The 2nd Intermediate Period of Ancient Egypt

The 2nd Intermediate Period of Ancient Egypt The 2nd Intermediate Period of ancient Egypt- another period of de-centralization, like the first- began when the 13th Dynasty pharaohs lost power (after Sobekhotep IV) and Asiatics or Aamu, known as Hyksos, took over. Alternatively, it was when the government center moved to Thebes following Merneferra Ay (c. 1695-1685). The 2nd Intermediate Period ended when an Egyptian monarch from Thebes, Ahmose, having driven the Hyksos from Avaris into Palestine, reunified Egypt, and established the 18th Dynasty, the start of the period known as the New Kingdom of Ancient Egypt.  The 2nd Intermediate Period of Ancient Egypt occurred in c. 1786-1550 or 1650-1550. There were three centers in Egypt during the second intermediate period: Itjtawy, south of Memphis (abandoned after 1685)Avaris (Tell el-Daba), in the eastern Nile DeltaThebes, Upper Egypt. Avaris, the Capital of the Hyksos There is evidence of a community of Asiatics in Avaris from the 13th Dynasty. The oldest settlement there may have been built to defend the eastern border. Contrary to Egyptian custom, area tombs were not in cemeteries beyond the residential area and the houses followed Syrian patterns. Pottery and weapons were also different from the traditional Egyptian forms. The culture was mixed Egyptian and Syrio-Palestinian. At its largest, Avaris was about 4 square kilometers. Kings claimed to rule Upper and Lower Egypt but its southern border was at Cusae. Seth was the local god, while Amun was the local god at Thebes. Rulers Based at Avaris The names of the rulers of Dynasties 14 and 15 were based in Avaris. Nehesy was an important 14th-century Nubian or Egyptian who ruled from Avaris. Aauserra Apepi ruled c.1555 B.C. Scribal tradition flourished under him and the Rhind Mathematical Papyrus was copied. Two Theban kings led campaigns against him. Cusae and Kerma Cusae is about 40 km south of the Middle Kingdoms administrative center at Hermopolis. During the 2nd Intermediate Period, travelers from the south had to pay a tax to Avaris to travel the Nile north of Cusae. However, the king of Avaris was allied with the king of Kush and so Lower Egypt and Nubia maintained trade and contact via an alternate, oasis route. Kerma was the capital of Kush, which was at its most powerful in this period. They also traded with Thebes and some Kerma Nubians fought in Kamoses army. Thebes At least one of the 16th Dynastic  kings, Iykhernefert Neferhotep, and probably more, ruled from Thebes. Neferhotep commanded the army, but it is unknown whom he fought. Nine kings of the 17th Dynasty also ruled from Thebes. The War ofAvaris and Thebes Theban king Seqenenra (​also spelled Senakhtenra) Taa quarreled with Apepi and fighting ensued. War lasted more than 30 years beginning under Seqenenra and continuing with Kamose after Seqenenra was slain with a non-Egyptian weapon. Kamose- who was likely Ahmoses elder brother- took over the fight against Aauserra Pepi. He sacked Nefrusi, north of Cusae. His gains didnt last and Ahmose had to fight against Aauserra Pepis successor, Khamudi. Ahmose sacked Avaris, but we dont know whether he slaughtered the Hyksos or evicted them. He then led campaigns to Palestine and Nubia, restoring Egyptian control of Buhen. Sources The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt. by Ian Shaw. OUP 2000. Stephen G. J. Quirke Second Intermediate Period The Oxford Encyclopedia of Ancient Egypt. Ed. Donald B. Redford. OUP 2001.

