Managing Employee Motivation and Performance

INTERNATIONAL BURCH UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF ECONOMICS DEPARTMENT OF MANAGEMENT MANAGING EMPLOYEE MOTIVATION AND PERFORMANCE RESEARCH PAPER by Nedzad ISAKOVIC Project Supervisor M. A. Edin SMAJIC SARAJEVO April, 2012 Contents 1. Introduction2 1. 1. The Motivation Process2 1. 2. Wath Managers Do In Practice2 2. Motivating by Structuring Jobs to Make Them Interesting3 2. 1. Job Design3 2. 2. Job Enrichment and Job Enlargement3 2. 3. The Job Characteristics Model4 3. Conclusion5 4. References7 1. Introduction Motivation is defined as the process that initiates, guides and maintains goal-oriented behaviors.Motivation is what causes us to act, whether it is getting a glass of water to reduce thirst, reading a book to gain knowledge or performing some specific job assignment to get pay. Why is the motivation of employees so important at the workplace? It is important for managers because it determines individual performance of the workers along with ability of the workers and work environment . The most challenging factor for manager to control of these three is motivation. Individual behavior is a complex phenomenon, and the manager needs to enter the core of the problem if he is going to solve it. 1. 1. The Motivation ProcessThe motivation process progresses through a series of discrete steps. Content, process, and reinforcement perspectives on motivation address different parts of this process (Griffin, 2008). Content perspective tries to find what factor or factors motivate people. The most popular content theories are Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the ERG theory and Herzberg’s two-factor theory. Process perspectives on motivation explore how the motivation process works and how it occurs. They try to find out why people certain behavior options to fulfill their needs and how workers evaluate their satisfactions after their decisions.Theories of process perspectives are expectancy theory, equity theory and the newer attribution theory. The reinforcement perspective tries to find out which factors force employees to continue being motivated. It tells us that employees will repeat the behavior for which they are rewarded, and they won’t repeat behavior for which they are punished. Reinforcement perspective uses positive reinforcement, avoidance, punishment and extinction as tools to keep employees motivated. These are just theories which help managers to determine what to do in practice. 1. 2.What Managers Do In Practice The most shared thought and strategy among managers in practice is that money motivates. Because of that managers use large variety of reward systems such as merit reward systems, incentive reward systems and team reward systems to improve motivation and performance of their employees. Their assumption is correct and employees do actually perform better when they know that they will receive more money for their improved performance. But another question arises: How long will the improved performance last if mo ney is key motivator?The answer is that it won’t last long. The studies have shown that individuals have difficulty recalling the bonus they receive and it does not seem to have the same impact it did within the first few weeks or months of receiving it. That's because money, in and of itself, will not continuously motivate individuals. Employees are motivated much more if money rewards are combined with recognition and with improved job design. Another problem that arises from using the money as a key factor of motivation is that it costs.The companies need to give large amounts of money to employees as bonuses and there were several cases where bonuses are actually larger than annual salaries of some employees. This becomes a real problem if company wants to decrease the amount of bonuses employees receive. Employees become more dissatisfied and unmotivated because they are used to have large bonuses, so their performance falls quite a lot. My opinion is that the best way t o motivate employees to perform better is to design jobs by making them more appealing to people. 1. Motivating by Structuring Jobs to Make Them Interesting 2. 3. Job DesignThis approach of motivation is directed at improving the essential nature of the work performed by changing the design of the job. Job design is concerned with structuring jobs in order to improve organization efficiency and employee job satisfaction (Snell/Bohlander, 2007). Employees today engage in repetitive movements, which they find highly routine and monotonous. Not surprisingly, people became bored with such jobs and their performance falls with time. Fortunately, today’s organizational scientists have found several ways of designing jobs that aren’t just efficient, but are also pleasant and motivating.Job enlargement and job enrichment are two approaches that improve motivation by changing job design. 2. 4. Job Enlargement and Job Enrichment One of the first modern approaches to redesigning jobs suggested that boredom of employees by engaging in highly repetitive jobs could be minimized by having people perform an increased number of different tasks all at the same level. This approach is known as job enlargement (Greenberg/Baron, 2008). Because of this approach employees don’t need higher skills or have higher responsibility, but perform more different actions at the same level.Changing job in this way is an increase in the horizontal job loading. Several studies showed that job enlargement is very useful way to increase employee job satisfaction and employee boredom at the workplace. A more effective approach, job enrichment, gives employees not only more jobs to do, but more tasks to perform at a higher level of skill and responsibility (Greenberg/Baron, 2008). The main idea of job enrichment is making jobs more interesting to people so that they will be more highly motivated to perform them.Job enrichment gives employees the opportunity to take greater contr ol over how to do their jobs. Because people performing enriched jobs work at higher levels than others, this approach increases a job’s vertical job loading. Even the job enrichment is successful it has some problems in implementation. First one is difficulty of implementation because it is expensive to redesign existing facilities. Second problem is lack of employee acceptance because not all employees are ready to accept the changes in their job accomplishment and higher obligations for the work they perform. 2. 5. The Job Characteristics ModelIn previous text I stated that employers should enrich the jobs, but I failed to specify precise what elements of a job need to be enriched for it to be effective. Job characteristics model answers this question. It assumes that jobs can be designed so as to help people get enjoyment out of their jobs and care about the work they do (Greenberg/Baron, 2008). It tells us how jobs can be redesigned to help employees feel that they are d oing meaningful and valuable work. The model specifies that enriching certain elements of jobs influences employee’s psychological states in a manner that increases their work effectiveness.It identifies five core job dimensions that help create three critical psychological states, leading to several beneficial personal and work outcomes. The five critical job dimensions are skill variety, task identity, task significance, autonomy, and feedback. Skill variety shows us how many different tasks the employee performs using several of his skills and talents. Task identity shows us how much is employee involved in one piece of work, from beginning to end. Task significance shows us how much impact employee’s work has on others.Autonomy shows us how much freedom employees have in planning and performing jobs as they wish. Feedback shows us how much the job allows employees to know is their performance efficient enough. The model tells that these various job dimensions have important effects on many critical psychological states. Combination of these job dimensions have effect on experienced meaningfulness of the job performed, which is then experienced as highly important, valuable and worthwhile. Job dimensions also determine how much employees are personally responsible and accountable for their work.When they are free to decide what to do and how to do it they feel more responsible for their work. Finally, these job dimensions impact employee’s knowledge of the results of their work. When a job is designed to provide employees with information about the effects of their actions, they better understand how effective they are – and such knowledge improves their effectiveness. These critical psychological states affect personal and work outcomes such as: feelings of motivation, the quality of work performed, satisfaction with work, absenteeism and turnover.The higher these psychological states are, the more positive the personal and work benefits and outcomes will be. The job characteristics model is highly applicable and it has high and positive results. The employees that respond best to this model are the ones which have high need for personal growth and development. The model has been focus of many empirical tests, most of which are supportive of many aspects of the model. One study conducted among a group of South African clerical workers found particularly strong support for the job characteristic model (Greenberg/Baron, 2008). . Conclusion In my opinion altering employee motivation by changing job design is much more productive and better than improving motivation by incentive reward systems. It is true that inducing motivation by changing job design has several problems, such as difficulty of implementation and lack of employee acceptance, but these problems are easier to overcome than problems that occur when companies use money to motivate their employees. Incentive reward systems have problems beside the incredibly high costs to organization.These systems may lead to lower job satisfaction as the employees work until they reach their limit and then they become unhappy. They can also create competition within the organization and destroy cooperation among employees. Employees cannot be treated just as machines and the money they receive for their work just isn’t enough to satisfy them. They need recognition for their work and they need to see that the work they do is meaningful and worthwhile, and this is the thing that job design allows them to have. They feel respected and fulfilled and, at the end, motivated to perform the best they know. . References Ricky W. Griffin (2008). Management (9th Edition ed. ). Houghton Mifflin Company. Jerald Greenberg ; Robert A. Baron (2008). Behavior in Organizations (9th Edition ed. ). Pearson Prentice Hall. Luis R. Gomez-Mejia ; David B. Balkin ; Robert L. Cardy (2007). Managing Human Resources (5th Edition ed. ). Pearson Prentice Hall . Scott Snell ; George Bohlander (2007). Human Resorce Management. Thomson. http://psychology. about. com/od/mindex/g/motivation-definition. htm , http://www. entrepreneur. com/article/202352

