Motivation is the incentive to work Essay

Motivation is the incentive to work; hence having a motivated workforce is vital for most businesses, since a highly motivated workforce can lead to higher rates of productivity, better quality output, and low rates of absenteeism and labour turnover. The main factors which, affect the motivation of workers are pay levels, job security, promotional prospects, responsibility, working conditions, fringe benefits, participation in decision-making and working in a team There are two basic theories of motivation, content theories and process theories. Content theories deal with what actually motivates people, what needs to be satisfied in order for workers to be motivated. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is an example of a content theory. Process theories on the other hand deal with the though processes which affect the workforces behaviour. An example of this is staff at a company working on commission, e.g. their pay is directly affected by production or their sales. I hope to improve my understanding of the different theories and how these theories are applied in real world companies. Abraham Maslow’s theory of human motivation was published in 1943. He based his theory upon his belief that actualisation was the driving force of human personality. His theory is a five-tiered hierarchy of needs, and is as such; 1.) Physiological needs – These are the basic needs to survive, food, shelter and warmth. 2.) Security needs – These are the needs for job security, security from emotional and physical harm. 3.) Affiliation needs – These are the needs for affection, belonging, acceptance and friendship. 4.) Esteem needs – The need for self-respect and to gain the respect of others 5.) Self-actualisation – The need of a person to reach there full potential. Maslow believed that each level had to be fulfilled before the next level could be achieved, but once a level had been achieved that level no longer motivated, for example, hungry man may be desperate for food, but once he eats a good meal, the promise of food no longer motivates him. I believe since, this theory was written in the 1950’s it is no longer as relevant, compared to when it was written, due to everybody’s physiological needs are met, either by the government or by their job. Security needs are met in today’s world, due to the fact that people cannot be unfairly dismissed, hence so long as they do there work correctly they are secure in their job. So these two factors are no longer motivational. Other than two levels becoming obsolete, I believe Maslow’s theory to be relevant to many companies in the business world, which in turn means that I believe Hertzberg’s theory to be relevant to most companies in the business world. An example of a company to which Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is indeed relevant, is Asda. Physiological needs are provided by Asda, but as they are no longer a motivating factor, they are considered irrelevant, since if a person were to not have a job their physiological needs would be provided for by the government. At Asda job security is provided in that, personnel, if Asda deems them, to be inadequate workers, are given an informal warning, then three official warnings, then a weeks notice would be given if there’s no improvement. The affiliation needs of people are fulfilled by each Asda employee being given a ‘buddy’, which whom, problems, qualms, etc can be privately and confidentially discussed. The esteem needs of people are met by Asda having events such as an achievers lunch, at which, that month’s best worker from each department is invited to a lunch together. There are also other things like an award for giving the best customer service each month, departmental competitions and employee’s, if they have an idea to improve Asda, can ‘tell Tony’, this is a scheme which, allows all Asda employees to participate in the running of the company. The prospect of self-actualisation is achieved by offering employees the opportunity for training, promotion, which will allow them to work their way up the job ladder, to their maximum potential. Douglas McGregor’s theory of the x and y managers was published in a book called ‘The Human Side Of Enterprise’, in 1960. His theory stereotypes all managers into two groups, type x and type y. Type x manager’s work on the assumption that all human beings have an inherent dislike of work and will avoid it if they can. Due to this they work on the principle of reward and punishment, or stick and carrot. McGregor believed that type x managers are lazy, obtuse, dislike responsibility and need to use control factors to motivate employees, such as pay. Theory x managers contradict, since it relies on employees needing only financial gain to motivate them. Theory x managers give only context factors, which, in Hertzberg’s opinion do not motivate. Theory y managers are creative and aim to develop potential. They work under the assumption that control and punishment are not the only way to get people to work. People will be more productive if they are committed to the aims of the organisation, and they will be committed if they have job satisfaction Asda attempt to use type y managers since, employees are encouraged to be creative, with ideas such as the ‘tell Tony’ scheme mentioned above. But there is one outlying principle used by Asda, which, shows that management cannot be stereotyped, in that employees are financially punished, if they receive an official warning, in that they lose their bonus. Hertzberg theory is that there are context or hygiene factors and motivators or content factors. Context or hygiene factors do not motivate, but without them there would be dissatisfaction. These factors involve the work environment rather than what people actually do on the job. Context factors are, salary, supervision, security, working conditions and status. Motivators or content factors are factors, which, motive employees and involves what people actually do on the job. These are achievement, recognition, advancement and responsibility. As with Maslow the context factors, which are the same as the physiological needs and the security needs, have to be fulfilled before the content factors can be fulfilled, which are similar to the higher tiers of Maslow’s hierarchy, but it is separated into two tiers, rather than five. I believe Hertzberg’s theory to be a modification of Maslow’s theory that is more applicable to the modern world, since modern or basic needs, no longer include only food, shelter and warmth, most people will consider a TV, car, etc, basic needs. These modern basic needs can be covered by Hertzberg’s context factors. Asda use Hertzberg’s theory, since it is a modern extension of Maslow’s theory, as I explained above. Taylor theory was not about motivation; rather it was about specialisation, which had the same final result as motivation, increased productivity and efficiency. Taylor formed the basis for all the theorists with his introduction of the scientific approach to decision making. Taylor’s theory is still applicable to all professions, since he created specialisation, which is the basis of all modern businesses. Previous to Taylor creating specialisation workers had changed jobs erratically, so people never learnt how to do a job efficiently, but when Taylor introduced specialisation people only did one type of job, weaving for example, so they became skilled in doing that specific thing, so the production line was more efficient. During this assignment I have developed a more though understanding of what motivates people and the theories developed to motivate people. Prior to completing this assignment I had failed to realise the importance of motivation.

