Work Place Culture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Work Place Culture - Essay Example In conclusion, Nigeria, China and Brazil have different cultural practices that are shaped by their living environments. For instance, the Chinese culture of social networks is shaped by their living behavior whereby they value friendship and family values. On this note, the identified opportunities and challenges in the cultural practice of workers in these countries conform with that of the company. Based on these facts, in order to be successful in investing in countries such as Nigeria, China, as well as Brazil, there is a need for the organization to form a task force that will investigate deeply these cultural values, and thereafter find a solution on how to integrate these cultural values, so that they may conform with the work culture of the organization. It is important to provide an explanation that the management should not thrive to change these culture because it would fail. This is because most people are always resistant to change. A good example of a business initiati ve that failed because of failure to integrate different cultures into an organization is the merger between Daimler and Chrysler. In this merger, Daimler, a German company acquired Chrysler an American company. To prevent this scenario from happening, there is a need of the company to try and change its organizational culture, to reflect the working cultures of the country it is investing in, and without compromising the core values of the company, which includes hard work, and production of high-quality services.

To be themselves Essay Example for Free

To be themselves Essay In society today, most people can be themselves. Most do not feel the need to hide who they truly are anymore while some still can only â€Å"half express [themselves]† because they are embarrassed of the â€Å"idea which each of [them] represents† (186). I feel as if there is still too little emphasis on self-reliance and individualism in America today, because some are still ashamed of themselves and rely on others too much. As the years pass, fewer people discriminate, but there are still many that still do, causing others to â€Å"half express [themselves]† (186). Gays and lesbians are afraid to come out of the closet because they were told that it wasn’t right to be anything but straight. Society made them feel ashamed of themselves. They might give off hints and their friends might be able to tell, but they would never actually come out. If individualism was stressed more, gays or lesbians would no longer need to hide who they truly are. Even worse, proposition 8 restricts the definition of marriage to opposite-sex couples only. They would be accepted, but as of now, they are not because there is not enough emphasis on individualism. â€Å"No kernel of nourishing corn† will just appear out of thin air; only â€Å"through [their] toil bestowed† will something of that sort happen (185). People can’t expect to receive something when they didn’t work for it. For example, homeless people depend on other people’s sympathy and donations to survive. Rather than getting off their butts and finding a job, they sit around waiting for help to come to them. If self-reliance was strained some more, maybe we’d have less homeless people standing in corners begging for money in the world. They’d be out looking for jobs, but in the meantime, there are homeless shelters and soup kitchens to help them, until they can get back on their feet because there is not enough emphasis on self-reliance. If Emerson were still alive today, he would be disappointed, but he would feel as if he got most of his message through. Even though some are still a little uncomfortable with whom they are and too dependent on others, most people aren’t afraid to show off their individuality or depend on themselves. In society today, there is not enough emphasis on self-reliance and individualism because people still depend on others for help and are afraid to show their true colors. If life was based on Emerson’s ideas, the world would be full of hardworking citizens and discrimination would not exist.

Use Of Symbolism In The Catcher In The Rye and The Great Gatsby Essay

Use Of Symbolism In â€Å"The Catcher In The Rye† and â€Å"The Great Gatsby† There are many writers like James Joyce, Patrick Kananach and Thomas Moore who use symbolism to convey and support indirect meaning in their writings. J.D. Salinger and F. Scott Fitzgerald both use symbolism in similar ways. In both â€Å"The Catcher In The Rye† and â€Å"The Great Gatsby†, the authors used symbolism to convey emotions and reality.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In â€Å"The Catcher In The Rye†, J.D. Salinger uses Holden’s red hunting cap, the exhibits at the Museum of Natural History and â€Å"kings in the back row† as symbols whose meanings help tell the story. Holden’s red hunting hat stands for Holden’s disapproval of adult society and phonies. Although, Holden and his hat are out of place in New York, he loves this hat because it demonstrates his difference and independence from other kids his age. He becomes more and more attached to his hat because he feels like a catcher in the rye when he wears the hat. Holden cannot let go of his hat, like he cannot let go of his childhood. The Museum of Natural History is used to signify Holden’s fear of change. Holden enjoys looking at the mummies and the exhibits at the museum because they never change and are frozen in time. Holden realizes that he changes every time he goes back and sees the exhibits, but the exhibits do not change. He wishes that his childhood world would last forever like his exhibits. Salinger also uses the setting of New York City as a symbol. Although H...

The Media and the Uneducated Masses Essay -- Media Argumentative Persu

The Media and the Uneducated Masses In the United States or any country with favorable or democratic government, freedom of the media is essential. However, many analysts believe that freedom granted to the media gives it power that may be used abusively, power to influence the public. These critics are against a sort of, "Lesse-fairre" attitude of the government towards the media. At the other end of the table however, some feel that freedom given to the media may go unchecked, for it is the people that influence the media and control that power. Perhaps the truth lies somewhere in between... James Hallow attempts to approach this issue in his work "Why Americans Hate the Media". In this text Hallows examines the evolution of the media and its relationship to the public it caters to. In the thirties, media mimicked sleepytime Sunday morning political debates that one would watch on the public access channel. They, in many ways were considered "boring." Networks were growing more interested in attracting their audiences. As the years advanced and technology followed, media began taking different approaches to arouse the public. Conflicts on television where seen as a more interesting and productive approach to increasing ratings. After a while, interviewers would attempt to provoke debate, mud throwing and even emotion out of it's political guests. Politicians who be allowed air-time to address questions presented by viewers and interviewers. One major complaint however, was that the media was more interested in evoking a resp... ...nterpretations of data. You may receive the news, but how you receive it may decide how you interpret it. But perhaps it may actually be a symbiotic relationship between the two entities. It may be that the media manipulates the masses and the masses manipulate the media. It is true that the media could enhance how the public may feel towards a public figure or towards a recorded event. Television could make a person a hero or villian at the whim of the presentor through the use of rhetoric or just the data that was selectively presented to the intended audience. But people's slightest reactions in turn can affect the media's presentation on the issue. After all it is a harsh group of critics that one is trying to appeal to, therefore it is really a delicate ever-changing balance between the desires of people and their hosts.

