Genetic Engineering Human Race - 2497 Words

Andrew Leicht 8/24/2014 Genetic Engineering Genetic engineering is a compelling argument that mankind was destined to be upgraded. Most humans find attraction in being faster, smarter, stronger, happier, and healthier. With this being said, sometimes it is better to let nature run its course. An unaltered human race may be for the best decision when accounting for the longevity of humans. Genetic engineering by definition is â€Å"the group of applied techniques of genetics and biotechnology used to cut up and join together genetic material and especially DNA from one or more species of organism and to introduce the result into an organism in order to change one or more of its characteristics† (miram Webster). This technology has given the human race the ability to design and manufacture the ideal human being. While manipulating and rearranging cells, scientists can transfer characteristics and traits from one living organism into another’s genes. Human genes have a very specific and unique way of coding information about someone’s look, height, behavior as well as other traits and characteristics (USE SOURCE HERE). With genetic engineering’s current abilities, decoded genetic information can be introduced into another human. Scary thought. This process is done by using the DNA of an already living donor and applying them with a separate set of DNA while acquiring only a set list of desired traits. These new changes of traits in the second set of DNA can be done from aShow MoreRelatedGenetic Engineering And The Human Race1974 Words   |  8 PagesHopes of Human Genetic Engineering are Dreadful If the world had the possibility to be a healthier one, one can rest assure that it would make that possibility a reality. However, the world already has been having that possibility through genetic engineering, but at the same time, it has remained a possibility and not a reality. With this in mind, one must wonder why; why has it remained a possibility? In order to successfully answer this, it is important to understand what genetic engineering is, andRead MoreGenetic Engineering : The Future Of The Human Race994 Words   |  4 PagesGenetic Engineering? No Way The future of the human race is in your hands. Though it may not feel that way in your everyday routines, the decisions you make will distinctively impact your children’s live, their children’s lives, etc. Genetic engineering is sparking questions among the human race whether or not it is the next step. Creating a test tube baby I in order for parents to conceive a child is one thing but genetically modifying the human race is against human nature. Genetic engineeringRead MoreGenetic Engineering And The Human Race1912 Words   |  8 PagesFrankenstein, frogs with three legs and mice with two heads, that’s what comes to mind for most people when they hear the word genetic engineering. But the reality of it is genetic engineering is much more than mad scientists sewing together monsters. Made by the exploits of science, genetic engineering can be used to help people in many more ways than most expect. Genetic engineering is used for anything from making enzymes to clean up oil spills that endanger our environment, to making crops that canRead MoreGenetic Engineering: Is the Human Race Ready? Essay1466 Words   |  6 Pageshow far genetic engineering has come. Humans, plants, and any living organism can now be manipulated. Scientists have found ways to change humans before they are even born. They can remove, add, or alter genes in the human genome. Making things possible that humans (even thirty years ago) would have never imagined. Richard Hayes claims in SuperSize Your Child? that genetic engineering needs to have limitations. That genetic engineering should be used for medical purposes, but not for â€Å"genetic modificationRead MoreGenetic Engineering: Humanities Saving Grace or the End of the Human Race?1215 Words   |  5 PagesGenetic Engineering: Humanities Saving Grace or the End of the Human Race? This is the first time history that humans can directly manipulate an organism’s genome to our own benefit. The first genetically modified organism, or GMO, was created in the seventies and has led to GM crops and GM medical treatments. The whole ideology is not new to humans. Artificial selection bred well mannered wolves into man’s best friend. And yet, the controversy has only arisen in the past decade or so. Those whoRead MoreHuman Genetic Engineering Essay977 Words   |  4 PagesGenetic engineering is a practice commonly used in food to produce yields of superior size or quality. Recently this technology has been tested on humans. The human race will now be able to improve upon itself and their offspring. With this technology disease can be disposed of and normal people can become better than average. Not all technology needs to be utilized. Genetic engineering that should not be used in humans unless done to prevent or treat disease until it is fully understood since theRead MoreGenetic Engineering Of Food Products Essay1769 Words   |  8 PagesGenetic engineering of food produce is considered a miracle technology. Many speculate that this discovery has the possibility to end world hunger. By mass producing and marketing produce, the associated costs will decrease. With lower production costs for crops, healthy options will not only be more accessible, but more affordable for customers as well. Some even contend that the overall health of the general population will improve. How does this affect the healthcare industry? If we can geneticallyRead MoreGenetically Modified Organisms By Margaret Atwood926 Words   |  4 Pagescould be completely safe and we could all be fearing a wonderful advancement in society with no solid evidence to back up our fears. But wouldn’t we be better off to choose being safe over being sorry? Atwood seems to explore the ways of genetic engineering throughout Oryx and Crake. Staring in the beginning of the novel, she begins to show that this unethical altering of living things is simply for the monetary profit of mankind. It’s not difficult to link this back to how our world, economy,Read MoreThe Potential Benefits Of Genetic Engineering1721 Words   |  7 PagesGenetic engineering is a recent development that has gained tremendous commercial appeal. The potential benefits of genetic engineering have captivated the general public and clouded their moral values. The ultimate goal of genetic engineering is to create a utopian society where problems such as disease and world hunger no longer exist. Genetically engineering humans to be ideal beings may eventually lead to the creation of a â€Å"super race.† A super race is a race of strong, healthy, and highly intelligentRead MoreThe Bioethics Of Human Genetic Engineering And Modification1589 Words   |  7 P agesof Human Genetic Engineering and Modification Humans are marvelous creatures no other animals compare in intelligence or general abilities. As humans, we never have enough, we always are in search of self-improvement and personal gain. Our lives are based on the pursuit of personal gain and to help better the human race as a whole. Sometimes we must sacrifice everything and other times it comes as little to no price to achieve something greater for ourselves and others. Genetic engineering is an

The American Dream And The Sun - 1075 Words

The American Dream and â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† America is the land of the free where there is ample opportunities for individuals to achieve any goals they put effort into obtaining. Many individuals immigrate to America to have the American Dream that is offered to all its citizens. The dream of owning their own house, having a job that gives them the opportunity to move up the career ladder, financial stability, having a family, owning a car, ability to receive an education, and having freedom and equality. Is this American Dream really attainable for everyone? Some groups of American citizens seem less likely to ever achieve this dream even if they work hard. Society and their circumstances are against them either because of†¦show more content†¦In â€Å"A Raisin in the Sun† by Lorraine Hansberry, the Younger’s cannot fully achieve the American Dream due to societal obstacles they experience based on their race when trying to obtain a good paying job, buying a house and receiving an education. For the Younger family, having a good paying job is a part of their American Dream, but sadly they have a difficult time trying to achieve this aspect of the dream due to their race. Most African Americans during the 1950’s made significantly less money than White Americans. â€Å"The average black household income in 1955 ($2,890) was 55 percent of that of white households ($5,228)† (Fuller par. 4). This difference in income was because of the jobs that were open for colored individuals. Like Mama, Ruth and Walter, most Blacks had service jobs that usually served Whites. For instance, Walter is a chauffeur for a white man. This low paying job barely allows him to provide for his family and definitely does not fulfill his American Dream. Walter states â€Å"I open and close car doors all day long. I drive a man around in his limousine†¦. That ain t no kind of job†¦. Sometimes it’s like I can see the future stretched out in front of me†¦, just wait ing for me† (Hansberry 477-478). Walter aspires for a better job, which leads him to want to use Mama’s money to invest in a liquor store, but his race keeps him confined to blue-collar jobs. Back

