Frederick Winslow Taylor Essay Example

Frederick Winslow Taylor Essay Taylor wrote about the inefficiencies in the management of unskilled workers, focusing on the steel industry in particular.He systematically identified the problems, which caused these inefficiencies to exist and then went about proposing a solution to make these operations run more efficiently.He coined these solutions his principles of scientific management; scientific management being the organization of a workforce that results in the maximum productivity from the workers. Thefirst problem he addressed was the problem of soldiering.Soldiering is when workers would purposely work below their capacity for a variety of reasons.First, workers everywhere shared the belief that increasing their output would only create less of a demand for workers, which could potentially eliminate their job.Also workers often had no incentive to increase their output; if they worked harder they were still paid the same as if they had loafed on the job.There also was the fear that if they worked harde r, they would set a new standard for the pace at which their job should be done, which was against the workers best interests.Pay incentives for workers who produced a larger quantity was a technique that failed because the workers wouldnt produce with the same quality that they previously had because they were more concerned with making a large quantity of goods in order to receive the pay incentives.Taylors solution to these problems was to create more direct interaction between supervisors and workers and have them observe what a good amount of work should be.Then the supervisor offers the worker the option of receiving more pay if he would work that way each and every day. Another problem Taylor discussed was the problem of poor organization and inefficient usage of time led to a productivity level far less than what could potentially be achieved.Taylor analyzed different methods of performing a certain t

Techniques, methods and tools used in the project life cycle The WritePass Journal

Techniques, methods and tools used in the project life cycle Introduction Techniques, methods and tools used in the project life cycle Introduction1) Initiation2) Planning3) Execution and controlling4) ClosureReference ListRelated Introduction A Project is the combination of organizational resources pulled together to create something that did not previously exist and that will provide a performance capability in the design and execution of organizational strategies (Cleland and Ireland, 2006). Projects have a distinct life cycle, starting with an idea and progressing through design, engineering and manufacturing or construction through use by a project owner. For a project to be successful there are main things which are to be considered always, like the cost of the whole project, time that it’s going to take for it to be complete, the technical performance capability that it’s going to provide and be able to match the results with the design and execution of organizational strategies. This whole process in the other name it’s called Project Management. Project management is an important management tool to implement strategy and achieve an organization’s strategic goals. Organizations are using projects to adapt to changes in the competitive environment including increasing cost pressures, scarce available resources, global competition, new technologies and a race to get products to customers first (Hyvari, 2006). Projects deliver the most benefit when they are directly linked to corporate strategy (Crawford, 2006, Srivannaboon, 2006). Also, Project Management is a continuing process of controlling the development of a project from initial planning, to monitoring progress and finally to seeing the successful completion of the project. Every program, project, or product has certain phases of development known as life cycle phases. A clear understanding of these phases permits managers and executives to better control resources to achieve organizational goals (Kerzner, 2003). As a result, the project manager must learn to deal with a wide range of problems and opportunities, each in a different stage of evolution and each having different relationships with the evolving project (Cleland and Ireland, 2002). In this assignment, I’m going to discuss all the activities that are required and analyse some of the techniques, methods and tools used on the project life cycle. Also, I will discuss the skills and competences that project managers’ needs to possess. At the end, I will talk about the roles played by the stakeholders and the contribution of the computer packages towards the successful running of a major project. a) The Project Life Cycle refers to a logical sequence of activities to accomplish the project’s goals or objectives. Regardless of scope or complexity, any project goes through a series of stages during its life. There is first an Initiation or Birth phase, in which the outputs and critical success factors are defined, followed by a Planning phase, characterized by breaking down the project into smaller parts/tasks, an Execution phase, in which the project plan is executed, and lastly a Closure or Exit phase, that marks the completion of the project. Project activities must be grouped into phases because by doing so, the