Working Across Boundaries: Advantages and Disadvantages

Working Across Boundaries: Advantages and Disadvantages This paper examines the perspective of working across boundaries from the lens of Hunan Resource Management. The paper is split into four main parts. The Introduction which provides the background to working across boundaries as it applies in HRM today. A definition section that examines the different aspects of working across boundaries i.e. social, physical, knowledge and mental. Further examination of some theoretical perspectives including the work of Heracleous. The reason that modern organisations need to work across boundaries together with consideration of strategy and leveraging capabilities. A section that looks at the advantages and disadvantages of working across boundaries with a focus on the public sector including healthcare organisations and local authorities. The conclusions summarise the key points. DEFINING WORKING ACROSS BOUNDARIES During the last decade, the concept of working across boundaries has become a popular concept. The basic premise is that individuals and organisation need to traverse boundaries if they are to achieve their goals. Essentially earlier concepts of fixed organisational demarcation lines no longer apply in modern day business concepts. Within the organisational framework the concept of boundaries can become a reasonably complex issue. There still remains an active debate as to whether the definitions of boundaries are realistic, objective or imagined. The concept has become more complex with the use of outsourcing and Public/Private partnerships in terms of lines of demarcation and authority. (Bishop, 2003) The concept of boundaries within organisations takes on different shapes and forms. Much of this has to do with social and knowledge boundaries. The explosion in technological and communication advances has simplified the concept of working across boundaries. Despite the fact that organizations still are challenged to collaborate and share information, nevertheless individuals seem much more liberated in this regard with advancement in social media. Russ Linden is one author who has investigated this, with particular focus on Public sector organisations. (Linden, 2003). The old fashioned concept of organizational design was the creation of silos or departments where functions, roles and responsibilities would be clearly defined within the context of a hierarchical matrix. For example Sales, Finance, Production would each be self-contained units within the organisation and clearly defined lines of demarcation within the business. The Heads of these Departments would be Senior Managers and expected to collaborate with one another but not trespass into the other domains. The holistic business strategy relied upon each unit to fulfil its role within the overall strategic plan. As organisations involved in size and complexity this model posed serious shortcomings and new thought processes were required. This required improved leadership thinking and more collaboration across boundaries. (Stevens, 2006). Working across boundaries remains an important part of Public Sector relationships and impose significant challenges to business operations but they create distinctive value sets and improved goals in the business relationships (Sullivan, 2007) Concepts of working across boundaries In management terms boundaries are often classified as lines of demarcation that often impose constraints. Those items that determine managerial effectiveness. For example: how a business works within the confines of a specific environment; the concept of specific leadership styles and the influence on organizational behaviour. It was Heracleous  [1]  who pointed out in 2004 that both organisations and the environments they function in are inter-related. They create structures and social orders that assist in the definition of the business and its purpose. (Heracleous, 2008) Understanding social boundaries This essentially relates to the relationships that are formed between groups of individuals within an organization. Heracleous maintained that boundaries have remained central to the thinking of social scientists in the establishment of social boundaries between groups and individuals. Particular reference made to that of transactions costs and how modern technology like sophisticated communications and the internet have had a profound impact here. It has directed whether the boundaries have either diminished or enlarged and the effect on production costs has influenced important decisions like that of outsourcing or internalisation of specific tasks. (Heracleous, 2004). Understanding social change can be studied by the adoption of Lewins Forecefield Analysis. There are numerous models that you can adopt to examine the impact of Change to the Organization. One common method approach is that of Lewins Forecefield Analysis. Fig 1 provides an example of the model. Figure Force field Analysis exampleThis enables you to examine both the driving and restraining forces that emerge as a result of the proposed changes. The model is particularly good for identifying forces that are considered to be polarized i.e. a change in one condition creates an equal and opposite effect in the other. The model was designed by Lewin to assist the Process Analyst to guide people through the unfreeze, move and refreeze stages of business process analysis. It is also an excellent means of demonstrating the dynamics that are in play. So by completion of the Force field Model you have acquired the data in order to complete Lewins Three Step Model. In the Unfreeze you examine the status quo and those driving forces for change. You can decrease the resisting forces against change. The move element involves taking actions and moving people. The freeze means make the changes permanent and establish new ways of doing things. Introduce concept of rewards for achieving the d esired outcomes. Understanding knowledge boundaries The sharing of knowledge has both an internal and external boundary. For example in the internal model it is desirous for information to be shared between the Sales and Marketing departments. This empowers both department to do a better job. Externally, there is the sharing and collaboration of knowledge and information between allies. For example a UK based company and its overseas subsidiary. In order for an organization to be successful it must manage its four pillars of knowledge. These being Leadership, Organization, Technology and Learning. Information Technology (Pillar 3) has achieved an amazing impact in the promotion and dissemination of knowledge in the business environment. Unfortunately Technology has had a greater influence on guiding the strategic planning of organizations, as opposed to the other way round. One example being that of Enterprise Planning Systems like SAP and J.D. Edwards One World system. Organizations have re-engineered their knowledge base and business processes in order to meet the integrated demands of the software application. (Bixler, 2002) Knowledge Managers need to understand that despite the many advantages Information Technology (IT) has to offer the workplace it is not a magic utopian panacea. Equally any Information Technology application that undervalues Knowledge Management will equally fail in the business place. (Mohammed). If Knowledge Management is to be considered effective with IT in business it must be treated as its equal partner. Knowledge Managers have criticised IT as being lacking in areas like tacit knowledge. Hence there