The Eight Essential Steps to Conflict Resolution Essay -- essays re

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book that I chose to read for my book review was, The Eight Essential Steps To Conflict Resolution by Dr. Dudley Weeks. The reason I chose to read a book on conflict resolution was to further improve my skills at avoiding and dealing with problems. Because I feel that a person truly shows their character not when things are going well but when things begin to go bad. And having the ability to deal with those problems strengthens one as a person.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dudley Weeks, PH.D. is widely commended as one of the world’s leaders in conflict resolution. He lives in Washington, D.C., has worked in over sixty countries and has counseled thousands of businesses, families, and communities in the United States. Dr. Weeks has twice been nominated for the Noble Peace Prize. Dr. Weeks is now teaching conflict resolution at the American University School of International Service and gives workshops throughout the world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dr. Weeks basically tears conflict resolution into eight steps. The first step is to create an effective atmosphere. The second step is to clarify perceptions. Third is focus on individual and shared needs. Fourth is build shared positive power. Fifth is look to the future, then learn from the past. Sixth is generate options. Seventh is develop â€Å"Doables.† And the last step is make mutual benefit agreements. Dr. Weeks also touches on topics such as handling anger, dealing with people who only want things their way, and dealing with conflicts that involve an injustice.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The first step is about Creating an Effective Atmosphere. Creating an effective atmosphere is a very important step in the conflict resolution process. It is more likely for mutual agreements be reached when the atmosphere is given careful consideration. When thinking about atmosphere remember these ideas; personal preparation, timing, location, and lastly opening statements. Personal preparation is doing all you can to ready yourself in positive ways to approach issues honestly and openly. Timing means that choosing a time that is best for all parties involved, a time in which no one is feeling pressed to move on or pressured in other ways. Location suggests that where you meet is as important as when you meet, it is best to pick a place where all parties can feel com... ...esolution. I found it extremely helpful incertain areas, I also found that I actually do some of the steps when I am dealing with a conflict. For example, when a conflict occurs I try to understand what happened with past conflicts and avoid repeating the same mistakes over again. Also when we are trying to find a solution I look for a solution that will be both beneficial to me and them. I did learn some good ways to organize our thoughts and solutions. I also learned to get to the heart of the conflict and focus on only that, and avoid all side issues.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  As for my opinion of the author, I think he may be a better counselor and doctor than a writer. I found some of the reading sort of confusing and complicated, and had to read several sections over a few times to totally understand his point. Some of the vocabulary he uses is a bit technical, many words I needed look up to understand Dr. Weeks’ point. So basically what I am saying is that I found the reading to be a bit difficult but I really enjoyed the informational aspect of the book and that I learned a lot on how we should work through conflict and come to a resolution that benefits both parties.

Chicken Run Camera Angles

Run has many uses of camera angles. Camera angles can be used in many different ways, (low, high or mid angles), especially in Chicken Run. In Chicken Run camera angles are used to give the viewer a sense of what is going on and influence the viewer on how a character is regarded e. g. if the camera angle is gazing directly upwards towards a character this would usually indicate that the character in question has a lot of power or they are in charge.Camera angles can be used to show effects such as panic and calm on characters epending on what is taking place around them. A great example of this effect takes place as Ginger and the other chickens are being chased through the chicken yard by guard dogs. The camera angle in this scene flickers backwards and forwards constantly, keeping in tempo with what is taking place at present throughout the chase. As the chase comes to a climax Mrs Tweedy appears in front of Ginger and the camera angle changes to a low angled shot and stays fixed, this proves that all is calm again and The very first shot is of the moon.This instantly implies the genre and sets the tone f the film: the shot is very typical of the horror movie genre of films from the 20th century (which is also when the film is set). 3. The first shot pans down across to where Mr Tweedy and his two dogs are walking. The view of the fence surrounding the farm closely resembles the prisoner-of-war films which inspired the film itself. There is almost no sound and the music is quiet and mysterious to effect. He has dogs with him, most likely for protection, with fierce expressions, showing the mood of the scene. 4. Match-on-action shot of Mr Tweedys hand checking the lock on the gate.This suggests that he does not want anything or anyone getting in or out, and that he may be hiding something. Cut to an extreme low-angle close-up of his feet walking away. We never see his face in the first part of this sequence. This creates a sense of mystery as to who he is. It could mean that he is the main antagonist of the film because of this. 5. A fgure emerges and tries not to be noticed. This further suggests the first character we see (Mr Tweedy) is the antagonist since a character wants to hide from him, but we still don't fully understand why the fgure is hiding rom him.There is mystery surrounding the fgure as well as we cannot see (yet) who it is. Foot emerges before the rest of the body, suggests the figure is nervous of showing him/herself. 6. The water tower in the background connotes a guard tower in a typical prisoner-of-war film, so again there is reference to films such as ‘The Great Escape' which the film closely parodies, and also that there is a greater force on Mr Tweedys side. 7. The shadow (Ginger) makes a run for it, again trying not to be caught. The way the dog hears Ginger first suggests the danger is nearer; she is about o be caught. . Ginger is nearly caught; an example of a false alarm' where we believe the character has been caught but hasn't. 9. Match-on-action shot shows her frustration as she digs. Shot of the spoon being thrown back onto the floor; she is forced to leave everything but herself behind. 10. We are misled to believe she is sately across and all the danger is over, but in the next snot more chickens arrive. These two shots echo the previous shots of Ginger running across, so the risk of danger is repeated. 12.Cutting between the two actions of the chickens trying to scape and the dogs running towards them; again this shows frustrationand pressure for the chickens and a sense of danger. The sound and music both add to this effect by suddenly increasing dramatically, rising as the dogs near. 13. The sound and music have now increased to their full volume as Ginger turns to run. We finally see the face of the character we saw at the beginning, albeit for two brief seconds. The camera zooms in sharply on his triumphant expression. 14.Short, sharp cuts between shots, as well as the camera following the dogs, creates a feel of speed and shows the impact of the chase. Ginger stops and turns back in this shot; she has nowhere to turn. 15. Shot-reverse-shot between Ginger and the dogs is used to show she is trapped. The camera also backs away with Ginger; there is a slow zoom out on this shot of the dogs closing in. 16. The dog eating the gnome head (that Ginger tries to force them away with) shows her helplessness and what is destined for her. We don't see the impact of the head being eaten, implying violence. 17. Close-up shot of her head, slowly panning in.The attention is on her terrified expression, as the camera zooming in slowly shows how her ‘doom' is coming nearer nd nearer. 18. Both Ginger and the dogs turn at the light from behind her. The lighting has changed and is like a light from heaven' as if Ginger is being called or summoned, as if everything has already happened. The music has also stopped suddenly. 19. Cutting back to the curious faces o f the chickens. There is no music and very quiet sound; everyone has stopped to look, creating suspense of what they are looking at. 20. The camera pans up revealing the true main antagonist, with a short piece of dramatic music for this shot.