Mexico’s Experience after NAFTA

The question whether Mexico has benefited from NAFTA is still under discussion and constant debates. Some claim that since NAFTA there is a significant increase in poverty rates, whereas others provide the opposite information. Apparently, in broader terms, the country has benefited from free trade agreement and NAFTA is surely good for Mexican population, although it leads to inevitable changes in agricultural sector. However, changes don’t mean turning situation for worse. In particular, two-way trade between the United States and Mexico swiftly grew up and amounts up to $231 billion in 2002 compared with $81 billion in 1993. It means that Mexican modest trade deficit is turned into trade surplus of about $37 billion. (Williams 2004) Further, country’s export grew as well up to 80% during 1985-1993 after accession to GATT. Since NAFTA the growth rate has even doubled. Mexico’s export of end-products amounts about 90% of total exports. It leads to creation of more jobs and higher paying. The next moment to mention is that the annual growth of gross domestic product (GDP) is 5.4% in 2000 compared with 3.9% during 1990-1994. Many economic analysts say that both export and international trade are keys to accelerating country’s economic and financial recovery after crisis in 1995. During 2001-2002 GDP growth slowed down because of economic woes in the USA, but since 2002 it has been increasing. (Gruben 2001) Agricultural export has also certain benefits since accession to NAFTA. Previously, the country’s annual deficit was about &1.5 billion with the USA, but since NAFTA agricultural export has doubled as well – in 2002 growth of agricultural exports was about 9%. The next benefit is lower costs inputs for country’s food processing due to increased competition and free trade. Moreover, decreased inflation rates for food products provided excellent opportunities for stabilizing inflation since 1990s. It may seem that increased competition would destroy some business, but the positive moment is that the dollar value of country’s agricultural production has increased – for pork up to 24%, for beef up to 13%, for chicken up to 60%, for fruits up to 27%, for sorghum up to 85%, and for vegetables up to 36%. (Williams 2004) Despite increased competition, many of Mexico’s sectors remain competitive with the US sectors: fresh fruits, vegetables, live cattle, tomatoes and avocado. Moreover, export of horticultural has also increased by 120%. Mexican debate in agricultural sector is how to offer more protection from imports. However, some claim that party simple seeks ways how to capitalize relations with the rural poor. For example, David Williams writes that â€Å"NAFTA provisions coupled with the U.S. Farm Bill, often have been portrayed as portending certain doom for Mexico's agricultural sector; however, U.S. producers absorb costs that Mexican producers do not, such as high labor costs, costs of compliance with strict environmental and worker safety regulations and taxes†. (Williams 2004) Actually, Mexico faces domestic structural problems which can’t be addressed by NAFTA. Creation of new jobs, lower consumer prices and deceased inflation rates allowed farmer not to feel dependent from agricultural sector mainly. Transition from agricultural sector is inevitable even without NAFTA. Summing up, Mexico has benefited from NAFTA, and nowadays about 20% of country’s GDP is â€Å"attributable to trade made possible by NAFTA provisions†. (Williams 2004) Country’s rural regions also benefited from NAFTA as free trade ensured creation of thousands of new jobs along with higher payments. Mexican government announced that poverty rates had decreased in urban and rural areas since 1995. So, Mexico revealed that free trade was necessary for accelerating economic and financial development and transitions to competitive manufacturing sectors. Future Mexico’s policies are to focus on generating more jobs, developing more trade opportunities and improving productivity of those businesses which have the competitive potential. (Sandronsky 2006) References Gruben, William. (2001). Was NAFTA behind Mexico’s High Maquiladora Growth? Retrieved January 11, 2008, from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0DKI/is_2001_3/ai_82092014 Sandronsky, Seth. (2006). Mexico after NAFTA. Retrieved January 11, 2008 Williams, David. (2004). Mexico's NAFTA Experience – North American Free Trade Agreement. Retrieved January 11, 2008, from http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3723/is_1_16/ai_114328142/pg_2                  

Company Sustainable Development Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Company Sustainable Development - Dissertation Example The sustainable business operations have greatly benefited the TMC to improve its competitive edge and strengthen its financial position. Toyota has been successful in making their customers aware of the company’s environmental sustainability efforts. The organization increasingly relies on sustainability reports and social networking sites to communicate its sustainability initiatives to the company stakeholders. The emergence of globalization eliminated international trade barriers and thus intensified the cross-border flow of capital, labor, ideas, and cultures. Evidently, globalization and the resulted fast industrial expansion contributed to various issues like global warming, climate change, water pollution, and increased energy consumption, which in turn pose potential threats to the long-term sustainability of the environment today. There has also been a notable increase in the population growth over the last two decades, and that worsened the condition. Researchers indicate that world’s current non-conventional energy sources will be consumed out if people and organizations continue to consume the energy at the current rate. Therefore, it is necessary to limit the use of conventional energy sources, maintain water quality, and take other environmental actions to meet the needs of future generations. However, companies like Toyota have adopted the concept of sustainable developm ent to drive environment-conscious growth and thereby enjoy wider market acceptance. TMC encourages and establishes innovative technologies to reduce the environmental impacts of its business operations and inspires local communities to support the company’s environmental efforts. In this context, it is relevant to explore how a company can pursue sustainable development in order to contribute to the competitive edge and financial position. Toyota

VEHICLE ROUTE OPTIMIZATION FOR RFID INTEGRATED WASTE COLLECTION SYSTEM Essay

VEHICLE ROUTE OPTIMIZATION FOR RFID INTEGRATED WASTE COLLECTION SYSTEM - Essay Example The model normally applies precise data having respective quantity and proper location undertaken through the use of the RFID technology and also normally includes pre-determined capacity. The summary of the mathematical model in optimization of the route of a waste collection invests in the essence of reduction or minimization of the entire transport cost while considering the capacity for the vehicle and all the exerted weight of the collected bins by also considering pre-determined zone. The mathematics refers to the ones indicated below. The mathematical programming model is as shows below (Alp & Emre, 2008). The provided linear model has an objective function marked by number (3) which facilitates the minimization of the total distance driven across. Typical Constraints (4) and (5) provides assurance that every town apart from the collection center is excellently entailed or entered and left precisely once. The other Constraints (6) and (7) normally help in considering the amount of the total waste collected on the outlined waste bin â€Å"i† which is typically the lower limit. There is entailed capacity for waste vehicle in high limit qi. There is now the presence of the constraint (8), in addition with (7), which normally equates to the qi to ci as long as the â€Å"i† is equivalent to first waste bin of the any entailed tour. From the functions, if â€Å"i† is not assigned as the first tour, constraint (9) would exactly illustrate the presented relation available between and the variables qi and xij. The process will initially look into if the arc (i, j) is prese nt in a waste collection tour or if not (Alp & Emre, 2008). The optimization approach on this mathematical model applies a linear programming and integer solver. The process is evaluated by the use of a special software referred to as Mosel Language or otherwise Dash

Descriptive a Restaurant Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Descriptive a Restaurant - Essay Example The crowd there was not talking loudly nor were they misbehaving in any sense. A slow music could be heard in the restaurant which added up to the beauty of the atmosphere. The restaurant used different types of pieces for decorating the structure which attracts the consumers. Paintings were seen to be hanging on the wall along with different graffiti on the walls. The lights in the restaurant were adjusted to a dim beam because of which the atmosphere seemed calmer. Altogether it can be said that the atmosphere of the restaurant added up to the beauty of the restaurant and made it worth visiting. The food is the most important thing that matters to the consumers entering the restaurant. A restaurant should ensure that they have a variety of food items which would attract the consumers. After entering this specific restaurant I ordered the recommendation of the chef and found it be very delicious. The variety of food in the restaurant ranged from Indian food to Chinese food which was very amazing for a person like me. As soon as I ordered my food I could smell the starters from a long way and as they served the starters I realized that they were as delicious as the smell was earlier. I ordered an Indian dish and found it to be very delicious.

Interview Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Interview Project - Essay Example For that reason, the servant leader shares his power with the people and puts the needs of the people first and helps his subordinates to fully develop their potentials. The servant leader therefore views himself/herself as a servant of the people mandated by the people to lead them and to help them to exploit their potentials and be able to achieve their goals in life. This paper is an Interview project synthesis. The paper is composed of two parts. The first part is the summary of the interview on servant leadership that was carried out on Moses Charlton, chairman of a Catholic parish council based in Dallas Texas, while the second part is an evaluation of what has been learnt in the interview, and a synthesis of this information into a personal philosophy of leadership. Professional Background of the interviewee The interviewee said that he is a trained human resource manager. He said that he has a master’s degree in human resource management. He also said that he has atten ded various courses on leadership in the Catholic church and he is therefore well versed with leadership in the church. On his experience in leadership, the interviewee said that he has served as a human resource manager in various companies for a period of thirty years, before his retirement. Mr Charlton therefore said that he has extensive knowledge of leadership both in the cooperate world and also in the church. Charlton’s responsibilities as the chairman of Catholic Parish council in Dallas Texas As the chairman of parish council, Mr. Charlton is first and foremost, the head of the parish council and he is the one who chairs all the meetings of the parish council in the parish. Charlton also is in charge of all development projects in the parish; he oversees all the development projects in the parish. Mr Charlton also is the coordinator of all the activities in the parish, and he is therefore mandated to ensure that all the activities in the parish run smoothly in accord ance with the program of the parish. Charlton’s Philosophy of Leadership On his philosophy of leadership, Charlton said that he is a servant leader. And when I asked him what he understands the servant leadership to be, he said that, servant leadership is a style of leadership whereby the leader views himself not as the master or as the boss of the people, but rather as the servant, the steward, or the shepherd of the people. Charlton went on to say that the guiding principle of servant leadership is to treat people not merely as means to achieve some objective, but rather to see the people as the very objective or the goal of leadership. He went on to explain that, although in leadership making profits for the organisation is of course one of the goals of leadership, monetary profits however should not be made at the expense of the lives of the people/ workers. He said that for him, the primary objective of leadership is to empower his subordinates and to ensure that they ar e contented and to ensure that he has given them conducive environment and means to fully exploit their potentials. He went on to argue that, although at fast glance servant leadership may seen as a leadership style that will lead to massive losses in the organisation, servant leadership actually leads to making an organisation successful

