The Flea Essay -- English Literature Essays

The Flea Donne's poem â€Å"The Flea† appears to be a love poem, a dedication from a male suitor to his lady of honor, who repudiates to yield to his lustful desires. In this poem, the speaker tries to seduce a young woman by comparing the consequences of their lovemaking with those of an insignificant fleabite. He uses the flea as an argument to exemplify that the physical relationship he desires is not in itself a momentous event, because a similar unification has already taken place within the flea. In the stanza 1, the speaker creates likeness between the fleabite and lovemaking. I interpreted the first two lines, â€Å"Mark but this flea, and mark in this, How little that, which thou deny’st me, is;† to mean that the woman doesn’t reject the flea entrà ©e to her body, yet she denies the advancements of the speaker. Then the speaker shows the similarities between their lovemaking and the mingling of their blood within the flea. â€Å"It sucked me first, and now sucks thee, And in this flea our two bloods mingled be.† This argument shows the woman that the same physical exchange, which takes place between her and a flea, is the same type of union that he has in mind. In lines 5-6 of stanza 1 the speaker persuades the woman that their act could not be considered a sin because a fleabite isn’t considered one. This act could not be considered a loss of innocence because it is so common that if it were to be true, nearly everyone would have lost h is or her innocence. Therefore this lady... The Flea Essay -- English Literature Essays The Flea Donne's poem â€Å"The Flea† appears to be a love poem, a dedication from a male suitor to his lady of honor, who repudiates to yield to his lustful desires. In this poem, the speaker tries to seduce a young woman by comparing the consequences of their lovemaking with those of an insignificant fleabite. He uses the flea as an argument to exemplify that the physical relationship he desires is not in itself a momentous event, because a similar unification has already taken place within the flea. In the stanza 1, the speaker creates likeness between the fleabite and lovemaking. I interpreted the first two lines, â€Å"Mark but this flea, and mark in this, How little that, which thou deny’st me, is;† to mean that the woman doesn’t reject the flea entrà ©e to her body, yet she denies the advancements of the speaker. Then the speaker shows the similarities between their lovemaking and the mingling of their blood within the flea. â€Å"It sucked me first, and now sucks thee, And in this flea our two bloods mingled be.† This argument shows the woman that the same physical exchange, which takes place between her and a flea, is the same type of union that he has in mind. In lines 5-6 of stanza 1 the speaker persuades the woman that their act could not be considered a sin because a fleabite isn’t considered one. This act could not be considered a loss of innocence because it is so common that if it were to be true, nearly everyone would have lost h is or her innocence. Therefore this lady...

Location options for retail and service businesses

INTRODUCTIONA firm location of determines how it operates and what factors hinder or enabling the firm to operate effectively. Localization of industry is beneficial in many instances, and at the same time has its demerits. Concentration of businesses service in the same location gives firm economies of externalities. These externalities come in form of backward linkages to the services from other firms, pulling a training school for manpower development and workers training.ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF LOCALIZATION OF FIRMSAdvantages of Central Business District include:I. Encourage the development of supportive service centers;ІІ.   Access to high skilled labors;ІІІ. Access to operational tools and spare parts;ІV. Access to modern technology and information technology;V. Encourage development of common training centers for staffers and clients orientation.Disadvantages of locating a service firm in a business district include:I.   Increase in   comp etition level among service firms;II.   Increase in cost of operation due to congested industry and business district.Advantages of Neighborhood locationІ. Having opportunity to get feedback from customers and clients;ІІ. Easy advertisement of services to clients;ІІІ.   Personal services are easily tailored to client taste.ІV. Assess to raw material for retail stores.Disadvantages of Neighborhood locationІ.   Service provision are restricted to those in the neighborhood;ІІ.  High cost for introducing new technology and workforce training.Advantages of Shopping Centers and Malls locationІ.  One time shopping is easily carried out by customers;ІІ.  Attraction of different categories of customers are encourages   due to product and services differentiationDisadvantages of Shopping Centers and Malls location:І.   Shop lifting are easily carried out due to many differentiated products;ІІ.  Customers may be tempted to buy the wrong product due to plethora of appealing products in the   window dressing;Advantages of store near competitors:І.  