is not equal to zero indicating linear relationship between the predictor variable and QWL. It is also clear that Beta value for job satisfaction is highest (0.311) followed by unclarity in direction (0.102).The Beta value of job stress has made least contribution in this (-0.062). The value of p is less than 0.01, so the independent variable job satisfaction is highly significant for the stated model. The rest of independent variables are not significant at 95% confidence level. Thus it can be concluded that as quality of work life will increases job satisfaction will also increase whereas with unclarity in direction and job stress it will reduce. Null Hypothesis -3 There is significant impact of demographic variables like age and nature of work and tenure on feeling towards quality of work life Null hypothesis 3.1 Employees of higher age groups require more quality in work life Null Hypothesis 3.2 Employees with stressful nature of work require high quality of work life Null hypothesis 3.3 Employees with long tenure needs more quality in work life In order to determine impact of demographic variables on quality of work life t-test ANOVA and Levens test for equality of variance was applied .This was applied to see whether there is any impact of demographic variable on response of employees towards quality of work life . From table 5, 6 and 7 it is quite clear that demographic variable except gender did not have a significant influence on quality of work life. The significant value for age which is 0.854 reveals that all age groups exhibited similar kind of behaviour with respect to quality of work life. This clears that irrespective of age each employees looks for better quality of work life which definitely increases job satisfaction. Table-5 Independent sample test for determination influence of age on quality of work life Levens test for equality of variance t- value Sig(2-tailed) Mean difference Standard error of difference F Sig. -.180 .854 -..0302 .15076 QWL Equal variance not assumed .002 .956 Equal variance not assumed -.180 .854 -.0302 .15071 The significant value of nature of work which is 0.972 and its influence on quality of work life indicates that nature of duty and work do not influence quality of work, this further indicates that whatever may be the nature of work in academic industry with respect to different position, qualitative work life is most required. Table -6 Independent sample test for determination influence of nature of work on quality of work life Levens test for equality of variance t- value Sig. (2-tailed) Mean difference Standard error of difference F Sig. .032 .972 .0047 .15792 QWL Equal variance not assumed .113 .735 Equal variance not assumed .032 .972 .0047 .15765 With regard to tenure of employees it is again seen that the significant value is 0.842 whether the tenure is long or whether the employee is a newcomer. Thus demographic factors (age, tenure, nature of work) do not influence quality of work life particularly with any higher age, long tenure or with stressful work. Table-7 Independent Sample test for determining influence of tenure on quality of work life Levens test for equality of variance t- value Sig.(2-tailed) Mean difference Standard error of difference F Sig. .178 .842 .0220 .11701 QWL Equal variance not assumed .206 .638 Equal variance not assumed .175 .844 .0220 .11746 FINDINGS OF STUDY Based on the objectives and hypothesis formulated for the study the following findings were observed With respect to gender male and female differed significantly towards feeling of quality of work life and job satisfaction. Male employees were found to be more satisfied and feeling towards quality of work life was higher in comparison to female counterparts ,it may due to the fact that women folk has to perform dual responsibilities and with increase in work pressures and expectations from organization it is quite obvious that they feel less satisfied in terms of unclarity in direction, communication gap, flexibility, timings and different facilities provided by the organization which is not too satisfactory and leads to comparably low feeling of quality of work life. On the basis of regression analysis and Chi-square which was used to assess association between job satisfying factors and quality of work life, it was found that among different selected factors of job related aspects level of job satisfaction consisting of different attributes like compensation structure, reward structure, a administrative policies, flexibility, participation of employees, challenging work assignment were considered to be affecting job satisfaction and resulting quality of work life much more than factors like unclarity in direction, job stress etc. Maximum variance was explained by job satisfying factors towards quality of work life, establishing that job satisfaction contributes utmost towards making work life more qualitative. Further the impact of different demographic factors like age, tenure, and nature of work on quality of work life was also studied. After analysis it was found that except gender there was no significant difference between feeling and significance of quality of work life among employees. Thus, irrespective of the age group, nature of work and tenure each empl

Author William Faulkner and Ideals of Manhood Essay -- Biography Biogr

Author William Faulkner and Ideals of Manhood William Faulkner was above all else a lover of the image of southern masculinity. While Hamlet would learn to value his actions’ worth upon their bloodiness, Faulkner would use a masculine critique for his. Even his writing may be described as simply the only successful vessel he could find to indulge in this want of manliness. It was through his stories that Faulkner, in a sense, was able to reconcile the vast difference between the small framed, shunned outcast who stared back at him through a looking glass, and the courageous Colonel Sartoris of his imagination- the man he wished he could be. It appears that for Faulkner, life was a ceaseless struggle against fears of inferiority. While all writers in their efforts to create something significant and original must first, metaphorically speaking, slay their literary fathers, Faulkner‘s ambivalence and anxiety was all the more concrete as his â€Å"Literary Giant† was his own grandfather. It was Faulkner’s grandfather, nicknamed the â€Å"old Colonel†, who William hoped to see staring back at...