Modern chinese history Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Modern chinese history - Research Paper Example Attempts by barbarians like the Manchu who earlier made contact with China did not have any influence on their way of life and instead got assimilated into the Han Chinese culture. The silk industry for example, has been part of China’s heritage for the last 5000 years and the mystery of its leadership had been unknown for centuries. The recently opened forbidden city that had for hundreds of years been the emperors residences and not accessible by any members of the public for the past 500 years is an example of how tightly guarded the Chinese civilization was and has been. The seclusion from the outside world has been possible over the centuries has facilitated the development of Chinese culture but posed a challenge to this populous nation in the mid 19th century as nations that had made huge technological advancement confronted China. As a result of this confrontation, China faced huge challenges a midst foreign onslaught and this led to a revolution that started in early 20th century that culminated to the establishment of a communist government in 1949.These series of events shaped the political aspect of china and has made it gain much influence in the modern world. The early governance of China was mainly encompassed on the aspect of Dynasties that ruled the state for many centuries since the early 1600-1046BC. The evidence of the existence of the first dynasty was proved by archaeological evidence which established that the Shang Dynasty of 1600-1046BC, was the first Chinese Dynasty, the information shows that this early Chinese society mainly majored in use of bronzes objects, massive ritual vessels and chariots. The information gives a clear indication that the Shang society was sophisticated and well organised with established societal structures. The Zhou, who had been their western neighbours since 1046 to 256BC, later conquered this early dynasty. The Qin dynasty was established and it had much influence on the then society of china, the r eign was acknowledged as the name China is derived from Qin. The dynasty was founded by Shihuangdi who ruled as the emperor and was regarded as a cruel tyrant even though he helped shape modern China by bringing up changes in the administration of his reign. The major achievements of his majesty Shihuandgi included the following: a. He established boundaries, which became the traditional territory of China. b. He developed networks of highways and unified a number of existing fortifications in the Great Wall of China. c. He also managed to establish a proper and basic administrative system that all succeeding dynasties followed over the next 2,000 years. The Han became the next Chinese dynasty after the death of Shihuandgi, this dynasty established much influence in the then China and it even led Chinese being regarded as Han to denote a Chinese. This reign was military capable and fought under the leadership of Han Wudi against its northern nomad neighbour, the Xiongnu as they took control of the eastern portion of the Silk Road, a trading route which was allowed them to sell goods as far away as Rome. Han was able to develop and establish China’s civil service system. This dynasty of Han fell apart during the first half of the 20th century after which the old system of China gradually disintegrated and turbulent preparations were made to lay down a new society. This old traditional governance was undermined by many foreign political philosophies; these critics gave rise to a need for nationalism, which became a very strong

Music and Gender Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Music and Gender - Essay Example Music as a popular culture has the power to influence almost anyone. In hip-hop music, male dominance is a powerful tool, that appears to make the female entity more or less an object of fascination. One take on the subject of patriarchal power is defined by Bell Hooks in the following excerpt: "The sexist, patriarchal ways of thinking and behaving that are glorified in gangsta rap are a reflection of the prevailing values in our society, values created and sustained by white supremacist capitalistic patriarchy."(M.Dot, 2008). The essay written by pseudonym writer M.Dot relates how black hip-hop music tends to follow the 'white suprematist' ideals that men are above and beyond women and for that reason can be seen as objects of men's fantasy rather than having a voice and meaning of their own. The figures of Condoleza Rice and Hillary Clinton are thorns in the flesh of those trying desperately to maintain their place as masculine hegemonous figures. Two reasons for this may arise and one of which may be pure speculation but is however a valid reason. In Hip Hop and Rap, both music genre's make the women predominantly into 'boodies' and 'boobs', crudely arranging them with very little if any mental capacity. Sean Kingston recently released the album with the single "Beautiful Girl" where the featured girl was seen merely as a 'gold-digger' looking for a meal ticket in the form of a man. "You know you'll never work", denotes that because of her beauty she will never have to support herself, further making the man the power image to provide for the woman. 3. Liberal and radical feminism are quite obviously anti-patriarchal power. Country music exemplifies the ideals of the romantic cowboy sweeping the lady-love off her feet on his glittering steed. The hegemony displayed in this genre of music plays up the romantic ideal of masculinity, not the reality. "Since women are believed to factor centrally in human social relations, the male psyche seeks to subordinate women, and thus sustain the illusion of male centrality."(Robinson, 2006: 46). Robinson writes about the fact that in order to make the male the controller, the woman must make herself the controlled (Ibid). This makes for entertaining although unrealistic visions of societal norms. In a sense the modern hip-hop and gansta-rap as urban phenomena, are trying to reinforce something that is being contested, while the rural inspired country music is still hanging onto the romanticised idealism of when men were cowboys. It depends however very much n who is listening to the music. 4. Constantine hip-hop has had rather a bad image, being largely directed by sex in all its forms. It is by far the more popular of the hip-hop styles and centers around the inadequacies of femininity and tries to form the perception that women are all tending towards prostitution. One feminist website describes Constantine hip-hop as focussing on women, and black women in particular as sex objects with the camera's focussing on gyrating body parts (Ayanna, 2008). In this case we are talking Puff-Daddy and Snoop-Dogg rather than the more genteel Sean Kingston. Prophetic hip-hop is a genre more directed towards the future of the world. It often places great emphasis on the doom of modern society, painful break-ups and

The Reasons for Transfering the Home-Country Human Resource Management Term Paper

The Reasons for Transfering the Home-Country Human Resource Management Policies to the Overseas Subsidiaries by Organizations - Term Paper Example The most common reason for the transfer of home-country human resource management policies to overseas subsidiaries is the need for organizations for promoting homogenous policies in all their sectors so that conflicts and failures are minimized. Such issue is highlighted in the study of Wilton (2010) where reference is made to the example of Japanese firms that had to establish branches and operational units abroad. Japanese firms tend to promote team working and task sharing; however, after entering the US market the Japanese firm had to align their HRM strategies with the US laws and ethics (Wilton 2010). In order to avoid conflicts with local laws and culture, the Japanese firms transformed their HRM policies promoting ‘task demarcation and functional specialization’ (Wilton 2010, p.141). From a similar point of view, Sparrow (2009) notes that firms may choose to transfer their home-country human resource management policies to their overseas subsidiaries in order to reduce costs related to training of new employees. Such perspective can be valuable only if the time during which the home country HRM policies are used in the overseas subsidiary is limited; if such practice is continued for a long period of time, then the cost involved would be much higher compared to the development of new HRM policies, aligned with the local culture. This means that expatriates who are sent to work to overseas subsidiaries for supporting the transfer of their firm’s HRM policies to these units should be given a time framework for finishing their tasks. On the other hand, it is perceived that the promotion of policies, which have been already tested in the home country, should be preferred (Stahl and Bjorkman 2006). Introducing new policies is always risky, especially if taking into consideration the physical distance between the mother company and its subsidiaries (Stahl and Bjorkman 2006). Most important, the HRM policies developed in the home country a re fully aligned with the organization’s mission and values (Stockhammer 2011).  

Aristotle Virtue Ethics Essay Example for Free

Aristotle Virtue Ethics Essay One basic notion in Aristotelian ethics that occupies a central significance is Aristotle’s belief in the role of man’s activities in order for one to acquire ethical knowledge. That is, for one to become virtuous or to obtain virtues one should not merely confine himself to mere studying of these virtues but rather one should, more importantly, actualize this knowledge of the virtues. Thus, for one to become good, one should do good. Aristotle further stretches his ideas by proposing the doctrine of the mean. The essence of this doctrine dwells on the basic precept that one ought to avoid the extremes and, instead, settle for the â€Å"mean†. The actions of men, more specifically, ought to be framed upon the â€Å"mean† which is the virtue. For example, the virtue of courage rests on the mean between two extremes: cowardice or the â€Å"lack† of courage, and rashness or the â€Å"excess† in courage. It can easily be observed that Aristotle suggests that one should live a life that does not border on the things that are on the â€Å"most† and the â€Å"least† levels. For example, if I were to follow Aristotle’s ethics I should always see to it that I should consistently draw myself towards the middle value and avoid slanting towards cowardice and excess. All this could have been very well except for one small thing that I cannot seem to fully comprehend. How is it possible for one to ascertain that one is actually taking the middle path? Or how is it possible for one to know that this or that is the middle value or is the virtuous action? Perhaps the key in having an understanding to the notion of the â€Å"mean† is that one should act. That is, as I continually have these ideas as to what I must do when faced with an ethical situation or, at the least, an ordinary situation, I should nonetheless take the course of action so that I will be able to obtain a qualitative understanding that what I am doing is the â€Å"excess†. On the other hand, I will be having quite a rough time in acquiring the understanding as to whether the action that I am doing is virtuous if all that I do is to theorize and never let my theory be put into practice. Aristotle’s virtue ethics reminds me of Plato’s conception of ethics. For the most part of the Republic, Plato attempts to arrive at a conception of a just life by centering on the notion that the just life or that which is good is better than living a life molded on an evil framework and one which prompts individuals to act in an evil manner. At the onset of the Republic’s Book II, a conception of the idea of â€Å"justice† is advanced as the working of an individual in accordance to the role in which one is best suited as well as the belief for non-interference in the activities of others. In essence, this principle is closely related to Plato’s perspective on acting in accordance to one’s nature or intrinsic being which results to the state or condition of being â€Å"just† or acting justly once the individual acts in line to his very nature. Otherwise, if one begins to act beyond what his nature prescribes, then the individual begins to act in an unjust manner thereby resulting to â€Å"evil† actions (Plato and Kamtekar). While Aristotle insists that one should put into action the thought that one may have so as to have an understanding of the middle value that should be taken, Plato, on the other hand, suggests that one should simply go by with one’s nature so as not to be â€Å"evil†. If I were to choose which ethical precept would be better or would fit me best, I would rather be inclined to adopt Aristotle’s virtue ethics over the other because it offers me a chance to actualize myself through my actions and be guided accordingly. Whereas for Plato, what I am seeing is that I should get to know my self first before I act so that I can be good. But this cannot be met easily essentially because I find it quite difficult to know myself if I would not act first. In the light, if all the students in a certain class would build up a virtue like that of Aristotle’s point of view, the achievement of an environment which is formidably that built on the concept of philosophical and tremendously beneficial notions in life, the attainment of the virtue of goodness is towering in the highest hopes—although it eventually does not also undermine the concept of realism. Apparently, many may not stick on this kind of perception and ought to think that it is certainly not possible to achieve a life which is way beyond the bounds of a â€Å"not-so-good† life for that instance, but with the maximum height of human rationality, such may be given enough credit for the philosophers who believed in a life where â€Å"goodness comes in deeds† (Lannstrom). Work Cited Lannstrom, Anna. Loving the Fine: Virtue and Happiness in Aristotles Ethics. Indiana USA: University of Notre Dame Press, 2006. Plato, and R. Kamtekar. The Conventional View of Justice Developed. Trans. D. Lee. The Republic. 2 ed: Penguin Classics, 2003. 8-14.

