Industrial Relations free essay sample

To establish a proper channel of communication. 5. To increase the morale and discipline of the employees. 6. To safeguard the interests of the labour as well as management by securing the highest level of mutual understanding and goodwill between all sections in an industry. 7. To avoid all forms of industrial conflicts so as to ensure industrial peace by providing better living and working standards for the workers. 8. To bring about government control over such industrial units which are running at a loss for protecting the livelihood of the employees. Importance of Industrial Relations: 1. Uninterrupted Production: The most important benefit of industrial benefits is that it ensures continuity of production. This means continuous employment for all involved right from managers to workers. There is uninterrupted flow of income for all. Smooth running of industries is important for manufacturers, if their products are perishable goods and to consumers if the goods are for mass consumption (essential commodities, food grains etc. We will write a custom essay sample on Industrial Relations or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page ). Good industrial relations bring industrial peace which in turn tends to increase production. 2. Reduction in Industrial disputes: Good Industrial relations reduce Industrial disputes. Strikes, grievances and lockouts are some of the reflections of Industrial unrest. Industrial peace helps in promoting co-operation and increasing production. Thus good Industrial relations help in establishing Industrial democracy, discipline and a conducive workplace environment. 3. High morale: Good Industrial relations improve the morale of the employees and motivate the worker workers to work more and better. 4. Reduced wastage: Good Industrial relations are maintained on the basis of co-operation and recognition of ach other. It helps to reduce wastage of material, manpower and costs. 5. Contributes to economic growth and development. Causes of poor Industrial Relations: 1. Economic causes: Often poor wages and poor working conditions are the main causes for unhealthy relations between management and labour. Unauthorised deductions from wages, lack of fringe benefits, absence of promotion op portunities, faulty incentive schemes are other economic causes. Other causes for Industrial conflicts are inadequate infrastructure, worn-out plant and machinery, poor layout, unsatisfactory maintenance etc. . Organisational causes: Faulty communications system, unfair practices, non-recognition of trade unions and labour laws are also some other causes of poor relations in industry. 3. Social causes: Uninteresting nature of work is the main social cause of poor Industrial relations. Dissatisfaction with job and personal life culminates into Industrial conflicts. 4. Psychological causes: Lack of job security, non-recognition of merit and performance, poor interpersonal relations are the psychological reasons for unsatisfactory employer-employee relations. 5. Political causes: Multiple unions, inter-union rivalry weaken the trade unions. Defective trade unions system prevailing in the country has been one of the most responsible causes for Industrial disputes in the country. Suggestions to improve Industrial Relations: 1. Sound personnel policies: Policies and procedures concerning the compensation, transfer and promotion, etc. of employees should be fair and transparent. All policies and rules relating to Industrial relations should be fair and transparent to everybody in the enterprise and to the union leaders. 2. Participative management: Employees should associate workers and unions in the formulation and implementation of HR policies and practices. 3. Responsible unions: A strong trade union is an asset to the employer. Trade unions should adopt a responsible rather than political approach to industrial relations. 4. Employee welfare: Employers should recognise the need for the welfare of workers. They must ensure reasonable wages, satisfactory working conditions, and other necessary facilities for labour. Management should have a genuine concern for the welfare and betterment of the working class. 5. Grievance procedure: A well-established and properly administered system committed to the timely and satisfactory redressal of employee’s grievances can be very helpful in improving Industrial relations. A suggestion scheme will help to satisfy the creative urge of the workers. 6. Constructive attitude: Both management and trade unions should adopt positive attitude towards each other. Management must recognise unions as the spokesmen of the workers’ grievances and as custodians of their interests. The employer should accept workers as equal partners in a joint endeavour for good Industrial relations. . Creating a proper communication channel to avoid grievances and misunderstandings among employees 8. Education and training imparted to the employees What are Industrial Relations? The concept of Industrial relations has been defined using various terminologies, but in the strictest sense, it is essentially the relationship between management and labor. The full concept of industrial relations is the organization and practice of multi-pronged relationships between labor and management, unions and labor, unions and management in an industry. Dale Yoder defines it as a whole field of relationships that exists because of the necessary collaboration of men and women in the employment process of an industry. Role of Industrial Relations: Industrial relations are associated with labor, management, labor unions, and the state. The scene of industrial relations has grown tremendously, and cannot be represented merely by relations between management and labor. It has become a comprehensive and total concept embracing the sum total of relationship that exists at various levels of the organizational structure. Additionally, it connotes relationships between workers themselves within the labor class, and relations among the management within the managerial class. In an open sense, industrial relations denote all types of relations within a group and outside a group both formal and informal relations. Objectives of Industrial Relations: 1. Protect management and labor interests by securing mutual relations between the two groups. 2. Avoid disputes between management and labor, and create a harmonizing relationship between the groups so productivity can be increased. . Ensure full employment and reduce absenteeism, hence, increasing productivity and profits. 4. Emphasize labor employer partnership to establish and maintain industrial democracy. This is done to ensure the sharing of profit gains, and personal developmental of all all employees. 5. Provide better wages and living conditions to labor, so misunderstandings between management and labor are reduced to a minimum. 6. To bring about government control over plants where losses are running high, or where products are produced in the public interest. 7. To bridge a gap between various public factions and reshape the complex social relationships emerging out of technological advances by controlling and disciplining members, and adjusting their conflicts of interests. Conceptual Model for understanding Industrial Relations Conceptual Model of Industrial Relations Role of State Intervention: State intervention in business is necessary in a developing country because of the following reasons: 1. Developing countries lack powerful labor unions, enabling organizations to exploit workers and even ignore their demands. This is why governments have to step in and play a role in delineating certain parameters of industrial relations. 