To Build a Fire Essay Example for Free

To Build a Fire Essay A hero is someone who possess valor, capability, and captures the admiration of others through courageous deeds and noble traits; the main character in â€Å"To Build a Fire† by Jack London lacks all of these characteristics. The man makes many rookie errs throughout the short story and utilizes numerous tips from an old timer from Sulphur creek to try and fix them, he is grateful to the old timer, save for when he believes he is no longer in danger. After building a successful fire rather than thank the old timer he says to himself â€Å"well, here he [is]; he [has] had the accident; he [is] alone; and he [saves] himself† (pg. 26). The man believes he is better than average and believing that it is him all by himself exemplifies his arrogance. The fire fails and the man is once again wet in negative fifty below weather and to survive he must do something to stay warm, his idea is rather horrid though. To save himself and his fingers the man has the wild idea to â€Å"kill the dog and bury his hands in the warm body until numbness [goes] out of them† (pg, 530). When the man has to choose between his life and another he chooses to save himself essentially proving that he is not a hero, but rather a scoundrel. After all else the man merely surrenders his life, gives up, and decides to die in the least painful way possible. The man thinks it would be a good idea â€Å"to sleep to death† his intention is for it to be â€Å"like taking an anesthetic† (pg 533). Hero’s do not give up or take the easy way out; the man is a coward for just handing in his life in the manner in which he did. The man in Jack London’s story never reaches a heroic state; he is a normal man that makes a few mistakes and pays dearly for them.

Starbucks Strategy and Planning Analysis

Starbucks Strategy and Planning Analysis Starbucks Corporation is a mulitinational coffee chain store first setup in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the biggest coffeehouse through out the world with more than 17000 restaurants in 55 countries including Australia, U K, New Zealand, Canada, and Brazil. It has more than 128,800 employees. It is the public based industrywhich established by Zev Siegl, Jerry Baldwin and Gordon Bowker in 1971. Other key people which are linked with Starbucks are Howard Schultz (Chairman), Troy Alstead who is President and CEO and Stephen Gillett who is Chief Financial Officer. Starbucks which main products are Whole bean coffee, boxed tea, Bottled beverages, baked good, Merchandise, and Frappuccino beverages. Its incomes for the fiscal year 2010 is US $10.7 Billion. Brief History of Starbucks 1970s: The first Ever Starbucks established with a name came from Herman Melvilles Mob Dick, a classic American novel. 1980s: The industrialist Howard Schultz attached the Starbucks as a Director of Retail operations and marketing. 1990s: In this term the demand for Starbucks coffee improved so they thought to increase it beyond Seattle. 2000s: Starbucks came with 15,000 restaurants through out world wide. What is Strategy and Strategic Planning? Strategy means a plan of action which designed to achieve a particular goals and Strategic planning is an organizations process of defining its strategy, or direction, and making decisions on allocating its resources to pursue this tactic, including its investment and people. Why Strategy is Important? In each field of life there is a road map according to which we work or spend our life to get at the specific targets and goals. Like wise in any business, there needs to be a pre plan for success for a business to b successful. This strategic plan gives the direction for the goal to be achieved. A strategic plan also helps the different work units within the organization to keep themselves with common goals. Past Strategies of Starbucks (1990-2004) Mission Statement In early 1990 the management planed to introduce a mission statement which clearly discribe the company goal and targets so each of the workers could work well and communicate in a better way to customers and investors too, so mission statement is: Provide great work environment and treat each other with respect and dignity Embrace diversity as an essential component in the ay we do business Apply the highest standard of excellence to the purchasing, roasting and fresh delivery of our coffee Develop enthusiastically satisfied customers all the time Contribute to our communities and our environment Recognize the profitability is essential to our future success Innovation Strategy From the very early Starbucks kept the innovation as its constant value. Schultz brought the place-like-home between the office and home so people would get together at the best quality coffees and teas. After that Starbucks launched an effort with its business partners like PepsiCo for the cold Frappuccino drink. In the year of 1995 Starbucks developed a team named Stores of the future to complete a research for the designs of next generation stores and other coffee related concerns. Then this team made four different ideas for the each stage of coffee making. These sorts of innovations made the Starbucks to decrease the enormous cost of store opening. Starbucks also brought the fresh pastries and other food items such as juices, sodas and coffee related machines like Starbucks Barista home espresso machine. Meanwhile they also launched coffee mugs and glasses.C:UsersNew UserDesktopAhmadStrategystar buckse574603984362fed77cb3b8064721dd9.jpg Quality Strategy Schultz always kept a keen eye on the quality of the products and services and what the customer expectation from Starbucks. Quality in Starbucks was launched in a very strict manner. Starbucks also banned the smoking inside the shop and ordered its employees to refrain from having perfumed there selves. Starbucks was broadly known for its better quality of product and services. Howard Schultz Expansion strategy In the period of 1993 company brought an expansion strategy based on targeting areas with demographic profiles which is favourable together with the Starbuckss policy to carry and entertain them. For each area a big city was selected to work as a central unit like hub where a team would complete the target of opening 20 or more shops in the first 2 years. Starbucks hired professionals with immense operating and marketing experience in chain store retailing as new area vice presidents. Another strategy was also set up to increase the goodwill of Starbucks brand, which made its target to some extent. In 1991 Starbucks developed a group of specialists to form a store development process depends upon a six month opening timetable. In which it is asked to build every store in different shape, size and infrastructure. Cost lessening was also got by centralized buying, by fixed fees for some products and by work under contractors with best cost control practices. Starbucks expansion strategy depended on a limited number of agreements for region where there is no ability to open its own shops. Starbucks also opened stores in airports and university campuses by the help of licensed like Marriot Host International and Aramark. Coffee was also started to serve on flights like Horizon Airlines and in United Airlines. Special sales portion of Starbucks made sales 12.20% of total revenue in 1997. In 1995 company made its real development with international exposure which was based on two strategies, are as follow: Enabling local company with retail know how in target region Creating a joint venture with reputable companies In 1995 Starbucks International was setup to coordinate the international development, which originally started operations in Hawaii, Japan, Philippines, Taiwan, Korea and Singapore. IPO and Stock performance Starbucks had build its foundation till 1992 but now it was set to play a part in the race of developing market, as it was predicted by speciality coffee association oa America that from 1992 to 1999 number of coffee cafes would raise 500 to 10,000. To stimulate its expansion strategy Starbucks go heat to most successful publicizing in 1992, in result its stock price moved growing from $5.50 in 1992 to $58 till today. Its stock has been divided four times (1993, 1996 and 2001) to balance its equity among shareholders. These division also prohibited high prices from determining small investors as the share value moved upwards. Financing As there was no leading threat from competitors, company was capable to finance its expansion entirely by avoiding debt till 1996 with equity capital and revenues, minimizing its overall cost. But essential for high degree financing forced Schultz in 1996 to understand the significance of debt and take it as lawful option to meet the need of market extension. Star bucks infrastructure for growth strategy was to increase the profits in same series by growing the no of stores which was clearly shown by its financial statement. Starbucks managed its foremost expansion stages across us in 1992-93 and overseas in 1995 by deviating to debt. High P/E ratio in the early hours of the company public life in1992 1993 shows high degree of confidence by its investors but with the passage of time it diminish till 1995 and today its constant around 60 due to financing. Starbucks historical growth analysis A reliable coffee shop atmosphere linked with the developed sound management; these were the things on which Starbucks past growth based. For this purpose they crafted the strategy to drench quickly key geographic areas, particularly in an industry with low entry barriers. Its competitive advantage was greater people recruitment, training and management. Continuous development has been measured at all levels of Starbucks stores organization and design, coffees and teas. Organized marketing structure is another key success factor to deal its expansion (real estate group, store development