Free Will And Individualism In George Orwells 1984 And...

Qualities of an Oppressive Society Free will and individualism are rights that have been used as symbols of peace and progressive, but they also have been viewed as weakness and a liability. Although free will and individualism should be viewed as good, there are times in history when they were considered a problem. These times are addressed in George Orwell’s 1984 and Toni Morrison’s Beloved. Both novels choose to outline the lost of free will and individualism through the lens of an oppressed group, and while the oppression that each group have their differences, both express how free will and individualism is suppressed and how people lived under oppression without their rights. In 1984, the loss individual rights is illustrated in†¦show more content†¦This is a common sentiment in oppressive society, who need the absolute submission of its populace, with primary example being the slave culture of the united states as portrayed in Beloved by Toni Morrison. With the slave society as her canvas, Toni Morrison uses it express the of oppression that the freed slaves felt during their time in slavery through their memories. Many of their memories feature psychological torture in the form of verbal abuse, physical torture through excessive beatings, torture, and rape, and emotional torture though the loss of a loved one(s) to the slave trade or to natural causes. Through the eyes of Sethe, Morrison mainly explores all two of the three aspects through her different memories, and the culmination of these experiences granted her master power over her, even after she obtained her freedom. An example of her oppression by the slave owner is when she was physically assaulted by men working for her owner in order to take her breast milk. These actions were meant to be a show of force and to keep the slaves unresisting because of how easily everything can be taken away from them. Sethe is not the only one to express memories of their oppressed life a s Paul D, a friend of Sethe, relates his experience of being forced to wear an iron bit; however, it was not just the iron bit the hurt him the most. Instead, it was his realization of the hopelessness of his situation during his encounters a rooster, who he thinks â€Å"looked so...free.

Correlational Research Free Essays

Correlational Research â€Å"Correlation is a statistical technique that can show whether and how strongly pairs of variables are related† (Creative Research Systems, 2010). Correlation research method is used in scientific research to study the association and/or relationship between variables. When the association between two variables becomes correlation coefficient, it is being calculated through quantitative measure. We will write a custom essay sample on Correlational Research or any similar topic only for you Order Now The goal for using this method is to observe if one or more variables cause and predict other variables, without having a causal relationship between them (Creative Research Systems, 2010). One great article I found is about money and happiness: â€Å"Can Money Buy Happiness: Are Lottery Winners any Happier in The Long Run? † At first people see how happy and ecstatic people that win the lottery are on television, however, past that point, there are no details on how their life is from there on. The question of whether they are happier or not still remains. The researchers developed the study by asking two paralyzed accident victims, a control group and lottery winners about their level of happiness. There was no statistically significant difference between the lottery winners and the control group with respect to how happy they were at this stage of their lives† (Brikman, 1978). The control group as well as the lottery winners did not give any â€Å"evidence† of how happy they are going to be in couple of years (statistically insignificant). The lottery winners did not think, judge or be concerned about how happy they will be in few years, as the ac cident victims did. The results were that the relationship between money and the level of happiness is not linear. The increase of money might or might not increase your happiness (depends on the events). â€Å"These findings may also suggest that happiness may be relative. We may not be able to reach a higher level of happiness as a result of winning the lottery. Winning the lottery may simply raise our standards† (Brikman, 1978). Researchers may use correlational method to determine variables between characteristics, attitudes, behaviors and events. As I mentioned before, the goal of this method is to find out if there is a direct relationship between the variables, as well as any commonalities in each relationship. Even though it does not indicate the cause and effect relationship, when it’s present, one variable might reflect the change of the other variable. The only way a researcher would find out the effects a variable has on another variable is through research and experiment (Wiley, 2011). When it comes to using correlational method, to develop research, causation must not be used, because it cannot prove that one variable can change the other. The method only shows, in a systematic way that the variables are related. To be able to prove the cause and effect relationship and experimental method must be used. In this case, being that it cannot test the cause and effect, the result can be deceiving and misinterpreted, especially when there are more than two variables involved. When cause and effect cannot be proved through this method, assumption is done, which leads to error in the outcome. Therefore, as mentioned before, correlation does not mean causation, which is a limitation when it comes to conclusions to be made (Bradley, 2000). Positive correlation occurs when the increase of one variable impacts the increase of another variable. For example, the more money people win, the happier they are, however it does not specify long term results. Being that they are happy for the moment, the more times they win, the happier they get, which results in a positive correlation. When it comes to negative correlation, the variables work the opposite: when one increases it impacts the other one to decrease. In the example above, I would say that people that win the lottery also have a lot more responsibilities to handle, which occurs in more effort, time and energy. Their happiness level might increase for the moment; however, it will start to decrease in the long run, due to all the extra â€Å"work† and pressure they would have. Last, but not least, there is the zero correlation that occurs when there is no relationship between the variables. The example study above wants to demonstrate if more money brings more happiness. Being that the two of the subjects did not win the lottery, it would not really prove whether or not money would bring them happiness. Asking about their current and future level of happiness has no correlation with the people that already won the lottery and whose life has hanged (McLeod, 2008). Being that the correlation coefficient does not reflect nonlinear association between two variables, â€Å"the correlation coefficient measures whether there is a trend in the data, and what fraction of the scatter in the data is accounted for by the trend†, as opposed to how nearly a scatterplot follow a straight line (Stark, 2011). Being that correlation coefficient only measures linear relationships, it is possible to see a nonlinear relationship when r is close to 0 or even 0. In this case, the diagram indicates a slight presence of existence of nonlinear relationship between the two variables. If the â€Å"r† is not correctly interpreted, the result will make no sense and therefore a non-sense correlation would occur. One can also assume that the two variables are related, however, it cannot prove that â€Å"r† is the cause and effect of the relationship between the two (Amit, 2009). Another problem that might occur is when the function has multiple independent variables it is very hard to attribute changes to one independent variable. That is why it is important for a researcher to make sure the research is being developed and experimented within the two variables, which means selecting the most significant and credible of the correlated variables and use in the function. When it comes to floor and ceiling effects, a researcher analyzes â€Å"data using analysis of variance, the interaction effect would very likely be statistically significant† (Zechmeister, 2001). When a minimum is scored in any condition of the experiment, a floor effect occurs. However, when a maximum performance occurs, ceiling effect happens. In this case the researcher has the choice to select the dependent variables, to avoid the floor and ceiling and effect, and determine differences across conditions. â€Å"Thus, the danger of floor and ceiling effects is that they may lead researchers to believe an interaction is present in the data, when in fact the interaction occurs because the measurement scale does not allow the full range of responses that participants could make† (Zechmeister, 2001, p. 202). When the experiment is too easy, the experimental manipulation in the ceiling effect shows little or no effect. It can be reduced by making the experiment harder and more challenging. When the task is too challenging or too difficult, the experimental manipulation will not be able to show effect (floor effect). It can be reduced or eliminated by making the experimental task more difficult, that way it will balance. A pilot study may also be conducted to find out if a floor effect or a ceiling effect is present (Huron, 2000). References Bradley, Megan (2000). Cyberlab for Psychology Research. Methods of Research. Retrieved November 26, 2011, from url: http://faculty. frostburg. du/mbradley/researchmethods. html#corr Brickman, P. , Coates, D. , Janoff-Bulman, R. (1978). Lottery Winners and Accident Victims: Is Happiness Relative? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Retrieved November 26, 2011, from url: http://www. psychologyandsociety. com/lotterystory. html Choudhury, Amit (2009). Statistical Correlation. Retrieved November 26, 2011, from url: http://www. experiment-resources. com/st atistical-correlation. html Creative Research Systems (2010). The Survey System. Correlation. Retrieved November 26, 2011, from url: http://www. urveysystem. com/correlation. htm Huron, David (2000). Glossary of Research Terms in Systematic Musicology. Retrieved November 26, 2011, from url: http://musicog. ohio-state. edu/Music829C/glossary. html#floor effect McLeod, Saul (2008). Simply Psychology. Correlation. Retrieved November 26, 2011, from url: http://www. simplypsychology. org/correlation. html Stark, P. B (2001). Correlation and Association. Chapter 7. Retrieved November 26, 2011, from url: http://www. stat. berkeley. edu/~stark/SticiGui/Text/correlation. htm Wiley, John (2011). CliffNotes. Research Designs and Methods. Retrieved November 26, 2011, from url: http://www. cliffsnotes. com/study_guide/Research-Designs-and-Methods. topicArticleId-26831,articleId-26754. html Zechmeister, J. S. , Zechmeister, E. B. , Shaughnessy, J. J. (2001). Essentials of Research Methods in Psychology. Chapter 5. New York: McGraw Hill. Retrieved from Kaplan University DocSharing. Zechmeister, J. S. , Zechmeister, E. B. , Shaughnessy, J. J. (2001). Essentials of Research Methods in Psychology. Chapter 7. New York: McGraw Hill. Retrieved from Kaplan University DocSharing. How to cite Correlational Research, Essays