Still a Threat to the United States Free Essays

The tenth anniversary of the 9/1 1 attacks prompted reflections on the current status of the terrorism threat to the United States. One aspect of an assessment†the threat posed by biological weapons†is especially challenging because of the unique character of these weapons. A prime distinction is the fact that exposure to minute quantities of a biological agent may go unnoticed, yet ultimately be the cause of disease and death. We will write a custom essay sample on Still a Threat to the United States or any similar topic only for you Order Now The Incubation period of a microbial agent can be days or weeks; unlike a bombing, knifing, or chemical dispersion, a bioattack might not be ecognized until long after the agent’s release. Accordingly, bioterrorism poses distinctive challenges for preparedness, protection, and response. The use of a pathogen for hostile purposes became a consuming concern to the American people soon after 9/1 1 . About a half-dozen letters containing anthrax spores were mailed to Journalists and polltlclans beginning one week after the jetliner attacks. Four letters with spores and threat messages eventually were recovered. All were postmarked Trenton, New Jersey, which meant that they had been processed at the postal distribution center in nearby Hamilton. Two letters were postmarked September 18, one addressed to Tom Brokaw at NBC-TV and another to the editor of the New York Post. The other two letters were stamped October 9 and addressed to Senators Thomas Daschle and Patrick Leahy. As people became infected in September, October and November, local responses revealed gaps in preparedness for a biological attack. For example, the first confirmation of an anthrax case was on October 4, more than two weeks after the initial letters were mailed. Retrospective assessments later indicated that by then nine people had already contracted the disease. Their illness previously had been misidentified because of faulty diagnoses or erroneous laboratory In the end, at least 22 people had become infected, five of whom died. Meanwhile, scores of buildings were belatedly found to be contaminated with spores that had leaked from the letters. At least 30,000 people who were deemed at risk required prophylactic antibiotics. [2] Millions more were fearful, many of them anxious about opening their own mail. Since the anthrax attacks, the U. S. government has spent about $60 billion on biodefense. A large portion of those dollars has gone to biodefense research under he auspices of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). The NIAID budget for biodefense research has grown from $200 million in 2001 to an annual average of $1. 6 billion since 2004. United States safer from a bioattack now than at the time of the anthrax attacks? Has the spending been worth it? Key Questions, Discrepant Answers Opinions on these questions differ. While concerned about the danger of backsliding, the authors of an article in Politico now felt â€Å"reassured about our preparedness† for a biological attack. [3] At the same time, an opposing assessment was emblazoned in he title of a New York Times Magazine cover story: â€Å"Ten Years After the Anthrax Attacks, We Are Still Not Ready. [4] A review of biodefense efforts during the past 10 years in Science magazine blandly acknowledged the obvious: â€Å"debate continues over how much safer the country The congressionally chartered Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism (WMD Commission) issued a report card in 2010 on efforts to address several of its previous recommendations. The administration’s failure to â€Å"enhance the nationâ⠂¬â„¢s capabilities for rapid response to revent biological attacks from inflicting mass casualties† merited a grade of â€Å"F† (meaning that no action was taken on this recommendation). Almost as bad was the â€Å"D*† given for continuing inadequate oversight of high-containment laboratories. Reasonable arguments can be made to support varied views about these issues, and all conclusions bear a degree of subjectivity. Yet an assessment of several broad critical contentions can offer clarification. The criticisms are largely expressed in the form of five contentions. Contention #1 : Funding for biodefense has meant fewer dollars for other deserving reas such as public health infrastructure and basic science research. In 2005, 758 microbiologists signed a letter to Elias Zerhouni, then director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), objecting to the diversion of funds from public health research to biodefense projects. Zerhouni, Joined by NIAID Director Anthony Fauci, rejected the letter’s premise of â€Å"diversion. † An assessment of disputed interpretations suggested that spending on biodefense benefited non-biodefense research as well, but the numbers were so â€Å"convoluted† that a clear determination was elusive. [7] An analysis of the biodefense budget for fiscal year 2012 indicates that only 10% of the proposed $6. billion is dedicated exclusively to civilian biodefense. The other 90% is for projects with both biodefense and non-biodefense implications. The non- biodefense goals, according to analysts Crystal Franco and Tara Kirk Sell, include â€Å"advancing other areas of science, public health, healthcare, national security, or international security. â€Å" [8] This tilt toward dual-track benefits has been reflected in past budgets as well. A report in Nature magazine indicated that of the $60 billion pent on biodefense in the past decade, only about $12 billion went for programs have benefited substantially from biodefense projects. Fiscal woes in recent years have in fact resulted in reduced resources for public health and related programs. Economic pressure threatens to shrink biodefense funding as it does funding for much else in the federal budget; however, it is not clear now, nor was it in the past, if fewer dollars for biodefense would necessarily translate into more for public health, basic research, or any other health-related programs. Contention #2: The growing number of facilities for research on select agents specified pathogens and toxins) has heightened chances of an accidental release. Statistics alone make this assertion unassailable. The chances of something going wrong in any enterprise, assuming no change in operational security, increase with the size of the enterprise. As the number of research facilities increases, so does the chance of an accident. A continuing weakness is the lack of clarity about the number of high security laboratories. In 1983, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) designated four levels of safety for laboratory work with biological agents. A Biosafety Level-I (BSL-I) laboratory allows for work on relatively innocuous agents and a BSL-4 laboratory on the most dangerous. The two highest containment facilities, BSL-3 and BSL-4, require special security measures including restricted access, negative pressure to prevent air from flowing out of the room, and protective outerwear for operators. BSL-4 laboratories require additional safeguards such as entry through multiple air-locked rooms and positive pressure outerwear with a segregated air supply. A BSL-4 laboratory is required for work on agents that cause lethal disease for which here is little or no treatment (for example, smallpox and hemorrhagic fevers such as Ebola and Marburg). At present, there are 15 such U. S. facilities planned or in operation, triple the number operating in 2001. [10] Other dangerous agents, including the bacteria that cause anthrax and plague, are worked on in BSL-3 laboratories. The number of these laboratories has skyrocketed since 2001, although the actual figures are uncertain. While an estimated 20 BSL-3 facilities were operating before the anthrax attacks, in the decade since the number has grown to between 200 and an astonishing 1,400 or ore. [11] The huge discrepancy is attributable in part to varied methods of calculation. Some assessments have counted all BSL-3 laboratories in an institution as a single BSL-3 facility, while others have designated each laboratory as a separate entity. Furthermore, some laboratories with a BSL-3 designation may lack safety features found in others, such as double doors and a requirement that two persons must be present. No national authority is now empowered to mandate a single system of counting or that even the lowest estimated number of BSL-3 laboratories (200) represents a 10- old increase in the past 10 years, and that safety precautions at some BSL-3 facilities are less rigorous than at others. Contention #3: The growing number of investigators with knowledge about select agents has increased the chances that an unsavory scientist could launch a bioattack. Along with more high containment facilities has come more scientists who handle select agents. Concern about dangerous individuals among them was heightened in 2008 when the FBI named Bruce Ivins as the perpetrator of the 2001 anthrax attacks. Ivins was a veteran scientist who for decades had worked on anthrax at the U. S. Army Medical Research Institute for Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) in Fort Detrick, Maryland. Before charges could be brought he committed suicide, so his guilt or innocence could never be established in a court of law. Still, evidence of his aberrational behavior, including alcoholism, depression, and self-described bouts of paranoia, evidently went unnoticed by his superiors. The Ivins case highlighted questions about the screening of workers with ready access to select agents. The number of those workers Just prior to the anthrax attacks has been estimated at about 700. By 2008, however, the figure had climbed to more han As some have suggested, the greater numbers mean that â€Å"the odds of one of them turning out to be a bad apple has increased. â€Å"[13] Ironically, Ivins was not a newly minted investigator, but a long-respected fgure in the army’s biodefense program. Days after Ivins’ death, a USAMRIID spokesperson acknowledged that officials may have been unaware of his problems because they relied in part on self-reporting. [14] In 2011, a mental health review panel concluded that â€Å"Dr. Ivins had a significant and lengthy history of psychological disturbance and diagnosable mental illness at the time he began working for USAMRIID in The Ivins case has raised concerns that other troubled or nefarious individuals might be working in U. S. laboratories. A recent government-sponsored forum on biosecurity called for periodic behavioral evaluations of personnel with access to select agents that include drug testing, searches for criminal history, and completion by selectees of a security questionnaire. 16] Even while acknowledging the necessity of security measures, the right to privacy and freedom of scientific inquiry must be respected to the extent possible. In any case, behavioral monitoring can never provide absolute protection against the acts of a lever miscreant. Contention #4: Money for biodefense has been misapplied or otherwise failed to produce desired results. Project BioShield was established by congress in 2004 to acquire medical countermeasures against bio logical, chemical, and radiological vaccines and other drugs that have not necessarily been tested for efficacy on humans. Beyond the loss of time and money, the VaxGen failure was a public embarrassment. It became a symbol of ineptness early in the new program. Other biosecurity programs have also drawn criticism, including a $534 million surveillance project called BioWatch. This program included the placement of air amplers for detection of anthrax spores and other agents in more than 30 major U. S. cities. A committee convened by the National Academy of Sciences concluded in 2010 that the program was faced with â€Å"serious technical and operational challenges. † Others flatly criticized its funding as wasted. How to cite Still a Threat to the United States, Papers

Efficiency And Effectiveness Of Our Criminal Court System Essay Example For Students

Efficiency And Effectiveness Of Our Criminal Court System Essay Our court systems have, in recent years, been said to beinefficient, sometimes ineffective, and even backlogged to thepoint where cases have to be dismissed because of how long ittakes for them to get to court. After my trip to court, theseare my opinions and observations on the Efficiency andEffectiveness of our Criminal Court System. The court procedures of provincial court are very systematicand are carried out very swiftly. It is much like a tennismatch, the ball, or control in the court, is volleyed back andforth between the judge (and court clerk) and the lawyers. Thecourt clerk arraigns the accused, the defence lawyer responseswith how the accused pleas, if it is not guilty, the courtclerk asks how the Crown lawyer wishes to proceed and so forth. However, this is not so in the Ontario Supreme Court (TrialDivision), though similar in methodical procedures, the courtcases are longer and much more time is spent on each individualpart of the case, from presenting the evidence to cross-examination of the witness, this is because of the amount ofinformation involved. The general atmosphere and behaviour in the ProvincialCourtrooms were general loose and calm. The people, lawyers,judge, clerk and recorder seem to know each other very well. They joked openly, even while the court was in session, thedefence lawyer asked if he could persuade the judge into alighter sentence after the judge had already made a decision in avery easy and friendly tone of voice, something seemlyunprofessional that caused chuckles throughout the courtroom. Where in the Ontario Supreme Court the atmosphere was much moreserious, professional, strict and at times high in tension. Our current bail system, in either monetary terms orpersonal recognizance, seemed pretty successful in ProvincialCourt, though not observed in the Ontario Supreme Court, all thepeople did show up for their trial, which included two people onbail for possession of marijuana cigarettes. As a final note, nobench warrant was every called for by the judge for people whomfailed to attend their trial. The necessity of the duty council is for those who donthave a lawyer and is for their benefit that they discuss legaloptions that the accused might have before proceeding, howeverthis part of the system is not very efficient as the court mustadjourn for this and thus waste valuable time that could beotherwise used for processing other court cases. The Crown Attorney in provincial court was, on the whole,fairly well prepared, efficiently bring relevant facts toattention, friendly and well acquainted to the defence lawyers aswell as the judge, and quick to get to the point that he wastrying to prove. There was little time wasted, between thearraignment and the sentencing, on the part of the CrownAttorney. In Ontario Supreme Court, the Crown Attorney thereseemed well prepared, efficient, and quick, however there seemedto be a lack of personal evolvement in the case, rather he seemedemotionless, just doing his job, not being familiar with thejudge or other people in the court room. By the way he presentedand dressed, he appeared far more strict and serious in conductand appearance than his Provincial Court counterpart. Calling a remand can be helpful in that it allows witnesses,especially key witnesses, to be present at a later date when itis possible for them to attend the trial, as duty may call themto do otherwise. The disadvantages, however, are mostly on theaccuseds part, as s/he must remain in custody longer in order tobe brought back to trial. .ubf43e222b27e43bd65a479b903f9a8ed , .ubf43e222b27e43bd65a479b903f9a8ed .postImageUrl , .ubf43e222b27e43bd65a479b903f9a8ed .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ubf43e222b27e43bd65a479b903f9a8ed , .ubf43e222b27e43bd65a479b903f9a8ed:hover , .ubf43e222b27e43bd65a479b903f9a8ed:visited , .ubf43e222b27e43bd65a479b903f9a8ed:active { border:0!important; } .ubf43e222b27e43bd65a479b903f9a8ed .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ubf43e222b27e43bd65a479b903f9a8ed { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ubf43e222b27e43bd65a479b903f9a8ed:active , .ubf43e222b27e43bd65a479b903f9a8ed:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ubf43e222b27e43bd65a479b903f9a8ed .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ubf43e222b27e43bd65a479b903f9a8ed .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ubf43e222b27e43bd65a479b903f9a8ed .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ubf43e222b27e43bd65a479b903f9a8ed .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ubf43e222b27e43bd65a479b903f9a8ed:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ubf43e222b27e43bd65a479b903f9a8ed .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ubf43e222b27e43bd65a479b903f9a8ed .ubf43e222b27e43bd65a479b903f9a8ed-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ubf43e222b27e43bd65a479b903f9a8ed:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: The Inuit People EssayThe necessity for a lawyer for minor offences can sometimesoutweigh the cost the accused must pay for them because thelawyer understands the law and how the system works, he might beable to point out some small discrepancies or may suggest whattype and how much punishment is suitable for the accuseds crime. The lawyer may also point out that if the person has a record,how old it really is, as records older than 5 years old that arenot cleared are disregarded by the judge. They also help thecases progress faster as an accused legal options will be alreadymade clear to him by his/her lawyer. Lawyers are absolutely necessary for major cases, as theaccused may not understand his legal rights clearly or may notknow how to defend himself correctly in the correct the mannerduring trial in court. Court judges in Provincial Court were generally looser thanthose in Ontario Supreme Court as that the one we saw in SupremeCourt seemed more serious, lacked in emotional expressions, butalso easily bored. However in Provincial Court, they wereserious but there was room for humour and understanding of theaccuseds situation. Over all they looked like they enjoyedtheir jobs. All in all, the system we currently have cannot be anybetter as it is efficient as humanly possible without violatingany individuals rights as in the Charter.