project manager and the core team can efficiently plan and organize resources for each activity, and also objectively measure achievement of goals and justify their decisions to move ahead, correct, or terminate. It is of great importance to organize project phases into industry-specific project cycles. Why? Not only because each industry sector involves specifi c requirements, tasks, and procedures when it comes to projects, but also because different industry sectors have different needs for life cycle management methodology. And paying close attention to such details is the difference between doing things well and excelling as project managers. Diverse project management tools and methodologies prevail in the different project cycle phases. Let’s take a closer look at what’s important in each one of these stages: 1) Initiation In this first stage, the scope of the project is defined along with the approach to be taken to deliver the desired outputs. The project manager is appointed and in turn, he selects the team members based on their skills and experience. The most common tools or methodologies used in the initiation stage are Project Charter, Business Plan, Project Framework (or Overview), Business Case Justification, and Milestones Reviews. 2) Planning The second phase should include a detailed identification and assignment of each task until the end of the project. It should also include a risk analysis and a definition of a criteria for the successful completion of each deliverable. The governance process is defined, stake holders identified and reporting frequency and channels agreed. The most common tools or methodologies used in the planning stage are Business Plan and Milestones Reviews. 3) Execution and controlling The most important issue in this phase is to ensure project activities are properly executed and controlled. During the execution phase, the planned solution is implemented to solve the problem specified in the projects requirements. In product and system development, a design resulting in a specific set of product requirements is created. This convergence is measured by prototypes, testing, and reviews. As the execution phase progresses, groups across the organization become more deeply involved in planning for the final testing, production, and support. The most common tools or methodologies used in the execution phase are an update of Risk Analysis and Score Cards, in addition to Business Plan and Milestones Reviews. 4) Closure In this last stage, the project manager must ensure that the project is brought to its proper completion. The closure phase is characterized by a written formal project review report containing the following components: a formal acceptance of the final product by the client, Weighted Critical Measurements (matching the initial requirements specified by the client with the final delivered product), rewarding the team, a list of lessons learned, releasing project resources, and a formal project closure notification to higher management. No special tool or methodology is needed during the closure phase. Reference List Kerzner, H. (2003). Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling (8th ed.). New Jersey: John wiley Sons Inc. Cleland, D.I, Ireland, L.R. (2006). Project Management: Strategic Design and Implementation (5th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill, pp. 26 Cleland, D.I, Ireland, L.R. (2002). Project Management: Strategic Design and Implementation (4th ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill, pp. 32 Crawford, L., Hobbs, B. Turner, J.R. (2006), Aligning capability with strategy: Categorizing projects to do the right projects and to do them right,  Project Management Journal; Jun. 37, 2; ABI/INFORM Global, pp.38-50 Hyvari, I. (2006), Project management effectiveness in project oriented business organisations,  International Journal of Project Management,  24 pp. 216-225 Srivannaboon, S. (2006), Linking project management with business strategy,  Project Management Journal, Dec; 37, 5; ABI/Inform Global, pp.88-96

Distracted Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Distracted - Essay Example But the beliefs of freedom, his trust in advantages of electronic communication, fast mobility are but illusions of the modern civilization. Distracted. Yes we all are distracted, we face an erosion of attention and there is a Dark Age looming ahead of all of us. Maggie is absolutely correct in her observations in Distracted that the modern man is engrossed in everything else but the true essence of life for which he was born. (Jackson 2008). â€Å"Virtual love affairs and online games? Simultaneous books and instantaneous travel? Cubist painters, simultaneous poets, and telegraph operators were undoubtedly the front line of industrial society’s plunge into a culture of simultaneity and split screen attention. They were the first one to confront questions that we now wrestle daily. How do we navigate seen and unseen? Part I, Lengthening shadows, exploring our landscape of distraction, chapter 1, tracing the roots of our attention deficit culture gongs a bell into my ears that modern technology is a mere notion of living with the power to reach out to people when we are physically far away from them (Jackson 29) We are trying to live in a virtual world when we have the ability to live in harmony with the real one. It is costing us dearly to be wired to our mobiles, internets, ipods, television sets and high tech gadgets that have made us their slave while we glorify them to be our best assets. Humans are born with the basic sense of touch, smell, sight and taste. These are getting redundant as virtual reality does not offer them as yet. A caring hand, a tender voice, the fragrance of a rose and the taste of home made food made lovingly by a close one will never be a substitute for the best from the cyber world. Our connections to the electronic mediums of modern life are degenerating our biology. The basic human virtues are at stake and we are not in power but in constant failure of