group, retail operation group). Four As Strategy Starbucks success enormously depends upon its Four As Strategy: Acceptability Affordability Availability Awareness The Company site published the following Charts: Starbucks at present (2005-2009) Financial highlights of Starbucks as per annual report 2009: Michael Porters 5 Forces Model To understand the current specialty coffee industry I apply Porters five forces model to its instant environment of Starbucks. Rivalry Among Competing Firm High Other coffee chains. Examples include Coffee Bean Tea Leaf, Gloria Jeans Coffee, Peets, and San Francisco Coffee House Due to great competition in coffee industry, local competitors are offering specials packages and opening of new restaurants to attract potential customers. Low Potential of new competitors High Due to low start up cost entry of potential rival is a great risk. To increase the value in Specialty coffee McDonald is trying to add specialty coffee in their current services. Potential revenue will be $125,000 per year by every store if they are effectively enter in specialty coffee market No special knowledge is required Low Capital requirement Low Potential development of Substitute products High Potential alternate of coffee are soda, fruit juice, smoothes, beer and Water. As we be known with water is healthy for human beings and most of all this its free and option cost to buy bottled water in also cheap as compared to coffee. So Water is the final choice of health conscious customer. Other quick grab foods apart from pastries, muffins, doughnuts, etc sold at Starbucks are also substitutes. E.g. burgers, burritos, tacos, sushi snack food. Low Bargaining power of suppliers High As Starbucks is a enormous giant of coffee market, suppliers are forced to adjust their prices according to it so bargaining power of coffee beans supplier is low. As there are not a lot suppliers of technological innovated coffee beans machines such as automated coffee machines, latte and Espresso machines, etc, bargaining power of suppliers is high. But in case of glass, napkin, lids, cups suppliers bargaining power is low because of wide competition in this industry and Starbucks have different contracts with them. Low Bargaining power of consumers High Bargaining power of Customers is very low when they came to best coffee such as Starbucks. So bargaining power of any single group of buyer has been reduces due to complete scale of Starbuck. While new entrant have improved the bargaining power of buyers by offering sensible quality at cheaper price. . Low Pest Analysis Political/Legal: Due to increase in clash between United States and rest of the world like southeast Asia and Middle East, Companies has to face severe scenarios e.g. refuse of American products like Starbuck, burger King, coca cola etc. Change in import laws is a big risk for Starbucks as they are the only importer of coffee beans. If import process becomes difficult it will finally change the price of Starbucks and level of use will be affected. Two class action suits of Starbucks are awaiting since 2001, Carr vs. Starbucks and Sheilds vs. Starbucks. In start Co refuted all the liabilities in these cases but to avoid any further participation in any delayed proceeding it agreed to settle the plaintiffs claims. Economic: Consumer become more aware concerning their flexible spending due to increase in Unemployment and individual debt after economic recession of 2008. In addition due to financial crises worldwide, further recession is projected which may affect companys result approximately. Starbucks also faced criticism from NGOs that persist the company to acquire specialized coffee beans, ensuring that those coffee beans were grown and marketed under certain economic and social conditions. Social/cultural: Environmental Mission Statement Starbucks is very loyal for playing a role of environmental leadership in all facets of its business. These are the principles that shows the companys fulfillment toward environmental issues. More concerned about environmental issues Motivated toward environmental friendly products buying and selling Developing innovation to bring change Information sharing attitude toward associates taking into account environmental responsibility as corporate worth Encouragement of associates to share in companys mission. monitor the progress of each project of company regular people do not only go to coffee shops to drink a coffee but to make themselves calm down so they are ready to spent more and more money on coffee (UK: Tea:  £623m, Coffee:  £738m) Now a days coffee companies are more concerned about their ways of producing coffee beans, designing their supply chain and the ways of organizing and selling their products due to raise in environmental consciousness. Technological: http://reviews.carreview.com/files/2007/11/starbucks_sirena_bmw_med.jpg For providing incessantly better customer services Starbucks launched cards to make customers visit more suitable and faster. Mostly Starbucks location has WI-FI for consumer needs. Technical Coffee machines are now available at Better and cheaper rates for home usage (Senseo). SWOT Analysis A SWOT analysis provides us an imminent on what the company is good at, and in what areas Starbucks could use assistance. Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT) are described below: Strengths: Global coffee brand built upon a reputation for well products and services Value workers Economies of scale in purchasing Big Chain of stores: 17,000 stores in 49 countries. Strong ethical values, friendly environment, and community activists. Low turnover Very Good relationship with its suppliers Weaknesses: High prices More dependent on coffee and coffee related products. Too much focus on expansion Need of Strong competitive Position for more Expansion to reduce the Business risk Continuous improvement may weaken over time and finally product acceptance will come toward slow growth. Opportunity Investment cost for New market is very low International Expansion to the company has the chance to expand its operation Diversification in product range toward other food and drinks. Potential in franchising with manufacturers of other goods and services Distribution agreement like hotels airlines Threats Saturation in coffee market Economic recession and Financial Crises Competition with new entrants and copycat brands. Rise in cost of coffee and dairy products. Rise in Cost of beans in near future Possessiveness of consumer regarding healthful fare SWOT Analysis Internal Factor Strengths S1 Brand Equity is high S2 Employees are more satisfied S4 Economies of scale in Purchasing. Weaknesses W1 prices are high W2 More dependent on coffee and coffee related products W3 Deficiency of internal focus (too much focus on expansion) External Factor Opportunities O1 Investment cost of New market is low O2 Scope of Coffee Market Is rising Worldwide O3 Diversification of Product range toward food and non food items SO Strategies 1-Vertical growth to other low cost regions using superior brand. 2- To diversify in other related businesses hire the qualified employees WO Strategies 1- To overcome the too much dependency on coffee and coffee related products increase the product range through Diversification in related businesses. 2- Get benefit from growing markets through reducing costs to reduce prices in low investment markets. Threats T2 Economic recession and Financial Crises. T3 Domestic competition is increasing T4 coffee and dairy products are volatile ST strategies 1- Avoid domestic competition by using high brand through differentiation. 2- To avoid volatile coffee and dairy use the economies of scale through backward vertical addition. WT Strategies 1- To face the current financial crises and economic resources cost should be reduced to reduce the prices. 2- To avoid competition in domestic market depend on international alliance in the international stores as it is the main source of revenue. Future Strategies of Starbucks According to Starbucks current state of dealings, extensive competition, economic scenarios (at least in America) a question comes in mind about how Starbucks can turns itself around to show it profitable and most preferable choice for its customers? Following are some key success factors and strategies which should be considered while making Company policies so that Starbucks can attain its original successful position. What should Starbucks do? Starbucks didnt face any competitors which would have given it a sharp competition for a longer time. But after the entry of competitors in to the market Starbucks is no longer a sole player now. This is a huge threat for Starbucks because other companies are also providing premium coffees which can be compared to Starbucks level. Despite of the fact of competitors came into the market Starbucks is offering luxury coffee but at the high price as compare to competitors. If we compare Starbucks coffee with McDonalds or Dunkin Donuts than it would not be something to think about because they are also providing good taste and quality. Below are some potential strategies that Starbucks should adopt to overcome its threats and weaknesses. Advertising and promotion: It is the general perception in the mind of people that the McDonalds coffee is compare able and most probably better than the Starbucks so before renewing the name of brand Starbucks should equip peoples mind with the fact that Starbucks coffee is superior to all other coffee and beverages brands. For this Starbucks need to be more aggressive in there promotion strategy. In 2006 Starbucks allocated only $38Million for its marketing and promotion strategy as compared to its closest competitor McDonalds $782 Million and Dunkin Donuts $116Million. So by this figure it is clear that Starbucks should make a huge effort for its promotion and advertising strategy and should