History of the Swastika Analysis Essay Example

History of the Swastika: Analysis Essay Most people associate the swastika with Hitler, the Nazis, and the Holocaust.Because of this, it has become a symbol of hatred and violence.However, the symbol known as the swastika has been in existence for over 3,000 years, and a variety of cultures have used it in a variety of ways.Although different cultures called it by different names, the actual work swastika is Indian, actually from the Sanskrit.One writer notes, The word swastika comes from the Sanskrit svastika su meaning good, asti meaning to be, and ka as a suffix (Rosenberg, 2007).Thus, initially the meaning of the symbol was a positive one, and some cultures looked at the symbol as a religious emblem, similar to a cross, but it also symbolized good luck and power.The symbol has been used throughout history to decorate everything from buildings and temples to pottery vessels and even military uniforms.(An American Division, the 4th, actually used it as one of their uniform patches in World War I) (Rosenberg, 2007).Arche ologists have found numerous representations of the symbol on the ancient ruins of Troy, establishing its use for thousands of years (Quinn, 1994, p. 49).Thus, its use is long established and well recorded.How most Americans view this symbol is far removed from its history, however.If most Americans traveled to India and saw swastikas adorning everything from front doors to food carts, they would probably be shocked and appalled.Most would not understand the symbol is an important religious symbol in the country, and it is used to bring good luck to families and religious temples. American culture has recognized the swastika as a symbol of hatred and intolerance for decades.Since many Americans do not take the time to research history and culture, they simply assume their knowledge or beliefs about a symbol are the only truth, which can lead to very inaccurate assumptions.Most Americans would believe

The Impact of Computers on Careers essays

The Impact of Computers on Careers essays Computers are the future whether we like it or not. Some people dislike computers, because of the complications it takes to understand the basics. Computers are not exactly the easiest tools to work with, but they are the most rewarding, and they are the future. Future cars will all be run by computer. You will be able to talk to a car and it will take you to your destination. Telephones are technically computerized. You will soon be able to talk to a person on the telephone as well as look at the person you are talking to on a television set. Also, television is computerized. Soon we will have true three-dimensional television. We will be able to watch television like we never have watched it before. We will be able to touch the characters and feel the characters like they were in the room with you. For people who don't know much about computers, you will be lost in the future. You should learn what you can while you still have the chance because things will develop too quickly for you and you will not be able to cope with new technological events. Computers will fall into careers and our everyday life more rapidly then you think. Perhaps you would like to be a teacher. You will store all class data, students work, names, grades, records all accessible by computer. Or, how about a doctor. You will use computers to examine and evaluate a patients problem quicker and more efficiently. These are only a few examples. The bottom line is, computers provide worthwhile careers. Having a job that involves computers, in terms of the conditions, is very much similar to an office job. In most of the common jobs, the worker will get to an office in the morning, sit at a desk, in front of a computer, and will do very little manual labor except a lot of typing. For example, the computer consultant we have already mentioned might do several jobs, a few being: Traveling to clients computers, writing customized programs, repairing computer part...

Personal Growth Response Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Personal Growth Response Paper - Essay Example In lieu of these situations they motivate and develop strategic responses. While being effective leaders the CEOs must actively engage themselves in the realization of action-oriented plans. This meant that leaders are vision oriented whereas the manager is objective oriented. He further emphasized that a leader works under unstructured environment and the manager is facilitated by a semi-structured environment under well-defined policies and guidelines. This lead to an important decision in my life which was a choice between a leader and manager and I came to realize that why should one settle for a manager whose goal is, basically, to maintain the status quo Thus I came to recognize that the true task of a leader is to reinvent strategies so that the organization and every person who works with him continuously become better. A leader should be flexible enough to be associated with the change in structure. To further explain this I would like to quote the example of Z.A. Bhutto explaining that Bhutto's downfall had come as a result of his inability to adapt to the changing political situation in the country. While the military and the U.S. backed out in supporting him, he persisted with his old policy eventually he failed. Therefore a leader needs to change oneself according to the environment and the structure. Sincerity: A leader has to be sincere to all stakeholders on all fronts ranging from

Southwest Airlines Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Southwest Airlines - Case Study Example In addition, the company viewed offering the air service as an innovative and environmentally responsible industry driving at economic and social progress (Rochat, 2007). The fun campaign led by Keller and involving crews and all employees was an innovative way of making their flights a fun to all customers. Another factor behind the success was the cost cutting strategies which included contracting fleet maintenance and fuel supplies, fewer than average operators and crews in all its services, and the no frill policy was a different approach that ensured the company minimized its costs. Morrison (2001) elaborates how the low cost Carriers had to adopt some of the strategies used by Southwest to cut costs. Making employees as part of a larger family of Southwestern Airlines was perhaps the largest asset that the company utilized to succeed in the market. Brueckner, Lee & Singer (2012) elaborate one of the main characteristics of LCC as cutting costs while still charging very low fares compared to major airlines. The 10 to 15 turnaround therefore ensured Southwestern airline maximum usage of its fleet while carrying a below average or average number of customers per trip. In addition, the high turnaround ensured the business class customers could effectively use the company due to reliability, speed and effectiveness of reaching these destinations, including the ability to acquire a ticket in the airline’s gates and board the next flight to their destination. The high turnaround therefore translated to more customers due to reliability, and effectively utilizing the fleet, which increased the company’s profits. One of the challenges faced is flooding of other low cost carriers in the market with better services, the threat of terrorism rapidly increasing in air transportation making the turnaround required difficult to maintain, and rising fuel costs that may increase its operating costs in addition to the tantrums in global economy. According to

Plato, John Dewey, Maria Montessori Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Plato, John Dewey, Maria Montessori - Essay Example To the prisoners the shadows and objects are his reality. (Cottingham, 1996, p. 67-69 512-513) In case the prisoner is allowed to turn around or even stand the sunlight coming into the cave from the entry will be too much for him. And if they are objects passing by their shadow to the prisoner are the reality rather than the object itself. He will see the sun as the source of the shadows that he has seen. Once this prisoner is taken outside and gets enlightened and has he desires to free other prisoners in the cave but they are not willing to set free. When the prisoner is back in the cave he is trying to adjust to the dim light and has to get used again. His identification of the objects on the wall goes down this makes the other prisoners to think that going to the surface has destroyed his eyesight. In the allegory the outside of the cave or the world represent amass knowledge and the cave is a representation of a dark place with limited information leading to a faulty reality. (Cottingham, 1996, p.67-69 512-513) According to Plato to get reality one had to look at the order of the creation to increase understanding of experience. 'Humans had to travel from the visible realm of image-making and objects of sense, to the intelligible, or invisible, realm of reasoning and understanding. "The Allegory of the Cave" symbolizes this trek and how it would look to those still in a lower realm. Plato is saying that humans are all prisoners and that the tangible world is our Cave. The things which we perceive as real are actually just shadows on a wall. Just as the escaped prisoner ascends into the light of the sun, we amass knowledge and ascend into the light of true reality: where ideas in our minds can help us understand the form of 'The Good'. (Cottingham, 1996, p. 67-69 512-513) In Plato theory, what we perceive through our senses is not a reality i.e. what the prisoners see as the reality on the wall are just shadows, but on the contrary when one gains knowledge then he/she is able to understand the true reality. (Cottingham, 1996, p. 67-69 512-513) Unlike Plato in the Allegory of the cave the Pragmatisms connote that action and knowledge are two different spheres and also there is a supreme truth exceeding the sort of inquisition (ways by which the organisms can get a hold of their surrounding) that organisms use to get by in life. (Shusterman, 1997, p.11, 23, 90-95) This theory provides an environmental account of knowledge. 'Real' and 'true' are used in the inquiry process and they cannot be comprehended outside of that context. The theory acknowledges an outside world which needs to be tackled or dealt with. John Dewey says 'something is "made true" when it is verified.' According to Pragmatists; 'truth is not ready -made, but jointly we and reality "make" truth.' Truth is characterized by being mutable and it relative to abstract system. (Shusterman, 1997, p.11, 23, 90-95) In the Allegory of the cave approach they are no visible importance of teaching since the students observe and learn from what they see. A teacher or a mentor is not assigned any role since in Plato view of man is as a universal being that does not learn but discover. All human beings have the ability to move being ignorant to being knowledgeable as Plato asserts. (Shusterman, 199

