Thursday, October 31, 2019

Answer the questions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 15

Answer the questions - Essay Example The story is itself based on Oliver Crisp. Crisp serves as the protagonist in the story and he comes across as a highly enthusiastic explorer. Dubai is considered one of the most exotic places in the world which harbors many opportunities for amazing adventures. Kids in Dubai are naturally inclined to themes of exploration and adventure to a great extent which is why this particular children’s story has amassed great critical acclaim in my culture. The use and implementation of organization development (OD) principles and processes at community and national levels has drastically risen over the past years in Dubai. This stands true not only in context of Dubai, but application of OD principles is now seen around the globe in community contexts and also at national levels. The rise of violence in the world has served to challenge the safety and protection of people. In a situation characterized by increased violence, OD principles exercised by experienced professionals serve to increase the possibility of bringing that expertise which is needed to build more robust communities and plummet down the level of violence. Implementation of OD principles has played a very influential role in managing even the most intractable conflicts in the most professional and cost-saving

Monday, October 28, 2019

International Marketing Essay Example for Free

International Marketing Essay These are the factors which the business counterparts should look into seriously. Other thing that important for Secret Recipe before enter the new market in UAE, they also should concern about the Microenvironment. In this paper, we found some strength and opportunity of Secret Recipe such as good brand name as the strength and certification of â€Å"Halal† which Secret Recipe has can be the opportunity for them to enter the market, because UAE is a Muslim country so certification of â€Å"Halal† is very important if they want to enter UAE market. As a leading and largest cafe chain in Malaysia, with Halal certification awarded by Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (JAKIM), Secret Recipe is committed to continue to adhere to the standards of preparation of all food and processing plant in the restaurant in accordance to the regulatory guidelines including HACCP and VHM guidelines. In a short period of thirteen years, Secret Recipe has experienced a rapid growth of over 250 cafes throughout the region. Now, Secret Recipe continuously strives to surpass its own accomplishments and to be recognized as a leader in the industry. . 1 BACKGROUND amp; SITUATION ANALYSIS Secret Recipe is a cafe chain which made up from different stakeholders. The stakeholders are Secret Recipe’s shareholders, customers, government, employees, activist, media and supplier. Secret Recipe has quite a lot of franchises in Asia market but only has one franchise in Middle East market which is Pakistan. In order to penetrate in-depth into Middle East mark et, Secret Recipe decided to open a new franchise in new Middle East country which will be in United Arab Emirates (UAE). In recent years, UAE has become one of the developed countries. It can be proved by its natural resources such as oil and gas. Other than that, service, tourism, trade have become their mainstay as well. However, to observe more about what factors has been influencing in their development, PEST analysis has been given. 2. 0 PEST ANALYSIS 2. 1 Political Factor By starting a new business in UAE, company should take extra precaution on the political issue of the country. The company needs to comply with trade rules which have been implemented by government. One of the rules is the company has to know exactly what kind of products or services that will be marketed. Besides that, there is an excess of politics that existed in the UAE; where government highly focused on their economy and political stability which also excites a lot of FDI in the country these can be seen from the pace of development that paralleled with the number of foreign workers in the country. 2. 2 Economic Factor UAE is a high income country where it economy is the world 33 largest according to the World Bank. Figure 1 Based on the figure 1, the GDP in UAE growth rapidly from year 1999 to 2008 but decline in year 2009 because of the world financial crisis but it recover rapidly from -2. 7% to 3. 2%. Figure 2 Based on the figure 2, the PPP of UAE also growth rapidly from year 1999 to 2010. As the GDP and PPP of UAE continually growth which may benefit to Secret Recipe because it show that the consumer tend to spend more. 2. 3 Social Factor The population of the UAE is about four million while the population growth rate is 3. 282%. While the primary language usage in the country is English, but there are some other languages which also can be used. In term of religion, the majority population in the UAE are Muslim, however in the recent time Christianity has grown in popularity paralleled with the number of foreigner in the country. It will be opportunity for Secret Recipe, because both of the home and host country have some similarities. So it will be easier for Secret Recipe to enter the market. 2. 4 Technology Factor In term of technology, UAE is technically advanced and it is vastly become one of the leaders in technological field. It can be seen from the internet users in UAE, there are a total of 78% (CIA, 2009) of population active in the internet network. Additionally, UAE owned many of state-of-the-art infrastructures and buildings like Burj al Arab which is known as the most luxurious hotel. 3. 0 MICRO ENVIRONMENT ANALYSIS 3. 1 Strength and Opportunity Secret Recipe was established in 1997. These 14 years of experience provide a good benchmark in standard and a strong brand advantages. Secret recipe has a 14 years’ worth of good history and experience in its culinary adventure. They gain a lot of recognition through awards and achievement not only in Malaysia but overseas as well. These strengthen brand power significantly. Furthermore, the restaurant was certified â€Å"Halal† since it is first commence. So with such certification they have the upper hand of experience which mean they did not have to put much effort in adapting and expanding in countries like Indonesia or Pakistan, which practically means less money spend in adaptation and implementation in the Muslim environment like UAE. 3. 2 Weakness and Threat Although Secret Recipe got a lot overseas management experience, but it was the first time their enter UAE market where was quite different that others country because of the factor such as culture differences. Thus, it will be a challenge for Secret Recipe because they do not understand about the daily life culture. The competitors can be the most important threat for Secret Recipe, because the competitors firstly enter the market before Secret Recipe. It was definitely a threat for Secret Recipe because the competitors have more knowledge about the market in the UAE and they are more aware about the existing culture in the UAE. 4. 0 SELECTING TARGET MARKET (s) 4. 1 Market Segmentation The market segmentation will be based on demographic segmentation such as age and income where play a crucial role for a company. Although foods and beverages of Secret Recipe can be enjoy by every customer, different age and income customer would have different purchasing power and buying behavior. 4. 2 Target Market Table below shows variety of target markets. As a cafe and restaurant, the target market for Secret Recipe will be young marriage couple where able to consume with their own power and willing to try new product. Target Market| Typical Breakdown| Preferred Lifestyle| Teenager| * Age between 12-19 * Schooling students with no income| * Willing to spend * Willing to taste new product| Young Marriage Couple| * Age between 20-34 * Classified from medium to higher classes consumers| * More spending power * Stable disposable medium and above income * Willing to taste new product| Marriage Adults| * Age between 35-49 * Busy with work| * | | * | * Brand conscious and a bit brand loyalty| 4. 