Ã‚   New strategy and business idea are learn from rivals;ІІ.  Ã‚   Cost reduction are reduced due to the competition among firms;ІІІ.   Raw materials are easily accessed;ІV.  Ã‚  Innovation are encouraged due to healthy competition among firmsV.     Encourage introduction of modern technologyDisadvantages of store near competitors:І    Organization strategies are counterpart thereby rendering the operations ineffective;ІІ    Unhealthy competition leads to blackmailing and sabotaging activities against rivalsAdvantages of outlying areasІ       Proper structure and market planning is encouraged;ІІ      Ã‚  Easy transportation of goods are enabledІІІ       Easy location of service and goods to an outletDisadvantages of outlying areasІ      Few operat ors are encouraged in the market which results in price hike;ІІ    Customers cannot make all service shopping in one location.Advantages of Home based location:І      Backward linkage to local raw materials is encouraged;ІІ      Cheap labor and cost reduction is easily accessed;ІІІ    Local taste and culture is easily recognized and upheld  Disadvantages of Home based locationІ      Varieties of product and service are restricted due to local taste and wants;ІІ       Difficulty in introducing new technologiesCONCLUSIONThe location of retail or service businesses influences how well such firm operates. The location may  Ã‚   result in the advancement of the business operations or may hinder it depending on the location and business type. It is then germane that adequate assessment is conducted to weigh the pros and cons of a place where a business would be located in order to derive maximum advantages.

Management Report Project on Work Performance

Abstract The objective of this research is to find out if there is any correlation between work performance and job satisfaction through a sample study of sales personnel working in different banks. Additionally, this research sought to understand whether job satisfaction is linked to both work motivation and employee’s perceived style of leadership by Managers. With the help of surveys and interviews conducted with the participants, it was established that job satisfaction was positively related with work productivity. Similar essay: Argyles Communication CycleWork motivation and employee’s perceived style of leadership were also established as positively related with employee job satisfaction. These findings suggest that to increase work productivity, managers may be required to elevate the level of job satisfaction in employees, which may be potentially accomplished via a participative approach to leadership and effective motivation of employees. However, as the study is correlational in nature, the limitations of the current research are indicated under Discussion. Literature ReviewRelationship between Job Satisfaction and Productivity The most-used research definition of job satisfaction is by Locke (1976), who defined it as â€Å"a pleasurable or positive emotional state resulting from the appraisal of one’s job or job experiences†. There are other researchers and studies that support this notion of relationship between job satisfaction and productivity indicating that org anizations increasing job satisfaction is not only to benefit its employee but also for the organization financial advantages.As cited by Edward E. Lawler, job satisfaction is related to productivity as this comes from a path goal theory of motivation that has been stated by Georgopoulos, Mahoney and Jones, Vroom, Lawler and Porter. According to them, people are motivated to do things which lead to rewards that they value. In this case, a path-goal theory would predict that high satisfaction will lead to low turnover and absenteeism because the satisfied individual is motivated to go to work where his needs are being satisfied.As quoted by Dailey and Kirk, 1992, job satisfaction and organisational commitment share an inverse relationship with absenteeism and turnover intention, factors that can sharply cut bottom line. Adverse consequences include lower productivity and morale, and higher cost of hiring, retention and training. Thus, the reverse holds true whereby lower frequencies of absenteeism and turnover could lead to potentially higher contribution to organisational economic productive gains.In a research done by National Research Institute for one of the largest Food Services providers in the United States, it was suspected that employee satisfaction was the cause for high employee absenteeism, ruling out other tangible factors. Findings showed that low job satisfaction was evident; the National Business Research Institute (NBRI) Root Cause Analysis indicated that a gap existed between employees and the organization's short and long term goals, vision, and mission.Proposed recommendations from NBRI included several measures to relay management's strategic plans to the lowest-ranked employee and ensuring each and every employee’s daily activities were aligned according to such plans. Thereafter, subsequent employee survey results showed significant increases on employee satisfaction, enhancing Total