Mall of America Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Mall of America - Essay Example The Mall has numerous stores, which are almost over 520 offering shopping and varied entertainment places for each person despite the age. For illustration, LEGO stores that possess numerous models meant for entertaining children. The offered services range from school-oriented through medical office to a wedding chapel (Kerin, Hartley & Rudelius, 2011). The information’s essence serves in informing the large clientele, which is unaware of the quality services offered by the mall. In addition, it imparts more knowledge to its clients who may have no knowledge regarding other services offered in the mall besides its humble beginning. The drawn inferences regarding the mall; due to its complex shopping mode, it will continue to be a center for entertainment offering diverse, fascinating services. Since, its main attraction entails using human life’s zeal for entertainment (Kerin, Hartley & Rudelius, 2011). However, the Mall’s efforts meant to maintain it at an aggressive edge, encounter challenges that prompt essential questions that entail adequate considerations. The questions comprise: Extending ideas that will ensure the stability of the Mall of America will be extensive and sound advertisement globally via online services. This will augment its popularity, thus attracting large clientele and visitors as tourists from other

10.What was the impact of the French Revolution on the European system Essay

10.What was the impact of the French Revolution on the European system - Essay Example There was â€Å"a vast peasantry accounting for one in seven or one in eight of the population, most of whom were legally free but bound to their seigneur †¦ by a myriad of services and obligations surviving from the medieval past. †¦ And, in cities, †¦ a great urban population of innumerable crafts and occupations, for the most part poor and depending for survival on cheap and plentiful bread† (Rude 1995). When they rose up against their king, overthrew their monarchy and established a new social order, the French did something no other country on the European continent had done, which had a profound effect upon the other European nations who sat watching to see what would happen. This small war completely contained within the country and lasting only 12 years would send ripples throughout Europe and have consequences that would reach as far as North America and the Dutch East Indies (Taylor, 2006). The changes brought about by the French Revolution were cultur al, social and political. As the rumors spread regarding the fall of the Bastille, people in twenty-eight of the largest thirty cities in France were reported to have staged uprisings and hundreds of thousands of peasants in the rural areas attacked lords’ manors and destroyed other symbols of the seigneurialism system throughout the summer of 1789. This gave rise to a wide-spread wave of mass panic, known now as the â€Å"Great Fear†, in which the people pulled down the old system of French feudalism â€Å"and the state machine of royal France lay in fragments† (Hobsbawm 1969) as the bourgeoisie drafted the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen and limited the King’s power. â€Å"Between 1789-1791, the victorious moderate bourgeoisie, acting through what had now become the Constituent Assembly, set about the gigantic rationalization and reform of France †¦ its policy for the peasantry was the enclosure of common lands and the encouragement of rural entrepreneurs, for the working-class,

Defining Interoperability in Healthcare Systems

Defining Interoperability in Healthcare Systems Interoperability According to Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), a not for profit organization focused on improving Healthcare through the use of Information Technology, â€Å"interoperability is the ability of different information technology systems and software applications to communicate, exchange data, and use the information that has been exchanged. Data exchange schema and standards should permit data to be shared across clinicians, lab, hospital, pharmacy, and patient regardless of the application or application vendor. Interoperability means the ability of health information systems to work together within and across organizational boundaries in order to advance the health status of, and the effective delivery of healthcare for individuals and communities†.