Identifying the characteristics of crisis communication

Identifying the characteristics of crisis communication The study begins through identifying the characteristics of crisis communication. In doing so a comparison was carried out with the marketing communication characteristics. During the next phase a discussion was carried out to identify the ways in which crisis communication need to be managed and through examples (Child labour and sweat shop scandal in Cambodia with regard to GAP Nike, Johnson Johnson Tylenol crisis ) impact of crisis communication on co-operate reputation was critically analyzed. The next chapter focused on the current crisis communication practices at MAS Intimates, where an in-depth discussion was carried out with the Manager Sustainability and Communication at MAS Intimates. Further analysis on of readiness level and future potential crisis which MAS Intimates might face in was discussed. The way in which the process could be evaluated was discussed. In the final chapter recommendations were given in order to improve on the Crisis communication at MAS Intimates . What is Crisis Communication? Organizations each day might face various types of potential crisis situations such as, workplace violence, explosions/fires, harmful products and management misconduct etc. The term crisis communication could be defined as, Not necessarily catastrophic event, but rather an event that, left to usual business processes, cases significant reputational, operational and financial harm (Doorley Gracial, 2007) The most challenging part of crisis communication management is reacting with the right response quickly. This is because behavior always precedes communication. Non-behavior or inappropriate behavior leads to spin, not communication (James E. Lukaszewski) Characteristics of crisis communication To analyze the characteristics of crisis communication its wise to do a comparison with marketing communication based on factors such as, target audience, communication objectives, lead time, communication tools message type. The following table denotes a comparison between crisis communication and marketing communications. a) Target Group (TG) In crisis communication, it may target many stakeholders or a specialized set of group, where it would depend based on the nature of the crisis which an organization faces. In marketing communication it generally targets the customers, competitors and channel members. (Retailers, suppliers etc) b) Communication objectives The objectives of crisis communication would be, reduce threat/risk to the business, diffuse crisis situations (Inform and persuade) where as in marketing communication the main objectives would be to differentiate and remind) c) Lead time Lead time for crisis communication would be extremely low. (Reacts as a when it happens) but in marketing communication activates are well pre planed. (Higher respond time) d) Communication tools In crisis communications depending on the nature of the crisis the organization may use broadcast or narrowcast to communicate with its stakeholders. But generally in crisis communications tools such as PR articles websites will be used. In marketing communications tools such as, TV, radio and news papers are commonly used. e) Message type During crisis communication, the message which is been communicated need to be impartial, rational, factual and direct, where as in MC the message generally tend to be vague indirect. f) Budget In MC it much more easy to determine the budgets where as in crisis communication its a bit hard to determine a budget as it may differ based on the nature of the crisis. Finally it needs to be stated the crisis communication is distinctly different from routine communication carried out by the company. Therefore it requires a different type of approach. Managing Crisis communication A corporate reputation is a valuable asset (Fombrun and van Riel, 2004). A crisis is a threat to the corporate reputation and crisis communication (Crisis response) can be integral parts of repairing that harm/protecting the reputational assets (Barton, 2001; Benoit, 1995). As mentioned above the characteristics identified (TG, communication objectives, lead time, communication tools, message type and budgets) are distinctly different from the way in which the routine communication is handled at MAS Intimates. Due to this mismatch it s important to identify the way in which to manage the above characteristics during a crisis situation. Firstly its important to have a solid plan, identify who are the stake holder group gets affected, developed contingency plans, allocate resources (sufficient budgets and man power), whose the team (Its not wise to depend on the routine people, therefore MAS need to provide necessary training and expertise to the relevant individuals), Identify which external parties would assist MAS Intimates, what are the media options, and to stimulate or rehearse the crisis plan for a crisis situation etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Impact of crisis communication on co-operate reputation Crises damage the reputation and such changes can affect how stakeholders interact with the organization (Barton, 2001;  Dowling, 2002). It need to be stated if an organization manages crisis communication in a ineffective manner it would make the crisis situation worse where as managing effectively would give the organization the opportunity to face the crisis successfully and convert it to a positive opportunity. Negative Scenario In identifying the impact on reputation one could use the crisis which GAP and Nike experienced during its allegation for breaking its strict code of conducts and anti sweat shop rules which was investigated by Panaroma. (BBC) The two internationally successful brands claim that regular monitoring ensures that most factories are free of unethical practices. But the Panaroma team uncovered sweatshop working conditions and child labour in textile factory in Cambodia which produces GAP and Nike garments. The news evoked the customers (University students in Oregon who lived near Nike and Gap head offices) in United of States, where they not only started to protest and reticulate on anti sweat shops claims against the Nike owner (Its suppose to be the biggest protest movement in US since Vietnam) Impact on crisis communication in GAP Nike reputation During the investigations it was clearly evident that both these companies knowingly have breached its code of conduct, as a result they have mislead its customers the promises given on anti sweat shop practices and banning child labour in its manufacturing process It was evident the spokes personnel addressed the media in this aspect didnt disclosed the exact ground situation. Instead they made an attempt to cover the existing situation by sighting vague excuses, which will no doubt cast a question in respect of the credibility with regard to GAP Nike, and as a result it will create a negative impact in terms of companys reputation. To avoid misunderstanding and confusion, organizations need to direct the publics attention to credible sources and ensure they hear the truth (Taylor, 2006). Positive scenario In 1992, Johnson and Johnson Tylenol medication commanded 35% of US over the counter market analysis. The SKU was doing growing rapidly and it showed 15% of the company profits. Crisis hits Johnson and Johnson Unfortunately at a stage where the company sales were blossoming an individual succeeded in lacing drugs with cyanide. As a result seven people died of it and there were rumors spreading due to contamination in the drug were causing the deaths. At the end of the episode every one in US knew Tylenol was associated with the allegation. As a result of it company market value dropped by $1 billion (Impact towards the company reputation) the share price dipped drastically. Impact on crisis communication in Johnson and Johnson reputation a) They responded quickly by complete openness and immediately removed any source, that would bring a threat by with out waiting for any evidence from other states. b) Having acted quickly they ensured every measurement was taken to avoid any similar future occurrences. (Providing a tame proof packaging) c) Willingness to share the cost on behalf of customer safety Finally its important to note the crisis communication has a clear bearing on co-operate reputation. Therefore it needs to be managed properly to reduce impact from a crisis. Readiness level for crisis communication Problems are inescapable in the dynamics of the twenty-first century, but it does not mean tackling them is insurmountable. Eliasson and Kreuter (2000) argues, one major complication with crisis is how to define the actual crisis variable. In doing so, the following criterias need to be assessed to check the readiness level of an organization to tackle any crisis situation. They are identification of the crisis, assessment of crisis in terms of impact, likelihood, which stakeholders get affected, planning and action, team appointed, spokesperson, training of people, tools and equipment internal communication. Potential crisis Readiness level at MAS Intimates As mentioned above the organization has position it self as a supplier who produces guilt free garments to its world renowned customers. In doing so, one could state that MAS is anticipating crisis in terms of providing guilt free garments though they havent experience or rehearsed any crisis to-date. Apart from it MAS are prone to expose in to crisis such as, loss of quality suppliers, physical injuries during production, workplace violence, explosions/fires, management misconduct etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ In analyzing the readiness level presently at MAS Intimates majority of the criterias mentioned above are not put in to practice. For an example MAS doesnt posses a specific team to manage any crisis situation, lack of a senior spokes person with media credibility, no proper crisis plan or a process a structured program to train personnel. Finally it needs to be stated the readiness level at MAS Intimates to face a crisis is at a lower state. Going forward the gaps identified need to be mitigated if MAS are to manage crisis in an effective manner. Evaluating the effectiveness of the Crisis Management Plan (CMP) A CMP would present a list of contact information, reminders of what generally should be done in a crisis and it helps to develop the crisis response. A CMP is not a step-by-step guide on how to manage a crisis, where Barton (2001), Coombs (2007a), and Fearn-Banks (2001) have noted how a CMP saves time by pre planning tasks, collecting information prior to the crisis, and serving as a guiding source. Once MAS Intimates execute its Crisis Management Plan its important to evaluate the effectiveness of it. In doing, so MAS Intimates could use the following criterias to evaluate the effectiveness of its crisis plan. They are, a) Early warning systems This is the ability to monitor and identify the crisis. Its the responsibility of the appointed team to monitor the internal and external environment on a consistent basis. Identify the scale of the crisis When a crisis is detected by the crisis management team its important to analyze the level of impact the reaction of each and every stakeholder group. The plan should be flexible to cover the scope of the crisis. d) Respond time Its one of the critical criterias in which MAS needs to consider when they are measuring the effectiveness of the crisis plan. It could measure through how fast the plan reacts to the crisis and to get through to your stakeholders. Ex- Johnson and Johnson were able to react fast and as a result they were able to get over the Tylenol crisis within a period of five months. e) Ability to influence stakeholder opinion This is the extent to which the plan could influence the stakeholder opinion in favour of MAS Intimates. Media Comments This refers to the way in which the media reacts to the crisis situation. Ideally the crisis plan need to make sure that majority of the communication tools need to provide positive comments in favour of MAS during and post crisis. Post crisis reputation Its the extent to which the crisis plan has influenced the crisis situation. The evaluation will be done based on, The level of improvement, Has it worsen the situation Is the situation remains the same Recommendations The following suggestions are recommended to improve the crisis communication at MAS Intimates. a) Internal communication Employees are perhaps the most important stakeholders during a crisis, where poor internal communication could undermine the efforts to manage a crisis externally. For example lack of trust, employee turnover and poor customer relations would make the crisis even worse if its not properly managed. The following practices; are recommended to improve the internal communication at MAS Intimates. They are, set up crisis communication channels, desktop alerts, message reporting tools, use social media to listen to your employees, setup target audience in advance, carry out scenario planning and plan messages ahead, provide pocket guide, have crisis communication maps etc(Paste posters on the wall) b) Recruitment of a PR agency Its important to recruit a PR urgency which would be very useful in a crisis situation for MAS. It would help MAS to link with other media communication channels specially in executing PR articles, and developing media strategies to counter attack or defend against a crisis situation. Media Relation Media relation experts are often criticized for the ability to craft stories spin stories in favor of the relevant party. So its critical for MAS Intimates to build a strong relationship with the relevant media channels and media houses. The following techniques could be used by MAS intimates to create a strong bondage with the media personnel. Carry out proper research and prepare Always admit the truth Meet in person -One on one face to face goes along way in media relation. For an example Coca Cola used to take its media personnel for lunch or invite for it cocktail gatherings. Be available for 24/7 Appoint a designated person to handle calls receiving from media channels Finding new ways to communicate Co-operate blogs, message and business networks. d) Training The nature of training would vary based on the crisis. In providing training MAS could use techniques such as stimulations, mock ups, media training, mock plays, sharing best practices carried out by other companys etc. e) Spokesperson A spokesman would play a critical role in a crisis situation as the team need to prepare themselves to talk to the news media. In doing so MAS Intimates need to recruit or train a spokesman to tackle the media pressure during crisis. Lerbinger (1997), Feran-Banks (2001), and Coombs (2007a) devote considerable attention to media relations in a crisis. Proposed article will be published in the Marketer and LMD magazine which would be read by leading business professionals and business students.

