Advertising Through Social Media Essay

In today’s business world, social media is being discussed on a daily basis. This phenomenon has taken over the marketing and advertising industries and has changed the way they handle their efforts to attract customers. There is a big misunderstanding that social media are only popular networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter, but as defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary, social media are â€Å"forms of electronic communication (as Web sites for social networking and micro blogging) through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and other content (as videos). The rise of these online communities has given companies an opportunity to engage in conversations with their customers. This in turn has allowed them to better understand what people are looking for, and tailor both their products as well as their marketing efforts accordingly. One of the main advantages that social media has brought to businesses is the opportunity to advertise their products through this media. As a result, advertising through social media has proven to be more effective than that through traditional media outlets such as radio, television, magazines, newspapers etc. As stated by Stephen and Galak in their article The complimentary Roles of Traditional and Social Media in driving Marketing Performance, â€Å"Social media is a relatively new form of publicity, and yet the impact of more traditional forms of publicity on marketing outcomes has received disproportionately less attention†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (pg. #? ). Although Social media is a relatively new way of advertising, companies are finding it to be more lucrative and successful in driving sales than any other media. In this paper I will examine (i) the financial impact that advertising through social media has on companies,(ii) the targeted demographics for this type of advertising and (iii) consumers’ response to this phenomenon, whether it is positive or negative. Financial Impact of Advertising through Social Media As previously mentioned, businesses are moving away from traditional sources of advertising to more innovative ways that have proven to be more effective. Using the apparel industry as an example, companies are experiencing increased traffic to their websites thanks to their social media ads. They are taking advantage of these sites to further relationships with their customers: â€Å"Apparel brands and retailers that have invested time and resources into crafting a progressive social media strategy have been able to use the medium to further customer loyalty, raise brand awareness, spread advertising messages, create online communities, communicate directly with customers, and in many cases, drive sales† (â€Å"Apparel Industry† 1). Apparel retailers are only one example of an industry that has taken advantage of the reach that social media has. Research conducted by Swedish economists Dahlen and Colliander, on the effectiveness of blogs versus online magazines proves that blogs â€Å"generated higher brand attitudes and purchase intentions† than magazines did (pg. #? ). Their experiment was based on posting the same exact text on seven different blogs as well as seven different online magazines and testing their effectiveness in a scale of consumer response and purchases. The fact that blogs were proven more effective proves that even online traditional ads have lost their power. It is not a matter of posting an ad online, but rather building a sense of trust in costumers’ minds that will drive them to purchase form you. Customers today are faced with more options than ever before, that is why companies strive to maintain close relationships, to make it that much harder for customers to switch to another competitor. Social Media however is not only used to introduce a new product or advertise an existing one, it has also helped companies to regain their reputation after a scandal. After Toyota had to face their decline in sales because of the safety recalls, the company used a combination of Facebook pages and videos on YouTube to promote a â€Å"cool† couple that despite other’s beliefs drove Sienna cars and felt better than anyone else. The combination of these social networking efforts resulted in approximately 2,000 Facebook fans and 15,000 views on YouTube. Within a couple of weeks Toyota experienced an increase in sales, especially in their Sienna model (Taylor, 258). Toyota is a clear example of a company facing both a financial and reputation crisis that with the help of social media was able to regain some of their lost sales as well as their trust amongst its costumers. Clearly social media can have a direct impact on consumer purchasing patterns, and it has increased the amount of online shopping for several companies. Authors Chung and Austria examine in their article Social Media  Gratification and Attitude towards Social Media marketing Messages, the effect that this phenomenon has had on online shopping value: â€Å"According to the â€Å"2010 Social Media Report† from ForeSee results, 69% of online shoppers use social media. Fifty-six percent of shoppers indicate that they visit e-retail websites on a social networking site and that website visiting affects consumer purchase intention† (? ). Costumers find it convenient to visit a company’s Website after seeing an ad in any popular social networking site. It requires minimal effort form the customer and it signifies an important portion of sales to a company. However, Social Media has not only had a positive financial impact on a company, but as it rapidly grows it has now also become a cost for many businesses. Chung and Austria argue how marketers have noticed the increased importance of social media on the marketing mix (product, place, promotion and price). Companies are now opening jobs that focus exclusively on social media. This is an increased labor cost as well as an extra effort for the marketing department, however its proven effectiveness in driving sales outweighs the cost of implementing this department. Targeted Demographics The essence of Social Media is how it’s easily accessible to everyone, thanks to the Internet. It is a 24-hour business that runs in every part of the world. Although many professionals in the field have argued its acceptance and effectiveness, many could not help but notice that there is an age and demographic aspect of it. Not every potential costumer has access to the Internet as well as not all customers feel comfortable purchasing things online. Social Media is targeted to those generations who were born with technologies like this, and are comfortable using them. There are conflicting opinions in this matter, authors Stephen and Galak argue that social media has grown to be widely accepted amongst many age groups: â€Å"Furthermore, while social media was once the domain of younger, tech- savvy consumers who were faster to adopt new technologies, it is now generally considered to have entered the mainstream and covers a broad demographic spectrum with 75% of Internet-using adults in the United States using such social media† (? ). They argue that it is a mistake to believe that only tech avy customers would be influenced by social media, since now more than ever anyone with access to a computer has found it inevitable to come across advertising in popular networking sites. However in their article Friends, Fans and Followers: Do Ads work on Social Networks, authors Taylor et al. argue that â€Å"age and gender shape receptivity† (? ). They state: â€Å"As more advertisers integrate SNA [social networking ads] into their promotional mix, the need for these questions to be answered becomes apparent. Particularly with members of the 18- to 34-year-old demographic, whose digital-video recorder usage and aversion to print media make them an increasingly elusive target, SNA can be a highly effective channel of engagement† (? ). The effectiveness of an ad is not only based on where it is posted but also on who is looking at it. Companies have to pay attention to where they post their advertising based on aspects such as age, gender, location, etc. An ad for dentures that appears on an 18 year old kid’s Facebook page will most definitely not be as effective as an ad for a popular apparel brand. Although there might be certain demographics that affect the effectiveness of advertising through social media, it is inevitable to admit that social media users are a lucrative market that companies need to reach: In 2009, Facebook and Twitter both posted triple-digit growth in the number of users (comScore, 2010). Users appear to be spending more time on social networking sites as well, growing from an average of 3 hours per week in December 2008 to more than 5. 5 hours in December 2010 (Nielsenwire, 2010). To tap this growing market, advertisers spent an estimated $1. billion on SNA [social networking ads] in 2009, with totals for 2010 expected to grow by more than 7 percent (Williamson, 2009). During a single month in 2009, SNA accounted for nearly 69 billion advertising impressions, with 129. 6 million unique users (comScore, 2009). (Taylor, 260) Facebook and Twitter are only a few of the most popular networking sites, and these numbers reflect only the results from these two sites. If all social media outlets would be taken into account the market is even bigger, with more customers to reach. Consumer Response In addition to all the good things that have been attributed to advertising through social media, studies have shown that there is a percentage of customers who have stopped using social media in part because of the amount of advertising that fills these sites. It is impossible to open a popular social media site such as YouTube or Facebook and not feel bombarded by advertising. Most of these ads are trying to sell consumer products, but there is also an increase in the selling of services or the advertisement of not for profit organizations that are looking for support. Marketers have argued that as much as advertising through social media is effective, there is a fine line between effectiveness and annoyance: â€Å"according to one industry-sponsored study, only 22 percent of consumers had a positive attitude toward social media advertising—and 8 percent of consumers studied had abandoned an SNS [social networking site] because of what they perceived as excessive advertising (AdReaction, 2010)† (Taylor, 258). As costumers we all feel constantly approached by companies through their advertisements. It is not only online, but on a daily basis you will encounter companies’ marketing efforts all around. The initial intention behind social networking sites was giving people a chance to build online communities and share content with each other. However this has dramatically changed since now it is impossible not to feel attacked by all the ads. Another growing concern in the minds of consumers is privacy issues. The ads that appear on your personal Facebook page are carefully chosen by a system based on your age, gender, location and past â€Å"click-ons†. These ads are perfectly tailored to those targeted consumers to be more effective. However, having your information available to everyone and anyone is becoming an important issue for social network users. Brad Stone, columnist for the New York Times quotes: â€Å"‘When it works, it’s amazingly impactful, but when it doesn’t work, it’s not only creepy but off-putting,’ said Tim Hanlon, a principal at the consulting firm Riverview Lane Associates of Chicago. ‘What a marketer might think is endearing, by knowing a little bit about you, actually crosses the line pretty easily’† (? . It’s one thing to come across ads that are targeted to everyone and might or might not have an impact on you, but when you see something that looks like it is talking directly to you, it might have a negative impact. The increase in sales through the use of social media has also been attributed to the fact that customers feel like they are engaging in a conversation with other customers when they receive recommendations through social networking sites. Colliander and Dahlen quote: â€Å"In a 2009 article, The Economist reported that contemporary consumers use social media to help make purchases because they rely on â€Å"recommendations from friends† (The Economist, 2009). The word â€Å"friends† seems to indicate some sort of PSI. Are bloggers really friends, however? † Para-social interaction (PSI) refers to the illusion of a face-to-face relationship that is created online. Social media allows these kind of interactions. When reading a blog you might come across a recommendation of where to purchase certain products. These recommendations seem to come from a friend, since in blogs you will most often find the blogger’s name and other credentials. The question is however, are these people really bloggers? Or are they employees of that same company that are using social media to reach potential customers. Are they hiding behind another customer’s face? It is undeniable that people have begun to generate a negative response to advertising through social media for this exact reason. It has lost the essence of being an online community, to being another source through which companies look to improve their sales digits. Looking at all the aspects that deal with advertising through social media, I can’t help but ask myself a question: How much advertising is too much? When will that thin line between annoyance and effectiveness be crossed, and consumers will find themselves walking away from these online communities? Consumers have clearly manifested their discontent towards companies taking over their social network sites. It is an increased concern that information is available for everyone and anyone, and therefore consumers are more apprehensive to sharing their credentials as well as their thoughts online. Should companies start thinking of the effect that their excessive ads will have, and the negative response they might get. I personally believe that ads are unavoidable, however there is a need for stronger rights that protect customer privacy. Companies should not only make an effort to get to know their costumers by engaging in online conversations, but they should also respect the privacy of consumers’ information and refrain from over-advertising in popular social media sites.