is a need to incorporate items of behavioural consideration and cognitive function. (Bixler, 2002) There is an increasing demand and challenge being placed upon the CIOs of business organizations and as such Managers need to become more vocal about their expectations and use the four pillars as a framework in order to further improve the integration of knowledge in the organization. Understanding physical boundaries The concepts of boundaries are important because it is these that represent challenges which organisations must overcome. Although organisations are essentially construed as open systems and these providing a continued interface with their environment. Many academics still believe that it is management that defines the physical boundaries and how you differentiate between internal and external items. (Schnieder, 1987). In reality it is difficult for management to define these boundaries as organisations have multiple stakeholders; such only by the integration of the combined needs can you truly obtain an understanding of the organisational identity. AS such those members of the organisation are of a precarious nature and there are many different ways in which they may be depicted as being inside or outside of the organisational composition. (Lane, 2000). Understanding Mental boundaries Mental boundaries essentially relate to individual perception of what is considered to be internal or external to the organisation. This being what is considered to be acceptable and that which goes beyond this to the realm of external control. It is this form of cognitive schema that helps individuals to create and understand the different social boundaries within an organisation. These differentiations often create perceptions of attitudes related to us and them and the formation of symbolic boundaries that enable distinctions to be drawn. (Heracleous, 2004). The need to work across boundaries Essentially the need to work across boundaries relates to that of collaboration with other entities in order to help the development and growth of the organisation. This may range from that of strategic business alliances, creation of partnership arrangements, developing business networks and other forms of collaboration and communication in order to benefit the business. Further, the concept of business transformation and organisational change can promote the need to work across boundaries. Hence regardless of the barriers created, being real or imaginary, we are almost compelled to work across them. Advantages and Disadvantages of working across boundaries Advantages of working across boundaries There are numerous advantages to working across boundaries, particularly within the Public Sector environment. Briefly, these may be enumerated as follows: Increase in working collaboration Integration of partnerships with the Private Sector Reduction of costs and process improvements Expanding networks and building knowledge Response to complex public policies Leveraging strategy and operational capabilities Aligning organisations and cultures Improvement of leadership capabilities balancing risk and reward (Blackman, 2010). Increase in working collaboration Historically the concept of collaborative working was rarely recognised as having any strategic importance. Silos were created in both Public and Private sector organisations and many of these departments functioned self-autonomously. In modern day context this has all changed and it is recognised that collaborative working both inter and intra the organization has significant benefits. In particular the organisation is better equipped for: Dealing with business transformation and change Ability to provide better service levels and customer support Optimization of resources and cost reduction strategies Ability to innovate and create by improved knowledge acquisition Easier to transition to new change requirements Increased flexibility and ability to share successes and failures The concept of collaboration is an enabling function that allows you to bring people together with different views and opinions. This concept of diversity enriches the decision making process and improve the dynamics in business working relationships. This has been successfully introduced in the Health Sector in Wales. Here different local authorities were required to formulate med-long term strategic plans. Direct collaboration between the authorities enabled the sharing of knowledge and ideas which facilitated rationalization and a more improved overarching holistic result. (Sullivan, 2007). Another example of collaboration is the ability to bring key stakeholders together in a collaborative environment. This has been effective in both local and central government projects. Bringing the stakeholders together creates greater synergy and improved policy implementation with the organisational setting. Collaboration has extended into areas of joint policy making, as opposed to just sharing information. Geoff Delamare from Surrey County Council states there are some distinct learning points from collaborative working i.e. Creating the level of trust between partners, ensuring transparency in communications and sharing knowledge; admitting mistakes, creating a collaborative environment and not imposing a ruling regime. (McCann, 2012). Integration of partnerships with the private sector Partnership approaches have increased in popularity over the last decade. In the public sector they have obtained wide political support. This has been seen as a means of making process improvements whilst optimizing cost expenditures in order to provide improved value for money. The UK Audit Commission is an example of where they have crossed boundaries to embrace working relationships with counterparts in the European Union (EU). This has been effective in collaboration to help improve inter-governmental policy implementation. (McQuaid, 2000). Reduction of costs and process improvements In these difficult financial times both Central Government public sector bodies and local authorities have been faced with managing tight budgetary programmes and reducing costs. The latter meaning resource and cost optimization in order to show the best returns on investment for monies expended. This has focused attention on streamlining processes in order to create improved efficiencies and eliminate redundancies. In addition, concepts of outsourcing to reduce resource costs and capital expenditure. Local Authorities in the UK have been very active in this area. Barnet Council is implementing an outsourcing plan in order to save  £120m . Others like Cornwall Council have been examining strategic partnerships to outsource both front and back office functions. IT departments remain particularly vulnerable because they are capital intensive and expensive to both operate and maintain. (Terry, 2013). Expanding networks and building knowledge In order for an organization to be successful it must manage its four pillars of knowledge. These being Leadership, Organization, Technology and Learning. Information Technology (Pillar 3) has achieved an amazing impact in the promotion and dissemination of knowledge in the business environment. Unfortunately Technology has had a greater influence on guiding the strategic planning of organizations, as opposed to the other way round. One example being that of Enterprise Planning Systems like SAP and J.D. Edwards One World system. Organizations have re-engineered their knowledge base and business processes in order to meet the integrated demands of the software application. Knowledge Managers