Marketing of Services Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Marketing of Services - Essay Example This is arguably the most special characteristic of service products and is the most difficult characteristic to appreciate (Hoffman & Bateson, 2009). This is because services are highly perishable as compared to products. The challenge comes when a person asks themselves how, for instance, the services of a taxi company are considered to be more perishable than, say, fresh vegetables and food products. The main reason of this highly perishable nature is the fact that, unlike many physical products, most of the services cannot be stored. For example, if an airline fails to sell some seats on a particular flight, then those seats and subsequently the sales revenue is lost. This is an irreversible loss incurred immediately the plane takes off. Service providers should thus ensure that they sell their services in a timely manner to avoid the risk of them perishing and incurring a loss. Physical products are usually displayed in stores for customers to see, touch, weigh or even sniff before making a purchase (Hoffman & Bateson, 2009). For services, however, the physical attributes of the service cannot be experienced (Hoffman & Bateson, 2009). An individual choosing a service, say a massage, cannot feel, touch, or smell the service before making a purchase. The only option that the person has is to make an assessment of the service based on word of mouth, past experience or just take a leap of faith before making the purchase. This intangible nature of a majority of the services gives rise to problems for both suppliers and consumers when selling and buying services. In the production, marketing and selling of physical products, companies can observe and maintain consistency on such product features as packaging and quality to ensure products remain uniform (Hoffman & Bateson, 2009). For example, regardless of one’s physical location, the customer is always assured that the bottle of Pepsi they

Marketing Management and Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Marketing Management and Strategy - Essay Example SIA targets the upper strata of the income group and is positioned as a luxury carrier. It has four variations of first class cabins, a business class and an economy class. It offers world gourmet cuisines in all classes and is known for quality customer service. It is one of the most respected travel brands around the world. The frequent flyer program of SIA provides world class facilities and access to lounges. It also has strategic tie-ups in different countries offering special discounts on presentation of the boarding pass. Silkair, a wholly owned subsidiary of SIA group was formed in 1989 by the name of Tradewinds. It was targeted at the holiday traveler to SE exotic destinations. In 1992, the carrier was renamed Silkair. This marked its evolution from a leisure airline to one who also caters to the business traveler. To discuss the in flight experience, there are two classes of cabins available on all SilkAir flights - business class and economy class. The airline offers Oriental and Western menus which emphasize on flavors of the region. For in-flight entertainment SilkAir offers its passengers a handheld device called the DigEplayer. Interested passengers traveling in economy class on selected flights may rent the DigEplayer on board for a particular fee. DigEplayers are complimentary for business-class passengers flying on selected routes. Segmentation and positioning: Silkair, is not a lo... It was targeted at the holiday traveler to SE exotic destinations. In 1992, the carrier was renamed Silkair. This marked its evolution from a leisure airline to one who also caters to the business traveler. To discuss the in flight experience, there are two classes of cabins available on all SilkAir flights - business class and economy class. The airline offers Oriental and Western menus which emphasize on flavors of the region. For in-flight entertainment SilkAir offers its passengers a handheld device called the DigEplayer. Interested passengers traveling in economy class on selected flights may rent the DigEplayer on board for a particular fee. DigEplayers are complimentary for business-class passengers flying on selected routes. Segmentation and positioning: Silkair, is not a low cost carrier, it is a wing of Singapore airlines which operates within a specific geographic area. It prefers to be addressed as a value carrier. The group identified a new segment of holiday travelers from Singapore to other SE Asian countries. The destinations are usually short haul. Thus a dedicated carrier was launched to serve this market. This is a part of SIA group's global strategy where the decision was made to service new sectors. SIA followed the global strategy of aggregate segmentation, segmenting the customers on the basis of cosmopolitanism (Kotabe, Helsen, 2004). The initial positioning, "The regional wing of Singapore airlines", took advantage of the already established credibility of SIA. Once established, it adopted a new positioning, "Where the world unwinds", directly targeting its segment of holiday travelers. Global environment - Competition: Although it is not a low cost carrier, it faces competition from most of the low cost

