Article Analysis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Analysis - Article Example The article in focus studies the prevalence of occupational stress among employees and the effects that such have on their productivity. To achieve these, the researchers study five public corporations where they analyze stress prevalence among employees and its management. Data gathering technique is an essential skill in any study. In the article, this is achieved through the use of questionnaires, interviews as well as observation. The subjects are easily defined; this is a factor that makes studying them a little easier. With the result tabulated, it becomes easy to calculate such important aspects of the findings as mean, the calculated median, and mode. The researchers employ the use of the statistical package for social science, commonly referred to as SPSS. The software improves efficiency besides enhancing data integrity (Henry& Joseph, 2008). The study offered statistically significant result. Out of the subjects under study, stressed employees were counted and recorded just as were those not stressed. The data thereafter separated every case under specific subheadings on the causes of the stress and tabulated the number of those who felt victims of every subheading. This makes calculations thereafter possible thereby authenticating the results obtained. Stress is a big problem in very many organizations globally. The research’s hypothesis states that occupational stress affects very many employees in organizations world over thereby affecting their turn over consequently negating productivity. This, it indicates, implies that such organizations incur loses eventually. With no hypothesis, a research makes no sense. It is the hypothesis that confines a study to particular parameters. However, in this research, the hypothesis is inferred since he does not make direct claim of these. He attributes his facts to these and proves that in deed organizational stress is equivalent to monetary

Overview and History of Hispanic Culture

Overview and History of Hispanic Culture The term Hispanic was first coined the Federal government in the years of 1970s. This was in an attempt to provide a common identity to a large, group of population that had a connection to the Spanish language (Toomey and Chung, 2012). It is a term referring to individuals residing in the United States and whose origins are traced back to the regions of Latin America that speak Spanish. The regions whose people are considered the Hispanics are Central America, Mexico and South America and along the Caribbean (Davis, 2000). Efforts to link up the relationships between these multicultural societies it is also very important to understand how the world today is characterized by an ever growing number of contacts that results from communication between people of different linguistic and cultural backgrounds (Samovar, 2006). Basically, this communication occurs because of the contacts that exist within military installations, areas of business, education, entertainment, scientific instit utions, etc. It is therefore necessary to denote that to understand intercultural communication amongst the Hispanic, there is a need of focusing on their cultural beliefs, and social attributes. Culture has different meanings although it is used to denote to a set of standards, values, art, practices and music of a particular group. Becker (2004) defines culture, as a complex whole that includes beliefs, arts, knowledge, morals, law, and any other capability and habit which is acquired by mankind within a society. Furthermore, he denotes that culture is normally acquired and learned, as opposed to biological traits which are inherited (Samovar, 2006). As we are made to comprehend that this was innovative against the background of colonialism, social evolution and racialism which were the most common ideologies during the nineteenth century (Davis, 2000). Hispanics cultural beliefs and social attributes form the basis of this papers work that is in line with their communication links along their cultural setup. They are regarded as a highly group-oriented form of social setup. In this sense, Hispanics put strong emphasis on the family as the main source of the identity of an individual, and it protects against the hardships an individual passes through. People who do not have the capability of creating this set up are not easily trusted, and this process is very cautious (Toomey and Chung, 2012). The model of a family, amongst the Hispanics normally comprises of aunts, grandparents, cousins, etc. They use the term Familismo to describe their strong and supreme loyalty to extended families. Due to an emphasis on harmony, collectivity and corporation amongst the Hispanic people, this group normally emphasizes collective responsibility (Toomey and Chung, 2012). The decisions and behavior of each are ascribed to the strong ties shared with the extended family. Within these groups, there is a very rigid definition of sex roles. The elderly are revered and very much valued by all members of the family. On the end, the male figure is seen as a symbol of authority within these social constructs (Martin and Nakayama, 2013). Although some of the female roles are being defined of late, the women in Hispanic culture still occupy the subsidiary positions. In these groups, fathers have the prestige and authority and sons on the other end bear earlier individuality as compared to the daughters (Bergad and Klein, 2010). Language refers to a set of words that are used by a common people, who belong to the same country, community, cultural tradition, and geographical area (Piller, 2011). Under the Hispanic culture, language is viewed as a process of communication that helps to bring the society together. For them, Spanish is a key marker of personal, social and political identity (Cai, 2010). This means that Spanish speaking televisions make the much important part of the lives of the fluent English speakers. Communication among the Hispanics is never limited to one language, but there is a need to integrate both English and Spanish in communication. These individuals are not limited to neither English nor Spanish but to both. Religion has played a significant role among the Hispanics for generations. Most Hispanics are very religious, and the most dominant religion is Catholicism (Piller, 2011). Catholic religion plays an important role in shaping the manner in which these people behave, and communicate with one another. Becker (2004) explains that 90% of the Hispanic people practice the religion of Catholicism. Religion shapes the mode of relationships and also contributing to better intercultural communication. In recent years though, other faith denominations have been identified to grow within the people of the Hispanic community. The church is said to influence family life and also community affairs of the Hispanics by giving spiritual meaning to the people of the Hispanic culture (Cai, 2010). For every local community patron saints, days are celebrated in given much importance than what individuals do during their birthdays. When a light meal is served in the morning, it implies that a breakfast is served. El almuerzo or Lunch is usually the main meal of the Spanish- speakers. Some countries make it a custom for their adult family members and their children to come home and celebrate el almuerzo together (Martin and Nakayama, 2013). La siesta, which is a resting period among the Hispanics is said to be a habit among this group of people. In the early evening, la merinda, a light snack of coffee sandwiches is served, and it is usually for children. At around 9.00 p.m people normally conclude the days meals (Bergad and Klein, 2010). Hispanics refer to midday and evening meals to be very important and are always associated with sobremesa when guest is present. Sobremesa is a time the Hispanics talk over coffee or an after –dinner drink (Davis, 2000). The Hispanics only accept food served when it is offered for the second time. The behavior is learnt across cultures, and it helps in shaping an identit y in line with interpersonal communication among groups. Latino culture is denoted by celebrations of holidays and traditions. These traditions and celebrations normally help to shape the life of that culture (Toomey and Chung, 2012). The holidays help in shaping opportunities of deepening family, friends and communal connections. Others believe that such days do offer an excuse to party (Cai, 2010). The Hispanic celebrations range from religious to patriotic and from popular to unique. Navidad or better known as Christmas celebrations is the most common of them all because 90% of the population ascribe to the doctrine of Catholicism (Bergad and Klein, 2010). The other most common religious celebration is La Semana Santa or the holy week. La Semana Santa is a cultural practice amongst the Hispanic people, and it is common in Colombia, Guatemala, Mexico and Peru (Cai, 2010). The Hispanic Heritage month is celebrated only in the United States. Hispanics tend to describe their communication in a very formal manner. They look at each other with formal considerations. Greetings and leave-taking are described with handshakes as a formal means of communication (Martin and Nakayama, 2013). Also between women, and men and women who share close relationships; hugging and light kissing is visible to be a common practice among these groups.In language address, words of respect are shared across cultures (Bergad and Klein, 2010). The words such as Don or Dona are used before peoples first names this shows how such forums are formal in nature. In non-formal communication setups speaking is often loud, fast and full of animated gestures for the better conveyance of meaning to the points stated (Martin and Nakayama, 2013). In terms of dressing, wearing of formal attires bears the meaning given to formal gatherings for example church, parties, social gatherings and also work (Davis, 2000). Hispanics are noted to be very relaxed about time and space of punctuality than the Native Americans do. Not arriving on time is a socially acceptable behavior among the Hispanics (Piller, 2011). For instance, a meeting that was scheduled to begin say at 8.00 would not commence until at around 8.30 because guests begin showing their faces around at the latter time (Toomey and Chung, 2012). Also, their accent limits them from public speaking, because they feel they might be marginalized or ignored all the same. Becker (2004) explains that life normally goes one way. Furthermore, people are always caught between the past and future. In other words, we are living with the uncertainty of which we are conscious. In this sense, there is that ability to see our destinies and fates dramatically different because of our cultural attitudes about controlling external forces (Cai, 2010). Hispanics believe in a strong sense of uncertainty that is inherent in life, and they take each day as it comes (Bergad and Klein, 2010). The term fatalismo is usually used by Latinos to express their belief that individuals are not able to do anything about fate. For example in Medicine and health matters, they would prefer not to inquire if they are diagnosed with cancer but rather they would just believe that Gods punishment has made them the way they are. Because of fatalism, Becker (2004) explains that Hispanic patients are normally reluctant to seek screenings for purposes of preventing diseases. They would only attend these screenings until the disease they are suffering from becomes severe (Martin and Nakayama, 2013). Preventive screenings are important because they help in avoiding diseases such as chronic illnesses, and cancer, and radical invasion procedures and treatments. Latinos are more concerned with relationships rather than time. The word Simpatia means kindness and it refers to the idea of being polite and pleasant even when in the presence of stress. Hispanics, therefore, are said to be very kind to anyone trying to communicate with them at all lengths (Cai, 2010). They command an optimistic approach at every instance even in the presence of depressing situations. An individual who is trying to communicate with these community members should never have an approach that could be read as neutral. This is because it would translate to unkindness. They demand attention, patience, respect and if possible communication is in Spanish. Furthermore, physical gestures like handshakes or placing hands on the shoulders of other people help in communicating warmth and happiness. In other cases, they demand confidence from their respondents. Intercultural communication is the communication system or elements that help to share information across different cultural groups. Communication occurs when there are a recipient or respondent and the sender or communicator, a medium of communication and the information itself. Hispanics are a group of people living in the United States but trace their origin to Spanish speaking nation like Cuba, Mexico and the Caribbean. In understanding these relationships in communication, despite a lot of emphasis and focus being placed on other cultures in America, Hispanics culture shape the American world. From formal communication to informal communication Hispanics culture demands confidence, respect attention and patience. In other cases, they demand that their respondents to speak in Spanish which translates into greater rapport between them and their communicators or recipients. References: Becker, P. (2004). Social change in America: The historical handbook, 2004. Lanham, MD:  Bernan Press. Bergad, L., Klein, H. (2010). Hispanics in the United States: A demographic, social, and  economic history, 1980-2005. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Cai, D. (2010). Intercultural communication. Los Angeles, Calif.: SAGE. Davis, K. (2000). Bridging boundaries the pastoral care of U.S. Hispanics. Scranton, Pa.:  University of Scranton Press. Martin, J., Nakayama, T. (2013). Intercultural communication in contexts (6th ed.). New  York: McGraw-Hill. Piller, I. (2011). Intercultural communication a critical introduction. Edinburgh: Edinburgh  University Press. Samovar, L. (2006). Intercultural communication: A reader (11th ed.). Belmont, CA:  Thomson/Wadsworth. Toomey, S., Chung, L. (2012). Understanding intercultural communication (2nd ed.). New  York: Oxford University Press.