allocate more funds where needed, to reach at peak level and to keep the leadership.http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3039/2926840497_2a8dc5f460.jpg Product Differentiation Strategy: Starbucks should also work on product differentiation strategy. McDonalds is offering premium coffee at lower price although but it would not suit to the Starbucks to start the price war. If Starbucks start a price war than it will minimize the brand goodwill and it would also not be profitable for both the organizations. Starbucks should also research something new which adds more taste and quality to coffee which maximize the customers and capture more market. If Starbucks make something new than it should distribute free sample for a limited time so the people come to know and if the response is good than they should make it available to all its stores. Quality control strategy: Starbucks need to introduce more coffee variety with a maximised quality. Starbucks offering one type of coffee to consumers while its competitors like Peets is offering multiple types. Starbucks needs to ensure that the coffee which is offered to customer having a high quality if it is not than the customer is not going to pay such a premium price for its coffee. Cost Efficient Strategies: Starbucks should also work on reducing its price with a high quality to attract more customers which will add more to its profit and growth. Store Expansion decisions: Starbucks should think now to put a halt on its strategy of opening new branches. In 2007 only Starbucks opened 1650 new stores which came to the total of more than 15000 stores and thought to reach at 40000 in future. It would also be better for Starbucks to stop opening new branches in US now and start thinking to open branches in small regions. Becoming more environmentally friendly: Although Starbucks is renowned for its environment friendly image and they are continuously trying to boost their efforts in this regard, still there is room to develop so they can further discriminate themselves. Starbucks should save their capital by use of porcelain cup rather than disposable cups, if customer wants to take their coffee in the cafe. Renewal of this practice will show them more environments friendly. Starbucks should offer in-house drinkers who prefer porcelain cups at discount to push this strategy. Selling of mugs at reasonable prices, implementation of recycling bins process of food waste, Use the financial inducement encourage the customers to revive the plastic cups rather than to purchase a new one are some ways to enhance its image as more environment friendly. These all things would help the Starbucks to differentiate it from its competitors and improve its image of corporate responsibility. Finally this should be the continual process of company to analyze themselves, encouragement of employees suggestions regarding environmentally beneficial initiatives and should make the continuous improvement in this part so that their green logo seems appropriate for the company. Starbucks Driveà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ Through Expansion is the main focus of Starbucks but it has been noticed from various reports, surveys and people opinions that during peak hours of the day specifically in mid morning, there become the lack of tables and seats due to which customers move toward some other place in result Starbucks loses its potential customers. In addition, although Starbucks store are placed at every street corner but people face difficulty in parking especially in peak hours. As they are giving attention toward increasing of store space to hold the crowd in peak hours but not marketed it aggressively, though it would not be cost effective as expanding market campaign requires big investment but to keep customers preference its necessary. Focus on their Neglecting Customer Starbucks is distinguished for its coffee specialty and avoiding a big target market of tea, it should also think about researching into the tea specialty drinks market. As Tea has some perceived value of healthy benefits it will increase brand attractiveness. For this purpose they should continually revived their company policies to enhance their customer relations. Reward Programs Currently Starbucks is offering rewards in form of Starbucks Card programs where customer can refill its credit online and use it as Cash card at any Starbucks outlet. It doesnt differentiate it from its competitors as now they are providing the same reward programs for its customer. To take an edge over its competitor Starbucks should give some distinct reward programs like corporate with the large retail companies and airlines and merge their reward programs at Starbucks to make its first and foremost choice of its targeted customers as it will provide them an opportunity of wealth maximization . Conclusion Although there are some deficiencies in company policies but it doesnt show that Co is diminished much at all, it can get back on its previous original successful track by capitalizing its strengths. The existing economic situations which are contributing to its slouch market share should be keenly observed and noticed so that in future Co can stimulate it and make it brand strong and preferable choice for its customers.

Western Societys Skepticism of Reincarnation :: Religion

Western Society's Skepticism of Reincarnation "As men think so they are, both here and hereafter, thoughts being things, the parent of all actions, good and bad alike, and as the sowing has been, so will the harvest be." It had finally come down to the last of the 500 pieces for the picturesque puzzle. What A major feat for grandma and me! We had worked on it for days straight and kept it hidden under the table cloth on top of the dining room table. Grandma came over and gave me a big hug and kiss. She glanced at the clock and noticed that it was 3:30: time to feed the birds and then to start making dinner. â€Å"Let’s go feed the birds, Stephy†, she said. And we went into her little apartment kitchen, took out the package of old rye bread and headed out to her balcony overlooking Avenue Q in Brooklyn. â€Å"Ya know Stephy, the baby pigeon came by this morning with her mommy. I think she was looking for you.† I gleamed at grandma and started to blush. Grandma passed me a piece of bread to sprinkle on the floor. The ravenous birds started to arrive, one by one. Grandma sat down in her lawn chair. â€Å"When I go Stephy, I wouldn’t mind coming back as the baby pigeon. I ho pe you wouldn’t forget to come out and feed me.† So, what really happens after the last breathe is drawn? Does one go to heaven? Turn to fertilizer? Start the life process over again? There are many different beliefs, but no one knows for sure until it is their turn. Death is one of the most dreaded topics of conversation in Western civilizations. Death has many negative connotations attached. As for Tibetans following the Buddhist religion, they look death right in the face and accept it. The Tibetans do not avoid talking about the inevitable fate which every human being will meet. Rather, they prepare themselves and know that with every passing day they get closer to the end. The Tibetans live by the concept of impermanence. Impermanence states that everyone has a transient existence and that everyone will eventually die. One would think that the Tibetans are a wasteful culture, since they live their lives knowing that they will eventually die, yet it is in fact the opposite. So what motivates them? Reincarnation is the idea that the soul is reborn into a new form. Western Society's Skepticism of Reincarnation :: Religion Western Society's Skepticism of Reincarnation "As men think so they are, both here and hereafter, thoughts being things, the parent of all actions, good and bad alike, and as the sowing has been, so will the harvest be." It had finally come down to the last of the 500 pieces for the picturesque puzzle. What A major feat for grandma and me! We had worked on it for days straight and kept it hidden under the table cloth on top of the dining room table. Grandma came over and gave me a big hug and kiss. She glanced at the clock and noticed that it was 3:30: time to feed the birds and then to start making dinner. â€Å"Let’s go feed the birds, Stephy†, she said. And we went into her little apartment kitchen, took out the package of old rye bread and headed out to her balcony overlooking Avenue Q in Brooklyn. â€Å"Ya know Stephy, the baby pigeon came by this morning with her mommy. I think she was looking for you.† I gleamed at grandma and started to blush. Grandma passed me a piece of bread to sprinkle on the floor. The ravenous birds started to arrive, one by one. Grandma sat down in her lawn chair. â€Å"When I go Stephy, I wouldn’t mind coming back as the baby pigeon. I ho pe you wouldn’t forget to come out and feed me.† So, what really happens after the last breathe is drawn? Does one go to heaven? Turn to fertilizer? Start the life process over again? There are many different beliefs, but no one knows for sure until it is their turn. Death is one of the most dreaded topics of conversation in Western civilizations. Death has many negative connotations attached. As for Tibetans following the Buddhist religion, they look death right in the face and accept it. The Tibetans do not avoid talking about the inevitable fate which every human being will meet. Rather, they prepare themselves and know that with every passing day they get closer to the end. The Tibetans live by the concept of impermanence. Impermanence states that everyone has a transient existence and that everyone will eventually die. One would think that the Tibetans are a wasteful culture, since they live their lives knowing that they will eventually die, yet it is in fact the opposite. So what motivates them? Reincarnation is the idea that the soul is reborn into a new form.