Succubus Heat CHAPTER 10

Dante promptly passed out after sex later that night, but I stayed awake for a while. Rolling over at last, I turned my back to him and stared at my bedside table. I'd set Seth's book there, and now its spine stared out at me, like we were having a showdown to see who would look away first. Seth had given it to me as a gift, possibly a peace offering, yet I was afraid of it, afraid of how I might feel if I opened it. After ten minutes of staring, I finally reached for the book and scooted closer to the bed's edge so that I could get more light from my tiny reading lamp. Curling onto my side, I took a deep breath and opened up All Fools Night . First came the title page, then the dedication: For my niece Brandy, who dreams of great things and will achieve greater ones still . It was embarrassing, but I had almost for a moment speculated whether he might have dedicated the book to me. He'd finished it right around the time we first started dating, but he'd been editing and making small changes right up until the time we broke up. It was vanity, I supposed, to think there might be some sign of my time with Seth in the book. Yet, when I turned the page, I wondered. Before the first chapter, Seth always had a quote, something from a speech or possibly a verse from a poem that was relevant to the book. This was from a song: And if I only could I'd make a deal with God And I'd get Him to swap our places – â€Å"Running Up That Hill,† by Kate Bush I read the lyrics a couple of times, wondering if there was more to them or if I just wanted there to be more to them. I'd heard the song a long time ago, and it had had that poppy synth feel so common to music in the 1980s. I didn't recall this particular part. Finally, dragging my eyes away, I moved onto the heart of the book. Before meeting Seth, I'd rationed myself while reading his novels. I would only read five pages a day because I'd wanted to prolong the sweetness of that first reading. When something was really good, it was easy to dive into it, and before you knew it, the moment was gone. You'd burned through it. I experienced that too frequently in my long existence, and a strict reading schedule was a weak attempt to slow things down. When I settled into this book, though, I didn't really have a plan, and before long, I knew stopping at five pages was impossible. It was exquisite. While he had a few self-standing novels, this series-Cady and O'Neill-was his flagship one. At its basic level, this was just a mystery book, yet there was a wonderful, lyrical quality to Seth's writing that elevated him above the genre ghetto. Sure, there was action and a trail of clues, but his characters were also evolving, always growing in ways both wonderful and heartbreaking. Seth had a way of describing their feelings and their reactions in a style that was so real, it resonated with my own life and left an ache in my chest. Whether that was for his art or for the man himself, I couldn't say. It was only when Dante rolled over that I'd realized I'd been sniffling. â€Å"Are you crying, succubus?† â€Å"It's this book,† I said. I had just read a section where Cady and O'Neill were having a profound talk about life, and O'Neill had commented that all people were seeking both damnation and forgiveness, needing each to make sense of their existence. I was crying because it was true and because Seth had known it was true. â€Å"There are a lot of things to cry about in this world,† Dante said through a yawn. â€Å"Not sure a book should be one of them.† The clock read 4 a.m. by that point, and my eyes were bleary from tears and a need to sleep. I put down Seth's book-which I was now more than half-way through-and turned off the light. Dante shifted and threw an arm around me, resting his chin on my shoulder. His breathing grew heavy and regular, and before long, I joined him in sleep. The phone woke me up at an ungodly hour later in the morning. Dante was gone already. I found that surprising, but seeing as he hadn't gotten three hours of sleep, it might not have been that much of a leap. â€Å"Hello?† Finding the phone had been feat enough, let alone checking the caller ID. A frantic voice answered me. â€Å"Georgina? This is Blake.† â€Å"Blake?