A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner

A Rose for Emily by William Faulkner Free Online Research Papers William Faulkner’s short story â€Å"A Rose for Emily† provides clues that the reader can choose to acknowledge or ignore, but nowhere in the story does Faulkner clearly explain why Emily Grierson murdered Homer Barron. Faulkner has discussed the story, and did reveal that it was about how inhumanity toward people can lead to murder. This suggests that the inhumanity that Emily suffered, both at the hands of her father and at those of society, which is rarely kind to women that never marry, may have led to psychological scars that eventually prompted her to murder Homer. Faulkner’s insight into the story is a generalized one, that does not explicitly provide a motive for the murder, only a sense of the pain that might have affected Emily profoundly enough to make her agreeable to the idea of murder. This paper will explore the reasons and motives that led Emily to murder Homer, illustrating the factors that played a part in her actions. One of the most compelling reasons that Emily murdered Homer is that she was from a time when men took care of women. This â€Å"care† included control, and sometimes even dictatorship, as in the case of her father, who sent all of Emily’s suitors packing. Women were taught to be dependent upon men, and Emily was dependent upon her father, but dependence breeds hostility because it becomes a type of bondage. Her father was particularly controlling, and none of his control belied any cognizance of Emily’s needs or what might make her happy. Thus, Emily was in a Catch-22 situation where she needed man but could not have them. Even the man she dated when she lived on her own left her. By murdering Homer, she turned the tables on that particular form of bondage and found a way to â€Å"keep† a man. Homer stayed with her- albeit dead; until she died. Another reason for the murder is that Emily was insane. When her father died, she refused to admit that he was dead for several days. Upon Homer’s death, she kept his body in the bed with his clothes nearby just as he had taken them off and probably slept next to him every night until her death. Menakhem Perry (64) states, â€Å"†¦here is, primarily, a woman who committed a pathological murder†¦perhaps even†¦necrophilia.† He also points out that Emily refused to recognize the death of Colonel Sartoris, contending that Emily’s â€Å"contact with reality [was] deficient† and that for her, â€Å"the borderline between reality and fantasy [was] blurred† (Perry 64). It is even possible that Emily was not consciously aware that Homer was dead, as she may have continued to see him as living; this could explain why she slept with him every night even though the flesh has long been gone from his bones, and he could not have looked like a l iving man. Another explanation for the murder is revenge, either against her father or against Homer. Out of the two men in her life, Emily’s father was the one that mistreated her the most. She felt that she needed her father, though, so she could not murder him. Murdering Homer was a way of stopping Homer from becoming to her what her father was and of taking revenge indirectly on her father. On the other hand, it is clear that Homer would have left her had he not been murdered, so Emily may have murdered him in anger that he too was deserting her. Robert Crosman (208) points out that Emily is actually in control in the story. When she goes to the pharmacist to get the arsenic, for example, the druggist tries to find out what she wants it for, but she does not answer yet, he gives it to her anyway (Crosman 208). Likewise, when the aldermen write and call to collect her taxes, she refuses to acknowledge that she owes them and at the end they are never paid. From this perspective, Emily’s reason for killing Homer might have been merely to control a situation that had he lived would have been under his control. Helen Nebeker (8) compares Emily to the â€Å"indomitable but dying Old South in all its decadence, pride, [and] refusal to admit the changing order.† She symbolizes the South’s ability to stand firm while the winds of change circulate all around her, and although she evokes pity, she remains standing in triumph until the very end, when her own death hands a victory to the New South waiting in the wings (Nebeker 9). Nebeker (11) states that â€Å"Emily’s South, though dead and buried and forgiven, has left its horror imprinted forever on the structure and in the persons of the present.† As a symbol of the Old South, Emily’s murder of Homer represents the South’s resistance to change, even though that resistance means clinging to something that is already old, dead, and stinking. From this perspective, Emily’s motivation for murdering Homer is to keep the status quo alive. Cleanth Brooks (13) argues that â€Å"there is an element of the heroic† about Emily’s murder of Homer, as well, even though the crime is also â€Å"monstrous.† Brooks notes that Emily never â€Å"strive[s] to keep up with the Joneses† but remains the one that everyone else keeps up with (Brooks 13). Certainly, as she maintains control, it is also clear that Emily does not grovel to anyone. She does what she pleases and refuses to do what she does not want to do, in a splendid reversal of the bondage she grew up in under her father. Finally, Emily believes that love can and will end if not frozen in time by death, a gruesome but understandable idea considering that she had never yet experienced a love that did not end. However, a love that is frozen in death is not the love that most women want; they want companionship, tenderness, and a listening ear- not the mere presence of a body that can afford none of these things. Why precisely did Emily kill Homer? Faulkner leaves it to the reader to decide, but elements of all of these reasons and motivations would likely have played a part in her actions had Emily been a real woman instead of a character. Real people are complex, and there is often not a sole clear-cut reason for their actions but rather a dynamic push and pull among many reasons that causes each of them to have an influence on the final decision. In the last analysis, whatever reasons Emily had for killing Homer, no one can argue that she did it quite deliberately and with planning, so she made a choice that could never be reversed and then lived with that choice for the rest of her life. Brooks, Cleanth. William Faulkner: First Encounters. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 1985. Web. 20 Feb, 2010 Crosman, Robert. â€Å"How Readers Make Meaning.† College Literature, 9.3, The Newest Criticisms (Fall 1982), 207-215. JSTOR. Web. 26 Feb, 2010 Nebeker, Helen. â€Å"Emily’s Rose of Love: Thematic Implications of Point of View in Faulkner’s ‘A Rose for Emily.’† The Bulletin of the Rocky Mountain Modern Language Association, 24.1, (Mar 1970), 3-13. JSTOR. Web. 26 Feb, 2010. Perry, Menakhem. â€Å"Literary Dynamics: How the Order of a Text Creates its Meanings [With an Analysis of Faulkner’s â€Å"A Rose for Emily†]. Poetics Today, 1.1/2, Special Issue: Literature, Interpretation, Communication, (Autumn 1979), 35-361. JSTOR. 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Delegation in Nursing Care Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Delegation in Nursing Care - Assignment Example As the discussion outlines, based on the scenario presented in the case, it would be prudent for Rose to begin by attending to the most pressing issues. The most pressing issue, according to the case, that Rose should attend to first is Mr. R. in Room 228 whose pain medication is already late. This is because Mr. R. is feeling a lot of pain and his health might deteriorate if not attended to immediately. Therefore, it would be very critical for Rose to leave everything she intended to do to ensure that Mr. R. receives the necessary attention to save him from his immense pain.  If the reporter were the charge nurse, the following is how I would have done the patient assignment at the beginning of the shift: Firstly, the reporter would have ensured that all the patients in need of urgent care are attended to first. For instance, it emerged that Mr. R is complaining that his pain medication is late. Therefore, to avoid such situations, I would have ensured that all patients in dire ne ed of care are attended to first. This will be followed by ensuring that all the delegable tasks are assigned to different nurse assistants to ensure that all patients are attended to on time. Delegation would ensure that I only handle tasks, which are not delegable, such as those involving patient assessment, evaluation and judgment. From the list provided, there are a number of tasks which Rose cannot delegate. Firstly, Rose cannot delegate activity. This is because activity involves an assessment of the patient. Assessment activities must be done by a registered professional nurse, thus cannot be delegated. Secondly, Rose cannot delegate activity two since the activity involves the admission of medications, which must be administered by a registered professional nurse.  

Environmental Concerns Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Environmental Concerns - Research Paper Example The main consequences of global warming will be natural disasters like floods, famines, reduction in agricultural output, glacier melting, emergence of new diseases, extinction of species etc (Sinn, 2007). The consequences of the global warming are universally recognized and hence serious efforts are made by all nations to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases especially CO2.The main participants in these efforts are governments and people. In this essay, the public policy actions regarding global warming, the participants in the policy actions, the evaluation of policy, political concerns etc are critically analyzed. The excessive emission of greenhouse gases due to manmade activities can result in accumulation of heat in the earth’s atmosphere leading to a rise in global temperature. This phenomenon is called global warming (Cline, 1992). Among the greenhouse gases, all except methane are originated from manmade activities like fossil burning or electricity generation. Thus power plants are one of the main contributors of this phenomenon. The other main contributors of greenhouse gas emissions include deforestation, burning of gasoline in the engine of vehicles, use of fertilizers in agriculture, burning of organic matter, buildings that require lot of fuels etc. Due to the serious repercussions of the global warming problem concerning both developed and developing nations, it is widely recognized that an internationally integrated approach is needed to tackle this issue. The Kyoto Protocol based on the treaty on climate change in the United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro,1992, c alled on both the developed and developing nations to formulate local initiatives to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases in all nations irrespective of the costs involved in these efforts(Hass et al, 1992). Both the governments and people can be the participants in the national and regional programmes in this regard. The historic treaty produced by the United