A Place to Go - Original Writing :: Papers

A Place to Go - Original Writing Night after night I had passed the strange location. I began to recognize it and became aware of every detail. I found the building light in the same way. My eyes became attracted, addicted to this place, every eve it beckoned me to return. Simply gazing on it seemed to provide a relaxation, it warmed me. My body became accustomed to its feeling and presence; I found it, almost difficult to leave it. Despite this I had to carry on, they where close behind me now. This was not the first time that I had passed the building and approached it with curiosity. I had wandered here before. This building seemed of some overwhelming significance, when near I felt pathetic and feeble, this building, mansion or 'castle' seemed to posses some great inhuman power far beyond my conceivable imagination. As previously I waited and rested near to the building, my back lay vertical against the huge wall, again this unbelievable feeling of nostalgia, anomalous refreshment and suspicion passed through the very material of my being. It happened suddenly. I was unrepentant, almost unaware of this 'attack' I was about to undergo. I felt a hard thud to my right, this failed to affect me, and I was dazed and confused by the sheer marvel of this magic place. The second warning was more obvious and harder to ignore. A hand was placed on my shoulder. The way in which it touched me was indescribable, there was no feeling or emotion in this being I was now contemplating. I pondered its nature for a while, until the hand did seem to posses a feeling, an emotion; the hand now gripped my shoulder with intensity, a feeling of urgency and aggression showered over me. I was now left with now choice but to confront this creature. I slowly turned my head. I could see, in the corner of my eye a man. A tall man. A big man. An old man and an interesting man. This aggression and urgency flourished and eventually disappeared,

A Rebuttal to Charles Darwin’s Theory of Evolution Essay

If there’s one thing that would make the highly religious person infuriated, that one thing would probably be the Theory of Evolution by Charles Darwin. Quite a rugged assumption but a little true nonetheless.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Religion, as a social institution, derives much of its foundations on several bearings; the most important being the Theory of Creationism. Under this theory (or belief?), humanity, the universe and life in general were all created in their original form by an Almighty Being or by an Inevitable Force. Usually, this refers to the deity or deities of a certain commune’s religious beliefs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Theory of Evolution, on the other hand, portends that humanity, or life itself, emerged through a series of trial and errors wherein the fittest species among all others emerged victorious over nature’s anarchic character. The idea of a certain animal â€Å"branching off† from its original species to produce a different kind of breed is what the Theory of Evolution calls Natural Selection. By Natural Selection, the theory explains that certain unique features and/or characteristics possessed by a select few would inevitably allow them/it to have a higher chance of survival against those who do possess none of the same features and/or characteristics. For instance, assume that a species of birds uncannily produce a hatchling that possess a rather larger and longer beak than its original counterparts. By having this feature, the bird is now able to catch and eat more food as compared to the other birds of the same species that possess shorter and smaller (otherwise, â€Å"normal†) beaks. The theory claims that once this unique bird reproduces its own hatchlings, the unique features and characteristics it possessed would most likely be passed on; thus, eventually perpetuating the idea of the introduction of a different kind of species of birds that possess longer and larger beaks. And since having longer and larger beaks enables these birds (those which possess it) to catch, gather and eat more food, the natural balance of the food chain is automatically shifted unequally. Being that the birds with the shorter and smaller beaks will always be outcompeted by the new species with longer and larger beaks, the original species (otherwise, â€Å"old†) will probably end up being extinct. This idea is further supported by the theory’s most famous notion, â€Å"The Survival of the Fittest†. In the simplest sense, the theory states that those who are genetically â€Å"strong† as compared to the others will be the ones who will survive. As applied in the case of the birds, it was the newly developed species which seemed to be the â€Å"fittest† against their original counterparts. As such, their survival was ensured; branching off into a higher level of species and eliminating the rather â€Å"weak† species.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Understanding the Theory of Evolution in its general sense is not an easy task. For one thing, the theory itself is now including several different kinds of supposed facts to support Charles Darwin’s original theory (now referred to as Neo-Darwinism). Furthermore, its underlying principles and hypotheses do not lie alone on biology but also on genetics and others.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As if understanding the theory is hard enough, debunking the theory is an even harder task. Supporters of the Creationist Theory will always be under attack by the supporters of the Evolutionist Theory. This unbelievable dedication of faith and belief towards the Theory of Evolution is considered an awesome phenomenon similar to that of Catholicism’s rise as a predominant religion in the late Middle Ages. In other words, the Theory itself, ironically, is now becoming a religion in many ways. Henceforth, as hard as it is to debunk the Creationist Theory, the same will now be likewise to the Evolutionist Theory.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Going back to the theory’s initial stages, however, it would seem rather easy to refute Charles Darwin’s findings. Compared to the status of the Theory of Evolution at present, the status of Darwin’s theory in the past (as he presented it) remained attractive to questions of veracity and factuality. For many, though it seemed credible, it was also contestable.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   First of all, Darwin’s Theory does not explain fully the derivation and/or origins of humankind as deduced from that of primates. Sure, there are many similarities existing between humans and Apes. But the Theory never really explained why or how humankind technically â€Å"branched off† from the original species of primates. Even if we use the notion of â€Å"Survival of the Fittest†, none of the pieces still seem to fit.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For instance, let us assume that a group of Chimpanzees produce an offspring that is clearly â€Å"smarter† than the rest of the clan. Now, that offspring immediately becomes the â€Å"fittest† among them. Still, it would be somehow impossible to deduce that this special primate would reproduce a couple more uniquely smart primates that would eventually start an hereditary cycle; causing the almost â€Å"accidental† creation of a new species. Even if that somehow became possible over a course of billions of years, it would still not explain how humankind developed a sense of wearing clothes, cook their food and establish a unique language that is clearly different to that of their original counterparts. Furthermore, some possible explanations regarding the loss of bodily hair, the shortening of the mandibles and other such anatomic inquiries remain in question for the theory.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Second, the development of a certain organ was never fully explained by the great man himself. Take a look at birds, for instance. The development of birds, from land creatures to fowls of the air, is clearly unsupported by the theory. As the theory explains, evolution occurs overtime through a course of millions of years. If so, how did the development of wings benefit the earliest species of birds? Imagine an ancient â€Å"bird† that started growing small â€Å"wings†. Of course, since these are small, it cannot benefit the animal in any way other than be a burden. As such, the status of â€Å"fittest† is automatically removed. Ultimately, the species – who were just starting to develop their own wings – would’ve become extinct and lost to the supposed â€Å"survival†. On the other hand, looking at the picture the other way around, it seems almost impossible that a group of land creatures would suddenly hatch (or give birth) to an hatchling that naturally or immediately possess wings – it would just not make sense. For the Theory of Evolution – and the notion of â€Å"Survival of the Fittest† – to work, organs and other characteristics must be present at once and not in a continual process that would take billions of years.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Finally, the Theory of Evolution never really explained how the complex development of the human mind occurred. Just how exactly did human beings develop a sense of rationalization? How did they come to have a sense of beauty? How about a sense of free will? If humans with mental disabilities continue to breed for thousands of years, would the existence of a unique race of mentally disabled men and women become a possibility? How did evolution come to develop a mind that is so complex and comprehensive as compared to other creatures? These are just some of the questions that truly pose a great threat to the Theory of Evolution (during Darwin’s time at least).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When Charles Darwin presented his Theory to the Academic Community, the Theory of Evolution was not as strong as it was today. By all means, it was easily contestable. After a couple of decades, however, the Theory gained so many supporters that even the Scientific Community now almost completely adheres to its principles.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Until the adherents of the Theory of Evolution do not find concrete answers to some of the questions posed above, the theory will forever only remain as such – a theory. Similarly, the Creationist Theory also possesses the same dilemma. Clearly, that is one reason why both theories – despite after several decades – still continue to battle each other out for supremacy (which is ironically a pun of the notion â€Å"Survival of the Fittest† itself). Cited Sources: Campbell, J. A. and Meyer, S. C. (2005) Evolution: Debate it. USA Today December 5, 2007 from Dean, C. (2005) Opting Out in the Debate on Evolution. The New York Times December 5, 2007 from Futuyma, D. J. (2005). Evolution. Sunderland, Massachusetts: Sinauer Associates, Inc. Scott, E. C. and Branch, G. (2005) Evolution: Just Teach it. USA Today December 5, 2007 from Smith, J. M. (1993) The Theory of Evolution. Cambridge University Press Weiss, R. and Brown, D. (2005) New Analyses Bolster Central Tenets of Evolution Theory Washington Post December 5, 2007 from   

Analyse, compare and contrast some poems by Roger Mcgough with other related poems