† I didn't think I knew any Blake. â€Å"Don't tell me you forgot about us?† He pronounced â€Å"about† as â€Å"aboot,† and it came back to me through my sleep-addled brain. â€Å"Oh, God. I'm sorry. Blake. From the Army.† Him calling me couldn't be a good sign. I sat up straighter in bed. â€Å"What's going on?† â€Å"They're doing something today†¦I'm not supposed to tell anyone, but I'm worried. I don't know much, except that it's big.† I was up and moving now, clothes and hair shape-shifting as I walked. â€Å"Do you have anything else? A time or place?† â€Å"Not yet. Evan's being really secretive about what he's telling us. He says the Angel wants it to be a need-to-know-thing and that we won't find out the details until the absolute last minute.† â€Å"Fuck.† I suspected the Angel was also trying to limit my knowledge as well. Flattering, but frustrating. â€Å"Okay, well, listen, I'm in Seattle, but I'm getting on the road right now. I should be there in two hours.† â€Å"You can't get up here in two hours,† he said incredulously. â€Å"I can if I don't drive the speed limit.† There was a bit of congestion within the city itself, but once I got a little north of it, the traffic cleared up. It was the morning commute; everyone wanted to get into Seattle. Once I had clear highway ahead of me, I dialed Cedric. I knew he wasn't going to like my lack of information, but considering how angry he'd been after last time, I had to at least make the attempt here to keep myself out of trouble. It was Kristin who answered. â€Å"He's having breakfast right now,† she told me. â€Å"It's kind of a special time for him. He doesn't like to be disturbed.† There was an anxious tone to her voice, and I could almost picture her arranging a breakfast tray just-so for him. â€Å"Yeah, well, he might be disturbed whether he likes it or not.† I told her what Blake had said, and her response was similar to mine. â€Å"That's all you've got?† â€Å"Their Angel's working on a need-to-know basis now,† I said bitterly. â€Å"I'll let you know more when I learn more. I just figured Cedric should know.† She sighed. â€Å"You're right. Thanks. Man, this is going to piss him off. He'll have no appetite at all.† I made the drive in the two hours I'd quoted Blake and miraculously didn't get pulled over. I hadn't heard from him the entire time, so I dialed him once I was over the border and buying coffee. I'd found a Starbucks and took a secret thrill in defying the Tim Hortons domination. Except†¦once I had the coffee in hand, I decided a donut would be really good with it, so I walked over and got one from the Tim's across the street. Blake didn't answer, so I tried Evan next and also got no answer. Frustrated, I drove over to Evan's house and knocked on the door for a while. I was nearly on the verge of climbing in through a back window when my phone rang again-and ironically, it was Evan himself. â€Å"Georgina!† he exclaimed, sounding ecstatic. â€Å"Where are you? We need you here.† â€Å"Where are you ?† I demanded. â€Å"On the observation deck,† he said. â€Å"Observation deck of what?† â€Å"The Space Needle. You live close by, don't you?† I nearly dropped the phone. â€Å"You're in Seattle ?† â€Å"Yeah!† I could perfectly picture that eager, zealous look of his. â€Å"Cool, huh? The Angel wanted us to expand our message. So, we're all up here with these banners that we're going to unfurl at the same time, and then we've got a few more surprises to-â€Å" â€Å"Evan,† I begged, sprinting toward my car. â€Å"Don't do it. You're stirring up more trouble than you realize.† â€Å"That's the point!† he chuckled. â€Å"How long until you can be here?† Once I told him I wasn't in the city, he lost interest, and my pleas became meaningless. As soon as we disconnected, I dialed Cedric, expecting to get Kristin. Instead, I got his voice mail. Somehow, that made me angry. â€Å"Cedric, this is Georgina. The Army isn't doing their thing here-they're down in Seattle right now. I hope you finally believe I didn't have anything to do with their stupid plans now! When Jerome finds out, it's going to be my ass on the line, and knowing my luck, he'll think you and I are working together.