Ethical Considerations Essay Example for Free

Ethical Considerations Essay The conduct of the members of any profession must be of very high standards in professional terms. The Australian Computer Society (ACS) requires very high standards in its Code of Conduct for members so as to be able to earn the credibility as well as the prestige IT professionals deserve. The ACS Code of Conduct does not include many detailed rules as it only focuses on the most essential matters and as such it requires a much broader interpretation. It is mandatory for all members of ACS to comply with the Code of Conduct. The code bears relevance in law in terms of legislation. Awareness of the Code’s requirements by IT professionals is crucial as non-adherence by a member in their field may lead to claims of professional negligence by clients. The regulatory regime of the Internet Censorship Body of Australia gives powers to its subsidiary, the Australian Communications and Media Authority to enforce restriction of Internet Content that is hosted within the country as well as maintaining a black-list of foreign websites by using filtering software. Foreign websites which have or are likely to be refused classification in Australia are target for mandatory filtering in Internet Censorship proposal by the Australian Labor Party-led government since 2008. The import of this proposal is that providers of internet services would be forced to ensure that they block black-listed websites from reaching its customers. Two years later, the policy still awaits enactment as a result of the inexistence of legislation to this effect (Moses 2010). As expected, the proposal for the introduction of mandatory filtering has been met with considerable opposition. Some amount of tension has been generated in Australia. Its opponents have raised various concerns but a few people who are in strong support of the policy welcomed it. In Australia, Internet content is bound by federal as well as state laws on the censorship of internet content. The ACS has an internet filtering body coupled with a taskforce for E-security. The task force provides advice on technical issues and policies concerning internet content and the material that is unsuitable for the viewing by the general society. This provides the basis for the legislation on internet content in Australia. The decision by the Australian government through information minister Senator Stephen Conroy to filter the pages viewed by internet users is consistent with the requirements of the Australian Computer Society (ACS) Code of Conduct and Ethics. The ethical code, in section 4. 1, starts by clearly stating its efforts aimed at advancing the dignity, honor a swell as the effectiveness Information Technology as a profession. It states that in observance of its ethical conduct and high competence standards, every member is supposed to be honest in addition to being forthright and impartial. Members are supposed to be loyal in their service to the community (ACS Code of Ethics 1998). It further states that every member has to put all efforts aimed at increasing the profession’s competence as well its prestige. Every member is required to use the special skill and knowledge they possess towards advancing human welfare. The code of conduct is binding in its requirements. Section NR 4. 3 and section N4. 4 categorically states that the code binds all members with regard to their professional conduct. The implication of this requirement is that once the legislation for the filtering scheme is enacted, all members will have no option other than to oblige. It will automatically take effect because it is backed by both the federal and the state government. This is good news to many parents and school teachers who have always battled delinquent behavior in learners without success. Foreign and unacceptable behaviors on some web pages have been accessed and acquired by minors who are otherwise not supposed to view them and as a result the parents and teachers have been unable to control them (Computerworld Australia 2008). Learning is seriously compromised by the content of these offending websites and filtering them is the only effective solution to ensure that it does not reach the school children. The are some specific internet contents which the government has already outlawed and indeed does filtering. These are the contents that have to do with political parties, euthanasia, video games and racism. On the ethical side of consideration on the government’s decision to filter the content that the public should be allowed to view, this is actually a move in the right direction because left uncontrolled, the public can view anything, just about everything. This automatically leads to moral rot. The advent of the internet has led to a sudden decline in morals in many societies globally and the Australian government is justified in suggesting an ambitious plan to ensure that internet content that is hosted within the country is restricted. It is upon the realization of the dangers posed by overseas websites, more than anything else, that the proposals read out by the information minister were made. It will be of no benefit for the Australian Communications and Media Authority to enforce a restriction on internet content that is hosted from within the country and leave content from outside unchecked as people can always view the pages that thrill them from the foreign websites (The Sydney Morning Herald 2009. It is not surprising that the proposal for mandatory filtering of all internet content whether local or from overseas has been met with mixed reactions (ABC News 2007). The proponents of the filtering of internet content are genuinely concerned that the benefits that these internet pages have are by far outweighed by the harm they bring upon the community, not only in Australia, but in all other countries in the world. The minister was justified in bringing the filtering proposals in his genuine concern to rid the society of the moral rot that, courtesy of unrestricted internet access, has been spreading like the country’s infamous bush fires. The opponents of the proposed legislation on mandatory filtering of both locally hosted and overseas internet pages are on their part justified to object to these requirements in such loud voices as they have. Their objection to this legislation is by a very big percentage motivated by their selfish interest to continue being in the market for all the wrong reasons. Any person or a group of people in business are motivated by the sole interest of making as much profit as they can and as such what they give to their viewers does not matter as much as the profit they stand to get out of it. It gets even worse because they are prepared to go out of their way to give their viewers anything that they view most, bad as it may be (The Digital Liberty Coalition 2008). The ACS code of conduct and ethics in 4. 3 stipulates the values and ideals expected of the members. Members are expected to be professionally responsible and display integrity in their actions. They are supposed to deal with clients and the community, students and employees in a responsible way and with integrity. This requirement is good in terms of ethics and it can minimize the number of obscene and violent web content if adhered to by all internet providers. The general society needs to be protected from some pages whose influence is negative to the society. Section 4. 3. 4 further binds the members of ACS by ensuring social responsibility in their work to the society. It states that all members should make it their duty to ensure that they uplift and improve their clients’ quality of life. This is a big calling but it must be adherered to in order to preserve and improve the lives of all the people they work for. It is unethical for any IT specialist to upload a morally corrupting page on the internet to be viewed by others who would otherwise do a lot better without it. The proposal by the information minister borrows mainly from the ACS code of conduct as it spells out clearly all the rules that IT professionals should follow so that they can preserve the prestige and dignity the profession is supposed to have. This is in section 4. 3. 5 under Information Technology Profession in which every member is expected to promote the integrity of their profession. The members must do their work in respect of the profession and for one another. Section 4. 5. 1 of the ethics code makes it mandatory for all members to preserve continuity in the services of information technology as well as to put information flow in their care. This clearly means that all members are bound by the requirement to strive to ensure that the consumers of their services get only what they are supposed to get. They must give only the useful information to the general public which constitutes their client base. Material that has been refused classification by the regulatory authority should not be uploaded because of the dangers it portents (Electronic Frontiers Australia 2008). The IT profession is a beneficiary of such a move as proposed by the information minister as it would regain its name as a respectable profession and people would have more respect for IT professionals which has of late been declining due to the actions of some unscrupulous IT specialists who have made it their habit to posting pages whose content can not do any good to the society (ABC News 2007). The general society as a whole will be the overall winners from this legislation to the detriment of those who have made it their business by sending to the innocent viewers corruptible web content. The hands of the IT professionals who may harbor ill motives are tied by clause number 4. 6. 5 which clearly states that all members of ACS must bear the responsibility of their work. If any of them posts a page that is in the opinion of the ACS disciplinary board; immoral or unsuitable for viewing by the general public, then their conduct shall be found to be unethical and the appropriate disciplinary action will be carried out on them.

Reasons for Returning to College Essay -- Personal Narrative, Admissi

Returning back to school was a very natural decision for me. It seemed to be the next logical step in my personal and career goals. My ultimate goal is to be happy and healthy and be a good provider and role model. With that set aside for now, my next goal is to be financially stable and able to provide for my family in ways that my family was not able to provide for me. I definitely expect to work for what I want and earn every bit of it. The most recent motivator was that my company was willing to contribute a huge chunk of the yearly tuition, therefore removing some financial burden. This makes me feel like they truly care about my future and they really want to see me succeed. I have several personal reasons for returning to school. I take my personal goals very seriously. Some might say that I am my own worst critic and I am very hard on myself. I simply feel that I can and will do better and I do not settle for anything but the best out of myself. Ultimately, I have to live with myself and the decisions I make on a daily basis for the rest of my life. I must fulfill my own personal goals otherwise I am not giving myself to others completely. I have very clear and specific personal goals. To begin, I want to be financially stable. By having my degree, I want to be able to get a better job through a promotion thus making more money. I want to be able to help my child pay for college so he doesn?t have to struggle as hard as I did to put myself through school. Plus, m...

