Motivation and Employee Performance Essay Example

Motivation and Employee Performance Essay Effects of motivation on employees performance in an organization The problem can be placed within human resource management perspective as there maybe issues catering to research literature for instance, there maybe lack of support into employee motivation for positive performance indicator in the organization, for example, the presence of too much authority can affect employee performance due to some issues of motivation, affecting employees motivation level. There is ample need to recognize motivation and performance into employee based perspective, finding out motivation effects on employee performance thus, recognizing research based theories and applications (motivation and employee performance). This will be in Uganda context. 1. What is Motivation and How Does it Affect Performance? Why is knowing how to motivate employees is important? What comprise of motivation received by employees? Discuss with literature 2. What is meant by employee performance? Discuss aspects in accordance to literature 3. How is performance manifested by human resource area? How it is known in terms of effects underlying motivation ways? 4. What are some of motivation effects toward employee performance? Is there a positive effect? A negative effect? Name some 5. What are several ways of measuring motivation to come up with effective employee performance? How it is measured for the purpose of recognizing performance success? There is positive effect of motivation towards employee performance within Uganda’s SME There is negative effect of motivation towards employee performance within Uganda’s SME We will write a custom essay sample on Motivation and Employee Performance specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Motivation and Employee Performance specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Motivation and Employee Performance specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer For literature, motivated employees help organizations survive as motivated employees are more productive. To be effective, HR need to understand what motivates employees within the context of roles they perform, motivating employees is complex as due to the fact that what motivates employees changes constantly ( 1991) as for example, research suggests that as employees income increases, money becomes less of motivator (1987), as employees get older, interesting work becomes more of motivator thus, the need to describe the ranked importance of the following motivating factors: job security sympathetic help with personal problems personal loyalty to employees interesting work good working conditions tactful discipline good wages promotions and growth in the organization feeling of being in on things full appreciation of work done Survey based technique will be used to solicit the data. The target respondents are managerial level employees of Uganda’s SMEs, survey will comprise of different sections contains survey statements measuring motivation and employee performance in lieu to: Motivation and acquisition bases Employee Performance bases Motivation and enrichment bases Performance labeling and execution of motivation tactics A total of 50 employees working within two or three Uganda SMEs mostly in the area of manufacturing and production, noting in how they are motivated and what performance level they have resulted due to motivation given such as performance based incentives as well as rewards. The employees are to asked to indicate their extent of agreement using the five-point Likert scale (with 5 = completely agree, to 1 = completely disagree). The motivation for qualitative method is opposed to that of quantitative method. Qualitative method is designed to help researchers understand people and the social and cultural contexts which they live, as the understanding of phenomenon from viewpoints of participants and its particular social and institutional context is largely lost when textual date is quantified, research questions are need to be examined for reliability and validity. 1 Strongly Disagree 2 Disagree 3 Neutral 4 Agree 5 Strongly Agree No Statements 1 motivated employees help organizations survive as motivated employees are more productive 1 2 3 4 5 2 HR need to understand what motivates employees within the context of roles they perform 1 2 3 4 5 3 employees income increases, money becomes less of motivator 1 2 3 4 5 4 employees get older, interesting work becomes more of motivator 1 2 3 4 5 Data will be collected and analyzed through using qualitative techniques such as pointing towards document analysis, interviews and questionnaire survey. The primary data is to be collected from the respondents in HR based situations, secondary data is to comprise of reference concerning research subject as the use of existing Malaysia information will be realized within the overall research structure The research paper will argue that current knowledge of determinants of motivation and performance is woefully inadequate as initial step toward improving the situation, conceptual model is a must which identify set of individual, interpersonal, organizational and environmental variables that may influence employee motivation and his level of performance. The model incorporates many constructs and research findings from other disciplines, but the primary purpose is to provide conceptual framework and specific hypotheses to help guide future empirical research for people management.

