Feasibility of Telehealth Essay

Health is a vital aspect of life, which is why it is important to have an access to different health care services. The world’s population is rising radically every year; thus, the demand for quality health care services also increases. With the application of modern technology the health system has been able to accommodate this demand in many countries through the implementation of Telehealth. In Canada, accessibility and distribution of health care services is influenced by aspects like large landmass, population concentration and economy and (Sevean, et. al., 2008). The feasibility of Telehealth as an instrument for delivering health care services in Canada will be discussed in this paper, focusing on four key themes: service to rural areas, cost effectiveness, responsiveness and ease of access that will be tackled consecutively. The first paragraph after the introduction aims to give an overview on what and how Telehealth works in Canada. Central to the arguments presented in this paper is the pros of using Telehealth by means of telecommunication technologies as a substitute to the actual patient-to-health care provider interaction. Telehealth is defined by Health Canada (2000) as â€Å"the application of telecommunications and information technology to the delivery of health care and health-related services and information over large and small distances†. It is basically divided into two distinct parts: the technology being used and the persons (patient or health care provider) (Thede, 2001, para. 2). Telehealth according to Prinz, Cramer, and Englund uses four modes of telecommunication: voice-only or telephone, video images or exchange of information through digital pictures, and virtual contract or video conferencing (Background section, para. 4). Included in the Telehealth Ontario service is a contact number that you can Canadians can call 24 hours a day seven days a week. In consulting the health care provider through phone, once on the line, the health care provider, usually registered nurse, will asks the person on the other line to describe his or her health concern, the nurse will then evaluate the person’s condition and will help him or her to determine the best option available for him or her; whether to go see a doctor, admit himself or herself in an emergency room, the nurse can also advise self-care (Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-term Care, 2009). Telehealth has already been incorporated in almost every medical field like Pediatrics, Psychiatry, Cardiology, Radiology and Oncology providing accuracy and more services to people. Telehealth aims to elevate the serviceability of health system by providing access for people who has a health concern anytime of any day anywhere. Telehealth provides better health service for people living in the rural areas. Canada has a large landmass with bodies of water surrounding it. The population is not equally distributed, most Canadians live in urban areas, and some smaller communities are located at rural areas and the Aboriginals mostly live in small isolated areas. In the study they conducted in 2008, Sevean, Dampier, Spadoni, Strickland and, Pilatzke found out that Canadians who live in smaller isolated community do not have an access to a quality health care because even though Canada has an excellent health services most of these health services centered on the urban areas and that is a lso why most health care professionals favor working on urban areas resulting to a shortage of health care professionals in the rural areas. In addition, specific services might only be available to large hospitals that are mostly located on big cities, forcing people in isolated communities to travel miles by land, water or air to get the medical help they need. Most road conditions in the rural areas are undeveloped increasing their inconvenience. Also, weather condition is also a great consideration in accessing health care, air and sea travel is usually cancelled during storms most roads are also inaccessible when there is a strong downpour of snow. Unavailability of help during emergencies results in fatality especially in the northern Aboriginal communities (Sevean et. al, 2008). By improving the access of health care for rural access it also decreases the mortality rate. Telehealth is designed to reduce the cost associated with the delivery of health care without compromising on the quality. Treatments and medications can be costly depending on the type and intervals plus the extra inconvenience associated with it such as travelling costs, hospital accommodations, stress, and physical limitations (Sevean et al., 2008). Included in the patient’s bill in the hospital is the room accommodation, the longer they stay at the hospital the more they have to pay. Through Telehealth, patients who underwent surgeries or had suffered illnesses have the option to check-out early and continue the recovery in their own homes; thus, lessening the costs of their hospitalization. As mentioned earlier, people who live in small isolated communities have to travel kilometers to miles in order for them to meet with their health practitioner on the cities to get medical attention or follow-up from post-recovery, through telehealth they are able to save on transportation, gas mileage and other extra expenses like parking fee. Moreover, Saqui et al, (2011) argued that telehealth consultation decreases morbidity, prevent unnecessary suboptimal costly treatment, patient transfers and travelling cost when a change in the diagnosis and treatment plan occur (Discussion Section, para. 2) Through videoconferencing, Telehealth are able to give immediate diagnosis for a patient who needs urgent care (Saqui et al., 2011). A lot of effort is involve before a patient co uld meet with his or her doctor such as making an appointment, sorting his or her schedule and so on and so forth. By the time the person with health concern meets with his or her doctor the illness might already aggravated; consequently, the health care system through Telehealth provides a quicker and more efficient way on determining the type and seriousness of the patients and illness without leaving the comfort of their homes. By contacting Telehealth as soon as a person notices some irregularities in the person’s normal body functions that indicates that he may or may not be ill, enable that person who called to act immediately preventing the illness from advancing any further or on the other hand be reassured that there’s nothing to worry about. Furthermore, Telehealth also made the monitoring on recovering patients at their homes faster, the registered nurse in-charge of monitoring the patient can guide the patient in his recovery process through a streaming media. Any concerns that may arise in the recovery process can be solved a lot quicker, the patient can leave a message or phoned and the health care provider will respond to it as soon as possible stating the fact that Telehealth service is available 24 hours a day. Moscovice and Rosenblalt (2000) that the quality of health care cannot be measured by the morbidity and mortality rates, but by the ability of the health care provider to recognize and respond to their patient immediately. One thing that proves that Telehealth is feasible in improving the delivery of health-care is its acceptability. Although Telehealth is designed mostly to cater the health care needs of people living in the rural areas and isolated communities, according to Health Canada, Telehealth service has been extended to the impoverished, the socially disadvantaged, ‘the institutionalized’ and the urban and suburban households has been added recently. The Telehealth system is tailored to improve enhance the access of the clients and their families to the health system in regards to their location, gender, age and condition. Prinz et. al, identify age as a barrier that create health discrepancy because of the limited access to health care, ‘home bound status’ and issues on transportation which is why in older patients, a branch of Telehealth called Telemonitoring is being used to provide an immediate respond in case of emergency, to allow them to stay at their homes, to lessen the risk for accidents and ‘to delay the institutionalization ( Pruski and Knops, 2005). This branch of telehealth has been proven to improve the elder’s quality of life, making the task of the caregiver easier, and lessen the elder’s admission to the hospital. The high acceptability of Telehealth comes from its ability to provide maximum support not only for the patients but also for their families. The clients feel secured because they are in a familiar environment where their families could assist them. Moreover, Telehealth has been proven to lessen the stress involve in the health care process especially for the patients with disabilities because of the reduced waiting time, omitting the need for transportation. In 2005, 100 % of the respondents in the Pediatric Surgical Telehealth Clinics survey conducted by Miller and Levesque indicated that they are satisfied in the service of Telehealth and would recommend it to others (Sevean et. al, 2008). Conclusion The four key themes of Telehealth discussed above: service to rural areas, cost effectiveness, responsiveness, and ease of access and acceptability, and the description on how Telehealth works illustrate its feasibility in delivering the health care the clients need and the advantages of using Telehealth versus the traditional way of patient-to-health care practitioners. Telehealth provides better health care services in the rural areas and isolated communities, it also lessen the cost of access to health care by decreasing the need to travel and other expenses, in addition Telehealth also provides an immediate feedback to the client or patient that is important during emergency, therefore decreases mortality and morbidity rate and lastly, it is designed for various ages, gender, disease to provide an ease of access and acceptability. Telehealth In conclusion is a more efficient way of delivering care to people through the use of various modern technologies; its feasibility has been proven. The health of future and current generations depends on the availability and efficient delivery of health care. References Office of Health and the Information Highway, Health Canada. (March 2000). Evaluating Telehealth ‘Solutions’ A Review and Synthesis of the Telehealth Evaluation Literature. Retrieved from: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hcs-sss/pubs/ehealth-esante/2000-tele- eval/index-eng.php Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-term Care. (2009). Telehealth Program.-Ministry Program-Public Information. Retrieved from: http://www.health.gov.on.ca/en/public/programs/telehealth/ Prinz, L., Cramer, M., Englund, A. (July-August 2008). Telehealth: A policy analysis for quality, impact on patient outcomes, and political feasibility. Nursing Outlook. 56(4), 152-158. Retrieved from: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0029655408000456 Saqui O, Chang A, McGonigle S, Purdy B, Fairholm L, Baun M, Yeung M, Rossos P, Allard J. (2007). Telehealth videoconferencing: Improving home parental nutrition parent care to rural areas of Ontario, Canada. Journal of Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition. 31(3), 234-239. Retrieved from: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17463150 Sevean P, Dampier S, Spadoni M, Strickland S, Pilatzke S. (2009). Patients and families experiences with video telehealth in rural/remote communities in Northern Canada. Journal of Clinical Nursing. 18(1), 2573-2579. Retrieved from: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19694885 Thede, Linda Q. (2001). â€Å"Overview and Summary: Telehealth: Promise Or Peril?†. Online Journal of Issues in Nursing. 6(30). Retrieved from: www.nursingworld.org/MainMenuCategories/ANAMarketplace/ANAPeriodicals/OJIN/TableofContents/Volume62001/No3Sept01/TelehealthOverview.aspx Vincent, C., Reinharz, D., Deaudelin, I., Garcieau, M. (2005).Why some Health Care Professionals Adopt Telemonitoring and Others Not?. In Pruski, A. & Knops, H (Eds.). Assistive Technology: From Virtuality to Reality. Amsterdam, Netherlands: IOS Press