[1] Interoperability in Healthcare Information Systems is important for delivering quality healthcare and reducing healthcare costs. Although achieving interoperability is quite a challenge both because there are competing standards and clinical information itself is very complex, there have been a number of successful industry initiatives such as Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise (IHE) Profiles, and the epSOS initiative for sharing Electronic Health Records and ePrescriptions in Europe. There are three levels of health information technology interoperability: 1) Foundational; 2) Structural; and 3) Semantic. We shall try to define these terms in simple words in order for the reader to be able to understand not only the differences between them, but also to understand the complexity that lies in Healthcare Information Systems. Technical Interoperability is usually associated with hardware/software components, systems and platforms that enable machine-to-machine communication to take place. In this kind of interoperability we are mostly interested in communication protocols and the infrastructure needed for those protocols to operate and not about the interpretation of data moved from on system to another. Structural – or syntactical Interoperability is usually associated with data formats. Certainly, the messages transferred by communication protocols need to have a well-defined syntax and encoding. This way it is ensured that data exchanges between information technology systems can be interpreted at the data field level. Semantic Interoperability is usually associated with the meaning of content and concerns the human rather than machine interpretation of the content. We are talking about interoperability at the highest level, the ability of computer systems to transmit data with clear, shared meaning. Thus, interoperability on this level means that there is a common understanding between people of the meaning of the information being exchanged. Most widely used contemporary Interoperability standards in Healthcare In Europe, Technical committee 251 (TC 251) of the European Committee for Standardization, holds the responsibility for the standardization of Healthcare IT messages. The goal is to achieve compatibility and interoperability between independent systems and to enable modularity in Electronic Health Record systems. Various workgroups establish requirements for health information structure in order to support clinical and administrative procedures, technical methods to support interoperable systems. In addition they establish requirements regarding safety, security and quality. In the United States HL7 committee is a not-for-profit, ANSI-accredited standards developing organization dedicated to providing a comprehensive framework and related standards for the exchange, integration, sharing, and retrieval of electronic health information. HL7s 2,300+ members include approximately 500 corporate members who represent more than 90% of the information systems vendors serving healthcare. In parallel with HL7, the ACR-NEMA[2] committee established the DICOM standard (Digital Communications in Medicine) that is today the most widespread standard for the format of the pictures that medical equipments produce. DICOM enables the transfer of medical images in a multi-vendor environment and facilitates the development and expansion of picture archiving and communication systems. DICOM enables the integration of scanners, servers, workstations, printers, and network hardware from multiple manufacturers into a picture archiving system (PACS). The different devices come with DICOM conformance statements which clearly state which DICOM classes they support. During the last years an initiative is in progress from IHE (Integrating the Healthcare Enterprise) in order to â€Å"improve the way computer systems in healthcare share information. IHE promotes the coordinated use of established standards such as DICOM and HL7 to address specific clinical needs in support of optimal patient care. Systems developed in accordance with IHE communicate with one another better, are easier to implement, and enable care providers to use information more effectively†.[3] Systems that adopt the IHE Integration profiles collaborate in a more standard way, are easier to be implemented and help Healthcare providers to use information more efficient with the aim of providing better care. IHE facilitates users and developers of healthcare information technology to come together through an annually recurring four-step process: Clinical and technical experts define critical needs for information sharing (use cases). Technical experts create detailed specifications for communication among systems to address these use cases, selecting and optimizing established standards. Industry implements these specifications called IHE Profiles in HIT systems. IHE tests vendors systems at carefully planned and supervised events called â€Å"Connectathons†. All IHE Profiles are publicly available and free of charge in IHE’s website. Until today more than a hundred companies are accredited by IHE having materialized at least one profile. The IHE Process The existence of so many standards creates challenges difficult to address. Their usage is not always well known, interoperability between applications using different standards is often not documented and some of them conflict. The market for interoperability standards is maturing, even though slowly. The third version of the HL7 standard is progressively being adopted by the health industry, and convergence with Europe’s CEN/TC 251 standardization work is under way. The IHE initiative is producing useful use cases that standardize communication between various health information system components. In the future, the World Health Organization’s eHealth Standardization Coordination Group can also be expected to play a more prominent role in developing ICT standards for the health sector.