Monday, September 30, 2019

What motivates people at work? Essay

There have been a large number of theories looking into motivation at work and the factors which affect it. In this essay I will be exploring three key theories in the area, each provides a very different angle on what motivates employees at work. To begin I will look at a need theory of motivation, Herzberg’s Two-Factor Theory (1959), as the name suggests need theories concentrate on the need’s of the employee as the main source of motivation. Herzberg built upon Maslow’s hugely influential Hierarchy of Needs (1954). Conducting research on 203 American accountants and engineers he looked at what makes employees satisfied and dissatisfied at work. Contrary to Maslow’s theory Herzberg suggests that motivation is not measured on one linear scale from satisfied to dissatisfied, but rather the two are independent of each other and form separate scales. The first group which determines dissatisfaction (or de-motivation) are named Hygiene factors which include our basic needs such as our pay and safety. The addition or improvement of hygiene factors can only lead to contentment in employees and not motivation. The second group which determines satisfaction are named Motivators, these include our internal needs such as our need to achieve, to be recognised and given responsibility. A decline or lack of motivators will not de-motivate employees, but adding them can lead to increased motivation. Research on the theory has provided both support and criticism. To begin with the theory is supported by the number of successful replications as reported by Hodgetts and Luthans (1991), these replications have taken place across the world and in a wide variety of different job sectors and still achieved the same results. The main area of criticism for the Two-Factor theory targets the methodology of the research it was derived from. Soliman (1970) pointed out that the tendency of subjects to give socially desirable answers would have impacted the answers participants gave to Herzbergs open ended questions. In addition there is a tendency for people to attribute negative situations to others and posit ive to themselves e.g. â€Å"I felt satisfaction  when ‘I’ achieved and was recognised for it† or â€Å"I was dissatisfied when ‘the company’ paid me late†. This biased attribution of satisfying and dissatisfying situations is another example of a problem with the methodology. More problems with the methodology are shown by House and Wigdor (1967). After re-analysing Herzberg’s original results they concluded that factors described as being either a hygiene or motivator were not mutually exclusive. In many cases the addition of Hygiene factors can act to motivate people, likewise a lack of Motivator factors can causes dissatisfaction. However as well as looking at the empirical research on the theory we must also think about its value when practically applied to the workplace. In support of the theory it does, to a certain extent makes sense. If one month you miss out on pay or are required to do something dangerous you would be dissatisfied. At the same time employees do not feel satisfied or motivated by safe working conditions or being paid on time because it is what they expect. The same goes for Motivator factors, an employee would feel more satisfied if they received a personal compliment from the boss but it is unlikely that they would feel dissatisfied if it didn’t happen. They certainly wouldn’t expect it every day. Yet one key problem with the theory is that it fails to take into account the difference between satisfaction and motivation. An employee may be satisfied at work, they may obtain all the ‘motivator’ factors outlined in the theory but this does not mean they will automatically be motivated to be as productive as they can be. Another criticism is that the theory does not account for individual differences, employees are not all the same, some may be more materialistic and be motivated more by monetary reward. Some strive for achievement and are willing to do anything to gain the respect of their peers and high status within the business while others may be content with their job and just wish to keep their heads down and get on with it. Put simply, while being given responsibility may satisfy some people others may find it an unpleasant addition to their job. In summary the Two-Factor model and its supporting research have been found to have good re-test and cross cultural reliability but has been heavily criticised for its validity and methodology. Although this weakens the value of the theory it has still been extremely influential and can be practically applied in most organizations as a method by which staff motivation can be monitored and improved. Next I am going to look at the Goal Setting Theory Locke (1969). The basic premise of the theory is that by setting a goal you can increase a person’s motivation and performance. This increase in performance is due to the motivational influence of goals in 4 key areas (as cited in Woods 2010). The first is that goals help to focus a person’s attention and behaviour in the correct direction. Secondly goals have the effect of increasing the effort a person is willing expend. Thirdly the addition of a goal increase the amount of a time a person will spend on a specific task. Finally they motivate an individual to seek out and apply relevant knowledge and skills in order to complete the goal. This is how the goal setting theory explains why we are motivated by goals. In addition to this Locke and Latham (1990) put forward 5 key features of a goal which determine how motivating it is, to be effective goals must be; 1) Specific, a goal which gives a specific target is more motivating then goals which simply require a person to ‘do your best’. 2) Measurable, a measurable target enables a person to track their progress towards the goal and alter their effort and method accordingly. 3) Time-Bound, applying a deadline to achieving the goal enables a person to better manage their time and effort. 4) Challenging, it is unlikely that an easy goal will motivate a person to put in maximum effort. By making the goal challenging people are push and required to work harder in order to achieve. 5) Attainable, having a goal which is impossible to achieve is likely to de-motivate a person, why would a person put effort in if they have no chance of success. It must be realistically possible to achieve goals. The theory provides a good detailed description of both how and why people are motivated. It has been one of the most widely researched areas within motivational psychology and is still very much an evolving area. Research by Latham and Baldes (1975) put the core assumption of the goal setting theory to the test in a real world setting. They introduced the goal of reaching 94% efficiency in the loading of trucks (previously at just 60%) to a group of employees in a logging company. The employees were motivated by the goal and successfully achieved (and often surpassed) it and continued to work consistently at the target rate. To have achieved the same increase in efficiency without Goal theory (by purchasing more trucks) would have cost the company $250,000. Another example of research supporting the Goal  setting theory comes from Blumenfeld and Leidy (1969). They found that 55 engineers in charge of soft drinks machines checked considerably more machines when set a goal then when no goal was set. Furthermore it was found that engineers checked more machines when set a challenging goal then if set an easy goal. A key problem with the methodology of both pieces of supporting research above is that there was little control over extraneous variables. For example Latham and Baldes (1975) did show a huge increase in productivity, but this may not have been due to the addition of a goal. Perhaps the competitive nature of the loggers lead to an increase in efficiency, it may also have simply been down to the increased supervision the workers received at the time. Again it is important to look at the theory in terms of its practical application in the workplace. Its key strength is that it does appear to work as a method of increasing motivation, however again the theory fails to account for individual differences. Employees who are already highl y motivated at work would benefit from goals being set; it would push them and enable them to prove themselves. However other less confident employees may not enjoy the competitive nature of workplace goals and targets, it could even cause stress and discomfort and leads to a reduction in motivation. In addition, when you direct a person’s attention and effort towards one specific goal you may get a decrease in performance in other tasks. A goal may not increase motivation but just direct it. For example if you give hospital staff the target of seeing all patients within 10 minuets they may achieve the target but at the cost of service and quality of treatment. This would obviously be detrimental to the quality of work on the whole. A final point to consider is that all employees have different levels of ability so in order for goals to push an employee but still remain achievable they must be individually tailored. As well as being impractical in a large business Equality theories (discussed next) would suggest that giving some people easier targets than others may actually lead to a reduction in motivation. On the whole Goal Theories are very useful and practical when applied in the right circumstances. Perhaps one weakness of both the theory and supporting research is in its inability to account for causes of demotivation in an organization. However the research shows that goals do motivate people at work, yet when applied to an organizational environment we see possible  drawbacks and potential difficulties which are difficult to overcome. The final theory I am going to examine is the Organizational Justice Theory which builds upon the equity theory put forward by Adams (1963). The Organizational Justice theory has been constructed from theory and research contributed by a significant number of psychologists, certainly too many to list in their entirety. However two key contributors worth noting are Greenberg (1987a) who coined the term Organizational Justice and conducted much of the early research and Mowday (1987) (cited in Greenberg 1990) who has had a significant impact on the theory. The core belief of the theory is that employees can be motivated (or de-motivated) by their perception of how fairly they are being treated at work in comparison to their colleagues. The theory suggests three different types of justice which can be perceived. The first is Distributive Justice, which looks at the extent to which an employee thinks they are being fairly rewarded for the work they put in compared to others, the theory s uggest that a person will either increase or decrease their level of input in order to balance out and restore equality. The second is Procedural Justice, this looks at how fair a person feels the procedures and systems are within a business, for example is holiday date allocation fair. The third is Interactional Justice, this is the least researched area and compromises of two parts; Informational Justice describes how well informed a person is about the decisions taken within a business, using holiday as an example again it may be explained to an employee why they can not have the holiday they asked for. Interpersonal Justice describes the extent to which someone feels they are treated with respect. As with the Goal setting theory there has been a considerable amount of research put into Organizational Justice theory. In a recent study Zapata-Phelan, Colquitt, Scott and Livingston (2009) (cited in Woods 2010) looked at how procedural and interaction justice effected motivation and in turn performance. They found that when a person perceived high procedural justice in an organization there was an incr ease in motivation, leading to an increase in performance.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Susan Glaspell’s Trifles

