Evolving into you world Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Evolving into you world - Essay Example Therefore, Information allows for an expansion of knowledge. As changes occur from generation to generation, there are also changes in acquisition and use of information. This paper therefore, assesses the changes in information tools between generations. Are the information tools for the generations before the internet came and after the internet came the same or different? This paper uses generation X to represent the old generation and generation Y to represent the new generation. Generation X, was born between 1965 and 1980 while generation Y is that form 1981 and 2000. Over time, there has been a change in the manners and habits of different generations for instance, the manners in which the old and the new generations get information are different. The old generation heavily depended on the library for information. In these libraries, information was mainly got from books. Due to the effort involved in reading these books the use of libraries as information sources was very tedious and time consuming. However, in terms of knowledge enrichment such individuals heavily benefitted from such study methods. Because of the time used for the study, students would read a lot so as to finally land on the relevant information. In the process of reading a lot, large amounts of knowledge would be gathered. Libraries were mainly used by students for their educational purposes. However, not all people who used libraries did this for educational purposes. Some people read articles, magazines and novels just for fun. Thanks to the libraries which availed such information materials. Most people from the older generation when asked the question of where they would go for information about anything, the answer would be the same. All these people would go to a Library. This was the answer I got when I interviewed my father and grandfather. Technology during the old days was still underdeveloped thus

Training Effectiveness (Human Resource Management) Essay

Training Effectiveness (Human Resource Management) - Essay Example The main question thus arises, how can one measure the effectiveness of training in organizations, yet training is an intangible and unquantifiable expense? One of the highly used methods is the visual confirmation. The visual confirmation aspect, hence considers various aspects that include the changes in behaviors, an increase in productivity and the overall level of expertise each of the people who have undergone training exhibit. This measure of training effectiveness is usually observed by the training manager or the HR head in charge of training. Another measure of training effectiveness is the aspect of social ownership. Social ownership is the ability of a trainee to disburse this knowledge to other people, acting as a trainer. Social ownership can be packaged an analysis of peer-to-peer teaching moments or commanded training by manager, whereby the trainee would have to share his or her learning from the training program (Eades, 2014). Even so, the most used and reliable method is skill assessment. After training has been conducted in the organization, a periodical monitoring and assessment of skills can be conducted to ensure that the training was effective in imparting such skills. Of all the mentioned methods, the most appropriate is the skills assessment module. Skill assessment is the preferable measure of training effectiveness that can be used in this organization. Primarily, one of the key reasons why skill assessment is the most appropriate, is the fact that a statistical quantification can be implemented. By assessing the skills, a manager can understand the effectiveness of the training. As such, it is arguable that skill assessment is one of the best approaches of measuring training effectiveness in any given

