The influence of classical and human relations Essay

The Influence of Classical and Human Relations Approaches In Management Today - Essay Example According to the research findings, the human resources approach, however, views workers as a source of competitive advantage which is achieved by focusing on the construction of motivational strategies, achieving commitment through mutual trust, and where managers take on the role of the leader rather than a stringent, efficiency-focused manager. With the HR approach, socio-psychological characteristics and needs of employees are considered as part of the managerial approach, whilst the classical approach does not recognize socio-psychological characteristics of workers to be relevant to achieving productivity and efficiency goals in an organizational context. In today’s organizations, both classical and human resources approach to management have some dimension of influence in how management tackles engagement with employees. Some contemporary organizations still prescribe the classical approach in order to provide outputs that are productive and aligned with strategic goals . In opposite accord, other organizations maintain a management ideology where employees are considered the most valuable assets to achieving competitive advantages and provide the capacity for the organization to accomplish long-run strategic goals. The classical approach is founded on the principles of scientific management, whereby the main managerial goal is to achieve economic efficiency and enhance employee productivity. Frederick Taylor is considered the father of scientific management who emphasized that achievement of productive outputs and internal economic efficiencies were best achieved through comprehensive training and development of workers to ensure that each employee is equipped with the fundamental skills and knowledge needed to produce high-class work outputs. The classical approach maintains very formalized processes and procedures and asserts that maintaining a centralized hierarchy of managerial control is critical to achieving productive and efficient outputs.

Ikea report Essay Example for Free

Ikea report Essay Executive summary This report describes the importance of market research, the target market and market segmentation. How a business can use a situation analysis and SWOT to provide a direction for Ikea. This examines how types of customers and buyer behaviour will impact marketing strategies. Evaluates as a key marketing strategy for Ikea as a case study. Analyses marketing strategies can be used to achieve marketing objectives and describes some ethical and legal things that a business must manage and respond to while marketing. Business Overview Ikea is a well-known global brand with hundreds of stores across the world. In order to improve performance, it must assess its external and competitive environment. This will reveal the key opportunities it can take advantage of and the threats it must deal with. Ikea responds to both internal and external issues in a proactive and dynamic manner by using its strengths and reducing its weaknesses. Through this, Ikea is able to generate the strong growth it needs to retain a strong identity in the market. Ikea’s passion combines design, low prices, economical use of resources, and responsibility for people and the environment. The companys products, processes and systems all demonstrate its environmental stance. For example, clever use of packaging and design means more items can fit into a crate, which means fewer delivery journeys. This in turn reduces Ikeas carbon footprint. Ikea believes that there is no compromise between doing good business and being a good business. It aims to go beyond profitability and reputation. Ikea is intent on becoming a leading example in developing a sustainable business. This will create a better everyday life for its customers. Market research When Ikea conducts market research it is important that the business first determines its information needs. The business should have some idea about the type of information it is looking for. It could vary from customer profiles or brand awareness through to attitudes towards certain new products. Once its information needs are established, the business can determine the most appropriate research method. This is primarily done by IKEA group although individual stores would use sales reports in order to  gather data about the types of customers and popular products that are particular to the area or store. The Target Market The target market is a group of customers for whom a particular product has been developed. The business hopes that these people will buy the product when it is made available in the marketplace. Some products appeal to all consumers, while others have limited appeal. A business needs to understand the nature of consumer markets. The three types of markets Ikea appeals to are Consumer, Mass and niche. The products in Ikea produce are universal to all and with their flat pack design they fall into the niche market. Ikea focuses on meeting the customer demands and satisfying their needs. Ikeas main focus is that of the selling orientation. Market segmentation Market segmentation is the process of breaking down a total market into small markets It allows businesses to focus their efforts and resources on a section of the market. By focusing on a particular target group, It would consider the features that consumers of this target group would be looking for in a product, the appropriate promotional strategies to generate awareness of and sustain interest in the product, and the most suitable pricing policies and distribution channels. Market segmentation and product/service differentiation,Demographic segmentation, dividing consumers into groups based on selected demographics, so that different groups can be treated deferent Situation analysis and SWOT Situation analysis is the way in which a business can examine the current position within the market and provides them with direction for their marketing campaign. SWOT is the first stage of planning and looks at the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats involved in a project or business venture. For example, one of Ikeas key strengths is its strategic aim to use no more material than necessary in the production of each item. One particular table, the NORDEN table, uses knotty birch wood. The knots in this wood usually mean it is rejected by other retailers and manufacturers as unsuitable for use. However, IKEA has made the knots part of its design feature. Types of customers. psychographic segmentation, this is based on lifestyle and personality, values and interest, Ikea does not divide the store into sections but you have to walk through the whole store before you can exit, this is a strategy to sell more products. The types of customers vary from people, households, firms, educational institutions, government, clubs and societies, religious organisations. The customers that account for most of Ikeas sale is the bold customer. Ikea is a business that is not aiming towards a purchase occasion but the usage rate of their product, being household items they aim for their products to last well and function to a good quality standard. Ikea has a good user loyalty with a wide range of buyers from the types of customers. Consumers see how affordable Ikea products are and how well they last, as long as they don’t mind putting the product together. The buying process would not be different from Ikea customers but the free yearly catalogue gives purchasers time to plan a trip to Ikea as the Ikea stores are not usually located conveniently due to the large floor space required to house their product. Ikea stores are not usually located outside the inner metropolitan area for this reason. There are psychological, sociocultural, economic and government reasons why people shop or don’t shop are Psychological segmentation Branding. Ikea is ranking 41 in the world’s most valuable brands. The brand name alone is worth 8 million. The brand image for Ikea stands for affordable, contemporary design and its flat pack product range that gives Ikea its identity. The brand name or logo essentially provides a message to the people of the quality and value associated with that product, when they see it they immediately form judgements on the quality, a strong brand name is essentially enhancing the relationship between a business and its customer. Marketing and strategies Product Ikea’s products are tangible, Product matters because it is the reason that customers go to Ikea in the first place. Ikea has the market in flat pack furniture and the unique design attracts customers and meets their needs, this product could include the prestige of owning the product which would also relate to psychological factors. Place Place matters because it is how the customers access the product. The Ikea experience is more than just products, it is a retail concept laid out in such a way that families, singles, couples etc. can enjoy shopping for furniture. A day at Ikea has been described as more of an outing than a shopping trip. Price Price matters because it is at the heart of the Ikea concept. Flat pack furniture cannot compete on price with upmarket, fully assembled pieces, so it is essential that Ikea continues to keep its prices below the competition. Price including pricing methods, market and competition based, Competition based pricing is the commonly used pricing strategy. Promotion Promotion is the most public aspect of marketing and it matters because it helps to drive customers into the stores in order to buy furniture. Ethical and legal. Ikea is recognised as a business that is both legally and ethically a responsible business that looks beyond profit and develops a positive workforce with these practices, advertising is very powerful in developing the wrong or wright idea and misleading advertising is bad ethics. Developing products in 3rd world country is considered unethical because they get payed well below minimum wage. Ikea produces environmentally responsible products, the flat pack design would be argued that it minimizes wastage and the cardboard would be environmentally friendly. The role of consumer law deals with Deceptive and misleading advertising which could be false information about products features and content, false special offers which don’t exist and  overstating the benefits that a product will provide to the consumer. Price discrimination, giving preference to some retail stores by providing them with lower prices than is offered to the competitors of those retailers. The competitor and consumer act aims to discourage the price discrimination in the business environment. Implied conditions and warranties is a great way for a business to ensure the product will last at least the warrantee time, this attracts customers and the consumer expects the business to fulfill their legal obligation to provide a refund or replacement or the product if there is a manufacturing problem within the warranted date, regardless the business by law. Resale price maintenance, this aims to balance the profit maximization of a business, Ikea ensures that the quality of a product in one country doesn’t differ from another. A manufacturer cannot refuse to sell the goods to a retailor if the retailor intends to sell the product for below the recommended price.