Copthorne Hotel †Department Analysis Essay -- Business and Management

Copthorne Hotel – Department Analysis Finance The finance department at the Copthorne Hotel is extremely important to the running of the hotel. Some of the finance operations are carried out within the hotel and some are centrally carried out. For example: Overall accounts, balance sheets for the whole company, Annual reports and break even analysis area all carried out centrally. These are all done centrally to reduce the amount of pressure on the individual hotels and to make sure that they have al the information sorted instead of waiting or the individual hotels to send all of the information to the central office. Here are a few more jobs that are carried out centrally. - Compilation of the Financial section of the annual report - Obtaining capital and resources for bulk purchases for all of the hotels regionally - Identifying start up costs - Identifying running costs - Preparing business plans if hotels need to borrow money - Paying salaries of the management team The finance department within the hotel carries out the simple jobs like paying invoices, preparing guest accounts and paying wages for staff (casual staff etc). Here are a few more jobs that the finance department within the hotel has to handle: - Purchasing orders - Monitoring expenditure (gas, electricity etc) to make sure the hotel stays within its budget Each finance department (centrally and locally) has 5 main jobs. They are as follows: Finance Manager, Cost Controller, Accounts Clerk, Salaries Clerk and several Accounts staff who monitor all of the other departments to make sure they do not go over their budget. The finance department would not be able to operate properly without the required staff and each person is equally important. How Finance helps the Copthorne to meet it’s aims and objectives The finance department is one of the most important departments in the hotel. The finance department manages all of the money that comes in and goes out of the hotel, so without the money that the finance department gives them, many departments would not be able to operate properly. At the beginning of the business year, the finance department set a budget for each department in the hotel. For example, the Human Resources department would be given a  £2,000 budget for all of the business year. The Human Resources ac... ...k together efficiently then Aims & Objectives will be met: - Finance & Administration – All of the other departments know notices and information about budgets, ASAP. - Finance & Marketing – All of the other departments know when their budgets will be received as Marketing may print notices or posters. The finance department will also know how much custom is being made from the advertising posters etc. - Finance & Sales – The finance department will know what is being spent, hat money is being brought in from sales of merchandise etc. - Marketing & Administration – If the Administration team work hard and keep the staff happy, the marketing department wont have to sell hotel as much. Changes I think could be made - The first thing I would add is a multi-department meeting at the end of every week. This would allow the departments to analyse the week’s performance to see if they could improve anything within the hotel. ÃÅ"-I would try and allocate certain days/weeks for certain people. For Example: a week special for families. This would bring in extra money, or a week for couples. This would make a boost to profits as it would be a ‘one off’ special.

Heart of Darkness as Social Protest Essays -- Heart Darkness essays

Heart of Darkness as Social Protest Heart of Darkness, by Joseph Conrad, is an intriguing and extremely disturbing portrayal of man's surrender to his carnal nature when all external trappings of "civilization" are removed. This novel excellently portrays the shameful ways in which the Europeans exploited the Africans: physically, socially, economically, and spiritually. Throughout the nineteenth century, Europeans treated their African counterparts savagely. They were beaten, driven from their homes, and enslaved. Heart of Darkness is no exception. In the first section of the novel, Marlow is disgusted by the condition of the Africans at the First Station. His encounter with the chain gang sickens him to the point where he is forced to wait for them to pass. He even takes a separate path to avoid encountering them again. While avoiding the chain gang, Marlow stumbles upon the object of their work-"a vast artificial hole...the purpose of which I found it impossible to divine." Apparently, to keep them occupied and thus "out of trouble," the natives are forced to do meaningless, pointless exercises. Marlow is shocked by this total subjugation of the Africans and the completely pointless work which they are forced to perform. Prior to 1807, the Europeans directly enslaved the Africans. After 1807, Britain, and eventually most European countries, banned the slave trade. However, this did not stop the Eldorado Exploring Expedition, whose members Marlow described as "reckless without hardihood, gree... ...heads of the natives he killed, those "heads on the stakes" with their faces turned toward the house, to show his complete and total dominance over their lives. After this, the natives could not but help view him with a supernatural aura. He also forced anyone approaching him to crawl on all fours and grovel at his feet. This, coupled with the fact that he did not allow very many people to see him, reinforced his god-like authority. In the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries, the Europeans shamelessly exploited the Africans. Conrad, who had been to Africa, makes no effort to gloss over the gross abuses of power of the Europeans and their inhumane treatment of the natives. Taken in this light, Heart of Darkness serves as an excellent novel of social protest.

The Impacts of Devaluation on Export Performance: The Case of Ethiopia

Agriculture plays a vital role in the Ethiopian economy, contributing 42 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 80 percent of the employment and 90 percent of total export earnings (Ministry of Finance and Economic Development [MoFED] 2011; Diao et al. 2010). In 2009 with an effort to remove the vicious socio-economic circle, the government of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) developed a Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP) with a priority to export orientated agricultural development led industrialization (MoFED 2010 P. 22). Despite the over-ambitious plan, however, the performance of the export sector has remained undeveloped which calls for sound macroeconomic policies that are crucial to combat the bottlenecks constraining the sector. This essay examines the consequences of devaluation on the performance of Ethiopia's export sector. Foreign exchange rate is a key macroeconomic variable that determines performance of export in a country. The reasons why export performance depends on the foreign exchange regime in developing countries include: the characteristics of exportable goods, the effectiveness of financial sectors and trading with foreign currencies rather than with the domestic currency (Nilsson and Nilsson 2000). Accordingly, Ethiopia's export is characterized by primary agricultural products with inelastic export demand and supply, concentration of market and products, and little value addition. The result of primary agricultural product export is a smaller marketing margin and insignificant bargaining power on the world market. The financial sector is also constrained with higher probabilities of the existence of parallel markets that fail at allocating resources to their most efficient usage. More... ...tional Economics: Theory and Policy. 9th ed. Edinburgh Gate: Pearson Education. Melesse, Wondemhunegn Ezezew. 2011. â€Å"The Dynamics between Real Exchange Rate Movements and Trends in Trade Performance: The Case of Ethiopia.† Munich Personal Research Papers in Economics Archive (MPRA). MPRA Paper No. 29161. Munich. Michael, Nwidobie Barine. 2011. â€Å"An Impact Analysis of Foreign Exchange Rate Volatility on Nigeria’s Export Performance.† European Journal of Economics, Finance and Administrative Sciences V (37): 47-55. National Bank of Ethiopia (NBE). 2011. National Bank Annual Report 2009/10. Addis Abeba: NBE. Nilsson, Kristian and Lars Nilsson. 2000. â€Å"Exchange Rate Regimes and Export Performance in Developing Countries.† Oxford: Blackwell Publishers: 331-349. World Bank (WB). 2012. â€Å"World Development Indicators Database: Ethiopia.† Washington, DC: WB.