Environmental Destruction: A Philosophical-Anthropological Perspective

Environmental Destruction: A Philosophical-Anthropological Perspective It is no secret anylonger that the ecological crisis puts mankind as a whole to an existential test which have to be solved in practice and in theory. So, by this the vast amount of literature can be explained which consequently led to the emergence of an own "genre" — the so called "ecoliterature" which herself is really dissonant and ambigious. In the meantime — besides other sources — almost all sciences take part in such kind of discussions what obviously can be traced back to the fact that the ecological crisis is such a substantial phenomena which leads therefore to numerous perceptions and different point of views. Considering philosophy — for some the "royal discipline" per se — we can claim that she has forcefully regarded the ecological problems as a challenge in the last decade. But, she has owed her resources first and foremost to ethical considerations. Because of this an ecological ethics has — admittedly not undisputed — developed as a new special ethics. Besides this and apart from an aesthetics of nature as well as from a philosophy of nature different sections of philosophy acting in a much more restraint and careful way. Neither the social philosophy nor the one of history or metaphysics — only to name a few — have seriously engaged in the ecology although it is evident that they are really needed as competent participants. Generally, each section can participate on environmental dialogues. The current role of philosophical anthropology The outlined moderate discussions about ecological and environmental problems can also be observed within the philosophical anthropology which is — according to my opinion — not tenable. One... ...ces JONAS, H.: Das Prinzip Verantwortung. Versuch einer Ethik fà ¼r die technologische Zivilisation. Frankfurt a.M. 1979. LENK, H.: Wie philosophisch ist die Philosophische Anthropologie? Methodologische Bewertung zu den anthropologischen Grundlagen der Sozialwissenschaften. In: FREY, C. / ZELGER, J. (Hrsg.): Der Mensch und die Wissenschaft vom Menschen. Bd. 1. Innsbruck 1983, 145 ff. MAQUARD, O.: Homo Compensator. Zur anthropologischen Karriere eines metaphysischen Begriffs. In: FREY, C. / ZELGER, J. (Hrsg.): Der Mensch und die Wissenschaft vom Menschen. Bd. 1. Innsbruck 1983, 63 ff. MEINBERG, E.: Das Menschenbild der MEINBERG, E.: Homo Oecologicus. Das neue Menschenbild im Zeichen der à ¶kologischen Krise. Darmstadt 1995. PLESSNER, H.: Gesammelte Schriften. Frankfurt a.M. 1985. SCHELER, M.: Die Stellung des Menschen im Kosmos. Bern, Mà ¼nchen 1966.

Stanlislovskis System: Concepts On Acting :: essays research papers

Stanlislovski's System: Concepts on Acting The Elements of Style, as described by Sonia More in her simplified view of the Stanlislavski System, are clear rudimentary concepts designed to help actors achieve a profound and truthful portrayal of their character on the stage through personal connection with their character. These concepts are designed as tools for the actor so that he may connect to a character or situation on the stage that he otherwise would not be able to connect with. As Sonia Moore put it, Stanlislovski knew that an actor's mind, will, and emotions must participate in the creation of a live human being on the stage. He also understood that it is impossible for people to turn their thoughts and emotions on and off as if by a switch. He also knew that no actor coming on stage without any reason for experiencing emotions would be unable to do so without some connection, or bridge, to the personal and emotional response of their character. So Stanlislovski designed tool for the actor to use to help him connect with the emotional and physical world of his character. Such concepts as The Magic If is a clear example of a tool an actor could use to connect himself the life of the character. The Magic If, simply guides the actor to ask the simple question: "What would I do if I were in my character position?" By asking this question of himself the actor can personalize the given circumstances of the character. The situation of the character becomes more personal, and the stakes much higher, because the actor has divulged some particular issues of himself into the character. Due to these particularities the actor will work out the given circumstance of the character in a much more truthful manner. Even in acting the old saying goes: "You cannot really know someone until you walk a mile in their shoes." This concept of The Magic If also plays a big part in another Element of Action -Imagination. Imagination is another tool that allows the actor to build a substantial relationship with his character by creating the very universe in which his character resides. Through this artistic imagination the actor can create the past, present, and future of the character. The actor, in essence, could play God wherein the character is concerned apart from given circumstances or the circumstances that exist within the play. This artistic imagination is being used to give thoughts and feeling to the character being portrayed by simply infusing honesty and truthfulness into the actor's performance. There are other Element's of Actions that guide the actor to form

A Study on Employee Attitude and Leadership Behaviour

ABSTRACT The Research titled namely â€Å"A Study on Employee attitude & Leadership Style† is a research study conducted among various managers in different functional areas in Sify Software Limited & Everonn Education Limited. In this research study, the researcher has made an attempt to identify the various styles followed by leaders due to different behavior among employees. The study mainly focus on the various attitudes of employee’s in different groups and its impact of the performance if individual, group or team & organization. Further, the study also focuses on finding out the significant relationship between the attitude of employees and its impact of completion of module, work, deadlines, and target. This study is limited to the managers working at Sify Software Limited & Everonn Education Limited. The Researcher has proposed to use descriptive type of research & Analytical type of result. The Researcher has proposed to use descriptive type research, in order to collect the real facts from the respondent’s regarding the attitude of the employees. The Researcher has also proposed to use Analytical type of result to analyze the behavior of employees and its impact of deadline & productivity. Once the data has been collected from the respondents (Managers), the Researcher has proposed to use various statistical tools like Percentage Analysis, Weighted Average Method, Chi-Square Method, One-Sample Run Test, etc. , and in order to analysis the various types of behaviors, the researcher has also planned to use cause and effect of diagram. CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION 1. 1INTRODUCTION Employee values, attitudes, and leadership behavior play a very important role in enhancing employee work motivation and performance. Employee work values, attitudes and leadership behavior can carefully be adjusted to produce a strong impact on employee work motivation. It would, therefore, be interesting to examine the precise nature of their roles in influencing the intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation of employees. Individuals vary in their value systems. For example, achievement is a concern for the advancement of one’s career while concern for others may reflect caring, compassionate. Supervisory behavior may vary considerably in the same job situation. Behaviors such as encouraging other employees or helping others work on difficult tasks. A supervisory behavior may adopt democratic orientation or punishment when interacting with employees and thus may affect the work behavior. Though research on leadership styles, work values, and attitudes is concerned with finding the conclusions as to what specific leader behavior, work values and attitudes would produce a strong impact on employee work motivation and performance, no clear-cut conclusions have yet been rendered. It is, therefore, necessary to examine these issues, on a relative basis, which characteristics may act as more effective motivators in employee motivation and work performance. With such an understanding, management would better be able to use available motivational tools for their maximum impact on employee work performance. Thus the objective of this study is to examine