Mycenae and Agamemnon Essay

Mycenae lies about 90 kilometres south-west of Athens. From around 1600BC-1100BC Mycenae was a highly wealthy and influential city, dominating much of southern Greece. The Mycenaean Era was named in reference to the city. THE DISCOVERY OF MYCENAE It was Heinrich Schliemann who first completely excavated the city of Mycenae. The controversial archaeologist was searching for evidence that Agamemnon, the king who led the Greeks to fight Troy in the Trojan War. Schliemann was determined to prove that the Trojan War was a real event; in fact his career was based around his desire for this. After failing to find any definitive evidence in his search for Troy, he turned to Mycenae. In 1841 another archaeologist had found and restored the Lion Gate that marks the entrance to the city of Mycenae, but Schliemann was the first to systematically excavate the entire site. He believed that the Homeric tales described actual historical events and used his discoveries at Mycenae to back this up. DISOVERIES MADE AT THE SITE Discovered in Grave Circle A by Schliemann’s team, a dagger shows the militaristic values of the Mycenaean’s. From the weapons buried with most of the bodies found, we can deduct that the Mycenaean’s were not a peaceful people. They revelled in fighting, as shown by the violent motifs on their stelae and decorative weapons. Most graves featured full sets of weapons, both real and decorative. We can assume that life for the men of Mycenae would have had a heavy focus on fighting , with men of higher status being shown as brave fighters. This is also shown through the architecture of the city, particularly the Cyclopean walls. These huge walls show a need for a defensive attitude, which demonstrates the Mycenaean’s military attitude. On this dagger there is a depiction of a lion hunt, which shows that the Mycenaean’s hunted for sport. This further reflects the aggressive principles of the city. Double axe and bull motifs show a Minoan influence in Mycenaean culture. Within the graves in Grave Circle A there were many objects that had been made in Mycenae but in Minoan style. This reflects an appreciation for Minoan design and an obvious link through trade and travel between Minoan Crete and Mycenae. Later the former would be conquered by the latter. In Mycenae there would have been trading of goods from Minoan Crete and an admiration of the techniques, since they were implemented in wares produced within Mycenae. The graves themselves also shed light upon burial practises and status in Mycenae. The graves themselves are shaft graves, 4 metres deep with the dead placed in a cist at the bottom along with many decadent grave goods. The Grave would sometimes be marked with a stone Stele at ground level. These stelae would be used to depict things like chariot scenes, showing the heroic nature of the deceased buried below. The grave goods showed the status of the deceased, with gold and weapons showing a higher status. This shows that burial was not only a valued practise, but also reflected status and worth, depending on what you were buried with. The so-called â€Å"Nestor’s Cup† was a particularly important discovery for Schliemann. His team recovered the vessel from Shaft Grave IV and Schliemann identified it as the â€Å"Cup of Nestor† as written about in the Illiad. However the cup differs from Homer’s description in number of handles, the design of the birds, and size. It also is from the wrong time to have been used in the Trojan War according to some critics. However, this didn’t discourage Schliemann from his firm belief in the Homeric tales. This is one of the many discoveries Schliemann made that he believed contributed to proving that the tales detail historical events. CONTROVERSIES Within a shaft grave V Schliemann discovered a skeleton with a gold mask covering his face- a face which he believed was that of the legendary Agamemnon. However, in recent years critics have developed more and more arguments to the effect that the mask may be a hoax. William Calder gives the following reasons for his sceptical nature towards Schliemann’s find: The features of the mask are inconsistent with the other masks found; Schliemann had considered making fakes of the gold he found at Troy to give forgeries to give to the government; contemporaries of Schliemann allege that he planted artefacts to later â€Å"discover† them; the excavations at both Mycenae and Troy had been closed just a few days after the discovery of the gold, suggesting that he was expecting to find these treasures and nothing else; excavations were closed for 2 days shortly before Schliemann found the mask, what could Schliemann have been doing; Sophia allegedly has a relative in Athens that was a goldsmith; No other Mycenaean grave has anywhere near what was discovered in shaft grave V; Schliemann had claimed he had excavated other finds elsewhere, when it was later revealed that he had bought them. David Traill suggests that perhaps the Agamemnon mask wasn’t manufactured, but found from a later tomb. Both of his appeals for a scientific examination of the mask have been denied by the Greek authorities. In response to Calder and Traill many argue that their claims are unfounded and lack any scholarly backing, and have their own arguments in response. They insist that Schliemann was carefully monitored by Greek authorities throughout his excavation, which both Calder and Triall admit to in their own publishing. Kenneth Lapatin explains that the days where Calder alleged Schliemann had time to get a mask made, were before any masks had been found yet. Although he does admit it is possible the mask may have been â€Å"enhanced† after it was discovered. Both sides of the debate present both personal opinions and insinuations mixed in with actual fact. Considering the dishonest nature of Schliemann it is easy to believe he planted the mask. But when considering the work at Mycenae alone, there is no undoubtable evidence to suggest that he was dishonest about that particular find, only rumour and hearsay. From the collections of circumstantial suggestions put forward by Triall and Calder, their theories become increasingly believable. However, some parts of their arguments seem reminiscent of conspiracy theories, so perhaps it’s best to take the mask as an important –if disputed- archaeological find, but not proving the existence of Agamemnon. BIBILOGRAPHY http://library.thinkquest.org/25245/archaeology/mycenae.html http://www.ancient-wisdom.co.uk/greecemycenae.htmhttp://mycenae-excavations.org/about.html http://www.historywiz.com/agamemnon.htm http://odysseus.culture.gr/h/3/ eh351.jsp?obj_id=2573 http://www.uark.edu/campus-resources/achilles/age/myceneans.html http://www.archaeology.org/9907/etc/calder.html http://www.archaeology.org/9907/etc/lapatin.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grave_Circle_A,_Mycenae http://www.archaeology.org/9907/etc/traill.html http://www.ancientgreece.com/essay/v/greek-life-as-depicted-in-homers-epic-the-odyssey/ http://www.archaeology.org/9907/etc/dema.html http://www.greek-thesaurus.gr/Mycenaean-weapons.html

Lord of the Flies, Alternative Ending Essay

Away watching as Jack and Roger walked into the clearing where he sat, â€Å"Where could he have gone? There is no where to hide? † Roger groaned poking the end of his spear into the ground. Ralph felt a urge to stand up and finally give up, but his father had taught him better, his father was a fighter shouldn’t he be too? He glanced around his shoulder noticing the twins break into the trees behind him. They made eye contact and looked away hurrying off towards Roger and Jack. Ralph sighed crawling deeper into the burned trees, he looked ahead noticing the burned stick and around it the pieces of bone from the broken pig head. He shuttered standing and holding his spear tightly in his hands. Jack looked over noticing the twins walking slowly towards him he stood straighter, â€Å"What? † The twins jumped before pointing to where Ralph had gone, â€Å"He, he went out there. † Jack grinned pushing the twins aside and walking out into the meadow. â€Å"Well, well, well. Lookie what we have here. He pushed his tangled hair behind his shoulder. Ralph sighed, â€Å"Get it over with Jack. † Roger giggled running out into the meadow, before Ralph could react he was surrounded, hunted down like some kind of animal, the kids looked barbaric, they had all gone mad with their war paint and blood covered spears. Ralph held the spear up in defense. The hunters jumped at him tightening their circle poking him with their spears grabbing at his. Ralph yelled poking his spear forwards he felt the tip dig into something, someone yelling. Before he could pull it out, they were on him shoving him to the ground, Ralph dropped his spear trying to fight back, trying to escape the hunters, somehow. Jack laughed stabbing his spear down hitting flesh. Ralph screamed out, begging them to stop. The hunters continued in a clockwise dance, stabbing, poking and kicking. Jack laughed the circle becoming wide once again, Ralph lay in a mess, a puddle of blood appearing around him, he took a shallow breath Jack pushed him with his foot onto his back. Ralph opened his eyes his swollen bloody face making it almost impossible. He looked up into the sky watching as two birds circling above. He smiled closing his eyes his chest rising and falling ever so slowly until finally for what seemed a lifetime it stopped. Jack laughed taking his knife and kneeling down. A few weeks later a large vessel anchored, two rowboats neared the island, coming onto the beach. The navy officers in their blue uniforms looked down at the rotting flesh of the small children some looking as if they had their limbs cut off with a badly sharpened knife. The officers held their guns close walking around the island. They finally made their way towards the meadow stopping in their tracks at the sight of a head planted firmly onto a stick, his fair hair falling over his rotted flesh, some Navy men turned at the sight. A few yards from the head sat a boy his orange hair falling over his eyes in a shaggy mess. The officers walked closer pushing the boy with their guns. He was mumbling to himself, slowly fading away. Around the boy lay masses of bones. He looked up making the officers gasp his dead blue eyes shaking them to the core. He raised his hand showing them the small broken down knife. He chuckled smiling wide showing a mouthful of rotten and fallen out teeth, â€Å"The Lord of the Flies welcomes you. † He laughed; some of the officers turned away, others loading their guns. â€Å"Who? † Their captain asked. â€Å"The Lord of the Flies welcomes you. † he repeated laughing hysterically, â€Å"The Lord of the Flies welcomes you. †

