Relationship Between Entrepreneur Human Capital and HR

Relationship Between Entrepreneur Human Capital and HR 1. Introduction 1.2 The research topic In modern economies the majority of firms are small firms, and these firms make a considerable contribution to the development of the socio-economic and political infrastructure (Matlay, 2002). Unfortunately, small firms also have a high failure rate. Fifty to eighty percent fail during the first five years of existence (Baumback, 1988). One of the main reasons for this high failure rate appears to be a lack of emphasis on the management of human resources in small firms (McEvoy, 1984). A range of studies indicate that effective management of human resources is one of the most critical challenges small firms face (e.g., Mazzarol, 2003; Deshpande and Golhar, 1994; Marlow and Patton, 1993; Hornsby and Kuratko, 1990). Especially as it relates to the management of HR issues. Managerial incompetence in handling HR issues is a major source of small firm failure (Dun and Bradstreet, 2001; Baron, 2003; Hornsby and Kuratko, 2003), and the way entrepreneurs handle HR issues in an early stage severely impacts downstream success of business (Cardon and Stevens, 2004). However, Cardon and Stevens (2004) did a literature review on HRM in small and emerging firms and concluded that despite the importance of HR issues to small and emerging firms our understanding about these issues is limited. While we have begun to understand when small firms experience varying levels of HR issues (e.g., Kotter and Sathe, 1978; Rutherford et al, 2003), and what these issues are (e.g., Horsnby and Kuratko, 2003), literature lacks much of the theory necessary to understand the role the entrepreneur plays with regard to HR issues in small firms. Given that entrepreneurs play a dominant role in determining how human resources are managed in small firms (Matlay, 2002; Klaas and Klimchak, 2006), it is likely that certain personal characteristics of entrepreneurs play a more significant role in determining HR issues in small firms. Surprisingly, this relationship has received very little attention in literature. This research study will address this gap in literature by focusing on the relationship between human capital characteristics of the entrepreneur and HR issues in small firms. Particularly, the relationship between prior education and experience of the entrepreneur and HR issues in small firms. Education and experience are generally regarded as key factors influencing small firm survival and development (Storey, 1994), and a range of studies show they are positively related to small firm performance (e.g., XXX). Given that HR issues are the main cause of small firm failure (Dun and Bradstreet, 2001; Baron, 2003; Hornsby and Kuratko, 2003), and that they have a strong negative effect on small firm performance (Cardon and Stevens, 2004), this could imply that somehow education and experience are related to HR issues in small firms. Since we do not know if that is the case, this research study will make a first attempt at getting a better understanding about this relationship. 1.3 The research objective According to Saunders et al. (2003, p.96-98) a research study can be done either to explore, describe or explain a particular phenomenon. They argue that exploratory research is done to seek new insight into a phenomenon, to ask questions and to approach a phenomenon in a new way, that descriptive research is done to get an accurate description of events, situations or persons, and that explanatory research is done to explain the cause and effect relationship between given variables. Malhotra (1996, p.99) argues that in some cases more than one research type (exploratory, descriptive or explanatory) is used in a single study to achieve the objectives. This research study will be of an exploratory nature, as there have been few (if any) attempts in literature at getting a better understanding about the relationship between human capital of the entrepreneur and HR issues in small firms. The objective of this research study is to more precisely define the variables that are in play in this relationship, by making a very first attempt at developing a conceptual framework linking human capital characteristics (education and experience) of the entrepreneur to HR issues in small firms. 1.4 Contribution to the literature The contribution of this research study to the literature is threefold. First, by focusing on HRM in small firms, this research study focuses on a neglected group of firms and responds to several appeals for more research at the intersection of the human resource management and entrepreneurship fields (e.g., Barret and Mayson, 2006; Baron, 2003; Katz et al, 2000; Heneman and Tansky, 2000). Second, by looking at the role human capital of the entrepreneur plays in determining HR issues in small firms, this research study offers a new and different perspective on HR issues in small firms. Last, by making a very first attempt at developing a conceptual framework linking human capital of the entrepreneur to HR issues in small firms, this research study provides a foundation and stimulus for future research into the links between human capital of the entrepreneur and HR issues in small firms. 1.5 Key concepts Bygrave and Hofer (1991, p. 15) argue that â€Å"good science has to begin with good definitions†, and Marlow (2006) states that â€Å"if basic concepts are not clarified or defined, then it becomes extremely difficult to develop coherent and comparable research endeavors that build understanding of a particular field of study†. Therefore key concepts will briefly be explained and defined in order to make sure that the reader fully understands the topics under investigation in this research study. Small firms Storey (1994, p.8) states: â€Å"there is no single, uniformly acceptable, definition of a small firm†, and defining the small firm seems to be complex and somewhat problematic (Wilkinson, 1999). First, there is the issue of size. There is no consensus as to what is actually meant by â€Å"small† with regard to the number of employees in this category. In literature the number of employees in firms classified as small range anywhere from 1 to 500 employees depending upon the study. The same problem exists with various statistical agencies across the world. CBS (Dutch statistics) defines firms having less than 100 employees as small, whereas in the European union Eurostat uses a threshold of 250 employees, and the Small Business Administration in the United States even defines firms with having less than 500 employees as small (Flanagan and Deshpande, 1996). Second, there is also the issue of heterogeneity. Wilkinson (1999) argues that the danger of defining small firms lies in the assumption that there is a homogenous small firm sector and that all small firms within it have similar characteristics. He argues that while size may be a factor, it alone is not sufficient to explain patterns of employment relations, because a variety of influences (both internal and external) explain behavior (Wilkinson, 1999). This is in line with the view of Hornsby and Kuratko (2006). They argue that it is not a case of small versus large firms, as there are small established firms, small start-up firms, and small high growth firms, and these firms vary in ownership based on family ownership, ownership by founder, and some type of privately held stock ownership. Cardon and Stevens (2004) argue that co-joining small firms all into one overall category is problematic as the management needs of established and emerging firms, or firms with 1, 10, 50, 250, a nd 500 employees are significantly different from each other. This makes summarizing and providing generalizations of research findings in literature on small firms somewhat problematic. However, despite the fact that there is no uniformity of approach to defining the small firm, for this research study a practical definition of a small firm is needed. Therefore a small firm is defined as: â€Å"a privately held firm with fewer than 100 employees in which the entrepreneur is responsible for the day-to-day management and decision making in the firm†. Entrepreneur There is an ongoing debate in literature about the differences