Memo Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Memo - Essay Example rts inadvertently, found out from the Academic Support office about her illness and since then kept on taunting her and publicly disgracing her in a class comprising approximately seventy (70) students. Meanie referred t her as â€Å"†¦a moron and the most brainless, dim witted person I’ve ever met. By the end of the fifth(5th) week Ms. Jones could take it no more and had no other option but to quit school. Unfortunately she had to leave her studies and let go of long cherished, childhood dream of becoming a lawyer because in the words of professor Meanie threatened to flunk her. In order to give full attention to her studies she left her a reasonably good paying job as a paralegal. After leaving her studies she again sought the old job but the positioned was filled up, so she had to work under another attorney Ms Bea Aach, a hard task master, and as inconsiderate if not more than her professor. These factors lead to further deterioration in her mental and physical health, so much so that she was hospitalized. Consequently Ms. Jones resigned from this job. As of present Ms. Jones, earns her meager income by writing abstracts. Because of her ill-treatment first at the hands of the Professor at LCLC and then while working under Ms. Bea Aach, her mental health has been badly affected. And a perfectly able young woman with a lot of potential because of the ignorance and mal-treatment of her professor and later the inconsiderate attitude of her employer is suffering as her malady has increased manifold. Initially when she gave up her studies and later had to give up her job as well, she had recurring nightmares and had sleeping problems. Now he does not suffer from nightmares but she has sleep disorder. And because of her bad experiences in the past she is reluctant to get treatment Previously she had a normal social life but now owing partly to her economic problems and the inconsiderate behavior of the people around her she is reduced to a wretch and a recluse.

Labour Movements in Germany Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Labour Movements in Germany - Essay Example The economic fluctuations witnessed during the 1870’s stirred debate on the feasibility of free market system. The economic depression had a weighty consequence on the philosophy of English Trade Unions, which led to adoption of an Anti-Capitalist stance. By then, Englishmen from all classes had grown to admire and respect established political institutions. They also had confidence on the existing liberal and conservative parties, which they thought were competent enough to bring about essential reforms on capitalism as well as other political and social problems (Lipset 1983, p.12). Thus, working class support of conventional political institutions and hope in further reform, demonstrates contrast between Britain and Germany. The latter emphasized pre-eminence of the political while in Britain trade unions organization was the principal focus (Linden 1988, p.307). The reformist policies undertaken in Britain in late 19th century, and early 20th century significantly contribu ted in assimilation of the workers into the National community, thus reducing resentment to existing political institutions. Whereas SPD was considered as a revolutionary threat, Labour party was not. Apart from economic woes, there were other factors that agitated for recruitment to socialist causes such as industrial expansion, which spurred growth and favoured intense concentration of capital and labour. Similarly, there was immense growth in numbers of urban workers coupled with mass literacy. Whereas economic factor was the overriding theme that heralded socialism in Britain, political factor can be considered to have been the prime motivation in Germany. Workers movement in Germany emerged in the 1840’s although they were limited to the artisans. However, with time, they coalesced to form workers association, which promoted socialist aims of redistribution of wealth and elimination of private property. However, divisions arose concerning how social change could be achie ved in society. The contesting parties were torn in between revolution and alliance with the state (Linden 1988, p.307). Prior to 1914; the political parties of Germany did not show willingness or constitutional ability to take power. Much of the parties influence was anchored in pressuring the government through obstruction of legislations and interrogating of government’s on its executive actions. The foremost motivation of the political parties was sectional advantages. Social Democratic Party (SPD) represented socially defensive organizations. At initiation, SPD was split between non-Marxist and