Job Enrichment

Organizational Behavior Concept: Job Enrichment Jared Stern Introduction The concept of Job Enrichment is a very broad theory within the field of organizational behavior that is applicable within all sectors of organization. Used synonymously with â€Å"job enlargement†, the term job enrichment refers to different methods that are aimed at increasing employee’s job motivation, satisfaction, self-worth, in an attempt to ultimately increase the overall employee productivity within the organization.Research studies conducted on Job Enrichment and its influence on employee productivity date back to the 1950s and 1960s and throughout those years a wide variety of methods have emerged. Most commonly job enrichment is attributed to the process of job redesign in order to reverse the negative effects monotony of employee tasks, which will include boredom, lack of autonomy and dissatisfaction. Other variances of job enrichment include providing worker incentives by involving the employee in the decision making process, the implementation of quality work groups and team building, and job independence as an incentive to increase productivity.Evolution of the concept of Job Enrichment Beginning in the middle of the 20th century up until present day, the theory of job enrichment has offered many compelling concepts to increase employee productivity while simultaneously enriching the employees work experience, all of which remain applicable today. The early works which established Job enrichment among organizational behavior theorists was Frederick Herzberg’s â€Å"Hygiene Theory† and Hackman and Oldham’s â€Å"Job Characteristic Model†.The Hygiene Theory The central figure in developing the theory of job enrichment within the framework of organizational behavior was Frederick Herzberg who’s pivotal â€Å"Hygiene Theory† has contributed a solid basis and foundation for subsequent generations to expand upon. According to Herzberg, for a worker to be happy and therefore productive the environmental factors of his workplace must not cause him discomfort. Herzberg further asserts that although providing employees with a more comfortable environment may in turn make them more productive, this does not necessarily mean they will be motivated to perform their duties.Simonds & Orife, 1975) Herzberg believed that the process of motivating workers is by enhancing their feeling of responsibility and connection to their work. In this case, Herzberg proclaims that it is the work itself that is rewarding. Managers can help the employees connect to their work by giving them more authority over the job, as well as offering direct and individual feedback. The Job Characteristics Model In 1975 Hackman and Oldham advanced the ideas of Herzberg by introducing what they called â€Å"The Job Characteristics Model†. This model is formulated on the assumption that if five core job characteristics are present, thre e psychological states critical to motivation are produced, resulting in positive outcomes. † (Griffin, Patterson, & West, 2001) The five core job characteristics consist of skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback. Hackman and Oldham state that the three psychological states that motivation is dependent upon are experienced meaningfulness of work, responsibility for work outcomes, and knowledge of results. Hackman andOldham then proclaim that to the degree that these psychological states are present, high personal employee work motivation will result. Relevance of Job Enrichment in 2007 The early works of Herzberg and Hackman & Oldham have provided a feasible and effective framework for increasing employee productivity through job enrichment that is just as applicable today as it was when their research was first conducted. Within the past half century there have been numerous researches conducted that provides useful empirical evidence to illus trate the rewards and benefits of job enrichment.We will further discuss each method that an organization can implement in an attempt to improve worker productivity through job implementation. Employee autonomy In a study analyzing job independence as an incentive device to increase employee productivity, Kay Mitusch emphasizes that when employee autonomy is present it can compensate for an organization lacking an extrinsic reward program yet still remain productive. â€Å"This is pivotal for explaining why workers in independent, responsible jobs are willing to invest in their jobs even if there is no reliable, formalized system of rewarding them. (Mitusch, 2000) To provide further evidence of the success of employee autonomy as a method of job enrichment Griffin, Patterson, and West explored the relationship between teams and satisfaction using data from a large research project in the U. K. that investigated management practices and employee attitudes in manufacturing companies. The researchers conducted this study by distributing a questionnaire survey which asked them to rank their preferred working conditions in response to hypothetical situations which were designed to relate to their actual work duties.The study showed that â€Å"job enrichment was positively related to job autonomy but was not significantly related to perceptions of supervisory support. † (Griffin, Patterson, and West, 2001) The researchers also concluded that â€Å"while both autonomy and supervisory support were important positive influences on job satisfaction, the positive association of teamwork on job autonomy was explained by job enrichment that accompanied teamwork and could not be attributed to teamwork itself. (Griffin, Patterson, and West, 2001) This data shows that by simply trusting an employee’s expertise at his or her job and allowing them to operate more independently an employee will develop an increased level of job satisfaction and in turn increase t he productive output of that worker. Skill Variety Another technique to enrich an employee’s work experience is to utilize employees with a wide range of skills so they can apply them to their daily work routine.In his article White Collar Job Enrichment: The Pay Board Experience, Tim McNamar explored the Pay Board’s experience with job enrichment. By replacing a traditional method of processing cases with an approach built around work groups performing interrelated tasks, it increased productivity, provided better motivation, and vastly improved opportunities for individual self-actualization and esteem. † (McNamar, 1973) By changing the previous operational procedures and by allowing employees to engage in more of a shared task structure, the Pay Board experienced increased productivity across the spectrum. The decision to adopt a team concept for case management was not due to any of the traditional reasons given for blue collar job enrichment – high ab senteeism, low morale, and the like. Rather, it was instituted in hopes that it would drastically increase productivity. Nevertheless, the approach turned out to provide a variety of benefits, many of which directly related to the question of job enrichment. † (McNamar, 1973) Also, the inclusion of employees in critical decisions that will effect the organization as a whole, shows improvement in the employee’s orale regarding their importance within the organization and in turn increase their motivation.