The Forces Driving An Organization - 1599 Words

What are the forces driving an organization to shift to analytics and be known as an analytical competitor? Analytics is when a particular organization uses large amount of data, predictive modeling, fact-based management, statistical analysis, quantitative analysis, and explanatory reasons in order to drive their business decisions and actions successfully (Harris 12). When an organization is trying to be analytically competitive, they are using analytics systematically and extensively to think outside the box to perform an execution to compete against other businesses. Today, organizations want more use of their talent and experience. To help them, analytics is used to manage their business performance, processes, strategy and key†¦show more content†¦Within the company they have implemented factors such as data, enterprise, leadership, targets, and analytics (DELTA). Through these factors, the company is able to analyze and restructure their business model to such a degree, that their strategies can be built around it. This is what sets Amazon apart from other companies and this is what helps make them a top online retailer. Amazon has continuously been innovating and building their analytical capabilities to stay on top of the market. The company was built from scratch through analytics, data collection and experimentation. Amazon has successfully stayed on the leading edge and has remained an analytical competitor for many years. Few ways, one can see the company’s growth is through the limited tests it has performed of new features on Amazon.com. The company rigorously quantifies user reaction before rolling the features out to the market. Amazon also uses extensive analytics to help predict what products will be successful in the future. Through the statistical and quantitative analysis approach, the company recommends products to its customers based on their previous buying experience. From the start, Jeff Bezos has envisioned Amazon.com as an analytically managed company. Bezos wants to squeeze every bit of efficiency out of its supply chain. The concept of personalization was based on web transaction and statistical algorithms, and now it has

Evolution of Human Resource Management - 7638 Words

GUEST EDITORS’ INTRODUCTION GROWTH AND GLOBALIZATION: EVOLUTION OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN ASIA ARTHUR YEUNG, MALCOLM WARNER, AND CHRIS ROWLEY In this introductory note, we offer an overview of how human resource management in Asian countries and corporations is evolving in the face of rapid business growth and integration into the global economy and we describe how the articles in this Special Issue contribute to new knowledge and insights regarding key issues, challenges, and evolution in the field of HRM in Asia. Driven by the combined forces of rapid gross domestic product growth in many Asian economies and their further integration into the global business arena, firms in Asia are in constant flux, no matter whether†¦show more content†¦One of us recently had an opportunity to interview more than 20 CEOs of leading multinational corporations (MNCs) in China, asking them one simple question: â€Å"What are the most critical issues that affect the success of your company in the PRC?† While some respondents mentioned relationships with headquarters, business model innovation, branding, supply-chain managem ent, and so on, talent was by far the most consistently and frequently cited factor that would critically affect their aggressive business aspirations. As companies in many emerging economies have been growing at a rate of 20–50 percent in sales volume every year, the ability to attract, retain, develop, and engage high-caliber talent to support their business growth while simultaneously deepening their competitive edges in innovation, services, or quality presents one of the greatest business challenges not only for MNCs, but also for local privately owned and state-owned firms. How do HRM systems in Asian countries evolve as these economies experience such (perhaps unprecedented) rapid growth and global integration? What challenges, issues, and opportunities are Asian firms facing in order to better utilize human resources for sustained business growth and competitiveness? These two key questions about HRM in Asia, both at the country and corporate levels, are the focus of this Special Issue. By havingShow MoreRelatedEvolution Of Human Resource Management1046 Words   |  5 PagesUniversity â€Æ' Evolution of Human Resource Management The evolution of Human Resource Management has transitioned from a very simple administrative function to a very multifaceted strategic function that still includes administrative, operational, and strategic tasks in the organization. In the beginning of Human Resource Management, the roles of Human Resource personnel was mainly just to hire employees, deal with compensation, benefits, legal issues, and the firing of employees. Today, Human ResourcesRead MoreEvolution Of Human Resource Management2149 Words   |  9 PagesAccording to Merriam-Webster, the term human resources started in the 1960s and is defined as â€Å"a department within an organization that deals with the people who work for that organization† (Human Resources, n.d., p. 1). 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Ideas for future research and pra ctice are also suggested. â€Æ' Evolution of Human Resource Management KeyRead MoreEvolution of Human Resource Management in the Past Decade683 Words   |  3 PagesAbstract The paper discusses how the field of Human Resource Management has evolved over the past decade. It also highlights the specialized areas of Human Resource Management that are providing great opportunities for college students to pursue a career in Human Resource Management The field of human resource management has evolved a great deal over the past decade. Systems are far more sophisticated than they used to be which has allowed many improvements as the flow of information is muchRead MoreHuman Resource Management And The Bureaucratic Era1222 Words   |  5 PagesHuman Resource Management is a vital function in any organisation and operates in legal and social environments that are becoming increasingly complex. 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Video Games as Art Free Essays

string(248) " Another great example of a writer of film getting interested in video games is John Milius, writer of Apocalypse Now \(1979\) and Red Dawn \(1984\) being a story consultant to the video game closely related to his screenplays, Homefront \(2011\)\." Video Games as Art Dylan Armitage December 10th, 2012 100883983 Video Games Are Art Are video games art? Up until the early 21st century, the dominant ideology surrounding this topic is resounding â€Å"No†. Art critics, such as Roger Ebert that state â€Å"video games cannot be art. † (Roger Ebert’s Journal), and philosophers continually dismiss the idea. We will write a custom essay sample on Video Games as Art or any similar topic only for you Order Now This ideology is no longer an accepted truth. I will argue that video games are a form of art. Video Games have gone from simple games and concepts such as Pong (1975) to modern day, epic titles like Uncharted 3 (2011), and with that they have evolved from simple forms of entertainment to as sophisticated a form of art as any. Video games evoke great emotion from the players, much like the audience of any other form of art. Video games also should be considered a form of art because of the vast amount of tools and media that are combined to create the games that we play today. The list of games that can be considered art increases each year and it spans over many generations, consoles, and genres. Art is defined as â€Å"The expression or application of human creative skill and imagination,†. According to this definition, if things such as paintings, film and music are considered to be art, then video games clearly fall into the category as well. Video games today are as creative as anything. Video games allow for so much creative freedom to create any setting, any character and have the ability to interact with all of those and create a new world. Games take creativity and allow you to immerse yourself within it. In games like the series of Mass Effect (2007-2012), you are able to put a certain amount of creative input into the game yourself. You dictate many facets of the game. You can customize your character, whether it be gender, race or just the general way your character looks. Secondly, your decisions affect the world of the game. You can dictate what your character says and through that change the course of events and how other characters in the game think of you. It is essentially a new world. The game includes it’s own lore, deals with issues that we deal with today but in a new world and in a more lighthearted fashion that definitely makes the player think. These issues include those of race barriers and the fear of technology taking over. When it comes to actual labour going into a game, it is very similar to that of a film. They include things such as motion capture. Which is essentially capturing the real life movements of someone and that translates to a sort of acting. The second element of that acting is contributed to the voice-over acting for characters. This gives freedom of imagination to match any human with any voice you wish. The list then goes on for ages to include animators, set designers, sound designers and much more. The credits to people at the end of the games are much like that of movies and it all contributes to a fantastically entertaining piece of art. Many people view games as simply a form of entertainment. While they are indeed entertaining, they should be considered forms of art for many different reasons. Art evokes emotion, whether it be from a beautiful orchestral medley or a gorgeous landscape painting. Video games do the same. In the modern day gaming industry, games are more than just getting from beginning to end and win the game, they involve the player in many ways. In The Walking Dead: The Game (2012), you are put in control of Lee Everett, a former university professor who is on his way to prison. The game is very unorthodox in many ways, it is much less about having action-packed gameplay or incredibly realistic graphics. It is focused on engrossing the player in the story and with the characters. It involves some point and click battles, which is necessary for the setting it takes place in, but it is heavily focused on choice. Everything you do in the game has an effect. Whether it be from not giving someone a portion of rations or choosing to side with someone in an argument. The game world adapts to the choices you make and it all relies on the player. With such involvement the player finds themselves greatly committed emotionally to all facets of the game. The involvement tests a lot of boundaries with human emotion. â€Å"It explores the depths of human tolerance, dissecting what it means to survive in the worst possible scenario, and what it means to keep someone you love alive in the same situation. (Joystiq) Through this, it evokes incredible emotion from the player. Video games can even mix elements of many other artistic media. Taking that into account, video games can do everything that all other artistic media can, but it can be packaged into one outlet. You get the wonderful story and script of a wonderfully written book but with you as the main character, effecting the world how you see fit. The stories of video games have become increasingly more complex and compelling. They even draw interest of film and novel writers and elements from other artistic works. The Walking Dead: The Game from Telltale Games is a great example of this. The video game draws from The Walking Dead television series on AMC and the television series draws from a graphic novel with the same name. This franchise is a great example of how different artistic media can draw from each other. All instances of the series are written by Robert Kirkman, the creator of the graphic novel series. The mainstream success of all these series are a testament to how the art that is The Walking Dead can be conveyed with great success whether it be the novels, the show or the game. Another great example of a writer of film getting interested in video games is John Milius, writer of Apocalypse Now (1979) and Red Dawn (1984) being a story consultant to the video game closely related to his screenplays, Homefront (2011). You get the epic landscapes and imagery of film but with the freedom to explore and interact with it. In the game Far Cry 3 (2012) you play as Jason Brody and you are on an island called Rook Island which is inspired by a real tropical island. You are abducted along with your friends and you escape, determined to rescue all of them. The game is open-world, which gives the freedom to do almost anything within the limit of the game world. You don’t even have to follow the games’ story, which has received critical acclaim. You can explore the absolutely stunning scenery of the island, you can go hunt the local wildlife, you can go climbing or even sky-diving. The setting is very appealing and draws you in like any film would but also allows you to interact and do whatever you wish with the world given to you. There are also games that allow you to interact with the world without even starting to play the real game. Call of Duty: Black Ops (2010) has an interactive section at the main menu of the game. If you were to mash certain buttons enough, you were able to walk around the room that the main menu is taking place in. You can even walk over to an arcade machine and play a game inside of the game. The same can be seen in the newest instalment, Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 (2012) a similar section can be seen where you can interact with the world to play multiple games from the original Atari gaming console. You also the get the beautiful noise of the in-game sound effects and soundtrack. The audio of video games has evolved from simple, silly sounding noises and no dialogue to complete orchestral scores throughout the game and Hollywood famous actors voicing in-game characters. Actors that have made the transition to video games include Sam Worthington of in Call of Duty: Black Ops 1 and 2, Seth Green in the Mass Effect series and Burt Reynolds in Saints Row: The Third (2011). The sound of a video game has come from the game Pong that only has three noises, the sound of the ball hitting the paddle, the sound of the ball hitting the sidelines and then the sound of a point being scored. This can not be attributed to be art as far as audio goes. In contrast, the soundtrack for Journey (2012) has been nominated for a Grammy. Gaming soundtracks have evolved to the point of having individual tracks for certain situations or scenes that involve an entire orchestra, much like a film. The soundtrack for Journey is among the company of other artistic wonders in film as well as sound such as The Dark Knight Rises (2012), Hugo (2011), and The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2011). All of these media combine to form the art that is video games. Now that the ground for all the aspects of a video game being art have been established, which games fall into that category and reinforce that ideal? Many games fall under all the criteria but some stand out when it comes to the different aspects. The creativity of video games is very evident throughout almost all video games but it is much more evident in the games of Mass Effect and Dead Space 2 (2011). Mass Effect creates this vast world that includes multiple races, new planets and interesting lore that embody great creativity in video games. Creativity is also given to the players who are able to customize the character and how the character acts which dictates events and action within the story world. Dead Space 2 creates a vast world as well with great lore and the thought of where humanity would go as far as a space society. The game also talks about the issue of religion governing the state. This comes up in many ways including the game’s main conflict. The game also draw on the very interesting and creative aspect of not knowing if certain things are really happening, much like the game Eternal Darkness: Sanity’s Requiem (2002). The sanity of the character is never really certain and you are constantly doubting yourself as well as what is occurring. When it comes to emotional engagement, two games stand out. The Walking Dead: The Game and Heavy Rain (2010). The Walking Dead: The Game engages the player in an extravagant world with interactive environments and characters. It engages you with the characters and deals with realistic issues regarding the time and place while developing an emotional connection to the story and characters. By the time the game is complete, you are torn through all the choices you’ve made and with the emotionally testing relationship between Lee, the character you play as, and Clementine, the little girl you take care of throughout the game. The other game that engages the player emotionally in a great way is Heavy Rain. The game puts the the player in the shoes of Ethan and tests what the player is willing to go to to save his son. You have the ability to push the character through the trials that reveal where his son is being held but with more information being revealed the closer to death Ethan becomes. As far as including all the artistic media, many games stand out. When it comes to the great writing of novels and screenplays, games such as The Walking Dead: The Game and Homefront use the talents of credited author and screenwriters to convey a great story through rich dialogue. The interactivity of games and beautiful set pieces is shown through games such as Far Cry 3 and Red Dead Redemption (2010). In these worlds, great freedom is introduced which allows you to do really anything you desire through the many different characters, wildlife and locations the game introduces. Great strides in audio are introduced through games such as Mass Effect that include voice-actors such as Seth Green of Family Guy and Yvonne Strahovski of Dexter and the beautiful sounding and Grammy nominated soundtrack of Journey. In conclusion, the dominant ideology that video games are not art is a thing of the past. Through the emotional engagement of games today, video games evoke as much emotion as any other work of art. Through it’s creativity and ability to create any universe as you see fit, much like other media. Video games also combine many different forms of media to create a brand new artistic form that is video games. They use great set pieces, beautiful audio through orchestra or voice over. Video games have evolved greatly from small beginnings and the list of examples is increasing very quickly. Through all these reasons and examples, video games are art. Clarke, Andy, Videogames and Art. Chicago: Intellect Books, 2007. Conditt, Jessica â€Å"The Walking Dead Episode 5 review: All the time in the world† Joystiq. 26 Nov 2012, 8 Dec 2012 http://www. joystiq. com/2012/11/26/the-walking-dead-episode-5-review/ Ebert, Roger â€Å"Video Games cannot be Art. † Roger Ebert’s Journal. 16 Apr 2010, 8 Dec 2012 ;http://blogs. suntimes. com/ebert/2010/04/video_games_can_never_be_art. html; Helgeson, Matt â€Å"The Great Debate: Are Games Art? † Game Informer. 1 May. 2012, 8 Dec 2012 ;http://www. gameinformer. om/b/features/archive/2012/05/01/the-great-debate-are-games-art. aspx; Melissinos, Chris, The Art of Video Games: From Pac-man to Mass Effect. New York: Welcome Books, 2012. Tavinor, Grant 2005. â€Å"Videogames and Interactive Fiction,†Ã‚  Philosophy and Literature  April 2005, vol. 29, no. 1. Tavinor, Grant 2009. The Art of Videogames. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell. Young, Robert â€Å"Gaming’s first Gr ammy nomination† Neoseeker. 5 Dec 2012, 8 Dec 2012 http://www. neoseeker. com/news/21569-journey-and-composer-austin-wintory-receive-grammy-nomination-for-best-score-soundtrack/ How to cite Video Games as Art, Essay examples