Company Employee Satisfaction dramatically.Emplo yee Satisfaction Scores took a turn for the better, from a Weakness (below the 50th percentile of the NBRI Normative Database) to being Strength (above the 75th percentile of the NBRI Normative Database) in only six months. What’s more, employee absenteeism was reduced by more than 60%. With this correlation, Organ (1988) found that the job performance and job satisfaction relationship follows the social exchange theory in which employees’ performance constitute a giving back to the organization from which they get their satisfaction.Recognising the fact that low job satisfaction leads to low productivity, in turn aggravating organisational performance, it is imperative organizations assess the strength of the relationship between employee job satisfaction and productivity level because of underlying implications on redesigning certain aspects of work. A study was conducted by Shanu and Gole (2008) on the satisfaction level of 100 managers from 15 private manufacturing firms. A job satisfaction instrument assessing areas such as recognition, monetary remuneration, working conditions, nature of job, and future advancement was used.Then, these survey findings were compared with performance evaluations done by executives of assorted companies. In the wake of this, it was discovered that performance levels are consistent with high satisfaction scores. This is congruent with a review of 301 studies, revealing that job satisfaction bolsters up work performance, with a higher inclination towards professional jobs, compared to less complex jobs (see Saari & Judge, 2004). While there are studies to show this correlation, the present study was concerned with whether job satisfaction is significantly associated with performance in the economic aspect.In a study conducted on 42 manufacturing companies, Patterson, Warr, and West (2004) found that- holding other factors like company size, previous productivity, and industrial sector constant- productivity (fin ancial value of net sales per employee) is positively correlated to job satisfaction In another study, Herzberg et al. (1959) stated that (positive) satisfaction is due to good experiences, and that these are due to `motivators' – achievement, recognition, the work itself, responsibility and advancement.Dissatisfaction is due to bad experiences caused by `hygiene' factors – supervisors, fellow workers, company policy, working conditions, and personal life (Herzberg et al. , 1959). Therefore, it is unable to ascertain if job satisfaction is positively correlated with economic productivity or whether an inverse relationship exists. The present study seeks to reaffirm findings from the bulk of research in favour of the notion that satisfied employees are more labour productive. Relationship between Motivation and Job SatisfactionThe level of performance of employees relies not only on their actual skills but also on the level of motivation each person exhibits (Burney et al. , 2007). A motivational framework, built on the premise of how employees should be managed, affects job satisfaction. Herzberg's (1959) two-factor theory of motivation attributes ‘pay and benefits' to one of the hygiene factors, in that the exclusion of this causes job dissatisfaction (Hugh Greenway & Tim Runacre, 2008). As Argyle (1989) explains, positive job atisfaction is due to motivators such as achievement, recognition, the work itself, responsibility, and advancement, while dissatisfaction is due to bad experiences caused by hygiene factors such as salary, supervision, company policy, relations with fellow workers, and conditions of work. Lawler (1973) has a theory known as discrepancy theory which states that workers measure job satisfaction based on what they receive versus what they expect to receive, and a comparison in which an actual outcome level is lower than an expected outcome level would lead to dissatisfaction (Castillo & Cano, 2004).However, in another theory of motivation known as equity theory, it states that motivation is affected by workers’ perception of how fairly they are being treated, with employees evaluating their inputs/outcomes by comparing them with the inputs/outcomes of others (Castillo & Cano, 2004; Luthans & Doh, 2009). If the ratio of inputs to outcomes is similar to the inputs and outcomes of others, equity exists. Inequity exists when the ratio of inputs to outcomes is unequal to the inputs and outcomes of others (Castillo & Cano, 2004; Luthans & Doh, 2009).Job satisfaction is then associated with the perception of equity, while perceptions of inequity will result in dissatisfaction with this belief having a negative effect on job performance (Castillo & Cano, 2004; Luthans & Doh, 2009). The common factors shared by the different theories of motivation are the implication of a need for effective motivation in order to make employees satisfied with their jobs. Castillo and Cano (2004) examining in an ear lier study on 148 faculty members reported that all of the job motivator factors identified by Herzberg (1959) were moderately or substantially related to overall job satisfaction.Such