Fishers narrative paradigm Essay Example for Free

Fishers narrative paradigm Essay One could argue, for instance, that the narrative of Translators without Borders ultimately sustains and justifies an ethics of consumerism through the commoditization of human grief. By blurring the boundaries between commercial and humanitarian agendas, the narrative accommodates itself to the established cosmetic use of good causes by big business to improve its image and deflect attention from its less savory practices. Finally, the Translators Without Borders story feeds into hegemonic cultural narratives of social responsibility that are ultimately designed to make the donors feel good about themselves rather than directly address the needs of the recipients. This is evident in Lori Thicke s article, published in Multilingual Computing and Technology, where she explains the attraction of the humanitarian exercise as follows: Giving away translations for Ð ° worthy cause is Ð ° win-win scenario. Eurotexte feels good about it. The translators feel good about it, and they see Eurotexte as an agency that really cares which we do. And last but not least, our customers consider this to be Ð ° point of distinction. (2oo3:4) In the final analysis, as Hinchman and Hinchman point out, we extend or withhold allegiance to communities depending on our rational judgments concerning the narratives on which they are based (1997:238) Fishers narrative paradigm, as І have tried to demonstrate with the narrative of Translators Without Borders, offers us Ð ° framework not only for making rational judgments but also for assessing narratives in terms of fidelity and, thus, their ethical import. Gumperz (1982) demonstrated that speakers in Ð ° conversation are engaged in an ongoing and immediate process of assessing others intentions and producing responses based on the assessment of those intentions. He calls this situated or context-bound process of interpreting meaning conversational inference and the meanings themselves are flexible and evolve as conversations proceed (Gumperz 1977). To talk back and forth-to speak as well as listen-entails both sending and receiving multiple levels of meaning. In numerous examples, he illustrates how meanings are conveyed from multiple levels of language consisting of, but not limited to, lexical or phonological choice, syntactic patterns, use of formulaic expressions, code-switching, prosodic cues (intonation and stress), and paralinguistic (e. g. , pitch, register, rhythm, and volume). Meaning is not only determined by features of language, but also, as Gumperz demonstrates, by background expectations, prior knowledge or relationships, roles, cultural knowledge, and other social knowledge. According to Gumperz, interpreting meaning is Ð ° process of contextualization in which Ð ° listener associates certain kinds of cues within the language, called contextualization cues, with information content on the one hand and with background expectations, or social knowledge, on the other ( Gumperz 1978; 1982). Contextualization cues refer to any aspect of the surface form of utterances that, when attached to message content, function as Ð ° way of signaling how to understand what is said. These cues signal to listeners when speakers have made their points, which information is foreground and which is background, what the relationship is between comments, how what is said should be heard (whether anger or joking is meant), and many other kinds of information. Adopting Ð ° cross-cultural perspective, Gumperz developed Ð ° method for investigating the process of contextualization cues by examining situations where they fail to work. When speakers share similar cultural backgrounds, then contextualization cues are also shared and speakers rarely misunderstand. However, when cues are not shared, misunderstandings prevail. Schiffrin ( 1994) interprets his main contribution as emanating from his studies of the way people within Ð ° larger culture, who are members of smaller, distinct cultures, may share grammatical knowledge of Ð ° common language (such as English) but may also contextualize what is said differently than Ð ° member of the larger culture. In this way, messages are produced that are understood perhaps partially, but not completely, such that people take away different interpretations of what was said and done. The following is Ð ° well known example from Gumperz (1982: 3o) cited by Schiffrin (1994: 7): Following an informal graduate seminar at Ð ° major university, Ð ° black student approached the instructor, who was about to leave the room accompanied by several other black and white students, and said: Could І talk to you for Ð ° minute? І am gonna apply for Ð ° fellowship and І was wondering if І could get Ð ° recommendation? The instructor replied: oK. Come along to the office and tell me what you want to do. As the instructor and the rest of the group left the room, the black student said, turning his head ever so slightly to the other students: Ahma git me Ð ° gig! (Rough gloss: І am going to get myself some support. ) Before exploring how different interpretations were made by listeners, this example can serve to illustrate what interactional sociolinguistic data is and how its analysis proceeds. First, Ð ° sociolinguist analyzes actual utterances that have been written down immediately or recorded on tape by an investigator. Significant to sociolinguistics is that these are not data generated from the analysts mind or experience but rather have been actually uttered by Ð ° human being in Ð ° natural context. Second, examples from data are always accompanied by Ð ° brief explanation of the contextthe physical setting, social roles, relationships of other participants, and other information. Any utterance can be the focus of analysis by asking, how was this utterance understood by the people who heard it, and how did these participants arrive at their interpretation? For the sociolinguist, this entails describing the grammatical knowledge of participants and the socio-cultural knowledge that listeners rely on to understand the messages conveyed. Specifically, such an analysis accounts for the way explicit linguistic signs, such as word choice, intonation, rhythm, stress, and lexical and phonetic choices indicate speaker intent and also how social knowledge influenced Ð ° listeners interpretation. When these cues are tacitly shared by speakers, interpretive processes tend to go un-remarked. However, when Ð ° listener does not react to Ð ° cue or is unaware of its function, interpretations vary, misunderstandings occur, and judgments are made.