Enterprise Resource Planning and Implementation MyAssignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about the Enterprise Resource Planning and Implementation. Answer: Introduction An Enterprise Resource planning system is a software system that is used used to integrate all the tasks spanning an organizations department in order to achieve cost effectiveness and efficiency (Ifon, p53, 2013). The tasks to be managed are both internal and external resources, including tangible and intangible assets, materials, human resources, and financial resources. Its main purpose is to facilitate the flow of information between all business functions inside the boundaries of the organization and manage the connections to outside stakeholders. The characteristics of an ERP system are that it is built on a centralized database, it utilizes a common computing platform and that it consolidates all business operations into an enterprise wide system. In contrast, an accounting information system software is a subsidiary of an enterprise resource planning system which handles various accounting functions. These include payroll accounts, accounts payable, accounts receivable and trial balances. These functions may further be expanded to include ledgers, purchase orders, and financial statements. An ERP/IAS solution will help the business in identifying opportunities for cost savings and improving efficiency in their business processes by integrating data across the enterprise, for example, financial, inventory and production data. This helps top management to make accurate, strategic decisions. A flight center basically handles and manages passenger flights from one destination from another. By doing so, many other processes are involved to make the whole operation successful. Flight centers are usually big multinational companies which handle a lot of customers in their day to day operations, who number to the hundreds. Flight center operations are very complex since it also involves many departments, expanding routes, and alliance marketing structures, all of which are susceptible to many factors, for example, weather, economy and politics (Johnson,pg 5, 2013) As a result, all business processes and data need to be organized in a manner which will improve efficiency of the flight center. The diagram below depicts the complexity of the operations of an airlines flight center From the above diagram, it is evident that all operations fall a given business day. Depending on the various factors, both controllable and uncontrollable, a business process can take any of the paths to achieve a specific objective. All these operations, however, are all geared towards customer satisfaction. Airlines are also highly leveraged operations (Aviation Pros, 2017), therefore they must regularly buy new airliners from airline builders or buy parts, such as engines, in order to keep up with technology trends and maintain corporate image. The top management also has to make long-term decisions concerning their fleet with the main aim of meeting market demands. In light of this, they have to keep in mind cost benefits of operating their chosen fleet. The major business requirements of flight centers are: To provide an enterprise view of data , the structure of the organization, and functions applicable across departments to enable seamless movement of data, collaboration, between departments and the overall meeting of the organizations objectives and operational requirements. To optimize profit gains from a design perspective that covers areas such as revenue, operation costs, and operational performance To enable the flight center to have a change management system in order to respond to changes in a cost saving and timely manner in competitive environment. To enable the flight center to have a system for mitigating or eliminating delays and down times, which results in tremendous losses. System requirements for the ERP AIS solution Representation of every department and function involved in the operation of flights Real time information communication to enable balanced, timely decisions. System operation should have a separate reporting department System should be able to integrate all data in the system in a central database There should be seamless end to end movement of data between departments and functions Best practices are applied when choosing any software system to use. An ERP AIS is no exception. The selection process requires the sponsors, project manager and other stake holders to consider the following key aspects:- How the business is going to gain a competitive edge by performing better, specifically areas where improvements are needed. The overall of technology requirements across the entire enterprise The long term corporate objectives of the organization The need for software consultants or a Request For Proposal the ROI of the new system and whether it can be quantified the factors and criteria that will determine a successful implementation The meeting of all processes and requirements across all departments been Full support of the top management, and end users adequate budgeting of the system how long the entire project will take Basic budget elements for the new software system include business process planning and needs analysis, software, hardware, implementation and training, incidentals beyond project scope, IT infrastructure, maintenance and support. Pitfalls to avoid in the ERP AIS selection process Failure to acquire enough documentation, that is, business, system and user requirements. Failing to train the staff in the use of the new system. Poor planning of the budget and time needed to realize the new system. Not including consultants or experts where necessary. Internal staff dont always have the complete skill set. Over planning the project and not being flexible. Selecting a system that is impractical for the organization, that is, it may be too big or too small. Not having the full support of top executive management. Failing to have end users fully support the initiative Not having a criteria to measure success These pitfalls can be avoided by taking the following counter measures:- Havingthorough documentation, which covers all business and user requiremens Setting a practical and realistic goal Involving the necessary experts in the adoption process Allowing room for change incorporation and management Obtaining support from all parties in the organization, from top management to end users Establishing criteria for measuring success Training end users, where necessary, in the use of the system Steps in successfully implementing an ERP AIS solution It is essential that ERP systems prove productive by allowing the implementation of best business and IT systems practices. (Amid, Bagheri and Ghasrodhashti, pp 76-7, 2010). The company should first analyze and plan by reviewing business requirements and processes, identifying which aspects of the business need improving and refinement. It should then map business requirements into the project plan. The design and development stage, where the solution is designed and developed should be based on business requirements and processes and the project plan written in the first page. The third stage involves testing and training. Here the system is tested according to overall and specific objectives and users are trained on best practices in delivering system functionality. The fourth stage is the implementation stage. Once the system has been tested and accepted, legacy data is exported to the new system as the system is officially launched. The last but equally important phase is the maintenance stage. The company is given continuous support its technology partner(s), who should provide ongoing support through a service help desk, implementation of new updates and possibly, user group sessions. These work hand in hand with the organizations internal IT team. The company can utilize the system to improve organizational efficiency in the following ways: Enabling collaborative decisions among all affected departments. This ensures that overall objectives are being achieved by the organization. Supporting planning for disruptions to eliminate delays or downtimes, which results in immense losses in the airline industry. The system should support communication in an outage incident for quick discussion on how to solve the incident. Strategizing communication ahead of time will help the organization know what to share and how to share it, both internally and externally. The system should utilize best practices in monitoring outages and downtime. Critical applications and infrastructure should not go down for longer than acceptable periods, hence affecting brand and customer loyalty. Its important to develop an intelligent, streamlined way to monitor system events and respond when necessary, in a timely manner. Evaluation of the systems efficiency Amid, Bagheri and Ghasrodhashti (p2, 2010) argue that the effectiveness of an organization is the level to which that same organization, by utilizing certain resources, fulfills its strategic, operational and tactical objectives without exhausting its resources or overworking its staff. In their research study, they found that evaluating an ERPs system is quite difficult but have outlined a number of factors that can be useful in the evaluation procedure, namely:- Conflict resolution- If involved departments within an organization can be able to collaboratively make decisions, then the system is considered efficient. Flexibility and adaptation- This is when the system incorporates changes according to business and user needs in a timely and cost saving manner Seamless data communication- This is where data is passed from one point to another in its complete form, in a timely manner and maintaining integrity. Reduced downtimes-Unvailability of data or services should not exceed a set time limit. Support of best business practices- The system should support the standard set of business practices in all its business processes Potential security risks and data breaches Security risks in information systems revolve around three main factors, that is, confidentiality, integrity and availability (Peltier, pp 53-4, 2014). These are the three main goals of security in any information system. In a cloud enterprise system a threat can be attacked at the application level, virtual level and physical level (Zikiss and Lekkas, pp 583-92, 2014), hence compromising the three main goals. From there many kinds of specific threats could be perpetrated on the system by malicious people, both from within the organization and from the outside. The following paragraphs explain the various types of attacks. By far, these are the most common types of security threats in any organizations information system:- Modification of data- This happens through the modification of data and consequently compromising its original meaning. Interception of data This is the stealing of data which is on transit from a source to some destination. Although, data would have reached its destination, its confidentiality would have been compromised. Data deletion- This causes an availability breach of data, whereby it would not be available as per the current demands User account theft (impersonation)- This is the accessing of an account by an unauthorized person where he/she may get access to any kind of resource Network attacks- These threats are usually perpetrated by external malicious attackers on the organizations network, and include denial of service attacks. Insiders can also carry out network attacks. Hardware theft- This is the typical stealing of a commodity, either through breaking and entering or by other inconspicuous means. Hardware malfunction Hardware could malfunction because of a number of reasons, modification, natural disaster or mishandling. Software malfunction- Software can malfunction due to bugs and malicious software such as viruses. Not keeping the software up to date could also bring the same problem. The table below also gives a summary of common security risks to the various levels of an IS infrastructure. Level of risk Risks and data breaches Confidentiality Integrity Availability Privacy Data Unauthorized access to user accounts Altering of data Deleting of data Sharing of data with inappropriate people Network Hacking Interception Denial of service attacks Communications listening Physical resources Theft, breaking and entering software Access to unauthorized programs/code Viruses/malware Viruses/malware Traffic analysis Mitigation of the risks The aforementioned security risks and data breaches can be mitigated through the following types of measures. Use of authentication- This involves the use of usernames and passwords to gain entry to accounts and application. Data encryption- This renders the original message unintelligible to unauthorized third parties User training Users can be briefed on standard security procedures in the use of information systems. This is very vital as they will be the ones operating the system. Installation of firewalls- Firewalls enable the system to detect external intruders who try to illegally gain entry to the system. Keeping the system up to date- constantly updating the system with security patches and general updates will help keep the system operationally stable. Installation of antivirus and malware programs- This will prevent viruses and malicious software from infecting the system and wreaking havoc. Using lock and key- Hardware can be kept safe by locking them in safe zones and restricting or access to them. It is a simple method, but very effective. References Amid, A., Bagheri, M., Ghasrodhashti, S., (2010). Analysis of the impact of Enterprise Resource Planning Systems on Organizational Effectiveness. International Journal of Systems Applications, Engineering and Development. 3(4), pp 76-87 AVIATION PROS (2017). Back to Basics: ERP Workshop for Aviation Businesses-https://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12235081/back-to-basics-erp-workshop-for-aviation-businesses Services - ERP Solution https://aisinfotech.com/erp-solutions.php [16th May, 2017] ERP SoftwareBlog - https://www.erpsoftwareblog.com/2009/11/5-steps-to-a-successful-implementation-of-your-new-accounting-system/ [16th May, 2017] Ifon, D.S, (2013). Enterprise Resource Planning Systems. 12th Research Seminar Series workshop. Pp 53-57 Souza, C. Introducing Modern IT Operations to the Airline Industry (4th October,2016)-https://www.pagerduty.com/blog/airlines-digital-transformation/ [16th, May, 2017] Peltier T.R., (2014). Information Security Fundamentals, Second Edition. Taylor Francis Group, LLC. ISBN: 13:978-1-4398-1062-0 Zissis, , D. , Lekkas, D., (2012). Addressing cloud computing security issues. Future Generation Computer SystemS, 8(3),PP 583-592 Johnson, B., (2013). Airline Cost Management Through Planning and control. IATA report, Airline cost conference, Geneva