Eating Disorders: A Psychological Perspective

Eating Disorders: A Psychological Perspective Historically, eating disorders such as Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa were misunderstood to be a consequence of an individuals desire to be thin. However, it is now known that they are in fact distinct, self-maintaining psychological disorders with multiple causes. The purpose of this essay was to describe the various psychological causes, effects and treatments of eating disorders although it was also felt to be appropriate to acknowledge the physical, biological and social aspects of such disorders. Its purpose was also to raise the awareness of male eating disorders and demonstrate that such cases have been seen to increase. In order to gather appropriate and non-biased information a range of resources have been used. These include: factual literature, journals, studies, newspaper articles, sufferers personal accounts and notes taken from professional lectures. The extensive research confirmed that eating disorders are in fact psychological disorders and evidenced the fact t hat not only do males suffer too, the prevalence of reported cases has been seen to be increasing. Eating Disorders: A Psychological Perspective For some people, their lives are a constant battle between their diet, their appearance and their emotions; with each pound lost, I was becoming more acceptable to the world (Harvey, 2007). Eating disorders are often mentioned within the media but scarcely spoken about in great detail, which has resulted in stereotypes and misperceptions being made about what eating disorders are as well as what they mean for the individual. One such stereotype is that sufferers are predominantly women who have the desire to be skinny. However, it is becoming increasingly recognised that eating disorders can develop in anyone and are often coping strategies for dealing with difficult emotions through gaining control over an aspect of an individuals life. Consequently, this essay aims to enhance peoples understanding of eating disorders by presenting a psychological account of their development, impact and treatment within individuals. This will be achieved by focussing on two eating disorders in particular, Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa, although other eating disorders will be considered where appropriate. Firstly, a history of these eating disorders will be presented leading to how they are conceptualised and defined today within the current diagnostic system. Secondly, this essay will discuss the potential causes of eating disorders in order to gain an understanding of the common underlying issues, which are potential contributing factors to the development of an eating disorder. Thirdly, the consequences of an eating disorder for both the sufferer and their family will be discussed before exploring an emerging awareness of eating disorders amongst men. Lastly this essay will present the treatments used today in the manageme nt of an eating disorder. It is hoped that this discussion of eating disorders from a psychological perspective will equip the reader with the knowledge and understanding required to challenge any previously held stereotypes and misconceptions of eating disorders. Historically, the behaviours associated with todays eating disorders were not uncommon, or pathologised. For example, there are numerous records of wilful, ritual fasting, which served specific purposes such as to receive some trance-like state that was a medium for sacred visions. Fasting was also used as a means of penance or purification (Bemporad, 1996). Purging was also present during the time of the Ancient Romans. Within this time it was not uncommon for the Ancient Romans to excuse themselves from a banquet, to purge and then return to continue feasting. It is also understood through Egyptian hieroglyphics that the Egyptians used purging as a safety measure against illness and would therefore purge monthly (Engel et al, 2007). Therefore it can be seen that historically, behaviours such as fasting and purging were a part of society and therefore normalised by the social and cultural context that existed then. However society along with its cultural norms has changed rapidly. Accompanying these changes were changing views about peoples behaviour. For example, during the reformation era, women who starved themselves were thought to be possessed by the devil, later they were thought to be frauds seeking notoriety and lastly they were seen as being physically and mentally ill (Brumberg, 1988). Accordingly, the first diagnosis of Anorexia Nervosa was in the case of a wealthy Roman female who starved herself for the sake of spiritual beliefs. However, the first official medical diagnosis was seen in England during the 1680s in the case of a twenty-year-old female where it was said that sadness was the cause of her starvation (Engel et al, 2007). In 1874, Anorexia Nervosa (nervous loss of appetite) was given its name by physician Sir William Gull (Ogden, 2010, p211). He was the first to recognise that such conditions should be considered a mental illness (Engel et al, 2007). However it wasnt until the 1930s that other professionals came to agree that eating disorders were often a result of an emotional or psychological struggle rather than being driven by the desire to be physically thin (Engel et al, 2007). Today, there are a range of known eating disorders including: Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder, Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified and exercise disorders such as, Bigorexia and Compulsive Exercising (Anorexia Athletica and Obligatory Exercise) (Nemours, 2013). These eating disorders each have their own set of diagnostic criteria, which are outlined within the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). This framework is commonly used by professionals to diagnose and treat individuals with different types of eating disorders. Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder based upon the control of the way an individual looks and the foods they eat. It is thought that sufferers of this disorder strive to be thin because it results in a sense of self-worth and acceptance (MFMER, 2012a); this belief is potentially a result of the medias portrayal of the average person in society today. A sufferer of Anorexia Nervosa tends to be extremely cautious about the amount of calories they consume and their diets are often restricted. This is believed to provide the sufferer with a sense of control and provides a focus for their thoughts; distracting them from difficult emotions they may be trying to avoid. In terms of the official diagnosis of Anorexia Nervosa, the DSM states that there must be: the refusal to maintain a normal weight for the individuals height and age, an intense fear of weight gain even though the individual is already underweight, distorted body image and the absence of a minimum of three consecutive mens trual cycles (APA, 1987, p.67). Women with a BMI lower than 17.5 and displaying physical or psychological aspects stated within the diagnostic criteria will be diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa (Abraham Llewellyn-Jones, 2001, p.28) and subsequently referred for treatment or therapy. Anorexia Nervosa is split into two types, purging and non-purging/restricting (Ogden, 2010, p.212). Non-purging anorexics solely restrict their diets whereas purging anorexics will restrict their diets and also binge on food and proceed to purge. It is thought that up to 50% of Anorexia Nervosa sufferers engage in binging and purging behaviours (Franco, ND). Common physical symptoms experienced by sufferers of Anorexia Nervosa include: severe weight loss, the growth of fine hair over the body, dizziness, low blood pressure, constipation, and loss of periods and a sense of tiredness but the inability to sleep (Beat, 2010). Psychologically, sufferers often develop inflexible and negative ways of thinking ab out themselves, believing that they are overweight or fat when in fact they are underweight. Behavioural symptoms may include secrecy and self-exclusion during meal times, quietness and withdrawal from social situations. As well as restricting their eating, sufferers may also become obsessive in checking the calorie content of food and their weight. The development of Bulimia Nervosa is also recognised as a response to stressful life events (Abraham Llewellyn-Jones, 2001, p.191) and difficult emotions but conversely, the individual is believed to hold fewer concerns about their physical appearance and the desire to be accepted via thinness. When suffering from Bulimia Nervosa it is thought that an individual engages in binge eating when they feel a build up of tension or stress, as it is believed to relieve them of these sensations (Abraham Llewellyn-Jones, 2001, p.196). Although Bulimia Nervosa sufferers binge eat, they are also believed to understand that this type of disordered eating will result in weight gain. Sufferers therefore take measures to ensure that they avoid gaining weight and the most common measure taken is purging during or after a binge. This is done to prevent the absorption of energy and fats from food into the sufferers body (Abraham Llewellyn-Jones, 2001, p.197). In addition to this strategy, between 7 5 and 90 percent of Bulimia Nervosa sufferers abuse the use of laxatives during and in between purges to assure themselves that the food consumed will not be absorbed as fat (Abraham Llewellyn-Jones, 2001, p.197). It is also understood that many Bulimia sufferers choose to carry out a strict dieting regime between binges to avoid weight gain (Abraham Llewellyn-Jones, 2001 p.197); as they understand the consequences of binge-eating regularly. The diagnostic criteria for Bulimia Nervosa stated by the DSM includes: recurrent binge eating episodes (a minimum of 2 episodes per week for a minimum of 3 months), a sense of a lack of control during binge eating and frequent engagement in self-induced vomiting (APA, 1987, p.68). Although binge eating is recognised as a behaviour of Bulimia sufferers; sufferers who solely binge-eat without purging are classified as suffering from Binge Eating Disorder. As stated by the NHS (ND) the predominant symptom of Binge Eating Disorder is weight gain, which can lead to serious health problems (to be discussed further on in this essay). Sufferers of Binge Eating Disorder and Bulimia commonly experience cravings for sugary foods, headaches and pain within the stomach (NHS, ND). Psychologically, Binge Eating Disorder and Bulimia Nervosa sufferers may appear to be anxious or depressed and often display signs of a sense of guilt after eating which in the case of Bulimia, results in purges. It is important to recognise that exercise disorders often come hand in hand with other eating disorders such as Anorexia Nervosa or Bulimia Nervosa and although they will not be explored in great detail it is important to have an understanding of these disorders. Some symptoms of exercise disorders include: an increase in the amount of exercise carried out due to the belief that a gap in training will result in weight gain, compulsive setting of goals and targets, dissatisfaction after exercising and participating in exercise out of a need rather than for enjoyment. Exercise Disorders, as an accompaniment of other eating disorders (Gavin, 2010) are thought to arise from an individuals desire to gain control within their lives and as a coping strategy for difficult emotions such as depression or anger; it is thought that exercise provides a release for these emotions (Gavin, 2010). Many sufferers will go out of their way to find an excuse to be active, for example it is known that some sufferers use stairways which they ascend and descend in order to obsessively burn calories (Beumont, 2002, p.162). In order to make a diagnosis of an eating disorder, an individuals body mass index (BMI) is calculated and compared to a standard BMI chart (Abraham Llewellyn-Jones, 2001, p.28) and the individual is assessed against a set of diagnostic criteria specific to the suspected eating disorder type. For women, if their BMI is calculated to be below 17.5 and 18.5 then the individual is declared as being underweight; however, if they display signs of the diagnostic criteria then it is probable that the individual is suffering from an eating disorder of some kind (Abraham Llewellyn-Jones, 2001, p.28). Although BMI assessment is often effective, it is important to note that BMI charts fail to consider muscle weight or other individual differences such as age (Abraham Llewellyn-Jones, 2001, p.28); therefore, the results of the BMI match may be misleading. Previously eating disorders were thought to be the consequence of behavioural aspects such as the avoidance of food (Ogden, 2010, p211). However, it is now widely understood that these disorders often emerge as a coping strategy during times of emotional difficulty such as stress, anxiety, depression, anger and loneliness (Beat, 2010). This is thought to be because physical pain is much easier to deal with than emotional pain (Harvey, 2007). Sufferers obtain a sense of control during difficult times of their lives by using food as a way of coping with these difficult emotions (Ogden, 2010, p.212). However, by doing so, they suppress their issues, burying them deeper and in time, making them more difficult to face. Although eating disorders are now commonly recognised as coping strategies for psychological struggles, it is important to recognise that other factors can contribute to the onset of eating disorders. In some cases it is thought that social factors can trigger the arousal o f body dissatisfaction which commonly leads to dieting and under-eating (Ogden, 2004, p.153). For example, the media will commonly use thin females and toned males in advertising which lulls members of society into a false belief that all members of society are thin or toned (Ogden, 2004, p.148). In turn, this causes people to feel self-conscious about their differences to these idealistic body types displayed across the media, therefore creating insecurities. The family is also thought to be a social factor influencing body dissatisfaction; in particular within mother and daughter relationships whereby mothers are dissatisfied with their own bodies and trigger similar feelings in the daughter concerning her own body (Ogden, 2004, p.150). Aside from these contributing factors, studies carried out in the form of personality questionnaires have shown that sufferers of Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa present signs of low self-esteem and depressive or obsessive personality types; o ften combined with neurotic tendencies (Abraham Llewellyn-Jones, 2001, p.50). These personality traits result in unstable foundations of a persons personality and are thought to contribute to causing the individual to be more susceptible to disorders. A study carried out in American, involving 300 students, has suggested that conformists are also more susceptible to eating disorders (UNSW, ND). The study involved the completion of questionnaires containing questions specifically designed to assess the students individual dietary tendencies, conformity levels and body-image related concerns (UNSW, ND). It was concluded that participants whose responses indicated a sense of isolation and rejection from social groups were more likely to conform (UNSW, ND) and therefore it could be suggested that they may be more likely to attempt to fit into the norms surrounding them. This links back to the influence the media is thought to have upon the prevalence of eating disorders. It is thought that significant life events such as childhood sexual abuse and parental loss can play a part in the cause of eating disorders, this is sometimes be down to a lack of, or poor quality of support given after a person experiences such events (Nauert, 2012). Studies have shown that approximately 30 percent of eating disorder sufferers had experienced childhood sexual abuse. Significant events such as these are thought to affect the individuals ability to cope with difficult situations and issues during their adult life (Abraham Llewellyn-Jones, 2001, pp.68 -69). This struggle to cope during adult life is thought to be due to the fact that unmanaged emotions and memories frequently resurface, triggered by sounds or particular situations (VictimSupport, ND). These life events are also thought to cause the victim to feel a loss of control (VictimSupport, ND) which some victims then regain through the control of their eating. Although studies have shown that approximately 30 percent of eating disorder sufferers had been abused during their childhood, as stated by Connors and Morse (1993) Child sex abuse is neither necessary nor sufficient for the development of an eating disorder (cited in Ogden, 2010, p.251). Therefore, childhood sexual abuse is not considered a cause but a potential risk factor for the development of an eating disorder (Ogden, 2010, p.251). While the Significant Events Theory has strength in the fact that it addresses past events experienced by the eating disorder sufferer, the theory fails to explain why many victims of childhood sexual abuse do not develop an eating disorder, nor can the theory explain the increase in the amount of eating disorders cases today (Ogden, 2010, p.252). Through the discussion of potential causes of eating disorders the question arises as to whether such disorders are caused by nature or nurture? Evident from the causes discussed, although it can be suggested that different personality types can cause people to be susceptible to an eating disorder, it is also dependent on the environment in which the individual lives or has previous experience of. For example, it is unlikely that without the presence of other contributing factors such as the medias portrayal of the ideal body or a significant life event that the individual will engage in disordered eating. The effects of an eating disorder are specific to the individual and can come in a range of forms including psychological, biological, physical and social. Psychologically, sufferers of an eating disorder can sometimes develop symptoms indicating depression and anxiety; it is thought that sufferers are also at risk for self harm and in some cases, suicidal behaviour (McCallum, ND). This is evident in an article from The Guardian written by Louisa Harvey, a recovering eating disorder sufferer. Louisa claims that she suffered from depression as a result of her disorder and thought about suicide daily (Harvey, 2007). Depression, as a consequence of Anorexia Nervosa and other eating disorders, could potentially be caused by the underlying difficult emotions suppressed by the disorder. However, the anxiety and depression experienced by Bulimia Nervosa sufferers is thought to be caused by the guilt believed to be felt as a result of the eating binges. Although, as previously mentioned, dep ression is recognised as a possible cause of eating disorders it is in fact suggested that depression is more commonly seen as an effect of these disorders, rather than the cause (Abraham Llewellyn-Jones, 2001, p.192). Similarities can be drawn between the effects of famine and Anorexia Nervosa in that starvation of any kind results in the brain shrinking. This is understood to be caused by dehydration and under-nutrition and is believed to cause changes in an individuals personality (Abraham Llewellyn-Jones, 2001, p.150). These personality changes may include increased irritability, low moods, perfectionism and obsessive-compulsive behaviours (Abraham Llewellyn-Jones, 2001, p.150). Sufferers commonly find it hard to relax and become hyperactive; for some sufferers this results in the individual suffering from insomnia which, if prolonged, causes exhaustion. Poor consumption of food and nutrition are also thought to be the cause of the poor concentration evident in some eating di sorder sufferers (Garner, 2002, p.143) which can affect their lives socially as well as mentally. Sufferers commonly display signs of social withdraw which is possibly as a result of social anxiety experienced by the sufferers (Garner, 2002, p.143). This withdrawal from social situations is likely to impact upon their relationships with other people such as friends and the sufferer may end up being excluded from such relationships. It is believed that many sufferers of eating disorders have an external locus of control. The locus of control concept refers to a persons perception as to where the control of a situation comes from and was developed by Rotter in 1966 (Hayes, 1994, p.452). The concept claims that people with an external locus of control believe that they have little control over situations and believe that most situations are controlled by luck or fate. Aside from the psychological and social consequences of eating disorders, there are also many physical and biological disturbances caused. Changes in a sufferers hormone levels is understood to have significant biological effects on the individual, in particular, a reduced heart rate; this is understood to be caused by the reduced functioning of the thyroid gland (Abraham Llewellyn-Jones, 2001, p.150). Biological effects caused by Anorexia Nervosa include: gum disease, tooth decay, loss of periods and growth of fine hair over the body (GHFED, 2013). These effects are thought to be predominantly caused by malnutrition and the shutting down of body systems, which is done in order to preserve energy in Anorexia Nervosa sufferers. Biological effects specific to Bulimia Nervosa firstly include the fluctuation in weight, which is understood to be caused by eating binges and purging. Purges result in a range of biological effects such as damage to the oesophagus and rotting of the teeth ca used by the stomach acids and burst blood vessels in the eyes and cheeks caused by the frequent purging. Other biological effects, which are specific to Bulimia Nervosa are internal bleeding and complications within the digestive system including ulcers and constipation (GHFED, 2013). The effects of an eating disorder, although predominantly experienced by the sufferer, can also be evident amongst friends and family members of the sufferer. Firstly the family, in particular the parents, may feel a sense of confusion surrounding the reasons behind why their child has developed an eating disorder, especially if the sufferer is unwilling to talk about their disorder. Parents may also feel a sense of anger which may arise from being unable to comprehend the reasons why their child is harming their own body and for putting the family through the worry and stress which comes with an eating disorder. Guilt is thought to be a common emotion felt by the family of a sufferer and this is believed to come from the fact that they feel that they should have been aware of the disorder sooner (Thompson, 2011). Aside from the emotions felt by a sufferers family, it is possible that eating disorders have an impact on a family routine, in particular, meal times; this is because suff erers often withdraw themselves from meal times, making it especially difficult if there are other children in the family. Other siblings of a sufferer may feel neglected as a result of an eating disorder due to the fact that the sufferer will require more attention and special care; it is therefore important for the parents to recognise how the other children may feel and ensure that they are still given the attention that all children need. It is believed that male eating disorder sufferers have been reported since 1689 (Andersen, 2002, p.189). However, throughout literature and the media, eating disorders amongst males are less widely recognised when compared to the recognition of female sufferers. Although studies show that eating disorders are less prevalent amongst men, it is still important that they receive recognition and a fair chance of diagnosis. Studies taken from within communities and clinics show a difference in the ratio of male to female sufferers with 1 males case to every 6 females cases recorded within a community study and a much smaller 10-20 percent of cases being male in clinic studies (Andersen, 2002, p.189). This difference suggests that males are less likely to approach the health services for help or an official diagnosis. This resistance to help could be due to the way men are portrayed in society through stereotypical assumptions such as men are able to cope with emotions. Because of this, m any men may feel like they should be able to cope and may feel embarrassed to approach healthcare services for help. In terms of diagnosis and treatment of male sufferers, Andersen (2002, p.189) states that gender has little influence upon diagnosis and the effectiveness of treatment. However, Lock (2009) argues that males are poorly accommodated in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of eating disorders. Lock (2009) recognises that there is a lack of research into whether or not males and females respond differently to treatments and acknowledges that much of the criteria and the methods used for assessment and treatment of an eating disorder are based upon females and their body structure. A study carried out in The New York Hospital by Braun et al (1999) was predominantly carried out to compare the disorder diagnosis, age at admission, age at onset and duration of the eating disorder. Admissions of 51 males and 693 females were recorded between 1984 and 1987 and data from these cases showed that the onset of eating disorders within males commonly occurred at later stage when compared to fema les; approximately 21 years of age for males and 17 years of age for females (Braun et al, 1999). The results of the study also showed that many of the male sufferers were participants in sports where performance was influenced by body shape (Braun et al, 1999). The study also addressed the admission rates of males with eating disorders between 1984 and 1996 and the data showed a significant increase in male admissions from 0 percent 1984 to 11 percent of eating disorder cases being male in 1993 (Braun et al, 1999). It could be suggested that if the number of male eating disorder cases continues to rise, as suggested by Lock (2009), more research into the diagnosis and treatment of eating disorders amongst males should be carried out. The type of and way in which treatment is delivered to a sufferer of an eating disorder will be specific to the individual and type of eating disorder. The general outcome desired through treatment of Anorexia Nervosa is weight gain, for Bulimia Nervosa the aim of treatment is to reduce the desire or need to binge-eat (MFMER, 2012b). Although there are a variety of psychological treatments including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Interpersonal Psychotherapy and Family Therapy it is understood that Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is the most widely used treatment for eating disorders (Fairburn, 2002, p.308); commonly referred to as CBT-E (Enhanced CBT) in these cases. This type of therapy is popular as it is thought to be perfectly matched for treating these disorders, because CBT-E strives to implement cognitive change and eating disorders are believed to be disorders of cognitive functioning (Fairburn, 2008, p.23). CBT-E is also thought to be an appropriate therapy for eating di sorders because it can easily be adapted to treat different eating disorder types (Fairburn, 2013). This adaptable quality is important as it is widely understood that eating disorder sufferers do not suffer from just one type, but instead shift between different behaviours associated with different eating disorders once they are locked in to the thought cycle of eating disorders (Fairburn, 2013). There are four stages of CBT-E and the frequency of treatment sessions declines throughout these stages (Fairburn, 2008, p.24). Stage one involves engaging and educating the client about the eating disorder in order to broaden their understanding in preparation for treatment and implementing regular eating patterns (Fairburn, 2002, p.305). It is during stage one that a formulation is created; this is based on the potential underlying processes causing the eating disorder, which allows the therapist to understand which areas need targeting through therapy (Fairburn, 2008, p.24). During stag e two, the therapist and the client continually review the therapy and adapt to any new problems which may have become apparent; these are added into the formulation and addressed in following sessions (Fairburn, 2008, p.25). Stage three is where the main contributing factors to the eating disorder are addressed. These factors are often the barriers preventing the client from having already recovered and will be specific to the individual; this stage is thought to have the biggest impact within treatment (Fairburn, 2008, p.25). The final stage, four, is focused upon preparing the client for the end of treatment. During this stage the client and therapist work together to set manageable goals for maintaining the cognitive shift achieved and implementing a plan for dealing with potential setbacks in the clients progress (Fairburn, 2002, p.305). There are many strengths of CBT-E including the fact that it can be adapted to treat a range of eating disorders and clients of different ages (Fairburn, 2008, p.23). Another strength of CBT-E is that its dropout rates are low, with just 15-20 percent dropout rates recorded in many healthcare centres (Fairburn, 2002, p.306). This suggests that it is a treatment which continually engages the client and it could also be suggested that the frequent review of sessions enables the therapist to understand the clients specific need and adapt sessions to suit these; resulting in a potentially good relationship between the client and therapist. Another strength of CBT-E comes from the fact that in most cases it aims to address many aspects of an eating disorder (Fairburn, 2002, p.306), dealing with the causes of the disorder rather than just the symptoms, as drugs are commonly recognised for. This holistic approach to treatment provided by CBT-E supplies a more long term treatment in comparison to drug treatments but may not be suited to individuals who struggle to remain motivated and engaged with the therapy. The success rate of recovery is also high for CBT-E and as discussed by Fairburn (2013), this is shown through a study carried out in Copenhagen by Poulsen et al (Fairburn, 2013). This study showed that CBT-E had a 60 percent success rate which was reviewed and recorded for 24 months and sustained its success during this time (Fairburn, 2013). Occupational therapy (OT) is a management strategy used with sufferers of eating disorders and is often used within eating disorder services. An occupational therapist usually works as part of a multidisciplinary team and aims to provide and encourage a balance between the eating disorder and other meaningful occupations such as socialising, hobbies or other interests in the daily life of sufferers (Clemmer, 2009). An occupational therapist will collaborate with a client in order to set realistic goals of the therapy to suit the individuals needs. Following this, a treatment plan is then created which may involve planning meals and snacks, developing or learning new skills or arranging participation in a range of activities which interest the client. The fact that OT addresses all aspects of an individual and their surrounding environment and works with these, means that the therapy is very client focused and adaptable to meet individual requirements (COT, 2011); this potentially res ults in a more effective outcome when compared to more standardised and less personalised treatments. To conclude, although eating disorders are often mentioned within the media, they are frequently unexplained and therefore misunderstood by many members of the public. Eating disorders come in a range of forms from Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, binge eating, unspecified eating disorders and exercise disorders. Eating disorders are believed to commonly be triggered by an individual experiencing a situation or emotion which is difficult to deal with psychologically and t