Susan Glaspell’s 1916 play titled â€Å"Trifles† uses many elements of drama such as, diction and spectacle through the actions of the two women as they rummage through a unusually messy kitchen to develop complexity and hold the attention of the audience until the very end. Glaspell uses irony and common misconceptions to convey her powerful message â€Å"Trifles† is also a play that reflects a clear notion of gender and sex roles. Glaspell, a feminist writer, writes plays that are known for their development of deep, sympathetic characters that have strong principles that are worth standing up for (Holstein 288). Trifles† opens up in its setting, which is a rural area of Nebraska in a newly abandoned farmhouse kitchen belonging to the Wright family. The play is written from two different perspectives. The perspectives include a male’s, which include George Henderson, the county attorney, Henry Peter, the sheriff, and Lewis Hale, a neighboring farmer, and a female’s, which includes Mrs. Peter’s, the wife of Henry Peters and Mrs. Hale, the wife of Lewis Hale. The male characters enter the house as a crime scene. The county attorney carries out the investigation in an orderly way by interviewing the key witness and asking for the facts only. â€Å"The audience hears only male voices for the first quarter of the play as they go from room to room routinely until they left nothing out, ‘Nothing of importance’† (Holstein 283). The females of the play were very hesitant to enter the house. The beginning scene describes, â€Å"The women have come in slowly, and stand close together near the door† (Glaspell 958). The women enter the house as a home rather than a crime scene. They are there only to gather items for the imprisoned, Mrs. Wright. They are very nervous and timid, which can be determined by the diction that Glaspell uses. Many dashes are used as the women speak slowly and thoughtfully in the home where a man was just murdered. Seeing the bread outside the breadbox, the broken fruit jars, and the rocking chair that Mrs. Wright was sitting in before and after the alleged murder that Mrs. Hale almost sat in causing it to rock back and forth all startled and made the women uneasy as they wondered around the house (Glaspell 962). These details also play a role in the spectacle that Glaspell is creating. As the play progresses, they are able to put themselves in Mrs. Wright’s position, making them more comfortable as they explore the familiar kitchen. Mrs. Hale has been Mrs. Wright’s neighbor for years and knows how hard it is to keep up with the cleaning and womanly chores of the home, which is why she is angry when the men are snooping around and judging her (Glaspell 962). She recalls when â€Å"Minnie Foster, now Mrs. Wright, wore a white dress with blue ribbons and stood up in the choir and sang† (Glaspell 968). As the women find the birdcage and later discover the dead bird wrapped in a beautiful box and realize what has happened in the Wright’s home, they begin to sympathize with her. They first think about â€Å"the lonely quiet of her childless farmhouse† (Holstein 285). Mrs. Hale â€Å"mourns the loss of Mrs. Wright’s preserved fruit, remembering her own hard work during canning season† (Holstein 286). For the first time throughout the play, Mrs. Peter’s softens to Minnie’s situation remembering the time a boy murdered her kitten and whispered, â€Å"If they hadn’t held me back I would have—hurt him† (Glaspell 967). Holstein mentions, â€Å"She also contemplates the stillness of her old homestead after her first baby died and compares it to Minnie’s solitude† (286). It is clear that the women are able to sympathize with Minnie Wright because â€Å"they share her experience† (Holstein 286). The play begins to be ironic as the men tease and belittle the women by poking fun at their â€Å"trifles† such as whether Mrs. Wright would sew or knot her quilt. â€Å"Mrs. Hale says, resentfully, â€Å"I don’t know as there’s anything so strange, our takin’ up our time with little things while we’re waiting for them to get the evidence† (Glaspell 964). Holstein points out that evidence is nothing more than the â€Å"little things† (284). The first trifle that was discussed was â€Å"a neighbor’s visit†, which Mrs. Hale has ongoing guilt about throughout the play. â€Å"Mrs. Hale observes, â€Å"We live close together and we live far apart. We all go through the same things—it’s all just a different kind of the same thing† (Holstein 287). Other examples of their trifles that are discussed are items such as the birdcage that no longer has a bird in it and the square of quilt that is not nearly as neat as the others. These â€Å"trifles† become major evidence in the murdering of John Wright, but are kept secret by the women. The women ironically become the main characters of this murder mystery, which was groundbreaking in the time that Glaspell wrote this play. The men seemingly disappear as the women instinctively uncover the mystery for themselves piece by piece giving them a certain power over the men. In the beginning of the play, the women are quiet from â€Å"powerlessness†, but by the end â€Å"Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters ultimately find power in being devalued, for their low status allows them to keep quiet at he play’s end. † The women are much like â€Å"servants and other discounted groups†, for they are allowed to have knowledge of subjects â€Å"because it is assumed they will not be able to make intelligent use of it† (Holstein 284). By not turning Mrs. Wright in, Mrs. Peters clearly makes a change from the start of the play to the end. Mrs. Hale is luckily able to change Mrs. Peters’ initial thought on the discovery of Mrs. Wright being a murderer, which was the idea that â€Å"The law has got to punish crimes† (Glaspell 968). The men enter the kitchen again after carrying out these investigations with no more knowledge of the murder than when they started. The county attorney overlooks the trifle of Mrs. Wright being afraid of cats when he questions the empty birdcage, which could have been possible evidence. Mrs. Hale lied and said, â€Å"We think—the cat got it† (Glaspell 697). Holstein mentions, â€Å"Perhaps Mrs. Hale’s remark is an oblique reference to the women’s silence, as in the old question ‘has the cat got your tongue? ’† The attorney is only interested in the â€Å"visible evidence† of the murder (Holstein 285). In the end the women’s silence is no longer a â€Å"silence of powerlessness†, but a power of â€Å"intention and choice† (Holstein 284). The plays final line is the most powerful line. The county attorney remarks sarcastically, â€Å"Well Henry, at least we found out that she was not going to quilt it. She was going to—what is it that you call it, ladies? † and Mrs. Hale responded, â€Å"We call it—knot it, Mr. Henderson† (Glaspell 968). Holstein discusses that â€Å"Mrs. Hale and Mrs. Peters intentionally â€Å"knot† their knowledge and do â€Å"not† share it. There silence has become a mark of their solidarity, a refusal to endanger a sister. She ends her article with a basic summary of the men in the play by stating, â€Å"For the men in the play, [the women’s] secret remains an undiscovered trifle† (Holstein 290). Many aspects of Glaspell’s â€Å"Trifles† make it a moving play with a simple, yet powerful theme of women in this time period being powerful in the same way that they are powerless; in silence. As a feminist, Glaspell is able to give women the power of using trifles and womanly concerns that men laugh at to solve a murder mystery with hard evidence, and also gives them the power to stick up for a fellow female and withhold information from the portrayed ignorance of men. Although Glaspell does not come right out and say it, she is making it clear that she finds men to be overbearing and inferior to women contrary to the popular beliefs at the time this play was written. Glaspell does something inspiring by using the many elements of drama along side irony and the notion of gender and sex roles to develop a complex, chilling, and entertaining play about something as serious as a scorned woman seeking revenge on her husband and two women using simple â€Å"trifles† to understand why.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Demon and Fact Faustus Essay