Describe the Reaction of British People to the Argentinean Invasion of the Falkland Islands

There were huge number of different reactions and emotions shown by the British people following the invasion of the Argentinean junta of the Falklands. These included outrage, humiliation, anger, resentment, fear, pride and even shame. Much of the first response was of shame. The people were embarrassed that a â€Å"once-great† country could suffer such a humiliation in losing its territory to the Argentineans. Initially this reaction was vented upon the Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, and many people including influential politicians called for her resignation in the early stages of the conflict in the South Atlantic. Many were outraged that Argentina had apparently beaten the British, because they thought that the Latin Americans were not a real world power. As one disgruntled Brit said to The Daily Mail, â€Å"Mrs Thatcher will not only go down in history as the first woman Prime minister but possibly the first to allow a Spanish speaking nation to defeat us. Sir Francis drake must be turning in his grave. † This chauvinism added to the sense of humiliation and, despite being the words of a solitary person, is an example of the resentment that was being directed towards the Prime Minister. Spawned by this feeling of humiliation arose one of anger. Again the anger was often directed at the government and, as I before, specifically at Margaret Thatcher. People looked at her leadership and saw weakness, believing her neither willing nor strong enough to defend her country's history and heritage. After all the British had been for centuries one of the most successful militaries on the planet. Some even used the Argentinians government's decision to invade the Falklands, as a way to criticise the way the British government was run. The Times wrote â€Å"The Prime Minister should have resigned over the humiliation of the Falkland islands†. Some said that regaining the Falklands was a secondary objective, after sorting out domestic the political situation, which many disliked and didn't support. However, Margaret Thatcher was not the only focus for public outrage and anger. The British people also commonly resented the Argentinians for their invasion. There was even a show of open aggression towards the Argentinian ambassador in London when an egg was thrown at his residence. Other displays of resentment included one famous, world cup-winning Argentinian footballer, Ossie Ardiles, being forced to give up playing in England due to the hostile treatment he received from some opposing fans. Tesco banned the sale of Argentinian corned beef and Brooke Bond Oxo, a company selling Argentinian meat, halted its imports in protest at the invasion. At Westminster no Argentinian food was allowed to be sold in any of the canteens or restaurants. One football team in Sussex refused to wear their new kit, a copy of the Argentinian international strip, as a protest and a display of anger. One newspaper, The Times again, condemned the Argentinian invasion saying; â€Å"Argentina's seizure of the Falkland Islands is as perfect an example of unprovoked aggression and military expansion as the world has had to witness since the end of Adolf Hitler. † News coverage like this further provoked the resentment and stirred popular anger against Argentina. This type of journalism, aimed at disrupting the peace and adding to the public's angry view of Argentina, was rife amongst the newspapers of the time. As well as anger, a popular view was the sentiment that British pride was at stake and action must be taken to counter the aggression to restore the country's reputation. It was commonly believed that the majority of the British population wanted to use force to regain the Falklands and that they saw resolving the matter as very important. The Times reported that â€Å"Seventy percent of British people believe the Royal Navy should sink Argentinian ships. † This shows the extent of resentment in the minds of the British people towards the Argentinians. If the poll was representative of the British peoples' view, it shows the real strength of popular opinion. It is very strong backing for war. This was seen when the first battleships set course for the Falklands. There were huge crowds at the ports cheering and holding messages of support for the Navy. Tens of thousands of people were there to support the fleet and their loved ones. There was joy at the prospect of beating the Argentinians and pride in the people whom were to do it. However, there were clearly also some who did not want violence or war. There were people whose main interest in the islands was the safety and well-being of the 1800 occupants. Many wanted the solution to be a negotiated, rather than a forceful or violent one, to make the situation as easy and un-stressful as possible for the islanders. Support for this ideal was led by Tony Benn of the Labour Party. He wanted the party to oppose the plans to invade the Falklands in a response to the Argentinian one. Some surveys found hardly any support for the total declaration of war by the British government. This was true of a survey by The Manchester Evening News. One person said that the â€Å"liberation of the Falkland Islands† was a â€Å"secondary objective† behind sorting out the political situation at home, which had created a â€Å"tangible atmosphere of blood lust†. He blamed the misguided government and media, for generating overly passionate and violent feelings about the Argentine invasion. Again this, despite being a solitary opinion, was an example of the widely held belief that the government were handling the situation poorly and the use of force was not as important as some[politicians and media figures] suggested. Ossie Ardiles, the abused footballer, said, â€Å"Most of the British people don't even seem to know where the islands are. They are only finding out now through newspaper reports†. This again is an example of the way the media were responsible for some of the â€Å"blood lust† that was generated at the time, with their inflammatory writing. Another reaction to the Invasion by the Argentinians was that of fear and panic. This occurred when the economy and stock market was negatively affected by the loss of the Falklands. The pound was decreasing in value which led to fears about increases in interest rates which would affect all businesses and home owners. As well as this over the few days following the invasion i5,000 million was wiped from share values in the stock market. The uncertainty resulted in a wave of fast selling of shares. In conclusion I feel that the main reaction of the British was initially that of anger, towards both Margaret Thatcher and her government (for failing to defend the islands adequately) and also increasingly towards the Argentinian military government for attacking them in the first place. After this came other responses that stem from anger such as embarrassment, humiliation, wounded national pride and the desire to put the whole thing right again. It is clear from the evidence that the media had a huge effect on the reactions that were expressed.