Ikea Case Analysis

Case Study Analysis – IKEA IKEA possesses numerous strengths that will help the company gain high value proposition around the globe in general and in the United States in particular. IKEA has been well known for its distinctive self-service store, unassembled furniture with flat packages, and featured amenities as playrooms for children and Swedish cafes. Its success in the United States has visibly shown through the double revenues from 1997 to 2001 ($600 million to $1. 7 billion) (IKEA Invades America case study). By 2002, the United States was IKEA’s third-largest market, after Germany and United Kingdom, (exhibit 3 – IKEA Invades America case study) with 14 stores established, second largest number of stores worldwide (exhibit 4 – IKEA Invades America case study). IKEA displays itself as a unique IKEA â€Å"culture†, in which the minute the customers set their feet in the store, they emerge in the whole new world of furniture shopping with the latest, trendiest interior designs.Everybody could be a interior designer of their own homes for the time they are there, being able to choose from a wide selection of items available for each decorative setting, mix & match themes and color, etc. The store layout is designed in a predetermined path that leads shoppers toward different layouts of the model rooms. IKEA uses price tags with detailed information concerning the product, how to pick them up later at the storage (aisle #, bin #), and color-coordinated cards for design tips throughout the store for customers’ convenience.If customers need to carry on the shopping without their children, they could drop their kids at the childcare facility on the way into the store featuring large climbing structures. If they are hungry, they could stop by the IKEA restaurant with delicious items like smoke salmon or Swedish meatballs. In short, IKEA designs their store to meet every customer’s personal needs. IKEA’s Vi sion Statement about building a â€Å"partnership† with its customers reaches many different needs and dreams within satiable budgets.On a two-way partnership, IKEA gains its uniqueness by having designers create furniture that satisfies the aesthetic, cost, and quality criteria on one hand, and searching globally for suppliers with the most suitable raw materials to maintain the lowest price possible for their customers on the other hand. IKEA’s customers, therefore, are given more choices in their selection of furniture that best suits their interest and vision of how they want to furnish their homes/offices.The innovative flat packaging is one of the key determinant factors of how IKEA attains their low- cost goals for customers, for storage space and cost of inventory are significantly reduced. IKEA also creates a unique experience for their customers in such that instead of having a piece of furniture readily available for use, customers can now gain a more person al touch by putting in some labor to build up their piece of furniture into a complete product.IKEA’s slogan â€Å"Low price with meaning† in the Vision Statement emphasizes the company’s commitment to offer cleverly designed products in low cost and decent quality in order to help â€Å"people improve their homes and create better everyday lives†. Although flat packaging and the experience of self-built furniture are perceived as the distinctive components of IKEA, it will be helpful to expand the services to a wider range of customers who love the products yet refuse to go through the hassle of setting them up.One suggestion is to have an active delivery and assembling team that can deliver the finished product to customers who are willing to pay the extra costs. At IKEA, a product-strategy council consisted of senior managers go through the process of establishing priorities based on consumer trends and creating the matrix to set the product’s t arget retail prices. The matrix includes three basic price ranges and four basic styles, according to Figure B in the case study.Although the matrix is very successful at helping the product managers identify market opportunities and gaps in the company’s product lineup, the matrix is limited in terms of few product styles and price ranges. Hence, the choices in the store would only appeal to a limited group of customers who share the same tastes for interior designs as IKEA’s designers. Yet, I do not think the company should change its product lineup because by doing so, the company would increase its inventory and engineering cost tremendously that would consequently lead to higher products’ prices.The President of the IKEA Group recognizes that the â€Å"Scandinavian design and style is a niche and it is not to everyone’s taste†. Therefore, although the company may seek to appeal to a broader market, it does not want to be just another supplier of traditional furniture. I support this point of view and do believe that IKEA should continue to keep applying its matrix approach in its product lineup. One of the other challenges IKEA is facing in the American market is the guarantee of supplying lifetime quality products.The American consumers who specifically emphasize their demand on the longevity of the furniture would lean toward the specialty retailers that guarantee the lifetime of their purchases instead of IKEA’s â€Å"commitment-free approach to furniture†. As a result, in order to gain more market share within the American population, the company ought to modify the matrix. IKEA can do so by modifying its pricing bracket to include more high quality products, which allow a specific targeted group of customers more freedom in the process of choosing the most satisfying piece of furniture that meets all of their needs.With the high volume of purchasing products from Europe and Asia, specifically China and Poland (exhibit 5 and 6 – IKEA Invades America case study), the company can certainly increase the quality of their high-end products without much increases in the already low global purchasing prices. Giving the high marketability of furniture retailing ($67 billion in sales in 2002 – Case study IKEA Invades America) and the wide spread in low-end and high-end retailers in the United States, IKEA has very good market opportunities in increasing its growth rate.IKEA provides customers a one-of-a-kind furniture shopping experience that neither the low-end or high-end retailers can provide. Plus, IKEA supplies customers with more attractive products compared to low-end retailers and more options for price-sensitive customers compared to high-end retailers. In addition, with the current economic situation, people will steer away from expensive specialty stores and turn to the economical market.With the company’s low cost product strategy, based largely on the glob al suppliers and internal competitive engineering designs, IKEA could certainly target its marketing toward price-sensitive consumers in the recession to make the company more attractive. One suggestion would be have more IKEA location in college town and statistically ranked pool cities in the nation because low-income population would definitely find IKEA products more appealing than other unattractive low-end retailers. SWOT AnalysisStrengthsOnly organization of their kindScandinavian heritageLow cost with clever designStore layout and catalogues Shopping cultureConvenient for transportationClear instruction and easy-to-assemble| WeaknessesShort lifespanLimited product stylesLimited location for a no-delivery service| OpportunitiesMarketability of furniture retailingPrice-sensitive consumers in recessionWide dichotomy of current retailers| ThreatsDependant on global suppliersEmergence of low end retailersHigh quality specialty retailers| IKEA Case Analysis IKEA has a distinct market segment in the home furnishing arena. It has created a niche market with innovative designs, quality, and low price structure. IKEA has employed the cost leadership and product differentiation strategies through low price structure and innovative designs, respectively. Additionally, the uniqueness of the disposable furniture concept allowed IKEA to capitalize on the first mover advantage (Harrison & Enz, 2005). Behavioral Customer Segmentation for IKEA The behavioral consumer segmentation data provided by Bartlett and Nanda (1996) indicates the demographic profile of IKEA customers and buyer behavior.IKEA’s strategy post World War II, was to target young couples and new families in the low to middle income range by providing inexpensive furniture with durable construction and contemporary lines. The demographic profile presented by Bartlett and Nanda (1996) suggests that the archetypal IKEA buyer is young; middle-class; married; either has no childre n or one child; and lives in a rental. This new target market’s primary determinants to purchase were based predominantly on price (44%); followed by large assortment (16%); and design (14%). Quality; design; and price were the three most important criteria for store choice.Similarly, price; distance; and design were the significant factors leading to consumer attitude toward IKEA. This target market based their decision purchases on information gathered from the IKEA catalog; visits to other stores; and prior visits to IKEA. Contrary to the traditional IKEA consumers’ determinants to purchase and buyer behavior, sustainability is now playing a larger role in consumer spending habits (Datamonitor, 2010). In a recent Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) analysis IKEA was ranked ninth overall for customer satisfaction, which is largely due to IKEA’s commitment to sustainable initiatives.Of IKEA’s products, 71% are recyclable, made from recycled products, or bo th. IKEA also recycles 84% of the waste the stores generate (Datamonitor, 2010). Comparison of Traditional and U. S. Customers Before entering the U. S. market in 1985, IKEA did not conduct thorough market research on U. S. consumers or U. S. buyer behavior. IKEA assumed that U. S. customers would embrace its way of doing business and the products offered. That was not the case, as IKEA’s furniture; metric measurements; and kitchenwares did not meet U. S. customer’s expectations.The furniture was uncomfortable, as it was designed for the European preference of being hard and rigid. The unit of measure was in centimeters, whereas the U. S. has never adopted the metric system. The U. S. serving sizes are generally larger than the European portions, making the kitchenwares too small for U. S. servings. Likewise, the cabinetry was too small for U. S. appliances. The traditional IKEA customer subscribed to the value proposition that furniture was a soft good versus a hard g ood. This value proposition was in contradiction with the mindset of the U. S. onsumer, making it necessary for IKEA to rethink its marketing strategy. IKEA launched an advertising campaign targeting U. S. customers at the same time it entered the U. S. market. Its tagline for U. S. consumers was, â€Å"†¦to take a more commitment-free approach to furniture† (Moon, 1996, p. 8). IKEA’s intention was to convey to the U. S. population that it was not necessary to hang on to furniture for decades. The simplicity and low price point IKEA offers affords consumers the opportunity to replace furniture and opt for a new look at a significantly lower price point than at conventional furniture, appliance, or kitchenware stores.IKEA was essentially making fun of U. S. consumers and the desire to keep furniture for decades. Traditional consumers understood that the value proposition offered by IKEA meant no in-store sales assistance; limited variety; unassembled furniture; and no delivery. This did not meet any of the expectations of the U. S. consumer. Hence, the revenues at IKEA in the U. S. were flat, taking almost ten years before increasing. IKEA has since focused on organic slow growth and low risk in the U. S. as it was a new market (Module 2, Lecture 1, n. d. ). This allowed IKEA time to do more market research on U. S. ustomers and expand manufacturing facilities. IKEA has done a great job in leading customers to pull its products into U. S. homes (Module 2, Lecture 2, n. d. ). IKEA has learned to meet U. S. customer needs by studying consumer preferences and behaviors based on interactions (Module 2, Lecture 1, n. d. ). This information provided demographic and consumer behavior data by store location and region of the United States, allowing IKEA to meet or exceed the loyal customer expectations. Given that, IKEA has built a U. S. cult following and state of mind that is centered on low prices, zany promotions, and contemporary designs (Capell , 2005).U. S. Strategic Growth Opportunities for IKEA IKEA was making a huge push into four major geographic markets in the late 1980’s. They were Eastern Europe, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Any one of these large geographic locations would need exponential resources and one would have to wonder if IKEA was opening itself up to incredible risk. This hard line expansion poses a major strategic challenge. The major strategic concern was the changing target market segment. IKEA rode the post war baby boom wave to become successful.The target market segment of low-income married couples had shrunk and the original IKEA customers, the baby boomers, have become older and more comfortable. IKEA is continuously striving to differentiate its price, products, and services to keep them in line with a first mover competitive advantage and ahead of the market trends to the point that they may be setting the standards for furniture and related product expectations (Ha rrison & Enz, 2005). However, the United States’ target market segment proved to be more difficult; as the U. S. consumers were used to having furniture delivered, and preassembled.Additionally, the U. S. consumers and IKEA’s other target markets all preferred traditional rather than modern furniture, with the exception of consumers in Denmark and Holland who buy modern design furniture. At IKEA, the furniture product mix is comprised of 70% modern with the remainder being traditional (Lee, 2005). For IKEA to be successful in the U. S. market it would need to tweak its product lines and strategic plans in an effort to achieve growth. In order for IKEA to achieve strategic growth in the U. S. it will need to get the buy-in of senior management to change its product line-up.The lack of senior management buy-in has been proven in many studies to be a leading factor in not attaining growth (McGrath & MacMillan, 2009). IKEA will need to hire a consultant to perform a SWOT a nalysis to determine the internal strengths and weaknesses as well as the external opportunities and threats. In addition, utilizing a TOWS matrix derived from the SWOT analysis would prove beneficial (David, 2009). The TOWS Matrix is designed to assist managers with matching the attributes of IKEA with the various opportunities and threats that exist in the environment.It also allows for the development of corporate strategies than can be implemented, thus maximizing marketplace positioning. The four types of strategies that can be formed based on the TOWS Matrix are: SO, which use the firms internal strengths to maximize opportunities; WO, which looks at improving weaknesses by taking advantage of external opportunities; ST, utilizes the company’s strengths to avoid threats; and WT, which are strategies designed to assist in the development of defense tactics to help reduce internal weaknesses and avoid external threats (David, 2009).The crucial information obtained from th e SWOT and TOWS Matrix will prove to be invaluable to IKEA if it wishes to grow in the United States as well as globally. The snap shot of information will help tell IKEA what it must become to U. S. and global consumers in order to grow strategically. Failure to capture and understand this information could keep IKEA from growing in a large geographic market.