Children of Men Essay free essay sample

1. Theo, Julia, Jasper, Kee and Marichka are most important characters in the film. My initial reaction to Theo was despair, apathetical and poor Government worker. Jasper was political cartoonist, and he was marijuana planter and seller and he knew these bombs were from Government. Kee was unconcerned girl. Julia was violent Fishes leader. Marichka was despair and talking nonsense. There are changed my reactions to them. Theo was the only one who Julia trusts to. Theo was changed to be more responsibility to take Kee to the Tomorrow, and he got emotional regression when he lost his loves. Julia is the first to revolt Government to cause Theo and Kee to make actions (encouraging people to not follow Government, run to the Tomorrow, and Theo returned his activist mind). Jasper’s political opinions affect Theo to be activist in the past, and Jasper’s expressions (talk with Kee about Chance) make Theo reminded his child and encouraged. We will write a custom essay sample on Children of Men Essay or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Kee is the only one female who pregnant in the world (at least the background says so), and Human Project needs her and her baby to cure human’s infertility. Marichka is the one offering room to Theo and Kee to make birth, and she is leading Theo and Kee to go last step to the Tomorrow. 2. The immigrant parts are plausible because all the world of countries are messed, so these people become fugees to go England of London; however, the Government does not want them come in because there is seldom of resources. From the humanitarian point of view, a steady stream of the influx of refugees is bound to be completely destroyed city to make everyone become refugees. It is really exaggerated for that how these armies to do with refugees. It also pessimistic that Fishes made war with armies at Bexhill Refugee Camp, their wars kill these refugees. That already happened before at other country. 3. The illegal immigrants – I am not sure is there happened before, but for normally Government often get these illegal immigrants to back to their countries. Bliss pills – the pills from Theo cousin’s son? It sounds like to make people happy if they eat it. Seems to our society, they are illegal drugs, also they are popular. Quietus – eat it to suicide without paining. I do not know if they already knew it’s bad for people’s health. It might for population control. I only know it is from hospital. 4. Quietus is for suicide without paining. Because people have the reaction to the society and the world with despair, they want to eat it to leave the paining world, the non-children world. 5. Fishes is not really consociated because they killed the leader – Julia. It has good start with opinions; however, now it is not anymore. It just wants power to control people. They have admirable methods that they were started to speech to people; however, later they use violence. 6. In the movie, Government is protect his own citizens to make his own citizens to get happiness (for mostly). I do not know it is able to say or not. I heard it from Internet that people say 9-11 is made from Bush term Government (true or false, who know). It is like the bomb to the shop at beginning movie. Thus Government want to hunt (get reasons to fight enemies? ) Fishes (like Osama? ) 7. â€Å"Re† mean back or return. â€Å"Fugees† misses â€Å"re. † Sound like the people who refugees do not want to go â€Å"back,† then called â€Å"fugees. † I do not feel anything from the word. For refugees, it might hurt to these refugees that they cannot go back to country to homelands (or maybe causing self-abased or distressed? ) 8. Jasper wants to stay because he knew that Jasper and his wife could slow Theo’s running speed to escape. Also, Jasper fed her wife to eat Quietus. They are right decisions because the female might die by violence if she did not eat it, and he did not eat it because he wants to make the armed men stopped to let Theo to run (but Theo was just standing and watching. Well, I know he worried about them). 9. It is really brutal fashions to damage the Human Rights; however, this background shown Government is really serious because they have problems with illegal immigrants that they are getting resources from his own citizens. It could be happen to us if our world is happen this situation. 10. These illegal immigrations went to England because other counties are messed and damaged. People are fear to live so they move to England. I knew the history of the country but I do not know the name. It is about Asians were brutal damaged, really brutal from the Government. I saw really pretty sick pictures in Internet from there. The U. S. accepts them to come into U. S. as they are refugees. 11. Because of the movie only shown how Government does brutal damages to refugees, plus it never shown Government did nicely to refugees. I do not agree with him because he killed Julia just because they have different ideas. He just wants to use the baby to gain the Power to â€Å"control† people. Another idea, there is true that successfully curing human’s infertility is still hard to solve the society problems because people set violence already. Human nature is too complex for me. There can be solved because they want their children live safe environment.