Military Accountability

What is Accountability in the Army: the obligation imposed by law or lawful order or regulation on an officer or other person for keeping accurate records of property, documents, or funds. Accountability is concerned primarily with records. why is accountability important in the army? accountability is a very important part of an enlisted and a NCO's job. the enlisted soldier is responsible for all items issued to him or her weather it be a weapon,NVG's clothers,a vehicle, or TA-50. The NCO's responsiblity is to make sure that the soldier is accountable for the items and has eyes on these items when needed, so that he or she can report it to his or her, highercommand. accountability also includes the most important asset the army has spent millions to teain and equip. the soldier him or herself. anything can and will happen especially in combat, that why the team leader or squad leader and up the chain should know where the soldier and his equipment is at all times. The army spends a lot of money on equipment and belongings for the soldiers, so the army expects to know where its equipment is. no matter what someone is always responsible for equipments in the army. it goes to the highest officer to the lowest enlisted personal in the chain of command and back up again. Accountability is being dependable-arriving to work and appointments on time, meeting deadlines,being in the right place at the right time, doing the right thing at all times. Morning formation is the most important formation of the day. It is made to get accountability of everyone and put out any information that needs to be dealt with. Without having accountability there is no knowledge of where everybody is or what's going on. Accountability is extreamly important at this point of time, everyone is off doing other missions while the rest of us are still with the main group. With the holidays comimg up the importance of accountability will heighten even more.

Lit Review - Gay Studies essays

Lit Review - Gay Studies essays The social phenomenon that is of paramount interest to me is the sociological process that young homosexual men and women go through known as "Coming Out." This is of interest to me, because of my personal experiences coming out, and of a personal desire to understand the struggles of homosexuals, especially young homosexuals on both a theoretical and individual basis. Historical and Geographic Review of The Closet and Coming Out To provide a proper examination of the process coming out of the closet homosexuality must be examined throughout the history of America and Europe. Homosexuality has been noted since the Greeks. (Plato ) During much of the history of Europe after the Greek's dominance, homosexuality was considered a deviant behavior, and records of it are sporadic and unreliable. What is important is that during the dominance of the Catholic Church up until the 1880's the roots of homophobia were predicated on biblical interpretation. During this time the science embraced the ideology of progress and perfectibility. A discipline known as alienism, which applied a medical model to human behavior, interpreted homosexuality in terms of a sickness versus a theological root as sin or evil. These alienismists suffered from the Darwinian ideas that promoted "natural" as a part of "natural selection." They also considered if environmental conditions. These American scientists looked at and rejected the work of Magnus Hirschfeld and the Scientific Humanitarian Committee that called for the "normalization" and 'emancipation' of homosexuals, instead they participated in the stigmatization and marginilzation of the American Homosexual. American scientists tended to discuss the isolation of homosexuals via castration, sterilization, and confinement. The isolation and marginlization of homosexuals was symptomatic of the desire to increase social control, and reduce social evils through interventionist method ...

Free Essays on Multi Cultural Ed

Getting Rid of the Stereotypes, and Teaching in a Multicultural Perspective It is rare that any two-classroom teachers will have the same definition for multicultural education. â€Å"The basic goal of multicultural education is to help all children understand and appreciate events and people from various points of view† (Welton, 113). Teaching with a multicultural perspective encourages appreciation and understanding of other cultures as well as one’s own. Rey Gomez states that teaching with this perspective promotes the child’s sense of the uniqueness of his own culture as a positive characteristic and enables the child to accept the uniqueness of the cultures of others. Children’s attitudes toward their race and ethnic group and other cultural groups begin to form early in the preschool years. Children are easily influenced by the cultural, opinions, and attitudes of their caregivers. Caregiver’s perceptions of ethnic and racial groups can affect the child’s attitudes toward those minority groups. â€Å"Early c hildhood educators can influence the development of positive attitudes in young children by learning about and promoting the various cultures represented among the children they teach† (Gomez, 1). Gomez also states young children can develop stereotypic viewpoints of cultures different from their own when similarities among all individuals are not emphasized. Teachers can help eliminate stereotypes by presenting material and activities that enable children to learn the similarities of all individuals. Early childhood teachers and parents of young children should become aware of the myths and assumptions associated with multicultural education so that they develop appropriate goals and methods. Listed below are some of the assumptions of multicultural education created by Paul Gorski and Bob Covert: 1. it is increasingly important for political, social, educational, and economic reasons to recognize the US is a cu... Free Essays on Multi Cultural Ed Free Essays on Multi Cultural Ed Getting Rid of the Stereotypes, and Teaching in a Multicultural Perspective It is rare that any two-classroom teachers will have the same definition for multicultural education. â€Å"The basic goal of multicultural education is to help all children understand and appreciate events and people from various points of view† (Welton, 113). Teaching with a multicultural perspective encourages appreciation and understanding of other cultures as well as one’s own. Rey Gomez states that teaching with this perspective promotes the child’s sense of the uniqueness of his own culture as a positive characteristic and enables the child to accept the uniqueness of the cultures of others. Children’s attitudes toward their race and ethnic group and other cultural groups begin to form early in the preschool years. Children are easily influenced by the cultural, opinions, and attitudes of their caregivers. Caregiver’s perceptions of ethnic and racial groups can affect the child’s attitudes toward those minority groups. â€Å"Early c hildhood educators can influence the development of positive attitudes in young children by learning about and promoting the various cultures represented among the children they teach† (Gomez, 1). Gomez also states young children can develop stereotypic viewpoints of cultures different from their own when similarities among all individuals are not emphasized. Teachers can help eliminate stereotypes by presenting material and activities that enable children to learn the similarities of all individuals. Early childhood teachers and parents of young children should become aware of the myths and assumptions associated with multicultural education so that they develop appropriate goals and methods. Listed below are some of the assumptions of multicultural education created by Paul Gorski and Bob Covert: 1. it is increasingly important for political, social, educational, and economic reasons to recognize the US is a cu...