2. When the conditions of laborers worsen, and/or disputations arise, the government cannot be a silent bystander. It has to intervene in the situation and try to satisfy both sides by being a preceptor or an intermediary, and establish peace. 3. The federal nature of the constitution has made it imperative for the state to intervene in matters of labor to ensure a smooth and continuous operation. The state and the central governments have established certain laws that have to be followed by businesses. These are: the Plantations Act of 1952, the Minimum Wages Act of 1948, the Industrial Disputes Act, the Payment of Bonus Act of 1965, the Contract Labor Act of 1970, the Payment of Gratuity Act of 1972, the Bonded Labor System Act and the Remuneration Act of 1978. 4. The Directive Principals of the Constitution enjoin upon the state to establish a welfare state and to look after the interests of the weaker sections of the society, for example, the physically disabled. Definition of Mediation and Conciliation Mediation Mediation is the concept of making peace between aggravated parties. It is an ancient practice, and is carried out by a peace-maker. Mediation comes into play when two or more parties come together to discuss their differences and settle their differences. Mediation has been used among people, nations, litigants, labor and government, etc. A mediator, who is an outsider, may be present for settlement of disputes. The mediators role is to assist the parties in their negotiations. Conciliation Conciliation is generally the process of encouraging the aggravated parties to come together for mediation. In industrial relations however, the distinctions between the terms mediation and conciliation are negligible, and this trend also applies to other countries. Therefore, conciliation may be defined as the services of a third party that are used in a dispute as a means of helping the disputing parties to reduce the extent of their differences and to arrive at a settlement or mutually agreed solution. Conciliation tends to bring a speedy solution to industrial disagreements, hence, avoiding unnecessary strikes and lock-outs. Role of a conciliator: A conciliators function is to define a series of steps toward settlement of differences between the parties seeking reconciliation. A conciliator may open a series of options, attitudes, and offer alternative possibilities of settlement. The roles of a conciliator are summarized below: a. Discussion Leader A conciliator encourages a clear and friendly communication, creates a safe environment, and discourages any bias or antagonism between the parties. . Safety Valve A conciliator may be placed between the aggravated parties and may take on collateral damage without damaging the atmosphere of conciliatory meetings. c. Communication link A conciliator may serve as an important communication link between the aggravated parties. d. An innovator A conciliator may offer new suggestions and priorities, and provide the parties different views t o the solution. e. A sounding board A conciliator may step in between any heated arguments taking place during the conciliatory process. f. Protector A conciliator may be a protector of the parties while preparing the parties for a collective bargaining position during separate meetings. h. A stimulator A conciliator may motivate the parties to a peaceful solution by supporting good arguments from opposing sides. i. An advisor A conciliator ensures that misunderstandings dont occur between the parties, and that room is open only to responsible discussions. j. A face saver A conciliator may get the defeated party a form of accommodating settlement, which, in reality, holds on real value. This is done in order to mask the loss of face or prestige of the losing party. k. Promoter of collective bargaining A conciliator promotes collective bargaining and development of a mutual understanding between the parties. Tripartite Bipartite Bodies, and Industrial Settlement Tripartite Bodies: The principals and policies of the tripartite body have been a machinery of consultancy at the industrial and national levels. The tripartite body was established to make peace and improve relations between management and unions, and maintain smooth functioning of union management relations. It began as a statutory organization by the recommendation of the Whitey Commission to the ILO in 1931. The tripartite body had to be sufficiently large to ensure sufficient representation of the various interests involved; encourage representatives of employers, labor and government to meet regularly; and disallow individual members from making individual contributions to meetings. Purpose of Tripartite Body: a. Bring the aggravated parties together for mutual settlement of differences, and encourage a spirit of cooperation and goodwill. b. Promote uniformity in labor laws and legislation. . Discuss all matters of All India importance as between employers and employees. d. Determine a plan for settlement for all disputes. Bipartite Bodies: With the beginning of industrialization of India, labor relations in Indian industries have also been largely influenced by Indian democracy. Groups like Works Committee and Management Council were established to democratize Indian industrial rela tions. The bipartite consultation machinery was established around 1920, during the time when a few joint committees were setup by the Government of India. These joint committees were also introduced in TISCO in Jamshedpur. Fundamentals of Industrial Settlement: 1. Both parties have to realize that the country is breaking away from the past, and this is going to put continuous pressure on the quality of man-power and demands from human resources. 2. Both parties have to realize that to run a successful and profitable business, team work is extremely important. This gives rise to timely response and supply of goods to the society. 3. Both the parties accept the charters of Human Resources Policy summarized below: a. Individuals must make every effort to improve their job skills through training and participating in developmental activities. b. Each employee must keep his/her job skills up-to-date with changing business practices and operations. c. Machineries should be used throughout the year with trained staff readily available to operate it. d. Indirect employees may be converted to direct employees for increasing business efficiency. e. Absenteeism and unnecessary delays must be reduced through planning. f. Short-term employment must be avoided. Long-term employment should be encouraged and highly trained employees must be hired. . The above steps must be utilized to increase company productivity; exploitation of employees must be disallowed. h. High emphasis must be placed upon the quality of work. The Zero Defect policy must be always followed. i. Employees must make a stand to follow the Human Resources Policy individually or collectively. j. Both the parties should closely and routinely monitor change in productivity, and take necessary steps to avoid undesirable consequences. Types of Industrial Strikes Types of Strikes: Hunger strike: Workers gather near the factory owners residence and refuse to