Criminal Justice Enforcement policies Essay

The most severe law enforcement will achieve little if lower-class urban offenders can see no legitimate way to solve their problems or satisfy their aspirations. At the absolute best it could turn the criminals into a passive underclass which is forever dependent on welfare benefits. Even then the most energetic and ambitious members of this underclass would eventually be targeted by recruiters for organized crime or terrorist organizations. Social improvements alone will be ineffective if the atmosphere of fear and hopelessness which pervades crime-ridden areas prevents local people from taking advantage of them, or if the improvement are sabotaged by those who have a stake in the existing situation (e. g. loan-sharks and gang-leaders). So we need a combination of: †¢ Long-term measures to enable people to improve their own lives. †¢ Medium-term measures to mitigate the situation while the long-term measures are in progress, and to deal with the difficulties which a few people will continue to experience – it’s unrealistic to expect that we can solve all urban social problems completely. †¢ Improved law enforcement to prevent the situation from getting worse and to give the locals confidence that their efforts will not be undermined by random crimes and will not be sabotaged by those who have a stake in the existing situation. The term â€Å"law enforcement† needs further analysis, which I will supply in the next section. Law enforcement Overview of law enforcement This has three main components: †¢ Policing †¢ The legal system †¢ Sentencing – in this essay I regard prison construction and operation as part of the infrastructure which supports sentencing. To save space I will not consider the legal system here, since the question specifically mentioned policing and sentencing (references to prisons and the death penalty) but not the legal system. Policing To remove crime-induced fear and hopelessness and to discourage those who have a stake in the existing situation from sabotaging improvements I recommend the â€Å"New York† policing model (described by Griffith, 1999): †¢ Zero tolerance for all crime, even minor vandalism. This will often deter offenders from â€Å"progressing† to more serious crimes. †¢ Making senior local officers accountable for the performance of their units. †¢ Information systems which enable officers at all levels to identify and respond to the highest-priority requirements. To make it clear to local communities that this is for their benefit and not just an exercise in â€Å"aggressive policing†, local governments should: †¢ Explain to local people the objectives of the project and the standards which are to govern police conduct. †¢ Provide channels through which locals can easily raise and swiftly resolve issues, including any complaints about the behavior of the police. These channels must be conspicuously independent of the police. Sentencing In mild cases, e. g. minor vandalism and assaults, I recommend: †¢ Community service sentences, where possible in forms which compensate the victims. This also teach the offenders to get along with law-abiding members of their local communities and hopefully will encourage local people to see some good in the offenders. Some offenders should also be required to attend appropriate rehabilitation or training centers, to help them to manage their finances better or to stop using addictive drugs or to manage grievances without resorting to crime. We should probably reduce their community service workload a little to avoid seeing to punish these offenders more severely than other categories. †¢ Electronic tags which track offender’s movements, to deter against re-offending or evasion of community service. Tags will also make it easier to protect former teenage gangsters against threats and other pressures to re-join their old gangs, and in some cases it may also be helpful to provide with young offenders with panic buttons in case they are attacked by their old gangs or by rival gangs which regard them as easy targets. †¢ Prison sentences (described below) for those who violate the terms of their initial sentences without overwhelmingly good reasons. Prison sentences are necessary for serious crimes because the continued presence of serious offenders in their local communities will cause fear and therefore undermine attempts at longer-term improvements. In many cases, particularly for young offenders, work and education camps in sparsely-populated areas may be more suitable than traditional prisons: †¢ Such camps would separate the offenders both from the social environments in which they turned to crime and from the company of hardened criminals. †¢ Escape would be difficult because of the isolated locations and the offenders’ ignorance of the local geography. †¢ The offenders should be required to erect and maintain as much of the camp facilities as possible. This would both teach them they can only get comforts by working and provide a sense of achievement with each improvement in the camp environment. †¢ There should be plenty of opportunities to earn privileges by work and by educational progress. †¢ Camps would be cheaper to construct and maintain than traditional prisons. I will explain at the end my views on the death penalty. Reducing teenage gangsterism Teenage gangsters desire higher status than they can acquire by legitimate means, and value the regard of their peers more highly than the opinions of adults. The youths are often born into sub-cultures which are at least partially alienated from the rest of our society by †¢ Barriers such as poverty and discrimination. †¢ Sub-culture values such as extreme machismo. Typical crimes include vandalism, assault and murder, and small-scale armed robbery. In addition to their direct costs, these crimes often create an air of fear and hopelessness in the areas affected, which perpetuates the problem by persuading the next generation of teenagers that the only path to safety, status and prosperity is via gang membership. Remedial measures In the long term we must remove the motivation by providing accessible legitimate paths to higher status and prosperity: †¢ Education which is comprehensible to the urban youths but enables them to earn status and wealth in legitimate ways. For example it may initially have to be delivered in the local patois but it must aim to make students proficient in standard English so that they can enter higher levels of education and / or obtain better-paid jobs. †¢ Advice for the teenagers and their families on how