and similarities between owner-managers and entrepreneurs. According to Carland et al. (1984) the critical factor that distinguishes entrepreneurs from owner-managers is innovation. They argue that entrepreneurs are characterized by a preference for creating activity, manifested by some innovative combination of resources for profit, and that owner-managers establish and manage a business for the principal purpose of furthering personal goals. In line with this Freel and Robson (2004) state that entrepreneurs initiate change with the aim of challenging the status quo whilst maximizing profit and generating new employment, and that owner-managers focus on firm durability and sustainability, limiting operational reach of the firm, either because of market constraints or by personal choice (Freel and Robson, 2004 as cited in Marlow, 2006). However, this research study will make no distinction between an â€Å"owner-manager† or an â€Å"entrepreneur†. The most important characteristic for this research study is the dominant role the individual plays in the firm, and not whether the individual is engaged in innovative activities or not. Given that both terms represent an individual generally solely responsible for the day-to-day management and decision making in the firm (Cooper et al, 1994), this research study will treat them the same, but uses the term ‘entrepreneur to address this individual. This research study defines the entrepreneur as: â€Å"an individual who independently owns a small firm and is responsible for the day-to-day management and decision making in the firm†. Human capital Human capital can be explained as the skills and knowledge gained by a worker through education and experience. Human capital theory (Becker, 1964) is based on the idea that people acquire individual resources to increase or enhance their productivity, and that these acquisitions are related to prior education or training, as well as prior work experiences (Brush and Manolova, 2004). In this research study the focus is on human capital of the entrepreneur and how it influences the day-to-day management and decision making in the firm. Education In this research study education is defined as: â€Å"formal college education, together with received specialized training†. Training is defined as: â€Å"†¦the process by which managers acquire the knowledge and skills related to their work requirements by formal, structured or guided means† (Deloitte, Haskins, and Sells, 1989, p.3). Experience According to Lee and Tsang (2001) experience consists of three main components; entrepreneurial, industrial and managerial. Entrepreneurial experience refers to â€Å"the number of previous new venture involvements and the level of the management role played in such ventures† (Stuart and Abetti, 1990, p. 151 as cited in Lee and Tsang, 2001). Industrial experience refers to experience in the industry the firm is in, and managerial experience is the total experience in management regardless of the industry (Lee and Tsang, 2001). However, for this research study experience will not be divided into three components. In this research study experience is defined as: â€Å"accumulated knowledge of practical matters in the past† (Wikipedia). Human resource management (HRM) Storey (2001) states there is considerable confusion among researchers whether HRM â€Å"†¦is a generic term, simply denoting any approach to employment management†¦(or) as one specific and arguably minority form of approach to employment management† (Storey, 2001 as cited in Marlow, 2006). This confusion becomes clear from the many explanations and definitions of HRM in literature. For example, Bratton and Gold define HRM as â€Å"the part of the management process that specializes in the management of people in work organizations. HRM emphasizes that employees are critical to achieving sustainable competitive advantage, that human resources practices need to be integrated with the corporate strategy, and that human resource specialists help organizational controllers to meet both efficiency and equity objectives† (Bratton and Gold, 1999). Armstrong defines HRM as â€Å" the strategic and coherent approach to the management of an organizations most valued as sets the people working there who individually and collectively contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the business† (Armstrong, 2006). Boselie states HRM â€Å"involves management decisions related to policies and practices which together shape the employment relationship and are aimed at achieving individual, organizational, and societal goals† (Boselie, 2002). And last, Schermerhorn (2001) defines HRM as â€Å"the process of attracting, developing, and maintaining a talented and energetic workforce to support organizational mission, objectives, and strategies†. In this research study HRM is considered a generic term, simply denoting any approach to the management of employees, and therefore a practical definition of human resource management is needed. Schermerhorns definition of HRM is the most practical, and fits best with the informal, flexible, and ad hoc approaches associated with HRM in small firms. Therefore HRM is defined as: â€Å"the process of attracting, developing, and maintaining a talented and energetic workforce to support organizational mission, objectives, and strategies† (Schermerhorn, 2001, p2400). HRM activities and HRM issues Rutherford et al. ( 2003) argue that in literature the distinction between HRM issues and activities is not always clear. Therefore it is important to define what is meant by HRM issues and what is meant by HRM activities. Rutherford et al. (2003) define HRM issues as â€Å"people-related issues or concerns perceived by the entrepreneur or managers in the firm† and HRM activities as â€Å"specific human resource management practices used by the firm†. They explain the difference by saying: â€Å"HRM activities are (formal) practices that are put in place to deal with HRM issues† (Rutherford et al, 2003). Guest et al. (2004) make a further distinction within HRM activities between HR practices and HR techniques. They argue that for every HR practice (e.g., â€Å"recruitment†), there are several different techniques (e.g., â€Å"newspaper ads†, â€Å"online ads†, â€Å"head hunters† etc.), or for example (e.g., â€Å"selection†), and (e.g., â€Å"interviews†, â€Å"assessment centers† etc.). This research study follows the definitions of HRM activities and issues by Rutherford et al. (2003), and acknowledges the distinction within HRM activities between HR practices and HR techniques as described by Guest et al. (2004). 1.5 Main research question and sub questions In order to be able to complete the research objective as stated in paragraph 1.3, the main research question and several sub questions have been formulated. The main research question states: How is human capital of the entrepreneur related to HR issues in small firms? In order to be able to answer the main research question, several sub questions have been formulated: How do HR practices and techniques differ between entrepreneurs with varying levels of human capital? How do HR issues differ between entrepreneurs with varying levels of human capital? How does the perceived importance of HRM and HRM issues differ between entrepreneurs with varying levels of human capital? 