Research Strategy of Service Quality Assessment

Research Strategy of Service Quality Assessment Methodology: For this study survey, strategy will be used in order to collect data. Survey researchers are quite distinct from the general surveys conducted for different purposes, including marketing survey. According to Tanur(1982) surveys are generally meant of collecting data related to characteristics, actions, or opinions of a large group of people, referred to as a population. The surveys conducted for research purposes are focused on advancement of knowledge within a specific domain. Research survey data can be collected through different methods, including interviews, questionnaires and observations. In terms of questionnaires, the data can be collected either through open-ended questions in which participants need to provide details answer or closed questions in which participants need to provide select single or multiple answers from the choice of answers. According to Groves et al. (2013) survey data will be biased if the process of the survey is not properly followed, which includes designing, writing, collecting and analysing sub-processes. Figure 1 presents the typical data collection process as describe by Groves et al.(2013)   Ã‚   Figure 1: A survey from process prospective (Groves et. al. 2013,pp.149) For the research survey, strategy will be used and data will be collected through set of questionnaires which respondent will be able to complete themselves. The reason for using questioner as data collection method was because, firstly, this research is using survey strategy and according to Saunders et al. (2012) questioner is one of the most widely used data collection methods within survey strategy. Secondly, since this research will be providing the closed answers which will be used for quantitative data analysis, therefore, questionnaire data collection method is more suited for this research. In terms of sampling, since its pilot data collection and research is focused on general consumer perception about the service delivery and expected quality evaluated through the prism of culture, therefore, as describe by Saunders et al. (2012) probability based sampling technique will be used to identify a group from population for data collection. For quality of data, research has applied stratified random sampling by using the one attribute that has the basic level of experience in terms of service delivery from the population. The validity or according to Saunders et al. (2012) content validity, questions in a survey provide adequate representation for research questions. As describe by Saunders et al. (2012) validity of the content can be evaluated through literature review, which has been provided for this research. For the reliability and consistency in response to the questionnaire, the research is confined to only closed questions with multiple-choice single selection answe rs, and questions are all design using simple language. The questions on the survey are design based upon the research questions, and all the questions in the survey are closed question that is multiple-choice single selection in order to collect consistent data. The order and flow of the questions are carefully design to avoid confusion and misinterpretation. Similarly, in order to avoid blank or missed questions the questions are presented on the same page, Please see the Appendix for actual questionnaire in the survey. Although the research is evaluating the research question using qualitative research methodology, but the data collected through a survey is processed by quantitative data analysis. The data collected through a survey is considered to numerical data, and exploratory data analysis(EDA) approach will be used to process it. According to Saunders et al. (2012) EDA approach for data analysis emphasis on using diagrams and tables for understanding and exploring data. Sin ce this is pilot research, therefore, as describe by Saunders et al. (2012) EDA approach is useful for initially stages of the research. Research instrument and data collection: The survey is divided into two sections first section contains demographic questions two get more understandings about the respondent and their classification. The second section contains the statement about the service encounter which participants had to rate using 7-points Likert scale starting from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). Before attempting to rate the statements participants were asked to think of the service they have received from the industries like banks, retail, etc. and use the experience to rate the statements. The survey is conducted electronically by creating the questionnaire on a free online survey conducting website which provides functionality to share a link to the survey. The link to the survey is shared through email and also via different electronic forums, The data collected through the survey is analysed and evaluated after downloading it from the website. Sample data comprised of two sources that is the student of universities and colleges. A total of hundred responses was received out of several hundred survey requests. As the research aims to analyse the effect of culture on customer perception of service, therefore, the sampling framework was clustered into two major group based on their ethnicity that is white and non-white. Population targeted for this research was local consumers living in UK and had received service from industries like banks, retail, etc. in last few months. Participants from the sample are chosen using researchers own intuition and chosen with purpose. (Tellstrom et al., 2006). In order to further evaluate participant demographic information like age and education has also been collected. Measurement: In order to measure a perception of service quality and evolution process, in this SERVQUAL scale will be used, which was developed by Parasuraman et al. (1991). SERQUAL provides 22-items scale, spanning five dimensions (tangibles, reliability, responsiveness, assurance, and empathy), of service quality expectations and, which has been evaluated and validated in numerous studies (Donthu and Yoo, 1998). Although researchers have identified some shortcoming in using SERVQUAL, but the model is most widely referenced and practiced among various industries. The questionnaires in this study were design to capture the customer perceptions of service quality based on five quality dimension of SERVQUAL. For gauging the culture of the survey participant, the study will use the Hofstedes framework of cultural dimensions. Several scholars have proposed alternative frameworks to conceptualize and operational culture to overcome the shortcoming of Hofstedes framework. However, Hofstedes framework is still the most widely used cultural framework in different fields of study, including psychology, sociology, marketing, or management (Soares et al., 2007). The research has used the approach of grouping the participant according to their individual scores on Hofstedes cultural dimension scale resulting in better understanding the role of culture in shaping service perception (Guesalaga et al ., 2016). The survey has been conducted within UK, and participants predominantly belong to western culture but some of the participant involved has a different culture which can give better understand of cultural effect on service quality perception. References Guesalaga, R.; Pierce, M. and Scaraboto, D. (2016), Cultural influences on expectations and evaluations of service quality in emerging markets, International Marketing Review, 33(1), pp. 88-111 Parasuraman, A.; Berry, L. and Zeithaml, V.A. (1991), Refinement and reassessment of the SERVQUAL scale, Journal of Retailing, .67(4), pp. 420-450. Saunders, M., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A. (2012) Research methods for business students. 6th edn. Harlow: Pearson. Tanur, J.M.(1982) Advances in methods for large-scale surveys and experiments, in R. Mcadams, N.J. Smelser, D.J. Treiman (eds.), Behavioral and Social Science Research: A National Resource, Part II. Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press. Groves,R. M., Fowler, F.J., Couper, M.P. Jr., Lepkowski, J. M., Singer, E. and Tourangeau, R. (2013), Survey Methodology, First Edition,John Wiley Sons Donthu, N. and Yoo, B. (1998),Cultural Influences on Service Quality Expectations, Journal of Service Research,1(2), pp.178-186 Soares, A. M.; Farhangmehr, M. and Shoham, A. (2007), Hofstedes dimensions of culture in international marketing studies, Journal of Business Research, 60, pp. 277 284

Jonsons Volpone :: Jonson Volpone

Homosexual Overtones in Volpone During the Renaissance, women did not participate in the theatre; hence, men, dressed in drag, played women's roles. This particular characteristic of Renaissance drama adds many dimensions, erotic and social, to the spectacle on the stage. However, "The primary difficulty in surveying this landscape results from the strong indications that early modern eroticism was fundamentally different from that today. Consequently, the challenge deciphering what may be radically different cultural codes for the Rena issance is formidable" (Zimmerman 7). The interactions between cross-dressed boy actors and the adult male actors, by today's standards, would be considered homo-erotic. In Ben Johnson's Volpone, the role of Celia, the main female character, would have be en played by a cross-dressed boy; hence, many inferences about Renaissance eroticism may be made by exploring the element of cross-dressing and how it transforms the action on stage and the audience's perception. Celia (played by a cross-dressed boy) interacts with men throughout the play. The scene in which Volpone attempts to rape Celia could be construed as extremely homo-erotic. Volpone desires Celia, yet she refuses to succumb to his advances; thus he trie s to force himself upon her. Bonario is Celia's true love interest, which also has homosexual overtones. The sexual and intimate interactions between Celia and the male characters creates an interesting dynamic. For instance, "When an actor in a male role did not need to impersonate adult-ness, his interaction with a cross-dressed actor, particularly a cross-dressed boy, change. Presumably, the adult actor, by virtue of age, voice, physical appearance and interpretive range, lent credence to the (usually) heterosexual valences of cross-dressing within that fiction. The dual lens on the dramatic action that the adult male actor provided was in all likelihood angled most directly at adult male spectators" (Zimmerman 46). The actors are i nteracting like hete rosexuals of the opposite sex, however, the fact that it is really two males blurs the lines of what the audience was actually seeing and enjoying. Celia was obviously made to be attractive to the male spectators, because she is the main female love interest in the play. The male spectators may be attracted to what aesthetically appears to be a woman, or they may be attracted to an androgynous, cr oss-dressed boy. Hence, Celia's appeal is twofold.