Behaviorism Time Line and Today’s World

Introduction Behaviorism, as a theory evolved from around 1930 and fell out of favor around 1960. Here the topic will look at the linear existence of behaviorism in reference to the discipline of psychology, as well as the main influential persons that raised the theory from its infancy to its heights as to the contributions each made. In conclusion, relevance to what is still in use to day as residual as well as what differences have happened: what has changed and what has stayed the same. This investigation of the actual time line in comparison with the various groupings of the base theory as it evolved into various sub-groupings will be looked at particularly. Behaviorism Time Line and Today's World To have an idea of the theories involving behaviorism, it becomes crucial to know and understand the vocabulary and background of the terms and theories of the topic being discussed. This is a brief introduction of the theory of behaviorism, as it will be discussed and dissected here in. The evolution of this theory as well as contributions by its various champions will be looked at in a sort of time line to see what has been retained and what has been discarded over time. Behaviorism is the idea of all learned behaviors find genesis in specific conditioning; and that this conditioning occurs with interaction with the environment (Cherry, 2009). Behaviorism also purports systematic and observable study with little or no consideration of internal mental states (Cherry, 2009). Behaviorism can be broken into two distinct areas, being: classical and operant conditioning (Cherry, 2009). Classical conditioning consists of pairing a naturally occurring stimulus with a response, followed by the transference of the relationship to a formerly neutral stimulus, thus causing the reaction to the newly transferred stimulus relationship (Goodwin, 2008). Operant conditioning on the other hand consists of the relationship of either a reward or consequence regarding certain behaviors (Goodwin, 2008). This is also referred to as instrumental conditioning and revolves around the consequences of actions taken. Behaviorism can trace its roots to the empiricism idea of classical association pioneered by John Locke and David Hume as an idea loosely tossed about shortly before the 20th century in consideration of learning in animals and humans linking mental states and perceptual influences (O'Donell, 1986). The earliest reference to behaviorism as an idea in consideration though comes from 1863 when Ivan Sechenov published a paper titled Reflexes of the Brain, where a concept of the mind's responses being inhibited in the central nervous system instead of the brain itself occurs (Cherry, 2009). Even with this evidenced, the solidification of behaviorism would occur with the publication of the behavioral manifesto by John Watson in 1913 ushered in the realm of behaviorism that flourished from around 1930 until 1960, when it fell out of favor (O'Donell, 1986). The time line genesis is associated with Watson's manifesto, but other prominent scientists had pending works in place before, such as Pavlov with his classical conditioning research, officially starting around 1910 (Babkin, 1949). This researcher worked with canines in reference to classical conditioning and behavior modification in Russia, and then the Soviet Union as it fell to socialism, which seemed the lesser of two evils: the other being Nazi Germany (Babkin, 1949). His work was bolstered by the bolshevik regime at this time, who thought it would be a good tool for controlling their massive population to keep them in order and so funded Pavlov's research lavishly (Babkin, 1949). Edward Thorndike published his work Animal Intelligence, which lead to the theory of operant conditioning later in the realm of behaviorism (O'Donell, 1986). Thorndike also went on to carry out the first major scientific study of the adult learner and the learning process used by adults in 1928, and so formulating his theory of learning (Odonell, 1986). Kurt Lewin developed his theories on group behavior in 1946, working with T-groups in research with mob behavior and how it occurs, forming experimental theories still in use today by most counts (Lewin, 1964). Lewin worked with prejudicial situations spurred by social normality and group behavior in terms of group-think and mob behavior (Lewin, 1964). The ways groups interact and process as individual entities were the specialty he followed in his theories and assumptions, and became a pivotal expert in the situations of the 1960s with Negro aggression, warfare revolts, and the rights movements to name a few of the situational events of the time (Lewin, 1964). Later, Skinner worked on the theory of operant behavior, with its schedules of reinforcement: fixed ratio schedule; variable ratio schedule; fixed interval schedule; and variable interval schedule (Cherry, 2009). Skinner was best known for his idea that the consequences of a behavior determine the probability of its recurrence (O'Donell, 1986). In 1948, he published Walden 2, in which he described a behaviorist principally based utopian society, and in 1971, he published again, arguing that free will is an illusion in his book Beyond Freedom and Dignity (Cherry, 2009). It becomes clear, the radicalism of Skinner in statements such as that the ultimate goals of behavioral psychology should be to predict and control behavior (Goodwin, 2008). Operant conditioning was his realm of work, separating conditioning into S and R types, where S is Pavlovian conditioning and R is where a behavior is emitted and a reactive consequence it given as a reward or punishment (Goodwin, 2008). With a stricter methodology his schedules of reinforcement would be repeatable and so fall more into the scientific methods, which was a new way to proceed in psychology research to that time in eliminating explanatory fiction (Goodwin, 2008). Edward Tolman was a cross of the empirical research and the logical positivism, using theory to form predictions to be vetted out in research (Goodwin, 2008). Being goal-directed in his research, Tolman ideally thought of his methods as paralleling the subject's ultimate goals so he was able to follow in same (Goodwin, 2008). In this pursuit though, things happen to influence these goals, and Tolman labeled these as intervening variables (Goodwin, 2008). Cognitive mapping was a contribution of Tolman; as was the downplay of latent learning (Goodwin, 2008). He argued with the ideas of Clark Hull on nearly every point possible, believing in cognitive maps for children to influence their abilities to learn both academically as well as in the real world in terms of tools they could take and keep in their lives (Goodwin, 2008). A lot of these people can not really be placed on a linear time line because they contributed several points to the evolution of behaviorism. The contributions come from a standpoint of little background followed by research and data compilation in a collective knowledge base. Behaviorism has been declining in popularity for several years, or even decades as the philosophy of the cognitive theory changes through experimentation and hypothetical ideas rendered based on observations and speculations alike. Behaviorism started as a method to understand the way actions are taken and why they are done so. Behaviorist psychologists tended to â€Å"mechanize† the process, taking out of the scope the free will affect as well as that of decision on the part of the participant or subject of studies (Kassin, 2008). This can be seen in terms of either over-simplification of the mental processes or simplification of the tests for plausibility (Kassin, 2008). To this end, it can be seen how the testing apparatus put in place for conducting such experimentation holds true in its function and viability, so the actions and testing results are still affective, although interpreted differently as to data extracted from such experimentation (O'donell, 1986). The tests and ideas found and exemplified by these pioneers of behaviorism still ring true, and can be used today, but in different context. The mechanistic procedures held strenuously at the time though are both outdated as the more complex background information is discovered as well as methodologies used in light of the neo-behaviorism that followed referencing some animal to human references (Roediger, 2010). The principles have stayed the same, but the application and reliance has changed due in part to diversity and the simple will to differentiate the various peoples of the world. Today, reflecting back on the age of behaviorism, we can still use some of the principles of behaviorism in terms of treatment of bad behavior as well as understanding why this occurs. In the time of the behaviorists though, thoughts of utopian societies with everyone acting in unison, predicted and anticipated was just too mechanized for society to swallow, and guarantee freedom at the same time(Roediger, 2010). Today, behavior analysis is often used in various therapeutic techniques for all kinds of situations of behavioral situations such as to help children with autism with developmental delays to acquire new skills needed in the world for example. Advances in medical science research tools as well as cognitive theories and treatment overshadow behaviorism as it has starting in the 1950's from that of strictly observational to that of scientifically tested and verified facts in modern cognitive behavioral theories: simplistic boxes and pointers in references to thought processes of the day seem simplistic and abstract compared to today's brain scans for mapping cognizant processes in the advance of science in the roles of psychology research (Roediger, 2010). Behaviorism was never really proven wrong or accused of this, but rather drifted away due to its inability to modernize in relation to today's research tools and abilities of examining what is really happening (Roediger, 2010). the learning history associated with behaviorism simply is not relevant to today's cognizant theorists, and is either compartmentalized, or ignored all together as unimportant (Roediger, 2010). Babkin, B. P. (1949). Pavlov: a biography. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Cherry, K. , (2009). What is behaviorism? Retrieved May 15, 2010 from http://psychology. bout. com/od/behavioralpsychology/f/behaviorism. htm Goodwin, C. J. (2008). A history of modern psychology (3rd ed. ). John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Kassin, S. (2008). Psychology in Modules-ORG 5002, Survey of Psychology II. Pearson Custom Publishing. Boston, MA. Lewin, K. (1964). T-group theory and laboratory method. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. O'Donell, J. (1986). Origins of behaviorism. New York Univ ersity Press. Roediger, R. (2010). What happened to Behaviorism? Retrieved May 15, 2010 from http://www. psychologicalscience. org/observer/getArticle. cfm? id=1540