Ambition Essay 11

?Ambition Nowadays, many people think ambition is antisocial, it is never a pretty prospect to ponder. But in my opinion, ambition is important and necessary for our society. Ambition is a fundamental skill of accumulating power and living a good life. It produces action. It makes choice possible. It is a narrative or context of concerns and commitments that brings forth moods of passion, assessments of situations and actions, strategies and tactics, requirements for power, and skill. What if a person does not have an ambition? A person without ambition has no commitment to take care of their future. They may want, desire or prefer a good future, but they lack commitment to do so. They do not act in the present to produce favorable consequences in the future. And to think of it, what the world will be like without ambition? The highly developed society hangs back and new invention disappears. New discovery vanishes. All of which human beings creates will never come to our life. That's an unbelievable phenomenon. So in my opinion, ambition is so important and necessary for both individuals and our society that we will never abandon falling in it. To begin with, I think if one's ambition is greater than the others, he or she will get more at last. For example, In the Three States conflicts, a famous leader named Cao Cao, whose ambition is to climb up to the summit of great rights. Through a list of methods such as absorbing some knowledgeable person makes him succeed finally. Secondly, some ambitious ideas contribute to the success of our society. If we don't dream flying like the bird, we'll never invent the plane. f we don't want to stay in the waters for a long time, we'll never make the first submarine. If we don't want to step on the moon, we'll never create the spaceship. Ambition is like a flower, whose smell is so sweet that lure people to get it. Ambition is like a hawking, whose expectation is to fly high and high to the blue sky. If a person doesn’t have ambition, his life will be dull. If a person doesn’t have ambition, his colorful world will fade. a person don't have ambition, he will achieve nothing. Someone will say, ambition may be destroy the building of modern moral society, which built by our ancestor. To the contrary, it's because of the ambition that the building could be existed. I don't think that someone is an ambitious person is wrong. In a word, I am totally agree that ambition propels our life and make our world go around. It's so important and necessary that we'll all have to stick to it if we want to make a difference.

Personal and Professional Development for Business Essay

Personal and Professional Development for Business - Essay Example In the recent years, MBA programs have been construed as general education in the practice of managing rather than specialized training in the functions of business; however, Henry Mintzberg, one of the leading influential teachers of business strategy argues that â€Å"Management is, above all, a practice where art, science and craft meet†. In light of this statement, this paper aims to provide a critical analysis of the value of management education from a range of perspectives. In today’s complex and highly challenging global business environment, business leaders are predominantly engaged with the task of transforming nondescript firms into a billion dollar corporations. Tough business environment conditions and emerging trends in the traditional business world have created a knowledge gap that business schools have ardently strived to fill through management education. Through management education, business schools are seriously rethinking the concept of leadership with a special focus on the need to train the next-generation managers (Uba, 2011); the training seeks to raise a breed of next-generation managers fully equipped with knowledge and skills to deal with the emerging global challenges in the business world. The need for such training is justified by the dynamic nature of modern enterprise; traditional managers rarely had to move past the basics of what was taught and even then, the scope was often limited to their immediate environment. The need to raise a breed of next generation managers who have been equipped with the necessary tools to deal with the emerging business challenges is the underlying importance of Management education. In addition to that, management education directly correlates with business and economic development because it highlights key essential areas of focus in the global business environment. For instance, corporate social responsibility and corporate sustainability have been flagged as essential elements i n business management today thanks to Management education (Uba, 2011). Business management has taken on a much broader meaning in today’s workplace in response to globalization that has resulted into new complexities and interdependence between multinational corporations, the environment and society. Many companies have become multinationals and they are required to compete in environments radically different from the ones in which the managers were trained. For these reason, they must be flexible so they can tackle the new social political and legal challenges that will unequivocally come their way, such versatility can only achieved through intense and progressive training. Given the myriad complexities and interconnectivity at the workplace in response to globalization, business management in the 21st century tends to take on a multi-faceted approach that calls for integrative business tools. Management education provides an avenue for managers to adapt to the changes at the workplace by building their capacity to deal with emerging complexities and challenges of interconnectivity. Managers are put to task to meet their fiduciary responsibility to both customers and shareholders, while paying close attention to environmental, socio-cultural and political considerations at the workplace. The role of management education is to empower managers to execute these roles effectively and efficiently to lead their organizations into achieving optimum results and excellent success. Management education helps shape the attitudes and behaviour of business leaders through a number of ways; the most prominent way in which management education does this is through business education, research and management programmes. Management educ

Critical Analysis of the Trends in Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) in the Term Paper

Critical Analysis of the Trends in Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT) in the United States - Term Paper Example The context factors act as Vehicle Mile Travelled (VTM) growth drivers. They include legal/political climate, family structure, social/cultural conditions and technological, economical and institutional structure of the American society. The discussion provided for the impact of the outlined factors is one-sided. Most of factors such as decentralization of companies can have either effect. Travel requirements decreases as a person ages due to the decrease in the activity level and decrease in work related travels. Contrary to the earlier arguments, the aging factor does not increase or reduce the VMT. This is because the decreased levels caused by the aging population are countered by the increasing travel levels caused by the maturing young adults. However, the improved health, wealth and higher licensing rates for the elder women have curtailed the reduction in the rates of mobility for the older generation. The argument on the aging factor overlooked the impact of the economic gro wth on the VMT. This reduces the rate of VMT. Changes in the nature of work will reduce VMT because most of the employment agencies and individuals are applying the use of computer technology to enhance production. Most of the workers can work from home and avoid travelling to their work places. Most institutions of higher learning are also leaning towards introducing online lessons. This will reduce the travel requirements for most students. Decentralization of companies to rural areas can also contribute into the reduction in the VMT because companies may be located near the workforce thus, negating the travel necessity. Finished goods will be brought near retailers and consumers negating the necessity of travelling over long distance to acquire them. The impact of the aging population is reasonable because the travelling tendency of a person is dependent on the activity level. The travel frequency increases as a person matures to middle age. Children may not directly produce VMT but they increase the travel demands for their parents. The middle aged adults would directly increase the VMT as they are in the peak levels of the work related travel. It is notable that the prevalence of dispersed suburban environments and more working parents have made many teenagers rely on auto-travel to and from school. The rise in the fuel prices will generally lead to the reduction in the VMT. However, changes will be insignificant because most people are forced to drive to and from work regardless of the oil prices. Stabilization of workforce participation rates may have either impacts i.e. it can reduce or increase VMT. The increase of women workforce may lead to the increase in the need for travel. However, the rate may still reduce because the involvement of women does not signify an addition in the work force. They just fill the vacancies that would have been filled by anyone, meaning that the number of the workforce is preserved as well as their travel needs. The impa ct of most of the outlined factors is dependent on the changes in other factors. For instance, changes in the increase in the cost of driving may increase VMT in case of the future growth in the economy and income levels (Ewing 2007). Changes in manufacturing and distribution and trends in the cost of real property are the two opposing factors that can lead to increase in VMT. The decentralization of industries due to the enhancement of new

Improving Existing Cognitive Technique Program Essay

Improving Existing Cognitive Technique Program - Essay Example The essay "Improving Existing Cognitive Technique Program" discusses the evidence-based treatment and rehabilitation interventions in view of statistics showing increasing rates of incidence and risks involving mentally disordered offenders. Violence is a major concern among those who are responsible for the care of mentally ill prisoners. People with mental problems are more prone to violence than healthy individuals, especially people who have significant psychological impairments†. In this regard, it becomes worthwhile to learn that this study is generally meant for public safety. Since initial outcomes of the study were found successful and have shown potentials and room for development, it is justifiable that the research is funded appropriately even if it has to come up with revisions and/or innovations. Program completion or success rate or success was pegged at 78%†. There is a need to follow through and attempt to surpass the previous success rate of the program. Research methods should shift its focus on the emotional monitoring and control strategies that would lengthen the patients’ span of memory and receptiveness to the interventions. I would also agree with what Rees-Jones, et.al â€Å"to pursue further this research with randomized controlled design†. The significance of a study can only be justified if it has undergone a systematic process of evaluation. Relying on a hunch or common sense can only bring inaccurate premises and can only result in biases, gaps, and pressures to decision makers.

