Analysis of Paris Spleen, by Charles Baudelaire Essay -- Literary Anal

Charles Baudelaire was a French poet in the late eighteen hundreds. He composed many short poems that didn’t necessarily rhyme. Most of his texts allow for several interpretations. The poems were concentrated around feelings of melancholy, ideas of beauty, happiness, and the desire to escape reality. Baudelaire uses these notions to express himself, others, and his art. Baudelaire fuses his poetry with metaphors or words that indirectly explain the poems to force the reader to analyze the true meaning of his works. The first instance of this action begins with the title, Paris Spleen. Since the original writing was in French it would be harmless to say that he lived in Paris and named the book after the city. According to Webster’s, a Spleen is an â€Å"†¦organ that is located†¦ near the stomach or intestine†¦and is concerned with final destruction of red blood cells, filtration and storage of blood†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Spleen, Entry 1). By this definition the reader obtains the understanding that Baudelaire is connecting Paris with a function of the body that controls or care’s for the blood. In other words, Paris could represent the blood that flows through him, wherein, ‘storage of blood’ could mean Paris is forever in his heart or ‘destruction of red blood cells’ could resemble how the city des troyed him. It could also be interpreted in a negative way by another definition, â€Å"feelings of anger or ill will often suppressed† (Spleen, Entry 2). The majority of his writings are melancholy based so the Spleen could signify his feelings towards Paris or himself during his time there. When a person thinks of the word Spleen they conclude it’s a seemingly grotesque organ in the body not worth caring for. So, in yet another instance, the title’s wor... ...sness. The Stranger that passes through the city, just as the clouds do, resemble the way a person’s mind can drift away where they ‘have their head in the clouds’. The stranger and his love represent the desire Baudelaire has to escape reality around him. The isolated happiness and solitary calmness the stranger has when he watches the clouds directly relates to Baudelaire’s emotions, making the stranger and Baudelaire seem as if they are the same person. If so, the real stranger would be the one questioning the cloud loving man, or Baudelaire and the stranger can very well be the same person, where he is just internalizing his questions as he did with his soul in Anywhere Out of the World. Works Cited Baudelaire, Charles. "The Firing Range and the Graveyard." Paris Spleen. By Charles Baudelaire. Trans. Louise Varese. New York: New Directions, 1970.

The Effects of Preventive and Detective Controls on Employee Performance and Motivation Essay

