Managing Employee Relations Essay Example

Managing Employee Relations Essay Section 1: Evaluate three major external constraints placed upon your Organisation’s approach to employee relations (1,018 words) Section 2: Analyse management’s approach to employee relations in your organisation making reference to appropriate academics models (1,023 words) Section 3: Evaluate whether the approaches identified in Section 2 above are the most effective for your organisation in the near future (3-5 years), justify any recommendations you make for a different approach (1,043 words) Introduction This report is in three sections. The first section outlines the external constraints that impact upon employee relations within the organisation. A brief summary of this organisation can be found within Appendix 1. The second section outlines management’s approach to employee relations and the final section evaluates the effectiveness of this approach. External Constraints on Employee Relations Three key external constraints on employee relations within the organisation are recognised trade unions, legislation and competition. These constraints have been chosen as they are all very different to each other and impact upon the organisation in very different ways. Trade Unions Trade unions are recognised within an organisation as representing of all, or a group of employees for the purpose of jointly determining the terms and conditions of employment (Salamon, 2001). There are three unions that are recognised by the organisation for the purposes of collective bargaining. These unions represent the 3 main groups of staff. Those on a local contract are not represented by a recognised union. We will write a custom essay sample on Managing Employee Relations specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Managing Employee Relations specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Managing Employee Relations specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer These unions negotiate on a national basis to determine the national framework of pay and conditions of members. (Farnham, 2000) These negotiations are an external constraint to the university, as they determine amongst other things, the level of the annual pay award. The impact on employee relations of these negotiations depends upon whether the university wishes to adopt national recommendations or choose to negotiate locally on a variation. For example if the pay award could not be afforded by the organisation. Should funding be available, then relations between employee and employer will not be affected, however should the funding not be available for the size of the award agreed, then this can cause problems with employee relations and can lead to the unions going into dispute with the university. (Farnham, 2000) This can lead to industrial sanctions being taken by the union and its members. This occurs because it is believed that this is the only by imposing their unilateral power on the management that the unions can achieve their employee relations objectives. The form of industrial sanctions can include * Working to contract Going Slow * Strikes The impact of these industrial sanctions on the organisation would be that students do not get the lectures they require for their degrees or that assignments go unmarked or marks unrecorded. In the long-term this may impact upon reputation and have a long term effect on recruitment and marketing as well as impacting on relations between emplo yees, employers and unions. Legislation Legislation is an external constraint that affects organisations. It is concerned with * the relationship between employer and employee * the relationship between employer and union and the relationship between the union and its membership (Rose, 2001) One recent piece of legislation that has recently come into affect is that of the Fixed Term Employees (Prevention of Less Favourable Treatment) Regulations 2002. This legislation, which came into force on 1st October 2002, required institutions to reduce significantly the use of these contracts. The Bett Report (The Report of the Independent Review of Higher Education Pay and Conditions – June 1999) recommended that institutions review carefully the reasons for such contracts in order to limit their use. The purpose of this legislation is: to protect employees on fixed-term contracts from being treated less favourably than comparable employees on indefinite contracts * to prevent the pot ential abuse of continuous use of fixed-term contracts by limiting the overall duration of a series of fixed term contracts to 4 continuous years after which the contract automatically becomes indefinite The organisation depends on a range of funding sources, all of them variable and insecure. It needs to make full use of modern and flexible work organisation and to adopt patterns of work that will fit challenges in the future. One group of staff that this affects particularly is sessional lecturers (hourly paid teaching staff). These staff are employed year on year to deliver an agreed number of teaching hours. This group of staff is used to give the university flexibility. Sessional lecturers have commonly been used to cover absences. The impact of this legislation is that sessional staff, who have been with the university for over 4 years, have been offered indefinite contracts, whereas staff that have durations of less than 4 years have not. The impact of this is to cause a poor relationship between employer and employee and as such the number of grievances are on the increase. Competition The extent to which the market influences employee relations and styles depends upon competitive pressure and customer pressure (Marchington amp; Parker, 1990; cited by Rose, 2001). Lack of competitive pressure can dictate terms to the customer because of the absence of alternative suppliers. The existence of competitive pressure may influence management styles as the organisation may have to make decisions affecting the workforce, including possible redundancies (Rose 2001). Customer pressure is dependent upon customer demand and customer profile. The more stable the demand by customer, and the more predictable the customer profile, the easier it is for managers to predict what is going to happen and therefore make the necessary changes to the workforce (Rose 2001). For many years The organisation has been the sole provider of business courses within the city. From September 2002, a competitor has emerged. This now means that the two organisations are now offering