Importance of employee satisfaction in an organization

Importance of employee satisfaction in an organization In the beginning, we are looking for the factor that influences job satisfaction among the workers/ front liner in SingTel. After that in the following chapter is about the review of the relevant literature. In chapter 3, we will looking for the method been use for this study and followed by chapter 4 is about the result and discussion from the analyses of data and findings of the research. And for the last chapter which is chapter 5, it summarized and recommend according to the finding and result. Job satisfaction is about the feeling of the nature of the job. In order for an organization to be successful, it must continuously ensure the satisfactorily of their employees (Berry, 1997). The happier the workers, the more satisfied they are. Besides, satisfied worker also a productive worker. Organization with more satisfied employees tends to be more effective (Robbins Judge, 2007). In todays world, organization realize that is it important to keep their worker satisfied as human recourse is the important assets for the organization to keep their business running. With satisfied workers, they will deliver the better quality service to the customer which indirectly will increase customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction is important as it is essential in building long-term, profitable relationships ultimately leading to customer loyalty and repeat business. As for the workers, job satisfaction is important for the employees mental health (Smith, Kendall and Hulin, 1969). Upon study on job satisfaction, factor that influences the level of job satisfaction is vital to be addressed. They are many factors that influence level of job satisfaction such as the organization factor which may include working condition or anything that related to the working condition. For example: leadership style and pay. Besides working condition, personal factors such as health issue and family conflict. 1.2 Problem statement Human resources are the most valuable assets in an organization especially those high performing employees and it will be a trouble to company if those employees leaving or deliver bad service to their customer. One special issue is the low level of employee job satisfaction that brought difficulties in increasing service quality (Yi, 1993). Seta, Paulus and Baron (2000) pointed out that knowing the factors contributing to the employees satisfactions; the organization can plan properly and take appropriate step to increase positive behavior among employees. It means that organization or management need to prepare proper training or program such as reward, growth opportunities or job security in order to increase job satisfaction among the employees. According to malhotra Mukerjee (2004), Call centers facilitate flow of information and communication between firms and their remote customers via the telephone. According to Prahabkar, Sheehan, and Coppett (1997), call centers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.allow a company to build, maintain, and manage customer relationships by solving problems and resolving complaints quickly. Front liners who work in call centre have to answer call from customer 24 hour a day throughout 365 days in a year. As a front lines, this job full with challenge and stress. They need to manage their emotion very well in order to deliver good services to customer. Therefore, it is important to make sure that the workers are satisfied with their current job scope. Holman et al.s (2007) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.number of call center employees stood at 450,000. This is quite a huge amount in this communicating field. According to Zeithml Bitner (2000), since the customer contact employees or popularly known as the call center agents are the link between the entire organization and the external customer, so they are able to influence the perception of the customer to the organization. From the previous study, there was evidence in between job satisfaction and performance deliver by the front liners. Therefore, the research tries to find out the link between the job satisfaction and organization factors and also the personal factor. 1.3 Research Questions The research questions will be: 1.3.1 To what extent is the influence of work conditions on employee job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel? 1.3.2 To what extent is the influence of promotion on employee job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel? 1.3.3 To what extent is the influence of gender on employee job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel? 1.3.4 To what extent is the influence of age on job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel? 1.4 Research Objectives Based on the above research questions, this study intends to achieve the specific research objectives: 1.4.1 To determine the influence of work conditions on employee job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. 1.4.2 To examine the influence of promotion on employee job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. 1.4.3 To investigate the influence of gender on employee job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. 1.4.4 To determine the influence of age on employee job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. 1.5 Significance of the study There are many studies revealed the factors that may affect job satisfaction but they are related to all aspect for the job satisfaction. The employee satisfaction theory (Vroom, 1964) and (Herzberg, 1966) employee satisfaction measurement tools, as well as Maslows Hierarchy of Needs (Abraham Maslow, 1943), but there are rarely study regarding factors that may contribute to job satisfaction in call centre in Malaysia. In Malaysia, call center are growing in a rapidly rate. There are many communication company increases the intake of the call center agent or in the other ways knows as front-liners. From this point of view, it is important for us to study on the front-liners job satisfaction. Since the number of employed for the front-liners are growing, through the study, it help the organization to understand what is the need for the entire front-liners, what is their basic request. Through this study, it help organization to knowing better on what is the benefit that they can provide for them for satisfaction and at the same time organization can deliver a good services to the customer. Apart from that, this is a way to send out the messages for those who desire to work in this field. It is also information to the public who always complaining or disputing about the customer services staff without knowing their sacrifice. 1.6 Scope and Limitation of the Study The scope of the study is to study the link between the job satisfaction and organization factors and also the personal factor in Sing Tel. These include work condition, leadership style, promotion, gender, personality and individual experience. The study limited only to the front-liners in Sing Tel. 1.7 Organization of the Research Project This study consists of five chapters which are introduction, literature review, methodology, result and discussion followed by conclusion and recommendation. Each chapter will discuss in depth later. In chapter 1, we are looking for the factor that influences job satisfaction among the workers/ front liner in SingTel. After that in the following chapter is about the review of the relevant literature. Chapter 3, we will look for the method been use for this study and followed by chapter 4 is about the result and discussion from the analyses of data and findings of the research. And for the last chapter which is chapter 5, it summarized and recommend according to the finding and result. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction This chapter will discuss about the job satisfaction in several perspectives. It is includes definition of job satisfaction, previous studies on job satisfaction and the factors that influence the job satisfaction. A part from this, it is also a brief discussion regarding the job satisfaction among the staff in call center. And it ends with a brief summary for this chapter. 2.2 Job Satisfaction According to Steyn Van Wyk (1999), job satisfaction can be formally defined as the degree to which individuals feel positively and/or negatively about their jobs. From this, when an employee meets their needs or expectation, then they will feel the accomplishment and from here the degree of satisfaction can be determine. Gordon (1999) claims that job satisfaction occurs when a job meets the expectations, values and standards of an individual and will influence their commitment and performance. So from here, it is how an organization gets satisfied their workers in order to get their commitment to performed well. Maslows Hierarchy of Needs was proposed by Abraham Maslow in 1943 from his paper A Theory of Human Motivation. According to Maslow, people are not satisfied with what they have and will always request for more. From the hierarchy, they are five level can be found in each individual which is physical, security, social, ego and self-actualization. Physical needs are the base from the hierarchy. It includes the basic human needs such as the need for air, water, food, exercise and freedom form diseases. It is commonly achieve by the human being. Once this basic is achieved, then they will go for the other level which is the security. This level includes the need of safety, shelter and stability. In term of the working environment, it means that an employee may demand for the job security, they can have a stabile job, being treated fairly and have a good pay for their job. The third phase is the social, it includes the need of being loves, and they experience the feeling of belonging and inclusion. In the work place, the employee need to feel the sense of belonging and acceptance, once they have this feeling, it helps them to achieve the satisfaction on this level. Let say ones cannot fulfill this level, for example maybe he or she facing problem in their marriage; it will lead to fail on this level. After fulfill this level, it comes to another level which is the ego or known as self-esteem and follow by the highest level which is the self-actualization. Figure1. Maslows Job Hierarchy of Needs Model 2.3 Work Condition According to Stallworth and Kleiner (1996) increasingly an organizations physical layout is designed around employee needs in order to maximize productivity and satisfaction. Employee would prefer to work in an organization which can provide better physical comfort and convenience. With a better environment, it can reduce the unsatisfied feeling of the employees. According to Robbins (2001), working conditions will influence job satisfaction, as employees are concerned with a comfortable physical work environment. 2.4 Promotion A study conduct by Ellickson and Logsdon (2002) claim that with municipal government workers where satisfaction with promotional opportunities was found to be positively and significantly related to job satisfaction. The chances to get promotion have a strong effect on the employee job satisfaction. From the study, the management can take notes that promotion can always be a motivation tools for them to ensure the employee can achieve their goals. 2.5 Gender Gender is one of the demographic characteristic that researchers always investigated the relationship with the job satisfaction. Shahri (2001) found that male managers were more satisfied with their jobs than female managers in upper level management. From the study of Tang and Talpade (1999), it found that men tend to have higher satisfaction with remuneration in relation to females, while females tended to have higher satisfaction with co-workers than males. From the previous study, it shows that the job satisfaction effected by the gender. 2.6 Age Most of the studies found the existing relationship between age and job satisfaction. According to the study done by Drafke and Kossen (2002), it shows that older employee with more working experience are more satisfied compare with younger employee, the study also claim that job satisfaction increase with age. Greenberg and Baron (1995) claims that generally older employees are more satisfied with their job compare with younger employee. From the reviews, it shows that age play a role in the employees job satisfaction. 2.7 Research Framework The purpose of this study is to determine the factors affect the job satisfaction in call center. This part is regarding the discussion that forming the theoretical framework. It is based on the previous studies that had been review. There are two independents variables, which consist of the personal factors and the organizational factors. The personal factors includes gender and age, meanwhile the organizational factors includes work condition and promotion. Figure 2 shows the theoretical framework for the study. Organizational Factors Work condition promotion Job satisfaction Personal Factors Gender Age Figure 2 Theoretical Framework 2.8 Summary This chapter has discussed about the factors that influence the job satisfaction. This was discussing clearly with different researchers and theorist. The Maslows Hierarchy of Needs also reviewed as this theory related with the research topic. It is good for management to understand the factors that influence the job satisfaction. It helps organization to indentify those factors and avoid the mistake. . CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.1 Hypotheses statement Hypothesis 1 Ho: There is positive relationship between work condition and job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. H1: There is negative relationship between work condition and job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. Hypothesis 2 Ho: There is positive relationship between promotion and job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. H1: There is negative relationship between promotion and job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. Hypothesis 3 Ho: There is positive relationship between gender and job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. H1: There is negative relationship between gender and job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. Hypothesis 4 Ho: There is positive relationship between age and job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. H1: There is negative relationship between age and job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. 