findings shed light on how organisations can enhance productivity by considering provision of motivators such as recognition or improving on such motivators so as to heighten job satisfaction. In order to attain optimal profits, it is necessary to ascertain the link between motivation and job satisfaction through extensive foraging for substantial evidence. Most importantly, the present study will illustrate that existence of motivators to propel employees to reach for organisational goals has a favourable impact on labour productivity via enhancement of job satisfaction.Leadership Style and Job Satisfaction In an organisation, the performance of staff is not only affected by motivation and job satisfaction but it is also affected by the leadership style adopted by the organisation. Leadership is defi ned as a process through which others are influenced to channel their efforts in the direction of attaining their goals (Luthans & Doh, 2009). Organizational leadership sets the tone in the effectiveness of organizations, as well as plays a vital role in job satisfaction.Positive interactions among organisational leaders and members give rise to mutual respect, trust, and the ability to generate a sense of hope for the future- a much needed ingredient for job satisfaction to blossom from such relationships (Ackfeldt& Coote, 2005; Farh, Podsakoff, & Organ, 1990). Moreover, there is research that shows the existence of the relationship between leadership style and job satisfaction. The National Business Research Institute (2007), examining factors of job satisfaction, surveyed more than 15,000 employees, largely white collar, from all levels of participating organizations in the United States.Leadership is identified as the prominent factor contributing to job satisfaction, a phenomen on evident in organizations. There is a relationship between managers’ leadership styles and employees’ job satisfaction, illustrated in a sample of 814 employees of a national hospital. According to Rad and Yarmohammadian (2006), a strong correlation between leadership behaviours and job satisfaction prevails, citing that employee job satisfaction depends upon the style of leadership of managers.It was realised that a trend emerged from studying the sample group; a participative leadership style of managers dominates where this is a style of leadership in which subordinates are led through a reliance on task-oriented and people-oriented approaches. In Luthans and Doh (2009) findings, participative leaders adopt a non-authoritative tone, empowering employees, together with consulting with them, delegating responsibilities, and enabling mutual decision-making. As well, another study on the influence of leadership style on job satisfaction included 220 individuals coming from diverse industries like manufacturing, education, and overnment. Research findings showed a consistency with the earlier sample study, denoting that task and relational leadership style were positively associated with subordinate job satisfaction (Madlock, 2008). In all, it is essential to bear in mind that participative approach to leadership comprising task and relational behaviours may not be the best â€Å"one style fits all† style of management due to the vast differences among organization’s cultures, leaving one to engage in other styles of leadership where appropriate. (Yarmohammadian, 2006).Among other things, participative leadership is more popular in technologically advanced nations and may increasingly abound as countries mature economically (Luthans & Doh, 2009). Therefore, it is vital to further justify through the current study if job satisfaction increases via participative leadership style. If such a relationship is confirmed, it is assumed that job satisfaction shares a positive association with productivity; participative leadership by managers could potentially boost employee productivity. The Current StudyThe present study examined the relationship between job satisfaction and productivity where respondents are seventy-three employees working in 2 local and 2 foreign banks based in Singapore. The intent is to affirm if employees’ level of work motivation and managerial leadership style gives rise to varying levels of job satisfaction. The participants in the study were Relationship Managers recruited from the sales departments of the local banks, namely United Overseas Bank (UOB) and Post Office Savings Bank (POSB), as well as from the foreign banks Standard Chartered and Citibank N.A. The scope of work required by the employees across the different organizations was similar, with the Relationship Managers being responsible for revenue generation by selling financial products. These organizations were selected f or the present study to ascertain whether job satisfaction relates to employee economic performance in terms of labour productivity. In the banking sales sector, where productivity is measured in terms of financial value of net sales per employee, this provides a pecific measure of the construct and permit correlational analysis with job satisfaction scores, precisely the reason for the choice of the banking sales