Process Essay Topics

Process Essay Topics Selecting a Topic for a Process Analysis Essay Writing a process analysis essay demands consummate skills. It is necessary to use an analytical approach in order to produce a top-notch work. When preparing such a paper, it is very important to present reliable data. The point is that your piece of writing has to be based on accurate facts and not your personal opinion. At the same time, your work should be interesting and capture readers’ attention. That is why you need to pick a superior topic for your essay. Do your best to explore the subject in detail. Below, you will find valuable ideas for doing your academic writing project. Simple Paper Subjects The list given below provides easy topics for preparing works. In order to understand how to write a process analysis essay properly, it is necessary to choose an appropriate subject. However, it can be not as easy as it seems. Consider the following: Describe how to use a search engine. Explain how bad habits are developed. How to take care about pets? Steps to making a cup of coffee. It should be admitted that it is a great topic for those who just start writing process essays. How to choose a delightful book? Basic rules of driving. Explain how to teach a toddler to use a toilet. An efficient way of making an ice-cream. Preventing a fire. How to conduct an interview successfully? Talk about moving from one place to another. Explain how to take care about contact lens. Describe the process of training a dog. The best way to remove stress. Logical steps to knitting a sweater. Fundamental rules of playing chess. Analyze the process of making bread. Choosing a computer. What to pay attention for? How to stop smoking? Explain how to wash silk shirts. Clear direction on training police dogs. How to fly a kite? What is a process analysis essay? Provide detailed instruction on writing it. How to stop suffering from jet lag? Being a great writer. Describe the process of changing a car tire. How to amuse guests. Analyze the procedure of making soap. What is a landscape design? How to look fashionable without spending large sum of money? Making a PowerPoint presentation. Describe the procedure of making superior photos using Photoshop. Key steps to creating origami. How to change motor engine oil? How to use Google Maps? Explain how to find a leading magazine publisher. Describe the way of designing gardens. Where to get creative ideas for producing academic works? Explain how to play a cricket. Complicated Topics Papers written on complex subjects are focused on examining scientific processes. In order to write a work of superior quality, a writer should understand the matter completely. Here are some interesting process essay ideas: What is a Global Positioning System? How to overcome economic difficulties? Making a detailed analysis of handwriting. How to deal with insomnia? The process of minting coins. How does a blender work? Repairing watches. The ways of overcoming addiction. Athletes’ training. By the way, you can always turn to to get useful tips for writing exclusive process analysis essays. Selecting a university. How to build a telescope. Describe environmental-friendly tendencies. Basic rules of packing a parachute. Making wonderful photographs. How to create web design? How to use a CD player? Repairing a small engine. Providing the first aid. Living in the forest with a small amount of water and food. Explain the process of riding a bike. Fascinating Essay Topics It is understandable that subjects differ from each other. Some of them are considered interesting, others – boring. Below, we have created a list of fantastic process essay topics for college. Every student would like to prepare a paper on one of them. How to make a cake? Steps to cutting hair. Washing a parrot. Developing self-confidence. Making chocolate pudding. Getting ready for vacation. Provide clear guidelines to writing a process analysis essay? How to create a Facebook account? You can find the first part of process analysis essay topics.

Uncontrollable randomness in life Research Paper

Uncontrollable randomness in life - Research Paper Example ‘The Birds’ a movie is set in Great Britain where humans are unexpectedly attacked by birds. The government of Great Britain fails to protect its citizens from the attacking birds. This movie depicts a situation where nature has turned against the human race and causes massive deaths (Bishop 135). Humans are unable to control nature which is represented here by the birds. Christopher D. Morris argued that the birds in Hitchcock’s film are more of a contribution to the gothic drama industry they an interpretation of natural phenomenon (Bishop 136). The presence of the birds can be understood as a method Hitchcock uses to bring out his favorite theme: destructive force of the patriarchy (Bishop 145). In the movie, Mitch tries to nail boards across the door but the birds still manage to break these defenses (Bishop 138). Patriarchy in the movie posed a greater threat to Melanie than the birds (Bishop 139) Some things happen in life that are random and beyond the human control. Birds attacking people in the Hitchcock’s movie is an example of such events. However, some critics argue that birds in Hitchcock’s movie should be interpreted as a method to bring out the theme. This paper concludes that Hitchcock used birds to depict uncontrolled situations in life as well as build on gothic

Discussion 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 7

Discussion 3 - Essay Example Our products diversity, coupled with quality customer service has earned GFS a good reputation in the public as one of the major leading food supply agencies. From the high number also of customers GFS believes that its service products have a positive impact upon its customers. GFS has diversified its advertisement methods by enabling online display of the products available. This has given GFS an upper edge in competition with other food and supply agencies. Also its ability to develop of a nutrition research center is a major boost to its service product delivery. Not many agencies in the industry have a research center whereby food are analyzed and tested to ensure they are of a quality standard. GFS also offers food safety training programs to its customers. This helps customers learn on how to maintain a healthy and safe food habits in their kitchens. Hence GFS service products are one of the top in the market. Gordon Food Service can be able to increase in the quality of its services and products if it considers the following measures. 1) Develop an efficient customer help center: this can be an online help center which is ready to response to any customer inquiry or complains; 2) equip its nutrition research facility with latest technology and adequate specialists; 3) offer diversity in channels of delivery of services such as online shopping, and house delivery; 4) develop mechanisms to constantly review the company’s performance and measure its growth rate and note areas of

The Responsibility of Parents in the Crimes Commited by Children Research Paper

The Responsibility of Parents in the Crimes Commited by Children - Research Paper Example bankrupt and devastate the whole family, leaving them unable to recover and in a position to deteriorate rather than rise above incidents that have already caused difficulties within the family dynamic. In addition, a parent going to jail for the crimes of their child will create a series of long lasting consequence from which the family might also never recover. The inequities within the various socio-economic classes within the United States means that the poor would be punished to an unprecedented magnitude, leaving a further gap between lower classes and the upper classes. Parents should not be penalized for the crimes of the children, rather children and parents should be put through therapies and courses of treatment that can re-socialize them so that they understand their mistakes, can recover from the incidents, and can move forward towards more productive lives. This research study has been conducted in order to understand how criminal liability for the crimes of children th at is placed upon families would affect those families. The opinions of parents in relationship to this concept have been examined through the use of a focus group which was interviewed in a semi-structured format to encourage parents to discuss the topic and relate their beliefs on the feasibility and consequences of holding parents responsible for the crimes of their children. Through qualitative methods of discovery, the opinions and experiences of three sets of parents have been examined to understand the belief systems that are in place in relationship to the responsibility that they hold for the crimes of their children in relationship to social and public consequences that society may choose to impose. Background The extent to which parents are liable for the crimes committed by... The study was significant in that it showed that the answer to the question of responsibility is both complex and in need of further study. Social and legal responsibilities are both structured to operate within the parameters of society as it is understood by its inhabitants. In this case, children have yet to fully come to an understanding of their world, thus their fantasy worlds seem to collide with it and create alternative belief systems that are outside of the understanding of their parents. Parents are at a loss to how they are supposed to control the emergence of beliefs when they are not always let into that world by their children. The example of fictional concepts, such as the film the Goonies or even the Harry Potter series reflect the idea that children often believe that the world will operate in a different way and it is through luck that their ‘adventures’ do not cause harm or come to tragic ends. This report makes a conclusion that the difficulty in coming to a conclusion through the discussion group stems from the personal connection that the parents have to a fear that something their child will do will result in a tragic event. With children, it seems, control is an illusion that parents try to assert but is still within the ability of the child to determine his or her behavior. Control is only asserted through convincing them that good behavior is better than bad behavior.