eat. Pen down: Workers come to work on regular hours but refuse to do any work. Rule strike: This type of strike is done by strictly abiding by company rules to the extreme, and there is no space for flexibility. Support strike: Supporting workers from another factory also go on strike to support their fellow workers from a related factory. Gate strike: Workers gather near the company gates and launch a strike. Production strike: Workers produce more industrial items but now in harmony. Go-slow: Workers work their usual hours but their productivity is greatly reduced. They deliberately work slower than usual, causing heavy losses and production delays. Picketing and boycott: This is the act of surrounding and picketing the owners residence, and not allowing anyone to enter the premises. Violent picketing is illegal. Boycott is disturbing the normal functioning of the business. Gherao: This is the process of blocking a target by encircling it. This may prevent people from approaching the target. The target may be an office, a building entrance, factory, residence, etc. Gherao may involve assault and torture, and gheraos are illegal. Sympathetic strike: This is an illegal strike done by workmen, who are fully satisfied by their employment, but support the cause of their fellow unsatisfied workmen. Lockouts: This is the process of closing down a place of business due to refusal to work by the employees. Lockouts are different from strikes because lockouts are initiated by the management/employer. Lockouts are: 1. Closure of industrial undertaking due to violence, disputes, etc. 2. Suspension of employment relationship. 3. Lockouts are initiated by the employer, and strikes are initiated by the employees. . Lockouts have definite motive. Lockouts Economy: Lockouts damage industry and national economy. Parameters Classification of Industrial Disputes What is an Industrial Dispute? For a dispute to become an industrial dispute, the following parameters have to be met: 1. The dispute must be between: a. Employers and employers. b. Employers and labor. c. Labor and labor. 2. It should be in relation to employment, no n-employment, terms of employment, with the conditions of labor (except managers and supervisors), or must pertain to any industrial matter. . The workman shouldnt have an income over Rs 1600 per month. 4. There should be a valid and contractual relation between the employer and the employee. Furthermore, the employee must be employee at the time of the dispute. Classifications of Disputes: 1. Conflict of Interest: These conflicts arise due to disagreements in level of income, fringe benefits, job security, and/or other terms and conditions of employment. Dispute can be resolved on conciliation by compromising. 2. Grievance or Rights Disputes: Also known as conflict of rights disputes, they occur due to general disagreements like: discipline, dismissal, payment of wages, overtime, time off entitlements, demotion, transfer, etc. Dispute can be resolved in labor courts and tribunals. 3. Disputes involving unfair labor practices: This type of dispute occurs when Trade union members face discrimination. Unfair labor practices include: interference, restraint or coercion of employees, refusal to collective bargaining, recruitment of workmen during legal strikes, failure to implement awards, acts of violence, etc. Resolution occurs by rules laid down by the MRTU PULP Act in the state of Maharashtra, or following the rules of the Industrial Dispute Act. What is the Indian Industrial Dispute Act of 1947? The Industrial Dispute Act of 1947 has been described as the latest milestone in the industrial development in India. The Act has seen new additions in the past few years. However, the principal objectives of the Industrial Dispute Act of 1947 are: Objectives of Indian Industrial Dispute Act: 1. To encourage good relations between labor and industries, and provide a medium of settling disputes through adjudicator authorities. . To provide a committee for dispute settlement between industry and labor with the right of representation by a registered trade union or by an association of employers. 3. Prevent unauthorized strikes and lockouts. 4. Reach out to labor that has been laid-off, unrightfully dismissed, etc. 5. Provide labor the right to collective bargaining and promote conciliation. New I ndian Industrial Dispute Act Principles: 1. A permanent conciliation committee for the speedy settlement of industrial disputes. 2. Compulsory arbitration in public utility services and enforcement of arbitration awards. . Strikes during proceedings of conciliation and arbitration meetings are prohibited. 4. Set aside specific times for conciliation and arbitration meetings. 5. Employers have to be obliged to communicate with labor unions. 6. Mutual consultation has to be set up between industry and labor by the Works Committee. 7. Disputes between labor and industry have to be forwarded to an Industrial Tribunal. If the Industrial tribunal fails to handle the case, the case should be forwarded to the appropriate government. Authorities under Indian Industrial Dispute Act: . Works committee. 2. Conciliation officer. 3. Boards of conciliation. 4. Courts of inquiry. 5. Labor courts. 6. Industrial tribunals. 7. National tribunals. causes of Industrial Dispute: Disputes may result from various causes: psychological, potential, and economic. The most common cause of strikes has been economic reasons; other reasons have been influenced by nationalist, communist, and commercial ends. The Labor Bureau of Simla has observed causes such as: wages and allowances, bonus, personnel, vacation and work timings, violence (added in 1971), etc. An analysis has revealed the following facts: During 1921-1931: †¢ 15. 2% of demands were related to wages. †¢ 4. 6% of demands were related to bonus. †¢ 4. 4% of demands were related to vacation days and work-timings. †¢ 18. 5% of demands were related to others. During 1939-1947: †¢ 44. 1% of demands were related to wages. †¢ 7. 9% of demands were related to bonus. †¢ 15. 6% of demands were related to personal matters. †¢ 5% of demands were related to vacation and work-timings. During 1948-1957: †¢ 28. 1% of demands were related to wages. †¢ 9. 1% of demands were related to bonus. †¢ 30. % of demands were related to personal matters. †¢ 7. 2% of demands were related to vacation days and work-timings. Industrial Disputes According to V. B. Singh: Mr. V. B. Singh defines industrial disputes falling under these categories: 1. Income (wage items, price rates, allowances, bonus, minimum and basic wages, etc. ) 2. Employment (hol idays, leaves like sick leave, etc. , work-timings, welfare activities, etc. ), and 3. Technological changes (workload, standardization of raw materials, etc. ). What is Industrial Peace? Industrial peace has, at a certain extent, worsened in the past few years. The social gap between management and labor has increased, resulting in increased disparities and frustration. Industrial peace has to be developed with mutually understanding the issues of labor, and it is imperative to have proper communication between management and labor union. Three ways to establish industrial have been suggested by the Royal Commission on Labor: 1. Appoint a labor officer who ensures labor welfare and serves as a representative to management. 2. Constitution of Works Communities for different industries, and 3. Development of stable and responsible trade unions.