[4] EPSOS (European Patients Smart Open Services) A very interesting and ambitious EU initiative that falls under the Interoperability domain is epSOS. The project â€Å"aims to design, build and evaluate a service infrastructure that demonstrates cross-border interoperability between electronic health record systems in Europe†[5]. EpSOS attempts to offer seamless healthcare to European citizens. Key goals are to improve the quality and safety of healthcare for citizens when travelling to another European country. Moreover, one other goal is the development of a practical eHealth framework and ICT infrastructure that enables secure access to patient health information among different European healthcare systems. epSOS can make a significant contribution to patient safety by reducing the frequency of medical errors and by providing quick access to documentation as well as by increasing accessibility of one’s prescribed medicine also abroad. In emergency situations, this documentationprovides the medical personnel with information and reduces the repetition of diagnostic procedures. epSOS aims at building and evaluating a service infrastructure demonstrating cross-border interoperability between Electronic Health Record Systems in Europe. Sometimes called a large-scale European implementation, epSOS is dri ven forward by many European member states, the first European eHealth project gathering such a large number of countries in practical cooperation. Interoperability in Greece Healthcare Informatics In the next pages, we will try to investigate the introduction of Interoperability in ICT systems in the Greek Health sector. Until the dawn of the century in the Healthcare IT arena in Greece, emphasis was given in Enterprises Resources Planning (ERP) applications with the aim to better monitor financial data and streamline supply chain planning. The biggest from the Public Sector hospitals have incorporated some Information systems in this area, that were manufactured by â€Å"E government for Social Security† (IDIKA), a government organization with the mission to supply IT applications in Hospitals and Social Security organizations. Private hospitals were more advanced and the biggest of them have started implementing more integrated systems, some of them international, like YGEIA hospital or MITERA obstetric clinic that implemented SAP ERP. These applications were built in a monolithic way, and the various modules were tightly connected together. Hospital Information Systems (HIS) and Laboratory Information Systems (LIS) were in their infancy and each Healthcare provider was acting as a silo. Hen ce the need for Interoperability was not considered crucial. The need for interoperability among the disparate systems within a hospital and among the hospitals of the same region was firstly introduced as a need in the Integrated Information Systems projects that were carried out in the Healthcare Regions and were funded by the Operational Programme Information Society of the 3rd CSF. The design of these projects started in 2001 and the first one was tendered in 2003. The purpose of those projects was the infusion of IT technology in the management of the Healthcare organizations, in order to support the changes in the organization of the Healthcare System in Greece – that was moving towards regionalization – and the upgrade of the services towards patients. In these projects the need for Interoperability was expressed in the following four aspects: Interoperability within a hospital with applications and systems already in place. Interoperability among the sub systems that would be provided in the scope of the tenders for each hospital, wherever necessary (ERP, HIS, LIS etc) Interoperability with future systems, which were not part of the projects, like RIS and PACS. Interoperability among the different regional Health Authorities and Ministry of Health systems (mostly future ones) like Blood Bank, the National Center for Emergency Help (ΕΚΑΒ) etc. The standard that was selected in order to ensure a common messaging standard was HL7 ver 2.x. All these projects finally materialized after several years of delays, with different level of success between Regions but also between hospitals inside the same region. The reasons for the rather poor results in interoperability are many and we will try to illustrate the main barriers. At this point we should note that there is official data in the form of a study of the current status of interoperability in Healthcare. Poor technical specifications for the interoperability aimed