Top Essays - Dog Breeds, Hunting Dogs, Retriever, Waterfowl Hunting

Top Dogs As the "Top Dog" here at the Retriever Barn I am not only an authority on hunting but also I thoroughly understand the problems you humans have. You know, all my children and I want to do is get a retrieve in now and then. We get real tired of showing up day after day during hunting season only to see our supposedly human partners miss another bird. Sometimes I feel we are better off back at the kennel retrieving dummies from Mr. Maxey. Speaking of dummies, I have hunted with more than a few in my day. Back to this whole thing on retrieving. You know, that's what life is all about to me and the kids. I am not interested in seeing my children turned into "lap dogs" or "lard hounds". Our reward is to be with you humans and just make a retrieve. I hear Mr. Maxey telling my kids' owners all the time, "The retrieve is the reward." He is right this time. It's that other stuff he talks about sometimes that I wonder about. The bottom line is we don't need treats to be coaxed into retrieving, our reward is just making the retrieve. While I am on this whole business of food, I am concerned that some of you humans are fattening up my kids. If you don't eat it, I am not interested. Why should I eat those table scraps when you humans are eating the steak? I think you can do better than that. Just give us some good old dog food. We don't need that $30 or $40 a bag kind. Save your money and take us hunting with the savings. If you need a new gun, use it for that. We are working class dogs. Speaking of treatment, one of my kids just got a new dog house. This thing is cedar lined, insulated and specially treated. What a pad! The thing weighs over 600 pounds and, of course, has a built in self feeder. Just after getting his new dog house, my son wanted to put one over on his owner. When the outside temperature got to a comfortable 20?F he decided to sleep outside for the night on the hay. He told me it was such a beautiful night he didn't want to miss watching the stars. That really freaked out his owner. I just told him it takes time to train you humans on our ways.Sometimes I think you will never learn. You sign up my kids for a two or three month training course each year with Mr. Maxey, then my kids are given the unfortunate task of trying to train you for months after they get home. Once in a while we have some excitement over here at the Retriever Barn when Mr. Maxey introduces me to one of his special gals. Not only do I have a great time, but a few months from then you humans have the opportunity to buy my puppies. You need to encourage Mr. Maxey to increase these visits. Overall I enjoy being in the field with my children as Mr. Maxey and I teach them the fundamentals of retrieving. My best days are when Mr. Maxey and I get out by ourselves, away from the pack and get a little hunting in together. That Mr. Maxey is quite a guy. I always look forward to being outside with my master by my side and being able to make another retrieve. At the end of the day I just want to lay down and take a good snooze and dream of another day of hunting. 1995 Duck and Goose Season Comes to a Close This year's duck and goose season has provided plenty of action for retrievers and their owners. The 1995 duck and goose hunting season has come to a close. Those hunters taking advantage of the late season found December's snow and cold temperatures a challenge. The hunting proved to be inconsistent for many who went afield. Some days only the morning hours produced. On other days, only the afternoons were the time flocks were active. The cold temperatures and snow locked in most areas leaving little open water for this year's waterfowl. Near record snowfalls blanketed many areas in northern Ohio. The birds took to the corn fields where the grain left from the Fall harvest would provide a much needed food supply. This left hunters and dogs with few options. Laying in cornfields and area ditches

Does birth-order have an effec

Does birth-order have an effec Research Question: Does birth-order have an effect on personality? Birth-order could be one way to gain an understanding of friends, family members and co-workers. Research has shown that the birth-order indeed has an effect on personality. Birth-order of course does not explain everything about human behavior, personality is also affected by many different factors such as heritage, the environment of the upbringing, family size, education etc. There are four basic classifications of birth-order: the oldest, the only, the middle and the youngest born. Each has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. The birth-order factor is not always exact, but it does give many clues about why people are the way they are (Leman, 1985).First-born children tend to be highly motivated to achieve. In school, first-borns tend to work harder for grades than later-borns do. They often grow to be more competitive and have higher educational and career goals.Icebreaker: Birth order storiesOf the firs t twenty-three astronauts sent into outer space, twenty-one were first-borns or only children. Some characteristics of first-borns are: goal setting, high achievers, perfectionist, responsible, organized, rule keepers, determined, detail orientated. Only children are considered as a specialized type of first-borns. They are generally characterized much the same as first-borns who have siblings. Some famous first-borns include Mikhail Gorbachev (Russian leader), Jimmy Carter (president), Albert Einstein (scientist), Sally Ride (astronaut), and Steven Spielberg (producer). Some famous only children include Brooke Shields (actress, model), Franklin D. Roosevelt (president), Leonardo da Vinci (artist), Frank Sinatra (singer), Danielle Steel (novelist).Middle-born children are usually well balanced. They are good mediators and have superior cooperation skills. They don't have their parents all to themselves or get their own way. Therefore, they learn to negotiate and compromise. Middle-b orn children often make excellent managers and leaders because of these skills. Some characteristics of the middle-born...

(history 24) summerize Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

(history 24) summerize - Essay Example Such incidences have been responsible the creation of security agencies like Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) which were mandated to infringe into the liberty of the citizens at the discretion of the president. The strongest part of the highlighted chapters under study in this book gives evidence of much power for the executive to warrant uncensored arrests and prosecution of people. The Vietnam War attracted discontent among many citizens as far as the taxpayer’s money wastage is concerned. In a bid to stay on course, the government resorted to police to consistently suppress the dissidents. It can be noted that United States under the leadership of president bush continued to hide behind terrorism to violate the rights of innocent citizens of Muslim faith (Kolin 43-66). It is equally evident that despite its global campaign for democracy, United States even under the administration of Obama has significantly violated foreign po licies by attack in other countries for vested interested like was the case of Iraq and the alleged measures against terrorist entities. The highlighted reading from pages 124-147 expresses the increasing conduct of United States to become a police state. The threat of terrorism attack and other socio-economic vulnerability perceived to be eminent from external aggression by the United States is responsible for its increased surveillance of internal territories and foreign lands. Their evident disregard of the judicial system as far human rights is concerned (McCoy 135-151). Taking the case of terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001, several Muslims were deported and arrests carried out in full glare of various civil rights institutions under the supervision of the government (Kolin 126-9). The foreign policy of United States is a tool that is left for the executive to manipulate to their

Leadership and motivation in Virgin Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Leadership and motivation in Virgin Media - Essay Example Motivation helps increase productivity. Two motivational theories are Herzberg two factor theory and Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Herzberg’s two factor theory is a motivational theory that identifies job context as the source of job dissatisfaction and job content as the source of satisfaction (Schermernhorn, Hunt, Osborn, 2003). The theory is divided in motivator factors and hygiene factors. Hygiene factors are sources of job dissatisfaction. Hygiene factors in job content that affect dissatisfaction include: Motivator factors in job context that affect job satisfaction are achievement, recognition, responsibility, advancement, and growth. This theory is popular due to its simplicity and direct linkage to behavior of the employees. The theory also has its critics. â€Å"Some say its methodology does not address the notion that when things are going well people tend to look at the things they enjoy about their job† (Mindtools, 2014). A content theory of motivation develop by Abraham Maslow in 1943 is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (Cherry, 2014). The theory is composed a pyramid of five needs that can be categorized as higher order or lower order needs. The five needs in ascending order are physiological, safety, social, esteem, and self-actualization. An illustration of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is shown below. The physiological need include most basic needs such as food and water. Safety needs are security, protection, and stability. Social needs are associated with love and affection. Some esteem needs are respect, recognition, prestige, and competence. Self actualization needs deal with fulfillment and growth. This motivation methodology is fairly easy to implement which has made the theory popular in the business world. It is in the best interest of Virgin Media to motivate its staff because doing so will increase the performance of the business. Virgin Media is the UK’s first provider of all

Sensationalism and the Media Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Sensationalism and the Media - Essay Example There are new crimes which people feel they do not understand and which are different from traditional fears. The media is very effective and building these crimes up and making people feel frightened (Ball-Rokeach, 1040). One of these is cybercrime. While some people may feel less frightened of being stabbed on the street, they may be more concerned about identity theft. It seems clear that cybercrime will be a serious problem in the future as more and more of our lives are lived on the Internet. Stories about identity theft appear in the news every day. Part of the problem in todays world is that many people put a great deal of their personal information on the Internet without thinking that it can be accessible to anyone. Others do not take proper precautions with their passwords. Still others fall for internet scams run by Nigerian princes. In the future there will be more identity theft and money stole from online bank accounts and money transfers. People will probably do more i mpersonation than ever on social networking sites. The truth is people must be very careful to protect their passwords and their personal information. It is not a good idea to put your birthday on your Facebook account, for example, as this information may be used in some circumstances to access banking and other private records. Do not talk to strangers online if you are underage, as well, as they may be predators. While these are serious crimes, the media makes it seem as if it is happening all the time and that you will be the next victim (Mappes, 102). Part of the problem with the Internet is its anonymity. It is hard to track down cybercriminals and they know it. The bank robbers of the future will not wear masks and carry guns, they will be the people who sit at their computer and hack into the bank. Some people may not even know they have been victimized. This too may lead to the crime figures and victim