to manage their lives, finances, careers and education. †¢ Access to resources such as books and the Internet. Public libraries are the most obvious way to provide these. We must also provide legitimate short-term outlets for teenagers’ ambitions and energies. The most obvious one is sports, which will particularly appeal to the strongest, most competitive and most aggressive teenagers – the potential gang-leaders. I therefore suggest: †¢ Facilities for those who wish to play various sports on a casual basis. †¢ Clubs for those who wish to improve their performance and gain wider reputations. †¢ Organized competitions and leagues at all levels from local to national, for the really ambitious. Reducing crimes committed because of financial crises Long term reduction in personal financial crises requires a fairly complex package including: †¢ Improved education to enable people to obtain better-paid jobs. †¢ Advice on personal financial management. Hopefully these crises will eventually become less common, but they will probably never disappear completely, so there will always be a need for palliatives: †¢ Cheap, quick, reliable legal advice for common types of case. †¢ Inexpensive but not subsidized loans to enable people to survive these crises without resorting to crime. Repayment should where possible be secured by small deductions from the borrowers’ incomes (including any welfare benefits). Credit unions (see ABCUL 2003) should be encouraged as they provide a sense of local involvement, control and responsibility. Reducing drug-related crimes There are at least two types of drug-related crime: †¢ Those committed by addicts desperate for their next fix. †¢ Those committed as a result of the mood-altering effects of some drugs. There are good reasons for believing that the War on Drugs is as unsuccessful as Prohibition was (The Economist 2001 a). About 10% of all arrests in the USA are for drug offenses and about 80% of that 10% are for possession, not for sale or manufacture (The Economist, 2001 b). We need an objective review of drugs policy. This might well lead to legalization of some drugs (with regulation of their quality to minimize health risks), which would sharply reduce the prison population and, by lowering the retail price of legalized drugs, reduce robberies committed to finance purchases. The other long-term remedy is aggressive advertising about the dangers of specific drugs which are more harmful than alcohol and tobacco. This will of course have greater credibility if it follows an objective review of drugs policy. We also need rehabilitation centers to help addicts and excessive users to give up their habits. Crimes induced by a sense of grievance This category is very diverse, including grievances: †¢ which a reasonable person may regard as justified, unjustified or partly justified. †¢ against a wide range of targets, from individuals to the highest levels of government or society as a whole. For as long as some areas are severely disadvantaged in incomes, jobs, schools, etc. there will be some grievances which are at least partly justified and should be at least mitigated by a combination of: †¢ economic redevelopment and improved education. †¢ centers which advise people on legal ways of handling their grievances. This should not be limited to what is normally termed counseling but should include coaching in legal ways of influencing the behavior of and or / hitting back at the sources of grievances. The death penalty The death penalty for murder is arguably no more immoral than killing an enemy soldier in a war. But I oppose it because all legal systems are fallible, and it’s impossible to correct a miscarriage of justice after a person has been executed. Incorrect convictions have arisen in cases where: †¢ Judges misinterpret or misapply the law (e. g. Center on Wrongful Convictions 2004) †¢ The defendant had poor legal representation (American University Law Review 1995 mentions cases where defense lawyers made procedural mistakes in capital cases). †¢ Failure of the prosecutors to disclose information which might help the defense. †¢ Police obtained evidence or confessions improperly, or tampered with or fabricated evidence. †¢ Expert witnesses showed bias in favor of the prosecution either because of their personal opinions or because doing so was to their long-term financial advantage. Unfortunately these miscarriages are not rare exceptions – Northwestern University School of Law’s Center on Wrongful Convictions found that In the quarter century between restoration of the Illinois death penalty and Governor George Ryan’s blanket clemency order, 289 men and women were sentenced to death in Illinois. Of those, 18 have been exonerated — a rate in excess of 6. 2%. (Center on Wrongful Convictions, 2005) The risk of miscarriages has probably risen after 9/11 because police and prosecutors will be under even greater pressure to close terrorist cases and other high-profile murders. Conclusion The original question is flawed because it: †¢ does not define the range of crimes with which it is concerned. †¢ presents an â€Å"either-or† choice between stronger law enforcement and prevention, including social services and education, as ways of reducing crime. For the categories of crime reviewed here both improved law enforcement and preventive measure are needed – neither can succeed alone. I oppose the death penalty because justice systems have shown themselves to be too fallible in high-profile cases. References ABCUL (2003), About Credit Unions accessed May 2005 from http://www. abcul. org/page/about/intro. cfm American University Law Review (1995), The Death Penalty in the Twenty-First Century accessed May 2005 from http://www. wcl. american. edu/journal/lawrev/45/death. html Center on Wrongful Convictions (2004) Pollock: Exonerated accessed May 2005 from http://www. law. northwestern. edu/depts/clinic/wrongful/exonerations/Pollock. htm Center on Wrongful Convictions (2005) The Death Penalty accessed May 2005 from http://www. law. northwestern. edu/depts/clinic/wrongful/deathpenalty. htm Griffith, Gareth (1999), Zero Tolerance Policing accessed May 2005 from http://www. parliament. nsw. gov. au/prod/parlment/publications. nsf/0/796C90ABE8349FDFCA256ECF0008CE11 The Economist (2001 a), Stumbling in the dark (about drugs policy) accessed May 2005 from http://www. economist. com/surveys/displaystory. cfm? story_id=706591 The Economist (2001 b), Collateral damage (of the War on Drugs) accessed May 2005 from http://www. economist. com/surveys/displayStory. cfm? story_id=708550