Issues in Researching and Developing Media Projects The WritePass Journal

Issues in Researching and Developing Media Projects Introduction Issues in Researching and Developing Media Projects , p. 1) when it was pointed out that: â€Å"Studies have shown that online participation varies with income.† Hence, it was stressed that individuals of a higher income were more likely to blog. Whilst this may be due to a lack of internet connectivity it is evident that the ideologies of the minority are not being represented. In addition, even where the minority do blog, it is unlikely that their views will reach the mainstream, which again signifies how the media is being controlled by a certain type of person. Antonio Gramsci and Hegemony (Long, P. and Wall, T. 2009, p. 285). Long and Wall believe that ideology is no longer considered relevant in today’s society. Accordingly, they believe that despite media perceptions as to how individuals ought to live their life, the constant changes no longer make this possible. Therefore, the ideological theory no longer represents society as it once did: ideology is not static and is subject to change – how we live and what we believe is different from the society of Marx’s day† (Long and Wall, 2009, p. 287). In accordance with this, it is therefore believed by Long and Wall that the media can no longer influence societal values and beliefs in the way that they could. This is very important in order to eradicate gender, class and racial biases which the media appear to have created, yet whether this means that the media no longer have an influence on society is doubtful. This is because, mass communication products will continue to influence the ways in which we think about things whether consciously or subconsciously and as asserted by Kenix (2010, p. 1); â€Å"Media both perpetuate identities to the public and are receptors of an ideology created and sustained within society.† It was also added that; â€Å"Media do not only send ideological messages out to the public but media systems are also interwoven into the ideological framework of society. Media also have their greatest influence on individuals over time.† Consequently, provided that the media continue to expose certain ideologies, it will eventually become embedded into all societies regardless as to whether it was disapproved of or not. This is because, regardless as to whether the media are a desirable influencer, it is clear that they shape individuals values and beliefs within modern society. Whilst attitudes may have changed over the years, the media is still the most powerful product which ultimately controls ideology through the perceptions in which it creates. This leads to much inequality, though â€Å"there is a widespread recasting of the ideal role of the state† (Garland and Sparks, 2000; p. 186). In order to prevent the media from influencing society in a way that leads to inequality, it is vital that public bodies â€Å"have a crucial role in helping people fulfill their potential and removing the barriers that hold people back† (White Paper, 2009) in effect, social inequalities must therefore be eradicated in order to tackle such media inequality. Thus, whilst Long and Wall make it clear that the media does significantly influence popular culture, they are still of the belief that ideolog ies are no longer relevant in today’s society. If these contentions are accurate, it would seem as though the underlying issues surrounding race, gender and sexuality are simply the result of individual perceptions. Consequently, it is evident that the relationship between the mass media and popular culture is still pertinent in today’s society, though the media do not have the same influence over individual values as they may have had in the past. Although this is considered important in preventing inequality, it seems as though the mass media should have a broader perspective on life as prejudice is still being conveyed. Conclusion Overall, it is manifest that there are significant social, cultural and psychological effects of media content and use. This is widely due to the fact that modern society is largely influenced by the ideologies that are created by mass communication. In addition, whilst different ideologies continue to be promoted, only certain values reach mainstream society. This leads to a great deal of inequality and illustrates how the media are capable of dominating the social world by conveying their own views and opinions. In Horkeimer and Adorno’s text, it became apparent that popular culture is swayed by the production of standardised cultural goods and that societal values and beliefs are thereby manipulated as a result of this. It was also made clear that cultural industries are only created in order to generate income for those that are most likely to profit and that the true needs of society are not being provided for. Whilst many will disagree with these points, it is palpable t hat the media can influence and change the ways in which society thinks. This is also due to the fact that the owners and controllers of the media are usually white middle and upper class men who communicate their own beliefs and values into everyday settings. Hence, media content does not hold a broad perspective, which ultimately leads to inequality as only certain issues are being dealt with. Because of the constant changes in society, however, it is believed by Long and Wall that ideologies are no longer relevant, yet given that the relationship between the mass media and popular culture is still very much existent it is likely that ideologies will still influence society. References Croteau, D. and Hoynes, W. (2003) Media/Society: Industries, Images and Audiences, Pine Forge Press. Deveraux, E. (2007) Understanding the Media, Sage Publications, 2nd Edition. Fiske, J. (2010) Understanding Popular Culture, Taylor Francis, 2nd Edition. Fitts, M. (2008) Drop it Like its Hot: Culture Industry Labourers and Their Perspectives on Rap Music Video Production, Meidans: Feminism, Race, Transitionalism, vol. 8, no. 1. Garland, D., and Sparks, R., (2000). Criminology and Social Theory. OUP Oxford. Horkeimer, M and Adorno, T. W. (1944) Dialetic of Enlightenment, Vesro Books. Kenix, L. J. (2010) Alternative and Mainstream Media: The Converging Spectrum, [Online] Available: bloomsburyacademic.com/view/AlternativeMainstreamMedia_9781849665421/chapter-ba-9781849665421-chapter-008.xml?print [07 January 2013]. Long, P., and Wall, T., (2009) Media Studies: Texts, Production and Context, Longman, 1st Edition. Perse, E. M. (2001) Media Effects and Society, Psychology Press. Spears, A. K. (1999) Race and Ideology: Language, Symbolism and Popular Culture, Wayne State University Press. Thompson, J., (1995). The Media and Modernity. Cambridge: Polity. Whibey, J. (2012) The Trend of Class, Race and Ethnicity in Social Media Inequality, Journalists Resource, [Online] Available: http://journalistsresource.org/studies/society/gender-race/the-trend-of-class-race-and-ethnicity-in-social-media-inequality [07 January 2013]. White Paper., (2009). New Opportunities: Fair Chances for the Future: The Guardian, Socialism in one Clause? The Government’s proposal to tackle inequality, [Online] Available: guardian.co.uk/society/blog/2009/jan/13/equality-socialexclusion [07 January 2013]. Young, J., (1999). The Exclusive Society: Social Exclusion, Crime and Difference in Late Modernity. Sage Publications Ltd.

War between the Confederation and the Union Movie Review

War between the Confederation and the Union - Movie Review Example The documentary also tries to build a personal account of the life of Robert E. Lee, the main hero and center point of the documentary by detailing his personal life, emotions, travails, and changes that the country faced during the war. The documentary starts with the personal life of Robert E. Lee and shows his upbringing in the initial period. It showcases the different events that shaped his early life and perception, his devotion to becoming a soldier, his pursuit of excellence and striving to be the best. It documents the early life and the Mexican war that established him as a dashing soldier. It also takes us through the period of secession and his refusal to take up the leadership of the Union forces during it. He served as a senior military advisor to President Jefferson Davis. It shows the seven-day wars, the wars of Chancellorsville and Gettysburg. Overall, this documentary tries to paint a picture of the war from the perspective of Robert E. Lee. The letters from him to his children were also documented. The Overland campaign of General Grant is also mentioned, along with the change in fortunes of the Confederate military. This led to an overall change in the position of the army in the Confederate states. It also led to the surrender of the Confederate army. This war of secession is a recurrent theme in the documentary. In fact, this theme is used to develop the storyline of the documentary. It also shows the genesis of the main character, Robert E. Lee over this period. This is one of the fundamental aspects of this character. He undergoes a lot of transitions, from being the main military advisor to becoming the main man behind the rebellion. The documentary in many ways also tried to reflect the realities of the America of the 1900s, from the themes of slavery to the lifestyle in America. It bears testimony to the theme of slavery, and the other aspects of American life that became a part of its evolution into the current day Unites States. SCO PE OF THE DOCUMENTARY The documentary follows a pattern wherein it juxtaposes the war of Confederate and the Union States with the life of Robert E. Lee. It follows all the events in the life of Lee, starting from the early years to the growth in the army and the overall genesis into an astute general. In many ways, there are certain themes that are recurrent in the documentary. These are the themes of slavery, the themes of the political situation of the country and the other associated factors. The documentary maintains a narrative wherein a lot of importance has been put on the costumes. The costumes are very authentic and depict to the life and times in the 1900s. There is a lot of inherent color and hue in the dressing of the main characters.