3 Market Positioning Secret Recipe has successfully built its branding and strengthened the consumer’s awareness through the promotion – â€Å"Every Bite Gives You More†. The below figures show the brand position of our main competitor – Gulnaz , Reem Al Bawadi and Bice. High perceived Quality and status Gulnaz Gulnaz Bice Bice Secret Recipe Secret Recipe Extensive personalized serviceExtensive service Reem Al Bawadi Reem Al Bawadi High priceLow price Low perceived Quality and status Basically, Secret Recipe promotes its product based on the consumers’ perceived quality product and services with an affordable price. 5. 0 MODE OF ENTRY We suggest using franchising to open Secret Recipe in UAE. Franchising itself is a continuing relationship in which a franchisor provides a licensed privilege to the franchisee to do (Adam amp; Armstrong 2008). The reason why we choose franchising is because by using franchising the owner (franchisor) of secret recipe will offers assistance in organizing, training for workers, merchandising, marketing and managing in return for a monetary consideration. It is an advantage that we would get when using franchising as a mode of entry. The benefits will we get it obviously will greatly assist us in running our business franchise in the UAE. For example the franchisee does not need to do training for workers, but the franchisor who will do it all for franchisee. It is because every franchisor already has a certain standard that is owned by them. But by using franchising as a mode of entry, it requires that as franchisee have to pay royalties to the franchisor with the initial agreement was made by them. 6. 0 MARKETING STRATEGIES (4Ps) Price: For pricing, we suggest Price-Adjustment Strategies to account for differences in consumer segments and situation. In Price-Adjustment Strategy there are 3 ways to do such as segmented pricing, psychological pricing, discount pricing. For these points we would prefer to use discount pricing. Because of this is the first Secret Recipe in the UAE, so by giving discount it will attract interest from the consumer. Promotion: Because of the Secret Recipe will open in UAE is the first Secret Recipe in this country, so we suggest to using pull strategy into the promotion strategy. In pull strategy they can use mass media advertising to attract interest from consumers. Because of this is the first Secret Recipe in UAE they just inform consumers about the new product to build primary demand. Place: We suggest franchising as the mode of entry to make Secret Recipe in UAE; it is because in UAE there is no Secret Recipe. But to open Secret Recipe in UAE, there are some things that certainly need to be noticed first before starting this business. The most important thing to note is that UAE is a country that has a majority Muslim population, so they must ensure the services that offer is lawful. Product: Secret Recipe is a service that fits in UAE; this is because Secret Recipe is a restaurant that does not use pork on the menu offered, so it can be consumed by Muslim people. Because of this is the first Secret Recipe in UAE, so this will provide something new for people in the UAE to enjoy it. 7. 0 CONCLUSION Secret Recipe is suitable for UAE citizen where most of the citizens are Muslim and Secret Recipe’s foods are â€Å"Halal†. From the PEST, SWOT and 4Ps factors that we analysed, by using franchising as the mode of entry, we believe that Secret Recipe have huge potential to be success in UAE. 8. 0 REFERENCES Agri-Food Trade Service 2010, The United Arab Emirates Consumer Behaviour, Attitudes and Perceptions Toward Food and Products, Agri-Food Trade Service, viewed on 12 November 2011, http://www. ats. agr. gc. ca/afr/5661-eng. htm#e BBC 2011, United Arab Emirates Profile, BBC, viewed on 12 October 2011, http://www. bbc. co. k/news/world-middle-east-14703998 Central Intelligence Agency 2009, Country Comparison and  Internet users, The World Factbook, viewed 17th November 2011, https://www. cia. gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/rankorder/2153rank. html Foreign amp; Commonwealth Office 2011, Middle East and North Africa, Foreign amp; Commonwealth Office, viewed on 12 October 2011, http://www. fco. gov. uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/country-profile/middle-east-north-africa/united-arab-emirates Franchise Direct 2011, Coffee Franchise Industry Research Business Report I, viewed 17th November 2011, http://www. ranchisedirect. com/coffeefranchises/coffeefranchiseindustryresearchbusinessreporti/74/220 Go Eat Out 2007-2011, Secret Recipe, Go Eat Out, viewed on 12 October 2011, http://www. goeatout. com. my/Restaurants/Promotions/Details/View/PID/32994/Secret-Recipe-Every-Bite-Gives-You-More. aspx Info franchise 2006, franchise in United Arab Emirates, viewed 17th November 2011, http://www. infofranchise. com/detail. cfm? IdNotizia=8136amp;IdSezione=18amp;strKey=com Qindexmundi, United Emirates Arab Population Growth Rate, Qindexmundi, viewed on 12 November 2011, http://www. indexmundi. om/united_arab_emirates/population_growth_rate. html Research and markets 2011, analyzing retail in the UAE, viewed 17th November 2011, http://www. researchandmarkets. com/reports/541162/analyzing_food_retail_in_the_uae Secret Recipe 2011, Secret Recipe Franchise, Secret Recipe, viewed on 12 October 2011, http://secretrecipe. com. my/? store=36amp;webpage=243 Slideshare 2011, UAE presentation, viewed 17th November 2011, http://www. slideshare. net/suranivikas/uae-presentation Themanagmentguru 2011, PEST Analysis of MICE industry in Middle East, viewed 17th November 2011, http://themanagmentguru. logspot. com/2011/01/pest-analysis-of-mice-industry-in. html Time Out Dubai 2011, Restaurant, Time out Dubai, viewed on 12 October 2011, http://www. timeoutdubai. com/restaurants/reviews/8114-reem-al-bawadi Uaeinteract 2011, Political System, viewed 17th November 2011, http://www. uaeinteract. com/government/political_system. asp UK Essays 2011, UAE Economy, viewed 17th November 2011, www. ukessays. com/essays/economics/uae-economy. php Wikistreetfood 2009, Franchise: Secret Recipe, viewed 17th November 2011, http://www. wi kistreetfood. com/Franchise:Secret_Recipe . 0 APPENDICES Social Factor Actual Expenditure (US$) and Projected Growth (%) in the U. A. E by Product Type Source: Euromonitor, 2010 Figure 3 From the figure 3, we know that the spending behaviour of UAE nations based on product type. It shows that the UAE nations would like to spend a large amount of money in food and non-alcoholic beverages and it increase from year to year. So it will be the advantages for Secret Recipe to enter the market. Marketing Strategies People: People are one of the elements of service marketing mix. People define a service. In case of service marketing, people can make or break an organization. Thus many companies nowadays are involved into specially getting their staff trained in interpersonal skills and customer service with a focus towards customer satisfaction. Because we use Franchising as a mode of entry, so we do not have to think too much about it. Because by using Franchising, so the Franchisor that will do the recruitment of their workforce and provide job training in accordance with the standards held by the owner of the brand name of Secret Recipe (Franchisor). Process: Service process is the way in which a service is delivered to the end customer. A good service will make consumers feel good about what we offer to them. For process, it would be better if we can set up what the consumer want, so it will give an efficiency of time to the community in the UAE. Because UAE is a country that does not have long to rest, people in UAE really appreciate the time, so they will not waste time waiting for things. By providing a fast process, it will attract attention and interest of the community in the UAE. Physical Evidence: Physical Evidence is a very important element in Service Marketing Mix. This cannot deny, because everyone would want something that looks real is better than others. Secret Recipe is a restaurant, so we should have chairs, tables, and good food. But if only by having those things, its too general because this is a basic thing that a restaurant should have. To provide something more than our