US airways's new Market - China Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

US airways's new Market - China - Term Paper Example It is a subsidiary of the US Airways Group with its headquarters in Temple, Arizona. The airline company operates both domestically and internationally. Being one of the biggest names, it would obviously want to explore the Asian markets. However, the major determining factor in this regard would be the pricing of fuel in the coming fiscal year, the economic scenario and the state of the aviation fleet. Interestingly, the company had already received permission from the sovereign authority to fly from Philadelphia to China back in 2008. However, due to the global economic slowdown, the project got delayed. This paper aims to understand the impact of the business environment of China on the expansion of US Airways and the possible marketing strategies to be adopted. Under the leadership of MAO Zedong, China had developed as a socialist state. However since 1978, under the leadership of DENG Xiaoping and with a favorable attitude towards globalization, a pro-market economic structure had materialized with a positive outcome through an increased GDP (â€Å"East & Southeast Asia: China†). The majority of the population is Buddhist with Christians and Muslims forming the minority. Chinese population is equally distributed between the urban and rural areas such that only 50% of the population lives in the urban areas with the rate of urbanization hovering around a mere 2% (â€Å"East & Southeast Asia: China†). Occupationally, majority of the population are engaged in the agricultural sector (around 50%), even though agriculture makes a relatively lesser contribution in GDP, while the shares in the industry and services sector stand around 22% and 28% respectively (Yoo 187). Level of education Figure 2: Education level in China Source: (â€Å"East & Southeast Asia: China†) Mobility In the wake of the pro-market reforms and globalization, China’s occupational mobility is undergoing paradigm shifts (â€Å"Occupational Mobility and Migration in China†). This is causing a rapid change in the age-old social division, according to occupational natur e. Due to the increasing unemployment and large lay-offs by government and private enterprises, the masses are increasingly migrating to the urban areas in search of employment. Both the mobility between jobs and places has increased on this account. This will be an added advantage for US Airways. Transportation The traditional form of transportation in China revolves around the railways. However, roadways, airports and waterways also comprise the other forms of transportation. The total area covered by the roads is 4,106,387 km with a paved length of 3,453,890 km and unpaved length of

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

Karl Marx - Essay Example Karl Marx would consider the advent of the internet to be significant because it provides a mechanism through which communities would establish relationships, learn means of production, and create communist systems that would replace capitalism and end its exploitative nature. Karl Marx suggests that capitalists pay their workers subsistence pay rather than paying them an amount that reflects their value of the business. The internet would overcome this problem by giving workers a platform to share experiences and learn how to create value on their own rather than relying on the businesses of capitalists. The subsistence payment of workers gives them enough amounts to survive in order to continue working for the capitalists. Capitalism does not allow them to earn enough money because they would become empowered and start their own businesses, leaving the capitalists without workers. In this case, the advent of the internet is important because it empowers workers who earn low income by allowing them to access information and markets cheaply. Therefore, they can break away from the hands of capitalism and enjoy equal opportunities as the capitalists through internet marketing and communication that create value for them.An example of the significance of the internet is that it may allow a designer to earn a full value of his efforts. For example if a designer works for a capitalist and creates a value of $100 for every piece of cloth, the designer may get $40 and the capitalist takes $60, half of which she uses to pay fixed costs.

Development of Literacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Development of Literacy - Essay Example Indeed, some studies have emphasized that the development of literacy mirrors the individual’s levels of mental development. On this account, it might be necessary for instructional strategies to recognize the variations in the individual capabilities and social forces that determine the general process of mental development. A study conducted by McVee, Dunsmore, and Gavelek (2005) focused on the schema theory in the understanding of the development of literacy from an individual’s point of view. This study distinguished between the schema theory and socio-cultural theories, which have attempted to explain the process of literacy development within the context of social interactions and historical factors. In order to emphasize on the individual initiatives at the center of literacy development, the schema theory cites the example of the individual efforts employed by a child in the development of language and literacy. Children will tend to devise customized methods th at are appropriate to address their peculiar needs in accordance with the kind of challenges that they encounter. This observation is consistent with a range of studies that have shown that language learners from different socio-cultural backgrounds will tend to manifest different capacities in the process of language acquisition. In the determination of the most appropriate instructional strategies, language teachers should consider the fact that language is basically a naming system. It reflects the manner in which cultures, societies, and communities choose to name the world and things around them. Naturally, this naming system is controlled by the traditions, values, norms, and belief systems of the respective groups (Anderson, 1994). The system of naming varies from one society to another. This means that a literacy classroom may not be necessarily homogenous. If language and literacy development represent worldviews, it follows that literacy students from monolingual and bilin gual backgrounds will have different experiences in the course of the learning process. A monolingual learner may encounter clashing worldviews that are essentially different from the world that he or she is accustomed. This may reflect through the challenges of comprehending the various signs and signifiers that a resident in languages (Casson, 1983). On the other hand, a bilingual student may encounter significant challenges that relate to a mismatch in meanings between the two languages. Therefore, this calls for a multiplicity of strategies in order to address both the literacy needs for the groups and individuals across all observable variations. Some studies have pointed out the need to consider the impact of linguistic variations on literacy developments. Linguistic variations are generally diagnosed in the differences in syntax, lexicon, prosody, and phonology (Kucer, 2009). These four elements, syntax, lexicon, prosody, and phonology are central in the process of meaning ma king. As such, it is important for literacy instructors to examine and explore the various differences that manifest between these elements. Usually, linguistic variations may lead to distortion or misrepresentation of the intended meanings in language (Casson, 1983). It might be important to consider the differences in

The Zulu Culture Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The Zulu Culture - Research Paper Example The Zulu culture is part of the Bantu society that hails from the south-west part of Africa. The Zulu have been evidenced to be in existence long before the advent of the 17th century. The culture is one of the major traditions of the South African region. The Zulu culture is intense and rich in tradition, and has been the focus of study to numerous schools of thought. The Zulu people intensely believe in three major factors of life. These factors include the importance of women in the society, the sovereignty of the ancestors, and the rituals of passage. These three factors deeply explain the Zulu culture, and their contribution to the cultural aspects of the modern world. To the Zulu, a woman’s way of life is completely different from that of the men. The woman’s special life starts right from birth and end at death. The newly born girl child is washed only with warm water only, until she attains three months of age. Female toddlers, according to the Zulu culture, are handled very gently, and with abundant love, affection, patience, and gentleness. In addition, the culture demands that the girl baby is paramount to any other thing or task. When she attains about 1 year of age, and can finally stand unaided, she is sung to by a circle of women dancers, while the elderly women clap for her. After reaching the age of three years, the women prick her ears to make six openings in her right ear, and seven in her left one (Patrick, 2008). During her child years, she is mandated to play two roles, both as a daughter, and as a sister.

Supply Chain Management in Tehindo Tea Manufacturing Company Case Study

Supply Chain Management in Tehindo Tea Manufacturing Company - Case Study Example The company has implemented a vertical integration model where a company within the Tehindo Corporate Organization supplies tea leaves, one of the main raw materials of producing their products especially the fruity tea. The company has big parts of land, which they grow tea thus supplying over eleven sale centers with various sales offices in Indonesia. Integrating the supplier’s actions on its own has become unachievable by several companies given the need for the company to minimize inventories and be able to deliver customers’ demands on time. This has been very helpful to the company since they have been able to concentrate more on the production and distribution sections of the company. The other responsibility of the manufacturers is ensuring that the products are safe at the design stage, where they can eliminate the hazards and any potential misuse in this stage. On the other hand, the manufacturer receives the raw materials from the suppliers and produces good s as per the market segment and those products that will satisfy the consumer needs. In addition, the manufacturers sometimes when they sell their goods direct to the consumers that they tend to control the prices of their products. The manufacturer also receives information from the distributors, wholesalers, and retailers about the products sales thus it becomes helpful in forecasting or making a decision of which product to invest more.The company has implemented a vertical integration model where a company within the Tehindo Corporate Organization supplies tea leaves