Internet Gaming Addiction Essay

Computer games are software which developed with an interesting plot, amazing graphics and unreal concepts which you may only see in those games, fantasy movies or animated movies. There are many types of computer games. There are some games that are really addictive making players unhappy if they were offered just a nick of time for playing. Some computer games drive and put the player at the highest level of eagerness to finish the game and wait for the next version. These games are addicting for only a short period of time, and stops after finishing it. The bad thing here is when the player starts to look for another game similar to his previous game. This surely is a sign of addiction. These computer games have characteristics that may or may not be experienced in real life. The difference of these games from the real world is that it makes the user do virtual things that people don’t do in real life. These games are designed to entertain people and one of its objectives is to make people hooked to it. If there are more people hooked, then the producers of the games get more profit. How did these games appeal to the people? Some games may not have done its objective but there are some that greatly caught the attention and time of the people who played it. Another thing is that these games offer competition. It is the same competition that we experience in real life. If the player performs well over the other players in the game, he feels satisfaction. In order to stand among the rest, a player needs to play hard or devote more time. It is just like when we want to standout in class, we have to study harder or when we like to be the most outstanding player in our favorite sports, we have to practice more. A person gets satisfaction after achieving something that he or she wants. This achievement is easy to acquire in computer games as compared to real life. You just sit down, run the game, and enjoy yourself while achieving your goals. However, computer games are far from our real world. You may relate to them, but the real thing is really different. Sometimes, the things that happen to your character in a role playing game may resemble the exact opposite of what is happening to yourself. When your character in the game gets richer, it does not follow that it could happen to the real you. Actually, it does the other thing – you become poorer. Getting addicted to these computer games may be enjoyable but there are serious consequences. Addiction always leads to negative effects. It renders a person irresponsible and makes him forget more important things he should do, and worse, people who are close to him. Sometimes life itself could be just thrown away like a disposable item. A South Korean man was reported dead after playing online game continuously. The death was caused by heart failure due to exhaustion, lack of sleep, and not eating enough (BBC News, 2005). Not sleeping or lack of sleep leads to failure or weakens the capability of our body to resist sickness. And gamers always force themselves to play up to the point that they even lose the time for sleeping. If normal people who lack sleep do not feel good sometimes, then this fact also applies to the gamers. Playing computer games is not for free. It uses electricity, some needs Internet connection, and sometimes you have to pay the game servers to play their online game. Living our daily lives is not for free either. We need resources to support our needs. We need to work to earn resources. Lucky are those teenagers supported by their parents. And obviously those parents will not support for addiction to computer games. It is also a reality that we may earn money from playing games because there are things in a computer game especially in online games that can be traded off with real money. But this money is not enough to support our needs. Addiction to computer games, generally, will not do good effects to the people. If you want to play computer games, you can play them. But be sure to remember not to fall on its trap on becoming addict to it. It has never been good to be an addict on computer games or anything. The only problem is, sometimes, you tend to ignore things because it is being blocked by something attractive or enjoyable. Being responsible is the key to avoid addiction. You better think of yourself, your family and your future. Do not let yourself get entangled in the roots of addiction. You should balance all the things that you do. Do not forget to be happy or do necessary things for your own life. You should know and set priorities in life. You should ask yourself what is important. Think critically, responsibly and do not stop with that. Whatever might be the result of that thinking, carry that on. Just plant in your mind that being an addict to whatever is not good. References: BBC News. 2005. S Korean dies after games session. Retrieved May 1, 2007. http://news. bbc. co. uk/1/hi/technology/4137782. stm.

Dry Shampoo

How do marketers assess the need of a product to market it†¦ In today’s competitive, global environment, new products and innovation are critical to a company’s growth and sustainability. Many companies today focus only on cost reduction. Generating revenue via new, differentiated products should also be part of the corporate strategy. Product development must be done within a strategic context that takes into account emerging market trends, environmental and regulatory rulings and trends, customer and employee needs and wants, and financial considerations.The development and launching of new products is perceived as a risk due to uncertainties of success after significant investments. In addition, the product development process is not well understood by most firms. Finding, developing, and exploiting new product growth can help corporations to maximize latent value in their new innovative products and growing markets, while diversifying risk. It also allows busin esses to focus on evolving macro and micro markets and to enhance customer satisfaction and competitive advantage. Begin market planning by clearly identifying the market you want to target.This may or may not be the market you are working with now. The idea is to think creatively about your product to determine what set of customers are going to give your business the cash flow, profit and growth it needs. Suppose I am going to start a business of â€Å"DRY SHAMPOO† as it is quite a new product for Bangladesh perspectives†¦ The so-called â€Å"French shower,† that curious Napoleonic custom of applying perfume or deodorant over unwashed flesh, went out of style with pantaloons, and certainly never spread to these more hygienic shores.Right? Hello, dry shampoo. Touted as a water and timesaving way to stay quote-unquote gorgeous on the go, these wildly popular shampoo substitutes allow the busiest exec to head straight from the bedroom to the boardroom without a pes ky shower in between. Just apply a cumulus of powder to the scalp, wait two minutes before brushing it out, and Fabulist achieved. Dry shampoo is a powdered substance used to clean the hair when you want to extend the length of a blowout or when it is not practical to use water and traditional shampoo.The market for dry shampoos, which are sold in both spray-on and powdered formulas, has exploded over the past few years. Name a high-end hair-care brand—Frederic Fekkai, Bumble and bumble, Oscar Blandi, Rene Futerer—and the chances are good that a revolutionary new dry-shampoo product is one of the top-selling items in the company's inventory. Their average price overs around $20 for about 3 ounces—not exactly a bargain. So, how well do they work? Old-fashioned wet shampoo cleans hair of all of the assorted gunk and free radicals that accumulate over the course of a day, as well as its natural oils, which are known as sebum.Dry shampoo, which usually has a base of talc, cornstarch, potato, or rice, soaks up rather than washes away sebum and dirt. When you brush out the powder, you're also (allegedly) brushing out the grime, too. Because the soak-up/brush-out method doesn't rid the hair of as much sebum, you can safely use dry shampoos once or several times between regular shampooing. But alert: Because dry shampoos are essentially spray-on powders, they can, even after vigorous brushing, lighten the crown of your head, which can be good or bad, depending on your desired hair color.Why Use Dry Shampoo? Fab Hair, Fewer Washes Over washing your hair can dry it out and cause hair color to fade. To preserve your color and maintain moisturized, sleek hair, it is best to wash your hair only 2-3 times per week. Additionally, if you’re strapped for time and you need to freshen up your locks (after the gym, before a night out, etc. ), dry shampoo serves as a fantastic option. Modern, busy women swear by dry shampoos! So the question is.. Who wi ll buy my product? Why will they buy my product? What will they pay for my product?Where do they expect to find this product? When spoke to a half-dozen dry shampoo devotees about their reliance on these potions. One â€Å"natural† said dry shampoo helps her disguise suspicious roots on the brink of her next highlight appointment, since the powder tends to lighten the hair. Another turns to it when she can't submit to the 45-minute blow-dry required to tame her frizzy curls. Then the third one who use it after midday workouts and the partygoers who want to refresh their appearance in the office bathroom.The marketer may recruit 2 or three testers for analyzing the range of hair types who are chemically enhanced one with thick hair and a schedule that only allows her to hit the gym during lunch. The second has thin hair that looks flat and oily by the end of the workday; she'd prefer to take a second shower before any nighttime assignations. The third one has thick, wavy, jet- black hair that requires herculean efforts to manage. All three work full-time and shampoo daily. generally obedient hair that never, ever wash on a daily basis, having been taught early on that too-frequent washing strips and damages hair over the long run.

Macroeconomics Homework

One of the possible characteristics of the UK national daily newspaper would be the tight competition that exists in the said market due to the availability of the large number of newspaper companies. This characteristic of UK national newspaper causes tight market competition among its member firms. Another characteristic would be the difficulty of market entry in the said industry. This can be attributed to the large number of newspaper companies that already exist in the market. Price competition serves to be one of the major factors that attract more customers based on the given case. Moreover, innovation is also vital to the newspaper industry of UK since newspaper readers now prefer newspapers in a form of either tabloid or any other style that is much different from the conventional broadsheet from of UK’s newspaper. Using the theory of oligopoly, discuss why the Guardian chose to launch a new design of paper in 2005. Read also  Homework Solutions – Chapter 3 On the other hand, the reason why The Guardian launched a new design of newspaper mainly because they have to go with the flow on what other companies has been doing into their products. It was identified that almost all of the competitors of The Guardian has already been shifted from their conventional broadsheet newspapers to smaller design of newspapers like tabloid. One characteristics of Oligopoly would be the fact that any action of one firm in the market may it be price or marketing strategy, always affects other players on the said industry (Tutor2u.com 2007: 1). The fact that The Guardian was forced to make new designs for its newspaper would necessarily mean that they were affected by the strategies of their competitors of transforming the size of their newspapers. Moreover, based on the case, price only matters less or only among the many factors that affects the demand of newspaper readers which is also a part of the traits of Oligopoly. Works Cited Tutor2u.com (2007). Oligopoly [online]. Available: http://tutor2u.net/economics/content/topics/monopoly/oligopoly_notes.htm [Accessed

CASE STUDY ANALYSIS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

CASE STUDY ANALYSIS - Essay Example he brains behind the business including the friends of Holly Tucker and Sophie Cornish have had a wealth of experience in marketing and the media industry, having worked with big brands including the top five advertising agencies, major magazine houses, the Boots and L’Oreal. This must have injected a lot of skills and knowledge into the business successfully making it one of the awards winning online market places whose popularity cannot be overemphasized across the globe. The reputation of these brains has gone unchallenged. It follows then that they must have contributed immensely to the success of the business (Press release, 2010). The fact that the business has a variety of products ranging from garden to gourmet, bracelets to handbags, lingerie to linen, cushions to kid’s clothes, and scarves to stationery has also contributed a great deal to the success of the business. Furthermore these products are originally made (Gilmour, Matthews & Holden, 2011, p.103). This has boosted the business attracting customers from across the globe. Indeed, fantastic is the word to describe the products. People love beautiful things; they want to be associated with such fantastic products. These products are found in notonthehighstreet.com. As such people come flowing for the products that are largely seen to enhance their individual happiness and social well being. Another factor that is likely to have contributed to the success of this high profile business is the early realization of the importance of the modern information and communication technologies. The business has significantly taken advantage of the modern technologies thereby enhancing its marketing. The use of the internet for the promotion of the services, online marketing is a fundamental tool that this business has used to get to the point where it is. Companies like notonthehighstreet.com are likely to face certain challenges especially during the first years of operation. One of such major