need to understand that despite the many advantages Information Technology (IT) has to offer the workplace it is not a magic utopian panacea. Equally any Information Technology application that undervalues Knowledge Management will equally fail in the business place. If Knowledge Management is to be considered effective with IT in business it must be treated as its equal partner. Disadvantages of working across boundaries The main disadvantages of working across boundaries are enumerated as follows: Complexity and Commonality People, Culture and Leadership Power and Politics Performance Accountability and Budgets Complexity and commonality The success to working across boundaries is where sufficient empathy exists to recognise shared goals and values in order to predicate a desired outcome. Where there is a lack of sufficient commonality this can be a serious barrier towards attaining a successful outcome. The importance of shared or common goals is therefore of paramount importance in any collaborative venture. Trying to force collaboration in the wrong environmental setting will most likely incur resistance and ultimately force of costs and resource effort providing little return on investment. One particular example in the Public sector relates to the large failure of IT projects that have often lacked sufficient commonality. In 2003 in the UK a poll stated that only one third of all IT projects were successful. Nearly 70% of all projects being severely challenged or failing in their entirety. (Post Report 200, 2003). People culture and leadership The people issue is extremely important when working across boundaries as it requires a structured but flexible work group that are able to collaborate over both hard and soft structure. In the public sector the staff need to develop cross-boundary skills in order to facilitate inter agency co-operation. These however can be highly influenced by both policy and political agenda. It has been argued that within the public sector the influence of Human Resource Management (HRM) groups have created significant barriers to cross-party working relationships. Lack of good leadership skills in the public sector provided the inability for many senior leaders to work across boundaries and manage complex business transformation programmes. This prevented optimum leveraging of resources between different organisations. Good leaders are important enablers as they are important for leveraging resources, motivating people and ensuring that the work gets done. As such poor leadership constitutes a serious barrier in order to enable working across boundaries. This results in what has often been referred to as silo management style, the inability to progress beyond your own defined domain. Power and Politics The concept of working across boundaries may have a serious influence on the reshaping of power and politics within an organisation. This can be particularly potent where an area is perceived to be under threat. In this sense both politics and power are intertwined and political endorsements have the ability to create tremendous barriers. Ministers set the signals for civil servants to work across boundaries but this is often towards the attainment of specific political agendas. These can be very fickle and subject to change, hence the civil service has to be articulate in how this is both managed and interpreted. Performance in accountability and budgets Improved performance targets have been very popular in recent years. This has meant working across boundaries to optimise business processes and resource effort. Failure in the reconfiguration of performance systems can create significant barriers and a great deal of disruption in provision of remedial action. Budget attainment has equally been criticised in terms of holding Managers responsible for achieving budget figures, despite the fact that cross border relationships have provided them with only limited control and influence over the finances. (Parton, 1998). CONCLUSION The concept of working across boundaries is not a new concept but one that has been with us for many decades. Technology has created more enablers in terms of making this more operationally efficient and the ability to share information and knowledge. The reality of globalisation, struggling financial markets, the need for cost cutting and austerity measures have increased the need for more collaborative working. The use of sharing information in a collaborative environment often results in better outcomes and an improved managed risk portfolio. Leadership skills have become of paramount importance and in particular the skills required to motivate and influence others in a collaborative teamwork environment. Local authorities have been particularly successful in working with private sector relationships in order to enhance service provision, increased efficiencies and implementation of cost reduction programmes.

The Farewell to Miss American Pie

â€Å"Bye-bye Miss American Pie†. These words were now immortalized in the halls of music industry, and perhaps will be last tribute to the legendary era of ‘rock and roll’ and turbulent times of the 60’s. This song was created by Don McLean, and became phenomenal hit in 1971, charting almost four weeks on the billboards. But there is more than saying goodbye to Ms. American Pie, which in itself is a symbol and image to the profound interpretation of the song. The message pierces more than a county boy strumming a guitar, or it speaks beyond the farewell to an unknown lady.Don McLean, in his official website, made interesting comments regarding the song. While he allowed the song to be interpreted in various lenses, he himself confessed that the song was an allusion to historical or factual events, people and places that his song discussed. Don McLean said, â€Å"I am very proud of the song, it’s biographical in nature, and I don’t think anyo ne has ever picked up on that, the song starts off with my memory with the death of Buddy Holly.But it moves on to describe America, as I was seeing it, and how I fantasizing it might become, its part of reality and part of fantasy but I’m always in the song as a witness, or even as a subject, sometimes in some verses† (Starry, Stary Night Video 2000, cited in www. don-mclean . com). Realizing that McLeans work is to be approached in autobiographical sense, the memories of his childhood his personal persuasions and feelings can be deduced.In the very first line, â€Å"A long, long time ago, I can still remember, how the music made me smile, and I knew If I had a chance, that I could make those people dance, and, maybe they’ll be happy for a while†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Miss American Pie lyrics). The persona in the song, was â€Å"I†, a first person point of view, bolstering the point of McLean that this is biographical. The persona clearly stated that it was his à ¢â‚¬Ëœmemory’ and it was his wish to ‘make people smile and happy’ for a while. This simple statement speaks of a typical young man musician’s dream, his own wishful thinking.As also stated in his website, the song was openly dedicated to the death of Buddy Holly and his companions, who died in a plane crash. This tragic death, moved to illustrate the transiency of life, and wishes in that sense are to be as pure, as simply stating: â€Å"chance to make people dance and make them happy for a while†. Clear from the second and third stanza the descriptions were, â€Å"But February made me shiver†¦bad news on the doorstep, I couldn’t make one more step†. This alludes to the death of