3.2 Research Design There are a lots of research method to use to analyze job satisfaction. There is no single method or the most appropriate on it. According to Punch (1998) each approach has it strength and weaknesses. When we understand each of the strength and weaknesses, we can select or combine the approach. This study used quantitative methods involving survey questionnaires to collect the quantitative data. The purpose is to determine whether there is a correlation between the personal and organizational factors with the job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. The Job Descriptive Index (JDI) was used to measure the level of job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. The Job in General (JIG) also used to measure the overall job satisfaction. 3.3 Research Sample The present number of all the front liners in Sing Tel consists of 210 employees. Therefore, the sample was selected randomly from a total of 50 respondents that able to facilitate the objectives of the study. This sample size was according to the Roscoes rule of thumb (cited in Sekaran, 2003) which is stated that sample larger than 30 and less than 500 is appropriate for most research. 3.4 Research Instrument The Job Descriptive Index (JDI) and Job in General (JIG) were used to measure the job satisfaction. The job descriptive index (JDI), created by Smith, Kendall, Hulin(1989), is a specific questionnaire of job satisfaction that has been widely used. It measures ones satisfaction in five dimensions such as: pay, promotion and promotion opportunities, relationship with coworkers, supervision, and the work itself. The General Job Index is an overall measurement of job satisfaction. It was an improvement on the job descriptive index because the JDI focused too much on work 33 satisfaction. The questionnaire consists 3 parts. The first part related to the personal factors in Sing Tel, the second part is regarding the job satisfaction of the front liners in Sing Tel and last part is about the organizational factors that affect job satisfaction. 3.5 Data Collection Procedures As this is my previous company, so I will distribute the questionnaire to my ex-colleague. The questionnaires were answered by the respondents by following the instructions for each section. The questionnaire will be collected after all the respondents had answered it. 3.6 Data Analysis Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) computer software program (version 12) was use to analyzed all the data that collected from the respondents. Descriptive analysis was used to explore the data collected as well as summarizing and describing the data. For this study, it was use to describe the gender and age. CHAPTER 4 RESULTS AND FINDINGS 4.1 Introduction This chapter reveals and reports the findings from the study of job satisfaction among workers/ front liner in SingTel. Fifty sets of questionnaire were distributed as mentioned in the research methodology. They were processed and analyzed using SPSS Package Program (Version 12) and the results are presented in tables. The first section will provide the background of the respondents. The second section will then provide the reliability of the variables. The third section will present the correlation analysis with regards to the relationship of the independent variables in influencing the dependent variable. 4.2 Frequency Analysis 4.2.1 Gender Statistics Gender N Valid 50 Missing 0 Gender Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid male 24 48.0 48.0 48.0 female 26 52.0 52.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 Table 4.2.1: Gender Table 4.2.1 shows the frequency distribution for gender composition. As stated previously, the total respondents for this study was 50. From the total respondents, 26 (52%) respondents were female while 24 (48%) of the respondents were male. 4.2.2 Age Age N Valid 50 Missing 0 Age Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 19-29 14 28.0 28.0 28.0 30-39 21 42.0 42.0 70.0 40-49 12 24.0 24.0 94.0 50-60 3 6.0 6.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 Table 4.2.2 Age By referring to the table 4.2.2 above, the majority of the respondents were between 30 to 39 years old (42%), the second highest of the respondents were in the range of 19 to 29 years old (14%) followed by the respondents in the range 40 to 49 years old (12%) and finally the least was 50 to 60 years old group with 6%. 4.2.3 Overall Satisfaction Overall Satisfaction N Valid 50 Missing 0 Overall Satisfaction Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Not Satisfied Slightly 0 0 0 0 Satisfied 12 24.0 24.0 24.0 Moderately Satisfied 32 64.0 64.0 88.0 Satisfied 6 12.0 12.0 100.0 Very satisfied 0 0 0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 Table 4.2.3 Overall Satisfaction From the result of table 4.2.3, there are 32 respondent out of 50 is moderately satisfied with the overall satisfaction (64%), there are 12 respondents who are slightly satisfied with the overall satisfaction (24%) and only 6 respondents are satisfied with the overall satisfaction (12%). From this result, it concludes that most of the Sing Tel Front-liner only moderately satisfied with their current condition. 4.3 Level of Job Satisfaction Job Descriptive Index (JDI) and Job In General (JIG) are used to measure job satisfaction in this research. The level of JDI and JIG and also others variable are measured by using the mean. The levels of perception to all variable are group into two categories as per below: Mean Std. Deviation JDI JIG 3.67 0.48 Work Condition 3.51 0.69 Promotion 3.21 0.69 Table 4.3 Level of Job Satisfaction, Work Condition and Promotion Table 4.3 shows that the level of job satisfaction of the respondents is high with mean=3.67 and sd=0.48. Respondents also perceived that their level of work condition is also high with a mean=3.51 and sd=0.69. However, there was a moderate level of perception towards promotion with a mean=3.21 and sd=0.69. 4.4 Relationship between Job Satisfaction, Age and Gender Pearson correlation (r) was used to test the relationship between job satisfaction, age and gender. The results are shown in table 4.3 below. Correlations tjs gender age tjs Pearson Correlation 1 .138 -.152 Sig. (2-tailed) . .338 .292 N 50 50 50 gender Pearson Correlation .138 1 -.004 Sig. (2-tailed) .338 . .980 N 50 50 50 age Pearson Correlation -.152 -.004 1 Sig. (2-tailed) .292 .980 . N 50 50 50 Table 4.4 It can be seen in the table 4.4, there is a positive relationship between gender and job satisfaction. but it is not significantly related to job satisfaction (r=0.138, p for gender is 0.138). Based on the result, it can be seen a negative relationship between age and job satisfaction at r=-0.152 but again it is not significantly related to job satisfaction (p for age is 0.292). 4.5 Relationship between Job Satisfaction, Work Condition and Promotion Table 4.5 shows the correlation matrix output of job satisfaction, work condition and promotion. Correlations tjs twc tp tjs Pearson Correlation 1 -.137 -.499(**) Sig. (2-tailed) . .343 .000 N 50 50 50 twc Pearson Correlation -.137 1 .620(**) Sig. (2-tailed) .343 . .000 N 50 50 50 tp Pearson Correlation -.499(**) .620(**) 1 Sig. (2-tailed) .000 .000 . N 50 50 50 ** Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed). Table 4.5 It is found that job satisfaction is not significantly related to work condition but with a negative relationship(r=-0.137, p for work condition is 0.343). While for the promotion, the result shows that promotion is significantly related to job satisfaction and with a negative relationship(r=-0.499, p for promotion is 0.000). 4.6 Relationship between Job Satisfaction and Gender T-test was used in the analyses of statistically significant gender. Group Statistics gender N Mean Std. Deviation Std. Error Mean tjs male 24 3.7262 .28546 .05827 female 26 3.7692 .27724 .05437 Independent Samples Test Levenes Test for Equality of Variances t-test for Equality of Means F Sig. t df Sig. (2-tailed) Mean Difference Std. Error Difference 95% Confidence Interval of the Difference Lower tjs Equal variances assumed .157 .694 -.541 48 .591 -.04304 .07960 -.20309 Equal variances not assumed -.540 47.417 .592 -.04304 .07970 -.20333 Table 4.6 There were no statistically differences in the overall perception between the respondents group according to gender as for male, mean=3.72 and for female, mean=3.77. From the result, it shows that gender is not statistically significant in the perception of affecting front-liners in Sing tel. Regression Analysis Model Unstandardized Coefficients Standardized Coefficients t Sig. Correlations Collinearity Statistics B Std. Error Beta Zero-order Partial Part Tolerance 1 (Constant) 4.622 .422 10.965 .000 twc .199 .135 .232 1.473 .148 -.137 .214 .178 .591 tp -.443 .104 -.677 -4.283 .000 -.499 -.538 -.518 .586 tgender .012 .068 .021 .172 .864 .138 .026 .021 .953 tage -.068 .039 -.217 -1.743 .088 -.152 -.251 -.211 .944 a Dependent Variable: tjs Table 4.6.1 Based on the result from table 4.6.1, it shows: Job Satisfaction= 4.622+0.199(twc)-0.443(tp) +0.012(tgender)-0.068(tage) From this equation, it shows there is a positive relationship between work condition, gender and job satisfaction but not significant while relationship between age and job satisfaction is negative and significant. Only promotion is significantly related to job satisfaction with negative relationship. 4.7 Summary of Hypotheses Test Hypothesis 1 Ho: There is positive relationship between work condition and job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. H1: There is negative relationship between work condition and job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. Therefore, accept Ho reject H1. Hypothesis 2 Ho: There is positive relationship between promotion and job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. H1: There is negative relationship between promotion and job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. Therefore, reject Ho accept H1. Hypothesis 3 Ho: There is positive relationship between gender and job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. H1: There is negative relationship between gender and job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. Therefore, accept Ho reject H1. Hypothesis 4 Ho: There is positive relationship between age and job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. H1: There is negative relationship between age and job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. Therefore, reject Ho accept H1. 4.8 Conclusion This chapter presents the results of the statistical analysis of the hypotheses. Correlation analysis was used to test the relationship among the variables of interest provided in the study. This study revealed that: There is positive relationship between work condition and job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. There is negative relationship between promotion and job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. There is positive relationship between gender and job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. There is negative relationship between age and job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 5.1 INTRODUCTION In order for an organization to be successful, it must continuously ensure the satisfactorily of their employees (Berry, 1997). In todays world, organization realize that is it important to keep their worker satisfied as human recourse is the important assets for the organization to keep their business running. In this study, employee satisfaction is pivotal to Sing Tel in order to deliver good services to their customer and also become more competitive. From the finding of this study, it is revealed that the job satisfaction of the employer is high. Promotion is the most influence factors compared to others. It is also revealed that the relationship between gender and job satisfaction is no significant. 5.2 Discussion of the Research Findings This study is about factors that influence job satisfaction in Sing Tel front-liner. A satisfied employee will deliver good service to the customer and increase company image. Based on the results, it shows that work condition and promotion are the key factors that influence a employee satisfaction. 5.2.1 Research Question One The first research question of this study was to identify what is the relationship for the organizational factors such as work condition and promotion influence the employee job satisfaction. Based on the results, it shows a positive relationship between work condition and job satisfaction. Arnold and Feldman (1996) promoted factors such as temperature, lighting, ventilation, noise, working hours, and resources from all types of working conditions. Since their job is mentally demanding, so a poor working condition will influence Sing Tel front-liner to perform their job. Besides, the physical design of the work place also has certain impact on job satisfaction. A better working environment and work condition can increase employee job