Meningitis Due To Intravenous Immunoglobulin Therapy

Meningitis Due To Intravenous Immunoglobulin Therapy Acute Aseptic Meningitis Due To High Dose Intravenous Immunoglobulin Therapy for Guillain-Barrà © Syndrome Abstract The majority of adverse reactions of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy are mild, transient and self-limiting; however, potentially serious complications are rare and occur in less than 5% of patients receiving IVIG therapy. IVIG associated transient aseptic meningitis is an uncommon adverse effect and this phenomenon has been seldom described in literature. We report a case of aseptic meningitis due to high dose IVIG therapy in a Guillain-Barrà © syndrome (GBS) patient. The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis revealed high cell counts with predominance of lymphocytic cells, raised protein, normal glucose level and no growth of the organism on culture. He was managed symptomatically with adequate hydration and analgesic. Our patient improved without neurological complications. This case emphasizes the importance of recognizing IVIG associated neurological complications in GBS patients. Keywords Aseptic meningitis; Guillain-Barrà © syndrome; Intravenous immunoglobulin Introduction Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy is recommended in Guillain-Barrà © syndrome (GBS) patients. The majority of adverse reactions of IVIG therapy are mild, transient and self-limiting; however, potentially serious complications are rare and occur in less than 5% of patients receiving IVIG therapy. According to Kemmotsu et al., IVIG associated transient aseptic meningitis is an uncommon phenomenon occurring in about 1% of patient. The common adverse effects are headache, nausea and vomiting, myalgia, low backache, tachycardia, mild grade fever and flushing. The serious complications are aseptic meningitis, thromboembolism, transverse venous sinus thrombosis, myocardial infarction, acute stroke, acute encephalopathy, posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, anaphylactic reaction, acute renal failure and serum sickness. IVIG associated transient aseptic meningitis is a very rare complication. Our patient developed aseptic meningitis following intravenous immunoglobulin therapy. Case Presentation A 14 years old boy presented with two days history of acute onset pure motor, progressive, symmetric, areflexic, flaccid quadriparesis without bladder/bowel, bulbar, respiratory symptoms or autonomic dysfunction. He had no history of fever, preceding illness of diarrhea, respiratory tract infection or any toxin exposure. A clinical diagnosis of Guillain-Barrà © syndrome (GBS) was made with Hughes Disability Scale 4. Nerve conduction study was suggestive of pure motor, predominantly demyelinating affection of right ulnar, bilateral median, bilateral tibial and bilateral peroneal nerves. Electrocardiogram (ECG) and serum potassium level were normal and urinary porphobilinogen was negative. Clinical profile and electrophysiological parameters fulfilled the Asbury criteria of GBS. Intravenous immunoglobulin was given according to the recommended dose (0.4 mg/kg/day). His weight was 45 kg and total 90 gm IVIG was planned over five days in divided doses. On the fourth day, after receiving 72 grams of IVIG infusion, the patient developed progressive worsening headache, neck pain and recurrent vomiting. There was no history of fever, loss of consciousness or visual symptoms. His temperature was normal. On neurological examination, meningeal signs: neck rigidity, Kernig signs and Brudzinski signs were positive. Bilateral fundi were normal. There were no other focal neurological signs. Investigations Hemogram and blood biochemistry were within the normal range. Blood culture was sterile. X-ray chest was normal and Mantoux test was negative. Lumbar puncture showed normal opening pressure and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis revealed pleocytosis (Total cell counts: 180 cell/dl) with lymphocytic predominance (85%), raised protein (110 mg/dl), normal sugar (56 mg/dl) and normal chloride (111 mEq/L) levels. CSF gram stain, AFB stain, KOH preparation, India ink and CSF culture for bacteria and fungi were negative. CSF TB PCR and HSV PCR were negative. MRI brain with gadolinium contrast was normal (Figure 1). Differential Diagnosis Diagnosis of acute aseptic meningitis was based on clinical features, CSF findings, negative viral markers and negative culture. The diagnosis of IVIG associated aseptic meningitis was made as there was a strong temporal relationship between onset of aseptic meningitis and high dose IVIG therapy; the extensive search for other causes of meningitis was negative and the improvement of symptoms within few days. However, possibility of viral meningitis was also thought, but absence of prodromal symptoms, no identifiable rise in serum viral titres and self-improvement of symptoms ruled out the possibility of viral meningitis. Treatment His symptoms were managed with hydration and analgesics. No antibiotic or antiviral therapy was given. A very slow infusion of IVIG was continued under strict supervision until completion of full dose therapy on the next day. The signs of meningeal irritation-neck rigidity, Kernig’s signs and Brudzinski signs disappeared over next two days. Outcome The patient was discharged in stable condition with Hughes GBS Disability Scale 1. He recovered completely without any neurological sequelae. He was asymptomatic after three months of followup. Discussion The exact pathophysiology of IVIG induced aseptic meningitis is not clear. The various postulated mechanisms of IVIG associated aseptic meningitis are direct toxic effect, immunologic drug hypersensitive reaction, allogenic immunologic reaction, hypersensitivity reaction to various stabilizing agents and cytokine release triggered by the therapy. Wada et al. showed the excitotoxic effect of IVIG in acute encephalopathy following IVIG therapy. The IgG is an active ingredient of intravenous immunoglobulin capable of crossing the blood-brain barrier, penetrates the meninges, and enters the brain parenchyma. In our patient, aseptic meningitis developed after 72 hours of initiation of IVIG. However, in literature, most patients developed aseptic meningitis within 48 hours of beginning IVIG therapy. According to Jarius et al., aseptic meningitis was frequently associated with polymorphic pleocytosis in the CSF examination; however, our patient had lymphocytic pleocytosis. Most of the side effects associated with IVIG are mild, self-limited and related to the infusion rate and no specific therapy is required. Risk factors for IVIG associated aseptic meningitis are history of migraine and rapid, high dose infusion of IVIG. Slower infusion rate, proper hydration, antihistamines and analgesics may help to prevent mild reactions. Systemic steroid may be required in severe cases. Our patient was under strict supervision and no medical treatment was given. He improved without any neurological complications. Headache and fever are well-recognized side effects of high dose IVIG, aseptic meningitis has rarely been reported in the literature in GBS patients. A high index of clinical suspicion should be kept for IVIG induced aseptic meningitis and should be confirmed by careful neurological examination and CSF analysis. Take-Home Message Acute aseptic meningitis may develop as a transient, self-limiting complication of high dose IVIG therapy in GBS patient. Early recognition and management is required to prevent permanent neurological sequelae. IVIG therapy should be continued in mild aseptic meningitis as the IVIG infusion is a life saving drug for GBS patient, at a slow infusion rate, with proper hydration, histamines and analgesics. This case emphasizes the importance of recognizing IVIG associated neurological complications in IVIG treated GBS patient. References Figure Legends Figure 1. Normal MRI brain with gadolinium contrast

Job Security And Motivation Of Employees