similar courses and thus competing for the same students. There are only a certain number of students wanting to go to study. Given this, it means that there will be a risk of fewer students going to the organisation to study their business courses. As Rose stated above, the competitive pressure is being increased on the university and this in turn will have an impact on employee relations. Fewer students on courses would mean less funding for the university. One option may include reducing the number of staff, or the number of hours each member of staff works. Analysis of Managements Approach to Employee Relations This section of the report will identify the current approach by management to employee relations within the organisation. Employee relations can be defined as â€Å"the study of the regulation of the employment relationship between employer and employee, both collectively and individually, and the determination of substantive and procedural issues at industrial, organisational and workplace levels† (Rose, 2001) Management style can be defined as â€Å"a distinctive set of guiding principles, written or otherwise, which set parameters to signposts for management action in the way employees are treated and particular events handled. Management style is therefore akin to business policy and its strategic derivatives. † (Purcell, 1987; cited by Salamon, 2000) Therefore it is management style that dictates the boundaries and direction of acceptable management action in its dealing with employees (Feltham, 2000). Pluralist Approach Management approach within the organisation has a pluralist perspective. A pluralist perspective believes that * there are rival sources of leadership and attachment within organisations * conflict can be functional if recognised and contained within the organisations procedures e. . ‘creative tensions’ * trade unions are legitimate, useful and an integral part of the organisation (Feltham, 2000) The staff within the organisation are made of 4 staff groups. Each of these staff groups have different terms and conditions and as such the organisation is in a ‘permanent state of dynamic tension’ (Salamon, 2000), this, together with perception of role, purpose a nd value (teaching versus non-teaching, faculty versus centre, school versus faculty) result in the conflict of interest between the various groups of staff. Within the organisation, there are 3 recognised unions; these unions represent the different groups of staff with the organisation. Local contract staff are not represented collectively by a union, it is up to individuals to join a union on an individual basis and as such do not have any collective bargaining rights with the organisation. Individual bargaining is in effect. The unions negotiate nationally the pay awards for their members and agree the best terms and conditions for their members The model defined by Dunlop (1958) and later modified by Woods (1975) identified the inputs that go into employee relations, including the actors, contexts and ideology that form the employee relations system. The processes which have been implemented and the outputs that exist are highlighted by the model. Internal and external conflicts are represented by the inputs, whereas conflict resolution is represented by the outputs. With reference to the organisation, the actors are the managers, the employees and the various legal bodies. The political, legal and economic contexts influence the various processes that happen within employee relations, such as conciliation, arbitration, negotiation and bargaining. Sources of conflict within the university could include new working practices (for example those introduced because of the use of new technology), rising absence levels, bullying and harassment. the organisation have very clear employment relations policies, including disciplinary, grievance and capability. These policies are written to promote good practice, to comply with legislation, and to provide a positive ethos. Soft Approach the organisation has a soft approach human resource management. The soft approach sees employees as valued assets and are proactive and capable of development, worthy of trust and collaboration, through participation and informed choice. (Legge, 1996) This is because the organisation has a strong emphasis on developing and multi-skilling its staff; it recognises unions and values them as assets of the organisation. Management expects employee commitment and gains this through strong leadership, communication and motivation. Rose 2000) the organisation is currently in the process of realigning its staffing profile, to meet the needs of the students, its customers. For example, the demand for one type of degree programmes is declining, whilst the demand for another is on the increase. To overcome this problem, the organisation would first consider the re-training of lecturers from one discipline to another, in preference to a harder solution such as redundancy. Descriptiv e-Functional Model Personnel management within the organisation can be described as following the ‘descriptive-functional’ model (Rose, 2001). This model defines personnel management in terms of the functions it actually serves, rather than what these functions should be. Torrington and Hall (1987) describe this as a series of activities which: enable working people and their employing organisations to agree about the nature of their working relationships and it also ensures the agreement is fulfilled. This model is most common in a pluralist organisation. Under this model, the personnel department is a mainly administrative based personnel department that is more reactive rather than pro-active. Consultative Style Purcell and Sissons (1983) identified five typical management styles; authoritarian, paternalistic, consultative, and constitutional and opportunist. The consultative style describes an organisation that operates through a mixture of formal and informal mechanisms in its employee relations, but both are based upon forward planning and pro-activity in managing people. Trade unions are considered to be partners and are central to communication process as well as representing employees’ opinions. the organisation fits into the consultative style where trade unions are used on a regular basis to assist with problem solving. Staff are consulted and asked for their opinions through the use of staff questionnaires and focus groups. In summary the organisation, as a pluralist organisation recognises trade unions as being a useful part of large organisations. Conflict is inevitable, but is functional within the context of the university, it is therefore necessary to structure and accept it. Sophisticated Modern Approach Fox (1974) identified six sub-categories of patterns of employee relations management. The style the best represents the organisation is that of ‘Sophisticated Modern’. Sophisticated Moderns are described as accepting a trade union presence, even though this may limit managements’ perceived freedom of decision making. There is a strong emphasis upon the development and operation of formal and informal procedures on order to handle and resolve conflicts of interests. (Rose 2001) Procedures are in place within the organisation for dealing with issues such as poor attendance, managing performance, capability or gross misconduct. These procedures are detailed in the employment handbook and require a series of meetings between managers, employees and personnel staff. Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Managements Approach to Employee Relations in the Near Future In order to evaluate managements approach to employee relations in the next 3 to 5 years, the challenges and factors that will affect employee relations need to be identified. These challenges can be summarised as financial pressures, implementation of a new HR Strategy (including job evaluation and a reward strategy) and EU and government regulations. Hard versus Soft Approach Funding from the government, within the sector is likely to follow the trend of gradual decline over the coming years. With less money, the soft approach (Legge, 1996) to employee resourcing becomes under pressure. the organisation would have to start looking at a hard approach, and to start treating its employees as expense of the organisation. The ‘hard’ model emphasises the importance of integrating human resource policies with the business strategy. (Rose, 2001) The hard approach sees human resources as passive and reactive rather than creative and proactive. (Storey, 1987; cited by Rose, 2001). This approach is used by organisations to become more competitive, to become a market leader. Management would put the business first and the employees second. In this situation, re-profiling of staff through retraining and natural wastage would not be able to continue in the current fashion. Management would need to consider downsizing issues such as effectiveness, value etc. (Staff are the highest cost within the organisation ? 65m, from a turnover of ? 110m) Other methods that management may look at, as a way of saving money, include not paying the cost of living award to staff and not paying overtime. All these methods heavily impact upon the employee relations within the organisation. The impact of this approach could be a loss in motivation by staff, an increase in staff turnover and an increase in the sickness levels. The hard approach may also be adopted to increase the organisation’s position competitively within the higher education sector, together with an improved marketing strategy, which would in turn improve student numbers, and thus increase funding. (Funding for universities is directly related to the number of students) Recommendation: That a harder approach to human resources be implemented, through integration of the human resource strategy with the business strategy. This will give the university competitive advantage, should the funding continue to decline. Pluralistic versus Unitary Approach The continuing involvement of EU and UK legislation in the areas of employee rights and allocation of financial resources requires the organisation to operate a pluralist approach to employee relations, in order to agree policies and processes with the unions. This is the process used to implement new legislation. Moving towards a unitary perspective would require the organisation to take on a paternalistic approach. However, the paternalistic approach requires the employer to take a ‘fatherly’ interest in its workforce. These organisations are described by Rose (2001) as neo-paternalistic. This is practised by organisations such as Marks and Spencers and tends to be the style of non-union companies which display a sense of caring, high growth, single status and profit sharing (Blyton and Turnbull, 1998 cited by Rose, 2001). the organisation has a heavily unionised workforce, a lack of profit and as such would not be able to fully adopt this paternalistic/unitary approach. However, the organisation should strive to build a more effective, â€Å"high performing† culture over the coming few years, by smoothing the differences between teaching and non-teaching staff, to see each others as equals, to make things better. Recommendation: That the organisation begins a move towards a more unitary approach by removing some of the differences that are apparent between the teaching and non-teaching community’s. the organisation currently has 3 unions representing various groups of staff. These unions currently represent the organisation staff independently of each other, negotiating separately for their own staff. This is a time consuming method and one way forward for the university is for these unions to form a single bargaining unit and to operate single table bargaining. Single-table bargaining is the process whereby there is one set of negotiations between unions and the employer, in a multi-union setting, covering both manual an non-manual workers. (Rose, 2001) Single-table bargaining allows for all unions to keep their recognition status. The single bargaining unit would consist of representatives from each union and could be used for information and consultation. Single-table bargaining would give management the following advantages:- * To make the bargaining process more efficient, remove potential sources of conflict within the organisation and to build trust and co-operation of between management and the unions * To support changes in working practices * To achieve consistency between different groups of staff (Salamon, 2000) This process would look at harmonisation of terms and conditions between the groups of staff, for example the hours per week, holidays and sick leave and would reflect what is happening nationally. However the problems that may be encountered if single table bargaining is bought in, include:- * Unions needing to have a common bargaining strategy, which would mean that, any differences that existed between them would have to be resolved. * The status differences that exist between groups of staff; academics and non-academics; manuals