Business System Analysis and Design Notes

*IS:arrangement of people,data,processes,information technology that interact to collect,process,provide as output the info needed to support the organization. Types of IS: TPS,MIS,decision support system,communications and collaboration system,expert system, office automation system & executive info systemTypes of Stakeholders:System owners (middle and executive managers, supervisors),System users (clinical& service workers,technical and professional workers; suppliers,customers,employees),System Builders (network admin,security admin,data base programmer,system programmer),System Designers (web archs,graphic artists,network architectures),External service provider (sales engineers, technology engineers, system consultants),Project manager,System analyst:is a problem solver,he/she studies business probs and opportunities,then transform them into info that will be used by technical specialists.System analyst:specialist who studies problems and needs of an organization to determine ho w people,data,processes and info technology can best accomplish improvements for the business. Skills by System Analyst:Working knowledge of information technology(The analyst must be aware of both existing and emerging information technologies),Computer programming, experience and expertise,General business knowledge,General problem-solving skills,Good interpersonal communication skills,Good interpersonal relations skills,Flexibility and adaptability,Character and ethics. Info sys architecture:provides a foundation for organizing various components of any info sys you care to develop. a unifying framework into which various stakeholders with different perspectives can organize and view the fundamental building blocks of information systems. Views of knowledge System owners view: Interested not in raw data but in information. (Business entities and business rules) System users’view: View data as something recorded on forms,stored in file cabinets,recorded in books and spreads heets,or stored on computer.Focus on business issues as they pertain to data. Data requirement System designers’ view: Data structures,database schemas,fields,indexes,and constraints of particular database management system (DBMS). System builders’ view: SQL,DBMS or other data technologies Views of process System owners’view:Concerned with high-level processes called business functions.A cross-functional information system System users’view:Concerned with work that must be performed to provide the appropriate responses to business events. Business processes,Process requirements,Policy,Procedure, Work flow System designers’view:Concerned with which processes to automate and how to automate them. Software specifications System builders’view:Concerned with programming logic that implements automated processes. Application program,Prototyping Views of communication System owners’ view: Who? Where? What?System users’ view: Concerne d with the information system’s inputs and outputs. System designers’ view: Concerned with the technical design of both the user and the system-to-system communication interfaces. System builders’ view: Concerned with the construction, installation, testing and implementation of user and system-to-system interface solutions *Basic principles of system development: Get the system users involved. Use a problem-solving approach. Establish phases and activities. Document through development. Establish standards.Manage the process and projects. Justify systems as capital investments. Don’t be afraid to cancel or revise scope. Divide and conquer. Design systems for growth and change. The need to improve: Performance Info Eco/controlcosts Control/Security Efficiency Service Phases for system development: scope definition, problem analysis, requirements analysis, logical design, decision analysis, physical designand integration, construction and testing, installa tion and delivery. Cross life-cycle activity: Fact-finding, Documentation and presentation Documentation, Presentation, Repository), Feasibility analysis, Process and project management Routes through the basic systems development phases: model driven development strategies (process, data, object modeling), Rapid application development (RAD), commercial application package implementation, system maintenance *Benefits of use case modeling: Provides tool for capturing functional requirements. Assists in decomposing system into manageable pieces. Provides means of communicating with users/stakeholders concerning system functionality in language they understand.Provides means of identifying, assigning, tracking, controlling, and management system development activities. Provides aid in estimating project scope, effort, and schedule. The relationships that can appear on a use-case model diagram: Use case association relationship, extension use case, abstract use case, depends on, inheri tance Use case – a behaviorally related sequence of steps (scenario), both automated and manual, for the purpose of completing a single business task.Steps for preparing a use-case model: Identify business actors. Identify business use cases. Construct use-case model diagram. Documents business requirements use-case narratives *Data modeling(database modeling)–a technique for organizing and documenting a system’s data. Data Modeling Concepts:Entity(class of persons, places, objects, events, or concepts about which we need to capture and store data),Attribute(descriptive property or characteristic of an entity.Synonyms include element, property and field), Data type(property of an attribute that identifies what type of data can be stored in that attribute),Domain(a property of an attribute that defines what values an attribute can legitimately take on),Default value(the value that will be recorded if a value is not specified by the user),Key(an attribute, or a gr oup of attributes, that assumes a unique value for each entity instance. It is sometimes called an identifier),Subsetting criteria(an attribute whose finite values divide all entity instances into useful subsets.Sometimes called an inversion entry),Relationship(a natural business association that exists between one or more entities),Cardinality(the minimum and maximum number of occurrences of one entity that may be related to a single occurrence of the other entity),Degree(the number of entities that participate in the relationship),Recursive relationship(a relationship that exists between instances of the same entity),Foreign key(a primary key of an entity that is used in another entity to identify instances of a relationship),Parent entity(a data entity that contributes one or more attributes to another entity, called the child.In a one-to-many relationship the parent is the entity on the â€Å"one† side),Child entity(a data entity that derives one or more attributes from a nother entity, called the parent.In a one-to-many relationship the child is the entity on the â€Å"many† side),Nonidentifying relationship(relationship where each participating entity has its own independent primary key), Identifying relationship – relationship in which the parent entity’ key is also part of the primary key of the child entity,Generalization(a concept wherein the attributes that are common to several types of an entity are grouped into their own entity),Nonspecific relationship(relationship where many instances of an entity are associated with many instances of another entity.Also called many-to-many relationship) ,Sample CASE Tool Notations Entity relationship diagram (ERD):a data model utilizing several notations to depict data in terms of the entities and relationships described by that data. Logical Model Development Stages:1Context Data model(Includes only entities and relationships;To establish project scope). 2Key-based data model(Elimin ate nonspecific relationships;Add associative entities;Include primary and alternate keys;Precise cardinalities). Fully attributed data model(All remaining attributes;Subsetting criteria). 4Normalized data model Normalize a logical data model to remove impurities that can make a database unstable, inflexible, and nonscalable. First normal form (1NF):entity whose attributes have no more than one value for a single instance of that entity,Any attributes that can have multiple values actually describe a separate entity, possibly an entity and relationship.Second normal form (2NF):entity whose nonprimary-key attributes are dependent on the full primary key,Any nonkey attributes dependent on only part of the primary key should be moved to entity where that partial key is the full key,May require creating a new entity and relationship on the model. Third normal form (3NF):entity whose nonprimary-key attributes are not dependent on any other non-primary key attributes. *Model:pictorial rep resentation of reality.Logical model:nontechnical pictorial representation that depicts what a system is or does. Physical model:technical pictorial representation that depicts what a system is or does and how the system is implemented Process modeling:a technique used to organize and document a system’s processes. (Flow of data through processes,Logic,Policies,Procedures) Data flow diagram (DFD):a process model used to depict the flow of data through a system and the work or processing performed by the system.Synonyms are bubble chart, transformation graph, and process model. The DFD has also become a popular tool for business process redesign. Processes on DFDs can operate in parallel (at-the-same-time). DFDs show the flow of data through a system. Processes on a DFD can have dramatically different timing (daily, weekly, on demand) Context data flow diagram:a process model used to document the scope for a system. Also called the environmental model. Think of the system as a â€Å"black box. â€Å"2Ask users what business transactions the system must respond to. These are inputs, and the sources are external agents. 3Ask users what responses must be produced by the system. These are outputs, and the destinations are external agents. 4Identify any external data stores, if any. 5Draw a context diagram. Decomposition diagram:a tool used to depict the decomposition of a system. Also called hierarchy chart.

