Types of organizational structure

Types of organizational structure What is the definition of an organization? Is a social unit of people that is structured and managed to meet a need or to pursue collective goals. All organizations have a management structure that determines relationships between the different activities and the members, and subdivides and assigns roles, responsibilities, and authority to carry out different tasks. Organizations are open systems they affect and are affected by their environment. A business organization is an individual or group of people that collaborate to achieve certain commercial goals. Some business organizations are formed to earn income for owners. Other business organizations, called nonprofits, are formed for public purposes. These businesses often raise money and utilize other resources to provide or support public programs. The term business organization refers to how a business is structured. The business organization is defined in the bylaws when the business is formed with the name and contact information of those who own and run the company with their roles defined. The bylaws state the purpose of the organization and what it does. A sole proprietorship does not have bylaws because one person owns and controls the business. What is an organizational structure? Is the typically hierarchical arrangement of lines of authority, communications, right and duties of an organisation. Organisational structure determines how the roles, power and responsibilities are assigned, controlled, and coordinated, and how information flows between the different levels of management. A structure depends on the organisations objectives and strategy. In a centralized structure, the top layer of management has most of the decision making power and has tight control over departments and divisions. In a decentralized structure, the decision making power is distributed and the departments and divisions may have different degrees of independence. A company such as Proctor and Gamble that sells multiple products may organize their structure so that groups are divided according to each product and depending on geographical area as well. Organizational structure is a system used to define a hierarchy within an organization. It identifies each job, its function and where it reports to within the organization. This structure is developed to establish how an organization operates and assists an organization in obtaining its goals to allow for future growth. The structure is illustrated using an organizational chart. There are two types of Organizational structure. Formal Structure which is the organisation of business that hierarchical the nature. For a company, formal structure can be found on its organisational chart that includes the staff names and their official job titles. It is easy to understand and to the point is unlike the long drawn out definitions while reading, one do forgets the previous sentence after moving to the next. The other defines the term in its crudest form. A formal organisation structure shows a recognisable chain of command, it also has many levels of management. This makes communication slower and decision making harder to implement. Informal structure Informal structure consists of the social structure of an organisation. It includes the corporate culture, behaviour interactions and social connections which occur within an organisation. Many organisation have a formal, written structure, and a more informal, cultural structure. A good advantage for the informal structure is, it evolves constantly. And it can easily respond quickly in a changing situation. An informal structure is much more relaxed, with very few levels of management. This makes communication much easier between levels and decisions and made faster. Centralization Decentralization Centralization is said to be a process where the concentration of decision making is in a few hands. All the important decision and actions at the lower level, all subjects and actions at the lower level are subject to the approval of top management. According to Allen, Centralization is the systematic and consistent reservation of authority at central points in the organization. For example Company A is run by Stephen Clarkson B. Delgado. Company A is being controlled by a centralized or a top level superior; this is an example of an centralized organization. The implication of centralization can be: Reservation of decision making power at top level. Reservation of operating authority with the middle level managers. Reservation of operation at lower level at the directions of the top level Decentralization is a systematic delegation of authority at all levels of management and in all of the organization. In a decentralization concern, authority in retained by the top management for taking major decisions and framing policies concerning the whole concern. Rest of the authority may be delegated to the middle level and lower level of management. Decentralization is the distributing power and decision making among different people, departments, or locations within an organization. For example, a national retail chain may allow its store managers to make decisions on the merchandise that will be carried in their particular stores. Some benefits decentralization would include decisions are made by those who have the most knowledge about local conditions greater managerial input in decision- making has a desirable motivational effect managers have more control over results Business Structures As a government has different types of organization, Organisations have a formal structure which is the way that the organisation is organised by those with responsibility for managing the organisation. They create the formal structures that enable the organisation to meet its stated objectives. Often these formal structures will be set out on paper in the form of organisational