funeral games of Patroclus(iliad) from a different perspective :: essays research papers

The Funeral Games of Patroclus Narrated by Meriones   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Hey, I’m Meriones, the son of Molus and the comrade and squire of Idomeneus. Today I found that some â€Å"great warrior† was killed. His name was Patroclus or something. Everyone was acting ridiculous in my opinion. First Achilles called everyone outside so we could drive our chariots around his body. Wow, what a great way to show we care for someone†¦not. While I was driving my chariot everyone around me was weeping and mourning for the loss of Patroclus. To tell you the truth I’ve never heard of Patroclus doing anything special for the Achean army. I think that Zeus probably commanded Achilles to make a big deal out of this death. Otherwise we probably would have just thrown him on some wood and burned him or the easier funeral, throw him in the ocean. Meanwhile Hector, the leader of the Trojan army, was dead and we had the body. Achilles went on a mad streak and dragged the body and threw him out for the dogs. Well that really gives a good reputation for the Acheans. Achilles announced that he is also going to slay twelve noble Trojan men and cattle while they burn Patroclus’ body.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Later Achilles started getting ready for the funeral. He asked me to go out and find an ox that was worthy enough to get slayed with Patroclus. In that case, I decided that the only thing worthy ebough for him would be a pig. So, jokingly I brought the pig back to Achilles. He shockingly but sternly replied, â€Å" You, Meriones, are a poor disgrace for a soldier, and have never deserved and honor in anything you’ve done. I don’t think you have ever even won anything in your life! Ha! I am ashamed of you especially to dishonor such a great man like Patroclus. Now, go away we do not need your help.† After he said that I got very angry. I had to think of a away to get him back.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Later Achilles called us out and told us that Patroclus had come to him in a vision told him to hurry up and bury him so he could enter the gates of Hades. When Achilles said that I couldn’t help but laugh because that right there proves that Achilles is the one with the problem, not me. It seems that just because I’m not as serious as the rest of the army and that I like to have fun, he won’t respect me for who I am.

Is Children’s Development a Universal Staged Process or a Social and Cultural Process?

There are three main approaches to child development, the scientific, the social constructionist and the applied approach. Each of these approaches look at children’s development from a different stand point. I will go on to explore each approach in turn and how they can help us answer the above question. The scientific approach to child development seeks to explain the facts about child development. It does this by devising theories which are then tested through observations and experiments. A classic example of this is Jean Piaget (1896-1890) who was one of the most influential theorists in child development. Piaget built up a theory about how children’s thinking developed; this is usually referred to as his theory on Cognitive development. He proposed that children do not gradually increase their thinking capacity but that they go through a series of stages or transformations in their thinking. Piaget (1932) proposed that there are 4 main stages in a children’s development; sensor-motor (approximately 0-2yrs), pre-operational (approximately 2-6 yrs), concrete operational (approximately 6-12 yrs) and formal operational (12 yrs and over). His approach can be seen today in how the curriculum is sequenced in schools and in the rise of children’s centres across the UK. Piaget used many similar experiments to support his theory. Examples are, children were asked to compare balls of plasticine after one had been rolled into a sausage; another was for children to compare rows of counters where one row had been stretched into a longer line. In each case the younger children appeared to reason that the amount of counters or plasticine had also changed. (Light and Oates, 1990, PP. 101-106). He was trying to show that children aren’t less cognitively developed than adults but they actually think differently. In many of Piaget’s experiments he tried to show how & at what stage do children see things from another’s point of view. One very famous experiment was a construction of a model of 3 mountains. The largest gray and snow capped, the middle sized brown with a red cross on it and the smallest was green with a house on top. Children were then asked to sit on one side of the model with a doll at the opposite side. They were asked to arrange three pieces of cardboard shaped like the mountains. They they were asked to chose the doll’s view from 10 pictures and finally what the doll would see from other view points. Children younger than about 7 were unable to see things from another view point. Piaget’s claims were bold and his theories and experiments have been criticized by developmental theorists. Developmental theorists now recognise that a child’s development is far more complex than the 4 stages Piaget supported. Lawrence Kohlberg (1927-1987) used Piaget’s stage of development as a starting point to suppose a theory about children’s moral development. He used moral dilemmas to study how children develop the capacity to make moral judgments. Kholberg (Kholberg 1967) proposed that there are 6 stages or levels to a child’s moral development, these are grouped into 3 levels with 2 stages in each; preconventional, conventional and principled. It is extremely rare to progress back in stages and each stage must be completed to move onto the next as each stage is more complex than the last. In Kholberg’s experiments children were given moral dilemmas about right and wrong to discover at what stage a child reaches different levels of cognitive capacity. Kholberg and his team started testing 75 boys in the US and went back and tested them at intervals as they grew into adulthood. However, this was not a cross section of US children as no girls were tested. The data from these scientific studies can be used to assess when a child knows right from wrong. These and similar techniques are used today to carry out assessments for courts deciding whether a child can be held criminally responsible. The social constructionist view of child development looks at the ways that childhood is experienced in different situations and circumstances. Different cultures, religions and social economic conditions have different expectations and beliefs around childhood. These have also been different throughout history. For example in Victorian Britain, children were expected to work in the home, field, streets or in factories. However in modern Britain we expect our children to spend much of their childhood learning at school. Another example is, Maya’s (U212 Video 1, band 1) experiences of childhood in the poor area Chittagong being different to the twins Yasir and Yamin’s experiences in middle class Chittagong. Each have different expectations of their roles within society according to their social boundaries, gender, family and beliefs. Central to the social constructionist approach is the concept of competing discourses of childhood. A discourse is a particular way of thinking or a particular view point that is influenced by our gender, language, history, beliefs, experiences and social boundaries. There are numerous discourses but a romantic discourse sees children as inherently good; a child would only do terrible things if damaged in some way. Contrary to this is the puritanical discourse which sees the child as inherently evil, doing evil things because they are wicked and need punishing. Using the social constructionist view allows us to recognise that a child who is a killer can be seen through these two very different discourses either needing therapy or needing punishment. Social constructionists are not about applying facts and time frames to child development, neither is it just about there being different ‘realities’ created by the way people think and make sense of children. It goes far deeper by exploring what these different ‘realities mean in terms of our moral consequences, what we expect, what we believe our outcomes can be and more importantly what our outcomes can’t be, what is hidden from our view and what we are prevented from doing by our constructed society. Rex Stainton Rogers (1992) says of a socially constructed world: ‘But what about childhood?†¦ For example. The children of Longwitten have come to understand that they ‘have to go to school’, that the human made ‘thing’ down the road is a school, that certain activities belong in he classroom, and others in the playground, and so on. The social world works because we share common understandings. ’ Stanton Rogers says (1992) that it is taken for granted that children will go to school and that this appears normal and the right thing to do in our socially constructed world, and that sometimes we fail to question or imagine anything els e outside of this. The third approach is the applied approach. This focuses on practical issues of childhood such as how should we parent out children, what support and services might we need in order to protect them. The applied approach relies on both the scientic and social constructionist approaches when applying theory and research to social policy, the law and professional practise. I have already looked at the romantic and puritan discourses. The romantic discourse believes that children are naturally good, therefore children who commit crime should be rehabilitated which Stuart Asquith (1996) describes as the Welfare model and the puritan discourse the ‘Justice’ model. The welfare model looks at children who do wrong as doing so because they have been mistreated / deprived or having been disadvantaged in some way. These children need nurturing and need our care to overcome these disadvantages. The Justice model looks as children as being responsible when they reach an age where they can be held partially accountable for their crimes. These children need to be treated as criminals and punished accordingly. Asquith’s applied approach draws on both the scientific aspects of children’s moral development and the social constructionist view on how culture and society affect us as humans.. In looking at all three approaches it is clear that they are all complex and interplay greatly with each other. The scientific approach concentrates on identifying universal stages of children’s development. These are a series of stages which all children pass through from immaturity to maturity. The danger is that these can result in a picture of a universal child which is mainly based on a western culture. There is scientific research to determine when a child can be morally responsible for a crime and scientific research has produced lots of data on what reformatory regimes appear to work for young offenders. But we must remember that the child is not a passive participant in this research. The outcomes will depend on both the researchers and child’s social constructions of their worlds. In contrast the social constructionists’ view is that immaturity and maturity are complex constructs that we have made for ourselves depending on a whole range of outside influences, these will be different for each one of us. Children do not develop autonomously from culture and society and take many different routes to maturity depending on many things including gender, culture, religion, and their social and economic circumstances in which they find themselves.

Pythagoras essays

Pythagoras essays Pythagoras was born sometime between 495 and 575 B.C. on the island of Samos. There are few documents recording his life therefore little is known about what he did in his life but there are records of things he discovered and studied. All the descriptions that have been recorded about Pythagoras appearance are most probably made up or embellished, although it is believe that he did have a striking birthmark on his thigh. It is believed that he had two brothers, but some sources say he had three. For many years he lived in Kronton, which is located in Southern Italy. He established a school of philosophy and science there and gained followers and together they came to political power. Both men and women were permitted to join, but were all sworn to secrecy. This secrecy caused the group to be surrounded by suspicion. A group of Pythagorean rivals fought back against them and practically shattered the organization. There are also rumors that Pythagoras traveled to Egypt and B abylon at one time but there is no proof of this. He is said to have adopted customs from Egyptian priests such as abstaining from eating beans, not wearing animal skin clothing, and trying to remain very pure. He died in the early part of the 5th century in the city of Metapontum. Not only was Pythagoras was very interested in Mathematics and Science but also Religion and Philosophy. Pythagoras is often know as one of the worlds greatest men but unlike other famous and historical figures Pythagoras wrote nothing about himself, his work, or his teaching. It is believed that the main reason for this was the secrecy that his organization was required to abide by. Much of what we know about him today are things that have been passed down from generation to generation or written later by some of his followers. It is often hard to distinguish what things Pythagoras actually thought up himself and taught and what things were thought up aft...