Job Security And Motivation Of Employees Information Technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications. The term in its modern sense first appeared in a 1958 article published in the Harvard Business Review, in which authors Leavitt and Whisler commented that the new technology does not yet have a single established name. We shall call it information technology (IT). IT is the area of managing technology and spans wide variety of areas that include but are not limited to things such as processes, computer software, information systems, computer hardware, programming languages, and data constructs. In short, anything that renders data, information or perceived knowledge in any visual format whatsoever, via any multimedia distribution mechanism, is considered part of the IT domain. IT provides businesses with four sets of core services to help execute the business strategy: business process automation, providing information, connecting with customers, and productivity tools. IT professionals perform a variety of functions (IT Disciplines/Competencies) that ranges from installing applications to designing complex computer networks and information databases. A few of the duties that IT professionals perform may include data management, networking, engineering computer hardware, database and software design, as well as management and administration of entire systems. Information technology is starting to spread further than the conventional personal computer and network technologies, and more into integrations of other technologies such as the use of cell phones, televisions, automobiles, and more, which is increasing the demand for such jobs. In the recent past, the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology and the Association for Computing Machinery have collaborated to form accreditation and curriculum standards for degrees in Information Technology as a distinct field of study as compared to Computer Science and Information Systems today. SIGITE (Special Interest Group for IT Education) is the ACM working group for defining these standards. The Worldwide IT services revenue totaled $763 billion in 2009. DOMAIN OF THE IT INDUSTRY: A wide variety of services come under the domain of the information technology industry. Systems architecture Database design and development Networking Application development Testing Documentation Maintenance and hosting Operational support Security services GROWTH POTENTIAL: The strong demand for electronic hardware and software in India has been fuelled by a variety of drivers including the high growth rate of the economy, emergence of a vast domestic market catering to the new generation of young consumers, a thriving middleclass populace with increasing disposable incomes and a relatively low-cost work force having advanced technical skills. Indeed, the Government has also identified growth of this sector as a thrust area as there remains great expectation for significant growth given the fairly low levels of penetration of technology among the 1.1 billion populations; there were only 60 million Internet users in 2009, 7 million DVD players and personal computers were sold in 2008-09, and 11 million new mobile subscribers were added every month in the same period. In this scenario there is now a big opportunity to step up the production to gain higher global share besides meeting the domestic demands. The Indian IT sector has also built a strong reputation for its high standards of software development ability, service quality and information security in the foreign market- which has been acknowledged globally and has helped enhance buyer confidence. The industry continues its drive to set global benchmarks in quality and information security through a combination of provider and industry-level initiatives and strengthening the overall frameworks, creating greater awareness and facilitating wider adoption of standards and best practices. FUTURE OF INDIAN IT INDUSTRY: The Indian IT sector persists to be one of the flourishing sectors of Indian financial system indicating a speedy expansion in the coming years. As per NASSCOM, the Indian IT exports are anticipated to attain US$ 175 billion by 2020 out of which the domestic sector will account for US$ 50 billion in earnings. In total the export and domestic IT sector are expected to attain profits amounting to US$ 225 billion along with new prospects from BRIC nations and Japan for its outsourcing operations. The industry is likely to continue growing from strength to strength, as local players incorporate best in class practices from global counterparts whilst retaining their edge in terms of lower cost of labor and focused governmental investments. New graduates with degrees in related fields such as electrical engineering and computer science can hope to achieve significant professional growth and a healthy remuneration from companies looking to hire the best talent available, given the high proportion that leave to pursue jobs in this sector overseas. IT professionals perform a variety of duties ranging from data management, networking, engineering computer hardware, database and software design, to the management and Administration of entire system. With the already high penetration of conventional personal computer and network technology, coupled with the growing convergence of information. In order to perform the complex functions required of information technology departments today, the modern Information Technology Department would use computers, servers, database and cryptography. The department would be made up of several System Administrators, Database Administrators and at least one Information Technology Manager. The group usually reports to the Chief Information Officer (CIO). FEATURES OF THE IT INDUSTRY AT A GLANCE: Economies of scale for the information technology industry are high. The marginal cost of each unit of additional software or hardware is insignificant compared to the value addition that results from it. Unlike other common industries, the IT industry is knowledge-based. Efficient utilization of skilled labor forces in the IT sector can help an economy achieve a rapid pace of economic growth. Adversely impacted by the recent rupee-dollar volatility and the slowdown in the global economy, the IT sector is treading cautiously on salary rewards. Therefore study of influence of the global crisis on employees is crucial. Introduction to variables Independent variable: Global Crisis Dependent variable: Job Security Motivation Global Crisis Since 2007, nations around the world experienced a series of major economic and financial problems. The events began with the financial crisis of 2007-2008, considered by many economists to be the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression of the 1930s. The 2008-09 global meltdown was a fallout of corporate greed, malpractices and lack of government control. Banks and companies collapsed for their own fault. While the band-aid came in the form of government bail-outs or, in simple terms, socialising private losses, one has to bear in mind that we are no longer looking at the prospect of failing companies or banks It resulted in the threat of total collapse of large financial institutions, the bailout of banks by national governments, and downturns in stock markets around the world. In many areas, the housing market also suffered, resulting in evictions, foreclosures and prolonged unemployment. The crisis played a significant role in the failure of key businesses, declines in c onsumer wealth estimated in trillions of US dollars, and a downturn in economic activity leading to the 2008-2012 global recession and contributing to the European sovereign-debt crisis. Job security Job security is the probability that an individual will keep his or her job and high level of job security is such that a person with the job would have a small chance of becoming unemployed. There are several factors which affect job security such as economy, prevailing business conditions, and the individuals personal skills. It has been found that people have more job security in times of economic expansion and less in times of a recession. Also, some laws (such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964) bolster job security by making it illegal to fire employees for certain reasons. Unemployment rate is a good indicator of job security and the state of the economy and is tracked by economists, government officials, and