† Yes, this was one of those situations in which there was no way I could win. I was going to get in trouble no matter what I did, but again, I had to attempt damage control. Jerome had a cell phone that he never answered and didn't even have voice mail for. Hugh was the best way to get a hold of him-but he didn't pick up either. â€Å"Damn it!† I cried into his phone. â€Å"Doesn't anyone answer their fucking phones anymore?† I gave him a hasty recap of what was happening and told him to let Jerome or one of the demonesses know about the cult's plans, or else Jerome was going to get the same scrutiny from the higher-ups that Cedric had been getting. After that, there was nothing left for me to do except hit the road to Seattle again-something I was not happy about. Fortunately, I was fully outside the commuting times now and again could enjoy easy driving as I zipped down I-5 at 75. Pretty Hate Machine blared on my speakers and was oddly soothing to my agitated mood. I eventually fell into that trance-like state drivers often get, with one part of my brain watching the road and the other frantically wondering if my warning had reached any of the Seattle demons in time to intercept the Army. I had just cleared Everett, about a half-hour outside of Seattle, when it hit me. A jolt of electricity shot through my body, making the world spin and my vision blur. I felt hot all over. My hands slipped on the wheel, nearly causing me to swerve into the neighboring lane. I had just enough bearings to slam on my hazard lights and pull off on the shoulder before I hit someone. A wave of nausea rolled through my stomach, then settled down, then swept through me again. Shifting the car into park, I put my head down on the steering wheel, hoping for some clarity. There was a buzzing in my ears, and my whole body shook. What the hell? I didn't get sick. Ever. The only thing that could really affect me like this was drinking too much or indulging in other substances. I'd had food poisoning a couple of times, but it had been short-lived, and somehow I doubted that donut I'd had was doing this to me. I lifted my head up a little, but the world kept rocking. Closing my eyes, I rested my cheek against the steering wheel and took a few deep breaths, hoping I wouldn't throw up. I had no idea what was going on here, but it would pass. It had to pass. And it did-a little. I don't know how long I sat like that, maybe about fifteen minutes, but the next time I dared a peek up, the dizziness had lessened. The nausea was still there, but it too had dropped to a lower level. Deciding to risk it, I turned back onto I-5, anxious to finish my drive to the city and figure out what was wrong with me. I made it back to town without causing an accident and nearly fell over trying to make it up my building's stairs. I didn't even bother with my suitcase and simply left it in the car. Once in my apartment, I headed straight for my room and crashed on the bed. Aubrey joined me and peered curiously at my face. I gave her a few pets, then let my hand slip down as I fell asleep, too weak to hold it up any longer. I woke up almost two hours later, shaken out of sleep by knocking at my door. I sat up, relieved to find my stomach had settled. The light-headedness had also gone away. Maybe the donut had been defective after all†¦and yet, I had this weird feeling-this tiny, nagging suspicion-that something wasn't right. Only, I had no clue or evidence as to what it was. Ignoring it for now, I stumbled out to the living room and opened my door, not even bothering to look out the peephole. Cody and Peter stood there, both of them grinning from ear to ear. â€Å"What do you want?† I asked, stepping aside for them when the door opened. â€Å"I was sleeping.† â€Å"I can tell by your hair,† said Peter, flouncing on my couch. â€Å"And what are you doing asleep? It's the middle of the day.† Still groggy, I squinted at my clock. It was a little after three. â€Å"Yeah, I know. I didn't feel good. It's weird. I just suddenly felt wiped out and dizzy.† That smile had never left Cody's face. He sat beside Peter. â€Å"How do you feel now?† I shrugged and settled onto my loveseat. â€Å"Fine, I guess. A little tired, but the worst is over.† That nondescript something isn't right here feeling was still with me, though. â€Å"You shouldn't be cooped up inside,† said Peter. â€Å"It's a great day.