Contributions of Women in the Sultanate of Oman

Contributions of Women in the Sultanate of Oman After the accession of His majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said Al Said in 1970 Oman transformed from a rudimentary single economy that lacked all sorts of public amenities and modern infrastructure to a modern and diversified economy aided by the wise leadership of his Majesty. The availability of oil revenues and the importance given to education in the post 1970 period accelerated the development process. For women in Oman, the new era started when His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said began the process of Renaissance. The result seen today is because of his firm belief in the future of Oman and its men and women. Women are encouraged to work shoulder to shoulder with their male counter parts. Omani women today are seen in different professions such as, medical doctors, lawyers, engineers, business leaders, and teachers. Omani women are found in the army and police, private and public sectors, and most importantly, in senior government positions. While there are no official figures available, it is said that Oman has the highest number of working women among the AGCC states. (Source: Oman Tribune, 30 September 2007) Purpose of the study This conceptual paper addresses the following issues factors that encourage women to pursue various careers role and contributions of Omani women in the Sultanate obstacles hindering womens progress Recommendations Factors that encourage women to pursue various careers: Factors which encourage women to work and achieve economic independence and leave a significant mark on the society are mainly: support of women from the Islam religion and the Holy Quran, the wise leadership of his majesty under which thrust has been given to education and Omanization, setting up of Womens Association and favorable labour laws. Rights of women as stated in Islam Islam accords equals rights to men and women. Female education in the Islamic world was inspired by Prophet MuhammadHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammads_wivesHYPERLINK http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhammads_wivess ( PBUH) wives: Khadijah, a successful businesswoman, and Aisha, a renowned hadith scholar and military leader. According to a Hadith attributed to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), he praised the women of Medina because of their desire for religious knowledge:[18] An indicator of the attitude of the Quran to women in the workplace is indicated by the quotes used to justify women working. Khadijah (Prophet Muhammads(PBUH) wife), who was an eminent business woman.Sitna Khadijah is called up as a role model for women. Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) encouraged Muslims, men and women alike, to seek and pursue knowledge. The Holy Quranic verses and Hadiths can be cited to demonstrate this fundamental right to knowledge. Say: My Lord, increase my knowledge (Holy Koran xx: 1,14). God will exalt to high ranks those who believe among you, and those who have knowledge (Holy Koranlv11: 11). Seek knowledge from the cradle to the grave (Hadith).The search for knowledge is a duty of every Muslim, male and female(Hadith). Role of His Majesty His Majesty in His speech: The education of girls is never absent from our mind, since women form half of our society. Rapid strides in educational development were taken after Sultan Qaboos assumed power in 1970. In the year 1970 there were only three schools and no colleges or universities. By the year 1985 the number increased to 588 schools and by 2006 07, there were 1053 schools enrolling a total of 5,63,602 students and employing a teaching staff of 44,514. To support the role of women, the Omani government has set a number of programs such as a network of modern health services and social services throughout the country aimed at improving the advancement of women. Undoubtedly, Omani women have been liberated and accorded their respect as equal partners in Omani society under the leadership of His Majesty, Sultan Qaboos. Omanization Omanization Policy was introduced in 1988 as a long-term process of committed vision and mission. This is a key development policy influencing the employment scenario of the country. Omanization plan is seen as a national objective in order to stop the continuation of the countrys dependence on the expatriate manpower by substituting Omani nationals for foreign labor. To this effect, legislation concerning employment contained in the Omani Labor Law states that preference should be given to Omani