Effects of food on the brain

Effects of food on the brain Abstract Throughout the world, it is a common knowledge of the significance of a healthy diet. Not only does it effect body image and physical health, but mental health as well. Nutrients such as omega-3 fatty acids, docosahexaenoic acid, and choline increase synaptic plasticity. In order to show that healthy foods are better for the mind, this study collected qualitative data on brain function after receiving healthy food and unhealthy food. The purpose of this study was to find out do healthy foods increase brain activity? It is hypothesized that if mice are given healthy and unhealthy meals, and instructed to run a maze, the mice given the healthy meals will complete the maze at a faster rate. The null hypothesis is that there will be no difference between mice given healthy and unhealthy meals. This, in turn, promotes the creation of new membranes, which allow new memories to be formed. When performing this study, mice were instructed to run a maze and the times of completion were recorde d. Depending on the group they were placed in, they were given either a healthy or unhealthy meal instructed to run the maze once more. Again, the times of completion were recorded. After completing the study, data collection showed that the mice in the group receiving healthy food had a greater change in time from the race without food to the race with food. To insure that there were no unfair advantages, nutritional values, such as carbohydrates and proteins. Research Problem Foods high in omega-3, such as walnuts, kiwi, and salmon, support the elasticity of the synapses within the brain (Good diet, 2008). Neurologist Fernando GÃ ³mez-Pinilla showed that a healthy diet could not only increase mental function, but protect against aging and damage to the brain (Wolpert, 2008). Literature Review Omega- 3 Studies show that omega-3 fatty acids are crucial to brain health (Wolpert, 2008). Psychology Professor GÃ ³mez-Pinilla found that foods rich in omega- 3, such as flaxseed, walnuts, kiwi, and salmon, aid in the production of the brain cell membranes that nerve signals pass through. As humans learn and create new memories, new membranes must be developed in order to hold that information. Pinilla, a professor of neurosurgery and physiological science, researched the idea that there are outside factors that affect brain activity. His study gives way to the question, Do healthy foods increase brain activity? Previous researchers showed that factors such as diet, exercise, and sleep patterns can noticeably impede the function of the mind (Wolpert, 2008). To support this theory, approximately 200 students were used as test subjects in a research study. In conclusion, researchers stated, Several gut hormones that can enter the brain, or that are produced in the brain itself, influence cog nitive ability (GÃ ³mez-Pinilla, 2008). Researchers detailed how foods such as salmon contain nutrients beneficial to the brain. One of the nutrients found in salmon is omega-3. Omega-3 fatty acids support synaptic plasticity and seem to positively affect the expression of several molecules related to learning and memory that are found on synapses, GÃ ³mez-Pinilla said. Omega-3 fatty acids are essential for normal brain function. GÃ ³mez-Pinilla conducted a study in Indonesia and Australia in which he gave a drink high in nutrients to children. After receiving the drink, the children were given performance tests focused on verbal skills and memory. The childrens test scores improved greatly after consuming the drink (Wolpert, 2008). Another study, performed by Oxford University students, compared two groups of students on math and spelling tests. One group of students received omega-3 and the other group received a placebo (Henry, 2002). The students receiving the placebo had dra stically lower test scores. Docosahexaenoic acid Docosahexaenoic acid, DHA, is another nutrient beneficial to the to the mind. Docosahexaenoic acid is shown to reduce oxidative stress and promote synaptic plasticity by preventing the establishment of free radicals. By doing so, learning and memory are also enhanced. Oxidative stress can cause damage to cellular proteins, lipids and nucleic acids. Berries have been observed to counteract oxidative stress and have been shown to improve coordination and memory as well (Henry, 2005). Synaptic Plasticity Synaptic plasticity is the term used for the ability for change during synapses. This means that the reaction of the synapses to the release of neurotransmitters is not constant. The reaction can be stronger or weaker and the time of the reaction may vary. The strength of the reaction becomes greater or weaker in response to the reaction of receptors to their stimuli. As the length of time the receptor to stimuli reaction occurs or the amount of receptors present changes the synaptic strength fluctuates. The increase of synaptic strength that lasts is referred to as long term potentiation. Long term potentiation is known to play a role in neuron communication, which in turn plays a role in the creation of new memories. Opposite long term potentiation is long term depression. Long term depression is the phrase used to describe a lasting weakness in synaptic strength. Low frequency stimuli create long term depression, while long term potentiation is caused by high frequency stimuli. To learn new things and create new memories the neurons within the brain must communicate in different ways. This also is synaptic plasticity. Neurons in the perirhinial cortex respond to things we see and then tell the brain if it is new to us or if we have seen it before. The greater the response of the neurons, the less we recognize whatever we are seeing. As we continue to see that object, the neuron response decreases. This is how memories are processed. Omega-3 and Synaptic Plasticity Omega-3 fatty acid can act as an inhibitor for the activity of protein kinase C in cells. The in vitro activities of protein kinase C was inhibited by omega-3 as well as the mitogen-activated protein kinase. This implies that the double bond in omega-3 is neccesary for quality inhibitions. Omega-3 could prevent serotonin receptor-induced mitogen-activated protein kinase activation in hippocampal slice preparations. In hippocampal long term potentiation, omega-3 showed to blocked the force of it, without inhibiting basal synaptic transmission. Fats and Calories Many assume that all fats are bad, and should be avoided. Research stated that many of the foods with a bad reputation actually can be helpful when eaten correctly. Marano shows that nutrients in different forms can cause different results in the body. The right food can enhance mental capabilities-help you concentrate, tune sensorimotor skills, keep you motivated, magnify memory, speed reaction times, defuse stress, perhaps even prevent brain aging, (Marano, 2007). Fats have been shown to not only benefit the mind, but can be detrimental to it as well. Omega-3 fatty acids make up the brain cells that the nerve signals must travel through. The human diet must be rich in omega-3 so as to continue to produce cell membranes. Many dietitians and nutritionists promote the use of oils such corn, safflower and sunflower. These are better for the heart, but not so good for the mind. Instead of being rich in omega-3, they are rich in omega-6. Canola oils and walnut oils are better for the brain usage. Choline has been shown to increase memory and reaction time. Sugar is known to keep the mind sharp, though the right amount is yet to be found. Carbohydrates are known to soothe the mind (Marano, 2007). An over-abundance of calories counteract omega-3 by reducing the flexibility of synapses. Trans fats and saturated fats have been studied to have a similar affect. Regulating calorie consumption can help the brain by blocking potential damage to vital cells, proteins, and chemicals (Wolpert, 2008). Weight In a study, statistics were calculated concerning the link between obesity and brain function (Volkow, Wang, Telang, Fowler, Goldstein, Alia- Klein, Logan, Wong, Thanos, Ma, Pradhan, 2008). Brain metabolism during cognitive stimulation was measured to determine whether body mass index (BMI) affected brain glucose utilization during cognitive performance. Verbal memory was tested as well. Twenty students participated in the study. They measured the association between BMI and regional brain glucose metabolism in healthy individuals at baseline and during cognitive stimulation. Baseline regional brain metabolic measures have been shown to be a sensitive indicator of brain function/dysfunction that is associated with neurocognitive performance. These results relate to my research in that it details how food intake relates to brain function. In obesity, both preclinical and clinical studies have documented impairments in brain DHA activity. Observations in obese subjects have reported an inverse relationship between BMI and D2 receptors (Haltia,m Viljanen, Parkkola, Kemppainen, Rinne, Nuutila, Kaasinen, 2007). They found that BMI is not what is detrimental for prefrontal activity, but that decreased prefrontal activity and reduced executive function may increase the risk to overeat. The prefrontal cortex is involved in regulating impulse control, self-monitoring, and goal-directed behaviors. Purpose In order to show that healthy foods are better for the mind, this study collected qualitative data on brain function after receiving healthy food and unhealthy food. The purpose of this study was to find out do healthy foods increase brain activity? It is hypothesized that if mice are given healthy and unhealthy meals, and instructed to run a maze, the mice given the healthy meals will complete the maze at a faster rate. The null hypothesis is that there will be no difference between mice given healthy and unhealthy meals. Methodology In order to show that healthy foods are better for the mind, this study investigated brain function after receiving a meal of either healthy or unhealthy food. Six mice were used as test subjects. Three mice were given healthy food while the other three received unhealthy food. The food were the independent variable, the mice were the dependent variable, and the maze was the constant. The mice were grouped randomly. The healthy meal consisted of walnuts and spinach. These foods contain omega-3 fatty acids. The unhealthy mice were given guinea pig food. After eating, each mouse ran a maze with cheese as the reinforcement at the end of the maze. The time of completion was recorded. Caution was taken to ensure that the events before testing were similar, so that stress didnt play a factor. Also, the nutritional value was matched in the healthy and unhealthy meals to prevent any unfair advantages. These value include carbohydrate and proteins, which are known to provide energy. The nutri tional values were the controls. Results and Discussion During the experiment, the mice averaged 10.33 seconds change in time, from before the meal and after the meal, for the mice given healthy food, and 18.67 seconds for the mice given unhealthy food. The results of this data display that the meals high in nutrients are better for the brain. It was hypothesized that if mice were given healthy and unhealthy meals, the mice given healthy meals would complete a maze in shorter time. As expected, the mice in the healthy group moved at a significantly quicker pace through the maze. The hypothesis was accepted. Previous study showed that foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids increased brain productivity. Brain productivity is enhanced because of the synaptic plasticity that goes on in the membranes (Wolpert, 2008). The data found in this study compares to that of neurologist Fernando Gomez-Pinilla. Both studies support healthy eating for optimal performance. Although the hypothesis in this study was supported, there are aspects not taken into account that could affect data accuracy. Though the ages of the mice are unknown, this plays a role in how the food may affect the brain. In younger mice, when the brain is still in the developmental stage, short term effects on the brain may occur. A brain that is more mature may take several meals to react to the nutrients (Bozarth, 2009). To further this study, it would be efficient to increase the length of exposure to the change in diet. This would allow a greater amount of change for mice that are older. Also, other foods could be used. Fish and fish oils are known to carry a significant amount of DHA and EPA (Kindblade, 2009). If possible, the same foods could be used with a nutrient supplement added into one of the diets. References (2008, July 9). Good diet, exercise keep brain healthy. Retrieved August 25, 2009, from Live Science Web site: http://www.livescience.com/health/080709-food-brain.html Bozarth, M. (2009, Nov) Re: Michael Bozarth [Electronic mailing message]. GÃ ³mez-Pinilla, F (2008, July 1). Brain foods: the effects of nutrients on brain function. Retrieved September 26, 2009, from Nature Reviews Web site: http://www.nature.com/nrn/journal/v9/n7/full/nrn2421.html Haltia, LT. Viljanen, A. Parkkola, R. Kemppainen, N. Rinne, JO. Nuutila, P. Kaasinen, V.(2007). Brain white matter expansion in human obesity and the recovering effect of dieting. Retrieved September 22, 2009, from Endojournals Web site: http://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/content/full/92/8/3278 Henry, J. (2005, May 22). Heres food for thought. Retrieved September 22, 2009, from Telegraph.co.uk Web site: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1490492/Heres-food-for-thought.html Kindblade, B. (2009, Nov) Re: [Beve Kindblade, Nutritionist] Contact from Kiana Spencer [Electronic mailing message]. Marano, HE (2007, Feb 7). What is good brain food? Retrieved August 20, 2009, from Psychology Today Web site: http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200310/what-is-good-brain-food Volkow, ND. Wang, GJ. Telang, F. Fowler, JS. Goldstein, RZ. Alia- Klein, N. Logan, J. Wong, C. Thanos, PK. Ma, Y. Pradhan, K. (2008, Oct). Inverse association between BMI and prefrontal metabolic activity in healthy adults Retrieved September 22, 2009, from Obesity Web site: http://www.nature.com/oby/journal/v17/n1/full/oby2008469a.html Wolpert, S (2008, July, 9). Scientists learn how what you eat affects your brain- and those oyour kids. UCLA Newsroom, Retrieved August 18, 2009, from http://www.newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/scientists-learn-how-food-affects-52668.aspx