Globalization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 8

Globalization - Essay Example Majority of the working mothers seek help from day care centres so that they can work more independently without any responsibility or hassel. (Darling, 2003, 290) They do not get enough time to teach moral and cultural values to their children. It is not much about ethnicity of mothers, but more about the economical, social and cultural back ground they belong. For example, children of separated or diviced parents seem to be more insecure and less confident. Such children are used by their parents to get their motives. Seperated parents use their children to justify their break ups. (Stoll, 2000, 202) When a child experiences all this happening around him, that makes him feel no body loves or want to have them in the whole world. When such children grow up they tend to have more apprehension and aggression and are more expected as grown ups to get into similar type of weak relationships. This has been observed that the rate of poverty is much lesser in married couples that is nearly 5.7%; as compare to single-parent family that is nearly 33.4%. Single mothers end up in getting welfare dependent. Single parent welfare programs and policies are a major cause of traditional nuclear family collapse and they contribute in lowering work and responsible conduct on part of parents. (Charles, Nickie, 2002, 02) Such programmes have also caused a sky scraping rate of break ups, which eventually results in even greater number of welfare recipients, a high rate of poor health conditions, crime, and behavioral dilemmas, lesser interest in education and add to the possibility of obstacles in future for such persons. Statistics reveals that children who are brought up in a single-parent family are more expected to be deprived and encounter more psychological and behavioral difficulties in life. They are more likely to start substance addition and get involved in criminal activities later in life. (Maccoby & Martin,

California Exit Exams Litigation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

California Exit Exams Litigation - Essay Example A recent nationwide study by the Manhattan Institute revealed that only 32 percent of all American students leaving high school are college-ready. The picture is said to be bleaker for the so-called ELL (English Language Learner) students, which is 20 percent for African-American students and 16 percent for Hispanics. Among all the states, California has the highest population of such minority students, followed only by New York (Garcia, 1991), such that a big proportion of graduates from California's public high schools is unfit for college. To erase this blot in the state's educational landscape, the state legislature enacted the California High School Exit Exams (CAHSEE) in 1999, which was implemented on a voluntary basis in 2001 for the high school students scheduled to graduate in 2004. From that time until the exit exam was made mandatory in 2006 as a requirement for graduation of all public high school students, the program has been hounded by controversy. So far, two class ac tion suits have been filed against state authorities alleging that the exit exam is arbitrary and impracticable. This paper examines the effects of CAHSEE to see if there is really such a cause for action against the program and whether the changes set to be introduced in the rules as a consequence of the lawsuits can improve the situation. The California High School Exit Exam is one of many state-specific educational schemes given impetus by the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), which was enacted by the national legislature in 2001 to reduce the dropout rates and narrow the perceived achievement gap among high school students all over the US. A priority concern of NCLB is the increasing number of special education students who lag behind in academic achievement because of physical and cultural handicaps. Students with physical disabilities and those with ethnic roots, that altogether comprise 35 percent of the public high school population in California (Greene & Winters, 2004), have the highest dropout rate and the lowest ranking in academic achievement and expectations because of poverty and lack of language skills. The NCLB mandated the adoption of testing schemes to ensure that the public school system benefits all students and non-performing public schools improve their instruction. CAHSEE was California's respons e to the measure, which has similarity in content to other schemes established in about half of the American states. There are a dozen other smaller programs, including the school choice initiative and the voucher-and-charter school scheme in which students are allowed to leave public schools for better performing private ones, with appropriate assistance (Forster, 2006). In all, the common goal is to forge a 100 percent passing rate for all public high school students so no one is deprived of the opportunity to pursue a college degree. The CAHSEE consists of two main sections: English language arts (ELA) and mathematics. Under the ELA section, examinees are usually asked 72 multiple-choice questions and have to write a 2 and page essay. To obtain a passing grade in this section, the students must get 60 percent of the questions right. In the math section, which comprises 80 multiple-choice questions, the passing score is 55 percent. Sample questions in the ELA and math tests

Marketing. Firms gain competitive advantage Case Study

Marketing. Firms gain competitive advantage - Case Study Example For many years, logistics inefficiencies have been criticized and scrutinized in order to increase productivity. There has been little close examination of possible savings in the area of physical distribution, now known as logistics. There is a movement towards a closer analysis of all aspects of logistics. This is particularly important where selling and distribution costs are high. One of the new methods in logistics is wireless technologies used by UPS and FedEx which help them to create state-of-the-art solutions for difverse customer groups. In other words, firms are a sum of their activities and not just comprised of a series of discrete functions. Logistics is therefore not just about managing functions, but managing linkages between those functions. More will be said about the integration of various facets of the value chain in the discussion on implementation strategies. FedEx Executive says: "Wireless data connectivity is something we've done for many years. But we had to provide our own bandwidth and we had to develop technology to manage it" (Gruman 2006). At this stage, what is important is to understand how logistics companies can analyze current position along various dimensions of the value chain - in essence, their strengths and weaknesses. ... real-time data to manage their operations, and the only way for the companies to get this near-real-time information is through the use of wireless technology in the field and in their facilities" (Gruman 2006). UPS and FedEx take into account internal and external factors that influence location of the goods. The Concept of 'Place' and its Role in New Logistics Looking at the concept of 'Place' from a total viewpoint, may indicate that some parts of the system can operate at less that the optimum in order to make the whole system more effective. For example the production manager may need to schedule shorter runs, or the transport manager more frequent deliveries, if it benefits the total logistics system. Acceptance of the new logistics concept implies a recognition of the fact that an action affecting one part may affect all others (Chase, Jacobs 2003). So a united approach is needed in order to maximize overall effectiveness. One of the main innovations used by UPS and FedEx is that: 'The two companies are exploiting new wireless technologies in their differing attempts at aiding the two main components of their operations: pickup/delivery and packaging/sorting" (Gruman, 2006). In order to produce or provide quality service to a required quality level, at an appropriate time and within acceptable financial constraints, logistics create a number of functions that are essential. For instance, using UPS and FedEx new logistics flexible organizations have the potential to maximize benefits from different locations and national economic conditions through a variety of means: locating businesses in markets where factor conditions are favorable leading to cost advantages and efficiency; operating in non-domestic markets where "demand conditions are more favorable"

What is social justice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

What is social justice - Essay Example These states, events and processes include our actions, beliefs and thinking (Gao, 96). The relation between an event A and another event B poses a philosophical problem when there is something between A and B that makes the relationship between them problematic. The mind and body have many features that are said to be responsible for our sense of problem because they interact causally. Rene Descartes held a long tradition in philosophy that the mind is a non-bodily entity (Gao 98). He described the mind as a soul or mental substance. When the mind is said to be a mental substance, it is not implied to be made up of a non-physical material. The term substance, in a traditional philosophical use, refers to a substance as an entity. The mental substances in the mind and body are non-material or non-physical objects that exist independently of a physical object like the body of a person (Cahn, 117). But how do such objects relate to physical objects? Determinism is the philosophical view that all events have a cause. It posits that all mental and physical states of affairs are the result of their causes and in a way have a scientific law. Determinism comes with various implications. For example, it does not believe in free will, miracles or chance about the occurrence of various phenomena. Determinists argue that the future event or past event can be calculated (Gao 106). A special form of determinism believes that some mental processes might not be caused even though physical processes are caused. According to them, choices involve mental processes, thus have no actual effects in the extreme world. For example, when one watches a movie twice, he/she doe not hope for a different outcome, but do so in the interest in the event. One of the scholars that held the determinist view was Isaac Newton. Newton challenged the phenomenon around him when he ventured into discovering the cause a fruit from the top of a tree. His determination to question the its

Hunting Methods of Early Man Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Hunting Methods of Early Man - Research Paper Example The major distinguishing feature of Homo habilis is his ability to organize into groups. This idea became possible because of the development of language that eased communication and understanding (Leakey 3). The groupings build more strength and hunting became easier with increased chances of success and low risks of attacks from animals. It is in this stage that man began making and using tools from stones and this is why the name handyman becomes more appropriate in describing him. The tools facilitated the hunting process and made killing easier and this enabled him to start killing bigger animals for food. The tools also gave him an advantage and he could thus fight back in case of any aggression from some other animals. The tools also enabled him to split the prey into smaller pieces to easily, carry the meat to their proffered destination as well as in the preparation of the meat before consumption. This, therefore, enabled him to lead a more settled life compared to the earli er species. However, the man did not establish permanent settlements like towns and cities because from time to time he had to move from one place to another in search of animals to hunt (Leakey 3). Despite feeding on meat, the man also consumed fruits, leaves, roots, insects as well as birds and their eggs. The conditions prevailing in the environment sometimes forced him to resolve into omnivorous especially when there were no animals to hunt. The man hunted in groups, as the chances of succeeding were very low if one hunted alone. They, therefore, used to move together while ganging up on the prey killing with very great force. Homo habilis, just as the other earlier species of man was also a scavenger feeding on fruits and berries that he collected from his environment.