1.6 Conceptual model Although this is an exploratory research study, some variables have been identified in literature that could play a significant role in explaining the relationship between human capital of the entrepreneur and HR issues in small firms. These variables are shown in this preliminary conceptual model This research study builds upon ‘upper echelon theory and ‘human capital theory to explore the relationship between human capital characteristics of the entrepreneur and HRM issues in small firms. Upper echelon theory (Hambrick and Mayson, 1984) states that everything that goes on in a firm is a reflection of its top managers. It found that the nature of managerial processes and organizational outcomes are partially predicted by managerial background characteristics of its top managers. While originally applied to large firms, this theory seems to be even more applicable to small firms, given that small firms are generally build around the entrepreneur who is often primarily responsible for management and decision-making in small firms (Cooper et al, 1994). Therefore the entrepreneur can be seen as the upper echelon in small firms. Human capital theory (Becker, 1964) states that people acquire individual resources to increase or enhance their productivity, and that these acquisitions are related to prior education or training, as well as prior work experiences (Brush and Manolova, 2004). Cooper et al. (1994) argue that education is presumably related to knowledge, skills, problem-solving ability, discipline, motivation, and self-confidence, and it enables owner-managers to cope with problems and thereby be more successful. In line with this Lee and Tsang (2001) argue that in general education has a positive effect on the growth of the firm, because education equips an individual with the analytical and technical skills essential to managing a business. Furthermore, according to Cooper et al. (1994) owner-managers who have started or managed a firm prior to launching the current firm would perform better. They argue that prior experience would better prepare them for the wide variety of problems confronting new firms. Within small firms human capital theory is concerned with the knowledge and capabilities of entrepreneurs acquired through education and experience, which influences the way these firms are managed. With regard to HRM in small firm, prior studies indicat e that human capital characteristics impact the nature of HR practices and techniques in small firms (e.g., Mazzarol, 2003; Maes et al, 2004; De Winne and Sels, 2006). Link A B The presumed direct link between human capital and HRM issues is based on findings by Tocher and Rutherford (2009). They found that entrepreneurs with more human capital (higher educated and experienced) were more likely to perceive HRM issues as their firms most critical concern. Whether these firms actually experienced HRM issues or that it was only the perception of the entrepreneur remains unclear. However, given that results in this research study come from the individual lived experiences of entrepreneurs, their perception of HRM issues in their firm must be regarded as ‘the truth, and therefore a direct link might exist. Link A B C Based on the link A B, it might be the case that entrepreneurs perceive that they have a lot of HRM issues, and that as a result they implement more HRM practices and techniques (reactive). Link A C B There is evidence that human capital characteristics of the entrepreneur impacts the nature of HR policy and practice within small firms (Mazzarol, 2003; Maes et al, 2004; De Winne and Sels, 2006). It might also be expected that human capital equips entrepreneurs with knowledge about a range of HRM practices and techniques, which they will put in place in order to avoid or overcome HRM issues. It is expected that more use of HRM practices and techniques leads to less HRM issues. Link A D C B It is expected that more human capital makes entrepreneurs more aware of the value and importance of HRM and HRM issues to small firms. If entrepreneurs acknowledge the importance of both HRM and HRM issues to their firm, it is expected that they will put more emphasis on HRM and implement a range of HRM practices and techniques pro-active rather than reactive in order to avoid HRM issues. This is expected to lead to less HRM issues. 1.7 Methodology This exploratory research study uses a two-tailed multiple case study method design. Cases were divided into two groups of extremes. One group with two cases of highly educated and experienced entrepreneurs, and one group with two cases of low educated entrepreneurs with limited or no experience. This two-tailed multiple-case study method makes it possible to use direct replication of findings within the two groups, and also to find possible contrasting situations between the two groups. For this research study interviews are chosen to acquire case study evidence, following the general interview approach by Patton (2002). In this approach topics and issues to be covered are specified in advance in an outline form, and the interviewer decides the sequence and wording of questions in the course of the interview. For this research study I have taken several steps before I started doing case studies in order to be well prepared. The steps taken were: Extensive literature review on the topics under investigation Two interviews with entrepreneurship experts to get a better understanding about the research topics from a practitioner point of view The design of a case study protocol Conducting a pilot case study A total of four entrepreneurs (two in each group of extremes) actively involved in running their business were selected via non-probability sampling using the REACH database. The entrepreneurs were first contacted via a generic email, and later after being selected by telephone to make the appointment. The interviews were held face-to-face at the offices of the entrepreneurs, at convenient times, in silent and comfortable rooms. The interviews were tape recorded. In order to be able to triangulate data, I also interviewed an expert on human resource management and human resource issues in small firms. The interview was held in exactly the same way as with the entrepreneurs. 1.8 Thesis outline In order to be able to answer the main research question, the sub questions, and to meet the objective of this research study, this research study will first look at relevant literature and theories in chapter two. In chapter three the methodology used in this research study will be presented and explained. Chapter four shows the results and within case analyses of the four case studies and of the interview with the expert. In chapter five these results will be analyzed using cross case analyses. And finally chapter 6 will contain the conclusion, limitations, and implications of this research study 2. literature review There is an abundance of literature on HRM in general. Therefore it would be impossible to do a complete literature review on HRM within the time constraints given for this research study. Since the real issue discussed in this research study is the relationship between human capital of the entrepreneur and HR issues in small firms, only prior research that is relevant from this standpoint will be discussed. It must be noted that due to definitional problems in literature on both small firms and HRM, providing generalizations of research findings is somewhat problematic. However, given that all researchers in the field are confronted with these definitional problems, I follow the approach of DAmboise and Muldowney (1988). They reviewed all studies and papers in which the author â€Å"claimed† to be writing about small firms or any variation thereof (e.g., entrepreneurial firm, SME). In this review of the literature, I do the same. 2.1 HRM in small firms While there is an abundance of literature on HRM, the majority is based on HRM in large firms (Wilkinson, 1999). Heneman et al. (2000) reviewed over 400 articles on HRM and found that between 1984 and 1999 only129 empirical studies focused specifically on HRM in smaller firms. Only 17 of these studies applied quantitative methods to analyze results. According to them â€Å"the literature appears to be rich in prescriptions, limited in sound descriptive surveys, and sparse in analytical research†. Similarly, Hornsby and Kuratko (2003) found that â€Å"in spite of the considerable volume and diversity of HRM research, relatively little is understood regarding the HRM-related needs, practices, behaviors, and outcomes of smaller ventures†. More recently, DeKok and Den Hartog (2006) stated that even though research on HRM in small firms has increased lately, the majority of researchers still tends to ignore small firms. Heneman et al. (2000) argue that â€Å"the deficiency of research regarding HRM in small firms is problematic for theory, research, and practice†. When looking at literature on HRM in small firms, it seems that for long it has polarized into the ‘small is beautiful or ‘bleak house perspective (Wilkinson, 1999). According to Wilkinson (1999) the ‘small is beautiful scenario facilitates close and harmonious working relationships with