Arminian and Calvinist Views Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Arminian and Calvinist Views - Research Paper Example Christianity denotes a religious grouping that believes in God as a Supreme Being and Jesus Christ as his begotten son through which mankind receive salvation. â€Å"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and the only son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have an everlasting life†1 Christianity as a religion has two major groupings, Catholics and protestants, which are further divided into numerous groups with different doctrines. The paper will explore Calvinism and Arminianism as two different views in the Christian fraternity and evaluate their merits. Nosorto states that, â€Å"There are several notable differences between the two theologies of Calvinism and Arminianism.2 Let us examine these two views to bring out the differences and to understand them. The term Calvinism was coined by John Calvin who was a close ally of Martin Luther for a long time before they parted ways due to divergent religious ideologies.3 Calvinism is a religious viewpoin t that holds five major pillars and each of the pillars have biblical backings. One of the pillars as documented by Nosorto is total depravity that states that, a man 1.International Bible Society. Holy Bible; New International Version. USA:International Bible Society Press,1973. 106. 2. Nosotro Rit. Calvinism and Armianism.Hyperhistory.net. 2010. http://www.hyperhistory.net/apwh/essays/comp/cw20calvinismarminianism.htm (Accessed April, 24 2012) 3.Norsoto does not have a freewill but only in accordance to his nature.†4 This is a proposition that man’s heart is naturally wicked and therefore cannot choose God. It is a belief that unless man is prompted by the Holy Spirit, he will remain wicked. This believes are supported by Jeremiah 17:9 that state that, the heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. 5. This brings out the fact that man’s heart is wicked from creation and will remain so unless God intervenes. You cannot choose God because you are unclea n but God can choose you and cleanse you; this is the essence of total depravity and lack of freewill. On the other hand, Arminianism advocates for freewill. It argues that even though man is sinful in nature, they have the ability to choose to do-good or do bad. God does not impose decisions on human beings but gives them an opportunity to make their own decisions. These decisions do not depend on nature. This position is supported by John 7:17, that states that if any one chooses to do well then they will know that my teachings are from God.6 According to Coulter, other areas of divergent opinions between the Calvinist and Arminianist perspectives are on the election to salvation, where it is conditional in Arminianism and unconditional in Calvinist, limited atonement for Calvinism but universal atonement for Arminianism and irresistible grace for Calvinism and grace that can be resisted in Armianism.7 4. Norsoto 5. .International Bible Society. Holy Bible; New International Versi on,817 6. International Bible Society. Holy Bible; New International Version,112 7. Coulter B. Paul. Devine Sovereignity and Human Responsibility.Paulcoulter.net. 2011 Web 23 April 2012 http://www.paulcoulter.net (Accessed April, 23 2012) How do these views relate with God’s providence? What is providence? The word providence is derived from the Latin noun providentia, ‘foresight, forethought,’ and the related verb providere, ‘to provide for, take precautions for or against something.8

HR in Pantaloon Retail Limited | Analysis

HR in Pantaloon Retail Limited | Analysis This project starts with the history of Pantaloon Retail (India) Limited which is biggest player in the retail industry and got diversified into many sectors. After that discussed about the HR policies and practices which are followed by Pantaloons in appointing the employees such as Service Rules, Promotion Policy and Rules, Wage Structure, Employee Motivation and Welfare Schemes, Health and Safety Rules, Training and Development. After completion of HR policies and Practices then discussed about the type of job and the applicant who is getting recruited depending upon the level of the company that is junior, middle, senior. Pantaloons use some Training Methodologies for training their employees. Company Profile:- Pantaloon Retail Limited is Indias largest retailing company which operates multiple retail formats in both Lifestyle and value segments. The headquarters of Pantaloon Retail Limited is in Mumbai and operates all around India and has over 30,000 employees working for over 1000 stores across 73 cities in India. Pantaloon Retail Limited includes a chain of fashion outlets such as Pantaloons, Big Bazaar and Brand Factory. The company also operates its products online by the web portal named futurebazaar.com. Values of Pantaloons:- The Success story of Pantaloons had built on a number of core company values that have remained almost unchanged. These values are: Indianness: confidence in their business structure. Leadership: To be a leader, both in thought and business. Respect Humility: To respect every individual and be humble in conduct. Introspection: leading to purposeful thinking. Openness: to be open and receptive to new ideas, knowledge and information. Valuing and Nurturing Relationships: to