Mephistopheles varies greatly in his attitude towards Faustus, sometimes seemingly offering support and guidance while others acting in a dismissive, even disdainful manner. Throughout, Faustus is manipulated into fulfilling Mephistopheles’ own goals, yet the ‘bewitching fiend’ succeeds in giving him the belief that he wants to do these things himself whether or not he is being guided, albeit rather forcefully, there. Nonetheless it remains to be seen if this is a reflection of the deceitfulness from the devils servant or rather the weakness and arrogance shown by Faustus. Faustus appears vulnerable and naà ¯ve upon conjuring for the first time, pathetic fallacy adding to the sombre mood, as ‘gloomy shadow(s)’ overcast the scene, obscuring what is about to happen, leaving the audience in the dark and instilling a sense of terror. Therefore when Mephistopheles appears as a devil it is presumably through fear that Faustus describes him as ‘too ugly’ such is the heightened sense of tension and feeling of the sublime he experiences. As opposed to reacting to Faustus’ needs Mephistopheles immediately gains control and begins surreptitiously asserting his dominance over him, taking advantage of the fact Faustus is clearly out of his depth, and resorting to imperatives, commanding Mephistopheles to ‘speak!’ hinting that desperation is starting to creep in. Throughout the play it appears as though Mephistopheles is praying on Faustus’ weaknesses, identifying his ‘aspiring pride’ as a pressure point and luring him towards the idea of becoming the ‘sole king’ of all the earth. Once overcome with the thought of being a ‘great emperor’ Faustus is obviously convinced that selling his soul is the best option he has and appears to disregard any rational logic, allowing Mephistopheles to sit back only issuing short replies like ‘I will’ in return to the overly ambitious notions filling Faustus’ egotistical head. Faustus’ lack of control is only furthered when his ‘own appetite’ gets the better of him leading to Mephistopheles threatening to go ‘back to hell’ – forcing Faustus to implore with him not to leave – furthermore signalling his reliance on him to actually carry out all his frivolous desires. The compromise of being offered à ¢â‚¬Ëœgreater things’ proves too much for Faustus as  passion overcomes reason, which Mephistopheles is keen to distance them from, creating stark opposition and providing further evidence that he is willing to manipulate Faustus through his vulnerabilities, regardless of what emotions this will invoke in the mere mortal himself. In addition to promise bringing ‘whirlwinds, tempests, thunder and lightning’ under the control of Faustus, Mephistopheles also immediately senses whenever there is slight doubt in his subject, quickly bombarding him with fantasises to ‘delight his mind’ and turn his attention away from any concept of repentance. This eagerness to persistently tempt Faustus towards hell every time he wavers slightly suggests a driven character, supported through his own claims that he would do anything to ‘obtain his soul’ no matter the cost, showcasing a lack of care or sympathy towards the difficult situation Faustus finds himself in. This only serves to further the level of deception and pretence when Mephistopheles calls on Faustus to ‘stab thine arm courageously’ resorting to flattery to get his own way, knowing that Faustus’ ego will easily succumb to being complimented and raised above others. However in direct contrast, Mephistopheles shows he’s not afraid to resort to intimidation, reporting ‘hell hath no limits’ such is the reach of the devil, one should know not to cross him as ‘under the heavens’ the lines blur and the liminal becomes ever more apparent, this bold claim undoubtedly a shocking one in front of a contemporary audience wherein religion was distinct in its boundaries – hell and heaven two entirely different entities. After a relatively straight forward process of persuasion Mephistopheles gains Faustus’ soul, leading to an apparent change in attitude from Mephistopheles – more bold in his tactics – he openly denies Faustus his wishes, instead questioning his stupidity and chastising him by warning him to ‘talk not of a wife’ but rather concentrate on aspects of life he himself deems relevant. Faustus’ pitiful cry at the end of scene 5 suggests that already he realises the drastic mistake he’s made and that ‘thou art deceived!’ by the dishonest Mephistopheles, leaving the audience to feel slight sadness for the misplaced trust he possessed. Nevertheless while this seems tragic one cannot avoid the suggestion that Faustus was only guided down a path he  desired all along and that he convinces himself to be ‘resolute’ and show willing to commit the most heinous of crimes such as ‘offer luke-warm blood of new-born babies’ – an awful taboo that highlights just how far he will go in order to quench his thirst for power and fame. In turn, this advocates Mephistopheles as more of a bystander than initially thought and while he is unequivocally determined in gaining more souls ‘to enlarge his kingdom’, he remains open about this throughout, instead of being sly and secretive. Therefore it can be considered that Faustus is in no position to call Mephistopheles a ‘bewitching fiend’ such are the failings of his own character. He is the one who condemns himself through his over ambition at becoming a ‘conjuror laureate’ and arrogance in believing that he has tamed Mephistopheles and made him ‘obedient’. Whereas Mephistopheles only points him in the right direction and technically always remains under his command, bringing him a ‘hot whore’ for a wife, while unsatisfactory is still fulfilling the parameters of Faustus’ self-indulgent wish. Despite this obedience towards his supposed master, Mephistopheles can definitely be considered a ‘bewitching fiend’ due to his ability to lure Faustus into making the decisions that Mephistopheles himself wanted and the drive he holds in forcing the deal through to the end. Furthermore his lack of concern towards his own conjuror is revealing, joking ‘tut I warrant thee’ in reaction to Faustus’ recognition he has done wrong, displaying both a lack of remorse and also a smugness that he has succeeded in accomplishing Lucifer’s plan.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Plagiarism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 13