good communication, greater flexibility, and low levels of conflict, and in the ‘bleak house scenario firms are dictatorially run with employees suffering from poor working conditions (Wilkinson, 1999). However, according to Ram (1991, as cited in Wilkinson, 1999) â€Å"workplace relations in SMEs may be ‘complex, informal and contradictory rather than simply either harmonious or autocratic†. Indeed, by now we know that â€Å"small firms are complex, varied, and influenced by a range of factors† (Loan-Clarke et al. 1999; Carrol et al. 1999; Wagar, 1998; Mazzarol, 2003, as cited in Kotey and Sheridan, 2004). A number of studies indicate that small firms are characterized by informal, flexible and ad hoc approaches to HRM. Barret et al. (2007) explain this by saying: â€Å"the practices used to recruit, select, manage and appraise employees performance are not written down (for example, a list of skills and qualifications for each job), regularly applied (for example, yearly performance reviews) or guaranteed they take place (for example, employer sponsored training)†. For example, Hornsby and Kuratko (1990) studied 247 smaller firms in order to establish the progress in developing HRM practices and policies in small firms. They found that firms with less than 50 employees had very little formal HRM practices in place, and similar HRM practices were found in firms with 50 to 100 employees and firms with 100 to 150 employees. A little over a decade later Hornsby and Kuratko (2003) did a replication and an extension of their 1990 study and found evidence that suggests that human reso urce management practices in small firms in all three size categories has generally stagnated and even regressed in some areas over the decade. Similarly, Kotey and Slade (2005) conducted a survey of 371 small growing firms in Australia in order to establish the rate of adoption of formal HRM practices with increasing firm size. Their results showed that micro and small firms are indeed characterized by informal HRM practices, but the adoption of formal HRM practices increased with firm size with a move toward formal practices early in the growth process. In contrast, there are also studies showing there is a greater level of sophistication of HRM practices in small firms than would be expected. However, it must be noted that these results are often derived from case studies with very small samples. For example, De Kok and Uhlaner (2001) studied 16 firms with between 10 and 41 employees and found that some of these firms used HRM practices that were more formal than expected. In line with this Duberley and Walley (1995) did a comparative case-study with sixteen organizations in the United Kingdom to study the extent to which HRM has been adopted in small firms. Although the majority of the studied firms (13) did not adopt a strategic approach towards HRM with an integrated set of policies related to corporate strategy, they found that three of the firms did indeed approximate quite closely to the model of strategic HRM. Barret et al. (2007) state that while an informal and ad hoc approach to HRM may work for some small firms, in periods of growth the sustainability of that approach can be problematic. In line with this Arthur (1995) states that if growth is to be sustained, formal HRM practices and policies are necessary to cope with the increasing complexity as a result of greater number of employees. A study by Kotey and Slade (2005) on the rate of adoption of formal human resource management practices in 371 small growing firms in Australia indicated a move toward hierarchical structures, an increase in documentation, and more administrative processes as the firm grew. Similar results were found by Barret and Mayson (2007) when they conducted a survey of 600 small Australian firms. Their analysis showed that growth-oriented small firms were more likely to use formal HRM practices than non-growth small firms. Roberts, Sawbridge, and Bamber (1992, as cited in Wilkinson, 1999) explain this by saying : â€Å"when a firm employs more than 20 staff, the limits of informality become apparent: informal networks of recruitment dry up; informal styles of management communication are stretched; and ad hoc responses to personnel issues create problems†. In line with this Jennings and Beaver (1997, as cited in Bartram, 2005) state that when the entrepreneur becomes over-extended because the firm has grown above a certain size, the management of human resources needs to be professionalized and delegated. However, there are also researchers like Wilkinson (1999) and Welbourne and Cyr (1999) who state that putting an emphasis on formal rules and procedures in small firms is outdated, because entrepreneurs operate in an environment where they have to make rapid decisions in order to be able to respond to market changes. They argue that ‘bureaucratic HRM may reduce flexibility and increase firm inertia. Similarly, Hill and Stewart (1999, as cited in De Kok, 2003) argue that small firms should be more flexible and informal to be able to cope with higher levels of environmental uncertainty. 2.2 HRM activities in small firms According to Barret and Mayson (2007) the most commonly found HRM activities in small firms reflect operational needs and pragmatic concerns. For example, record keeping, staffing activities (recruitment and selection), and to a lesser extent motivation and retention activities (compensation and reward practices). Cassel et al. (2002) conducted an empirical study on HRM activities in small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs), and found that there is a considerable diversity amongst SMEs in relation to their use of HR practices and techniques. They stated it appeared that â€Å"key managers within SMEs, rather than taking a coherent, strategy based approach to the implementation of HRM, are taking a more ‘pick and mix contingency approach†. â€Å"Which practices are chosen, and the extent to which they are used and formalized is based on a number of characteristics about the SME and the current business climate within which they find themselves† (Cassel et. Al, 200 2). Although there is no generally excepted list of HR practices and techniques used by smaller firms, attempts have been made to identify practices and techniques commonly used in smaller firms. For example, McEvoy (1984) studied small business personnel practices in 84 small businesses with 25 to 250 employees located near a Midwest metropolitan area. A thirty-six item questionnaire was administered and filled in by an interviewer interviewing the person responsible for HRM in the firm. The questions focused on the usage of HRM practices like HRM structures, policy and planning, staffing, performance evaluation, employee motivation, job satisfaction and turnover, and compensation and unionization. Important findings relevant for this research study are that when firms reached an average of 73 employees the management of human resources shifted from one person (often the entrepreneur) to a newly formed separate personnel department. About 80% of the firms sampled used written personnel

Vibration Analysis Procedure