â€Å"In general, research on participative decision making has found that participation improves employees’ attitudes and increases their organizational commitment and job satisfaction. † (DeLancer Julnes, 2001) Job Feedback Another key aspect of job enrichment can be achieved through the simple process of providing employees with useful feedback concerning the work performance along with clearly established expectations. Job enrichment focuses on creating individual tasks that give people feedback, increase their influence how work is done, require them to use a variety of skills, and give them a whole piece of work. † (Mohrman, Lawler, Mohrman, 1992) Task significance and task identity The installation of job enrichment by way of task significance is the extent to which an employee’s work has a meaningful impact on other jobs in the same workplace.This can be accomplished with the installation of teams within the employee work population. Teamwork typically involves groups of interdependent employees who work cooperatively to achieve group outcomes. Effective team implementation can enhance the motivational properties of work and increase job satisfaction. † (Griffin, Patterson, and West, 2001) A direct correlation between task significance and task identity can be seen by the use of teams and specific job duties. The idea of task identity is the measure to which the job requires completion of a number of whole a nd identifiable pieces of work. Theoretically, the choice between teams and individual job enrichment should be made based upon the technology of the workplace. Teams are more complicated to build and to maintain, but may be necessary if the work is such that no one individual can do a whole part of it and get feedback about it. Teams are often appropriate, for example, in process production facilities such as a chemical plants and oil refineries and in complex service organizations such as banks and airlines.Where the technology allows an individual to do a whole task or offer a whole service, individual designs are preferred because they are simpler to install and give the individual more direct feedback. † (Mohrman, Lawler, Mohrman , 1992) The city of Rockville, MD conducted an experiment where managers and line staff collaborated in the decision making process and the result was astonishing, including cost savings, improvement of morale and the appreciation of the need for productivity within the organization increased. The key ingredients in the program’s success was the consultation with supervisors and employees and their involvement in selecting the projects. † (Hobbs, 1976) Counter argument of job enrichment Despite all of the overwhelming evidence of the success that is attributed in implementing job enrichment programs there is a minority of speculators that job enrichment is not always the best option when an organization’s sole objective is to reduce costs. The possible increase in the satisfaction of the employees is probably not a sufficient reason for managers to support job enrichment programs. A survey by Reif and Schoderbek showed that the main objective of top management in companies introducing job enrichment programs was to reduce costs. Hence, management support for a new job design approach has to be gained through a cost-benefit treatment to job design. † (Globerson, 1977) If a company’s sole aim is to reduce costs then investing in your current work force might not be the preferable avenue.However, if an organization or company is interested in fully utilizing its talented workforce and provide increased worker motivation and in turn increase worker productivity, then adopting a job enrichment program is the most effective option. Conclusion Throughout the last few decades, the implementation of a job enrichment program has successfully shown to increase employee’s job motivation, satisfaction, self-worth, in an attempt to ultimately increase the overall employee productivity within the organization.No matter what the function or sector of an organization whether it be a government agency, non-profit organization, or company operating within the private sector, the implementation of job enrichment into your organization will result in the key areas of employee production and worker motivation. It is obvious through years of conducted research that a happy and motivat ed workforce coupled with an effective and flexible management will ultimately result in a highly productive organization.Works Cited Albers Mohrman, Susan, Lawler III, Edward E. , Mohrman, Allan M. 992. â€Å"Applying Employee Involvement in Schools. † Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis DeLancer Julnes, Patria. 2001. â€Å"Does Participation Increase Perceptions of Usefulness? † Public Performance & Management Review Globerson, Shlomo. 1977. â€Å"The Just Noticeable Difference in Complexity of Jobs. † Management Science Griffin, Mark A. , Patterson, Malcolm G. , and West, Michael A. 2001. â€Å"Job Satisfaction and Teamwork: The Role of Supervisor Support† Journal of Organizational Behavior Hobbs, Daniel D. â€Å"Productivity Through Worker Incentive and Satisfaction. Public Productivity Review King, Albert S. 1974. â€Å"Expectation Effects in Organizational Change. † Administrative Science Quarterly McNamar, Tim. 1973. â€Å"White Col lar Job Enrichment: The Pay Board Experience. † Public Administration Review Mitusch, Kay. 2000. â€Å"Job Independence as an Incentive Device. † Economica Simonds, Rollin H. and Orife, John N. 1975. â€Å"Worker Behavior Versus Enrichment Theory. † Administrative Science Quarterly Staudohar, Paul D. 1975. â€Å"An Experiment in Increasing Productivity of Police Service Employees† Public Administration Review Job Enrichment Based on a major study of High Performance Work Practices (HPWPs) in North America by Appelbaum et al. (2000) found that new forms of job design provided production line employees with the opportunity to contribute increased discretionary effort and to participate in workplace problem-solving. These researchers provided empirical evidence that conscious efforts by employers to increase employee discretion and job autonomy resulted in improved job satisfaction for employees and higher levels of organizational performance (Appelbaum et al. 000). Workforce involvement in decision-making may also be consistent with job enrichment practices (Spence Laschinger et al. 2004). Job enrichment involves providing