Marxist. Later on, the division was between Orthodox and Revisionist Marxist and eventually it adopted a modest, democratic, progressive approach to socialism. Its representation mainly featured politically conscious workers who were repressed by the state. The party, which was inaugurated in 1875, adopted revolutionary programme, dedicated to eradication of class rule (Nettl 1965 , p.65). The party also affirmed its dedication of working within the existing system for short term reforms such as state sponsored education system, universal suffrage in all German states and social legislations that safeguarded the working conditions and health of workers. SPD from the onset considered itself an outcast in the political life in Imperial Germany and emphasized a

Relations in Small and Medium Enterprises

Relations in Small and Medium Enterprises Employee Relations in Small and Medium Enterprises A Non-union Approach Introduction The term SME or small and medium business enterprise is often used to describe a business enterprise that has anywhere between 10 to 15 employees for a small business whereas anything under 250 would be a medium enterprise. However, the number of employees is not the only classification that is used, and can be as diverse as turnover, industry, or business structure. According to a survey carried out by the Department for Business, Innovation Skills (BIS) in 2004, the UK had 1.16 million private sector firms with fewer than 250 employees, representing 94 per cent of all employers in the UK economy.1 These SMEs employed a total of 8.66 million employees (36 per cent of all employees in the UK) and they accounted for 47 per cent of private sector employers turnover. This suggests the apparent importance of these enterprises. The other important aspect of SMEs is their ability to be innovative, and adaptive to the constantly changing market environment, creating employment opportunities in the economy, and contributing to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). SMEs vary in size depending on the industry, and skills. A biotechnology firm is likely to have fewer highly skilled employees where as a cleaning services firm will have more unskilled workers. Nonetheless, the fact that a significant fraction of the working population is employed by an SME, it is necessary to understand how these enterprises are managed, and how human resources policies regarding recruitment, training, performance evaluation, and day to day employee relations are adopted and practiced. Management and employment relations in an SME A typical structure of an SME is largely business, product or process orientated, with little specialist involvement in areas outside the remit of the business, human resources for instance. Managers have little expertise or qualifications to conduct personnel management task, most managers tend to rely on their past experience in managing relationships. This is interesting because it provides a unique opportunity to study management issues and strategies that can be anywhere from non-existent in a small firm to informal and semi-formal in a medium firm. Tradition management styles that have been identified in Fox (1974) and Purcell and Sisson (1983), relate to management perspectives with regards to employee relations in an industrial setup. The classifications were based on the type of views held by both management and employees, where both could be either unitary or pluralist. Marchington and Parker (1990) point out that these differences were in relation to how management viewed unions and their involvement on issues like employee participation and conflict resolution. These assertions are applicable in a large complex organisation but may not necessarily be true in a small setup where human resources and employee relations may be absent altogether. Goss (1991) found that management styles at small firms were likely to be characterised by how the owner-manager experience relative disposition of power, and identified four types of management control Fraternalism, Paternalism, Benevolent Autocracy, and Sweating . The distinction was based on how much independence employees enjoyed for every degree of dependence the employer possessed. A host of studies conducted in the UK (WERS, 2004), Europe (EIRO, 2006), and Canada (CFIB, 2004) give an idea of what management practices are adopted in the SME sector generally and how working hours, training, remuneration, and employee representation are handled. A key observation found synonymous in all the studies was that employee representation, although significant, was conducted in informal settings through individual contracts and concepts of collective bargaining and unionisation were largely absent in smaller firms