and non-manuals * Management not being able to reward specific groups of staff who are making above average contributions to the organisation As many of these issues are those that nationally are trying to be resolved, then single table bargaining seems a natural way forward at the organisation. Recommendation: That single table bargaining be considered at the organisation, to facilitate the process of harmonization of terms and conditions. Consultative Style There is pressure from the sector for all institutions to implement a job evaluation scheme. National negotiations between unions are also working towards a new pay modernisation framework. The outcomes of these negotiations will need to be implemented within the next 5 years. The effect of these changes on employee relations will depend upon the individual concerned. Some staff may gain an increase in pay, whilst others may have their pay frozen for a period of time. the organisation currently has a consultative style (Purcell amp; Sissons, 1983), whereby the unions are central to the communication process. This will need to continue, in order that these outcomes are implemented. Recommendation: That the consultative style of management be continued. Conclusion From this report it can be seen that managements approach to employee relations over the next 3 to 5 years may need to change in order to increase he competitive advantage of the organisation. These changes can only be implemented if management, staff and unions all work together for the benefit of the organisation. Bibliography Blyton, P. amp; Turnbull, P. (1998) The Dynamics of Employee Relations. London, Macmillan Fox, A. (1974) Beyond Contract: Work Power and Trust Relations. London, Faber and Faber Feltham, D. (2000) Employee Relations in Context, 2nd edition, CIPD Legge, K. (1995) Hu man Resource Management: Rhetorics and Realities, London, Macmillan Marchington, M. amp; Parker, P. (1990) Changing Patterns of Employee Relations. London, Harvester, Wheatsheaf Purcell, J. amp; Sisson, K. (1983) Strategies and Practice in the Management of Industrial Relations, Journal of Management Studies Purcell, J. (1987) Mapping Management Styles in Employment relations, Journal of Management Studies, 24(5) September Rose, E. (2001) Employment Relations, London, Financial Times Prentice-Hall Salamon, M. (2000) Industrial Relations, London, 4th edition, Financial Times Prentice-Hall Storey, J. 1987) Developments in the Management of Human Resource Management: an interim report, Warwick Papers in Industrial Relations, no 17. Coventry, University of Warwick Torrington, D. amp; Hall, L. (1987) Personnel Management: A New Approach, London, Prentice-Hall Tyson, S. (1987) The management of the personnel function, Journal of Management Studies, 24(5) Woods, S. J. , Wagner, A. , Armstr ong, E. G. A , Goodman, J. F. B. amp; Davis, J. E. (1975) The Industrial Relations System concept as a basis for theory in industrial relations, British Journal of Industrial Relations, vol 13, p295

How to Format a US Business Letter

How to Format a US Business Letter How to Format a US Business Letter How to Format a US Business Letter By Ali Hale Whatever you do – whether you’re a student, employed in an office job, or working as a freelancer – I can guarantee that at some point in your life, you’ll need to sit down and write a formal business letter. It might be to a customer, to an employer with a job that you want, or to apply for university funding. Perhaps it’ll even be to a literary agent or publisher who just might take on your undiscovered novel. Of course, you’ll want the letter to be well-written – but almost as important is knowing how to format it correctly. This article is about US business letter format (for UK readers, don’t worry, I’ll be writing a follow-up one for you.) The main formats for business letters in the US are called full block format and modified block format. Full block format means that all the elements of the letter are left-justified so that the start of each line is at the left-hand margin. This is the more formal style, so use it if you’re unsure which to go for. Modified block format means that some elements of the letter are shifted over to the right. Nowadays, this style is appropriate in most contexts. Here’s a full block format letter And a modified block format one: Let’s break those down into the main elements, in top-to-bottom order: Your Address Your address, also known as the â€Å"return address†, should come first. (Note that this applies when using standard plain paper. If you have letter headed paper, you should omit this.) 123 Acacia Avenue Newtown Anywhere AN 98765 Your return address should be positioned: On the left-hand side if you’re using full block format On the right-hand side (tab across, rather than right-aligning) if you’re using modified block format Why put your address? Even if the recipient has your details in their address book, you want it to be as hassle-free as possible for them to reply – you’re likely to receive a speedier response. The Date Directly beneath your address, put the date on which the letter was written: May 15, 2008 To avoid any confusion, especially if you are writing to a business abroad, it is best to put the date in word rather than number form, and you should omit the â€Å"th†. The date should be positioned on the left-hand side, for full block format and for modified block format Why put the date? It’s standard practice to include the date on which the letter was written. Correspondence is often filed in date order. It makes it much easier for the recipient to send a timely reply, and easier for you to chase up an answer if necessary. Eg. â€Å"In my letter of May 15†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Reference Line Ive not included this on the diagram as guidance varies on where it should be placed. You may include a reference line, starting with â€Å"Re:† This is often used when corresponding with large companies, or when applying for a job. The reference line can either appear beneath the date, OR beneath the recipients address. If you use a reference line, you should usually omit the subject line (see below). The reference line should be left-aligned for both full and modified block formats. Different types of letters will require different types of subject and reference lines, so choose the one thats most appropriate to your case. Why put a reference line? You should use a reference line if the recipient has requested specific information, such as a job number or invoice number, or if