Virtual Work

1. Introduction Recent years have witnessed an incredible development of information technology and the structure of traditional work environment is changing. The emergency of virtual work has been reflected in some companies’ new work policy. For example, Jetblue Airlines has changed its working conditions and established a virtual call centre where employees can work from home without a central office. Despite the technology advancement that enables virtual working, the amount of people adopting this new working pattern is still very low.This report will explore the nature of virtual work and analyse the barriers of adopting this work policy, as well as give suggestions on how to overcome these barriers. 2. Nature of virtual work Virtual organisation, by definition, is a principle of management that has been used in a variety of applications, including virtual memory, virtual reality, virtual classrooms, virtual teams, and virtual offices (Mowshowitz, 2002). Unlike tradition al organizations, the virtual organization itself has no need for physical representation.Its output, however, might influence the physical world directly, such as the direct buying or selling of stocks, or indirectly, such as providing decision support for a human agent in a traditional organization. Virtual offices, also known as virtual working, allow employees to operate in dynamically changing work environment. Virtual working as part of the virtual organization can be defined as the use of communications networks rather than buildings and physical assets, meaning that the physical location of work is now less important (Pang, 2001). As the result, departments and teams no longer have to work in close contact with each other.The common denominator for all virtual workers is that they communicate and perform work duties almost entirely through electronic technology, such as instant messaging, blogs and social networking. Employees in this situation, need a certain level of self- control ability, andvery often need to structure the environment and systems they use to perform a variety of tasks, for example, getting familiar with different types of communication software. 3. Advantages of virtual work 3. 1 For companies 3. 1. 1 Less cost Virtual work enables a company to reduce costs in renting, travelling and labor salary.Telecommuting allows people to work from home or anywhere they want instead of staying in an office and thus helps an organisation to reduce expenditure in renting the building (Tomic, nd). Also, no office means that the company does not have to hire cleaners or other labors and pay their salary. Additionally, companies can reduce the travel expenses as geographical distance in virtual organization is no longer an obstacle to hold meetings and conferences. Virtual workers can communicate through the internet instead of going to other places to observe and study. 3. . 2 Increased effectiveness Companies that implement virtual work policy can increase effectiveness because employees can save the time of commuting to work. Better communication, fewer distractions, better concentration and less traveling time contribute to the increased 15-50% productivity in a virtual organization (Tomic, nd). Employees can also improve work quality due to more strategic use of work time and less disruption. 3. 2 For employees 3. 2. 1 Less stress Virtual working not only eases their traffic problems, but also relieves employees office pressure.Most employees worry about their privacy and do not feel comfortable in office. By working from home or other places employees no longer have to deal with office politics and office gossip (Anderson, 2012). Also, virtual workers do not have to rush bus and metro during the peak hours. By working from home, employees can have more time dealing with work in a relaxing environment, which is beneficial for their mental health. 3. 2. 2 Improved work-life balance Working from home gives employees the opp ortunity to balance their work and life. Telecommuters have more flexible work hours and are able to manage their own time.They do not have work in an office from 9am to 5pm every day and they can do anything they want as long as the work can be finished as planned. For example, they can go shopping and are able to respond to phone calls from their family (Anderson, 2012). Also, when the work is done, remote workers can clean the house, communicate with family members, and take care of their children which are beneficial for improving family life. Furthermore, if employees want to better equip their knowledge, they have the ability to go to school without affecting normal work. 3. For society Adopting telecommuting brings benefits to the society. Working from home eases the traffic pressure. Remote workers do not need to commute to work, therefore, there is less air pollution and fewer traffic problems. Also, virtual working creates more business opportunities for people in suburbs and rural areas because it is not restricted by region. 4. Why virtual working is still not universal Innovative workplace strategies that efficiently leverage human capital are becoming increasingly valuable in today’s economic environment (Thompson and Caputo, 2009).Some organizations have long employed virtual work arrangements as a tool to recruit and retain key employees. Despite the technological capabilities that enable lower operating expense and offer employees greater work flexibility, organizations that adopt the virtual work policy and the amount of workers working virtually is still very low. The problem can be analysed from two aspects: companies and employees. 4. 1 For companies As company’s major goal is to maximize profit in each activity, virtual working enables lower operating expense.Adopting the virtual working approach for organization seems the most tendency option. However, basic on company’s strategy and structure, in some case, virtual working would more like to be the obstacle for it’s development. The communication issues are not always technical in nature, but related to human factors. Members in a virtual team would face the misunderstood messages, thereby resulting in inefficiencies (Pang, 2001). More importantly, as there might be different security data protection in employees network, the risk of leakage of information will be increased.Organizational restructuring resulting in an increase in virtual workers and decrease in on-site employees can yield cost savings (Pang, 2001). However, having a human capital management strategy for newly transitioned virtual workers would cost an amount of money for training. Controlling and monitoring off-site employees become essential. For organization restructure, large amount of money would be invested for supporting the restructuring. That would be the difficult for company to adopt the virtual working. 4. 2 For employeesDespite the conveniences of telecommut ing, the potential downsides of the virtual workplace often go overlooked (Heidrick, 2011). Employees who work outside the office, feels isolated from coworker. In some cases, these employees start to feel disconnected from company culture and come to believe they are less respected in their organizations than their colleagues who work together in person. An organization’s ability to flexible depends on employees’ commitment to the organization, their motivation to stick with it. Respect ensured that employees are up to the challenge.Most employees generally feel respected when managers and coworkers hold them up to the same standards as everyone else at the organization. As employee feels isolated and disrespected while working by telecommuting, an organization that adopted the virtual working approach will most likely turn into less efficiency. 5. Barriers to virtual working 5. 1 For companies 5. 1. 1 Technical issues Increased data security concerns One of the bigge st barriers for companies implementing virtual work policy is the concern for data security. Virtual work needs technical support, which creates safety hazard potential nowadays.Due to the fact that multiple clients are in a web-based architecture, there are many points of possible intrusion into the centralized applications and data sources of an organization (Pang,nd). When a company holding e-conference to make important decisions or transfer confidential documents, hackers who have ulterior motives may filch the core strategy or information of the company by attacking system vulnerability. 5. 1. 2 Managerial issues Controlling and monitoring difficulties Controlling and monitoring telecommuters’ work is the most difficult section in managing a virtual organisation.Lipnack and Stamps (1997) stated that managing a successful virtual company requires 90% people and 10% technology. Productivity can be reduced without controlling and monitoring system because some employees ar e not self-disciplined and can be interrupted by an overabundance of distractions around the home (Hortensia, 2008). There are also some critical situations where managers are not able to contact subordinates and make remedial measures timely. Employee incentive difficulties High productivity of a company will largely depend on good employee incentive.However, in a virtual organization which has inefficient measuring methods to evaluate employee’s contribution, the manager may not detect potentials of different employees. Employee incentive is often overlooked in virtual organizations (Liu, 2004). Therefore, companies need to adjust their internal performance assessment and salary system, and spend a lot of time establishing a complete system for training and motivating employees. 