the importance of values, attitudes and leadership behaviors in employee work motivation and performance. To gain a deeper insight into the exact nature of such influence, the roles of employee values, attitudes and leadership behavior in influencing intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation and performance are examined. Finally, the study explores the managerial implications of the findings and discusses the actions that might lead to improvements in employee motivation. VALUES, ATTITUDES AND EMPLOYEE WORK MOTIVATION The following description relates to values, attitudes, and employee motivation. VALUES Values are enduring beliefs that a specific mode of conduct or end state of existence is personally or socially preferable to an opposite or converse mode of conduct or end state of existence (Rokeach, M 1973). Some basic values, which are expected to affect the attitude and work motivation of an employee, would logically include: Family: The extent to which the job offers family well-being to the employees Recreation: The extent to which the job offers recreational facilities to the employees A sense of accomplishment: The degree to which the person feels the job gives the person a sense of accomplishment after the job is done. Advancing at the company: The degree to which the person feels the job will create opportunities for advancement. Financial security: The extent to which the job offers financial security to person. Integrity: The extent to which the job provides information accurately and emphasizes impartiality and recognizes different points of view ATTITUDES Attitudes are not the same as values. Attitudes are evaluative statements –either favorable or unfavorable—concerning objects people, or events. It has been treated both as a general attitude and as satisfaction with five specific dimensions of job: pay, the work itself, promotion, opportunities, supervision and co-workers (Smith, Kendall, and Hulin, 1969; Balzer and Smith et al, 1990). The combined effects of these factors produce for the individual some measure of satisfaction and dissatisfaction (Herzberg, Mausner, and Snyderman, 1959). Definitions of these five dimensions of the job are given as under: Definitions of key Job Dimensions Job DimensionsDefinition Work SatisfactionThe extent to which an employee is satisfied with work, including opportunities for creativity and task variety, allowing an individual to increase his or her knowledge, changes in responsibility, amount of work, security, and job enrichment (Balzer and Smith et al, 1990; Smith et al, 1969) Pay SatisfactionThe extent to which an employee forms an attitude toward pay based on perceived difference between actual pay and the expected pay. Expected pay is based on the value of perceived inputs and outputs of the job and the pay of other employees holding similar jobs or possessing similar qualifications (Balzer and Smith et al, 1990) Supervision SatisfactionThe extent to which an employee is satisfied with his or supervision, as measured by consideration and employee-centered actions of the supervisor and the perceived competency of the supervisor by the subordinate (Balzer and Smith et al, 1990, Herzberg et al, 1957) Satisfaction with promotionsThe degree to which an employee is satisfied with the Company’s promotion policy, including frequency of promotions, and the desirability of promotions (Balzer and Smith et al, 1990, Herzberg et al 1957) Co-workers’ SatisfactionThe work-related interaction and the mutual liking or admiration of fellow employees (Bazler and Smith et al, 1990, Smith et al, 1969, Alderfer, 1969) Overall Job SatisfactionThe extent to which an individual’s desires, expectations and needs are fulfilled by employment (Szilagi, Sims, and Terrill, 1977) 1. 2INDUSTRY PROFILE As the study is applicable only for e-Learning industry let us have a brief introduction about the software industry below. The current e-learning boom in India has added to the existing woes. Standards apart, the industry hangs on the edge where processes and players are dubious. Much of this blame can be put on the Indian government’s inability to put together a regulatory body. Unregulated and unstructured, the e-learning industry in India is likely to wreck havoc for the global e-learning industry as small vendors pile up huge â€Å"learning garbage† for clients worldwide. E-learning in India has come of age. Two decades and the nation already cherish several global e-learning players on its soil. This can be attributed to some basic reasons like cheap human resources, a large pool of English-speaking workforce and ‘business discounts’ offered by the central and state governments. Although exact figures of the size of the industry is not available, a conservative estimate shows the offshore e-learning industry at about $150 million in 2004-05, up almost by 200 percent in the last two years. In spite such impressive figures, the e-learning industry in India remains mired with a plethora of issues. Some of these issues include lack of uniform e-learning standards and workplace practices, and the lack of adequate human resources to power the spiraling upward growth. These concerns apart, government apathy has also bolstered fly-by-night e-learning entrepreneurs who eye quick bucks and increasingly deliver ‘learning garbage’ to a global clientele. Smaller vendors in India have setup e-learning business houses with paltry investments of a few thousand dollars – in the hope of getting a sizeable pie of the global e-learning business. Most of these short-term vendors run their shows from North India – from places in and around the National Capital Region of Delhi. The modus operandi for these vendors is simple. They rent in a couple of rooms in an urban area and advertise for resources in job websites and newspapers. Writers, designers and technology professionals – mostly unskilled – are hired by the dozens. The average salary of the employees ranges anything between $100 to $400 and the working hours stretch well over 72 hours per week. Next, these companies setup small sales calling teams to call up international clients asking for work. The sales pitch is often exaggerated and boasts of a few â€Å"big names†. To show their experience, these vendors cull-out a few odd CBT’s from other companies or ‘steal’ courses through their contacts. The basic quality that behooves a standard e-learning company is absent in these companies. Proprietors remain ignorant of even the most basic information that is essential to run the show. A Java programmer, for example, is asked to hone his skills in C++ or any other program since he is responsible for all ‘programming’ needs. Almost anyone who walks in for the position of writers is employed as an ‘instructional designer’, primarily because they can be asked to work for lesser salaries on the pretext that they lack instructional designing experience. Vendors also rely on these writers to validate the learning content for authenticity even when content validation remains the domain of the expert, the Subject Matter Expert (SME). The writers and designers are instructed to download content from Internet websites and ‘rewrite’ them before using it. A basic ignorance of the Internet medium on the part of the owners means that the writers are often confused with the content because no single idea or information on the Internet appears consistent. E-learning processes are virtually absent in these companies. All that offers a direct benefit to the proprietor becomes part of the practiced processes. A Project Manager, for example, may be required to recruit people, review e-learning courses, undertake marketing activities, and do just anything that catches the fancy of the owner. In some companies, it was observed that programmers were asked to work as typists. The motto: no resource should sit idle. Employees who work for more than 9 hours a day are neither paid additional remuneration nor are given facilities like cabs and food for their late stay and long hours of work. As an e-learning professional once remarked, â€Å"employees in these fly-by-night ventures reminds one of the rampant practice of human slavery in Africa and Arabian countries a few centuries back. Professional torture apart, these employees are also subjected to extremely inhuman conditions of work – congested workplace, outdated computers, stinking toilets, and the same paltry salary year after year. Employees in these companies too appear to have resigned to their fates – partly because their poor education that doesn’t stand them in good