Grapes of Wrath Essay: Steinbecks Faulty Logic :: The Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck

Steinbeck's Faulty Logic in The Grapes of Wrath      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath   chronicles the destruction and chaos of the lives of the dust bowl victims and their families.   The classic novel works on two levels. On the one hand, it is the story of a family, how it reacts, and how it is unsettled by a serious problem threatening to overwhelm it.   On the other hand, the story is an appeal to political leaders that when the common working-class is put upon too harshly, they will revolt.   In this aspect it is a social study which argues for a utopia-like society where the powerful owners of the means of production will be replaced by a more communal and egalitarian community like the ones that spring up along the highway by the migrants seeking a higher ground.   Their lives are destroyed by poverty and the dust bowl and all that matters is finding a more decent life somewhere west.   Survival and getting to a new kind of life are all that matter, so much so that Ma lies next to a dead Granma all night because she is afraid the family will not get through is she seeks help "I was afraid we wouldn' get acrost,' she said.   'I tol' Granma we couldn' he'p her.   The fambly had ta get acrost.   I tol' her, tol' her when she was a-dyin'.   We couldn' stop in the desert...The fambly hadda get acrost,' Ma said miserably" (Steinbeck 237).   Throughout the novel the lure of communism lurks subtly in the background as a reminder that in desperate circumstances, pushed too far, the people will revolt.    The Grapes of Wrath depicts the degradations and abject poverty visited upon immigrants who try to survive in the face of American capitalism where the powerful land-owning companies force them into constant migration and keep them from rising above a poverty level of less than basic sustenance.   The novel focuses on the sacrifices these individuals make for each other, family and friends, and the way their simple lives are inherently worthy of dignity and respect.   However, in the midst of the thousands of others traveling the concrete highway barely keeping body and soul together on the road to a better promise of life in California, these immigrants form a utopia-like community.   Society is recreated each evening among the migrants, where social leaders are picked, unspoken rules of privacy and generosity emerge, and lust, violence and murder breakout.