to be achieved. The standard (HL7) selected was adequate and mature, but detailed specifications were missing. There were no national codifications that could facilitate the set up of the systems The institutional framework was not clear and the obligations derived were not documented The maturity and openness of the solutions that were implemented varied a lot The applications in place could not interoperate through HL7, so this aspect could not be accomplished There was no strategy and specifications for the national EHR for the implementations to be benchmarked against. As a conclusion someone could say that despite that results were not as expected, it was the first time that interoperability in Healthcare was ever mentioned and required as a mandate. Several use cases were implemented and a step towards openness has been achieved. Many lessons were learned and the evolution of HC ICT will definitely incorporate Interoperability as an integral part. In recent years interoperable eHealth in Europe or even on an international scale is a fact. The European Commission is supporting collaboration initiatives through its policy initiatives and funding instruments and the World Health Organization (WHO) is promoting worldwide eHealth through its Global Observatory for eHealth. [1] HIMSS, Definition of Interoperability. Approved by the HIMSS Board of Directors, April 5, 2013 [2] American College of Radiology (ACR), National Electrical manufacturers Association (NEMA). [3] http://www.ihe.net/About_IHE/ [4] See http://www.who.int/ehscg/en/ [5] http://www.ihe-europe.net/eu-projects/epsos

The Tell-Tale Heart: An Analysis Essay -- Analysis Tell Tale Essays Pa

The Tell-Tale Heart: An Analysis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Edgar Allan Poe’s short-story, â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart,† the storyteller tries to convince the reader that he is not mad. At the very beginning of the story, he asks, "...why will you say I am mad?" When the storyteller tells his story, it's obvious why. He attempts to tell his story in a calm manner, but occasionally jumps into a frenzied rant. Poe's story demonstrates an inner conflict; the state of madness and emotional break-down that the subconscious can inflict upon one's self.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In "The Tell-Tale Heart", the storyteller tells of his torment. He is tormented by an old man's Evil Eye. The storyteller had no ill will against the old man himself, even saying that he loved him, but the old man's pale blue, filmy eye made his blood run cold. And when the storyteller couldn't take anymore of the Evil Eye looking at him, he said, "I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye for ever." This is the start of the storyteller’s madness, and as the reader listens to what he says, the madness within the storyteller becomes very apparent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For eight nights in a row, the storyteller went to the old man’s chamber and cast a shred of light upon the Evil Eye that he so hated. For seven nights, it was always shut, and the storyteller could do nothing because it was only the eye that he hated, not the old man. On the eighth, the storyteller accidentally makes some noise and wakes the old man up. As... The Tell-Tale Heart: An Analysis Essay -- Analysis Tell Tale Essays Pa The Tell-Tale Heart: An Analysis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In Edgar Allan Poe’s short-story, â€Å"The Tell-Tale Heart,† the storyteller tries to convince the reader that he is not mad. At the very beginning of the story, he asks, "...why will you say I am mad?" When the storyteller tells his story, it's obvious why. He attempts to tell his story in a calm manner, but occasionally jumps into a frenzied rant. Poe's story demonstrates an inner conflict; the state of madness and emotional break-down that the subconscious can inflict upon one's self.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In "The Tell-Tale Heart", the storyteller tells of his torment. He is tormented by an old man's Evil Eye. The storyteller had no ill will against the old man himself, even saying that he loved him, but the old man's pale blue, filmy eye made his blood run cold. And when the storyteller couldn't take anymore of the Evil Eye looking at him, he said, "I made up my mind to take the life of the old man, and thus rid myself of the eye for ever." This is the start of the storyteller’s madness, and as the reader listens to what he says, the madness within the storyteller becomes very apparent.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  For eight nights in a row, the storyteller went to the old man’s chamber and cast a shred of light upon the Evil Eye that he so hated. For seven nights, it was always shut, and the storyteller could do nothing because it was only the eye that he hated, not the old man. On the eighth, the storyteller accidentally makes some noise and wakes the old man up. As...