youre replying to a letter. This makes it easier for the recipient to get a speedy response to you. Recipient’s Name and Address Beneath this, you should put the name and address of the person you’re writing to, just as it would appear on the envelope. If you’re using a window envelope, this should be aligned on the page to show through the window – but even if it won’t be visible until the letter is opened, it should still be included. The recipient’s name and address should be positioned on the left-hand side, for both formats. Why put their address? If you’re writing to someone in an office, it probably won’t be them who opens the post. An administrator is likely to do so – and letters may be separated from their envelopes at this stage. Particularly if there are multiple departments within one building, or if you are starting your letter â€Å"Dear Bob†, a name and address ensures your letter reaches the correct recipient. The Greeting After their address, you should leave a line’s space then put â€Å"Dear Mr Jones†, â€Å"Dear Bob† or â€Å"Dear Sir/Madam† as appropriate. Follow this with a colon. The greeting, sometimes called the â€Å"salutation†, should always be left-aligned. Why put a greeting? Business letters are a formal type of writing, and it’s considered polite to start with a greeting. Although you can get away with starting emails â€Å"Hi† or â€Å"Hello†, letters follow more conservative conventions. The Subject Optionally, you may wish to include a subject for your letter. This is becoming more common, perhaps as people have become used to the subject lines of emails. If you do put a subject line, it should be in uppercase, directly below the â€Å"Dear name:† The subject (if you include one) should be left-aligned for full block format, but can be either left aligned or centred for modified block format. Why put the subject? It’s a good idea to include a subject so that the recipient can see at a glance what the letter refers to. Try to be succinct but include as much information as possible, eg. â€Å"Funding application from Joe Bloggs, candidate 222-456†. The Text of Your Letter Now, finally, you can write the main body of your letter. Your text should have: Single-spacing between lines A blank line (NOT an indent) before each new paragraph (And, of course, you should conform to all the usual rules of grammar, punctuation and spelling: for example, ensuring that you start each sentence with a capital letter, and finish with a full stop.) Why leave blank lines? In the business world, it’s standard practise to put a blank line between paragraphs. This helps to break up the text on the page and make it more readable. The Closing After the body of text, your letter should end with an appropriate closing phrase and a comma. The safest option is â€Å"Yours faithfully† (when you don’t know the name of the person to whom you are writing, ie. when you began â€Å"Dear Sir/Madam†) or â€Å"Yours sincerely† (when you do know their name). If you are already acquainted with the recipient, it may be appropriate to use a phrase such as â€Å"Best regards†, â€Å"With warmest regards†, or â€Å"Kind regards†. The closing should be: Left-aligned for full block format On the right (tab across so it matches up with your address) for modified block format Why use these phrases? Although â€Å"Yours sincerely† and â€Å"Yours faithfully† might sound archaic, they are time-honoured ways to close a formal letter. Your Name and Signature Put several blank lines after the â€Å"Yours sincerely,† or â€Å"Yours faithfully,† then type your name. You can optionally put your job title and company name on the line beneath this. Joe Bloggs Marketing Director, BizSolutions Your name and signature should be: Left-aligned for full block format On the right (tab across so it matches up with your address) for modified block format Why leave a blank space? The blank space is so that, when you’ve printed the letter, you can sign it with your name. This is taken as proof that the letter really is from the person whose name is typed at the bottom. Sometimes, another person may sign the letter on your behalf. If this is the case, they should put the letters â€Å"p.p.† before their name, which stands for the Latin per procurationem meaning â€Å"by agency†. Business letter tone Its very important that you choose the right voice and tone when writing your business letter. Using the correct format but choosing an improper type of language might affect your desired outcome. Heres what the guys from thebalancecareers.com wrote about this: Make the purpose of your letter clear through simple and targeted language, keeping the opening paragraph brief. You can start with, â€Å"I am writing in reference to†¦Ã¢â‚¬  and from there, communicate only what you need to say. The subsequent paragraphs should include information that gives your reader a full understanding of your objective(s) but avoid meandering sentences and needlessly long words. Again, keep it concise to sustain their attention. Enjoy writing your letters, and use the examples above to help you with the formatting if you do get stuck. Your Step by Step Recap Formatting a business letter correctly might seem a bit daunting, especially if you’ve never or rarely written this type of letter before – perhaps you’re applying for a job for the first time, for instance, and writing a covering letter. Here’s a quick recap of what we’ve covered, so you can use it as a handy checklist: Step #1: Decide Whether You’re Using â€Å"Full Block Format† or â€Å"Modified Block Format†. Try not to mix-and-match between these. Remember, full block format (with everything left-justified) is the more formal of the two styles – but these days, modified block format (with some elements shifted over to the right) is fine for most contexts. Step #2: Include Your Address Your address should go on the left for full block format and on the right for modified block format. Don’t right-justify the text – tab across. Step #3: Include the Date The date should go directly after your address, and should be left-justified whatever format you’re using. Write it like this: â€Å"May 15, 2008†. Step #4: Potentially Include a Reference Line If you’re corresponding with a large company or if you’ve been asked to include a specific reference number in your letter, type â€Å"Re:† then the reference line. If you’re using a reference line, omit the subject line. Step #5: Include the Recipient’s Name and Address This should be left-justified, whatever format you use. It’s important to include their full name as well as the address