Should We Be so Quick to Judge People Essay Example for Free

Should We Be so Quick to Judge People Essay I ask this question in an attempt to focus on the tendencies of judging and the norm. Everybody has their own perceptions of what is normal and they make judgments based off of these perceptions. Many of these perceptions cause biases to be formed. A bias is â€Å"a particular tendency or inclination, esp. one that prevents unprejudiced consideration of a question; prejudice. † This essentially means that everyone has formed their own prejudice beliefs from life experience. Everyone has their own bias, whether it is towards a certain race, gender, music genre, what a person wears, and so forth. Biases are formed for almost everything you could possibly think of. So can someone truly understand a person by making quick judgments? Must we not first analyze and truly understand a person before we make a judgment about something like their personality or character. Thesis It is my belief that, in society today, everyone has the tendency to judge people. These judgments, whether rational or irrational, are, more often than not, based on biases and prior beliefs. These judgments could be right but, is it right to judge people? In a sense, can judging people based on your own perceptions be acceptable? There is the age old proverb: Don’t judge a book by its cover. This idea seems to be very true, because often we make judgments when we first meet a person. As we begin to understand and associate with this person we tend to find our judgment was not exactly correct, and that we misunderstood the true nature of this person. However, what if we stop making our judgments and not following our first instinct? Suppose we do not judge someone as a bad person, and therefore they take advantage of us. So should we try and avoid judging people? That too could become harmful to us in the future. In the oncoming sections I will show how judging people can be helpful in some cases; however I will also show how judging people so quickly can be wrong as well. In the end, I do believe that judgment is acceptable under certain terms which will be explained throughout. Analytical Section with Close Reading In Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, Philip K. Dick constantly addresses the idea of judgment. In this book it seems that there is a lot of disapproval with judgment and yet it is still made. When talking about the androids, Phil Resch states: â€Å"This is necessary. Remember: they killed humans in order to get away. And if I hadn’t gotten you out of the Mission police station, they would have killed you. That’s what Garland wanted me for; that’s why he had me come down to his office. Didn’t Polokov almost kill you? Didn’t Luba Luft almost? We’re acting defensively’ they’re here on our planet- they’re murderous illegal aliens masquerading as-. This quote, to me, does show some judgment. Now looking at this statement it does someone like some rational thought was put into it; however, at certain points there is a sense of bias which makes me second guess the rationality of Phil Reschs’ thinking. When Resch states, â€Å"Didn’t Polokov almost kill you? Didn’t Luba Luft almost† , he is making judgments about these androids. However, these judgments have been based on prior actions made by the androids. That is to say, he does not simply try and say that Polokov and Luba Luft are bad because they are androids. Instead, he has seen how these androids have reacted to Rick and that has allowed him to judge their character. But, later in the quote he does make a much more irrational statement. When Resch states, â€Å"†¦ they’re here on our planet-they’re murderous illegal aliens†¦Ã¢â‚¬  , we see a completely new sense of judgment. When Resch claims that â€Å"they’re murderous illegal aliens† he has made a generalization about all androids. Yes, he has experienced androids who have attempted the murderous acts that he speaks of; however, because of this experience he now perceives all androids as murderous and unhelpful to society. Furthermore, even some of the androids could be seen as contributors to society. Rick points this out when he states â€Å"She was a wonderful singer. The planet could have used her. This is insane. † Rick brings an understanding that many of us may not have seen. Yes, some androids have done unforgivable acts towards humans. But, should the androids that have done nothing wrong be treated the same? Must they all face the same fate? Rick says it perfectly when he says, â€Å"The planet could have used her. † Rick has a much more balanced outlook of everyone. He does not instantly assume that an android cannot contribute to society simply because, it is an android. Instead, Rick has based his judgments off of his analysis of each and every person’s character. I believe that character is the key to making good judgments of people. When Rick analyzes Luba Luft he doesn’t see her as just another mindless killing machine. Rather, Rick looks at Luba Luft’s life and comes to find that â€Å"She was a wonderful singer. The planet could have used her. This is insane. † He appreciates the contributions that Luba has made and identifies Luba’s contributions to society. He does not simply see that she is an android that must be exterminated. Instead, he states â€Å"This is insane. † He understands how androids can contribute to society and believes that this extermination is truly unnecessary. I believe this is his way of saying that there must be outright evidence that termination is necessary. There must be a true threat within each and every android that he gets rid of. Otherwise, these androids can be a key contribution, a necessity to society. Based on these ideas I still ask the question, should we be so quick to judge people?