VIBRATION ANALYSIS PROCEDURE A vibratory system is a dynamic one for which the variables such as the excitations (inputs) and responses (outputs) are time dependent. The response of a vibrating system generally depends on the initial conditions as well as the external excitations. Most practical vibrating systems are very complex, and it is impossible to consider all the details for a mathematical analysis. Only the most important features are considered in the analysis to predict the behavior of the system under specified input conditions.Often the overall behavior of the system can be determined by considering even a simple model of the complex physical system. Thus the analysis of a vibrating system usually involves mathematical modeling, derivation of the governing equations, solution of the equations, and interpretation of the results. †¢Mathematical Modeling. The purpose of mathematical modeling is to represent all the important features of the system for the purpose of de riving the mathematical (or analytical) equations governing the system s behavior.The mathematical model should include enough details to allow describing the system in terms of equations without making it too complex. The mathematical model may be linear or nonlinear, depending on the behavior of the system s components. Linear models permit quick solutions and are simple to handle; however, nonlinear models sometimes reveal certain characteristics of the system that cannot be predicted using linear models. Thus a great deal of engineering judgment is needed to come up with a suitable mathematical model of a vibrating system. Derivation of Governing Equations. Once the mathematical model is available, we use the principles of dynamics and derive the equations that describe the vibration of the system. The equations of motion can be derived conveniently by drawing the free-body diagrams of all the masses involved. The free-body diagram of a mass can be obtained by isolating the mass and indicating all externally applied forces, the reactive forces, and the inertia forces.The equations of motion of a vibrating system are usually in the form of a set of ordinary differential equations for a discrete system and partial differential equations for a continuous system. The equations may be linear or nonlinear, depending on the behavior of the components of the system. †¢Solution of the Governing Equations. The equations of motion must be solved to find the response of the vibrating system.Depending on the nature of the problem, we can use one of the following techniques for finding the solution: standard methods of solving differential equations, Laplace transform methods, matrix methods, and numerical methods. If the governing equations are nonlinear, they can seldom be solved in closed form. Furthermore, the solution of partial differential equations is far more involved than that of ordinary differential equations. Numerical methods involving computers can b e used to solve the equations.However, it will be difficult to draw general conclusions about the behavior of the system using computer results. †¢Interpretation of the Results. The solution of the governing equations gives the displacements, velocities, and accelerations of the various masses of the system. These results must be interpreted with a clear view of the purpose of the analysis and the possible design implications of the results. Reference link: http://classof1. com/homework-help/engineering-homework-help

How does Robert Louis Stevenson explore the duality of human nature in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde? Essay

Robert Louis Stevenson incorporated the ideology of the duality of human nature into his Victorian thriller novella: ‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’. This does not emerge fully until the last chapter. The text not only de-familiarizes the duality of human nature as its central theme but forces us to wonder the properties of this duality and to consider each of the novella’s chapters as we weigh up the various theories. Jekyll asserts that â€Å"man is not truly one, but truly two,† implying that everyone has two parts to their personality, ‘Good’ and ‘Bad’ instead of just yourself and he imagines the human soul as the battleground for an â€Å"angel† and a â€Å"fiend,† both opposing forces each struggling for mastery. The novella tackles many different theories that circulated at the time. When the novella was published, there was uproar that it suggested we have two parts to our personalities. This theory went against many influential Victorian religious beliefs. Robert Louis Stevenson’s believed that people had a dual personality and this is echoed in the novella. The inspiration for the novella could have come from many different people and events, most notably: a dream that Stevenson had repeatedly as a child relevant event about Deacon Brody who was a cabinet maker by day and murderer by night. Also during his time in the Samoan Island a man named Dr Hyde greatly insulted his friends, from that could have and most probably did give birth to the Jekyll and Hyde characters. Robert Louis Stevenson, the author, was born in 1850 in Edinburgh, and you can see the divisions between scientific and religious views reflected in the story from his childhood. His mother, being very religious, had him baptised whereas his father did not approve of his writing and thought he should have a more scientific past-time. This is reflected into the novella, with the more experimental Dr Jekyll, which eventually leads to his apparent death. In contrast, you have Dr Hastie Lanyon, a more stringent and ‘old-style’ scientist who at one point dismisses Jekyll’s experiments as, â€Å"scientific balderdash†, this clearly shows the straight to the point view that would have been shared with Victorian society towards experimental science. It had huge implications: namely that God was not the higher authority and Science had influence with the creation of everything which at the time many people were scared of god’s wrath and the consequences if th ey were found playing with science whereas today we are more scared of what we create than the consequences of religion. This proposal was re-enforced when Darwin published his book: â€Å"Theory of Evolution†, to the general public in which a large amount of people saw it as an ‘attack on religion’, simply by stating that God did not create the world in seven days and that all animals, including human beings, were all descended from something more primitive that its current form: this would have caused fear as people were scared that we could evolve to a point we’d turn into characters such as Dracula, Frankenstein or even characters such as the ‘ape-like’ Hyde. Many also believed that science had come out of its comfort zone and was meddling in things that only God had control over. This is what Stevenson does in the novella using the Jekyll and Hyde characters. This would have given the story, when it was published, the edge as many people saw the supernatural and science as quite an intimidating matter and it was widely feared, and suggesting that people had two sides. Subsequently, during the time of the publication in 1888, in London there were numerous murders of prostitutes by the notorious serial killer, Jack the Ripper. Several people had thought that the story of Jekyll and Hyde had inspired Jack the Ripper to commit the killings. Nevertheless, while this was never proven it had been implanted in the minds of many Victorians, to think about Jekyll and Hyde and the duality of human nature. There was, discussion about Jack the Ripper being highly educated, that of a doctor like Jekyll, or professor or even royalty. Victorian society at the time of the novella’s publication had a very large class divide, with the upper class honourable gentry and the poor, poverty ridden lower classes. Robert Louis Stevenson juxtaposes these extremes in his novella, emphasising the vast difference between the classes using the honourable Dr Jekyll and his repressed darker side that is Mr Hyde, which ensures the reader sees the contrast between Jekyll’s rich, good and kindness against Hyde’s evil, seemingly poor and deplorable behaviour. The novella is set in the vice-ridden city of London aptly described within the novella as being, â€Å"dingy†, â€Å"distained† and â€Å"blistered†, these adjectives paint a picture of an area in dis-repute and set a tone which is echoed through the character Hyde throughout the novella: which was a very different place to the prosperous modern, Edinburgh, where Robert Louis Stevenson was brought up. There was a very real sense of a nor th, south divide. The south was riddled with crime, a true ‘dark ages’ setting portrayed through Mr Hyde’s abode in London’s infamous Soho, whereas the upper class, ‘good’ side of Dr. Jekyll lives in an influential square described as having â€Å"florid charms†, and â€Å"thoroughfare with an air of invitation†, these adjectives not only imply that the street in itself are ‘good’ but also personify the street by implying it invites customers to shop there with its decor or ‘charms’. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde delve into the Victorian’s fascinated fear of the supernatural, highlighting the vast differences between religion, science and philosophy at the time. Most notably is this shown by the disagreements between Dr Jekyll and Dr Lanyon, at one Lanyon protests Jekyll’s experimenting would have â€Å"estranged Damon and Pythias†, who were mythological Greek followers of Pythagoras. This shows Dr Lanyon, like so many at the time, as scared and completely against mixing science and religion, whereas Dr Jekyll shows himself to be more experimental, like philosophers at the time such as Darwin and Sir John Herschel who believed in evolutionism: the idea that everything has descended from something, most notably humans from apes. At the time Great Britain was a world leader, a pioneer for all things scientific however still very religious and like any great nation it had secret vice’s and habit’s that were hidden away to the rest of the world, like how Hyde is hidden away in Jekyll. Jekyll displays a dual natured personality even before he starts to meddle with Hyde, but his potion he creates, which he hoped would separate and purify each element, succeeds only in bringing the dark side into being-Hyde emerges, but he has no angelic counterpart. If man is half angel and half fiend, then it makes you wonder what happens to the â€Å"angel† at the end of the novella. Jekyll succeeds in liberating his darker side, freeing it from the bonds of conscience, yet as Jekyll he never liberates himself from this darkness. Jekyll cannot participate in ‘unrepeatable pleasures’ due to his high standing in society, therefore, concocts a potion which allows him to mentally and physically split his ‘good’ and ‘evil’ personalities on command allowing Jekyll, to remain a reputable socialite, however, also enjoying the Soho ‘pleasures’ such as visiting popular brothels which were abundant during the Victorian period however it would’ve been social suicide to visit as Jekyll due to his upper class and well educated veneer. However, this soon spirals out of control and the cost of Jekyll’s curiosity turned out to be a deadly reversal of dominance. When Jekyll become’s Hyde, he says he feels â€Å"younger, lighter and happier in body†, which implies that despite Jekyll tapped into this more ‘evil’ side of his human nature, he is enjoying the new found freedom, this allows him to do what he wants. However, especially when Hyde has been ignored and made a recluse within the shadow of Jekyll, we can see this physically emphasized when Hyde’s described as being ‘small’ and ‘stumpy’, lashes out, and murders Sir Danvers Carew. Jekyll believes that his potion gives him complete control over the transformations between his ‘good’ and ‘evil’ side. Throughout the novella Hyde is described as being disgusting and the minute you meet him, people unconsciously take an instant dislike to him. When Mr Enfield ‘collared’ Hyde, Enfield apparently, â€Å"turned sick and white with the desire to kill him†; showing how hypocritical Victorian’s were as they were rejecting and repressing their own evil side. This is the side of Jekyll which he himself wants to be rid of. However, he ends up being a ‘slave’ and ‘underdog’ to his ‘evil’ side, which is Hyde. Additionally, we are led to believe that Jekyll kill’s himself to be rid of Hyde forever. Jekyll’s potion is made solely to rid Jekyll of his ‘evil’ side. However, it is increasingly noticeable that the more times that Jekyll uses the potion, his hold over Hyde weakens to a point where â€Å"I fell asleep Jekyll, but awoke Hyde†, This shows that Jekyll has lost all control, and it gives a view to what is to come. The loss of control over Hyde implies that Jekyll has never been pure, and has always had his ‘evil’ side, Hyde within him which is echoed by two well-known philosophers. The social contract theorists, Thomas Hobbes and John Locke, came from fundamentally different viewpoints. Hobbes believed that â€Å"all man is born evil†, whereas Locke said â€Å"man are born flawed but good deep down†, which is portrayed throughout the novella. This is shown clearly when the physical traits of Hyde are described as, â€Å"short and stumpy†, however as Hyde gains control over Jekyll, Hyde becomes as tall and as well built as Jekyll, implying that the powers of ‘good’ and ‘evil’ are now not as thrown in one direction. Another more recent psychologist named Sigmund Freud believed that we were made up of three parts: the id, ego and the super-ego. The id is the set of uncoordinated instinctual trends; the ego is the organised, realistic part; and the super-ego plays the critical and moralising role. He also believed that it is the rules of society and laws that stop everyone from going around killing each other. It seems that Hyde consists of only the id; this emphasizes the ideology that Hyde simply represents the primitive and ‘animal-like’ qualities of Jekyll and that Jekyll remains the critical organised part of his makeup. The bulk of the crime was committed by and amongst the lower classes, leaving the upper classes seemingly innocent, however we know from Jekyll’s feelings that he desperately wanted to be able to enjoy the pleasures of the lower classes much like Stevenson himself, and this is what leads him to create the potion, and turn into Hyde. There is also an air of cynicism about Jekyll as he wanted to, in effect, ‘use’ Hyde for his dirty deeds, â€Å"†¦Edward Hyde would pass away like the stain of a breathe upon a mirror†, clearly showing that Jekyll has planned for this and has the full intentions of using Hyde not as was originally thought or desired for medical and theological experiments but for more sinister. As a result of Hyde’s ‘imprisonment’ in Jekyll, at every possible chance Hyde seizes control over Jekyll in order to release some of the anger that has been kept in for years. At one point, â€Å"the powers of Hyde seemed to have grown in the sickliness of Jekyll†, which shows that the consistent changing between Jekyll and Hyde made Jekyll, succumb to illness. This made Jekyll weak, allowing Hyde a clearer passage when he ‘took over Jekyll’ this uses dramatic or even tragic irony to convey it’s message. This leads us to believe that people reach the point where you either chose your ‘good’ or ‘bad’ side. Throughout the novella there are many crimes that Hyde commits, most notably the murder of Sir Danvers Carew and the ‘assault’, of the young girl walking on the side path in the evening, which when coupled with the idea that they were committed by Jekyll’s ‘evil’ or ‘bad’ side, they simply bolster Hobbes’ theory that all men are born ‘evil’. However, it also ironically agrees with Locke’s theory that all men are born good but with flaws, as for Jekyll to allow Hyde control, he must drink a potion to separate the good and the bad which shows that Jekyll clearly isn’t ‘bad’ but has â€Å"flaws†, as Locke says. Both crimes involve violence directed against innocents in particular. The fact that Hyde ruthlessly murders these harmless beings, who have seemingly done nothing to provoke him and even less to deserve death, emphasizes the extreme immorality of Jekyll’s dark side unleashed. Hyde’s brand of evil constitutes not just a lapse from good but an outright attack on it. Throughout the novella the language used to describe the main characters, especially Jekyll and Hyde are consistent with what they’re meant to symbolise. For example, Hyde, is referred as being, â€Å"ape-like†, a simile and â€Å"hideous†, an adjective both echo the idea that Hyde is Jekyll’s ‘animal like’, and ‘primitive’ side, by comparing Hyde to an ape this also emphasizes the Victorian idea of duality of human nature where the ‘evil’ part has the more disgusting and unattractive traits, whereas the ‘good’ part of you has the more respectable and ‘like-able’ features. According to the remarks made by observers, Hyde appears ‘repulsively ugly’ and ‘deformed’, ‘small’, ‘shrunken’, and ‘hairy’: these adjectives symbolize his moral hideousness and warped ethics. The connection between such ugliness and Hyde’s wickedness might have been seen as more than symbolic. Many people believed in the science of physiognomy, which was, that someone could identify a criminal by physical appearance. His hairiness may indicate that he is not so much an evil side of Jekyll as the embodiment of Jekyll’s instincts, the animalistic core beneath Jekyll’s polished exterior, another point is where Stevenson gives the door