Plagiarism - Essay Example Special Forces--were working through Argentine intermediaries to set up contra safe houses, training centres, and base camps along the Nicaraguan-Honduran border." (Peter Kornbluh, "Nicaragua," in Michael Klare (ed), Low Intensity Warfare (New York, 1983), 139.) In the early 1980s, the Reagan Administration made increasing use of Honduras as a base for the contra war. The Administration set up a number of military and training facilities--some American, some contra, and some housing Argentine mercenaries--along the border between Nicaragua and Honduras (Kombluh 139). The country, as one observer noted, was little more than "a [stationary] aircraft carrier," which he described as "the USS Honduras† (Lafeber 309). The strike officially began on May 29, and on June 1 the manufacturers met publicly to plan their resistance. Their strategies were carried out on two fronts. They pressured the proprietors into holding out indefinitely by refusing to send new collars and cuffs to any laundry. Also the manufacturers attempted to undermine directly the union’s efforts to weather the strike. They tried to create a negative image of the union through the press, which they virtually controlled. They prevented a few collar manufacturers in other cities from patronizing the unions’ cooperative laundry even though it claimed it could provide the same services for 25 percent less. Under these circumstances, the collar ironers’ tactics were much less useful. Two days after the strike began on May 29, the manufacturers met publicly to plan their response. They had two strategies. They pressured the owners into holding out indefinitely by declining to send new collars and cuffs to any laundry, and they tried to directly destabilize the union’s efforts to outlast the strike. They also tried to create a negative image of the union through the newspapers, which they virtually controlled. They prevented a few collar manufacturers in other cities from using the