Human Biological Systems, Co-ordination & Control Essay

Human Biological Systems, Co-ordination & Control - Essay Example Different Parts of the Nervous System The human nervous system includes three main parts. These are central nervous system, peripheral nervous system and the autonomic nervous system. The CNS consists of brain and spinal cord while the other two are formed by neurons clusters known as ganglia. The brain is comprised of three major parts. The cerebrum controlling the human senses of touch etc, the cerebellum which controls coordination and balance and the brain stem that provides the linkage between brain and spinal cord as well as controls breathing, heartbeat and digestion. Spinal Cord is a tube consisting of neurons that move up the spine and links to the brain stem. The signals from the body parts are first conveyed to the spinal cord, from where they are either responded in case of autonomic responses or else are conveyed to the brain. 2. Types of Neurons The neurons or nerve cells are classified on the basis of their function as motor neurons, sensory neurons and inter- neurons. Motor neurons dispatch signals from the CNS to the other body parts. Thus carries a message that has been send by the CNS to generate an appropriate response, sensory neurons convey the external stimuli that triggered the nerve impulse to the CNS. These stimuli may be sense of taste, hearing, sight, smell, touch and pain. While inter neurons relay information among groups of neurons or neurons for information processing to occur within the brain in a similar way as computer’s logic circuits. They also convey information within the CNS. 3. Nerve Impulse Initiation Animals have various kinds of mechanical stimuli receptors. Each receptor begins nerve impulses within the sensory neurons on going thru a physical deformation introduced by an external stimulus like pressure, touch, stretching, sound waves and motion. A nerve impulse starts within a living cell by receptor cells. These all possess exceptional voltage-gated sodium channels, but are gated instead by the suitable stim ulus either directly or indirectly. For instance: In tongue the sodium channels are chemical-gated which opens the taste receptors on coming in contact with a particular food chemical while sodium channels in the inner ear hair cells are mechanically-gated that are disturbed by sound vibrations. In either case the right stimulus leads to the opening of sodium channel, leading the flow of sodium ions into the cell, causing membrane potential depolarization and ultimately influences the voltage-gated channels of sodium located nearby and initiates an action potential. Nerve impulses transmission Electrical transmission Neurons receive and send messages from and to one another and the body. This communication takes place via

Historical document analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Historical document analysis - Essay Example At the close of the Second World War, America’s role in the world had changed drastically, from merely a great power to a superpower – one of the two in the world. It was also clear that there would be a long ideological, and possibly military, conflict with the other superpower. This, combined with the lessons learned from the Second World War, meant that America had to change its traditional military presence – it had to form a standing army and ensure that it was on the forefront of research and development for military techniques. The two responses for this week, one by Marshall and one by Eisenhower, show two sides of this coin. Marshall emphasizes the way warfare had fundamentally changed, essentially stating the need for a military-industrial complex. Eisenhower largely agreed with Marshall’s analysis of the lessons of the Second World War, but argued for a more cautious approach, and espoused serious concerns with the kind of social and governmenta l changes that could come with a large and growing military industrial complex. Marshall’s description of the lessons learned from the Second World War make it clear that he believes that the only way to possibly maintain peace in the world is to constantly be on alert for war. An unarmed peace is unlikely to persist, he argues, because it makes the violence such a tempting option. He equates it to a society that outlaws murder, but does not introduce any mechanism to enforce the laws that it has established (211). He says that America laying down its arms, as it always had after a war would â€Å"court disaster† (211). He does not, however, envision a large standing army per se, but rather would like to see the development of a military industrial complex – a group of researchers, producers and so on that keep America at the forefront of development. He noted that â€Å"98%† of America’s war effort had been technological – it