Roger Mc gough is a well-known English performance poet who was born in November 9 1937. Mcgough was born in Litherland in North Liverpool a city where he is firmly associated. He was educated at the University of Hull. Currently he presents a radio programme on BBC four known as Poetry please and he records voiceover for commercial as well as performing his own poetry regularly. He writes poetry drama fiction and screen plays. He was a pop star who was in the band â€Å"scaffold†. Mcgough is a poet who relates his poem to the issues, which really affect the people directly or indirectly. The poems in the coursework are â€Å"The lesson† which is a poem, which tackles issue of Capital punishment. It is themed on teachers and students but the punishment taken over there is totally different. The next poem is about funeral blues, which is written by WH Auden. This poem is the grief of the loss of his partner and we could say that might be the inspiration to write this poem and share the grief with the rest of the world. Then we move on to stop the entire car. This is the parody of Funeral blues written by Roger Mcgough who is also writing the poem on the grief of losing the metro which went extinct after a few of years of it production and this poem is dedicated to the fans of the Metro. The next poem is Don Lockwood, which was then turned into s famous song, writes the Singing in the rain heavy. Love is abstract and there is nothing in this world that literally expresses love, but the poet of this poem has turned love into joy and that is the theme behind this poem. The title stands for itself- a man singing in the rain because he is in love. The last poem is the parody of the poem, which is known as stinging in the rain, which is written by Roger Mcgough. This poem is about tackling with global issues right now, which concerns most of the people, which is acid rain. The titles Roger Mcgough uses for his poem stands out itself. It delivers the message to the audience instantly and the audience knows what they can expect from this as no surprise is created in Roger Mcgough's creations. Titles have a dramatic effect on the capability of attracting the audience to read the poem and the titles Roger Mcgough uses are straight to the point. Let's start off with the Lesson. Roger Mc Gough. The poet has introduced a new theme for the poetry world. The theme is hard to believe in reality. The lesson is all about violence and Mcgough has taken this all the way through his poem. There are only two types of characters in this poem and they are the teacher and the students. The difference of the poem starts off from whereas in the poem the teacher is a cruel and hard minded person whereas in reality it turns to be a role model for the students. The background or the plot is that capital punishment happens in classroom. In 1980 UK corporal punishment in school was not rare and based on that Roger took it one step further and thought of having capital punishment in classroom. In this poem a lot is going on such as violence death pain humour etc. Rogher Mcgough has started off with reality as you walk in a classroom you could hear the noise of students screaming and this is how he starts off too. â€Å"Chaos ruled OK in the classroom†. The line in this describes that the students are the ruler of the classroom who has the authority. This sentence is a parody as Roger Mcgough has used this words in which he was familiar off as the words â€Å"Chaos ruled OK† was common in 1980's. Roger Mcgough through the First line he has introduced the students to the reader and the next aim was to show to the readers about the teachers as he says, â€Å"bravely teacher walked in†. This sentence shows that the teacher comes over to the classroom to take over the control and the authority back from the students. This is what happens in reality but from now the silence of the poem begins. The poet use violent language to show the intensity of the poem to the reader. He says, â€Å"Havoc wreaker ignored him†. In this section he is assigning havoc wreakers as students as they are the trouble causers. From the strong words the poet wants to show that he regained the control over the classroom. This shows that he made a vibrant start to the lesson and now he is going to teach a lesson to the children. A lesson that they will never forget. The words he used to describe them are so intense. The word â€Å"havoc wreaker† is so strong and is so exuberant that it terrifies the audience. Every lesson is based on a theme, and in this too the teacher starts off by saying the theme â€Å"The theme for today is violence†. Roger Mcgough wants to include violence everywhere he can because that is the plot for the poem. He uses many words to give the poem the pace and tone to the stanzas. Words such as throttled him then and there, garrotted the girl have the tone and energy given to it. Then he says â€Å"the one with the grotty hair† The words used here are alliteration such as â€Å"throttled† and â€Å"garrotted† as mentioned earlier. This word not only give the tone but give the punch and flow to it and keeps it at a constant flow rather than including hard words so that it would make s stop to the sentence and then continue. The mood of the poem is very scary as through reading the poem it shows several different aspects such as silence blood death and all scary things together. So through this it created the mood and atmosphere, which is negative. Roger Mcgough is spreading the seeds of violence throughout the poem. The poem says that â€Å"First come first severed†. He used dark humour to spice up the poem. The actual words were â€Å"first come first severed†. Here he created a pun of violence. He used this ironically to exaggerate things As we move on the words of his poems have got a lot of meanings in it such as taking this two sentence and comparing it. â€Å"It struck with deadly aim† and he â€Å"continued with the game†. The two sentences first of all have got a rhyme in it such as aim and game. In this he used many similes and it has very depth meaning. â€Å"The first blast cleared the back row they collapsed like rubber dinghies† This line in this section is a simile. As we look at rubber dinghies, these are the materials kids play with and Roger Mcgough compared it as collapsing which something terrible is happening from a kid's perspective and this shows a contrast. Again he uses personification in this poem such as â€Å"Silence shuffle forwards†. Again there is a contrast as in reality that silence can't shuffle forwards but Mcgough brought that to life. He uses Rhyme and rhythm for the poems and this structured the poem very well. In this poem the rhyme is organised in the second and the fourth lines of the stanzas. Such as â€Å"aim† and â€Å"game†, this gives a punch to the poem and these speeds up the line which are known as the iambic pentameter. He brought the soul into the words and that is one of the characteristics which would separate him from other poets Now as I move on to the conclusion Roger mc gough did not create this poem so that capital punishment would take place in school but to show to the world about the issues that are happening in this world. As Tom and Jerry, itchy and scratchy through violence conveyed a message it is the same what roger Mcgough is doing. He wrote this poem to show the violence to the world though a comical manner. In this poem another thought he brings is the current situation of the world where peace and calm no longer exists in the way it existed. Roger Mcgough explores the black and treacherous world out there which includes the cruelties that is happening to children. He is exploring the different levels at which some children's are being tortured in this world and this is a wake up call for the people torturing to show some humane behaviour towards them. The poem shows that the outer world is harsh and it is hard to live in this sinful world. Roger Mcgough just wrote some words into a paper but the meaning of it is endless. Now let's go to Funeral blues and stop all the cars. Roger Mcgough's titles are straight to the point and the evidence to back it up for this is the title for this poem. It is â€Å"Funeral blues†. It doesn't show to the audience on what the can expect clearly. In the poem Funeral blues the poet WH. Auden expresses his grief of the death of his lover by commanding to the people. Auden uses his imagery to convey the feeling of sadness to the world. He does this by commanding to the people. He says to the people â€Å"Stop all the cloaks† he is commanding this to the people to stop all the noises of clocks and let it remain in silence. The message also conveys that he wants the time to be stopped. This is the time his lover died and he wants to make the time still so he could enchant the precious moments. He wanted to take the time, back to the stage where his lover was alive and he wants all the imagination of them together. In the second stanza the tone he uses is the tone of despair. He says, â€Å"Let aeroplane circle overhead†. This again shows the assertiveness he brings into the poem. He is commanding in that sentence. At the first stanza he was commanding everyone to stop everything literally. By this he meant was to stop the world and now in the second stanza he wants to bring back all the noises of the aeroplane and wants to show his feelings and emotions out to the world and how much the lover meant to him and. This shows a contrast between two different thoughts. He is asking to bring back to extremities of nature. He is using the words, which is exaggerated or is hyperbole. He is asking for something, which is almost impossible One of the key element which has to be pointed out is that Roger Mcgough has structured the poem very well as the first two stanzas just show that he is commanding to the people and he wants it to be done but the real fact is no one has the time and patience to do this all. Again he commands, â€Å"Let the traffic policeman wear black cotton gloves†. These commands are not done by any of the people. They wont be doing this all because they don't know the seriousness of this or they don't feel the love given to his lover. This sentence asking the policemen to wear black cotton gloves is a sign of respect and honour giving to the body but in the real world no one is doing it. Next is when someone die you would inform the relatives and share the grief but the poet uses a different way to convey the message to the world. He says â€Å"Scribbling on the sky the message he is dead†. This sentence shows that he is doing the maximum to get peoples attention and he wants people to share his grief with the people but here is no one out there in the world who cares about the death of the lover of the poet. The first two stanzas of the poem were all about the command and to do this and that. He wanted the things he said to be done but the stanzas in the last two stanzas rather than using imperatives for it he uses a different theme and create that imagery mood over there. He describes to people that the lover was everything to him. Every second of his life he enjoyed living with his lover. He describes to people that by saying â€Å"He was my North, my south, my east and west†. The poet is saying that he was everywhere, wherever he goes his lover was with him as the poet goes â€Å"He was my working week and Sunday rest†. That describes that the poet wherever he was the lover as with him always. Then the pattern he created was different as the penultimate stanza it described all the love and emotion of the love and now to the last stanza it goes back again to commands but there is a difference he makes and it is that in the first and second stanza it is all about man made things and which is about our environment as aeroplanes policeman clocks etc but he is making a command to the nature as he says â€Å"Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun; pour away the ocean and dismantle the wood†. The grief is so heavy that he asks for the things, which is literally impossible to accomplish. This shows the intensity of romance he has towards his lover. He would do anything for his lover because the lover was so precious to him. Auden in this poem all together he created a mood which starts off very sadly as he commands to everyone to share his grief and at last a tone comes in which shows that he has given up everything. STOP ALL THE CARS This poem is the parody of funeral blues written by Roger Cough. Many people would regard parody as making the poem into a comical way but Roger Mcgough has done different. He has chosen a topic which was close to his heart and was loved my many people. He realises the pain WH Auden went through and he is writing an adapted version of it. This poem is all about taking the emotions and grief of WH Auden and brings in some of the funny thoughts of Roger and mixes them up. The poem is about the metro a car, which started its journey in 1980. This is a car, which was commonly used, but later the love towards it went down. It was a car, which was loved, by lot of people but later it had to stop its journey in 1998 because while it went through a safety check the result was terrible, as the product after the crash was just pieces of aluminium. Roger Mcgough took this idea all the way through and wrote a poem known as â€Å"Stop all the cars† which is based on funeral blues. The idea, which he wanted to convey through this poem, was that he was changing the grief and emotions of WH Auden and brought some fun into it. This poem is about metro, even though it had a terrible result people loved the car and he wrote about the performance of the car and how it went. As we go through the poem there are many similarities as the rhyme and rhythm was almost the same as in funeral Blues it starts off â€Å"stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone† but it changes into â€Å"Stop all the cars, cut off the ignition†. He brings backs the same tune but into more humorous manner. There are similarities between the poems as in funeral blues the poet says let the policemen wear black cotton gloves and it says that wear a black dress or a morning suit. He have brought the soul of funeral blues to the poem as in funeral blues it say that Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead and it says that Let the traffic lights remain red. The world I meant by soul is that he has used imperatives in the poem and that was the soul of funeral blues. There are more similarities in this poem as in the first line in the penultimate stanza of funeral blues it says that He was my north south my east and west and it says She was my rust bucket, my tin lizzie. So this shows that Mcgough have adopted the pattern to match the structure of the poem. There are some differences in this poem as in funeral blues he composed the poem in four short stanzas but in stop all the cars it is developed into five stanzas. The poem is composed in rhyming couplets and this makes the rhythm more feel. In funeral blues the first two stanzas are about the environments and man built things but as we go to the last two it changes to nature gifts but it is different as this poem is about the bad things of the car and at the end surprise affection towards the car. As we look at the overall effect of the poem Mcgough didn't want to put this in the serious way that he hates the metro or to make the fans of metro disappointed but he wanted to just make a parody of funeral blues and that was the main reason. Metro is a treasure for him because he has taken the time and effort to make a parody for this car, which shows his dedication ad his affection towards this car. Now we move on to Singing in the rain. This is a famous song from the movie singing in the rain. The poem is about a man who enjoys the rain. He is singing and dancing in the rain. The poem from the start gives a glimpse to the reader that the poem is about happiness because of the title itself. The title is the main attraction of the poem and the poet takes this to the next level as he sings the humming â€Å"Doo-dloo-doo-doo-doo† This humming is melodious and this maintains the happiness of the poem. The poet gradually uses this happiness into love as he says â€Å"What a glorious feeling†. This symbolises that even though it is harsh weather the man is enjoying the rain because he is in love. The poet writes I am â€Å"laughing at clouds† this shows that his imagination of love is created is created in the clouds and this explains how happy he is being in love. Every film has a twist in it and the same has happened here. The poem begins with a positive vibe but as it gradually goes the tone and the feeling goes into a negative stage because of the words he use. The poet says, â€Å"Let the stormy clouds chase†. By this sentence he have taken off the all happiness atmosphere above and brought it back to normal. He has structured the rain as tears and the star as sadness is up above and stormy cloud and the ultimate outcome from it is rain. The other one is â€Å"So dark up above†. This sentence brings in harsh words â€Å"Dark†. These words take all the love and emotions from the poem away from anyone. This word happy has been use a lot in the poem and this is the background of the poem and he has stressed on it. The poet wants to show to the reader that the mans life is full of life as he writes â€Å"A life full of you†. This shows that he is in love to the extreme level Now lets move on to Stinging in the rain, which is the parody of Singing in the rain written by Roger Mcgough. He is a poet who tackled issues happening globally and some of the examples are the lesson, which tackles capital punishment. The poem also tackles serious issues, which is acid rain. He brings the intensity of the issue to the poem just by words. It similar to the lesson in many ways as there is extreme violence and touch of humour in the poem. To start he gave the reader a thinking message by giving the title to read â€Å"stinging in the rain†. There is a repetition if this line in the poem and this brings a flow to the start of the poem. He brings lots of techniques to the poem such as verbs and one of them was â€Å"burning my flesh, boiling my brain†. This verb adds some extra effect as this is happening things and they all are strong words such as such as â€Å"burning† and â€Å"boiling† they all gives it an extra punch to the poem. In the poem the poet brings a bit of rhyme as he says â€Å"crying and frying†. These both words sound the same and again these powerful words give a flow to the poem. The poet adds excitement to the poem at the end as he says â€Å"What a glorious feeling†. And dots say that more is to come but it won't come because the poem has ended. It suggests that more bad things will come. Now comparing â€Å"Stop all the clocks† which is an extract from the poem funeral blues and stinging in the rain. They have lots of characteristics in them. The poem stop all the clocks are full about emotion, pain and grief that build up the poem. Funeral blues is about the disappointment of the loss of WH Auden partners and he wants the world to explore his feeling rather than to hide it. Now stinging in the rain is the parody of the famous poem singing in the rain written by Roger Mcgough. The poem is tackling with an issue, which many people are not aware of, and not taking any precautions to stop it. So this is awareness for the people about the issue. The poem uses many techniques such as alliteration. Comparing both of them they have got their own good qualities in them. Now to the conclusion poems are just words which are written into paper. The thing, which brings it into life, is the imagination given to it. All the authors have brought that into their poem. Roger Mcgough and WH Auden have converted their feelings into words and the most wonderful thing that stroked to me is no the poem or the words of it but the techniques they use to approach to the readers. The repetition alliteration simile all brings the poem into life and these all-simple things make a big difference in the final product of the poem. In the lesson the most attracted thing to me is the immense amount of violence Roger Mcgough brought into it with all the death and blood but he didn't keep the poem raw but added humour and pun such as â€Å"First come first severed† and this was an interesting point in the poem. The authority that changes from student to the teacher and the gap of time and the words were able to attract the audience. These all are the features that made the lesson my favourite poem. The poem funeral blues written by WH Auden who was in great grief about the loss of his partner and he gave the relief to it by expressing his feeling and emotions to the world. Now to the poem stop all the cars, which were written by Roger Mcgough who gave a glimpse of hope to the fans of the cat metro, which had to stop production due to its bad review on health and safety measures. Mcgough gave hope to the fans that it was not a bad car but had the capability to attract peoples the poem was a big success. No ending it on the singing on the rain and stinging on the rain. The poem stinging on the rain was by Don Lockwood, which was a famous song. It was about a man dancing on the rain enjoying rather than many other people who were angry and disappointed with it. He enjoyed the train so much because he was in love and the great depth of love made him that rain more excited than usual and stinging in the rain id the parody of the poem, which tackles with global issues such as Acid rain and how this would affect people and exaggerating about it. Love is a concept which Roger Mcgough explores in several different poems of his. The concept of love is so intricate that the ways to express the feelings by writing it is hard but Roger Mcgough was successful. Overall the poems had great techniques and each of them was unique due to the wonderful characteristics.