but rose with firm size. And where a non-union employee structure is prevalent, it is difficult to compare or comment on the effectiveness of such a structure, as all previous studies go only as far as determining the type of employee participation practiced but do not assess their quality of impact. Non-union employee participation According to Guest (2001), a non-union workplace lacks formal human resources or industrial relations departments which interface between management and employees. Dundon et al., (2005) describe a non-union workplace where the importance of union is not recognised in determining employee issues such as pay and work conditions, as opposed to whether or not employees are members of any union. They also point out the reasons, incentives, and motivation for managers for choosing a non-unionised interaction with the workforce. Guest and Hoque (1994) went on to classify the various non-union employer types, differentiating them on the basis of a range of human resources attributes. They banded employers as either good, bad, or ugly depending on these attributes. Although some counter arguments to this classification were on the grounds of methodology selected and if it collected information on employee views on their employers, and the lack of motivation and incentive, if any, from the emp loyees in preferring to be non-union (Dundon, et al., 2005). Although type of employee participation and representation is seen as an important part of the relationship between management and employees, it is interesting to understand how these become part of the culture. Freeman and Medoff (1984) describe employee representation, or employee voice, as having both consensual and conflictual connotation, and showed how participation could impact quality and productivity, whilst on the other it could help resolve disputes. Managers in a relatively small workplace are likely to view non-union participation more favourably because they may not have experience of dealing with unions and may feel more comfortable dealing with issues locally and informally. As the workforce becomes larger and larger, the advantages of a non-union representation diminish and firms tend to seek a formal approach to interaction as seen in larger firms. Ackers et al., (2004) suggest that direct communication with the employees is also one of the most significant concept of a non-union employee representation, adding that managers would be more willing to share information relating to the business, work arrangements, staffing and job prospects directly with employees. Collective bargaining, remuneration, and workplace relations The concept of collective bargaining is more or less relevant to a union based employee representation, where the propositions are deemed to be in the best interest of the entire workforce as opposed to a single employee or groups. Since the relationships between management (owners, managers) and employees are less formal, such discussions can take place individually and would reflect the firms position vis-Ã  -vis a particular employee. On the other hand, managers responsible for personnel matters may be involved in other tasks and is likely to spend more time on such tasks than those in similar positions in larger firms. Wage determinations and remuneration discussions are similarly done, and could be either set unilaterally by the management or negotiated on an individual basis. Therefore it would be common to assume a variable pay structure either by merit or performance, and the likelihood to profit-sharing. Pay reviews could be less regular in such a setup and may often requir e to be initiated by employees. Recruitment, training, and personal development The recruitment process at small firm may be less formal or rigorous compared to large organisations because of the level of expertise and sophistication available within the firm. A lengthy recruitment process can be costly, and can be counter productive to the immediate requirements of the business; hence employers may be willing to make quick decisions on the basis of the incumbents skills alone. WERS (2004) suggest that training and development opportunities were dependant on firm size, the larger the firm the more likely they were to offer on or off-the-job training. This can be true for two reasons, firstly cost implications, and second, the option to hire an already trained worker. In a non-union workplace this can be both beneficial and disadvantageous at the same time, since over-simplification could get the job done but may not necessarily represent the best interests of employees. Conflict resolution Irrespective of the size of the firm, grievances can arise and depending on the relationship an employee involved has with