Personal Identity †Philosophy Essay

It is easy to see oneself as the same person we were ten, twenty, or fifty years ago. We can define identity through our physical presence, life experiences, memories, and mental awareness of self. One can testify our persistence as a person through our existence as a person. But what makes us the same person? In this paper, I will argue for the â€Å"simple† view of the persistence of identity – that it is impossible to determine what single thing that makes us the same person over time. I will support my claim with the refutation of the main complex view claims of the body, brain and psychological continuity criterion. Entrenched in the â€Å"simple† view is the idea that personal identity, and the persistence of personal identity, cannot be measured through philosophical discourse or scientific investigation. There are a number of opposing arguments, known as complex theories of personal identity. In each of these arguments, the central claim is that either the body, the brain, or the psychological continuity of an individual determines how they persist as the same person (Garrett, 1998, p 52). To call them complex is a misnomer – for each is far too narrow to properly define and explain personal identity. Complex argument 1– Psychological continuity John Locke defines a person as a ‘thinking, intelligent being, that has reason and reflection and can consider itself as itself, the same thinking thing, in different times and places’ (Locke, 1689, p 1-6). This statement suggests that, in order to persist as the same person, we must have a mental consciousness which persists through time. We can say that a person is psychologically continuous if they have a mental state that is descendent from their previous mental states. For example, this theory states that a five-year-old will be the same person when they are a 25-year-old, because their mental state in later years is descendent from their earlier years. Counter argument By its very nature, the idea of psychological continuity is flawed. It is not uncommon for an individual’s mental state to be changed so drastically that they could not truly be considered the same person. Several examples have been made by Waller: sufferers of cognitive impairments such as dementia, people who have gone through stressful or traumatic situations, and war eterans that are affected by post-traumatic stress disorder (Waller, 2011, p 198-210). In any of these cases, it would be difficult to argue that the individual has a continuous mental state – more accurate would be to describe them as a â€Å"snap† or â€Å"break† that, effectively, creates a new person. The only conclusion is that these individuals do not persist, as their psychological states become radically different from their previous psychological states. Complex argument 2 – Persistence of the body Another expression of the complex view is the body criterion. Put simply, a person is said to persist if they exist in the same physical body over time. In this case, the previously mentioned dementia or PTSD sufferers would be considered the same people, as their physical body has continued. The theory suggests a â€Å"brute physical relation† between body and identity (Korfmacher, 2006). Without regard for mental state, an individual is considered to have a persistent personal identity as long as their body survives. Counter argument This theory lends itself easily to thought experiments, and they quickly expose some problems. If individual A receives an organ donation from individual B, can it be said that individual A has taken some of B’s identity? Surely not. It would be absurd to suggest that having the kidney or liver of another person would affect one’s persistence as an individual. Similarly, if individual C had their body cloned, it would not make their clone the same person. There is much more to personal identity than can be defined by something so comparatively insignificant as the physical body. Complex argument 3 – Persistence of the brain The brain is the functional centre of the human body; the place where memories are stored, feelings are felt, and environmental signals are processed. It is unsurprising, therefore, that the brain is so often considered to be the â€Å"home† of personal identity. This theory is a staple of many science fiction texts – as a convention, the cognizant â€Å"brain in a jar† or brain transplant recipient is fairly common. Proponents of this â€Å"we are our brains† theory claim that, so long as the brain persists, so does the person. Counter argument This theory seems to refer to consciousness rather than the physicality of the brain, so it is important to make a clarification between the two. Julian Baggini suggests that we should view the relationship between consciousness and identity similarly to the relationship between a musical score and the paper it is written on (Baggini, 2005, pp. 112-114). In other words, the brain is simply a storage space for our memories, thoughts, and self-awareness. Should it not, therefore, be so that an individual could simply persist as a brain in a jar, provided they could be sustained in that state? If the entirety of personal identity is stored in the brain, there must be no need for the rest of the body beyond keeping the brain alive. Such a theory could not possibly be true – life experiences and interactions with the world are such an intrinsic part of identity that we could not persist without them. The theory that consciousness plays a significant role in the persistence of personal identity is appealing, but it can not be said that the brain alone could sustain consciousness. Conclusion  To call the simple view of the persistence of personal identity â€Å"simple† is almost deceptive; deep consideration on the subject quickly turns towards the complex. It is easy to grasp at the categories of body, brain, and mental state, but it would be wrong to say that the persistence of any of those equates to the persistence of an individual. Personal identity is something so much harder to define, and it is harder still to find definitive measures of its continuation. Personal identity is evasive, and fleeting; it is intangible, ever-changing. Its persistence is so much more than can be determined.

Mixing up lay and lie

Mixing up lay and lie Mixing up lay and lie Mixing up lay and lie By Maeve Maddox A reader writes: I have problems with lying and laying. Â  Is there an easy way to make sure I am using the right one? The distinction is easy enough, but this particular usage is on the endangered list and may not survive into the next generation of English speakers. Knowing the difference between lying and laying requires the speaker to recognize the difference between transitive and intransitive verbs. Verbs that describe actions are either transitive or intransitive. A transitive verb takes a direct object. The Latin prefix trans- means across. The action of the transitive verb carries across to a direct object. This direct object receives the action of the verb. Ex. The man drives a truck. The verb is drive. To determine whether the verb has a direct object, one asks drives what? In this example, there is an answer: drives a truck. The verb drives in this sentence is transitive. Something, truck, receives the action. Some verbs are always transitive. Some are always intransitive. Many, like drive, may be either transitive or intransitive. Ex. Every Sunday the family drives in the countryside. If we apply the question drives what? to this sentence, we do not get an answer. Nothing in the sentence receives the action. There is no direct object so in this sentence drive is an intransitive verb. The action remains with the verb. (The phrase in the countryside tells where the family drives.) The common confusion between the verbs lie and lay is understandable because the form lay exists in the conjugations of both verbs: to lie intransitive verb meaning to recline; to rest horizontally Present: Today I lie on the bed. Past: Yesterday I lay on the bed. Present Perfect: I have lain on the bed all day. Present Continuous: I am lying on the bed. to lay transitive verb meaning to place; to put Present: Today I lay the book on the table. Past: Yesterday I laid the book on the table. Present Perfect: I have laid the book on the table. Present Continuous: I am laying the book on the table. Here are a few more illustrations of correct usage: Lie down, Fido! The accident victim lay in the street. The spectators lay back in their seats to look at the sky. Today its your turn to lay the table. I laid the table yesterday. English has two other verbs that may confuse the issue further: to lie to tell a falsehood generally intransitive: Present: Today I lie about my age. Past: Yesterday I lied about my age. Present Perfect: I have lied about my age. Present Continuous: I am lying about my age. to lay to produce an egg may be transitive or intransitive Present The hens lay eggs. (transitive) The hens lay well. (intransitive) Past The hen laid three eggs. (transitive) Present Perfect: The hen has laid an egg every day this week. (transitive) Present Continuous: The hens are laying well this year. (intransitive) Both forms of lay derive from an Old English verb meaning to place on the ground or put down. The two lie verbs come from two different Old English verbs, one meaning to speak falsely, and the other meaning to rest horizontally. This is not our first post on lay/lie and probably wont be the last. See this one from July 2007. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Grammar category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Has vs. HadExcited ABOUT, not "for" 50 Words with Alternative Spellings

Free Essays on Why Compare Political Systems

Why we compare Political Systems Comparative politics can be defined as examining political realities in countries all over the world. It looks at the many ways governments operate and the ways people behave in political life. To say that comparing political systems is a waste of time and that we cannot learn anything from this process is a false statement. There are many things that can be learned by studying and comparing political systems, such as how governments are structured and how they function, the process through which governments interact with their populations in pursing community goals, how political leaders and the population behave in politics, and how political leaders and the public think about and feel about politics and how their feelings affect their behavior.1 By studying and comparing these different aspects of different political systems, we are able to learn more about the system in which we live, we can also determine which systems are successful and which systems are not. Throughout time there has always been diversity in political systems across the world.1 Different political systems and governments are two of the many things that make this world a very interesting place to live. In order to better understand how the system in which you live works, you first have to understand were that particular system comes from and how it came about. For example, there is know way to fully understand the political system of the United States without first knowing were the first settlers came from, their reason for coming, and what they did when they came. If people would take time to understand and compare different political systems to their own, the issue of foreign policy, and one group understanding and respecting another would not be as big of an issue as it is today. In order to fully understand democracy you have to do more than just concentrate of the American version of democracy. Democracies o... Free Essays on Why Compare Political Systems Free Essays on Why Compare Political Systems Why we compare Political Systems Comparative politics can be defined as examining political realities in countries all over the world. It looks at the many ways governments operate and the ways people behave in political life. To say that comparing political systems is a waste of time and that we cannot learn anything from this process is a false statement. There are many things that can be learned by studying and comparing political systems, such as how governments are structured and how they function, the process through which governments interact with their populations in pursing community goals, how political leaders and the population behave in politics, and how political leaders and the public think about and feel about politics and how their feelings affect their behavior.1 By studying and comparing these different aspects of different political systems, we are able to learn more about the system in which we live, we can also determine which systems are successful and which systems are not. Throughout time there has always been diversity in political systems across the world.1 Different political systems and governments are two of the many things that make this world a very interesting place to live. In order to better understand how the system in which you live works, you first have to understand were that particular system comes from and how it came about. For example, there is know way to fully understand the political system of the United States without first knowing were the first settlers came from, their reason for coming, and what they did when they came. If people would take time to understand and compare different political systems to their own, the issue of foreign policy, and one group understanding and respecting another would not be as big of an issue as it is today. In order to fully understand democracy you have to do more than just concentrate of the American version of democracy. Democracies o...

Free Essays on The Role Of Commanders In Margaret Atwood’s Novel, The Handmaid’s Tale

In Margaret Atwood’s novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, it is interesting to observe the role in society that the commander’s are given which is to work and impregnate handmaids. Although handmaids are very bluntly â€Å"used† for one purpose (having children), commanders have the â€Å"duty† to make them pregnant, which is possibly an equally disrespectable purpose. Since many of the commanders are older men, it’s probably harder for them to impregnate the handmaids. There is also proof they have long, hard work days, as Atwood puts it, â€Å"He works long hours. He has a lot of responsibilities.† (Atwood, 90). Atwood goes as far as showing sympathy to the commander and his role in society, and how in a sense he is mocked by handmaids. â€Å"To be a man, watched by women. It must be entirely strange-To have them sizing him up.† (Atwood, 87). Atwood makes us sympathize with the elderly man and his possible embarrassment of not being able to impregnate a handmaid and be the forbidden word-sterile. Although the commander has much power, he leads a life less desirable as Atwood says, â€Å"Still, it must be hell to be a man like that.† (Atwood, 88). This novel is interesting altogether, but the role Atwood gave to the commanders is that of sweet and sour, which may possibly even out the treatment of women in the novel (they are used, and thought of as the less intelligible sex), and I found it very interesting.... Free Essays on The Role Of Commanders In Margaret Atwood’s Novel, The Handmaid’s Tale Free Essays on The Role Of Commanders In Margaret Atwood’s Novel, The Handmaid’s Tale In Margaret Atwood’s novel, The Handmaid’s Tale, it is interesting to observe the role in society that the commander’s are given which is to work and impregnate handmaids. Although handmaids are very bluntly â€Å"used† for one purpose (having children), commanders have the â€Å"duty† to make them pregnant, which is possibly an equally disrespectable purpose. Since many of the commanders are older men, it’s probably harder for them to impregnate the handmaids. There is also proof they have long, hard work days, as Atwood puts it, â€Å"He works long hours. He has a lot of responsibilities.† (Atwood, 90). Atwood goes as far as showing sympathy to the commander and his role in society, and how in a sense he is mocked by handmaids. â€Å"To be a man, watched by women. It must be entirely strange-To have them sizing him up.† (Atwood, 87). Atwood makes us sympathize with the elderly man and his possible embarrassment of not being able to impregnate a handmaid and be the forbidden word-sterile. Although the commander has much power, he leads a life less desirable as Atwood says, â€Å"Still, it must be hell to be a man like that.† (Atwood, 88). This novel is interesting altogether, but the role Atwood gave to the commanders is that of sweet and sour, which may possibly even out the treatment of women in the novel (they are used, and thought of as the less intelligible sex), and I found it very interesting....