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Derivative and Integral Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Derivative and Integral - Essay Example Let a is a number in the domain of f and Lim/h->0 [f(a+h)-f(a)]/h exists, then f is said to be differentiable at a. This limit is called the derivative of f at a and is denoted by f’(a).For all x at which f(x) is differentiable ,f’(x) is a function called the derived function of f(x) .The domain of f’(x) is the subset of f(x).f’(x) is sometimes called as the derivative or the differential coefficient of f(x) at x.The process of obtaining the derivative of f is called Differentiation.f’(x) is sometimes denoted by dy/dx or Dy   or Df(x) or d/dx f(x).2. EXAMPLEIf f(x) is a continuous function of x and if x varies, f(x) also varies correspondingly. But the variation in the function may not be uniform sometimes slowly and sometimes rapidly. Geometrically, this problem is equivalent of that of finding a tangent line to the graph of the function.The function F(x) is called the anti derivative of the function f(x) on the interval (a,b) if at all points of this interval F’(x)=f(x)Definition:Indefinite Integral: If the function F(x) is an anti derivative of f(x), then F(x) +c is called the indefinite integral of the function f(x).It is denoted by ∠«f(x)dx. Since c is an arbitrary constant the integral is reasonably referred to as indefinite integral.Thus by definition ,∠«f(x)dx= F(x)+ C if F’(x)=f(x).f(x) is called the integrand and c is called the constant of integration. x is the variable of integration. The process of obtaining the integral is called as Integration.Definite Integral:... Let >0 |f(x) - (13)| < Substitute f(x) = 5x+3 |5x+3 - (13)| < |5x-10|2 (5x+3)=13 PART 2 1. DERIVATIVE Let a is a number in the domain of f and Lim/h->0 [f(a+h)-f(a)]/h exists, then f is said to be differentiable at a. This limit is called the derivative of f at a and is denoted by f'(a).For all x at which f(x) is differentiable ,f'(x) is a function called the derived function of f(x) .The domain of f'(x) is the subset of f(x). f'(x) is sometimes called as the derivative or the differential coefficient of f(x) at x.The process of obtaining the derivative of f is called Differentiation. f'(x) is sometimes denoted by dy/dx or Dy or Df(x) or d/dx f(x). 2. EXAMPLE If f(x) is a continuous function of x and if x varies, f(x) also varies correspondingly. But the variation in the function may not be uniform sometimes slowly and sometimes rapidly. Geometrically, this problem is equivalent of that of finding a tangent line to the graph of the function. For Example, velocity is derived from the position function and acceleration is derived from the velocity function. Each of velocity at a point, acceleration at a point etc., is an instantaneous rate of change ,but not the average rate of change, which relates to a finite interval of space or time .This is obtained by applying the limit concept to the problem of determining the instantaneous rate of change of a function. This is done by finding the