charts. However, in the course of time an informal structure develops in most organisations which is based on the reality of day-to-day interactions between the members of the organisation. This informal structure may be different from that which is set out on paper. Informal structures develop because: people find new ways of doing things which they find easier and save them time patterns of interaction are shaped by friendship groups and other relationships people forget what the formal structures are It is easier to work with informal structures. Sometimes the informal structure may conflict with the formal one. Where this is the case the organisation may become less efficient at meeting its stated objectives. However, in some cases the informal structure may prove to be more efficient at meeting organisational objectives because the formal structure was badly set out. There are two types of Organizational structures Tall Structures Tall organizational structure is one which has many levels of hierarchy. In these organizations, there are usually many managers, and each manager has a small span of control they are in charge of only a small group of people. Tall structures tend to be more complicated and complex, and may be slower to respond to market changes than organizations where managers have a larger span of control. Tall structure has many levels of management and its supervision. Long chain of command is one of it. It means, running from the top of an organisation. The advantage of tall structure is clear management structure, narrow span of control, the function of each layer will be clear and distinct, and a clear progression. Pros and Cons of tall structure The pros of tall structures lie in clarity and managerial control. The narrow span of control allows for close supervision of employees. Tall structures provide a clear, distinct layer with obvious lines of responsibility and control and a clear promotion structure. Challenges begin when a structure gets too tall. Communication begins to take too long to travel through all the levels. These communication problems hamper decision-making and hinder progress. Flat Structures Flat structures have fewer management levels, with each level controlling a broad area or group. Flat organizations focus on empowering employees rather than adhering to the chain of command. By encouraging autonomy and self-direction, flat structures attempt to tap into employees creative talents and to solve problems by collaboration. Pros and cons of flat structure Flat organizations offer more opportunities for employees to excel while promoting the larger business vision. That is, there are more people at the top of each level. For flat structures to work, leaders must share research and information instead of hoarding it. If they can manage to be open, tolerant and even vulnerable, leaders excel in this environment. Flatter structures are flexible and better able to adapt to changes. Faster communication makes for quicker decisions, but managers may end up with a heavier workload. Instead of the military style of tall structures, flat organizations lean toward a more democratic style. The heavy managerial workload and large number of employees reporting to each boss sometimes results in confusion over roles. Bosses must be team leaders who generate ideas and help others make decisions. When too many people report to a single manager, his job becomes impossible. Employees often worry that others manipulate the system behind their backs by rep orting to the boss; in a flat organization, that means more employees distrusting higher levels of authority. Diagram of Tall and Flat Structure Tall structure http://www.emeraldinsight.com/content_images/fig/0291020503007.png Diagram 1: Tall structure By: http://www.emeraldinsight.com/content_images/fig/0291020503007.png Flat structure http://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-UYB474BaaCY/Te0Hxo459jI/AAAAAAAAE1k/3gIGD7S0614/Flat-Organisation-Structure-Advantages-Disadvantages.jpg Diagram 2: Flat structure By: http://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-UYB474BaaCY/Te0Hxo459jI/AAAAAAAAE1k/3gIGD7S0614/Flat-Organisation-Structure-Advantages-Disadvantages.jpg Span of control Span of control is the term now used more commonly in business management, particularly human resource management. Span of control refers to the number of subordinates a supervisor has. In a business of more than one person, unless the business has equal partners, then there are managers and subordinates. Subordinates are workers controlled by the manager. A hierarchy describes the structure of the management of the business, from the top of the company the managing director, through to the shop floor worker, who reports to their foreman, in a manufacturing business. The hierarchy of a business is usually best understood by drawing an organisation chart showing which levels of management and employees report to whom. An example of a hierarchy is shown in the diagram below: http://www.tutor2u.net/business/gcse/organisation_public_sector_clip_image002.jpg Diagram 3: Span of control Created by: http://www.tutor2u.net/business/gcse/organisation_span_of_control.htm The advantages of a narrow span of control are: A narrow span of control allows a manager to communicate quickly with the employees under them and control them more easily Feedback of ideas from the workers will be more effective It requires a higher level of management skill to control a greater number of employees, so there is less management skill required An example of a wide span of control is shown in the diagram to the right:http://www.tutor2u.net/business/gcse/organisation_public_sector_clip_image004.gif Diagram 4: Wide span of control By: www.tutor2u.net, (n.d) There are also different types of organizational structure Product Structures An organizational structure is a framework in which companies outline