Macroeconomic Analysis of Germany Essay Example

Macroeconomic Analysis of Germany Essay Its goal was to boost the relatively low economy by stimulating people to spend and consume. However, due to a general Insecurity in the population and the peoples lack of confidence, consumption failed to amplify, as hoped, despite the Increase in disposable income. In addition, despite the Reform, after its implementation, investment also slightly decreased. The lowering of the interest rates by 275 basis points in 2001 increased the money supply and led to a higher consumption, which positively reflected on the GAP growth. However, the lower Interest rates were not able to accelerate Investment and employment. Nevertheless, the Euro appreciated against the US Dollar, which In turn ad a positive influence, as exports and imports maintained their growth. After continuous depreciation of the Euro against the Dollar, up until its all-time low at the end of October 2000, the CB, along with the US and Japanese monetary authorities, intervened and increased the interest rates twice, both by 0,25%. By doing so they could first avoid a threat of an Increase of domestic prices due to inflation and also augment Imports due to the appreciation of the Euro. Furthermore, the skyrocketed foreign direct Investment In 2000 was reduced by 182. 52 billion Euros In 2001 The opening of a single market in 1 993 had an overall positive influence on the German economy, especially in the trade sector, where exports increased by 10,6% until 2002, totaling 660,6 billion Euros. We will write a custom essay sample on Macroeconomic Analysis of Germany specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Macroeconomic Analysis of Germany specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Macroeconomic Analysis of Germany specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