STAT 1350, Quiz #10, Summer 2014 Essays - Regression Analysis

STAT 1350, Quiz #10, Summer 2014 Essays - Regression Analysis STAT 1350, Quiz #10, Summer 2014Name _______________________________________ 1-3. A random sample of patients who attended a clinic was selected. The age of the patient (years) and the number of days since the last visit were collected and are displayed in the figure below. The least-squares regression line for predicting number of days since the last visit from the age of the patient is y = 600.081 8.694x. 1.The slope of this line is A) 600.081. B) 8.694. C) 8.694. D) 600.081 8.694 = 591.387. Ans: C 2.The slope of this line tells us the A)correlation between age of patient and days since last visit. B)change in days since last visit for each year older a patient is, on average. C)change in the age of the patient for each extra day since the last visit. D)average days since last visit for all of the patients. Ans: B 3.Using this line, you predict that the number of days since last visit to the clinic for a 50-year-old patient will be about A) 63 days. B) 78 days. C) 165 days. D) 200 days. E) 252 days. Ans: C 4.What can we say about the relationship between a correlation r and the slope b of the least-squares line for the same set of data? A)r is always larger than b. B)r and b always have the same sign (+ or ). C)b is always larger than r. D)b and r are measured in the same units. E)Both C and D are correct. Ans: B 5.A study of 3617 adults found that those who attend religious services live longer (on the average) than those who dont. Is this good evidence that attending services causes longer life? A)Yes, because the study is an experiment. B)No, because religious people may differ from non-religious people in other ways, such as smoking and drinking, that affect life span. C)Yes, because the sample is so large that the margin of error will be quite small. D)No, because we cant generalize from 3617 people to the millions of adults in the country. Ans: B 6.If the least-squares regression line for predicting y from x is y = 500 20x, what is the predicted value of y when x = 10? A) 300 B) 500 C) 4800 D) 700 E) 20 Ans: A 7.Perfect correlation means all of the following except A)r = 1 or r = +1. B)all points on the scatterplot lie on a straight line. C)all variation in one variable is explained by variation in the other variable. D)there is a causal relationship between the variables. E)each variable is a perfect predictor of the other. Ans: D 8.The correlation coefficient for these data is r = 0.45. Which of the following statements is true? A)Predictions using this equation will be fairly poor since about 45% of the variation in price can be explained by the linear relationship with number of pages. B)Predictions using this equation will be fairly good since about 45% of the variation in price can be explained by the linear relationship with number of pages. C)Predictions using this equation will be fairly poor since about 20% of the variation in price can be explained by the linear relationship with number of pages. D)Predictions using this equation will be fairly good since about 20% of the variation in price can be explained by the linear relationship with number of pages. Ans: C 9.The best way to settle questions of causation is A)a careful observational study. D)to draw a line graph. B)a properly designed experiment. E)to calculate a correlation. C)to draw a scatterplot. Ans: B

How will automation affect operations management practices over the Research Paper

How will automation affect operations management practices over the next decade - Research Paper Example Automation is classified into three categories depending on the purpose; firstly, automation that performs duties beyond human capability or human operators cannot accomplish task within desired duration. The second is automation of duties that human operators perform poorly, and finally, automation of risky or undesirable activities (Singh, Tiwari & Singh, 2009, p.9). Essentially, automation has reduced the number of human resource in operation; similarly, it has reduced human interaction. Further, the cost of automation is very high and requires specialized workers to handle and maintain these systems. Besides, the benefits of automation, there are process that cannot be easily automated. Automation will fuel development of more customized products and shorten production duration. Furthermore, through automation, higher quality goods will be produced as a result of improved product and process design. Some processes will became fully automated, thus requiring minimal human supervis ory control. Similarly, automation will have profound effects on management of human resource and other operations. Essentially, automation will affect the organizational structure by shrinking management levels. This paper will explore how automation will affect designing of products and services and operational processes used to create goods and services over the next decade. Similarly, the paper also outlines the possible effects of automation on other operations management practices such as controlling, planning, and management. How Automation will affect design of products, Services, and operation processes Design in operation management encompasses design of products, services and the operation process. Design automation that is actively evolving... The growth rate of automation is increasing at a high rate due to international competition and availability of skilled labor and capital. Besides, automation is significant because it can lead to higher quality products and higher productivity. Automation is geared to solving a specific problem, thus the problem determines the level of automation. Furthermore, automation helps to performs duties beyond human capability or human operators cannot accomplish within desired duration, or even those duties that human operators perform poorly or/and risky and undesirable activities. Automation will affect product design and process design in future. Design automation, which is actively evolving, will result in development of technology that will automate the design of products from concept design, through design layout and detail design. Primarily, design automation will cut the process duration and increase productivity. Generally, design automation impacts development process in that it speeds design process by 30 percent. Additionally, automation will result in greater levels of customization of products and facilitate faster product designing. Furthermore, customers will access products of higher quality due to improved product designs and processes. Similarly, the operation processes will evolve to be more specialized and subjected to more formal operating controls. In addition, automation will help managers to improve the planning process by aiding in decision-making. Through easy to use and accurate decision support tools, better planning mechanisms will be utilized, hence promote productivity of organizations. Such tools will eliminate human biases and hasten the decision making process.