The role of state fusion centers in preventing terrorist acts Term Paper

The role of state fusion centers in preventing terrorist acts - Term Paper Example Furthermore, most of the security agencies were not on a very high alert for any foreign attacks on the United States because such threats were considered nonexistent. Instead, security agencies concentrated on the potential from within and this was a huge flaw on their part. The American military had bases all over the world in allied countries and these had been put in place to protect American interests in these respective regions. The military had not seen much active service since the 1991 Gulf war and its presence in allied countries functioned as a deterrent to those who would wish to harm American interests. All these, however, changed after the attacks and the need for cooperation between the different security agencies in the country was realized. The origin of state fusion centers creation provide a means through which information can be gathered and shared between different law enforcement agencies, ensuring that the terrorist threat to the United States is recognized ear ly and dealt with swiftly. State fusion centers are facilities that have come to allow investigators to pool data from local, state and federal sources to ensure that the terrorist threat to the country is averted. ... The system was created to ensure that investigators had all the information they needed in order to perform their tasks effectively, and it allows local investigators to access the federal Homeland Secure Data Network. The system has been designed to provide individuals in security agencies access to classified reports from federal agencies like the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This has made up for the previous lack of information sharing between security agencies and has created a situation where it has become easier for terrorist threats to the nation to be detected and whenever there has been any danger, it has been swiftly countered so that the nation has remained secure (Desai, 2005). State fusion centers have become indispensable in the fight against terrorism on American soil and this has justified their continued existence of this system. The state fusion centers help security agencies to look for connections among potential terrori st suspects so that they can find more information concerning them and the danger that they may pose to the people of America. They do this by looking through hundreds of law enforcement sources around the region and these carry a large amount of information concerning individual suspects and their associates. The information that is often investigated ranges from traffic violations, to jail records and criminal histories. Furthermore, this also includes information concerning public records such as property records. As the investigation widens, and investigators identify suspects, the system can help lead authorities to known associated of the suspects who may be involved in further terrorist plots against the country or its interests elsewhere (Ratcliffe and Guidetti, 2008).

Human Resource Information Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Human Resource Information Systems - Essay Example The HR departments came under pressure with routine work trying to cope with administration and providing more services online, that they could not provide value-added services such as knowledge management, culture management, and strategic direction and renewal. Gradually the focus shifted from playing a purely technical administrative role to being actively involved in the strategic planning and management of an organization. It became essential to add value to enhance competitive advantage. The second perceived need was to incorporate IT in HRM practices. HR functions were transferred to digital formats and even though technology is underutilized, it is increasingly being used in functions such as recruitment, selection, training, promoting, terminating and in complying with legal requirements. IT systems led to the introduction of e-HRM which saves time and costs particularly with online recruitment and training systems. While HRIS can bring substantial savings to an organization , it is necessary that the managers and employees understand the benefits of the new system and are actually ready to use it. Getting the system to adapt to a new system is the greatest difficulty according to Beulen (2009). E-HRM can increase the amount of information provided to people as they obtain online access to HRM policy and practice handbooks. Online notification of holidays and other events facilitate strategic processes while people can even register for training courses online (Paauwe & Farndale, 2004, p11). E-HRM enables help people be constantly ready for change while encouraging online training and learning activities. It also facilitates collaboration between individuals through discussion groups and video-conferencing. It is also known to enhance employee interaction, work-life balance as they can deal with certain personal tasks while at work. In addition to improved accuracy, timely and

The role of state fusion centers in preventing terrorist acts Term Paper

The role of state fusion centers in preventing terrorist acts - Term Paper Example Furthermore, most of the security agencies were not on a very high alert for any foreign attacks on the United States because such threats were considered nonexistent. Instead, security agencies concentrated on the potential from within and this was a huge flaw on their part. The American military had bases all over the world in allied countries and these had been put in place to protect American interests in these respective regions. The military had not seen much active service since the 1991 Gulf war and its presence in allied countries functioned as a deterrent to those who would wish to harm American interests. All these, however, changed after the attacks and the need for cooperation between the different security agencies in the country was realized. The origin of state fusion centers creation provide a means through which information can be gathered and shared between different law enforcement agencies, ensuring that the terrorist threat to the United States is recognized ear ly and dealt with swiftly. State fusion centers are facilities that have come to allow investigators to pool data from local, state and federal sources to ensure that the terrorist threat to the country is averted. ... The system was created to ensure that investigators had all the information they needed in order to perform their tasks effectively, and it allows local investigators to access the federal Homeland Secure Data Network. The system has been designed to provide individuals in security agencies access to classified reports from federal agencies like the Department of Homeland Security and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This has made up for the previous lack of information sharing between security agencies and has created a situation where it has become easier for terrorist threats to the nation to be detected and whenever there has been any danger, it has been swiftly countered so that the nation has remained secure (Desai, 2005). State fusion centers have become indispensable in the fight against terrorism on American soil and this has justified their continued existence of this system. The state fusion centers help security agencies to look for connections among potential terrori st suspects so that they can find more information concerning them and the danger that they may pose to the people of America. They do this by looking through hundreds of law enforcement sources around the region and these carry a large amount of information concerning individual suspects and their associates. The information that is often investigated ranges from traffic violations, to jail records and criminal histories. Furthermore, this also includes information concerning public records such as property records. As the investigation widens, and investigators identify suspects, the system can help lead authorities to known associated of the suspects who may be involved in further terrorist plots against the country or its interests elsewhere (Ratcliffe and Guidetti, 2008).

Service Delivery System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Service Delivery System - Essay Example The service delivery systems are linked from the manufacturing process to the distributing process. This system looks after the every aspect for delivering the goods or services with the consumer satisfaction as the main goal. The service delivery system works as a link between the producer and the consumer. The goods which are being monitored by this system may be the goods, jobs, technologies or software too. There is no limit for the working of the service delivery system. In every industry, the efficient service delivery system is required to look after the delivery issue of the services offered by that particular industry to their clients. The service delivery system examines the input as well as the output in the industry or organization. It takes feedback of the customers and tries to solve their problems. Then these problems are taken into account to remove these problems future. This system leads stress on the choice and requirement of the consumer.