Planimetric Maps Essay Example for Free

Planimetric Maps Essay A planimetric map presents only the horizontal positions for the features represented. It is distinguished from a topographic map by the omission of relief, normally represented by contour lines. Sometimes, it is called a line map. Topographic Map. A topographic map portrays terrain features in a measurable way, as well as the horizontal positions of the features represented. The vertical positions, or relief, are normally represented by contour lines on military topographic maps. On maps showing relief, the elevations and contours are measured from a specific vertical datum plane, usually mean sea level. Photomap. A photomap is a reproduction of an aerial photograph upon which grid lines, marginal data, place names, route numbers, important elevations, boundaries, and approximate scale and direction have been added. Joint Operations Graphics. Joint operations graphics are based on the format of standard 1:250,000 medium-scale military topographic maps, but they contain additional information needed in joint air-ground operations. Along the north and east edges of the graphic, detail is extended beyond the standard map sheet to provide overlap with adjacent sheets. These maps are produced both in ground and air formats. Each version is identified in the lower margin as either joint operations graphic (air) or joint operations graphic (ground). The topographic information is identical on both, but the ground version shows elevations and contour in meters and the air version shows them in feet. Layer (elevation) tinting and relief shading are added as an aid to interpolating relief. Both versions emphasize airlanding facilities (shown in purple), but the air version has additional symbols to identify aids and obstructions to air navigation. Photomosaic. A photomosaic is an assembly of aerial photographs that is commonly called a mosaic in topographic usage. Mosaics are useful when time does not permit the compilation of a more accurate map. The accuracy of a mosaic depends on the method employed in its preparation and may vary from simply a good pictorial effect of the ground to that of a planimetric map. Terrain Model. A terrain model is a scale model of the terrain showing features, and in large-scale models showing industrial and cultural shapes. It provides a means for visualizing the terrain for planning or indoctrination purposes and for briefing on assault landings. Military City Map. A military city map is a topographic map (usually at 1:12,550 scale, sometimes up to 1:5,000), showing the details of a city. It delineates streets and shows street names, important buildings, and other elements of the urban landscape important to navigation and military operations in urban terrain. The scale of a military city map depends on the importance and size of the city, density of detail, and available intelligence information. Special Maps. Special maps are for special purposes such as trafficability, communications, and assault maps. They are usually in the form of an overprint in the scales smaller than 1:100,000 but larger than 1:1,000,000. A special purpose map is one that has been designed or modified to give information not covered on a standard map. The wide range of subjects that could be covered under the heading of special purpose maps prohibits, within the scope of this manual, more than a brief mention of a few important ones. Some of the subjects covered are: * Terrain features. * Drainage characteristics. * Vegetation. * Climate. * Coasts and landing beaches. * Roads and bridges. * Railroads. * Airfields. * Urban areas. * Electric power. * Fuels. * Surface water resources. * Ground water resources. * Natural construction materials. * Cross-country movements. * Suitability for airfield construction. * Airborne operations. If military maps are not available, use substitute maps. The substitute maps can range from foreign military or commercial maps to field sketches. The NGA can provide black and white reproductions of many foreign maps and can produce its own maps based upon intelligence. Foreign Maps. Foreign maps have been compiled by nations other than our own. When they must be used, the marginal information and grids are changed to conform to our standards, if time permits. The scales may differ from our maps, but they do express the ratio of map distance to ground distance and can be used in the same way. The legend must be used since the map symbols almost always differ from ours. Because the accuracy of foreign maps varies considerably, they are usually evaluated in regard to established accuracy standards before they are issued to our troops. Atlases. Atlases are collections of maps of regions, countries, continents, or the world. Such maps are accurate only to a degree and can be used for general information only. Geographic Maps. Geographic maps provide an overall idea of the mapped area in relation to climate, population, relief, vegetation, and hydrography. They also show the general location of major urban areas. Tourist Road Maps. Tourist road maps are maps of a region in which the main means of transportation and areas of interest are shown. Some of these maps show secondary networks of roads, historic sites, museums, and beaches in detail. They may contain road and time distance between points. The scale should be carefully considered when using these maps. City/Utility Maps. City/utility maps are maps of urban areas showing streets, water ducts, electricity and telephone lines, and sewers. Field Sketches. Field sketches are preliminary drawings of an area or piece of terrain. Aerial Photographs. Aerial photographs can be used as map supplements or substitutes to help you analyze the terrain, plan your route, or guide your movement.

Gerard Manley Hopkins Essay -- essays research papers fc

Gerard Manley Hopkins Gerard Manley Hopkins is a reflection of his time period because his work represents realism, his work was different from what was expected, and his work had to do with religion. Although Hopkins is considered as one of the great poets of the past, he was not that appreciated during his time period. The only reason that we have his work today is because his friends held on to his work after his death and decided to publish it for him in 1918.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hopkins age was defined by the change from romanticism to realism. This was a slow change but it was one that was greatly needed by Hopkins. His work was not very well liked by people because it was about things that were against the church (Bloom p.90). During his time this was a big mistake, but in the same sense this portrayed realism to its fullest. Although some of Hopkins’ poems seem disturbing, they are actually excellent pieces of work. He portrayed realism by only writing about things that were realistic to him and his society. People did not accept Hopkins’ poetry because they did not like him; they did not accept it because it went against everything they believed in. The church was the most important thing in peoples’ lives during this era and most of Hopkins’ work were about things that went against the church and its beliefs. Even though people did not accept his poems during his time, they are very well accepted now and a re considered masterpieces of his era.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hopkins’ work was ve...

Effects of Equality in “Harrison Bergeron”