nationals. This mandate is enforced by the Governments Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor by specifying the ratio of Omanization to be achieved in the private sector taking into account the number of Omani graduates graduating annually from the various educational institutes Education Education in Oman is a fundamental right for each and every Omani citizen. The importance of educating and developing the countrys national human resources has been one of the main aims and policies of His Majestys government .In accordance with His Majestys directives, a network of modern primary and secondary education establishments for girls and boys has been extended across the whole country, catering to even remote villages. Educational progress has been phenomenal. Women have an equal access to educational opportunities. For the academic year 2008 2009 275,229 males and 265,103 females are enrolled in Government schools for general education. For the academic year 2008 2009 7,298 and 4,033 female students are enrolled in Sultan Qaboos University and Colleges of Applied Sciences respectively which is very close to the number of enrollments of the opposite gender. Role of Support Services The aims of the Directorate is to set up programs for the care of mothers and children, the eradication of illiteracy, education, the development of traditional and modern handicraft skills, the promotion of healthy and hygienic environment, the teaching of survival skills, and the cultivation of womens minds and roles as citizens of a modern developing society. Omani Womens Association, the first of its kind in the country was founded in 1971 and is managed as a not for-profit organization. The Omani Womens Association acts in collaboration with the efforts and support of the government to carry out a great number of activities such as literacy classes, provision of handicrafts skills and family care programmes.. It is envisaged that the Womens Association could be instrumental in providing a network for Omani women in management, and to offer the much needed support for their development in the workplace. These programmes enhance the role of Omani women in Sultanate. Womens Leadership 41.9% women (Omanis and Expatriates) are employed in civil services out which the major share is of the Omani women. One and two Omani women are employed in the Special and Ambassador grade respectively with no expatriate females in this grade. Omani (16,389) and expatriate (1,749) women are primarily employed in Grade 6 of Civil Services in 2008 . Economic growth and diversification The availability of oil revenues has made it possible for Oman to develop its economy, educate its people and offer a relatively comfortable standard of living. This however, has not rendered a total reliance and dependence on oil revenues, rather the government of Oman has been pursuing economic diversification and privatization programs as a measure of maintaining available and sustainable economy for its people. Labor Laws pertaining women Labor laws are favorable Omani women .They ensures equality in the workplace and employment in Oman does not discriminate on gender and exercises a sound policy of equal employment opportunity and equal pay act. An entire section in the Oman Labor Law is dedicated to the employment of women. For example, Articles 80 to 82 in the Oman Labor Law clearly safe guard the rights and working conditions of Omani women (Oman Labor Law). Women can avail special leaves such as maternity leave and leave upon death of husband, and a special provision that allows working women to request leave of absence (up to four years) without pay to accompany a spouse who is posted abroad. Working mothers who return to work while continuing to breast feed are allowed to leave work an hour early each day for six months to feed their babies. The working hours in the government (public) sector are conducive to working women. Government employees work from 7:30 a.m. 2:30 p.m. Saturday through Wednesday, and Thursday and Friday are days off from work. Such working hours allow parents, particularly working mothers, to spend time with their children. With all the above factors Omani women have occupied different professions and have contributed to the progress of society. . Role and contributions of Omani women in the Sultanate Today Omani women are in key positions starting at the Ministerial posts. Dr Rawiyah bint Saud Al Busaidiyah, Minister of Higher Education, Dr Rajiha Bint Abdulamir bin Ali Minster of Tourism, Dr Shariffa bint Khalfan Al Yahya Minister of Social development, Sheikha Aisha bint Khalfan Al Siyabiya, Chairperson of Public Authority for Craft Industry, all hold crucial portfolios. At all levels women are found to hold responsible positions today. Health, Education, banks are the leading sectors. Omani women are active voters as well as candidates who have served terms in the Majlis Ashura. The Majlis Ashuras members represent the Sultanates wilayats. Omani women exercising their voting rights prove their equal status.Omani womens membership of the Majlis AShura dates from 1994. Omani women are also represented at Diplomatic circle as His Majesty appointed the first woman ambassador by appointing her as ambassador to the Netherlands in September 1999. In the Legal area also a growing presence