stead for jobs in big e-learning MNCs and also because most do not have a professional competence in English language. This phenomenon is rarely reported by any section of the Indian media, perhaps due to ignorance or for fear of antagonizing the international fraternity. The abysmal condition and the unplanned e-learning sector, however, have both a positive and a negative side to it. The positive side is that these e-learning ventures help to reinforce the fact that there is no alternate to quality, and quality comes from the big guys, not the fly-by-night operators. The flipside is that the employees in tiny Indian -learning ventures rarely get the exposure to standard work processes and world-class e-learning products thereby subjecting themselves to professional impairment. Unfortunate for the Indian e-learning industry, at a n era of globalization and information revolution, Indian laws too have failed to contain these IT hawks. While the existing labour laws do have provisions against inhuman practices in the private workplace, in practice they remain a mirage. Most of the employees neither have the financial resources to chase litigation nor are they willing to ‘waste’ their time. The Southern part of India presents a striking contrast to the North. Recent years have seen a rapid and strategic development of global e-learning companies in the South, in places like Bangalore and Chennai. Several global players have also setup their centers in Pune, Mumbai and Hyderabad. Not surprising, the South has become a favorite e-learning destinations for serious e-learning players because of the absence of the mayhem so rampant in the Northern part of the country. Although the same Indian laws apply to all states across India, security and infrastructure is usually better in the Southern states than in the North. Consequently, most of these global giants are reluctant to setup their operations in the North for obvious reasons: lax security, incompetent e-learning resources, and rampant corruption. However of all the paraphernalia, one primary reason that dissuades the big names in e-learning from setting bases in North India is the abysmally poor skill-sets of the workforce here. In an era of cut-throat competition, generalized skills fetch little or paltry returns. In the past companies like Tata Interactive Services, Brainvisa, Sify e-learning and Accenture have all failed to locate substantial trained workforce from the North for its setups in the South. Amidst all the rigmarole, smaller global clients seeking ‘cheap’ e-learning courses remain unconcerned about the operatives of these vile businessmen. The only thing that seemingly matters for them is ‘cheaper products’, even if it comes in poor quality or if the employees who developed them are subjected to inhuman practices. Its time that global clients shed their ignorance and act responsibly by seeking detailed credentials from smaller e-learning vendors in India on their HR processes, employee welfare schemes and workforce competence. Failing to do this will not result in the development of shabby e-learning courses. The state of e-learning in India, particularly the frenzy in North India, remains a serious concern for the industry. Either the law of the land has to haul-up the desperados or wait till the hawks eat up the industry for the worse. A regulatory authority is essential now, if the industry is to survive and prosper. Money-eyed hawks can’t be allowed to have a field day. If they hang around for long, the death of the industry in India is imminent. 1. 3 COMPANY HISTORY 1. 3. 1 SIFY SOFTWARE LIMITED Sify eLearning was formed in December 2000. With over 8 years of experience in the training domain and our speciality in Instructional Design and Interactive Multimedia Content Development, we have developed over 5000 hours of learning content comprising Web based training (WBT), Computer based training (CBT), and Instructor Led training (ILT) courses. We have close to 300 employees located in our offices in India, the US, UK, and the Middle East. In India, Sify's offices are located in Chennai, Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore. Sify eLearning, which ranks among the top three eLearning Services providers in India, is a part of Sify Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ:SIFY), with a revenue of US$150 million in 2008. Sify Technologies (www. sifycorp. com) is a pioneer and leader in the Internet, networking, and e-Commerce services in India and serves more than 1500 corporate and 600,000 retail consumers. We are proud to be the preferred eLearning vendor to many Fortune 100 companies. 1. 3. 2EVERONN EDUCATION LIMITED Everonn is one of the leading educational companies in India. Everonn today is the largest VSAT education network in the World. Everonn is listed in both the NSE and BSE. With a firm belief that technology-enabled learning can truly nullify social and economic boundaries, Everonn’s achievements have helped millions of students achieve their dreams. From its pioneering VSAT-enabled virtual and interactive classrooms to its emphasis on offering only the highest-quality content to students, Everonn’s quest for excellence has enabled the company to repeatedly break new grounds in the Indian education industry. Everonn’s commitment to a better standard of education is the guiding principle behind all its activities, from making Pre-school toddlers school ready to enhancing the employability of college students and providing the best entrance exam guidance in the nation. 1. 4PROBLEMS IDENTIFIED The Research titled namely â€Å"A Study on Employee attitude & Leadership Style† is a research study conducted among various managers in different functional areas in Sify Software Limited & Everonn Education Limited. In this research study, the researcher has made an attempt to identify the various styles followed by leaders due to different behavior among employees. The study mainly focus on the various attitudes of employee’s in different groups and its impact of the performance if individual, group or team & organization. Further, the study also focuses on finding out the significant relationship between the attitude of employees and its impact of completion of module, work, deadlines, and target. This study is limited to the managers working at Sify Software Limited & Everonn Education Limited. 1. 5NEED FOR THE STUDY The need for the study is to bring out the various attitude of employee in different groups and its impact on the performance of individual, group or team & organization. This research study is restricted to employees working in Sify Software limited & Everonn Education Limited. Generally employees working in any software companies are from different background in the sense they are from different regions, different culture, language, belief, Qualification, religion, communities etc. , which generally varies from the employees working in other sectors. This difference in attitude of employees is a very big challenge for software companies since it leads to many conflicts among the employees that affect the conducive working environment of the organization. In this study the researcher mainly focuses on changes in attitude of employees and the level of impact on their performance. Further the researcher has made an attempt to analyze the change in leadership behavior due to changes in employee attitude. In addition, the study will also be helpful in finding out the significant relationship between the attitude of employees and its impact on completion of module, work, deadlines, and target. 1. 6OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY 1. 6. 1PRIMARY OBJECTIVE 1. To study the changes in attitude of employees and the behavioral changes of leadership at Sify software limited & Everonn Education Limited. 1. 6. 2SECONDARY OBJECTIVES 1. To identify and analyze the relationship between employee attitude and leadership behavior in Sify Software Limited & Everonn Education Limited. 2. To analyze the level of impact of leadership behavior on the team and performance of team. 3. To find out various ways to improve the attitude of people towards organizational commitments. 4. To identify the relationship between the attitude of employees and their performance towards their job. 1. 