banks. Typically, government jobs and jobs in education, healthcare and law enforcement are considered very secure while private sector jobs are generally believed to offer lower job security and it usually varies by industry, location, occupation and other factors. Personal factors such as education, work experience, job functional area, work industry, work location, etc., play an important role in determining the need for an individuals services, and impacts th eir personal job security. Since job security depends on having the necessary skills and experience that are in demand by employers, which in turn depend on the prevailing economic condition and business environment, individuals whose services are in demand by employers will tend to enjoy higher job security. To some extent, job security also varies by employment laws of each country. A worker in Continental Europe, if asked about his job security, would reply by naming the type of statutory employment contract he has, ranging from temporary (no job security) to indefinite (virtually equivalent to tenure in US universities but across the whole economy). However, peoples job security eventually depends on whether they are employable or not, and if businesses have a need for their skills or not, so although employment laws can offer some relief and hedge from unemployment risk, they only have a marginal contribution to job security of individuals. Individuals need to have the right skill set to have good job security. Job security index is a measure of job conditions. Developed by Scorelogix, Job Security Index is represents how economic factors, internet and computers, international trade and competition,outsourcing, off-shoring, job migration, etc., are impacting the demand and supply of employment. A higher Job Security Index for a region, such as a ZIP code, county or metropolitan statistical area (MSA), indicates that people in that region have a better opportunity of finding jobs and remaining employed. A lower Job Security Index for a ZIP or county means that job are relatively difficult to find and keep. Typically, cities and counties that have a larger concentration of government jobs or education related jobs have a higher Job Security Index values as these jobs are less impacted by the economy. Motivation The processes that account for an individuals intensity,direction, and persistence of effort toward attaining a goal -specifically, an organizational goal. Three key elements: Intensity how hard a person tries Direction effort that is channelled toward, and consistent with, organizational goals Persistence how long a person can maintain effort Motivation is an individual internal process that energizes, directs, and sustains behaviour and acts as a personal force that causes us to behave in a particular way. Classical theories of motivation Maslows hierarchy of needs theory Abraham Maslow is well renowned for proposing the Hierarchy of Needs Theory in 1943. This theory is a classical depiction of human motivation. This theory is based on the assumption that there is a hierarchy of five needs within each individual. The urgency of these needs varies. These five needs are as follows- Physiological needs- These are the basic needs of air, water, food, clothing and shelter. In other words, physiological needs are the needs for basic amenities of life. Safety needs- Safety needs include physical, environmental and emotional safety and protection. For instance- Job security, financial security, protection from animals, family security, health security, etc. Social needs- Social needs include the need for love, affection, care, belongingness, and friendship. Esteem needs- self- respect, confidence, competence, achievement ,freedom, recognition, power, status, attention and admiration Self-actualization need- This include the urge to become what you are capable of becoming / what you have the potential to become. It includes the need for growth and self-contentment According to Maslow, individuals are motivated by unsatisfied needs. As each of these needs is significantly satisfied, it drives and forces the next need to emerge. Herzbergs Two Factor Theory of Motivation In 1959, Frederick Herzberg, a behavioural scientist proposed a two-factor theory or the motivator-hygiene theory. According to Herzberg, there are some job factors that result in satisfaction while there are other job factors that prevent dissatisfaction. According to Herzberg, the opposite of Satisfaction is No satisfaction and the opposite of Dissatisfaction is No Dissatisfaction. Hygiene factors are those job factors which are essential for existence of motivation at workplace. These do not lead to positive satisfaction for long-term. But if these factors are absent / if these factors are non-existent at workplace, then they lead to dissatisfaction.It includes pay ,company policies,fringe benefits etc. Motivation factors According to Herzberg, the hygiene factors cannot be regarded as motivators. The motivational factors yield positive satisfaction. These factors are inherent to work. These factors motivate the employees for a superior performance. These factors are called satisfiers. It includes Recognition, sense of achievement, growth etc. Theory X and Theory Y In 1960, Douglas McGregor formulated Theory X and Theory Y suggesting two aspects of human behaviour at work, or in other words, two different views of individuals (employees): one of which is negative, called as Theory X and the other is positive, so called as Theory Y. According to McGregor, the perception of managers on the nature of individuals is based on various assumptions. Assumptions of Theory X An average employee intrinsically does not like work and tries to escape it whenever possible. Since the employee does not want to work, he must be persuaded, compelled, or warned with punishment so as to achieve organizational goals. A close supervision is required on part of managers. The managers adopt a more dictatorial style. Many employees rank job security on top, and they have little or no aspiration/ ambition. Employees generally dislike responsibilities. Employees resist change. An average employee needs formal direction Assumptions of Theory Y Employees can perceive their job as relaxing and normal. They exercise their physical and mental efforts in an inherent manner in their jobs. Employees may not require only threat, external control and coercion to work, but they can use self-direction and self-control if they are dedicated and sincere to achieve the organizational objectives. If the job is rewarding and satisfying, then it will result in employees loyalty and commitment to organization. An average employee can learn to admit and recognize the responsibility. In fact, he can even learn to obtain responsibility. The employees have skills and capabilities. Their logical capabilities should be fully utilized. In other words, the creativity, resourcefulness and innovative potentiality of the employees can be utilized to solve organizational problems. Thus, we can say that Theory X presents a pessimistic view of employees nature and behaviour at work, while Theory Y presents an optimistic view of the employees nature and behaviour at work Modern theories of motivation ERG theory of motivation To bring Maslows need hierarchy theory of motivation in synchronization with empirical research, Clayton Alderfer redefined it in his own terms. His rework is called as ERG theory of motivation. He recategorized Maslows hierarchy of needs into three simpler and broader classes of needs: Existence needs- These include need for basic material necessities. In short, it includes an individuals physiological and physical safety needs. Relatedness needs- These include the aspiration individuals have for maintaining significant interpersonal relationships (be it with family, peers or superiors), getting public fame and recognition. Maslows social needs and external component of esteem needs fall under this class of need. Growth needs- These include need for self-development and personal growth and advancement. Maslows self-actualization needs and intrinsic component of esteem needs fall under this category of need. McClellands theory of motivation David McClelland and his associates