Organizational behavior is an important aspect of every organization or company since it determines the overall performance of an organization. Within every organization, there are certain behaviors which are associated with that particular organization. This means that in every company or organization, there are certain behaviors which are considered as the norms of the company and practiced by all employees in the company. Organizational behavior affects how the operations within a company re carried out, how customers of the business are handled and how the employees within the organization relate with each pother. Q1             One of the justice dimensions which I would have applied during a morning briefing with the staffs would be procedural dimension. Procedural dimension aims at providing the employees with the relevant and sufficient information which they can also use to make decisions as well as understand the position of the company, hear the opinions of the employees and gives room for appeal on the decision of the company (French, 2011). In making decisions, it is important to have all stakeholders understand and get involved before the final decision is made. Andrea should be honest with the staffs and provide them, with full information on the downsizing, give them a chance to express their view. Explaining to the staffs why the company has taken such measures trhough a procedural manner is important because the employees will feel valued. The implication of being guarded with information will generate distrust among the employees since they will not be able to understand why the decision was made. If Andrea uses procedural dimension, the ethical implication is that the relationship between the employees and the company will remain strong (French, 2011). There will be trust from the employees as well as avoid conflict as a result of the decisions. It will show representation, consistency, accuracy as well as eliminate bias. Q2             Based on justice and ethics discussions, the advice that would be appropriate for Andrea to take in terms of making use of a bigger budget for compensation would be that she should make gradual changes. Employee motivation is an important aspect for the success of any organization and must be handled with care (Njoroge, & Yazdanifard, 2014). The employees should not be offered a short-term â€Å"retention bonus† nor a permanent raise. By giving the employees a permanent raise, it will mean that one need of the employees will have been met hence the level of motivation may decrease with time. However, if offered the short-term â€Å"retention bonus† the employees will be motivated for a short while until the need is met. Therefore, based on â€Å"Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs theory†, when one need is satisfied, one moves to the next need until all needs in the hierarchy are met it would be advisable to have the funds used in supporting changes in work structure. This can be done for the staffs that have a workload that is expanded (Phillips, & Gully, 2012). Offering a bonus or a permanent raise does not solve the problem of work load hence it is ethical to solve the issue of work load through a new work structure for the employees. The short-term, retention bonus and the permanent raise will only help to motivate the employees for a short-while but what will have a lasting impression is making changes that will lighten the workload for the employees. It is not ethical to raise the salaries of the employees while the working conditions are not satisfactory. This will mean that one of the needs of the employees is not met if short-term bonuses and the permanent raise are provided under the same work conditions. Therefore, it is important that Andrea applies the four-component model and the three concepts that are involved in ethical decisions making (Nelson, & Quick, 2012). The decision should be based on moral awareness of the situation that the employees are undergoing due to the workload. In addition to that, the concept of moral judgment and moral intent should form the basis of the final decisions on changing the work-place structure for the benefit of all the employees using the funds available. Q3             Andrea has to make a decision on combining the staffs so that they can work together and share the work load although it has been observed that there are those that will have to do more than others (Chung Hee, & Scullion, 2013). The staffs have the free-will to choose the amount of work load they would like to add hence there is need to be careful with the way Andrea works out the whole process of combining. The theory applicable and suitable for this situation is the theory of Job Characteristics theory (Schermerhorn, 2012). This theory explains that employees consider jobs to be enjoyable when the tasks involved in the job are more challenging and provide them with a feeling of fulfillment. From the case study, it can be noted that there are tasks which will need to be undertaken even by staffs that have not been performing them, hence this will present a challenge for those that will take up the tasks. The challenge of the tasks and the fulfillment that the staffs will gain from carrying out the tasks will act as the motivating factors towards them combining their areas of work. On the motivational factors that Andrea would require top apply when combining the staffs, there will be need to consider factors such as recognition, achievement, responsibility as well as growth of the employee and their career advancement. These factors as have been identified by Herzberg’s Two-factor theory explain that employees that obtain the above mentioned factors are likely to be motivated in their performance (Christ, Emett, Summers, & Wood, 2012). This case of combining the staffs will mean taking on some different roles and duties, therefore, these factors will contribute to wards the success of the whole process within the firm. The satisfaction in the new versions will be provided by ensuring that the employees are properly recognized for their performance. Furthermore, it would advisable for Andrea to ensure that there are plans for the advancement of the employees as well as their personal growth in their new job versions (Chao-Chan, & Na-Ting, 2014). It is important that the employees should grow with the company and see some changes in their career, something which will help in bringing satisfaction in their new roles. McClelland’s Acquired Needs theory observes that employees seek for achievement in what they do. What this means is that when the employees take up the new roles within the company, they aim to achieve something in the long run. Therefore, to ensure that the employees are satisfied in their new roles, it will be important to ensure that they have been accorded the necessary help and assistance which will enable them gain some achievement. Q4             When employees are given voice, there are various benefits which an organization or company is able to realize in the short and long run. As the company, Blaze, transitions from its old operations to its â€Å"new normal† it would important that Andrea gives the staffs a voice and allow them to be part of the decision making process (Christ, Emett, Summers, & Wood, 2012). The employees should be given a voice in routine operations that closely affect their work as well as on matters that deal with staff welfare. One thing that has been observed as the impact of giving employees a voice is organizational commitment. This means that employees would want to remain part of the company and continue to provide their services. When Andrea gives a voice to the employees in matters pertaining to the routine operations in the company, it will motivate the employees to want to stick around since they know they can be heard and that they are important within the compan y (Nelson, & Quick, 2012). The Job Characteristics theory applies in this case with regard to â€Å"critical psychological states†. The employees However, staffs should not be given voice in sensitive matters of the organization. The employees are not permanent in the company, meaning they can leave employment any time that they feel they want to leave or in case there is an issue that results in their dismissal. Mitigation would involve allowing voice to the employees in matters that are not sensitive. References Chao-Chan, W., & Na-Ting, L. (2014). Perceived Organizational Support, Organizational Commitment and Service-Oriented Organizational Citizenship Behaviors. International Journal Of Business & Information, 9(1), 61-88. Christ, M. H., Emett, S. A., Summers, S. L., & Wood, D. A. (2012). The Effects of Preventive and Detective Controls on Employee Performance and Motivation. Contemporary Accounting Research, 29(2), 432-452. doi:10.1111/j.1911-3846.2011.01106.x Chung Hee, K., & Scullion, H. (2013). The effect of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) on employee motivation: A cross-national study. Poznan University Of Economics Review, 13(2), 5-30. French, R. (2011). Organizational behaviour. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley. Nelson, D. L., & Quick, J. C. (2012). Organizational behavior: Science, the real world, and you. Mason, Ohio: South-Western. Njoroge, C., & Yazdanifard, R. (2014). THE IMPACT OF SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE ON EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION IN A MULTIGENERATIONAL WORKPLACE. International Journal Of Information, Business & Management, 6(4), 163-170. Phillips, J., & Gully, S. M. (2012). Organizational behavior: Tools for success. Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. Schermerhorn, J. R. (2012). Organizational behavior. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley. Source document