Historical Overview of South Africa’s Industrial Relations

1. INRODUCTION South Africa reflects a diverse country, rich in history and encourages â€Å"ubuntu†. This philosophy encompasses the spirit of community which summarises the extent to which everyone is connected to one another. However controversial issues were prevalent during South Africa’s industrial relations history. Issues which stood out were Apartheid; which segregated the South African society by race and class, as well as political and labour conflict were also highly controversial issues during the past. South Africa’s industrial relations history and workers rights is complex.Therefore it is necessary to view South Africa’s industrial relations in terms of an industrial evolution and economic overview in order to fully grasp it effectively. As understanding South Africa’s industrial historical significance is crucial as it ultimately shaped the labour laws which currently exist. This essay will investigate the historical overview of Sou th Africa’s industrial relations highlighting the most significant events which occurred within South Africa’s industrial history, in particular, the hey-day of the Apartheid era (1949-1973).The focus on this particular period will demonstrate the significance and impact it had on labour legislation and the industrial relations system in South Africa at that time. The National Party (NP), a new party within the South African government in 1948, institutionalised Apartheid as a central plank of South African government policy(Van Den Bergh& van Niekerk, 2009:55). Yet in the same year the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was formed by the United Nations General Assembly.Even though South Africa was a United Nations member they continued to pursue their newly institutionalised government policy, Apartheid. The international community made efforts to persuade the South African government to adhere to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights but their efforts were ign ored. During the Apartheid era the National Party used its repressive legislation to legally enforce racial segregation. This was an attempt to protect the minority which existed in South Africa, white South Africans. Government had to find ways to handle the conflict.Hence the use of labour laws as controls mechanisms by government. 2. HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS IN SOUTH AFRICA There were key events which occurred during the hey-day of the Apartheid era (1949-1973) which were highly significant. Labour laws, a popular control mechanism during Apartheid were heavily influenced by the events which took place during this period. These key events include the following: 2. 1 BOTHA COMMISSION OF 1953 Soon after the National Party came into power, the Botha Commission was introduced.The purpose of the Botha Commission was to investigate existing labour legislation at that time. The Commission was introduced with the intension that it would outline the establishment of Apa rtheid in the working environment and continue the suppression of black people (van den Bergh& van Niekerk, 2009:64). 2. 1. 1 The significance the Botha Commission of 1953 The Botha Commission was a significant as it purely focused on labour relations matters in South Africa at that time. This was crucial as South Africa was experiencing harsh economic conditions.During the early days of Apartheid there was generally dissatisfaction among South Africans of all races. This was mainly due to the fact that jobs were scarce, and there was a high influx of black people in urban areas which caused unrest in the townships (Bendix, 2010:68). Therefore the Commission argued that if black people were able to have party representation it would ultimately lead to equality amongst races within South Africa. However this went completely against what the government believed. If government followed through with what the commission recommended it would be putting the white superiority at risk. . 1. 2 The impact the Botha Commission had on labour legislation in South Africa The government ignored the Botha Commissions recommendations which included freedom of association and trade union rights. Therefore government passed two labour legislations to give effect to the Botha Commission. Firstly, to reinforce the governments Apartheid policy the Industrial Conciliation Act was passed. The Act was the final part to the government’s racially exclusive industrial system. The Act established racial divisions amongst workers which meant that there could not be trade unions which represented a variety of races.In addition trade unions with a variety of races had to divide their members by race then locate them in different trade unions according to their race. Furthermore certain work was reserved exclusively for workers of a particular race. This was known as job reservation. This meant labour market was being manipulated in such as a way that advanced white people in order to m aintain their supremacy. Secondly, government went against the recommendation that stated that black workers should be allowed regulation of rights. Government believed that this would encourage black trade unions.Therefore they implemented the Native Labour of disputes Act No. 48 of 1953. Later the Act was name changed to the Bantu Labour of Disputes Act. This Act ultimately aimed at prohibiting strike action by black workers. It repealed the War Measure 145; which banned black workers from taking part in strike action. In this way black workers had no way to resist the demands laid down by employers. 