Buddy Holly, one of the prominent rock singers in the 60’s (RS, 2004).Their plane crashed in February 3, 1959, which shocked their audience of their untimely death. It could be said that the dedication of the song to Buddy Holly was not because he was a major contributor to the genre of McLean’s music, rather, it was a common knowledge that Buddy Holly was the pioneer of rock & roll music, long before, Elvis Presley, and the Beatles invaded the long playing discs. But the death of Buddy Holly was more than the death of an individual, as the song suggests â€Å"This’ll be the day that I die†¦Ã¢â‚¬ .The demise of Buddy Holly signifies the death of a young promising man, the death of dream, and the death of wishful thinking. Linking the first stanza, to the second and third, the dream of the persona, to live, to entertain, presented a harsh reality of transiency, of â€Å"non-permanence of things. Like the death of Buddy Holly, who may epitomize the budding career of an ambitious young man only to be interrupted by the fact that, death is no respecter of persons.The chorus lines, were repetitious saying â€Å"bye-bye Miss American Pie†. The seeming relevance of this allusion is the representation of American Pie, as the symbol of the â€Å"young and vibrant Americans†. As McLean admitted, â€Å"the song was written as my attempt at an epic song about America, and I used the imagery of music and politics to do that. Also, I was influenced by the Sgt. Pepper album, and the American Pie album was my attempt to do that, but the song totally overshadowed the album† (McLean, 2000, cited www.don-mclean. com). Thus, the â€Å"American Pie† is an image of America, and the persona’s attempt to picture the America as it strives to be, and it might become. But contrasting words will reveal that, if the persona illustrates â€Å"American Pie† as the young America, then why a bid of farewell? Is the persona, trying to say goodbye to future America has? Again, it can be viewed skeptically, the young dream, as mentioned earlier, the wishful thinking must not be allowed to vanish, it must move, it must sojourn.The next lines driving the chevy, â€Å"but the l evee was dry†, this illustrates the life of the young America to rise, go or, to go farther, or move on. But the dry levee was said to illustrate the painful realities of life as we move along. Even driving oneself to that dream, the levees of experiences and circumstance would always be dry. A realism is seem to be presented, that life is not a bed of roses, rather it was a long winding trip to the end. The melancholic lines continuously read: â€Å" The good’ol boys were drinking, whiskey and rye, saying this’ll be the day that I die†¦Ã¢â‚¬  .Presenting the realistic point of view, the good old boys verbalized the promising young people, yet with the painful realities, they have succumbed to the defeatists attitude of lurking themselves, as pictured by the words, â€Å"drinking, whiskey and rye†. The drinking symbolizes solitary, loneliness and isolation. This thought bolstered the point of death, and surrender by proclaiming â€Å"this’ll be the day that I die†. Two oppositions may come into the picture.First, wishful thinking and dreams versus the paralyzing truths of life, we may succumb to surrender and declare our defeat with our own death—demise of our dreams, our lives, our hopes. Yet, this could pose as challenge, that the farewell to Miss American Pie, may be a welcome to her—as we welcome the challenges and bitter moments in our lives with energy and courage. The song illustrates several allusions more to the music icons, the rage of politics, the America’s society, but this attempt is to illustrate the more profound meaning of the song, realization of life, and how do we deal with it.As said, we may live and fight be sad, and drink whiskey and rye to our own discontent or we may rise above the situation, and welcome our American Pie, with â€Å"Hi, Hi, Miss American Pie†¦Ã¢â‚¬  SOURCES: Don McLeans. Don McLean’s American pie. American Pie. com. 2007. May 29, 2007 < http://www. don-mclean. com/americanpie. asp> The Immortals: The First Fifty, Rolling Stone Issue, 946. Rolling Stones. April 15, 2004. Bressler, Charles. Literary Criticism: An Introduction to Theory and Practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 1994 (please include the source in LA Times, the data is difficult to recover, LA Times, February 3, 1959. )

What Everyone Is Saying About Write Term Papers and What You Should Do

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Business Strategy And The Strategic Moves Of Pfizer

Business Strategy The paper is going to discuss the business strategy and the strategic moves of Pfizer in trying to buy AstraZeneca. In addition, the paper will broadly talk about the environment (PEST analysis), the industry (Porter analysis), and stakeholder influence and business idea concerning AstraZeneca. . It will also demonstrate how the capabilities/ resources and competencies of the company projects are evaluated using the SWOT analysis and the value chain. It will also show some options that are strategic which are available to the company with the motive. Introduction AstraZeneca has a vision of becoming a company which is most valued by businesses, customers and patients. The company also has a mission of establishing medicines with a main and purpose of treating and curing diseases, sufferings and symptoms. The company was founded by two cousins in the year 1849 and in the year 1900 it was converted from a business of the family to incorporation. In addition in the year 1944 it became the leading producer of penicillin and citric acid (Thayer 92). Literature Review The research has made use of a number of academic sources so as to get some historical and current information concerning the topic. The importance of using the academic sources is that they are reliable and contain information that has been gathered by many writers thus making the research very successful. TheShow MoreRelatedThe Strategic Plan of Pfizer Incorporated: A Research1858 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿ Strategic Plan of Pfizer Pfizer Brief Company Profile Pfizer Inc is a multinational investment company. It ventures in the medical and pharmaceutical industry. It is renowned as a giant pharmaceutical company, founded in 1849. It is based in the United States, New York, Manhattan at Midtown. It is the largest universal producer and trader of pharmaceuticals (Turner, 2005, pg 161). 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The units have been structured to either be combined with another pharmaceutical firm in a megamerger consolidation to reap economies of scale or to split off as separate entitiesRead MoreCase Study of Pharmaceutical Industry3196 Words   |  13 Pagesnegate the effects of supplier choice. Bargaining Power of Customers Patents lasting 20 years after drug invention mean that the company can dictate price and supply during that period, however once the patent finishes, generic drug producing firms can move in consequently placing more power in the consumers hand Threat of Substitutes There is a medium to high threat of substitutes in the pharmaceutical industry coming from the threat of generic branded drugs once patents run out and also from alternative

Children of the Forest by Kevin Duffy Essay - 1208 Words