Pepsi Total Reward

Business Ethics Business ethics is a topic that is often on the forefront of media and journalism reports in the United States of America today. To someone that doesn’t have a background in business, or a general understanding of the business world, these reports can be cumbersome and hard to follow. One must first understand what business ethics actually are. Dictionary. com defines business ethics as the study and examination of moral and social responsibility in relation to business practices and decision-making in business (dictionary. com). Once one understands the meaning of business ethics, they often wonder what major companies do to stay ahead of the curve, and excel in the area of business ethics. Sadly, it seems as if the general media is only interested in companies with poor business ethics and practices. Media outfits are able to sell more papers, and gain more viewers, and honest companies such as PepsiCo never get the positive publicity that they deserve. Ethics and compliance are present in PepsiCo’s day to day operations. PepsiCo also has procedures in place to ensure ethical behavior for both their employees, and the company as a whole. Next, one must take a look at processes within the organization PepsiCo employs to comply with SEC regulations. Finally, the financial statements of PepsiCo will be analyzed with the intent of looking into the trend for different ratios and what it tells investors, and the public alike about the organization’s financial health. In a world that is filled with unethical companies that are lying to their investors, employees, and the public, it is encouraging to still have companies like PepsiCo that are both ethical and compliant. PepsiCo goes to great lengths to attain economic success while still complying to the unwritten laws of business ethics. PepsiCo does this based on three main elements of influence: environmental, talent, and human sustainability. PepsiCo offers consumers a wide array of products from health conscious foods, to comfort foods, to athletic drinks. PepsiCo’s financial stability is greatly influenced by the decision to offer so many products. By doing so, PepsiCo gets to appeal to a variety of consumers, as opposed to just one type. When PepsiCo speaks of environmental sustainability, they are talking about their efforts to â€Å"go green† or lessen their environmental footprint. PepsiCo is planning on taking the necessary steps toward reducing their electrical consumption by 20% and reducing fuel consumption by 25% by the year 2015. In 2007, PepsiCo saved nearly five billion liters of water, and nearly five-hundred million kilowatt hours of energy worldwide in 2007 when compared to their use in years past (PepsiCo, 2009). PepsiCo is looking out for the best interests of the environment, an ethical and admirable decision made by the company. PepsiCo is also an equal opportunity employer and they are often praised for the diverse workforce that they develop. When PepsiCo speaks of talent, they are talking about their diverse workforce. PepsiCo also believes in equality, they show this by offering employment to individuals without worrying about gender, race, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. PepsiCo was named one of Business Ethics Magazine’s â€Å"100 best corporate citizens†. PepsiCo shows loyalty to their employees by trying to promote from within. They also participate in various surveys to prevent any issues, and to address any problem areas. The current CEO of PepsiCo is a woman by the name of Indra Nooyi; since she took over in 2006 she has promoted workplace diversity. PepsiCo’s workplace policies are available in thirty different languages to accommodate many ethnic groups. PepsiCo also does their best to try to spend as much as they could with minority owned businesses, while still looking out for the company’s best interests. (PepsiCo, 2009). PepsiCo is extremely ethical and compliant when looking at their hiring practices. Human sustainability at PepsiCo is their vow to offer more healthy choices for consumers. PepsiCo is dedicated to their consumers, and is focused on creating and innovating new products that will offer less sugar and staying away from â€Å"empty calories†. PepsiCo has been partnering with the World Health Organization to find new ways to improve the diets of consumers while promoting physical activities. When looking at PepsiCo’s promotion of human sustainability, it is evident that PepsiCo values their consumers, which is valued and ethical. PepsiCo much like any other well respected company, complies with the regulations that are determined by the SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission). PepsiCo demonstrates their SEC compliance through their hiring of an independent registered public accounting firm. PepsiCo utilizes the well-known and respected accounting firm Klynveld Peat Marwick Goerdeler which is more commonly referred to as KPMG. KPMG is one of the largest professional services firms in the world and one of the Big Four auditors. The Big Four auditors are KPMG along with PricewaterhouseCoopers, Deloitte, and finally Ernst and Young. KPMG’s global headquarters are located in the Netherlands . By employing an outside source, PepsiCo allows the auditing firm KPMG to clearly analyze their numbers, ultimately making independent judgments for the soft drink company. KPMG complies with the laws and guidelines that are set up by the Securities and Exchange Commission through a published report to the SEC that is created quarterly and annually for PepsiCo. The reports that are then created by KPMG offer the Securities and Exchange Commission as well as shareholders, and anyone else interested detailed information on what and where the company is spending money as well as on what and where the company is receiving money. Near the end of PepsiCo’s annual report, there is a statement that speaks of the honesty and integrity of the report. This statement reads: â€Å"Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and our Chief Financial Officer, we conducted and evaluation of the effectiveness of our control over financial reporting based upon the framework in Internal Control – Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on that evaluation our management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting is effective as of December 26, 2009 (PepsiCo, 2009). † Based on that quote, one must believe that PepsiCo is both ethical and compliant with respect to the Securities and Exchange Commission. Despite the worldwide economic turmoil that companies have been forced to deal with, PepsiCo has done their best to rise above the state of the economy, and still post good numbers. PepsiCo’s current ratio for 2008 came out to 1. 23 and the current ratio for 2009 was 1. 35. This means that PepsiCo can pay back its short-term liabilities (debt and payables) with its short-term assets (cash, inventory, receivables) 1. 299 times in 2008 and 1. 435 times in 2009. To properly compute the current ratio for each year an individual would divide the current assets by the current liabilities. The 2008 current ratio for PepsiCo can be calculated by dividing 10,806 by 8,787. This comes out to 1 . 23. The 2009 current ratio for Pepsi is calculated the same way dividing 12,571 by 8,756. This equates to 1. 435. PepsiCo improved their current ratio year over year. A debt ratio is a ratio that indicates what proportion of debt a company has relative to its assets. Thus having a lower percentage would be ideal. PepsiCo’s debt ratio for 2008 was 23%. This can be computed by taking the total debt, which was $ 8,227 and dividing that by the total assets which were $ 35,994. In 2009 the total debt was $7,864 and the total assets were $ 39,848, giving PepsiCo a debt ratio of 19. 7%. Return on equity is known as the amount of net income returned as a percentage of shareholders equity. It can be calculated as the net income divided by common equity, and a higher percentage is favorable. In 2008 the net income was $ 5,166, which is divided by the common equity $ 12,203, this comes out to 12%. In 2009 the net income was $ 5,979 and the common equity was $ 16,908, meaning that the return on equity was 35%. Again, PepsiCo shows improvement year over year. Finally, comes the days receivable. The days receivable are a measure of the average time a company's customers take to pay for purchases. The days receivable are equal to accounts receivable divided by annual sales on credit times 365. In 2008 PepsiCo’s accounts receivable came out to $ 4,683, annual sales on credit were $ 20,351, meaning that the days receivable in 2008 equated to 83. 99, or simply 84 days. In 2009 PepsiCo’s accounts receivable came out to $ 4,624, annual sales on credit were $ 20,099, meaning that the days receivable in 2008 equated to 83. 97 or 84 days as well. Year over year, it seems as if PepsiCo remained constant in the area of days receivable. In closing, PepsiCo establishes itself on the forefront of ethics and compliance. PepsiCo also has procedures in place to ensure ethical behavior of employees and shareholders. Finally, PepsiCo has processes that they utilize to comply with SEC regulations. PepsiCo seems to have improved financially year over year between 2008 and 2009. In a world that is filled with unethical companies that are lying to their investors, employees, and the public, it is encouraging to still have companies like PepsiCo that are both ethical and compliant. References Business ethics. (n. d. ). Dictionary. com's 21st Century Lexicon. Retrieved September 27, 2010, from Dictionary. com website: http://dictionary. reference. com/browse/Business ethics PepsiCo. 2008 Annual Report. Purchase, NY: PepsiCo, 2008. Annual reports. September 27, 2010. http://www. pepsico. com/Investors/Annual-Reports. html PepsiCo. 2009 Annual Report. Purchase, NY: PepsiCo, 2009. Annual reports. September 27, 2010. http://www. pepsico. com/Investors/Annual-Reports

Reflective Account – Plan, Prioritise and Balance Time

A situation arose relating to a Live – in carer, (to be known in this reflective account as carer A) who was due to go into a placement and relieve an existing member of staff ( to be known in this reflective account as carer B) as part of a two-week job share. Carer A had problems with regard to her residency and as a matter of urgency had to adjust the dates of the changeover. When first the call was made by carer A, she was so upset that I did not know if she was going back at all. My personal knowledge of the circumstances of the client was extensive, learned time and lots of communicating with the clients’ wife and the client himself and the achievement of home visits. I was wholeheartedly aware of how a change at such short notice would affect the clients’ wife who lives in the home, along with the client and who oversees the care provision of her husband who has advanced dementia and cannot communicate his needs at all. My immediate thoughts were not to alarm the clients’ wife unnecessarily but to establish the facts involved in situation and solve the issue with the best possible outcome for all parties in mind. In planning my steps to ensure an effective outcome, my first thoughts were to secure the existing care arrangements, which involved contacting carer B. This meant a discreet phone call to her to ask if and how long she would be able to stay to cover for carer A. I was aware that I possibly only had a window of opportunity of one week because carer B was to be placed into another live – in, with another client. I also knew that carer B had a hospital appointment to attend within the timeframe which meant that the clients’ wife would possibly require extra support for this time. Carer B agreed to stay but did need off duty for a whole day because of the distance to and from the hospital. Once the cover had been successfully secured, my next step was to find out how long this extra cover would be required for. This involved contacting carer A. It may have seemed better if I had started my enquiries the other way around but my thoughts were that if carer B had made other private plans for the week then I would have been looking for a replacement with a carer C and so I stored the information in my head. In communicating with carer A, my thoughts were to ensure that I was offering practical professional support to assist where possible with her issues and also offer a sympathetic ear to support her emotional state at the time. I had to be realistic about what I needed to achieve to ensure a positive outcome for all parties and I could only achieve a positive outcome by planning the next steps. Carer A came to the office to discuss the situation with me and together we worked out a practical plan of action. This involved a longer- term approach and would be running in the background after carer A returned to her placement and would not involve the client further at this stage. A call was then made to the clients’ wife to inform her of the situation and the steps I had already taken to ensure that our obligation as a care provider would be met. In communicating with the clients’ wife I was to be mindful as to the conversation held, my considerations toward all parties was to be factual, honest, practical and professional. The new changeover date was established, consideration was given to how best carer B could achieve her visit to the hospital and all parties agreed an arrangement as to how best both would be achieved. My involvement continued as I escorted both carer A and carer B too and from their respective placements by using my personal transport, as neither carer is a driver and access to the clients home is more challenging than most as they live away from the use of public transport. My support will continue as I will be offering practical help to carer A in ensuring a positive outcome for her. I will maintain contact with the clients’ wife by phone fortnightly In the timeframe allocated to this example of how I plan, prioritise and balance my time, I still work within the office supporting the office staff to deal with other issues that occur within any working day. I ensured that the office would be covered adequately when I was to be out of the office, I ensured that I could be contacted in the case of an emergency, should the staff need my support when out and about. I made sure that an affirmative plan of action was in place for any eventuality that could occur in this situation.

