Saturday, November 16, 2019
The Paradoxical Twins Acme and Omega Electronics Essay Example for Free
The Paradoxical Twins Acme and Omega Electronics Essay From reading this case study I found that Acme and Omega have problems that need to be looked at. Both firms produce similar products and offer similar services. In this assignment I am going to analyse the forms of control used in Acme and Omega. I will also try and comment on both firms effectiveness. I will try to be thorough as possible. I will first begin to give brief background information on both companies and then try to compare them to one another and try to comment on their effectiveness to the full. To end it I will give my conclusion. From looking into Acme I gained knowledge that its president John Tyler is a very tough going individual. He is portrayed to be an autocratic individual. I say this because he tends to communicate in one way, for example what he says goes. He makes all the decisions and gives out all instructions and orders, expecting them to be obeyed, without question. An employee/ manager categories the president as one man band. He feels that John Tyler should try and give more information rather than giving orders. He also does not take suggestions from people. To me it looks as if there is a slight communication problem. There are times when I wished I had little more information about what is going on. This shows Acme employees are kept in the dark Mushroom management Keep the troop in the dark and pile on the _ _ _ _(work). The managers also feel that they need a little more freedom at work. This shows that John Tyler may be pressurising them constantly. To back up my point some of the managers voiced the desire to have a little more latitude in their jobs The president also is made to look like a tough person and runs the firm well in terms of high standards and good production levels. Managers feel that he runs a tight ship. This shows that he wants everything correct and dead on. This on the other hand shows that Acme has good control and is well structured. Acme is a flat and formal structured organisation, this is an advantage as it is easier to spot problems i.e. communication problem, shows how different sections of the firm relate to each other, it shows who is in charge, who makes and carries the decisions and shows individuals where there positions in the firm is. Having a flat structure makes it quicker to solve problems, less roumous and gossip. Tyler seems like a very confident and strong minded person We have been able to beat Omega regularly for the most profitable contracts thereby, increasing our profits. John Tylers attitude resembles F.W Taylor (1911) views. He believed that these 5 principles increased production: 1. A clear division of tasks and responsibilities between management and workers 2. Use of Scientific methods to determine the best way of doing a job. Read more:Ã The Paradoxical Twins ACME and Omega Electronics 3. Scientific selection of the person to do the newly job. 4. The training of the selected worker to perform the job in the way specified. 5. Enthusiastic co-operation with the workers to ensure that the work was performed in accordance with scientific management principles and this was secured by use of economic incentives. John Tyler carries out methods and procedures the classical way. From reading inside Omega I found that the president Jim Rawls did not believe in organisational charts/ structures. Organisation charts just put artificial barriers between specialists who should be working together. Although I think that Omega is a matrix organisation. I feel that not having an organisational structure does not clearly show what position the employee has in the firm, therefore causes problems within the work force as workers will work in any department. This means that the individual may feel that s/he does not have full responsibilities. The worker also would not have a clear job description, this may effect the firms effectiveness. To back up my point of workers not having a clear job description a worker said When I first got here I wasnt sure what I was supposed to do. One day I worked with some mechanical engineers the next day I helped the shipping department design some packing cartons. This overall can cause low working standards and low morale- low production output. Jim Rawls felt that having an organisational chart would create problems between specialists. I also deduced that Omega had no clear form of communication. I say this because he does not allow written memos, he expressed the plant is small if people want to communicate they can just drop by and talk things over. Employees of Omega complained that this was a waste of time. To me passing round is time consuming and gives workers excuse of talking to one another, this slows down production and performance. Also messages can be misleading if someone passes the wrong message out. This can also cause problems as workers will not get the correct information. Most decisions at Omega were made by the management team. Acme has an organisation structure therefore communication is good although there are improvements that need to be made like the way John Tyler communicates with