Children of the Forest by Kevin Duffy Children of the Forest is a narrative written by Kevin Duffy. This book is a written testament of an anthropologists everyday dealings with an African tribe by the name of the Mbuti Pygmies. My purpose in this paper is to inform the reader of Kevin Duffys findings while in the Ituri rainforest. Kevin Duffy is one of the first and only scientists to have ever been in close contact with the Mbuti. If an Mbuti tribesman does not want to be found, they simply wont be. The forest in which the Mbuti reside in are simply too dense and dangerous for humans not familiar with the area to enter. Without them he would simply be wandering aimlessly in the forest. It was very important for Kevin†¦show more content†¦Every hunter proceeded with the utmost caution. When an elephant was spotted, everyone stayed back as one of the lead hunters, Arumba, stepped up to take aim at the elephant. The first time, he was unsuccessful because the elephant galloped away right before he had a chance to strike, it took a few more hours to re-track the creature. When it was spotted again Arumba crept up with great stealth and ease and struck the elephant with the spear. Arumbas spear entered deep into the side of its target. The elephant let out a screech of pain and galloped off again. The Mbuti hunters then followed the blood trail of the wounded elephant and waited for it to die. They followed this particular elephant for approximately two hours before it stopped running. Word was sent back to camp that an elephant was wounded and that they should be ready to move very soo n. Later, the elephant was found again, swaying on its feet fighting to stay alive. One of the hunters through a stick and hit the elephant in the head, it simply let out a yell, but did not move. This animal is dead, said one of the hunters. They soon approached it and jabbed it lightly with the spear once more, it didnt even budge. Then the elephant dropped to the ground, it was dead now. Arumba checked to see if the massive animal was really dead one more time by touching the elephants eyelid with his spear, it didnt even blink. The hunt hadShow MoreRelatedStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 Pageshe cannot keep up (literally!) with Dr. Robbin’s accomplishments on the track, Dr. Judge enjoys golf, cooking and baking, literature (he’s a particular fan of Thomas Hardy and is a member of the Thomas Hardy Society), and keeping up with his three children, who range in age from 23 to 9. Preface Welcome to the fifteenth edition of Organizational Behavior! Long considered the standard for all organizational behavior textbooks, this edition continues its tradition of making current, relevant research

Frostbite Chapter 8 Free Essays

string(21) " long time with him\." Eight Christian was kissing her, and wow, was it a kiss. He wasn’t messing around. It was the kind of kiss that small children shouldn’t be allowed to see. We will write a custom essay sample on Frostbite Chapter 8 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Hell, it was the kind of kiss no one should be allowed to see- let alone experience through a psychic link. As I’ve noted before, strong emotion from Lissa could make this phenomenon happen- the one where I got pulled inside her head. But always, always, it was because of some negative emotion. She’d get upset or angry or depressed, and that would reach out to me. But this time? She wasn’t upset. She was happy. Very, very happy. Oh man. I needed to get out of here. They were up in the attic of the school’s chapel or, as I liked to call it, their love nest. The place had been a regular hangout for them, back when each of them was feeling antisocial and wanted to escape. Eventually, they’d decided to be antisocial together, and one thing had led to another. Since they started publicly dating, I hadn’t known they spent much time here anymore. Maybe they were back for old time’s sake. And indeed, a celebration did seem to be going on. Little scented candles were set up around the dusty old place, candles that filled the air with the scent of lilacs. I would have been a little nervous about setting all those candles in a confined space filled with flammable boxes and books, but Christian probably figured he could control any accidental infernos. They finally broke that insanely long kiss and pulled back to look at each other. They lay on their sides on the floor. Several blankets had been spread under them. Christian’s face was open and tender as he regarded Lissa, his pale blue eyes aglow with some inner emotion. It was different from the way Mason regarded me. There was certainly adoration with him, but Mason’s was a lot like when you walk into a church and fall to your knees in awe and fear of something you worship but don’t really understand. Christian clearly worshipped Lissa in his way, but there was a knowing glint to his eyes, a sense that the two of them shared an understanding of each other so perfect and powerful that they didn’t even need words to convey it. â€Å"Don’t you think we’re going to go to hell for this?† asked Lissa. He reached out and touched her face, trailing his fingers along her cheek and neck and down to the top of her silky shirt. She breathed heavily at that touch, at the way it could be so gentle and small, yet evoke such a strong passion within her. â€Å"For this?† He played with the shirt’s edge, letting his finger just barely brush inside of it. â€Å"No,† she laughed. â€Å"For this.† She gestured around the attic. â€Å"This is a church. We shouldn’t be doing this kind of, um, thing up here.† â€Å"Not true,† he argued. Gently, he pushed her onto her back and leaned over her. â€Å"The church is downstairs. This is just storage. God won’t mind.† â€Å"You don’t believe in God,† she chastised. Her hands made their way down his chest. Her movements were as light and deliberate as his, yet they clearly triggered the same powerful response in him. He sighed happily as her hands slid under his shirt and up his stomach. â€Å"I’m humoring you.† â€Å"You’d say anything right now,† she accused. Her fingers caught the edge of his shirt and pushed it up. He shifted so she could push it all the way off him and then leaned back over her, bare-chested. â€Å"You’re right,† he agreed. He carefully undid one button on her blouse. Just one. Then he again leaned down and gave her one of those hard, deep kisses. When he came up for air, he continued on as though nothing had happened. â€Å"Tell me what you need to hear, and I’ll say it.† He unfastened another button. â€Å"There’s nothing I need to hear,† she laughed. Another button popped free. â€Å"You can tell me whatever you want- it’d just be nice if it were true.† â€Å"The truth, huh? No one wants to hear the truth. The truth is never sexy. But you †¦Ã¢â‚¬  The last button came undone, and he spread her shirt away. â€Å"You are too goddamned sexy to be real.