in case the letter becomes separated from the envelope (which it usually will in a large office). If you’re using a window envelope, make sure the recipient’s name and address are positioned to appear within the window. Step #6: Include the Greeting The greeting, sometimes called the salutation, should be followed by a colon. (E.g. â€Å"Dear Mr Jones:†) It should always be left-justified. Step #7: Consider Including a Subject Line The subject line is optional, but it’s become increasingly common practice. Your subject line should show the recipient, at a glance, what your letter is about. It can be left-justified or centered in modified block format. Step #8: Write the Letter Itself The text of your letter itself should be left-justified (in all formats) and single-spaced. You should put a blank line between paragraphs, rather than indenting them. Write in an appropriate business-like tone. Step #9: Add an Appropriate Closing Close your letter with a phrase like â€Å"Yours sincerely† (a safe formal option) or â€Å"Best regards† (a good option for someone who you already know). Follow this with a comma. Step #10: Add Your Name Leave a blank space for your signature, then type your name at the end of the letter. If appropriate, you can put your job title and company name on the line beneath your name. US Business Letter Quiz Select the correct answer for each of these questions about business letters. 1. Which business letter format has all elements of the letter left-justified? Modified block format Which format has all elements of the letter left-justified? 2. What should your greeting be followed by? A colon A semi-colon 3. Should you include the recipients name and address? Yes No 4. In the body of your letter, how should you mark the end of one paragraph and the start of the next? With an indentation With a blank line Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Business Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Masters Degree or Master's Degree?50 Synonyms for â€Å"Idea†How to Style Legislative Terms

The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami History and Its Aftermath

The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami History and Its Aftermath December 26, 2004, seemed like an ordinary Sunday. Fishermen, shopkeepers, Buddhist nuns, medical doctors, and mullahs - all around the Indian Ocean basin, people went about their morning routines. Western tourists on their Christmas holiday flocked to the beaches of Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia, reveling in the warm tropical sun and the blue waters of the sea. Without warning, at 7:58 am, a fault along the seafloor 250 kilometers (155 miles) southeast of Banda Aceh, in the state of Sumatra, Indonesia, suddenly gave way. A magnitude 9.1 underwater earthquake ripped along 1,200 kilometers (750 miles) of the fault, displacing parts of the seabed upward by 20 meters (66 feet), and opening a new rift 10 meters deep (33 feet). This sudden movement released an unimaginable amount of energy - equivalent to approximately 550 million times the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945. When the seafloor shot upward, it caused a series of huge ripples in the Indian Ocean - that is, a tsunami. The people closest to the epicenter had some warning about the unfolding catastrophe - after all, they felt the powerful earthquake. However, tsunamis are uncommon in the Indian Ocean, and people had only about 10 minutes to react. There were no tsunami warnings. Around 8:08 am, the sea suddenly drew back from the earthquake-devastated shores of northern Sumatra. Then, a series of four enormous waves crashed ashore, the highest recorded at 24 meters tall (80 feet). Once the waves hit the shallows, in some places the local geography channeled them into even larger monsters, as much as 30 meters (100 feet) tall. The seawater roared inland, scouring large areas of the Indonesian coastline bare of human structures, and carrying away an estimated 168,000 people to their deaths. An hour later, the waves reached Thailand; still unwarned and unaware of the danger, approximately 8,200 people were caught by the tsunami waters, including 2,500 foreign tourists. The waves overran the low-lying Maldive Islands, killing 108 people there, and then raced on to India and Sri Lanka, where an additional 53,000 perished about two hours after the earthquake. The waves were still 12 meters (40 feet) tall. Finally, the tsunami struck the coast of East Africa some seven hours later. Despite the lapse of time, authorities had no way to warn the people of Somalia, Madagascar, Seychelles, Kenya, Tanzania, and South Africa. Energy from the quake in far-off Indonesia carried away approximately 300 to 400 people along Africas Indian Ocean coast, the majority in Somalias Puntland region. The Causation of the Casualties Altogether, an estimated 230,000 to 260,000 people died in the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. The quake itself was third-most powerful since 1900, exceeded only by the Great Chilean Earthquake of 1960 (magnitude 9.5), and the 1964 Good Friday Earthquake in Prince William Sound, Alaska (magnitude 9.2); both of those quakes also produced killer tsunamis in the Pacific Ocean basin. The Indian Ocean tsunami was the most deadly in recorded history. Why did so many people die on December 26, 2004? Dense coastal populations combined with a lack of tsunami-warning infrastructure came together to produce this horrific result. Since tsunamis are much more common in the Pacific, that ocean is ringed with tsunami-warning sirens, ready to respond to information from the tsunami-detection buoys arrayed across the area. Although the Indian Ocean is seismically active, it was not wired for tsunami detection in the same way - despite its heavily-populated and low-lying coastal areas. Perhaps the great majority of the 2004 tsunamis victims could not have been saved by buoys and sirens. After all, by far the largest death toll was in Indonesia, where people had just been shaken by the massive quake and had only minutes to find high ground. Yet more than 60,000 people in other countries could have been saved; they would have had at least an hour to move away from the shoreline - if they had had some warning. In the years since 2004, officials have worked hard to install and improve an Indian Ocean Tsunami Warning System. Hopefully, this will ensure that the people of the Indian Ocean basin will never again be caught unawares while 100-foot walls of water barrel toward their shores.