Legal and finance Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Legal and finance - Assignment Example ed with a minimum economic wage and the number of the hours worked in the day should be compensated in the form of overtime if it surpasses the standard working hours. The government sets the minimum wage, and any private or public sector must conform to it. Payment of extra hours worked should be more than the usual working rate. These legislations are provided for by the fair labor standards act administered by the wage and hour division department in the federal system. Workers are also entitled to safety working conditions at workplaces. This law is provided for by the fed under occupational and safety health Act (OSHA). The employees should only work with a free harmful environment, and the organization should take responsibility whenever a person is injured in the cause of duty. The department monitors this by inspections of various firms and ensures that all employees are safe. The federal act also provides for family and medical leave which is unpaid. Hence, employees can always attend to cases of serious health, allow women to give birth and take care of the young ones and any other family responsibility that may befall them. Any organization that does not comply with these laws and denies employee their accessibility is subject to prosecution in a court of justice. Ways on how the salary is arrived at or determined. It should be based on duties, experience, educational investment of the employee and any other relevant factor that may require compensation. This factor prevents exploitation of the employee. However, the compensation of workers must be of market wage rate and employees should be contented with it. Since the organization is trading in a competitive market, demanding of high salaries and more benefits would do a great harm and the employee’s jobs will not be protected (Vargas & Noruzi,2011).. The organization will experience a high costs in operations that may force the firm to lay off workers, or the company may quit operations since

Contract Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

Contract Law - Essay Example In the early 1848, reform that introduced the New York Code of procedures took place1. This reform led to the abolishment of the reforms of action that was based on writ system. Initially, the introduction of the classical law with the introduction of New York Code of procedures seemed to be a significant step in law reforms (Frank, 1975: 182)2. The law spread to the parts of the world including the United Kingdom where it was mainly used to understand and determine trade matters. There emergence of the classical law has been contributed to by different schools of though with certain schools of though held that classical law or classical legal thoughts, as they referred to it, shape and transformed the united states economic and social lives. 1. [Holmes] "The Theory of Torts," 7 Am. L. Rev. 652 (1873) 2. Frank, W.F., (1975) the General Principles of English Law, London: George G. Harrap & Co. Ltd, pp. 182-183 Moreover, the law or the legal though organized the legal elite along the u tilitarianism and natural right. The classical law had nationalist or instrumentalist mode of the formative era. During the formative era, leaders of the bar, treatise writers, and the Supreme Court justices among other legal players had the same conception of the law that was viewed to transform old conflicting schools of thought3. These legal players wanted legal thoughts and professions to match with science along the philosophical speculation as well as in the crudities of democratic politics. This alliance of legal player influenced the legal outcome between the year 1865 and 1940 that was defined by the older conservatism. The older conservatism was only realized among the professionals that constituted politicians and despoiling entrepreneurs who piled pressure on the framers, working class, and the â€Å"public interest†. Therefore, classical law was introduced as an article of faith within the liberal historiography of this time (Frank, 1975: 183)2. From these two sc hools of thoughts, it is apparent that the classical law emerged to introduce reforms in both social and economic lives of people during the industrialization period. According to Milsom (1981: 364)4, the law was introduced as a legal measure for autonomy. It aimed at narrowing the gap between different social and economic classes since it seemed to offset the distinguishable result from economic interest and political power. However, both schools of thought have not addressed the autonomy of legal consciousness that led to the introduction of the law. The first contribution notes that the law was introduced to deal with specific concepts within the industrial era. However, on the other side, the second school of thought states that classical law emerged to deal with all the social, economic, and political discrepancies or inequality that emerged during the nineteenth century industrialization in Britain just like other parts of the world that was experiencing industrialization revo lution. 3. Blackstone, W. (1973) Commentaries on the Laws of England. London: Macmillan 4. Milsom, S.F.C., (1981) Historical Foundations of the Common Law, London: Butterworths, pp. 361-400 Some contributors of the emergence of the classical law note that before the civil war in the United States, there was a set of legal relationships among the legal elites within and outside America. This relationship comprised of legal system including private citizen of states,

Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Case Study Example While this move is anticipated to benefit China’s trading partners, since they will be in a position to reap the benefit of a flexible currency exchange rate, which includes increasing the value of their exports to China, there is some dissent view amongst some economists, that doing that will have a negative implication on China and consequently on its trading partners (Alfaro and Tella, 7). On the event that China would make its currency exchange rate more flexible, a high rate of deflation will be experienced in China, which would result to economic decline. This is because; making the exchange rate flexible would mean that the Chinese currency will lose some value relative to other currencies, such as the US dollar. This would mean that the cost of doing business in china will increase, since the multinational corporations and other foreign investments to china will be force to cater for the cost of increased inflation. This might result to having most of the foreign inves tments or the multinational companies moving out of the Chinese market, and seeking to invest in other countries, where the cost of doing business will be relatively lower (Alfaro and Tella, 18). ... The Chinese economy operated under the principles of communism, until reforms were introduced to make it a socialist economy, with private ownership of property and increased reforms in agriculture, state-owned enterprises, banking sector, trade and foreign investment policies, which saw China increase its GDP growth by 9.5% annually, and increase its trade from 10% of GDP to 79% of GDP between 1978 to 2004 (Alfaro and Tella, 15). The most significant change was in foreign investment policies, where China pursued policies that allowed for high foreign investment, resulting to having 50% of Chinas exports being produced by foreign investors by 2004 (Alfaro and Tella, 16). China pursued foreign direct investment into its economy more than borrowing loans, an aspect that saw the FDI account for more than 70% of its capital inflow in the early 2000s. However, the pressure of investment into china reached to a position of imbalance with the household consumption, prompting the Chinese gov ernment to slow down its pursuit for investment, to encourage household consumptions, so that the pressures of investment and consumption would level off. Thus, as opposed to focusing on revaluing the exchange rates, the Chinese government started focusing on domestic policies that would enhance consumption starting 2005 (Alfaro and Tella, 22). Both the domestic policy and the exchange rate revaluation have the impact of increasing deflationary pressure, while increasing the cost of doing business for foreign investors. This calls for a further adjustment to such businesses, which may include increasing their sales in China to cover up for the increased costs, or shifting their businesses to other countries which have less cost of doing business. Therefore, as much as there

Tasso Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Tasso - Assignment Example attest to his influence on various artists expression and interpretation of his significant works of which La Gerusalemme liberate was considered his masterpiece. The life and works of Tasso enlighten art enthusiasts in the realization that the concept of love unfulfilled might have contributed to his insanity – as it still happens in contemporary times. In Amita, the object of the shepherd hero’s amorous desires, Sylvia, found pleasure in engaging in a chase for her heart even to the point of death. Tasso, thought to have represented himself in the character of Thyrsis, revealed his inner thoughts through analogies of love with goddesses and beams of emotions like silver and gold: insurmountable, ephemeral, distant. He sees this as a bondage ever seeking freedom and hope of realization even in the face of death. Tasso was credited for various works of arts including Rinaldo, a narrative poem â€Å"meant to combine the regularity of the Virgilian with the attractions of the romantic epic† (NNDB, par. 1); Torrismondo, a meritorious tragedy; Monte Olivet, a poem considered as dull by critics; Gerusalemme Conquistata, a grim revision of his masterpiece; and Le Sette Giornate, â€Å"a prosaic composition in Italian blank verse† ((NNDB, par. 1). Despite his illness and notoriety, he was to be crowned in Rome by Pope Clement VIII as Italys Poet Laureate but died one day before the coronation. (Liukkonen, par. 11) The themes and poetic expression of Tasso clearly reflected the life of the poet with its extreme touches of poverty amidst living in the presence of dukes, duchess, prince and princess of his era. Like his Aminta, his life ended just on the verge of being ascended into the realization of his