Analysis Of Connel’s Theory Of Hegemonic Masculinity

Analysis Of Connel’s Theory Of Hegemonic Masculinity In today’s society it takes a lot to grasp the change in how masculinity is â€Å"supposed† to be. To be able to truly understand the sort of expectations that men are held to by society there must be a detailed look into what R.W. Connell refers to as â€Å"Hegemonic Masculinity† (Connell), it justifies men’s position in society as head of society and puts women second, saying women are supposed to submit to men. The impact it has on men in today’s society is, more than less, changing, but still has a significant place in male masculinity and in a lot of the â€Å"norms† we have, such as the man has to be the â€Å"breadwinner† of the household, and the women should only take care of the house. We often deamn these beliefs to be true by nature, as soon as a boy becomes a â€Å"man† he must go out and become the head of something or show that he is a man by gaining power (Being the head of his household, owning a business, getti ng wealthy, ect.). In the text Connell states that Hegemonic masculinity is â€Å"a social ascendency achieved in a play of social forces that extends beyond contests of brute power into the organisation of private life and cultural processes.† The one thing that will always be prevalent in the relationship of men and women all over the world is that fact that men will always dominate women. This structural belief that men are over females is the foundation for the term â€Å"Hegemonic Masculinity†. â€Å"Masculinity is only hegemonic amongst men: no femininity is hegemonic†. This does not mean any kind of violence, it means hegemony in every part of life, Mainly talking about religious practices. For example, wedding vows, they mostly talk about how men will take care of their newly wed wives as if the are too incompetent to take care of themselves because they are women. â€Å"The man takes control as the breadwinner and the person in charge of a heterosexual relationship.† (Connell). Hegemonic Masculinity is publicized at lot in society, mostly in the media, you may see advertisements showing muscular men as the goal of what a man should look like. It tells him that if his mindset isn’t to want to look like that then he isn’t a man, the proceeds to give him the instructions he needs to become the muscular guy on the television. â€Å"How a man throws a ball is different to how a woman throws a ball. I didn’t want to throw a ball in front of my dad because i knew it wouldn’t look right, it wouldn’t be like the way a good, strong boy should throw it.† Here Connell tries to interpret the boy’s fear of disappointing his father and the combined sense that his body is unsuitable for a man as a learned social experience. The boy is young but is already fully aware that he isn’t what a man should be, he falls short of his father’s expectations in his head. Because of this, Connell is aware that hegemonic masc ulinity is a learned behavior. In movies, another form of media, you see the superheroes, mostly men, as big strong manly guys who saves the world from appending doom, giving the message that men are supposed to imitate these big strong macho men and get through the harsh realities of life unscathed, when in reality life will get to them and that okay, you don’t have to be like these men on the big screens. â€Å"Masculinities in Western societies are typically defined by by a specific body reflexive practice: sport, violence, heterosexual performance, and bodybuilding† (Connell pg. 86). One of the biggest societal issues is that fact that women want to be paid the same as men and that simply is not the case in today’s society. â€Å"Hegemonic Masculinity can also be seen in our wage structures where men earn more than women and traditionally men achieve the top positions as managers or leaders.† (Connell). Women try tirelessly to get equal pay, in today’s society, but a lot of the big taxation and welfare policies are still advocates of the belief that males are more important and should get compensated more than women. â€Å"Hegemonic Masculinity is evident in all aspects of life, even in housing, where men have designed the house that women clean and traditionally spend much more more time in than men.† (Connell). According to Connell, most of the men in today’s society often benefit from women submitting to them and the home. Taking care of the home is no worry for the man because his wife is the only one that must tend to the house, homely duties like for example, Ironing, cooking and washing clothes, these duties have an unwritten gender rule to them and separates the men and women when it comes to marriage. It is noticeable that the role of men is slowly but surely changing, that actions of men are very different form how men acted 30 years ago, a lot of thin gs that males in the past where doing would not be tolerated in today’s society. â€Å"Traditionally, the man of the family was seen as the breadwinner and the female looked after the children and all duties associated with the household.† (Connell). Because of the many financial challenges in today’s society, the concept of Masculinity has flopped as women are now taking on higher paid jobs and are taking care of themselves rather than in the past that wasn’t accepted. Some men today even have problems trying to find employment and stay home because of it. Women are more educated than men in today’s society as well and that is a big influence on this phenomena. To conclude, the topic of Hegemonic masculinity has yet to be stable and has a lot more research to go before it is concrete. There are many different aspects to masculinity, gender roles and the simple fact that if women weren’t around we wouldn’t even be studying masculinity. According to Connell, a lot of different masculinities are in existence, even though hegemonic masculinity is the most prevalent one. Hegemonic masculinity affects the behavioral aspects of men in today’s society and still has most men trying to maintain their rein on society. The result of this is the fact that men still must prove to the world and other men that they are just as manly. The way that men cope with the changes in the world is something that a lot of future sociologists will be studying. In today’s society it takes a lot to grasp the change in how masculinity is â€Å"supposed† to be. To be able to truly understand the sort of expectations that men are held to by society there must be a detailed look into what R.W. Connell refers to as â€Å"Hegemonic Masculinity† (Connell), it justifies men’s position in society as head of society and puts women second, saying women are supposed to submit to men. The impact it has on men in today’s society is, more than less, changing, but still has a significant place in male masculinity and in a lot of the â€Å"norms† we have, such as the man has to be the â€Å"breadwinner† of the household, and the women should only take care of the house. We often deamn these beliefs to be true by nature, as soon as a boy becomes a â€Å"man† he must go out and become the head of something or show that he is a man by gaining power (Being the head of his household, owning a business, getti ng wealthy, ect.). In the text Connell states that Hegemonic masculinity is â€Å"a social ascendency achieved in a play of social forces that extends beyond contests of brute power into the organisation of private life and cultural processes.† The one thing that will always be prevalent in the relationship of men and women all over the world is that fact that men will always dominate women. This structural belief that men are over females is the foundation for the term â€Å"Hegemonic Masculinity†. â€Å"Masculinity is only hegemonic amongst men: no femininity is hegemonic†. This does not mean any kind of violence, it means hegemony in every part of life, Mainly talking about religious practices. For example, wedding vows, they mostly talk about how men will take care of their newly wed wives as if the are too incompetent to take care of themselves because they are women. â€Å"The man takes control as the breadwinner and the person in charge of a heterosexual relationship.† (Connell). Hegemonic Masculinity is publicized at lot in society, mostly in the media, you may see advertisements showing muscular men as the goal of what a man should look like. It tells him that if his mindset isn’t to want to look like that then he isn’t a man, the proceeds to give him the instructions he needs to become the muscular guy on the television. â€Å"How a man throws a ball is different to how a woman throws a ball. I didn’t want to throw a ball in front of my dad because i knew it wouldn’t look right, it wouldn’t be like the way a good, strong boy should throw it.† Here Connell tries to interpret the boy’s fear of disappointing his father and the combined sense that his body is unsuitable for a man as a learned social experience. The boy is young but is already fully aware that he isn’t what a man should be, he falls short of his father’s expectations in his head. Because of this, Connell is aware that hegemonic masc ulinity is a learned behavior. In movies, another form of media, you see the superheroes, mostly men, as big strong manly guys who saves the world from appending doom, giving the message that men are supposed to imitate these big strong macho men and get through the harsh realities of life unscathed, when in reality life will get to them and that okay, you don’t have to be like these men on the big screens. â€Å"Masculinities in Western societies are typically defined by by a specific body reflexive practice: sport, violence, heterosexual performance, and bodybuilding† (Connell pg. 86). One of the biggest societal issues is that fact that women want to be paid the same as men and that simply is not the case in today’s society. â€Å"Hegemonic Masculinity can also be seen in our wage structures where men earn more than women and traditionally men achieve the top positions as managers or leaders.† (Connell). Women try tirelessly to get equal pay, in today’s society, but a lot of the big taxation and welfare policies are still advocates of the belief that males are more important and should get compensated more than women. â€Å"Hegemonic Masculinity is evident in all aspects of life, even in housing, where men have designed the house that women clean and traditionally spend much more more time in than men.† (Connell). According to Connell, most of the men in today’s society often benefit from women submitting to them and the home. Taking care of the home is no worry for the man because his wife is the only one that must tend to the house, homely duties like for example, Ironing, cooking and washing clothes, these duties have an unwritten gender rule to them and separates the men and women when it comes to marriage. It is noticeable that the role of men is slowly but surely changing, that actions of men are very different form how men acted 30 years ago, a lot of thin gs that males in the past where doing would not be tolerated in today’s society. â€Å"Traditionally, the man of the family was seen as the breadwinner and the female looked after the children and all duties associated with the household.† (Connell). Because of the many financial challenges in today’s society, the concept of Masculinity has flopped as women are now taking on higher paid jobs and are taking care of themselves rather than in the past that wasn’t accepted. Some men today even have problems trying to find employment and stay home because of it. Women are more educated than men in today’s society as well and that is a big influence on this phenomena. To conclude, the topic of Hegemonic masculinity has yet to be stable and has a lot more research to go before it is concrete. There are many different aspects to masculinity, gender roles and the simple fact that if women weren’t around we wouldn’t even be studying masculinity. According to Connell, a lot of different masculinities are in existence, even though hegemonic masculinity is the most prevalent one. Hegemonic masculinity affects the behavioral aspects of men in today’s society and still has most men trying to maintain their rein on society. The result of this is the fact that men still must prove to the world and other men that they are just as manly. The way that men cope with the changes in the world is something that a lot of future sociologists will be studying.

Official Development Assistance and Poverty Reduction Essay

Official Development Assistance and Poverty Reduction - Essay Example The Reality of Aid Report (2010:9) though note that the manner in which these agreements are implemented is too technical to actually transform the manner in which aid is governed to actually make it more effective and relevant to the poor for whom it is aimed. It shows that the agreements have not changed the reality of aid relationships since what is actually practised are technical aspects related to aid management rather than a focus on development policy making. The report concludes that even though reforms in aid effectiveness have delivered some benefits, they have not made considerable difference in how aid is viewed or to the extent to which it empowers or improves the lives of those who need it most (pp.25). From ODA’s definition, its key objective is to promote â€Å"economic development and welfare of developing countries† (OECD, 2008:1). Such development such developing healthcare facilities, educational facilities or even infrastructural development is oft en aimed at reducing poverty levels experienced by these countries as it increases the capacity of the countries to earn a decent living and to live in healthy states. In essence therefore one may relate poverty reduction as the key objective of ODA. So if ODA is not able to effectively meet its objectives as noted by the rise in poverty over a twenty year period as shown, then should aid be counted as official development assistance even if it does not reduce poverty levels? This paper argues that nothing should be counted as official development Assistance until it has been proven to reduce poverty. Official Development Assistance (ODA) ODA is defined as aid flows from donor countries of the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) list to countries eligible for such aid found on the DAC... From this essay it is clear that from ODA’s definition, its key objective is to promote â€Å"economic development and welfare of developing countries†. Such development such developing healthcare facilities, educational facilities or even infrastructural development is often aimed at reducing poverty levels experienced by these countries as it increases the capacity of the countries to earn a decent living and to live in healthy states. In essence therefore one may relate poverty reduction as the key objective of ODA. So if ODA is not able to effectively meet its objectives as noted by the rise in poverty over a twenty year period as shown, then should aid be counted as official development assistance even if it does not reduce poverty levels? This paper argues that nothing should be counted as official development Assistance until it has been proven to reduce poverty.This discussion highlights that  ODA is defined as aid flows from donor countries of the OECD Develo pment Assistance Committee (DAC) list to countries eligible for such aid found on the DAC list, these aid must first and fore most be given by official agencies or countries to the other countries or official institutions within the country where each aid is given with the core purpose of promotion welfare and development in the developing countries.  The area of focus of the definition in this paper is on the main objective of ODA whose purpose is to increase development and reduce poverty levels.

What is really real and what can we know about it Essay

What is really real and what can we know about it - Essay Example They use the biblical teachings from the holy books to explain the reality behind Christian beliefs and practices in the society. However, many scholars have developed diverse disciplines in order to argue, clarify and understand the reality behind Christian beliefs and practices. From the biblical point of view, there is truly underlying reality that cannot readily be perceived when trying to understand the reality behind Christian beliefs, tenets, rituals and traditions. Individual responses towards the ultimate reality have been articulated and institutionalized in the religious arrangements. Theologians have made a considerable attempt of trying to make logical arguments in order to defend Christian beliefs, tenets and ritual practices. However, the way people from different places and at different times come to the conclusion in some unseen reality is ultimately unimaginable. Some people simply accept what they have been told to them or what is written in the Holy Scriptures. Others make their own conclusions on the ultimate reality of Christian beliefs and traditional practices. Christian virtuous action or behaviors in the Christian system are based upon the Holy books especially the Old and New Testaments. Christians emphasizes on the virtue ethics, and these virtues are where their moral teachings of Christian beliefs and practices are based upon Fisher (9). Christians emphasize on the moral behaviors, and they mostly emphasize on love and peace in the society. This is through being honest, humble, caring, generosity, kind and other good moral behaviors. Several traditional philosophers from the West were concerned on the virtue ethics and these aspects mostly can be well understood from the work of Aristotle and Plato, the Greek philosophers who attempted to explain the reality of moral behaviors during the medieval periods. The virtue theory simply argues on developing morally desirable