Identifying the political or social orientation of a viewpoint Research Paper

Identifying the political or social orientation of a viewpoint - Research Paper Example Griffin as well as Mr. Block. President Obama based his recess appointments on or pro United States Constitution. The same constitution’s article II provision states the United States President has the constitutional power to appoint individuals to fill vacancies during the Senate’s recess. In fact, the same article affirms former United States President G. W. Bush appointed 171 individuals when the Senate was in recess to fill up the prevailing vacancies. In the same manner, former United States President B. Clinton appointed 139 individuals during the Senate’s recess to fill up current vacancies. The same article shows former United States President A. Johnson had appointed 14 individuals under the classification of recess appointments during his term. Under the bandwagon logic, if the prior presidents were legally allowed to appoint individuals during the Senate Recess. The recess appointments avoided the confirmation or disapproval of our assigned United States Senators during the grueli ng and tension-filled appointment scrutiny meetings (Rainbolt, 2014). The pro argument has its own set of strengths. First, the first premise is true. Our United States Constitution allows the President to appoint his preferred individuals to work in government departments. Second, the second premise affirms that United States President, to the best of his knowledge, felt he did not violate any law. The president innocently felt that the appointments of the three individuals correctly done because the senators were in recess, Christmas recess (Hughes, 2004). The pro argument has its weaknesses. First, the first premise is grounded on the general rule. The general statement dictates that the United States president can appoint individuals during the Senate recess. However, there is an exception. The Federal Court affirmed that recess appointments are allowed only during the formal or official senate recesses. The Federal court

Art as a Spiritual Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Art as a Spiritual Practice - Essay Example When practiced properly and with full attention it can prove to be a staircase to where one wishes to go. It can show you the way towards consciousness if the person is seriously interested. And here art refers to any kind of a creative act; whether it be drawing, painting, pottery, sculpture, or even performing arts such as dancing, singing or acting. Each of these activities requires proper concentration on the part of the performer and cannot be taken as a joke if one really wishes to attain proficiency and work out professionally. And when one is serious regarding art he may be able to look at it as a spiritual discipline. Ann Biddle was a dancer who expresses her spirituality through such means. She had had a tough early life and she was always interested in God and spiritual disciplines, such that she looked for them in her talents. She danced, acted and chanted. And in each of these activities, she was able to find the spirituality she had been in search of. In fact, she even got some ideas for her work when engrossed in spiritual practices. Another example is that of Willi Singleton who understood pottery as a form of spiritual practice. He did not look at pottery as something through which he supplied people with pots and plates; in fact, he gave his work a totally new meaning and found spirituality in it. When he is working he experiences a meditative transformation and thus this practice becomes a meditation for him. Lydia Garcia is yet another lady who found spirituality in art, wood carving in her case. Her marriages did not bring her much happiness and she let go after three marriages and looked for spirituality. She admits that whenever depression visited her and she felt low it was a spirituality that helped her regain comfort and confidence.  

Oedipus The King Essay Example for Free

Oedipus The King Essay Oedipus is written as a play, there is no narrator, Sophocles explains the story line and then runs the story into playwright. I like this point of view because it can sometimes be more clear to the reader. There are many points of view in this play. That is there are many different individuals addressed this playwright. Thus there are many different points of view. I think that Oedipus generally speaks in place of a narrator, because he is the main character. I believe he expresses some of the things that Sophocles is trying to say to the audience. An example of this is when he says: Speak out, speak to us all. I grieve for these, my people, far more that I fear for my own life. (Sophocles, 395) I think that Sophocles is trying to get people to speak their own mind, come together, and establish a community. He is saying this through Oedipus. Oedipus goes through many changes. He goes through a state of innocence or ignorance, then through a state of denial and finally a state of acceptance and guilt. Throughout these different stages in his life, he reveals to his audience who he really is. Oedipus believing he is innocent is part of the form in this play. Oedipus has come to the throne of Thebes by solving the Riddle of the Sphinx. There is a plague upon Thebes which Oedipus desires to heal. Creon returns to the palace after his visit to the Pythian House of Phoebus, an oracle. The oracle has said that the only way to cure the illness in Thebes is to find the man whom killed Laius, the previous king of Thebes. Odeipus tries to discover the murderer and requests that the murderer come forward and promises that instead of being killed, he will be banished from Thebes. If any man comes forward with the murderer he will be rewarded and if any guilty man is found and has not confessed, the murderer will be banished from all aspects of society. Tiresias, an aged, blind prophet is brought to Oedipus to reveal the murderer. Tiresias says that Oedipus unknowingly killed Laius. Disbelieving this, Oedipus blames Creon for plotting this against him to