The Subject Is Motivation And It Is To Look At Skyscanner (The Company

The Subject Is Motivation And It Is To Look At Skyscanner (The Company The Subject Is Motivation And It Is To Look At Skyscanner (The Company Name) – Essay Example Employee Motivation at Skyscanner By Employee Motivation During the recent Sunday Times 100 Best Companies list that was published on 2nd March 2014, Skyscanner was listed as the sixth best organisation that people would like to work for (Scottish Equity Partners 2014). In effect, this implies that the company has put in place an effective structure that focuses on placing a value on its people while concentrating on their learning and development with an aim of recruiting and maintaining top talent that steers the company to prosperity.According to various motivational theories and their application in the workplace, an organisation should motivate its employees with an aim of retaining them within the business organisation. Using the expectancy theory of motivation, Wood et al. (2010) noted the intervention that managers could use following the components of the theory in order to identify the needs of an employee and process them in a manner that the company benefitted from the in dividual employee. This is exemplified by the Skyscanner’s focus on the learning and development of its employees in order to improve their competencies and ensure that they worked towards the success of the company.The components of the expectancy theory of motivation are expectancy, instrumentality, and valence (Wood et al. 2010). In relationship to Skyscanner, the company’s program on developing its employees uses the expectancy theory of motivation to pick and train employees consistently with the goals that the company wants the individual employee to achieve in their execution of tasks. On the other hand, the company uses the component of instrumentality to establish strong performance possibilities after achieving their gaols in order to increase the possibility of a positive outcome. Lastly, the company uses the component of valence to identify the needs of the individual employee with a view of achieving a desirable outcome when handling their duties.Bibliogra phy Scottish Equity Partners. 4 March 2014. Skyscanner flies high in Best Companies to Work For 2014. [online] Available through: [Accessed 13 March 2014].Wood, J., Zeffane, R., Fromholtz M., Wiesner R., Creed A., Schermerhorn J., Hunt J. and Osborn R., (2010). Organisational Behaviour, Core concepts & applications (2nd ed.). Australia: John Wiley & Sons.

Christmas Tree or Floral Preservative Recipe

Christmas Tree or Floral Preservative Recipe Christmas tree preservatives (aka Christmas tree food) and cut flower preservatives contain the same ingredients: a food source for the plant, an acidifier (making hard water more acidic which helps the plant take in water and food), and a disinfectant to prevent mold, fungi, and algae from growing. This is an easy process that takes mere minutes. Christmas Tree Preservative Ingredients 1 gallon water2 cups light corn syrup4 teaspoons chlorine bleach4 teaspoons lemon juice or vinegar (optional) How To Make Christmas Tree Food Mix the ingredients together and keep the solution in the base for the Christmas tree or vase for cut flowers. Both trees and flowers will last longer in cooler areas away from direct sunlight.Make sure the tree or flower always has water. Regularly refill the vase or the base where the tree sits. In addition, you may wish to spritz the tree or flowers periodically with water from a spray bottle.You can store the solution for four to five  days at room temperature in a closed container, or two weeks refrigerated. Tips Do not drink! If you plan on making enough tree or cut flower preservative to store, label your container and keep it out of reach of children and pets.Bleach and vinegar produce toxic vapors when mixed. If you add vinegar or lemon juice, add it to the water rather than mix it directly with the bleach. Its okay to use bleach without the lemon juice or vinegar if this worries you.If you dont have corn syrup, you can substitute 4 teaspoons of sugar, dissolved in the water. Some people add a penny to a sugar solution so that the copper can act as a fungicide and acidifier.Another common option is to substitute a can of acidic soft drink, like Sprite or 7-Up, instead of the corn syrup and lemon juice. Just add a can of (non-diet) soft drink to a gallon of water, with a splash of bleach.For flowers, youll probably want to cut the recipe to 1 quart water, 1/2 c. corn syrup, 1 tsp. bleach, 1 tsp. lemon juice.

Does relaying on rats testing proofs that the chemical BPA can cause Research Paper

Does relaying on rats testing proofs that the chemical BPA can cause human effect if yes or no how - Research Paper Example s who believe that rats do not share enough similarities with humans to provide proof of the effects that chemicals such as BPA will have on the human body. The following annotated bibliography explores the use of rats in testing with the endocrine disrupter BPA to show that rat testing can be useful in ascertaining the effects of chemicals on the human body. Ashby, J, and H Tinwell. ‘Uterotrophic Activity of Bisphenol A in the Immature Rat.’ Environmental Health Perspectives 106.11 (1998): 719–720. Print. This original research article explores the effects of BPA on the immature rat uterus. This study has been mentioned within a lot of the secondary sources within this bibliography, and therefore should be included. It was featured in a peer-reviewed journal, which means the results are reliable. It provides the evidence that BPA has a toxic effect on rats, although it does not illustrate whether this is useful when considering the human effect. Diel, Patrick et al. ‘Ability of Xeno- and Phytoestrogens to Modulate Expression of Estrogen-sensitive Genes in Rat Uterus: Estrogenicity Profiles and Uterotropic Activity’. The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology 73.1–2 (2000): 1–10. Web. 23 Feb. 2012. This original research article explores the effect of BPA and other xenoestrogens on the rat uterus. Like many of the other studies, it does not provide data from human studies for direct comparison, but conclusions are drawn, which suggests that the results are reliable enough for this journal. Many of the studies focus on the uterine effects, although there are effects on males as well as other physiological effects. Gupta, Ramesh C. Reproductive and Developmental Toxicology. Academic Press, 2011. Print. One of the most prominent effects that have been suggested by animal and human studies are developmental and reproductive. This book is an exploration of the toxic effects of many compounds on the reproductive and early developmental

The Impact of Offshoring in the Services Sector Essay

The Impact of Offshoring in the Services Sector - Essay Example The researcher presents that in an extensive study by Wilding and Jurado noted that, "Poor labor availability or quality within the surveyed organizations is not a considerable driver for outsourcing". The number one driver is cost savings on labor. For a company to realize any benefit from the lower cost of labor, it will require employee displacement. According to Beaumont and Sohal, "Outsourcing a function may entail dismissal or redeployment of employees, changes in the work they do or their transfer to the vendor's employment and its different conditions". All these features impact the employees that are directly affected as well as influencing the attitude of the employees that remain with the firm. Balancing to the lowered cost of labor is the substantial investment that the firm needs to make in the offshore workforce. Training the vendor is a high priority and requires a significant investment to train and retain agents who are skilled and highly motivated. These investments need to evaluate over the long term and not a snapshot in time. One of the risks associated with offshoring is that the firm creates a dependence on the vendor that does the contracting. As the company offshores more of its internal functions the risk grows with it. The direct cost of this risk is the cost of monitoring the vendor which increases as the size of the contract increases. Additional risk comes from long-term offshoring contracts, which may be difficult to break in case of a problem. According to Oh, Gallivan, and Kim, investors weigh the impact of these risks and state, "Investors will "bid up'' the stock prices of client firms that are able to pursue low-risk outsourcing engagements while punishing clients that become entangled in outsourcing contracts that pose a high level of risk". Offshoring will have a negative economic return for the shareholders. Offshoring may be the remedy of last resort for a failing business. According to Lacity and Hirscheim, "outsourcing is being used to salvage a losing enterprise. Is it sound business practice to liquidate the IS department to rescue a firm Many shareholders believe so -- stock prices systematically rise just after an outsourcing announcement". The remedy for the impact of offshoring on the low skilled segment of the financial services sector may not be realistic. According to Binder, "the jobs of call center operators are clearly at risk, while the jobs of most doctors look safe. The glibly-prescribed remedy for the rich countries is, therefore, more education and, more generally, an upskilling of the workforce". However, in a capitalist market system, there is a saturation point where upskilling results in a market glut of these skills and drives the wage downward. Educating away the cost of offshoring would, therefore, be counterproductive.