his managers. Whereas Omega has no structure therefore is causing problems within the firm. Ames president is a person who wants everything perfect. He believes his firms greater effectiveness to his mangers is to run a tight ship. This I think is because his firm would have: * Good control * Good communication * Dept functions * Well structured and organised * Has simple reporting relationship * Concentration on skills. This shows Acmes president has a firm grip whereas Omegas president does not, he seems to be more laid back. Acmes president is autocratic leader as he does what he wants and does not take other workers/ mangers opinions or suggestions into consideration. The advantage of an autocratic style is known as efficient and it is essential in some circumstances. Autocratic leadership produces quicker decisions, however the autocratic style creates frustrations and resentment. Whereas Omegas president is a democratic leader, as he seeks the opinions and suggestions of workers. This shows that he shows interest in his workers. Although he sometimes spends too much of his time informing workers of information. Omegas decisions are made by management team whereas Acmes decisions are made by the president. Acmes president demands rather than speak politely demanded that Mechanical Engineering begins building those damn chassis. On the other hand Jim Rawls spends too much of his time listening to suggestion Jim spends too much time and mine making sure everyone understands what were doing and listening to suggestions. From reading the part where both firms are trying to reach the deadline of completing the units on time and successfully I can comment on both firms. I think Acme did well because of the way they communicated. For example John Tyler sent out a memo to all departments stating the critical time constraints of this job and how he expected that everyone would perform as efficiently as they had in the past. This showed that Tyler was controlling his employees. Although John Tyler put a lot of pressure on his employees. Because Acme had a structure, this allowed them to be well organised, therefore helped and keep everything in control. Whilst trying to complete the units John Tyler and the Head of Industrial Engineering fell into a dilemma. dont bother me with method details now. The Head of Industrial then replies if my boss think our output is needed, to hell with him!. This shows that they both cant work well and communicate with each other. This to me seems like both of these individuals are not working together very professionally. The foreman also didnt listen to the method engineers therefore this slowed down Acme from completing the units. When the units were completed John Tyler should have checked more than just one component as this was not very professional. Acmes president needs to consider taking his workers opinions and suggestions. He should try to talk to them rather than demanding on what he wants. From looking at the way Omega was preparing to complete the units for the photocop ier Jim Rawls gave good advise compared to Tyler. Jim Rawls did not pressure his workers but told his workers what to prepare for. He outlined what the job involved and discussed what was to be started on. Omegas workers seemed to be very organised and methodical, they worked well and communicated well with each other compared to Acmes workers. For example when they decide to check the blue prints all of the engineers agreed after checking and rechecking the blue prints. To back up that they worked well together as a team people from Mechanical Engineering and Electrical Engineering spent Monday night redesigning the cable. This relates to R. Likert 1961. He believed that the structure of an organisation should be formed around effective work groups rather than individuals. He proposed the concept of the overlapping group membership structure. This involved a linking pin process in which the superior member of one group was subordinate member of group above. Likert argued that the benefits of such an organisations design include improved communication increased co- operation and more team commitment and faster decision making. Overall I think Acme got the contract due to many reasons, for example Acme had a structure therefore made it look like Acme has good control. Acme also may have been given the final contract because of there past, as they achieved grater net profit than Omega Acme was consistently more effective than Omega and regularly achieved greater net profit. Acmes annual sales was also higher than Omegas. Acmes president was also a very confident and demanding man therefore it makes the firm look strong Tyler was very confident that had the demand not been so great, its competitor would not have survived. In the end Acme reduced there costs by 20% therefore the photocopier manufacture gave them the contact as it would have been more cheaper to buy units. Omega could have used the same tactics/methods but this may not have been the only thing that could have given them the contract. Things that I could suggest that may have given them the contact would be if they were a larger firm with a clear structure to show that they have some sort of control.