Saturday, October 26, 2019

Employee Motivation: Literature Analysis

Employee Motivation: Literature Analysis Chapter Two- Literature Review 2.1 Introduction At one time, employees were considered just another input into the production of goods and services. What perhaps changed this way of thinking about employees was the research, referred to as the Hawthorne studies, conducted by Elton Mayo from 1924 to 1932 (Dickson, 1973).This study found out that employees are not motivated solely by money but also their behaviour is linked to their attitudes (Dickson, 1973).The Hawthorne studies begun the human relations approach to management, whereby the needs and motivation of employees become the primary focus of managers (Bedein, 1993). Understanding employee motivation and its relationship with corporate culture and gender is the focus of this research. This chapter is divided into seven sections; section 2.1 introduces the main subjects of this dissertation and is followed by section 2.2 which discusses employee motivation in small medium companies. The next section which is section 2.3 looks at motivation and the various theories developed by researchers, then section 2.4 considers the role of the manager when it comes to employee motivation. The last two sections; section 2.5 examines corporate culture with section 2.6 on gender and how it is perceived. Finally a summary of the whole chapter is presented in section 2.7. This section will review the most relevant studies on employee motivation and in small medium companies. 2.2 Employee Motivation in Small Medium Companies Organizational scientists and practitioners have long been interested in employee motivation and commitment. This interest derives from the belief and evidence that there are benefits to having a motivated and committed workforce. The Hawthorne Studies A major revision of ‘needs theory came from the work undertaken in the United State of America in the 1920s and 1930s of the Hawthorne Works of the Western Electric Company. This gave rise to a new school of management thinking, which suggested that employees have social needs which are as important as economic needs; these studies concluded that social relationships were significant in the satisfaction of the human need for social contact. The major contribution of this work in understanding employee motivation at work has been to focus attention on the design of jobs and tasks in an effort to make them attractive (Mullins, 2007). Employee motivation could be seen as the internal strength that drives employee performance. This strength enables employees to carry out their duties as expected of them having a particular aim in mind. And in most cases, where this strength is lacking, employees sometimes perform poorly. However, certain factors like job features, individual variation and organisational practices may influence employee motivation to work. It depends on good system that reward effectively, because it is critical as a motivated employee will achieve a great deal (Clark, 2009). According to McConnell (2002) companies have to consider the following steps in order to keep their employees in the organisation: ïÆ'Ëœ The employees perception of the work environment directly relates to the job performance. ïÆ'Ëœ What employees think of their jobs and their employer when the environment is positive ïÆ'Ëœ Improvement of the environment generally improves employee performance. McMackin (2006) states that large corporations have more money, name recognition and benefits to attract the best employees in comparison with small medium companies. Regardless of the positive aspects of larger corporations, many employees leave in order to work for small businesses, since they are able to have faster career advancement. According to Gaebler Ventures (2006) research show ten different motivational factors that are important for increasing motivation both for managers as well as employees; they include promotion potential, interesting work, personal loyalty, tactful discipline, appreciation for work done, good working conditions, help with personal problems, high wages, feeling of being in on things and job security. Gerson (2003) on the other hand states that employees in small organisations may leave for better salaries and benefits. The decision to leave can be affected by feelings of unappreciation, work condition, cultural conflicts, lack of convenience, lack of advancement and lack of support. According to Moses (2005) the basis for employee motivation is divided into two categories; anticipation of reward for work well done, and fear of discipline for mistakes or works done poorly. Motivation techniques at most companies falls into one of these two categories. The ideal for a small-business owner is to motivate employees in a positive way, since employees develop loyalty and personal commitment when they are encouraged to perform well in order to advance and receive recognition and financial benefits. The most negative aspect of this method is the fact that the less hard working employees will be fired or downgraded. The method also lacks teamwork, includes employee backbiting and has no long-term motivation. Wiley (1997) states that the relationship between people and work have fascinated scientists for many years, both psychologists and behavioural scientist, but in both field concepts such as need, motive, goal, incentive and attitude occur more frequently rather than concepts of aptitude, ability and skill. Scientist investigates how personal, task and environmental characteristics influence behaviour and job performance concerning motivation. Motivation does not remain the same over the years, it changes due to personal, social and other factors and it also affects the behaviour of a person rather than end performance. In order to create an environment that fosters employee motivation it is important to explore the attitudes that employees have towards factors that motivate them. When a company know what motivates its employees they are better prepared to stimulate them to perform well. In order to know what motivates employees, organisations must have regular communication and ask employees what sparks and sustains their desire to work (Herzberg, 2003). Most managers assume that their employees have the same motivational drivers as them, but managers must abandon this assumption and focus on the recognition of individual drivers. Findings from a forty year survey demonstrate that employees are motivated by receiving feedback and recognition and those individuals at different levels of the organisation might have different motivational values (Wiley, 1997). Managers have to understand what motivate their employees in order to receive high performance at the organisation. 2.3 Motivation Motivation is the formation of incentives, and working atmosphere which allow individuals to carry out their duties to the top of their capability in pursuit of organisational success. It is commonly viewed as the magic drives that allow managers to get employees to realize their targets. Since the dawn of the twentieth century, there has been a shift at least in theory. Since the early 1900s several theories have been advanced which have offered insight into the concept of motivation (Strickler, 2006). The hierarch of needs espoused by Abraham Maslow sheds lights on individual behaviour pattern. Other significant studies have been carried out by Frederick Herzberg, who considered job fulfilment, Douglas McGregors X and Y theory, which suggest management styles that motivate and de-motivate employees etc. Underpinning Herzbergs theory was his attempt to bring more humanity and caring into the workplace. His theory was to explain how to manage people properly, and to motivate them for the good of all people at work. Many contemporary authors have come up with several definitions for the concept of motivation. Motivation has been defined as the emotional progression that gives behaviour reason and course (Kreitner, 1995), the inner drives to fulfil unsatisfied need (Higgins, 1994), and the determination to realize (Bedeian, 1993). In dissertation, motivation is defined as the central energy that derive individual to accomplish personal and organisational goals (Mullins, 2007). Motivation can have an impact on the productivity of any company or organisation. Organisations and companies relies heavily on the efficiency of it production personnel to ensure that goods are produced in numbers that meet up customers order. If these workforce not have the motivation to create and perform to the best of their ability and meet the demand of customers, then an organisation may face a problem which may lead to serious consequences. 