increased levels of responsibility to lower level employees, including the delegation of work tasks previously undertaken by supervisors, and the provision of increasingly skilled tasks to line employees.The theoretical basis for enrichment efforts is Hackman and Oldham's (1975) ‘ job characteristics' model, which explores how a combination of specific job characteristics such as skill variety and task significance affect the individual's experience of meaningful work and their sense of responsibility for work outcomes. These characteristics have, in turn, been linked to improvements in work motivation, job satisfaction and work quality, reduced absenteeism and lower labour turnover (Ford 1969; Hackman et al. 1975).However, job enrichment has received wide publicity but has not always produced favourable results in the workplace. A great deal of debate exists over the benefits and limitations of job enrichment: it clearly is not for everyone. Ralph Brown (2004) summed it up very nicely: Some people are very resistant to more responsibilities or to opportunities for personal growth. Researchers report that some people they expected to resist seized the opportunity. Enriching jobs is a particularly effective way to develop employees provided the jobs are truly enriched, not just more work for them to do.The disadvantages are that job enrichment may lead to greater work pressure and that employees have to start performing tasks which were not originally required of them. Job design: Job design is the specification of the content of a job, the material and equipment required to do the job, and the relation of the job to other jobs. A well-designed job promotes the achievement of the organization’s strategic business objectives by structuring work so it integrates management requirements for efficiency and employee needs for satisfaction.Thus, effective job design presents a major challenge for the HR manager. And job enrichment is one of the methods of job design. Job enrichment is an attempt to motivate employees by giving them the opportunity to use the range of their abilities. It is an idea that was developed by the American psychologist Frederick Hertzberg in the 1950s. It can be contrasted to job enlargement which simply increa ses the number of tasks without changing the challenge. As such job enrichment has been described as ‘vertical loading' increases the complexity of work to promote interest.Thus, job enrichment builds motivating factors into the job content by: combing tasks, establishing client relationships, creating natural work units, expanding jobs vertically and opening feedback channels. Supporter: Patterson, West and Wail (2004) found that firms providing lower level employees with job enrichment and skill enhancement experienced a significant boost in productivity and profitability. A Sri Lankan study of the impact of introducing self managed teams in a large textile mill reported increased productivity, higher product quality, lower reject rates and higher employee satisfaction.The process of delegating increased decision-making responsibility to workplace teams changed the organization’s structures, decision making processes and job design at workplace level, with increased l evels of empowerment and training being provided to team members (Jayawardana and Fonseka 1996). Nevertheless, the potential for improved performance outcomes to follow the provision of increased employee input into workplace decision-making relies on employee acceptance of the relevance of these practices and on the existence of a climate of involvement.One means of creating this climate is to appoint work group leaders who will model the behaviours valued by the organisation, and who are also able to motivate employees to mirror these behaviours (Richards and Vandenberg 2005). In Sri Lanka's Garment Industry, the manager introduced process controllers into the three production lines from January to April 2002; line employees underwent a series of training programs. The training focused on the company's customers and products, the production process and techniques related to increasing quality and problem-solving.The sessions were conducted by the plant manager, the quality assuran ce manager and the work study manager. Each session was followed by a discussion with production line members. The training programs lasted for two hours after work, with all line employees paid for their participation. At production meetings, held once a week, line employees were given feedback on their performance, in particular in relation to line efficiency and end-line rejects. During the initial training, production line employees were given a briefing on market conditions in the industry and customer requirements.They were also provided with an opportunity to study their line's performance for the previous three months in relation to on-time delivery, total rejects and customer returns. The training provided encouraged employees to take responsibility for performance outcomes such as product reject rates and on-standard efficiency levels. The training manager provided feedback to line employees where the performance of one production line lagged that of the organisation as a whole. The training also addressed skill development, the organisation of work and the use of computer-aided information systems and quality control systems.Each machine was equipped with a computer terminal, which gave details of efficiency standards, losses, stoppages and earnings based on incentive payments. The case explored the impact of a job enrichment initiative to devolve increased responsibility for monitoring workplace productivity, product quality and workforce attendance to line employees. We found that the introduction of process controllers generated substantial improvements in LM Collection's performance over this period.Efficiency levels rose from 41 per cent to 61 per cent and product rejects declined from 10 per cent to 2 per cent, while absenteeism levels declined from almost 10 per cent to 2. 