It’s Supernatural, Not Extra-terrestrial Essay -- classics, shakespear

In the time that King James I ruled, there was a large fear of witches and witchcraft throughout England and Scotland. And during his reign, William Shakespeare wrote the play Macbeth, which is the renamed King’s Men sign of gratitude towards James. Macbeth is interesting because it is â€Å"based on a story from Scottish history particularly apt for a monarch who traced his line back to Banquo† (Greenblatt 815). The play also drew from James’ own fears of assassination, eventually leading to Macbeth’s own fear of Banquo and having him killed so that he would not have to worry about his possibility of becoming a traitor. James also had a fear of witchcraft being behind any attempt on his life because he â€Å"suspected the hand of the devil in any plot against an anointed king† (816). James had a strong belief in the supernatural and witchcraft and had written a book about witchcraft and believed that the reason for various things that happened in his life to be the fault of witches and lived in fear of the occult eventually bringing everything to an end. Before an exploration of the actual occult, supernatural and other spooky things that happened in Macbeth, it is best to look at the history of witchcraft in the time and how people dealt with the threat of witchcraft. In the 1840s, Wilhelm Gottlieb Soldan believed that witchcraft was actually something that was made up by monks and that it was actually a non-existent crime while German mythologist Jacob Grimm viewed witches as â€Å"wise-women persecuted by the church† (Gaskill 1070). Soldan’s view is also shared by Daniel Fischlin, who â€Å"argues that witchcraft during James's reign was a constructed political threat to be punished in order that the king's absolute monarchical a... ...es." Modern Philology 1.1 (1903): 31-47. Web. 13 Mar. 2014. Shakespeare, William, Stephen Greenblatt, Walter Cohen, Jean E. Howard, Katharine Eisaman Maus, and Andrew Gurr. "Macbeth." Introduction. The Norton Shakespeare Based on the Oxford Edition. 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Co, 2008. 815-24. Print. Shakespeare, William, Stephen Greenblatt, Walter Cohen, Jean E. Howard, Katharine Eisaman Maus, and Andrew Gurr. Macbeth. The Norton Shakespeare Based on the Oxford Edition. 2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton & Co, 2008. 825-78. Print. Stein, Arnold. "Macbeth and Word-Magic." The Sewanee Review 59.2 (1951): 271-84. Web. 14 Mar. 2014. Yonglin, Yang. "How to Talk to the Supernatural in Shakespeare." Language in Society 20.2 (1991): 247-61. Web. 13 Mar. 2014.

African American Musuem Essay

The African Museum in Philadelphia is notable as the first museum funded and built by a municipality to help preserve, interpret and exhibit the heritage of African Americans. Opened during the 1976 Bicentennial celebrations, the AAMP is located in historic Philadelphia, a few blocks away from the Liberty Bell. Charles H. Wesley was a noted African American historian, educator, and author. He was the fourth African American to receive a Ph. D. from Harvard University. An ordained minister, Wesley’s distinguished career included 40 years of leadership with the African Methodist Episcopal Church. In 1976, he served as Director of the Afro-American Historical and Cultural Museum in Philadelphia, now known as the African American Museum in Philadelphia. Programs The African American Museum that is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has some interesting education programs. These education programs focus on arts, culture, and heritage education. They place a major emphasis on the interests of the students, educators, artists, historians, scholars, and community organizations. These programs offer diversity with scheduling. The programs explore various African forms of cultural expressions. In these programs there are literary performances, hands on demonstrations, workshops, and storytelling performances as well. The African American Museum in Philadelphia feels its programs can be a vital link between the permanent and visiting collections for the many communities they serve. Exhibitions The exhibitions in the African American Museum in Philadelphia can some to be pleasing to the eye and stimulating to the mind. According to the African American Museum of Philadelphia these exhibitions invoke a deep collection of emotion ranging from pride and passion to excitement and enthusiasm. When visitors enter the museum they will come to Gallery 1, which includes a interactive timeline, images draw from historical record, that spans 100 years of history. In Gallery 2 there are full size video projections in which visitors can in engage in them. Once they are activated, a monologue about life in Philadelphia will begin. Some other aspects of the exhibit include an experience where you can walk the streets of Philadelphia through a large scale map, which is located between galleries 1 and 2 .

Contracts Cases, Discussion, and Problems essay

Contracts Cases, Discussion, and Problems essay Contracts: Cases, Discussion, and Problems essay Contracts: Cases, Discussion, and Problems essayThe Amours were planning to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary and contracted Jacque LeChef, a well-known chef. The value of catering estimated by this chef was $20,000, and the Amours paid a deposit of $3,500 (15%). They also invested $2,000 into printing wedding invitations with LeChefs name there. However, LeChef breached the contract with the Amours in favor of a celebrity wedding. So the Amours contracted Paulette Gourmande, another famous chef. She charged $26,000. The Amours also had to reprint the invitations for another $2,000. The key question is the amount of remedies to the Amours in the case if the court awarded restitution, reliance or lost expectation.RuleThe considered three types of judicial remedies are defined as follows. Judicial remedies under the rules stated in this Restatement serve to protect one or more of the following interests of a promisee: a) his expectation interest, which is his interest in having the benefit of his bargain by being put in as good a position as he would have been in had the contract been performed;b) his reliance interest, which is his interest in being reimbursed for loss caused by reliance on the contract by being put in as good a position as he would have been in had the contract not been made,c) his restitution interest, which is his interest in having restored to him any benefit that he has conferred on the other party (Blum and Bushaw, 2012, p.799).Rule ExplanationIt is possible to explain the judicial remedies in the following way. Expectation damages are intended to compensate the innocent partys benefit of the bargain that would have been reached if the contract had been performed (for example, to compensate for the loss of future income). Contrastingly, the reliance interest is the reimbursement for the partys losses caused by contract reliance (compared with the position when the contract never existed), while restitution interest is the reimbursem ent of any benefits of the innocent party conferred on the other party.Analysis/applicationIn the Amours case, if the court awarded expectation damages, the value of reimbursement would be calculated as follows. The court would estimate the expected value of benefit (satisfaction) expected by the Amours and reimburse this value to the family. However, it is quite difficult to determine the value of expected benefits in this case.If the court decided on reliance interest, then only the extra funds spent by the Amours would be returned, i.e $3,500 of installment to Jacque LeChef and $2,000 spent on reprinting the invitations. According to courts decision, the value of $6,000 difference between LeChefs and Gourmandes price quotes might also be included into reliance damages (e.g. if Gourmande charged extra $6,000 for urgency).In the case of restitution interest, it is also difficult to determine the amount of reimbursement. In this case, it is determined how much the breaching party ga ined from the violation of contract. To determine this value, it would be necessary to estimate LeChefs benefit from breaching the contract.ConclusionIn the considered case, expectation damages would be determined as the value of benefits expected by the Amours from having LeChef cater their wedding, reliance damages would include installment payment, the value of reprinting the invitations and, with some probability, the difference in the cost of catering between LeChef and Gourmande. For restitution, the value would equal to the amount of benefit gained by LeChef due to violating the contract. The most appropriate solution in this case is using reliance interest, since it allows to determine the value of reimbursement on a factual basis.

A Christmas Carol Essay Example

A Christmas Carol Essay Example A Christmas Carol Paper A Christmas Carol Paper Essay Topic: A Christmas Carol With reference to the themes of wealth and poverty, what lessons do you think Charles Dickens wanted his audience to learn from the story of Scrooges changing character? Charles Dickens was using A Christmas Carol as an attempt to challenge his audience of rich contemporaries into action to combat the problem of the mistreatment of the poor in London at that time. Poverty at this time was rife in London. The penny-pinching, tight-fisted, upper and middle classes exploited the poor and underprivileged around them. Charles Dickens wished to change this with his novella A Christmas Carol. He wished to communicate to them the problems that the poor were facing and that they should be helped and not just put in poor houses and prisons to decrease the surplus population. He felt that the poor were being grossly mistreated and that his work will be able to get through to people as nothing else would. He hoped it would be widely read and would influence people especially at the time of Christmas as people tend to be kinder to their fellow human beings at that time of year. He wished to bring relief to the problems that the poor face day on day. Scrooge treats everyone disrespectfully and he is a misanthropist which is someone who hates people in general. The way that Dickens creates Scrooge brings the problem that Dickens is trying to solve to the attention of the reader and they immediately understand what Dickens is describing the problem as because of Scrooge. In the first stave the first person that Scrooge comes into contact with is his clerk Bob Cratchit who was a very under paid worker that Scrooge had employed. From the moment dickens describes the relationship between Scrooge and the clerk it is clear to the reader that Scrooge thinks he is superior to Cratchit because of the money that Scrooge has. Dickens quotes Scrooge had a very small fire, but the clerks fire was so very much smaller that it looked like one coal, but he couldnt replenish it, for Scrooge kept the coal box in his own room this is just one example of how Scrooge treats his clerk as he could not find the simple generosity inside him to give his hard working clerk some coal. Also when the clerk is leaving for the night on Christmas Eve he has a conversation with Mr Cratchit. Cratchit asks for the day off tomorrow which is Christmas Day and Scrooge is very reluctant to let him have the day off. Scrooge quotes; A poor excuse for picking a mans pocket every twenty-fifth of December! But I suppose you must have the whole day. Be here all the earlier next morning! This is an example of how badly treated Mr Cratchit is by Scrooge not only is he underpaid for how much hard work he puts in he also has only one holiday a year that even then his boss is reluctant to let him have the day off. This is Dickens being clever and using Cratchit to his advantage by making the reader feel sympathy for Cratchit by how Scrooge treats him so that Dickens can tell the reader through there relationship that the poor needed to be treated better or with more compassion. During the first stave Scrooge is visited by two charity collectors when he is at his place of work. This scene in the book is a key one because Scrooges actions during this scene are to some extent evil. The charity collector is asking whether Scrooge could donate some money to those who are not as wealthy as himself. Scrooge becomes tense during this scene and quotes; I wish to be left alone. Since you ask me what I wish, gentlemen, that is my answer. I dont make merry myself at Christmas, and I cant afford to make idle people merry. I help to support the establishments I have mentioned: they cost enough: and those who are badly off must go there. This quote is showing the reader how shockingly tight Scrooge is with his money and how unkind he is during a festive season of the year. The charity collector says that Many cant go there, many would rather die. This quote is supposed to make Scrooge feel a fragment of sympathy for these poor people but no Scrooge replies. If they would rather die they had better do it and decrease the surplus population. Besides excuse me I dont know that. This is an example of an evil quote from Scrooge and this is probably as dreadful as it gets. This quote is a key quote as it describes exactly how cold Scrooge is but also later on in the novel is used against him successfully. Also in the first stave Scrooge has a conversation with his nephew who is one of his only living relatives. The nephew is described as very warm and light an example of this is: He has so heated himself with rapid walking in the fog and frost, this nephew of Scrooges, that he was all in glow; his face was ruddy and handsome; his eyes sparkled, and his breath smoked again The words heated, glow and sparkled are key in this description as they work with the novel as the novel works through symbolism. Scrooge is associated with: Cold, Hard and Dark and his nephew is a contrast of this as he is described as Warm and Light.