Define international business and explain how it affects each of us in Essay

Define international business and explain how it affects each of us in our daily activities - Essay Example The great Silk Road was another prominent trade route, which facilitated trade between different countries across Asia and Europe. The present global trade has evolved from ancient practices, where merchants engaged in trade to get profit, while the governments engaged in the trade for the same reasons in addition to expansion of their political influences. Due to the movement of people and services across different countries, international trade affects cultural, social, economic, and political aspects of the countries and the people engaged in the trade (Vadime, 2000). This paper examines international business in context with historical development and its influence on our daily lives. The objective of the earliest trade just like the current international commerce was to satisfy diverse human needs and wants. Because of diverse distribution of resources in different geographical regions, scarcity and availability of goods and services initiated the early trade. People from one re gion exchanged their commodities at their disposal with goods and services from other regions. In this regard, goods and services were exchanged directly without use of currency in transactions called barter trade. One of the earliest challenges that plagued early trade was geographical distances between the source and market of the commodities and services. This resulted to the development of transportation networks, linking all the trading regions involved. Allen, et al (2000) noted that the earliest forms of transport during the early trade were human porters and the use of domesticated animals such as camels and donkeys. According to Francis (2007), domesticated animals enabled early traders to travel long distances and this form of transport made early Arabian traders very successful in the trade. Francis (2007) noted that as early as in the second millennium, Arabs organized trade caravans across the Arabian Peninsula and the Far East. This resulted to the formation of the ear ly trade routes where valuable goods such as silk, precious metals and spices were traded across the regions. Early caravans across long distances were not profitable for trading in cheaper commodities. However, people could travel across shorter distance to exchange cheaper but essential commodities such as food, animals, ornaments and textiles with one another (Francis, 2007). The earliest trade routes were on the land and could not take place across regions isolated by large water bodies (Allen, et al 2000). In addition to geographical limitations of the land routes, many caravans were attacked as they travelled across hostile regions resulting to heavy loss of lives and trade. To ensure the safety of trade routes, Curtis, et al (1999) noted that most traders formed partnerships with people along the routes and in other cases, established empires resorted to military intervention and expanding their territorial boundaries across the region of trade interests. However, the discove ry of water transport in the third millennium solved some of the challenges of land routes, such as insecurity and limitations of the quantity of cargo carried. According to Curtis, et al (1999), maritime trade developed after realization that monsoon winds could be manipulated to propel sea vessels across large geographical regions isolated by water bodies. According to Daniel (2007), the waterways enhanced international trade further by opening up

Speech Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Speech - Essay Example This practice is carried out on girls. It can be done as from few days old to teenage years. This presentation intends to examine the function of the warlords during the colonial period towards FGM, the violence caused by FGM and education as a major contributory factor to rampant FGM practices (Levin & Asaah, 2009). FGM is believed to be intensive in Africa where WHO approximates the population ranging from 90-95 million women to have undergone the practice (Levin & Asaah, 2009). Majority of the communities believe that FGM lessen libido. However, the majority of the Muslim believes that it is a religious obligation that is mandatory The warlords and the process of colonization are closely linked with FGM. It is imperative to note that attempts by the colonial administrators to halt the practice during the early 20th century did not succeed, but instead enhanced the provocation and anger consequently the FGM escalated. Kenya is a typical example where the FGM escalated upon aggravation of the local communities. The Christian missionaries in Kenya tried to discourage the practice due to the medical consequences and the accompanying sexualized rituals (Levin & Asaah, 2009). This did not work; instead, it became a focal point of agitating for independence, particularly by the Kikuyu community. It is fundamental to note that, the provocation led to the murder of Hilda Stump who was one of the American Missionary after she spoke about the FGM openly. The efforts of preaching against FGM by the Christian Missionaries and human rights activists based in London failed because most of the Kenyan local communities believe d that the female circumcision was not just an event or action but an institution, which was immensely attributed to enormous educational, moral, religious and social implications. Consider the following table that indicates the statistical data of the rate of

Tasso Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Tasso - Assignment Example attest to his influence on various artists expression and interpretation of his significant works of which La Gerusalemme liberate was considered his masterpiece. The life and works of Tasso enlighten art enthusiasts in the realization that the concept of love unfulfilled might have contributed to his insanity – as it still happens in contemporary times. In Amita, the object of the shepherd hero’s amorous desires, Sylvia, found pleasure in engaging in a chase for her heart even to the point of death. Tasso, thought to have represented himself in the character of Thyrsis, revealed his inner thoughts through analogies of love with goddesses and beams of emotions like silver and gold: insurmountable, ephemeral, distant. He sees this as a bondage ever seeking freedom and hope of realization even in the face of death. Tasso was credited for various works of arts including Rinaldo, a narrative poem â€Å"meant to combine the regularity of the Virgilian with the attractions of the romantic epic† (NNDB, par. 1); Torrismondo, a meritorious tragedy; Monte Olivet, a poem considered as dull by critics; Gerusalemme Conquistata, a grim revision of his masterpiece; and Le Sette Giornate, â€Å"a prosaic composition in Italian blank verse† ((NNDB, par. 1). Despite his illness and notoriety, he was to be crowned in Rome by Pope Clement VIII as Italys Poet Laureate but died one day before the coronation. (Liukkonen, par. 11) The themes and poetic expression of Tasso clearly reflected the life of the poet with its extreme touches of poverty amidst living in the presence of dukes, duchess, prince and princess of his era. Like his Aminta, his life ended just on the verge of being ascended into the realization of his

Speech Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 4

Speech - Essay Example This practice is carried out on girls. It can be done as from few days old to teenage years. This presentation intends to examine the function of the warlords during the colonial period towards FGM, the violence caused by FGM and education as a major contributory factor to rampant FGM practices (Levin & Asaah, 2009). FGM is believed to be intensive in Africa where WHO approximates the population ranging from 90-95 million women to have undergone the practice (Levin & Asaah, 2009). Majority of the communities believe that FGM lessen libido. However, the majority of the Muslim believes that it is a religious obligation that is mandatory The warlords and the process of colonization are closely linked with FGM. It is imperative to note that attempts by the colonial administrators to halt the practice during the early 20th century did not succeed, but instead enhanced the provocation and anger consequently the FGM escalated. Kenya is a typical example where the FGM escalated upon aggravation of the local communities. The Christian missionaries in Kenya tried to discourage the practice due to the medical consequences and the accompanying sexualized rituals (Levin & Asaah, 2009). This did not work; instead, it became a focal point of agitating for independence, particularly by the Kikuyu community. It is fundamental to note that, the provocation led to the murder of Hilda Stump who was one of the American Missionary after she spoke about the FGM openly. The efforts of preaching against FGM by the Christian Missionaries and human rights activists based in London failed because most of the Kenyan local communities believe d that the female circumcision was not just an event or action but an institution, which was immensely attributed to enormous educational, moral, religious and social implications. Consider the following table that indicates the statistical data of the rate of