proposed McClellands theory of Needs / Achievement Motivation Theory. This theory states that human behaviour is affected by three needs Need for Power, Achievement and Affiliation. Need for achievement is the urge to excel, to accomplish in relation to a set of standards, to struggle to achieve success. Need for power is the desire to influence other individuals behaviour as per your wish. In other words, it is the desire to have control over others and to be influential. Need for affiliationis a need for open and sociable interpersonal relationships. In other words, it is a desire for relationship based on co-operation and mutual understanding. Goal setting theory In 1960s, Edwin Locke put forward the Goal-setting theory of motivation. This theory states that goal setting is essentially linked to task performance. It states that specific and challenging goals along with appropriate feedback contribute to higher and better task performance. In simple words, goals indicate and give direction to an employee about what needs to be done and how much efforts are required to be put in. Reinforcement theory Reinforcement theory of motivation was proposed by BF Skinner and his associates. It states that individuals behaviour is a function of its consequences. It is based on law of effect, i.e, individuals behaviour with positive consequences tends to be repeated, but individuals behaviour with negative consequences tends not to be repeated. Reinforcement theory of motivation overlooks the internal state of individual, i.e., the inner feelings and drives of individuals are ignored by Skinner. This theory focuses totally on what happens to an individual when he takes some action. Thus, according to Skinner, the external environment of the organization must be designed effectively and positively so as to motivate the employee. This theory is a strong tool for analyzing controlling mechanism for individuals behaviour. However, it does not focus on the causes of individuals behaviour. Reinforcement theory explains in detail how an individual learns behaviour. Managers who are making attempt to motivate the employees must ensure that they do not reward all employees simultaneously. They must tell the employees what they are not doing correct. They must tell the employees how they can achieve positive reinforcement. Equity theory of motivation The core of the equity theory is the principle of balance or equity. As per this motivation theory, an individuals motivation level is correlated to his perception of equity, fairness and justice practiced by the management. Higher is individuals perception of fairness, greater is the motivation level and vice versa. While evaluating fairness, employee compares the job input (in terms of contribution) to outcome (in terms of compensation) and also compares the same with that of another peer of equal cadre/category. D/I ratio (output-input ratio) is used to make such a comparison. Assumptions of Theory The theory demonstrates that the individuals are concerned both with their own rewards and also with what others get in their comparison. Employees expect a fair and equitable return for their contribution to their jobs. Employees decide what their equitable return should be after comparing their inputs and outcomes with those of their colleagues. Employees who perceive themselves as being in an inequitable scenario will attempt to reduce the inequity either by distorting inputs and/or outcomes psychologically, by directly altering inputs and/or outputs, or by quitting the organization. Expectancy theory of motivation The expectancy theory was proposed by Victor Vroom of Yale School of Management in 1964. Vroom stresses and focuses on outcomes, and not on needs unlike Maslow and Herzberg. The theory states that the intensity of a tendency to perform in a particular manner is dependent on the intensity of an expectation that the performance will be followed by a definite outcome and on the appeal of the outcome to the individual. The Expectancy theory states that employees motivation is an outcome of how much an individual wants a reward (Valence), the assessment that the likelihood that the effort will lead to expected performance (Expectancy) and the belief that the performance will lead to reward (Instrumentality). In short,Valence is the significance associated by an individual about the expected outcome. It is an expected and not the actual satisfaction that an employee expects to receive after achieving the goals. Expectancy is the faith that better efforts will result in better performance. Expectancy is influenced by factors such as possession of appropriate skills for performing the job, availability of right resources, availability of crucial information and getting the required support for completing the job. The theory concentrates on the following three relationaships- Effort-performance relationship: What is the likelihood that the individuals effort be recognized in his performance appraisal? Performance-reward relationship: It talks about the extent to which the employee believes that getting a good performance appraisal leads to organizational rewards. Rewards-personal goals relationship: It is all about the attractiveness or appeal of the potential reward to the individual. Vroom was of view that employees consciously decide whether to perform or not at the job. This decision solely depended on the employees motivation level which in turn depends on three factors of expectancy, valence and instrumentality. Chapter 2 Review of Literature Lubna Rizvi D/O Dr Javed1* Khawaja Atif Siddiqui, 2012 The paper tells about the relationship of Motivation with organization climate, engagement, and job security in a service organization, where it is going through rightsizing. It study finds out as to how employees working in the organization perceive it and how much they feel connected to it. The level of competition in the media industry has intensified in recent years, driven by several factors such as the decline in household wealth, rising unemployment, rapid globalization, unclear economic picture. Viewers have also become extremely conscious, especially as other channels have come in the market with lot of good programming. In this scenario the aim of the organization is simply to grab as much market share as possible and that can only be done by giving attractive programming to viewers. Target will be achieved if the employees working in the organization are productive which can only be achieved if they are motivated. The focus is to examine the employee Motivation in relation to employee commitment, culture and job security. The climate of the organisation and the level of employee engagement also affects the motivation level of employees. Fatimah, O.1, Noraishah, D.2, Nasir, R.1 Khairuddin, R.1(2012) Economic instability around the world has resulted in many organizations having to lay off workers and also shutdown to save their business. This economic strain and stress have impact on the workers job satisfaction and well being through job insecurity. This paper examine the moderating effects of employment security on job security and job satisfaction and well being among workers in the banking sectors and manufacturing sectors who were most affected by the economic downturn. Participants were 600 workers of which 200 represented the workers who work in the bank, 200 in electronic industry and 200 in textile industry. They were randomly selected to participate in the research. A set of questionnaire comprising of Employment Security Scale, Job Security Scale, Job Satisfaction Scale and Well-Being Scale were used to measure the variables. Results from the multiple regression analysis showed that employment security did not moderate the relationship between job security and job sat isfaction and well being of workers. However, job security had a direct relationship with job satisfaction and well being of workers .Thus, result from this study implicated that it was not the employment security that worried the workers but the security of their job that they were holding that impacted on their job satisfaction and well-being. Impact of recession on Indian economy ET bureau Aug 8, 2011 The recession started in US has touched the