5. 1. 3 Communication issues As virtual team members are usually in different area or even different time zones, communication can be a big issue. Lack of trustThe lack of face-to-face interaction o f remote workers can lead to difficulties in building trust. Virtual work is based on Computer-Mediated Communication, which is different from the communication pattern that traditional work has. When communicating face-to-face, the speaker can use visual cues from the audience to gain immediate feedback quickly and make necessary rapid adjustments (Storper et al, 2004). Visual cues and social existence in face-to-face dialogue also help team members to know background, skills, experiences, and areas of expertise of each other (Rosen et al, 2007).The traditional communication pattern can help people build trust within groups, but remote workers can find it difficult to achieve this. Additionally, virtual organizations are usually short termed. Employees may feel that the team will break up when the task is finished, and they do not feel their membership in the organization. Mayo George Elton pointed that employees need good inter-personal relationship, and also need feel being cared by the organization, the satisfactory feeling of being cared by the employer is very helpful to improve work productivity.Lack of trust in virtual organizations may cause low motivation and low productivity. Cultural barriers and limited knowledge/ experience sharing Virtual workers are usually separated by geography, which restricts knowledge or experience sharing opportunities by working together. Also, cultural barrier exists and is adverse to good teamwork in a virtual organisation. Members of a virtual team sometimes come from different countries. Virtual works go against the transfer of tacit knowledge, or knowledge that is not written or definable, but are gained through experience (Griffith et al, 2003).It is clear that many of the behaviors of a good teamwork are culturally rooted. For example, in some cultures, sharing information is both a manifestation of power and a way of building relationships. In other cultures a number of information sharing take place in off-line settings, which are limited in the virtual work environment. Furthermore, direct communicators who are low-context focus on sharing just the facts, which will leave high-context communicators feeling under informed. 5. 2For employees 5. 2. 1 Reduction in chances of promotionAt an organizational level, virtual employees’ efforts may not be recognized and valued and therefore chances of promotion in career are far less than traditional office counterparts. Adams(2012) noted researchers’ finding that managers are 25% more likely to attribute the traits ‘committed’ and ‘dedicated’ to people who logged extra hours in the office instead of those who work remotely. As a result, employees are not willing to work from home, holding the belief that managers consider them less committed to their task, and give them less career support.Employees’ desire for organizational identification is not necessarily satisfied due to negligible mentoring from supervisors and the lack of opportunities for developing relationship with crucial person in the workplace. To conclude, working from home distance employees from their manager, and leave them with less support and direction than on-site workers may get, thus reduce the chances of career advancement. 5. 2. 2 Social and professional isolation Perception of isolation from the group is one of the major concerns for employees who work from home.When employees are isolated in remote workplaces, the physical distance can diminish their opportunities for interacting and communicating with colleagues, further raising their perception of being separated. Marshall et al (2007), cited in Buss (1996) found that humans have long perceived physical and social separation from the group as negative, for the reason that isolation means deprivation of support and protection, which are critical for survival. The unavailability of networking, gaining support and recognition from co-workers creates peop le’s consciousness of not being part of the group and sense of loneliness. . Overcome barriers of adopting virtual work The barriers of adopting virtual work can be overcome by utilizing online communication techniques, conducting prior training and holding regular meetings etc. Virtual teams have to develop the better way for communicating, trust between each other and knowledge sharing in the electronic space. Developing a team culture and common procedures are essential for the development of credibility and trust among virtual team members in a virtual environment. (Raghuram, et al, 2001). Utilize online communication techniquesVirtual employees often need to share work-in-progress with others, which may require advance technologies to support. As a result, virtual team can work more effectively by using online communication techniques. Microsoft is the world’s largest software maker has developed some software that can be very useful collaboration tools for managi ng the virtual team, such as instant messaging, live meeting and Outlook (Courtois, 2012). By using collaboration software, virtual employee can check coworkers’ status to see whether they are available to chat online.Manager can held web-based staff meeting, make a shared calendar, and cloud computing that everyone can edit and see any changes instantly (The Observer, nd). Prior training Prior training or experience is positively associated with virtual work efficacy. Organisations should implement adequate training programs in order to provide better understanding of telecommuting for both virtual employees and their managers. Caudron(1992) suggested that training activities can include dealing with interruptions by family members and friends, communications with virtual co-workers etc.Hiring the right people can be helpful for the virtual organisation, like someone can be productive in an isolated environment but is wise enough to maintain connections with other outside co mmunities. Managers should always be open to the comments of employees and give supportive mentoring. Hold regular meetings In order to better manage remote employees, ensure efficient communication and information sharing, holding regular meetings is important. All employees should be included in all team meetings. During these meetings, manager should provide the perception of how things are progressing.This type of meeting is especially valuable in a virtual work environment, as there are fewer opportunities for interpersonal communication. Also, managers can organize employee retreats once a year so that virtual and traditional employees can interact with one another, to share information and to create a sense of unity and teamwork. These can reduces employee’s loneliness and make them feel a part of the team. Reward virtual employees’ desirable behavior in ways that are meaningful to them (Deannamaio, nd). Manager can simply reward extra holiday time off for emplo yees who work hard.Benefit from the reward policy, employee would feel more motivating in their job. 7. Future of virtual work Today only a small proportion of virtual teams have reached a level of performance that goes beyond what the individuals concerned could achieve independently (Benson et al, 1997). Despite difficulties in implementing virtual work, the overall trend for future is the increase of telecommuting. Development of technology is helping organisations to adopt a virtual work policy, and employee expectations will change towards a more flexible working environment. IBM has announced Virtual Desktop for Smart Business.The new workforce mobility provided anytime, anywhere access to personal desktops from mobile devices — including tablets, netbooks and laptops (Khalil, 2011). With the significant development of technology nowadays, more and more firms will adopt the virtual working in order to gain competitive advantage worldwide. 8. Conclusion Virtual work as a new pattern of work is exposing invaluable potential advantages to organisations, employees and the society as a whole. As information technology is developing at an incredible speed, some organisations have already evolutionisedtheir traditional office work pattern to virtual working.However, teleworking is still not universal despite the technology capabilities that enable people to work from home or remote offices. The barriers of adopting virtual work can arise from both companies’ and employees’ considerations. Companies will face a lot of difficulties such as technical, managerial and communication issues. Employees are also not willing to work from home due to their fear of being isolated and reduced promotion opportunities. In order to overcome these barriers, there are some practical solutions such as utilizing online communication techniques, prior training and holding regular meetings.Therefore, the future of virtual work is promising, and there will be an increasing number of people who change their professional roles from traditional office workers to telecommuters. 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The Brain Essays - Cerebrum, Corpus Callosum, Free Essays