George Orwell, 1984 Essay Example for Free

George Orwell, 1984 Essay The last and arguably most powerful book to be written by renowned novelist George Orwell (pseudonym of Eric Arthur Blair), 1984 is the chronicle of mankind’s gradual decay under aggressive totalitarianism and blind ideology. The influence of the novel is such that some terms such as â€Å"Big Brother†, â€Å"doublethink† and â€Å"newspeak† have somehow found their way into the modern lexicon. Orwell visualized a world under constant war, with entire societies threatened by an omniscient government that wields control even over an individual’s very thoughts. Half a century after the book’s publication, academics and casual readers alike continue to find disturbing similarities between Orwell’s 1984 and today’s increasingly intrusive institutions. With censorship, political rhetoric and propaganda becoming more and more like the slogans of Orwell’s dystopian society each day it is unsurprising that the novels remain quite a favorite among academics and literary experts alike. Orwell’s startling depiction of a totalitarian state peddling lies and deceit to its willing masses remains relevant and – to some extent – frighteningly prophetic of the present generation. Decades after it first saw print, 1984 still achieves significant readership – a literary warning that enemies of propaganda and censorship revisit time and again as a standard through which the growing excesses in government control and power could be measured. It is the world’s worst case scenario, and its enduring social relevance is a testament to both Orwell’s literary style and deep understanding of the human psyche. This paper posits that George Orwells 1984 is a dystopian novel that deftly tackles the power of language and censorship in controlling both society and the individual; hence its enduring relevance to academic studies on the political and social status quo. This study shall begin with a brief summary of the novel in order to provide a narrative background. The following discussion involves three parts: first, what is the style or form of the novel, and how does it add to the novels appeal and narrative? Second, what are the main themes of the novel? Lastly, how do these themes – combined with the novel – remain relevant to the present times, hence its popularity with academics in the sociopolitical and literary fields? These are the questions that this study must answer in order to prove its thesis. Summary 1984 is the story of Winston Smith, a member of the Outer Party residing in what used to be London. Smith is a citizen of Oceania, one of the three superstates in the world of 1984. The protagonist lives a life of controlled existence; he works in the Ministry of Truth, rewriting news stories and editing photographs in order to make history â€Å"adhere† to the Partys current slogan. People who went against the Party disappeared and made unpersons – there entire existence is erased by workers like Winston Smith. History, therefore, is constantly edited to fit whatever propaganda or slogan the Party is currently espousing. Though a member of the Party, Smith is far from a dedicated follower. He harbors a secret journal of illicit thoughts about freedom and woodenly participates in the Two Minutes of Hate and other standard Party propaganda activities. Smith meets and falls in love with Julia; there liaison, however, is both illicit and illegal. It is punishable by law, so Wilson and Julia find a sanctuary in a room above an old junk shop for their trysts. They are betrayed, however, and soon find themselves in the Ministry of Love where they are tortured and â€Å"reeducated†. In the end, fazed by the horrors of Room 101, Wilson and Julia succumb and betray each other. They are then released to await their execution on a later date. At the end of the novel, Wilson Smith accepts the power of Big Brother and willingly accepts his fate. Style and Form  George Orwells 1984, along with Ray Bradburys controversial Fahrenheit 451 and Aldous Huxleys Brave New World, is one of the worlds best-known dystopian novels. It presents a world entirely gloomy and pessimistic – the opposite of a utopia wherein everything is perfect and in its proper place. As Brunsdale (2000) points out, a dystopia is ultimately a â€Å"hopelessly wrong society† (p. 146). It is a world that has turned entirely upside down, with nearly everything completely unlike what man would envision as paradise. It is an imagined world perverted – entirely a subversion of all that society must aspire for. For George Orwell, this world is a warning, a terrible vision that could become a reality if totalitarianism and government intrusion continues unchecked. The use of a dystopian form is particularly useful in delivering Orwells message. A staunch critic of imperialism and other authoritarian forms such as communism and fascism, Orwells novel is a chilling portrait of what could happen should totalitarian politics remain unabated. His disgust with British Socialism, for example, made its way into the novels newspeak as Ingsoc (English Socialism). By presenting the novel in a dystopian form rather than a different kind of exposition, Orwell successfully parlays his sociopolitical ideas easily through an interesting world rather than a non-fiction tome of tedious words that may find comfort in cobwebs. A form other than dystopia would not have been able to deliver the message as effectively as 1984 has done. Central Themes But what exactly is it that 1984 wishes to convey? At first glance, it seems as if 1984 is doomed to be a dated indictment of the faults of the British Empire in 1948 – when Orwell completed the novel. In truth, however, the novel is more than the indictment of one government. It is not a scathing criticism on Stalinism, or the British Empire, or Hitlers destroyed Third Reich alone. It is an attack against Totalitarianism in whatever form or country, as it takes root and slowly sucks the life and freedom out of the individual and society as a whole. The novel is a critique; a warning against what could happen following the unchecked growth of totalitarian governments. It is not the alliance or the nationality, therefore, that matters, but the possible presence of totalitarian rule. One crucial theme in the novel that supports its criticism of totalitarianism is the power of language. Orwell emphasized the power of language in controlling the individuals mental freedom, particularly in terms of how much and how broad he is allowed to conceptualize. With words and language designed to limit the mind of the person, it is quite possible to exert control and slowly manipulate his or her inner thoughts. Such is the power of newspeak and doublethink – both significant concepts from the novel that gradually crossed over to the mainstream jargon. These concepts are reliant on both language and the formation of thought as the primary tools through which the Party and Big Brother carry out their manipulative plans. An example of Newspeak is the naming convention that led to the ironic names of the ministries in Orwells dystopian society. The Ministries are named in a weird manner quite opposite to what they truly stand for. For example, the Ministry of Love is one of the most fearsome ministries in Oceania, as this is where prisoners are brought for torture, reeducation and execution. The Ministry of Truth where Smith works is quite a paradox, as it concerns itself not with the propagation of truthful information, but with the erasure of people and events no longer in line with the present party rhetoric. The Ministry of Plenty and Ministry of Peace are similarly ironically named. Wemyss (1987) calls this use of newspeak as the attempt to â€Å"narrow the range of human consciousness by limiting the range of words available and by eliminating their polysemic quality† (p. 45). When some terms and concepts become unavailable for use or without a lingual equivalent, they become obsolete and forgotten by the mind. With the government controlling just which words to use and which ones to eliminate, the possibility of controlling the individuals and society becomes much larger. Here lies the power of language, which effectively affects how the brain processes and understands the world around him. Moreover, the concepts in Big Brothers society are defined in a manner describable as â€Å"inverted†. A particularly significant example is the slogan â€Å"war is peace, freedom is slavery, ignorance is strength† – everything in Wilsons world is completely upside down. It is, in essence, an example of doublethink, wherein one is forced to contain two opposing thoughts at the same time and believe them both. It is an ability forced on the people of Oceania; the citizens think of war and peace as one rather than opposing sides of the coin. Even when the citizens clearly know that Oceania switches allies from Eurasia to Eastasia constantly, they are capable of manipulating their own minds into thinking that what the Party calls its â€Å"history† has always been true and in place. Another significant theme in the novel is censorship. Radio, television and print censorship is, of course, the norm in Big Brothers world. More than the controls on media, however, the Party is also highly concerned with purity and the errors of sexual dalliances. Pornography or any form of â€Å"smut† publications are also banned in Oceania, and sexual thoughts are viewed as impurities even when conducted within the boundaries of marriage. This mirrors the penchant of totalitarian governments to extend their powers over â€Å"decency† and issues of morality. Whether or not the reason behind this is truly about cleaning up society remains a mystery. Reviews on the Novel The significance of the novel 1984 can be seen in how todays academics remain enamored and continuously attempt to correlate the classic story of political and social manipulation to Orwells final masterpiece. Agathocleous (2000) took note of the relevance of the novel primarily through the proliferation of terms used in the novel in the modern jargon. The world presented by Orwell remains resonant in todays world, wherein his ideas have become â€Å"common knowledge† (p. 101). Orwells 1984 is no longer just a novel; it is now a part of popular culture. This popularity, Agathocleous (2000) attributes to the the relevance of the issues discussed by Orwell even in todays society. It is popular because it remains true and undated, thereby becoming a classic in its own right (p. 101). For Wanner (1997), on the other hand, notes that Orwells dystopian world is completely different from other portrayals of such negative societies. Unlike other dystopian nations, Orwells Oceania has resigned itself to imperfection and unhappiness without actually admitting it. Though the government may still tout this perfect world as their own, Orwell shows the characters to be living in a difficult world, one wherein pretenses are kept up in order to survive the constant watch of Big Brother. This world is described as hopeless, and it is accurate. Rather than follow other similar styles, Orwell opts to present a realistic view of his world and the negativity that sucks everything within its path (p. 77). Wanner (1997) also notes that Orwell is not entirely separate from socialism. Though the author does indict British socialism and other similar forms of totalitarianism, the presence of Goldstein, according to Wanner, shows that Orwell is still ambivalent regarding the best way to run a society. Even Goldstein, the supposed leader of the opposition, is not a figure against socialism. Wanner thus views this as a softening on Orwells part, noting that his message may not entirely be the indictment of all socialism (p. 77). Lastly, the concept of Orwellian language and politics have slowly caught up with the United States, thanks in no small part to the current administration. In his journal article, Kellner (2007) argues that Orwells world has remained enduring over the years because of its relevance. As such, Kellner easily correlates the â€Å"War on Terror† and the rhetoric that appears in Oceania as the modern equivalent of Orwells world (p. 622). These are some of the reviews that describe the relevance and endurance of the novel, 1984. It utilizes the dystopian model, with sensational usage of the power of language and new terms, in order to correlate Orwells fictional world with the present situation.