2. 1. 2 The role players to the labour relationship and their respective roles The specific role players who played a part in the Botha Commission included the following: 2. 1. 2. 1 The StateThe State is referred to as a self-governing political entity. In this case the South African State consisted of the National Party. The State facilitates the employment relationship between emplo yers and employees. The state is also regarded as the employer. In this case the state had to improve the economy as job was scarce. The government had to use the recommendations of the Botha Commission to improve the labour relations situation at that time. The Commission’s recommended that if black workers were granted representation of black workers in trade unions equality amongst races would take place.Government did not agree with this. However the Commission recommended separate bargaining councils for black workers, but made it clear that recognition of black trade unions should be under strict conditions. 2. 1. 2. 2 Employers The employers in this case the employers of concern was those who employed black workers. The employers lately had the attitude that if workers obeyed the rule and their demands they would take care of them appropriately. 2. 1. 2. 3 Employees Black workers were the employees of concern during the establishment of the Botha Commission.Due to stri ct conditions on trade unions and the banning of strikes employees had to obey and abide with what the employers wanted from them. 2. 1. 3 The approaches used in the employment relationship The approach used by the role players in the labour relationship determines the way in which the labour relationship takes place. 2. 1. 3. 1 Unitary Approach During the time period of the conception of the Botha Commission trade unions were viewed as trouble makers by government and employers. Therefore trade unions were limited in the way in which they could represent workers.As employers wanted employers to just abide to their demands and employees believed they had no rights they went along with what managers expected. Jobs was also scarce therefore going against employers could of led to their dismissal. Therefore trade unions involvement was seen as unnecessary. 2. 2 SHARPEVILLE MASSACRE 1960 On the 21 March 1960 masses of black people gathered at local police station, without their passes. Passes were compulsory for black people during this time and failure to carrying it was considered illegal. Protesters chanted and challenged neither police to arrest them for nor carrying their passes.The purpose of the protest was to demonstrate against pass laws. The march was coordinated by Pac. The protest was planned to be a non-violent protest that was planned to last five days starting from the 21st of March 1960. However the events on that day led to police firing on the crowd, killing 69 unarmed protesters and injuring hundreds. 2. 2. 1 The significance of Sharpeville Massacre 1960 The event sparked a major turning point in South Africa history. The Sharpeville Massacre as this day is known as received international coverage and the world was left shocked. There the world condemned the happenings in South Africa at that time.South Africa’s exclusion from the British Commonwealth 1961 marked the first diplomatic defeat against the Apartheid government. The government justified their actions by the possibility of black violence that could have sparked. South Africa was later sanctioned. The event was the reason public meetings were banned after that dreadful day, the 24th March 1960. On the 8th of April 1960 the ANC and PAC was banned and a State of Emergency was declared. 2. 1. 2 The impact Sharpeville Massacre had on labour legislation in South Africa The Suppression Act passed in the 1950’s was replaced by the Internal Security Act No. 4. The act defined communism as any policie aimed at brings about political, industrial, social and economical change in a union. It was evident that the Act was very broad. In 1960 the Unlawful Act No. 24 resulted in the ANC being banned. THE Suppression Act was then as a result of the happenings of the Sharpeville Massacre tightened. The Bantu Regulations Act No. 61 banned black workers from looking for employment in towns. Employers were also banned from hiring black workers unless they were employed through the State. 2. 2. 2 The role players to the labour relationship and their respective roles 2. . 2. 1 State The State in this case was the NP government. The State was responsible for the employer-employee relations. The government continued to further disadvantage black workers. This caused much tension as employers were being heavily controlled. 2. 2. 2. 2 Employers The employers had to adhere to the changes made by government. Therefore they had to adapt to the policies and labour legislations this caused tension between the private sector and public sector. 2. 2. 3 The approaches used in the employment relationship 2. 2. 3. 1 RadicalismConflict could not be resolved during this period by bargaining. Drastic measures were taken by international countries as they tried to stop the Apartheid regime. The Apartheid Government was exploiting the black workers and black people in general. The incidents that took place at Sharpeville were an example of how crimes against humanity were being made. The changes government made regarding who the employers can hire and where employers could work demonstrated the drastic steps taken by the government to keep their power and continue racial segregation. 