Why it is important to teach Shakespeare in schools

Why it is important to teach Shakespeare in schools Introduction William Shakespeare was an English poet. His exact birth date is unknown but estimated to be 23 April 1564 and he died on 23 April 1616. He is one of the greatest writers of English and the world’s preeminent dramatist. He is also known as â€Å"the Bard of Avon or just â€Å"the Bard†. He wrote most his works well known between 1590 and 1613.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Why it is important to teach Shakespeare in schools specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More He wrote plays, sonnets, poems and narrative poems. His plays are available in many languages and they have been staged several times. His reputation as a writer rose in the nineteenth century. During the twentieth century, scholarship movements adopted his works. Today his works are still very popular and are studied in schools. Importance of studying Shakespeare Studying Shakespeare is important because his works are rich and they ca n enrich a reader’s life in many ways. For instance, his works are very rich in the English language and are a good source of learning the language. Shakespeare contributed many words to the English vocabulary and they are still in use (Forrester 17). The works makes one sensitive to the English language. Moreover, his works are a challenge because they are not very easy but once a person is able to study them and understand there is a feeling of accomplishment. The language is powerful and through it, one experiences the power of drama. Shakespearean works address various ethical dilemmas. The ethical dilemmas help us in becoming morally sensible as they show the consequences of making bad judgments in life. For example in the play The Hamlet, Shakespeare addresses the issue of greed for power. He shows how it causes instability in a country â€Å"or thinking by our late dear brother’s death/our state to be disjoint and out of frame† (Shakespeare (a) 1.2.19-20) . Claudius kills King Hamlet, rises to power, and possesses the former queen Gertrude. Consequently, Hamlet seeks revenge for his father’s death and sadly losses his life. In addition, the play addresses revenge and shows that sometimes the obsession with revenge can lead to one’s downfall. Through his plays, Shakespeare provided sources for debating human conduct. The plays offer good examples of how human beings should treat matters such as power inheritance and shows that there is no shortcut to power as those who come to power illegally do not succeed such as in Macbeth. Their evil deeds are punished as Macbeth noted â€Å"bloody actions return/To plague th’ Inventor† (Shakespeare (b) 1.7. 9-10).Advertising Looking for essay on british literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The messages in his works are relevant even today. He talks of things such as power and shows how corrupting power can be especially to greedy people. He shows how people in power find it difficult to balance their private and public lives and shows how the people in power manipulate the masses for selfish interests. The plays are very good in studying murders and conspiracy. His works explore other issues such as gender, sexuality, love and war among others. These issues show the kind of relationships people have in the society (Forrester 18). In addition, his plays contain wit and humor and are very entertaining besides being educative. Therefore, Shakespeare’s works help college and school students to have a deeper literary appreciation (Lund 1; Forrester 18). His works opens up our imaginations and radical thinking. He addresses issues such as the relationship between rulers and their subjects. He gives us an opportunity to enter the minds of the characters in his plays and thus enlarges our experience. For instance, in Macbeth he lets us see how Macbeth’s conscience dis turbs him for killing King Duncan yet he ignores it and continues to commit murders to protect his throne. The plays carry a universal message and are easy to relate with as they address human issues that one can identity. The universality of the messages in the play and there relevance make the plays important. It means that one can interpret the meaning of the plays according to their context and Terence Hawkers puts it this way â€Å"Shakespeare does not mean; we mean by Shakespeare† (Why study Shakespeare 5). The culture of the English is well documented by the Shakespeare dramas. Through the plays, one is able to know how the society was together with its attitude towards its members. For instance, the play Taming the Shrew shows that men were considered inferior to men during the Elizabethan age but it also shows that the women were powerful in their own way as proved by Kate.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Why it is important to teach Shakesp eare in schools specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Another play like the Merchant of Venice shows the relationship between people from different religions such as the Christians and Jews. The plays also show that the people valued religion as Shakespeare uses biblical allusions in most of his plays to address issues (Lund 1). Shakespeare and modern day drama Shakespeare in his work addressed human issue so articulately with his genius use of words. The works are timeless and form the basis of modern drama. The modern dramas such as The Fences address human issues that affect people in the society such as issue of unwed pregnancies. The modern day dramas differ from the Shakespeare drama because they rely on visuals while the later relied on words to pass messages. Moreover, the heroes in Shakespeare dramas are aggressive unlike those in modern drama (Lukas and Baxandall 150-151). The dramas are not in the same category as Shakespeare who is cl early in a class of his own. Conclusion Shakespeare is relevant today and has stood the test of time. Readers can resonate with the universal message his works pass. The works are a good source for the English literature and thus one cannot claim to understand without understanding Shakespeare. He is the foundation of the English literature and thus it would be unwise to banish him and important for students’ studies. Forrester, Ann. Why teach Shakespeare? Or any other dead white male? Literary Canon, Shakespeare, (1995). A paper presented to the Community Colleges Humanities Association Washington DC Nov. 1995. Lukas, George and lee Baxandall.†The sociology of modern drama.† The Tulane Drama  Review, 9.4 (1965), 146-170. Lund, Norman J. Why study Shakespeare? 11 Jun. 2005. Web.Advertising Looking for essay on british literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Shakespeare, William (a). The Tragedy Of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. n.d. Web. Shakespeare, William (b). The Tragedy of Macbeth. n.d. Web. Why study literature? n.d. Web.