7SCOPE OF THE STUDY The study may help to find out the style to be adapted by leadership that may help them to effectively control the attitude of employees and also it helps to influence the workers and to extract work from them. This study may show the various characteristics of employees and its impact on the performance. Generally employees working in any software companies are from different background in the sense they are from different regions, different culture, language, belief, Qualification, religion, communities etc. , which generally varies from the employees working in other sectors. This difference in attitude of employees is a very big challenge for software companies since it leads to many conflicts among the employees that affect the conducive working environment of the organization. In this study the researcher mainly focuses on changes in attitude of employees and the level of impact on their performance. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE SURVEY 2. 1REVIEW OF LITERATURE ?Attitudes are not the same as values. Attitudes are evaluative statements –either favorable or unfavorable – concerning objects people, or events. Employee values, attitudes, and leadership behavior play a very important role in enhancing employee work motivation and performance. Employee work values, attitudes and leadership behavior can carefully be adjusted to produce a strong impact on employee work motivation. It would, therefore, be interesting to examine the precise nature of their roles in influencing the intrinsic versus extrinsic motivation of employees. ?Leadership Theory & Leadership Styles: Leaders and followers each have different traits, values and levels of motivation. Theories that explain leadership effectiveness in terms of situational moderator variables are called contingency theories of leadership (Yukl 2006). Fiedler’s (1964) contingency model of leadership effectiveness is contingent upon the interaction of leadership style and situational favorableness (Liu et al. 2003). Thus, leader effectiveness is the product of many variables related to the followers, the task, and the organization (Tatum, et. al. , 2003). Transformational leadership theory emphasizes longer-term and vision-based motivational processes (Bass & Avolio, 1997; Liu et al, 2003) and attempts to capture the emotional and symbolic aspects of leadership, helping researchers understand how leaders influence followers and motivate them to make self-sacrifices, putting the needs of the mission or organization above materialistic self-interests (Yukl, 2006). Researchers have found that most managers believe there is no single universal style of leadership applicable in all situations (Yun, Cox, and Sims, Jr. , 2006; Lord et al. , 2001). For example, a task-oriented leadership style may be most appropriate where a job involves psychologically immature or inexperienced workers; whereas, a relations-oriented leadership style may be most appropriate where workers are highly experienced and can be trusted to work autonomously (Tatum, et. al. , 2003). ?Group Types: Yukl (2006) defines several types of teams that can be found within an organization; two such teams include: Functional and Cross-Functional. Yukl (2006) provides the following about each team: â€Å"Functional teams are characterized by members of an organization with specialized jobs but are all part of the same basic function (e. g. maintenance, quality, etc. ). These teams operate for a long duration of time with membership that is relatively stable. Cross-Functional teams are characterized by members from a combination of functional subunits (e. g. quality, production, sales, and maintenance) working together on projects that require joint problem-solving skills. These teams operate until their task is completed. Membership may be stable over the life of the team or it may change as some functions increase/decrease in importance†. Leadership Credibility: Credibility is the foundation of leadership, and employees want their leaders to be honest, inspiring, competent, and forward looking (Kouzes and Posner, 2000). The credible leader must be seen as well informed and worthy of belief (Stoner, 1989). Credibility n urtures collaborative, cooperative relationships where employees assume responsibility for accomplishing work-related objectives voluntarily (Gabris & Ihrke, 1996). For credibility to exist there must be trust between leader and follower (Kouzes & Posner, 2000). Leadership credibility deals with perceived believability toward the leader-supervisor as someone an employee can trust in a supervisor-subordinate relationship (Gabris & Ihrke, 1996). Organizational Justice: Organizational justice theory is intimately tied to leadership and decision processes (Tatum, et. al, 2003) and is based on the idea that a set of justice rules is used by individuals to evaluate fair treatment; and the extent to which those rules are satisfied or violated determines perceptions of justice or injustice (Mayer, et al. , 2007). Procedural justice refers to the perceived fairness of the methods used to make organizational decisions (Tepper, et. al. , 2006; Bauer, et al, 2001). In procedural justice, employ ees are concerned about whether the decision process is fair and the process used to determine the outcome was just (Fernandes & Awamleh, 2006). Perceptions of fair procedures enhance employee acceptance of organizational outcomes (Latham & Pinder, 2005), lead to organizational commitment (Lind & Tyler, 1988) and satisfaction at the individual level (De Cremer, 2007). Shared perceptions of justice at the group level are positively related to satisfaction and commitment to the organization (Mayer, et al. , 2007). Just outcomes signal to employees that they are valued by the organization (Tyler & Lind, 1992). Individuals experience procedural injustice when they are denied voice and decision control (Tepper, et. al. , 2006). Interactional justice is defined as the interpersonal treatment people receive as procedures are enacted (Bies & Moag, 1986; Colquitt, 2001). Interactional justice is concerned with how information is communicated and whether individuals affected by a decision are treated with respect and dignity (Fernandes & Awamleh, 2006). ?Group Commitment: Commitment is believed to affect organizational performance (Fiorito, et al. , 2007) and outcomes such as job satisfaction (Williams & Hazer, 1986). Commitment is strongly influenced by leadership (Kouzes & Posner, 2000). When employees feel unfairly treated, they may respond affectively with low commitment (Latham & Pinder, 2005). The effect of leadership style on group interaction depends on both the consistency of the leadership style and the attitude group members have toward the leadership style (Kahai, Sosik, & Avolio, 1997). Describing the task in a way that links it to member values and ideals, explaining why a project or task is important, involving members in planning strategies for attaining the objectives, and empowering members to find creative solutions to problems (Yukl, 2006). If members see leadership as legitimate, they should remain more attached to the team and exert more effort to benefit it (Colquitt, Noe, & Jackson, 2002). ?It is readily accepted that organizational change impacts employees in a variety of ways (French, Bell, & Zawacki, 2000). Consequently, the impact of organizational change on employee attitudes has received considerable research attention (e. g. Gardner, Dunham, Cummings, & Pierce, 1987; Griffin, 1997; Lines, 2004; Saari & Judge, 2004; Schweiger & DeNisi, 1991). Research indicates that employee attitudes are related to how individuals perceive or react to change (Mossholder, Settoon, Armenakis, & Harris, 2000). This is important since positive perceptions of change can enhance the implementation of these organizational initiatives (Lines, 2004; Armenakis, Harris, & Feild, 1999). In this study, employee attitudes are investigated when organizational change is caused by the introduction of new technology. As depicted in Figure 1, salient attitudes of interest include job satisfaction, organizational commitment, intent to turnover, and job stress. The most-used research definition of job satisfaction is by Locke (1976), who defined it as â€Å". . . a pleasurable or positive emotional state resulting from the appraisal of one’s job or job experiences† (p. 1304). Implicit in Locke’s definition is the importance of both affect, or feeling, and cognition, or thinking. When we think, we have feelings about what we think. Conversely, when we have feelings, we think about what we feel. Cognition and affect are thus inextricably linked, in our psy-chology and even in our biology. Thus, when evaluating our jobs, as when we assess most a nything important to us, both thinking and feeling are involved. Continuing this theoretical development, Judge and his