2.3.1 Internal and External Motivation Motivation according to Kehr (2004) can be either internal or external, it can be viewed as push or pull determinants. Implicit motives are factors intrinsic to the activity and explicit motives arise from factors extrinsic to the activity. Intrinsic motivation is the key motivation component of employee empowerment and individuals are responsible for achieving their own career success. It is based on positively valued experiences that a person receives directly from their work tasks such as meaningfulness, competence, choice and progress. Bymes (2006) explain that external motivators depend on outside factors to push the individual to complete a task. Kehr (2004) adds that explicit motives are influenced by social demands and normative pressures. Extrinsic rewards are based on reward and punishments controlled by the organisation. Like Bymes (2006) individuals with external motivators are motivated by salary or wage packets. Internal on the other hand is associated with employees who want to be employed in a particular position by a firm whose organisational values and work requirements are closely linked with the individuals personal values and skills. Implicit and explicit motives relate to different aspects of the person, but both are important determinants of behaviour. According to Basset-Jones Lloyd (2005) motivators associated with intrinsic drivers outweigh motives linked to financial and inducement and observing others benefiting from recognition and extrinsic rewards. Like Locke Latham (2004) internal factors that drive motivation and external factors that act as inducements to action is the concept of motivation. Motivation can affect three aspects of work; direction, intensity and duration. Peoples skill, abilities and how and to what extent they utilise them are affected by motivation. According to Katz (2005) intrinsic factors are the main reason for a persons true commitment and motivation. Extrinsic factors like salary and working conditions are also important, but do not give the commitment and excitement that the employee needs. How a person views the assignment and how tasks, information, rewards and decision-making processes are organised are strongly linked to the personal activities. People become more motivated when they identify themselves within a group and contribute to performance as a group (Van Knippenberg, 2000).This relies on the work performed by Locke and the goal setting theory he developed. This goal is team performance and the individual feeling part of the group. The focus of Locke was on the goal but in order to reach the goal one must associate oneself with the group and task. Glen (2006) contend that the most important factor to rely on is feedback since it can help an employee improve his or her performance ; communication is also vital in the world today and can be beneficial to both the manager and employee . 2.3.2 Motivation Theories The traditional form of motivation stated that people could be driven by fear and therefore managers had to be tough. This approach made the employees do the bare minimum and only work while their manager was watching. Research on motivation and it impact on individuals and employees has been undertaken from the mid-twentieth century. Prominent among such researchers include; Maslow1954, Herzberg 1959, Adams 1962, Vroom 1964, Alderfer 1972, Locke 1981 and others. There is intense competition as a result of technological advancement, demographic changes, globalisation, which puts more pressure on organisations to deliver products and services with continuous improvement. The theories on motivation identify individual needs, their expectation and reaction to both internal as well as to the external environment. The various motivation theories are discussed below. Maslows Hierarchy of Needs A ground-breaking theory on the subject of motivation and needs of the human being was advanced by Abraham Maslow in 1954.He stated that there are some fundamental needs for the human being that can be arranged in a hierarchic way. He argued that individuals and for the purpose of this study, employees are motivated to satisfy a number of diverse needs. According to Maslow until the most vital needs are fulfilled, other needs have little effect on the employees behaviour. Once a need is satisfied, and therefore less essential, other needs emerge and become motivators of their behaviour (Porter et al, 2003). At the base of the hierarchy is the physiological needs; food, clothes etc.These are considered primary needs as employees concentrate on satisfying these needs before the others. Physiological needs according to Maslow are undeniably the most pressing of all needs. Once this need is fulfilled, the next level surfaces with the employee becoming anxious with the need for safety and security both at home and at the workplace. Likewise, once the safety need too is satisfied, the employee strives for a sense of membership or an affiliation and a feeling of approval by others. Once the employee finds his/her place in a group or team, the need and longing to be held in esteem, recognised and respect crops up. Maslow asserts that with all these needs satisfied, employees are then motivated by the desire to ‘self-actualise and accomplish whatever they identify as their utmost potential. (Ramlall, 2004) Herzbergs Two-Factor theory According to Herzberg an individuals relation and attitude towards work can determine success or failure. While Maslow looked at individual needs, Herzberg tried to find out how employees felt about their work and what really motivates them. In 1959 he created his two-factor theory by looking at the causes of job satisfaction and dissatisfaction in an effort to fully know what motivate people. He divided the needs into two categories; hygiene factors which relate to the needs that involve the framework of the task they performed and if these needs are not fulfilled there will be dissatisfaction on the part of employees. In essence if you want to motivate employees, concern should be given to the work itself (Ramlall, 2004). Herzbergs hygiene factors can be linked to Maslows hierarchy of needs and primarily the vital needs at the base of the hierarchy. The hygiene needs accommodate the need that arises from the physiological, safety and social or belongingness needs that do not make the employees satisfied in their job, but simply avoid dissatisfaction if fulfilled. In contrast motivator factors are those that allow for psychological growth and progress on the job. They are very much connected to the idea of self-actualisation regarding a challenge, to savour the satisfaction of achievement, and to be acknowledged as having done something meaningful (Basset- Jones and Lloyd, 2005). Herzberg further stated that certain characteristics are related to job satisfaction and others to job dissatisfaction. Intrinsic factors, such as achievement, advancement, recognition, responsibility are related to job satisfaction. Job