Economic Development Proposal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Economic Development Proposal - Essay Example The M’Bochi lives in the northwest and majority of the Brazzaville’s skilled workers and civil servants are from this group. In addition to these tribal groups, the country also includes a small Pygmy population with approximately 12,000 Pygmies (Overlanding Africa.com). These tribal groups represent different levels of socio-economic development and constitute an economically, politically, and socially underdeveloped community. They are most vulnerable to various forms of economic exploitation, social stagnation, and political isolation. Hence, it is necessary to integrate these tribal groups with the rest of the community on a footing of equality so as to help them attain progressive advancement. This is an economic development proposal that envisages the overall development of the Congo communities in the long run. Congo: An Overview Before framing the development proposals, it is necessary to analyze various economical, social, political, and cultural aspects of the country in order to get a clear view of the current status of the country. The country possesses a potential mining sector and productive agricultural sector. Researches indicate that the Congo’s untapped deposits of raw minerals are expected to be worth over US$ 24 trillion. Although the Congo was the second largest industrialized country in Africa at the time of its independence, currently it is one of the poorest countries in the world. While analyzing the Congolese Economy, it seems that the country’s fiscal policies are weaker and this troublesome situation is identified to be the most potential challenge to the growth of the country. As per the findings of The Heritage Foundation, the country’s business freedom is 40.8% and trade freedom is 61.0%; hence this regulatory environment makes the cost of launching and running a business high in the Congo. Similarly, the country maintains an ineffective tax system although it sets high tax rates. Congo’s highest income tax rate is 50% while its top corporate tax rate is 36%. In addition, the country has low investment freedom of 20% and it also represents a low privatization rate (â€Å"The Heritage Foundation†). Evidently, corrupted bureaucracy has become the major impediment to productive investments in Congo. According to World Bank, the CIPA fiscal policy rating in Congo was 3.50 in 2008. Hence, the tribal council must specifically take into account the weaker investment status of the country as inefficient operations of the Congolese government hamper foreign investments. The Congolese government does not adopt a favorable approach towards entrepreneurs and is less likely to promote productive ventures. According to reports, â€Å"uncertain legal framework, corruption, inflation, and lack of openness in government economic policy and financial operations† have been threatening the sustainable economic development of the country (Asias and Azizet). Due to uncertain ty about economic outcomes, lack of infrastructure, and absence of government support, many foreign business firms have transplanted their operations from the country. According to the statistics, the literacy rate of the Congo was 67.2% as of 2001 data and the literate people constitute 80.9% males and 54.1% females. Three government ministries control the education system in the country and it is very similar to that of

Religious Education Curriculum as a Basis for Developing an Ethos of Essay

Religious Education Curriculum as a Basis for Developing an Ethos of Mutual Respect among Pupils - Essay Example I discovered the importance of educational acts such as the Education Act especially in ensuring that the Religious Education curriculum is effective. Educational reforms are important and can only be much beneficial when implemented for the general national good. For example, excluding independent schools from the national educational reforms is a great setback and can cause great harm to the educational system and cripple the efforts made toward achieving a united country. I support the opinion that religious education must be taught as part of the national curriculum, in all schools for at least a few minutes per day and that collective worship during school meeting time or lessons facilitates the understanding of the role of religion among students. Even though people have the right to withdraw their children from schools that offer obligatory religious education, this denies the children the right to acquire good personal attributes and social understanding that I consider to be very essential for any individual who want to coexist well with others. Moreover everyone’s right to worship and to associate with a particular religion should be respected. I concur with the idea that integrating religious education within the national curriculum will go a long way in developing pupils’ knowledge and understanding of Christianity and other religions. It is true that embedding the Religious Education curriculum in local syllabuses and school frameworks has helped many nations to identify and embrace important principles for religious education (Ashcroft and Palacio, 1997, p.169). Religious education builds up students’ knowledge and understanding of Christianity as well as other principal religions and religious traditions in the world. It makes a unique contribution to the school curriculum by developing pupils’ knowledge and understanding of religion, religious beliefs, practices, languages and traditions and their influence on individuals, communities, societies and cultures. It is much profitable and extremely important that religious education be a nationally agreed syllabus. The education authorities and Standard Advisory Council for Religious Education must come together and device new policies that incorporate the religious teachings and education into the national syllabus (Ashcroft and Palacio, 1997, p.72) .Countries dominated by one particular religion must learn to embrace and tolerate religious diversity. The increased international relations denote that countries must now be more accommodative and able to absorb people of different and diverse multicultural backgrounds. Teaching pupils the diversity of today’s society and the varying differences in religious beliefs and cultures creates a more civilized and understanding society. Religious education encourages the students and the society to accommodate and tolerate people of diverse cultures and enables the pupils and students to explore multi-cultural and multi- faiths, encouraging them to coexist well with people around them

Rocket Science Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Rocket Science - Essay Example This name was not uncommon as Rutan had used it earlier with , `Tie One`, `Tier Two ‘and `Tier Three to designate what he termed as â€Å"fun factory â€Å"of a program. When Tier One was established, the company would bid on the other two Tiers, because they were motivational programs for the employees; this program helped him to retain his skilled employees (Clarke and Linehan 20) and this program had two vehicles. The reason behind calling the Spaceship One program Tier One was that Rutan wanted the program to be fun. When the program began to entertain, the idea was to come up with other manned spacecrafts, because it was a good breakdown and defined that if they did programs in the future to send people to Earth`s Orbit, it would be called Tier Two (20). The spaceship and carrier aircraft were therefore named; the spacecraft was Rutan Model 318 and the aircraft Model 318. The Chinese Shenzhou spacecraft is similar in design to the Russian Soyuz spacecraft. â€Å"Shenzho u is 9.3 meters long†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ and weighs about 7840 kg† (Gregersen 74). The launch of this vehicle was the Chang Zheng 2F, this version of CZ-2F was developed for Shenzhou program. The first Shenzhou mission was unmanned test flights launched over duration of three years that is between1999-2002. Shenzhou was launched on October 15, 2003 and carried the first Chinese Astronaut, Pilot Yang (Gregersen 74). China became the third country after Russia and the United States to launch a manned spacecraft. Shenzhou 6 was launched on October 12, 2005; the Shenzhou 7 was launched on September 25, 2008. The future plans for the Shenzhou program includes complex rendezvous maneuvers and the assembly of a space station in Shenzhou 8 and a laboratory module, Tiangong 1(Gregersen 74). The International Space Station is an American space program; it has expanded the human acquaintances, advanced our understanding about the universe, and the production of technological advances that have benefited all humanity. The new course of the American program has given NASA focus and vision for future exploration. According to Catchpole, NASA’s first goal was â€Å"to complete the International Space Station by 2010†¦... the second goal was to develop and test a new spacecraft†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. and to conduct the first manned mission no later than 2014† (155). The third goal is to return to the moon by 2020, as a launching point for mission beyond NASA has established plans aimed at helping the agency sort through a number of decisions relating to retirement and transition. These aspects are focused on the NASA`s transition management structure and supplier base. According to the United States Government Accountability Office, NASA has developed an agency-level transition plan and a space shuttle program, which has demonstrated an effort to establish a strategy for managing change (NASA Supplier Base 6). Monitoring risks at different levels of the agency is a mong key issues addressed in the plan. The other issue that was addressed was the decision related to transitioning the supplier based on the space shuttle program to the constellation program. Recently, NASA approved the space shuttle program transition management plan: that defines how the space shuttle program should organize and manage its retirement that supports the

Wepons and selfdefence concerns in the USA and the UK Essay

Wepons and selfdefence concerns in the USA and the UK - Essay Example From a simple theft to a terrorist bombing, firearms play a vital role in committing crime. Do guns really help private citizens prevent crime through active self-defence and deterrence Or are they mostly used by criminals. This paper opens a window on empirical questions that have generated a small mountain of conflicting facts and opinions. There are several different factors behind the dilemma confronted by the new generation, which not only relates to the psychological factors but also emotional factors cannot be ignored in mentioning and analysing the reasons behind holding weapons. Robberies and assaults committed with guns can be a result of mental frustration resulting in the victim's death than are similar violent crimes committed with other weapons. According to case fatality rate for gun robbery, it is found that it is three times as high as for robberies with knives and ten times as high as for robberies with other weapons. "Similarly, in injuries resulting from criminal assault the case-fatality rate is closely linked to the type of weapon, as is also the case for family violence". (Cook, 2000, p. 35) There is another aspect of the same picture which states that there is much more concern of crime with weapons and self defence other than psychological one. Crime, either done with the help of weapons or without weapons, when analysed in the thought of basic assumptions, upholds the following reasons behind it: Crime is caused by the individual exercise of free will. Human beings are fundamentally rational, and most human behaviour is the result of free will coupled with rational choice. Pain and pleasure are the two central determinants of human behaviour. Crime disparages the quality of the bond, which exists between individuals and society and is therefore an immoral form of behaviour. Punishment, a necessary evil, is sometimes required to deter law violators and to serve as an example to others who would also violate the law. Crime prevention is possible through swift and certain punishment, which offsets any gains to be had through criminal behaviour. (Schmalleger, 1999, p. 230) As far as self-defence is concerned, policy interventions intended to separate guns from violence may have the perverse effect of increasing the amount of violence, and in some cases even making it more harmful. "The National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), a national survey based in United States for criminology gathers information on assault, burglary, larceny, theft and robbery and is generally considered as the most reliable source of information on predatory crime as it has been in the field continuously since 1973 and incorporates the best thinking of survey methodologists. From this source, it appears that use of guns in self-defence against criminal predation is rather rare, occurring on the order of 100,000 times per year. Of particular interest is the likelihood that a gun will be used in self-defence against a home intruder. One study of data from the NCVS found that only 3% of victims were able to deploy a gun against someone who broke in while they were at home. Reme mbering that 40% of all households have a gun, we conclude that it is quite rare for victims to be able to deploy a gun against intruders even when they have one available". (Cook, 2000, p. 37) Gun Oriented Policies Law enforcement