their manager, it could be dealt with informally in the first instance, and small and medium firms would adopt such a process not because they may not have a formal grievances and conflict resolution procedures as seen in large firms. Majority of employers have such procedures for regulatory purposes, but how effectively these are used varies from firm to firm. Since SMEs are not labour intensive collective disputes are unlikely to emerge requiring collective resolution through means of a union representation. This can be viewed as an incentive for managers to have a non-unionised employee representation to avoid the hassles of dealing with the union when a dispute arises (Dundon, et al., 2005). Employee attitudes The WERS (2004) survey reveals that managers in SMEs were more likely to involve employees in workplace related decision making processes and employee influence was greater in small firms than larger ones. Guest and Hoque (1994) suggest that employees that feel better appreciated were more likely so see their employer as good non-union employers and may be even motivated to discourage a unionised workforce which would tend to reduce their influence on management decisions. The employees perception of workplace and management being the same, changes as firm size increases. This is significant enough incentive for managers to cultivate a non-unionised workplace. To this extent there is a big difference between employees expectations for collective representation and employers willingness to subscribe to one. On the whole, the management is in a position to decide what type of representation they would like, and what mechanisms to utilize. Conclusion Small and medium-sized firms are vital for the growth of the economy, and play a significant role in providing employment to the population. The size and nature of products and services offered by these firms varies distinctly, and so does their management and employment practices. Size of the workforce does influence the type of management style that will be adopted, but it also depends on managers (owners) past experience and their perception of how work should be managed based on a set of beliefs. Small businesses have been seen to be less formal and tend to follow a close contact with their employees, and do not conform to hierarchal structures of management that are predominant in large organizations. These structures of relationships tend to get more formal as the firm size increases. Employees, on the other hand, find little or no difference between their workplace and management, an important distinction observed in larger firms which clearly distinguish between the firm and the management. Although employee relations in small and medium sized firms tend to be more informal they can be inflexible to changes in the workplace. Managers may lack the necessary experience and expertise in issues like performance appraisals and dispute resolution; they tend to rely on their experience and prefer to engage the employees directly. Issues of pay determinations and other forms of compensation are set out by managers but it allows employees to engage with management over discussions, without the necessary involvement of collective employee representations like unions. The dialogue is less formal and gives the management opportunity to consider personal circumstances of employees. Similarly conflict resolution and grievances are accorded an informal process, whereas any disciplinary action resulting from such discussions may be formal and follow a traditional approach. And because managers prefer to have a less formal involvement of employees the concept of non-uni onized representation is favoured as management sees more flexibility in running the business and find to have less control when a collective representation is sought. Formality in relationships increases with firm size when management wants to have more distance between owners and employees in order to maintain a consistent level of control through decentralization. The degree of formality exercised may vary within the firm itself, for instance management may adopt a more formal approach to employee training and development, but at the same time conduct performance appraisals informally. In regards to SMEs the nature of employment relations is not always straightforward and management practices, which may appear simple and unsophisticated, are influenced by a variety of factors and have evolved as a response to a particular need as the industry and business requirements, or regulations, evolved over time. References Ackers, P., Marchington, M., Wilkinson, A. and Dundon, T. (2004), The management of voice in non-union organisations: managers perspectives, Employee Relations Vol. 27 No. 