build long term relationships. Simplicity Positivity: Simplicity and positivity in our thought, business and action. Adaptability: to be flexible and adaptable, to meet challenges. Flow: to respect and understand the universal laws of nature. HR Policies and Rules:- Promotion Policy Rules: Promotion Policy and rules are applied to employees depending upon on their ability of performing work, managing their skills and the level of experience. Wage Structure: Every Job has awarded different wages depending upon the position of the employee and the responsibility levels which the employees take over. This enables the company to: Provide competitive salaries for each job taking into account market rates. Reward everyone according to their contribution. The Salary allocated ranges depends upon the employees position type for employees performing the standard duties of their jobs. Set up maximum and minimum levels within those ranges to account for variations in experience and skill levels. The pay defers from Store Administered employee to Head Office Administered employee. The payment of the employees is directly by the manager or it is deposited into the savings account which the employee holds. The Company reserves the right to suspend pay where an employee fails to notify about absence from work. Employee motivation welfare schemes: Reward Policies Pantaloon believes in sharing its progress and profitability and reward accordingly. They offer a range of benefits which are service-related, so they build up as service of an employee increases. Each element of the benefits package is reviewed regularly to ensure it remains competitive and maintains pantaloon as a leading employer. Some of them are: To extend a discount facility to employees of Future Group. Healthcare Offers Pantaloons offer following healthcare options to all monthly paid employees and their partners: Private health insurance Gratuity Scheme Free medical treatment for the employee, spouse and the dependent family members. Female employees can have Maternity leave 84 days maximum on completion of 160 days. Travel Expenses Travel is an integral part of work for many people. Pantaloons offers travel options and expenses so employees can travel in a secure and comfortable manner. Social Activities Pantaloons provides the employees the scheme named Seekho which enables them to develop their skill sets and opt for any educational courses so that they can increase their productivity which adds additional value for the company development in future. Every employee of the pantaloon contributes small amount of money from their salary each month voluntarily to the pantaloon foundation which they can use for any emergency needs. Lifestyle Options Pantaloon provides following options and benefits: Flexible working Employees can avail advance of 7 days of all purpose leave during the probation period which will be adjusted in the employees leave balance. Leave accumulation will be permissible up to 90 days period. Only 15 days will be carried forward to the next fiscal year. Corporate helpline A 24-hour confidential support service which help employees to manage stress, personal, traumatic or financial issues which are affecting their attendance or performance at work. Health safety rules: Pantaloon is committed to ensure the health, safety and well being of all its employees, customers and others who visit or work in their premises. Companys Policy on Health and Safety includes: The Health Safety Committee The Committee members advice on health safety policy who monitors employees effectiveness and reviews the key performance and take measures on a quarterly basis. The Store/Site Manager The Store/Site Manager is responsible for ensuring with Fire, Health Safety Officer that Company Health Safety Policy is implemented. This includes: Suitable Induction and Legislative Update training for Fire, Health Safety. The prevention, investigation and the reporting of accidents. The completion of ongoing Risk Assessments and maintenance of known hazard information. Property, Development and Facilities Management They are responsible for the provision of working areas, equipment and materials that are safe and dont pose any risk to health. Training and development: Personal Development Learning career development Pantaloons are committed to develop its employees into skilled, customer-focused, enthusiastic and motivated employees. They provides the employees the scheme named Seekho which enables them to develop their skill sets and opt for any educational courses so that they can increase their productivity which adds additional value for the company development in future. An employee is equally responsible for learning and development. Training is given as and when required e.g. the implementation of new systems. Review of performance Line managers review performance continually in order to assess how a particular employee is doing. It helps employee in assessing themselves and look for further development. Highlights of Equal Opportunities Policy are: Promote a working environment free from discrimination, harassment and victimization on the basis of: Gender, sexual orientation. Marital status Race, color, nationality. Working Hours Religion or Political views. Age and Disability. Identification of Jobs and their Analysis: Pantaloons as above mentioned it has around 30,000 employees