Human Service Integration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Human Service Integration - Essay Example To understand the actual sense of Service Integration, it is very important that a body of knowledge is developed on how delivering human services, informed by inter-organizational collaboration, impacts the lives of human service recipients. However, Longoria (2003) highlighted that inter-organizational collaboration has come into view as a statement of direction for social welfare policy and professional practice. Longoria in his studies has suggested that symbolism is often integral to social welfare policy development and central to an institutional theoretical framework of inter-organizational relations. Even though the nature of service integration is well established in speculation, making it an operational reality has remained elusive over the last few years, but not for lack of effort or creativity some agencies have made phenomenal progress toward service integration, despite complex and ever-changing political, economic, demographic, and technological conditions. As we know that, Morrison (1996) argued that "partnerships with families cannot be considered separately from partnership practice between and within agencies deficits in collaboration undermine the experience of partnership for families" (p.135). Research on the human service proposes that the notion and outcomes of inter-organizational collaboration are not understood in a better manner. One-stop shops have emerged, joint planning has been initiated, colocation of two or more service agency's staff has been implemented, standard initial screening tools and eligibility processes have been established, and the merging of data systems is ongoing in many jurisdictions. While there have been successful pilot programs over the years, there have been few broadly implemented system changes that have brought service integration pilot programs "to scale." In light of a blurred understanding of collaboration, this research recommends the perception has commanding symbolic qualities, which affects its continued use. Gottshall, (2002) saw traditionally associate "leadership" with the work of the chief executive, the missing component in successfully integrating services is leadership work performed throughout the organization (p.6). An organization with sufficient leadership capacity to integrate services is made up of employees who all perform components of leadership work, management work, task/technical work, and team skills. Policy makers, administrators, and the common citizens are energetically endorsing collaboration between human service organizations in the United States (Atkinson, 1999). Nevertheless, the concept and outcomes of collaboration are not well understood (Reitman, 2005). The encouragement of collaboration may have roots in its worth as a sign of sagacity, efficiency, authenticity, and social responsibility (Morrison, 1996). In light of an array of rising accountability potentials which link funding streams to an organization's attainment of explicit performance standards, an unconditional and overzealous embrace of inter-organizational collaboration may result in a marked reduction in the already limited resources for human service stakeholders and

Bottling it Through Not ''Bottling it '' Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Bottling it Through Not ''Bottling it '' - Essay Example Through the analysis of the case study of Ecobot, this paper will highlight how a negative culture can affect an organization adversely. Moreover, it will analyze the steps that an organization can adopt in changing culture, and enumerate the effects of adopting a positive culture. Four Main Types of Culture Charles Handy described four types of culture that are common in many organizations. A culture is an important aspect in determining the efficiency of an organization. Culture denotes all the norms, beliefs, practices, rules, values and ideals that an organization esteems and holds. A culture helps an organization get its activities going. Each organization has a unique culture that works best for it. Some organizations may have multiple sets of cultures evident in their behavior. Cultures may exert positive or negative effects on an organization depending on the practices, belief systems, and behavioral patterns of the culture. One of the main types that Handy described is the r ole culture (Bhattacharyya, 2010:58). In this culture, each employee in an organization has a title that describes his or her job. The basis of this culture is the fact that an organization comprises a set of various roles that must exhibit logic and ascertain that the activities of the organization run efficiently. Each individual in the organization has a set of job responsibilities and requirements that define the company’s expectations from the individual. It is worth noting that these responsibilities match the field of expertise of the individual. Within the role culture, communication occurs via memoranda that address each of the job titles. Role cultures require effective management and clear-cut definitions of what the organization expects from a job title and job evaluation. Moreover, this culture presents a situation whereby the level of authority depends on the current job titles. The second type of culture is the task culture. This involves the formation of focus groups that comprises members with certain talents and resources. The organization assigns a task or project to each of the focus groups. This type of culture requires that the team function closely, handling the problems in their project and easing the difficulties that are beyond individual scope (Bhattacharyya, 2010:58). The focus groups often have team leaders rather than managers. Although it proves quite expensive, it can produce remarkable results if there is cooperation in each team. In this culture, the organization pays a high level of attention to its tasks. The third main culture that Handy described is the person culture. In this culture, organizational terms may not come into use. On the contrary, this culture comprises professionals working as individuals. These individuals have a lot of experience and expertise and the organization addresses them in accordance with the level of expertise. An administration team serves the professionals making their work easier. For these professionals to take up a certain task, persuasion, bargaining and influencing are the key approaches used as opposed to management in other cultures. The fourth type of the culture described by Handy is the power culture that operates in a centralized mechanism. Its metaphorical representation is in the form of a spider’s web. This translates to the fact that those closest to the core of the culture have a higher level of influence. Moreover, the boss of the organization finds a way of influencing the views of the workers

Project times ans costs Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Project times ans costs - Assignment Example One would need to consider time and costs in project management since these are the major inputs that need accuracy. To control any project well, accuracy of estimates in mandatory since good project control entirely depends on the extent to which the estimates are accurate. There is no need for under/overruns in a project. In fact, poorly managed project shows such symptoms majorly because of inaccuracies that existed during estimation or estimations were totally absent Project managers usually need to make good and informed decisions concerning the amount of the estimates that they require for the specific projects. For instance, in a project to construct a building, the construction manager would need to make accurate estimates of all the materials required so that cost estimates can be made. This will enable the manager to make informed decision on how much the cost of completing the construction would be without making any losses. This show how important accurate estimates are i n decision making. Another important factor to know in a project is how long the project would take as well as the total cost that the project will need to completion (Michael, 2008). These are questions that can only be responded to well by carrying out accurate estimation of both costs and time. Resources are very scarce, therefore the available ones should be planned well with to meet the intended needs. This can only be achieved in project management by good management of time and financial resources through accurate estimates. To control and manage a project well, one needs to develop cash flow needs. This will enable the project manager to predict the payback period of the project and even make the breakeven analysis. From the payback period, is easy to know whether the project is viable or not. It also becomes easy to know how much funds are required for the project maintenance and to achieve all these correctly, accurate estimate is required. Any good managed project require s a time phased budget. To develop this and establish a baseline for the project, accurate estimates must be done. The time passed budgets include the prices of different materials and how they change with time. Time might cause changes in the prices of materials; therefore, proper estimates need to be done to give accurate allowance for such adjustments when they occur in the future. Errors normally occur to anyone doing anything. The only difference is to what significant is the error to the project. Normally errors occur when estimations are not done correctly or just not done at all. To avoid or reduce errors in a given project, there is need for an accurate estimation to be done. This also helps in reducing under/overruns. The differences between bottom-up and top-bottom estimation techniques One must first appreciate that both bottom-up and top-bottom are project estimation techniques. However, bottom-up technique proves more accurate as compared to the top-bottom technique an d this marks the major difference between the two (Mark, 1997). The bottom-up technique, however, takes much time to carry out in as much as it is accurate. The top-bottom technique on the other hand is very fast to execute but less accurate. Bottom up technique is carried out by thoroughly by estimating each and every package of work in a WBS. This technique is normally applied once the management and its client are already committed to the project and

Political and Cultural Consequences of Neo-Liberalism Essay

Political and Cultural Consequences of Neo-Liberalism - Essay Example This theory suggests that individual entrepreneurial freedom can be achieved inside an institutional framework that is distinguished by strong private property rights, free markets, and free trade. Neo-liberalism, as a theory, requires that the role of the state should be to create and protect the already developed institutional framework. The state, therefore, should set up all the necessary mechanisms such as the military, defence, police, and legal structures to secure such institutions. When this is done, the state would have guaranteed property rights and proper functioning markets. Furthermore, the law of neo-liberalism states that if markets are nonexistent, then the government must create them (Harvey, 2005:1). The state is not supposed to go beyond creation of markets and necessary institutions. This means that the state should not interfere with the markets once created. It should keep a minimal role because according to this theory, the government does not have sufficient knowledge on market undertakings. Moreover, some people in the market may influence state policy for their own gains. Deregulation of market functioning, privatisation of companies, and removal of the government interference have been the strongest terms of neo-liberalism in the world today (Foucault, 2008:2). A neoliberal government is thus committed to instituting and favouring strong individual property rights, effective rule of law for all its citizens, and freely enabled trade. According to the theory, these are the fundamental institutional structures regarded indispensable to guarantee freedom of the market. The market then requires a legal structure that is liberally bargained in terms of contractual efforts among the market players. These contractual obligations between individuals, would lead to the protection of individual rights to freedom of operation, right to expression, and choice. According to the theory of liberalism, therefore, the state has to use its monopoly po wer to supervise and oversee the markets at all costs. On the other hand, while the state ensures individual rights in the marketplace, each person is held accountable and liable for their own wellbeing. The principle of neo-liberalism in many countries has extended into economical, political and social-cultural spheres (Leys, 2001:14). Having neo-liberalism defined in the above discussion, this paper seeks to unveil the political and cultural consequences of neo-liberalism. First, this paper puts the political consequences of neo-liberalism into perspective. Therefore, the political consequences of the theory of liberalism as destroying the global democracy, governance, and security of individuals take centre stage. The political neoliberals have distorted the fundamental pillars of global social organisation. Political neo-liberalism is the interaction between the state organs and individuals to influence choices. It is a form of social structure, which moulds the behaviours and a ctions of individuals. Neo-liberalism as a subset of globalisation has led to neoliberal politics that have caused massive deprivation among the poor in many regions around the world. Moreover, neo-liberalism policies qualify as both positive and negative depending of the degree of application (Leys, 2001:14). Neo-liberalism in most parts of the world has led to the formation of strong fiscal policies. Many governments have had to practice strict criteria in the effort to limit budget deficiencies and debts. Through this practice, most of the states have given priorities to public expenditure. Such that, far from subsidies and other