North America, Latin America, The Caribbean and Sub-Saharan Africa are Essay

North America, Latin America, The Caribbean and Sub-Saharan Africa are Joined Economically and Culturally - Essay Example People from diverse backgrounds come together through the cyber-world, work together, socialize, discuss issues and keep themselves updated about whatever is going on through media. America is considered to be the world’s greatest global economy, especially the Northern region, which is a comprehensive mix of people from diverse backgrounds. The major global changes begin in this region of the world and then spread everywhere quickly owing to the numerous benefits of globalization. On the other extreme, there is Africa, where growth has been minimal throughout the years, which means that globalization was also at a bare minimum. In the middle of these two extremes lie Latin America and the Caribbean where globalization and growth were at a steady rate, much lesser than in North America but much higher than in Sub Saharan Africa. For instance, Mexico had a very high rate of globalization as compared to other Caribbean States. Africa is typically seen as a place where there is a severe lack of resources and, in extreme cases, people are dying of hunger. There are huge geographical and demographic differences amongst these regions, America being the greatest developed country and most regions of Africa being the least developed. There is a huge gap in resources, culture, eating habits, kind of jobs people do, level of living of people. Americans have a lavish style of living and mostly have service-based economies, while a part of Africa is still suffering from lack of resources and a fairly large percentage of people who do not have any way to make a living. They are less educated; and in America, education is a primary concern available to all.

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Role of Line Managers in Human Resource functions and Roles Essay

Role of Line Managers in Human Resource functions and Roles - Essay Example This report will focus on discussing the role of line managers in human resource functions. As part of going through the main discussion, this report will incorporate HR theories related to effective recruitment and selection process, flexible job options, effective reward systems, and strategic training programmes that could effectively increase employee satisfaction and overall business performance. Based on several real-case scenarios, this report will evaluate whether or not the HR managers in each of the case scenarios were able to meet the role of HR function. Job analysis is referring to the process of defining a particular task and responsibilities (Stone, 2005, p. 10; Bartlett, 2000). Aside from identifying the human abilities, skills and/or educational qualifications and experience needed in enabling a person to successfully perform the job, the line manager should consider job analysis as an important component of an effective recruitment As part of attracting competitive individuals to join the team, the Royal Bank of Scotland Group exerted extra effort to improve their recruitment selection process (NatWest 2009). In line with this, the line manager of NatWest had to assess the job applicant’s skills and past work experiences in performing the demands of the available job position. In line with this, Nelson (1997, p. 40) explained that one of the prerequisite in hiring a highly competitive employee is to analyze a particular job description such as the skills and personal traits that has to be fulfilled by the job applicant. According to Hacker (1997), â€Å"a poor recruitment decision can cost a company the amount equal to 30% of the company’s First-year earnings†. Since the act of recruiting a wrong person is very costly on the part of the company, the line manager should be careful when assessing the applicant’s acquired skills and part work experiences based on the job

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Light pollution and diurnal motion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Light pollution and diurnal motion - Essay Example The spectral lines between them showed two separable stars. The third part a very distinctive star that I saw was the contact binaries star. This kind of stars appear when two stars are close in separation that it is possible for tidal forces to come into play as described by Schneider & Arny in ``Binary stars`` (Pg. 4). Stars are not solid bodies, but rather they are made of gases, such stars are very hard to count but I could count about 10 different tiny types of stars around this kind of star. Due to curiosity of learning I moved some distance away from civilization and identified the same three stars. I realized that from a different view the visual binary number reduced to 35 stars around it and the spectroscopic star became more visible that I could see the two different stars clearly with around 8 small stars surrounding them. The contact binary was still the same. There was no clear visualising to count more stars than before. I carried out different test in tracking the location of the stars from the North Star in different times of the day. I realised that the main source of star movement is light waves and like any waves when they are emitted they move out in all directions with its centre is maintained at the centre. When the star moves away from the North Star it is seen as the absorption of or emission lines in spectrum (Schneider & Arny, 2013). The shifts in these cases depend with a lot of factors but the major one from my perspective is the atmospheric chang e and the stars formation. The spectroscopic star shifted further from the North Star than all the other stars followed by the contact