A Short Paper on the Inside the Solar System Essay

A Short Paper on the Inside the Solar System - Essay Example It will focus on Karl Tate’s article on the solar system, presented in 2011 at space.com. The solar system comprises of eight planets and five dwarf planets. This is according to a valid astronomers count (Tate, 2011). Some of the terrestrial planets include Mars, Neptune and the inner planets also called the Jovian planets. Dwarf planets are small in size. The sun is the closest planet to planet earth and the largest object in the solar system. The sun is orbited by eight planets. Meteors and meteoroids are strip of lights commonly referred to as falling or shooting stars although they are not stars. They consist of small pieces of rocks or metals that come from space into the sky and move at a remarkably high speed. Comets are larger than meteors. They move at a much lower rate and have tails. Comets consist of mostly ice and rocks. Asteroids are small rocky objects with round or irregular shapes (Tate, 2011). In conclusion, the publication shows the beauty and the science behind what is observed from time to time in the

Who needs Superstars Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Who needs Superstars - Essay Example A corporate superstar is someone that shines above al of the rest and the article refers to the fact that there is not enough talent in corporate America. There are the Bill Gates and the Donald Trumps of the business world but every organization needs their own Gates and Trumps and having just one in the organization is not enough. However, Article 18 points out that the Gates and Trumps of the corporate world are rare. The article likens them to unicorns, the mythical beast with special powers and explains that many corporations dedicate their resources to discovering a unicorn. It also examines the fact that there are not enough unicorns out there and presents a solution to this problem. There article also includes a discussion of what a corporation has to do with the unicorn once they find it. If one of these corporate superstars is expected to perform to their capabilities and display their talent they must be challenged. The difficulty in this is that talent is so rare it is easier for an organization to dedicate their resources to working with a group of normal individuals to acquire talent out of the group of them. Article 18 also details the problems that organizations have with structure. It describes initiative programs put into motion by corporations but and also details how most times these initiatives are not followed through with. It is necessary for the talent in the company to be challenged in order for them to prosper but Article 18 points out that in most companies this is not done. Application The premise of talent can be applied to my life and my place of work. Where I work everyone does what they are supposed to do to keep their jobs and not much more. I work with some very intelligent people who actually are probably very talented. However, their talent does not rise to the top because they are not challenged. I believe that there is routine in the workplace and this gives an atmosphere for mediocrity. The work environment is one of routine and if initiatives were given and followed through with, I think that more people might go the extra step and their true talent and potential would surface. I think that potential is a very important word in this discussion because its as if not enough people perform to their potential. At my workplace, the employees walk around like robots and do their tasks in a routine manner giving nothing extra. However, it is important to point out that hard work is not rewarded in the company I work for. That brings up another point that needs to be addressed and that is does hard work have to be rewarded or should it be expected I feel that talented people in an organization are those individuals that put one hundred percent effort into everything that do. I also that they do this not to be rewarded but because that is how they perform and that is what makes them talented. The problem is how to get the talent out of people. The question that is being examined in this portion is how to apply this premise to a place of work. As I pointed out my placer of work is filled with individuals who do what is expected of them and nothing more. Would initiatives work I believe some motivation would be helpful but as Article 18 pointed out an initiative program needs structure and must be followed through with. I think that at my place of work there would be no structure to an initiative plan. I do feel it would be embraced at the beginning but would eventually fade out and everyone's attitude would be back to where it is now. This brings up the point of being rewarded and expecting it. I know all