boundaries of india. India is facing the position of recession as globalisation showing its negative scenario. It is a phase wherein rupee depreciates, cash crunches, money market slowdown, inflation rises. During this period it is difficult to get money from the pockets of individuals. If the producer starts reducing the price of the commodity believing that the customers will buy it, it can happen only when he cuts the cost of production. Cost cutting means reduction in variable cost. As the price of steel ,iron , equipments , machinery are touching sky , the only option left to reduce the cost is by reducing the employees. Hence people fear job security. In the fear of job security people are generally shifting their purchasing. Mehri, iqbal, hekmat, ishak,2011 To achieve the competitive advantage in the current changing and dynamic environment satisfied human capital has become a strategically very important for the organizations. During the past decade the financial crises has shattered the economic stability of different economies all over the world. A phenomenal change has been witnessed in the banking industry of Iran in recent years, due to the liberal reforms executed by the Central Bank of Iran and the effective restructuring of banks. This research demonstrates how a global financial crisis has recently affected the occupational and skill profiles of job in banking industry of Iran. Global economy woes force local workforce off for National Statistics(2009) Global economic firms have started to cut job in India as the economy worsens and chances of crisis in the western world aims business outlook forcing companies to scrap funds raising and MA plans. More than 200 have been laid of in investment banking. The Asian crisis of 1997 led to many including Dresdner and Societe General to close leaving scores countless. Decade later subprime crisis forced many such as Merrill and Credit Suisse to reduce headcounts. The European crisis has just started to impact. HSBC which planned to eliminate 30000 jobs worldwide has told 120 employees to search for new jobs, sacked 12 employees from executive positions from small and midium size enterprise while Credit Suisse ,the second biggest swiss financial services has already aid more than 14 people from India wealth management team A study on facets of HR during slowdown phase Ram Anand , Sr. Faculty ,IPE, Hyderabad Hr departments of Indian organisations have faced many issues in managing people during the slowdown phase. The role of HR and HR interventions administered in organisations during this phase served as an opportunity to survive and face the slowdown is the premise is studied in this paper. The comprehensive view on the various HR interventions during the downturn ensures an understanding of the HR strategies adopted by the organisations to overcome the slowdown phase. The intent of the paper is to provide a template for organisations to focus on HR interventions during slowdown phases which may occur in future. These strategies facilitate the organisations during the slowdown phase. Randall, Oct 2008 Many businesses have frozen wages and many have cut wages by as much as 10%. As the economy has started recovering, organisations income statements may be starting to look decent. But what would they look like with previous pay levels restored is the question. With unemployment around 10% ,employees retention hasnt been much of an issue but that wont last forever so it may be prudent to begin restoring compensation sooner rather than later, especially for key employees. During the meltdown some businesses eliminated entire job functions from overheads. Those cuts may not be sustainable in the growing economy, so a decision must be made. Many businesses hav deferred maintanence on buildings and equipments and cut back on employee training. Organisations cant afford to let important physical and human assest deteriorate. Tih Koon Tan, 2008 By using a sample of 277 firms from eight East Asian economies, the relationship between financial distress and firm performance during the Asian Financial Crisis of 1997-1998 was tested. The crisis provides an exogenous shock which reduces the endogeneity issues between firm performance and leverage. The results from this study reaffirm that firms with low financial leverage tend to perform better than firms with high financial leverage. Additionally, the crisis magnifies the negative relationship between financial distress and firm performance. High leverage firms experience worse performance during a crisis. Limitation of the study is that the sample contains firms from eight countries. For those countries with an adequate number of firms, a separate study to analyze the individual country to provide more insights on what might be driving the results is planned. Chapter 3 Research Methodology Problem statement The research will be conducted to find out the impact of financial crisis on job security and motivation of employees working in the IT companies in Bangalore. The existing literature supports the view that the sensitivity of employee motivation and job security level magnifies during financial crisis.This study is important to company employees as it will show how the financial crises can disturb their jobs. Research design Based on different views of authors and literature review a conceptual framework was developed which determined the association between the impact of global crisis , job motivation and job security by a questionnaire. Correlation and Regression analysis was used to support the above model. Objective To study the relationship bet

How Christian Faith-Based Organizations Can Help Homeless Shelters :: Soup Kitchens Spirituality Food Pantries Essays

How Christian Faith-Based Organizations Can Help Homeless Shelters Abstract Spirituality affirms the essential self-worth, dignity and core health of a person’s well being; therefore, homeless shelters should incorporate spirituality, in order to benefit a person in the long term compared to the satisfaction of an immediate need. â€Å"Our national epidemic of intolerance for poor and homeless people is the consequence of America’s lack of spirituality, coupled with America’s love of materialism and society’s expense (3, martin).† The number one book sold for over a decade, seizing to be a fad or a trend has been the Bible. In a study of New York prisoners, studies found that those who participated in a Prison Fellowship Bible Study were rearrested drastically less compared to the amount of prisoners those whom did not. Of those who took part in the Bible study, 14 percent were rearrested within one year, compared to those who choose to not participate was 41 percent. In a similar case, at a Texas prison, out of 80 prisoners who took part in the Prison Fellowship, a whopping five percent are back in prison. In a Public Health Service, which is strongly Christian oriented, done of Teen Challenge’s Drug treatment program, by a Northwestern University doctoral student, it was found that it was more effective with the participants than that of its counterparts. With these examples, it becomes credible that with faith-based programs long term results are received, which further exemplifies my position u pon the integration of Christian faith into the homeless shelter environment. While researching this issue, I came across President Bush’s Faith-Based Initiative. Bush wants federal funding to flow to religious organizations without pointless restrictions. In doing this, there will be departments created to tend to housing, urban development, labor, health and human services. In establishment of these positions, bush will oversea them as they work closely to fund the faith-based services. On a CNN interview with Eileen O’Connor (whom represented Bush) she stated, â€Å"They (faith-based services) have an effectiveness rate. In some cases, it is proven by studies that they can be more effective as with recidivism in drug treatment programs. President Bush says that if they are effective, why not turn them.† Many critics have argued Bush’s stance in saying that it crosses the line drawn between church and state. O’Connell argued, â€Å"He (Bush) has appointed men of different faiths to head these programs up.