UNFAIRNESS essays

UNFAIRNESS essays Its funny how we grew up saying sticks and stones my break my bones but words will never hurt me. Its all too sad because that is not true. It is unfair that people are treated unfairly because of the way they look or how they act or the color of their skin. Race, gender and inequality are major issues in our society. They determine how people are looked at, treated and or discriminated against. In todays day and age, inequality is one of the greatest problems in our society. Inequality is the quality of being unequal or uneven. For example, a man would most likely get a job over a woman and a Caucasian person would most likely get a job over an African American person. For instant, the conflict perspective focuses primarily on the oppression of women by men based on notions of capitalism and property. This mean man most likely has the upper hand in the economic system and the right over woman to have ownership. Most professional positions are held by Caucasian men, this can cause a conflict when you have a highly qualified African American male that is continuously over looked for a promotion that he deserves. In our society, race is an issue that we will always have to deal with. Race is a group of individuals within a biological species able to breed together. Race can also be family, tribe, people or nation of the same stock. Your social status can also be interpreted as race. For example, race have inherited physical characteristics such as, skin color, hair color and texture, facial features, head form, eye color, and height to create broad racial classifications. There are three main racial categories, Negroid, Mongoloid and Caucasian. The conflict perspective is that your race can determine where you are allowed to go, where you are allowed to live, what you are allowed to do, and how you are perceived. For example, the minority races have a harder time purchasing a ...

What Deferred or Waitlisted Students Can Do to Improve Their Chances

What Deferred or Waitlisted Students Can Do to Improve Their Chances Students that have been deferred or waitlisted from their top choice school face a big dilemma. Should they just sit tight or is there anything they can do to better their chances of getting accepted? Understanding the Difference Between Deferred and Waitlisted Being deferred from a college is not the same as being placed on the waitlist. Most college deferrals occur when a student has applied early action (EA) or early decision (ED) to a college.  When a college defers an applicant, it means their application has been changed to a regular decision (RD) application and will be re-considered during the normal admissions review.  If the original application was a binding ED, it no longer is and the student can choose to go to another school even if accepted in the regular process. Waitlisted means that the applicant has not been accepted but could still be considered if enough students that were accepted choose not to attend the college. Even though being waitlisted sounds better than being rejected, odds of getting off a waitlist are not in a student’s favor. Christine K. VanDeVelde, journalist and coauthor of the book College Admission: From Application to Acceptance, Step by Step, explains, â€Å"Waitlists were much smaller 15-20 years ago before the common application. Colleges need to meet their enrollment numbers. With more students sending in applications, it is harder for schools to predict how many students will accept their offer so waitlists tend to be larger.† Re-Evaluate if the School Is the Right School Not being accepted to a first choice college can be upsetting. But before doing anything else, students that have been deferred or waitlisted should re-evaluate and determine whether the school is still their first choice. Several months will have passed since a student has sent in their application for consideration. In that time, some things may have changed, and it is possible a student may not be as confident that their original first choice school is still the right choice. For some students, a deferral or waitlist turns out to be good thing and an opportunity to find another school that is a better fit. What Can  Students Do if They Have Been Waitlisted? Students are not usually placed on a waitlist but told that they can choose to be placed on the waitlist.  VanDeVelde explains, â€Å"Students need to respond by submitting a form or emailing the college by a set date. If you dont, you will not be placed on the waitlist.† The waitlist letter will also let students know what, if any, additional information they will need to submit to the school, such as sending in recent grades or additional letters of recommendation. VanDelde cautions,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Colleges usually give clear directions. Its in the students best interest to follow them.† Students that have been waitlisted may not find out until August if they have been accepted, so they do need to make a deposit at another college even if the school they have been waitlisted at remains their first choice. What Can  Students Do if They Have Been Deferred? If a student has been deferred and is 100% confident he still wants to attend the school, there are things he can do to improve his chances. Call the Admissions Office VanDeVelde says, â€Å"A student, NOT a parent, can call or email the admissions office to ask for feedback on why the student wad deferred. Maybe they are concerned about a certain grade and want to see if the student improves over the semester.† VanDeVelde advises students to advocate for themselves in a clear and articulate manner. Says VanDeVelde, â€Å"This is not about bringing pressure. It is about whether the school has room for the student.†Ã‚   Send Additional Information Make sure updated grades/transcripts have been sent in a timely manner. Beyond recent grades, students can also update the school on their recent accomplishments, honors, etc. Students can email this information to admissions along with a letter reiterating their interest and commitment to attending the school. Students may consider sending additional recommendations.  Brittany Maschal, a private college counselor, says, â€Å"An extra letter from a teacher, coach or someone else close to the student who can speak to what they have done to contribute to the university may be helpful.† Do not send recommendations from successful or famous alumni of the school unless the person truly knows the student. Maschal explains, â€Å"Many students ask if these types of letters are helpful and the answer is no. A big name vouching for you generally will not help as a stand-alone factor.† Ask Guidance Office for Assistance An admissions office may provide additional details as to why a student was deferred to a school counselor. A school counselor can also advocate on a student’s behalf. Request an Interview Some schools offer applicant interviews on or off campus with alumni or admissions representatives. Visit the College If time permits, consider visiting or re-visiting the campus. Sit in on a class, stay overnight, and take advantage of any admissions events/programming you may not have during the initial process. Consider Re-Taking Standardized Test or Taking Additional Tests As this can be time consuming, it is probably only worthwhile if the school has directly expressed concern over the test scores. Keep Grades Up and Continue With Activities Many students get second semester senioritis.  Their grades might fall or they may slack off on extracurricular activities–especially if they are feeling dejected about not getting an immediate acceptance from a first choice school.  But these senior year grades can be a determining factor for admission. Guest columnist Randi Mazzella is a freelance writer and mother of three.  She primarily writes about parenting, family life and teen issues.  Her work has appeared in many online and print publications including Teen Life, Your Teen, Scary Mommy, SheKnows and  Grown and Flown.

Analysis of the Authors Satire on the Presentation of Products to Consumers in The Onion

Analysis of the Author's Satire on the Presentation of Products to Consumers in The Onion In the mock press release from, The Onion, the author satirizes how products are marketed to their consumers and how people are gullible enough to believe all that marketers say about their product. By describing MagnaSoles, a fake product, the author brings about humor and realization in that most marketing campaigns are bogus. To achieve their purpose, the author uses his diction, appeals to ethos, and includes imagery to satire marketing. By using his diction, the author’s connotation behind his words satirizes marketers and the ridiculous claims that they place on their products. Through describing MagnaSoles as a, â€Å"total-foot rejuvenation system†, the reader can hear the sarcasm dripping from these words. Usually, these specific types of words are used in overplayed infomercials which overhype the product in attempt to sell. When a fake consumer describes their â€Å"intelligent† decision to buy MagnaSoles, they comment on how the product is â€Å"clearly endorsed† by doctors. Using these words, along with fake scientific-sounding jargon, reveals the connotation that people are gullible for believing that these doctors are real, just as many consumers of actual products for sale believe these products are endorsed by â€Å"doctors†. These doctors’ endorsements are used to make the product seem better and the gullible consumers believe what is put in front of them. With the phrase, â€Å"healing power of crystals†, the connotation is implied that anyone should see how this is clearly fake, satirizing how many customers believe anything a products’ website says. Through using diction, the author pokes fun at marketers and those dumb enough to fall for their bogus products. The author also appeals to ethos to satire marketers and their consumers by showing how those who are interested in buying a product, will believe anything they hear. By using customers testimonies, the product seems to actually works, and creates so called proof that the product does what it claims. This account creates a liaison between the customer and the marketer as people will believe â€Å"real† people. By using Helen Kuhn’s testimony of her saying, â€Å"Just try to prove that MagnaSoles didnt heal me†, the product seems to have proof that it works just as many real ads do. Using customer reviews on the MagnaSole, just as infomercials do, pokes fun at those who purchase certain products after hearing good reviews, whether it be from a friend or the TV. By using quotes from Dr. Arthur Bluhe, â€Å"the pseudoscientist who developed the products†, the audience becomes susceptible to being manipulated by the company as this man is posing as a doctor an d seems to know what he is talking about. Companies who create bogus products like MagnaSoles are being satirized through this as many use â€Å"doctors† to promote their products too. By appealing to ethos, just as many infomercials do, the author shows how people believe anything they hear and pokes fun at companies for the way they market to consumers. Through using imagery, the author describes the product and its’ effect in such detail as to be sarcastic about the benefits of MagnaSoles. By painting the image of â€Å"healing crystals used to stimulate dead foot cells with vibrational biofeedback†, the reader is able to see and understand how ridiculous this marketing campaign sounds. This makes fun of ads that try to in depth describe their product, but over exaggerate it and make it sound ridiculous. To continue with imagery, the author describes that foot problems come from when â€Å"the frequency of one’s foot is out of alignment with the Earth†. Anyone who reads this will instantly see how fake this sounds, yet people continue to purchase idiotic products like this. Through using imagery, The Onion describes the product and its’ effects so vividly as to satirize the product and its’ consumer. The Onion’s mock press release on MagnaSoles was meant to satirize marketers and the action they take to get consumers to purchase their product. By using diction, appealing to ethos, and adding imagery, the author shows how ridiculous most ads are.