American Airlines Strategy Paper Essay Example for Free

American Airlines Strategy Paper Essay Currently the airline industry as a whole seems to be on the road of recovery. We, American Airlines, the fourth largest carrier recently avoided bankruptcy, but had a summer full of pressure due to ongoing union struggles and questionable executive compensation packages. After having incurred such big losses, this recovery has come about because of the government bailout and many of our large competitors’ abilities to survive the turbulence in the industry. So far, the prospects look promising. Revenue has improved across all regions of the business. Domestic unit revenue was up almost 10 percent and Latin American revenue has increased by close to 11 percent in the last quarter of 2012 compared to the same period the prior year. We are performing better than other airlines that have filed for protection and have done so without slashing capacity. In short, American is doing the right things to return to business efficiency and customer effectiveness. In order to establish a sustainable position for the future, American Airlines must adopt a three-pronged strategy moving forward. First, we should focus on low priced operations and increased marketing strategies to improve customer demand. We have to enhance customer experience and our volume of loyal customers to build a stronger presence in Airline Industry. Second, we must focus on increasing and improving the routes to cater to large customer base. Lastly, we must address the difficulties our company might face in integrating with the culture of US Airlines. Our future success is highly dependent on these two entities efficiently operating as a single organization. Industry Analysis Current Position US Airline industry today is dominated by five major domestic carriers. United, Delta and Southwest each has more than 15 percent market share. American is fourth, with around 12 percent and US Airways is fifth with around 10 percent. Four of these five are profitable — all but American. We lost $2 billion in 2011 and $1.7 billion in the first quarter of 2012. Future Strategy Our emphasis in 2013 is on operational flexibility, international growth through alliance and selective network expansion, and domestic partnerships to reduce operational and balance sheet risks. Americans market differentiation is based on emphasizing and meeting the needs and expectations of high value customers (particularly large global corporates) and better alignment with the one world airline network and value proposition. Also, being the lead carrier between not only the United States and Latin America but, increasingly, the world and Latin America—connecting through Dallas, Los Angeles, or Miami. This strategy makes sense; if they can get all labor work groups on board, they should be able to make it happen. That is still the main challenge, as is competitor contestation, particularly from larger traditional rivals like Delta and United. Improve Customer Demand Lower Operational Costs American passenger division which already has 57 fewer planes in service than an year ago, should further shrink by another 57 planes this summer. This would improve operational efficiency. Current service levels include 275 cities with a fleet of over 1000 aircraft. American carries about 80 million passengers daily and receives more than 329,000 reservation calls, handles more than 293,000 pieces of luggage and flies more than 4300 flights in one typical day. In order to reduce costs further over 27000 jobs will have to be eliminated. Because of high competition in the industry, substantial price fluctuations occur related to fares. Enhance Customer Base Increase value added services offered through our interactive website, AA.com. Any differentiation that convenience added capabilities offer is the center of focus. Busy hiub systems and schedule patterns need to be looked at to improve efficiency and routing effectiveness, thereby enhancing customer experience. We need to do rigorous marketing to attract more customers. Our marketing is currently focused on seasonal and business travelers and much analysis is taken in order to optimize peak travel seasons as well as frequent flier miles programs and pints systems. The Making More Room in coach program is the original marketing ploy of American to project a perception of higher passenger comfort levels. As increased advertising and intense market share is gained, we will continue to remain a key player assuming passenger demand goes up as projected. We will focus on upgraded in-flight entertainment systems, football game special fares, and buy-on board meal options to further enhance customer experience. Improve Network American Airlines new network strategy is designed to improve profitability by offering the routes and schedules that attract and retain not only their own high value customers but also those of alliance partners, an important source of revenue through codeshare agreements and closely aligned loyalty programs. The network is the core product that works in concert with lie-flat seats, onboard amenities, and customer service. Latin America is a prominent focus, due in part to our strong presence in key hubs to Latin America such as Dallas and Miami. This is where the profits are. Passenger growth forecasts for Latin America for 2013-17 are 6 percent for Latin America North (Central America and the northern rim of South America) and 8 percent for Latin America South (southern cone countries such as Brazil and Argentina). This compares with 3.6 percent for Europe and 4.4 percent for Asia. Increase International Routes To follow the growth markets, we must change our portfolio mix to focus more on international rather than domestic routes. This is a gradual process, moving from 38 percent international and 62 percent domestic capacity in 2013 towards a 44/56 percent balance by 2017. As we refocus more of our flying towards international opportunities, it is likely to look towards increased code-sharing with domestic carriers like Alaska Airlines, jetBlue, and others to further enhance our network in places like Los Angeles and New York City. This is likely to have initial teething problems, due to terminal colocation and product disparity issues. For instance, the business passengers that we are pursuing may be disgruntled by jetBlues more restrictive carry-on baggage policies or by extra time and added security checks if they are required to change terminals. Refurbish domestic feed Our plan is also to diversify our domestic feed by increasing the number of regional carriers with which we do business to reduce operational and balance sheet risk. Today, we primarily get a feed from our wholly-owned subsidiary, American Eagle, which has higher costs than some other regional carriers. American Eagle is going through its own restructuring to lower its costs, and it may ultimately be spun off. Synergies with US Airlines Merger with US Airways will result in the largest carrier in US. It would create roughly $1.2 billion in financial benefits.