U.S. Military Aid - America Must be a Global Policeman Essay -- US Fo

U.S. Military Aid - America Must be a Global Policeman The United States military aid given to Kosovo raises many questions about the foreign affairs policy of the United States of America. Now the U.S. is sending its troops to Timor, a small island off the northern coast of Australia. The U.S. has sent marines to Australia to set up a command post for the troops that the United States will be sending to help with logistics, communications, and intelligence. Many critics believe that the U.S. should not get involved in matters that have no direct impact on the United States. But do not American’s believe that all men are entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? If this is true then it should be the United States duty to help those who are oppressed and suffering. The U.S. needs to be a global policeman to watch out for the humanitarian needs of ethnic groups and peoples and make sure that they are protected against oppression. The U.S. must do what is morally and ethically right, the U.S. is one of the only countri es large enough to give many forms of help and intervene when interests other than that of national security or interest are at steak. Any person who values their human dignity cannot stand by while innocent people are being killed. President Clinton believes that if we have the power to stop genocide and ethnic cleansing then we must make every effort to do so. In an article in The Washington Times, it says that this â€Å"policy would lead to a va...

Capitalism According to Karl Marx

Capitalism Harmonizing to Karl Marx InThe Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx evaluates the effects of capitalist economy on society and asserts that it has both positive and negative constituents. Marx states that capitalist economy ends feudal system, establishes the universe market, develops a more efficient commercialism, agglomerates population, and increases the technological procedure every bit good as communicating on land. However, Marx is extremely critical of capitalist economy. He notes the steep category division between the opinion middle class and the tuging proletarian categories and acknowledges this as a cardinal defect in the party. He views the category division as a merchandise of historical forms. Marx disagrees with the Southern Cross of capitalist society and its strong accent on pecuniary dealingss. He believes the subjugation of the workers will imminently spur the overthrow of the middle class. Marx makes a persuasive and perceptive statement analysing the advantages and disadvantages of capitalis t economy, while foretelling its eventual death. Marx underscores this theory by prefering socialism as a gradual replacing for capitalist economy, which would so germinate into to entire Communism. Feudalism, from Marx’s position, was an inefficient economic system that â€Å"no longer sufficed for the turning wants of the new markets† ( 10 ) . Marx credits capitalist economy with the terminal of feudal system. The feudal system was no longer compatible with the turning productive forces ; feudal system was curtailing the really productiveness and exchange of the fabrication industry. As demand for new merchandises continued to lift, universe markets continued spread outing. The consequence was the fabrication system, which had later turned into the â€Å"giant, modern industry† ( 11 ) . Through industry, there was an instant betterment in production. The addition in the velocity and efficiency of production helped come on the invention of new engineering. In add-on to stoping feudal system and holding created a more efficient economic system, Marx sees capitalist economy as going a revolution. Marx takes note that the productivity of the spread outing universe markets was the fastest of all time witnessed earlier. â€Å"The middle class during its regulation of scarce one hundred old ages, has created more monolithic and more prodigious productive forces so have all preceding coevalss together† ( 14 ) . Capitalism’s enlargement led to the formation of a well-developed commercialism, pilotage, and land communicating. As a consequence of those accomplishments, there was a growing in urbanisation, increased capital, and the changeless betterment of industry ( 11 ) . The middle class has subjected the state to the regulation of the towns. It has created tremendous metropoliss, has greatly increased the urban population as compared with the rural, and has therefore rescued a considerable portion of the population from the idi ocyofrural life† ( 14 ) . Marx argues that the specifically capitalist system of production and itsurban systems incorporate people and compelled them to interact in a mode that was unprecedented in rural countries. Later, Marx will see this efficient economic revolution as the stepping-stone towards Communism. Capitalism contributed vastly towards the development of the modern province. Although the replacing of Feudalism did present an improved economic system, Marx disputes that it did non include the devastation of its category hostility. The two categories within society were resolutely split and developed into two obviously contrasting categories. A hierarchy was formed with the middle class on top as the opinion category and the laboring workers on underside. There were no societal differentiations between the two categories besides their differing functions in capitalist community. From the outgrowth of this new industry came its leaders, the modern middle class, and the workers, the modern labour category, â€Å"who live merely so long as they find work, and who find work merely so long as their labour additions capital† ( 16 ) . Marx characterizes the mercenary middle class as opinion over the workers thanks to the go oning addition of capital and private belongings. The workers were a agency of production, no longer necessitating any specialised acc omplishments like before capitalist economy ; they were an â€Å"appendage† of the machine ( 16 ) . â€Å"The middle class has stripped of its aura every business hitherto honored and looked up to with reverent awe† ( 12 ) . Occupations that were one time considered to be skilled labour were losing their prestigiousness as their specific accomplishments were rendered worthless under new methods of production ( 17 ) . The middle class attempted to deskill their places and therefore rid society of a in-between category. By deskilling doctors, attorneies, and priests, the middle class could force these workers into the labor category where they could work and suppress them with much greater easiness. The lower strata of the in-between category began to drop into the workers as good. Nonetheless, an spread outing labor category was deriving in both Numberss and in strength thanks to the steps which unified workers under capitalist production. Marx criticizes capitalist economies ageless demand for the revolutionizing of production and the instability that this causes. The â€Å"everlasting uncertainness and agitation distinguish the middle class era from all earlier ones† ( 13 ) . He sees this as contradictory and irrational because it is non executable to anticipate lasting uninterrupted growing and enlargement for economic success. The demand to constantly spread out one’s market drives the middle class to work markets all over the universe. â€Å"All that is solid thaws into air† ( 13 ) . Metaphorically talking, Marxhighlights the instabilities within capitalist economy. He underscores that the ceaseless demand for growing leaves capitalist economy without a â€Å"solid† foundation. The middle class, as Marx puts it, â€Å"played a most radical role† ( 12 ) . The middle class may hold ended the feudal ties that bounded people to their â€Å"natural higher-ups, † nevertheless ; they established the workman as merely a â€Å"paid wage-laborer, † without any personal worth ( 12 ) . Marx believes that the middle class have belittled the working-class adult male, the worker, into nil more than a trade good. He goes on to state â€Å"a category of labourers, who live merely so long as they find work, and who find work merely so long as their labour additions capital† ( 16 ) . Marx claims the workers have no single character and go obviously a beginning of capital for the middle class. The laden workers would finally get the better of this by subverting the middle