dissatisfaction is a result of extrinsic factors; company policies, supervision, working condition etc. He assert that a job do not get satisfying by removing dissatisfying factors and therefore dissatisfaction is not the reverse of fulfilment. In order to understand the employees motivation to work the attitudes of the particular employee has to be known (Herzberg, 2003). To Bassett-Jones Lloyd (2005) Herzberg was interested in the extremes where workers either felt good about work or bad, and this led to the development of extrinsic and intrinsic factors. The extrinsic factors are called hygiene or maintenance factors and are linked to job dissatisfaction. Intrinsic factors on the other hand lead to job satisfaction. The factors were labelled motivators to growth because they were associated with high level of job satisfaction. The two factors are of equal importance when explaining what motivates an employee. They explain Herzbergs suggestion of motivation as similar to ‘internal self-charging battery. For employees to become motivated the energy has to come from within. Herzberg however argues that motivation is founded on development needs; and originate from satisfaction born out of a sense of achievement, recognition for achievement, responsibility and personal growth. A review of Maslows and Herzbergs theory lead to further research and theories the first of which was developed in 1962 by Stacy Adams. Equity Theory This theory developed by Stacey Adams in 1962 suggests that since there is no absolute standard for fairness, and employees want to be treated fairly, they are likely to assess fairness by making comparison with others in similar situations. If they find out that they are not treated similarly they may lower their output, their quality of work or even leave the organisation for another where they are likely to be treated better. In essence it is not the real reward that motivate, but the perception of the reward in comparisons with others (Boxall and Purcell, 2007. While a simple theory, this theory according to Latham cannot cover every incident as some employees are far more receptive to perceptions of unfairness than others. It is therefore very important for managers to be conscious of what their employees perceive to be fair and just and also know that this will differ from one employee to the other (Latham, 2007). Vrooms Expectancy Theory Whereas Maslow and Herzberg looked at the connection between needs and the ensuing effort expanded to fulfil them, Vroom concentrated on effort, performance and outcomes. The fundamental concepts key to expectancy theory is that the anticipation of what will happen influences the employees choice of behaviour that is, expectations and valence. Vroom interpreted motivation as a process in which employees choose from a set of alternatives based upon the likely levels of expectation, and called the individuals perception of this instrumentality. Valence in his theory is the assessment of actual outcome of ones performance and together with instrumentality is very central in the expectancy theory (Ramlall, 2004; Mullins 2007). From this theorys viewpoint, an employee assigns a worth to an expectation, considers how much effort will be required, and works out the likelihood of success. If the perceived reward is sufficient for the effort required, the employee may make the effort. Expectancy in this theory is the prospect that they can carry out their duty in a way that leads to an optimistic result. For the employee the amount of effort he/she is eager to put in any performance of task is influenced by the expectation of the outcome of the effort (Mullins, 2007). If the employee works hard then he/she can expect a good work result hence a higher reward. High instrumentality for the employee comes from the notion that if he/she shows off good work result there will be adequate reward. Low instrumentality would then be that the employee feels that the result of the reward will not be independent on the particular work result. Writing in People Management Magazine, Lees (2008) believes that Vrooms theory give an insight into the research of employee motivation by shedding more lights on how individual goals sway individual performance. Vrooms expectancy theory has been criticised for attempting to envisage a choice or effort. However because no obvious pattern of the meaning of effort exist, the variable cannot be measured effectively. According to Latham (2007), the employee is assumed to deliberately weigh up the satisfaction or pain that he/she expects to attain or avoid and then a selection is made. The theory says nothing about intuitive motivation, something that Locke considered when he expanded Vrooms theory. Alderfers ERG Theory Unlike Maslows theory that refers to an individual who acts increasingly for his/her need satisfaction first, with the simplest one up to the most complex ones, Clayton Alderfers theory (1972) which extended Maslows theory asserts that this course of action is not essentially progressive. According to him, there are three significant categories of human needs: Existence (E) needs which ensures the sustainability and human endurance; food, Salary, shelter etc Relational needs (R) that is socialising need that refers to the relationship between an individual and the social setting and is satisfied by interpersonal relations. Fulfilling these needs depends on the association with others. Growth (G) needs which consists of a persons self respect through personal feature as well as the concept of self-actualisation present in Maslows hierarchy of needs.Alderfer believed that as you begin satisfying superior needs, they become powerful like the power you get, the more you want (Mullins 2007) . Although not fully tested, Ramlall (2004) and Strickler (2006) contend that the ERG theory seems to describe the dynamics of individual needs in an organisation rationally well and can help managers when it comes to motivating employees. To them it provides a less rigid account of employees needs than Maslows hierarchy. By and large, it comes closest to explaining why employees have certain needs at diverse times. Goal Setting Theory Edwin Locke extended Vrooms theory by developing his goal setting theory which takes into consideration the conscious motives that exist when organisations set goals to be met. According to Robbins (2003) Lockes goal setting theory states that specific and difficult goals lead to higher performance with the help of feedback. In addition to feedback, goal commitment, and adequate self -efficacy, task characteristics and national culture have been found to influence the goal performance relationship. Motivation comes from the goal an individual set up based on human needs, personal values, personality traits etc which are shaped through socialization and experience. The behaviour used to accomplish the goal depends on whether the goal is difficult or specific. The amount of effort an individual puts in reflects the level of satisfaction experienced which can lead to other actions (Porter et al, 2003). In order to reach the goals some conditions has to be present; such as feedback, goal commitment, ability etc. According to him, a goal is required in order to create motivation within the employees to perform better than before. He indicates that financial rewards can improve the sustainability of a persons dedication as well as behaviour. .Goal setting and management by objectives programs have grown in the past two decades and motivation has been organised in three categories; personality based view, cognitive decision and self regulation perspectives. The basic idea of Lockes goal setting theory is that employees goals are related to their motivation since their goals direct their thoughts and action. The cognitive decision predicts an individuals choices or decisions and finally the personality-based perspective emphasize personal characteristics as they affect goal choice and striving (Locke and Latham, 2004). The personality-based category does not predict motivation, but it can provide understanding of what motivates individuals. The above theories are part of the broad field of human motivation study and they all have implications for individuals different workplace behaviour. They can also be applied to a variety of management practices aimed at motivating employees. However these researches were carried out in Western Europe and in America decades ago. Can the findings of this research be applied in Ghana which is in a different setting? Will similar research in Ghana yield the same result? T o better understand employee motivation, it is important to know the role of managers who are facilitators of employee motivation. 