2. 3 NATAL STRIKES 1973In 1973 bodies were being established which aimed for promotion of black workers interests. However the momentum towards dispention was mainly due to the Natal Strikes 1973. During 1973 an estimated 61 000 African and Indian workers in Natal took it upon themselves to go on strike. The strike took place in various industries and ultimately the industry was brought to a standstill. The strike began at the Coronation Brick which spread to the textile industry and later other industries as well as the Durban municipality. The strikes were purely coordinated by the workers themselves and not by any formal organisations.The workers were generally unsatisfied with their wages. This was mainly due to the fact that inflation was rapidly increasing at that time. 2. 3. 1 The significance of the Natal strikes 1973 The strikes were significant as it marked the first time workers embarked on such a large scale strike without the coordination of any formal organisations. Therefore this event demonstrated the actual power the workers possessed as a united force. This power meant that they could apply pressure on government on labour issues, such as employer-employee relations and minimum wages.Once the strikes ended black workers organised themselves into trade unions. These unions were separate from the trade unions which existed at the time. The trade unions which existed were mainly dominated by white workers. Therefore the newly formed black unions were referred to as â€Å"independent trade unions†. Although the strikes were illegal according to the labour legislation at the time, there were no arrests made. The large number of workers that participated in the strike action made it difficult for employers as well as the pol ice to punish them for their illegal strikes. . 3. 2 The impact the Natal strikes had on labour legislation in South Africa Due to the Natal strikes black workers new found power led to them being recognised as a force to be reckoned with. Therefore government responded by passing the Bantu Regulations Act of 1973. The Act was passed to regulate the procedures for establishing labour committees and disputes amongst employers and employees. This was crucial for government as the joint power of the workers put pressure on government and employers to accommodate them.The Act did not foster development of black unionism which was evident as black workers were assembled into committees created by employers and lacked bargaining power. The provisions of the Act excluded black worker in agriculture, gold and mining as well as government services. 2. 3. 2 The role players to the labour relationship and their respective roles The specific role players who played a part in the Natal strikes 1 973 were the following: 2. 3. 2. 1 Employees Employees are regarded as someone who works for someone else and in exchange receives remuneration.In this case the employees were the employees of Coronation Brick, textile industry and Durban municipality. Their roles consisted of the following: * Obedience and abiding decisions made by employer- Even though striking was illegal according to the labour legislation and they could face dismissal. These employees disregarded the law and their employer’s authority and decisions not to strike. * The assistance in the production of products- Strikes put these factories at financial risk as production was brought to a standstill. Without the employees assistance production could not take place. Participate in decision making of the organisation- Employees sought to have an opinion in matters that concerned the organisation. Yet they were refused by employers to have their say. The workers unexpected strike was the result of workers who made it known to employers and government that they are not satisfied with their wages and that they require an increase. 2. 3. 2. 2 Employers In this case the employers are the owners and management Coronation Brick and the companies that formed part of the textile industry such as Smith and Nephew Textile. Responsibility for the conduction of a successful organisation- As the factories aimed at making large profits they paid employees low wages. However the cheap labour resulted in short-term profitability. The large companies could not compete internationally as sanctions were put on South Africa and investor’s pulling out. * Coming up with strategies to deal with the Natal strikes- Various employers reacted in different ways to employees involved in the Natal strikes. These included the following: * Threatened dismissal Granted wage increases * Attempted to talk to workers and resolve the matter * Some made no attempts * Ensure growth- The industries were at a standstill which meant no production but there were still expenses. Therefore there was no growth. 2. 3. 2. 3 State The State is referred to as a self-governing political entity. In this case South African State consisted of the NP government. Their role was to regulate the employee-employer relationship as unemployment was high and wage disputes were rife. The government was to keep the economy stable.Yet inflation was increasing at a rapid pace. Government was not using labour legislation to improve the labour relations in the country at the time. Employees were not given increases even though inflation was high which further economically disadvantage black. 2. 3. 3 The approaches used in the employment relationship 2. 3. 3. 