American Recovery Act Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

American Recovery Act - Essay Example Facts about the Act The act was developed by the Congress for fulfilling three most important goals of the country. The primary goal was to generate job opportunities within the country and at the same time perform activities for safeguarding the job opportunities that exist. The second important goal of the act was to encourage present activities for the betterment of the economy and also to invest for activities aimed at future long-term economic growth in the country. The third goal of the act was to promote ‘above standard’ levels of responsibility along with transparency in expenses of the government. The act intended to achieve its goals through provision of 288 billion Dollars to several business houses and families in the form of tax reduction sand benefits. The act also fostered provision of 224 billion dollars in the form of employment benefits and various other privileged programs. Furthermore, it was aimed to make available 275 billion dollars for the federal dealings, funding and loans. The act even made it mandatory that the individuals, families and businesses which receive recovery funds should report their mode of operating with the funds on a quarterly basis (Recovery, 2011). It is worth mentioning that despite of these wise objectives the act failed to secure the interest of the economy (Wagner, 2010). Effectiveness of the Recovery Act Wagner (2010) identified an important reason behind the failure of the Recovery Act. According to him, Keynesian multipliers have acted as stimulus towards transforming the act into a ‘failure’. The architects of the Recovery Act made use of the basic algebra to anticipate creation of job through the fiscal stimulus of the period 2009/2010. The fiscal stimulus through Keynesian multiplier is effective in providing momentary control in the economy during periods of excessive unemployment. The author downgraded the Keynesian economics on the basis of the fact that these mechanisms assist in measuring the unemployment rate but fails to recognize and apply means to put the unemployed persons back to work (Wagner, 2010). The theoretical aspect described in the above section can be supported through practical evidences from the unemployment facts of the country after the implementation of the Recovery Act 2009. The rate of unemployment of US during the month of August for the year 2009 stood at 9.7%. This percentage figure was the highest within a period of 26 years in the history of the country. The payrolls of the country declined by 6.9 million after the US economy had to face the recession which started its reign during December 2007. The Recovery Act was unable to halt the falling rate of employment that continued to decrease during the recession and reached to 14.9 million in 2009. Although the rate of decline in payrolls was below anticipation, the rate of unemployment grew up to a level which was more than the anticipated margin. In most of the sectors of the e conomy, the payroll was observed to decline except that in the sector of healthcare. The amount of total working hours in the economy also decreased by 0.3% in the same year i.e. 2009. The situation of long-run employment was even measured to have worsened than the previous years. These scenarios of employment during the year 2009, when the government took the initiative of passing the act determines a clean picture of its failure to fulfill its fundamental

Issues in contemporary management - Foxconn Essay

Issues in contemporary management - Foxconn - Essay Example On the same note, twenty people have been stopped by the firm from committing suicide (Argote, McEvily, & Reagans, 2003, 13). The reasons for these suicides have been unclear, but can be analyzed by considering theoretical models pertaining to a company’s management. Suicides committed by workers from Foxconn illustrate noticeable demographic and social attributes. An examination of several value-added terms to suicidal tide in Foxconn indicates that managerial tactics of fragmentation in interpersonal networks among employees stopped grievances from developing into collective actions like strikes (Chan, & Pun, 2010, 44). In the absence of interpersonal ties towards grievances comforting or protest mobilization, a generous compensation package can act as a temptation for the dismayed employees to utilize self-destruction as double-edged sword. Moreover, suicide by employees can expose brutality of the company’s management as well as evoke for global condemnation that fu lfilled their quest to attain revenge (Mezias, & Starbuck, 2003, 34). Compensation for their deaths could also improve material standards in their families that fulfilled family duties on their behalf. Therefore, a series of personal suicidal incidents instead of collective mobilization occurred in the company. One of the theories supporting these evidences is the structural conduciveness theory. This explains high confidential standard, atomized workplace relationship and low-cost employment. Another theory is the structural chain theory that explains low-quality system of security, physical exhaustion, intensive overtime workload as well as a horrified spirit (Chu, 2012, 54). Most importantly, the generalized belief theory in social conditions explains several reasons behind the suicides in Foxconn. These include high pension contributions of the self-worth families that became desperate and this develops against their institutional and individual retaliation. There was also the p articipating factor theory that explains rumors concerning cancellation of offering pension to all suicidal attempters. On another note, mobilization theory explains prevention of employees from similar provinces from coming together in order to distract a smooth operation of production lines. In this case, Foxconn management broke down all possible networks among its workers. It is clear that without mobilization, it becomes difficult to develop people’s behaviors into one social movement. Another theory explaining reasons for suicides in Foxconn is failure to engage social control. Foxconn had a culture of ignorance of several first line supervisors altogether with security guards. An initial suicide in the company occurred due to the employee’s incapability to adjust to the new environment. He was required to follow all rules and codes of the company meaning that that could be hard for him. Looking at a value-added theory of conduciveness, an individual can either a dapt or undergo challenges in new environments. In entering such a radical and different environment, a person’s way of understanding the world and their ways of working were to be rewritten (Chu, 2012, 58). This was especially in a new environment in Foxconn whereby every individual was required to operate machines, work with electronics in order to finish tasks as portions of assembly apparatus. The process can best be understood to be