of women is seen. In April 2009 First Omani women was appointed as Director of public prosecution Directorate in the Wilayat of Barkha. Women have served in the ROP for over 35 years and their contribution is growing with new development and experience. Women Police traffic patrols are introduced which is in its first phase now that is limited to the Governorate of Muscat. In the field of fine arts Omani women have been reaching out to international audience. Works of Omani female artists, artisans, sculptress, photographers have been around to other countries for exhibitions. Omani actresses have won accolades for their performance on stage and screen. The Royale Oman Symphony Orchestra has harnessed the talent of some wonderful female musicians. During 2007-2008 the Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra and Syrias Mari orchestra with Maestro Raad Khalaf performed a joint concert featuring 50 female musicians the first time an event of this kind has been staged in the Gulf. Dr Mariam Al Waili is a Senior Specialist in Nutritional Medicine. She feels that Health sector is a suitable place for women to play their essential role in society. There are more opportunities available than even before and a high demand for qualified and skilled practitioners. Due to the dramatic rise of several diets related chronic diseases, she dreams to see specialized Nutritional Medicine and education centers in the country that can provide adequate treatment and cost effective supplements. Her Highness Sayyida Zeyana Ali Al said is an Air Traffic Controller for the last 14 years. She was selected to study in UK and underwent all the 4 stages of training in Air Traffic Control. According to her the 2 qualities in an ATC would require is Multi tasking and quick thinking.She needed to work in shift, needed a lot of focus to talk to pilots at the same time, keep abreast of information of all aircrafts and work harder to make Air raffic less congested.She thanks His Majest Sultan Qaboos to have given women a chance to prove their capabilities in all of these careers. Barka Al Barky studied Social Science and after her Post graduation moved to Oman in 1976. She took up employment with UN Development Programme and worked till 1993. She helped in development and coordinating UN Agencies contribution to Omani development efforts in all fields of economy from fisheries, agriculture, tourism and industrial planning, civil aviation and meteorology systems. She was the Director of Administration and Personnel at Al Shatti Hospital. In the last 3 years she is mainly supporting the blind community across Oman. Ahlam Al Jahdhami is an Engineer who is today Sales and Client support Manager At Falcon Oilfield Services (National Wireline Logging Company). She provides hi-tech exploration and production services to oil companies in the region. After a degree in Biomedical Engineering she wanted a career as a real engineer. Opportunities in the region were limited. There was a lack of other female engineers from the AGCC and she was one of the first Omani women to survive in this environment. The sharp end of the oil industry is never described as woman friendly or even just friendly. It is still a very male dominated and conservative business. She was working and sometimes living in remote camps or on offshore rigs kilometers away from the comforts of home. The work was very physical and set in some of the harshest environments on earth. However she wants to continue to share her passion for science and engineering and encourage more young women to get involved and contribute in a real and practical way. Dr. Wafaa Al Harasy is a consultant and director of the ROP Forensic Laboratory. She did her Bsc in Egypt and completed her MSc and Phd in United Kingdom. Practically Forensic work is mostly a mans world. There are times when the Forensic team is required to attend crime scenes at unsocial hours of the day and at isolated locations. But she enjoys her job because of these daily challenges and considers herself lucky not only to be part of this specialized skilled team but also one of the founders of this profession in Oman. She wants to be able to contribute to Oman and have a State of art Forensic laboratory and achieve an international recognition for its services. Maliha Al Kharoussi is an E business entrepreneur and CEO of Arabian booking.net a new resource for business, leisure and family travelers.She wishes to add value to the core industries that all use i.e. hospitality, travel and tourism. By bringing these 3 major sectors in one easy to access and use website she will help those who want value for money in quickest possible way. She wishes to help and strengthen Oman as leading tourism destination in areas of regular tourism, medical tourism, cultural tourism and adventure tourism. Ghada Al Harthy is the proprietor of cafà © G Patisserie Cafà © G Catering.From aviation to catering she wanted a career not just a job. She strongly feels that business has no gender. As long as the business is legal and ethical there is nothing to stop us from achieving the goals. She believes that under the wise leadership of His Majesty whohas a strong advocate for women in business, we are amongst the most fortunate in the Gulf as far as equal opportunities are concerned. The opportunities are