The Amo Model Theoritical Framework Commerce Essay

The Amo Model Theoritical Framework Commerce Essay Every organization in a public or private sector, struggle for survival and this survival can be gotten if there is a motivated workforce to ensure the organizations objectives are met. Most organizations tend to neglect and ignore the up-keep of their employees which might affect employee performance and organizational productivity. There are complaints about low performance and productivity in most organizations in Nigeria. Researchers like Akinyele (2010) are of the opinion that low performance and productivity in most organizations in Nigeria is caused by the organizations where they operate. Additionally, Akinyele (2010) is of the opinion that about 80% of low productivity and performance is caused by the work environment of the organization and so, suggests that when the environment of an organization is conducive, it confirms that the well-being of the employees will be improved and would lead to higher productivity for the organization (Akinyele, 2007). Organizations find it difficult to perform up to standard in order to meet their objectives due to the fact that there is low performance and productivity. The reason for low organizational performance and productivity in Nigeria according to Ahiauzu (1999) is that, employees perform better when they are managing their own businesses other than working in an organization. With this, they end up coming late to work, show little or no creativity and are slow in accepting change. This indicates that there is a missing factor which motivates employees that is not present. Also, there are other issues that affect performance and productivity in some organizations In Nigeria which relates to cultural background, belief system and web of kingship. Again, Keller (2006) suggests that when you give your employees the best, they in turn give it back to the organization. For example, in relation to the organization, there have been a clear case of low performance because of its managerial style and leadership calamity, the way funds are managed and this is affecting the performance of the employees and the organization (Babalola, 2012). Line managers are actively responsible for the well-being and welfare of their employees Boxall and Purcell (2003) because they are the most important assets of an organization (Armstrong 2012). When employees feel they are not working for themselves and are not motivated in any way, they tend to be disengaged and disconnected with the work and its environment especially when they notice they are neglected by their employers and line managers. For improving the well-being and performance of employees, Boxall and Purcell (2003) as illustrated in the AMO model below suggest that for effective employee and organizational performance, line managers should be able to present, apply, direct and monitor all human resource activities to help improve organizational and employee performance. THE AMO MODEL THEORITICAL FRAMEWORK Most organizations tend to neglect the well-being of their employees and due to this, they end up not performing well which in turn affects the performance of the organization. This, can be caused by either the managerial style of the line managers, not having a conducive work environment or even the employees themselves. The AMO model is an illustration of how employees can be motivated by the line managers using the HR policies and practices involved so as to enhance performance and well-being. The term AMO means A=Ability, M=Motivation, O= opportunity. Ability refers to the practices and policies that ensure the employees in an organization get the best and are prepared with the skills to take on any job in the organization, with the assumption that jobs would be challenging. Organizations should ensure that their employees have the necessary skills to be able to use their discretionary practice whereby they are able to participate with minimum supervision. This is why Huselid (19 95) and Appelbaum et al., (2000) state that organizations must ensure accurate recruitment and selection process to recruit capable and skilled workers and also ensure necessary training. In order for employees to use their discretionary practice, they need to be motivated with either an extrinsic, intrinsic or trust factor (Appelbaum et al., 2000). Extrinsic this can be financial such as performance pay or commission, incentive pay. Intrinsic pay comes from inner satisfaction and finally, when an organization can enable an environment that is trustworthy and encouraging, then employees feel valued and wanted. If all these motivational factors are absent, then employees tend to be absent or likely leave the job. The opportunity to be involved in the decision-making process in an organization gives employees the sense of involvement, engagement and enhances well-being (Appelbaum et al., 2000). According to Wood and Wall (2007), Boxall and Macky (2009) and Appelbaum et al., (2000) , i t is the distinguishing feature that differentiates High performance work practices whereby the decision making process should be de-centralized and shared rather than the control of hierarchy. According to Wood and Wall (2007), there are different ways in which employees should be given the opportunity and chance to be involved either being in a self-managed team or the opportunity for their voice to be heard. RESEARCH ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT It is important to consider the organization used in this research work. In 2004, FIFA (The Federation Internationale De Football Association) the world football governing body recommended the Nigerian Football Association (NFA) to create an avenue for the establishment of the Nigerian Football League (NFL) which would be an independent body but also would still be a member of the NFA. The processes and procedures of acquiring an office including the office of the chairman and vice chairman, board members and other departments was then put in place in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory of Nigeria. In 2006, the NFL was then in search of sponsors since it is operating as a non-profit making organization but to no avail due to the fact that it lacked legal backup. It was reported to the NFA and the Ministry of Sports and later, the NFL was granted their license to become a corporate body and was immediately incorporated as a Limited Liability Company in April 2006. The title sponsor i mmediately after the incorporation was awarded to Nigerias biggest telecommunication company for four years and then, the NFL was changed to NPL (Nigerian Premier League). The Nigerian Premier League (NPL) consists of 40 staff and 20 premier league clubs that is spread all over Nigeria and it is in line with the international best practice for the benefit of its stakeholders. Due to the fact that the football body (NPL) is a non-profit making organization, there might be significant impact on the well-being of its workforce having in mind that they are working for an organization that generates no profit and how they are motivated would be at stake unlike a profit making organization whereby the desire of the organization is to make profit. In a country like Nigeria where most of the workforce work not for the experience but for the money would also affect organizations that are non-profit making like the NPL. As money is known to be an extrinsic motivational factor in Herzberg 2 factor theory and by paraventure the company experiences a downturn in finance and it is not able to meet the financial expectation of its workforce, productivity will fall to its minimum as employee performance will be reduced due to lack of no financial benefit or extrinsic motivation. In Nigeria, most organizations are of the opinion that since employees work for the money and not the experience, it should be seriously considered by the line managers so as to create ways to intrinsically motivate the employees. This is why the purpose of this research would benefit the Nigerian Premier League on how to motivate the employees thereby using the elements from the AMO Model by Purcell et. al., (2003) mentioned in this study that it is necessary to intrinsically motivate the workforce, which in turn can lead to career progression. The NPL is faced with a challenge which is now affecting the well-being and performance of the employees (For example, absenteeism, low performance, finance) and as well, the organization (Babalola, 2012). In this case, it can be caused by lack of engaging the employees using the human resource practices mentioned in the Black Bo x, the managerial style of the managers, cultural differences which can generate conflict Aluko (2003) lack of finance and again, remember they are working for the only thing that motivates them which is the money and it is not available. CONCEPT OF WELL-BEING Well being according to Ryan and Deci (2000) is where the employee is fully engaged (Committed), fully functioning (Active) and focuses on self-actualization (Realization of Potentials). CIPD (2006) defines well-being as creating a good working environment to promote the employee state of mind that allows the employee to develop and attain the full ability to perform for the benefit of the organization. Having this in mind, the managerial procedures in organizations tend to have an impact on the workforce of an organization because of the way they are followed and in turn can have an effect on the performance outcome of the organization and the workforce AMO Model Purcell et al. (2003) using the HR practices. Researchers suggest here that there may be a significant correlation between Human Resource management and the performance outcome of the organization (Becker and Gerhard 1996; Huselid 1995). However, well-being is part of the human resource process and its relationship has been ignored thereby affecting organizational performance. According to Pfeffer (1998), the problem facing human resource management should not be, having the idea of how HRM practices enhance the outcome of an organization but instead understanding how it affects employee well-being, performance and engagement which if present increases productivity. In the light of this research, employee well-being and performance would be discussed using human resource practices, such as organizational commitment, training and development, ability and skills, motivation and job satisfaction and discretionary behavior, which help to promote a good work life balance in an organization (The AMO Model, See figure 1.1) Purcell et al., (2003). From the above model, the Human Resource practices might influence employee well-being if taking into consideration and can continuously develop and increase performance and productivity. If the management of any organization can actually generate a good working environment, the workforce would in turn respond with high motivation and satisfaction which can help the company attain high performance and enhance productivity. Despite the fact that organizations vary, ways of motivation also vary. The aim of most organizations is to make profit in one way or the other be it a profit making organization or non-profit making organization but most non-profit making organizations, spend more and dont really make a profit but this can be achieved if only organizations take into consideration the well-being of their employees thereby using the HR elements mentioned by Purcell et al., (2003) to improve well-being and performance. CONCEPT OF PERFORMANCE Performance according to Stoner (2002) is vital to measure the effectiveness and efficiency of the organization, which shows how well the organizations objectives are achieved. Performance in an organization can be negatively impacted upon by different factors which can hinder the progress of the organization. In Nigeria, the impact of organizational performance can be caused by poor communication Inedegbor et al., (2012), culture Aluko (2003) and possibly can be caused by the external environment. IOA Model for Organizational Performance. The framework above illustrates an organizations performance which can have different dimensions that consists of the organizations importance, financial stability, and effectiveness of the organization, how efficient the organization is and how well they can react to change from its internal and external environment. It also illustrates that the performance of an organization should be linked to how motivated the organization might be and that resources like finance, technology, and workforce can drastically affect the performance of an organization. Drawing from the research organization (NPL), it indicates that the organization suffers low performance because it lacks the only thing that motivates the employees leading to absenteeism and de-motivation. RESEARCH STUDY AIM This research aims to examine the ability of the AMO Model by Purcell et al., (2003) to explain employee well-being and performance to enhance productivity in the Nigerian Premier League. RESEARCH STUDY OBJECTIVES In order to carry out this research study properly, there are objectives outlined to achieve the aim of this study. The objectives are: To assess the levels of skills/ability, motivation and incentives and opportunity to participate, measure levels of training and development, ability and skills, organizational commitment, and identify discretionary behaviour and performance. To identify significant relationships between these variables To evaluate the employee perceptions of conditions of service and work in relation to AMO to participate in the Nigerian Premier League. Recommendations and conclusions based on my findings. RATIONAL FOR THE STUDY To achieve a positive outcome in an organization, the well-being of employees needs to be taken into consideration because they are seen as the most valuable assets of an organization Armstrong (2008) and the way they are managed has a significant impact on the organizations performance. The duty of the HR is to administer policies and practices used by line managers to engage employees, this is why they are of great importance in any organization despite this long contention between HRM and the organizational performance Guest (2011) due to the fact that regulations and procedures of the HRM is in connection to a recent act in strategy (Brockbank and Ulrich 2005). The aim of this research is to better understand well-being and performance of employees to enhance productivity in organizations especially those facing difficulties like low performance and high turnover, using the AMO Model (Black Box) by (Purcell et al., 2003). The research would in turn have a positive impact on the workforce and organization if the well-being and performance of the workforce are seriously taking into consideration. For the purpose of this study, the concept of employee well being is measured using training and development, ability and skills, organizational commitment, discretionary behavior and it is an attempt to close the gap between employee well-being and performance with the performance of the organization thereby explaining a bit more about the importance of HRM practices which promotes employee well-being at work and is linked to organizational performance. The study of this research on employee well-being and performance in the Nigerian Premier League would be important to the organization because it will enable the organization to understand better the concept of employee well-being and performance and how it can be managed to enhance productivity inside and outside the organization. According to Bujai, Cottini and Nielsen (2008), having an insight on the impact of employee well-being and performance in an organization with regards to engagement and other HR Practices is important in having a working environment that is productive. In order to build a productive workforce, the well-being and performance of the organization either large or small organization should be taking into consideration because most organizations feel its time and money consuming and end up abandoning their workforce. Most managers pay less attention to their workforce and this on the other hand affects the performance and well-being of the organization. This is why it is suggested by Purcell et al., (2003) in the black box (AMO Model) that managers should be careful with the way they manage their workforce. The following chapter illustrates more on the concept of well-being and performance by different authors and why it is important that employers should focus more on their employees to enhance productivity. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW DEFINITION OF WELL-BEING Well-being is a vast concept and has been defined and seen differently by various authors, organizations and how it should be managed is entirely up to the managers of the organization (AMO Model). The CCMD (2002) describes well-being as nurturing a good state of mind that helps the employee to have a good sense of purpose, feelings and fulfillment that is alert and open to new experiences. The theory of well-being by Waterman (1993) indicates that it is way above happiness but the actualization of human potentials or abilities which helps in fulfilling the true nature of an employee. There is this belief that well-being is a psychological state which Ryan and Deci (2000) argues that it is at its best when an employee is fully functioning, fully engaged and shows self actualization and vitality. This has been termed as Eudaimonic well-being. Though there is another form of well-being which is Hedonic well being, this is the subjective well-being that involves life satisfaction, the presence of positive mood and absence of negative mood. Employee well-being has been a great issue and concern in the minds of employers which they believe now is affecting the performance of the workforce. Researchers have carried out a research on human resource practices and the well-being of employers. Employee well-being has been linked to employee engagement because of its similarities and for as long as there is engagement in the workforce, there would be increased well-being and performance. In contrast, Robertson and Cooper (2010) state that employee well-being is basically different to employee engagement and describes employee engagement as the positive behavior of employees that indicate there is an uninterrupted attention giving to the organization by the employees. According to Watson (2010) employee well-being can retain or destroy the engagement level and performance in an organization which shows the connection between engagement and well-being. It further states that employee engagement and well-being either work in isolation or work together. To explain this further, see diagram 1 below. The above diagram explains that when employee well-being and engagement strongly work together, there would be sustained performance, but when engagement and well-being work in isolation, there would be defaults in the organizations performance. An example is that organizations that are finding it difficult to be at their best, their employees try hard to get things working for the organization. Therefore, forfeiting their personal life issues for the organization, may only take the organization for a short period of time which is not going to be sustainable. However, this would lead to employee burnout and disengagement where turnover and under-performance becomes the agenda of the organization (Maslach and Leiter 2008). An article by Gallup (2012), suggests that employee well-being has a significant impact on the bottom line of an organization. This is the reason organizations are engineering new strategies for gaining a sustained workforce. In as much as an organization is active, it is already in the business of managing employee well-being. Employee engagement which helps improve well-being, is a vital aspect of an employee to achieve its objectives and is another way of motivating employees to enhance internal and external performance index (CIPD 2011). Employee engagement has been defined by different authors, still, it cannot be managed (Ferguson 2007). The world is changing and ways to meet up with the demands of the environment which Porter (1987) suggests that it would surely occur is the utmost priority of most big and small organizations despite the industry or sector. According to Cooper and Robertson (2001), employee well-being when in the positive, is an advantage to any organization which indicates that the organizations workforce is healthy. For an organization to be healthy, it means that it fits to survive in the competitive environment where it operates. Currie (2001) is of the opinion that if organizations want to be competitive and be positively sustained in the environment; it must keep the health and well-being of its employees as its core which is vital for performance enhancement, future survival and development of any organization. Moreover, from an organizations point of view, the positive correlation between well-being and performance of the workforce, has been considered by Wright and Cropanzano (2004) and according to Samman (2007), Page and Vellla-Broadrick (2009), it has been reviewed that the importance of well-being and its management and measurement has puzzled researchers. Ortiz (2006) agrees with Armstrong (2008) that empl oyees are assets of an organization while Hermanson (1964) described human assets so as to measure and quantify the value of the workforce. Additionally, Roselender et al., (2006) supports the argument that the well being of an employee when fit is an organizational asset. DETERMINANTS OF WELL-BEING (GENERAL) The concept of employee well-being by Macey and Schneider, (2009); Macleod and Brady, (2008); Bakker et al. (2008) states that employee well-being in recent times both in practice and in research has been creating a lot of interest in the minds of managers. Though employee well-being has been defined differently by different authors, and there are determinants that impact on well-being. According to an article by Watson (2010), employee well-being can be seen as a physical, psychological and social health of an individual. All these must be complete in an employee and this is why the management of many organizations is so concerned about the well-being of their employees because it is of great benefit to the organization and employees. For the workforce, they would feel a sense of balance between their lives at work, at home and for the organization, high level of sustainability and engagement which will reduce turnover (Watson 2010). In essence, its advantage is all about having the workforce on the job and imputing high level of sustained engagement. Work is a significant part of an individuals life and as such, employee engagement and well-being at work are important concepts. Employee well-being, engagement and performance are important aspect of organizational development, as engaged employees are both cognitively and emotionally connected to their work and workplace (Harter and Blacksmith, 2010). The relationship between employee characteristics and business outcomes is assumed to exist, yet the empirical research is limited. For instance engaged employees consistently produce at high levels Moore (2005) yet the unique contribution of employee engagement is yet to be fully revealed. This paper attempts to fill that gap. According to Gallup (2012), organizations that strive hard to succeed in an environment, are implementing new ways for achieving sustainable competitive advantage which is employee well-being because it impacts on the performance of the organization. There are various determinants of well-being. In general, there are different factors that can influence well-being. With reference to the definition of well-being by different authors which in summary states that without well-being, there is a significant impact on the organizations performance or the workforce, many organizations tend to neglect this concept due to the fact that they think about the financial aspect of engaging the employee. Researchers also have claimed that employee engagement is different from work engagement .Work engagement is seen as a positive, fulfilling work related state of mind characterized by dedication, absorption and vigor (Schaufeli et al 2002, pg. 74). Recent research believes that dedication and vigor are the main characteristics of engagement. Vigor can be seen as that high level of energy and mental resilience while working and persistence in the face of challenges ( Dulagi, 2012). Dedication can be seen as a sense of significance, enthusiasm, inspiration, pride and challenge. Employee well-being according to Ryan and Deci (2001) believes that well-being is not best captured by hedonic conceptions of happiness alone. Instead, SDT also employs the concept of eudemonia well-being which is defined as vital, full and as a complimentary approach. Self determination theory is an organismic psychology (Ryan, 1985) one of a part of holistic psychological theories including Jean Piaget and Car l Rogers and thus assumes that people are active organisms with inherent and deeply evolved tendencies toward psychological growth and development. This can be seen clearly in the phenomenon of intrinsic motivation- the natural tendency manifest from birth to seek out challenges, novelty and opportunities to learn. Well-being according to Wright (2005) is a universal term that is mostly used when relating to emotions of individuals and research has consistently shown the importance associated with how employee well-being and job performance of an organization is measured (Wright et al., 2007). According to Wright and Cropanzano (2000), people with sophisticated psychological well-being at work are more prolific than people with ill-psychological well-being. Nonetheless, according to Harter et al., (2002); Schaufeli et al., (2006), it cannot be seen as a vital aspect of engaging an employee. In synergy, Schaufeli et al, (2002); Macey et al. (2009); Mann, (2011); Bakker and Bal, (2010) considers that well-being involves not only the psychological condition of employees due to the fact that Deci and Ryan (2000) sees as the Eudiamonic sensation of employees but also the behavior of employees. In addition, the CIPD (2011) believes that well-being consists of 3 vital units which include reasoning, sentiments and interim. However, it is being conflicted by its problems or difficulties. EMPLOYEE WELL-BEING AND SDT (SELF-DETERMINATION THEORY) In the light of this theory (SDT), Fernet et al., (2012) indicates that the confusion from employees and management attitudes impacts on the self-efficacy of the employees and their motivation to participate. Self-determination theory (SDT) involves a set of related theories that explain human behavior by defining different types of motivation that an individual may engage in for a task or set of activities (Deci and Ryan, 1985). Specifically, Self-determination theory consists of 3 vital psychological needs which should be evident for psychological growth. They are as follows: aptitude, independence and kinship. Deci, E., Ryan, R. (2002). According to the above diagram, Self-determination theory consists of a set of theories mentioned above which is associated with the behaviour of individuals and how they are motivated. It also consists of the psychological needs that when satisfied gives the working environment a sense of intrinsic motivation and human fulfilment (Deci and Ryan, 1985). In essence, the satisfaction of these needs is beneficial for high human functioning (Deci and Ryan, 2000). In an organizational context, the desire for these psychological needs is important. The need for aptitude signifies that the individual is feeling effective in the environment which allows the individual to express its exceptional capabilities (Ryan and Deci 2002, Deci and Ryan, 2000). According to Deci and Ryan (2000), Deci and Ryan (2011), Deci and Ryan (2002), the need for independence is when there is the feeling to act with the desire from within so as to feel psychologically free. Lastly, the need for kinship relates to when the individual feels the sense of belonging in the environment (Ryan and Deci 2002; Van den Broeck et al., 2008). The degree which indicates that if the construct of employee engagement is distended to include the psychological well-being of employees, it shows there would be improved business outcomes. This is why Wright et al, (2007); Danna and Griffin, (1999) suggest that there should be an impact of psychological well-being on productivity and performance if the organization wants to survive. With reference to this study, there is evidence that there is a correlation between the three psychological needs, the employees in general Deci and Ryan, (2000), Baars et al., (2004), well-being that is work-related for example, organizational commitment, discretionary behavior, motivation and job satisfaction which is essential to enhance productivity and performance in an organization. DETERMINANTS OF WELL-BEING AT WORK In an organizational context, the term employee well-being according to Cooper and Robertson (2001) impacts on the performance of the employee and can lead to high productivity or outcome which is an added advantage to organizations that encourages a workforce that is healthy. For an organization to be active and healthy, it then shows that it can survive in its environment or industry where it operates because for an organization to be able to survive in its sector, it is unavoidable to ignore promoting the well-being and performance of its employees which in this case is vital to increase employee performance and this can lead to future organizational development (Currie 2001). In line with this research topic, when employee well-being is introduced into any organization, it is likely to change the environment and pave way for innovation which can create positive organizational performance especially for organizations that are under-performing. Research has shown that it took ages for organizations to create a relationship that has to do with employment due to the fact that the well-being of an employee is seen as their responsibility (Guest 2002; Cooper and Robertson 2001). According to a survey by WERS (2004), it purports that the ability of employees in their work environment has been a disturbing research of interest to concerned employers with regards employment relations (Kersley et al., 2006). The following determinants of well-being at work are listed and discussed below: Organizational Commitment The main aim that differentiates HRM from other managerial roles is that the organizations commitment is the main reason why they exist, which according to Guest (1998) is the core purpose of the human resource management. Organizational commitment has been defined by different authors which makes its definition versatile. Some researchers see organizational commitment as the behavior of individuals because they give their best to ensure the organization achieve its purpose (Becker 1960; Gechman and Weiner, 1977). Others like March and Simon (1958) see it as the attitude of the individual whereby they engage themselves to the organization so as to get rewards and incentives from the organization. Meanwhile, Cook and Wall (1980) refer to organizational commitment as the individuals mood in relation to its employing organization which is related to achieving the aims and objectives of the organization. In the distant past, organizations paid little or no attention to well-being and per formance of employees, making them feel de-motivated, but organizations like Cadbury Family and Lever Brothers made sure that