Thursday, November 14, 2019
Presentation of Thesis Statement :: essays papers
Presentation of Thesis Statement For many years the SAT had been considered one of the most important tests that a student can take for the admission process. The SAT is thought to be one of the greatest measurements of academic success is high school and is considered one of the greatest predictors of academic success in college. In the recent years there have been people who have questioned the validity of the SAT, saying that it is an inaccurate measure of academic success and a poor predictor of academic success and does nothing except hinder the application and admission process for prospective students. The purpose of this paper is to present the two sides of the two sides of the argument (support of the test as an accurate measure and the support of the test as an inaccurate measure). Study Report In a report written in 1992, Neil J. Jenkins writes that some colleges in Canada are no longer using the SAT as a predictor of success by post-secondary institutions, and are not really considered in the admissions process either. Study Findings The institutions in Canada feel that the test has many limitations, which among these are: the SAT, in an attempt to free up confounding variables, the test is modified not to accommodate people who can not speak English. Some of the other modifications that the SAT endures are that they have no accommodations for the visually impaired and students with mobility issues. The majority of the students both disabled and not, scored in the similar percentile in the mathematics section of the exam. It was the verbal section that had the majority of the deviations. The finding in this report was also substantiated by Randy Bennett, who also performed studies that concluded with the same findings (Jenkins 1992). Randy Bennett, when speaking about the non-traditional students (non-traditional students is defined by students who suffer from disabilities (both learning and physical, students who have physical disabilities include hearing impairments, visual impairments, and mobility impairm ents), may not be close to the age of traditional students, students whoââ¬â¢s first language is not English.), says that: ââ¬Å"Vocabulary items re also reported to be difficult for these studentsâ⬠¦Learning disabled pupils are sad to have particular difficulty with antonyms and with the logical relationships required by verbal analogies.â⬠(Bennett, quote is embedded in the Jenkins report so no year given, page is provided from the Bennett report, page 44)
Monday, November 11, 2019
Recruiting – the Cisco Way
RECRUITING ââ¬â THE CISCO WAY Answer part a The importance of recruitment and selection Recruiters play an important role in the success of an organization. They essentially act as a filter that ââ¬â when used properly ââ¬â only selects the best candidates. In a constantly changing business world, companies need to hire people who are adaptable, loyal, knowledgeable, dependable and confident, thereby creating a foundation for success. Cost Cost is a major reason why effective recruitment and selection is important. There are many ways in which poor recruitment practices can result in financial losses.For example, if a candidate's competency is not accurately assessed, he may make mistakes that can hinder productivity. If he needs to be retrained or replaced, this takes up more company time that could otherwise be invested toward remaining competitive. Retention Improper recruitment and selection practices can often result in high turnover or involuntary separations. If a recruiter is not careful when analyzing resumes and conducting interviews, he may hire an employee with a weak work ethic or a tendency to move quickly from one job to the next ââ¬â ââ¬Å"job hopping. Another so-called ââ¬Å"red flagâ⬠is a gradual decrease in responsibility Loyalty and Productivity Loyalty and productivity are linked. Interviewers should inquire about a candidate's greatest achievements throughout the career. Generally, loyal employees will have a track record of striving for excellence, resulting in a more competitive, innovative and profitable business. Legal Issues Discrimination is a serious concern among recruiters. If discriminatory hiring practices can be proven, this could result in serious harm, both financially and in terms of reputation.Things such as language proficiency or physical capabilities should not be listed unless they are absolutely essential for the role. Influence on recruitment process of company by changing dynamics of the globa l InfoTech industry â⬠¦ Recruitment is undergoing a change. Not just a small scale evolution but a fundamental seismic shift. A change that will see the recruiting landscape change forever. A change that will see many traditional recruiters falling behind and being replaced by new, differently skilled recruiters, ready for the challenges.The