† â€Å"Look at all the sun,† agreed Cody. â€Å"It's like summer came early.† I followed his gaze to the window. Warm golden light spilled in onto my floor, much to Aubrey's delight, and beyond the neighboring building, I could see blue sky. Still, I wasn't impressed. â€Å"We're barely into spring. This is a fluke. It'll probably be cold tomorrow.† Peter shook his head. â€Å"You sure are grumpy when you wake up.† They both seemed so absurdly pleased with themselves, and I couldn't figure out why. â€Å"Maybe you should get outside,† said Cody, exchanging smirks with Peter. â€Å"We were going to go for a walk after this. It might cheer you up.† â€Å"Yup. Nothing like a bright, sunny afternoon to perk up the old spirits.† Peter's grin grew even bigger. I leaned my head back against the loveseat. â€Å"Okay, okay. What's the joke I'm missing here?† â€Å"No joke,† said Peter. â€Å"We just think it's a great day.† â€Å"A beautiful, sunny day,† Cody concurred. â€Å"Will you two stop already? I get it. It's a nice day. The sun is out the, the birds are singing-â€Å" I stopped. I felt my eyes go wide. I looked at the smirking vampires, then looked at the sun-filled world outside, and then looked back at them. I swallowed. â€Å"How,† I asked quietly, â€Å"are you guys out in the middle of the day?† Their pent-up mirth exploded, and they both dissolved into laughter. I felt wide awake now. â€Å"I'm serious! What's going on? You can't be out in daylight, and how-wait. I didn't sense you guys at the door. I still can't sense you.† â€Å"I know,† said Cody. â€Å"Isn't it crazy?† â€Å"No! Well, I mean, yes. But it's not†¦it's not supposed to happen,† I argued. I didn't understand how they could find this so entertaining. Something was wrong. Very wrong. All the drama with the Army was gone from my mind. That niggling worry that I'd woken up with turned into a hard knot of fear. My heart was pounding in my chest, and I'd gone cold all over. â€Å"How is this possible? The sun should fry you.† â€Å"Hell if we know,† said Peter. â€Å"We were in our coffins and then just suddenly†¦woke up. We got out, and there we were. Out and about in the middle of the day. You know what else? I don't want blood. No desire whatsoever. Not even a drop.† â€Å"And so what, you guys just decide to go stroll around and enjoy the day? You didn't contact Jerome? You didn't question the fact that something has seriously altered your immortal existence?† A mischievous look crossed Peter's face. â€Å"Not just us, Georgina.† They both watched me expectantly. â€Å"Don't look at me like that,† I told them. â€Å"I've always been able to go out in the sun.† â€Å"You don't have a signature either. We can't sense you,† said Cody. I stared at them for several heavy seconds, trying to parse the meaning here. An uneasy feeling began building in my stomach as I recognized their implication-except what they were implying was impossible. Unthinkable. â€Å"You're wrong,† I said. Slowly, carefully, I touched my face. It was exactly the same as it had been this morning. My build was the same. My height was the same. I was still me. I exhaled with relief. â€Å"I'm the same.† Peter's eyes danced. â€Å"Fix your hair. It's a mess.† Shape-shifting is an instinct for a succubus or incubus, practically subconscious. It's like tightening a muscle or taking a deep breath. You barely think about it, send the message from your brain, and it happens. So, I thought about my hair, willing it to smooth out and tidy itself into a ponytail. There was usually a slight tingle when that happened, resulting from the burn of using up a piece of my stored energy. And of course, there was always the tangible evidence-the actual change of my appearance. This time, there was nothing. No tingle. No hair movement. Peter leaned forward. â€Å"Ooh, it did happen to you! You're the same. None of us are working.† â€Å"No,† I said frantically. â€Å"That's not possible.