gain the throne  of Thebes. Tiresias states his innocence and before he leaves the palace, he gives Oedipus a riddle: The murderer seemed an alien is really a native to Theban, was once poor and now is rich, is the brother of his children and the child of his wife, the heir to his fathers bed and the cause of his fathers death. The form in this part of the play, plays into the certain buildup of the plot. Now Creon comes to the palace after hearing of Oedipus charges against him. Oedipus questions Creon as to why Tiresias didnt come forward when the initial investigation of Laius death occured. Creon says he is happy with his position in court and has no desire to take the throne from Oedipus. He tells Oedipus that for proof he can go to the oracle at Pytho and ask if Creon is telling the truth. Jocasta, Oedipus wife, tells him that an oracle came to Laius saying that he would die by the hand of his child. Learning this Laius has his newborn son tied at the ankles and taken away to be killed. She says that Laius was killed by robbers on his way to the oracle at Delphi at the place where three roads meet. The content of this play is that of Greek tragedy, son of Laius, king of Thebes, and his wife, Jocasta. Laius had been warned by an oracle that he was fated to be killed by his own son; he therefore abandoned Oedipus on a mountainside. The baby was rescued, however, by a shepherd and brought to the king of Corinth, who adopted him. When Oedipus is grown, he learns from the oracle that he would kill his father and marry his mother. He fled Corinth to escape this fate, believing his foster parents to be his real parents. At a crossroad Oedipus encountered Laius(his father), and killed him. He continued on to Thebes, where the Sphinx was talking and all who could not solve her riddle. Oedipus answered it correctly and so he won the widowed queens hand(his mother). The prophecy was fulfilled. Two sons, Polynices and Eteocles, and two daughters, Antigone and Ismene, were born to the unwittingly incestuous pair. When a plague descended on  Thebes, an oracle declared that the only way to rid the land of its illness was to expel the murderer of Laius. Through a series of painful revelations, the king learned the truth and in an agony of horror blinded himself. His daughters, Antigone and Ismene, are left in the hands of Kreon, who proves to be a true friend of Oedipus. The content of this play regarding time is that the time wasnt very specific, but it does say that Sophocles lived from 496-406 BC. The place on the other hand is very specific, it introduces you saying: The royal house of Thebes. Double doors dominate the facade, a stone altar stands at the center of the stage. Many years have passed since Oedipus has solved the riddle of the Sphinx and ascended the throne of Thebes, and now a plague has struck the city. A procession of priests enters ¦(Sophocles, 392) I think that this introduction leads the reader into a world of curiosity. We really dont know what is going to happen to Oedipus, all we know is there is a plague across the town that Oedipus must do something about. This leads the reader into Oedipus stages of innocence or ignorance, denial and finally guilt. The content in the choice of setting affects the theme because it makes this story more believable, in a time unfamiliar to us, long ago.

The Strong Women in The Orestia by Aeschylus Essay -- Aeschylus Orest

The Strong Women in The Orestia by Aeschylus To most readers, the women of The Orestia are evil and vindictive, a disgrace to all chaste and righteous women.   Aeschylus portrayed women as equals to men, which was not the opinion of most Greeks at the time.   Although he showed some of his women characters as evil, he granted them power, and emasculated the men around them.   Unlike Homer, the women of Aeschylus show both ranges of emotions, both the good and the bad.   A woman portrayed as a villain may be thought of negatively, but the fact that a female is allowed to be the villain, to take action, and leave other men helpless to the choices that she makes, it is a great step.   In the time of the Greeks, a woman was either victimized by the male world around her, or victimized other males to hold a place in the world.   Aeschylus made his women characters unique for his time but relevant to ours, since all the bad and evil characteristics of women then are mostly recognized as strength and intellect.   This th eme is mostly clearly shown through Clymanestra.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Clymanestra was not an evil character, but rather a misunderstood one.   Woman of today could perfectly relate to her situation.   For example, Clymanestra was like a housewife, who ran her family while her husband was off focused on his job, working overtime, even when he didn?t need the money, leaving her needs totally unattended to.   The husband talked about his work life like he was the gear that everything revolves around, perhaps even talks about the women that worship him for his skills, or at worst, sleeps with his secretary.   He sacrificed spending time with his children, even missed his daughter?s first ballet recital, so that he could kiss up to the bos... ...   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   All in all, the strong women in Aeschylus were a man?s nightmare, but the fulfillment of a woman?s dream.   Clymanestra was the type of woman hated in Greece as a she-devil tyrant, but in the present, the kind of woman who would have been a very effective and respected politician who could keep her own in a man?s world.   Aeschylus clearly showed that for a woman, it was nobler to take control of one?s life, be independent, and die, than to ride the rivers of passiveness, watch the world float by without taking any action to change one?s fate, and live a fruitless life.   Clymanestra was not just another ?evil? woman, but could be looked at as a role model for the feminist movement.   She took control of sexuality, of her kingdom, of her children, and her marriage.    Works Cited: Aeschylus. Oresteia. Trans. Peter Meineck. Indianapolis: Hackett, 1998.