Differences Between Actor Network Theory And Social Construction Sociology Essay

Differences Between Actor Network Theory And Social Construction Sociology Essay Here are few differences between Actor Network Theory and Social construction of technology that I found from various analysts point of view. To start with, I would like to jot down the basic difference between Actor network theory and the theory of social construction of technology. Actor network theory (ANT) considers both technical determinism and social determinism, i.e. it does not stick by the idea that technology shapes the society or the society shapes the technology (latour, Reassembling the social: an introduction to actor-network-theory, 2005). Social Construction of technology (SCOT) theory follows the ideas that technology is emerged from the social interaction of social group, which can be called social determinism. (Klein, H. K. Kleinman, D. L., 2002) Both of these theories involve participants in process of shaping the network or in shaping the outcome, known as Actors. Actors involved in ANT are humans and non-humans which are treated equally as separation between the two are difficult, as it cannot be said who played the major role. (latour,1997). The actors involved in SCOT are the Relevant Social group which includes people sharing the same interest in shaping the technological artifact (Bijker, Hughes, Pinch, 1989). Actors in ANT need to be performing constantly to keep the network flowing without any lag or hick up. SCOT does not follow a strict principle on the performance of the actors or the groups. If a certain relevant social groups involvement or influence is less than the other group, in that case it only brings in a few changes in the outcome of the technological artifact. (Klein, H. K. Kleinman, D. L., 2002) Talking about the aim of these theories, ANT is more about how the networks are formed rather than why the y are formed. It does not predict the outcome of the socio-technical artifact at any point. These entities are known as mediators where the input by the actors cannot predict the outcome; rather it multiplies or deletes the input/object passing through network known as tokens or quasi objects. (Wikipedia) Whereas SCOT illustrates how the social surrounding which include RSG and other actors give rise to a particular artifact. Right from the beginning the outcome is predicted or decided. It acts more like an intermediate unlike ANT. It does not really matter if there are changes that come through in the social surrounding while building the artifact, the previously assumed idea of the outcome would still remain the same. (Klein, H. K. Kleinman, D. L., 2002) If we study ANT carefully, the actors involved in it are not just objects but an association of other elements which self constitutes a network. To look like a single point actor, these elements are simplified or Black boxed. That means the network actors are open to new ideas and their contents can be reconsidered (Gidding, 1999). The idea of reconsidering the content does not exist in SCOT. It limits the influence of the RSG once the interpretive flexibility starts to gradually diminish. This causes it to reach the rhetorical closure, thus the alternative idea of a new design is eliminated. (Klein, H. K. Kleinman, D. L., 2002) Following the actor, this method in ANT suggest that the actors set their framework and the limits of the network by themselves. Actors in ANT are able to make their presence individually felt by the other actors (Tatnall Burgess, 2002). As discussed earlier, actors can be thought of as a black box, which has many actors hiding one behind other. So basically all the actors can be found at one place or it can be said that all the actors form a single point actor and this effect is known as Punctualisation (latour, Reassembling the social: an introduction to actor-network-theory, 2005). When the same method is compared to SCOT, actors are followed who are relevant to the technology and that may lead to another actor who is also relevant to that technology. The process is continued till no new actors pop-up. This causes the interpretation to come to a closure. Both of these theories have a positive and a negative side of their own. The biggest drawback of SCOT is that it ignores the effect of the technology after it has come into existence by social determinism. The technological artifact might have been developed for a particular purpose. But it is hard to expect the end-users to use it the way it is suppose to be used. In that case, it means that the effect of the technology after is has come into existence from a social determinism method, is slowly shaping the society in its own way. That brings us back to technological determinism. (Klein, H. K. Kleinman, D. L., 2002) As we know RSG solves the technical problems, seeking solutions, etc. We do not know who decides the which group are relevant social group and with the same the social interest. It fails to include the groups that have no voice and also the groups that will be affected by the results of technological change and also the groups that have been stamped down and excluded (Prell, Christina, 2009). It also fails to explain the circumstances where one of the relevant social groups seriously disagrees to either to the design or technological system or artifact, etc. There is no explanation on how the theory would handle the disagreements of the groups. Many critiques has pointed out on the same fault of theory that it portrays all the social groups on the same level or sharing equal authority or power. There is a slight fault with the interpretive flexibility once it reaches the closure. It does not look back for further interpretations in the future. (Hard, 1993) Actor-network theory treats humans and non-humans equal. It has been argued by many critics that how can a non-human be assigned to be an agency. For example, a technology can only be identified because we differentiate it from human actors. Technologies do not speak for themselves nor do they exist outside of processes of human assumption. Analytically speaking there is no such non-human actor to be described by ANT. ANT assumes that all actors, which include both humans and non-humans, are equal within the network, and have the same power. This leaves no space for power instability is left. Thus the power struggles within the network. ANT case studies leads to a lot of useless descriptions that seem pointless. (Whittle Spicer, 2005) Another major drawback of ANT it gets very difficult to follow the actors as the researcher would have to get into the depth of the topic for investigating a particular case without knowing where they will lead. As the actors are black-boxed, the researcher is following only one actor and would not know if it would open up further possible investigation. One of other weakness about ANT is that the actors, ANT requires both the actors to be performing constantly to keep the network flowing. Even if one fails, the whole system fails. (learning-theories, 2008) Talking about the strength of SCOT, one of the plus point of SCOT is how it overcomes one problem by finding a better way to adopt the technology. For example. Bicycle. There was a lot of debate on the safety and the way it was built or looked. But then, the eventually they adopted it because of the fact that they were fast when it came to speed. They overlooked the problem by relating it to another better plus point to the technology. To think about it, end of the day we (humans) are the once who are going to use the technology. So doesnt it make more sense that we shape the technology the way we want it? Based on our application we can shape the technology, SCOT is something that does exactly the same. Unlike ANT even if one if the actors fail to perform, the outcome of the system or the technological artifact does not fail. In that case that particular actor or the group will have less influence in the process of making the artifact. (Bijker, Hughes, Pinch, 1989) Actor-network theories main strength would be how it overcomes both social and technical determinism. This makes sense in a way because in a particular invention, it is hard to say who played the major role, humans or non-humans. For instance, let us take the example of how the laptop came into existence. If we have a look into it, the invention results from human and technology. The technical aspect of the laptop is achieved by the technical team which in-turn is influenced by the social background. Therefore, what seems to be social is partly technical and what seems to be technical is partly social. (latour, Reassembling the social: an introduction to actor-network-theory, 2005) Following the actors might have been criticized in the case of ANT but it has its own positive side too. When compared to SCOT, it does not have to approach each and every actor of the same revelant group. In ANT all the actors act as a single point actor which can be found in the Black box. (Gidding, 1999)