Europe and the Great Depression of the 1930s - Study Notes Essay Example for Free

Europe and the Great Depression of the 1930s Study Notes Essay The Great Depression of the 1930s was a result of World War I. Germany had to pay off war debts to France and Britain, but in the meantime, they borrowed money from the U.S. There was a chain connecting everyone, and when Germany finally failed to pay France and Britain, the chain of money stopped. France and Britain could not pay the U.S. back, and the stock market crash ensued shortly afterwards. Its severity was due to the chain reactions and interlocking of the different countries. Germany was suffering major inflation, and simply could not pay or make up its debt to the other countries. If France and Britain were equally blamed for the war, it may not have happened, because Germany would not be supporting the countries economically. The National Government took three decisive steps to attack the depression. First, to balance the budget, it raised taxes, cut insurance benefits to the unemployed and the unemployed and the elderly, and lowered government salaries. Its leaders argued that the fall in prices that had taken place meant that those reductions did not appreciably cut real income. Second, in September 1931, Britain went off the gold standard. The value of the British pound on the international money market fell by about 30 percent. This move somewhat stimulated exports. Third, in 1932 Parliament passed the Import Duties Bill, which placed a 10 percent ad valorem tariff on all imports except those from the empire. Gold and free trade, the hallmarks of almost a century of British commercial policy was abandoned. The Popular Front, on June 8, 1936, immediately raised wages from 7 and 15 percent, depending on the job involved. Employers were required to recognize unions and to bargain collectively with them. Workers were given annual, paid two-week vacations. The forty-hour week was established throughout French industry. Everyone was terrified of the Third Republic. The outflow of foreign capital from Germany beginning in 1928 undermined the economic prosperity of the Weimar Republic. The resulting economic crisis brought parliamentary government to an end. In 1928 a coalition of center parties and the Social Democrats governed. All went reasonably well until the depression struck. Then the coalition partners disagreed sharply on economic policy. The Social Democrats refused to reduce social and  unemployment insurance. The more conservative parties, remembering the inflation of 1923, insisted on a balanced budget. The coalition dissolved in March 1930. Hitler came into office by legal means, he was eventually elected Chancellor by the president and all the proper documents were completed. When the president of Germany died on August 2, 1934, Hitler combined the offices of chancellor and president. He was then the sole ruler of Germany and of the Nazi party. No, his dictatorship was not inevitable. His seizure of power was more by impersonal forces, especially because he only became ruler of Germany when the President died. Nazi economic policies maintained private property and private capitalism, but subordinated all significant economic enterprise and decisions about prices and investment to the goals of the state. Hitler reversed the deflationary policy of the cabinets that had preceded him. He instituted a massive program of public works and spending. Many of these projects related directly or indirectly to rearmament. The government sponsored canal building, land reclamation, and the construction of a large highway system with clear military uses. The government returned some unemployed workers to farms if they had originally come from there. Other laborers were not permitted to change jobs. The Nazi economic experiment proved that by sacrificing all political and civil liberty, destroying a free trade-union movement, preventing the private exercise of capital, and ignoring consumer satisfaction, full employment to prepare for war and aggression could be achieved. Terror and intimidation had been major factors in the Nazi march to office. The SS had originated in the mid-1920s as a bodyguard for Hitler and had become a more elite paramilitary organization than the much larger SA. The SS was the instrument that carried out the blood purges of the party in 1934. The police character of the Nazi regime was all-pervasive, but the people who most consistently experienced the terror of the police state were the German Jews. Hitler, Mussolini, and Stalin each used terror to achieve their goals. With terror the number one populace concern, rebellion was less omniscient. The people would worry about staying alive and doing the things that please the ruler rather than make a mistake, plan a rebellion, or something close to that. Stalin felt that if Russia did not industrialize there would be no way to keep up the rest of the fast-advancing Europe. The production of iron, steel, coal, electrical power, tractors, combines, railway cars and other heavy machinery was emphasized. The labor for this development was supplied internally. Capital was raised from the export of grain even at the cost of internal shortages. The fact that Russia had a five-year plan probably allowed the Soviet Union to survive the German invasion. The targets of the purges were in all areas of party life. No one can explain why some were executed, others sent to labor camps, and still others left unmolested.