the different responsibilities in their company. A product-based organizational structure separates the company by products, activities, projects or geography. This allows a company to have a particular focus on specific items in its business operations. Organizational structure refers to the different hierarchies or levels in a company. An organizational structure appears as a series of boxes, vertical and horizontal lines. The boxes represent various titles within the organization, and the vertical lines represent to whom that position reports. Horizontal lines show which employees are on the same level. The appearance of an organization structure is usually pyramidal because there are fewer executive-level positions at the top of the company. Advantages and disadvantages: Product-based structures allow companies to remain flexible in the business environment. This allows the company to add or remove structure sections as necessary. However, it can prohibit companies from achieving company-wide goals since each unit operates on its own. product-business-organization-structure.jpg (516ÃÆ'-344) Diagram 5: Product structure By: http://the-business-plan.com/wp-content/uploads/product-business-organization-structure.jpg Geographical structure Organizational structure defines the hierarchy in which an organization will operate. There are many defined types of organizational structure, but some organizations may create their own, or use a combination of several structures to efficiently run business operations. Geographic organizational structure is used for organizations that have offices or business units in different geographic locations. Geographical structure is the firm organized into geographical units (regional, national, international) that report to a central headquarter which administers the core functions such as planning and marketing. example-geographic-org-chart.jpg (600ÃÆ'-159) Diagram 6: Geographical Structure By: http://thethrivingsmallbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/example-geographic-org-chart.jpg Function The term organizational structure refers to how the people in an organization are grouped and to whom they report. One traditional way of organizing people is by function. Some common functions within an organization include production, marketing, human resources and accounting. The classic organizational structure where the employees are grouped hierarchically, managed through clear lines of authority, and report ultimately to one top person. Advantages Some advantages of a functional organization are that the lines of command are clear. Individuals specialize and departments tend to develop common knowledge across the group. There may be an advantage to individuals in that career paths can be fairly easily defined. Disadvantages Disadvantages of the functional organization include poor communication across groups and slow response to changes in the environment. Too much work may be referred upward due to the lack of decision making authority, and serious problems can ensue when groups develop a narrow perspective. http://thethrivingsmallbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/example-functional-org-chart-jpg.jpg Diagram 7: Function Structure By: http://thethrivingsmallbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/example-functional-org-chart-jpg.jpg Multi divisional Companies use organizational structures to characterize their hierarchical and reporting structures. The organizational structure shows the superior-subordinate equations in the organization. A multi-divisional organizational structure is used by large organizations. Here, the scale of operations is very large; hence the number of employees is also very enormous. The company divides all of its strategic functions into departments. All these departments do their share of the allocated work, and all the work is later collated as the organizational tasks. According to the Human Resource Management Guide, a multidivisional organizational structure consists of self-contained units that operate as their own separate entity. For example, Procter and Gamble owns multiple national brand names and creates a self-contained business model and organizational structure for each product. Each brand is given its own corporate identity, leadership and organizational design. Advantages A multidivisional organizational structure promotes motivation among team members because of the performance/reward connection. This structure makes it easy for leadership in the organisation to maintain keen oversight and reward those who perform well. The service provided to customers meets their needs more appropriately because leadership and employees work more closely with customers. There is also clear identity and purpose in this structure that increases team member loyalty, dedication and satisfaction. Disadvantages A multidivisional organizational structure does have some disadvantages. The disadvantages deal directly with external relationships. Although the department itself is very close and possesses a defined identity and purpose, communication between departments can be difficult. Conflict between departments is common due to competition and differences in values, systems and expectations. This structure also costs more to operate and manage because each division is considered its own entity. http://www.emeraldinsight.com/content_images/fig/0410130305001.png Diagram 8: Multidivisional diagram By: http://www.emeraldinsight.com Matrix Matrix structure is defined as a type of management system in which workers report to more than one person, effectively having two or more supervisors at the same time. This can be illustrated by the example of a project environment, where professionals with different types of expertise are brought together to work on a projects. They report to a number of managers of different projects, as well as to a functional