who are working under different roles depending upon their qualifications. This means there is diversity in the Company distribution of work load as per the qualifications of the persons applying in. There are three levels of Jobs in any company viz. Entry Level, Middle Level, Senior Level. These levels have their own Job description, Job Specification and the Recruitment and Selection procedure etc These are briefly discussed below:- Entry Level: The entry level jobs at Pantaloons for example the Stock and Inventory staff and others. Job description: The Applicant for the Stock and Inventory the employees are responsible for shipping of inventory and supplying the inventory from the internal locations to the other departments. This means he pulls all the items from the storage, physically move them. Job Specification: Strong Organizational Skills. Multi Tasking ability. Basic computer knowledge. Strong Communication Skills. Must be soft spoken and must have a smiling face while treating the customer. Able to work under pressure. Detailed recruitment and staffing: For recruitment in this level a mass number of people are required. The company goes with advertisements and newspaper for walk in interviews. The company chooses reference and consultancies for the recruitment of the employees as one strategy. There are interviews conducted by departmental managers , store managers, HR heads and the team leaders respectively After all this process done if the person gets through all the interview rounds then he is given his place in the team or the job part for which he/she is fit for. Middle Level: The middle level job is of a Store Manager who is supposed to be responsible for both the functioning of the firm in maintaining the store and the management of the entry level people. Job Description: Minimum 3-5 years of experience in maintaining stores and performing the operational requirements. Monitoring the entire store and planning about the future services and training the new employees in their work. Must provide extremely high customer service and must make sure that the employees working under him must also provide same level customer satisfaction. The candidate is expected to develop functional understanding of business as well as understand the way information about the workplace and scheduling the processes. Good understanding of concepts such a Market basket analysis, Regression analysis etc. Job Specification: Graduate (preferable in retail management) with strong Maths background. Business Systems Analyst Skills. An experience of minimum 3-5 years is required. Advanced Computer knowledge. Effective verbal and written communication skills. Project management skills and strong leadership skills. Ability to manage multitasks in very fast pace environment. Broad knowledge on retail business. Strong analytical skills. Must be able to make seasonal strategy of a product. Detailed recruitment and staffing: The company produces vacancies in the consultancies, news paper advertisement for walk in. Now the company selects or shortlists the viable profiles and then starts the recruitment. Now the interviews are conducted as per these persons one by one viz. department head, store manager, zonal manager, HR. Senior Level: The senior level job is of Operations Manager who is responsible for all marking targets for different groups and is responsible for the other high end activities in the organization. Job Description: Minimum 5+ years of experience in performing the operational requirements. Interviewing the low level managers and make sure that all the employees understands the organization goals. Must provide extremely high customer service and must make sure that the employees working under him must also provide same level customer satisfaction. Must manage business operations activities and have to deliver the results according to the organizational strategy. Good understanding of concepts such a Market basket analysis. Job Specification: Excellent communication is required. Knowledge of business processes their interdependencies. Ability to give short-term solutions to business problem from a business continuity point of view. Develop report and review on all the operations which are taking place under his control. Ability to develop long term solutions for business problems with a view on repercussions on the whole business. Leadership skills required. An experience of minimum 5+ years is required Detailed recruitment and staffing: Same process is followed while giving ads in the news papers and consultancies. The main interview is taken by the HR and then supervised by the directors and the BODs. SELECTION PROCESS Finalization of the Candidate: Once a candidate is finalized, he has to submit the following documents: Last salary slip Last appointment letter REFERENCE CHECK: After the submission of slip and the appointment letter, the candidate has to give the names and contact details of two professional references from his current company/any of the previous companies where he has worked earlier. A telephonic call is made to the persons and the following is checked: Education background Professional Background Personal background Interpersonal skills for the formalities. OFFER LETTER: After checking all the references, if the candidates are found suitable, the offer letter is rollout to the candidate for joining. Effective