† His words held his trademark snarky tone, but his eyes conveyed a different message entirely. I was witnessing this scene through Lissa’s eyes, but I could imagine what he saw. Her smooth, white skin. Slender waist and hips. A lacy white bra. Through her, I could feel that the lace was itchy, but she didn’t care. Feelings both fond and hungry spread over his features. From within Lissa, I could feel her heart race and breathing quicken. Emotions similar to Christian’s clouded all other coherent thoughts. Shifting down, he lay on top of her, pressing their bodies together. His mouth sought hers out again, and as their lips and tongues made contact, I knew I had to get out of there. Because I understood it now. I understood why Lissa had dressed up and why the love nest had been decked out like a Yankee Candles showroom. This was it. The moment. After a month of dating, they were going to have sex. Lissa, I knew, had done it before with a past boyfriend. I didn’t know Christian’s past, but I sincerely doubted many girls had fallen prey to his abrasive charm. But in feeling what Lissa felt, I could tell that none of that mattered. Not in that moment. In that moment, there were only the two of them and the way they felt about each other right now. And in a life filled with more worries than someone her age should have had, Lissa felt absolutely certain about what she was doing now. It was what she wanted. What she’d wanted for a very long time with him. You read "Frostbite Chapter 8" in category "Essay examples" And I had no right to be witnessing it. Who was I kidding? I didn’t want to witness it. I took no pleasure in watching other people get it on, and I sure as hell didn’t want to experience sex with Christian. It’d be like losing my virginity virtually. But Jesus Christ, Lissa wasn’t making it easy to get out of her head. She had no desire to detach from her feelings and emotions, and the stronger they grew, the stronger they held me. Trying to distance myself from her, I focused my energies on coming back to myself, concentrating as hard as I could. More clothes disappeared †¦ Come on, come on, I told myself sternly. The condom came out†¦ yikes. You’re your own person, Rose. Get back in your head. Their limbs intertwined, their bodies moving together †¦ Son of a- I ripped out of her and back to myself. Once again, I was back in my room, but I no longer had any interest in packing my backpack. My whole world was askew. I felt strange and violated- almost unsure if I was Rose or if I was Lissa. I also felt that resentment toward Christian again. I certainly didn’t want to have sex with Lissa, but there was that same pang inside of me, that frustrated feeling that I was no longer the center of her world. Leaving the backpack untouched, I went right to bed, wrapping my arms around myself and curling into a ball to try to squelch the ache within my chest. I fell asleep pretty quickly and woke up early as a result. Usually, I had to be dragged out of bed to go meet Dimitri, but today I showed up early enough that I actually beat him to the gym. As I waited, I saw Mason cutting across to one of the buildings that held classrooms. â€Å"Whoa,† I called. â€Å"Since when are you up this early?† â€Å"Since I had to retake a math test,† he said, walking over to me. He gave me his mischievous smile. â€Å"Might be worth skipping, though, to hang out with you.† I laughed, remembering my conversation with Lissa. Yes, there were definitely worse things I could do than flirt and start something with Mason. â€Å"Nah. You might get in trouble, then I’d have no real challenge on the slopes.† He rolled his eyes, still smiling. â€Å"I’m the one with no real challenge, remember?† â€Å"You ready to bet on something yet? Or are you still too afraid?† â€Å"Watch it,† he warned, â€Å"or I might take back your Christmas present.† â€Å"You got me a present?† I hadn’t expected that. â€Å"Yup. But if you keep back-talking, I might give it to someone else.† â€Å"Like Meredith?† I teased. â€Å"She isn’t even in your league, and you know it.† â€Å"Even with a black eye?† I asked with a grimace. â€Å"Even with two black eyes.† The look he gave me just then wasn’t teasing or even really suggestive. It was just nice. Nice, friendly, and interested. Like he really cared. After all the stress lately, I decided I liked being cared about. And with the neglect I was starting to feel from Lissa, I realized I also kind of liked having someone who wanted to pay so much attention to me. â€Å"What are you doing on Christmas?† I asked. He shrugged. â€Å"Nothing. My mom almost came down but had to cancel at the last minute †¦ you know, with everything that happened.† Mason’s mother wasn’t a guardian. She was a dhampir who’d chosen to just be domestic and have kids. As a result, I knew he saw her quite a bit. It was ironic, I thought, that my mom actually was here, but for all intents and purposes, she might as well have been somewhere else. â€Å"Come hang with me,† I said on impulse. â€Å"I’ll be with Lissa and Christian and his aunt. It’ll be fun.† â€Å"Really?† â€Å"Very fun.† â€Å"That’s not what I was asking about.† I grinned. â€Å"I know. Just be there, okay?† He swept me one of the gallant bows he liked to make. â€Å"Absolutely.† Mason wandered off just as Dimitri showed up for our practice. Talking to Mason had made me feel giddy and happy; I hadn’t thought about my face at all with him. But with Dimitri, I suddenly became self-conscious. I didn’t want to be anything less than perfect with him, and as we walked inside, I went out of my way to avert my face so he couldn’t look at me full-on. Worrying about that brought my mood down, and as it plummeted, all the other things that had been upsetting me came tumbling back. We returned to the training room with the dummies, and he told me he simply wanted me to practice the maneuvers from two days ago. Happy he wasn’t going to bring up the fight, I set to my task with a burning zeal, showing the dummies just what would happen if they messed with Rose Hathaway. I knew my fighting fury was fired up by more than just a simple desire to do well. My feelings were out of control this morning, raw and intense after both the fight with my mother and what I’d witnessed with Lissa and Christian last night. Dimitri sat back and watched me, occasionally critiquing my technique and offering suggestions for new tactics. â€Å"Your hair’s in the way,† he said at one point. â€Å"Not only are you blocking your peripheral vision, you’re running the risk of letting your enemy get a handhold.† â€Å"If I’m actually in a fight, I’ll wear it up.† I grunted as I shoved the stake neatly up between the dummy’s â€Å"ribs.† I didn’t know what these artificial bones were made of, but they were a bitch to work around. I thought about my mom again and added a little extra force to the jab. â€Å"I’m just wearing it down today, that’s all.† â€Å"Rose,† he said warningly. Ignoring him, I plunged again. His voice came more sharply the next time he spoke. â€Å"Rose. Stop.† I backed away from the dummy, surprised to find my breathing labored. I hadn’t realized I was working that hard. My back hit the wall. With nowhere to go, I looked away from him, directing my eyes toward the ground. â€Å"Look at me,† he ordered. â€Å"Dimitri- â€Å" â€Å"Look at me.† No matter our close history, he was still my instructor. I couldn’t refuse a direct order. Slowly, reluctantly, I turned toward him, still tilting my head slightly down so the hair hung over the sides of my face. Rising from his chair, he walked over and stood before me. I avoided his eyes but saw his hand move forward to brush back my hair. Then it stopped. As did my breathing. Our short-lived attraction had been filled with questions and reservations, but one thing I’d known for sure: Dimitri had loved my hair. Maybe he still loved it. It was great hair, I’ll admit. Long and silky and dark. He used to find excuses to touch it, and he’d counseled me against cutting it as so many female guardians did. His hand hovered there, and the world stood still as I waited to see what he would do. After what seemed like an eternity, he let his hand gradually fall back to his side. Burning disappointment washed over me, yet at the same time, I’d learned something. He’d hesitated. He’d been afraid to touch me, which maybe- just maybe- meant he still wanted to. He’d had to hold himself back. I slowly tipped my head back so that we made eye contact. Most of my hair fell back from my face- but not all. His hand trembled again, and I hoped again he’d reach forward. The hand steadied. My excitement dimmed. â€Å"Does it hurt?