class. Marx believes capitalist economy will, at one point, no longer be compatible to run society. The workers do non come on with the increasing industry ; They â€Å" [ sank ] deeper and deeper below the conditions of being of [ their ] ain class† ( 22 ) . The middle class relied on capital. Capital is merely produced every bit long as the wage-laborers are portion of production. However, in capitalist economy, competition with engineering unfolded and threatened the wage-laborers’ topographic point in production. The proletarians’ topographic point in production regressed and became threatened of bing. Marx states that the middle class are no longer suit to be the â€Å"ruling category in society, † because of this. The workers, who have no ownership of belongings or power over productive forces, were the bulk of society ; hence, their battles should be the battles of the state ( 21 ) . Marx theorizes that the workers would subvert the middle class hierarchy fueled by their ain category battle. The middle class in respects to capitalist economy, in Marx’s position, was â€Å"like the magician who is no longer able to command the powers of the nether universe whom he has called up by his spells† ( 15 ) . The middle class developed excessively much power over the on the job category and enslaved them â€Å"by the machine, † with changeless labour ( 17 ) . Marx stated that the middle class oppressed the workers to the point of revolution and overthrow. What makes the workers capable of subverting the dominant middle class was that they had increased in figure and strength, holding become more greatly concentrated in the multitudes ( 18 ) . Ironically, the enlargement of capitalist economy under the middle class is what assisted the workers in doing the overthrow possible. The workers were better able to pass on with one another through the improved engineering. Furthermore, the workers could form themselves into labour brotherhoods that could order statute law to be passed in acknowledgment of worker’s involvements. Marx establishes the fact that the middle class become so consumed by their power from capitalist economy, that they lose sight of how laden the workers become. In response to the failures of the middle class towards intervention of the workers, and the proletarian’s rise to laterality, Marx presents Communism. The Communist party sought the overthrow of middle class domination and the rise of power from the workers ( 23 ) . The Communists represented the involvements of all workers, and do non organize opposing propertyless parties. How the Communists achieved this, Marx inside informations, is that they abolish private belongings. By acquiring rid of private belongings, the anchor of capitalist economy, the middle class lose their societal power and go at equal footings with the workers. They converted private belongings to ‘common property’ so that they could acquire rid of category character, which separated the workers from the middle class. The Communists besides sought the elimination of the proletarians’ lowly map in capitalist economy, to increase the bourgeoisie’s capital ( 25 ) . Alternatively, the Communists wanted to â€Å"centralize all instruments of production in the custodies of the state† so that there would non be power in the custodies o f the few ( 31 ) . The overall end of the Communists could be seen as no longer holding the category hostility as were in capitalist economy, and holding the whole state be in control of the production so that there was no laden category. Although Marx sees capitalist economy as holding positive benefits in society, he does non believe it was the right way for society to follow. Capitalism made headroom towards a genuinely revolutionized modern province. It increased productiveness among universe markets, introduced new engineering and communications, and achieved industrialism. However, category hostilities were non eliminated, and alternatively became more profoundly embedded. The middle class and workers had turned into two viing categories through capitalist economy. Materialism was more extremely regarded than individuality, holding led to the workers suffered. Marx sees capitalist economy as the measure towards accomplishing pure Communism. Communism would acquire rid of the societal hierarchy founded in the capitalist system, holding made the workers equal. In decision, Marx’s persuasive and perceptive essay efficaciously answers why capitalist economy overall does non function good for the working-class , and was instead a needful revolution for the measure towards Communism.

Impact of Job satisfaction on employees Essay

The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of motivation on job satisfaction (dissatisfaction) of journalistic employees employed by the national public broadcaster. The idea was to profile factors causing high motivation and job satisfaction and also to profile those factors that contribute low motivation and dissatisfaction at work. The rationale for the study was simply an observation that some employees seem better adjusted and happy at work and are able to cope well with the demands of the working environment while others are not. Another observation is that management seem not to be aware of what motivates their subordinates and to strategically utilize those motivational tools to maintain high levels of job satisfaction (or at least low levels of job dissatisfaction), high productivity and morale. The target sample was all journalistic staff working in the television and radio news rooms of the national public broadcaster in South Africa. The profile of the respondents included a variety of ages, gender, races, educational backgrounds, different work locations, different marital statuses and managers and non-managers. Data was collected using a questionnaire that was randomly distributed at Head Office in Auckland Park and to all the nine regional offices of the SABC. The major findings of this investigation was that three motivational factors, namely achievement, recognition and work itself cause 88% job satisfaction; while hygiene factors cause 12% job satisfaction. At the same time the research also found that three hygiene factors, namely supervision,  company policy and administration and  interpersonal relations with supervisors cause 60% job dissatisfaction; while motivational factors, namely achievement and recognition cause 40% job dissatisfaction. These results reflect the work attitudes of employees at the time of this research. The study illustrates that when employees are happy and satisfied in their  jobs, their level of motivation is high and they perform at peak all the time. On the other hand, when employees are unhappy and dissatisfied at work, their level of motivation is low and they don’t perform at peak level. The study recommends strategies of how management can utilize achievement, recognition and work itself as a tool to keep employees motivated and satisfied in their jobs. It also recommends ways by which management can eliminate low motivation and job dissatisfaction amongst employees by improving management skills, knowledge and competencies of managers, building relations between managers and subordinates and also improving the quality of internal communication with employees especially on policy and administrative matters. Lawler (1973) in Dipboye, Smith and Howell (2000) incorporated the concepts of attained versus desired needs in his model of facet satisfaction. This model is an extension of the Porter-Lawler (1968) of motivation explained above. It is a facet satisfaction model because satisfaction with various components or facets of a job, such as supervision, pay, or the work itself, is considered. Lawler’s model specifies that workers compare what their jobs should provide in terms of job facets, such as promotions and pay, to what they currently receive from their jobs. However, simple need comparison theory is extended by also weighing the influence of certain worker characteristics (such as skills, training, and age) and job characteristics (such as degree of responsibility and difficulty). In addition, the model draws concepts from the equity theory of motivation by assuming that workers ultimately determine their job satisfaction by comparing their relevant job inputs and outputs to referent (comparison) others (Dipboye, Smith and Howell, 2000:149-150). Adapted: Figure 2.2