Training Methodologies: Effective training methodology which a firm uses to adopt for the junior level executive is Experiential action learning. This method requires an instructor to be very skilled and knowledgeable about the process which the firm is following for its growth. Employees who are new to the organization are a part in the experiential action learning which may indeed help them to develop a better sense of knowledge which can improve the capabilities of the employee. Effective training methodology which a firm uses to adopt for the middle level executive is On-the-job training which is a kind of Word-Driven Training, in this type of training, supervisors or mentors-who must be very skilled in the work being taught- instruct participants in a hands-on environment. Design time is usually minimal because on-the-job training is not a formal process Effective training methodology which a firm uses to adopt for the senior level executives are Problem-bases learning in which participants focus on problems with the help of resource person, as required. Learners determine the pace of the training and its content. Training occurs in the sense that the group learns about the problem; at the same time, a solution is developed. The research indicated that people learning through problem-based training are more motivated. Conclusion: Pantaloon Retail (India) limited is not only an organization but it is an institute which provides its employees an opportunity for learning which helps in development of the company. They always look for the people who are high in knowledge which will help the organization success. Pantaloons always welcome change in fashion by thinking out of the box. Pantaloons has achieved success through its capability and competence to lead the change when compared to past. Pantaloons most innovative concepts are now considered as the base line in the retail industry. Pantaloon Retail (India) limited started of with manufacturing of garment later it expanded into the retailing market when compared to any other retail company. Pantaloon Retail (India) limited was the 1st to introduce the concept of the departmental store in retail sector for the entire family members through Pantaloons. Pantaloon Retail (India) also launched hypermarket in India as Big Bazaar, a large discount store and it also launched Food Bazaar. Today Pantaloon Retail (India) limited is diversified into so many fields and evolved as largest retail company in India. The way we work is distinctly Pantaloon. The biggest advantage of pantaloons is the courage of dreaming of becoming diversified into many fields and turning the dream into reality which changes the lives of the consumer. Pantaloon is an invitation to join a place where there are no boundaries to what you can achieve. Means employee are given importance to be open in their thoughts and requested to give their opinions for the organizational success.

Did Our Ancestors Live in Harmony with the Environment? :: Environment Environmental Pollution Preservation

Did Our Ancestors Live in Harmony with the Environment? It appears that humans are entering a stage in their collective lives in which we are beginning to see that we can quite easily alter our environments very drastically. Some are still divided about how they feel about this, feeling that things cannot possibly be as bad as the many doomsday-scenarios painted by both scientific and religious authorities. And there are others who are extremely worried about our collective affect on the environment, and fear that it may already be too late for humans, and the world will soon change sufficiently enough to make continued human survival on this planet very difficult. From both types of people, the question arises, "Was there ever a time when humans lived in a way that was more or less in harmony with the environment?" A key element in this discussion is the use of technology, loosely defined as anything outside of natural biological functions that is manipulated and used to obtain an objective. To search for a time when our ancestors might have lived more environmentally consciously, one needs evidence, and in this case, it is generally thought that the only real evidence to be found is through fossils of things created and used by these people of so long ago. But how far back in time are we talking about? And is there any other kind of evidence that might shed a bit of light on how people lived in those times? It is generally acknowledged that starting with our ancestor Homo erectus, humans began to use their hands to make tools (Ponting, 18). This knowledge is based on dating techniques of archaeological findings such as skeletons and early tools, and the rough estimate of the appearance of this tool-using human is around 2 million years ago. In case it is not obvious, that is a very long time. Even in the last 4000 years, the amount of change that human culture and society has undergone is enormous, and at least that much is historically documented by at least some cultures in varying intervals. But to jump all the way back to 2 million years involves a very far leap indeed. There is not much evidence that tells us anything about societies so far back in time. There are some bones and stones, but nothing that really breaks down all those thousands of years into any real understanding of the societies of that era.