sector being the main subject of this present research. Three instruments assessing work motivation, leadership style of managers, and job satisfaction were given to the participants. Participants could respond freely to the survey questions according to their own perceptions. Every participant’s labour productivity figures were provided by the respective managers of the four sales departments.Lastly, the Method furnished additional details regarding the assessment instruments. Hypotheses It was anticipated that labour productivity would be positively associated wit h job satisfaction. It was also predicted that both work motivation and employees’ perceived use by managers of participative leadership would be positively related to job satisfaction. Method Participants One Hundred working adults, out of which 50 were females and 50 were males, aged from 21 to 40 (M= 30. 9 years, SD= 5. 37) constitute the respondents for this study.These respondents, each having worked in these banks from 1 to 10 years (M= 5. 41, SD= 2. 58), were chosen from the sales acquisition departments within the main branches of 2 local banks and 2 foreign banks based in Singapore. Materials The tools required for the purposes of the present study come in three different assessments. Firstly, using The Leadership Style Questionnaire by Northouse (2001) measures task and relational leadership style to collate a general leadership profile representative of the participative approach to leadership.According to Anderson, Madlock & Hoffman, 2006 (cited in Madlock 2008), this instrument has reported scale reliabilities ranging from 0. 92 to 0. 95, and comprises 20 items measuring task and relational leadership styles on a 5-point Likert scale (1= strongly disagree to 5= strongly agree). The second instrument, adapted from the Work Motivation Behavior Scale of the Akinboye’s 2001 Executive Behavior Battery, is a 15-item questionnaire incorporating a 4-point Likert scale (1= strongly agree to 4= strongly disagree).The third item measuring job satisfaction was rated by the 8-item Abridged Job in General scale (Russell, Spitzmtiller, Lin, Stanton, Smith & Ironson 2004, cited in Madlock 2008) that was based on a 5-point Likert scale response (1= strongly disagree to 5= strongly agree). The Abridged Job in General scale was reportedly said to have a reliability of 0. 87 (Russell et al. 2004, cited in Madlock 2008). Attached in Appendix 1, 2, and 3 respectively is a copy of the Leadership Style Questionnaire, the Work Motivation Instrument, and the Abridged Job in General scale.Apart from these data obtained from the research instruments, branch department mangers provided the labour productivity of each employee based on the financial value of the nets sales revenue per month per employee for the past 12 months. Procedure A telephone discussion with each of the four banks’ main branch’s sales acquisition departments’ managers on the possibility of conducting a study investigating the links between leadership style, employee motivation, and job satisfaction which in turn predicts productivity was done.After consenting to the terms of the research, the researcher scheduled a half hour for the employees of each of the four banks at a time convenient to them. Meanwhile, delivery of the informed consent form and instructions for the three assessments, packed in an envelope, was arranged to each participant. All participants were given an explanation regarding the nature of the research, including clearing any doubts they might have, pertaining to the research. Sealed envelopes containing the questionnaires completed and handed by the participants to the respective manager would be collected from the latter in a week’s time.On the same day of collection, the month-end financial net sales figures of each employee for the duration of the past 12 months were obtained from the managers in order to compute monthly mean sales revenue figures as an index of labour productivity for each participant Results A computation of statistics for each assessment tool was done. The mean of job satisfaction was 23. 88 (N= 100, SD= 2. 46), the mean work motivation score was 38. 76 (N= 100, SD= 3. 94), while the mean score of employees’ perception of leadership style was 83. 98 (N= 100, SD= 6. 10).Monthly financial net sales figures for the past 12 months of each participant were to yield mean monthly sales revenue figures after which the mean of the averaged monthly sales revenue figures of all participants was found to be 14,265. 62 (N= 100, SD= 2,653. 47). Simple regression regressed productivity on job satisfaction. Results show that job satisfaction was positively associated with productivity, accounting for 20. 04% of the variance in productivity (R= 0. 66, p; . 001). Through multiple regression analysis, it was found that motivation and perceived leadership style affected the varying levels in job satisfaction scores.Work motivation and perceived leadership style were both positively correlated with job satisfaction, accounting for 19. 5% (R= 0. 66, p; . 001) and 16. 26% (R= 0. 24, p; . 