4 per cent by March 2003. On the whole, productivity levels improved, product quality increased and workforce absence and turnover episodes declined over the period of this study. Critiques: In the other hand, there are drawbacks of job enrichment when the HR managers do not think about the matters from employees, and no one seems to mention the costs.In some employees eyes, the job enrichment is merely an enforce change to jobs in order for the organisation to obtain higher productivity from its workers. With the pressure of more responsibilities and tasks, the employees may not have enough time to give the feedback of performance. Either actually the workers do not want enriched their jobs or the job is not that easy to enrich. . Job enrichment is a type of job redesign intended to reverse the effects of tasks that are repetitive requiring little autonomy.Some of these effects are boredom, lack of flexibility, and employee dissatisfaction (Leach & Wall, 2004). The underlying principle is to expand the scope of the job with a greater variety of tasks, vertical in nature, that require self-sufficiency. Since the goal is to give the individual exposure to tasks normally reserved for differently focused or higher positions, merely adding more of the same responsibilities related to an employee's current position are not considered job enrichment.Job enrichment can only be truly successful if planning includes support for all phases of the initiative. Ohio State University Extension began a job enrichment program in 1992 and surveyed the participants five years later. The results, broken down into 3 sub-buckets of data beyond the main grouping of advantages/disadvantages as shown in Table 1, indicate the University had not fully considered the planning and administrative aspects of the program (Fourman and Jones, 1997).While the benefits are seemingly obvious, programs fail not because of a lack of benefits, but rather due to implementation problems. These problems can include a perception of too great a cost, lack of long-term commitment of resources, and potential job classification changes (Cunningham and Eberle, 1990). In order for a job enrichment program to produce positive results, worker needs and organizational needs must be analyzed and acted upon. According to Cunningham and Eberle (1990), before an enrichment program is begun, the following questions should be asked: 1.Do employees need jobs that involve responsibility, variety, feedback, challenge, accountability, significance, and opportunities to learn? 2. What techniques can be implemented without changing the job classification plan? 3. What techniques would require changes in the job classification plan? A job enrichment program can be a very effective intervention in some situations where a Performance Technician is faced with a request for motivational training. Conclusion:In my opinion, job enrichment can bring about improvement in both job performance and job satisfaction. A survey of almost 100 research studies found job enrichment resulted in greater productivity, improved product quality, fewer employee grievances, improved worker att itudes; reduce absenteeism and labour turnover, and lower costs. Therefore, improved quality of working life brought about by job enrichment has not only social benefits but also bottom-line benefits to the organization. Job Enrichment Organizational Behavior Concept: Job Enrichment Jared Stern Introduction The concept of Job Enrichment is a very broad theory within the field of organizational behavior that is applicable within all sectors of organization. Used synonymously with â€Å"job enlargement†, the term job enrichment refers to different methods that are aimed at increasing employee’s job motivation, satisfaction, self-worth, in an attempt to ultimately increase the overall employee productivity within the organization.Research studies conducted on Job Enrichment and its influence on employee productivity date back to the 1950s and 1960s and throughout those years a wide variety of methods have emerged. Most commonly job enrichment is attributed to the process of job redesign in order to reverse the negative effects monotony of employee tasks, which will include boredom, lack of autonomy and dissatisfaction. Other variances of job enrichment include providing worker incentives by involving the employee in the decision making process, the implementation of quality work groups and team building, and job independence as an incentive to increase productivity.Evolution of the concept of Job Enrichment Beginning in the middle of the 20th century up until present day, the theory of job enrichment has offered many compelling concepts to increase employee productivity while simultaneously enriching the employees work experience, all of which remain applicable today. The early works which established Job enrichment among organizational behavior theorists was Frederick Herzberg’s â€Å"Hygiene Theory† and Hackman and Oldham’s â€Å"Job Characteristic Model†.The Hygiene Theory The central figure in developing the theory of job enrichment within the framework of organizational behavior was Frederick Herzberg who’s pivotal â€Å"Hygiene Theory† has contributed a solid basis and foundation for subsequent generations to expand upon. According to Herzberg, for a worker to be happy and therefore productive the environmental factors of his workplace must not cause him discomfort. Herzberg further asserts that although providing employees with a more comfortable environment may in turn make them more productive, this does not necessarily mean they will be motivated to perform their duties.Simonds & Orife, 1975) Herzberg believed that the process of motivating workers is by enhancing their feeling of responsibility and connection to their work. In this case, Herzberg proclaims that it is the work itself that is rewarding. Managers can help the employees connect to their work by giving them more authority over the job, as well as offering direct and individual feedback. The Job Characteristics Model In 1975 Hackman and Oldham advanced the ideas of Herzberg by introducing what they called â€Å"The Job Characteristics Model†. This model is formulated on the assumption that if five core job characteristics are present, thre e psychological states critical to motivation are produced, resulting in positive outcomes. † (Griffin, Patterson, & West, 2001) The five core job characteristics consist of skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback. Hackman and Oldham state that the three psychological states that motivation is dependent upon are experienced meaningfulness of work, responsibility for work outcomes, and knowledge of results. Hackman andOldham then proclaim that to the degree that these psychological states are present, high personal employee work motivation will result. Relevance of Job Enrichment in 2007 The early works of Herzberg and Hackman & Oldham have provided a feasible and effective framework for increasing employee productivity through job enrichment that is just as applicable today as it was when their research was first conducted. Within the past half century there have been numerous researches conducted that provides useful empirical evidence to illus trate the rewards and benefits of job enrichment.We will further discuss each method that an organization can implement in an attempt to improve worker productivity through job implementation. Employee autonomy In a study analyzing job independence as an incentive device to increase employee productivity, Kay Mitusch emphasizes that when employee autonomy is present it can compensate for an organization lacking an extrinsic reward program yet still remain