2.4 Motivating Employees: The Role of the Manager Leadership literature states that motivation is influenced by the nature of the relationship between the leader and employees. Managers according Bymes (2006) needs to hire the right person that is most suitable for a certain job, value its employees and support them in making contributions to the organisations and always try to create a motivated workforce. Motivated employees do not only create a good working environment, they also make noteworthy contributions to the organisations. Good managers make their employees fell like business partners and use empowerment in order to make the workplace and the surrounding environment into a place where employees feel good as well as creating a work wherefrom employees feel good inside (Bassett-Jones Lloyd,2005). Motivation therefore is about cultivating your human capital. The human challenges lies not in the work itself, but in you, the person who creates and manage the work environment. As indicated by Garg Rastogi (2006) in todays competitive environment feedback is essential for organizations to give and receive from employees and the more knowledge the employee learn, the more he or she will be motivated to perform and meet the global challenges of the market place. By involving the employee at work and providing challenging tasks it might increase the intrinsic motivation which transforms potential into creative ideas and this will factor fair and constructive judgement of ideas and sharing of informations.Leaders have an important part in the organisation because they act as the force that motivates the performance of the employees (Katz,2005). Leaders are there to motivate people to follow the designed work and by doing so enhance performance. Even though employees look to diverse organisational elements to suit different drivers of needs, they look forward to their managers to do their best to attend to their needs and concerns. Organisations has to recognize the resources, both human and technological that are available within the organisation and conduct training programs that will contribute to the productivity and the levels of motivation at individual or group levels. Motivating employees begins that to do their best, employees must be in an atmosphere where their emotional drive to bond and be understood are met. The drive to bond is best achieved by a custom that encourages teamwork and frankness (Nohira et al, 2008). Motivating employees is vital if employers are to achieve maximum performance and productivity. Contemporary theories on motivation centres more specifically on the relation of beliefs, values, goals with action. Motivation in contrast functions as an engine for inner human growth by providing attractive and demanding task. Motivation theories developed in the western world with their orientation on self-satisfaction and instrumentalism have mainly emphasized on rewarding those individuals who succeed. These theories did not take into consideration the terrain in Africa and also individuals who are highly motivated but incapable of accomplishing. This has produced in some part of Africa and also in Ghana situations where managers are not able to answer the needs of every employee. Studies indicate that employees in the western world draw their motivation from self satisfaction but the same cannot be said of their counterparts in Africa and most especially in Ghana. What do they derive their motivation from? Does the companys corporate culture have any bearing on how they are motivated? Is there a relationship between the companys corporate culture and motivation? The next section will look at motivation and corporate culture. 2.5 Motivation and Corporate culture Corporate culture draws its roots from various sources. This include national and regional cultures, (Hofstede, 1991) the vision and management style (Schein, 1985) and the nature of the business and the environment it operates in and the organisational field where it operates (Gordon, 1991). For this study the relevant cultural roots comes from Ghana. Individuals, especially qualified ones, have more choices with regards to potential jobs offers. How companies motivate place a vital role in attracting employee and competing well todays competitive market. To create a culture that fosters individual motivation is not easy because it takes time to figure out the factors that motivate each employee. It is even more important nowadays as more individuals draw their interest from other things beside money. To understand the importance of corporate culture in this dissertation it is important to first define what culture is. Schein (2004) defines culture as ‘consisting of rules, procedures and processes that govern how things are done, as well as the philosophy that guides the attitudes of senior management towards staff and customers. Referring in his work to the people of a nation Hofstede also defines culture as ‘the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes one group or category of people from another. Thus it endorses the issue that corporate culture is a unique aspect of an organisation, even though it is difficult to manage. According to Schein an organisations culture develops to help cope with its environment. He characterizes culture as consisting of three levels: ïÆ'Ëœ Artefacts which are the most observable level of culture yet are hard to understand. ïÆ'Ëœ Espoused Values; which underlie and to a large extent determine behaviour, but they are not directly observable as behaviours. There may be a variation involving known and functioning values. ïÆ'Ëœ Basic assumptions and Values: the essence of culture is characterized by the fundamental assumptions and ideals, which are not easy to differentiate since they are present at mainly unconscious point. Nevertheless they offer the input to appreciate why things turn out the way they do. 2.5.1 National culture National culture milieu influences the outlook of an organisations stakeholders. Hofstede proved this with work on IMB employees in 43 countries and how attitude to work and behaviour of employees towards authority differ from one location to the other. In his study he identified five dimensions of culture and demonstrated that there are national and regional cultural groupings that affect the behaviour and activities of organisations. The first dimension is power distance and refers to the degree to which people accept inequality amongst institutions and organisations. The second dimension, uncertainty avoidance measures the degree to which people are willing to accept change and work in uncertain circumstances. Therefore the higher the degree of uncertainty avoidance the more structured people likes things to be (Steers et al, 1993). Individualism which is the third dimension refers to the degree to which people see themselves as being part of a group or as individuals. His fourth culture dimension, masculinity versus femininity refers to the conventional values place