Theories on Employee Satisfaction and Motivation

Theories on Employee Satisfaction and Motivation This chapter first reviews the HR practices followed in the manufacturing firms in India. Secondly it has a closer examination on the employee satisfaction, motivation, theories on motivation and finally on the factors influencing employee satisfaction. Employees are the important assets of an organization. Many organizations fail to succeed due to employees. Employee motivation is one of the major aspects responsible for organizations prosperity. The motivated employees have the better performance than the unmotivated employees do. Employees performance varies depending upon the motivational level of the employees. Human management practices Human resource management plays a vital role in an organization to achieve the organizational objectives. Each individual possess different skills, abilities and background. Therefore, the organization has to employ the appropriate programs to develop the employees effectively. HRM systems responsible in the successful implementation of employee participation will likely enhance the value of the organization (Arthur, 1994). The authors (Huselid, 1995; Wright, Dunford, Snell, 2001) of strategic human resource management have said that employees behaviors and motivation can effectively be improved through HR practices. The activities of Human resource management are achieved through organization goals. The human resource management (HRM) practices influence the satisfaction of employees in meeting the expectations of the employees. The HRM practices such as involvement programs, performance based compensation , career management practices, performance management , open job -listing and job transfer practices plays a critical role in enhancing the level of motivation. However the response in the Indian manufacturing firms to these critical factors are insufficient towards employee motivation (The Indian express Ltd, 2009). The activities of human resource are human resource policies and human resource planning which involves the recruitment and selection, job design, training and development, wage and welfare management, employee health care benefits, labour relation assistance(photanan,2004). Guest (2002) examined that effect of HRM on Employee performance depends upon the attitude of the Employee towards HRM Practices; hence, the HRM Practices in an organization will be followed depending on the Employees Perception. Wood (1999) and Guest (2002) has focused that the employee commitment and competence is responsible for the successful implementation of Business Strategy. Cooke (2000) has argued that individuals efficiency and effectiveness are more significant than the competitiveness and productivity hence the HR practices such training plays a vital role to increase the individual performance through increased knowledge and skills. The improved productivity of an organization is due to the increased commitment of an employee. The Incentives scheme apart from the associated cost benefits the organization (summers Hyman, 2005). The use of HR practices shows the stronger relationship with the firms productivity in the High growth industry (Datta Et al, 2003). The employee will show an adaptable effort if proper performance management is linked with the compensation system. Qureshi M Tahir and Ramay (2006) have defined Job as a combination of set of activities such as duties, responsibilities, working conditions and expected skills of individual performing the job. Many researchers have proved that employee outcomes have direct relationship with the HR Practices (Sels, et al 2006). These researchers (Collins, Ericksen, Allen, 2005) have examined that the small business units have found that the HR practices has significant relationship with the outcomes of an Employee. In this study, the motivation is found to be the most important activity of HR activities. The HR manager must overlook on the motivational program to different levels of employees in an organization. HRM PRACTICES Employee Satisfaction Organization and structure Mission and Values Company Leadership Opportunity Job satisfaction Pay and benefits Rewards and Recognition Relation between HRM practices and Organization performance OToole and Meier (2008) have examined the relationship between the organization performance and the employees attraction and development of their abilities. However, the previous research has focused the relationship between the HRM outcomes like job satisfaction and the performance of the public organizations. Ostroff (1992), Kim (2005) and Meier Hicklin (2007) have given the relationship between the factors such as job satisfaction, employee turnover and organizational performance. Since the early 1980s, the studies on the HRM in the firms which are privately owned have stressed on the HRM principles. Research has proved that studies have an increased focus in the HRM. (Boselie, 2002). Several authors (Paauwe, 2004 ; Bowen Ostroff , 2004 ; Pfeffer 1995 ; Wall Wood, 2005 ; Boselie et al ., 2005) have supported the assumption that the higher quality of HRM principles that are followed in an organization would lead to the better performance of the employees in the organization. Alt hough many results have found the relationship between the HRM and the performance, there is no clear existence of such relation discovered (Bowen ostroff, 2004). Several authors (Beer, Lawrence, Mill and Walton, 1984) have examined the relation between the HRM practices. For example, the relation between HRM practices such as selection, rewards, training and performance of both individual and organization Relation between the Employee satisfaction and HRM practices Bowen and ostroff (2004) has proposed that employee perceptions play an important role in translating HR practices into desired outcomes in an organization. Furthermore they put on theory by arguing that the employee perceptions of HRM practice are significantly important in an organization .However they have focused not only on the HR practices with respect to the employees behavior that are supported and rewarded by management but rather than HR practices of employees attributions. Thus, the climates for safety-focused behaviors are expected and rewarded. (Zohar, 1980).Schuler Jackson ( 1987) have examined that several authors in the research studies have proposed that every organization establishes the HR strategy in which employees are considered as the assets to exert high quality products and services. The firm likely to have made investments for the continuous development of employee skills, the management also motivates the employees to work hard to achieve the goals moreove r the management focuses on the benefits of the employees in terms of compensation, performance pay above revenues and profits of the organization. In contrast, some firms also adopts the strategy towards the low cost ion theories such as considering employees as cost to control, focused more on the rules and regulations of the organization, quantifies the employee output.(Bamberger Meshoulam ,2000). Schuler Jackson (1987) have proposed that employees are seen as the replaceable workers based on low costs, In contrast Osterman (1994) argued that the firm should possess the responsibility to adopt the innovative work practices such as enhancing skills, commitment and motivation rather than reducing costs. According to the underlying managerial philosophy of employee welfare if employees perceive that the HR practices are motivated towards well-being then employees feel satisfied rather than the management cares less about the well-being of the employees. Importance of motivation Motivation is generally driven for the unmet needs of the employees that help to satisfy the employees through their efforts. The needs of the employees could be the emotional and economic expectations that are influenced by both external and internal environment of the firm. The economic expectations have risen significantly in the last decades. However, the firms in the manufacturing sector face difficulty to meet the rising expectations whereas the emotional expectations have proved to be reasonably fair (The Indian express Ltd, 2009). Every individual has motives that are influenced certain factors to achieve better performance (Kressler 2003). The word motivation is derived from the Latin word Movere which means to move (Kressler 1998). These Researchers (Higgins 1994, as cited by Linder, 1998) has defined Motivation as the internal drive of every individual to satisfy the unmet needs. To achieve the specific unmet needs the individual behave in a purposeful manner (Linder 1998). Jones and George (2004) has stated that the motivation drives the psychological forces of the individual that determines the persons level of effort, the direction of persons behaviour in an organization and persons level of determination in face of the obstacles. The concept of motivation is directly linked to the concept of morale, which states that employee feels positive or negative about the work in the organization. Thus from the above definitions of motivation it is understood that motivated work force or the creating an environment for maintaining high levels of motivation remains a challenge for todays management. Motivation theories Motivation theories help managers with the methods to increase the productivity of the organizations. The Motivation theories, industry and society are linked by the motivation factors and the relationship between is diagrammatically represented as follows Motivation Factors Motivation theories Industry Society Source: Bhatti et al (2008) Many researchers have proposed theories based on the concept of employee motivation and its role in enhancing employees performance in every organization. In this research discussion on some of the motivational theories will include Maslow (Need theory), Hertzberg ( two factor theory) , Mc Gregor ( theory X and Y), Vrooms( Expectancy theory ) are as follows. Maslows hierarchy of needs Maslow conducted an investigation into the human behavior between 1939, and 1943. After his investigation, he suggested that the human needs were classified into five categories that are arranged in a hierarchy of importance. These include Physiological needs Safety needs Belongings needs Esteem needs. Self-actualization needs. According to him, a person is motivated primarily to satisfy his physiological needs. As long as the employees remain unsatisfied, they turn to be motivated only to fulfill them. When the physiological needs are satisfied, they cease to act as primary motivational factors and the individual moves up the hierarchy and seek to satisfy the security needs. This process continues until finally self-actualization needs are satisfied. Source: Chapman (2004) Physiological needs Physiological needs are the most basic needs in the Maslows hierarchy and these needs are required to satisfy the minimum survival of the person, which includes food, water, oxygen, sleep, sex and sensory satisfaction. Some of the organizational factors are required to satisfy the needs include the minimum pay necessary for survival and working conditions. Flexible work schedule allowing opportunities for leisure time, vacation, medical leave etc. Good working conditions are provided to all employees of the organization they must not feel any physical strain. Providing a sufficient salary to fulfill their necessities such as shelter, medicine, clothing and food. Once the satisfactory salary is made available to the employee, then he will in a position to fulfill his needs, salary becomes less important and security needs comes in front such as savings plan. In Maslows hierarchy of needs, the money is directly related to physiological needs since money ensures a safety and comfortable environment. Moreover, pay should prove motivational especially to the employees who have strong low level needs. Suppose if the employees receive a healthy pay raise, doubtless, the raise will not only give them prestige among family and friends but also sign their competence as a worker. Thus pay can also function to satisfy the social, esteem and self -actualization needs. If pay has this ability to fulfill a variety of needs, then it should have especially good potential as a motivator (John, 1996). Safety and security needs Once the physiological needs of the employee are satisfied, safety and security needs would come forth. Needs for safety and security includes financial security, stability, dependency and freedom from fear and anxiety. Under organizational conditions the needs include are safe working conditions, fair and sensible rules and regulations, job security, pension and pension plans and freedom to unionize. According to Maslow, these needs must be minimally satisfied before an employee is concerned with social and belonging needs at work. Social needs According to Maslow, this need is also known as belongingness and love. Social needs include love, affection and friendship with people, especially with spouse, children and friends. Organizational factors that might meet the needs include the opportunity to interact with others on the job, friendly and supportive supervision, teamwork and finally to develop new relationship. According to Maslows theory employees in the organization gain to attain things such as salary, benefit and safe working conditions naturally prior to accepting a job. Esteem needs Once the employees feel satisfied with their pay and benefits at work, they are likely feel to distinguish and be recognized. The need for esteem includes self-respect, self -esteem and esteem for others, which are focused internally and externally. Internally the esteem needs includes a desire for strength, achievement, mastery, confidence, independence and freedom. Externally the esteem needs include desire for reputation or prestige, status, fame, dominance, attention etc. organizational factors that might satisfy these needs include the opportunity to master task leading to feelings of achievement, responsibility, awards, promotions, prestigious job titles and professional recognition. Although all employees does not get the opportunity to get responsibility and status , but generally every employee like to be praised and appreciated for doing a good job. Self-actualization The self-actualization is the highest need in Maslows hierarchy includes the need for self-actualization, continuous self-development and finally becoming the best one among all. Organizational conditions that might meet these needs include Providing challenging and rewarding work. Opportunities to be innovative and creative. Certain degree of autonomy is provided in the challenging environment. Steers (1991) has proposed that higher level of needs are not so important until the low level of needs are satisfied. Thus, it is likely to achieve a higher-level need to attain before a lower level need is completely satisfied. Thus, Maslow examined that working adults are satisfied about 85 percent of physiological needs, 70 percent of safety needs, 50 percent of their social needs, and 10 percent of their self -actualization needs. Herzbergs motivation-hygiene theory According to Herzberg, the theory is also known as two-factor theory. He stated that their will certain satisfiers and dissatisfiers for employees at work. Intrinsic factors are related to Job satisfaction