1 Radicalism Employers embarked on an unexpected illegal strike. This was a great risk as they could have been arrested. The circumstances which they were faced with led to this dramatic, unexpected decision to go on strike.Black workers were being exploited economically as they were paid extremely low wages without increase, even though inflation was rapidly on the high. Before the 1973 strikes attempts were made to solve wage issue. However this was not seen as a great priority to government. 3. CONCLUSION South Africa’s industrial relations history most significant period was the Apartheid era. It has and still influences today’s labour relations. Hence the importance of being well acquainted with the events which shaped the society we live in today.During the Apartheid era the National Party government used repressive legislation to legally enforce racial segregation. This was an attempt to protect the minority which existed in South Africa, white South Africans. There were key events during Apartheid such as the establishment of the Botha Commission, Sharpeville Massacre and the Natal strikes of 1973. Within the time periods these key events occurred white workers prospered under the rule of the National Party government whereas non-white workers were excluded. The government used the labour force to further racially divide South Africans.Therefore equality amongst the races did not exist which was their aim. However tension escalated within the country. As a result, strike action and protests soon persisted and government had to find ways to handle the conflict. Hence the use of labour laws as controls mechanisms by government. As Apartheid reached its boiling point the economy suffered and the government had to start considering the inevitable, democracy. 4. PERSONAL LEARNING REFLECTION Conducting research into South Africa labour history was a great learning experience as a Human Resource Management student and employee as well as a South African.Researching the labour history made it abundantly clear that clear that there needs to be understanding of the country’s history, in particular the labour history, not for hatred, but to avoid repetition of the imbalances of the Apartheid era. In contrast with the Apartheid government, the present government has made large strides in creating a country which exudes freedom, equality and non-discrimination. The research conducted not only gave me the opportunity to broaden my knowledge of labour history and improving my researching skills, but it gave me a new appreciation for the county’s government, laws and labour legislations.Sometimes it is easy to criticise the government, yet no thought is spared for those political figures, leaders and employees that fought for what ultimately exist today, in particular the labour laws which aim at protecting the employee. Focusing on the Apartheid era (1949-1973) I have come to understand that the labour market had fallen prey to the Apartheid government, and that we are still experiencing the effects of the Apartheid government’s actions. Labour legislations in today’s time are aimed at eradicating the imbalances of the past.Therefore as a potential Human Resource Manag er understanding the realities of what occurred and how it impacted the labour market in the past remains of curial importance. The National Party wanted supremacy yet they did not realise their actions would have major consequences. I view this as an example of how power used for greed and personal gain has tremendous consequences for all parties involved. Therefore as I have learnt these mistakes made in the past demonstrates how it can be used constructively as a point of reference when dealing with labour legislations to avoid the mistakes which were previously made by the Apartheid government.Although we do not face the same repressive laws as in Apartheid we should always aim Researching the past has made it clear that our diversity needs to be embraced, not frowned upon because we need to be united and not divided as we were in the Apartheid era. Although we do not face the same repressive laws as in Apartheid we should always make sure our diversity is represented in our lab our laws. Most importantly not being able to understand our past labour history we will not fully understand why they exist.

Success Notes

What is my definition success? Living life to the fullest Achieving small goals in life One’s life is in full balance Not feeling stressed and overwhelmed in life Following my dreams Being in control of my future Having college education Having a careerHaving great friends  the continuous state of action that you have to perform to meet your goals To me success means setting up a goal, and then putting your complete energy towards attaining it. If you can do it all, then the feeling of satisfaction with your effort is what I feel defines the state of bliss – for me that feeling of contentment within myself is Success. What does success means to me?What success means for me? Well success to me means an achievement in life or to do well at. Some of my goals that will lead to my success will have to start with going back to school and getting a degree in a field that I never thought possible. That was my first goal to get into college and now that I have achieved that go al, I see nothing but success in the future. When I get done and I get my bachelor degree, who knows the success I could endurance / achieve.Health, Money, Education Have opportunities to be successful Prosperity and success (ideals)