Kyle Chandler Professor T. Payne English 1102 4 February 2013 Effects of equality in â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† â€Å"Harrison Bergeron,† written by Kurt Vonnegut focuses on the idea of physical and mental equality, which is controlled by the government in the year 2081; the strong are forced to wear handicaps which hinder their abilities, the intellectual are forced to be unintelligent due to a radio transmitter that won’t allow the individual to think. Vonnegut uses satirical tone and places this story in the future, to show how total equality would not work.Not only does total equality sound absurd it removes the ability for individuals to be different. Individuality means having a quality that separates one individual from another. This means that by having total equality, there is a loss of individuality. In Kurt Vonnegut’s story â€Å"Harrison Bergeron†, Vonnegut’s satirical, dystopian society in which everyone is average, presents the id ea that handicaps that constitute equality also eliminates individuality, along with self-worth. Throughout â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† every member of society is equal. With the use of handicaps no person can be above average intellect, strength or even appeal.Vonnegut uses word choice that promotes this society is a satire creation early in the story. â€Å"The Year Was 2081, and everybody was finally equal† (Vonnegut 7). By throwing in the adjective ‘finally’, Vonnegut claims that it should have happened sooner, yet as the story goes on it becomes obvious that nothing is attractive about total equality. He opens the second paragraph by introducing the two main characters, George and Hazel. Vonnegut also promotes his satire when the main characters keep losing train of thought due to the fact that George has a handicap that keeps him from thinking too much and Hazel is of average intelligence. There were tears on Hazel’s cheeks, but she’d forg otten for the moment what they were about† (Vonnegut 7). Having the ability to cry and then no longer remembering the reasoning for it is not only below average intelligence, but also inhumane. By showing that the Hazel does not even have the intelligence to remember something that brings enough emotion to produce tears, Vonnegut presents how these handicaps could not possibly be an improvement to the future because to be truly equal you have to be the same as the least intelligent, least strong, and least attractive.He also uses a mocking tone when referring to George’s son Harrison. In the story George starts to think â€Å"about his abnormal son who [is] in jail† but cannot think about it long due to the mental handicap (9). The author uses the word ‘abnormal’ satirically because Harrison â€Å"is a genius and an athlete† and way above average in every manner(10). The use of satire in Vonnegut’s story promotes that handicaps eliminat e individuality by making each character the same. By creating total equality in this society, it abolishes the self-worth of the individuals.People gain self-worth by having a quality about them that makes them superior to others, whether it is their intelligence, a hobby they are good at, or a skill they have acquired. In â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† it is no longer possible to have superior qualities and Vonnegut shows this when the main characters are watching a dance recital on television. Hazel states that the dance was â€Å"nice† yet in reality â€Å"they weren’t really very good – no better than anyone else would have been, anyway† (8). This shows that even if the dancers were talented they could not be proud of their talents or display it due to the handicaps.With no reason for individuals to be proud of themselves there is no longer a need for humans to grow. This normality not only ruins dancing as an art but also ruins all other forms of a rt too. When the musicians play in â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† it is average until the protagonist Harrison, comes in and â€Å"strip[s] them of their handicaps† for a short amount of time (12). The ability to be expressive and different is one of the sole reasons behind art when it comes to musicians and dancers. Artists lose all self-worth that comes with their talent when they can no longer express it.What is the point in developing a skill, if the handicap on it is just going to be increased? Similarly the individual’s absence of self-worth is mainly due to the vacancy of individuality. Handicaps controlling peoples mental and physical ability removes individuality for every human being. With individuality being a character quality that distinguishes them from others, people no longer have the any qualities that separate them from others. Vonnegut shows this with the main character George, even though â€Å"his intelligence [is] way above normal,† George has â€Å"a little mental handicap in his ear† (7).Instead of having his intelligence which sets him apart from the normal members of society, the oppressive society that yearns for equality has diminished his individuality. Throughout the whole story there is only one hopeful scene in which individuality is achieved. Harrison Bergeron, the outcast who breaks the law by not using handicaps when he is incredibly intelligent, strong, and good looking, breaks out of jail and gives the audience a small glimpse of hope. He goes on public television and exclaims that he is â€Å"the new emperor† and that he is â€Å"a greater ruler than any man who ever lived† (12).Even though Harrison is a bad guy towards other characters, he stands for good in the story because he is the only character with individuality and the ability to remove equality. This glimpse of hope does not last long though because the Handicapper General, the head of the police force, comes in and kill s George. The satirical tone in Kurt Vonnegut’s story â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† demonstrates that handicaps throughout the story are not actually an improvement, because they remove the individual’s ability to distinguish themselves from others.The restrictions that are placed on people hinder their intellect, strength, and appeal, keeping everyone equal but at the same time, displaying a lack of freedom, self-worth, and individuality. Vonnegut’s satire tone also exaggerates the idea of equality being a good thing, showing that total equality violates human rights. By setting â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† in the future, Vonnegut shows how total equality would be undesirable to the audience. Works Cited Vonnegut, Kurt, Jr. â€Å"Harrison Bergeron† 1961. Welcome to the Monkey House. New York: Dial Trade Paper Backs, 2010. 7-14. Print.

What can the public sector procurement learn from the private organisation procurement teams?