College Essay examples -- essays research papers

The Importance of a College Education Johnny is a fifth grade student who is almost ready to graduate and move on to the sixth grade. Johnny however, can not multiply or divide. He cannot spell or read. Johnny fell behind in the third grade. His teacher overlooked his failure and promoted him so that he would not be held up socially. Johnny's fourth grade teacher promoted him to fifth grade hoping that he would catch up with his classmates. Johnny is now about to enter the sixth grade with the educational skills of a second grader. The situation described above is called social promotion. It is the process of moving children through grades regardless of learning or skill. For years it has been the common practice in education to move " students from grade to grade because of chronological age" (Mitzel 468). Students should have an adequate education in order to be equipped for the twenty- first and twenty-second century. The injustice of social promotion should be ended and society must discover the best route to achieve genuine student success. "Students who are socially promoted have no skills for life. The number of social promotions each year nears two million" (American Federation Teachers, afta.com). Social Promotion shows children that no matter what grade they achieve they will be promoted. This creates two problems. Students will not work to achieve; laziness is created in children. Second, the students who work hard and learn the material are often overlooked so that a teacher may help a student who is behind because of social promotion. Social promotion was brought to the attention of the country when President Clinton gave his State of the Union Address in 1999. In this address he stated many educational goals such as a mandatory third grade reading goal and the reformation of the school system in order to equip it for the twenty -first centuries. Along these same lines the President has called an end to social promotion. President Clinton proposed not just to hold back failing students but to do something about their failure. Such as remedial classrooms, identifying weakness before it is too late, strengthening learning opportunities and placing strong well-trained teachers in classrooms (Galston 35). If a student was asked in the nineteenth cen... ...ided to go back and get a degree. My mother has my utmost respect for her dedication for higher education. Even after all these years she could’ve just relaxed and enjoyed the fruits of her labor, instead she chose to attend college again. After weighing all of my options and seeing all the signs I knew it was time to get back in the game. I mean, today's society's level of norm based on an individuals qualifications has three fold in the past 30 years, whereas more than 55% more high school seniors attend college than in 1968. (http//:bostonu.edu) Once where an individual could be successful and needed no college education, now needs to attend some form of continuing education institution. As a result, I am now attending the University of Phoenix. I now attend to college to please myself, achieve a goal and to create better opportunities for me and my future generation. It took a while for me to fully understand and appreciate what a college education was for and could do, starting with Johnny in the 3rd grade to the advantages it held for me. I admonish everyone, young or old to pursue their degree if they have not already done so. It is never too late...for education.

Intro speech Essay

Earth Hour is a worldwide movement for the planet organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Earth Hour engages a massive mainstream community on a broad range of environmental issues. It was first famously started as a lights-off event in Sydney, Australia in 2007. Since then it has grown to engage more than 7000 cities and towns worldwide, and the one-hour event continues to remain the key driver of the now larger movement. The event is held worldwide and held towards the end of March annually, encouraging individuals, communities, households and businesses to turn off their non-essential lights for one hour as a symbol for their commitment to the planet. Earth Hour 2013 was celebrated on March 23, 2013. Earth Hour 2014 is scheduled for Saturday, March 29, from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. during participants’ local time. -2004: in Sydney not so famous – 2007: Become well known -2008: Earth Hour 2008 was held internationally on March 29, 2008 from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. local time, marking the first anniversary of the event. With 35 countries around the world participating as official flagship cities and over 400 cities also supporting, Earth Hour 2008 was celebrated on all seven continents. Landmarks all around the world turned off their non-essential lighting for Earth Hour, including the Sydney Opera House (Sydney, Australia), Empire State Building (New York City, USA), (examples) 2008 participants[edit] Earth Hour 2008 included 26 major cities worldwide and 300 smaller towns shutting off their lights.[6] 2009: Earth Hour 2009 was from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time, March 28, 2009. 88 countries and 4,159 cities participated in Earth Hour 2009,[37] ten times more cities than Earth Hour 2008 had (2008 saw 400 cities participate).[38 96 countries on 6 continents participated in the event in 2009. – 2010: Earth Hour 2010 was held from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time, 27 March.[49] In Israel, the hour was held on 22 April.[50] Earth Hour 2010 was reportedly the biggest Earth Hour yet, aiming to garner more than the one billion participant goal of 2009’s Earth Hour.[51] 126 countries participated in Earth Hour 2010.[52] 2011: Earth Hour 2011 was the biggest year in the campaign’s five year history, reaffirming it as the largest ever voluntary action for the environment. It took place in a record 5,251 cities and towns in 135 countries and territories in all seven continents.[59] It had an estimated reach of 1.8 billion people across the globe. In addition to this, the campaign’s digital footprint grew to 91 million. – 2012: Earth Hour 2012 was observed on 31 March 2012 from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. (participant’s local time).