productive. â€Å"This is pivotal for explaining why workers in independent, responsible jobs are willing to invest in their jobs even if there is no reliable, formalized system of rewarding them. (Mitusch, 2000) To provide further evidence of the success of employee autonomy as a method of job enrichment Griffin, Patterson, and West explored the relationship between teams and satisfaction using data from a large research project in the U. K. that investigated management practices and employee attitudes in manufacturing companies. The researchers conducted this study by distributing a questionnaire survey which asked them to rank their preferred working conditions in response to hypothetical situations which were designed to relate to their actual work duties.The study showed that â€Å"job enrichment was positively related to job autonomy but was not significantly related to perceptions of supervisory support. † (Griffin, Patterson, and West, 2001) The researchers also concluded that â€Å"while both autonomy and supervisory support were important positive influences on job satisfaction, the positive association of teamwork on job autonomy was explained by job enrichment that accompanied teamwork and could not be attributed to teamwork itself. (Griffin, Patterson, and West, 2001) This data shows that by simply trusting an employee’s expertise at his or her job and allowing them to operate more independently an employee will develop an increased level of job satisfaction and in turn increase t he productive output of that worker. Skill Variety Another technique to enrich an employee’s work experience is to utilize employees with a wide range of skills so they can apply them to their daily work routine.In his article White Collar Job Enrichment: The Pay Board Experience, Tim McNamar explored the Pay Board’s experience with job enrichment. By replacing a traditional method of processing cases with an approach built around work groups performing interrelated tasks, it increased productivity, provided better motivation, and vastly improved opportunities for individual self-actualization and esteem. † (McNamar, 1973) By changing the previous operational procedures and by allowing employees to engage in more of a shared task structure, the Pay Board experienced increased productivity across the spectrum. The decision to adopt a team concept for case management was not due to any of the traditional reasons given for blue collar job enrichment – high ab senteeism, low morale, and the like. Rather, it was instituted in hopes that it would drastically increase productivity. Nevertheless, the approach turned out to provide a variety of benefits, many of which directly related to the question of job enrichment. † (McNamar, 1973) Also, the inclusion of employees in critical decisions that will effect the organization as a whole, shows improvement in the employee’s orale regarding their importance within the organization and in turn increase their motivation.â€Å"In general, research on participative decision making has found that participation improves employees’ attitudes and increases their organizational commitment and job satisfaction. † (DeLancer Julnes, 2001) Job Feedback Another key aspect of job enrichment can be achieved through the simple process of providing employees with useful feedback concerning the work performance along with clearly established expectations. Job enrichment focuses on creating individual tasks that give people feedback, increase their influence how work is done, require them to use a variety of skills, and give them a whole piece of work. † (Mohrman, Lawler, Mohrman, 1992) Task significance and task identity The installation of job enrichment by way of task significance is the extent to which an employee’s work has a meaningful impact on other jobs in the same workplace.This can be accomplished with the installation of teams within the employee work population. Teamwork typically involves groups of interdependent employees who work cooperatively to achieve group outcomes. Effective team implementation can enhance the motivational properties of work and increase job satisfaction. † (Griffin, Patterson, and West, 2001) A direct correlation between task significance and task identity can be seen by the use of teams and specific job duties. The idea of task identity is the measure to which the job requires completion of a number of whole a nd identifiable pieces of work. Theoretically, the choice between teams and individual job enrichment should be made based upon the technology of the workplace. Teams are more complicated to build and to maintain, but may be necessary if the work is such that no one individual can do a whole part of it and get feedback about it. Teams are often appropriate, for example, in process production facilities such as a chemical plants and oil refineries and in complex service organizations such as banks and airlines.Where the technology allows an individual to do a whole task or offer a whole service, individual designs are preferred because they are simpler to install and give the individual more direct feedback. † (Mohrman, Lawler, Mohrman , 1992) The city of Rockville, MD conducted an experiment where managers and line staff collaborated in the decision making process and the result was astonishing, including cost savings, improvement of morale and the appreciation of the need for productivity within the organization increased. The key ingredients in the program’s success was the consultation with supervisors and employees and their involvement in selecting the projects. † (Hobbs, 1976) Counter argument of job enrichment Despite all of the overwhelming evidence of the success that is attributed in implementing job enrichment programs there is a minority of speculators that job enrichment is not always the best option when an organization’s sole objective is to reduce costs. The possible increase in the satisfaction of the employees is probably not a sufficient reason for managers to support job enrichment programs. A survey by Reif and Schoderbek showed that the main objective of top management in companies introducing job enrichment programs was to reduce costs. Hence, management support for a new job design approach has to be gained through a cost-benefit treatment to job design. † (Globerson, 1977) If a company’s sole aim is to reduce costs then investing in your current work force might not be the preferable avenue.However, if an organization or company is interested in fully utilizing its talented workforce and provide increased worker motivation and in turn increase worker productivity, then adopting a job enrichment program is the most effective option. Conclusion Throughout the last few decades, the implementation of a job enrichment program has successfully shown to increase employee’s job motivation, satisfaction, self-worth, in an attempt to ultimately increase the overall employee productivity within the organization.No matter what the function or sector of an organization whether it be a government agency, non-profit organization, or company operating within the private sector, the implementation of job enrichment into your organization will result in the key areas of employee production and worker motivation. It is obvious through years of conducted research that a happy and motivat ed workforce coupled with an effective and flexible management will ultimately result in a highly productive organization.Works Cited Albers Mohrman, Susan, Lawler III, Edward E. , Mohrman, Allan M. 992. â€Å"Applying Employee Involvement in Schools. † Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis DeLancer Julnes, Patria. 