and extrinsic factors are associated with dissatisfaction. Herzberg, Mausner and snyderman (1959) referred to factors that influence job satisfaction as motivators because these factors motivate the employees to performance the work better. Conversely, the factors that cause dissatisfaction are referred to as hygiene factors. According to them, the motivational factors include Sense of achievement, Recognition by others, and Responsibility within the job, Advancement and personal growth, Work itself. The Hygiene factors include Pay, Job security, working conditions, Company policy and administration, Level and quality of supervision ,Interpersonal relationship (Naylor, 1999). Those factors that are related to dissatisfaction are called hygiene or nonsatisfiers, maintenance factors, or events. These factors are related to the work environment of the job, which is also referred to as Extrinsic factors (Peretomode, 1991; Ukeje Okorie Nwagbara, 1992; Whawo, 1993). Herzbergs has been faced several important criticisms. King (1970) has proposed that the model has five different theoretical interpretations. Second, a number of scholars believe that that the model that the model does not give sufficient attention to individual differences are , in fact, important moderators of the effect of job enrichment. People commonly argue that money is a primary motivator, but surveys show that other factors motivate more. For example, a survey by development dimensions international published in the UK times newspaper in 2004 interviewed 1,000 staff from companies employing more than 500 workers, and found more than 500 workers, and found many to be bored, lacking commitment and looking for a new job. Pay actually came fifth in the reasons people gave for leaving their jobs. The main reasons were lack of stimulus jobs. Moreover, no opportunity for advancement-classic Herzberg motivators-43 percent left for better promotion chances, 28 percent for more challenging work, 23 percent for a more exciting place to work, 21 percent and more varied work (Chapman, 2004). It is interesting that, despite the number of criticisms against Herzberg model, Herzbergs motivation -hygiene theory is still popular among corporate managers. Source: From Management (p. 545), by J. Naylor, 1999, Harlow, England: Prentice Hall. McGregors theory This theory was proposed by Douglas Mc Gregor in 1960. He has underpinned assumptions about the approaches taken by managers towards the Employees. Theory X assumptions Individuals especially dislike work. Individuals should be committed to do work to achieve the objectives. Individuals expect the supervisors to direct the work. Theory Y assumptions Individuals view the work to be natural. Individuals learn to accept and seek responsibility. The abilities such as imagination, creativity, ingenuity can be used to solve work problems in the organization. In modern organizations, the intellectual potential of the employees are only partially utilized. McClellands theory of needs This theory was proposed by David C McClelland in 1985. This theory focuses on the following three needs: Achievement, Power and Affiliation which are as follows: Need for Achievement An individual feels the need to outrival to achieve and to succeed. Thus the employees who are in need of achievement do not contribute any challenging work to the organization, and then the motivation will not be seen in them. Need for Power An individual with the high need for power are interested in monitoring others activities rather than self-performance. Thus the employees who are in the need of power will take personal responsibility, provide feedback and they take high risks. Need for Affiliation An individual with the need for affiliation will like to perform the tasks individually rather than work with others. Thus the employees who are in high need to affiliation prefer to spend more in maintain social responsibilities. Vrooms Expectancy (VIE) Theory Vroom has developed the Valence, Instrumentality and Expectancy (VIE) in 1964. The expectancy theory is one of the accepted theories of motivation. It tells about the relationship between expectation and outcome and then motivating individuals come down into three important variables that include effort, performance and outcome (The Certified Accountant, 2008) and the relationship is illustrated below Vroom has proposed the mathematical function for motivation, which involves three cognitions. The equation is as follows. Motivation = expectancy X à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ (valences X Instrumentalities) Motivation = expectancy X à ¢Ã‹â€ Ã¢â‚¬Ëœ (valences X Instrumentalities) Gregoriou (2008) has suggested that the employee is motivated to show a maximum level of effort when he /she believe that their effort leads to good performance appraisal. The personal goals of the employee will be satisfied when he/she is rewarded by the organization. In other words the theory focuses on the following three relationships such as Effort-performance relationship, Performance-reward relationship and rewards- personal goals relationship. The above relationships are shown in the figure Ability Environment Personal Goals Individual Performance Individual Effort Organization Rewards Source: Gregoriou (2008) The above figure explains that the majority of employees offer minimum outcome are not motivated towards their jobs. The workers do not show much commitment towards the production when their effort are not recognized by their employers, when they are not rewarded by the organization and when the expected reward is not attractive personally. In simple words, the expectancy theory concentrates on the understanding of the target of the individual and the relationship that exists between his/her effort, performance, reward and satisfaction. Theories of job satisfaction Three theories of job satisfaction will be briefly discussed below: Affect Theory, Dispositional Theory, and Job Characteristics Theory: Affect Theory Edwin A. Locke developed the Affect Theory in 1976. According to this theory, the differentially weighted work is closely related to the expected pay. The decision has a greater positive effect on his or her overall assessment of job satisfaction. Satisfaction is determined by a disagreement between what one wishes in a job and what one has to do in a job. Employees become satisfied or unsatisfied depending on the expectations faced by him at the work place. When the expectations are met, the person feels satisfied and values the work he carries out and finally shows a higher positive impact on his performance. When expectations are not met , the impact on job satisfaction is negative. Dispositional Theory Timothy A. Judge proposed the Dispositional theory in 1998, a well-known job -satisfaction theory. This theory states that employees at the work place have intrinsic dispositions that cause them to have tendencies towards a certain level of satisfaction. This theory explains that job satisfaction tends to be steady overtime across careers and jobs. The basic idea is that satisfaction is directly related with the need and that implies something to be satisfied. He has proposed four core self- evaluations such as self-efficacy, general self- efficacy, locus of control and neuroticism that determine ones disposition towards job satisfaction. In this model, Higher levels of self-esteem and general self -efficacy lead to higher job satisfaction. Focus on Internal locus of control leads to higher job satisfaction. Finally, lower levels of neuroticism leads to higher job satisfaction Job Characteristics Theory Richard Hackman and Greg Oldham have proposed the Job characteristics theory in 1976. This theory is based on five core job characteristics such as skill variety, Task significance, autonomy and feedback. These five job characteristics are further related to these critical psychological states such as experienced meaningfulness, experienced responsibility for outcomes and knowledge of the actual results. These, in turn, influence work outcomes such as job satisfaction, absenteeism and work motivation. Therefore, if employees are allowed to complete the task by fully utilizing a variety of skills, it is likely that they perceive their job as meaningful that leads to high job performance and high intrinsic motivation. Therefore, if employees are able to accomplished the work completely then they fell satisfied with what they have accomplished which in turn leads to low absenteeism and high turnover. Core Job Dimensions Critical psychological states Personal and work outcomes Skill variety Task identity Task significance Experienced Meaningfulness of the work Experienced responsibility for outcomes of the work Knowledge of the actual results of work activities Feedback Autonomy High satisfaction with the work High quality work High internal work motivation Low Absenteeism and Turnover Employee Growth and strength Source: Celik (1999) Employee Satisfaction Armstrong (2000) has proposed that the HRM is the strategic management where the members of the organization are responsible for the achievement of organizational objectives. According to SHRM, employees are considered as important assets in the organization. These Researchers (Wallale, Eagleson Waldersee 2000) have argued that the HR strategy of an organization should be focused more on developing skills and ensuring motivation and commitment. According to Hunter (1997), Employees are loyal and productive when they are satisfied, and these satisfied employees influence the customer satisfaction as well as organizational productivity (Porterfield 1999).These Researchers (Cranny , Smith Stone 1992) has defined Employee satisfaction as the combination of affective reactions to the discrepancy perceptions of what he/ she wants to receive. The satisfied employees will work more willingly and contribute to the effectiveness of the organization. Good working conditions, Training and Educ ation, Good Relationships with the colleagues, High salary, opportunities, career developments and other benefits may be related with the employee satisfaction. These researchers (Moyes, Shao Newsome 2008) has investigated that employee satisfaction differs from one employee to other employee, that is, an employee may be more satisfied by a satisfying item whereas the other employee may be less satisfied with the same item . This shows that Employee satisfaction should be analyzed from a larger perspective. To investigate the factors responsible for employee satisfaction and measuring the employee satisfaction at the work place is important for the success and profitability of the organization is gaining the competitive advantage in the market scenario (Kelley 2005). Therefore, various factors responsible for employee satisfaction on different areas (such as manufacturing industry, service industry etc) will enrich the literature. Factors affecting Employee satisfaction Several factors determine an individual motivation level. There are two forms of motivation namely intrinsic motivations and extrinsic motivations. Intrinsic motivation results from satisfying an individual belief and values whereas, extrinsic motivation are based on tangible good or service to the individual (Kreps 1990). Deci and Ryan (1985) have proposed that every organization should determine intrinsic and extrinsic factors that motivate employees. In addition, an individual shows his or her satisfaction of an activity depending upon the reward value of the organization. Deci (1971) found a relationship between the external rewards and internal motivation. The intrinsic motivation decreases when the employee receives an extrinsic reward and intrinsic motivation increases when the individual receives the positive verbal reininforcement and positive nonverbal feedback. Therefore, Immediacy is viewed as a reward that enhances intrinsic motivation. Among several factors Communication, Learning and Growth, Working conditions and Employee Engagement are considered as the most significant factors influencing Employee satisfaction from company point of view. Learning and Development These researchers (Delaney Huselid 1996, Huselid 1995, Koch Mc Grath 1996, Mac Duffie 1995) have examined Employee development as the most important determinant of Company performance. Most of the HRM practices related to the development of the human resources of the firm. The development of knowledge or skills of the employee depend upon the technical and non- technical training offered by the company. This shows that the company investments for training have a greater positive effect towards achieving the performance of the employee in the firm. Francesco and Gold (2005) argue that the training and development focus on planning, individual learning, career development and organization development. Molander (1996) has defined Training and Development as the systematic process focused on acquisition of skills, knowledge and attitudes that lead to organizational performance. In addition, the low training in organizations may tend to lose their attractive to the present and potential labour. Harzing and Van Ruysseveld (1995) have stated that there are certain areas to be focused in the training which, are developing the knowledge of the person towards organizational objectives, specific job and task skills, knowledge about understanding the local situation such as social, legal and cultural issues of the environment .Therefore developing the specific personal skills of the employees to perform well in that environment. Training is the most important factor for the employee retention. Employees who receive extensive training will realize about the company investment and show their commitment towards achieving the goals of the organization (Butler 1999). Clark (2001) has pointed out that the care and concern for employees and opportunities for growth are the most significant drivers in establishing the employee loyalty. Moreover, he argued that care and concern for employees could be delivered through employee training. When the employees are trained, specialized and educated, opportunities for growth on the personnel level as well as within the organization will come into existence. The need for Employee training and development is determined by the Employee performance deficiency, which is given as follows Training and Development Needs = Standard Performance Actual Performance Arondhekar et al (n.d) has proposed that any training and development contain certain inputs that enable the employee to gain skills, learn the theoretical inputs that help them to look into the distant vision. The inputs of training and development are as follows Skills Education Development Ethics Attitudinal changes Decision-making and Problem solving skills. Importance of Training and Development in the organization Arondhekar et al (n.d) has stated there are many benefits of Training and Development to the organization as well as to the employee which are categorized as under Benefits for the organization. Benefits for the Employee. Benefits for the organization Enhances communication between the group and individual. Assist in orientation of new employee especially those who take new job through transfer or Promotion Provides information in equal opportunities and affirmative action. Provides information on administration policies and other Government laws. Improves Interpersonal skills Make