Humanities Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Humanities - Essay Example This paper approves that The settlement was started in mid-1830s when Yankee whaling ships who had gone from the Pacific areas began arriving in cove at the west side of San Francisco Bay. This cove became popular to ships to replenish their supplies before returning home around Cape Horn. By 1849, after the gold rush, San Francisco became inhabited by around 40,000 people to take advantage of the economic boom, and buildings soon started to rise. They were short lived because fires ate them up damaging millions of dollars worth of property and displacing many families. Business and commerce became alive again, with warehouses, shops, hotels, and saloons mushrooming in the waterfront streets doing brisk business. People who came from around the world came to settle in San Francisco. The cornerstone for the cathedral was laid on July 17, 1853, and the design resembled a â€Å"Gothic church in Alemany’s hometown in Spain.† Our church’s website describes the first constructed cathedral as having â€Å"parapets on either flank, surmounted with embrasures, and buttresses finished cut-stone pinnacles. Inside a vaulted ceiling with groin arches rose above a Carrara marble altar imported from Rome.† This essay makes a conclusion that all these years saw the emergence of a new Old Saint Mary’s Cathedral with many new plans and projects for its reconstruction, and with the start of Old Saint Mary’s Living Landmark Campaign initiated by Rev. Charles Kullman, CSP, Pastor.

The importance of analysis and analitical skills to the manager making Essay - 1

The importance of analysis and analitical skills to the manager making decisions in business - Essay Example The success of organisations heavily relies on the decision making processes undertaken by managers. Organisations are complex, and thus present complex problems or contexts in which the manager makes decisions. Monahan argues that sound decision making brings positive results while poor decision making can prove deleterious to an organisation. The author also states that although management involves a variety of functions, decision making is a central managerial function as all others entail its use. A good decision making process will result in good decisions and thus success in business, while a flawed process underlying conception of decisions will have the opposite effect.The use of these decision making approaches together will be analysed in terms of how managers apply them in an integrated manner. Managerial Decision Making, Problem Solving and the Structured Analytical Approach According to Yates, a decision refers to the act of making a commitment to undertake an action that will yield satisfactory results to the beneficiaries of that action. From this definition, it is clear that a decision has three fundamental aspects. First is the resolution to execute an action, deliberateness/intention-where the manager purposefully decides so as to achieve specific objectives, and lastly, the satisfaction of those affected by the decision-the beneficiaries. Decision making, thus, implies the process used to arrive at a decision which translates to the different approaches adopted by different business managers. Russell-Jones argues for the importance of the underlying decision making process, stating that a robust, consistent and analytical approach leverages the elements of complexity, uncertainty, objectives, trade-offs., consensus and flexibility among others. This results in the making of sound decisions that can consistently bring about business success. On a c losely related note, managers increasingly find themselves having to undertake problem solving. Hicks (2004, p. 8) details the concept of problem solving, explaining that it entails the manager seeking ways to move from a present situation to a more desirable one. A problem arises when a there is a disparity between what is and what should be. It also represents a situation in which the decision making individual- manager- has alternative courses of action, all with significantly different effects and thus accompanied by doubt about the best choice (9). A number of approaches can be adopted to make managerial decisions and/or solve problems. Monahan (2001, pp. 2-3) explains the dynamics that affect decision making processes; including availability of information, scarcity of resources, and psychological factors. The author also discusses uncertainty in the process of decision making. Deterministic models of managerial decision making activities are used in the absence of uncertainty , while probabilistic models are for cases where business decisions have to be made under uncertainty. One of the most highlighted approaches to effective decision making is the structured analytical approach. Saaty and Vargas (2006, p. 258) explain that structuring the process through analogies and attribute association helps establish a new perspective to a problem and create an environment in which controllable and distinct alternatives can be generated. Gustafson (2006, p. 12) states that an analytical approach to decision making deconstructs a problem into logical, sequential and distinctive elements which can be assessed separately before recombining the components to arrive at

Research paper Critique Of Human Resource Managment Essay

Research paper Critique Of Human Resource Managment - Essay Example Secondly, is the complete documentation of data and methodology, which could be made available to other researchers upon request, thus enabling others the opportunity to test the viability of research results, critique a research or establish statistical measures of reliability of the research results (Polit et al, 2001; Bozinovski, 1995). Research in the field of International Human Resources Management is intended to expand what is known in the practice of Human Resources (HR), empower the professional HR manager to capably foresee and manage the complex and constantly changing challenges facing the human resources management, as this is paramount for the continuous relevance of human resources management as a tool for achieving the developmental and market competitive goals of firms and companies, in the emerging global market (Parahoo, 1997). Critiquing a research work, therefore, involves a caref... The purpose of this paper is to critically analyse a chosen piece of human resources management research report titled 'The Impact Of Human Resource Management Practices On The Implementation Of Total Quality Management: An Empirical Study On High-Tech Firms' a recent paper presented earlier this year by Ching-Chow Yang (2006) and published in the TQM Magazine Vol. 18 No. 2, pp. 162-173. Generally, the research paper looks into what relationship exists, if any, between Human Resources practices and the implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM). This is reportedly, due to the high failure rate in the implementation of TQM despite its perceived numerous benefits in generating improved quality and efficiency, increasing customer satisfaction and market competitiveness. The researcher argue that, although, this high failure rate of TQM implementation has been attributed to the fact that companies and firms place little importance on human resources management, as it affects TQM, little or no empirical research efforts exists to back up this argument. This has therefore given rise to the necessity of the research at hand. Objectively evaluated, this appears to be a reasonable premise upon which the research effort is based, thus enhancing the utility of such a research results for the implementation of TQM and improvements of human resources practices. As suggested by Stevens et al. (1993), this research therefore fulfils the requirement of adding to knowledge and expanding what is already known in the field of enquiry. Research Structure Quoting Confucius, Farh et al. (2005) stated that "a mechanic who wishes to do his work well must first sharpen his tools." They explained that when conducting high quality empirical

PUBLIC OPINION OF THE SEPTEMBER 11 EVENT Research Paper

PUBLIC OPINION OF THE SEPTEMBER 11 EVENT - Research Paper Example They vary from large, official polls such as those done by Zogby, to smaller, casual polls of partial range, and unscientific internet polls. The issues here relate particularly to uncertainties about the conventional account, and in all incidences were part of a set of questions dealing with wider matters, typically of a political nature (Zogby Poll, 2004-2006). September 11 remains, above all a massive human disaster. However, September 11 also posed a significant and premeditated confront not just to America but to the globe at large. The aim of the terrorists was not just Washington and New York but the very morals of freedom, acceptance and civility which strengthen people’s way of life. Ever since the September 11 hits, fears have been raised concerning the conventional account of measures. There have been a number of conspiracy theories signifying that affiliates of the U.S government may have intentionally covered-up and erroneous events, in order to bury negligence or even involvement. The first Zogby opinion poll was done in August 2004, on the day of a Republican National gathering, on 808 arbitrarily chosen inhabitants of New York State. It established that 49 percent of its inhabitants and 41 percent of its people trust individuals inside the US government (Zogby Poll, 2004-2006). The second main Zogby poll on 9/11 was done in May 2006. It was a phone interview or interrogation of 1,200 arbitrarily chosen adults from all over the United States, comprising of 81 queries, with a 2.9 percent scope of inaccuracy. One of the questions is: "The World Trade Center construction 7 skyscraper that was not attacked by any planes for the period of the September 11th hits, but still absolutely collapsed later on the same day. This subside was not probed by the 9/11 Commission. Are you conscious of this skyscrapers collapse or rather subside, and if so do you consider that the Commission

Session Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Session Planning - Essay Example However, these requirements are different for Bass players. They will play directly from our solid-state pre amps and direct boxes for direct recording. Please be advised to use strings in your guitar and don’t forget to tune them a several times before the session for the correct pitch. For keyboardists, please note to bring your own keyboards and its stand. You are required to bring your own power cables, pedals and manuals. Although, we have different MIDI gear and other devices available at the studio but we would advise you to use your own for better sound quality. Similarly, Drummers need to bring their own drums to the studio on the day of session. Before final recordings make sure the heads are newly installed along with pedals that do not squeak at all. Drums should be finely tuned before the session. For vocalist, please rehearse again and again to know the notes and lyrics by heart. Make sure you know all the highs and lows of the notes required in your song. Musicians required will be: One drummer, one keyboardist, two bass guitarists, one on electric guitars, a vocalist with three background supporting vocalists and other musicians if required any by the band. The setting of the musicians is set apart so their mics will not interfere with each other. We have made sure that there should be enough distance between vocalist and the drummer and between the guitarists and the keyboardists. There are 9 tracks to be played in the session. 5 out of 9 tracks will be recorded on acoustic guitars whereas; the remaining 4 songs will be pop/country. They would be the unplugged low versions. Each day each song will be given approximately 5-6 minutes during the entire session including the rehearsals. The people apart from the musicians will consist of our technical team, studio engineer, sound engineer and the management. Please avoid bringing any

Research paper Critique Of Human Resource Managment Essay

Research paper Critique Of Human Resource Managment - Essay Example Secondly, is the complete documentation of data and methodology, which could be made available to other researchers upon request, thus enabling others the opportunity to test the viability of research results, critique a research or establish statistical measures of reliability of the research results (Polit et al, 2001; Bozinovski, 1995). Research in the field of International Human Resources Management is intended to expand what is known in the practice of Human Resources (HR), empower the professional HR manager to capably foresee and manage the complex and constantly changing challenges facing the human resources management, as this is paramount for the continuous relevance of human resources management as a tool for achieving the developmental and market competitive goals of firms and companies, in the emerging global market (Parahoo, 1997). Critiquing a research work, therefore, involves a caref... The purpose of this paper is to critically analyse a chosen piece of human resources management research report titled 'The Impact Of Human Resource Management Practices On The Implementation Of Total Quality Management: An Empirical Study On High-Tech Firms' a recent paper presented earlier this year by Ching-Chow Yang (2006) and published in the TQM Magazine Vol. 18 No. 2, pp. 162-173. Generally, the research paper looks into what relationship exists, if any, between Human Resources practices and the implementation of Total Quality Management (TQM). This is reportedly, due to the high failure rate in the implementation of TQM despite its perceived numerous benefits in generating improved quality and efficiency, increasing customer satisfaction and market competitiveness. The researcher argue that, although, this high failure rate of TQM implementation has been attributed to the fact that companies and firms place little importance on human resources management, as it affects TQM, little or no empirical research efforts exists to back up this argument. This has therefore given rise to the necessity of the research at hand. Objectively evaluated, this appears to be a reasonable premise upon which the research effort is based, thus enhancing the utility of such a research results for the implementation of TQM and improvements of human resources practices. As suggested by Stevens et al. (1993), this research therefore fulfils the requirement of adding to knowledge and expanding what is already known in the field of enquiry. Research Structure Quoting Confucius, Farh et al. (2005) stated that "a mechanic who wishes to do his work well must first sharpen his tools." They explained that when conducting high quality empirical