2001. â€Å"Does Participation Increase Perceptions of Usefulness? † Public Performance & Management Review Globerson, Shlomo. 1977. â€Å"The Just Noticeable Difference in Complexity of Jobs. † Management Science Griffin, Mark A. , Patterson, Malcolm G. , and West, Michael A. 2001. â€Å"Job Satisfaction and Teamwork: The Role of Supervisor Support† Journal of Organizational Behavior Hobbs, Daniel D. â€Å"Productivity Through Worker Incentive and Satisfaction. Public Productivity Review King, Albert S. 1974. â€Å"Expectation Effects in Organizational Change. † Administrative Science Quarterly McNamar, Tim. 1973. â€Å"White Col lar Job Enrichment: The Pay Board Experience. † Public Administration Review Mitusch, Kay. 2000. â€Å"Job Independence as an Incentive Device. † Economica Simonds, Rollin H. and Orife, John N. 1975. â€Å"Worker Behavior Versus Enrichment Theory. † Administrative Science Quarterly Staudohar, Paul D. 1975. â€Å"An Experiment in Increasing Productivity of Police Service Employees† Public Administration Review

Transfer of Property

THE TRANSFER OF PROPERTY ACT, 1882 PERSONS COMPETENT TO TRANSFER (Section-7 ) Submitted by: Ananya mohapatra BBA-LLB (A) 5th Semester 1082015 PERSONS COMPETENT TO TRANSFER (Section-7) Every person competent to contract and entitled to transferable property, or authorized to dispose of transferable property not his own, is competent to transfer such property either wholly or in part, and either absolutely or conditionally, in the circumstances, to the extent and in the manner, allowed and prescribed by any law for the time being in force.Who is a Transferor? Every person who is competent to contract as per the Indian Contract Act is also competent to transfer a property provided that he is authorized to transfer it as per the law. The term â€Å"authorized† needs to emphasize. If transferor is not owner of the property he purports to transfer he must show that he is otherwise authorizes by law to transfer the property. Who is a Transferee? As far as a transferee is concerned th ere is no such requirement that he must be competent to contract.So, a minor, lunatic- all they can be transferees. However, a few limitations are there. First in the lease of lease both transferor and transferee have to be major or otherwise competent to make contract. Second, if a gift is made to a minor, it has to be accepted by its guardian. Apart from these, there may also be some special provisions which attach some (dis)qualification to a person wanted to be a transferee. For Eg: S. 136 of the T. P. Act provides that officers of the court including judges and advocates cannot be assignee of actionable claims.COMPETENT TO TRANSFER Under S 6(h) (3), any person is competent to be a transferee, unless legally disqualified. This section deals with the competency of a transferor. The transferor must be- a) competent to contract; and b) have title to the property or authority to transfer it if not his own. COMPETENT TO CONTRACT This is the same condition as is enacted by S 7 of the Indian Trusts Act, 1882 for the creation of a trust. S 11 of the Indian Contract Act 1872 defines the capacity to contract.The power to transfer must depend upon the power to contract, for without an antecedent contract to give and take; there can be no transfer at all. MINOR AS A TRANSFEROR The transferor must have attained the age of majority according to the law to which he is subject. The Privy Council held that a contract by a minor is void and so therefore the transfer by a minor is also void. Although a minor is not competent to transfer, yet a transfer to a minor is valid. LUNATIC AS A TRANSFEROR Under S. 2 of the Indian Contract Act 1872, a person is of sound mind for the purpose of making a contract if he is capable of understanding and of forming a rational judgment as to its effect upon his interests. A contract made by a lunatic is void under the Indian Contract Act 1872, and so also a transfer by him of his property is void. Disqualified to contract A statutory disqual ification to contract imports, as in the case of a minor, inability to transfer. Such a disqualification ensues when the owner’s property is under the management of the Court of Wards, or of an officer appointed under Encumbered Estates Act.A judgment debtor whose property is being sold in execution by the collector is also incompetent to alienate. Oral Transfer: Formalities of a Transfer Section 9 of the TP Act states that in every case where writing is not required a transfer can be made orally. The meaning is that if writing is not required by Law- property can be transferred by delivery of possession of the property. Pre-requisites of a valid transfer: 1) Property must be transferable S. 6 2) Transferor must be competent to contract and should not be disqualified under any special law S. 3) Transferee should also not be qualified under special law S. 7 4) Legal formalities required by law should be fulfilled S. 9 5) Consideration and object of transfer should not be contr ary to law or public policy S. 6(h) (A person’s conduct in collecting rents and managing an estate of the landlord does not empower him to transfer the land as the landlord’s agent; Balai Chandra Mondal v. Indurekha Devi, AIR 1973 SC 782. ) ____________________________________________________________________

Epistemology and the Legend of the Sphinx in Oedipus Rex Research Paper