Thursday, October 24, 2019

The Awakening Essay -- essays research papers

The Awakening   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The novel, The Awakening by Kate Chopin, was written in the late nineteenth century in St. Louis after her husband Oscar died of a severe illness. Her book appeared in 1899, after she was idolized by many novels written by Darwin and Sarah Orne Jewett. Her first attempts at writing were just brief sketches for a local newspaper that was only short descriptions of her life in Louisiana. However, Chopin’s interests had always run along more risky lines, as reflected in her diaries, letters, and fictions. Her most common subject was female subjugation and freedom. When The Awakening appeared, Chopin was severely criticized for depicting a sexualized and independent-thinking woman who questioned her role within the southern patriarchy. The disapproval surprised Chopin, and she never quite recovered her faith in her own work.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There were many themes discussed throughout The Awakening, many of which are very important to the concept of the novel. The main theme is the awakening from the slumber of patriarchal social convention. Edna who is the main character pronounced in the novel, must rouse herself from the life of dullness that she had always lived. What she awakens to, however, is so much larger than herself that she ultimately cannot manage the complexity of it. Edna awakens to the concept of self-discovery and must live to embrace it. This theme is deeper than the obvious themes of independence and women’s rights, however, The Awakening presents suicide as a valid solution to problems. People commit suicide because of isolation and loneliness or a serious disruption of one’s life. It is easy to connect these with Edna’s life. The isolation of her small house, the disruption caused by Adele’s death, and the common good of her children. However, her suicide had nothing to do with any lack of personal freedom. Edna, for the most part did anything she wished to do, and there were no signs that she was intending on stopping. The suicide was more of a lack of good, healthy alternatives that lead her to do so. Robert had left her in attempt to protect her, himself, or possibly both. This lead Edna to pursue a romance with Alcee Arobin, in which she secretly kept quiet in order not to hurt her children. None of these options satisfied her though, longing for the one who â€Å"awakened† her. She... ...oughout the reading. In no sense should any of it not be. She helps people understand her views and opinions on the life of people during those ages, and how she might have saw things. Everyone has an outlook on life and living in terms of turmoil can be expressed easily in her writing. Chopin’s writing is kind of wry and sympathetic about expressing the turmoil, telling a story of Edna and her tragedy. Although she told it in third person, the content follows Edna and her thought processes clearly and easily. The dialogue often reveals the sharp disjuncture between thought and speech. Kate Chopin’s true artistry is at work here. Generally, the voice is observant and non judgmental   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The Awakening tells a story of independence, freedom, and will power unheard of during the times of it’s publication. It is a stirring book that forces you to confront tough issues throughout the novel. It paints a picture of what goes though the mind of a person who loses hope. The Awakening tells us a story from the perspective of the oppressed. It is far more than a romance novel with a tragic ending. It is a book about the choices one will make to protect one’s freedom.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