Monday, September 23, 2019

Unsymmetrical Bending of a Cantilever Lab Report

Unsymmetrical Bending of a Cantilever - Lab Report Example The equipment was set up as shown in the laboratory manual. The two rearward were loosened and the inner two datum pegs made to contact by setting the angle between the two indicators at 900. One of the specimens was selected and fitted in the bottom chuck with the top chuck fitted with the top of the specimen and the extension piece to the bottom chuck. The cord was then placed on the groove and passed over the sliding pulley. The specimen was then rotated after undoing the top chuck. The indicators were allowed to travel 10 mm forward and 3 mm backward. The frame was tapped to reduce friction and loads applied in 100 g increments upto 500 g on the end of the cord. The resulting deflectins were recorded under Head angle: 0 °Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ title. The procedure was repeated while rotating the specimen clockwise 22.5 ° while tightening. By using dU/dP  and  dV/dP  as  a  point’s  coordinate, the points therein formed the Mohr’s circle as shown in the results. From the circle, the IX and IY were calculated for the experiment and compared to the theoretical calculation. Further, the graph of U and V (mm) against the pulling mass was used to determine the influence of the readings on load’s eccentricity. This graph was useful in finding the position at which the readings of the two indicators were equal. From this, the shear center was established by determining the intersection point. In which case, whenever the load is placed at the intersection point (shear center), the beam does not twist, since the two indicators’ readings are equal (Ross, 2009, 198). In order to verify the completeness of the results, hand calculations were done and then compared with the theoretical values. In which case, the distance between shear center and line L was calculated to confirm the accuracy of the results. However, there was a difference that can be

Sunday, September 22, 2019

The Lemon Tree Dilemma Essay Example for Free

The Lemon Tree Dilemma Essay The website EEOC.gov should be a bookmarked site for any individual who is working as or plans to work as a manager in a business with more than one (i.e., the owner) employee. This website contains the information that the federal government expects companies and businesses to use and follow with respect to hiring, firing, and disciplining its employees. It explains disabilities, how to handle them, and when to use them in making hiring decisions. It also provides information about protected classes, in which people must be a member before they can claim discrimination. You should plan to visit the EEOC website during this week to help work through this ethical dilemma faced by Paul and Mary, two managers in the company in The Lemon Tree. Read through the fictional dilemma, and then choose the subject of discrimination discussed therein, planning to debate the ramifications of that with your classmates and your instructor. Some of this seems obvious, but others aren’t as easy to determine as they seem. Your instructor will bring in new and different â€Å"twists and turns† as we go along. Read the dilemma, and then lets discuss. (The dilemma is found on the left tree, entitled The Lemon Tree Dilemma. ) 1. What is one aspect of Title VII that has been violated by the company? 2. Which actions by the two employees that call their credibility into question are you allowed, as an employer, to consider? Or, what types of actions are you not allowed to use and why? Are there any you wish you could use? Remember to support your answers to the questions above with a law or business reason. 1. Be sure to cover the different types of discrimination in this thread – all categories are possible areas for assessment on the Final Exam. 2. Next week, while the espionage case is under investigation, Paul opens hiring for Peter Puffs position and Mary opens hiring for Jackies position. Paul hires the first qualified white male who applies.

Saturday, September 21, 2019

Should the US End Overseas Military Operations?