Endangered African Penguin Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Endangered African Penguin - Essay Example Usually a penguin would consume about 500 grams of fish every day and during breeding they may even consume up to 1000 grams (New England Aquarium, 2012). As in the early part of the 20th century about 1.5 million penguin were estimated to inhabit the Southern African region and since then, they population have been on the downtrend and have now decreased to 5 to 10% of their original numbers. The main threats to their survival is that commercial fishing is beginning to threaten their diet and most often they have to seek food in deeper water or consume less nutritious food. Besides, global warming have increased temperatures. There are other causes for their decline including human consumption being considered a delicacy in Africa, exposure to oil slicks (especially the MV Treasure which sank in June 2000), El Nino effects (which causes severe food shortages in their habitat areas) and presence of several natural predators (such as sharks, seals, mongoose, cats and seagulls) (Robert J. M. Crawford, 2006). The African penguin is at the risk of extinction and is listed as an endangered species in the Red Data Book and by the USA Endangered Species Act. Today the number of African penguins are about 55000, from 200,000 in the year 2000. Their decline is very rapid and many of the Environmental protection and Governmental are working tirelessly to monitor the number of birds, creating artificial rearing centers, and protecting the habitat areas of the birds from human activities and some of the natural predators (Robert J. M. Crawford, 2006). The African Penguin is interesting mainly because it gives out a braying sound like a donkey, similar to many of its cousin species in South America. They have have black and white stripes all over their body, and these stripes are unique to each individual penguin. Further, this black and white stripes are useful camouflage when the birds are swimming, as

What is the Urey-Miller experiment What important organic molecules Essay

What is the Urey-Miller experiment What important organic molecules were produced in this experiment What is chemical evolution Why is life so difficult to define - Essay Example According to most research workers, the difference between nonliving and living is more difficult than a simple list of rules (Chaisson, & McMillan 365). In 1953, on the primitive ground, the 1st experimental demonstration for the evolution of complex molecules in a natural way from simpler components was discovered. In this experiment, Stanley Miller and Harold Urey took a mixture of the different materials like a "primordial soup" of water, ammonia (NH3), carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) and then energized it by passing discharge of electricity through it (Chaisson, & McMillan 365). A few days after the experiment was done, they examined their mixture and discovered that the mixture contained lots of the amino acids that are similar to those that are nowadays found in every living thing on earth. Later on, scientific researchers successfully discovered nucleotide bases by performing a similar experiment. The above figure shows the experimental settings of the Miller-Urey Experiment. Almost a week later, different complex molecules and amino acids were detected at the bottom of the trap, which reproduces the primordial mass within which heavy molecules were produced in the overlying atmosphere would have diminished (Chaisson, & McMillan 365). There are many basic components in microspheres that are required in the formation of life but these microspheres are not living itself. Microspheres do not have the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) hereditary molecules. Despite the fact that no real life cell has been created yet from the beginning, most of the biochemists believe that the chemical evolution is the series of experiments most importantly from simple molecules that are not biological nearly to the life itself has been fully proved (Chaisson, & McMillan 365). The figure above shows the chemical evolution. In this figure, a tiny drop similar to protein and rich of carbon shows the combination of many of the molecules of amino acid in a

Marketing Managemnt Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Marketing Managemnt - Assignment Example The focus in this paper is on marketing management that has gained increasing importance in recent years owing to the notion of globalization and internationalization which has given way to the boundary-less movement of goods and services. Marketing for products that are sold across various cultures, languages, tastes, demographics and external conditions is no longer a simplistic job- it requires adequate and periodic management so that the product achieves a strategic fit with the diverse external environment. No longer can marketers focus their efforts on just the four P’s (product, price, promotion, place)- they have come to realize the blooming significance of 4C’s; Consumer (as opposed to Product), Cost (as opposed to Price), Convenience ( as opposed to Place) and Communications ( as opposed to Promotion). Thus, the above indicates the growing importance of marketing management which enables managers and executives to deal with strategic marketing challenges that the organizations face every day. An important task for marketing managers is the creation of value for consumers. The challenge is thus, how to offer that value? The idea of customer relationship management (which is a part of marketing management) stems from the notion of value creation. At the heart of successful marketing efforts is the ability of the company to provide a product that satisfies the needs of customers. Towards this end it is important to define what a need is- a need is defined as a felt deprivation for something. So, for instance, to feel thirsty is a need that has to be satisfied. A want refers to the means by which that need is satisfied. Thus, how the thirst is quenched (through water, drink, and juice) would become a want. Marketers must target customer needs and satisfy wants. On the contrary, however, it is observed today that marketers are creating needs rather than satisfying them. To this end, the importance of product comes into play. The product is th e crux of marketing- Marketing is grounded in â€Å"consumers† and consumers demand products to satisfy their needs. The product is the starting point for most marketing efforts. It is interesting to note that a product consists of five layers although it may appear as a single, holistic object to us. The central part of the product is referred to as the â€Å"core†. It is this core that forms the basis for the other layers (including basic, expected, augmented and potential product). An example would be of a Nikon camera. Its core benefit would be to allow the user to take photographs and make videos with ease. The actual product will comprise of the brand name (Nikon), high resolution, carrying case etc. The augmented product would be warranty, demonstration and repair etc. Core benefits are often represented as order qualifiers or the bare minimum necessary for products to stay in the market (Homburg et al., 2005). This would simply mean the delivery for what is pro mised. A product or a brand is s promise, and when it is fulfilled in the quantity and quality desired by consumers the phenomenon is termed as core benefits or order qualifiers. For instance, the basic attribute of a bank is to offer accurate maintenance of consumer accounts. Bottled/mineral water provides consumer with a basic minimum level of ingredients or required calorie intake. Conceptual studies from research have revealed that core benefits are a subset of the larger group â€Å"customer benefits† which encompasses not only core benefits but also add-on benefits as discussed earlier. These customer benefits are viewed as the constructive values of customer relationship (Homburg et al., 2005). The core of a product is not tangible- it takes the form of a benefit or an advantage that a consumer may have from using it (Homburg et al., 2005). Thus, the core of a product is in abstract form and cannot be touched. Alternately, core defines the need that marketers

Big Drive Auto Scenario Essay Example for Free

Big Drive Auto Scenario Essay It is the dream of every organization to enter a new market and in the process realize its dreams. However, this dream becomes very difficult to achieve due to a number of factors among them entry barriers put in place by those companies that are already operating in those countries. According to Arthur, S. Sheffrin, M. , (2003), some common non-pricing barriers likely to affect a firm wishing to enter a new market are high advertising costs, government policies, customer loyalty, and cost advantage independent of scale and distributor agreements. It would therefore be recommendable for such a firm to enter into negotiations with the government of the country where it wants to venture and the other firms that are operating in the country. This way, the new company will be able to cut on the cost of production. The reason is that in the negotiations, the companies will be able to discuss and have a common pricing index that should apply to the new company. Even though the other old company will not pay any new prices, the new company will have its prices reduced substantially. This helps the new company to reduce on the cost of production thereby having more disposable income. It can use this disposable income to invest on new technology or to maximize on its production. (Arthur, S. Sheffrin, M. , 2003) Another recommendation would be for the new company to first form a joint venture with the other operating company in the new company. This way, the new company will be able to escape or rather to get over all the other non-pricing barriers such high advertising costs, customer loyalty and distribution agreement. Under the umbrella of the already operating company, the new company now in the joint venture will be able to penetrate the market and only after it has succeeded in establishing the market should it break and be on its own. Due to these barriers, we can present sales at the new company in the tables below taking a span of ten years. From the tables, it is clear that the business is moving all right up to the year 2002 when it suddenly goes down. This defines the time when the new company decides to break-off from the joint venture and be on its own. The business goes down as they are now running independently but it slowly regains momentum because they are familiar with the market. (Arthur, S. Sheffrin, M. , 2003)