Defining Motivation and Employee Satisfaction

Defining Motivation and Employee Satisfaction The definition of motivation hinges around words like drive, inspiration, and impetus. It is about what makes a person interested in performing a certain task or engaging in a particular activity. Pepitone and Bruce (1998) defined motivation as the reason why individuals participated in certain endeavors. This view of motivation implies that motivation is essentially an emotional state.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Defining Motivation and Employee Satisfaction specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More While it is the more prevalent view, there is another way to look at it. This other way, proposed by ONeil and Drillings (1994) sought to include aspects of cognition into the state of motivation of an individual. They contended that there is a thinking process to it, with clear decision making opportuinities. As such, they argued that motivation is not purely an emotional process but a composite process involving cognitive a pects. The discussion of employee satisfaction reflects the thinking presented by Kermally (2004) that identified employee happiness as an important factor influencing their productivity. If employees are unhappy, they lose the motivation to apply themselves meanigfully to their work, which in the end, compromises the quality of their output. Kermally argued that employees perform tasks assigned to them on the basis of their interest in it, which always improved when they were happy with their work. As such, the purpose of this litererature review is to examine the common theories of motivation, to review aspects and the need for motivation, and to uncover the applications of motivation in conventional organizations. Motivation Theories Interest in motivation, as an area of study is not a modern concept, but one that attracted the attention of many leaders and philosophers from ancient times. The ancient Chinese military strategist Sun Tzu produced a work that has important lessons in the art of motivation because it describes tactics a commander can apply in various situations to maintain morale in his or her army. The emergence of motivation as a separate field of study came about because of specialization of disciplines that accompanied the advent of the modern era. Its current scope spans elements of behavioral psychology, social science, and management science, among others. Because of this interest in the subject, several scholars developed theories to explain motivation. Three theorists stand out because they presented nearly distinctive perspectives on motivation. They are; Abraham Maslow, Henry Herzberg, and David McClelland.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory Abraham Maslow is famous for his theory on the hierarchy of needs. He described a hierarchical sequence of needs that motivates individua ls to engage in particular activities in order to fulfill their most pressing prevailing needs. In Maslow’s hierarchy, the need in one level ceases to be a source of motivation once satisfied. Among the five levels that Maslow identified, physiological needs are the basest of them all. All human beings do their best to rid themselves of hunger and cold. There is a high degree of motivation to get food, clothing, and some form of shelter. The second class of needs is the desire for safety and security from harm. The elements that constitute this need are safety from the elements, personal danger, and want. The third tier of needs identified by Maslow was the need to belong. This is the desire to be part of a society. This need, the theory postulated, drives people to join various groups so that they get a sense of belonging. Maslow called the fourth level of needs, the esteem needs. It escalates from simply belonging to a group or society into being a significant part of it. A t the third level, it is ok to belong, but at the fourth level, it is not enough. Self-actualization concludes the hierarchy of needs identified by Maslow. It transcends all other needs and seeks to answer the question of the whole purpose and meaning of life. A person at this level seeks to achieve inward significance in life, not just outwardly in society. Philanthropy is an often given example of an expression of this need. Maslow explained that all human beings are at a certain level of motivation at any one time and the key to getting the most out of them is to provide them with the opportunity to fulfill their most eager need. Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory Henry Herzberg put forward a theory known as the motivation-hygiene theory. This theory explains that motivation stems from two issues. There are factors that motivate people to do certain things while there are certain factors which contribute to the demotivation of individuals. The things that contribute towa rds the comfort of an individual in a given place are what he called the hygiene factors. These are the factors without which people in a given organization get demotivated. Motivational factors on the other hand refers to those factors that actually make them to want to do something. The theory contends that the factors are not mutually exclusive. This means that in any work environrment, there are motivators and demotivators at play.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Defining Motivation and Employee Satisfaction specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The actual state of motivation is therefore the result of the relative strength of these two factors. Doing away with one set of factors does not render the other factors inoperable . This means that dealing with demotivators does not automatically lead to motivation. It only averts demotivation. Adair (2006) held the view that Maslow’s and Herzberg’s theories w ere too individualistic and did not take into account external factors. He said that they made it look as if each person is fully responsible for their state of motivation, disregarding the role of environmental factors. In this case, the two theorists concentrated on the intrinsic elelments of motivation to the point that they appered to diregard the extrinsic elements. McClelland’s Achievement Motivation Theory David McClelland developed the achievement motivation theory. This theory pins motivation to personality. It postulates that what motivates individuals is unique to them and normally comes from their subjective experiences in life. According to McClelland’s theory, as someone participates in various activities, they learn to associate the processes and outcomes with certain feelings. Accordingly, the potential for the process to elicit the desired feelings act as a motivator for that particular individual. The person becomes predisposed to high motivation towa rds participating in the activities that elicit feelings of pleasure and achievement, while they avoid activities that at some point in their experience led to disappointment and pain. This behavioral view of motivation also assumes that behavior is an acquired aspect of life. McClelland’s argument appears to be in support of an individually based motivation plan. His theory discounts group motivation theories and exercises. Other Theories The three theories cover different aspects of motivation from different viewpoints, and present a general overview of the major ways of looking at motivation. However, they are not the only theories of repute in the study of motivation. For instance, Kurt Lewin’s personality theory of motivation provided the basis for the development of McClelland’s achievement motivation theory. The job satisfaction theory developed by Hackman, Lawler, and Oldham is another important theory that looks at job satisfaction as a key component of motivating individuals. This theory takes into account Kermally’s (2004) concern that happiness is a key aspect of motivation at the workplace.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Another significant group of theories referred to as the expectancy theories also occupy an important place in the theories of motivation. Various scholars developed these theories but they are associated more with Vroom, Porter, and Hackman. What they have in common is that what someone expects out of a process is the real reason why they remain motivated to participate in the process. Finally, Douglas McGregor proposed two sets of assumptions about human nature and called them theory X and Theory Y. Each of them represents the disposition of a leader. Theory X leaders assume that on average people are lazy and require threatns in order to for them to work. On the other hand, theory Y leaders assume that people generally love to work and only require encouragement. Motivation Review Indeed, the development of theories in the field of motivation remains an ongoing effort. New views emerge discounting or affirming established theories. Each theory has an important place in the develo pment of the understanding of how to motivate individuals to achieve job satisfaction. In some cases, the theories have undergone much transformation losing their original thrust. Dye, Mills, and Weatherbee, (2005) identify Maslow as one such theorist. Despite very clear articulation of his theory, it has undergone stretching in every imaginable way to cover as much ground as possible in the application of motivation in both academic and non-academic circles. They also point out that some theorists such as Maslow have received undue attention, not because of merit but because of the fame. One of the consequences of this situation is that the theory stands unchallenged and practitioners simply assume that since it is widely quoted, then it must be true. This is not necessarily a problem if the theory makes possible the attainment of desired results, but it robs the adherents of the benefit of a wider selection and understanding. The Need for Motivation The performance of an individua l directly correlates to the degree of congruence between the person’s skills, capacity and talent, and the job in question. Organizations find it necessary to find ways of motivating their employees to ensure they attain a healthy bottom line. In addition, business growth and continuity in the face of ever-increasing global competition calls for the retaining of highly motivated employees. Globalization has made it important for employers to ensure that they continue receiving the best possible output from their employees because competition is no longer localized . Employers know that there is an increase in work performance that is the result of a high level of organizational motivation. Organizational motivation is the overall effect of the individual motivation levels of the staff. The working conditions in a particular institution may lead to the development of resentment and the emergence of a pool of difficult employees. The only way to ensure this does not choke an o rganization is to ensure every employee remains motivated. Another reason for taking an interest in organizational motivation by employers is social dynamics brought about by an increase in the number of women in all levels of corporate and organizational leadership. With this increase, there is a realization that the motivational requirements of women differ in some ways from that of men, therefore requires more research. On a general scale, men are more competitive and combative in their approach to issues. On the other hand, women are more collaborative in their approach making them uniquely qualified to fill leadership positions in business because they have a natural flair for teamwork. Types of Motivation There is general agreement that there are two sources of motivation for any individual. When the source of motivation is from within a person, the motivation is intrinsic and when it is from a secondary source, it is extrinsic. Adair’s (2006) fifty-fifty rule is a way of looking at these two sources of motivation. He contends that in as much as an individual is responsible for their own intrinsic motivation, no one really operates in isolation and some degree of external motivation plays a significant role. However, the role and influence of extrinsic and intrinsic factors still elicits dispute. Maslow and Herzberg seemed to subscribe to the mainly-intrinsic view of motivation. Theory X and theory Y on the other hand present a situation where all employees are either hardworking or lazy, and therefore may require external motivation to get the job done. Approaches to Motivation in Organizations Organizations use several approaches to motivate staff. The methods may use negative motivation like the instillation of fear or positive motivation using aspect such as money, promotion, or recognition (Adair, 2006). One of the key challenges in the state of research in the area of motivation is that there is a lot more research on what motivates individu als compared to what motivates groups. This puts at risk the efficacy of methods that organizations use to motivate their staff. Positive results of the application of the methods at the individual level are not proof that they will be equally effective when applied at the group level. Many organizations use various models of performance appraisal to gauge the effectiveness of each employee in performing assigned duties. The popular version of this approach is a quarterly based system where an employee evaluates their performance against benchmarks set at the beginning of the quarter and compares their self-assessment with that of their immediate superior. Depending on the outcome, the company grants promotions and other incentives. However, dependence on performance alone may fail to identify and reward strategic actions an employee undertakes because the results are still out of view. Balance is critical for successful performance appraisal. Bruce (2002) identified three critical factors that all employers need to have in mind regarding employee motivation. The first factor is that while motivation depends on the individual employees, there are certain things in the hands of the employer which they can do something about to boost employee morale. They include the conditions of work, nature of assignments, remuneration and work benefits. Secondly, it is the employer’s responsibility to define perfomance, and to communicate what it means to individual employees. Otherwise, there may be sincere wasted effort as a result of different views between an employer and the employees regarding what constitutes exemplary perfomance. The third ingredient is explicit communication regarding expectations at all times. Bruce (2002) contended that the clearer the communcation of the expectations to an employee, the greater the likelihood of them meeting and exceeding those expectations. Conclusion In conclusion, the literature reviewed potrays motivation and employee satifaction as parts of the same coin. The area is evidenced by the development of multiple theories which means that there is still a desire to explore the area more and arrive at a unified view of the field. The literature also shows that the theories are in use in various organizations, informing their reward systems. These reward systems use the theories as the philosophical bedrock on which their reward schemes rest. The impact of these theories and their application is a very significant fact in organizational development. References Adair, J. (2006). Leadership and motivation. London: Kogan Page. Boyatzis, R. (2008). Competencies in the 21st century. Journal of Management Developement , 27 (1), 5-12. Bruce, A. (2002). How to motivate every employee. Blacklick OH: Mcgraw-Hill Trade. Chopra, S. (2002). Motivation in management. New Delhi: Sarup Sons. Dell, T., Michael, G. (1993). Motivating at work: Empowering employees to give their best. Melno Park CA: Course Technology Cri sp. Dye, K., Mills, A. J., Weatherbee, T. (2005). Maslow: Man interrupted: Reading management theory in context. In D. Lamond, Management Theory (pp. 1375-1380). Bradford: Emerald Group Publishing Ltd. Gagliardi, G., Tzu, S. (2005). The art of war plus the art of management: STrategy for leadership. Seattle, WA: Science of Strategy: Clearbridge Publishing. Hopkins, M. M., Bilimora, D. (2008). Social and emotional competencies predicting success for male and female executives. Journal of Management Developement , 27 (1), 13-35. Kermally, S. (2004). Developing and managing talent. London: Thorogood Publishing. Lauby, S. (2005). Motivating employees: Information lifeline. Fort Lauderdale, FL: American Society for Training and Development. Minor, J. B. (2006). Organizational behavoir: Essential theories of motivation and leadership. Armonk NY: M. E. Sharpe, Inc. ONeil, H. F., Drillings, M. (1994). Motivation: Theory and research (Illustrated ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Routledge. Pepitone, J. S., Bruce, A. (1998). Motivating employees. Blacklick OH: McGraw-Hill Professional Book Group. Motivation and Employee Satisfaction

Example English Sentences of the Verb Beat

Example English Sentences of the Verb Beat A good writer should march to the beat of a different drum, except marching to that beat represents a cliche, something all writers should avoid. In the preceding sentence, beat wore the trappings of a noun, but, like many words, its versatile enough to perform additional duties as a verb or adjective. We will concern ourselves with examples of beat as a verb in all of its tenses, including in the active, passive, conditional, and modal forms. All Forms of Beat Base Form beat / Past Simple beat / Past Participle beaten / Gerund beating Present Simple I often beat my friends at chess. Present Simple Passive Jack is usually beaten by Mary in poker. Present Continuous Johnson is beating Anderson in the boxing match. Present Continuous Passive Anderson is being beaten by Johnson in the boxing match. Present Perfect Peter has beaten me at least fifty times at chess. Present Perfect Passive Ive have been beaten at chess at least fifty times by Peter. Present Perfect Continuous None Past Simple Jennifer beat me last week. Past Simple Passive I was beaten by Jennifer last week. Past Continuous I was beating Peter in that game when you walked in the door. Past Continuous Passive Peter was being beaten when you walked in the door. Past Perfect Tom had beaten Jane at least ten times before Jane finally won a match. Past Perfect Passive Jane had been beaten by Tom at least time times before she finally won a match. Past Perfect Continuous None Future (will) I will beat you the next time we play. Future (will) Passive She will be beaten in the next match. Future (going to) Look! Jack is going to beat Mark. Future (going to) Passive Look! Mark is going to be beaten by Mark. Future Continuous This time next week, Ill be beating you in our rematch. Future Perfect By the time you read this, he will have been beaten by his opponent. Future Possibility I think  she might beat Ralph in the next game. Real Conditional If she continues like this, she will beat her opponent. Unreal Conditional If she played better, she would beat Jack. Past Unreal Conditional If Peter had concentrated more, he would have beaten his opponent. Present Modal He should beat Mark. Past Modal They must have beaten their opponents. They are so much better at chess! Quiz: Conjugate With Beat Use the verb to beat to conjugate the following sentences. Quiz answers are below. In some cases, more than one answer may be correct. Jennifer _____ me last week.Tom _____ Jane at least ten times before Jane finally won a match.Johnson ______ Anderson in the boxing match.If Peter had concentrated more, he _____ his opponent.Look! Mark _____ by Mark.Peter _____ me at least fifty times at chess.Jack _____ usually _____ by Mary in poker.I often _____ my friends at chess.By the time you read this, he ______ by his opponent. Quiz Answers beathad beatenis beatingwould have beatenis going to be beaten  has beatenis beatenbeatwill have been beaten

Schumann and Stravinsky Paper Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Schumann and Stravinsky - Research Paper Example In the 1830s he started writing piano miniatures which were extraordinary. Also it was during this time that he made his debut as a music critic and started his own journal, which became the focus of his efforts. In this journal he championed composers who had talent, and established a canon of Romantic music. It was also during these years that he composed his masterpieces; Carnaval, for piano and Dichterliebe. In 1840 he married Clara Wieck, a talented pianist inducing an element of stability in his life however this was also when his mental health started to deteriorate. His failure at opera, Genoveva, in 1843 caused him a great disappointment after which his mental state continued to deteriorate. After an attempt at suicide in 1854 he voluntarily entered an asylum. It was here that he passed away in 1856 (Worthen, 2007). In mid June 1882, Igor Fedorovich Stravinsky was born in a town near St. Petersburg in Russia. From a small age he was surrounded by music mostly because his fat her was a star singer of the Imperial Opera. When he was 9 he started piano lessons and studied music throughout his early life. In 1902 he, like Schumann, pursued a law degree however music was where his real interest was. Also just like Schumann, he started his musical career as a amateur pianist and was bilingual. Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov, his teacher started giving him regular lesson from 1905 till 1908. Although Stravinsky’s first composition was that of a Symphony, which he wrote in 1906, it was The Firebird, a ballet composed in 1910, which put him under the spotlight. This was followed by Petrushka, which like The Firebird was a modern composition of something which was fundamentally Russian. It was his third ballet, The Rite of Spring which established his name as one of the well known composers of the age. In 1920 he moved to France and formed a partnership with the company that manufactured pianos, Pleyel. During 1939 he delivered lectures in Harvard and was already working on his symphony in C. This was meant for the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. It was in this year that he moved to United States and married one again. He was on the set of the Paramount Pictures in 1956, where he recorded the musical score for the production â€Å"The Court Jester†. An incorporation of many of the modern classical styles of music was a major part of Stravinsky’s professiona l life. In 1959, he received the Sonning Award, which is one of Denmark’s highest honors. He returned to Leningrad to do a series of concerts in 1962. It was in 1971 that he died at the age of 88 and was buried in Venice. The piece I have chosen from Schumann’s compositions is Fantasy for Violin and Orchestra Op. 131 played by Arnold Katz. There are several key differences between this composition and Stravinsky’s ‘Rite of Spring’. These differences also go to reflect the major changes in music over the passage of time, more specifically from the Romantic era to the Neoclassical era. You see, Schumann’s composition comprises of the key characteristics being reflected in his work. These are those of highlighting the orchestra’s highly praised 2009 Beethoven cycle. A key characteristic of Schumann’s work is a reflection of the love of nature. You see the romantic era was all about the critical