Describe urban blight Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Describe urban blight - Essay Example The main reason which can be identified for the phenomenon of urban blight includes the neglect from the respective governments of the particular region. Lack of economic support towards the proper maintenance of the areas can also result in the deterioration of the older buildings and portions of the cities. Effects of urban blight can be of high significance. Urban Blight has the possibility of causing hazard to other buildings and also is threatening for the lives of human beings. The buildings in the city with poor conditions are very much prone to fire and also have the high probability of collapsing down at any times which may cause considerable damage to the society. (What is urban blight, n. d). Another significant cause of urban blight can refer to the process of urban renewal scheme, where the government focuses on the development of the cities in areas near to the highways. As a result of such projects they fail to concentrate on the older parts of the city which leads to their deterioration. The increase in tax in The United states property improvement gave rise to the urban Blight in the area. (Soares, et al, p.675, 2011) Shanty town refers to the settlement of people in slums. The presence of shanty town is mostly observed in the developing and the partially developed nations where unequal distribution of wealth prevails. The people in shanty town lead a treacherous life and their primary needs are often not fulfilled. They lack a proper shelter as their dwellings are made up of scrap materials which may collapse easily under any sort of environmental calamity. People living in shanty town lack proper sanitation facility and leads an unhygienic lifestyle (Clark, 2003, p.122). The slums in which they live are generally one room and are shared by many people who make it clumsy and suffocating. There is no facility of electricity in the

The Strategic Causes of Conflict - What caused the 1991 Gulf War Essay

The Strategic Causes of Conflict - What caused the 1991 Gulf War - Essay Example There are other reasons for war such as ethnic and religious killings among others. War has become part of human beings and for a long time, it has really affected them. Generation after generation, nations have sent their youths to the fields to participate in these wars. Some have died in these wars as war does not discriminate. The costs of these escapes are very evident and some have been very severe1. For example, a look back to the damages that the First World War brought to the political structure of Europe makes it possible to understand the effects of war, and fight to stop its causes. 2 It is not a surprise to find that most historians are less concerned on the causes of war and have tended to concentrate on the causes of peace. This is not sufficient because the absence of peace is as a result of the war. Therefore, it is very important to look at the causes of a war rather than look for ways to bring peace after a war has already happened. The aim of this paper is to dig deep to the events that triggered the gulf war of 1991, and briefly shed light on the consequences of that war. What is the Meaning of the Term War? Before embarking on discussing the Gulf war that took place in 1991, there is need to clearly understand the meaning of the term war. There are many definitions of the term war, but only one definition will be used in this paper. The term war refers to the large scale violent conflict that occurs between organized groups that have already established governments or at times, those that seek to one day establish their own.3 Something that should be noted is that not all conflict is war, but only the large scale conflict is referred to as war. Therefore, the Gulf war of 1991 suits the description of war, as it involved large scale conflict. As mentioned earlier, this paper will concentrate on the causes of the Gulf War that took place between the American military and their supporters, and the Iraqi government in the year 1991. First, her e is a brief on the general causes of any kind of war and the meaning of the term war. General Causes of War The televisions, radios, and newspapers constantly remind people that the world they live in is not a world that has absolute peace. Day in day out, the reports are showing different nations being affected by conflict. For example, Somalia is country that has suffered warfare for many years. Statistics about wars are always frightening and since the Second World War, most of the social scientists have made great efforts, to attempt to identify the causes of interstate wars. Many researches have shown that there is no single master cause of war, but rather, the causes are different. Most of the wars occur as a result of a number of important causes and due to this, many states have found it difficult to solve their differences to bring about peace.4 Some have tended to argue that banning of nuclear weapons will help in eliminating the causes of war in the world. I tend to argu e otherwise because there are other root causes of wars around the world and some may come as a surprise. The following are different classes that can be used to classify the causes of war: Individual level causes: The causes of war in this category are normally short term and immediate. These are causes such as a leader’s personality. A leader’s personality on occasion plays an important role in the way he or she reacts to stressful situations. For example, a leader

The Marketing Planning Process Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

The Marketing Planning Process - Essay Example Brick game developed by Lego is an ideal example of healthy toy that leads to develop creativity of children. However, this game is at its declining stage due to decreasing popularity among the emerging consumers. The word ‘Lego’ is a Danish word that means ‘play well’. The company was founded by the Ole Kirk Kristiansen who was also the inventor of world famous brick game. Since last 80 years, the company is operating and it has expanded its business in entire Europe, USA and some countries of Asia-Pacific region (Lego-b, 2010). Primarily, the company has developed its four objectives to meet its overall corporate objectives. These are â€Å"play promise – joy of building pride of creation†, â€Å"people promise – succeed together†, â€Å"partner promise – mutual value creation† and â€Å"planet promise – positive impact† (Lego-c, 2009). The progress report of the company distinctly describes specific areas of objectives. However, consumer satisfaction and safety is the first priority for the company and it is able to meet higher level of consumer satisfaction that makes it world’s fifth largest toy manu facturing company (Lego-d, 2010). Michael Porter developed the concept of value chain that includes entire activities of a business for improving firm’s overall value. â€Å"He referred to the internal chain of work process that deliver value to the immediate customer of the company, whereas the deliver value to the end customer was termed value system† (Andersen, Fagerhaug and Onsoyen, 2008, p.39). The following figure shows a model of value chain that is fit for toy manufacturing business of Lego. Lego has developed its entire value chain to meet its long-run and short-run objectives. Lego has developed its new â€Å"radical value chain management framework† (Valcon, n.d.). For manufacturing high quality and innovative games, the company has set up its plants in Denmark, Czech Republic, Mexico and Hungary. Many products and

The Role of the Hospitality Manager Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

The Role of the Hospitality Manager - Essay Example Hence the managers of the hotel or resort needs to ensure that proper customer services are provided for the long term success of the hotel or resort (Nasution and Mavondo, 2008). In order to understand the disparity of both roles in the professional context, it is significant to know about their basic roles. A leader is an influential personality who is capable to inspire people to follow his footsteps. A leader has a higher degree of convincing and persuasive qualities, which can make people act accordingly (O?Gorman, 2008). The leader has the power and potential to influence large masses if the right leadership qualties are demonstarted. The leaders are of different types and if the audience is convinced, the leader can bring about major chnages in the area of operations. Leadership is about establishing a concrete and clear vision, sharing your viewpoint with others and your co-workers so that they follow your outlook willingly. A leader can see the problems and the goals that ot hers usually don’t focus on or may be no one else wants to tackle. It’s only the leader that pays attention to the difficulties and objective with single minded determination (Academia21, 2010). Leaders may devise out of the box solutions duw to their creativeness in working around problems and this ability may not be possessed by others. Leadership also involves the coordination and balancing of the different interests of all the co-workers and stakeholders. The stakeholders and shareholders of the business are important entities that need tobe given careful consideration as their interest in the success and profitability of the business should be intact so that desired results can be obtained. This challenging task can be successfully carried out by the leader. A leader is supposed to provide information, knowledge and ways to actualise the vision that he carries along. This vision needs to be clear, consistent and without any biasness or doubt so that all the organi sation staff and the shareholders of the firm know the main aim of the organisation's operations. Leadership is necessitated in times of crisis and it is very crucial when creativity is required to deal with the situation (Bit Rebels, 2013). As far as relation of management and leadership is concerned; they both go hand in hand. It would not be wrong to call both of the roles as two sides of the same coin. Although they are not the same but they go together. Many of the times they are considered the same thing. One is incomplete without the other. A manager is supposed to plan, organise and coordinate whereas a leader is there to inspire and motivate. A manager needs to demonstrate consistency and discipline while conducting all the tasks. The manager needs to ensure that all employees are performing their job roles in a systematic mode and following the right direction of achieving the goals. A leader does not require any managerial position whereas a manager can be a true manager even if he has the leadership qualities in him (Tepeci and Bartlett, 2002). A leader is diverted more towrads the influential part rather than gaining a position in the organisation. To make it concise, some points describing a leader and manager are mentioned below Manager maintains, the leader develops and initiates. Manager pays attention on work procedures, the leader focuses on employees. Manager imitates,

The Development of Irish Education Essay Example for Free

The Development of Irish Education Essay There were huge provisions and developments of education between 1965 and 1984. In 1962 a review of second-level education in the Republic was initiated by the Department of Education, in co-operation with the OECD, culminating in the publication of the report Investment in Education (1965). This report had significant consequences for the development of educational policy. It dealt with two main themes: the capacity of the educational system to meet skill requirements for economic growth, and inequalities in levels of participation. It found that the numbers of those giving up school, together with a restricted curriculum in many secondary schools, would result in a shortage in the qualified labour (particularly in relation to technical qualifications) necessary for economic development. In addition, the report dealt with considerable socio-economic and regional disparities in participation rates. Investment in Education provided the impetus for the introduction of the free education scheme in 1967. This scheme removed fees for participating secondary schools (to reduce socio-economic inequalities) and introduced a school transport scheme (to reduce regional inequalities). The scheme led to a significant increase in the number of enrolments in second-level schools; however, socio-economic and regional disparities persist (Lalor, 2003) In the words of Luke Gibbons (1996), this report was ‘set out to remove the school from the sacristy and place it in line with the need for greater technological change in society’. The report helped to shape the future of Irish Education and through giving greater impetus to nascent trends, contributed to an expansion of the system and to issues such as social inequality and educational effectiveness being placed on the political agenda. Overall, however, the report was part of a pragmatic rather than ideological response to the educational challenges raised by a modernising society (O’Sullivan, 1989). The report highlighted many facts including the high instance of school leavers, low rate of vocational student entering third level courses, inequality of opportunity – unfair access to secondary education and also the need for wider participation in education and for longer retention of pupils in the educational system. This is only a few highlights whereas there were four major recommendations set out by the report of the investment for education which include: 1. The use of scholarship schemes to increase participation. 2. Need for policy planning to improve education at all levels. 3. Possible amalgamation of small national schools. 4. Teachers be kept up to date with ‘new knowledge’. From this report many major developments within the Irish school system have occurred. These developments include