Legal philosophy Essay Example for Free

Legal philosophy Essay The crucial element lies in bringing the guilty to justice; but for that to happen, it has to be determined first who is guilty and who is not, not just in terms of who committed the crime, but whether a certain action and the consequences of it fall under the category of crime at all, and under what criteria. There is a great scope of ambiguity and fuzziness here. The battle between good and evil seems to have been going on for all the time, and yet good and evil are highly relative terms. There exist no clear-cut distinctions, no separate black and white segments. In many ways, good and evil constitute a messy flux, and criminal justice system is needed to sort these things out on a continual basis. Law, with the moral and legal philosophy underlying it, directs the criminal justice system in this complex task of determining good from evil, the right from the wrong, as well as the right from the good. These laws are not static and fixed entities, they can and do change with time; legal philosophy is constantly evolving. Our perceptions and interpretations of the good and the right need to be reconsidered from time to time. The ongoing struggle is to evolve a society that is more firmly based on justice and freedom. Justice requires that each citizen have an equal and fair starting position in respect of the physical necessities, educational opportunities, and employment opportunities. And the principle of freedom requires that the government not force a single conception of the good upon individuals, but simply guarantee that individuals are free to pursue their various goods as they perceive them (Garner 2005). The choices freely made reflect a variety of views of what is good. Human beings are uniquely individual personalities, endowed with immense potentiality for mental and spiritual growth. The role of society lies in being caring and tolerant about the individual and the differences in the unique individualities of people, and displaying a commitment to respect all its members who are in the process of cultivating their freedom and realizing their potentiality. It is not the governments business or right to determine what is good, but only to guarantee justice and freedom of choice to individuals. The guarantee of justice and freedom of choice will protect individuals’ pursuits of their various private conceptions of the good. In this way, the government ensures â€Å"The greatest good for the greatest number,† the principle on which utilitarianism is founded (Penslar 1995). Each individual is free to pursue his or her own conception of the good life, as long as it does not bring harm to others. The government should be neutral as to the conceptions of the good life, in order to respect persons as free and independent agents of action, capable of choosing their own ends. For example, the good lies in the fact of each individual being free to follow a religion or belief system of his own choice, or not to follow any should he choose to. Unfortunately, this condition is very likely to be violated in modern world where fundamentalism is gaining ground everyday. If we take the United States, for example, three things are happening 1) Evangelical Christianity is spreading like wild fire: â€Å"The Evangelical Christian movement is the fastest growing segment of American religion with 42% of all Christians in America identifying themselves as Evangelicals† (Cobia 2007) 2) as is common knowledge, the government is growing more powerful and centralized, and 3) a very high percentage of people in the government, including the president himself, are fundamentalist evangelical Christians (McMahon 2006). In such a scenario, it is very likely that, in the near future, basic individual freedom to choose his or her own would be breached and fundamentalism be imposed as a state-sponsored religion. When that happens, the theory of evolution will be removed from textbooks and Biblical doctrine of creationism taught in its place. Science would stagnate, progress would stop, and humanity may slip back to dark ages. Upon considering such a possibility, we can see how ensuring individual freedom to determine one’s own good is conducive to the good of the society as a whole, promotes progress and enlightens humanity. When individual freedom is lost, be it in religion or any other sphere of life, the spirit of humanity starts dying.

Linguistics Essays William Labov

Linguistics Essays William Labov William Labov’s narrative analysis differs from some of the earlier approaches in that his method focuses on oral narrative instead of written text. William Labov’s narrative analysis differs from some of the earlier approaches in that his method focuses on oral narrative instead of written text. Earlier linguists, such as Ferdinand de Saussure, believed in a structural approach. This meant that language had to be approached as a fixed, clearly defined set of symbols, which furthermore had to be studied in isolation. However, later linguists, among them Uriel Weinrich, Labov’s mentor, believed that the structural approach failed to assist us in understanding â€Å"the transition of a language from state to state† (Labov 1972:xv). Labov’s focus has been to study language as it is spoken, as a fluid and constantly changing dynamic. Most of Labov’s model of narrative analysis is based on his belief that â€Å"one cannot understand the development of a language change apart from the social life of the community in which it occurs† (1972:3). He feels strongly that observing and recording sound changes is not enough to understand the process of change—that one has to view that change within the context of the community in which it is being made, as it is being made. Using this theory, he carefully chose communities where he felt he could do this most effectively. He conducted the first of several in-depth studies in Martha’s Vineyard, a small, closed island community located in Dukes County, Massachusetts. Labov saw Martha’s Vineyard as an ideal study site primarily because it was very self-contained. In addition, it was physically isolated, located three miles from the mainland. For his next series of studies, Labov selected parts of New York City. One particular area he focused on in the New York City study focused on Black English as it was used in certain parts of the city, specifically Harlem. Although Harlem did not have geographical distance from New York the way Martha’s Vineyard did from Massachusetts, racial and socioeconomic boundaries made it an isolated community in its own way. The main points of Labov’s model were first published in 1972 in an essay entitled â€Å"The Transformation of Experience in Narrative Syntax.† In this essay Labov introduces and explains what he sees as the six main parts of a narrative. He discusses each part as a tool which we can use to analyze narrative patterns, to help recognize recurring themes and ideas. The six main parts of Labov’s model are: abstract; orientation; complicating action; evaluation; resolution; and coda. It is not necessary that all six of these be present in every narrative; for example, some narratives will not have an abstract, while others may not have a coda. Additionally, these components need not appear in a specific order, and each may be present in a variety of ways—these factors are also considered in the final analysis. Labov uses the term â€Å"abstract† to refer to the introductory part of the narrative. This may be, literally, an â€Å"abstract,† or a brief summary of the events; or it may be simply a line or two that will spark the reader’s interest. The role of the abstract is to attract the listener’s interest, and to get the listener to want to hear the rest of the story. The next stage is called â€Å"orientation.† During this phase the speaker gives the listener information about the setting of the story. For example, the speaker will introduce and describe the people or characters who will interact in the story, as well the setting (the place the action occurs) and the time frame. For the story to be valid and understandable to the reader, it is essential that he or she be informed of the time and place in which the narrative unfolds. Following orientation is the â€Å"complicating action.† This refers to the actual events of the narrative, the occurrences that move it ahead. Complicating actions may be physical actions. They may be also be statements spoken aloud, or they may be thought acts â€Å"Evaluation† refers to the point, or reason, the narrative is being told, and it can be done in a number of ways. â€Å"Evaluations† may be specifically and clearly stated, or they may be implied. â€Å"Internal† evaluations are those revealed while the story is taking place, while â€Å"external† evaluations take place outside the immediate action of the story (for example, after the story is told). Another evaluation technique is the â€Å"embedded evaluation.† This can be an explanation offered by one of the people in the story, or by the storyteller directly. In addition, it may also be an event in the story. Following this is what Labov calls the â€Å"result† or â€Å"resolution†: this, basically, is the conclusion. At this point the narrator indicates that the story has come to a close, that a final action has occurred. Finally, there may be a â€Å"coda.† By â€Å"coda† Labov means that the narrator points out the relevance of the story by connecting it with every-day life, or with other events or actions that fall outside the story frame. The coda does not always have to be present. It may also be present without being explicitly stated. One of the issues to be discussed concerning Labov’s model for narrative analysis is the method of data collection, since â€Å"the means used to gather the data interfere with the data to be gathered† (Labov 1972:43). The interview itself may be considered â€Å"public speech.† However, even within this realm, there are other conditions to be considered. For example, does the relationship of the interviewer to the interviewee affect the latter’s speech patterns? Does the use of a recording device affect the interviewee’s choice of words, perhaps make word selection more formal than it ordinarily would be? One way of monitoring this is to compare the subject’s speech patterns during the course of the interview with his or her speech patterns outside the interview setting. For example, the interviewer could also observe the subject while he or she is relaxed with peers or family members in a less formal setting. Labov’s model has strongly influenced language studies since its introduction in 1972, and it continues to be influential in additional settings. With the widespread growth of the internet, we now have a new, informal sort of communication.   Linguist Michael Toolan suggests that Labov’s model is a useful tool in the analysis of internet writing. Internet writing is often less formal than academic or other types of writing, but more structured than spoken language. Thus, Labov’s model remains effective today. As language itself continues to grow and change, it is quite probable that Labov’s model will grow to accommodate that change, and to continue to be a useful tool in years to come. REFERENCES Labov, William (1972) Socioloinguistic Patterns. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. Toolan, Michael (1988) Narrative: A Critical Linguistic Introduction London: Routledge.