† I tried again, willing my hair to change-to turn a different color, grow short, restyle itself†¦but there was nothing. I tried to shift my clothes, urging my jeans and Henley to become a slip dress. Or maybe a track suit. I even attempted to make my clothes disappear altogether. Nothing happened. Nothing . In pure desperation, I did the unthinkable: I tried to give up the unconscious hold I always maintained in order to keep a form that wasn't my natural one. I let go of all control, allowing my body to shift back to the one I was born with, the one my essence always wanted to return to-the one I fought very, very hard to hide from the world. Nothing happened. I stayed the same. I couldn't shape-shift. It was like having my arm cut off. Until that moment, I didn't realize how much of my self was tied into shape-shifting. As a mortal, the power had been unimaginable. After having it for a millennium and a half, it had become part of me, and its absence was now unbearable. I didn't have to see my face to know I wore pure panic. Peter and Cody were still laughing. I shot up, incredulous. â€Å"This isn't funny,† I cried. â€Å"We have to talk to Jerome. Now. There's something seriously wrong with us!† â€Å"Or right,† suggested Cody. â€Å"Why do you think this is a joke?† â€Å"We don't,† said Peter calmly. Underneath his mirth, I saw the tiniest bit of concern in his eyes, concern he was clearly trying to ignore for now. â€Å"We just think it's cool. You don't think Jerome already knows about this? Whatever it is, they'll fix it soon enough. Nothing we can change.† The tirade I was about to unleash on them was interrupted by more knocking. Just like with the vampires, I sensed no immortal signature. Anyone could have been at my door. Yet, peering out the peephole, I saw Hugh. I let him in, feeling relieved. Hugh would sort this out. He always knew what was going on since he and Jerome maintained such constant communication. Hugh's confidence and typical know-it-all air would fix everything. Instead, he looked miserable. Dejected. He trudged in and dropped onto where I'd just been sitting. He put his elbows on his knees and rested his chin in his hands. â€Å"Hey, Hugh,† said Cody. â€Å"Isn't it a great day?† I knelt down on the floor in front of Hugh, so I could look straight into his eyes. â€Å"Hugh, what's going on?† He simply stared at me, dark eyes mournful and bleak. I'd seen Hugh angry, elated, and exasperated over the years, but I'd never seen him depressed. It would have bothered me, if not for the fact we had a few other things to worry about than his hurt feelings just now. â€Å"Hugh! We've all lost our†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I frowned, not sure what to call it. Powers? That sounded too Justice League. â€Å"†¦abilities.† â€Å"I know,† he said at last. â€Å"So have I.† â€Å"What powers did you even have?† asked Cody, apparently not minding the superhero comparison. â€Å"Multitasking?† teased Peter. â€Å"The ability to balance books and collate?† I shot him a quick glare over my shoulder and then glanced at Cody to explain. â€Å"Imps see souls-everyone's life energy. They can tell whose soul is good and whose is bad.† â€Å"I know that,† said Cody. â€Å"I just thought there was†¦more.† Hugh sighed. â€Å"You can't imagine it, Georgina. Not having that ability now. It's like losing one of my senses. Or going colorblind.† â€Å"I know exactly what you mean,† I told him. â€Å"Not likely. When you can't see energy and souls around living beings, the world is so†¦empty. It's dull.† â€Å"Why did it happen?† I asked gently, trying my best to squelch my own escalating fear. Internally, I was still reeling. My shape-shifting was gone. My immortal signature was gone. The marks that defined me as Georgina Kincaid, succubus, were gone. â€Å"What's going on?† Hugh's eyes were still sad and unfocused, but finally, he looked at me and studied my face, like he'd just noticed me in front of him. â€Å"We get our various gifts and immortality for selling our souls,† he began slowly. â€Å"Those unique abilities-and their side effects-come from our contract with Hell and are filtered through our archdemons. It's what lets them keep track of us. We're†¦connected†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He frowned, grasping at how to best explain the system through which Hell managed its employees. â€Å"I know what you're talking about,† I said. Cedric would know if I crossed into his territory simply because he could sense me when I was close enough. Jerome, so long as he was my supervisor, knew where I was at all times and if I was hurt. He was always aware of me, always tied to me. â€Å"Our†¦powers†¦are transmitted from Hell, through Jerome, to us.