3, 2005 pp. 307-319 Atkinson, J. and Meager, N. (1994) Running to stand still: the small firm in the labour market, in J. Atkinson and D. Storey (eds.) Employment, the Small Firm and the Labour Market, London: Routledge. Bacon, N. and Hoque, K. (2005) HRM in the SME sector: valuable employees and coercive networks, International Journal of Human Resource Management, 16, 11: 1679-99. Benson, J. (2000), Employee voice in union and non-union Australian workplaces, British Journal of Industrial Relations, Vol. 38 No. 3, pp. 453-9. Beresford, R. (2003) Trade unions and small firms, Federation News, 53, 2. Blackburn, R. (2005) Researching the employment relationship in small firms: what are the contributions from the employment relations and small business literatures?, in S. Blyton, P. and Turnbull, P. (2004), The Dynamics of Employee Relations, 3rd ed., Macmillan, London. Bolton Report (1971) Report of the Committee of Inquiry on Small Firms, Chaired by J. E. Bolton, Cmnd. 4811, London: HMSO. Bryson, A. (1999) The impact of employee involvement on small firms financial performance, National Institute Economic Review, 169: 78-95. Bryson, A. and Millward, N. (1997) Employee Involvement in Small Firms: A Review of the Literature, London: Policy Studies Institute. Carroll, M., Marchington, M., and Earnshaw, J. (1999) Recruitment in small firms: Processes, methods and problems, Employee Relations, 21, 3: 236-50. Chaplin, J., Mangla, J., Purdon, S., and Airey, C. (2005) The Workplace Employment Relations Survey 2004 (WERS 2004) Technical Report (Cross-Section and Panel Surveys), London: National Centre for Social Research. Charlwood, A. (2003), Willingness to unionize amongst non-union workers, in Gospel, H. and Wood, S. (Eds), Representing Workers, Trade Union Recognition and Membership in Britain, Routledge, London. Cosh, A. and Hughes, A. (2003a) The British SME sector 1991-2002, in A. Cosh and A. Hughes (eds.) Enterprise Challenged: Policy and Performance in the British SME Sector 1999- 2002, Cambridge: Cambridge University Centre for Business Research Cox, A. (2005) Managing variable pay systems in smaller workplaces, in S. Marlow, D. Patton and M. Ram (eds.) Managing Labour in Small Firms, London: Routledge. Cully, M., Woodland, S., OReilly, A. and Dix, G. (1999) Britain at Work: As Depicted by the 1998 Workplace Employee Relations Survey, London: Routledge. Dundon, T. (2002), Employer opposition and union avoidance in the UK, Industrial Relations Journal, Vol. 33 No. 3, pp. 234-45. Dundon, T. and Rollinson, D. (2004), Employment Relations in Non-union Firms, Routledge, London. Dundon, T., Grugulis, I. and Wilkinson, A. (1999) Looking out of the black hole: nonunion relations in an SME, Employee Relations, 21, 3: 251-66. Dundon, T., Wilkinson, A., Marchington, M. and Ackers, P. (2004), The meanings and purpose of employee voice, International Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol. 15 No. 6, pp. 1150-71. Forth, J., Bewley, H., Bryson, A. (2004), Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey, Routledge, London Freeman, R. and Medoff, J. (1984), What Do Unions Do?, Basic Books, New York, NY. Gall, G. (2004), British employer resistance to trade union recognition, Human Resource Management Journal, Vol. 14 No. 2, pp. 36-53. Goss, D. (1991), Small Business and Society, Routledge, UK Guest, D. (2001), Industrial relations and human resource management, in Storey, J. (Ed.), HRM: A Critical Text, Thompson Learning, London. Guest, D. and Hoque, K. (1994), The good, the bad and the ugly: employment relations in new non-union workplaces, Human Resource Management Journal, Vol. 5 No. 1, pp. 1-14. Lavoie, A. (2004) Work-life balance and SMEs: Avoiding the one-size-fits-all trap, CFIB Research: 10-12 Lewin, D. and Mitchell, D. (1992), Systems of employee voice: theoretical and empirical perspectives, California Management Review, Vol. 34 No. 3, pp. 95-111. Marchington, M. (2005), Employee involvement: patterns and explanations, in Harley, B., Hyman, J. and Thompson, P. (Eds), Participation and Democracy at Work: Essays in Honour of Harvie Ramsay, Palgrave, London. Marchington, M., Goodman, J., Wilkinson, A. and Ackers, P. (1992), New Developments in Employee Involvement, Employment Department Research Series, Paper No. 2, HMSO, London. Marchington, M., Wilkinson, A., Ackers, P. and Dundon, T. (2001), Management Choice and Employee Voice, CIPD Publishing, London. Pfeffer, J. (1998), The Human Equation, Harvard Business School Press, Boston, MA. Ramsay, H. (1977), Cycles of control: workers participation in sociological and historical perspective, Sociology, Vol. 11 No. 3, pp. 481-506. Rose, E. (2008) Employment Relations, 3rd ed., Pearson Education Limited, UK: 58-95, 273-331, 334-420.