current global recruitment landscape is changing. The global war for the best talent is real, (note the use of ââ¬Å"bestâ⬠); talent is geographically mobile and happy to move for the best job; talent is more demanding, not only in pay but career progression and training and development; the experienced talent pool is shrinking in volume; convergence of talent, as recruiters fighting in a smaller talent pool attract candidates across different sectors.Recruitment agencies are failing to be creative in attractingà uniqueà talent to their databases, hence perpetuating ââ¬Å"recruitment chessâ⬠of the same talent across companie s. Not everyone is looking for a job. Different market research exists but the benchmark seems to suggest that, for any given role, only 10% of relevant/experienced talent is actively looking for a role at any given moment in time. That means that 90% of candidates relevant for your role/s are not engaged in job searches. The best candidates typically among them.Hence in a candidate short market, with a host of competition for particular skill-sets, the global war for the best talent is being fought out among 10% of active job seekers. Businesses can no longer control what is said. Today there is a shift in the balance of power. Technology is shifting the power away from the publishers, media, the elite, corporate to us, and the people. Recruiters need to embrace this, as must as their PR ; Marketing departments. The rise in the use of the Internet is probably the most significant development in the recruitment field in the early 21st century.There is, however, little evidence that the Internet produces better-quality candidates, but it does deliver more of them and more employers report that online recruitment made it easier to find the right candidate. Candidates themselves are increasingly choosing this medium to search for jobs, with 89 per cent of graduates only searching online for jobs. The benefits of online recruitment to employers include the speed, reduced administrative burden and costs, and no geographical limits. The benefits to applicants are that t is easier, faster and more convenient to post a CV or search a job site online than to read a selection of printed media. This is all very well if you have skills that are highly in demand, but if employers are tending to post vacancies on their own websites, candidates still have to trawl the web in order to find vacancies and even ââ¬Ëweb savvyââ¬â¢ applicants may be deterred by the perceived impersonal nature of online recruitment. Also there are still some people who are either not comforta ble using the Internet or do not have ready access to a computer.Thus there is still a role then for conventional advertising. Whatever the pros and cons, online recruitment continues to expand and employers are now combining more traditional methods with online recruitment by using printed adverts to refer jobseekers to an Internet vacancy (Murphy, 2008). Other employers such as Microsoft are enhancing its brand visibility and credibility by having a wider Internet recruitment presence. Microsoft uses its online tools to impact and influence its public image and reach a broader audience and thus create a diverse workplace with varied skills and talents.One initiative is the introduction of ââ¬Ëcorporate recruitment blogsââ¬â¢. The idea is that potential job candidates may be attracted to the company through what they see on the blog and make contact through the specific blogger who will initiate the recruitment process on behalf of the company. Cisco, well regarded for its le ading-edge products, is also known for its progressive corporate culture. The company builds employee loyalty with generous benefits as well as work schedules that respect employees' outside interests.Like many high-technology companies, Cisco hands out bonuses to employees who make hiring recommendations that pan out. The company also offers contests and prizes, in one instance rewarding a worker who recruited the most salespeople with a one-year Porsche Boxster lease. Answer part b CISCOââ¬â¢s recruitment philosophy The company followed a policy of hiring ââ¬Ëtop 10-15%ââ¬â¢ people in the networking industry. This was a mechanism to remain the industry leader. Its vision statement was, ââ¬Å"Attracting, growing and retaining great talent is critical to sustaining Ciscoââ¬â¢s competitive advantage. â⬠The company began to use newer echniques like the ââ¬Ëbuild-the-buzzââ¬â¢ strategy, which was centered on the primary market for its products, i. e. , the Inte rnet. Cisco changed the way it wanted advertisements in newspapers. It listed specific job openings and featured its Internet address in its ads and invited prospective candidates to apply. This helped in directing all job seekers to its website where it could inexpensively post hundreds of openings and provides information regarding them. The website also offered