Employee Satisfaction in the Hospitality Business

Employee Satisfaction in the Hospitality Business Introduction According to Kuballa (2007), employee satisfaction can be defined as a measure of how enthusiastic employees can be towards their duties and their workplaces. Maintaining a high morale at the workplace can be of great benefit to any corporation since contented employees are more probable to produce more; they remain loyal to the corporation and usually take fewer days off.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Employee Satisfaction in the Hospitality Business specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Maintaining high employee satisfaction involves several factors that can be implemented by wise employers. In addition, satisfied workers are also more probable to be inventive and innovative in developing breakthroughs, which can allow any business to advance and transform positively with shifting market conditions and time. To determine the level of employee satisfaction, most corporations conduct compulsory surveys of c onfrontational meetings with their employees to acquire information (Hayes Ninemeier, 2009). The importance of this subject has led to a lot of research. In this essay, a literature review is conducted on various research works that have been done on employee satisfaction in the hospitality industry. Literature Review Hospitality business is one of the industries that is rapidly growing. However, there are still challenges of acquiring and keeping a competent workforce (Tanke, 2001). Basically, there are two things that are most prevalent in this business. The first one is high incidences of staff turnover influencing the capacity to provide a consistent brand experience, which adversely affects the industry; the second one consists in the fact that most individuals do not view hospitality industry as rapidly developing, which implies that they do not want to stay and advance their careers in such businesses (Gitman McDaniel, 2009). These are indicators of employees who are not co ntented. As it has been mentioned, lot of research has been conducted in this field, however, there are still loopholes that have not been fully explored. In 2006, Hemdi and Nasurdin conducted research to investigate the employee turnover in the hotel industry throughout the world. In their research, they indicated that the turnover of employees in the hotel industry could be approximated at 60% to 300% per year, which is very high as compared to the manufacturing industry at 34.7%.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This indicates that the turnover rate of employees is very high. Most significantly, they assert that this kind of turnover is unfavorable for the business because it is apparent that they are closely correlated to direct and indirect rates. In addition, it impacts the ethical, output, reputation and subsistence of organizations. In their findings it is h ighlighted that, in case the turnover is high, it is implied that employees are not contented with the work or payment. It could as well indicate insecure or unhealthy working conditions or the fact that very few workers perform well, probably, because of impractical expectations or poor employee recruitment. Conversely, low turnover shows employee satisfaction (Yeh, 1999). There are theories and models that have been used to explain the cause of high employee turnover in the hospitality industry. Some of the most common theories and models used by different authors include two factor theory, job characteristics model, Peter Principle, McClelland’s Theory, and Mobley’s model (Walker Miller, 2010). The two factor theory used by Herzberg in 1973 claims that the job an individual performs can warrant needs such as accomplishments, proficiency, position, individual value, and self-realization, which could result into a happy and contented person. However, without such gra tification, job nature does not result into a happy and satisfied person. McClelland’s theory, which was developed by McClelland in 1973, postulates that a person’s desires are developed over time and is formed by a person’s childhood experiences. The needs are classified as the need for achievement, affiliation, and power. These theories have been used to explain the reasons for high turnover in hospitality organizations (Cook, 2008). Even though, the theories have proved very accurate in explaining the causes of high employee turnover, there is still little research on methods of determining employee satisfaction in an organization. Currently, direct interviews and compulsory surveys are the commonly used methods. However, these approaches have their advantages and disadvantages. In most cases, interviews with the management can be intimidating, though if done appropriately, could let the employees know that issues are addressed by the management. Nevertheless , the responses could as well be very misleading especially when there is no good rapport between the management and the workers. This implies that some responses cannot be used to make conclusions at the level of employee satisfaction (Kusluvan, 2003).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Employee Satisfaction in the Hospitality Business specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Identified research questions aims and objectives Owing to the existing loopholes in the existing research especially with regard to assessment of employee satisfaction, there are areas that still need to be researched. The research questions that need to be addressed include the following: What factors determine the accuracy of an employee satisfaction assessment method? What are the most appropriate methods of assessing employee satisfaction? How does the employee satisfaction method affect the accuracy of outcome determined? What are the most effectiv e ways of boosting the employee morale in a hospitality industry? How has poor methods of evaluating employee satisfaction affected the results obtained? References Cook, S. (2008). The essential guide to employee engagement: Better business performance through staff satisfaction. London: Kogan Page. Gitman, J McDaniel, D. (2009). The future of business: The essentials. Mason, OH: South-Western Cenage Learning Hayes, K Ninemeier, D. (2009). Human resources management in the hospitality industry. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley Sons. Hemdi, A Nasurdin, M. (2006). Predicting turnover intentions of Hotel employees: The influence of employee development human resource management practices and trust in organization. Gadjah Mada international Journal of business, 8(1), 21-42. Retrieved from EBSCOhost database. Kuballa, J. (2007). Employee satisfaction A precondition for economic success of service companies? München: GRIN Verlag GmbH.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Kusluvan, S. (2003). Managing employee attitudes and behaviors in the tourism and hospitality industry. New York: Nova Science Publishers. Tanke, L. (2001). Human resources management for the hospitality industry. Albany, NY: Delmar Thomson Learning Walker, R Miller, E. (2010). Supervision in the hospitality industry: Leading human resources. Hoboken, N.J: J. Wiley. Yeh, Y. (1999). Employee satisfaction of hotel industry: A case study of the Grand Hotel Taipei. Rochester Institute of Technology

Discuss safe urinary catheterisation of a male patient defining the Essay

Discuss safe urinary catheterisation of a male patient defining the indications and contra indications and the potential complications that may arise - Essay Example es are verified, they should be positioned as comfortable as possible in order to reduce anxiety and also facilitate access to their anatomy (Michael 2012, p. 31). The proper type and size of catheter is selected and then the genital area cleansed thoroughly. In case of an uncircumcised patient, the foreskin should be retracted and the area cleansed with saline (Saint 2000, p. 804). This reduces chances of contamination and trauma to the urethra. The penile urethra is straightened by extending the penis at a 90 degree angle to the body to facilitate the administration of local anaesthetic gel. The gel, which requires approximately five minutes to take effect, will dilate, lubricate and anaesthetise the urethral passage (Bradsley, A 2005, p. 45). The catheter is then inserted approximately 20 centimetres into the urethra, at which point urine should flow. In case of resistance at the sphincter, gentle pressure should be applied on the catheter. It is then inflated to make sure it rema ins in situ and a suitable closed drainage unit attached. Before the foreskin is returned to its position, it must be dry and clean (Francis 2008, p. 69). Indications include acute urinary retention, hygienic care of patients who are bedridden and monitoring the output of urine. Traumatic injury of the urinary tract, such as a urethral tear, will contraindicate urinal catheterisation. Possible complications include infection, bladder spasm and trauma to the bladder neck or urethra (Stewart 1998, p. 124). Michael, S 2012, ‘A review of strategies to decrease the duration of indwelling urethral catheters and potentially reduce the incidence of catheter-associated urinary tract infections’, Urology Nursing, vol. 32, no. 1, pp.

Giza Pyramids Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Giza Pyramids - Essay Example Theories of aliens having built the pyramids at Giza are far-fetched and have not been proved to date. These theories are sometimes advanced by well-known archaeologists like Abdel Gallad, but their theories often are based on conjectures and guesses that are unable to stand the test of rigorous academic work by other historians (Todd, 1993). They are often inspired by the sensational nature of researches that surround the pyramids and the conspiracy theories that surround them, accompanied by talk of the power of the dead pharaoh, which has been well-documented in popular culture through films and stories. There are however, theories that talk of the creation of the pyramids by human hands. Prominent among these is the theory that is put forward by Joseph Davidovits and Margie Morris, who talk of how the very idea of huge rocks having been hauled up could be wrong. They discuss the possibility of slurry being carried up to the heights of the pyramid and then poured into parts of it where it would solidify into the shape that was desirable. This theory tries to address the difficulty of lifting rocks to the incredible heights that the pyramids were constructed at (Morris, 1988). Andrzej Bochnacki proposes another theory that tries to explain the mystery of the pyramids.

Is there a causal relationship between proximity to power plants and Essay

Is there a causal relationship between proximity to power plants and cancer cases - Essay Example The floating Chernobyl explosion radiation particles contaminated the cow’s milk products. Similarly, milk products from the nearby Satre Selo Village and the Perehodichi Village were contaminated. The Chernobyl cows’ ate the radiation-infected grass. The grass grew on radiation- contaminated farm soil (Stepanova et al., 2008). The residents’ eating contaminated cow’s milk was a confounder variable. The winds’ blowing the radioactive particles to particular community is another confounder variable. The people’s long exposure within the vicinity of the Chernobyl community is a third confounder variable. If there were no cows eating the grass, the people will not drink the cows’ milk or eat the infected cows’ meat. Consequently, the number of cancer incidents would favourably decline. Consequently, the contamination spread. The contaminated soil contaminated the grass that grew on the contaminated soil. Next, the cows ate the -radiation contaminated grass. By eating the contaminated grass, the cows were contaminated with radiation. When the farmers extracted the milk from the cows, the milk products were contaminated by the Chernobyl radiation (Zamostian et al., 2002). The contaminated soil was another confounder that increased the number of cancer incidents within the Chernobyl community. Another confounder was the quantity of contaminated food eaten. With more people eating radiation-contaminated food, more people died from the deadly cancer ailment. Further, the Chernobyl accident research focused on soil contamination measurements from Ukraine’s 38 Narodichesky region communities (Karmaus et al., 2008) The six year research included children respondents belonging to the 18 years old and below age range. The PROC MIXED linear measurement model to gather radiation data, controlling confounders. The findings indicate erythrocyte, blood