Session Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Session Planning - Essay Example However, these requirements are different for Bass players. They will play directly from our solid-state pre amps and direct boxes for direct recording. Please be advised to use strings in your guitar and don’t forget to tune them a several times before the session for the correct pitch. For keyboardists, please note to bring your own keyboards and its stand. You are required to bring your own power cables, pedals and manuals. Although, we have different MIDI gear and other devices available at the studio but we would advise you to use your own for better sound quality. Similarly, Drummers need to bring their own drums to the studio on the day of session. Before final recordings make sure the heads are newly installed along with pedals that do not squeak at all. Drums should be finely tuned before the session. For vocalist, please rehearse again and again to know the notes and lyrics by heart. Make sure you know all the highs and lows of the notes required in your song. Musicians required will be: One drummer, one keyboardist, two bass guitarists, one on electric guitars, a vocalist with three background supporting vocalists and other musicians if required any by the band. The setting of the musicians is set apart so their mics will not interfere with each other. We have made sure that there should be enough distance between vocalist and the drummer and between the guitarists and the keyboardists. There are 9 tracks to be played in the session. 5 out of 9 tracks will be recorded on acoustic guitars whereas; the remaining 4 songs will be pop/country. They would be the unplugged low versions. Each day each song will be given approximately 5-6 minutes during the entire session including the rehearsals. The people apart from the musicians will consist of our technical team, studio engineer, sound engineer and the management. Please avoid bringing any

The Turn of the Screw Essay Example for Free

The Turn of the Screw Essay With detailed reference to Marxist debates about the relationship between literature and ideology, examine the ways in which The Turn of the Screw can be read as reinforcing, and/or undermining dominate modes of thinking. Within this assignment, I intend on providing a detailed analysis of Henry James novel The Turn Of The Screw in relation to Marxists debates over the relationship of Literature and Ideology. Through this close analysis, I will be showing the main concepts of a Marxist perspective in relation to The Turn Of The Screw and how this contributes in the creation of the notion of Literature and Ideology. In order to achieve this, it is crucial to gain an understanding of the notion of Literature and Ideology. In order to gain an appreciation of the term of Ideology, it would be important to consider the work conducted by Terry Eagleton1, this can be achieved through the statement that Ideology provides lucid accounts of major Marxist thinkers, and examines the thought of non-Marxist theorists such as Schopenhauer, Nietzasche, Frued and the poststructulists2. From this, it is possible to interpret the notion that Ideology presents a new way of thinking for Eagleton and thus is presented with ideas surrounding Poststructulism3, Nietzasche4, and Schopenhauer5. In relation to the question, it is possible to argue that through using the Ideological perspective of Marxism, we will be examining Henry James novel of The Turn of the Screw from a new approach. Firstly, it is imperative that we gain an understanding of the term of Marxism and how this holds a relationship to Henry Jamess novel The Turn of the Screw. Marxism was developed by the German philosopher Karl Marx and also the German sociologist Frederich Engles6 (1820-95), which they themselves called their economic theories Communism (rather that Marxism), designating their belief in the state ownership of industry, etc, rather than private ownership7. From this, it is possible to debate that Marxism dose have relevance in regards to Ideology, as it is presenting a new mode of thinking upon German society. Furthermore, if we take into consideration that The simplest Marxist model of society sees it as constituted by a base (the material means of production, distribution, and exchange) and a superstructure, which is the cultural world of ideas, art, religion8 it is possible to argue that Marxist through analysis society in relation to all members of society considered as equals and thus bringing about a classless society. In addition to this, he also argued that it is only philosophical ideas, which make up the superstructure and therefore underpinning his ideological belief that there is a class structure within the society. One of the most important arguments that is raised in relation to Henry James novel The Turn of the Screw and the notions that is associated with Marxism, it is possible to argue that Henry James is underpinning the modes of Marxism. This is clearly evident within the characterisation of Miles and the quotation of: She was the most agreeable women Ive ever known in her position9. From this particular quotation, it is possible to argue that Miles encompasses the attributes, which reinforcing the notions of Marxism, as he is enforcing the hierarchy that exists within the class structure. The reason for this is although he is acknowledging that there a division of class dose exist within the context of the novel, however, through his description of her being the most agreeable women10, he is showing a likeness to the qualities that she possess within her and is automatically disregarding the social hieratical differences that exist between them both. In relation to this particular quotation, it is possible to argue that through the character of Miles, Henry James is acknowledging the work conducted by the French structuralist Marxist, Louis Althusser11 (1918-1990). His work was mainly centred on the analysis of what he termed the state and the subject and through this work; he provided clear distinctions between the terms of ideologies, which he said was mainly historical and social, and ideology, which he denoted as the main structure of the society in which we live in. From this distinction, he made the acknowledgment that within civilised society, there is a need for a number of employees, which are low and middle classes and also there is a need for employers. Within this distinction, Althusser provided the term of willing subjects for those workers who worked within manual labour that were able to be employed by the employers and provided them with the term of Interpellation. From this it is possible to see that through the use of Interpellation, we do take into consideration class structures, as it ultimately defining the differences from Working Classes and Middle Classes. Because of this factor, it is possible to say that it is showing the binary opposition of the notion of Marxism and therefore it is showing a new Ideology. In regards to Henry James novel The Turn of the Screw, it is possible to suggest that the term of Interpellation is evident through the representation of the servants at Bly in comparison to such characters as the Master and Miss Jessel, this is clearly evident within the quotation of: Mrs. Grose, since then, in a way of manners and things, had done as she could for Flora; and there were, further, a cook, a housemaid, a diarywoman, an old woman, an old groom and an old gardener, all likewise thoroughly respectable.12 From this particular quotation, it is possible to argue that it is clearly demonstrating the concept of Interpellation, as it is showing the collective representation of the working class community within the house of Bly and also a clear distinction between themselves and the Master. In relation to the question, it is therefore possible to argue that it is disregarding the notion of Marxism. However, it is a clear demonstration of Ideology and therefore it is possible to suggest that through the medium of literature, authors such as Henry James are able to express different interpretations and therefore it is possible to argue that literature on a whole is means to show ideological expression. Another important argument provided by Althusser was the meaning of words, which he suggested that words do not reflect the world, but produces a perception of it. From this, it is possible to argue that term of Interpellation is another way of viewing the world. In relation to Henry James novel, The Turn Of The Screw, it is possible to argue that through the relationship that exists between Miles and the Governess, Henry James is demonstrating the notion of Interpellation, this is evident within the quotation of: I pressed again, of course, the closer for that. You are reminded that Quint was only a base menial?13. From this particular quotation, it is possible to argue that this is clearly showing the notion of Interpellation, as it is reinforcing the class differences that exist between the characters of Miles and Quint. However, it is also possible to suggest that this particular quotation is a demonstration of the Governesses influence over Miles, as she is reinforcing the notion of Interpellation into Miles as an attempt to over-rule his own Marxist perspective on life. The reason for this might be due to the fact that she comes from a lower class then the family, and she feels that they should not mix with the lower classes. From this, it might be important to take into consideration the work conducted by the Italian writer Antonio Gramsci (1891-1937)14, in particular, the importance of Hegemony. The notion of Hegemony involves a low regime sustains power within society; this can be achieved through either consent, which is the role of persuasion or enforce, which is the role of gaining power through force. This is clearly evident within Henry James novel, The Turn of the Screw, and the quotation of: He has put them in possession of Bly, which was healthy and secure, and had placed at the head of their little establishment but below stairs only- an excellent women, Ms Grose15 As you are able to see from the quotation that I have provided, it is possible to argue that within the household at Bly, Antonio Gramscis notion of Hegemony has been put to full effect and therefore it is creating a class rank within the novel in regards to a hierarchal structure of the household. Therefore, in relation to the original question, it is possible to argue that this particular extract of Henry James novel is undermining the dominant modes of Marxist thought, and presenting a new ideology in relation to the structure of class and society. Another issue that we might take into consideration in regards to the notions of Marxism and the characterisation of Miles is his relationship with Quint. Through their friendship, Miles is disregarding the status structures within society and thus is being as Marxist himself, this is evident within the quotation of: It was neither nor less then the particular fact that for a period of several months Quint and the boy had been perpetually together.16 From this particular quotation, it is possible to see the qualities in which Miles characterisation processes, which is to disregard the attributes that is associated with the class structure, and thus making it possible for his to befriend who ever he wishes. Through this, it is possible to argue that Miles is echoing the work conducted by Louis Althusser. In conclusion, it is possible to suggest that the relationship between Literature and Ideology in regards to how they comment upon Marxist debates, is that it allows the authors to choose an Ideological perspective and use their novel as a demonstration of the particular perspective. Through the use of Marxism, it is possible to suggest that we are able to comprehend the issues that are presented within Henry James novel and this allows use, the critic, to use the novel as a clear demonstration of the issues that presents the key aspects of Marxism and thus makes it easier for use to comprehend. Bibliography Within this assignment, I have used the following books: 1. Peter Barry Beginning Theory An Introduction To Literary And Cultural Theory 2002 Manchester University Press 2. Henry James The Turn Of The Screw 1992 Bedford Books of St. Martins Press 3. Warren Montag Louis Althusser 2003 Palgrave Macmillen Within this assignment, I have used the following Internet search engines: 1. http://www.yahoo.com 2. http://www.yahoo.co.uk 3. http://www.google.co.uk/ 4. http://www.askjeeves.co.uk/ Within this assignment, I have used the following Internet articles: 1. Terry Eagleton Ideology An Introduction URL: http://www.versobooks.com/books/cdef/ef-titles/eagleton_ideology.shtml 21/10/03 2. Marry Klages Louis Althussers Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses URL: http://www.colorado.edu/English/ENGL2021Klages/1997althusser.html 24/10/03 3. Wikipedia Antonio Gramsci URL: http://en.mikipedia.org.wiki/Antonio_Gramsci 24/10/03 4. Richard Wolff Ideological State Apparatus URL: http://dogma.free.fr/txt/RW_IdeologicalApparatuses.htm 24/10/03 5. Louis Althussers Ideology and Ideological State Apparatuses URL: http://www.colorado.edu/Egnlish/Engl2012Klages/althusse.html 24/10/03 6. Daisy Miller The Turn of the Screw URL: http://www.pinkmonkey.com/booknotes/barrons/turnscr2.asp 24/10/03 7. Richard Strickland Confrontational Pedagogy and the Introductory Literature Course URL: http://www.english.ilstu.edu/strickland/confront.html 24/10/03 Word count = 1656 1 Terry Eagleton is Thomas Warton, Professor of English at the University of Oxford. 2 This quotation was taken from an Internet article, which is fully referenced in my bibliography as number 1. 3 This was an approach to literature that, proceeding from the tenets of Structuralism, maintains that, as words have no absolute meaning, any texts is open to an unlimited amount of interpretations. 4 Notion presented by Friedrich Wilhelm, mainly surrounding the concept of the Superman and the rejection of traditional Christian values. 5 Notion presented by the German philosopher, he expounded the view that will is the creative primary factor and idea the secondary receptive factor. 6 German socialist leader and political leader. He collaborated with Marx on The Communist Manifesto (1840). 7 Peter Barry (ed), Beginning Theory An Introduction To Literary And Cultural Theory, Second Edition, (Manchester University Press, Manchester, Clays Ltd, 1992) Page 157, Lines 9 10. 8 Peter Barry (ed), Beginning Theory An Introduction To Literary And Cultural Theory, Second Edition, (Manchester University Press, Manchester, Clays Ltd, 1992) Page 157, Lines 2 3. 9 Henry James, The Turn Of The Screw, (Hampshire, Macmillan Press Ltd, 1997) Page 23, Lines 14-17 10 Henry James, The Turn Of The Screw, (Hampshire, Macmillan Press Ltd, 1997) Page 23, Line 14 11 French Marxist philosopher, author of For Marx (1965) and Reading Capital (1965). 12 Henry James, The Turn Of The Screw, (Hampshire, Macmillan Press Ltd, 1997) Page 26, Lines 25-28 13 Henry James, The Turn Of The Screw, (Hampshire, Macmillan Press Ltd, 1997) Page 23, Lines 20-21 14 Information obtained from an Internet article, which is fully referenced in my bibliography as number 3. 15 Henry James, The Turn Of The Screw, (Hampshire, Macmillan Press Ltd, 1997) Page 26, Lines 9-12 16 Henry James, The Turn Of The Screw, (Hampshire, Macmillan Press Ltd, 1997) Page 60, Lines 10-12