Simply viewed, purchasing is ultimately purchasing. Procurement specialists in the two sectors and even from the third sector of charitable, non-profit, and volunteer groups order their purchases from the same suppliers. Both the private and the public sectors pursue value for money. Towards this end, they plan responsible efficient and flexible procurement systems. However, few differences draw the distinction between the two sectors. This is reflected in the radically different dynamics in the two sectors’ operations. As the paper unfolds, it emerges that there is a lot which the public sector can learn from the private sector if it is to achieve the same level of success enjoyed by the former (Barrett and Hill, 2004). The volume or size reflects on one of the commonly touted differences in the procurement sectors (Braczyk, Cooke and Heidenreich, 1998). However, it is inevitable to examine differences in reporting, competition, trade agreements, accountability, corporate culture, tendering processing, awarding tenders, and performance. It is also important to look into professionalism across the two sectors. The commonality or difference in skills is critical also. Ethical considerations across the two sectors are equalled examined with a view to raising valuable information whether the public sector has something to learn from the private sector or not. The public sector management environment is heavily regulated by policy, legislation, and specific processes while on the other hand, the private sector remains more receptive to enterprising and entrepreneurial dynamics as exhibited by their differences in corporate culture (Braczyk, Cooke and Heidenreich, 1998). It is true that the private sector is also subject to certain rules and regulations but the difference rests on the nature of the regulations. The entrepreneurial dynamics are apparently an absent phenomenon in the public sector apart from few instances. This entrepreneurial focus is an area where the public procurement sector needs to learn and improve on based on the private procurement sector model. However, the sector may be impeded by the political influence, as the partisan nature of political processes is influential. The professionals who work in the public sector procurement need significantly more than the regular amount of diplomacy, patience, communication skills, and political intelligence if it is to prevail (Barrett and Hill, 2004). On the other hand, private sector procurement operates in more advanced challenges in the form of bigger risks, more recognition, among other issues. It is on this premise that the view that private sector pays more recognition to competence as key towards success in comparison to the public sector is held. The public procurement sector should minimise the diplomacy and political leanings and focus on competency just as the private procurement sector. Such focus should ensure bigger and attractive returns. Accountability and transparency present other areas of concern in reference to procurement (Barrett and Hill, 2004). This is influenced by the fact that the stakeholders in the public sector procurement come from diverse circles and do not stand a meaningful chance in influencing it. The stakeholders largely composed of taxpayers, clients, elected officials, and in other instances; vendors, underscore this realization. On the converse, the private procurement sector employs up-to date mechanisms to ensure accountability ad transparency in engagements. Most private procurement entities also focus on specific markets, an aspect that the public procurement sector can only attain through the establishment of specialised separate units to address the various aspects of procurement demands. It is thus not surprising that before procurement decisions are made, it is preferred that consensus is struck. Public organizations thus focus on consensus building rather than working competitively (Braczyk, Cooke and Heidenreich, 1998). Public procurement officers are as a result under an obligation to work cooperatively as opposed to doing so competitively. This is further under-lied by the idea that public enterprises engage in the sharing of some information, as it is a requirement in most public organisations. Ontario Public Buyers Association offers an example of organisations, which operate under these conditions. Consensus building is desirable towards appeasing contending stakeholders but this holds limited economic sense. This holds true since consensus building does not factor in the essence of time and other factors, which influence business in a positive manner. As proposed earlier, public procurement should be split into specialised units to deal with specific issues in procurement as it happens in the private sector. The freedom and flexibility to conduct business is absent in the public sector (Earl, 2002). On the converse, the private sector enjoys the presence of these attributes, which constitute the dream pursuits of every buyer. Flexibility is examined in reference to the kind of red tape associated with the public sector procurement. The procedural rules negatively influence the procurement process as the lengthening of the exercise proves an unattractive proposition. The red tape as a result puts constraints and unnecessary demands on the process of procurement. Red tape was intended to ensure observance of set rules ad regulations, but this s no longer congruent with emerging trends in business. As a result, doing away with the unnecessary procedural demands is desirable if the public procurement sector is to make progress. The absence of purposeful negotiations, discussions, leniency measures further compounds the shortcomings associated with public sector procurement. It is notable that public enterprises do not take their time in responding to issues like requests for proposals. Precision and detail must be presented to every relevant department before a decision is arrived at. On the converse, in the private sector procurement, the clients’ issues are keenly attended to as required. In the entrepreneurship spirit, private sector procurement allows for the negotiation of deals on the basis of fees and terms of work which appeal to both parties, as a result, growth in private procurement in tandem with quality of work (Earl, 2004). The focus is on building a good and long lasting working relationship between customers and private organizations. In the private sector procurement, if a company or client secures a satisfactory engagement, when similar projects emerge, the need to go through the same sieving exercises are not considered. The basis upon which tenders are given rests o the previous records of accomplishment. The solid ethical and moral aspects, which governmental organizations lean on, account for some unnecessary engagements. Public sector procurement demands that adherence to rules and procedures are unquestionable (Edquist, 1997). The formal protocol on responsibility, liability, accountability, and the need to protect government information constrains public procurement. On the other hand, the private sector procurement extends freedom on contractual engagements. The private sector clients focus on the market share, competitiveness, and visibility, fees, and contracts act as a measure towards achieving these goals. The moment corporate professionalism is established with a private sector client, the credibility set is useful in determining fruitful future engagements. Of late, governments are embracing e-Procurement; this embracement is based on the realization made concerning the beneficial attributes arising from both administrative and cost reductions associated with such in the private sector (Malerba, 2002). Tendering platforms, desktop purchasing systems, and e-marketplaces, features common in private sector procurement have been adopted in the public sector procurement. This is a positive step, which should pave way for similar improvements towards the promotion of efficiency and effectiveness. The nature of public sector procurement goes through rigorous bureaucratic procedures based on institutional demands (Miles, 2004). The regulation process of public procurement, which witnesses different roles played by international, national, and regional authorities, implies that this type of procurement faces a number of hurdles to overcome. This regulation is meant to ensure competition and transparency in the procurement exercise. To cite an example, public procurement in the UK has to be consistent wit the European Union procurement guidelines, which offer a framework of rules on the issue. These rules and regulations deter EU member countries from distorting