BAE Systems-EADS Merger Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

BAE Systems-EADS Merger Plan - Essay Example However, unification of two struggling companies may not always guarantee their resurrection. This paper will specifically discuss whether or not mergers make economic sense with particular focus given to the reaction of UK, French, and German governments to the BAE/EADS merger. BAE Systems-EADS merger plan In the last year, Britain’s BAE Systems planned a â‚ ¬38bn (?30.4bn) merger with its rival European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co (Franco-German maker of Airbus civilian jets). According to a Telegraph report by Ebrahimi and Monaghan (2012), the planned merger would have formed the world’s second biggest aerospace and defence company after Boeing. If the merger had become successful, the merged entity would have achieved combined sales of ?60bn and employed 220,000 people worldwide (ibid). In addition, the planned venture would have contributed to Europe’s military efforts, developed British nuclear submarines and own airbus, and attained the status of bigg est plane manufacturer in the world (ibid). Many industry analysts supported this deal as they believed that the planned merger would provide the companies with the synergies of combined operations. Proponents of this strategic plan pointed out that BAE systems have strong presence in the US market where the government is one of the largest and potential customers. Hence, EADS can take advantage of this potential strength of BAE Systems. At the same time, the planned deal might also benefit BAE Systems to improve its earnings by spreading its operational area to commercial aircraft and space satellites. The shrinking Western Defence market was also cited to justify the planned merger. The 60/40 split in favour of EADS was a major controversial term of this merger. From another view point, â€Å"the mathematical flipside for BAE shareholders is that the merger is a no-brainer at 60/40† (Boland & Kirk 2012). Anyhow, the talks over the BAE-EADS merger did not reach a mutual agre ement and hence the initiative was called off later. Reaction of UK, French, and German governments UK and French governments took a favourable stand toward the BAE Systems-EADS merger whereas the German government opposed this strategic move. According to a BBC report (2012), while evaluating the approach of Britain toward this merger deal, the country particularly wanted its counterparts to restrict their influence in the new company so as to keep the strong relations with the US government. Hence, the British government needed to obtain a dominant position in the merged company. However, it must be noted that Britain’s officials took huge efforts to make this deal a reality. In a close observation, it seems that the British government emphasised more on its personal interests rather than the continent-wide interests. To illustrate, the British government particularly wanted to maintain BAE’s strong position in the huge US market and the country was never willing to spoil its good relationship with the US. The British government believed that obtaining a strategic control over the merged company would assist the country to continue its strong business relationship with US. In sum, Britain tried to decrease other countries’ political influence over the new venture. While analyzing the stance of France in the BAE-EADS merger, it seems that France was interested to make this deal

Mental Health by the Red Cross Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Mental Health by the Red Cross - Essay Example The five different articles utilized in this paper are from a variety of backgrounds, ranging from the purely medical and scientific to reports by media professionals and concerned community members. The given paper aims to streamline and narrow the research scope and clearly flesh out a more coherent and viable research question. The Red Cross, founded in 1919 has been providing emergency relief services all over the world in all manners of disasters since almost a century, but it was not until 1989 that the need for addressing the mental health needs of disaster survivors was tabled seriously. Over the subsequent years Red Cross mental health services have developed and improved by leaps and bounds, evolving to provide both the victims of disasters as well as the workers and volunteers who help them to deal with the immense mental trauma and stress experienced by survivors and witnesses of such disasters. Red Cross mental health care has developed to provide a wide variety of cross-sectional mental care help to all types of affected parties, presenting a cross-functional and highly versatile approach to mental health care needs of all affected parties, whether victims or helpers. Mental health care begins with an assessment of the patients’ needs and requirements, this is often a complicated requirement as survivors of disaster victims are generally unaware of any mental trauma to themselves and instead focus on the more physical aspect of their wellbeing. Their care needs don’t usually immediately turn to mental health services (M. Hartsough, Don, Planning for Disaster: A new community outreach program for Mental Health centers, 1982). There is definitely a need for a mental health care outreach program that are linked to the disaster relief efforts. Such strategies need to be intrinsically related to three main components of disaster relief such as: Helpers, services, recipients and locations (Golan,

England's Policy of Transportation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

England's Policy of Transportation - Essay Example The rebellion in the colonies had made it impossible to use them as a penal colony and in 1788 England began to transport mass numbers of these criminals to Australia. This dark period in England's criminal justice history saw the transportation of 160,000 people to the continent (Sheehan, Miller, & Hudzik, n.d.). Many were children, some were elderly, and most had been convicted of only very minor offences. England's Policy of Transportation was a heinous immorality, unjustly perpetrated in an ineffective attempt to control England's lower class and their petty crimes. The harshness of Britain's reaction to crime is understandable as upper class citizens feared the pickpockets and thieves and demanded action from the government. However, to send any person, not to mention a child, across the sea with no hope of returning strips them of their last remaining possession, their cultural identity. The initial voyage contained 700 convicts whose number included a 9 year old boy convicted of stealing and an 82 year old woman caught lying under oath (Martz, 2000). These hapless passengers were thrown together with a brutal adult population to endure abuse and worse. According to Dunlop (1997),"All prisoners were treated alike, and conditions were harsh; appalling living conditions, disease, hunger, floggings and general neglect were prevalent and many convicts died en route or upon arrival." The severity of these actions were as appalling in the 16th century as they are today. Though men outnumbered women 6 to 1, women were often the target of criminal convictions in an effort to increase the female population in Australia (Martz, 2000). Innocent women could be convicted, not because of their crime, but because of their gender. Men in the new penal colony demanded wives and the British system was eager to provide them. Providing women to the penal colony was viewed as a method of adding stability to the system and many were forced into prostitution upon landing. Often, they would be taken prisoner by male inmates or sold into sexual slavery (Martz, 2000). The injustice of condemning a woman to a life of slavery for political convenience is seldom rivalled in modern history. The years of practising a Policy of Transportation did little to impact or reduce Britain's criminal population. The root causes of crime were poverty and a well-defined class structure. The failure to address these problems left the threat of transportation an impotent weapon on the war on crime. Though the horrors of a lifetime of banishment may have deterred some criminals to be less aggressive in their activity, the rising numbers eliminated any possible gain that deterrence might have. The relatively small numbers of violent criminals included in transportation verifies that the policy did little to correct England's crime problem. Sending women, children, or anyone else to a lifetime of banishment away from all they know is an immoral act when done in response to minor crimes against property. Sentencing them to a lifetime of misery and possible death was an injustice of vast proportions. Transporting women, unfairly convicted for the purpose of creating a class of sexual slaves, was inexcusable even in the context of the times. That it was an ineffective effort resulting from a war against the lower class residents of the slums