Software Piracy in India and the Developed World :: Software Computers Technology Essays

Software Piracy in India and the Developed World Introduction: Software Piracy in India Software is one of the easiest and a very lucrative medium to steal. The copies made are as good as the original software and can be made quickly in large quantities. This makes it very difficult to effectively enforce anti-piracy laws, as the officials cannot raid each and every home in search of illegal copies of copyrighted software. In India, with a population of over 1 billion, effective enforcement of anti-piracy laws is a ponderous task. The government of India possesses neither the will nor the finances to dedicate a chunk of its budget to enforcing copyright infringement laws. Another problem is that to control expenditure of monitoring and convicting such a huge number of offenders is a complicated and time consuming process. Latest figures show that the Personal Computer market in India is rocketing skywards. In the quarter ending December 31st, 2003, 800,000 units were sold. Out of these 55 percent of the computer sales were of regional brands and unbranded systems. It should be noted that not all of these brands conform to software copyright laws as in the United States and Europe, or even in India. By the end of March 2004, an estimated 3 million personal computers are expected to sell. 2 The regional brands are the most responsible for propagating software piracy. In order to sell the computers cheap, pirated versions of software are installed on all machines sold. It can easily be deduced how much loss software piracy will cause the industry in the recent future. The use of illegal or copied versions of software costs the worldwide software industry more than 13 Billion Dollars a year in revenues, out of which 1.96 billion dollars are lost in the US alone, which has a software piracy rate of 23 percent. In some East-Asian, Latin American and European countries, 95 percent of the software used is pirated. So, India is better off but still has a long way to go in the fight against software piracy. India is unarguably one of the software hubs of the world, yet software piracy is rampant in this country. The software piracy rate in India is nearly 65 percent. No illegal activity of this scale can survive unless and until it has the support or involvement of a large number of users. The more concrete manner in which software piracy can be precluded is to pro-actively involve the public in the anti-piracy initiative.

Reinventing Government in the United States Post Service :: Politics Mail Papers

Reinventing Government in the United States Post Service In this research paper, I will discuss an overview of reinventing government in the United States Postal Service. The purpose of reinventing government is to make government work better, cost less, and get results. I will also provide examples of how reinventing has effected the organization. I will touch upon some of the history of the United States Postal Service, some of its plans for the year 2000, and how the concept of reinventing government has improved the voice of the customer, employee and the business. President Bill Clinton, January 27, 2000 stated the â€Å"we reinvented government, transforming it into a catalyst for new ideas that stress both opportunity and responsibility, and give our people the tools they need to solve their own problems.† History United States Postal Service dates back to 1775 when the Continental Congress named Benjamin Franklin the first Postmaster General. The United States was a weak confederation of colonies scattered along the eastern seaboard. The postal system that was created by Congress helped bind the new nation together and made possible the growth of commerce. In 1971 the Post Office Department was transformed into the United States Postal Service, a quasi government corporation. It became an independent establishment of the executive branch of the Government of the United States. The mission of the Postal Service remained the same, as stated in Title 39 of the U.S. Code: â€Å"The Postal Service shall have as its basic function the obligation to provide postal service to bind the Nation together through the personal, educational, literary, and business correspondence of the people. It shall provide prompt, reliable, and efficient service to patrons in all areas and shall render postal service to all communities.† Today, William Henderson is the 71st Postmaster. He was appointed the PMG and CEO of the United States Postal Service on May 16, 1998. The USPS is an agency that employs 800,000 career and 100,000 temporary employees. There are 40,000 Post Offices, and USPS maintains some 300 plants nationwide. The Postal Service fuels the nation’s economy and delivers hundreds of millions of messages and billions of dollars in financial transactions each day to eight million businesses and 250 million Americans. The United States Postal Service is becoming more businesslike and responsive to customer needs. In the process they are better able to compete with other carriers, such as, Federal Express and United Parcel Service (UPS).

Is Single Life or Married Life Better Essay

In my culture, you used to be required to be married in order to be treated as a grown up or an adult. That concept had been in my culture for more than a thousand years. As time changed, that concept has somewhat changed too. Nowadays, being married in an option. Many people prefer to stay single and are living happily with their choices, but many others disagree. They think that you need to be married to achieve ultimate happiness. So, what are the differences between being married and being single? The three most popular arguments between a married life and a single life are freedom, social ife and finance. Let’s start with the first difference: freedom, since it is the first thing you give up when you marry to someone. Coming along with marriage is responsibilities, it means that you have to take care of your partner, your children, you cannot just decide to do anything on your own anymore. You can’t take off and do anything you want anymore, because most of your time will be dedicated to your family. So, whenever you want to go out with your friends, you need to ask your partner for permission. Things are ifferent when you are single. When you are single, you have full control over your life, you are not bound to any responsibility but your own. If you need to take a break from the stress from your work, you can just take off by yourself. When you want to go out with your friends, you don’t need to ask anyone’s permissions. In contrast, you have busy life taking care of you parent and your children, and you don’t get enough time to go out and enjoy yourself. If you’re married, you don’t have to worry about your social life. It won’t be a hassle if you ecide to go out or need someone to hang out with because your partner will always be there. Since you and your parent have become a package, your amount of friends will become double concluding your partner’s source of friends. You get to meet more people with more choices of activity. But, things are much more difficult for a single person than a married couple in social life. People who are single always have to worry about their companion whenever they are out. They don’t have such a stable friend or partner every time they go out. Instead, they need to call many friends before they find a suitable partner for the night, or they need to spend more time making new friends. Also their choices of activity are limited and predictable since there are only some activity for single person. So in comparison, people who are married will save time in finding a partner for their social activity with a lot more choices. Last but not least, finance. It is very controversy topic whether you will save more money staying single or earn more money being a married couple. According to Tom Van Riper on Forbes. com, married couples have the advantage in the short term compared to single life, where only 9. 3% of monthly gross income goes for rent compared with 23% for single, 5. 6% vs. 8. 3% for food, 1% vs. 1. 8% for cable television, and 1. 2% vs. 2. 8% for telephone bill. In addition, auto insurers place married couple in a lower risk class, saving them money on car insurance. On the other hand, once the children enter the picture, which can bring a married couple in financial trouble, a child’s cost can goes up to $4000 per onth ascending in ages. Despite the expenses, single people actually do better in buying houses. Annually, standard deduction for a single person is $4,750 per year, where married couple stands at $7,950 per year. Moreover, married couple tend to start saving for retirement early on, while singles generally wait until they’re 40, which means singles have more free cash in their pocket than married couple. As I stated in the introduction, nowadays, being single or married is a choice, which many eople choose differently according to the perks they encountered. But beyond the perks, you need to choose wisely with another point of view where you can acknowledge advantage and disadvantage of being single or married. Married life comes with responsibility, where you need make the correct decisions every day and taking care of your partner and your children; while single life offers freedom, escape from the burden of responsibilities, but lonely in the late years of your life. It has been always a tough decision.

Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Research Designs Essay

The experimental research design is one of the most reliable quantitative designs available. Basically, it requires that the researcher conduct an actual experiment in order to prove the research hypothesis. Similar yet fundamentally different from the experimental design is the quasi-experimental design. his paper discusses the procedure in conducting an experimental design research and differentiates it from a quasi-experimental research design. Examples of each are given to facilitate further comparison and contrast. The first step in conducting an experimental research design is to identify the independent and dependent variables. According to Random House’s dictionary of statistical terminologies, â€Å"the dependent variable is the event studied and expected to change when the independent variable is changed. † (Random House, 2001, p. 534). In Butler and Lijinsky (2005) which is an example of experimental research, the independent variable was the type of rat while the dependent variable was the toxicity level. This meant that the research seeks to verify whether different types of rats would have different acute toxicity levels. After the identification of the independent and dependent variables, the next step is to randomly select a sample for the experiment. To randomly select a sample means to make sure that all of the members of the population have an equal chance of being selected (Corder &Foreman, 2009). For example, when seeking to study a school population as is the case in of Stevens & Slavin (1995), random sampling is conducted by placing all of the possible respondents in a list and selecting from that list randomly. In this way, each student has an equal opportunity to be selected for the study. Lastly, once the experiment is conducted, a secure atmosphere is generated wherein the effect of other factors are minimized (Mertens, 1998). Going back to Butler and Lijinsky (1995), the experiment was conducted in a secure atmosphere where the only variables were the type of rat and the toxins induced to them. All other factors such as the food they were given, the space of their cages and so on were kept the same for the different types of rat. In a quasi-experimental approach, an experiment is also conducted and dependent and independent variables are also selected. Measures to keep all other variables constant are also taken. However, the defining difference between the tow is that quasi-experimental designs do not conduct random sampling (Mertens, 1998). For example, the quasi-experimental research conducted by Dutton (1986) simply a sample from those that were available. This is not random sampling and therefore the design cannot be considered as experimental but it does fit the quasi-experimental description. In conclusion, it is clear that while experimental and quasi-experimental research designs are similar, they do have an essential difference. References Butler, A, and Lijinsky, W. (2005). â€Å"Acute toxicity of aflatoxin G1 to the rat† Journal of Pathology, 102 (4), 209-212. Corder, G. , Foreman, G. (2009). Nonparametric Statistics for Non-Statisticians: A Step-by-Step Approach. Wiley. Dutton, D. (1986). â€Å"The Outcome of Court-Mandated Treatment for Wife Assault: A Quasi-Experimental Evaluation. † Violence and Victims, 1(3) 163-175 Mertens, D. (1998). Research methods in education and psychology: Integrating diversity with quantitative & qualitative. Sage. Random House. (2001). Random House Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary. Random House, Inc. Stevens, R. , and Slavin, R. (1995). Effects of a Cooperative Learning Approach in Reading and Writing on Academically Handicapped and Nonhandicapped Students. The University of Chicago Press.

Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 3

Report - Essay Example GSK also owns and markets Aquafresh range of toothpastes, which may help smokers quit smoking. GSK’s principal pharmaceutical products include medicines in the therapeutic areas, such as respiratory, central nervous system, anti-virals, anti-bacterials, metabolic, vaccines, cardiovascular and urogenital. GSK has operated its business in 114 countries and sold products over 150 countries. The GSK operates in two segments: Pharmaceuticals and Consumer Healthcare. On June 5, 2008, GSK acquired Sirtris Pharmaceuticals Inc., a biopharmaceutical company. On October 14, 2008, group also acquired the Egyptian mature products business of Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS). Reuters reported that on Tuesday, 31 Mar 2009, Shire plc has entered into a joint promotional agreement with GlaxoSmithKline plc for VYVANSE (lisdexamfetamine dimesylate) capsules. The aim behind this promotional agreement is to improve recognition and treatment of ADHD in adults. (Reuters, 2009) On Wednesday, 25 Mar 2009 Reuters reported that GSK plans to take a significant stake in Aspen Pharmacare Holdings Limited. The reason behind this stake is to cement its current relationship into a long term bond which really makes a significant impression on the equity of both the companies. (Reuters, 2009) Issues related to the Environment, health and safety are subject to the primary and core issue because the business in which GSK deals is very much sensitive due to its attachment with the humanitarian side of the picture. So GSK’s needs to ensure that their products are neither injurious for health and nor for the environment. Lawsuits filed by patients, can be a result of adverse after-effects of any drug, which may bring a bad name and reputation for the firm, hence they need to ensure that no such window of risk is left open. The directors and senior management should give keen emphasis on practicing the corporate

Summary and Personal Response Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Summary and Personal Response - Assignment Example The campaign slogan has not however passed the critics. Some term it as a nonsensical message that has got nothing to do with the safety of the people. For example, Harvey Molotch, NYU Sociologist, has different views about the campaign slogan, â€Å"See Something, Say Something†. According to Harvey, over 2000 residents of New York had actually â€Å"seen something and said something† but nothing tangible had come out of it. He recalls that in 2006 and 2007, over eighteen terrorism related cases were â€Å"seen† and reported. However, it turned out that the reported incidents had nothing to do with terrorism. They were just normal criminal activities such as violations of immigration rules, possession of unregistered guns, and selling of fake commodities. Harvey goes further to state that â€Å"it is not easy to stop terrorism related activities just by using campaign slogans†. Nonetheless, it is unfair to say that reporting does not help at all. A street vendor who alerted the police was able to save Times Square bombing in 2010. The fact that many people in New York are busy doing their own activities is also an impediment in doing what the program advocates. The fact that there are people working on projects that involves wires and gadgets, and the Muslims carrying some machines into their worship places is also another challenge to the â€Å"See Something, Say Something† program. Reporting such harmless incidents will not only charm the law-enforcement system, but also create unnecessary tension. At times, â€Å"see something, say something† can be a nuisance slogan, especially when people report incidents that they are not sure of without involving investigators. The continual reporting of such incidences will also give police officers or investigators hard time to figure out what exactly is needed. â€Å"See something, report something† program also has a â€Å"Chicken Little† upshot. For instance, if New