† he asked. The scent of that aftershave, mingled with his sweat, washed over me. God, I wished he had touched me. â€Å"No,† I lied. â€Å"It doesn’t look so bad,† he told me. â€Å"It’ll heal.† â€Å"I hate her,† I said, astonished at just how much venom those three words held. Even while suddenly turned on and wanting Dimitri, I still couldn’t drop the grudge I held against my mother. â€Å"No, you don’t,† he said gently. â€Å"I do.† â€Å"You don’t have time to hate anyone,† he advised, his voice still kind. â€Å"Not in our profession. You should make peace with her.† Lissa had said exactly the same thing. Outrage joined my other emotions. That darkness within me started to unfurl. â€Å"Make peace with her? After she gave me a black eye on purpose! Why am I the only one who sees how crazy that is?† â€Å"She absolutely did not do it on purpose,† he said, voice hard. â€Å"No matter how much you resent her, you have to believe that. She wouldn’t do that, and anyway, I saw her later that day. She was worried about you.† â€Å"Probably more worried someone will bring her up on child abuse charges,† I grumbled. â€Å"Don’t you think this is the time of year for forgiveness?† I sighed loudly. â€Å"This isn’t a Christmas special! This is my life. In the real world, miracles and goodness just don’t happen.† He was still eyeing my calmly. â€Å"In the real world, you can make your own miracles.† My frustration suddenly hit a breaking point, and I gave up trying to maintain my control. I was so tired of being told reasonable, practical things whenever something went wrong in my life. Somewhere in me, I knew Dimitri only wanted to help, but I just wasn’t up for the well-meant words. I wanted comfort for my problems. I didn’t want to think about what would make me a better person. I wished he’d just hold me and tell me not to worry. â€Å"Okay, can you just stop this for once?† I demanded, hands on my hips. â€Å"Stop what?† â€Å"The whole profound Zen crap thing. You don’t talk to me like a real person. Everything you say is just some wise, life-lesson nonsense. You really do sound like a Christmas special.† I knew it wasn’t entirely fair to take my anger out on him, but I found myself practically shouting. â€Å"I swear, sometimes it’s just like you want to hear yourself talk! And I know you’re not always this way. You were perfectly normal when you talked to Tasha. But with me? You’re just going through the motions. You don’t care about me. You’re just stuck in your stupid mentor role.† He stared at me, uncharacteristically surprised. â€Å"I don’t care about you?† â€Å"No.† I was being petty- very, very petty. And I knew the truth- that he did care and was more than just a mentor. I couldn’t help myself, though. It just kept coming and coming. I jabbed his chest with my finger. â€Å"I’m another student to you. You just go on and on with your stupid life lessons so that- â€Å" The hand I’d hoped would touch my hair suddenly reached out and grabbed my pointing hand. He pinned it to the wall, and I was surprised to see a flare of emotion in his eyes. It wasn’t exactly anger†¦but it was frustration of another kind. â€Å"Don’t tell me what I’m feeling,† he growled. I saw then that half of what I’d said was true. He was almost always calm, always in control- even when fighting. But he’d also told me how he’d once snapped and beaten up his Moroi father. He’d actually been like me once- always on the verge of acting without thinking, doing things he knew he shouldn’t. â€Å"That’s it, isn’t it?† I asked. â€Å"What?† â€Å"You’re always fighting for control. You’re the same as me.† â€Å"No,† he said, still obviously worked up. â€Å"I’ve learned my control.† Something about this new realization emboldened me. â€Å"No,† I informed him. â€Å"You haven’t. You put on a good face, and most of the time you do stay in control. But sometimes you can’t. And sometimes †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I leaned forward, lowering my voice. â€Å"Sometimes you don’t want to.† â€Å"Rose†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I could see his labored breathing and knew his heart was beating as quickly as mine. And he wasn’t pulling away. I knew this was wrong- knew all the logical reasons for us staying apart. But right then, I didn’t care. I didn’t want to control myself. I didn’t want to be good. Before he realized what was happening, I kissed him. Our lips met, and when I felt him kiss me back, I knew I was right. He pressed himself closer, trapping me between him and the wall. He kept holding my hand, but his other one snaked behind my head, sliding into my hair. The kiss was filled with so much intensity; it held anger, passion, release†¦. He was the one who broke it. He jerked away from me and took several steps back, looking shaken. â€Å"Do not do that again,† he said stiffly. â€Å"Don’t kiss me back then,† I retorted. He stared at me for what seemed like forever. â€Å"I don’t give ‘Zen lessons’ to hear myself talk. I don’t give them because you’re another student. I’m doing this to teach you control.† â€Å"You’re doing a great job,† I said bitterly. He closed his eyes for half a second, exhaled, and muttered something in Russian. Without another glance at me, he turned and left the room. How to cite Frostbite Chapter 8, Essay examples

Memory1 Essay Example For Students

Memory1 Essay Memory is defined as the faculty by which sense impressions and information are retained in the mind and subsequently recalled. A persons capacity to remember and the total store of mentally retained impressions and knowledge also formulate memory (Webster, 1992). We all possess inside our heads a system for declassifying, storing and retrieving information that exceeds the best computer capacity, flexibility, and speed. Yet the same system is so limited and unreliable that it cannot consistently remember a nine-digit phone number long enough to dial it (Baddeley, 1993). The examination of human behavior reveals that current activities are inescapably linked by memories. General competent (Baddeley, 1993) behavior requires that certain past events have effect on the influences in the present. For example, touching a hot stove would cause a burn and therefore memory would convey a message to not repeat again. All of this is affected by the development of short-term memory (STM) and lo ng-term memory (LTM). Memories can be positive, like memories of girlfriends and special events, or they can be negative, such as suppressed memories. Sexual abuse of children and adolescents is known to cause severe psychological and emotional damage. Adults who were sexually abused in childhood are at a higher risk for developing a variety of psychiatric disorders, anxiety disorders, personality disorders, and mood disorders. To understand the essential issues about traumatic memory, the human minds response to a traumatic event must first be understood. The memory is made up of many different sections with each having different consequences on one another. Can people remember what they were wearing three days ago? Most likely not, because the memory only holds onto what is actively remembered. What a person was wearing is not important so it is thrown out and forgotten. This type of unimportant information passes through the short-term memory. Short-term memory is a system for st oring information over brief intervals of time (Squire, 1987). Its main characteristic is the holding and understanding of limited amounts of information. The system can grasp brief ideas which would