Catastrophes in William Shakespeares Romeo and Juliet :: Romeo and Juliet Essays

Catastrophes in Romeo and Juliet      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Many characters in William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet invite the catastrophes they experience.   These characters are Mercutio, Romeo, and Friar Laurence.   Mercutio because he never thinks before he acts.   He has a very big mouth and will say anything to create a joke.   Romeo because of this fight with Tybalt.   If this fight never occurred then the outcome of the story could have been better for Romeo and Juliet.   Maybe there families could have set aside their differences for there children and live the rest of there lives in harmony.   Friar Lawrence because I do not think he thought about the plan to unite Romeo and Juliet long enough.   He should have gotten a reliable messenger to inform Romeo of the situation.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Romeo's friend Mercutio was a very witty energetic man.   If he held his tongue and thought about what he said before acting on them he would not have gotten into so many fights.   His jokes were probably taken lightly be his friends Romeo and Benvolio because they were accustomed to hearing Mercutio's voice constantly.   Mercutio should not have tried to tease Tybalt because of the rivalry between Tybalt's family and Romeo's family.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   While avenging Mercutio, Romeo should have thought about the consequences of slaying Tybalt.   On one hand he filled the urge to kill the man who had killed his friend. On the other hand he killed his wife's cousin.   How can one justify killing a member of their wife's family?   Another consequence he should have taken into consideration was the punishment he was going to receive from Price Escalus.   In act one scene one Prince Escalus already warned everyone in Verona that if anyone was caught fighting again the would pay for it with there lives.   If Romeo had not gotten into the duel with Tybalt Romeo would not have been banished from Verona.   When Prince Escalus exiled Romeo, that was the point in the play which was the biggest catastrophe.   This is because once Romeo was exiled he could not see Juliet ever again and Juliet could never see Romeo again.   Friar Lawrence would have never had to devise a plan to put Juliet into

Leadership Observation

Apart from the KAIZEN approach being widely practiced in Japan, the one thing which, despite belonging to their culture, has given the Japanese manufactures a competitive edge is their methodology of   inviting open discussion from each n’ every employees of the company on regular basis. Toyota has proved itself to be the world’s best not only in terms of automobiles manufacturing an d assembling but compared to all manufacturing concerns any where in the world. Achieving the status of the market leader wasn’t an easy task! Toyota (Japan) however made it possible. It was only through the participative approach employed by them as a basic requirement of their very corporate culture. Toyota motor corporation (TMC) has been the world’s third largest automaker (2001) offering full range of models from mini-vehicles to large trucks. Global sales of its Toyota & Lexus brands, combined with those of Daihatsu and Hino, totaling 6.17 million units in the calendar year 2002 (Goldoftas & Levine, 1999). On September 11, 2003 it was reported that Toyota gained a learned leading position on the ‘Dow Jones Sustainability Index (DJSI)’ in the 4 automobile sectors. The growth that Toyota has been enjoying is not a one night growth but is part of a longer chain that stems out of their very cultural norms and values. Katsuaki Watanabe, the president of Toyota has much to be accredited with in regard of the Toyota’s recent overwhelming and world renowned growth factor. Toyota’s success is not only because eof any tools or equipment they use; but the encouragement by the there top management people such as Watanabe, who allow the employees to experiment and thus achieve a higher result regarding what they do in the company’s production process. Be it as simple as installing a seat to as complex as designing and offering a new model to the production department. The Toyota Corporation has trusted its employees in delivering their best and they do it very-well. The time is a huge constraint in any organization especially regarding critical and/or strategic decisions regarding the future plans; competitors’ move etc. at Toyota, Watanabe like other of his predecessors has continued the practice even in the time of so much rapid advancements in the technology. The Toyota employees had the solution to the time management too. Each employee knew very well about what he/she was responsible to do and how they did it. At the end of each day when they were gathered they were asked to go through what they did and how they think they can improve it. This reduces the time taken by mangers to keep wandering about which topic they would be covering and the can get the accurate information about each n’ every scenario of what has been going on. In participative leadership, open and easy way communication is critical. Watanabe ensured that and at the production facilities every one assembles in the huge hall assigned for the assembly. This is a step to have a clear communication session between the top management and the other member of the organization. The culture of sharing ideas and the social networking with friends and colleges is part of their practices and they are used to it. Watanabe has been successful in delegating both pleasant and unpleasant task to the employees after giving them enough authority and responsibility regarding their tasks. He as the president, devised the plan of clarifying goal sto each and every employee and to provide support to them so that they can work at their best and update company with confidence on any improvements that they think are necessary, hence resulting in a cumulative positive effect on the overall performance of the company creating a synergy of individual efforts to achieve corporate objectives via allowing effective participation of employees so that they feel that they have a â€Å"say† in the organization’s decision making. The participation of employees, at Toyota, along with Katsuaki Watanabe has yielded significant benefits. References Adler Paul S., Goldoftas Barbara & Levine David I. (1999) Flexibility Versus Efï ¬ ciency? A Case Study of Model Changeovers in the Toyota Production System: Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley.   