supervisor. The idea is to share knowledge and personnel to maximize effectiveness. The matrix structure is an organizational design that groups employees by both function and product. The organizational structure is very flat, and the structure of the matrix is differentiated into whatever functions are needed to accomplish certain goals. Each functional worker usually reports to the functional heads, but do not normally work directly under their supervision. Instead, the worker is controlled by the membership of a certain project, and each functional worker usually works under the supervision of a project manager. This way, each worker has two superiors, who will jointly ensure the progress of the project. The functional head may be more interested in developing the most exiting products or technologies, whereas the project manager may be more concerned with keeping deadlines and controlling product costs. Advantages The cross functional teams of a matrix structure reduce the functional barriers between departments, and increase the integration of functions. Matrix structures open up for communication, and may provide an opportunity for team members to learn from each other thus distributing valuable knowledge laterally within the organization. The matrix structure makes it possible to assign specialized resources to projects when needed. Disadvantages A matrix structure lacks the effectiveness of bureaucracy, and will potentially not work if the organization does not need to react swiftly to changes The flat hierarchy may be the cause of conflict, and different stakeholders may pursue entirely different goals. The great focus on integration between functional areas requires a great amount of lateral communication, and it may require great resources to get information distributed efficiently between team members. As said before, the use of a matrix structure seems more feasible for organizations operating in business environments characterized by change, dynamism and uncertainty. This could e.g. be organizations operating in high-tech industries such as computing or telecommunication http://thethrivingsmallbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Example-Matrix-Organization-Chart-jpg.jpg Diagram 9: Matrix Diagram By: http://thethrivingsmallbusiness.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Example-Matrix-Organization-Chart-jpg.jpg Definition of Culture Is the values and behaviours that contribute to the unique social and psychological environment of an organization. Organizational culture includes an organizations expectations, experiences, philosophy, and values that hold it together, and is expressed in its self-image, inner workings, interactions with the outside world, and future expectations. It is based on shared attitudes, beliefs, customs, and written and unwritten rules that have been developed over time and are considered valid. Also called corporate culture. Company culture is the personality of a company and defines what a company, from an employee perspective, is like to work for. Company culture includes the company mission, values, ethics, expectations, goals, and work environment. Whether written as a mission statement, spoken or merely understood, corporate culture describes and governs the ways a companys owners and employees think, feel and act. Your own businesss culture may be based on beliefs spelled out in yo ur mission statement. It could consist in part of a corporate symbol, like the rainbow-colored apple that symbolizes Apple Computer. Whatever shape it takes, your corporate culture plays a big role in determining how well your business will do. There are four types of cultures: Power Is one based on the dominance of one or a small number of individuals within an organisation. They make the key decisions for the organisation. This sort of power culture may exist in a small business or part of a larger business. There are some organizations where the power remains in the hands of only few people and only they are authorized to take decisions. They are the ones who enjoy special privileges at the workplace. They are the most important people at the workplace and are the major decision makers. These individuals further delegate responsibilities to the other employees. In such a culture the subordinates have no option but to strictly follow their superiors instructions. The employees do not have the liberty to express their views or share their ideas on an open forum and have to follow what their superior says. The managers in such a type of culture sometimes can be partial to someone or the other leading to major unrest among others. Role Exists in large hierarchical organisations in which individuals have clear roles (jobs) to perform which are closely specified. Individuals tend to work closely to their job description, and tend to follow the rules rather than to operate in a creative way. Role culture is a culture where every employee is delegated roles and responsibilities according to his specialization, educational qualification and interest to extract the best out of him. In such a culture employees decide what best they can do and willingly accept the challenge. Every individual is accountable for something or the other and has to take ownership of the work assigned to him. Power comes with responsibility in such a work culture. Task Exists when teams are formed to complete particular tasks. A distinct team culture develops, and because the team is empowered to make decisions, task cultures can be creative. Organizations where teams are formed to achieve the targets or solve critical problems follow the task culture. In such organizations individuals with common interests and specializations come together to form a team. There are generally four to five members in each team. In such a culture every team member has to contribute equally and accomplish tasks in the most innovative way. Person There