Rate In Malaysia From Construction Industry Construction Essay

Rate In Malaysia From Construction Industry Construction Essay In 2009, fatality rate in Malaysia from construction industry is the highest compared to the other industries. Although it decreases in 2010, it still remains as the top industry that contributes the most in terms of fatality. Social Security Organization (SOCSO) has reported that the number of victims in construction industry until September 2012 is the upmost among the others with 48 victims followed by manufacturing with 30 victims. The factors of these occupational accidents are crystal clear. Safety issues are always considered secondary and take a back seat in construction. They do not emphasize on safety because they do not know how high the actual cost of accident is until it occurs. For instance, health and safety laws from the industry are regulated by themselves and that shows many employers gave less priority to the safe workplace concept. A safe workplace should be harmless and accident-free. However, it is not possible for them to follow this exact rule because of profit, cost, time and quality. Not only that, human factors especially poor ergonomics, manual handling of heavy loads, misuse or failure of equipment, exposure to general hazards, and inadequate safety training are all the roots of this accident. The construction industry is a high risk industry because there is a high risk of accident occurrence. The statistics show that accident rate at construction site in Malaysia is still high. Therefore, preventive measures must be taken to prevent any occupational accidents. This includes Cleaner Production (CP) as an initiative whereby it is defined as the continuous application of an integrated preventative environmental strategy to processes, products and services to increase efficiency and reduce risks to humans and the environment. Usually CP is implementing to minimize the rates of waste and emission generation. However, CP also can be used to improve safety and prevent accidents at construction site. Thus, the sole purpose of this research is to study the efficiency of Cleaner Production (CP) options in improving safety level at construction site and minimizing the occupational accident cases. To fit onto the safety purposes for construction industry, CP involves elimination of risky activities, minimized the accidents and improved the safety awareness among construction workers. 2.0 Problem Statement Every year starting from 2009 until October 2012, statistic from SOCSO shows that construction industry in Malaysia is the most dangerous place to work by seeing the number of fatality occurs during that period. To avoid this from continually happen, a method need to be invented to diminish this problem. Implementation of cleaner production concept seems to be reliable and effective in order to solve this problem. For this research, a study will be made to propose cleaner production option for improving safety and minimize accident occurring at construction sites. 3.0 Objectives The objectives of this research are : a) To determine the most frequent accident cases and evaluate risk level of construction activities throughout site visits. b) To propose suitable CP options which can reduce the risk level at construction site. 4.0 Scope of Research High rise building construction site will be choosing as a site visit for data collection. All data that will be evaluated in this report will be obtained from survey form and interview sessions. The main focus for this research is to implement cleaner production option to reduce risk level at construction site. Thus, any conclusion and recommendation that will be made from this research will be based on this two important thing. 5.0 Literature Review 5.1 Construction industry in Malaysia Construction industry is recognized as one of the main contributors for economic growth in Malaysia. Statistic from Department of Statistic (DOS) shows that construction sector in Malaysia posted a double digit growth in 2010 with 11.1% average annual growth of gross output compared to 2005. This growth comes along with the increase of total workforce engaged from 551,755 people in 2005 to 974,488 in 2010. This gives a clear picture of how fast this industry had developed. However, with this positive growth, there are negative feedbacks along with it. In 2010, according to Department of Safety and Health (DOSH), construction industry were in the leading chart of the most industry that contribute to death with 66 numbers of victims, followed by manufacturing industry with 59 victims. The same pattern followed in 2012 as construction industry contributes the most number of victims. Whatever the growth of this sector is, it remains the most dangerous industries to work in. Figure 5.1 : Occupational accidents by sector for the category of death (DOSH, year 2012) 5.2 Hazard at construction sites There are two main category of hazard in construction sites (A Hamid, MZA Majid, B Singh, 2008) : The risk of physical injury or physical injury hazard. Hazard that associated with process of works or equipment used and climatic condition such as scaffolds, power access equipment and manual handling, ladder, roof work, plant and machinery, excavation, etc. Can cause direct injury at site and if severe can cause of death. The risk of ill health or health hazard. Health hazard in construction work may be grouped under chemical, physical and biological hazard. Can be notified after long term of period and shall cause sickness or death after certain period of time. 5.3 Types of accident 5.4 Introducing of cleaner production 5.5 Implement cleaner production option for safety at construction site 5.6 The important of Cleaner production option 6.0 Methodology Data and information were gathered through literature review from various sources which include from journal papers, articles, thesis and website which are listed in the reference. From that study, a design of interview session and questionnaire will be made according to the study. A site visit at construction place will be held for data collection. The data will be analyzed and evaluate using a simple statistical method to show a clear picture of the data( data from survey form). From the analysis, new CP option will be propose to reduce risk level oreliminate the accident. A period of time will be given for the implementation of CP option proposes. The effectiveness of the propose option will be evaluate by comparing frequency of accident occur before the implement of CP option with after the implementation of CP option. Figure : Summary of research methodology 7.0 Work Plan Week No. Activity 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 1 Site visit data collection 1 week break 2 Data Analysis 3 Propose and Implementation of CP option 4 Data Analysis 6 Final report article writing 8.0 Limitations Cannot cover other place of construction site. So, just restricted only to one high rise building of construction site.

The Folly of René Descartes’ Discourse on Method and Meditations on Fir

The Folly of Renà © Descartes’ Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy In order to embark on his quest for truth, Descartes first devises his four rules which should serve as a solid foundation for all else that he comes to understand. Those rules are here evaluated in terms of what they fail to take into consideration. The rules are examined individually and consecutively, and are therefore also reiterated in order to be clear about them. Furthermore, the approach of using these rules is also analyzed to some degree. Ultimately, however, it is my conjecture that Descartes’ four rules are not as solid a foundation as he claims, but fail to consider key issues which are noted herein. Descartes’ first rule deals with the notion of truth, and states it as follows. The first [rule] was never to accept anything as true that I did not plainly know to be such; that is to say, carefully to avoid hasty judgment and prejudice; and to include nothing more in my judgments than what presented itself to my mind so clearly and so distinctly that I had no occasion to call it in doubt. (11) In essence, we are to accept only what is true. This brings up the question of how one can even know truth. For Descartes, the certain truth is â€Å"I think, therefore I am,† which is his first principle. However, even if this is a certain truth, how can we know anything else to be true? More importantly, however, the first rule states that nothing should be accepted that can be called into doubt, or to accept only that which is indubitable. Yet how can anything be indubitable, save perhaps Descartes’ first principle, and even there some may be able to find flaws? It seems doubtful whether anything can be proven beyond any reas... ..., then there is no thing that is easier to know than another. Descartes’ use of this approach is a false foundation as he does not see these complications. The underlying frailty of such rules is that it assumes absolute truths, without exceptions. I do not know of any truths that are absolute, and do not know of anyone who does. But more importantly, this approach would be much more effective if it was an inductive, and not a deductive, method. With an inductive method Descartes could not be refuted with a single instance, and he would not need to account for all contesting situations. It seems doubtful whether an absolutely deductive method could ever exist, based on the limits of human knowledge. Works Cited Renà © Descartes. Discourse on Method and Meditations on First Philosophy. 4th edition. Trans. Donald A. Cress. Indianapolis: Hackett, 1998.

Essay --

Every business can operate because of five essential parts; Product creation, Marketing, Sales, Finance, and Delivery of your Product. Throughout this essay we will be juxtaposing the different aspects of the parts above and showing how each of them relate to capitalism and communism and how each of the essential parts can be shown differently through both capitalism and communism. Business varies extremely when in different environments and these two environments are drastically different and the most different environments that are possible. This essay will help understand how drastic the differences really are between the two markets. Communism Communism is a political theory derived from Karl Marx, advocating class war and leading to a society in which all property is publicly owned and each person works and is paid according to their abilities and needs. Capitalism Capitalism is an economic and political system in which a country's trade and industry are controlled by private owners for profit, rather than by the state Product Creation Product creation is an extremely important part in business operations. This is how business stay in the competition and come up with the best products. All business have a product creation department so they can always have new products coming out and have a reliable source to make these products. Communism and Capitalism can influence this department of business operations immensely. The Communist standpoint of product creation would cause businesses to create few products and the need for new products in a quick and timely manner would slowly decrease to a low steady rate of product creation. The Communist standpoint of product creation would also have an extremely large impact on the prod... ...ry of the products to be essential. would differ greatly between the two types of markets, however the markets are similar in a few ways. Communism and capitalism both have to deliver their products in a timely manner to their consumers and stay organized so they can profit from the deliveries. Businesses would differ extremely due to the fact that communism and capitalism are very different forms of government. These five essential parts (Product creation, Marketing, Sales, Finance, and Delivery of your Product) are the key factors in business and these two markets cause these factors to differentiate between the two types of markets. These two environments caused businesses to re evaluate their ways of marketing and getting consumers to get the products. Capitalism is the most fluent system of marketing, but communism has some valid ways of marketing as well.