English society and lifestyles Essay

He also demonstrates his strength by bending a fire poker in half, this proves that he is dangerous and willing to go to any length to get what he wants. Because of his butch, scary description in the first part of the story, he may come across and un-educated. He is actually very cunning, he thinks of all the fake things in his room, these lead to the deaths. He is very clever, even Holmes addresses him as cunning. Jabez Wilson Jabex Wilson is a character in the story ‘the red headed league’ he is the owner of a local pawnshop, he is given a false job in the story. The fake job he is given, although simple pays very good money, he takes the job and leaves his partner in charge of his pawn shop, him taking the job shows that, like anybody in Victorian England, he would do anything for money, he also took on his assistant , Vincent spaldling, because he offered to come at half wages. Vincent Spalding Vincent Spalding is the character of Wilson’s’ assistant in ‘the red headed league’. He tricks Wilson into leaving him the shop so that he can dig to a nearby bank. He is actually john clay in disguise, john clay is a famous bank robber who is wanted by the police. he is very cunning with the way he works, he fixed a fake advertisement, fake job, fake identity all for one job, this in some ways shows that he has determination and devotion to what he does. The place of servants The place of servants throughout these stories, is not very obvious. in ‘the speckled band’ the manor house in which Helen Stoner and Dr Roylott live, is said to have a room for the maid. this shows that housing was provided for servants. It shows that although there is a definite hierarchy between master and servant, considerations are made on the part of food, and housing. The role of women In the three stories which I studied the role of women varies, in ‘the man with the twisted lip’ Mrs. St Clare comes across as the type of woman that stays in and cooks and cleans at her husbands demands, she has dinner for him at his arrival home in the evening and doesn’t ask where his money comes from or what he does, she just accepts that it is money. Whereas is ‘the speckled band’ Helen Stoner is much more independent of her self, she rides on the train and dog cart in the early hours of the morning without permission, she tries to find out for herself the cause of her sisters death and seeks out her own help even though she is fully aware of her stepfathers capabilities. The nature of Law and Order Compared to real Victorian England the police in the stories come across as very laid back, in †the red headed league’ they are fully aware of the happenings and still offer to make all of it ‘disappear’ even though it is a very large investigation, and is very important. Although the police are satisfactory to the community, Holmes always seems to outsmart them, as it were, always get there first. But yet he is not a part of the police service, he isn’t running a private service for money because he only asks for the expenses to be paid. this shows his devotion to the service and how he doesn’t do it for the money. Transport and communications The transport in the stories is quite modern in some parts, in the speckled band, Helen stoner uses a train to reach Holmes, this shows that train run at all hours, because she was traveling at early hours of the morning. She also used a ‘dog cart’ or horse and carriage. Communication was not really mentioned in the stories but telephones are mentioned a few times, this shows more than telegram communication is used . Show preview only The above preview is unformatted text This student written piece of work is one of many that can be found in our GCSE Arthur Conan Doyle section.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

The United States Armed Forces and Women in Combat essays

The United States Armed Forces and Women in Combat essays Could there possibly be such a thing as a female "infantryman"? There are not many oxymorons' being murmured about in the military that get such ferocious responses from many within the combat arms ranks. In the civilian world, women are able to choose and pursue their own paths of career, no matter the difficulties. In today's work environment women continue to play vital roles that have a direct effect on our homeland security and our precious way of life. Women in professional careers can usually compete as equals with their male counterparts, having unlimited opportunities for advancement. Although this being correct for most of today's civilian women, it is not the case for the females currently serving in the United States Armed Forces. The integration of women into the Combat Arms branch of the Army would not only affect the level of morale and esprit de corps for the existing male troops, but women would be put into harms way unnecessarily which they are not prepared for, be it physically or mentally. It has been Public policy and Federal law that prevents women from serving in combat units on the front lines. For example, in the United States Army, approximately fifteen percent of the Active Duty service members are women. Women in the Army are only permitted to serve in units where their primary function is combat support or combat service support. The Army, by not allowing women to serve in combat, runs contrary to the current workforce trend in American society. In today's world, women in dangerous professions such as firefighting and law enforcement perform equally well compared to their male counterparts. Even though women have in the past performed admirably in those professions and some are even considered heroes in our communities the fact remains that the dangers women face on the "mean streets" of America are in no way comparable to the hazards they would have to face on today's modern battlefields. ...