Hyde enters, human qualities such as calling it, â€Å"sinister†, which is an example of personification. The door is also mentioned later on in the novella where it’s referred to, â€Å"two door’s from one corner†, seemingly an oxymoron where the door can be interpreted as two physical entrances to the Jekyll residence which Hyde uses, but also the mental entrance to Jekyll’s ‘good’ side and Hyde’s ‘bad’ side placed next to each other to symbolize the two halves of Jekyll’s human nature. The simple name â€Å"Hyde† which consists of a single syllable is a good way to name the character, and they’re many ways where this is evident, one of those is: â€Å"Jekyll†, consists of two syllables so â€Å"Hyde†, implying that Hyde, is hidden or ‘hides’ within Jekyll however it could also symbolize half of what Jekyll is, Jekyll’s ‘bad’ side. You can also link the idea of Hyde being half of Jekyll by the first sighting of Hyde in the novella, where he’s described as being small, even half of Jekyll’s size, symbolizing the ‘evil’ side which has been out-weighed by the ‘goodness’ of Jekyll. Stevenson meant for Jekyll’s name to be pronounced as if it were French-Je KILL. â€Å"Je† in French means â€Å"I†: I kill subtly emphasizing Jekyll’s ‘evil’ side. Unlike how Hyde is described within the novella, Jekyll is given more providence and a m uch more of a pleasant character consistently described as being an ‘honourable’ man and ‘good doctor’ by his friends. During the Victorian times if you were a doctor, like Jekyll then you would need to conduct yourself in an honourable way and be a ‘role model’ to the lower classes and fellow peers. From the beginning of the novella Jekyll is mentioned as having a â€Å"signature very well known and often printed†, indicating that Jekyll had a large community presence. During Victorian times, doctors were highly respected and considered to be among the most intelligent people of their time, with a great deal of responsibility, you could also link this to why Jekyll wanted to move medicine forward by means of a personality splitting potion. At certain points in the novella, pathetic fallacy is used- most notably when Sir Danvers Carew is murdered, where the sky is peaceful at the time, this reflects the maid at the window’s pure serenity and relaxed mood, however this changes rapidly when Poole fetches Utterson, and the weather changes to heavy rain, this implies that the weather is used to reflect the moods of the different characters. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde both represent two very different ends of the social spectrum and Dr Jekyll are definitely the accepted end of it and throughout the novella the social classes that were prominent in Victorian times and at the time of the novella’s publication are echoed through ‘Jekyll and Hyde’. Jekyll who’s always seen to be a respectable man, and always dressed in clothes which fit unlike Hyde’s, representing Hyde’s physical features as much smaller than Jekyll’s. Whereas the Hyde character consistently inhabits clothes that are too small for him, emphasizing the idea that Hyde represented Jekyll’s ‘poor’ side that relies on Jekyll’s clothing. Clothing to the lower classes would’ve been expensive and therefore would have been handed down after it had stopped fitting, and rarely would’ve been thrown away due to its value, an idiom which best describes the situation between Jekyll and Hyde’s, rich and poor balance would be: ‘the man’s treasure is another man’s rubbish’, clearly highlighting the necessity for the lower classes to grasp at any whole material they could whereas the higher, more richer classes would have the ‘luxury’, of throwing things away quite like when Jekyll simply gives up his clothes for Hyde. There are numerous other characters in the novella which all have their small roles to play and all add to the mystery of the Jekyll and Hyde connection. However, unlike Jekyll and Hyde they’re not split into two distinct characters to show it. One of those characters would be, Poole who is Jekyll’s loyal butler, who at one point fears for Jekyll’s life so much he runs to Utterson’s for help. This could show ‘good’ human nature as he is willing to go, against his order’s to leave him in his cabinet despite what he hears or sees, to essentially save Jekyll’s life. However this could be miss-construed as he fears that if Jekyll dies then his pay, and stable residence with Jekyll will cease. Another character who displays hints of a more twisted human nature is the police sergeant who investigates the murder of Sir Danvers Carew. We are told that when he hears of the murder, â€Å"his eye lighted up with professional ambition†, the irony that the sergeant has more feelings for his own future and that he could get a promotion whereas he doesn’t care as much that a Member of Parliament was brutally â€Å"bludgeoned†, to death by Hyde. In the sergeant and Poole’s cases, you can see two very different sides to human nature, similar to the Hyde and Jekyll’s differences. Another character which shows a more sinister side but still relative to today’s human nature is Hyde’s housekeeper who when hearing of the news that he killed someone presses the police for information, most likely for gossip. Hyde’s housekeeper answered the door to the police and: â€Å"She had an evil face, smoothed by hypocrisy†, which implies that she was more than happy to implicate her employer suggesting that even during Victorian times people were as we are today ‘gossip motivated’. Yet another character in the novella is Mr Utterson, who in his own narrative reveals himself to be : â€Å"lean, long, dusty, dreary, and yet somehow lovable†. Despite this Utterson shows himself to be a very nosey person, consistently asking Jekyll for details about his will, even by-passing Jekyll and asking Lanyon. This could be taken in two ways: either Utterson simply wants to know why Jekyll has such a strange will, or as we are lead to believe Utterson genuinely cares for Jekyll and wants to help in any way he can. These two views of his character both showing ‘good’ and seemingly ‘bad’ human nature. However you can also link Dr Lanyon with Mr Utterson as they both have an unfounded hatred and un-scientific eye for the supernatural which is shown clearly in the novella as it progresses Both are unable to notice and link the disappearances and re-appearance of Jekyll and Hyde, until Lanyon witnesses the process and dies soon after, His death represents the more general victory of supernaturalism over materialism in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Then you have Utterson who doesn’t ‘see’ the ‘truth’ right up until the end when he receives the letter from Jekyll explaining the series of events. Throughout the novella, Mr Utterson is a frequent character who helps to lead the plot, displaying the behaviour and attitude, towards the ‘truth’ much like Victorian people at the time despite the fact he though Jekyll was hiding Hyde and being blackmailed, he’d rather not admit it. Even when he suspects Jekyll of criminal activities such as blackmail or the sheltering of the murderer Hyde, he prefers to ignore what he has learned, or what he thinks he has learned, rather than bring ruin upon his good friend. Robert Louis Stevenson, the author, raised in a very religious way could be one of the reasons that he chose to write this novella, as a way of rebelling like many at the time when it came to the super natural and religion. However, we can link his religious upbringing to one of the characters: Gabriel Utterson, Gabriel is one of the ‘main’ angels in the religion and often referred to in the bible with ‘God’, so despite the rebelling against his religion, Stevenson still insert snippets from his past into the plot line. Lastly the link between Utterson and Lanyon, they both embody the lack of knowledge and unwillingness to entertain anything to do with the supernatural much like the Victorians who preferred what they knew, which was religion and not what this would have been during publication, a horror story. Another very prominent theme displayed in the novella is the presence of silence like the Victorian’s at the time of publication; two kinds of silence in the novel indicate two different notions about the interaction