are certain organizations where the employees feel that they are more important than their organization. Such organizations follow a culture known as person culture. In a person culture, individuals are more concerned about their own self rather than the organization. The organization in such a culture takes a back seat and eventually suffers. Employees just come to the office for the sake of money and never get attached to it. They are seldom loyal towards the management and never decide in favour of the organization. One should always remember that organization comes first and everything else later. There are certain organizations where the employees feel that they are more important than their organization. Such organizations follow a culture known as person culture. In a person culture, individuals are more concerned about their own self rather than the organization. The organization in such a culture takes a back seat and eventually suffers. Employees just come to the offi ce for the sake of money and never get attached to it. They are seldom loyal towards the management and never decide in favour of the organization. One should always remember that organization comes first and everything else later. Task 2 Explain how the relationship between an organisations structure and culture can impact on the performance of the business All businesses have Business organization has structures and cultures that have been followed to apply great impact on the productivity of their business. These organizations could have applied either a product structure, Multi-dimensional, Matrix structure etc. And have followed a power type culture or person type culture and so on. Each of these has its own effect and impact on their business. These structures and cultures play an important role of setting the definition of an company, setting their goals and how they could organize its members to meet their goals As The behaviours and beliefs characteristic of a workplace are its culture. The culture and structure of an organization affect one another. A structure appropriate to the organization helps to develop a healthy culture. In companies with rigid structures, communication tends to follow reporting lines. In companies with flatter structures, communication may occur more easily across departments. Studies have found a relationship between job satisfaction and organizational structure. Organizations with flatter structures may foster more feelings of self-actualization and create less anxiety in employees. Relationships with customers may suffer if departmental relationships cause the customer difficulty in getting problems addressed. Multi-functional teams that can answer a customers questions and resolve issues have a positive effect on customer satisfaction. Organizational structure impacts the success of a companys projects. If project personnel also perform routine operational work , it may be difficult for them to focus on projects and meet schedules. If the flow of information across departments is difficult, it may affect ability to share resources effectively. Task 3 Look at the factors associated with individual behaviour and discuss how they influence an individuals behaviour at work. Each individuals work has its own effects on organizations. There are many factors on how individual or group goals have affected an organization. These goals could also be the life force of the performance both could be positive or negative depending on how the scenario goes. Either way all these factors are important as a single employees goals and ambition could lead any organization to success if in proper standing and worked on accordingly. Collective goals These are goals that are collected or shared by individual to form a same goal coming from the same ideology. For instance a basketball teams belief in practicing and training other people with the game or making basketball more accessible to others, this could lead their team to complete objectives like win in an inter-basketball tournament, gaining new players and earning more money. Or to simply fulfil the need of its members to gather more players to gain more company and improve their basketball abilities. Within these goals there are many different types of goals as it is shown Ideological Goal, These are the goals or objective that has a connection with an individuals belief and values. These Goals usually are the inspiration of what an individual have for example. An Archery clubs mission or ideological goal is to share to other people their own knowledge of archery. Formal Goals are goals set by an dominant individual, These goals are usually organizational based goals that is set by a higher supremacy. These goals move an organization on how that individual or owner wants his organizations to be. Shares personal goals are goals pursued when the individual members agree and collide with their own individual ideas as missions. These are the goals shared by all individuals of a group to form one centralized mission where they can all complete as a group. Controlled performance Every organization needs to take responsibility to its owners and other stakeholders for the achievement of its collective goals. These goals cannot simple move on its own and needs to be moulded step by step being controlled accordingly so that to ensure the success of their goals and missions. This ensures that All goals whether ideological, formal, or shared personal goals are understood by all members The necessary resources are secures and utilised in such a way that goals will be reached without undue risk, disruption or waste They can tell whether, or to what extent they have reached their goals. This is why all organizations has a centralized management, to ensure that the employees who are working on these goals and mission carry out their individual tasks positively and with no mistake to avoid negative backlashes and effects.