features through which applicants could fill their resumes online or create one with the help of Ciscoââ¬â¢s resume builder.Friends program The focus groupââ¬â¢s exercise ensured that a candidate would approach the company if he had been informed by a friend about better opportunities at Cisco. This led to the launch of the friends program in April 1996. Cisco also organized art fairs, beer festivals and certain annual events in which people from Silicon Valley participated More than 1,000 Cisco employees volunteered for the Friends program, attracted by the referral fee, which started at $500 and a lottery ticket fo r a free trip to Hawaii for each prospect they befriended and who was ultimately hired.Cisco also found that applicants and recruiters were not totally comfortable with, the time-consuming recruiting process. To speed up the process, Cisco hired in house headhunters to identify qualified candidates for managers. Amazing people It encouraged internal referrals for recruitment through a program called ââ¬ËAmazing People. ââ¬â¢ This facilitated the employees to refer their friendsââ¬â¢ and acquaintances for positions within Cisco. Employees earned a referral bonus if the company hired the person they referred.After streamlining its recruitment policies in 1996, Cisco conducted an Employee survey to find out how the new recruits felt on their first day at work. Cisco launched Fast Start, an employee orientation initiative. It installed software, which tracked the hiring process and alerted the team about the new recruitââ¬â¢s arrival. As a result, every new recruit started w ith a fully functional workspace and a whole day of training in desktop tools. Efficiency of various recruitment tools Fast Start not only eliminated all problems but it also enabled new recruits to know about ââ¬Ëlife inside the company. Every new recruit was assigned a ââ¬Ëbuddyââ¬â¢ who clarified all doubts and answered questions about Cisco. New recruits also had a two-day course called the ââ¬ËCisco Business Essentials,ââ¬â¢ which covered companyââ¬â¢s history and business units. The managers of the new recruits received an automatically generated e-mail two weeks after their new recruit arrival. It reminded them to review their departmental initiatives and personal goals. Cisco believed that its new recruitment philosophy should also be made a part of the overall corporate culture.Ciscoââ¬â¢s job site was recording around 500,000 hits per month. The company generated a stream of reports about who visited the site. Ciscoââ¬â¢s hiring cycle also came down to 45 days. The recruitment costs were also below the industry average. Referral rates at Cisco were twice the industry norm. The retention rate of the Company had also increased. Analysts claimed that Ciscoââ¬â¢s innovative and aggressive recruiting initiatives were to a large extent responsible for the companyââ¬â¢s expansion at 40% per year and recruiting 250 employees every week.
Saturday, November 9, 2019
Mexican American Journal Entry Essay
It has been 11 years since we have arrived to Los Angeles, California. I can still remember the feeling of when my father had said to us that he we would be moving to a far place to try to find better jobs for my mother and him because with the two jobs my father had and the washing and ironing of other peoples clothes my mom did was not bringing enough money to support my sisters and me and did they wanted to provide a better life for my sisters and me. Mexico was such a poor country that my parents could not see themselves make enough money to support my sisters and me, let alone see us get a better education. So my parents decide to migrate to the United States with one of my motherââ¬â¢s brother. We arrived in Los Angeles, California on July 16, 1931, with my Aunt Julia and Uncle Fernando. My family and I were so happy to finally arrive to the U. S. to live the ââ¬Å"American Dream. â⬠Soon we would find out that our dreams would come crushing down fast. After settling down, my mother decided it was time to enroll my sisters and me into school. My mother asked my Aunt Julia and Uncle Fernando what my sisters and I need to enroll into school but since my aunt and uncle did not have any children, they were unable to tell my parents the information we would need. As my mother, my sisters and I walked into the school we could notice all the ââ¬Å"gringosâ⬠looking at us in a weird way (looking at us like we did not belong there). My mother can right away tell that there was something wrong that we would not be accepted into that school. My mom was correct, as we entered the office the school secretary told my mother that we were not welcomed there and that if she wanted to enroll us into school it needed to be in a segregated Mexican school. Walking out of the school with confusion on her face, my mother saw an elderly Mexican American woman who spoke Spanish and asked her if she knew the