Capital Punishment Must be Abolished :: Argumentative Persuasive Essays

Capital Punishment Must be Abolished       Evidence suggests that the death penalty does not deter people from committing crimes. It is a cruel and cold blooded form of punishment and there have been instances where innocent people were sentenced to death.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The most common methods of execution are hanging and shooting. Countries like the U.S. use electrocution, gas chambers and lethal injections to dispose of the convicted. Some countries, like the U.S., have tried to minimise the pain of execution by introducing the electric chair. In some parts of the world, more pain is deliberately inflicted on the condemned, such as in the Islamic countries and Nigeria. In Nigeria the executions are done in public by a firing squad. The convicted are executed slowly, by firing bullets at intervals, starting at the ankles. In Islamic countries the condemned are stoned to death. But there are   special rules for these executions; (Amnesty International article1), "The Islamic Penal Code of Iran stipulates: "In the punishment of stoning to death, the stones should not be so large that the person dies on being hit by one or two of them."1 This is the kind of cruelty which is inflicted on the executed in those countries. Other methods of execution, like the electric chair and hanging, are also quite cruel to the convicted.   That is one of the reasons the death penalty should be abolished.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Does the death penalty really deter criminals?      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There is very little valid evidence to suggest that capital punishment deters criminals. The most recent study of research findings on the relationship between the death penalty and homicide rates, conducted for the United Nations Committee on Crime Prevention and Control, in 1988, has concluded that:"this research has failed to provide scientific proof that executions have a greater deterrent effect than life imprisonment."1. Many murders are committed under the influence of alcohol and drugs, some murderers might be mentally ill. If one of these factors influenced a person, how could he/she control and asses what he/she is doing or be deterred from committing the crime? It would be impossible, and after the incident he/she might not remember it. A cover story in the "Time"3 presents a report about a man called Doug McCray, then 32. He had a reasonable education after dropping out of college one and a half years later to enlist in the army. He was given a medical discharge seventeen months later.He married and went back to college. But his marriage didn't last long and he dropped out of college again and turned to alcohol. Sometime between October 13

Distribution of Wealth

Since time immemorial, there is an alarming inequality existing among men. It is ironic how wealth is distributed with apparent discrepancies, resulting to an overwhelming amount of money acquired by some while others remain in the pits of poverty. Perhaps some would perceive the possession of billions of dollars as morally unacceptable, while others would view this as a natural consequence of human nature. It is quite alarming how extreme standards of living is plaguing our society and impairs our basic function as human beings. But this has been the problem since the first existence of man. And perhaps this nothing but a natural tendency, and that the actual nature governing mankind is that there is a law of equity.Individual needs is basically thought to determine his resource acquisition. Or at the very least, it would serve as a baseline or a standard as to how he would lead a decent kind of living. Therefore philosophers and people in general have defined that the needs of soci ety would be the primary established factor for justice and wealth distribution. Are men created equal therefore should not acquire more than his neighbor? Or are men inherently unequal, being that others are superior than the ones next to them?Some ask, â€Å"Is it right that some people have acquired billions of dollars through business dealings while other people live in great poverty?† Two renowned philosophers have shared their views on how the distribution of wealth should be. John Locked said, â€Å"God gave the world to men in common.† He believed that the available property in nature has become the restriction within which man sets his labor and standards of living. It is his belief that each man has his own right to work, to own, to consume, and not to be transgressed.   He further elaborated, â€Å"Which  measure did confine every man’s possession to a very moderate proportion, and such as he might appropriate to himself without injury to anybody , in the first age of the world† (Hutchins 1952, p. 1047).Locke discussed this rule of property, which is â€Å"that every man should have as much as he could make use of† without both inflicting injury towards others and passing judgment on them. It actually was quite ideal and it worked quite successfully in previous times, when there most societies promote freedom and free enterprise. Locke thought that this world could provide enough land for each and every human being who wishes to build a home and that everything that the world holds would have been enough for people to survive had it not been for the invention of money. Because of this, people have become occupied by their ambitions of acquiring more wealth, wealth in the form of imperishable commodities with great excess.There should have been enough resources for everyone to live on, yet these resources seem scarce for most. The world is given to men and therefore each has an equal right to everything the earth could offer. How much a man works would determine how much he earns. His labor would equate his wealth acquisition as his capacity to consume is regulated by his ability to produce. If one has excessive amounts of wealth, then this entails that there is waste. And this waste is a violation of nature’s laws. Because of money, man has become able to accumulate wealth through time, saving inheritance and working for more to bequeath. Because money is not perishable by time, man only keeps on having more of it without any possible limits. Money allows wealth accumulation without causing injury towards others (Hutchins 1952, p. 1047).Rousseau on the other hand, believes that there is an inequitable acquisition of wealth and that men are created unequal. He believes that it is not money itself that is  the cause of the existence of inequality of mankind, but the property itself. He even thought of the first man who has made an enclosure to a piece of land and claimed it his that made others believe him is actually the real founder of civil society. As it has become a right to establish ownership of a property, this wealth amassed makes one to want more and expand what he already owns.Others tend to ignore the poverty that surrounds them, and when asked if they take notice on these, as perceived by Rousseau, they try to not care as it would affect their interests of owning more. They want to protect their possessions from the threats of being attacked or taken. Mankind has established a civil law that they propose is for the purpose of security for everyone, yet the truth is that they only initiate this as to secure their ownership of property and power.This instead results to the violation of the rights of the poor, as it only curtails their chance to improve their standards of living. It actually chains the poor and only makes the rich even wealthier. This consequently lead to the destruction of natural liberty, it only fixed the law of property and inequ ality, and turned transgression into a right, only for the advantage of the few (Hutchins 1952, p. 1048). When others’ are harmed, man is therefore given the â€Å"right to punish the offender, and be executioner of the law of nature† as proposed by Locke.Rousseau believed that it is contrary to nature that only a few should be privileged to have an extensive amount of wealth while others, a multitude of others, are in dire need of the basic necessities of life. This is why he proposed that there should be a government that would repair this and allow each and everyone to be provided with the minimum needs that they have. A â€Å"government should prevent extreme inequalities of fortunes† not by forcibly taking a man’s possession from him,  but instead prevent him from accumulating it. It is more of preventing the people from becoming poor or too rich (Hutchins 1952, p. 1048).It is indeed a fact that each human being should have an equal access to whate ver resource they need. They should be given equal opportunities to survive and to lead a certain standard of living fitting them. Cause I believe that there is indeed inequality and inequity among mankind. Both Locke and Rousseau presented strong thesis on the question of wealth acquisition. Theirs are quite complementary to some degree as they share that each man has a right of property. Each affirmed that the problem of poverty is not a problem that could be easily resolved, nor would there really be a solution to it, once the right of property is admitted. The right of property is said to be sacred and is a basic right of citizenship to a country, yet there is quite a difficulty in securing the property of individuals without attacking it on another.I believe that it is true poverty is an inevitable consequence of property, as war is an inevitable consequence of sovereignty, and in neither case can the cause be abolished. Both proposed that men should be equal, and men should pr event, as asserted by Hegel himself. Men should think that they are equal, as to prevent transgression against each other. But the truth is that everyone is created different, and these differences entail that there are inequalities in abilities and skills among man. But it does not mean that one has a greater importance than the other, they are simply different.But their differences in particular areas mean that it can be in the form of wealth. Men as a whole are equal, but in particular aspects, they are not. And that is the truth that the universe holds. I believe that Rousseau’s proposal of a government safeguarding the interests of its citizens by preventing mass wealth acquisition or extensive resource scarcity is ideal. But this is as promising as it is almost impossible.Because just as communism failed, humans have this natural tendency to outdo the other, and that the selfishness inside would dominate the want to put things in their proper places. Those who would enf orce these proposals are themselves men and therefore fallible, making the entire thesis too unrealistic in for the human setting.If Locke was asked the given question, he would say that it having wealth despite the poverty of others is immoral but technically moral. Because money has legitimized wealth accumulation as it allows one to become richer without causing another human being to become poorer. However it is immoral, as men are created equal and must all have enough resources necessary for them to lead decent lives. Men are not accountable to his neighbor unless he transgresses the other’s rights. He only answers to himself therefore he has the right to become whatever he pleases within the bounds of not causing harm to others.If Rousseau answers the same question, he would say that it is definitely immoral, however a common occurrence, and must be prevented by all means. This is why he proposed that a government should prevent extreme ends in society. This is quite t he dream of many, as all have wanted a society that exists in respect. That there should be a society with its member without any source or reason of jealousy, or competition, because everyone should have enough. But the truth is, man knows no bounds and does not want enough. Man wants to have plentiful of everything, and this is the major source of all the conflicts in our world today and for all of history. In times when he himself is threatened of his possessions, his life or other material wealth, he would not instinctively act in accordance for the common good but for the good of himself alone. And if given the chance to have access to conveniences that the world has to offer, he would definitely take it.The central issue that plagues mankind is the existence of money or property or any form material possession. Perhaps it is immoral in the sense that it creates disparity and it questions what moral obligation does a human being have. For indeed, how can one sleep at night in t heir lofty beds while others sleep in the dumpsters with newspapers as their blankets? How can a person spend on useless jewelry when his money can actually save millions of lives from the face of death because of starvation? And how can life be so cruel to those who did not intend to become poor but because they are born that way, they have to suffer the same kind of life?Both philosophers attempted to condemn the existence of money. But money is one commodity that governs human existence and will dictate man’s society for eras to come. It is almost impossible to put equality among people. People determine what they would have, and they must work for what they need. This is the concept of equity for it is quite unfair that one would work harder than the other and acquire just as much just because they are told equal. It is more appropriate that man works for himself and has every right to become whatever he pleases as long as he does not violate the rights of others.Works Ci tedAdler, Mortimer J. â€Å"Wealth.† A Syntopicon of Great Books of the Western World.  Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 1952. 1038-1049.