Dualism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Dualism - Essay Example In Metaphysics, it holds that there are two realities: material and immaterial whereas, in the Philosophy of the Mind, it holds that the body and soul are categorically two completely different substances. In addition, the Minds’ Philosophy adjoins that the mental fact comprises of a small number of aspects that are by nature non-physical (â€Å"Dualism – Mind/Brain†). This concept is justified because we have a conscious state since we are able to have thoughts, emotions, desires, sensations and beliefs. In addition, that if the mind was merely a material substance comprising only of physical aspects, we would not be able to classify actions as intelligent or otherwise. Fundamentally, this concept opposes that of materialism, as the mind does not operate on a pre-set manner (Mastin). Scientifically, dualism can be explained using the fact that if one wanted to read our thoughts, they would not merely do so by looking at the brain waves; they would have to ask us. From a religious viewpoint, dualism is explained by the fact that people have faith in a Supreme Being; therefore, ascribe themselves to various religions, which consequently determine their actions in certain situations (Mastin). Property Dualism- this classification argues that the brain is an indistinct substance constituting of independent attributes that arise from the brain; hence, mental attributes come up because of the manner in which living human beings are made up. Predicate Dualism- this classification maintains that the psychological occurrences we have cannot be reduced to physical predicates in our innate languages; thus, we cannot explain the reality of the world through mere predicates i.e. description of the subject of a proposition. Initiated by Immanuel Kant in the 17th century, categorical imperative is the core principal behind moral evaluation. It proposes that every action we take when in a particular situation

Beowulf and Illiad Essay Example for Free

Beowulf and Illiad Essay Stories like Beowulf and the Iliad seem hard to believe, far-fetched, and exaggerated even though they can relate to a cultures past. Even so, both stories have great examples of fighting, victory, and glory. â€Å"Now though I may win my perfect glory†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Line 64 Homer) This quote helps show the desire Achilles has for glory. â€Å"I’ve never known fear, as a youth I fought in endless battles. I am old, now, but I will fight again, seek fame still, if the dragon hiding in his tower dares to face me. (Line 607-611 Beowulf Poet) This quote shows Beowulf has a similar desire for fame and glory, along with the confidence to be victorious. Both relate the tales of a hero, and as we follow them, we learn about them in the process. The story of Beowulf seems too good to be true in a sense. As you read, you notice that every woman is beautiful, every warrior is good and every cause is worth risking life and limb for. What is realistic is that every human being wants to be loved and accepted while also being the hero. King Hrothgar is a fatherly example that deserves the love that Beowulf has for him. Hail, Hrothgar! My youth have been filled with glory. Now Grendel’s name has echoed in our land: Sailors have brought us stories of Herot, the best†¦When the moon hangs in skies the sun had lit, light and life fleeing together. † (Line 140-148 Beowulf Poet) This quote shows the fondness that the king and Beowulf have for each other, and it shows a comparison of light and life. In the case of Achilles in the Iliad, everything is a bit more believable. The theme of life and death is brought to the reader’s attention when Patroclus is killed. As a result, Hector is also killed because of Patroclus’s death. Achilles isn’t perfect, along with other characters such as Hector and King Agmemmon. These faults make this story more realistic and believable, while also adding truth to the story. Bad decisions are made, such as Achilles allowing his good friend, Patroclus, to enter battle and be killed. â€Å"My greatest friend is gone: Patroclus, comrade in my arms, whom I held dear above all others- dear as myself – now gone, lost; Hector cut him down, despoiled him of my own arms, massive and fine, a wonder in all man’s eyes. (Line 13-18 Homer) In this quote is an example of life and death and how it made Achilles wants revenge on Hector. This also gives Achilles a type of â€Å"power† to choose whether to take Hector’s life. Beowulf is humble, and although he has the personality of a hero more than Achilles, he does not see his own value or his own significance. Achilles, on the other hand, could not be more proud. His awareness and consideration of his own skills and his own value are an obvious difference to the humility and mildness of Beowulf. Do not attempt to keep me from the fight, though you love me; you cannot make me listen. † (Line 70 Beowulf Poet) This quote shows an example of Achilles attitude toward himself and others when it comes to a fight. This also shows how Beowulf has more good in him then Achilles. Beowulf having a personality with great goodness, makes the decision to fight the greatest evil (Grendel) with only his hands. â€Å"My hands alone shall fight for me, struggle for life against the monster God must decide who will be given to deaths cold grip. (Line 172-175 Beowulf Poet) This quote supports Beowulf’s fight against evil, and how the fight will determine life and death. Beowulf and the Iliad are stories of great heroes. They take us through their stories and battles while teaching the reader about them along the way. The Iliad is easier to believe, while Beowulf seems too good to be true. Both stories relate to the cultures past and teach us about each character. Beowulf and the Iliad battle through evil and relate to each other through life and death.

SUCCESSFUL MENTORS DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS FOSTER GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