of the rational and the irrational. The characters’ refusals to discuss the sordid situations indicate an attribute of the Victorian society in which they live. This society prizes decorum and reputation above all and prefers to repress or even deny the truth, certainly if that truth threatens to upset the conventionally ordered society in place. Faced with the irrational, Victorian society and its population prefer neither to acknowledge its presence nor to grant it the legitimacy of a name. Involuntary silences, on the other hand, imply something about language itself: Language is by nature rational and logical and many characters display this silence throughout the novella for example: Enfield and Utterson cut off their discussion of Hyde in the first ch apter out of distaste for gossip; Utterson refuses to share his suspicions about Jekyll throughout his investigation of his friend’s predicament. Moreover, neither Jekyll in his final confession nor the third-person narrator in the rest of the novella ever provides any details of Hyde’s behaviour or secret vices. Maybe the silence is kept out of the mutual respect for each other’s respect however it is more likely that during Victorian times, everyone knew what everyone else was doing although never revealed their knowledge due to the age old idiom: â€Å"Knowledge is power†, allowing a crime such as black mail to thrive, which it did during Victorian times and why would a reputable man want to be seen in such circumstances, it could destroy their reputation quite like when Utterson suspects Jekyll of being black mailed. Quite like the Victorian’s at the time we are really gossip crazy, and we all love to have information about other people to use at our advantage, much like the Victorians we don’t like our family secrets and self-pride to be damaged no matter what social class we belong to, both the Victorian’s and ourselves didn’t like to ‘air their dirty laundry’, implying that if something could damage the honour, pride or reputation of the family or person then it simply would be kept secret seemingly to protect themselves like Jekyll does with Hyde. ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ is medium length and that is why it is categorised as being a novella, because it isn’t long enough to be called a novel, nor short enough to be called a short story. All but the last two chapters are written in third person: the penultimate chapter, ‘Dr Lanyon’s narrative’ is written in first person, from Dr Lanyon’s point of view, in a package to Mr Utterson. Again, in the last chapter, with Dr Jekyll explains the long series of events in a mixture of third, and first person, when talking about himself, Dr Jekyll, (third when talking about Mr Hyde’s actions). The novella has two endings emphasizing the idea of dual natured personalities, and two different sides too our personalities: firstly when Utterson and Poole, the butler, find Hyde in Jekyll’s cabinet, and secondly, when Utterson finally reads Jekyll’s letter at the end of the novella which explains the series of events. At points in the last chapter, even Dr Jekyll becomes confused as to who he is, which emphasizes the idea that Hyde could be taking ‘over’. The book, ‘The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’, starts with a long narrative from Mr Enfield; a key character in the plot line. The narrative concerns Mr Utterson and Mr Enfield who informs him of the night were he witnessed a â€Å"stumbling†¦ damned Juggernaut†, character â€Å"who was as emotional as a bagpipe†, a metaphor insinuating Hyde, whom they were talking about was careless and oblivious to the pain he caused. Also they mention, ‘door’ which becomes more important as the story goes on proving to be of use to Hyde and Jekyll as a physical and theological escape to each other’s acts. It is at this point that due to both of the men’s disapproval of gossiping, that they stop the conversation, and continue their walk. The novella consists of a long anecdote start ed at the beginning and ends with a summary of Dr Jekyll’s point of view. Jekyll mainly explains their story and that he will transform into Hyde again, soon and will not be able to stop it. The idea of Jekyll and Hyde is for the reader to think about the two different sides to human nature, and how things can ‘possibly’ go wrong when you lose all control over the ‘evil’ side of your personality, as inevitably happens in the novella. I think that Stevenson, who was plagued throughout his life by illness, wrote this story to share his own experiences, and views in a controversial religious and scientific situation at the time of publication. Throughout Stevenson’s life he battled with respiratory problems, consistently moving from city to city, and even to different countries most notably the Samoan islands and I believe that this is just one of the ‘demons’ in his life, or part of his own ‘evil’ human nature that led him to write this story. No one philosopher can be linked directly to the story since the text grapples at parts of Locke’s and Hobbes’ theories. A possible moral of this interesting story is that which many Christians recite daily, (yet another religious link to the story): â€Å"Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil†, and that ‘one’ needs to be in control of their darker side of human nature, and to stop this evil from growing larger as happens in Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde or perhaps, the moral is that we cannot control evil once unleashed.

After School Programs Essay - 2332 Words

Daniel Parra Mrs. Padgett English IV, Period 2 7 December 2010 After School Programs The impact that after school programs have on young children affects every aspect of their lives. Although some may feel after school programs are a waste of time and money, it has been proven that they improve children’s social and academic skills. Without these special designed programs, children may not be able to develop into the kinds of adults which will benefit society in the future. It is important that society understand the importance of after school programs. To cut back on after school programs to better the economy is only taking away from the children and opening new doors to them, which can ultimately lead them to jail or possibly†¦show more content†¦Learning how to communicate is often overlooked but its an essential skill for anyone. An example of how important this truly is would be a job interview. Everyone at some point will have to interview for a job to support themselves and their family. At most interviews, employe rs are looking for people who seem to communicate well with others and can present themselves by communicating their attributes. These communications skills that are necessary aren’t easy to come by. Although one may think it would be easy, many people wont be able to successfully land a job because of communication. One person may be the most qualified, but if you can not communicate well then it will not matter. After school programs can also socially benefit a child. Programs are often designed to teach a child how to be a leader as well as a team player. Throughout one’s life there will be situations where one will need to work in a group as well as lead a group of people. After school programs involving sports, really hone in on a child’s ability to behave and interact in a group environment. The participants must work together in order to achieve a common goal which is to ultimately win. In doing so, they must interact and communicate in a way whi ch will be most beneficial for the entire group. This occurs not only in sports but in everyday life. At a job, one may have to work with others toShow MoreRelatedEssay on After-School Programs1250 Words   |  5 PagesAfter-School Programs More parents than ever these days are working outside of the home. This means that when the school bell rings, many children are left unsupervised and with no where to go but an empty house with no supervision. Not only that, but some parents are also struggling to provide adequate after-school care. Either they cannot afford the monthly payments of a daycare, or the programs are just simply not available to them. (Ansell, 2004). 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