Organizational behaviour theories

Organizational behaviour theories 1.0 INTRODUCTION The purpose of this essay is to discuss the statement â€Å"organizational behaviour theories and concepts are only useful for managers† with real world examples supporting the discussion. Organizations are not buildings or pieces of machinery. Organizations are, indeed, people who interact to accomplish shared objectives. The study of organizational behaviour (OB) and its affiliated subjects helps us understand what people think, feel and do in organizational settings. For managers and, realistically, all employees, this knowledge helps predict, understand and control organizational events. Organizational behaviour is a field of study that investigates the impact that individuals, groups and structure have on behaviour within organizations for the purpose of applying such knowledge towards improving an organisations effectiveness (Robbins, Millett, Marsh, 2004). Though there is still considerable debate as to the components or topics of the area of OB, there appears to be general accord that OB includes the core topics of motivation, leader behaviour and power, interpersonal communication, group structure and process, learning, attitude development and perception, emotions, change processes, conflicts, work design work stress. To sum up OB is concerned with the study of what people do in an organization and how that behaviour affects the performance of the organization. To achieve the purpose the essence of this essay strives to analyze the controversial and complex theories and concepts of organisational behaviour to discuss those theories and concepts useful for everyone or only managers of an organisation. 2.0 Role of the Manager 2.1. Who is a Manager? A manager is someone who works with and through other people by coordinating their work activities in order to accomplish organizational goals. The changing nature of organizations and work has altered the role of managers. 2.2. What do Managers Do Describing what managers do isnt an easy or simple task! Just as no two organizations are alike, no two managers jobs are alike. A managers job can be described from various perspectives: functions, roles, essential skills, systems, and contingencies. Each approach provides a different perspective on the managers job. Management is the process of coordinating work activities so theyre completed efficiently and effectively with and through other people. Efficiency refers to getting the most output from the least amount of inputs. Effectiveness is concerned with completing activities so that organizational goals are attained. Efficiency is concerned with the means of getting things done and effectiveness is concerned with the ends. The process of management refers to the idea that management consists of a set of ongoing decisions and actions in which managers engage as they plan, organize, lead, and control. Planning involves defining an organizations goals and establishing strategies and plans to achieve those goals. Organizing includes designing a structure to carry out the plans. Leading involves motivating subordinates, influencing individuals or teams, communicating effectively, and dealing with employee behaviour issues. Finally, controlling includes monitoring, comparing, and correcting the organizations performance. Henry Mintzberg concluded that managers perform 10 different roles or behaviours. He classified them into three sets. One set is concerned with interpersonal relationships (figurehead, leader, liaison). The second set is related to the transfer of information (monitor, disseminator, spokesperson). The third set deals with decision making (entre-preneur, disturbance handler, resource allocator, negotiator). Robert Katz identified three skills managers need: technical, human, and conceptual. He showed that the relative importance of these skills varied according to the management level within the organization. The systems perspective can be used to describe what a manager does because organizations are open systems with interrelated and interdependent parts. Within this system, managers coordinate the various work activities so that the organization can meet its goals. The reality of work is that manager will either manage or be managed, and there are rewards and challenges in being a manager. 3.0 Organisational behaviour theories and concepts There are several crucial reasons why companies should utilize the concepts and theories of OB, as well as understand the key terms that are associated with organizational behaviour. One of the most important and broad-based challenges facing organizations today is adapting to diverse work environments. Organizations are becoming more heterogeneous in terms of gender, race, and ethnicity. For example, several key terms that must also be understood organizational culture, diversity, communication, organizational effectiveness and efficiency, organizational learning. 3.1. Attitudes Attitudes are evaluative statements either favourable or unfavourable concerning objects, people, or events. They reflect how an individual feels about something. When a person says, I like my job, he or she is expressing an attitude about work. The Theory of Cognitive Dissonance:Cognitive dissonance theory sought to explain the relationship between attitudes and behaviour. Cognitive dissonance is any incompatibility or inconsistency between attitudes or between behaviour and attitudes. The theory argued that any form of inconsistency is uncomfortable and that individuals will try to reduce the dissonance and, thus, the discomfort. In other words, individuals seek stability with a minimum of dissonance. Self-Perception Theory: People decide on their own attitudes and feelings from watching themselves behave in various situations. (Straker, c Syque 2002-2009) Usefulness of Attitudes Theories Concepts for Managers and Employees. Effective managers need to understand behaviours and attitudes of employees. Therefore knowing above theories Managers can pressure to reduce the dissonance when employees recognize that the dissonance is externally imposed and uncontrollable. The pressure is also decreased if rewards are significant enough to offset the dissonance. So the manager may point to external forces such as competitors, customers, or other factors when explaining the need to perform some work activity about which workers may have some dissonance. Or the manager can provide rewards that workers desire in order to decrease their attempts to get rid of the dissonance. Another implication for managers is that there is relatively strong proof that committed and satisfied employees have low rates of turnover and absenteeism. Knowing that managers would like to keep resignations and absences down, mostly among their most productive employees. Managers can do those things by generating positive job attitudes. Measuring employee satisfaction through attitude surveys can alert managers to any significant changes. The manager who knows about the above theories can reduce absenteeism and turnover by using those theories and concepts. Employees who know attitude theories and concepts try to reduce dissonance and decide on their attitudes and feelings which lead them to the successful job performance. Then furthermore successful job performance should lead to feelings of accomplishment, increased pay, promotions, and other rewards, all desirable outcomes that then lead to job satisfaction of employees. 3.2. Personality The sum total of ways in which an individual reacts and interacts with others, measurable traits a person exhibits. There are dozens of personality traits could use; for instance, aggressive, shy, ambitious, loyal, and lazy. The Big Five Model of Personality Dimensions: The big-five personality traits are; Extraversion: The degree to which someone is sociable, talkative, and assertive. Agreeableness: The degree to which someone is good-natured, cooperative, and trusting. Conscientiousness: The degree to which someone is responsible, dependable, persistent, and achievement oriented. Emotional stability: The degree to which someone is calm, enthusiastic, and secure (positive) or tense, nervous, depressed, and insecure (negative). Openness to experience: The degree to which someone is imaginative, artistically sensitive, and intellectual. Personality-Job Fit Theory (Holland): Identifies six personality types and proposes that the fit between personality type and occupational environment determines satisfaction and turnover. The six basic personality types of work environments are; Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, Conventional. Usefulness of Personality Theories Concepts for Managers and Employees. For managers the major value in understanding personality differences probably lies in employee selection. Managers are likely to have higher performing and more satisfied employees if consideration is given to matching personalities with jobs. The best-documented personality job fit theory has been developed by psychologist John Holland. His theory states that an employees satisfaction with his or her job, as well as his or her likelihood of leaving that job, depends on the degree to which the individuals personality matches the occupational environment. Furthermore it illustrates satisfaction is highest and turnover lowest when personality and occupation are compatible. Therefore its valuable for managers to know about personality theories and concepts. Also being a successful manager and accomplishing goals means working well together with others both inside and outside the organization. In order to work effectively together, managers need to understand each other. This understanding comes, at least in part, from recognizing the ways in which people differ from each other that is, from an appreciation of personality traits. In addition, there are other benefits to a managers understanding of personality. By recognizing that people approach problem solving, decision making, and job interactions differently, a manager can better understand why, for instance, an employee is uncomfortable with making quick decisions or why another employee insists on gathering as much information as possible before addressing a problem. Or, for instance, managers can expect that individuals with an external locus of control may be less satisfied with their jobs than internals and also that they may be less willing to accept responsibility for their actions. People who choose to work in an environment similar to their personality type are more likely to be successful and satisfied. For that reason knowing personality theories and concepts person can select a job that fit for him or her. For example, Artistic persons are more likely to be successful and satisfied if they choose a job that has an Artistic environment, like choosing to be a dance teacher in a dancing school an environment dominated by Artistic type people where creative abilities and expression are highly valued. Moreover knowing those theories help employees to work with their office mates/staff with an understanding. 3.3. Learning Learning occurs all the time as we continuously learn from our experiences. It can define as any relatively permanent change in behaviour that occurs as a result of experience. Classical conditioning: A type of conditioning in which an individual responds to some stimulus that would not ordinarily produce such a response. Operant conditioning: Operant conditioning argues that behaviour is a function of its consequences. People learn to behave to get something they want or to avoid something they dont want. Operant behaviour describes voluntary or learned behaviour in contrast to reflexive or unlearned behaviour. The tendency to repeat learned behaviour is influenced by the reinforcement or lack of reinforcement that happens as a result of the behaviour. Social-learning theory: Individuals also can learn by observing what happens to other people and just by being told about something as well as by direct experiences. So, for example, much of what we have learned comes from watching others (models)—parents, teachers, peers, television and movie actors, managers, and so forth. This view that we can learn both through observation and direct experience is called social learning theory. Shaping behaviour theory: Systematically reinforcing each successive step that moves an individual closer to the desired response. Usefulness of Learning Theories Concepts for Managers and Employees. Employees are going to learn on the job. The only issue is whether managers are going to manage their learning through the rewards they allocate and the examples they set or allow it to occur unsystematically. If marginal employees are rewarded with pay raises and promotions, they will have little reason to change their behaviour. In fact, productive employees, seeing that marginal performance gets rewarded, might change their behaviour. According to it managers can use learning theories and concepts to motivate employees to do thing as wanted. 3.4. Perception Decision Making Perception is a process by which individuals give meaning to their environment by organizing and interpreting their sensory impressions. Attribution Theory: Attribution theory was developed to explain how we judge people differently depending on the meaning we attribute to a given behaviour. Basically, the theory suggests that when we observe an individuals behaviour, we attempt to determine whether it was internally or externally caused. Internally caused behaviours are those that are believed to be under the personal control of the individual. Externally caused behaviour results from outside factors; that is, the person is forced into the behaviour by the situation. That determination, however, depends on three factors: distinctiveness, consensus, and consistency. Decision making is an integral function of management. Decision making involves selecting or choosing a particular course of action from among the various alternatives available in the decision making situation. Rational Decision-Making Model: A decision-making model that describes how individuals should behave in order to maximise some outcome. Step 1. Define the Problem Step 2. Identify the Decision Criteria Step 3. Weight the Criteria Step 4. Generate Alternatives Step 5. Rate Each Alternative on Each Criteria Step 6. Compute Optimal Decision Usefulness of Perception Theories Concepts for Managers and Employees. Managers need to recognize that their employees react to perceptions, not to reality. So whether a managers appraisal of an employee is actually objective and unbiased or whether the organizations wage levels are among the highest in the community is less relevant than what employees perceive them to be. Employees organize and interpret what they see, so there is always the potential for perceptual distortion. The message to managers should be clear: Pay close attention to how employees perceive both their jobs and management actions. Since the valuable employee who quits because of an inaccurate perception is just as great a loss to an organization as the valuable employee who quits for a valid reason. In addition, job satisfaction also influences organizational behavior, primarily through perceptions of fairness. That means â€Å"If employees dont feel that their supervisors or the organizations procedures or pay policies are fair, their job satisfaction is likely to suffer significantly. However, when employees perceive organizational processes and outcomes to be fair, trust is developed. And when employees trust their employer, theyre more willing to voluntarily engage in behaviors that go beyond the formal job requirements†. Usefulness of Decision Making Theories Concepts for Managers and Employees. Studies show that managers may spend up to 70 percent of their time in group meetings. Undoubtedly, a large portion of that time is spent formulating problems, developing solutions, and determining how to implement the solutions.Therefore it proved knowing decision making theories and concepts is useful for as individually managers. It helps to make decisions in order to gain maximum productivity. 