Epistemology and the Legend of the Sphinx in Oedipus Rex - Research Paper Example The idea of pharmakos in Oedipus Rex is embodied in the interaction between the sphinx and Oedipus and how the sphinx guards and reveals knowledge. Pharmakos is the idea that there is a duality to things; that an item can be both a cure and a poison. The sphinx is used as a pharmakos in Oedipus Rex because not only does her physical appearance portray a duality, but also her riddles conceal knowledge in their ambiguity, but also in a sense, reveal truth concerning Oedipus and the Greek society. Epistemology Epistemology can be defined as the branch of philosophy that looks at the nature, origin, methods, as well as limits of human knowledge. It seeks to answer the question of how to distinguish true knowledge from false knowledge. One of the outstanding epistemological problems in Oedipus Rex is the ambiguity presented in terms of the nature and extents of Oedipus’ knowledge about his true origins (Carel 103). Many philosophers have argued that Oedipus may have been too ignora nt to figure out facts about his past. However, at the beginning of the play, his intelligence is well portrayed when he is the only man who has the ability to solve the riddle of the sphinx. This ambiguity brings forth the vagueness of the extent to which Oedipus can and should be held responsible for his actions, which are: killing his biological father and marrying his own mother. Sophocles tells the story of Oedipus in reverse: he starts with the ending and goes to explain how it happened. According to the oracle, the plague that has befallen Thebes will find no cure until the person responsible for the murder of King Laius is found and expelled from the city. Oedipus starts an investigation to reveal the murderer, but this investigation quickly turns into an investigation of Oedipus’ real identity. Initially the epistemology lies around finding an answer to the question â€Å"who did it†, but this changes course to the question â€Å"who am I?† (Foster 22)T he psychological journey of discovery takes up much of this story. Knowledge is supposed to end with gratification and satisfaction. However, in this story, epistemology led to a discovery that was more tragic than the events that led to the discovery itself. The Sphinx The word sphinx comes form the Greek verb which when translated means â€Å"to squeeze† or to tighten (Gosse 65). Some historians however argue that the word is a corruption of the Egyptian word â€Å"shesepankh† which translates to â€Å"living image† (Zivie-Coche and Lorton 9). In Greek mythology the Sphinx is represented as having a serpent’s tail, a lion’s hunches, a large bird’s wings and a woman’s breast and face. This malevolent creature is normally characterized as being merciless and treacherous. She is the demon of bad luck and destruction and kills and mauls those who fail to correctly answer her riddle. According to myths, the sphinx was the guardian of the gates into the City of Thebes. To be allowed entry, one had to correctly answer her riddle. The riddle is â€Å"which creature has four legs in the morning, two at midday and three in the evening, and the more legs it has, the weaker it is? It is said that no man had ever been able to give a correct answer to the riddle (10). Oedipus was the only one who gave the correct answer which was ‘man’. After Oedipus gave the correct answer, the sphinx is said to have been infuriated and she killed herself. The original purpose of the sphinx

THE REALCO BREADMASTER & A BUMPY ROAD FOR TOYOTA Research Paper

THE REALCO BREADMASTER & A BUMPY ROAD FOR TOYOTA - Research Paper Example Table of master production schedule The forecasted inventory is ideally low whereas the available to promise figures are sparingly low for the first five weeks compared to the last three weeks. It is clear that Realco overpromised customers in the last three weeks of production. From the evidence, there are no products to supply to meet demand. This will eventually lead to high level of customer dissatisfaction as the customers are disappointed in the long run since their orders are not availed. From my point of view, Realco needs to re-evaluate its projection or the total production figures. This influences customer satisfaction and builds strong thrust between the organization and the customers since customers are not disappointed. In almost all organization customer satisfaction is the key to their success (Boston 102). Business organizations have systems, which enhances, close level of communications targeting customers in order to meet customers’ needs and demands. Customers are satisfied and hence the organization meets or maintains its growth target. This is made possible by establishing a strong relationship through networking as a marketing goal. When customers are satisfied, they would have no option but to remain loyal to the organization since all their demands and need are taken care off. This will eventually ensures the organization has a large customer base and has a bigger market share. As a critical success factor, Realco adheres to the needs of the customers. This can only be achieved by ensuring that target projection meets those of the customers. This will not only increase revenue but also improves customer loyalty. Jack’s focus on order promising is truly ideal and strategic. This is because it ensures that customers are not swayed to pick other products from his competitors. By virtue of giving an allowance of one week, ensures that in case of disruption of the production

The Strategies Used By Fitness First To Build and Sustain Competitive Essay

The Strategies Used By Fitness First To Build and Sustain Competitive Advantage - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that established in 1993, Fitness First has grown significantly through pricing strategies that outperform or are generically more attractive to consumers both price-sensitive and those looking for more value for their money. Whilst other competition position on quality, reputation or innovation, Fitness First has gained positive ground by appealing to the budgetary needs of its many target consumers. Fitness First maintains many weaknesses, most of which are related to marketing and promotional development, lack of a cohesive organizational culture, and an inability to remove supplier and buyer power in the market. Fitness First maintained losses in 2010 and 2011, indicating a problem with operational costs that continue to outpace revenue production. As such, in this highly competitive industry, marketing becomes a critical function for the company if it is to be sustainable into the future. Despite these weaknesses, strengths associated wi th proper celebrity endorsements and effective diversification of existing products and services to extend the life cycle of its offerings tend to offset some of the aforementioned weaknesses. It is recommended that Fitness First conduct ample market research to align service and product with changing consumer needs, work to build a more mission-focused organizational culture, and improve marketing prowess with more investment in promotion as a key competitive strategy (brand-building emphasis). Fitness First was launched in 1993 as a single, stand-alone gym in Bournemouth. Through a series of investments, acquisitions, and business model improvements, Fitness First has grown quickly to become one of the largest health club centers in the world. The privately-owned company now boasts over one million members in over 400 Fitness First clubs spread across the globe.