reason we were not accepted into the school. The woman proceeded to explain to my mother that in the past few years many Mexicans were migrating to the U. S forced by the economic and political disorder produced by the Mexican Revolution and were tempted by jobs in U. S. agribusiness and industry that many Americans feared losing their jobs to underpaid illegal immigrants. Americans could not deal with losing the jobs they had especially during this time of the Great Depression. The elderly woman proceeded to explain to my mother that Mexicans were not welcomed to California or other parts of the country, that Mexicans were discriminated against and that we only had to go to schools that were for Mexicans only, that the only language we could speak in the schools regardless if they were for Mexicans only was English. She read my mother some signs that said, ââ¬Å"NO MEXICANS ALLOWED. â⬠She continued to tell my mother which neighborhoods we could not enter and which we could. If we saw signs like the ones she read for us, then we should be aware that we were not wanted there. After finding an all Mexican school for my sisters and me, my parents thought the hard part was over. I would here them talking in their bed room that as long as they did not bother the ââ¬Å"gringosâ⬠or got in there way we would not have anything to worry about but they were wrong. Shortly after being able to find jobs for themselves, I began to see my parents worried and listening to their radios all the time. They had just found out that Mexicans were being deported back to Mexico regardless of their legal status. The news stated that tens of thousands of Mexican families were arrested and sent to jail for 10 days before they were sent to Mexico by train, because of an anti-immigrant campaign that the Americans had done. Those families were not given a chance to proof if any family members were U. S citizens. Families were not given the chance to take anything with them. The news also began announcing free trains rides back to Mexico for Mexican American and Mexicans who wished to voluntarily be taken back to Mexico. I can remember seeing my mother cry because she said she did not want to return to Mexico and live in the horrible conditions we were living in before. She begged my father to do something so we did not have to return to Mexico. One day my father came home telling my mother that he had heard of migrant work camps established by the U. S. Farm Security Administration, or FSA and that they had a possibility of getting jobs there to stay in the U. S. The camps provided housing, food, and medicine for immigrant families as well as safety from any criminal elements that can take advantage of defenseless immigrants. We had the possibility of staying we were extremely happy!! Little by little more Mexicans have extended their stay as well as the places were we live at. The most popular places where Mexicans live at now are Chicago, California, and New York. We stayed in the U. S. , my sisters and I are receiving a great education and compared to Mexico, I think we are now living the American Dream!!!! Reference: Depression and the Struggle for Survival. (2005, April 20). Immigration. Retrieved August 10, 2008, from The Library of Congress. Koch, W. (2006, April 4). 1930s Deportees Await Apology. USA TODAY. Retrieved from http:www. usatoday. com.
Thursday, November 7, 2019
Cool Music Girls essays
Cool Music Girls essays Lately I have been interested in girl singers. Such singers as Madonna, Cindy Lauper, Pat Benetar, Pink, Jewel, and so on. Their music inspires me. So, while I was looking for a topic for class, I noticed an article called 'Cool music girls". It's about six bold chicks who march to their own beat. Each girl has her own way of singing. They all have a CD out. Their ages range from 22 to 31, so they're not teeny boppers. They explain how they became interested in what they write/sing about. Neko Case is 31. She has been writing songs since she was 15. Her album "Blacklisted" gives off the feeling of lost and homesick. Lamya is 28. She started writing songs at age 11. Her big inflences are writers not musicians. She writes classical and lyrical. Norah Jones is 22. She dropped out of college her sophmore year and moved to the Big Apple. Started singing in local gigs and finally got signed to Blue Note Records. Her deput CD, Come Away with Me, combines jazz with pop, with a little Texas twang. Rosey is 29. Her lead track from her debut Cd, Dirty Child is about trying to fing the perfect love in your self, rather in other people. Aimee Allen is 29. Last year she scored a deal with Elektra Records. Her deput album is called "I'd Start A Revolution If I Could Only Get Up Last but not least, Shelia Nicholls, age 29. Left her tiny town in England to Las Angeles at 19. She worked her butt off to get where she is today. Her latest CD, "Wake" shows off her emotionally charged singer- ...