Networks Systems & Technologies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Networks Systems & Technologies - Essay Example The firm also has a traveling sales force which needs to connect to the office network to access the sales applications and other administrative applications. The network users include managers, designers, sales, finance staff and secretaries. From the perspective of IT users and network spread, this can be called as a medium scale company network. The overall IT strategy would be simple and would include the following elements for us to consider – The company network would follow a two-layered architecture (Figure 2) with the head office & factory in the top layer and other 3 offices in the second layer connected to the network backbone. All offices would be connected to each other through a Wide Area Network (WAN) (Figure 1). Users in the individual offices would be connected to the network through a Local Area Network (LAN) forming a â€Å"Star Network† (Figure 3) going into the Ethernet Hub. The Ethernet Hub would be connected to the router. The other offices would be connected via routers to the network backbone and supported remotely from the head office. This type of architecture is chosen because majority of users are in the head office and factory. For the company wide access to various applications and systems, an Active Directory Server system will need to be used. An Active Directory server will be installed at every location and will have to be identified as a Global Service Catalog (containing all user information), DHCP, DNS Server and Domain Controller. This will enable all offices to have network connectivity even when the WAN network lines to other offices are down. The storage of servers and cables as well as the individual speeds are also part of the overall network design but slightly technical in nature. The types of servers needed will be determined by the applications and other infrastructure management tools which will be used within the company. A category 6 data cable will be used to

Dementia and Caretaking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Dementia and Caretaking - Essay Example These fears include the repetitive questions of going home; seeking caretakers and this phenomenon is called "Shadowing" (Lindeman, Corby, Downing & Sanborn 1991) Alzheimer disease is one of the disorders known as dementia. Patient develops multiple cognitive deficits including memory loss. The diagnostic criterion along with memory loss must include one of the cognitive disturbances: aphasia, apraxia, anoxia or a disturbance in executive functioning (DSM- IV 1994). Dementia may be progressive, static or remitting (DSM-IV 1994). Keeping in view of this study the AD should not be taken as 'process of inevitable and immutable decline'. (Judkins,Wayne ) Caretaking for the patient of AD is a long process which involves many people. In the early stages the family members are the initial help. But the later stages require persistent care of the patient and he/she is shifted to adult day care centers. In adult day care centers safe and supportive environment is must for the patient of AD. It involves creating new roles to replace the roles lost because of the disease. (e.g. provider for spouse, worker) In this environment patient can interact in the same cognitive state and can form meaningful attachments. (William & Roberts 1995). The group spirits should also be fostered in the day care centers to make the patient feel that he/she is the desired member of the social group. Researchers in their recent studies have examined the role that the attachment style may play in dementia. It is observed that personality characteristics persist in dementia. For example, a person suffering from depression and aggressive behavior before the diagnosis of dementia 'have these tendencies aggregated by the course of disease. (Agbayewa, 1986) Bowlby defined attachment behavior as "any form of behavior that results in a person attaining or retaining proximity to some other differentiated and preferred individuals, who is usually conceived as stronger and /or wiser." (John Bowlby, 1979, pp 129) Misen (1992) was the first researcher to conclude that the patient of dementia could also be classified as having secure or ambivalent style of attachment. The further studies proposed that various component of attachments i.e. trust, comfort with dependency became more important with higher level of dependency caused by dementia. The studies have also found that the effect of dysfunctional behavior as taken by caretakers was correlated with caretakers' psychological distress. (Levesque. Cassette & LaChance, 1998) But it is observed that attachment therapy can also help the caretakers to overcome their psychological stress. The following quoted study is taken from the interview of Ann Hurley (Citation: Trudeau S. Bright Eyes, A Sensory Stimulation Intervention for Patients with Advanced Dementia: An interview with Scott Trudeau, by AL Romer, Innovations in

Computer Science and IT Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Computer Science and IT - Article Example Besides, a computerised accounting system is one of the databases -oriented applications where the transaction data is stored in well- established the database (Kiely, 2015).   Computerized accounting system leads to reduction costs, like salaries, higher returns through participation in global banking services and an improved security system that minimizes fraud. Besides, the software has benefits such as accuracy in the issuance of bank statements and fast processing of financial statements as well as easing the highly cumbersome auditing procedure. Alternatively, the system has challenges such as high installation cost, unstable power supply, computer failure and inadequate expertise (Daru, 2015).Alternatively, accounting software is an essential component of the computerised accounting system. The accounting software includes accounts receivable software, accounts payable software, general ledger software and accounting packages and chart of account. The significant factor has to be considered before purchasing accounting software is the accounting proficiency of individuals responsible for the organisation for bookkeeping work. (Daru, 2015).     Failure in voting systems in the current generation is a regular occurrence as a result of various reasons that can be prevented through strong databases. The repeated failures disenfranchise voters and destroy public confidence in the electoral system.   The failed voting machines, frustrated voters and lost votes have been the current reports following every important election.  

The statement of purpose Essay Example for Free

The statement of purpose Essay Being an international student is a major learning curve. Miles away from Hong Kong, I’m way out of my comfort zone, navigating a stormy sea of emotions unique to international students- the excitement of seeing new things and places, the pride of being an international student, the fear of dealing with home sicknesses, the frustration of not being able to fully understand everything in this country, the embarrassment of even the minute faux pas I do. Academic challenges are nothing compare to the emotional battles one must face. Â   While there is no harness that I can latch to, my experiences back home can steer my journey here. As a school prefect, I was in charge of keeping order and discipline in my school. I can use it to keep my perspective balance on everything that comes my way, to be able to open my eyes to the world in a new way. I am proud to say that I am an international orientation leader in my community college now. Being a leader has kept me sane, kept my feet on the ground. I know that I am responsible to my fellow international students and I’m doing my best to do so, by combining studying hard and being a good example to them. My current GPA is 3.9. I know having good grades are not everything to a student. Believe it or not, students also need to have a life that does now involve memorization and algebraic equations. Being a leader has expanded my network, exposed me to other students who I now call friends. In HK, I was in our ping-pong team, played saxophone and piano. I hope to continue my hobbies here, perhaps enlist in the school band. HK is a fast-paced environment. Everybody moves quickly, as if on a race. By studying here, I hope to do the opposite. Don’t get me wrong. Fast can be fabulous. Email and YM are a godsend solution to instant conversations. But there are some things that can’t be rushed, such as readying yourself for the future. Adapting to a new environment can be daunting but capitalizing on my personal experiences is something I can rely on to survive this journey.

motivation of the employee

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