career paper ( preschool teacher) -- essays research papers

History   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Preschool is something very important for toddlers. Preschools were established in Europe around the late 1800’s. They were later introduced to the United States in the 1920’s. According to the Encyclopedia of careers and vocational guidance 9th edition â€Å"preschools expanded rapidly in the united states during the 1960’s†. Job Description   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Preschool teachers usually instruct children usually until they reach the age of five. They conduct activities designed to develop social, physical, and intellectual skills needed for primary school. During an interview I was told many things on the subject. â€Å"You need a lot of patience† said Esther Rodriguez a preschool teacher. There are many tasks needed to be done. While researching I came across plenty of information on the internet, Echoices says that some typical tasks are â€Å"planning individual and group activities, and monitor activities to prevent accidents and conflicts between children†. Nature of Work   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Preschool teachers play a very important role in the development of children. In the Encyclopedia of careers and vocational guidance 9th edition states that â€Å"a preschool teacher’s primary responsibility in the social development and health of each child†. Preschool teachers design activities that build on the children’s native abilities and help them develop skills and characteristics that will help them grow. What children learn a...

Critique of the Cultural Imperialism Theory

Abstract This paper stands to critique the Cultural Imperialism Theory. The paper further looks at both the negative and the positive effects of Cultural Imperialism. The cultural imperialism theory sets to shape the concept of cultural imperialism itself. It concludes that, though the western world is eroding the culture of developing countries and Nigeria as a study, Nigeria as a Nation should put on some safety belt in safeguarding our heritage. Keywords: culture, imperialism, media imperialism, cultural imperialism Introduction A man's pride lies in his confidence and his personality is greatly nurtured by his ulture.Culture is the characteristic of a particular group of people, defined by things such as language, religion, social habits, music and arts that are passed from one generation to the other; it can also be the tradition of the people (Zimmermann, 2012). According to the New Oxford Dictionary, culture is the cumulative deposit of knowledge, experience, beliefs, values, attitudes, meanings, religion, notions of time, roles, spatial relations, concept of the universe, and material objects and possessions acquire by a group of people in the course of generations through individual land group striving.Imperialism as defined by the Dictionary of Human Geography, is the creation and maintenance of an unequal economic, cultural and territorial relationship, usually between states and often in the form of an empire, based on domination and subordination. According to Downing, Mohammad', and Sreberny- Mohammadi (1995), Imperialism is the conquest and control of one country by a more powerful one. According to Boyd-Barrett (1977 p. 1 7)

Case Studies in Anthropology Essays

Case Studies in Anthropology Essays Case Studies in Anthropology Paper Case Studies in Anthropology Paper In chapter five of the book â€Å"The Yanamamo: Case Studies in Anthropology† by Napoleon A. Chagnon deals with political alliances, trading and feasting and how it fits into their culture and practices. Alliances between villages involve casual trading, mutual feasting and the exchange of women. Their power exists with the ideal that the stronger villages should take advantages of the weaker villages and this is shown by taking of the women of one village from another. Because of this military threat intervillage alliance is desirable and villages should behave in a strong fashion so trade alliances are very important. There are three distinct features of Yanamano trading practices. The first is that each item traded must be repaid with a different type of item. Who ever gets the gift must repay his partner and this is called no mraiha. This way of giving must be paid back and is a leverage to ask for a reciprocal gift. Second the gift is usually delayed. The ideal is that one trade will force the other and gives members of neighboring villages an excuse and opportunity to visit each other. The third is the specialization of the gifts. Each village has one or more specialized products to use in trade. The feast is a display of affluence and is a way to challenge the guests to give a feast of equal size at a later time and place. Sometimes so much food is offered that the guest will eat too much go and vomit and then return to eat more. Each feast calls for another. This is a way for allies to get to know each other during the dry season and over the years. Feasts are exciting and form a bond between the villages for years. Reference: Chagnon, N. A. (1997). The Yanamamo: Case studies in anthropology. N. J. : Holt, Rinehart, and Winston. Possible questions for a test: 1. What is the importance of aggression in the Yanamano’s culture? (2-3 page answer) 2. What are the three features of trading practices among the Yanamamo culture? (short essay) 3. How are Women viewed in this culture? (Short essay).

The Weaving Contest Between Athena and Arachne

The Weaving Contest Between Athena and Arachne While Athena was a friend to Greek heroes, she wasnt so helpful to women. The story of the weaving contest between Arachne and Athena is one of the most familiar myths about Athena, and its central theme is also popular. Greek mythology repeatedly hammers home the danger of comparing oneself with a goddess. The theme appears in the story of Cupid and Psyche, where Aphrodite is offended. While ultimately there is a happy ending, to avert Aphrodites wrath, Psyches family abandons her to death. In the mythological story of Niobe, Artemis punishes the mortal mother for boasting that she is a more fortunate mother than Artemis mother, Leto: Artemis destroys all Niobes children. The punishment Athena inflicts on her capable, but the merely mortal victim is more direct. If Arachne wants to claim to be a better weaver than Athena, so be it. Thats all shell ever be good for. Arachne Suffers a Metamorphosis The Roman poet Ovid writes about the metamorphosis Arachne suffers in his work on transformations (Metamorphoses): One at the loom so excellently skilld,That to the Goddess she refusd to yield, ( Ovid, Metamorphoses VI) In the myth, Athena challenges Arachne to a weaving contest in order to prove herself. The expert crafts goddess Athena is favorably impressed with Arachnes weaving of divine debaucheries: This the bright Goddess passionately movd,With envy saw, yet inwardly approvd.The scene of heavnly guilt with haste she tore,Nor longer the affront with patience bore;A boxen shuttle in her hand she took,And more than once Arachnes forehead struck. Athena cant tolerate the affront to her pride, though, so she turns Arachne into a spider doomed to weave forever. From the unfortunate spider-woman comes the name for the 8-legged creatures arachnids. Bulfinch on Athena (and Arachne)