colleagues (Judge & Bono, 2001; Judge, Locke, Durham, & Kluger, 1998) found that a key personality trait, core self-evaluation, correlates with (is statistically related to) employee job satisfaction. They also found that one of the primary causes of the relationship was through the perception of the job itself. Thus, it appears that the most important situational effect on job satisfaction—the job itself—is linked to what may be the most important personality trait to predict job satisfaction—core self-evaluation. Evidence also indicates that some other personality traits, such as extra-version and conscientiousness, can also influence job satisfaction (Judge, Heller, & Mount, 2002) In the research literature, the two most extensively validated employee attitude survey measures are the Job Descriptive Index (JDI; Smith, Kendall, & Hulin, 1969) and the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ; Weiss, Dawis, England, & Lofquist, 1967). The JDI assesses satisfaction with five different job areas: pay, promotion, coworkers, supervision, and the work itself. The JDI is reliable and has an impressive array of validation evidence. The MSQ has the advantage of versatility—long and short forms are available, as well as faceted and overall measures. Another measure used in job satisfaction research (e. g. , Judge, Erez, Bono, & Thoresen, in press) is an updated and reliable five-item version of an earlier scale by Brayfield and Rothe (1951). All of these measures have led to greater scientific understanding of employee attitudes, and their greatest value may be for research purposes, yet these measures may be useful for practitioners as well. In practice, organizations often wish to obtain a more detailed assessment of employee attitudes and/or customize their surveys to assess issues unique to their firm. ?Job satisfaction is one of the most extensively researched work-related attitudes (Loscocco & Roschelle, 1991). Saari and Judge (2004), however, observed that HR practitioners lack thorough knowledge of job satisfaction and related antecedents. Job satisfaction is operationally defined as an individual's assessment of the degree to which their work-related values have been achieved (Locke, 1969; Locke, 1976). Research suggests that organizational change has a discernable impact on job satisfaction (see, for example, Ferguson & Cheyne, 1995) which is associated with organizational citizenship behaviors that are beneficial to organizational effectiveness (Organ, 1990). ?Organizational commitment is also a frequently studied job attitude (Lines, 2004; Loscocco & Roschelle, 1991). Definitions and conceptualizations of the organizational commitment construct are numerous and diverse. Morrow (1983) observed at least 25 different conceptualizations of organizational commitment. Despite this diversity, O'Reilly and Chatman (1986), among others, suggest that psychological attachment to an organization is a theme underlying most conceptualizations of organizational commitment. Of particular interest in this study is the relationship between affective organizational commitment and reactions to the organizational changes since individuals with high levels of affective commitment tend to exert extraordinary effort on behalf of an organization (Porter, Steers, Mowday, & Boulian, 1974). In addition, individuals with high levels of affective commitment are likely to remain with an organization because they want to remain with the organization (Porter et al. , 1974), not because they have no other alternatives or because of social pressure. CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3. 1PROPOSED METHODOLOGY 3. 1. 1FOR EMPLOYEES The Researcher has proposed to use Qualitative and Analytical type of research. The Researcher has proposed to use Qualitative type of research, to assess the behavior of various employees in different teams which has an impact on overall performance of the team. The Researcher has also proposed to use Analytical type of result to analyze the effect of behavior on their individual performance towards their relationship with peers etc. 3. 1. 2FOR MANAGERS To assess the changes in leadership behavior due to changes in employee attitude, the Researcher has used the same Qualitative and Analytical type of research design. 3. 2RESEARCH DESIGN The research design is the blue print for fulfilling objectives and answering questions of specific research problem. A research design is purely and simply the framework a plan for a study that guides the collection and analysis of the data. The research designs used in this project are listed below. 3. 2. 1 DESCRIPTIVE RESEARCH To describe the characteristics of certain groups e. g. users of a product with different age, sex etc. , to determine whether certain variables are associated e. g. , age and usage of a product. 3. 2. 2 ANALYTICAL RESEARCH To analyze the behavior of employees and its impact of deadline & productivity. 3. 3DATA COLLECTION METHOD In this study the researcher has proposed to use both Primary and secondary data. 3. 3. 1PRIMARY DATA Primary data will be collected through a structured Questionnaire from the target respondents.

Hispanic vs. Pakistani: Gender Roles in Society Essay

When a culture has a way of doing things, it is supposed to be like that till the end of time. Little did ancestors know, with the way society evolved some customs cannot stay the same. Jobs are now created for both men and women and money has become more of a necessity to survive. Looking at two cultures in particular, Hispanics and Pakistanis, they both have diverse views on the roles of their men and women. In addition to what is permissible and frowned upon in a culture. They each allow distinctive roles to be played in society such as workforce, and or domestication. However, the cultures both had become affected by changes such as bills, taxes, keeping a home up, providing for children, and the requirements to be allowed a career. At the beginning of time these cultures first started out, nothing else was known but what they created and put in their own minds. Both Hispanic and Pakistani men made it their mindset that they must be the provider, the one waited on. Being a working Hispanic man with no formal education, minimum wage is about $7.25 an hour. With only that kind of pay many men cannot be the only provider for their family, household, or bills therefore many endure hardships. Some men wait behind buildings, or in alleys waiting for the average man seeking cheap labor just for any extra money they can receive. In Pakistan, â€Å"the minimum wage for the factory: 4600 RPK per month (equivalent to 37 US cents an hour for a 48-hour workweek) plus the required 44.23 rupees/hr overtime for more than the standard 48-hour workweek in Pakistan (equivalent to 74 US cents an hour)† (Cook). Nevertheless, some men go against how things should be and take on the role of a stay at home dad, while women financially provide for their family. There is no set role in the society people love in today, as times changes so do people to better adapt to the way of living. When the word â€Å"woman† was spoken, many thought, subservient towards men. Contrasting men, women were treated as if they had no backbone or way of doing as they chose in the Hispanic or Pakistani cultures. The role of a woman was, awake, clean thy home till spotless, bear to all children and husband needs, and make sure food was freshly made and served by the time their husband was home from work. Without an approval from their husband, any economic activities, such as employment and ownership of property were prohibited. However, with society altering so swiftly, a man making all decisions is not a worry of many women now. â€Å"The factor most responsible for the earlier high growth rate was the rapid increase in the labor force participation rate of women, which stood at 34 percent in 1950 and increased to 60 percent by 2000. The number of women in the labor force rose from 18 million in 1950 to 66 million in 2000..† (Toossi). Women found the reason to start working actual jobs to have a better chance of surviving in society and it’s vast changes. Hispanic women have the chance of a formal education, but if not financially able there are many low-class jobs that do not require a proper education. Most Hispanic women who are single mothers, or are the only person providing find quick and easy jobs like janitors, maids, servers, and retail, receiving only minimum wage or a little higher. * How much pakistani women get paid without formal education, how do they survive?