Employee Motivation And Organisational Performance Commerce Essay

Employee Motivation And Organisational Performance Commerce Essay As the hospitality industry keeps on growing, the competition has turned into a battle now. During this tough time it is very pragmatic to hold on to our loyal guest even though there is a ceaseless change in the organization. To overcome this challenge of holding our loyal customers and to keep on attracting new guests, it is very important that the employees are highly motivated. This research critically analyses the factors affecting the motivation of the employees in an organization, it evaluates the effects on the performance of the organization due to motivated employees. It suggests a relationship between the employee motivation and the organizational performance. The research was carried out by taking interviews of the employees as well as the executive member of the hotel in order to get hold of perspective of both the sides. The important factors have been acknowledged and critical analysis has been done. The findings of the research exhibits that the organisation is constantly doing well but there is always a scope of improvement. It also gives the recommendation to improve the organizational performance by motivating the employees. 1 .INTRODUCTION When we think of the term hospitality, different things come in our mind. The first thing what we can think of is hotels. Many people also think about the famous pineapple which held an important part in history when it came to the term hospitality. Hospitality word comes from Latin language i.e.hospitalitem, hospes, and hostis (friendliness to guests) mean to welcome with warmth and care. Hospital also comes from the same source with the concept of caring about human beings who are ill and who want care, support and love. When we speak about hospitality we talk about guests and not customers, as the word guest brings out the full dimension of hospitality and in real terms. The word customer appears less welcoming and it focuses on financial transaction. In hospitality industry we need to greet our guests with a warm and genuine welcome. In order to achieve this we need to create a surrounding which is totally different from outside world. We are talking about warm and hospitable sur rounding with a prompt, pragmatic and professionally delivered service which requires employees who are willing to deliver it. Now the word service comes Latin word servitium meaning act of serving, demonstrates a creative and incorporating function with many shades and intricacies. The meaning of hospitality and service are almost intertwined, it can also be said that if hospitality is strategy than service is tactics. (Sturman et al., 2011). Now in this ever growing hospitality industry, consumer expectation and demands for quality in increasing and consumer tastes is varying on the other hand. To deliver service in this cut throat competition internationally and nationally is very difficult and it requires highly motivated staff. Customer loyalty is another big issue in todays hospitality industry, in order to overcome this issue there has to efficient, motivated staff. Employee motivation is by far the most serious issues in any of the organisation. It is very important to understand and use the motivation technique for managing the people in hospitality industry. Furthermore, customer satisfaction is highly affected by customers perception of employees effort. (Mohr and Bitner, 1995 cites in Kusluvan, 2003.p.339) and effort is what motivation is about. There has been tremendous amount of research done for different employee motivational theories which are conducted outside hospitality industry. Many empirical studies which are done in past on motivational theories have somewhat failed to show the direct linkage between employee motivation and organisational performance. It has been always said that employees are the biggest asset for any organisation and there has been efforts to motivate them without knowing the exact factor that is behind the employee dissatisfaction. To improve any organisations performance three things are very necessary which are productivity, labour efficiency and staff turnover. This is quite evident that if the employee is happy and motivated then the productivity is going to increase by itself. If the employees are happy then loyalty towards the firm increases and it ensues less staff turnover and higher labour efficiency. This research will review the empirical studies done by other researchers on employee motivation and will integrate all the theories and hypothesis in one discussion. The author will also establish a direct linkage that how employee motivation affects organisations performance, how employee motivation helps in increasing loyalty towards the organisation. 1.1 AIM OF THE RESEARCH The aim of the research is to study the relationship between the motivation of the employees and organizational performance. 1.2 OBJECTIVES To critically analyse the employee motivational factors affecting the growth of an organization. To study the relationship between the motivation and organizational performance. To critically evaluate the interpersonal relationship and effects of communication on the level of motivation of employees in West India quay Marriott. To suggest recommendations based on the research and analysis in order to increase the motivation of employees and hence the productivity of an organisation. 2 .LITERATURE REVIEW In order to become good in anything, the only talent you need is motivation Charles de Gaulle. Literature review gives a proper framework to evaluate and critically analyse the various motivational theories and conceptual models which are necessary for the operational functioning of an organization. It relates to various working models of motivational theory used by the organization to keep their employees motivated and increase the productivity of the organization. It is very necessary to understand that the motivational level of the employees working in a particular organization should be on optimum level because of this ever changing dynamics and structure of the hospitality sector. A detailed critical evaluation of the various motivational theory and many empirical research done recently is been carried out by the author, so that a proper understanding of steps which are necessary to launch a proper motivational program for the employees is fulfilled. 2.1 MOTIVATION CONCEPT Its very difficult to give an exact definition of motivation because it varies from individual to individual and culture to culture. The word motivation derives from the Latin verb movere and means to move (Pintrich Shunk, 2002, p.5. cited in Lins (2005).According to Pintrich schunk, the motivation refers to the process whereby goal-directed activity is instigated and sustained (2002.p.5).The term motivation is like a force which moves arouse and direct people. Work motivation therefore refers to a personal desire to work hard and work well to the arousal, direction, and persistence of effort in work settings (Rainey, 2009, p.248.cites in Vellnagel, 2012).Motivation can be referred to as the willingness to exert maximum level of efforts toward organizational goals, conditioned by the efforts ability to satisfy some individual need (Robbins, 1993, cites in Jang, 2008, p.17). Motivation is defined as the direction and persistence of actions (Mullins, 1992 cites in Jang, 2008, p.17).Mullins also states that the motivation is the driving force which drives an individual towards certain goals and expectation. Now the term motivation is explained by various people in the past like Abraham Maslows in his motivation hierarchy, Hertzbergs concept of intrinsic and extrinsic motivating factors. Maslow (1943) explains in his theory that every human being has five needs which are in hierarchy. Hertzberg (1966) critically analyses in his motivation hygiene theory that there are two factors affecting the individuals satisfaction or dissatisfaction with work. Employee motivation research is done by many people to name few of them are Charles and Marshall (1992) and Simon and Enz (1995) but kovachs instrument is the most comprehensively used for all the employee motivation studies. According to Kovach there are ten factors affecting motivation of the employees when he c onducted a study consisting of ten industrial workers in United States, which are as follows: Good wages. Tactful obedience. Job security. Appreciation and praise for work done. Feeling of being involved. Sympathetic help with personal problems and opportunities for growth and advancement. Good working conditions. Personal loyalty to employee. Interesting work. (Kovach.1980, 1987) Kovach in his long study between 1946 and 1986, found a very slow changes of industrial workers wants and needs. For example, higher ranked appreciation and praise was replaced by interesting work. Also it was seen that good wages was always ranked 5th among the ten factors which shows that good wages may not be the most important factor what the employees are seeking when it comes to job. The following changes were based upon the general improvement of Americans standards of living and quality of life. Thereafter Charles and Marshall(1992) simulated Kovachs study among 255 employees of seven Caribbean hotels and the study showed very different results compare to what Kovachs result was. The result showed that the two most important factors of job motivation were good wages and good working conditions. These findings were supported by Simon and Enz (1995), who conducted a survey among 278 hotel employees in different hotels located in United States and Canada. Simon and Enz study showed that good wages, job security and growth were the three most highly ranked factors for job motivation among hospitality employees. These studies can be related to Maslows hierarchical theory of motivation where it is critically analysed that the human behaviour is affected by five needs system in which the most primitive or the basic one is at the bottom of the pyramid and accordingly promotes itself to the most mature one .The five needs of the human being in the Maslows pyramid are as follows Being needs Deficit needs (Created by author Adapted from Maslow 1954) 2.2 EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION The definition of employee satisfaction can be either an overall feeling about the job, or as a linked set of approaches about various aspects of the job (Spector, 1997). Locke (1976) defined employee satisfaction as a satisfying or optimistic emotional state resulting from the appraisal of ones job or job experience. Levy -Garboua and Mont Marquette (2004) defined employee satisfaction as a guide of preference for the experienced job against outside opportunities qualified on information available at time. A comparison is made in the given definition between the real job experience in the past and the mental experience of outside opportunities available. It also contains the comparison between future expectations of own job and outside opportunities in the future(Levy-Garboua et al.,2007).Employee satisfaction is an important variable which gives a general preview of the employees attitude towards their job and workplace. Hence employee satisfaction is the expectations of an employe e about workplace and attitude towards his job. As a result, job satisfaction is a function of the extent to which ones needs are satisfied in a job (Togia et al., 2004).Considering the different definition of employee satisfaction author argues that expectation can vary from employee to employee from monetary gains to career advancement. Depending upon the needs of the employees, organisations carry out the motivational training program. In this modern time various hospitality industry are concentrating more on HRM i.e. Human Resource Management. Different HRM policies consist of various techniques. In one of the similar research carried out in UK comprising of four organisations showed the link between employees perception of these high commitment performance management practices by HRM and their commitment towards an organisation. The research carried out in UK consisted of 524 questionnaire responses collected from four organisations. The findings in the research clearly posit t hat there is a strong relationship between employee perception on HRM practices and their commitment towards the organisation. The performance of the employee is elevated when there is a trust on HRM policies and employee pursue it as fair (Farndale et al., 2011p.16).HCPM (high commitment performance management) practices achieve their goal of higher commitment provided the practices followed are perceived to be fair by the employees which in turn benefits the overall performance of the organisations (Dirk And Ferrin, 2001 cites in Farndale et al., 2011 p.16). HCWPs should therefore include performance management elements which allow employee engagement (Gardner et al., 2001 cites in Farndale et al., 2011 p.16) and prospects for development, but it also needs to be made on procedures and interactions that are considered fair by employees. Now, the author would like to add that since employees make most important aspect of any organisation, so definitely all the HRM practices put for ward should be benefiting the employees rather than just profitability of the organisation. Having said that, HRM practices should also be pragmatic enough to avoid overdoing of any procedures or practices. The core Motivational idea related with HRM performance research is simple and intuitive. If the people enjoy the work they are given and they do the work with full of their abilities and work harder, they will be motivated to perform at a higher level when given the opportunity to do challenging and enjoyable work. Employees want challenge and personal growth (Walton, 1972.p.71 cites in White and Bryson, 2011.p.4). McDuffie (1995, p.201 cites in White and Bryson, 2011.p.4) argues that employees will only offer discretionary effort if they believe, among other things, that the company will make reciprocal investment in their well-being. Furthermore, another author Appelbaum et al.(2000.p.46 cites in White and Bryson,2011.p.2) posits Jobs that are challenging and make use of worke rs skills are intrinsically rewarding. As HRM is designed to provide jobs that are more satisfying and involving for employees it is natural to assume linear increments in motivation as with Appelbaum et al. (2000.p.46).But authors like Becker and Huselid (2006) and McDuffie (1995) put forward views which are contradictory and they said at after certain level of threshold point the motivation of employees follows a non-linear effects. A contrary view adopted by Marxian labour process theorists is that HRM implies labour escalation and that can have negative incremental effects (eg.Ramsay et al.2000 cites in White and Bryson, 2011.p.3).Finally there is the non-linear model of Godard (2001) where HRM initially has positive effects but at later stages turns negative at high levels of implementation due to work strain. Here author argues that although HRM practices are very much necessary for any organisation and in order to reap profitable results it should strongly signal employees. H RM practices should not be confined to only on specific opportunities for employee participation and personal development but also whether the HRM practices helps in total transformative development that conjures employee identification. 