endless. But there is more to be achieved and that is why His Majesty has initiated yet another step toward the advancement of women in Oman. There are various factors that have hindered the progress of Omani women. Obstacles hindering womens progress Traditional Mind set of Arab men The Arab traditional attitude asserts that women are inferior to men and incapable of pursuing a professional career. Such conservative attitudes negate the concept of professional working women in traditional Arab societies, the idea of women working is degrading and a disgrace to some Arab men who consider that it is their responsibility to provide for their wives and family. The above attitude tends to have a spillover effect at work, whereby male employers regard women as being less capable then men and unfit for responsible positions, claiming that their family obligations take priority; and hence, subjects them to lower productivity and absenteeism (Beck, 1994;Hammoud, 1993). This negative attitude and traditional stereotype towards women in Arab/Islamic societies has been, and still is, a major resisting force to progress for professional working women. Portrayed Self-image of Women The inferior self-image of women becomes difficult to overcome considering that it is ingrained and conditioned in their upbringing and social development(Hunsaker Hunsaker, 1991; Hennig Jardim, 1977). In traditional Arab-Islamic patriarchal societies, the feminine gender is subordinate, while the masculine is superior and dominant (Magharabi et.al., 1994; Bech,1994; Hammoud, 1993; Allaghi Almana, 1984; Gerner, 1984; Al-Hatimy1983). Generally, men are held responsible for providing the necessities of life, thus to work outside the home. On the other hand, women are expected to serve their husbands and children at home, especially since women are not required by the Islamic law (Sharia) to financially support the family. In this subordinate position, women become victims of their own gender (Mernissi,1985, Rassam, 1984). Hammouds (1993) dynamic study on the role of women in higher education management in the Arab region confers that the most fatal obstacle which prevents women from realizing their utmost professional achievement is the self-image of a woman portrayed as inferior to men, incapable of being socially and financially independent, and hence depends on them an to care for and protect them. Human Resource Policies and Strategies The lack of proper human resource policies and strategies addressing women workers has proven to be a major obstacle to womens progress and development. The majority of these workers are concentrated in the lower echelons of the organizational hierarchy with a small percentage in decision making positions12,072 out of 51,229 Omani employees in the wage group of 120 Rials were Omani women, followed by the 200 300 bracket in which 3349 Omani women are employed out of a total of 15,665 local workers in that bracket. Only 25 Omani Women fall in the wage group of 2000 + in the private sector out of a total of 589. . In Oman, the absence of human resource policies and strategies to promote the recruitment and development of female managers at work is a deterrent to gender diversity. The work environment and culture are not conducive to promoting women in management. This acts as a glass ceiling preventing womens accessibility to top management positions. For example, there are no programs to facilitate the advancement of women as role models, absence of mentoring programs, lack of management training programs, and shunning of affirmative action. Lack of Professional a Womens Network The lack of a professional womens network in Oman creates a major void for women aspiring to professional managerial positions. The absence of female mentor-protà ©gà © relationship makes it difficult for women to develop the requisite attitude, skills and abilities for leadership and management positions. This results in a disparate situation and a state of confusion; because after all, women are entering a male dominated domain coupled with a traditional value system and a culture that tends to shun women from pursuing management careers. Work Family Conflict There is an interdependence of work and family life which is especially problematic for women as a result of their greater family responsibilities. Traditionally, women have had the primary responsibility for housekeeping and childcare which do not diminish when they are employed outside the home. Furthermore, the responsibilities they carry are simultaneous while mens are more typically sequential. i.e. a woman may be called in at work regarding a sick child whereas typically a father may fulfill role obligations after work hours. Recommendations The hindrances should be tackled efficiently from all angles like Government, organization and the individual. In Oman the availability and accessibility to all levels of education along with equal opportunities in the job market is more so in the urban area. In the rural interiors the importance given to education takes a back seat and therefore the opportunities in the job market is relatively less? Thus it is important to ensure that rural areas should be focused for literacy campaigns. It is urged that educational opportunities to Omani women should never be compromised, but rather be