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Lean Six Sigma

The Advantages and Disadvantages of Lean Six Sigma 1. Introduction While businesses seek for ways to survive and also to remain competitive in a changing global environment, they either choose adopting business excellence models or continuous improvement philosophies to guide them in the journey of organisational excellence. Lean Six Sigma is a new breadth in the area of continuous improvement, which constitutes strengths and key focuses of Lean and Six Sigma approaches. The rest of the paper is organized as follows: section 2 provides an insight on the concepts Lean,Six Sigma and Lean Six Sigma. Then relevant examples of Lean Six Sigma in manufacturing and service sector will be presented in section 3.The advantages and disadvantages of Lean Six Sigma will be discussed in section 4. Lastly, an overall recap on the subject is done. 2. Literature review The objective of this section is to provide an insight of the Lean Six Sigma by briefly outlining the concepts behind Lean and Six Sigma, the two ingredients of this blend, along with their strengths and criticisms. 2.1 Lean Approach Lean manufacturing, developed by Toyota Motor Corporation in 1950s, has been adopted and adapted by many companies (Finch,2006). It then extended into a concept of Lean thinking that was introduced by Womack and Jones.The current state of Lean is called Lean enterprise that reaches beyond the shop floor and encompasses various departments within the organisation as a whole (Papadopoulou and Ozbayrak,2005). Dale (2007) defines Lean as a way of thinking, consisting of a set of methods and operating principles to identify and eliminate waste in business processes (Dale,2007,p.565). While for Ferguson (2007) Lean is a change that takes an organisation from where it currently stands and move to a desired state. Briefly, the objective of Lean is to eliminate all types of unnecessary waste by managing resources depending on customers needs and at the lowest possible costs (Andersson et al. 2006). In other words, doing more with less (Thomas,2009). Principles There are 5 principles of Lean; providing right product or service for the right price and time to customer,identification of value stream,smooth flow of processes,only customers demand trigger the action and lastly continuously improve to value stream in pursuit of perfection (Dale,2007). The first step when implementing Lean is to identify value-added and non-value added processes (Pepper and Spedding, 2009) by Value stream mapping(VMS) which is a qualitative analysis tool. Other tools and techniques from the Lean Toolkit such as Single Minute Exchange of Die, 5S, TPM etc. are used in order to achieve above-mentioned principles. Whereas, it should be noted that using these tools and techniques only, does not guarantee a Lean organisation (Bendell,2006). Criticism In the literature, there are many criticism topics on Lean where the most popular ones are about its universality and social aspects. It has long been argued that Lean is not flexible (Andersson et al.,2006) and not applicable to all environments but only to high volume-low variety (HVLV) operations. Authors like Arnheiter and Maleyeff (2005) define this view as one of the key misconceptions whereas Pepper and Spedding (2010) refer it as a limited success of Lean in their work. There is a common misconception caused by the misunderstanding of the concept that Lean means laying-off people (Arnheiter and Maleyeff,2005). However, Flinchbaugh (2001), Arnheiter and Maleyeff (2005) stress that Lean does not mean less people but using people in a smarter way. David Meier (2001) who is a Senior Lean Manufacturing Consultant, argues that Lean creates a stressful, uncomfortable environment due to sense of urgency while ensuring an immediate response to customers. On the other hand, Papadopoulou and Ozbayrak (2005), and Williams et al. (1992) take the opposite view. 2.2 Six Sigma Approach Six Sigma,which is developed by Motorola and popularised after the adoption of General Electric (Finch,2006) aims at value creation and improving the process through variation reduction (Dale et al,2007).Six Sigma inherits principles from TQM (Arnheiter and Maleyeff, 2005) while setting focus on customer satisfaction. In statistical terms, the goal is to achieve a defect rate of 3.4 per million (Pepper and Spedding,2010). This structured,top-down approach has a positive impact on business in monetary terms since it reduces risk and costs (Slack et al., 2006) especially related with scrap and rework. Due to realised benefits, many organisations have adopted Six Sigma today. Principles DMAIC(Design,Measure,Analysis,Improve and Control) is the most commonly used 5-stage methodology which is employed to achieve minimum defects and to reduce the variation throughout the processes in an organisation (Bhuiyan and Baghel,2005). The approach is on project basis and these projects are carried out by trained supervisors called Black belts and Green belts (Bendell,2006). Criticism Six Sigma has long been seen as a statistics-heavy, technical approach to process control (Pepper,Spedding, 2009, p.145). Bendell(2006) supports this view and criticises Six Sigma due to its tendency towards being a complex approach. The training of Black Belts and Green Belts is required in order to be able to use statistical tools and handle the projects effectively. Senapati (2004) mentions that these trainings and solutions to problems can be costly for many businesses. Bendell (2006) states that there is no formal link to policy deployment in Six Sigma. Since Six Sigma projects are chosen depending on their cost-effectiveness, it is possible for this cost-down approach dominates the primary customer driven focus. and may shift it to cost-down possible to be dominated by immediate cost down driver (Bendell,2006). 2.3 Similarities and Differences between Lean and Six Sigma: The point of intersection -overlapping areas(kà ¼me Ã…Å ¸ekli) The intersection point:Similarities-The area of convergence Both approaches have related operating philosophies,performance objectives,work focus,team approach and improvement focus (Watson,2003). Lean Six Sigma Since Lean Sigma or Lean Six Sigma (LSS) is a relatively new management trend, there is not much literature available comparing to the information and facts found about Lean and Six Sigma alone. Recently, many companies have started to combine continuous improvement programs together by utilising the best of each initiative to get an extensive and more effective program than individual programs (Bhuiyan and Baghel, 2005). Thus, Lean Six Sigma is evolved as a hybrid methodology that encompasses benefits from both Lean and Six Sigma (Bhuiyan and Baghel, 2005). Watson (2003) defines the merge between Lean and Six Sigma as a marriage of necessity. The objective of this integrated approach is boosting quality and reducing costs through elimination of waste and variation reduction (Kamensky,2008). The origins of Lean and Six Sigma come from different roots however they both have an aim of improving the processes of a business. It has been shown that the benefits achieved with LSS cannot be achieved when applying Lean or Six Sigma solely (Bhuiyan and Baghel, 2005). This data-driven approach enables sustainable competitive advantage if properly applied (Burgess,2009). In the report of John Maleyeff (2007) to IBM Business of Government, LSS is defined as: Lean Six Sigma encompasses many common features of Lean and Six Sigma such as an emphasis on customer satisfaction,a culture of continuous improvement,the search for root causes,and comprehensive employee involvement.In each case,a high degree of training and education takes place,from upper management to shop floor. It is now being realised by many businesses that Lean is more powerful and meaningful when combined with Six Sigma and vice versa (Watson,2003). Many businesses in both manufacturing and service sector including GlaxoSmithKline,Xerox and Dell turned to Lean Six Sigma and achieved significant benefits (Neuhaus and Guarraia,2007). There has to be a careful blend of Lean and Six Sigma that brings two extremes into equilibrium. One end is becoming too Lean thus being very responsive to the market whereas the other end is too much focus on reducing variation beyond the expectations of customers resulting in unnecessary resources being wasted to achieve zero variation (Pepper and Spedding 2010). The optimum point is where market share is maintained by creating sufficient value in the eyes of a customer and the process variation is kept inside acceptable levels to achieve lower costs without over-engineering (Pepper and Spedding 2010). Principles George (2002) states the principles of