competition in public procurement on the basis of geographical or national basis. The creation of the European market provides an avenue for getting value for money in the procurement sector. Apart from adhering to the European Union policy on public procurement, the public institutions must also comply with the requirements imposed by the government as reflected by the Value for Money policy. This policy demands that procurement choices should be premised on whole life cost assessment as opposed to lowest price only. On the basis of this synopsis, it is clear that government procurement is diverse in respect to what it has to cover. This extension and complexity implies that achieving efficiency and lower costs is hard to make operational. Reducing the complexity characterising public sector procurement is thus a challenge. The tendering process is designed in a way that ensures that work done by the government is given out fairy. The government considers the pricing and the nature of the entity offering the required services. The aim is to ensure that tender processing is fairly done based on governmental policies. Though important, pricing is not the major focus in public procurement (Malone, 2001). On the other hand, private sector tendering focuses on fairness and effectiveness in reference to competition. This is based on the drive towards achieving the most cost-effective outcomes in the tendering process. The primary focus is the cost effect, an attribute the government needs to learn from the private sector tendering (Malone, 2001). The political elite holds a lot of power when it comes to public tendering. This is partly due to the fact that the political class hold executive powers in country leaderships. On the other hand, in the private sector, key officials of companies who hold the required expertise holds the power of making decisions on the tendering processes (Malone, 2001). The public sector should learn from the private sector by fully authorising the bureaucratic experts to control the tendering process. If the public sector is to be in a position to operate competitively, it needs to posses buyer power. As in the case of the private buyer power, the public purchasing power may rise from the size of demand in reference to the public sector against the total market demand or due to strategic importance (Cohen and Levinthal, 2006). The size of the market however big, it may be affected by the uncoordinated and fragmented approach by the public procurement sector. This uncoordinated approach lowers the purchasing power of the public procurement sector. This presents one area the public sector needs to learn from the private sector. Towards this end, the public procurement sector should learn how to coordinate its activities properly in order to take advantage of its aces to big markets. The public procurement sector is fraught with unnecessary restrictions on participation (Cohen and Levinthal, 2006). The sector is also characterised with cost escalation. This especially affects small bidders. Such represent the level of discrimination in the sector. Large firms who are at a sound financial standing are thus the ones favoured in the public procurement sector. Towards reducing the chances of participation from the procurement process, the nature of restricted communication as reflected in the limited publication of contracting opportunities, this coupled with the narrow based qualification criteria place too much focus on firm size and experience. There are both benefits associated with increasing the number of bidders. However, the question of whether the government attains the balance between increased costs due to the higher number of participants and the expected drop in the prices as a result of the fierce competition both within the short term and the long-term. The pursuit of value for money should ensure the correct trade off is made, however, this may never be the case. This is attributable to the fact that the administrative costs are more visible as compared to the cost savings obtained from intense competition. Further, afield, risk aversion may lead to favouritism in which case, well-established companies and incumbents take the opportunities ahead of new entrants. Incumbency may limit participation. This is possible if minor suppliers believe that the public procurement sector is friendly to senior suppliers. This implies that some suppliers may boycott the bidding exercises, as they fear their success chances are limited. Such boycotts may in turn trigger price increases due to lowered competition (Cohen and Levinthal, 2006). Openness and publicness pass as challenges on the public procurement sector. Everything, which is done by public procurement, is subject to scrutiny from the public. The public purchases are normally orchestrated through invitations for bids. This opens the process to public bidding. In public procurement, public bid tabulations, which are posted on government websites. This implies that everybody understands what is going on. Overall, the private sector procurement focuses on profit, which is achievable through fierce competition. In practice, there is great variation in the way in which private managers go about establishing links with the customers. This is captured by the pursuit of firms’ attempts to lock opponents out of the market (Malone, 2001). Some firms operate in unstable environments, others like do like monopolies, while others operate in relatively protected niches where entrants find it difficult to make inroads, this under-lies the kind of challenges facing private businesses. Some sectors and businesses adopt methods, which are technologically advanced than others, further compounding the challenges (Egeberg, 1995). On the other hand, the public sector passes as a more homogeneous entity operating in a placid environment. Bureaucratic organisations are in most cases long establishments, which act, as monopolistic suppliers. The supply is to the society as opposed to the market, further to this, the pursuit of profits do not take precedence ahead of the provision of services to the citizens. The assumption that the public sector has been lacking in innovation is often advanced. However, Tan, (2004) notes that the spur of competition lacks in public procurement, a stark contrast with the private sector procurement. The public procurement sector should embrace new technological innovations like e-Procurement if it is to gain from benefits associated with such advancements, as is the case in private procurement (Fagerberg, Mowery and Nelson, 2000). Conclusion The drive towards introducing private-like procurement style into the public procurement sector is a plausible effort as this in the end translates into a number of benefits desirable to the needs of the clients its serves. Such adoption is bound to increase efficiency thorough cost reductions and improvement on service provision. The social responsibility is the major bottleneck affecting the public sector procurement. The public institutions remain accused of being irresponsive to the needs of the people they serve. However, all public organisations exist in a global setting, which heavily bears on how operations are conducted. This co-existence; between public and the other sectors imply that there is a lot to be passed or transferred through learning. The continued nature of existence of the public sector also indicates that learning through experience is a possibility since the various governments institutions are in a position to determine what works and the others which fail. The role of competition however desirable it is may prove inapplicable to the public sector procurement. This is the case in reference to when the public institutions are bidding for example, weaponry and other sensitive products. The public sector is also charged with diverse responsibilities, which are not based on economic terms but rather on the social responsibility aspect. Despite this, the public sector should learn from the public sector on how to become competitive on various fronts. On the basis of the above realisation, it is hypothetically presented that adopting measures to delink the public procurement sector from the diplomatic and political machinations presents a way out in the area. The sector should also encourage more competition in terms of recruiting skilful personnel and in allowing a level playground when it comes to the tendering process. The sector is equally expected to alter the procedural requirements, which mire the biding and tendering exercises. Such a move should lead to a flexible system, which paves way for the achievement of efficiency and effectiveness in the sector.