The Brain Essays - Cerebrum, Corpus Callosum, Free Essays The Brain Your brain has two sides. And each has a distinctly different way of looking at the world. Do you realize that in order for you to read this article, the two sides of your brain must do completely different things? The more we integrate those two sides, the more integrated we become as people. Integration not only increases our ability to solve problems more creatively, but to control physical maladies such as epilepsy and migranes, replace certain damaged brain functions and even learn to "thin" into the future. Even more startling is evidence coming to light that we have become a left-brain culture. Your brain's right and left side have distinctly different ways of looking at the world. Your two hemispheres are as different from each other as, oh, Micheal Wilson and Shirley Maclean. The left brain controls the right side of the body (this is reversed in about half of the 15 percent of the population that is left-handed) and, in essence, is logical analytical, judgemental and verbal. It's interested in the bottom line, in being efficent. The right brain controls the left side of the body and leans more to the creative, the intuitive. It is concerned more with the visual and emotional side of life. Most people, if they thought about it, would identify more with their left brain. In fact, many of us think we are our left brains. All of that non-stop verbalization that goes on in our heads is the dominant left brain talking to itself. Our culture- particularly our school system with its emphasis on the three Rs (decidedly left-brain territory) - effectively represses the intuitive and artistic right brain. If you don't believe it, see how far you get at the office with the right brain activity of daydreaming. As you read, your left-side is sensibly making connections and analysing the meaning of the words, the syntax and other complex relation- ships while putting it into a "language" you can understand. Meanwhile, the right side is providing emotional and even humerous cues, decoding visual information and maintaining an integrated story structure. While all of this is going on, the two sides are constantly communicating with each other across a connecting fibre tract called the corpus callosum. There is a certain amount of overlap but essentially the two hemispheres of the brain are like two different personalities that working alone would be somewhat lacking and overspecialized, but when functioning together bring different strengths and areas of expertise to make an integrated whole. "The primitive cave person probably lived solely in the right brain," says Eli Bay, president of Relaxation Response Inc., a Toronto organization that teaches people how to relax. "As we gained more control over our environment we became more left-brain oriented until it became dominant." To prove this, Bay suggests: "Try going to your boss and saying "I've got a great hunch." Chances are your boss will say, "Fine, get me the logic to back it up." The most creative decision making and problem solving come about when both sides bring their various skills to the table: the left brain analysing issues, problems and barriers; the right brain generating fresh approaches; and the left brain translating the into plans of action. "In a time of vast change like the present, the intuitive side of the brain operates so fast it can see what's coming," says Dr. Howard Eisenberg, a medical doctor with a degree in psychology who has studied hemispheric relationships. "The left brain is too slow, but the right can see around corners." Dr. Eisenberg thinks that the preoccupation with the plodding left brain is one reason for the analysis paralysis he sees affecting world leaders. "Good leaders don't lead by reading polls," he says. "They have vision and operate to a certain extent by feel." There are ways of correcting out cultural overbalance. Playing video games, for example, automatically flips you over to the right brain Bay says. "Any artistic endavour, like music or sculpture, will also do it." In her best-selling book "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain (J.P. Tarcher Inc., 1979), Dr. Betty Edwards developed a series of exercises designed to help people tap into the right brain, to actually see or process visual information, differently. She cites techniques that are as old as time, and modern high-tech versions such as biofeedback. An increasing number of medical professionals beieve that being in touch with our brain, especially the right half, can help control medical problems. For examplem Dr. Eisenberg uses what he calls