2.3 FACTORS AFFECTING EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION As we saw in research done by Kovach, Charles and Marshall, Simon and Enz that there are many factors which affect employee motivation and satisfaction. These factors keep on changing depending upon the needs of the employees at different time. As Maslow in his famous theory said that the human needs are divided into five basic needs. Then Herzberg came up with dual factor theory stating that man has two sets of needs one of an animal to avoid pain and another of a human to grow psychologically. During all these after much empirical research it has been found that there are many factors which affect employee motivation. In order to measure job satisfaction and motivation of an employee, its very important to measure different facets of the job which is generating employee motivation. Now, Facets of job satisfaction can involve any aspect of the job such as pay, colleagues, supervisors, organisational factors and work conditions (Coomber and Barriball, 2007 cites in Akman et al., 2011 p.677). Pearson (1991 cites in Akman et al., suggests that the employees wait for their job to provide a combination of features (e.g. pay, promotion and autonomy) for which the employee has certain favourable values. Furthermore, while discussing the factors Luthans (1992 cites in Akman, 2011.p.677) posits five factors which affects the employee motivation. These factors are pay, job characteristics, working conditions, management politics and working colleagues. While pay was considered as external factor by Luthans (1992) other factors like job characteristics have been defined as internal factors (Rose, 2003 cites in Akman, 2011.p.677). Mcafee et al., (1995 cites in Akman 2011.p.677) investigated effects of discretion, result feedback and process feedback on employee job motivation. It was found that only discretion and result outcome doesnt affect employee job motivation but it is very necessary to give them process outcome also. Drummond and Stoddard (1991 cites in Akman 2011 .p.678) add to the discussion that employee satisfaction contains an evaluation of various features of the job. These characteristics are working conditions, pay, and relationships with colleagues and supervisor, organisational policies and nature of the work itself. When talking about characteristics of job like working hours, It has been proven in the research that employees who get flexible working hours are more happier and content and they give back more to the organisation. Berg et al., and Dockery (2004,2005 respectively cites in Atkinson and Hall,2011.p.101) posits that flexible working hours helps to promote active states such as being pleased and cheerful because they feel that they are treated well. It also helps to generate passive state which reflects in feelings like contentment and calm, since there is reduction of work-life stress and this all was possible because of flexible hours provided to the employees. Furthermore author adds to the discussion that if the employees are happy, it shows in the overall productivity of an organisation. Basically it is a two way effect if the employee feels that they are taken care of by the organ isation, employees tend to reciprocate this gesture by generating revenue or profit. Management has to create trust among the employees which is another factor that is important for employee motivation. Various people investigated about employee motivation and job satisfaction and among one of them were Kazemzadeh and Bashiri (2005 cited in Akman et al., 2011.p.678) who identified ten main groups which are as follows: Management and personnel relationship. Relation between employees. Employees job satisfaction. Education. Wage and salary. Other welfare facilities. Employees commitment. Job promotion. Performance. Organisations systems and processes. Another author named Bodur (2002 cites in Akman et al., 2011.p.678) suggested that work content, age, gender, educational level, working conditions, location (rural or urban), co-workers, salary and working hours are some of the factors related to job motivation and satisfaction.Kuo et al.,(2010) cites in Akman et al., (2011,p.678) that both job characteristics and employee empowerment are important factor in order to maintain high employee commitment and loyalty towards the organisation. Taking the research even further Jun et al., (2006) investigated direct and indirect relationships among top management commitment, HR-focused TQM practices, and employee satisfaction and employee loyalty. They found a strong relationship between TQM practices and job satisfaction loyalty. Author would like to add further that factors affecting employee motivation can differ from employee to employee depending upon their needs and desires. For e.g. one employee is looking for monetary gains then mon ey will be motivating factor for him and if another employee who is looking for career advancement then promotion and rewards, recognition will be motivating factor for him. 2.4 RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION AND LOYALTY TOWARDS ORGANISATION Loyalty is an emotional state it signifies the relationship of an employee with the organisation for which they work and that has implications for their decision to remain with the organisation (Allen and Grisaffe, 2001 cites in Akman et al., 2011.p.682).According to another definition loyalty means as attachment to the organisation specially when one is having strong believes in organisational goals and values and has a strong desire to maintain membership of the organisation. Furthermore Becker et al., (1995) defined loyalty in Akman et al., (2011.p.682) as a strong desire to be a part of the organisation and put high levels of effort for the sake of an organisation and definite belief in the goals and values of the organisation. Thus, loyalty is strong belief in goals and values and a desire to be a part of the organisation. Chen (2006) cites in Akman et al., 2011.p.682) that while job motivation represents an effective response to specific features of the job with proper attitude, employee loyalty is in effective response to the whole organisation. Furthermore, empirical evidence suggests that employee motivation and satisfaction are precursor to organisational loyalty of employees. This suggests that organisational loyalty of employees develop from job satisfaction and motivation and which nullifies the effects of staff turnover. Also, author will like to add to the discussion that loyal employees help in organisations growth as they believe in goals and values of the organisation. This also reduces the staff turnover issue leading to high profitability by saving money on recruitment and training of staff. 2.5 LINKAGE BETWEEN EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION AND ORGANISATIONAL PERFORMANCE For any organisation its employees are the major assets to look for. Employees are the people who help the organisation grow in terms of profitability and revenue. In order to keep the employees motivated HR has a major part to play. One of the first empirical studies carried out to show the linkage between Employee motivation by HR and organisational performance was done by Arthur (1994). Arthur in his study posits that the explicit sets of HR policies, practices and systems that were designed to enhance the employee commitment (e.g. empowerment, due process, high wages and benefits, etc.) was linked to three proficiency measures of firm performance (i.e. productivity, labour efficiency and staff turnover).A similar study was carried out by Huselid (1995) a year later which showed a similar sets of 13 of HR practices known as high performance work system, was related to both efficiency (i.e. employee turnover) and financial measures (i.e. sales, profit, and market value) of firm per formance. There were many studies which were carried out after that which highlighted the important relationship between employee motivation by HR and firms performance. Furthermore author adds to the discussion that although initially efforts broadened the understanding of about this important relationship, a number of scholars challenged the authenticity of the research. One of the most commonly voiced concerns was that most of the research till date used cross sectional research design (Gerhart et al., 2000 cites in Tracey, 2012. p.910). But research has proved that the relationship between employee motivation and firms performance cant be denied. As one the studies carried out by White and Bryson (2011) posits that if the employees believe in the HR policies and practices they feel motivated and it reflects in their work which leads to higher productivity. 2.6 DIFFERENT MOTIVATIONAL THEORIES USED IN HOSPITALITY SECTOR There are several motivational theories which are used in hospitality sector to improve the employee motivation. Author has briefly evaluated few of them in the below tree diagram. (Created by author adapted from Vellnagel 2012) Furthermore, the difference between the content theory and the process theory is that content theories focuses on factors which leads the individual feel motivated within inside whereas process theories concentrates on the dynamics of motivation and how it takes place. Content theory consists of: Maslows needs of hierarchy theory. Hertzbergs two factor theory. Achievement motivation theory. ERG theory. Process theory consists of: Vrooms Expectancy theory. Goal setting theory. Adams Equity theory. Porters Performance Satisfaction Model. As the concept of motivation is very broad and since it would go beyond his scope of work author has liked to discuss and analyse only selected theories of motivation in the research. 2.6.1 CONTENT THEORIES The content theories supposed that all the individuals have same sets of needs (Fincham, Rhodes: 2005 cited in Vellnagel 2012).They gave importance to the reasons for motivated behaviour (Tosi, Mero, Rizzo: 2000, p.129) of individuals. The most famous of all the content theories are Maslows hierarchy of needs(1943),Hertzberg two factor theory(1959),the job characteristics approach(Hackman,Oldham:1980) and McClellands achievement power theory(1961). 1. Maslows Hierarchy of needs theory The most simple and well known motivational theory was put forth by Humanistically oriented psychologist Abraham Maslow (Arnold et al, 2005.cited in Vellnagel 2012).In 1943 Maslow put proposed a theory of humans function namely according to the sequential hierarchical order of the development of five basic needs (Latham, 2007. cited in Vellnagel 2012).According to Maslow if any of these needs are fulfilled then the individual goes on to fulfil the other needs. If the all the needs are satisfied then the level of motivation goes down. 2. Hertzbergs two factor theory In 1959, Hertzberg proposed a theory on his findings that the man has two set of needs, one of an animal to avoid pain and the other of a human to grow psychologically. These findings led him to put forth a dual theory of motivation which is being used for management training and work motivation program worldwide. This theory critically analyses the factors which makes the employee feel happy at work and leads to job motivation and these factors were called motivators for obvious reason. These motivators are intrinsic factors which are directly affecting the inner feelings and self-esteem of the employees (e.g. Career advancement, achievement, work itself, responsibility, job growth).On the other hand factors which lead to job dissatisfaction are extrinsic factors and are related to external working conditions, relationship with colleagues and supervisors, wages, personal life and these are called hygiene factors. (House, R.Wigdor, L.2006) 2.6.2 PROCESS THEORIES The process theory aims at the identification of relationships among dynamic variables which make up motivation (Mullins, 2001.p.237).They look at mental processes which cause the motivation in an individual. The process theory is all about how behaviour is being created. There are various classical process theory like Adams Equity theory (1963), Expectancy theory by Vroom (1964), Lathams and Lockes goal setting theory (1984). 1. Adams equity theory An American behavioural psychologist named John Stacey Adams, proposed the Equity Theory in 1963 which is possibly the most readily understandable psychological process(Riley,2000.p.26 cited in Vellnagel,2012).Equity theory aims at an individual feelings of how fairly he has been treated in comparison to others. According to this theory people develop a belief of what is fair reward for ones job contribution that is an exchange. Most exchanges involve a number of inputs and outcomes. People compare the exchanges with their employer to exchanges with other insiders and outsiders. If an employee then believes that he is unfairly treated then he will seek justice. 2. Vroom expectancy theory A sophisticated theory of motivation was put forth by Victor Vroom in 1964 and it focuses on the concept of expectancy (Van der Wagen, Davies.1998, p.31 cited in Vellnagel.2012).Instead of aiming on the factors of work which maintain and energize behaviour (Latham, 2007.p.44 cited in Vellnagel, 2012).The theory was inspired on thoughts that a individuals activity leads to a certain behaviour and then this behaviour leads to a certain result. Vrooms theory consist of three variables which are expectancy(E),instrumentality(I) and valence(V) due to which it is also called as the valence-instrumentality-expectancy theory. Both expectancy and instrumentality are possibilities or probabilities. It is about what the individuals estimates to be the likelihood of good performance leading to valued rewards, and of effort leading to good performance. The product of the three variables equals the force (F) of an individuals motivation to perform. Therefore F=E*I*V FINDINGS In order to find the research study satisfactory an overall practical approach of all the four motivational theories should be considered. Maslows theory was one of the basic motivational theories but it was also one of the most criticised theories. The reason was because it was vague and didnt predict behaviour; also it was based upon the socio-philosophical approach reflecting only middle class of white Americans from mid twentieth century (Buchanan,H,2010.p.269).It should also be noted that even though Maslows theory was criticised but this theory has huge influence on todays management practice. The two factors theory put forth by Hertzberg was another motivational theory which was not spared from criticism. Its believed that there might be a gap between what people think motivates them and what actually motivates them. People could relate their success to their personal efforts and blame people or the organization for the failure. However, the two factors theory describes the employees needs and also the rise in motivational level after the redesigned job (Fincham, R.2005.p.200). The two process theory are good but not good enough. The best Adams equity theory is best when comparing salaries. As it is well known fact that money can be measured but education. Knowledge, training and effort are not measurable. Same can be said about the Vrooms theory of expectancy, after a critical analysis its been found that Vroom theory is a nice mathematical approach but when it comes to identifying and quantifying the expectancy of a certain motivation to a task, it is becomes very complicated and also the practical approach is very low (Fincham,R.2005.p.209 et seq.) 3. METHODOLOGY 3.1 Introduction This part of the research concentrates on the methods that need to be adopted in order to conduct the research. Research can be defined as the systematic approach of seeking solutions towards a problem. Research comprises of investigation, recording and analysis of evidence for the sole purpose of gaining knowledge. Every research has this issue of choosing the most appropriate method so that the objectives