Week 1 - Discussion 1 Example

Week 1 Week 1 Human Resource Alignment Strategy Affiliation Introduction Business managers acknowledge that the workforce is critical towards success yet most organizations continue treating human resources (HR) as an administrative function instead of a major competitive advantage and shareholder value driver. The disconnection is often due to lack of tangible connection between the specific business and HR activities (Dreher & Dougherty, 2002). Therefore, why is it important to align HRM activities with the key business initiatives?When HR is properly or strategically aligned, it contributes to a financial bottom line and successful strategy. HR requires maintaining a strong administrative foundation to earn a place at the strategy table. The main advantage of the alignment is to close the gap. It gives a visual link between the key business objectives and HR activities. Closing the gap helps in improving the alignment between the business and HR strategy and assist HR group in operating more ef fectively and credibly. A strategic approach aligned with HR ensures that the company’s employees, abilities, and skills contribute to the business’ goals achievement. Thus, alignment is a powerful tool for prioritizing, focusing and communicating improvement initiatives, which can lead to increased shareholder value (Johnason, 2009).The main challenges that can face the alignment process include the nature of strategy and organizational culture (Collings & Wood, 2009). The nature of strategy impacts the process when there is uncertainty and complexity of objectives in the strategy. The organizational values and culture shape the human resource management practices. Therefore, the influence of bad cultural values mainly gets reflected in how good or quick the strategy can emerge in the HR practices that can be compatible with the proposed strategy.ReferencesCollings, D., & Wood, G. (2009). Human resource management: A critical approach.London: Routledge.Dreher, G., & D ougherty, T. (2002). Human resource strategy: A behavioral perspective for thegeneral manager. Boston, MA : McGraw-Hill/Irwin.Johnason, P. (2009). HRM in changing organizational contexts. In D. G. Collings & G. Wood(Eds.), Human resource management: A critical approach (pp. 19-37). London: Routledge.

What to Know About Business Math

What to Know About Business Math Put quite simply; Business Math deals with Money! Who cant benefit from having a better understanding of money and finance? Everyone can! Business math is for the individual who wants to understand everything about personal finance fully and its also for the business person who wants to learn about business finance. You simply cant take business without taking math, business and math go hand in hand. Some passionate business math enthusiasts will tell you, if you dont take any other math or if you dont like math, you still need business math, and because it deals with money, you might just like it. Everyone needs to manage money on some level which is what makes business math important for everyone to take. What Will I Take in Business Math? Topics in business math are many and include, but are not limited to: Interest ratesLoansMortgage Finance and AmortizationDepreciationInvestment and Wealth ManagementInsuranceCreditTaxes and Tax LawsDiscountsPayrollMarkups and MarkdownsStatisticsInventoryFinancial StatementsDepreciationAnnuitiesFuture and Present ValuesSimple and Compound Interest What Math Do I Need to Take Business Math? If you decide that business math is for you or that you need business math for your career goal, you will benefit from having an understanding of the following topics along with the ability to solve word problems: Fractions, Decimals, and Percents (use the four operations with fractions, convert between fractions and decimals and percents, calculate percents of a number with and without a calculator, convert and simplify fractions, reduce and convert fractionsWhole Numbers (to a million, read, write, round and estimate numbers) and Integers (understand how to use the four operations with integersBasic Equations in Early Algebra (solve equations involving more than 1 unknown term, solve proportions, solve equations using more than one operation, use the problem-solving planBe Able to Use a Variety of FormulasUnderstand and Work with the Mean, Median and the ModeRead Charts and Graphs Business MathSummary Business math is not just for the business owner or for personal finance. Business math is also important for the real estate profession, they need to know how to close a deal financially, and to understand mortgages, calculate commission rates, taxes and fees and use a variety of formulas effectively. Wealth managers and advisers, bankers, investment consultants, stockbrokers, accountants, and tax consultants all need to understand the financial transactions for investment purposes along with having an understanding of growth or loss over time. Business owners need to understand payroll applications and deductions. Then theres goods and services. Whether its buying or selling, an understanding of discounts, markups, overhead, profits, revenues, and costs are all essential components of the math needed to manage inventory whether it be goods and services or property, which also needs to be financially managed. Having a background in math opens opportunities, and the job prospects are promising. Now is the time to embark on business math.

Pestel Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Pestel Report - Essay Example Several mechanisms exist to study and audit the external environment and one of them is PEST. PEST Analysis, which stands for Political, Economic, and Social and Technological factors, is an important tool used for solving problems and for coming up strategies based on the market factors and also helps in understanding market growth thus aiding in the determination of the position, potential and direction of a business. This analysis is used to review strategy or position, a proposition or an idea. It â€Å"encourages proactive thinking rather than relying on habitual or instinctive reactions.† (Agarwal and Ramaswami). Among these factors, technological factors in the external environment could play a major impacting role in the functioning of the organization. Technology is something, which cannot be ‘static’, and will keep on evolving and upgrading. That is, new and new advanced technologies will be invented and developed throughout the world, without any satura tion. On those lines, sizable technologies are being developed that will have applications in the various industries or businesses, thereby impacting the functioning, decision making and strategy formulation of organizations operating in those industries. Particular technologies are being developed to have applications in particular industry, and so the organization has to function accordingly. Banking industry is no exception to this trend, as many banking centric technologies are being developed in the external environment, which is having impact on the functioning of various banks, particularly in relation to their customer service and Customer Service Management (CRM) (Buttle 1996) Before the advent of computers, information technology and importantly Internet, customers selected their banks based on how much well-located the branches are from their homes or offices. Then with the arrival of new technologies in the business of bank, such as Internet or online banking, credit car ds and ATMs, customers can freely select any bank for their transactions. So, technology is playing an optimal role in enticing the customers, with the number of customers increasing manifold. â€Å"Underpinning all of these changes in the way consumers live their lives are developments in IT and the subsequent creation of the interactive market-place†¦IT was used mainly to†¦sort our finances† (Baker 2003). The other reason why technology or the technological factors that arise in the external environment needs to be given utmost importance by the banks is because the customers are becoming well versed in technology particularly IT, with their profession and affluence playing a contributory role. â€Å"Your customer base is changing forever. Your customers are becoming more affluent, increasingly comfortable with technology, demanding of new financial services.† (Shesbunoff 1999). Because of this crucial role played by technology in the life of the prospectiv e or intended customers, apt and adequate technological aids needs to be installed as part CRM. Apt and adequate in the sense, banks and financial services can use supercomputers to retrieve customer’s needs, but at the same time they can also use smaller systems to retrieve the same customer’