Ten Commandments for CEOs Seeking Organizational Change Essay Example for Free

Ten Commandments for CEOs Seeking Organizational Change Essay In our ever-changing, fast-paced world, competitive relationships Can shift quickly when companies respond too slowly to increased competition in their industry group. Succeeding in such a competitive and changing environment demands that CEOs reshape their organization to meet todays challenges and competitive realities. But responding to change remains highly elusive because there is a natural resistance to change at all levels within the organization, including at the top. CEOs and other members of the executive suite need to take a hard look at their existing organization and culture, ask tough questions about its appropriateness for the current competitive environment, and take concrete, implemental steps to forge a preferred culture and drive it downward throughout the entire organization. But therein lies the challenge, for few management teams both establish a comprehensive strategy for remaining competitive and take a hands-on approach to implement change internally. By not getting involved, they signal to employees that the change really isnt very important. A key premise of this article is that cultural change or any organizational transformation is essentially a top-down activity. It cannot be delegated. If the CEO perceives the need for change, makes it a top priority, and gives it a great deal of time and attention, the organization will change. By the same token, if the CEO offers only limited lip service, needed changes just wont happen. This article outlines how the CEO can be an enthusiastic sponsor of change by paying enough attention to implementation to make the transformation take place. Reynierse and Leyden (1992) provide a case study incorporating these steps. 1. Strategy-Driven The process I am advocating will be relatively ineffective without a strategic framework to provide competitive advantage. This process is not a substitute for such a strategy. Rather, the strategy is the starting point that establishes the context for all other steps. However, strategies will be relatively ineffective when management pays insufficient attention to their impact on the work forcefor ultimately it is the work force who will implement the strategy and make it succeed or fail. The point is that unless such a strategic plan is implemented and executed effectively, it will not be fully realized in the competitive marketplace. An overview of this process is depicted in Figure 1. A companys business strategies, plans, and goals are the starting pointnot the endof this exercise. They formalize the CEOs vision, setting the tone and establishing direction for the company in both the long and short terms. They provide a context for all other activities and decisions, establishing the limits for making many choices along the way. In addition, they determine the direction and boundaries for building the new organizational culture, including molding employee expectations. Resources are scarce in every organization, and management must accept the fact that it cant do everything. Strategic choices reflect judgments about where companies think they have marketplace competitive advantage so that plans implemented here enable them to grow faster and earn more than their competitors in these market segments. Similarly, the resources dedicated to building the organization are determined by this strategic focus. 2. Top-Down Involvement If something is important, a good rule of thumb is to have a top-down approach to getting it done. Ideally, then, the CEO must get involved. If the CEO attends to the organization, it will improve and gain competitive advantage. Conversely, if the CEO gives it scant time and attention, little organizational growth will occur. In short, the CEO who enthusiastically sponsors a broadly conceived program for building the company is more likely to succeed and reap the benefits down the road. A company-wide initiative needs an enthusiastic and supportive CEO who does not hesitate to play a continuing role during the change process. But where is the top? And who is the CEO? Building organizations is often better served by dealing with chunk-sized bites rather than the whole company. Particularly for large companies, it often makes better sense to deal with natural strategic business units (SBUs) rather than the entire company. At one level, there are often unique problems or opportunities in a unit or company division. At another level, it is most meaningful for those involved to deal with issues that directly concern them and their business unit. The approach I am advocating includes determining the firms core values and mission. It is unlikely that every SBU or company division will share the same core values or mission. Individual business units often have unique customers, competitors, product maturity, strategies, and objectives. These units need the autonomy to develop their own focus. For such cases the division executive is functionally the CEO for that unit and can provide the vision, enthusiasm, and driving force for success. Throughout, however, the CEO must remain interested and provide broad support for what is taking place. Even when the primary leadership role resides elsewhere, the CEO must be an advocate for change and reinforce actions taken at these lower levels. 3. Organizational Assessment Periodically it is valuable to take an objective snapshot of the broader organization. This not only provides information about the companys strengths and limitations but can also identify how those strengths and limitations measure up to the mission and the core values. Effective organizations have employees who share these values, and a carefully conceived organizational assessment will identify pockets of agreement and resistance. Several techniques, including surveys, interviews, and focus groups, are used for these organizational assessments. The organizational dynamics survey (Reynierse and Harker 1986) has been particularly effective, because it provides an objective measure of the underlying values that mold organizations. For example, the surveys broad customer orientation category taps a cultural value related to making customers a priority and satisfying their needs. Surveys are particularly important because they get every employee involved; everyone has the chance to be heard. Surveys also provide an opportunity for management to pay attention to employees concerns and to build their trust. This is achieved when management openly communicates with employees regarding key issues and responds to problems by taking timely, corrective action. At the same time, establishing trust is the first step in getting employees to buy in to managements broader vision. 4. Clarify Core Values Peters Waterman (1982) have one all-purpose bit of advice for management figure out your value system. Decide what your company stands for. Today many frequently echo this management theme. Identifying and clarifying core values are central to this approach as well. When they are integrated with a companys business strategies, core values help provide a focused mission. All too often, companies or their natural business units lack focus; their employees are confused about what the company stands for and what it is trying to achieve. However, when the focus and the mission are clear, they can drive the entire organization or SBU. Mission statements ideally should be brief, concise, and to the point. They should identify primary business activities, integrate key strategies, and reflect the firms core values. When we speak about core values we are dealing with many attractive virtuesMcLaughlin, McLaughlin Lischick (1992), for example, identified more than 100and it is tempting to include as many as possible. In my experience, however, an organization can give proper attention to only a fewsay, three to fiveclearly stated core values. Anything more will be too diffuse and will only confuse employees and dilute managements efforts. In other words, management has to make some hard choices, and established strategies provide the context for focus. There are no shortcuts; there is no generic mission statement. To build a focused organization, the management team has to participate in the process. We use a value clarification exercise when working with top and senior management. This exercise consists of 30 corporate values that are relevant (and credible) for business and industry. Each is defined and serves as an effective probe, placing key issues on the table for discussion. Some representative examples are shown in Figure 2. Because many are presented with a different thrust or emphasis, they can generate a provocative and lively discussion. This value-clarification process gains agreement for key priorities and direction, and fosters team-building through shared values and mission. Similarly, it lays the groundwork for resolving internal differences between functional groups that may have varied goals or priorities. Finally, it sets the stage for driving the process downward through the entire work force so other employees can buy in and share the focused mission as well. The risk in all this, says Peters (1992), is that management does such a good job that these values become fixed, even though they no longer are appropriate. The necessary caveat here is to return to strategy and competitive marketplace reality. Very simply, if the strategy is no longer appropriate and requires changes, the core values and focused mission probably need to be changed as well. They must therefore be revisited and modified as necessary to be congruent with any new strategies. A case can be made that because clarifying core values is so central to this approach, it should occur earlier in the process. There are benefits, however, of having it follow the organizational assessment step because this gives management another opportunity to respond to the input and reactions of the work force. Their perceptions of what the company really values are important and may indicate that changes are needed. 5. Work Force Involvement and Participation One of the advantages of the employee survey approach to assessing an organization is that all employees have the opportunity to participate and express their opinion. In other words, at an early stage in the process they have the chance to level with management, provide an employee perspective, and establish an agenda for later stages. While we begin the more intensive activities at the top with senior management, we involve lower-level employees, particularly lower levels of management, as quickly as possible. Although every situation will be different and will require different solutions, management should be vigilant for opportunities to involve new participants. A valuable tool is the use of focused task forces to address any priority issues that may have emerged from the organizational assessments or team-building sessions. This permits additional employee involvement at the problem-solving and solution-generating stages of the exercise. A fundamental assumption is that a focused organization requires a work force that shares this focus. The key to successful implementation, then, is the steps that are taken to drive the process downwardto downstreamso that all employees feel they are a part of this focused mission. Implementing managements vision demands paying attention to employees, managing their expectations, and responding to their concerns. Building the firm requires taking action steps that promote the core values and focused mission. I call these steps the culture carriers. It is through them that senior management can reinforce values consistently and frequently. Put another way, the culture carriers provide direction for marketing the core values and mission with all employees. The five culture carriers we have identified are summarized in Figure 3 and will be discussed separately. 6. Inspirational leadership Our studies of corporate culture indicate that there are two ways management stays in touch with what is going on in the company: 1. By visiting work areas and being visible to their employees. This is inspirational leadership at its best and is similar to the idea of Managing by Walking Around (MBWA), as developed by Peters Waterman (1982) and Peters and Austin (1985). 2. Through the balance sheet and financial focus. In general, however, many top executives emphasize financial performance and focus to the extent that they neglect their leadership roles. The broad process for organizational change outlined here provides structure for MBWA and for being a cheerleader. Although executives tend to underestimate their leadership effectiveness, they in fact exert considerable power by virtue of their leadership positions. As DePree (1989) observed, Leaders need to be concerned with the institutional value system. Each time they go out to a work area and talk to an employee or group of employees represents an opportunity to exercise influence and reinforce the companys mission and core values. This clearly communicates to employees what is important to the organization and what is expected of them. When the CEO or division head is leading the charge, everyone quickly picks up on it, and any ambiguity regarding what is taking place is quickly removed. The results are multiplied when this leadership role is being exercised by the entire management team. As an example, the management team of one of my client organizations made a contract with one another during a planning retreat to spend 15 minutes a day walking around, getting to know employees, and talking with them in each of their subordinate organizations. Though initially they were ambivalent and self-conscious about their task, it soon became an accepted and high-priority activity. They would confront each other daily by asking, Have you spent your 15 minutes walking around yet today? This, together with several other steps, quickly led to a turn-around in an otherwise demoralized work force. It was an important step for management to become informed, get on top of operations, get in touch with its people, and communicate direction. 7. Communication Put as simply as possible, employees cannot accept or implement top managements vision if they are unaware of it. Frequent formal and informal channels of communication are needed with all employees to introduce the focused mission and core values and reinforce them over a period of time. Executives must make liberal use of meetings, video presentations, posters, newspaper articles, brochures, and so on. If there is a rule of thumb, it is that you cant do too much in this area. Some of our clients have successfully used kick-off meetings in which they celebrated the focused mission and core values, gave every employee a wallet-sized card containing the mission statement, and provided other symbolic itemspins, coffee mugs, pencils, hatsthat focused on elements within the mission and its values. Primarily held to share information, the meetings were also used to rally employees and build enthusiasm for the new organization. The informal mixing that occurs at such kick-offs is also a va luable time for management to energize employees and talk with them further about the focus. 8. Financial Focus Well-ran companies have a strong financial focus that emphasizes both profitability and cost containment. It can play a significant resource allocation role that simultaneously provides increased funds and resources to programs that support the core values while denying (or at least sharply reducing) funds and resources to established programs that are less important to the mission. How capital is invested and what activities are expended carry important messages to employees. It is necessary to examine investment decisions in terms of a strategic standard that includes the companys core values and focused mission. Having done so, it may be necessary to withhold capital or budgetary expense dollars for those projects that fail to qualify under this standard. When capital investments and highly visible expenses are consistent with the values and mission of the company, they will provide support for and reinforce this focused mission among employees. But when inconsistency abounds, emp loyees will be confused and may withhold their support.