Middle Childhood and Adolescence Paper Essay

The change that occurs from middle childhood to adolescence is arguably one of the most profound changes that children go through. Not only do children change physically but emotionally. â€Å"Adolescence is the transitional period between late childhood and the beginning of adulthood, and marks the beginning of the reproductive lifespan in humans. Adolescence involves sexual maturity in terms of hormones and physical development of the body, and is also characterized by an increase in the complexity of group interactions and thus social behavior (Lerner and Steinberg, 2004)†. During this time of transition many develop a stronger sense of self and begin to separate from completely associated themselves with their family members. This is a completely normal stage of transition for children turning into adolescents and becoming a vital part of a larger community. Family Dynamics There are many ways a child’s upbringing can affect how they mature into adults. A primary aspect taken into consideration is the family dynamic in which a child is raised. In many cases a child with a family that is well structured, has sound moral characteristics, and provides a stable environment is more likely to be a successful member of society. Whereas a child who has a family that is dysfunctional is less likely to be in a healthy environment emotionally or physically. For example, â€Å"Recent research has suggested that the family plays an important role in depressive disorders (Keitner & Miller, 1990; Keitner, Miller, Epstein, & Bishop, 1990). More specifically, research has demonstrated that families of depressed patients manifest significant impairments in family functioning during the patient’s acute episode relative to control families (Crowther, 1985; Dobson, 1987; Keitner, Miller, Epstein, & Bishop, 1986) with 50%–75% of families of depressed patients manifesting significant family dysfunction.†(Miller, I. W., Keitner, G. I., Whisman, M. A., Ryan, C. E.,  Epstein, N. B., & Bishop, D. S. ,1992). A dysfunctional family can become a catalyst for many undesirable emotional attributes and or physical reactions that can occur after being subjected to higher levels of dysfunction. For example if a child is verbally abused by a parent they may exhibit such behaviors towards their peers to gain some form of control in their life. Peer Influences: From Middle Childhood to Adolescence Peers from middle childhood onto adolescence make a substantial change with age. Many children at a young age learn how to socialize with other children and generally behave well with the collective group. As children grow in age and their hormones develop, they become more aware of their surrounding social group. This can have both negative and positive impacts on development. â€Å"The poor peer relations of aggressive children could make them isolated psychologically or physically from peers, which in turn might result in depressive or disruptive problems.† (Yamasaki, K., & Nishida, N. 2009). Whereas in a healthy peer relation environment a child will be more likely to excel socially and develop a strong sense of individuality amongst those around them. Pressures faced in Adolescence vs. Middle Childhood. During the change from middle childhood to adolescence, children are begin to develop their own identity. They are physically going through major changes. Where sexual differences before adolescence usually played a dividing factor when it comes to social interactions, chemical changes that happen to most adolescent boys or girls bring about a change in interest. Often children begin to think more abstractly during this change instead of just asking why they think of the multiple possibilities. Children going through adolescence are going through body image struggles, boys feel pressured to have to meet â€Å"masculine† standards, whereas girls go through major changes in body image and can feel vulnerable. â€Å"With puberty, normal increases in girls’ body, fat can impact body image and self-concept negatively for many. Both boys and girls might be concerned with skin problems, height, weight, and overall appearance.† (Oregon State University, 2001). Almost all children face this significant change through puberty, which brings on emotional changes as well. It is important to encourage an understanding of healthy body image to boost confidence. Changes in Moral Values from Middle Childhood to  Adolescence During the change from middle childhood to adolescence moral values begin to advance beyond just the understanding of what is right or wrong determined by peers. During middle childhood children think more along the lines of what is fair, and rely on more of a give and take dynamic. With a transition to adolescence children begin to take into account others feelings and their perspective. Also when a child becomes older they come to see â€Å"the bigger picture†, and become influenced by society’s moral standards. â€Å"Increasing ability to take perspective of others into account with own perspective. (Children) Begins to question social conventions and re-examine own values and moral/ethical principles, sometimes resulting in conflicts with parents.†(Oregon State University, 2001). The mind begins to open to understanding different scenarios. This is when most children begin to question their peers and even formulate their own opinions, sometimes that involves changing from having the same ideals as their parents. Conclusion There are many changes that happen during the change from middle childhood to adolescence. Physical changes include changes in bodily image, many children enter into puberty at this time. When children become adolescents they become more involved with their self-image and individuality. Emotional changes begin to happen at this age as well, some attribute it to hormone changes, however cognitive growth also has a lot to do with the change. During this time of change it is important for families to provide helpful guidance without over stepping personal boundaries of young budding adults. Being a supportive family will increase a child’s ability to transition well and become a successful, well-rounded member of society. References Choudhury, S., Blakemore, S., & Charman, T. (2006, December). Social cognitive development during adolescence. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2555426/ Miller, I. W., Keitner, G. I., Whisman, M. A., Ryan, C. E., Epstein, N. B., & Bishop, D. S. (1992). Depressed patients with dysfunctional families: Description and course of illness. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 101(4), 637-646. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0021-843X.101.4.637 Nickerson, A. B., & Nagle, R. J. (2004). The influence of parent and peer attachments on life satisfaction in middle childhood and early adolescence. Social Indicators Research, 66(1-2), 35-60. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/B:SOCI.0000007496.42095.2c Oregon State University. (2001, January). Middle Childhood and Adolescent Development [Chart]. Retrieved from http://extension.oregonstate.edu/tillamook/sites/default/files/documents/4h/ecno1527.pdf Yamasaki, K., & Nishida, N. (2009). The relationship between three types of aggression and peer relations in elementary school children. International Journal of Psychology, 44(3), 179-186. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00207590701656770

Imperialism and 1st World War Essay

The portrayal of the artists is indeed a true picture of the horrors of World War I which cannot be envisioned by just reading accounts of the war as given in different readings. The paintings reveal the disgusting events that will surely put the shivers into the generation of today in realizing the atrocities and soul stirring hardships that were experienced by all those who were part of the war. While the monarchy of the combating countries relaxed and simply gave orders it were the soldiers representing the states that bore the brunt of the chilling circumstances. Soldiers were silent observers in seeing their colleagues butchered in helplessness while they themselves were lucky to come back alive into their trenches unaware of what the next day had in store for them. The medical corps and nurses were always on the alert to receive the dead and grievously wounded soldiers while those who were captured had to submit to the inhuman tortures at the hands of their captors. Several soldiers were maimed in leading a life of revulsion, helpless in leading a life of misery. The onslaught of gas attacks made several soldiers to die in agony while many suffered psychologically in being unable to lead normal lives. The fear of gas attacks was so severe that soldiers had to always move with gas masks in specified territories. There was always a sinister plan underway and it became difficult for the combatants to judge about who friends are and whom to understand as enemies. There was always an ongoing process to build tunnels and infrastructure to face the challenges of enemy attacks in a war that never seemed to end. All who were physically fit could be expected to be called for war duties with little hope of returning alive. The war was extensively destructive as nothing was spared and all means were used to inflict the maximum damages irrespective of the intensity of suffering and loss to life. Human life appeared to have no value nor did the sufferings of the masses for the leaders who gave orders to fight with the sole objective of winning the war. The focus was on winning over the adversaries by whatever means that was possible in using weapons and other means that inflicted maximum loss and suffering. References Discussion, Imperialism and 1st World War, http://dl. bergen. edu/webct/entryPageIns. dowebct

Conjugating the French Verb Rire (to Laugh)

In French, the verb  rire  means to laugh. Its a fun and simple word and, hopefully, youll have plenty of opportunities to use it while studying French. The key to using  rire  properly in sentences is learning the most common conjugations so you can use it in the present, past, and future tenses. This lesson will show you how thats done. The Basic Conjugations of  Rire Rire may be a short word, but its also an irregular verb. This means that it does not follow the same pattern for the infinitive endings as most other French verbs. However, it is similar to sourire (to smile), so you can study the two together to make each a little easier. To start any conjugation, we need to identify the verb stem. In this case, that is simply   ri-. With that, youll add the various endings that match the subject pronoun as well as the tense of the sentence. For example, I am laughing is  je ris  and we laughed is  nous riions. Present Future Imperfect je ris rirai riais tu ris riras riais il rit rira riait nous rions rirons riions vous riez rirez riiez ils rient riront riaient The Present Participle of Rire In French, the  present participle  is most often formed by adding -ant  to the verb stem. Rire  follows this rule to form  riant. Rire  in the Past Tense Rather than use the imperfect to indicate the past tense of laughed, you can use the passà © composà ©. To form it, you will need the auxiliary verb avoir and the very short past participle ri. It is rather easy to construct this common form of the past tense. For example, I laughed is  jai ri  and we were laughing is  nous avons ri. Notice how  avoir  is the only word that needs to be conjugated and that it is in the present tense. This is because the past participle indicates that the action has already happened. More Simple Conjugations of Rire The verb conjugations above are most common, but you may need to know more forms of  rire  as you become more fluent in French. For instance, if theres a doubt as to whether someone is laughing, you can use the subjunctive verb mood. In a similar fashion, if someone wont laugh unless something else happens, use the conditional verb mood. There may also be times when youll encounter either the passà © simple  or  the imperfect subjunctive. These are, however, most often found in formal French, particularly literature. Subjunctive Conditional Pass Simple Imperfect Subjunctive je rie rirais ris risse tu ries rirais ris risses il rie rirait rit rt nous riions ririons rmes rissions vous riiez ririez rtes rissiez ils rient riraient rirent rissent When you wish to use  rire  in short commands or requests theres no need to include the subject pronoun. This is called  the imperative verb mood  and rather than saying  tu ris, you can simplify it to  ris. Imperative (tu) ris (nous) rions (vous) riez