LSS as the activities that cause the customers critical-to-quality issues and create the longest time delays in any process offer the greatest opportunity for improvement in cost,quality,capital,and lead time. Focus is on customer needs as in Six Sigma and also on speed as in Lean, in order to be responsive to market by shortening lead times. It should be noted that there is no standard framework of LSS that businesses can take it and apply step by step for a specific problem. In other words, there is no one fit for all since it depends on the situation and also the environment within a company. Nevertheless, there have been some attempts regarding different ways of implementing LSS in the literature and industry. Some authors argue that it would be more effective when Lean is used as a first step smoothen the process by eliminating waste and then run the DMAIC cycle. Another view is to implement Lean tools within DMAIC cycle as it can be seen in the work of Kumar et al (2006). Thomas et al. (2009) also proposed a similar framework where basic Lean principles are integrated in each phase of DMAIC method. Criticism Since it is a new breadth in the area of management, LSS has become the target of criticism in the literature. Bendell (2006) suggests a single approach that effectively combines the two philosophies rather than an alleged combination (Pepper and Spedding,2010). Another criticism is about the compatibility of these two approaches. Mika (2006) argues that Six Sigma cannot be embraced by the workers in the shop floor since it requires an effective use of statistical tools and techniques unlike Lean. In contrast, George (2003) outlines several points that Lean compliments Six Sigma and vice versa. Furthermore, since LSS is an integration of two different approaches there is a possibility that one dominates other throughout implementation. Some authors and practitioners see this new continuous improvement initiative as the latest management fad. However, Westwood and Silvester (2007) argue that these approaches such as Six Sigma, Lean or Lean Six Sigma are not fads but they are vital for improving and sustaining competitive advantage. As opposed to views about the negative social aspects of LSS, Burgess (2009) strongly disagrees that it does not support creativity and turns people into robots mainly due to increased workload. It has been argued that the continuous improvement initiatives including LSS are not working well in small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SME) due to lack of critical success factors such as commitment from top management, lack of understanding of tools and techniques and lack of financial capability (Thomas et al. 2009). 3. Findings In this section, an attempt is made to present examples regarding the application of Lean Six Sigma in both manufacturing and service sectors. Manufacturing firms were the early adopters of LSS. Then, it was embraced by the service sector in the 1990s (Kamensky,2008). Halliburton, which is one of the worlds largest oilfield providers, began to implement Lean Six Sigma in 2004, in response to the growth in demand with the purpose of being able to respond customer needs by increasing efficiency and improving customer service (Atkinson,2009). The amount that they used to produce in the manufacturing plants is tripled as a result of reduced cycle times and high utilisation of their equipments. Halliburton also encouraged its supply base to adopt the same strategy so that a synchronisation can be achieved in terms of being more responsive to the market (Atkinson,2009). The main reason to implement LSS approach in Caterpillar Inc. was to gain competitive advantage by breakthrough improvements. As a result of innovative products, their revenues had grown by 80 percent (Byrne et al.2007). Another notable example would be Xerox Corp., which was having problems with its long filing time for patents so first of all the root causes of delays were identified. To eliminate these non-value added steps, Xerox Lean Six Sigma team carried out DMAIC, and came up with a solution which reduced the cycle time of 64 days and saved $400,000 in overall time (Xerox Corp. Brochure,2009). National Grid, who is a client of GE Fleet Services in the UK listened to the voice of its customers and applied Lean Six Sigma to reduce the time spent running (issuing and managing) order prompts (Fraser and Fraser,2008).This project is an example of a well-applied Lean Six Sigma method in a service sector in terms of achieving expected results in a timely fashion (Fraser and Fraser,2008). In the work of Kumar et al. (2006), the implementation of LSS in a die casting manufacturer is resulted in a significant decrease in the number of defects occurred in the final product and an overall savings of around $140 000 per year. Apart from the success stories, National Health Service Modernisation Agency (MA) in UK, is a well-known failure case of LSS. In 2004, Six Sigma together with Lean implemented in NHS to improve processes and quality (Proudlove and Moxham et al., 2008). Whereas, due to lack of well-designed processes, lack of support and unclear link between business strategy, it resulted in failure (Montero,2010). 4. Discussion In light of the findings and review of literature, the advantages and disadvantages of LSS will be discussed in this section. It is believed that this integrated approach will bring better results when the structured and systematic approach of Six Sigma came together with the agility of Lean with a focus of customer in the centre (Antony et al,2003). Despite some views arguing its effectiveness, in theory, by integrating the best of Lean and Six Sigma, the outcome would be satisfactory or even delightful both from the organisations and the customers point of view that creates a win-win situation. According to Arnheiter and Maleyeff (2005), if Lean firms adopt Six Sigma principles, costs incurred by defective products such as rework or scrap costs and the related overhead costs can be reduced. Likewise, when Six Sigma companies adopt Lean principles, faster lead times and deliveries can be achieved. Antony et al. (2003) outlines four major benefits of implementing LSS as; becoming faster and more responsive to customers, striving for Six Sigma capability level, operating at lowest costs of poor quality, achieving greater flexibility throughout the business (Antony et al.,2003,p.41). Companies that have successfully implemented Lean Six Sigma have gained considerable benefits in terms of increased shareholder value and market share. Based on the examples of several companies given in the Findings section, these benefits are provided in dollars. On the other hand, a recent BainCo.survey of 184 companies, shows that 80 percent is dissatisfied with the results they got from their LSS efforts because they have not achieved their goals in both monetary terms and level of improvement (Neuhaus and Guarraia,2007). Because it brought many advantages to leading firms, it does not imply that every attempt will be success or that every firm is ready for this initiative. Basu (2001) outlines the difficulty of sustaining a process improvement program even it may be successful in the beginning. Thus, this situation causes employee layoffs and a decrease in employee morale (Basu,2001). Despite being a powerful engine for businesses, the necessity of high skills to be able to use relevant tools and techniques is seen as one of the weaknesses of LSS (Montero,2010). This factor is seen as a critical prerequisite for the successful implementation of LSS. Though,the training and necessary investment can be costly to some companies. Therefore, this situation may limit its applicability. Unless a necessary change within the business is done including cultural aspects, mindset of employees together with the full commitment of top management, the result will be a failure. 5. Conclusion Many businesses in various sectors have recently started to adopt LSS either as a result of an external pressure or due to inadequate results achieved with their current methodology applied (internal need). Benchmarking plays a significant role in creating a trendy environment in the market where companies follow the giants and trying to adopt the best practice in order not to be obsolete. Although, this integration is seen as a fad by some authors and practitioners The concept was emerged as a response to market requirement. This merge between initiatives Regardless of the continuous improvement strategy that is chosen to follow, there is a common ground that no positive results can be gained without an adequate support, and attention across the business. There are still some uncovered areas of LSS for further research or no one knows what is next.