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 71

Assignment Example Other researchers have noted that the successful completion of a course requires online participation. (Nagel, L., Blignaut, A.S., and Cronjà ©, J.C., 2007) The purpose of the study is to know 1) how online participation affected learning and successful course completion, and 2) how the participation influenced the learning community. (Nagel et. al, 2007) The researchers observed students of an 8-week web-based distance learning course which was part of the curriculum for the students’ Masters degree. (Nagel et. al, 2007) Using specialized computer software such as the ATLAS.tiTM and the WebCT Campus edition student tracking tool, the students’ performance and activities online were tracked and analyzed. The findings revealed that active learning participation not only led to a successfully completed course but also a satisfied experience by the learning community. The failure of some students to get a good grade was attributed to, among others, connection problems. Responses showed that accessibility to the online course material was difficult for several learners because of unreliable Internet service, computer issues and financial constraints. Curiously, results also showed that some students had poor Internet connection but relayed this to their facilitator through text messages or phone calls. Thus, they were able to work out deadlines to successfully complete the course. Few postings and comments on discussion boards directly affected student performance as well. The results revealed that those students who just signed in without collaborating with the community members or those who did not put up a significant number of posts or replies ended up with unsatisfactory grades or dropped the course. Low online visibility and participation which encompass a number of students’ roles (Nagel et. al, 2007) resulted to

Families Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 4

Families - Essay Example t would be fundamental for a day care provider to dedicate his efforts towards developing positive and productive relation to both children and parents. It is necessary for parents to develop comfortable zones with instructors and personnel who will be caring for their children. In other words, unless the families feel apprehension, the children will easily mirror the same emotion; thus, resulting in tearful good-byes every time the parents leave their children in a day care. If there are scenarios of discomfort, it would be extremely difficult for parents to leave their children in a day care (Cornish 86). Therefore, as a care provider it would be necessary to create a comfortable environment directed towards the parents and their children. One way of establishing and developing quick comfort zones for the children is by allowing or requesting the families to visit the facility frequently at any time during the working hours. This makes the bond between the child and the parent hold, which results to children feeling comfortable. Furthermore, the liberty of visiting the institution will make the parent feel free and not to feel that there is anything hidden from her. Additionally, visiting the day care will ensure that the families fully understands the open door policies of the institution before they get the chance of admitting their children into the facility (Cornish 86). This will be a fabulous opportunity for families to understand and apprehend a care provider’s experience and qualifications. These qualifications should sappers the minimum qualification of the care provider, so that the parent can develop confidence in a care provider. The confidence goes further to reaffirm the families that their childr en are in the position of developing positive childhood skills. Apart from qualifications, as a daycare manager, the families should also be exposed to the qualification and experience of other staff members (Cornish 87). As a daycare manager, it is

Legal Studies Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Legal Studies - Term Paper Example ose living in Hong Kong continuously for seven years, shall be deemed as permanent residents of HKSAR; as per Article 24(2) category (3) of the basic law. As per the provisions of basic law, many parents qualifying for permanent resident status in HKSAR had children born in Mainland China, who have then moved to Hong Kong and overstayed there illegally. However, they approached the Immigration department for getting recognition of their status as permanent residents of HKSAR, as well as, for issuing them the necessary identity cards for this purpose. On 11 July 1997, Provisional Legislative Council of Hong Kong enacted the Immigration Amendment #3 ordinance of 1997, while specifying the formation of a certificate entitlement scheme, which required compliance from all permanent residents of HKSAR. Accordingly, Bureau of Exit-Entry was set up for this purpose at Mainland china, for applying under this scheme at Mainland China. However, acting as per this ordinance #3, the Director of Immigration refused permission to those, who applied after 1 July 1997, while ordering them to return to Mainland China. Hence, certain test cases were sel ected, which approached the Director of Legal Aid for challenging this ordinance. The Na Ka Ling Vs. Director of Immigration is one such test case. The child was able to prove being natural resident of Hong Kong, as also being lawful child of permanent Hong Kong residents. (Hong Kong Cases, pages 296-301) While all the four test cases were consolidated for hearing before Keith J, the judge dismissed all cases, including the Na Ka Ling case, with the exception of case involving Cheung Lai Wah, on 9th Oct 1997. The test applicants appealed against the order of dismissal, in the Court of Appeal. Hence, the court was requested to address the issue of constitutionality of Ordinance #3 and validity of wedlock requirement for defining the parent-child relationship, as per the ordinance #2. However, on 2nd April, 1998, this court upheld

The S'No Risk Program (Management Decision Models) 1 Assignment

The S'No Risk Program (Management Decision Models) 1 - Assignment Example The increasing interest among the customers to buy Toro provided dealers the opportunity to clear inventory and regained confidence. Also S’ no risk promotion had basic cost of sales of 2.1% of sales which is normally 10% and hence the rates were raised (Bell, 1994, pp.1-2). The fair estimate of insurance rates will depend on the following factors namely, customer confidence, demand, insurance rates of other companies, cost of sales and profit margin of the company. On the basis of information given in the case, the impact of probable insurance rate on the profitability may be analyzed as follows, Items Single Stage Power Shovel Two-Stage Power Shovel    Min Max Min Max    Price ($) Retail Price 270 440 640 1500 Units Sold 100000 100000 20000 20000 Total Revenues 27000000 44000000 12800000 30000000 Basic Cost of Sales/Premium @ 2.1% 567000 924000 268800 630000 Profit 26433000 43076000 12531200 29370000 Premium @6% 1620000 2640000 768000 1800000 Profit @ 6% 25380000 4136000 0 12032000 28200000 Premium @8% 2160000 3520000 1024000 2400000 Profit @ 8% 24840000 40480000 11776000 27600000 premium @ 10% 2700000 4400000 1280000 3000000 Profit @ 10% 24300000 39600000 11520000 27000000 From the above table it can be said that when the rates are increased profitability will decrease and vice-versa. 2. The S’No risk program by Toro is shown below From the consumer’s viewpoint, the above structure exhibits an alluring percentage of refund which is entirely dependent on the amount of snowfall in the region. The structure states that when the snowfall would be more, the consumers would have the option to buy any variant of the shovel and when the snowfall would be comparatively lesser than other years then the consumers would be entitled to a refund. However the refund option would be valid till the figure reaches 50% average snowfall. Beyond 50% snowfall the customers won’t get the money-back benefit. Therefore we can conclude that both the pla ns would be in favor of the consumer. However a situation might arise when in a particular year, a customer purchases a self-propelled two-stage machine by paying a price of $1500 and on the same year the average snowfall in the region reaches 80%, then he will not be entitled to any refund. In this case the customers might think that he has made a wrong decision by spending $1500 for the shovel when he had the option to buy the one priced at $ 640. The chart discussed previously exhibits that the consumers prefer to spend the minimum and derive the maximum benefit from a product or service. Therefore it can be concluded that the rate which is most preferred by the customers is 6%. But 6% would not be preferred by the insurance firm as it would not bring them adequate revenue. Therefore Toro must choose a middle path to satisfy both the groups and it should go for the 8% rate. 3. The common decision trap in this case is the snowfall. For Toro, the sales volume would entirely depend on the amount of snowfall. For the Insurance firm, the snowfall would decide how much premium they are going to earn and for the consumers the snowfall would guide their decision of spending money towards the shovel. For all the three groups, thus the deciding factor is snowfall which itself is an uncertain and

Value Creation - Mergers and Acquisitions in the Banking Industry Thesis

Value Creation - Mergers and Acquisitions in the Banking Industry - Thesis Example The dominance of the US and Europe in the current global financial services landscape means that most European and American banks enter new markets outside their region through transatlantic M&As. These developments are not lost on bank CEOs, who must keep a watchful eye on competitors’ strategies and assess what these acquisition moves mean to their own bank’s position. With their massive increases in market capitalization due to mergers, leading banks are in a strong position to invest heavily in new products or services and to make even larger acquisitions. This would pose a significant competitive threat that would require other banks to respond. Indeed, all acquisitions will result from value enhancing unless there exists some element of market inefficiency, i.e., imperfect competition in either the product and/or labour market and/or agency conflicts. Most large mergers and acquisitions fall short of achieving the desired synergies. In January 1999, The Economist reported that study after study of past merger waves has shown that two of every three deals have not worked. And at least 50% of major mergers since 1990 have eroded shareholder returns. Reasons for failed mergers are diverse and complex, but most can be attributed to losing something: critical people, customers, market confidence. Uncontrolled costs, hidden losses, unrealized benefits, avoiding decisions, cultural barriers, and power struggles can also undermine the most promising unions. Despite the high failure rate, M&As that succeed can pay large dividends. The most successful acquiring firms have clearly established and well-understood acquisition processes, both for ensuring good strategic decisions before the acquisition decision is made and for integrating the acquired firm once the deal is complete. This has created an interest amongst other banking firms to make a research on the M&As and the reasons behind their success or failure.  Ã‚  

The S'No Risk Program (Management Decision Models) 1 Assignment

The S'No Risk Program (Management Decision Models) 1 - Assignment Example The increasing interest among the customers to buy Toro provided dealers the opportunity to clear inventory and regained confidence. Also S’ no risk promotion had basic cost of sales of 2.1% of sales which is normally 10% and hence the rates were raised (Bell, 1994, pp.1-2). The fair estimate of insurance rates will depend on the following factors namely, customer confidence, demand, insurance rates of other companies, cost of sales and profit margin of the company. On the basis of information given in the case, the impact of probable insurance rate on the profitability may be analyzed as follows, Items Single Stage Power Shovel Two-Stage Power Shovel    Min Max Min Max    Price ($) Retail Price 270 440 640 1500 Units Sold 100000 100000 20000 20000 Total Revenues 27000000 44000000 12800000 30000000 Basic Cost of Sales/Premium @ 2.1% 567000 924000 268800 630000 Profit 26433000 43076000 12531200 29370000 Premium @6% 1620000 2640000 768000 1800000 Profit @ 6% 25380000 4136000 0 12032000 28200000 Premium @8% 2160000 3520000 1024000 2400000 Profit @ 8% 24840000 40480000 11776000 27600000 premium @ 10% 2700000 4400000 1280000 3000000 Profit @ 10% 24300000 39600000 11520000 27000000 From the above table it can be said that when the rates are increased profitability will decrease and vice-versa. 2. The S’No risk program by Toro is shown below From the consumer’s viewpoint, the above structure exhibits an alluring percentage of refund which is entirely dependent on the amount of snowfall in the region. The structure states that when the snowfall would be more, the consumers would have the option to buy any variant of the shovel and when the snowfall would be comparatively lesser than other years then the consumers would be entitled to a refund. However the refund option would be valid till the figure reaches 50% average snowfall. Beyond 50% snowfall the customers won’t get the money-back benefit. Therefore we can conclude that both the pla ns would be in favor of the consumer. However a situation might arise when in a particular year, a customer purchases a self-propelled two-stage machine by paying a price of $1500 and on the same year the average snowfall in the region reaches 80%, then he will not be entitled to any refund. In this case the customers might think that he has made a wrong decision by spending $1500 for the shovel when he had the option to buy the one priced at $ 640. The chart discussed previously exhibits that the consumers prefer to spend the minimum and derive the maximum benefit from a product or service. Therefore it can be concluded that the rate which is most preferred by the customers is 6%. But 6% would not be preferred by the insurance firm as it would not bring them adequate revenue. Therefore Toro must choose a middle path to satisfy both the groups and it should go for the 8% rate. 3. The common decision trap in this case is the snowfall. For Toro, the sales volume would entirely depend on the amount of snowfall. For the Insurance firm, the snowfall would decide how much premium they are going to earn and for the consumers the snowfall would guide their decision of spending money towards the shovel. For all the three groups, thus the deciding factor is snowfall which itself is an uncertain and