† â€Å"Right,† Hugh said. I waited for more, but that seemed to be all he had to say. â€Å"Right what? Why are our abilities gone?† A bit of the normal Hugh exasperation glinted in his eyes. â€Å"Because Jerome is gone.† â€Å"Jerome's gone all the time,† Peter said. â€Å"We can never get a hold of him. We can't get a hold of him now.† Hugh shook his head. â€Å"You aren't getting it. When I say gone, I don't mean hiding from us at a bar. I mean gone . Vanished. Disappeared. Might as well not exist for all intents and purposes. No one knows where he is. Not our side, not the other side. He. Is. Gone.† Dead silence hung around us for what felt like an eternity. And that was saying something. Peter's voice was hard to hear when he finally spoke. â€Å"And as long as he's gone†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"†¦then so are our abilities,† I finished.

Benefits and Risks of 3D/4D Ultrasound Essay

Non-invasive method of producing pictures of parts of the body by exposing them to high-frequency sound waves is known as ultrasound imaging or sonography or ultrasound scanning. The images obtained thus are captured real-time, thus showing the movement, structure and blood flow of the internal organs. The equipment used for this purpose is known as ultrasound scanner which consists of a console, a video display screen and a transducer. The console contains a computer and electronics. High frequency, inaudible sound waves are sent into the parts of the body through the transducer in small pulses. These waves bounce off the tissues producing a change in the pitch and direction of the sound. This change is again picked up by the transducer and then based on these echoed waves, the shape, size and consistency of the part of the body is deducted and a real-time image is created on the monitor (radiology info, n. d. ). Until recently only the conventional 2 dimensional images were being produced. However recent advances have led to the development of 3-dimentional and 4-dimentional images too. Such images are very popular in obstetric scanning and are being used to view the baby in the pregnant mother. The 3D/4D images allow physicians and mothers to look at the features of the baby and also watch the baby move and grow (Wood, 2008). 3D pictures are produced by storing the echoed waves digitally and shading the life-like images of the baby. Adding element of movement to 3D pictures produces 4D pictures. However, the clarity and activity of the images depends on the gestational age and the position of the fetus at the time of scanning (Wood, 2008). Benefits of 3D/4D ultrasound The most relieving benefit of the modern 3D/4D ultrasound is that there is no preparation needed prior to scanning. The conventional 2D ultrasound demanded full-bladder causing discomfort to the patient. Also, certain parts of the body like the arms, face, legs, toes and fingers are seen more clearly in the 3D/4D. Thus conditions like cleft palate are more easily detected in the modern ultrasound. Various movements of the fetus like smiling, crying, yawning, blinking, and moving fingers can be seen with 4D ultrasound. Another benefit with this type of scanning is that the type of display is multiplanar allowing visual cut through of structures and organs in any plane. Thus even the fetal brain and its cavities can be studied (Wood, 2008). Studies have reported that 3D ultrasounds were much superior in determining fetal weight more appropriately. Also, 3D ultrasounds require lesser views, are easier to use, are more efficient and produce much clearer image when compared to 2D scanning (Wiseman and Kiehl, 2007). Thus, 3D ultrasounds are able to analyze fetal abnormality in a better way. 3D ultrasound is superior to 2D in nuchal cord identification at term (Wiseman and Kiehl, 2007). 3D ultrasound can identify women who have chances of delivering early by measuring cervical length. 