Impact of Workplace Environment on Employee Productivity

Impact of Workplace Environment on Employee Productivity Introduction Organizational survival in highly turbulent environment has become the major concern of organizations today. Globalization and increased use of technology has brought tremendous change and created new demands for business world. The strategic intention of organizations today is to achieve innovation at lightning speed and want people to work better, smarter and faster. The war for talent is now more competitive than ever before. Realizing the current challenges of business environment and to make survival possible, organizations have started paying more emphasis on managing the performance of their employees, fulfilling their comfort needs by providing them an effective workplace environment that also helping them to attract and retain the talent. According to Sundstrom, (1994) (as cited in Hameed and Amjad 2009), majority of people spend 50% of their lives within indoor environments, which greatly influence their mental status, actions, abilities and performance. (Carnevale 1992, Clements-Croome 1997) (as cited in Hameed and Amjad 2009), highlighted that better outcomes and increased productivity can achieved through better workplace environment. This study is intended to analyze the impact of workplace environment on employees productivity. As it has been revealed through literature that workplace environment influence occupants productivity, therefore, same assumption would be tested for different organizations of manufacturing and services sectors of Pakistan. Background Hughes, (2007) (as cited in Hameed and Amjad 2009), conducted a survey comprising of 2000 employees belongs to different organizations and industries and designated at multiple levels. The findings of the study reported that nine out of ten believed that a workspace quality affects the attitude of employees and increases their productivity. Research conducted by BOSTI (Buffalo Organization for Social and Technological Innovation) indicates that workplace design has a direct link to employee behavior and is important in achieving strategic business objectives. Brill (1992) (as cited in Amir and Sahibzada) conducted a survey and the findings suggested that improvement in physical design of office building may result in 5% to 10% increases in productivity. Contextual Framework According to Hameed and Amjad, (2009), better workplace produces better results. Research conducted by ASID (American Societies of Interior Designers) on what employees values most in the workplace, comprising of 382 respondents. Comfort issues got the highest rating i-e 41% which is concerned with the comfort of the workplace, ranging from the physical comfort to the atmosphere or feel of the environment. Hammed and Amjad (2009), highlighted that increased personal control and comfort needs of employees triggered the concern among organizations to provide them with a workplace environment, which not only fulfills the employees needs but also helps to enhance their productivity. Problem Identification/Statement As discussed by Hameed and Amjad, (2009), in Pakistan, the workplace environment, its significance and its related issues are significantly ignored. They further reported that there has been no or very less attention paid to the workplace environment and moreover, employers and employees are not aware of the influence and hidden dynamics of workplace environment. Such circumstances are affecting the employees productivity and hence in the form of delay in work completion, frustration, increase in absenteeism effect on personal growth etc. Therefore, purpose of this research is to identify and study the elements of the workplace environment which can affect the productivity of employees in the manufacturing and services sector companies of Pakistan. The primary objective of this research is to investigate the effects of workplace environment on its occupants perceived productivity. 1.3 Research Questions The research questions of the study are as follows: 1. Is there any relationship between the components of workplace environment and employees productivity? 2. Which component of workplace environment? Behavioral or physical has the greater impact on employees productivity. 3. Which elements of the two components of the workplace environment have the significant affect on productivity of employees? 4. Which of the sector of Pakistan? Manufacturing or Services have significant influence of workplace environment on employees productivity. 1.4 Scope The orbit of the study is limited to the manufacturing and services sectors companies of Pakistan. Despite of the scope, this study would help employers of all nature in managing their workforce performance through revealing significant dynamics and influence of workplace environment. 1.5 Delimitation of Research The study is delimited to the two major sectors of Pakistan that are manufacturing and services sectors. It would not cover all the companies of manufacturing and services sector of Pakistan. Moreover, the respondents in this study are limited to only Karachi. 1.6 Definition of Key Words Environmental Psychology: Environmental psychology studies the interactions and relations between people and their environments. (Oskamp Schultz, 1998, p. 206) (as cited in Neill 2008) Workplace: According to Peterson Beard (2004) (as cited in Amir and Shahibzada, n.d) , workplace can be defined as an area within an organization that can be arranged to achieve particular goal. Productivity: In this the perceived productivity would be measured in formal workplace setting, and defined by (Clements-Croome and Kaluarachchi 2000) as cited in Hameed and Amjad2009) that perceived performance measure as an indicator used to assess individuals aggregated perceptions, attitudes or assessments toward an organizations product or service. CHAPTER-2 Literature Review 2.1 Environmental Psychology Environmental Psychology is a new area in the field of psychology. (Spener, 2007). The origin of this field is unknown, however, some evidence have been found through the research studies conducted by different researchers during the years of 1970s and 1980s.(Pol, 2006). The term environmental psychology was first coined by Hellpach in his book Geopsyche as stated in the studies of Kaminsiki (1976), Graumann (1976) and Kuse Graumann (1987) (as cited in Pol, 2006). Environmental Psychology as defined by Hellpach (as cited in Pol, 2006) is an interdisciplinary field that examines the relationship between human and their surroundings. Hellpach (as cited in Pol, 2006) broadly explained the term environment by dividing it into the following categories: Natural or geopsychological factor environment Community or psychosocial factor environment The built-world or technopsycology After the world-war-II, there was an immense need of development required at every corner of the world from all perspectives especially in the field of attitude change, small-group processes, and intergroup conflict. Therefore, many psychologist felt the need and they started exploring and applying social psychological theories, so that people and their lives could be brought in harmony (Pol, 2006). Hellpach was an outstanding psychologist (as cited in Pol, 2006), he believes that environment influence human mind in two ways influence through meaning of impression (immediate experience) and influence causing psychological changes in the body, which in turn, generate experiences. Environmental Psychology has been evolving since many years and realizing its and significance in lives of individual, massive researches have been generated. In 1987 two huge volumes of Handbook of Environmental Psychology was published. Journal of Environmental psychology was started in1981 and its receiving and publishing the studies. Realizing its benefits of the field another journal has been introduced i-e the journal of Architectural design and research (Spencer, 2007). American Psychological Association (APA) has an established division for this area, known as Population and Environment and solely devoted to the aim i-e to improve interactions between human behavior, environment and population. There are many other institutes that have a separate devoted section for environmental psychology examples include Canadian Psychological Association, Environmental Psychology in UK (EPUK), Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA). Other organizations include International Asso ciation of People Environment Studies (IASP) which also serving the similar purpose i-e to improve the physical environment and human well being and International Association of Applied Psychology has also division IV called Environment (Spencer, 2007). Vischer, (2008) further contributed in the field and explained that how the workplace is designed and occupied does not only influence on how people feel but also it affects their work performance, their commitment to their employer and the creation of new knowledge (human capital in the organization. Visher, (2008), also highlighted that these are the foundation stone of the domain, known as environmental psychology. Considering the potential of this emerging new area of study, many researchers have applied and analyzed the concept of environmental psychology by studying the relationship and influence of workplace or office environment on occupants productivity and performance. As stated by Peterson and Beard, (2004) (as cited in Amir and Shahibzada, n.d) , one possible way through which organizations can achieve competitive advantage is by introducing innovative smart strategies that can improve and enhance human performance and can be boost or controlled by the situational factors that into the organizations workspace. 2.2 Workplace Environment According to Roelofsen, (2002) (as cited in Amir and Shahibzada, n.d) working environment is one of the essential human requirements that enable people to perform their work effectively under defined conditions. As explained by Gan Haynes (n.d), today organizations are operating in highly turbulent environment and the global workforce is now mobile than ever before that indicates that organizations are not competing for talent nationally but also at international level. Such demands arises the need and compel organizations to compete and attract and retain the best human capital. Therefore, Gay Haynes, (n.d) emphasized that organizations must pay attention to occupiers preferences and also identified that by adopting workplace design strategy organizations can survive in the highly competitive environment. Several studies have attempted to explain work environment in different areas, some of the examples are employee turnover (Martin 1979), job satisfaction (Iaffaldano Muchinsky, 1985), employee turnover, job involvement and organizational commitment (Sjà ¶berg Sverke 2000) (as cited in Sohaib, Noor, Trimzi Bashir, 2009). Zeytinoglu Denton, (2005) (as cited in Sohaib, Noor, Trimzi Bashir, 2009) highlighted the importance of work environment and stated that it is one of the factors that affect employees decision to stay with the organization. Ramlall, (2003) (as cited in Sohaib, Noor, Trimzi Bashir, 2009) also emphasizes on the importance of work environment and discussed that it is very essential to identify and understands the emerging needs of individuals to keep them committed and provide the work environment as necessitate and demanded. Milory, (2004) (as cited in Sohaib, Noor, Trimzi Bashir, 2009) investigated that people strive to and feel pleasure in working for those or ganizations that provide positive work environment. Earle, (2003) also discussed the idea that work environment is an effective tool to attract and retain employees. He further stated in his study about an independent research conducted on factors influencing employees decision to accept or reject a job. This study was commissioned by American Society for Interiors Designer (ASID). 663 adults were given carte blanche to list down those influencing factors. The results revealed that 62 percent of respondents cited Compensation as the number one factor, while benefits and workplace acquired the second position being cited by 22% and 21% respectively. Physical workplace also stood at second position, when the factors of job satisfaction analyzed and explored. It was further observed that employees who were happy with their physical workplaces were 31% more likely to be satisfied with their jobs than those who were not. When employees were specifically asked whether a physical workplace would affect their decision to join a position 41% s aid that it would while, when the job seekers were asked whether a physical workplace would affect their decision to leave an organization, 51% said it would. Visher, (2008), emphasized that it would be helpful for employers and decision makers to study and apply research evidence to consider environmental design as an investment in the workforce. A new concept of ba has been introduced, which is now a days the focus area of study for many researchers. The term ba indicates an environment that supports and encourage knowledge creation, not only through the design of space but also through the structure and operations of the social and cultural environment (Visher, 2008). Nenonen, (2004) (as cited in Visher, 2008), highlighted the importance of emerging concept of ba and stated that it provides a new insight for analyzing how features of organization add value to an organizations human capital. There has been huge amount of scientific research conducted by Roelofsen (2002) (as cited in Amir and Shahibzada, n.d), the findings indicated that improving working environment results in decrease in the number of complaints and absenteeism and increase in productivity. Govindarajulu (2004) (as cited in Amir and Shahibzada, n.d), also highlighted that in twenty-first century, businesses are moving towards more strategic approach of environmental management to enhance their productivity through improving and managing performance level of employees. 2.3 Productivity Rollos, (1997) ( as cited in Hameed and Amjad 2009), stated that when people produce something with least effort, this is known as productivity. Sutermiester, (1976) ( as cited in Hameed and Amjad 2009) defined productivity as output per employee hour, quality considered. According to Dorgan, (1994) ( as cited in Hameed and Amjad 2009), productivity is the increased functional and organizational performance, including quality. Hameed and Amjad, (2009) further explained that productivity is the ratio how well an organization converts input resources into goods and services. They also discussed that productivity measure carries different meaning at factory settings and at workplace setting. The performance of employees in factory can be measured by the number of units produced per employee per hour. While in formal workplace setting performance increased is considered when there is less absenteeism fewer employee leaving and less breaks. Therefore, such productivity is measured through personnels subjective assessment rather than quantitative operational information and this kind of productivity measured is known as subjective productivity measure and as defined by Wang and Giankis (1999) ( as cited in Hameed and Amjad 2009), subjective performance measure as an indicator used to assess individuals aggregated perceptions, attitudes or assessments toward an organizations product or service. (Clements-Croome and Kaluarachchi 2000)( as cited in Hameed and Amjad 2009),subjective productivity data is usually collected using survey questionnaires, it can also be descriptive or qualitative collected by interviews. Leaman and Bordass,(2000) (as cited in Haynes 2008) also support the idea of perceived productivity to measure office occupants productivity. Hence this research would explore the influence of workplace environment prevailing in services and manufacturing sector and therefore this study would also be measuring the subjective productivity. 