Internet Applications In Business :: essays research papers fc

The Benefits of Businesses that use the Internet Almost all national retail organizations today have an Internet site where anyone can place an order. Most are even able to accept credit card payment for instant processing of your order. In fact, there are some companies that accept orders solely from the Internet. Office Depot has gone one step further than the competition; they have included perks for their contract customers also. Specifically, they have linked the Web-site to their ES9000 mainframe enabling customers to get their own specific contract pricing. The closest any competitors have come is storing a customer’s shipping information. The result was $67 Million in sales last year. That doesn’t come close to an Internet only retailer like Amazon.com, but it is a phenomenal success for Depot’s first year in the Internet market. Increased sales revenue is not the only benefit that this marketing plan has reaped. A new level of efficiency has also been reached. The leading benefit that has created such efficiency is the number of customer orders that Depot does not have to: 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Take up more of a salesperson’s time on the phone. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Take up an order-entry clerk. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Waste time trying to understand precisely what the customer needs. (The customer can browse though our entire catalog of merchandise) Instead, the company’s time can be spent on more important customer service issues. A salesperson can get out in the field to meet one-on-one with their customers. Order-entry clerks can spend more time making sure they key exactly what the customer wants. That covers the benefits to the company, but how about the customer. Are they benefiting as well? Customer feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. This is mainly true because Internet ordering is an additional service, not a replacement of service. Some customers in the past would complain that they couldn’t speak to a Real Person when they needed to most. Now when they need to place an order, there is no need to speak to someone unless more clarification is required, and when it is, there are more Real People available to speak with. Company Email Though some people think that the Email account that their company supplies them is private and confidential, it is actually neither. Most companies explain their Email policy in great detail, but one would have to look for it in their Employee Manual on their own. One of the main reasons why companies do this is to protect themselves legally.