Business organisations Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Business organisations - Assignment Example The scientific perspective may be better known, as it starts with Taylor and the foundation of the scientific methods. This paper will give an overview of the classical (management) era by discussing the scientific and administrative perspectives, the theorists behind each perspective, and the relevance of the classical management methods. Management practices may go back as far as the planning, controlling, directing, and building of the ancient pyramids (Wren and Bedeian, 2009). Starting with the late 19th and early 20th century management theorists who began their work during the Industrial Revolution, the major theorists of scientific (management) perspective believed there is one best way to do everything – and that is the most efficient way. Those theorists believed they could determine that method via whatever means they were using or purported was the best method to study the task. Those theorists of the scientific perspective discussed first are F. W. Taylor, H. L. Ga ntt, Frank and Lillian Gilbreth, and Hugo Munsterberg. The Scientific Perspective Frederick W. Taylor’s philosophy led the way for many others in using scientific and mathematical methods applied to workers, attempting to match a person’s abilities to a job in the best way possible, instituting a mutual self-interest mind-set that had never existed and improving employee productivity through incentives (Locke 1982; Wren and Bedeian 2009). Crain (2003) says that Taylor was noted for his scientific approach, his ability to solve problems, and his ability to invent things. His thought was that by being observed and measured the worker increased productivity. In one example, the test subject significantly increased production while receiving more in pay. Taylor’s management philosophy is built on the manager finding the facts, conducting research, and following tradition rather than relying on guesswork and personal opinion or hearsay (Locke, 1982). Chadha (2008) be lieves that Scientific Management is a form of systems thinking integrated with a worker and the work. Taylor was best known for using a stopwatch to time the workers pace to complete a task, but he believed that money is what the workers craved and they were determined to get it. He believed that ultimately improving efficiency improved society. Hodgetts (1995) analyzed ten organizations against Taylor’s principles and found that each organization utilized the principles in some way to stay focused on their quality management strategy. (Williams 2000) Taylor’s four principles summarized are: 1. Develop a science for each part of a person’s work, replacing a rule of thumb method. 2. Scientifically pick and train employees rather than allow employees to arrive and work as they wish. 3. Cooperate with employees to ensure work is done according to scientific guidelines. 4. Divide work as equally as possible. Allow management time to oversee the work of the employee s and shoulder the responsibility of holding others accountable. Henry Laurence Gantt worked closely with F. W. Taylor. Gantt brought a human quality into the scientific side of Taylor’s work. Gantt developed a bonus pay structure for the employee who completed their piece rate work for the day and was able to complete more than the assigned tasks. With Gantt’s methods of the use of incentives for employees production was significantly increased (Wren and Bedeian 2009). Frank Gilbreth used time motion studies where Taylor used a stop watch and was using only time