Nation-States in Modern Times

The natives of Waitangi in New Zealand had to give up their sovereignty to the British throne at the time that the Crown arrived in the country.   Since then, the natives have tried to fight for their right to govern their areas of New Zealand again.   If do they get this permission from the New Zealand government, which they most probably will not get in modern times, the natives of New Zealand might make their own nation-state, that is, a place that is ruled by a certain entity and occupied by people belonging to the same culture and having the same values that are unique to that group (â€Å"Nation-State,† 2007). This is the nature of the nation-state: It is a government form that may not be able to thrive in the era of globalization marked by cultural homogeneity, and featuring immigration laws, skills exchange, outsourcing, foreign direct investment and the likes. In the olden days, Greece was a nation-state.   Athens was the city-state of Greece, protecting a common culture under its own laws.   Greece was the ruler of Athens at the same time.   It had the power to dissolve Athens.   Yet, Athens was an extremely popular cultural hotbed.   It was not wise to dissolve Athens (Polopolos).   Most importantly, Greece and Athens serve as excellent examples of governance for the politicians of the modern world.   As a matter of fact, people use Greece’s example in thinking about how to develop a civilization.   Alexander the Great continues to be remembered. It is definitely possible for nation-states to develop in our day by following the example of Greece.   Weaker groups such as the natives in New Zealand represent a minority nowadays, and may not be able to form their nation-state.   At the same time, America used to be referred to as a ‘melting pot,’ even though the ‘Americanization’ of the world as a synonym for ‘globalization’ could easily have turned America into a lover of its own culture.   America could have become like Greece if it had wanted to preserve its culture; however, the nation’s political mind is very much occupied with the business sense of things. America chooses not to become a nation-state because it benefits immensely from foreigners.   What about Europe?   Can Europe become a nation-state with European Union, the Euro and its likes?   Perhaps places like France and Italy, in particular, might consider becoming nation-states with the strongest regard for their culture.   In point of fact, parts of Europe have been especially concerned in recent times with the upkeep of their traditional agricultural styles.   As an example, certain European farm products like the French cheeses have become â€Å"entwined with the national cultural identity† (Kaplan & Calzonetti, 2005).   Would globalization allow Europe or parts to Europe to turn into nation-states or city-states? – Perhaps so.   Do we expect it to happen? – Probably not. Let us turn to the Middle East.   Could it happen among the Arab nations, with the strongest ties to their culture?   Could Israel become a nation-state, with Jerusalem as its city-state?   Yes, it is possible once they stop fighting over the Middle East.   Arabs hate Americanization, apparently.   But they cannot live without America and Europe buying their oil.   They want to preserve their Islamic culture against the unIslamic behavior shown on Western television nevertheless. They also do not want American clothing to be worn in their societies.   Hijabs and extremely long skirts are still the norm in Saudi Arabia, very difficult for most foreigners to adjust to.   Perhaps Arab nations and/or Israel will be the first to turn into nation-states, if they are not already.   At this time they are not cultural states clearly because they fight too much.   At a time of peace alone will art and culture be nurtured.   Perhaps Middle East should really stop fighting now and become a nation-state if it wants to. References Kaplan, Eben, & Calzonetti, Claire. (2005, December 9). The WTO’s Troubled ‘Doha Negotiations.’ Council on Foreign Relations. Retrieved 27 November 2006, from http://www.cfr.org/index.html. â€Å"Nation-State.† (2007). Wikipedia. Retrieved 7 May 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nation-state. Polopolus, Leonidas C. â€Å"Athens, Greece: A City-State that Grew from Optimality in the Golden Era to Excessive Urbanization by the 21st century.† University of Florida. Retrieved 7 May 2007, from http://www.clas.ufl.edu/users/kapparis/AOC/ATHENS.htm.      

Kinesthetic Learning Style

One of the things I should consider as a kinesthetic learner is the fact that I absorb information better when it is hands-on (physically engaged in the activity of learning, i.e. lab setting). As such, I may have to utilize techniques to make my learning style coincide with an online course wherein the mode of instruction is mainly auditory and visual. It would be an advantage if the visual aspects invite interaction in the form of flash presentations wherein I as the student can actively participate. Kinesthetic learning although typified by physical processing through touch and sensory experience can still be present in online courses by mere participation through clicking and typing during the actual discussion. My attention and capacity to grasp the information would be enhanced by taking notes using a word processor due to the fact that I am able to learn the concept while keeping my body in active awareness of how my mind deciphers the information. In addition, taking down notes about the course as well as my thoughts during the online lecture would allow me to better retain the information (Interview with Laura Summers, 2000). I may have to explore beyond the actual contents of the course and see how they actually are by doing a bit of fieldwork so as to have first had experience of the subject matter. It would really be helpful for me to try and create creative representations of the notes and data I acquire from my online lessons. I may convert the key concepts into tangible form by making graphs, making a model as illustration(Miller, 2000). An interactive online course would suit my learning style better, however, I must find ways in which to adapt to the subject matter even if the mode of instruction does not directly address my kinesthetic inclinations. The techniques mentioned above would definitely help me in reconciling the latter with the teaching process available. In combining the auditory and visual method with my own need for hands on receiving of information; I may have an edge in holistically understanding the course beyond the internet. Â   Â