3.5. Motivation Motivation is the process that account for an individuals intensity, direction and persistence of effort toward attaining a goal. In todays world motivation is seen as being best achieved by a combination of elements within the organization that combine to produce it: needs; job design; satisfaction. There are many theories of motivation that have emerged in organizational behaviour literature. Early Theories of Motivation Hierarchy of needs theory: Maslows Hierarchy of Needs (often represented as a pyramid with five levels of needs) is a motivational theory in psychology that argues that while people aim to meet basic needs, they seek to meet successively higher needs in the form of a hierarchy. Maslows Hierarchy of needs (Learning Theories Knowledgebase, 2009) Individuals cant move to the next higher level until all needs at the current level are satisfied. So they have to move up the hierarchy in order. Theory X Y: Very simply, Theory X presents an essentially negative view of people and Theory Y offers a positive view. Two-factor theory: motivation-hygiene theory proposes that intrinsic factors are related to job satisfaction and motivation, whereas extrinsic factors are associated with job dissatisfaction. McClellands Theory of Needs: McClelland proposed that an individuals specific needs are acquired over time and are shaped by ones early life experiences. Theory focuses onpeople havingthree fundamental needs that exist in different degrees, one being a stronger preference:- The need for achievement The need for affiliation The need for power (authority) A persons motivation and effectiveness in certain job functions are influenced by these three needs because they have different level of needs in each of these areas. (Edwards, 2009.) Goal setting Theory: Conscious goals affect action. A goal is the object or aim of an action. For example -: to attain a specific standard of proficiency, usually within a specified time limit. As industrial-organizational psychologists, our primary interest has been to predict, explain, and influence performance on organizational or work-related tasks. Thus, we focused on the relationship between conscious performance goals and level of task performance rather than on discrete intentions to take specific actions. Reinforcement Theory: In contrast to goal-setting theory, reinforcement theory says that behaviour is a function of its consequences. Goal-setting theory proposes that an individuals purpose directs his or her behaviour. Reinforcement theory argues that behaviour is externally caused. What controls behaviour are reinforcers, consequences that, when given immediately following a behaviour, increase the probability that the behaviour will be repeated. The key to reinforcement theory is that it ignores factors such as goals, expectations, and needs. Instead, it focuses solely on what happens to a person when he or she takes some action. Expectancy Theory: Expectancy theory states that an individual tends to act in a certain way based on the expectation that the act will be followed by a given outcome and on the attractiveness of that outcome to the individual. It includes three variables or relationships Equity Theory: This is a process theory that focuses on individuals perceptions of how fairly they are treated relative to others. The 4 most common ways to reduce a perceived inequity are to, Change inputs. Change outcomes. Distort perceptions. Leave the job. Usefulness of Motivation Theories Concepts for Managers and Employees. Managers can recognize individual differences by using above theories as almost every contemporary motivation theory recognizes that employees arent identical. They have different needs, attitudes, personality, and other important individual variables. Also managers can match people to jobs. Theres a great deal of evidence showing the motivational benefits of carefully matching people to jobs. For example, high achievers should have jobs that allow them to participate in setting moderately challenging goals and that involve autonomy and feedback. Also keep in mind that not everybody is motivated by jobs that are high in autonomy, variety, and responsibility. Employees have different needs, what acts as a reinforcer for one may not for another. Managers should use their knowledge about theories and concepts of motivation to motivate employee using different reward systems. Ex-: Individualize the rewards they control, such as pay, promotions, recognition, desirable work assignments, autonomy, and participation. Link rewards to performance. Allocation of performance-based wage increases Piecework bonuses Pay incentives is important in determining employee motivation. So as mentioned above managers can induce employees to achieve organizational goals through knowledge of motivational theories and concepts 3.6. Leadership The aspect of leadership is perhaps one of the most influential elements in organizational behavior. This is because the leaders are expected to direct the company in such a way as to maximize corporate objectives while minimizing costs. Leadership is a special case of interpersonal influence that gets an individual or group to do what the leader wants done (Wood, Wallance, Zeffane, Schermerhorn, Hunt, Osborn, 2001). Trait Theories: Trait theories are more traditional and focus on the personal traits of leaders from those of followers. Six traits associated with effective leadership included; ambition and energy the desire to lead honesty and integrity self-confidence intelligence job relevant knowledge Traits alone were not sufficient for explaining effective leadership. Explanations based solely on traits ignored the interactions of leaders and their group members as well as situational factors. Possessing the appropriate traits only made it more likely that an individual would be an effective leader. Behavioural Theories: Behavioral therapists take a different approach. Behavioralists try to determine the types of leadership behaviors that have produced a higher level of work performance. There are four main leader behaviour studies we need to look at. Managerial Grid Concern for people: measured leaders concern for subordinates on a scale of 1 to 9 (low to high) Concern for production: measured leaders concern for getting job done on a scale of 1 to 9 (low to high) Contingency Theory: In this section we examine five contingency theories. Each looks at defining leadership style and the situation and attempts to answer the if-then contingencies (i.e., if this is my situation, then this is the best leadership style for me to use) The Fiedler Model the Fiedler contingency model proposed that effective group performance depended on the proper match between the leaders style of interacting with his or her followers and the degree to which the situation allowed the leader to control and influence. The model was based on the premise that a certain leadership style would be most effective in different types of situations. The key was to define those leadership styles and the different types of situations and then to identify the appropriate combinations of style and situation. Fiedler proposed that a key factor in leadership success was an individuals basic leadership style. He further suggested that a persons style was one of two types: task oriented or relationship oriented. To measure a leaders style, Fiedler developed the least-preferred co-worker (LPC) questionnaire. This questionnaire contained 16 pairs of contrasting adjectives. After an individuals basic leadership style had been assessed through the LPC, it was necessary to evaluate the situation in order to match the leader with the situation. Fiedlers research uncovered three contingency dimensions that defined the key situational factors for determining leader effectiveness. These were: Leader-member relations: the degree of confidence, trust, and respect employees had for their leader; rated as either good or poor Task structure: the degree to which job assignments were formalized and procedurized; rated as either high or low Position power: the degree of influence a leader had over power-based activities such as hiring, firing, discipline, promotions, and salary increases; rated as either strong or weak Each leadership situation was evaluated in terms of these three contingency variables. Hersey and Blanchards Situational Leadership Theory focuses on followers readiness. SLT says if followers are; Telling (high task-low relationship): The leader defines roles and tells people what, how, when, and where to do various tasks. Selling (high task-high relationship): The leader provides both directive and supportive behavior. Participating (low task-high relationship): The leader and follower share in decision making; the main role of the leader is facilitating and communicating. Delegating (low task-low relationship): The leader provides little direction or support. Leader Participation Model related leadership behaviour and participation in decision making. The model argued that leader behaviour must adjust to reflect the task structure whether it was routine, nonroutine, or anywhere in between. Leadership Styles in the Vroom Leader Participation Model are; Decide: Leader makes the decision alone and either announces or sells it to group. Consult Individually: Leader presents the problem to group members individually, gets their suggestions, and then makes the decision. Consult Group: Leader presents the probelm to group members in a meeting, gets their suggestions, and then makes the decision. Facilitate: Leader presents the problem to the group in a meeting and, acting as facilitator, defines the problem and the boundaries within which a decision must be made. Delegate: Leader permits the group to make the decision within prescribed limits. Path-Goal Model which states that its the leaders job to assist his or her followers in attaining their goals and to provide the direction or support needed to ensure that their goals are compatible with the overall objectives of the group or organization. House identified four leadership behaviors: Directive leader: lets subordinates know whats expected of them, schedules work to be done, and gives specific guidance on how to accomplish tasks Supportive leader: is friendly and shows concern for the needs of followers Participative leader: consults with group members and uses their suggestions before making a decision Achievement-oriented leader: sets challenging goals and expects followers to perform at their highest level Path goal theory Leader-Member Exchange Theory indicates that leaders develop special relationships with trusted followers. Usefulness of Leadership Theories Concepts for Managers and Employees. Leadership may not always be important but the aspect of leadership is conceivably one of the most influential elements in organizational behavior. This is because the leaders are expected to direct the company in such a way as to maximize corporate objectives while minimizing costs. In perhaps more than any other area of organizational behavior the leadership aspect is a combination of learning theories, power, personality, performance appraisal and motivation. This is because leadership is the process whereby an individual must gain the voluntary participation of subordinates with the goal of attaining corporate objectives. Thus, a leaders personality and sense of power will influence this process. Further, motivation is a key aspect of leadership because goal will not be attained if subordinates are not properly motivated to achieve them and performance appraisal is a key element in this process. Without adequate feedback that is quantifiable, leaders will not be able to assess em ployee performance reliably or measure progress in attaining corporate objectives. So its important to have knowledge of leadership concepts and theories to both employees and managers to achieve organizational goals. 3.7. Groups A group is defined as two or more interacting and interdependent individuals who come together to achieve particular goals. Groups can either be formal or informal. Formal groups are work groups established by the organization that have designated work assignments and specific tasks. In formal groups, appropriate behaviours are established by and directed toward organizational goals. Five stage Group Development Model Forming stage: The first stage in group development characterised by much uncertainty. Storming stage: The second stage in group development characterised by intra-group conflict. Norming stage: The third stage in group development, characterised by close relationships and cohesiveness. Performing stage: The fourth stage development, when the group is fully functional. Adjourning stage: The final stage in group development for temporary groups characterised by concern with wrapping up activities rather than task performance. Group Behaviour Model Group behaviour emanates from the causes that contribute to the groups effectiveness. Usefulness of Group Theories Concepts for Managers and Employees. The group task is a whole and meaningful piece of work, with a visible outcome. According to