Who is Alejandro Aravena and Why Did He Win a Pritzker

Alejandro Aravena (born June 22, 1967, in Santiago, Chile) is the first Pritzker Laureate from Chile, South America. He won the Pritzker, considered Americas most distinguished architecture prize and honor, in 2016. It seems only natural for a Chilean architect to be moved to design for what the Pritzker announcement called projects of public interest and social impact, including housing, public space, infrastructure, and transportation. Chile is a land of frequent and historic earthquakes and tsunamis, a country where natural disasters are commonplace and devastating. Aravena has learned from his surroundings and is now giving back with a creative process for designing public spaces. Aravena earned his architecture degree in 1992 from Universidad Catà ³lica de Chileann (Catholic University of Chile) and then moved to Venice, Italy to continue his studies at Università   Iuav di Venezia. He established his own firm, Alejandro Aravena Architects, in 1994. Perhaps more importantly is his other company, ELEMENTAL, which had its start in 2001 when Aravena and Andrà ©s Iacobelli were at the Harvard Graduate School of Design in Cambridge, Massachusetts. ELEMENTAL is an advocacy design group and not just another high-profile team of architects. More than just a think tank, ELEMENTAL is described as a do tank. After his Harvard teaching stint (2000 to 2005), Aravena took ELEMENTAL with him to the Pontificia Universidad Catà ³lica de Chile. Together with several Partner Architects and a revolving door full of interns, Aravena and ELEMENTAL have finished thousands of low-cost public housing projects with an approach he calls â€Å"incremental housing.† About Incremental Housing and Participatory Design Half of a good house is how Aravena explains the ELEMENTAL participatory design approach to public housing. Using mostly public money, the architects and builders begin a project that the resident then completes. The building team does the land-buying, infrastructure, and basic framing—all tasks beyond the skills and time constraints of a common laborer like a Chilean fisherman. In a 2014 TED talk, Aravena explained that participatory design is not a hippie, romantic, lets-all-dream-together-about-the-future-of-the-city kind of thing. It is a pragmatic solution to overpopulation and urban housing problems. When you rephrase the problem as half of a good house instead of a small one, the key question is, which half do we do? And we thought we had to do with public money the half that families wont be able to do individually. We identified five design conditions that belonged to the hard half of a house, and we went back to the families to do two things: join forces and split tasks. Our design was something in between a building and a house.—2014, TED Talk So the purpose of design...is to channel peoples own building capacity....So, with the right design, slums and favelas may not be the problem but actually the only possible solution.—2014, TED Talk This process has been successful in places like Chile and Mexico, where people become invested in the property they help design and build for their own needs. More importantly, public money can be put to better use than for finish work on houses. The publics money is used to create landscaped neighborhoods in more desirable locations, near places of employment and public transportation. None of this is rocket science, says Aravena. You dont require sophisticated programming. Its not about technology. This is just archaic, primitive common sense. Architects Can Create Opportunities So why did Alejandro Aravena get the Pritzker Prize in 2016? The Pritzker Jury was making a statement. The ELEMENTAL team participates in every phase of the complex process of providing dwellings for the underserved, cited the Pritzker Jury: engaging with politicians, lawyers, researchers, residents, local authorities, and builders, in order to obtain the best possible results for the benefit of the residents and society. The Pritzker Jury liked this approach to architecture. The younger generation of architects and designers who are looking for opportunities to affect change, can learn from the way Alejandro Aravena takes on multiple roles, the Jury wrote, instead of the singular position of a designer.   The point is that opportunities may be created by architects themselves. Architecture critic Paul Goldberger has called Aravenas work modest, practical, and exceptionally elegant. He compares Aravena with the 2014 Pritzker Laureate Shigeru Ban. There are plenty of other architects around who do modest and practical work, writes Goldberger, and there are many architects who can make elegant and beautiful buildings, but it is surprising how few can do these two things at the same time, or who want to. Aravena and Ban are two who can do it. By the end of 2016, The New York Times had named Alejandro Aravena one of 28 Creative Geniuses Who Defined Culture in 2016. Significant Works by Aravena 1999 (ongoing): Mathematics School, Medical School, School of Architecture, UC Innovation Center,   and Siamese Towers for the Universidad Catà ³lica de Chile, Santiago, Chile2008: St. Edward’s University Dorms, Austin, Texas2016: Novartis, Shanghai, China Sampling of ELEMENTAL Projects 1997 (ongoing): Metropolitan Promenade, Santiago, Chile2001: Montessori School, Santiago, Chile2010: Emergency relief, master plan, Constitucià ³n, Chile2010: â€Å"Chairless† furniture, Vitra, Weil am Rhein, Germany2010: Monterrey Housing (incremental housing), Monterrey, Mexico2012: Bicentennial Children’s Park, Santiago, Chile2012 (ongoing): Calama PLUS master plan, Calama, Chile2013: Villa Verde (incremental housing), Constitucià ³n, Chile2014: Constitucià ³n Cultural Center, Constitucià ³n, Chile2015: Writer’s Cabin for the Jan Michalski Foundation, Montricher, Switzerland2015: Ayelà ©n School, Rancagua, Chile Learn More The Forces in Architecture by Alejandro Aravena, 2011Elemental: Incremental Housing and Participatory Design Manual by Alejandro Aravena and Andrà ©s Iacobelli, 2016 Sources Biograph, Jury Citation, and Announcement on pritzkerprize.comAlejandro Aravena: My architectural philosophy? Bring the community into the process, TEDGlobal 2014, October 2014 [accessed January 13, 2016]Architecture’s Biggest Prize Was Just Awarded to Someone You’ve Probably Never Heard Of by Paul Goldberger, Vanity Fair, January 13, 2016,  www.vanityfair.com/culture/2016/01/pritzker-prize-2016-alejandro-aravena [accessed January 22, 2017]