Critique of Thank You for Smoking? Essay -- Critiques

Critique of â€Å"Thank You for Smoking†¦?† â€Å"Thank You for Smoking†¦?† is an article written by Peter Brimelow about the benefits of smoking. Brimelow provides some very clear points which are well addressed. Even though I do not agree with the subject that â€Å"smoking, in a way, is good for you,† (141) I think Peter Brimelow did a thorough job of making his opinions credible to the reader. Major Claim and Grounds This essay is a good example of a deductive essay because it moves from generalizations to specific instances (McFadden, 2003). It does this by stating the major claim that smoking, in some small ways, can be good for people. The major claim is a statement of fact, judgment, or policy (McFadden, 2003). It is what the author is trying to make the reader think. In the article, â€Å"Thank You for Smoking,† Brimelow attempts to prove that smoking may help the body counteract the effects of numerous diseases, including Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s. This list of examples of diseases is known as the grounds. The grounds in a paper consist of evidence, facts, and logic used to support the claim (McFadden, 2003). The major claim is well supported by the grounds and makes Brimelow’s arguments sound believable. Brimelow’s evidence shows smoking may be beneficial through the use of percentages. These percentages show the amount of people who are helped with common diseases by smoking. The use of these grounds gives Brimelow’s arguments credibility through factual information. Rebuttal and Qualifier Brimelow does a complete job of keeping the reader interested by refuting his own statements. He quotes the Surgeon General’s warning that smoking is dangerous to a person’s health (p. 141). The preceding sentence is ... ...phs (143). By attacking a person or group, Brimelow is swaying from the issue and drawing the reader away from what they should be thinking about which is smoking, not lawyers. In this article, attack was not successful. This is the only part of the article where Brimelow lost credibility because he swayed from his issue. Conclusion The conclusion to Brimelow’s article is smoking does have benefits. His article has not swayed me to go buy a pack of Camels, but it has opened my eyes to the fact that there could be some benefits to smoking. Overall, Brimelow’s claims and evidence were strong and I gained more insight on the topic of smoking. References McFadden, J. (2003). Title of PPT. Buena Vista University. Storm Lake, IA. Wallace, V. (1998). Give Children the Vote. The Genre of Argument. Ed. Irene L. Clark. Boston: Thomson/Heinle. Pages.

Oprah :: essays research papers fc

Oprah Winfrey's Biography Through the power of media, Oprah Winfrey has created an unparalleled connection with people around the world. As supervising producer and host of the top-rated, award-winning The Oprah Winfrey Show, she has entertained, enlightened and uplifted millions of viewers for the past two decades. Her accomplishments as a television pioneer, producer, publisher, educator and philanthropist have established her as one of the most respected and admired public figures today. Television Pioneer Magazine Founder & Editorial Director Producer/Actress Online Leader Philanthropist Television Programming Creator Cable Network Co-Founder Honorary Achievements TELEVISION PIONEER Oprah began her broadcasting career at WVOL radio in Nashville while still in high school. At the age of 19, she became the youngest person and the first African-American woman to anchor the news at Nashville's WTVF-TV. She then relocated to Baltimore's WJZ-TV to co-anchor the Six O'Clock News and later went on to become co-host of its local talk show, People Are Talking. In 1984, Oprah moved to Chicago to host WLS-TV's morning talk show, AM Chicago, which became the number one local talk show—surpassing ratings for Donahue—just one month after she began. In less than a year, the show expanded to one hour and was renamed The Oprah Winfrey Show. It entered national syndication in 1986, becoming the highest-rated talk show in television history. In 1988, she established Harpo Studios, a production facility in Chicago, making her the third woman in the American entertainment industry (after Mary Pickford and Lucille Ball) to own her own studio. The Oprah Winfrey Show has remained the number one talk show for 18 consecutive seasons*. Produced by her own production company, Harpo Productions, Inc., the show is seen by an estimated 30 million viewers a week in the United States** and is broadcast internationally in 111 countries. back to top MAGAZINE FOUNDER AND EDITORIAL DIRECTOR In April 2000, Oprah and Hearst Magazines introduced O, The Oprah Magazine, a monthly magazine that has become one of today's leading women's lifestyle publications. It is credited as being the most successful magazine launch in recent history and currently has a circulation of 2.7 million readers each month. In April 2002, Oprah launched the first international edition of O, The Oprah Magazine in South Africa, extending her live your best life message to another broad audience. In 2004, O at Home, a newsstand-only quarterly shelter magazine designed to help readers create a home that reflects their personal style, made its debut.

The Insanity Plea By Winslad And Ross: Summary Essay -- essays researc

The Insanity Plea by Winslad and Ross: Summary The Insanity Plea is a book about the Uses & Abuses of the Insanity Defense in various cases. The book is by William J. Winslade and Judith Wilson Ross. In this report, I will basically summarize the book and tell you different ways people have used and abused the Criminal Justice System using The Insanity Plea. I will first talk about the case of Dan White. On November 18, 1978, Preliminary reports began broadcasting news of the events in a town called Jonestown, at first all that was known, was that people of a religious cult shot and may have even killed California Congressman Leo Ryan. Then on November 27, 9 days after the news of the death of Congressman Ryan another 2 deaths happened. George Moscone, the mayor of San Francisco, and Harvey Milk, a city supervisor and the leader of San Francisco's politically active gay community, had been shot and killed at death in the San Francisco City Hall. The Police then sniffed-out and charged Dan White with the murders of the 3 people. In 2 years the trial ended with the verdict of guilty on the account of manslaughter. He was later sentenced to 7 years and 8 months in a Prison, with a possibility of parole after 5. After the verdict there were Riots breaking out in the streets because of the verdict. Before hand he was elected a Supervisor and resigned because he didn't like the way that Politics worked. The point before, that I may not have mentioned, is that the defense argued that he was insane and that "a person with a normal background who was brought up in a good home, something is obviously missing." Since he was being charged on 3 accounts of Murder in the 1st, they somewhat bought the insane defense so they lowered his charges to 1 account of voluntary manslaughter, where he received 7 years and 8 months with a possibility of parole after 5 years. In the summer of 1978, Lyman Bostock seemed to have it made very good. He was one of the 3 highest paid players EVER in the American League and he was highly regarded by fans and sportscasters alike. Then one errie, summer night at 10:30 Lyman Bostock was gunned down at Fifth and Jackson in downtown Gary, Illinois while he was riding in the back seat of his uncle's Buick with a twelve gauge shot gun, that was fired by a Mr Leonard Smith. Leonard Smith was a 33 year... ...he Cyprus Houses. He searched the house and found nothing. He undid the leather to allow easy access to his gun as he came out of the building. A group of black teenagers, including Randy approached the building and shouted out to Torsney and asked if his apartment had been searched. Torsney immediately pulled his gun and shot him in the head. Torsney was found with 5 years in a Loony Bin with help from other people. The book itself only gave the plain hard facts on the case and the author did not say anything about his oppinion on any case so I will expand my oppinion. I think that the Insanity Plea is often mis-used, ordianary people just like you and me get of with only 4 years in a mental home for killing people. Also the people who actually ARE insane sometimes get ruled down and are put in jail, where they commit even more crimes. So as you can see, sometimes the Insanity plea was put to good use and some bad, well I guess that is just an opinion. There were more cases left in the book but those were the most important ones in the book, if I took the time to do all of them, This report would be 20 pages long. I thank you for reading it, adios.

Major Factors for a Successful Exhibition Essay

Exhibitors expect to meet visitors so they can do business with. Organizers need visitors to visit their exhibitions’ so they can encourage exhibitors to join their exhibitions, therefore making positive financial returns. On the 28-31 October this year, the HKTDC will organize an international furniture fair at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition centre. The most successful companies in this exhibition will be the ones that take advantage of the knowledge the event organizers have to offer, and then successfully communicate that knowledge to the project team that will design all the elements that will be present within the display booth. Other factors for a successful exhibition in the eyes of the exhibitor include but not limited to the following †¢Establish meaningfully goals, and come up with a strong and reliable strategy that will achieve your goals. †¢Put into practice powerful and unforgettable marketing initiatives before, during, and after the exhibition. Choose the best type of exhibit display booth that meets your goals and promotional needs as well as your budgetary requirements. †¢Effectively make use of display accessories, banners, graphics, lighting, booth design, and materials to heighten visibility and drive sales. †¢Hand out Promotional products that complement your company image. †¢Ensure those working the show are well trained to fully represent your company, generate leads, and secure sales. Through the eyes of the organizer the key factors of a successful exhibition is when all the exhibition goals have been achieved or completed. Some of those goals I have listed below †¢Pre-promotional strategy as meet it objectives by providing enough interest in the exhibition †¢All the allocated floor space as been taken up by exhibitors †¢Visitors count by surpassed the expected amount †¢Feedback from exhibitors is good and bookings are taken for the following year †¢Nothing unexpected happens †¢When organizers receive recognition for their exhibition A well organized event will enhance awareness, help to capture new business leads and advance customer relationships