[66] It took place in more than 7000 cities and towns across 152 countries and territories, making it the biggest growth year for the campaign since 2009. In February, Earth Hour launched its 2012 campaign â€Å"I Will If You Will†, with the intention of engaging its growing global community to go beyond the hour and coordinate efforts publicly through Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and e-mail. Using a dedicated YouTube platform,[67] IWIYW asks Earth Hour’s digital community to inspire people from all corners of the globe to take sustainability actions, and to share their commitment to the environment with their own social media networks. -2013: Earth Hour 2013 was held across the world on Saturday, March 23 at 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time[71] to avoid taking place after European Summer Time begins, ensuring the greatest impact of the lights off ev ent. It is also to avoid coinciding with Western Christianity Holy Saturday, which falls on March 30 of that year. 2014: Earth Hour 2014 announced the date will schedule on March 29 as seen on the 2013 Earth Hour highlights >> â€Å"I will if you will† Campaign: â€Å"I Will If You Will† (IWIYW) is an Earth Hour campaign to encourage positive  action for the environment. The actions required are up to the individual or group. They could be big or small and it might be a simple lifestyle change or perhaps something that leads to political change. The campaign intends for people to become the inspiration to their friends, family, colleagues and communities by sharing what they’re willing to do to protect the planet. Challenges can be created or accepted on Earth Hour’s YouTube channel. Many organization supports and celebrity endorsement – The Earth Hour Global FAQ page states: Earth Hour does not purport to be an energy/carbon reduction exercise, it is a symbolic action. Therefore, we do not engage in the measurement of energy/carbon reduction levels for the hour itself. Earth Hour is an initiative to encourage individuals, businesses and governments around the world to take accountability for their ecological footprint and engage in dialogue and resource exchange that provides real solutions to our environmental challenges. Participation in Earth Hour symbolises a commitment to change beyond the hour.[86]

Westernisation’s Benefits

Everything has its two sides and Westernisation is not an exception. Although westernisation caused a lot of changes to a country, we can’t deny the benefits that it brought back for the humans’ development. First of all westernisation highlighted the turning point in the evolvement of human society. As a result, many transcendent inventions, which didn’t only help people to solve global problems as well as personal problems in life but they also created bases for further inventions, had appeared during the westernisation. In addition, westernisation was also regarded to a part of globalisation in which countries had chances to approach cultural beauty of the others. Firstly, westernisation is an axiomatic evidence of the breakthrough in the history of human development during the industrial revolution period. The labour’s productivity improved considerably because of the appearance of new machines with new technology. Before the industrial revolution in Britain, most of works were done by hand and therefore they took a lot of time, exertion to complete with low quality of products. However, when the industrial revolution began to outbreak with mechanisation of the textile industries, the development of iron-making techniques and the increased use of refined coal, the face of world’s economy changed eternally. Specifically, machines have helped humans in working faster and producing better quality products. Industrial revolution marked milestone of the change in work mechanism: from manual labour towards machine-based manufacturing. We can say that westernisation created a base for the vigorous development in world’s economy currently. Moreover, westernisation in some developing countries has helped their residents approach to the new technology that they had never seen before. As an example, when televisions were imported in some developing countries such as: Vietnam, Laos, Cuba†¦, the people began to realize a new and smart tool that give them news about the world every day or just entertainment such as film or music. The consequential appearance of new technology during westernisation increased the humans’ perception about the world around them and knowledge also. Can people nowadays increase their understanding about everything in every aspect of life without the base of westernisation? Secondly, westernisation brought to humans many inventions that can help them to solve some key problems of the world as well as individual to boost the quality of life. The appearance of many high buildings shows the intelligence of people after westernisation because it is an evidence of how people use the space that Nature gave them. As the population of the world are increasing second by second, there will be one day when there is no land for people to live. The construction of building is not only a smart back up for the future but it is also a way in which people use their knowledge to utilize the natural resources. Not only that, with the development of technology, people also found vicarious energy for the fossil energy which will be depleted in near future such as wind, waves, sunlight†¦ Therefore, we can say that westernisation helped us in finding resolution for the global problems that threatened the world day by day. In addition, the westernisation also provides each individual solution for his/her daily problems that arise abruptly. For example, the invention Internet which seems to be an integral part of the information development solved problem about contacting between 2 individuals. Instead of sending a long letter which takes a lot of several days to another person, we can access to the internet and send an email with a short content wherever we are – that is really simple. People seemed to managed their times better than the past because they can do work faster and more effectively. That is just a discernible example in the innumerable benefits that westernisation brought to the humans. Finally, the westernisation was also a pre-globalisation which connects country to another to form a uniform world where the development increases unstoppably. Approaching to another country’s innovation is an inevitable result of this process. Most developed and holistic nations where every indicator of a developed country is over expected: European countries and the USA are sharing their innovation to developing countries in order to help those countries more developed and out of emergency group. They might send more of their professor to developing countries on the purpose of transferring technology and new invention in industry or agriculture. More students from the developing countries have more chances to catch up the modern education in US universities or European Universities. Those evidences show the basic definition of globalisation where many cultures are mixing in the same society, which creates the diversity in nationality and custom. Globalisation also makes the gap between poor countries and rich countries become smaller. Westernisation is a small part of that globalisation where all countries share their own culture to each other, learn from each other and develop together. It makes the world becomes united without the differences in skin colour, developed level†¦ Overall, the benefits that Westernisation brought back to the humans are uncountable. On the other hand, the disadvantages that it brought in the past couldn’t make the world developed in the worse direction and the best evidence for that is we are writing this essay in modern condition with air condition and bright light. Thanks for westernisation, we are living in the best condition and get benefited from the fantastic invention.