improved. Meanwhile, special measures should be undertaken to encourage and promote womens access to scientific, managerial, technical, and vocational disciplines in order to develop the requisite skills and extend their opportunities for employment in non-traditional occupations. . It is necessary to institute awareness programs of employment opportunities and benefits to Omani women in all the different regions of Oman so that their participation in work force will further increase. This can be achieved through the utilization of the local and international media as a means for promoting the role of working women in the workplace and the values of Arab women in changing society and their integration in the development process. Other measures include setting up quota systems to ensure the employment and representation of women in the workforce. Since the Omani society is based on strong family ties the centrality of the family accompanied by close relationship makes it the responsibility for parents and parents in law of working women to help with child care. However it is recommended that the Organizations and Government also take the responsibility of family support and Child care services and special attention is directed to the provision of a social infrastructure that will enable women to work, such as professional day care centers onsite, kindergartens, and adequate maternity leave. The availability of such support services is a tangible expression of organizational recognition of the needs of professional women. Consequently, it undoubtedly can make a great difference to the capacity of women to manage multiple roles It is very important that Omani women should think positive about them first and convince others that they are empowered and deserve to be trust worthy. Ghada Al Harthy proprietor of cafà © G Patisserie and Cafà © G Catering says I hope to one day fund and support my own training facilities for younger generation of Omanis so that they may also have a brighter future ahead of them. I also want to start new business ventures that will allow me to create career opportunities for the blind and disabled members of our society. We can all make a positive change starting with our thoughts which lead to our actions. His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said has always emphasized the importance of the womans role in the countrys growth: Many years ago, I said that if the energy, capability and enthusiasm of women were excluded from a countrys active life, then that country would be depriving itself of 50 per cent of its genius. I have taken very good care that this should not happen to Oman, and I look forward to the further progress of women in my country with the greatest pleasure and confidence.

A Midsummer Nights Dream: Nature and Consequences of Infatuation :: William Shakespeare

Infatuation is love which is self-indulgent, obsessive and irrational. It causes people to lose their self-control and perspective. It is often a product of the senses, which is of physical infatuation rather than mental compatibility, thus it is appropriate for Oberon's love potion to be applied to the eyes which is the strongest senses a person depends on to view the world. The nature of the infatuation Demetrius has for Hermia is fickle and selfish. Demetrius affections switch from Helena to Hermia, sparing no thought for Helena, who is deeply in love with him. Lysander calls Demetrius a ?spotted and inconsistent man?, indicating Demetrius? fickleness towards women, that he is flirtatious and flawed. Demetrius is willing to go to any extent to have Hermia marry him, even allowing Hermia to be subject to a life of a nun or death, if she does not marry him. Demetrius? infatuation with Hermia brings out the tyrannical and possessive part of his character, as can be seen when he says ?and, Lysander, yield thy crazed title to my certain right? As in the case of Demetrius, infatuation causes Helena to be selfish, thinking only of her own relationship betterment with Demetrius, thus Helena betrays Hermia and Lysander?s secret in the hopes that Demetrius will be grateful to her and that she could meet him. Helena, too, is infatuated with Demetrius, who ?dotes, devoutly dotes, dotes in idolatry? on Demetrius. The repetition of the word ?dotes? emphasizes on the extent of Helena?s besotted state. Helena fails to consider Hermia and Lysander?s feelings and the consequences of her actions, only contemplating on how to have Demetrius? ?sight thither and back again?. Infatuation causes Helena to lose all sense of dignity, as can be seen when in the woods, she desperately pleads with Demetrius to ?but treat me as your spaniel?. Here, Helena also becomes irrational, obsessed with pursuing Demetrius, though it is obvious that Demetrius is fixated on winning Hermia?s hand in marriage. Helena?s infatuation also causes her to see things from a skewed perspective, for she falsely believes that when she divulges Hermia?s plans for eloping with Lysander, Demetrius? love for Helena will rekindle. As the audience, we know that the most probable course of action for Demetrius upon hearing such news is to pursue Lysander and Hermia, or to report them to Theseus or Egeus. Clearly, infatuation has clouded Helena?s ability to think clearly, and she sees things in her own idealistic way.