Why is it important for managers to know about motivation theories?

Why is it important for managers to know about motivation theories? Introduction The key function of managers is getting things done through employees. The following assignment looks at the role of motivation and why it is essential for managers to be aware of the various motivational theories and how the motivational theories could be implemented in a professional context to achieve organisations goals and objectives. Motivation has been defined as: the psychological process that gives behaviour purpose and direction (Kreitner, 1995); a predisposition to behave in a purposive manner to achieve specific, unmet needs (Buford, Bedeian, Lindner, 1995); an internal drive to satisfy an unsatisfied need (Higgins, 1994); and the will to achieve (Bedeian, 1993). Organisations exist to achieve corporate objectives and employees working in those organisations aide in achieving those objectives by working towards their individual goals and targets. In an ideal world, if every individual was providing his best performance then organisational goals would be met sooner too; however in the real world it is often not the case. Organisations lag behind and more often than not the reason is a demotivated staff. An understanding of the basic human nature is important for effective employee motivation in the workplace and also for effective management and leadership. In todays business world with rapid changes happening all around, it has become even more important for managers to motivate their staff and help their staff in optimising their performance. Besides, research and observation proves that motivated employees are more creative and productive in the work place. Several theories of motivation have been presented amongst which Maslows theory states the purpose of human existence is Self-actualisation and the only way that state can be attained is when the basic human needs are met. Thus according to Maslow, human needs can be represented in the form of a pyramid. According to Maslow, the basic human needs are: Physiological needs Safety needs Love needs Esteem needs Self-actualisation. Whilst Herzberg theory states that in a work environment context there are mainly two factors which determine the motivation levels of employees. The first set of factors which he termed as the hygiene factors do not lead to positive motivation, however a lack of those hygiene factors could lead to de-motivation. Herzbergs theory is particularly useful as it discussed the importance of providing a good working environment and to a certain degree highlighted the importance of a good working environment in achieving a better performance from employees. Herzberg’s work categorized motivation into two factors: motivators and hygienes (Herzberg, Mausner, Snyderman, 1959). Motivator or intrinsic factors, such as achievement and recognition, produce job satisfaction. Hygiene or extrinsic factors, such as pay and job security, produce job dissatisfaction. McGregors theory stated that staff would contribute more to the organisation if they were treated as responsible and valued employees. Likert (1967) suggested that for an organisation to perform better, managers must adopt a participative-group system, whereby, leadership is by the superiors who have complete confidence in their employees and motivation takes the form of economic rewards which is further based on goals set by participation. Various other theories presented by Vroom, equity theory etc all discuss how employees can be motivated and should be motivated to enhance performance. As stated above individual performance taken collectively determines organisational performance and when organisational performance is not up to the required level, the organisation would not be able to sustain itself and might loose out in competition. Motivation theories provide an insight into what makes an employee perform better. It provides managers with a tool to motivate employees and helps them in understanding how the staff can be managed better. It is therefore no surprise that the area of human resource management and organisational behaviour is looking into how important it has become for organisations to focus on retaining employees. Recent literature has emphasised the importance of knowledge management. It is a known fact that high labour turnover, costs the company which results in lowering the level of profits. Profit maximisation is the ultimate corporate objective, it would be fair to say that is the sole reason why companies exist to maximise profit, generate revenue and anything that can result in increasing profit levels will be looked upon favourably. Lack of knowledge about motivation theories might lead the managers to believe that monetary incentives are the only way of motivating staff, however, the theories has helped the managers in understanding that individuals have different needs. It might be that employee A prefers to have more responsibility as compared to employee B. Hence increasing As responsibility and appreciating A motivates him more than B who would be satisfied with getting a monetary incentive. Similarly, employee C might be a single mother who would prefer to have more flexibility in the job and would be able to perform better if the work that she is doing enables her to look after her child and work. The above examples prove that in a professional environment for a manager it has become even more important to understand the needs of his internal customers. A concept which can be borrowed from marketing is if the customers needs are met the organisations objectives can be achieved. The argument can be extended in this context as well where it can be said that when internal customers are kept happy, external customers will automatically be happy. The above is an example to explain Vrooms theory, according to which rewards and incentives should be based on what the employee perceives to be important rather than what the managers perceives to be important. Thus he aimed to explain employee motivation by explaining the link between how individual goals influence individual performance. Thus the knowledge of motivational theories provides a deeper insight into the psychology of employees and staff. The importance of organisational performance cannot be highlighted enough. Research and surveys are being conducted to understand what can improve the organisational performance and the obvious link is individual performance. Performance more generally is defined as a function of ability and motivation. However, in order to motivate staff it is important to have an effective performance management system. In order to provide rewards to the staff it is imperative to have appropriate benchmarks to measure the performance. Literature in this area has highlighted the importance of having formal appraisal systems which can either be in the form of self-evaluation or 360 degree appraisal, top-down, bottom up etc. The above mechanism enables managers to scientifically assess and then provide appropriate rewards and incentives to the staff, whether monetary or non-monetary in nature. In addition to the performance levels, retaining staff by continuously striving to motivate them helps managers to retain knowledge which the employees have acquired over the period, it helps the employees to complete tasks faster as they are already aware of how things are done around here and more importantly it helps the systems to be developed so that work can be done quickly. It helps in achieving specialisation and employees acquiring key skills. Thus the main tools a manager must have to motivate his/her staff are: Approval, praise and recognition Trust, respect and high expectations Loyalty Removing organisational barriers which might stand in the way individual performance Job enrichment Providing Financial incentives Good communication. Even though there is not a perfect formula for motivation in the workplace however, an understanding of how the human nature works can help managers to perform better and keeping the end goal (corporate objective) in mind the challenge for every leader and manager to reach a balance where organisational and individual performance can be maximised to reach the same goal. Conclusion From the preceding paragraphs it can be concluded that it is imperative for managers to have a thorough understanding of the motivation theories. However, it is easier said than done. There is no simple answer of how to motivate people, though an understanding of the theories does help. It enables the managers in enhancing not only the individual but also the organisational performance. The primary objective of organisations is to survive, sustain and grow and the objective can be met when the employees and staff are happy. This can be achieved by understanding the motivation theories and implementing them effectively to achieve optimal results for the organisation. Thus it can be said that effective implementation of the motivation theories can help the organisations to have a competitive edge and it can serve to be a source of sustainable competitive advantage which would ensure its growth, survival and maximised revenue generation in the long run. Thus, it can be concluded for managers to perform efficiently it is imperative for them to have knowledge of the motivation theories. Bibliography Armstrong, M., A Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice, (2003), Kogan Page. Bratton, J. and Gold, J., Human Resource Management: Theory and Practice, (2003), Palgrave Macmillan Hall, L., Torrington, D. and Taylor, S., Human Resource Management, (2004), FT Prentice Hall Hook, C. and Foot, M., Introducing Human Resource Management (Modular Text for Business and Economics), (2005), FT Prentice Hall Marchington, M and Armstrong, A., Human Resource Management at Work, (2005), Chartered Institute of Personnel Development Mullins, L.J., Management and Organisational Behaviour, (2004), FT Prentice Hall Purcell, J and Boxall, P., Strategy and Human Resource Management (Management, Work and Organisatons), (2002), Palgrave Macmillan Schwarz, R.M., The Skilled Facilitator: A Comprehensive Resource for Consultants, Facilitators, Managers, Trainers and Coaches, (2002), John Bass and Wiley.