otherwise slip into oblivion, hold them, relate them and understand them for its own purpose (Squire, 1987). Another aspect of STM was introduced by William James in 1890, under the name primary memory (Baddeley, 1993). Primary memory refers to the information that forms the focus of current attention and that occupies the stream of thought. This information does not need to be brought back to mind in order to be used (Baddeley, 1993). Compared to short-term memory, primary memory places less emphasis on time and more emphasis on the parts of attention, processing, and holding. No matter what it is called, this system is used when someone hears a telephone number and remembers it long enough to write it down (Squire, 1987). Luckily, a telephone number only consists of seven digits or el se no one would be able to remember them. Most people can remember six or seven digits while others only four or five and some up to nine or ten. This is measured by a technique called the digit span, developed by a London schoolteacher, J. Jacobs, in 1887. Jacobs took subjects (people), presented them with a sequence of digits and required them to repeat the numbers back in the same order. The length of the sequence is steadily increased until a point is reached at which the subject always fails. The part at which a person is right half the time is defined as their digit span. A way to improve a digit span is through rhythm which helps to reduce the tendency to recall the numbers in the wrong order. Also, to make sure a telephone number is copied correctly, numbers can be grouped in twos and threes instead of given all at once (Baddeley, 1993). Another part of short-term memory is called chunking, used for the immediate recall of letters rather than numbers. When told to remember a nd repeat the letters q s v l e r c i i u k, only a person with an excellent immediate memory would be able to do so. But, if the same letters were given this way, q u i c k s i l v e r, the results would be different. What is the difference between the two sequences? The first were 11 unrelated letters, and the second were chunked into two words that make this task much easier (Baddeley, 1993) Short-term memory recall is slightly better for random numbers than for random letters, which sometimes have similar sounds. It is better for information heard rather than seen. Still, the basic principals hold true: At any given moment, we can process only a very limited amount of information (Myers, 1995). The next part in the memory process involves the encoding and merging of information from short-term into long-term memory. Long-term memory is understood as having three separate stages: transfer, storage, and retrieval. Once information has entered LTM, with a size that appears to be es sentially unlimited, it is maintained by repetition or organization. A major part of the transfer process concerns how learned information is coded into memory. Long-term and short-term memories are thought to have different organizations. Where the STM is seen as being organized by time, LTM is organized by meaning and association categories. For example, our memory takes in Coke and Pepsi as drinks then organizes and puts them in categories such as soda. An important role in the transferring of information into long-term memory is rehearsal. The most critical aspect is the rehearsal or processing that takes place during the input time. Simple repetition, which serves only to maintain the immediate availability of an item, does little if anything to enhance subsequent recall. Active processes such as elaboration, transformation, and recoding are activities that have been found to enhance recall (Asken, 1987). Information that is stored in LTM is stored in the same form as it was or iginally encoded. Major forms of storage are episodic memory and semantic memory. Episodic memory involves remembering particular incidents, such as visiting the doctor a week ago. Semantic memory concerns knowledge about the world. It holds meanings of words or any general information learned. Knowledge of the capitals of all the states would be stored in semantic memory. A Canadian psychologist, Endel Tulving discovered that there was more activity in the front of the brain when episodic memories were being retrieved, compared to more activity towards the back of the brain with semantic memory. Retrieval, the third process related to LTM, is the finding and retrieving of information from long-term storage. The cues necessary to retrieve information from memory are the same cues that were used to encode the material. For some, positive memories are recalled through music. Certain songs remind people of special times spent with friends. Couples sometimes have songs that remind them of their time spent together. Everyone has some way of remembering good times from the past. Along with positive memories come the negative ones, which are suppressed deep in our minds. Another word for negative is traumatic, an experience beyond the range of usual human experience, (Sidran Foundation, 1994) and is brought about with intense fear, terror and helplessness. Examples include a serious threat to ones life (or that of ones children, spouse, etc.), rape, military combat, natural or accidental disasters, and torture. So how does trauma affect memory? People use their natural ability to avoid concern of a traumatic experience while the trauma is happening. This causes the memories about the traumatic events to emerge later. People with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) who have survived horrific events experience extreme recall of the event. Some people say they are haunted by memories of traumatic experiences that disrupt their daily lives. They cannot get the pictures of the trauma out of their head. This brings recurring nightmares, flashbacks, or even reliving the trauma as if it were happening now. Vietnam veterans experience this symptom because of what Memory 8 they saw and lived through. Some researchers have proven in the laboratory that ordinary or slightly stressful memories are easily distorted. However, this laboratory research on ordinary memory may be irrelevant in regard to memories of traumatic experiences. Other scientists argue that traumatic memories are different from ordinary memories in the way they are encoded in the brain. Evidence shows trauma is stored in the part of the brain called the limbic system, which processes feelings and sensory input, but not language or speech (Sidran Foundation, 1994). People who have been traumatized may live with memories of terror, though with little or no real memories to explain the feelings. Sometimes a current event may trigger long forgotten memories of earlier trauma. The triggers m ay be any sound or smell, like specific cologne that was worn by an attacker. Whether remembered or not, the memories are stored in the brain, and today with hypnosis, recall can bring forth what has been deeply suppressed. The question is, does one really want to know what is not remembered? Along with memories that are recovered, come the effects that follow. Short-term memory holds every experience encountered, while long-term memory retains only whats important. Memory is stored through episodic and semantic memory. The retrieval of decoded information occurs the same way it was encoded. Memory is affected through positive and negative emotions; some remembered others suppressed. Not only is memory used to dwell in the past, it also helps formulate the present and the future. 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