SUCCESSFUL MENTORS DEVELOP RELATIONSHIPS FOSTER GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT The aim of this essay is to explore the attributes and qualities that impacted upon my effectiveness as a mentor and also explore the characteristics that influenced my successful mentoring of a second year student nurse. My area of clinical practice is a medical/surgical ward which is a positive environment conducive and appropriate to learning. According to Gopee (2008), a Mentor is a designated person who takes time out to help people to learn during their developmental years, to progress towards maturity and establish their identity. Mentoring is a very important aspect of nurses role which has to do with teaching, educating and supporting students which make them become competent in their practice, confident through experience, thereby, enhancing their skills and knowledge. According to Gopee (2008) there are many characteristics of an effective mentor which to mention a few are: patient, good communication skills, teaching skills, good role models ,trusting, confident and ability to build positive working relationship. For the purpose of this essay, three of these characteristics will be discussed. These are ability to build a positive working relationship, role modelling and teaching skills. Able to Build Positive Working Relationship At this initial stage, our past experiences and achievements were shared to establish good understanding and rapport. Personal issues that may affect her learning were also discussed such as the need to promptly overcome a serious family problem that could have adverse effect on her concentration. I informed her of the start and finish times of shifts, break times, sickness reporting and being part of the team, although supernumerary in status. It was important that we were on good terms and understanding because the relationship between a mentor and mentee is very important to facilitate effective learning and good working relationship. According to Rogers (1994), cited by West, S. et al (2007), the mentor-student relationship is based on: Genuineness (the ability to be seen as a real person and acting ones self in the presence of the mentee), Trust (belief in the mentee and the ability to respect her as a person), Acceptance (not being judgemental about my mentee regardless of her backgrounds or ethics) and Emphatic Understanding (placing myself in her position). For anyone, a new environment can create nervousness with the concern of not fitting into the clinical area. These feelings of anxiety can overwhelm students and affect their ability to do well (Welsh and Swann 2002). She was accepted without condition (having a professional relationship with her independent of personal feelings) by me and other team members thereby meeting her need for affection, one of the needs in Maslows hierarchy of needs. I respected her views and objectives in all situations not undermining her as a student but by allowing her to participate and contribute in assessments, planning, implementation and evaluation of care of patients under supervision. I commended her actions and corrections were also made when necessary. These made her think critically and research more about situations before taking decisions. She confided in me by the second meeting and that she liked the way other team members and I have accepted her as one of us, answering her questions and allowing her to participate in patient care plans, involvement in their general care, emphasizing that all th ese were not so in her former placement. I explained to her that I used to have very little experience just like her but through determination to learn, positive attitude and perseverance, I had acquired skills and knowledge. Benner (1984). At busy times on the ward, I was there to give her tasks relevant to her learning needs and ensuring she was not terrified by the situation which would otherwise lead to a bad experience, which might make her lose interest in Clinical Nursing. I always reassured and encouraged her continuously. Her progress was reviewed halfway, areas of concern were documented and a final meeting for her self-assessment was carried out. Role Model Bandura (1977), cited by Gopee (2010: 23) defined a role model as a feature of social learning theory which states that substantial learning occurs through observation of appropriate professionals. Thus, a deliberate practice of nursing duties to a very high standard with best conducts would motivate the learner to admire, value and emulate. She was warmly welcome into the ward by me and fully orientated into the hospital environment. Throughout her placement period, I made sure that nursing duties like : washing of hands before and after procedures, using strict aseptic techniques where applicable, making sure the right medication is given to the right patient at the right time, using the right route of administration and ensuring that patients take their medications in our presence, gaining of informed consent from patients before procedures and respecting their wishes, to mention a few, were done properly and competently according to hospital protocols and Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) guidelines and the rationale behind them were explained to her. I modelled myself in all areas especially by being punctual, flexible, ensuring proper documentation, good telephone manners, confidentiality of patient records and being accountable for my actions. My learner was happy, very proud of me and she started to emulate me. She told me before the completion of her placement that I have been able to bring her theory into practice. According to Schon (1983), much of the learning which takes place in professional education happens in the practice setting. Research has shown that students look up to respect and admire mentors when mentors consistently demonstrate up to date knowledge and skill in all aspect of practice. Teaching Skills At the first meeting, I identified my learner, her learning needs and our learning styles to help me in teaching strategies to use for her. As an adult, I used the theory and approach of Malcolm Knowles (1990) who developed Andragogy, based on the assumption that adult learners have different ways of obtaining skills and knowledge when compared with children. She was keen to learn, ambitious, career minded and focused. Knowing the learning needs and objectives of the student learner helps in drawing an action plan to evaluate the progress of her learning and giving feedback on my performance as a mentor to the student (Quinn 2007). Kolb (1984) says four forces shape the learning styles of an individual namely: early educational experiences, educational specialisation, professional career choice and current job role. Using the Honey and Mumford (1992) questionnaire, my learner was a Reflector and I, an Activist . I was always happy to demonstrate procedures while she was happy to watch and learn. She watched my actions and explanations of all procedures and tasks undertaken were given including answering her questions. Research through the internet, books and opinions from colleagues were also useful. I gave her assignments to increase her knowledge, motivate her to learn and material resources were also provided for her. To make her learning needs achievable, the SMART tool inspired by Bloom (1998) meaning Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time-appropriate was also used. She was able to demonstrate wound dressing aseptically (one of her learning needs) competently within the stipulated time giving her a sense of accomplishment. According to Maslow each individual has needs which they want to achieve. This is a motivating force and if not met, may de-motivate the learner (Quinn 2007). Her efforts were praised and encouraged (a behaviourist approach to learning by Skinner as described by Atkinson et al (1996) as shaping behaviour). Regular formative feedbacks were given which made her feel recognised, valued, respected and thus increasing her self-esteem. She attended teaching sessions arranged for her in areas of her needs. Conclusion This experience has helped me to see myself as an effective mentor who saw it as a challenge initially, but through determination, good support from colleagues and having a keen and focused student, was able to go through it successfully. I have been able to mentor my student from the initiation phase, through the working phase and the termination phase. The ability to build positive working relationship with my student made her feel trusted as an individual, respected and all anxiety removed because she was accepted by other team members and I who willingly helped her in my absence. As a good role model setting standards both in clinical and non clinical matters, I have been able to bring her theory into practice and she has started to emulate my actions. My teaching skills made her feel valued, respected and her self-esteem was high as she had been able to achieve her goal in the placement of performing wound dressing aseptically within the stipulated time. Apart from fulfilling the Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) criteria that nurses should be mentoring students, I have been able to develop myself through research on the internet, books, advice and opinions from colleagues and putting into use previous acquired skills and experiences so as to be able to give her the best and not to fail as a mentor. It also made me to continuously reflect, analyse, assess and evaluate my actions, to promote my understanding and skills, (Hull Redfern 1996).