Customer Relationship Management In Hospitality Industries Tourism Essay

Customer Relationship Management In Hospitality Industries Tourism Essay Customer Relationship Management, or CRM, has many perspectives and definitions that illustrate its fundamental thrust, that of trying to present a holistic strategy for managing customer relationships by getting to know the customers and their needs better, communicating with them more effectively and trying to fulfil these needs (Payne, 2005, Pp. 1 2). Because CRM is about getting to know customers and their needs better, it is about implementing specific Information and Communication technology projects within an organisation to process organisational data to deliver knowledge about customers and their needs. It is now possible for organisations to implement more effective and sophisticated technology solutions for processing customer related data because computers are now far more powerful and cheaper compared to what they used to be, with a vastly increased storage capacity. In addition, businesses and organisations can now store vast amounts of data about their customers on co mputerised systems that can communicate more effectively with individuals and other computer systems using technologies for the Internet. Companies in all sectors, including the hospitality and tourism sector, now routinely engage their customers on the World Wide Web and process customer data to deliver more useful products and services at competitive rates (Gretzel, 2010, Pp. 1 48 63 72). Thus, CRM presents opportunities leading to higher profitability and superior competitive advantage (Roberts, 2005, Pp. 315 316). It is important for modern hospitality organisations to try to increase customer occupancy rates and customer experience in a tough and rapidly changing business environment that presents intense competition (Minghetti, 2003, Pp. 141 143). Thus, managers associated with the hospitality sector, including the hotels and tourism sector must have a deep knowledge of customers needs, behaviours, and preferences to offer services that deliver value to create customer retention, value and loyalty. In addition, it is important to try to communicate effectively with customers in a timely manner and to encourage them to engage in a dialogue with an organisation that can benefit everyone. Thus, customer-centric information systems are important for the hospitality industry, which must use these systems to develop effective relationships with customers to serve them better, encourage them to use more offerings from an organisation and to get to know about their needs in order to satisfy them an d to retain them. It is important to understand that customers are the lifeblood of an organisation and without customers, there will be no revenues and no organisation. Customers who are not satisfied or fulfilled leave to benefit from others who can offer more and this means that efforts directed towards trying to maintain effective customer relationships are now essential for all organisations, including those operating within the hospitality and tourism sectors. It is far more expensive to try to get a new customer than it is to retain and to earn from an existing customer (Buttle, 1996, Pp. 155). The collection and use of customer information, its effective analysis and use for delivering to customers are now more important than ever before (Minghetti, 2003, Pp. 1 2). To understand better the importance of CRM in hospitality industries, it makes sense to try to carry out an in-depth investigation into the topic of discussion from the perspectives of customers, managers and other stakeholders, including employees, from within the context of a place with established hospitality industry that has achieved a reputation for excellence around the world. Edinburgh, in Scotland is a suitable location for such an investigation, not only because the author of this dissertation studies nearby, but also because in addition to being the United Kingdoms favourite domestic holiday destination, Edinburgh is now a world renowned destination for its festivals, events and conferences (Susan, 2008, Scotland A World Class Product). Susan (2008, Scotland A World Class Product) goes further to state that Edinburgh is the most favourite city in the United Kingdom to hold a conference and the demand for rooms for guests is fast outstripping supply. Edinburgh is at the forefront of hospitality and tourism in terms of innovation and quality and the hospitality sector in this city employs 31,000 people, which is nine percent of the workforce (Edinburgh Tourism Action Group, 2010, Edinburgh Tourism Framework for Growth 2007-15). According to the previously mentioned publication, Edinburgh won the Guardian / Observer Travel Award as the UK best city for seven consecutive years and tourism generates more than  £ 1.7 billion expenditure in this city. Efforts are ongoing to maintain Edinburgh as a competitive tourism destination of world class and to try to expand on its potential. Thus, it makes sense to try to examine how the hospitality industry in Edinburgh uses CRM to attract customers and to deliver more to Edinbu rgh and its tourists. The research presented in this dissertation attempts to examine the importance of CRM for the hospitality industry in Edinburgh by presenting a review of selected literature, a customer survey, insights from senior managers and executives from the hospitality and tourism industry in Edinburgh and opinions from those who have the real ground-level knowledge, the employees working within the hospitality sector. 1.1 A Discussion of the Problem for Research Marketing is important for the hospitality industry and for marketing for a successful hospitality organisation should touch the customer (Buttle, 1996, Pp. 155 157). The hospitality product is highly personalised with a substantial intangible content judged on experience. Relationship marketing is important for hospitality because the hospitality market with its ongoing and periodic demand in the face of competition presents a greater need for relational efforts and an understanding of the needs of customers. A need for the personal touch exists in hospitality and information technology provides opportunities for using information about customers to deliver the personal touch in novel ways. However, it is important to deliver correctly the CRM effort, based on the right information analytics and using the right channels to make a positive impact for the customer and the hospitality organisation. Despite the fact, that CRM has continued to present a promise of effecting improvements in corporate profitability, performance, customer retention and customer satisfaction, the proper implementation of CRM in an organisation is essential for success (Van Bentum, 2005, Pp. 28). CRM literature not only reports successes, it also reports a large number of failures in situations when well thought ought CRM solutions were not implemented correctly to impact the customer and to benefit an organisation. Thus, it is important to try to find out how the hospitality industry in Edinburgh is effectively making use of CRM in its efforts to compete with destinations from the rest of the United Kingdom, Europe and the world. It is far easier to articulate CRM than it is to implement it (Dickinson, 1999, Pp. 11 12). Today, the hospitality industry needs exceptional marketing that has the capacity for delivering the long-term customer who profits the business over time to emerge as a business partner. Thus, it is important to know the right way for CRM in hospitality and to get to know how the winners are making use of this new marketing reality for hospitality. For the small business operator in the hospitality sector, a customer information database that has evolved over time is likely to serve well using personal computers and internet connectivity if business continuity persists. However, for a large luxury hotel chain, resort or hotels involved with hosting and arranging conferences, the equation becomes more complex. In the present day and age, the design of CRM system emphasises linking knowledge management in organisations with CRM to try to enhance operational and strategic efficiencies (Xu, 2005 , Pp. 955 956). Thus, hospitality organisations and businesses must not only try to use CRM implementations effectively, but it must also be ensured that the right CRM implementation is serving an organisation by capturing the right data to perform the right analysis to present the most useful of results. With the passage of time, the lifestyles and preferences of customers change, customers become more demanding, new customers become involved with organisations and the business environment places new demands on businesses. Thus, it is not possible to say that knowledge acquisition for CRM in hospitality will be a once only exercise that will not be required on a continuous basis. A requirement exists for understanding CRM implementations, processes, practices and techniques with a view for making projections for the future to benefit most from this essential and important component of hospitality marketing. 1.2 Rationale for the Study It is important to consider the fundamental reason or reasons serving to account for something, or a statement of reasons when contemplating a research study because such an approach serves to elucidate, the aims of a research project or that which is required to be researched. For this dissertation, rationale for undertaking research into CRM in hospitality industries in Edinburgh is important because this influences the thrust of research into the topic of discussion. Clearly, an understanding of CRM and its implementation is not only of importance to the researcher who intends to make a career in the hospitality management, but it is also important for Edinburgh, Scotland and all destinations with an interest in enlarging and enhancing hospitality and tourism industries. Thus, a research project involving CRM in hospitality will benefit the industry and the place where the research is carried out to present new insights into what hospitality management should aim for in the future. Many of the more successful and ambitious hospitality establishments from around the world have practices in place to manage customer relationships (Lo, 2010, Pp. 139 156) and (Pechruttanamunee, 2008, Pp. 134 142). Not only is it likely that the more traditional forms of CRM will continue to play an important role in the evolution and success of hospitality organizations, but it is also likely that eCRM, which is made possible by advances in computer and communicatio n technologies, will present a new global meaning to marketing for hospitality at a destination. Thus, the right way to deliver, manage and to drive the CRM effort in hospitality will make the difference and is worth researching in depth. 1.3 Significance of the Study An examination of literature available in learned journals and books on the subject suggests that a very large body of published literature is available for CRM in organisations and the number of published research studies on CRM in hospitality is increasing. However, although a keen interest exists in Edinburgh and Scotland for promoting and further enhancing the hard won competitive advantage in hospitality and tourism for this city, little is available in terms of what role CRM plays in hospitality industries in Scotland and how better, more effective CRM strategies may be implemented for greater success. Thus, it is likely that this study will not only serve to add to the knowledge about CRM in hospitality, but it will also serve to highlight and to emphasise the importance of CRM in the hospitality industries of Edinburgh and Scotland. It is very likely that an effort to examine CRM practices and implementations in the hospitality industry in Edinburgh will present new insights and ideas that will be use to all with an interest in the management of hospitality and tourism. 1.4 Purpose and Research Questions The following research questions are of interest in the research presented for this dissertation: What is the thrust of CRM strategies in the hospitality industries of Edinburgh? What impact has CRM made on the hospitality industries in Edinburgh and is it possible to improve or to innovate further? What are the critical factors that influence deployment, development, planning and implementation of CRM in the hospitality industry in Edinburgh? What role does technology play in the delivery and implementation of CRM in the hospitality sector in Edinburgh? How has CRM shaped the corporate culture and vision for the hospitality sector in Edinburgh? What rewards has CRM presented to the hospitality sector in Edinburgh? How has CRM influenced the design and delivery of competitive and superior services for the hospitality sector in Edinburgh? What essential framework for the implementation of CRM has emerged in the hospitality sector for Edinburgh? What is the alignment that characterises CRM success for hospitality industries and businesses in Edinburgh? A literature review that attempts to examine and to present relevant perspectives on the importance of CRM in hospitality industries is in the next chapter. Chapter 2 Review of Relevant Literature and Research In the tourism and hospitality industries in general and the hotel industry in particular, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) becomes important as travellers become more price sensitive, less brand loyal and more sophisticated (Sigala, 2005, Pp. 391 392). In the present day and age, information technologies have made it possible for shoppers to make instant comparisons between hospitality and tourism offerings on websites and this means that it is important to implement CRM efforts to ret to retain customers and to provide them with better than what the competitors offer. The hotel industry around the world in particular is experiencing increased globalisation, competition, higher customer turnover, growing customer acquisition costs and rising customer expectations not only because the financial recession and competition but also because prospective customers can quickly make comparisons. Depending on the nature of hospitality business in which an organisation is involved, proc esses for automated data collection and analysis for influencing engagement with the customers are possible. Ryals (2001, Pp. 531 535) states that CRM in hospitality and service industries is important because efforts directed towards trying to enhance customer relationships pay in terms of offsetting high customer acquisition costs for those customers that use certain types of service offerings frequently. After covering acquisition costs, a stream of profit flows emerges for the previously mentioned customer and the longer a customer stays with a hospitality firm, the higher the profit. Thus, CRM helps to offset acquisition costs and to generate higher profits. In addition, the return from CRM increases even further when satisfied customers refer other potential customers who add to the bottom line for an organisation. Because efforts to develop a relationship with customers have generally positive effects on customers, a relationship with a hospitality organisation has a value for customers who associate with a brand to become price insensitive. The impact of efforts to enhance CRM in hospitality organisations are likely to result in the following (Ryals, 2001, Pp. 535): Long-term retention of selected customers Gathering and integrating information on customers An emphasis on data mining and analysis of customer data An emphasis on customer segmentation in terms of lifetime value Identification and micro-segmentation of markets for types of offerings Efforts towards enhanced customer value creation An emphasis on the delivery of customer value through channels optimised for serving various market segments A shift in emphasis from management of product portfolios to the management of portfolios of customers, resulting in efforts directed towards optimising an organisation to serve better customer segments Sigala (2005, Pp. 409 410) goes further to suggest that profound change in service marketing, including marketing for hospitality and tourism, demands that an emphasis exist for customer retention, customisation of products and customer focused processes that incorporate Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) for collecting and processing customer data. Processed data is required to deliver customer insights, superior customer relationships and design of superior products and services. The previously mentioned author suggests an integration of ICT, knowledge management and CRM for hotels and the hospitality industry. However, CRM can and does exist in small hospitality and tourism establishments without the implementation of elaborate ICT applications, and it is important to try to have a good fit between the CRM implementation and the business. It is important to understand that with a good fit, the integrated CRM system will present opportunities for improving staff skil ls, competencies, the working environment and services in addition to enhancing customer relationships. The advent of e-commerce has meant that online intermediaries on the web present a threat to hospitality operators because although such intermediaries do present opportunities to customers to select after comparing a number of offerings, they do not always correctly depict the true value of offerings (OConner, 2004, Pp. 474 476). By implementing CRM efforts, hospitality establishments are in direct contact with customers and they can try to sell the value of their offerings to customers with a personal touch that is missing with online intermediaries. To illustrate the point, it is possible to suggest that by mailing a hotel magazine to selected customers who qualify, it will be possible for a hotel to keep customers informed about developments and at the same time to offer new or discounted products to try to maintain and enhance customer interest. In the age of Internet and the World Wide Web, post visit presentations, including magazines or other advertising literature from hosp itality establishments will neither be expensive to deliver nor late in a fast changing world full of new developments. CRM in the hospitality industry has the potential for reducing marketing expenditure and for increasing sales, but it is important to ensure that potential data-ownership dilemmas are in control so that CRM can work optimally at the brand level (OConner, 2004, Pp. 480 481). Effective data mining using artificial intelligence and sophisticated statistical techniques for data analysis on warehoused data is important for CRM, especially for the large hospitality organisations. However, the previously mentioned author suggests that the regional proliferation of Internet and interest in web-based interactions determines how effective eCRM will be when focusing on a region. The developed world with a more prolific proliferation of the Internet is far more suited to eCRM compared to regions in the developing world with limited access to ICT. In addition, large multinatio nal hotel chains must practice and present effective knowledge sharing for international hotel joint ventures (Magnini, 2008, Pp. 249 252). Hence, clearly CRM implementations in hospitality present both risks and opportunities. OConner (2004, Pp. 482) states that the hospitality industry spends millions of dollars on information technology acquisitions every year, but not much published material exists about the management of acquired information technology resources. According to Ozgener (2006, Pp. 1356 1358), senior management commitment and adequate budgets are important for CRM implementations in the hospitality industries. CRM implementations in the small and medium hospitality firms are likely to feel the effects of innovation quality, customer relations, communication-distribution infrastructure and business dynamics. Business dynamics, which refers to change imposed on businesses due to economic, social, technological and environmental change, is important for CRM because it is such change that demands new offerings from businesses to retain customers in the face of competition. Although the smaller hospitality firms will have less to spend on CRM, they are likely to be more interested in having CRM systems because existing customers are far more important to the smaller businesses compared to the larger ones. Thus, within the context of the hospitality industries existing in a city or a region, CRM implementation within small and large h ospitality businesses may vary, depending on the peculiarities of the place. The previously mentioned, together with barriers for the implementation of CRM in hospitality, is likely to be something that will be worth investigating in the small-scale research project for the importance of CRM in Edinburgh. In addition, the more important goals for implementing CRM in hospitality are also worth investigating because the relative reasons for an interest in CRM are likely to differ. It is possible to use CRM systems in hospitality firms for decreasing costs, sustaining competitive advantage, improving customer services, improving customer retention, acquiring new customers or for increasing profits. However, the relative priority reasons for CRM implementation may vary from firm to firm. Oronsky (2007, Pp. 944) suggests that CRM implementations in hospitality industries are not just limited to hotels, resorts, airlines or travel agencies because it is possible for restaurants to benefit from such implementations and a strategic thrust for CRM. The previously mentioned author suggests that chain restaurants and independent full-service restaurants may benefit from information technology and CRM implementations that effectively use IT for engaging customers and better understanding their needs. Within the restaurant sector, information technology has made an impact on the dining experience of customers and the way in which meals are prepared, even though according to the previously mentioned authors, some researchers suggest that the hospitality industry is not technology oriented. However, it is clear that if information technology for implementing CRM systems can benefit large hotel chains, then there is no reason why the same technology cannot benefit chain restaura nts. Oronsky (2007, Pp. 942) states that within the restaurant industry, information technology has the potential for minimising costs, providing support for superior employee and revenue management, enabling analysis of customer preferences and optimising menus for target costs that will appeal more to customers. Thus, despite reservations expressed by some researchers about hospitality not being a technology industry, other researchers suggest that it is likely that more than 50% of the change that will have an impact food service within the hospitality sector will involve technology influences. Thus, it is clear that a potential exists for using information technology and CRM systems within the food service sector in hospitality organisations. According to Oronsky (2007, Pp. 944), customer feedback and analysis of customer needs is as important for restaurants as it is for any other hospitality operation. Like hotels, airlines and tour operators, restaurants too can engage customers using websites and receive comments, feedback, suggestions or survey results presented on the web. For large restaurant chains, it is possible to implement systems for deciding about how well menu items are doing across the entire chain, and it is possible to enhance customer relationships by using imaginative ways, including deal offerings, special promotions, joint offerings with other businesses or offerings related to food events, etc. Thus, clearly technology facilitates information management, knowledge management and engagement with the customer even in the food service sector. In the business environment that prevails today, CRM is as important for airlines as it is for other hospitality industries because serving and having the customer counts and influences the bottom line (Cheng, 2008, Pp. 487 490). CRM is likely to make a difference for airlines in their effort to retain and attract the frequent flyers because relationship marketing emphasises maintaining long-lasting relationships with customers and a significant proportion of airline customers, even during the tough economic times, are business travellers who fly more frequently than tourists do. Thus, it is clear that the character of airline service offers many opportunities for practicing the relationship marketing approach and many airlines do maintain frequent flyer databases that are useful for deciding about customer requirements and for engaging the customer. Because airline operations present a substantial dependence on computers and information technology for reservation systems, schedulin g and maintenance activities, it is quite possible to incorporate effectively CRM implementations as an addition to existing information technology support systems. For airline CRM that delivers results, it is important to ascertain what keeps customers loyal to airlines and how airlines can respond better to offerings presented by competitors (Cheng, 2008, Pp. 488 489). Loyal customers do appreciate rewards for patronage by loyal customers if airlines present competitively priced offerings that are comparable in quality to offerings from competitors. Although, it is very likely that the touch, the thoughtfulness, benefits and the effort will count in CRM for airlines, customers must be satisfied with the price for quality and type of service offerings. Thus, enrolling customers in frequent flyer programs is not a guarantee of customer loyalty because service quality and service recovery policies in case of service disruption are important for frequent flyers. Clearly, a frequent flyer is likely to prefer an airline that checks them into a decent hotel and presents meals instead of leaving them to wait it out in a departure lounge if a substant ial flight delay persists. A balance must exist between rewards for frequent flyers with the care that airlines can offer to such customers who must constantly be on the move to attend to important business matters. In the present day and age, the digital market on the World Wide Web made possible by the Internet is important for airlines, and it is important that airlines lean closer to their customers to try to cut off agents and other intermediaries. In addition, the previously mentioned author suggests that airlines need to emphasise customer orientation, domain expertise, interpersonal relationships, service recovery performance and the judicious use of information technology to make an impact with customers that will result in superior relationship quality. From a customer perspective, domain orientation or the quality of offerings made by an airline and the quality of its employees are of the greatest importance to customers and this means that it is important to tune the CRM system for presenting superior offerings that benefit customers most. 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 The chapter, which follows, presents a discussion about the methodology for this dissertation. Chapter 3 Methodology / Methods Used 3.1 Research Approach for the Thesis 3.2 Preparation of a Literature Review Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Discussion A discussion about the conclusions derived from the results of the literature review and the interviews are in the next chapter. Chapter 6 Conclusion, Recommendations and Suggestions for Further Work Appendix A (This page intentionally left blank)