Starbucks Corporation. SWOT Analysis Research Paper

Starbucks Corporation. SWOT Analysis - Research Paper Example In keeping with the case study, it can be ascertained that the employees in Starbucks used to follow the trend of informal dress-code. The casual dress-code fosters a stress-free environment within the organization. Furthermore, Howard Schultz, the vice president of the company perceived a vision of making Starbucks a national company. He wanted to incorporate values and policies, which will ensure goodwill and trust of the customers along with the employees. The new Starbucks established by Howard Schultz operated 9 stores. However, the newly formed management lacked experience, which stands to be the weakness of the new establishment. In order to overcome the challenges pertaining to management issues, Lawrence Maltz was appointed as the executive vice-president. His skills and strategies provided a new edge to the company (Shah et al., 2006). Correspondingly, the strategy of the company to expand its business in Chicago resulted in challenges. According to the case study, the Chicagoans did not prefer ‘Dark Roasted’ Coffee, which was a major weakness of the management strategy. Furthermore, the expenses incurred in the product processing in Chicago were much higher as compared to that of Seattle. Furthermore, the rent was also very high along with the wage rate. Starbucks expenses increased in Chicago store. In this regard, the advanced strategies taken by the company’s management included increasing labor costs and maintaining higher rents. This strategy ensured higher profits for the company in Chicago. Another key strength area of the Starbucks was its workplace environment. The management of the company endured a strong belief that the employees higher pay scale and fringe benefits act as a mechanism to attract the skilled and motivated individuals as the workforce. The strategies formulated to att ract the human capital acts as one of the major strengths of the company. After acquiring a better position in the homeland, Starbucks decided to expand its operations beyond national boundaries. It had planned two differentiated strategies, i.e. either to establish a company owned and operated store or to provide license to a local company to promote the Starbuck’s products. Uncontrolled expansion of the Starbucks operating store can be termed as a decisive weakness. It has been observed that the company plans for the expansion at the cost of their being different from others. It earned profit in the international market based on its premium coffee brand that has differentiated characteristics, which can be termed as one of the company’s weaknesses (Shah et al., 2006). Starbucks expansion plan to operate its stores internationally can be regarded as a major opportunity for the company. This strategy of the company provides it an opportunity to gain advantage over the international competitors. Moreover, the product line expansion of Starbucks also renders it major growth opportunities. The continuous innovation and commitment of the company had been rewarded in the internatio

A partnership agreement Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

A partnership agreement - Essay Example While such procedure will be effective in prevention of future conflicts, it has been found that conflicts are inevitable due to changes in laws and circumstances. It is also impossible to document every aspect of the partnership and as such, the document needs to be flexible enough to allow the inclusion of changing needs and circumstances of the partnership. Partnership agreements may need to be modified in the instance of divorce settlements, which may lead to the family members of a partner receiving shares, bankruptcy, death, retirement, disability, translocation of a partner, a partner intending to sell after getting a nice offer, debts taken out on the partnership. All of these reasons make strong the argument for the partnership agreement to be made flexible.Divorce Settlements  At the time of getting into marriage, many partners overlook many of the provisions of a partnership agreement. In most instances, it is assumed that divorce or separation will not occur.. However, it has to be acknowledged that divorce and separation are an inevitable occurrence of modern life. It is thus important that since the marital circumstances of the partners may change in the future the partnership agreement be flexible enough to allow the inclusion for the changing circumstances. It s estimated that about a million of the businesses in the US are co owned by wife and husbands in a partnership. That being said it is inevitable that conflicts will arise in instances of divorce or separation of the couple.... All of these reasons make strong the argument for the partnership agreement to be made flexible. Divorce Settlements At the time of getting into marriage, many partners overlook many of the provisions of a partnership agreement. In most instances, it is assumed that divorce or separation will not occur.. However, it has to be acknowledged that divorce and separation are an inevitable occurrence of modern life. It is thus important that since the marital circumstances of the partners may change in the future the partnership agreement be flexible enough to allow the inclusion for the changing circumstances. It s estimated that about a million of the businesses in the US are co owned by wife and husbands in a partnership. That being said it is inevitable that conflicts will arise in instances of divorce or separation of the couple. To add on to that many of the people who enter into business partnerships with other people other than their spouses are usually married. The resources broug ht into the business may thus be considered to belong to the family. Upon divorce, the couple may be required by law to divide the shares in the business in the interests of justice. A partnership agreement that does not take into account such things as divorce may thus need to be amended in order to accommodate the new dispensation. This is best exemplified in Estate of Cohen v. Booth Computers in which Cohen was suing her husband over shares held jointly by both of them. The judge ruled that Cohen was entitled to a share in the company by virtue of marriage since there was no express provision in the partnership agreement that was against such as scenario (Mahler, 2011). Bankruptcy Bankruptcy is the inability of a person to pay