Courage in To Kill a Mockingbird Essay

â€Å"Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities†¦ because it is the quality which guarantees all others,† (Winston Churchill). There are several different ways t be courageous. Harper Lee, in her 1960 novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, uses courage as a main theme. Harper Lee demonstrates that if one can tell the truth, change or remain rooted in their morals, they are a minority among people who lack the ability to do so. In To Kill a Mockingbird there are different characters that show it takes a certain amount of courage to tell the truth. When Dolphus Raymond said, â€Å"You little folk won’t tell on me now, will you? It’d ruin my reputation if you did,† (Lee 227) after he showed the kids that is was Coke in his paper and not alcohol. It was to make the children feel better about the trial. He had the courage to tell the kids the truth, right when there was a whole lot of lying going on in the courtroom, and risked them spreading his story. Another great example is that Tom Robinson, during his trial, had the courage to tell the truth about why he regularly helped Mayella. When Mr. Gilmer asked Tom why he was so obliged to do Mayella’s chores for free, Tom ruined any chance he had of winning the case by answering, â€Å"I felt right sorry for her, she seemed to try more’n the rest of ’em,† (224). Back in the 1930’s in the southern hills of Maycomb County, Alabama, where this story takes place, how dare a black man feel sorry for a white woman. The white citizens of the south believed that blacks were the lowest of the low. Lower than trailer trash, like the Ewells. What Tom said contradicted the mindset of the time and he died because of it. Not many characters have the strength to tell the truth, however some do and the make a world of change. Harper Lee, in To Kill a Mockingbird, shows the readers that having the ability to change is quite significant. Not everyone can, and change can take your life, shake it a bit and when it’s put back down you don’t know if it is for better or for worse. Scout always used to get into fights. One day, Atticus asked Scout to stop fighting. Scout loves her father very much and doesn’t want to disappoint him so she listened, no matter how much she got chided for it. When I committed myself to a policy of cowardice. Word got around that Scout Finch wouldn’t fight anymore, her daddy wouldn’t let her,† (92). It was courageous of her to change because fighting was a big part of her life and her peers were sure to tease her. Another character that exemplifies the courage to change is Mrs. Dubose. She was addicted to morphine but had the courage to change for the final hours of her life, even though she knew she would die soon no matter what. â€Å"I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. Courage is when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what,† (128). Mrs. Dubose had the courage to change and died content with herself. It’s clear that you need to be courageous to change because not many characters change in this story. Maycomb was born in ignorance and Maycomb continued to live in ignorance. The most courageous acts in To Kill a Mockingbird occur when a character is alone in their morals and remain rooted in those morals no matter what. Atticus is a perfect example of someone â€Å"sticking to their guns†. The reason that he gives his children as to why he is defending the black man, Tom Robinson is, â€Å"Before I can live with other folks, I’ve got to live with myself,† (120). A different example is at the end of the book, when Boo Radley kills Bob Ewell. Sherriff Tate sticks to his morals by reporting that Mr. Ewell fell on his knife. Sherriff Tate told Atticus that if Boo was charged with murder, the attention he would receive from the town’s women would kill Boo. Another example of a character being steadfast in their morals is when Calpurnia, knowing that everyone is equal, takes Jem and Scout to the black people’s church. Some of the black folks weren’t very welcoming to the kids because they were white. â€Å"Lula stopped, but she said, ‘You ain’t got no business bringin’ white chillun here-they got their church, we got our’n. It is our church ain’t it Miss Cal? ‘ Calpurnia said, ‘It’s the same God ain’t it? ‘† (136). These characters truly are minorities. That is when they shine and are model citizens of Maycomb County. Seems like being alone, fighting for what they believe in, makes them stronger. In To Kill a Mockingbird, it is the characters that have the courage to stand out against racism and break the status quo of Maycomb County that are a minority among the characters that don’t. Courage is one of the biggest themes in To Kill a Mockingbird and only a special few are able to possess it. As Reggie White said, â€Å"God places the heaviest burden on those who can carry its weight. â€Å"