Monday, November 4, 2019
Multimedia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words
Multimedia - Essay Example That is because the work of a medical assistant is never done and requires a tremendous amount of paperwork and book-keeping in order to ensure a smoothly run office. However, I believe that there is one aspect of patient record keeping that will benefit from a multimedia advancement. Lets face it, a new client coming in for a consultation at the doctors office is still required to fill in the patient information card manually. This means that as a Medical Assistant, I would still have to manually input the information into the database after the first consultation. In such cases, there will be a tendency for me to overlook such files for record keeping due to the sheer volume of records and paperwork that I need to keep track of. It would greatly benefit the job and ensure the quick and easy access to patient files if the first time patients are asked to fill in an electronic form instead that automatically saves to the server in the doctors office along with other patient files. D oing so will eliminate the redundancy of having to manually input the same information into the computer when opportunity permits. By having such a program in existence, there will no longer be any lost records or delayed input of information. Rather, the patient will be able to accurately input his personal information and be assured of the confidentiality of his file since no one else but his doctor will be able to see the file on an immediate
Saturday, November 2, 2019
Jean-Jacques Rousseau - The Origins and Effects of Inequality Essay
Jean-Jacques Rousseau - The Origins and Effects of Inequality - Essay Example The Dedication to the Republic of Geneva summarized the essence of Rousseau's views in the following statement: "If I had had to make choice of the place of my birth, I should have preferred a society which had an extent proportionate to the limits of the human faculties; in which every person is equal to his occupations, no one should be obliged to commit to others the functions with which he was entrusted; a State, in which all the individuals being well known to one another, and in which the pleasant custom of seeing and knowing one another should make the love of country rather a love of the citizens than of its soil"(Rousseau, 1993, pp.32-33). The Republic of Geneva was perfectly lining with Rousseau's understanding of an ideal state: a moderate democracy occupying an adequate territory, governed mostly by the laws based on traditions with citizens living relatively plain and calm life. The main paradox emphasized by Rousseau is the following: people prescribe laws to other people without proper knowledge about the natural state of human being. However, this natural law did not exist in contemporary European society that "offered a corrupt form of the species and the inequality inherent in its societies should not be taken as a standard for assessing either other cultures or other species" (Moran, 1993, p.140). For Rousseau who believed that human character was "deeply shaped by society" (Divine, 2000, p.291) it seemed impossible to unveil the true nature of humans in the European context where people had been squeezed by unfair laws and customs for centuries. The philosopher argued that the true measure of a man that would not depend upon contemporary laws and customs could be found only in 'natural' places such as African jungles. Rousseau drew strong parallels between the natural state of human beings and the state of animals. Human beings began as animals having no potent mean of communication such as language, and could not convey much of their knowledge and experience to their offspring, lacked foresight and history. These seemingly disadvantageous features gave the natural men one essential benefit: they did not suffer from the fear of death while contemporary humans feared death virtually every moment of their life (Rousseau, 1993, p.52). Rousseau positioned the natural man "at equal distances from the stupidity of brutes and the fatal enlightenment of civil man" (Rousseau, 1993, p.53). For Rousseau the fatality of enlightenment or civilization meant that it deprived man of the natural desire to exploit the potential of his body to full extent making it an instrument in achieving the balance with nature: "The body of a savage man being the only instrument he understands, he uses it for various purposes, of which ours, for want of practice, are incapable: for our industry deprives us of that force and agility" (Rousseau, 1993, p.53). Civilization brought the understanding that cooperation and mutual help would improve the results of labour, and in the process of such cooperation humans came to realize that some men were better hunters, some were better thinkers, some were stronger, etc. The understanding of inequalities between human beings was, in Rousseauââ¬â¢s opinion, the crucial point: ââ¬Å"â⬠¦from the moment one man began to stand in need of the help of another; from the moment it appeared advantageous to any one man to have enough provisions for two, equality disappeared, property was introduced, work became indispensable, and vast forests became smiling fields, which man had to water with the sweat of his brow, and where slavery and misery were soon seen to germinate and grow up with the cropsâ⬠(Rousseau, 1993, p.74).à Ã
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