3D is also superior in gender identification, even in the first trimester (Wiseman and Kiehl, 2007). There is lot of potential to study neurological behavior of the fetus using 4D ultrasound (Wiseman and Kiehl, 2007). On the whole, 3D/4D ultrasound gives an opportunity to expectant mothers to know and familiarize their babies much before they are born, thus creating bondage between mother and baby. The technology also allows visual confirmation of pregnancy and reassurance of well-being of the fetus. Risks of 3D/4D ultrasound Although no obvious risks have been identified with 3D/4D scanning as is the case with 2D scanning, the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine warns against the possibility of biological effects of scanning which may be identified in future (Wood, 2008). Even the American College of Radiology and The United States Food and Drug Administration warn against casual exposure to ultrasound especially during pregnancy. This warning comes in the light of shooting baby photos in malls using scanning machines. There are also concerns about possible thermal and mechanical damage to the fetus caused by sound waves which has led to the ALARA principle of exposure, meaning, the sonologists expose the fetus to ‘As Low As Reasonably Achievable’ doses of sound waves (Wiseman and Kiehl, 2007). Conclusion 3D/4D ultrasound scanning is a wonder technology which is gaining lot of importance in obstetric medicine. This method of scanning allows better visualization of the fetus and its parts, early and proper identification of anomalies and establishment of bond with the baby much before the baby is born. However, though there are no reports of side effects of these non-invasive procedures, researchers warn against the possibility of thermal and mechanical damage to the fetus, thus discouraging unnecessary exposure during pregnancy. Research is warranted to discover the side effects of these wonder technologies. References RadiologyInfo. Obstetrical Ultrasound. Retrieved on 21st Feb. , 2009 from http://www. radiologyinfo. org/en/info. cfm? PG=obstetricus Wiseman, C. S. , and Kiehl, E. M. (2007). Picture Perfect: Benefits and Risk of Fetal 3D Ultrasound. MCN, The American Journal of Maternal and Child Nursing, 32(2), 102- 109. Wood, D. (2008). New Dimensions in Prenatal Ultrasound: 3D and 4D. Retrieved on 21st Feb. , 2009 from http://www. swedish. org/17337. cfm

HAcker Attacks in Cyberspace essays

HAcker Attacks in Cyberspace essays As NATO troops, combat aircraft, and warships were preparing to attack during the Yugoslavian Conflict, NATO's computers were being attacked on a second front. NATO was prepared for this cyber attack. For the past few years, the U.S. military has been engaged in a quiet but seemingly never-ending series of e-mail skirmishes against an unseen enemy. These cyber battles are helping the military develop the tools it needs to defend itself and are proving to be better than any training exercises. For 78 days, from March to June 1999, the United States and its NATO allies engaged in a military operation to bring an end to Serbian atrocities in Kosovo. This operation was known as Operation Allied Force. Three days after the bombing began hackers from an unknown location began an attack to disrupt the e-mail communication of the NATO allied forces. "Pings" or a method of hacking was the most widely used method to disrupt the communications of NATO. In this method one computer repeatedly calls another computer and delivers a large volume of messages that are meant to overload a system. These "e-mail bombs" caused only a few hours of disconnected service. While the actual identities of these hackers are unknown, a likely suspect was a Belgrade based five-member hacker team called Crna Ruka, which means Black Hand. This group had hacked into Kosovo Information Centre and had been quoted by a Belgrade newspaper as saying "NATO is our next target." It is almost impossible to locate these hacker groups or even to convict them. Hackers can access almost any server from anywhere in the world and use that to disguise their locations. Cyber warfare skills are being honed by these cyber attacks. The increased amount of attacks gives experience to the military. The attacks on the NATO e-mail network were indeed a worthy note in the history of war. It was the one of the first times that computer hackers co ...