2.4 Workplace and Productivity (Uzee, 1999; Leaman and Bordass, 1993; Williams et al. 1985) ( as cited in Hameed and Amjad 2009) observed that by realizing the importance of workplace environment, many organizations have been applying new techniques to construct office building in a way that can attract more employees and leads to increase in productivity. They also discussed that now a days many researchers and authors have been emphasizing that the physical layout along with the effective and efficient management processes are playing an important role in enhancing employees productivity and organizational performance. According to Gensler, (2006) ( as cited in Hameed and Amjad 2009), in March 2006, an independent research firm conducted a research on US workplace environment. The survy was conducted by using a sample size of 2013 and the research was related to workplace designs, workplace satisfaction and productivity. 89 % of the respondents rated design, from important to very important and about 90 % of senior officials expressed that effective workplace design is important for the increase in employees productivity. According to the rough estimate provided by executives also showed that 22% increase can be achieved in the organizations performance if their workplaces are well designed. Therefore, the findings of the survey suggested that businesses can enhance their productivity by improving and managing their workplace. Gensler, (2006) ( as cited in Hameed and Amjad 2009), further stated that despite the potential of workplace environment many organizations still not pay the required attention. The findings also highlighted the fact that 40% of the employees believe that their companies want to keep their costs low that is why their workplaces have bad designs and 46% of employees think that the priority list of their company does not have workplace design on top. When data was summarized, almost one out of every five employees rated their workplace environment from, fair to poor. 90% admitted that their attitude about work is adversely affected by the quality of their workplace environment while, 89% employees blamed their working environment for their job dissatisfaction. 2.5 Relationship between Workplace Design and Productivity Roethlisberger Dickson, (1939) (as cited in Haynes, n.d) pointed out that the researches investigating the affects of working environment on occupants productivity are too old that their evidences have been found in studies conducted during 1903s. According to Brill et al. (1984) ( as cited in Hameed and Amjad 2009), ranked factors, which affect productivity according to their importance. The sequenced of factors are based on the significance: furniture, noise, flexibility, comfort, communication, lighting, temperature and the air quality. There is also some evidence found through Springer Inc (1986) ( as cited in Hameed and Amjad 2009),that an insurance company in a study revealed the best ergonomic furniture improved performance by 10% to 15%. Leaman, (1995) ( as cited in Hameed and Amjad 2009) conducted a survey, the investigation is based on the relationship between the indoor environment, dissatisfied employees and their productivity. The findings suggested that productivity of the work is affected, reason being the environmental factors that people were unhappy with temperature, air quality, light and noise levels in the office. 2.6 Theoretical Framework Development According to Haynes, (n.d), extensive amount of literature is available on affects of workplace environment on occupants productivity (Osealan 1999, Leaman and Bordass 2000, Clements Croome 2000) (as cited in Haynes n.d) also support this evidence, but then there is no universally accepted theoretical frame have not been developed yet through which the influence of workplace environment on employees productivity could be observed and measured. Haynes, (n.d) explained that previous researches have been conducted by establishing a link between physical component of workplace environment and employees productivity. Some of the literature also acknowledged influence of social dimension of workplace place environment i-e the behavioral component, also impact the occupants productivity but there is little empirical research available to support the idea. Olson, (2002) (as cited in Haynes 2008) also stated the researches that attempts to address are at the initial theoretical and developmental stage. Haynes, (2008), has collected, reviewed and researched occupants productivity form physical component as well as from behavioral component and proposed a theoretical model that is based on the idea that a workplace environment is consists of both the components (physical and behavioral) and also highlighted the point that behavioral component has greater impact on employees productivity as compared to the physical component. Haynes, (2008) described physical environment and behavioral environment as the physical environment consists of components of that relate to the office occupiers ability to physically connect with their office environment. While, behavioral environment consist of components that relate to how well the office occupiers connect with each other and the impact the office environment can have on the behavior of individuals. Haynes, (2008) adopted the research approach to developed a theoretical model that covers both the dimensions of workplace environment as both have an impact on employees productivity. For this purpose Haynes collected two data sets. The à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ rst dataset was obtained from a research project for a local authority research forum. The data were collected using a paper-based questionnaire survey. In total, ten local authorities took part in the research project, with responses from 26 ofà ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ces. The actual number of respondents was 996 from a population of 4,338 ofà ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ce occupants. The second data set was obtained from the private sector, through a piece of contract research. This additional dataset was collected to with an aim to test the à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ndings of the à ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ rst dataset. The data set was collected from one company consisting of four main buildings, which formed the companys head ofà ¯Ã‚ ¬Ã‚ ce. The total number of head office staff was 800. The data were collected using an online questionnaire with a response rate of 53 per cent, i.e. 422 respondents. The same question was asked based on the 27 variables under investigation. Source : Haynes, (n.d) The above table is showing 27 variables used for research purpose (Haynes n.d). The statistical technique of factor analysis is used that allow 27 evaluative variables to be reduced to four distinct components. The component of Comfort and Office layout represents the physical environment and the components of interactions and distractions represents the behavirol component as presented in the table below (Haynes, 2008). Source: Haynes, (2008) 2.7 Conceptual Frame Work The conceptual framework of the study is based on the same model proposed by Haynes, (2008) and the employees productivity would be measured and explored through the dimensions of workplace environment that are the physical component and behavioral components. Therefore, the constructed frame work is as follows: Behavioral Environment Workplace Environment Physical Environment Comfort Office Layout Interaction Distraction + = CHAPTER-3 Methodology 3.1 Research Purpose According to Robson, 2003 (as cited in Gray 2004), in terms of purpose, a research can be broadly categorized as exploratory, descriptive and explanatory. Exploratory research emphasizes to investigate new insights and happening about a phenomenon. Descriptive study according to Hedrick et al. (1993) (as cited in Gray 2004), explains data and characteristics about a phenomenon being studied where as explanatory research is a type of research that seeks to establish and explores the relationship exists between variables (Gray, 2004). Therefore, by considering the overall objective of the thesis and research questions, this study falls in explanatory class of research purpose because we would be acquiring explanatory knowledge by examining the relationships between dependent and independent variables. 3.2 Research Approach Dewey, (1933) (as cited in Gray 2004) identified two broad research approaches known as Deductive and Inductive research approach. Deductive reasoning as defined by Gray, (2004) is a top-down approach that works form more general to more specific. Deductive process involves testing of theories or hypothesis and drawing conclusions based on existing research studies. While, inductive research is theory generating. Its a bottom-up approach that begins with a specific observation and ends with the development of generalized theory that is based on the analysis of collected data (Gray, 2004). This study is deductive as we would be exploring and testing existing empirical theories and models related to workplace environment, measuring its impact on employees performance within its defined context and would also be drawing logical inferences. 3.3 Research Design 3.3.1 Method As stated by Ghaur and Ghaur, ( n.d), research methods can be classified as qualitative and quantitative. Qualitative research as defined by Ghaur and Ghaur (n.d), is an inquiry process of understanding a social and human problem in a natural setting. It involves analysis of unstructured information and used to gain insight into peoples behavior, attitude, culture and lifestyle. Types of qualitative research includes: case study, involves in-depth understanding of phenomenon in its real context through multiple sources of evidence. Ethnography is a study of characteristics of peoples culture, conducted in the natural environment setting. Grounded theory is a research method in which theory is developed inductively based on the data collected through observation. Phenomenology is a study of experiences from the individuals perspective. (Gray, 2004). A qualitative study can be conducted by adopting one of the methods that are: participant -observation: usually acquired to collect data on naturally occurring behavior in its real context. In-depth interviews are appropriate to conduct for sensitive topics as it allows a researcher to collect holistic understanding of participants point of view or situation. Focus group technique is useful to gain and extract relevant data on the cultural norms of a group and in generating broad overviews of issues relating to that particular groups or subgroups being involved (Gray, 204). According to Ghaur and Ghaur, ( n.d), quantitative research is empirical and involves testing of models, theories or hypotheses pertaining to natural phenomenon through analyzing and establishing statistical relationships. A quantitative research is divided in two groups depending on the data collection methods that are experimental and non experimental quantitative research. The primary goal of experimental quantitative research is to provide strong evidence for cause and effect relationship. A non-experimental quantitative research involves variables that are not manipulated by the researcher and instead are studied as they exist (Ghaur and Ghaur, n.d). An analytical survey as explained by Gray, (2004) is one of the methods to collect data that covers specific characteristics suitable to carry out deductive research. This study can be classified as quantitative research because of its empirical nature and characteristics of using quantifiable data. We would be drawing conclusion based on experimentation and systematic observations. Further it can be classified as non-experimental quantitative research because our research carries many independent variables that need to be studied and that cannot be manipulated. Analytical survey method would be adopted as its composition facilitates our research design that it tests the theory in a specific domain by investigating association between research variables and more specifically we would be conducting a cross-sectional survey as information on population would be gathered at a single point in time. Questionnaire would be used as a research instrument as we would have large sample size and its easy to quantify. 3.3.2 Sampling 3.3.2.1 Population of Interest Manufacturing and services sectors are the focus areas of the research. As this study would be presenting a comparative analysis of both the sectors, with respect to their prevailing workplace environment therefore, the sample would be drawn from the population of identified sectors. 3.3.2.2 Sampling Technique As explained by Gray, (2004), sampling methods can be divided into two broad categories: probability and non probability sampling. A probability sampling is a type of sampling in which every unit in the population has a chance (greater than zero) of being selected in the sample. Types of probability sampling includes: random sampling and stratified sampling. Random sampling is a type of sampling in which each individual in the population of interest has an equal likelihood of selection. While stratified sampling is a mini-reproduction of the population that is drawn by dividing the population into important characteristics required for research. (Gray, 2004). Non probability sampling as highlighted by Gray, (2004), is also known as non-representative sampling. It is a sampling process in which samples are drawn from the desired population and does not provide and does not provide all the individuals in the population of equal chances of being selected. The different types of non-prob ability sampling includes: convenience sampling is such a sampling in which sample are selected on the basis of their ease of accessibility and availability. Quota sampling is used with a purpose to sets the proportions of levels or strata within the sample. Purposive sampling technique is adopted for a very specific need or purpose. In such sampling people who have knowledge about a particular problem are selected as sample members (Gray, 2004). The data for the study would be collected from different organizations operating in manufacturing and services sectors, therefore, non-probability sampling and specifically convenience sampling would be appropriate to adopt as its above defined nature facilities our research. 3.3.2.3 Sample Size The sample size for this research has been proposed on the basis of the formula developed by Tabachnik and Fidell (2001, p. 117) and is stated below: N à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚ ¥ 50 + 8m, where m equals the number of predictor variables According to Tabachnik and Fidell (2001, p. 117), the above formula is applicable for computing the sample size required for multiple regression. Therefore, in this research the no. of independent variables are four and hence the sample size is calculated accordingly i-e 82 as shown below: 50 + 8 (4) = 82 3.4 Validity Reliability Validity as defined by Gray, (2004), is the degree to which data in a research study are accurate and credible. While reliability is the degree to which an instrument will produce similar results at a different period (Gray, 2004). To increase the quality of research and to ensure the reliability and validity of data collected through defined research tool, following steps would be considered: Data will be conducted from reliable respondents who actually experiencing the workplace environment in manufacturing and services. Questionnaire for survey would be based on the variables previously studied and tested.