Should the US End Overseas Military Operations? Do we really feel the protection that our country is giving us? Are wars productive for a nation? Do we have to fight with each other to get better? The United States has always been involved in international issues because they always want to be the saviors of the world. The planet earth is composed of wonderful and fascinating places in which humans live, but wars in the economy and social area destroy those wonderful and exciting places. Wars bring severe consequences to our society and economy that causes destruction and lives lost. Today, sometimes distinguish between armed conflicts and wars. According to this view, a conflict would only be a war if the groups have made a formal declaration of the same. In a conception of U.S. military doctrine no distinction is made, it is referrer to armed conflict as fourth generation wars. Invasions by the United States in the world in many countries, war against terrorism and progressive impairments through the years. Although U.S. troops were on the battlefields of France in 1918, there were not serious confrontations between these countries. President Wilson wins reelection on campaign promise of maintaining neutrality, but United States is soon drawn into war raging across Europe. World War I proves to be bloodiest war in world history, often referred to as The Great War or The War to End All Wars. After World War I, disagreements arise regarding proper U.S. role as regulator of world affairs. At what point shall we expect the approach of danger? American losses 48,000 killed in battle, 56,000 lost to disease seemed trifling compared to the staggering costs paid by other countries. Germany lost 1.8 million people; Russia, 1.7 million; France, 1.4 million; Austria-Hungary, 1.2 million; and Britain, 950,000. The War to End All Wars, as it was called, turned out to be just another test of humans aptitude for killing other humans in large quantities. Will the U.S.-led military coalition hold together even as France and others dash for the exits in coming months? Will enough Afghans come to embrace the corrupt government in Kabul as a preferred alternative to the militant Taliban? We are probably headed for stalemate in 2014, says Stephen Biddle, a George Washington University political science professor who has advised U.S. commanders in Afghanistan and Iraq. If that is the case, the U.S. will have to pump billions of dollars a year into Afghanistan for decades to prevent its collapse, Biddle says. Theres no reason why Americans should die when Afghans are perfectly capable of defending their own country, Obama said. Terrorism: According to Martin Indyk, vice president and director of Foreign Policy at the Brookings Institution, the tragedy of 9/11, and the subsequent war on terrorism waged by the Bush administration affected the U.S. role in the world. In the future, the U.S. administration will depend much of the Joint Special Operations Command, a military body à ©tite secret that has increased tenfold in the last decade, said The Washington Post. As American interests in the Pacific expanded, easy access to the region became vital. For that reason, U.S. leaders proposed a canal to connect the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Some people in Latin America and the United States opposed Roosevelts actions. They believed that he had interfered in Colombias affairs in order to cheat it out of land. In 1921, the United States finally paid Colombia $25 million for the loss of Panama. The Panama Canal was only one sign of U.S. involvement in Latin America. As the U.S. economy continued to grow, so did Americans interest in the resources of their southern neighbors. As economic interests drew the United States deeper into Latin American affairs, U.S. leaders became concerned about political stability in the region. They were especially worried that instability might tempt European nations to intervene in the region. The War in Afghanistan (2001-present) began on October 7, 2001, as Operation Enduring Freedom, a response to the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States of America (U.S.). This marked the beginning of the U.S. War on Terrorism. The stated purpose of the invasion was to capture Osama bin Laden, destroy al-Qaeda, and remove the Taliban regime which had provided support and safe harbour to al-Qaeda. The imperative to monitor, suppress, attack, and ultimately eradicate international terrorist groups seeking to strike the United States, its citizens, its interests, and its allies is prompting significant changes in the demands placed on the armed forces of the United States. U.S. forces will often be called upon to assist foreign governments that wish to eradicate terrorist groups on their territory but lack the capabilities to do so on their own. Despite a surge of troops to nearly 150,000 soldiers, the country remains a war zone. Earlier this month, 30 American soldiers were killed when their helicopter was shot down by the Taliban, bringing our death count for 2011 to 299. This, combined with a major Taliban offensive in May and the assassinations of prominent leaders, such as Karzais half-brother and the governor of the Oruzgan Province, indicates that military success is unlikely. It shows that U.S. has paid for its wars either through debt [World War II, Cold War, Afghanistan/Iraq], taxation [Korean War] or inflation [Vietnam]. When comparing the direct multiplier effects of military spending to other forms of government spending, it is not as productive in economic terms as spending in infrastructure, education, or even as tax cuts to increase household consumption. The U.S. economy has other problems, but Europes troubles have undermined consumer and business confidence on both sides of the Atlantic. And the deeply divided U.S. political system has delivered growth-chilling uncertainty. The economy shed a staggering 8.8 million jobs during and shortly after the recession. Since employment hit bottom, the economy has created just over 4 million jobs. So the new hiring has replaced 46 percent of the lost jobs, by far the worst performance since World War II. The essential act of war is destruction, not necessarily of human lives, but of the products of human labor. War is a way of shattering to pieces, or pouring into the stratosphere, or sinking in the depths of the sea, materials which might otherwise be used to make the masses too comfortable, and hence, in the long run, too intelligent. Said George Orwell. Findley suggests that war can alter a persons behaviour negatively. War has been a constant part of human history. It has greatly affected the lives of people around the world. These effects, however, are extremely detrimental. Soldiers must shoulder extreme stress on the battlefield. Those that cannot mentally overcome these challenges may develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Sadly, some resort to suicide to escape their insecurities. Soldiers, however, are not the only ones affected by wars; family members also experience mental hardships when their loved ones are sent to war. I disagree with the wars because besides many innocent lives lost, we also lose millions of money that we could invest in schools, our seniors, in top positions work for all Americans and the millions of immigrants entering each year day in this country. In conclusion, I say that the wars against other countries are not the way how we are going to deal with the problem with have in our planet. The wars against weak countries are unfair and damaging more lives because they cannot defend themselves because they do not have weapons necessary and not even often lack the mentality to fight against others. Although the United States is a country rich in many fields, is losing the essence and respect for other countries because of wars. The money spent each day for these foolish wars we could use it in areas that really need help to grow and move forward as a nation entities. The economy suffers with the wars and with it we also suffer because a country without a stable economy does not help its citizens to get what they want. Wars not help but destroy. Work Cited Tran, Hinh. America should no longer be involved in costly wars overseas. The Daily Californian. August 21, 2011. Opinion. October 24, 2012. America should no longer be involved in costly wars overseas Rand Office of Media Relations. Americans Will Back Military Action Overseas If They Believe the United States Has Important Stakes in a Battle. For Release May 29, 2005. Web. October 24, 2012. http://www.rand.org/news/press/2005/05/29.html Bingham, Amy. War in Afghanistan. ABC News. Oct. 15, 2012. Web. October 1, 2012. http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/afghanistan/index.html Bowman, Steve. Iraq: U.S. Military Operations. Congressional Research Service. July 15, 2007. Web. October 24, 2012. Ochmanek, David. Military Operations Against Terrorist Groups Abroad: Implications for the United States Air Force. Monograph Reports. December 3, 2003. Web. October 26, 2012. http://www.rand.org/pubs/monograph_reports/MR1738.html Burns, Robert. New Afghan war phase, with no decisive end seen. AP National Security Writer. October 26, 2012. Web. October 29, 2012. http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hgNrnpMS0e0Qm905d0U4wPF2Cx3w?docId=5e1baf1d205e4dc29097f2ee2b284200