QUIZ Which Type of Career Fits Your Personality Best

QUIZ Which Type of Career Fits Your Personality Best Is there such a thing where you can find a job that would best fit your personality? Well before you take that plunge in your new possible career you should know what job would best fit. Are you cut out to be in a 9 to 5 or are you meant to work on your terms and be your own boss? This quiz is the perfect opportunity to see if your personality matches your current career or if you’re thinking about switching this can help with your decision.  Source [Playbuzz]

Performance Measurement Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Performance Measurement - Assignment Example The weighing will be done in terms of reviewing, comparing and evaluating the two systems to know which of them produces the best performance, effectiveness and efficiency in the execution of fire and emergency duties. The research is undertaken by the use of an evaluative research method, where the researcher seeks to review the two systems by setting very standardized modalities of assessment. The modalities basically include the weaknesses and strengths of the two systems. The research is conducted in a qualitative manner, where conclusions will b drawn for which of the systems is best for specific scenarios of task, based on the outcome of the assessment modalities. The first system is the fire suppression rating schedule (FSRS), which is an adaptation of the Insurance Service Office (ISO) grading system. The ISO (2014) observed that the ISO grading system has two major focal points which are the evaluation of fire prevention and fire suppression capabilities. In both cases however, greater composition of attention is placed on communities and fire protection areas. In the first instance, the system seeks to identify mechanisms put in place by the communities and fire prevention areas as means of avoiding the occurrence of fire and other forms of emergency all together. The FSRS and for that matter ISO can therefore be said to be preventive in nature. In the second instance, the system makes admonition of possible occurrence of fire and emergency situations, no matter the kinds of prevention approaches put in place. Consequently, there are fire suppression capabilities that are measured by the system. By fire suppression capabilities, reference is being made to the ability of the community or fire prevention area to ensure that even in the instance of fire, there can be control of it at its very early stages. The rationale behind this is that fire tends to cause more harm to lives and

Motivation and Work Design Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Motivation and Work Design - Essay Example This paper discusses the motivators’ significance and outline ways by which employers can design job roles to take account of individual motivations. Significance of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation Many motivational theories exist that offer bases for understanding effects of motivational factors and strategies for moderating the effects as well as ways for monitoring effects of the factors. Theory X and theory Y, as McGregor offers, is one of such theories. The theory establishes assumptions on human behaviour to develop a framework for understanding people in a work environment and to influence actions and behaviour of the people towards desired outcomes. Theory X assumes that people are not willing to conform to expectations and calls for managers and organizations’ control of people for achievement of objectives. It therefore suggests guidelines that can be attained through push factors such as punitive measures for failure to comply. Theory Y however argues for responsible behaviour and actions in which people can align them to set goals in their organizations and work towards realization of the goals (Saiyadain 2009, p. 167). According to Theory X, people do not like work and this means that external influence is necessary to influence completion of desired works. The theory also assumes that people are less ambitious and do not like responsibilities. Instead, they prefer to work under control. In addition, people lack creativity into completing tasks and generating solutions into problems to support the postulate of necessity of external influence. In recognition of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory, Theory X assumes that people are motivated at â€Å"physiological and safety levels† (Saiyadain 2009, p. 167). Intimidation is further necessary on people in order to ensure achievement or objectives. A consideration of Theory Y assumptions however recognizes people’s willingness to work if suitable conditions exist. Co ntrary to external pressure to influencing organizational objectives, Theory Y assumes that people are able to exercise self-control in operations for achieving set goals. Creativity towards problem solution is also assumed to be evenly distributed among all members of an organization. Another difference between Theory X and Theory Y is that Theory Y assumes motivation at all levels of Maslow’s hierarchy. In addition, motivating people, under the theory, leads to self-management and creativity that can facilitate success (Saiyadain 2009, p. 167). The scopes of intrinsic and extrinsic motivators are one of the based for understanding their significance. Intrinsic motivators exist within a person and their driving force establishes their significance. One of the examples of intrinsic motivators is the desire to fulfil needs such as basic needs and establishes significance of the motivators through a push effect. Once a need is identified, a person works hard to fulfil the need for self-satisfaction and this is consistent with Maslow’s postulate that human beings are motivated to fulfil their needs. Self-utility needs such as need to feel a sense of self esteem, happiness, and pride are other factors to intrinsic motivation through change in behaviour and the intrinsic rewards establish significance of intrinsic motivators. This is because people are conscious of their needs and once the needs