Organ Donation Essay examples -- Papers Organ Donor Medical Health Ess

Organ Donation Organ donation is a topic which contains many conflicting views. To some of the public population organ donation is a genuine way of saving the life of another, to some it is mistrusted and to others it is not fully understood. There are some techniques that can be used to increase donation. Of these techniques the most crucial would be being educated. If the life threatening and the critical shortage of organs was fully understood by the public, organ donation would more likely be on the rise. An effort is needed throughout the world to make people aware of the benefits this process contains. Advances in medical technology have made it possible to save someone?s life by a process of organ donation. However, the scarcity of available organs is bringing the beneficial process down. By becoming an organ donor, people engage in improving someone else?s life at no cost. Although the question of religious or moral cost comes into effect, virtually there is no physical cost of becoming an organ donor. Organ donation should be seen as the "gift of life" but there are not enough logical explanations to explain this phrase. Whether people are donors, non-donors or recipients, all the public should be aware that organ donation is for the common welfare. Organ Donation-Why People Become Donors The main reason an individual becomes an organ donor is to give someone the "gift of life." By giving someone this privilege a person feels they are adding to another person?s life. Some reasons people give this gift is simply from having a kind heart, they may find the other person?s use for the organ more important than their need or maybe just because they just have no use for t... ...ic is underway. This effort is referred to as the Coalition on Donation and Advertising Council. The goal of this coalition is to ensure every individual in the U.S. understands the need for organ donation and accepts it as a human responsibility. Organ Donation-Ways to Increase Awareness organ donation is in serious need for more participants. Medical technology has made it possible to give people a second chance at life and our public population is bringing this chance down. Educational efforts remain most important to increase the success of donation. The public needs to recognize the benefits of such a process. The role of a family must also improve. Although families have the authority to refuse donation of their deceased one, they also have the opportunity to give a person a second chance of life, or better said the ?gift of life."

A Modest Proposal: The Environment Essay -- essays research papers

Something akin to panic is communicated onto my sterile computer screen, then my furrowed brow and soon my troubled mind when I sit alone, in the dark of my room and explore ideas and possibilities. Turning the light on and the computer off doesn’t dissolve my disturbed mood; nothing does until the outside can creep in and warm me. It’s usually a human voice; something more real than the essays and articles I read on global warming and remote ice caps that melt slowly every year. The fear settles until someone with a weaker sense of reality can convince me that â€Å"something is being done† by environmental scientists and none of it will affect me when I am dust. In just the last fifty years, humans, namely Americans have virtually remodeled the Earth and everything on it. We have changed its landscapes, wind patterns, migration routes, and weather; diminished its greenery and killed its animals. Nature did not seem a force that could be controlled and yet it has been. We are conducting an inadvertent global experiment by changing the face of the entire planet. We are destroying the ozone layer, which allows life to exist on the Earth's surface, clearing the majority of the earth’s forests, and disrupting countless ecosystems. The result has been an unfavorable alteration of the composition of the biosphere and the Earth's heat balance. If we do not slow down our use of fossil fuels and stop destroying the forests, the world will become hotter than it has been in the past million years. This warming will rearrange entire biological communities and cause many species to become extinct. The desperate plight of the environment should by all means be the first priority for every single government and person on this planet. With today’s common knowledge of what might happen in the near future if significant changes aren’t made in the lifestyle of most people it’s hard to understand why 70 million cars continue to vomit their poison into the air everyday. All around the world environmental activists fight to preserve our patches of rain forests and wetlands, as well as protect a variety of fragile but important ecosystems. In all major cities, advocates of environmental conservation annually propose plans with alternative modes of transportation and energy-efficient appliances that will every citizen would be mandated to use. Even if instituted gradually, these ch... ...r. â€Å"Environmental Studies† were the most interesting and abstract words I had ever seen preceding â€Å"High School†. For this reason and the fact that it was near Central Park, I decided to apply and then attend. Because of the central theme of my classes I have been exposed in the shape of special speakers and class discussions to others who share my fear but not my growing sense of hopelessness. Quite recently, it has become more and more important to me that I am a part of the solution for the problems facing the environment. It is fear that I feel when I allow myself to dwell on the ignored warnings and the very complicated mess of problems and impossibilities that plague this planet. I don’t understand why there is even the possibility that one of the last natural, pristine ecosystem, in North America, namely that of Alaska, is in danger of being ruptured by the ever-powerful oil companies. I don’t understand why the heads of state who are infinite ly more knowledgeable than me on the dangers of continued abuse of our gracious home don’t drastically and immediately cause change. I don’t understand why people haven’t listened. I guess it’s because they are not fifteen and scared.

Foreign Aid Speech

Australia's foreign aid should be reduced Today I'm bringing a serious subject that has Influenced the world and the development of countries around us into perspective. Foreign aid, and how the government should Increase It, but first we have to ask the question, â€Å"What Is foreign aid? ‘ Simply, It Is the economic, or military lad given by one nation to another for purposes of relief and rehabilitation, for economic stabilization, or for mutual defense. The 620 or group of 20 is the premier forum for its members' international economic cooperation and decision making.And their existence is more important than ever because the world's economy is in such a precarious state and so the decisions they make will be vital in the development of poorer countries. A part of this that people may not recognize is that when the economy is weak, the poorest countries suffer the most. $1 dollar can help a hundred people in a poor country more than it can help someone in a rich or develo ped country. Although we have stronger affinity towards our citizens and if money was equally effective we would whose our own citizens first, when it's 100 times more effective in impacting lives, then we think we're all human beings.The suffering of a mother whose child Is sick and might die Is a universal value. And If a dollar has so much Impact then I must ask you, not as a student, but as a fellow human: why are we all still so greedy? If I were to ask you what percentage of the federal budget is spent on foreign aid, would you be surprised that it is 0. 35%? That equates to $5. 44 billion dollars of our IN (gross national income) in 2012. The government expects to reach 0. 5% by 2017, but in recent media, Julie Bishop, the Minister of foreign affairs has implemented a cap of 5 billion dollars over the next two financial years.The promise Australia made with the UN along with many other developed countries, was an agreed 0. 7% of our countries IN. The 2014 Australian budget IS a broken election promise to the world's poorest people. The Abbott Government has torn up its promise to Increase aid. This year's budget, announced two days ago, shows that the Australian government Is cutting rut the most vulnerable members of the communities around the world. Every second we breathe, 30, 000 children under the age of five die from preventable diseases.It is made evident that Australia's contribution to alleviate poverty through overseas aid is successful. The average life expectancy of individuals living in developing countries has increased by approximately twenty years in the last decade, which is substantial in contrast to the figures fifty years ago. Vaunt has reduced the incidence of malaria by 80% with the support of Australian aid. It is a myth that reign aid doesn't work. 79% of Australians, according to the essential report, agree that the Government should reduce spending in foreign aid when 41% don't know what it Is.The ignorance surrounding foreign aid Is what potentates suffering of individuals living In developing countries. Australia Is already providing less foreign aid compared to other developed countries. We are ranked 1 13th. The Abbott Government's abolition of Causal, which manages our tax dollars for overseas aid, Is because they want to see a better alignment between aid, trade and diplomatic erection and aid programs going in another direction† yet there is no evidence for this. Aid vs.. Diplomacy is a false dichotomy.Helping neighboring countries develop strong economies means a better market for our own goods. Helping our neighbors improve their health systems means fewer health threats. Increasing the number of children in our region going to school reduces the opportunity for indoctrination in place of education. The success of our neighbors are good for us. In 2006 and 2007, Australia gave 2. 9 billion dollars through Said and in 2013, 2014, it grew to 5. 44 lion dollars, almost doubling the overseas as sistance.Now, the proportion of aid to IN is back to 2000, 2001 levels under Abbot's government, especially now that foreign aid will grow in line with the Consumer Price Index or inflation rate. With the help of global initiatives, the number of people living in poverty has fallen by 200 million people since 1980 and increasing. Australia shouldn't turn their back on the less fortunate as an affluent country. The children suffering every single day rely on our international aid. The government has slashed the foreign aid budget which asses many problems and places a strain on our relationship with other countries.If Australia works with the countries we're aiding, to redirect foreign aid funds to priorities assets, deregulate their economy and opened up their economy to global trade for economic growth, then the output of foreign aid would be effective in forming a sustainable economy and alleviating poverty. We should raise our Foreign aid budget to the agreed 0. 7% IN. Australia is a generous country, we can afford to provide aid to those in need and grow, not only as a country, but as humans of this earth.