Microprocessor essays

Intel/ Microprocessor essays Computers have impacted life greatly for people like you and me. The microprocessor and Intel are to thank for that. A microprocessor is a chip that can perform arithmetic, logic, and control the functions of a computer (Sloan 364). Intels early invention of the microprocessor truly impacted life forever. The microprocessor was invented because a company from Japan, Busicom, gave Intel a call. Busicom wanted to ask Intel a little favor. Busicom wanted Intel to make 12 chips for calculators. Instead, A worker at Intel, Tedd Hoff, said that Intel should make 1 chip that functions as 12 (www.intel.com). Intel supported this idea and soon enough there were microprocessors. The company that invented microprocessors was Intel (Sloan 364). But, Intel would be nothing without two guys named Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore. Both of these gentlemen worked for a popular, technological, company called Fairchild (www.intel.com). Many workers at Fairchild dreamt about starting their own company. Well Noyce and Moores dreams came true. They both broke off and boom Intel was a company. Well, alright so it wasnt that easy. First Noyce and Moore had to get their company funded. Art Rock, a founder of Fairchild, was just the man they were looking for. Rock funded Noyce and Moores company by giving them 2.5 million dollars in less than 2 days (www.intel.com)! Needless to say, this was enough money to get Noyce and Moore well on their way to Intel. Before Noyce and Moore could actually have a real company, they needed a name. They choose the name Intel, which is short for integrated electronics (www.intel.com). Now, Intel was an official company, and still is today. The construction of the microprocessor was a very long process. The microprocessor process took 3 years, from 1968 to 1971, although, the actual constructing of the microprocessor took only 9 months (www.intel.com). Federco Fagg...

Business Environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Business Environment - Essay Example Others macroeconomic factors like production, inflation, employment, investment, domestic income, international business relationships etc are discussed in Macro Economics (Childs, D, and Deitrich, S. 2003). P4: Economics can be described as social science. It is a study of how individuals, households, firms, consumers, nations maximizes there profit with limited resources and availabilities. In economics way we can term it as generating characteristics or optimizing their behaviours. Optimizing or maximizing behaviour means generating more gain for the concerned authorities with limited amount of resources. So in this type of economic social science people came to know how to utilize the limited resources to reach the targeted result. For example for an individual household it is like distributing their limited resource (income) into several household goods and services to gain maximum satisfaction for the all family members. It’s very hard for the households to decide (what to buy and how much to buy?) to maximize their satisfaction level. Three economic systems are Capitalist Economy or free market economy, Socialist Economy or state-run economy and mixed economy or public sector economy. Examples of free market economy are United States Economy. For socialist economy or command economy example can be North Korean economy and for mixed economy it can be United Kingdom’s Economy. In a free market economy capitalist society runs with the method of free organization network. Government’s role in this economy is like- Whenever government get a chance to promote competition it does that. Clear all the restrictions for the organizations to operate in a free market. To control the free competitions government should intervene with the market time to time. Sometimes government interventions motivate free market economy so that other way it wouldn’t be possible. In a command economy government role in it is very prominent and strict. For c apitalist economy where government had minimum role in the economy but for socialist one government plays a huge role regarding markets rules and regulations. Nations with this system not only dislike free economic systems but also they made strict law against it. In this system all the productions units and natural resource are controlled by government and no private organizations are allowed to do that. Another economic system where simultaneously free economic system and socialist economic system works is known as mixed economy. There two sectors private and public resides simultaneously. Here private sector can work as a free market entity in broader economic and political restrictions. Main four questions for any economy is ‘what to produce’, ’how to produce’, ’when to produce’ and ’whom to produce’. All the country cannot produce everything by them. Resources are limited and fixed in this world. If a country wants to produ ce everything by them then that country will not going to make a single thing perfectly and because of lack of resources in middle of the work everything will be stopped or jeopardise. P5 To acquire certain economic goal government policies regarding taxation, current account deficits, subsidiaries and other financial matters which are under government’

Human Resources Strategies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Human Resources Strategies - Essay Example Job applicants who take on-site interviews without seriously considering the prospective employer emerge to be ethically incorrect. Such candidates in most cases do not attend the interviews or written test as it is a requirement of any organization before employment (Kleiman, 2009). Ethical job applicants are prepared at all times and when unable to attend the interviews or written tests due to an important reason, they always inform their employer well in advance and ask him or her to make another arrangement if possible. Unethical job applicants who only take the on-site interviews knowing very well that they are not considering the organization a potential employer makes the organization to lose both financially and man hours in preparing interviews and written test. Job applicants who engage in unethical behaviors pose a great negative impact to the production of the organization. Such behaviors as laziness hastiness, being late for work and leaving early or not taking responsibilities of the new job seriously gives a strong negative impression to the employer. Candidates of this kind are less productive and do not perform to the standards expected by the employer. As such a conflict is likely to arise between the employer and the employee. This can often lead to organization failure in achieving its goals (Kleiman, 2009). There are job applicants who engage in unethical behavior such as bribery in order to get employed. Job recruiters when confronted by such situations may fail to make rational decision and avoid errors and this ending up in an unfair recruitment. This significantly lowers the reputation and tarnishes the name of the organization. Unethical job applicants may lead to hiring of employees and over staffing due to overoptimistic p rojections. When this projection are not met, unpleasant measures by the organization are employed in order to please the stakeholders and keep in pace with the competitors. These are measures in an attempt to cutback, restructure and downsize the organization are undertaken (Kleiman, 2009). Such an undertaking harms the future recruitment efforts of the organization, as potential employees will develop a perception of job insecurity in the particular organization. Furthermore, over staffing directly leads to underutilization of the talented recruits that leads to dissatisfaction. As such the corporate loyalty of the organization is impacted negatively. Each member of the human resource is therefore faced with the challenge of developing convincing ideas and priorities in trying to come up with the solutions to the problem. Furthermore, unethical job applicants leads to a decrease in morale among the workers in an organization. The middle class managers and those who are actually in volve in bringing the positive change to the organization become pessimistic about the possibility of sustained future change. This way, they start questioning their ability to make reasonable profit to the organization. Such a situation calls for the each member of the human resource to see into ways of totally transforming the organization. The corporate culture, knowledge base, skills level, style of leadership and team orientation would have to undergo change, for all the employees. The human each member of th