001) of the variance in job satisfaction respectively. Discussion The present study, conducted on a pool of white collar professionals, looked into the relationship between labour productivity and job satisfaction, as well as examined whether job satisfaction was associated with work motivation and employees’ perceptions of managerial leadership style.Results tabulated from th e survey which was measured utilizing self, peers or supervisor assessment indicate that job satisfaction was moderately correlated with labour productivity, a finding that lends support to the body of research suggesting that greater job satisfaction is indicative of higher work performance (Argyle, 1989; Saari & Judge, 2004; Shahu & Gole, 2008).However, even when the economic aspect of performance, or more specifically, of labour productivity was examined, average job satisfaction still indicates to be correlated significantly with performance, as consistent with Patterson M, 2004 study of 42 manufacturing companies indicating that company mean overall job satisfaction was significantly associated with and predictive of economic performance.However, even with the result that accounts for such relationship between work productivity and job satisfaction, it is difficult to infer that job satisfaction is the direct cause to that outcome. As it is widely known that correlation does no t equate to causation, it cannot be concluded with certainty that satisfied employees evidence greater productivity as a consequence of their being satisfied with their jobs, as the reverse could be true that productivity actually accounts for job satisfaction or a third variable could influence the outcome of the relationship between both.As for the third variable there is some evidence to suggest that redesigning jobs to enhance job features such as task identity, task significance, skill variety, autonomy, and feedback may increase job satisfaction (Argyle, 1989), as it has been proposed that such features provide job satisfaction (Hackman & Oldham, 1980, cited in Argyle, 1989). What can be extrapolated from the findings of the current study is that job satisfaction makes up a proportion of the variance in employee productivity.This implies that a focus on improving employees’ level of satisfaction with their jobs may elevate labour productivity figures. Motivation and Job Satisfaction The findings obtained from the present study suggest that work motivation is positively associated with job satisfaction. Most research has indicated moderate to substantial correlations between Herzberg’s (1959) job motivator factors and overall job satisfaction (Castillo & Cano, 2004) which is no surprise that there is a positive correlation between both.If motivators such as recognition, achievement, nature of the work, advancement and responsibility determine job satisfaction as purported by Herzberg (1959), then motivating employees via a focus on improving such aspects of a job may serve to make individuals more satisfied with their jobs. Castillo and Cano (2004) found that amongst the job motivator factors that were associated with job satisfaction amongst college faculty members, recognition best explained the variance among faculty members’ overall level of job satisfaction.Interestingly, Herzberg’s (1959) assumption that hygiene factors r elate to or determine dissatisfaction was supported, as it was found that the factor of working conditions was the least motivating aspect of faculty members’ jobs, implying that employees were least satisfied with the context in which their job was performed (Castillo & Cano, 2004).Management may thus need to seek out creative methods to motivate workers by providing opportunities for advancement, achievement, and through the cultivation of a sense of responsibility and autonomy as individuals are motivated to excel because of intrinsic needs such as achievement, recognition, self-development, and meaning derived from performing work. More importantly, what Castillo and Cano’s (2004) findings suggest is that work should provide recognition through acts of notice or praise by colleagues, superiors, and management to increase job satisfaction.In the studies that have reported relationships between job satisfaction and work performance, it has been noted by Argyle (1989) that the correlations are greater for employees in supervisory or professional jobs. Also, job satisfaction predicts performance, with the relationship being even stronger for professional jobs could be due to the possibility that in such jobs, job performance is less contingent on external pressures such as task speed or wage incentives and more on motivation (Argyle, 1989).To the degree therefore that work performance or productivity depends upon employees’ level of job satisfaction, motivation at work holds an indispensable role particularly with respect to white-collar professional jobs in terms of its potential influence on job satisfaction. To conclude if motivation directly determines job performance are well beyond the scope of the current study.Further research is thus warranted in this area that will permit inferences about whether work motivation causes job satisfaction or work performance, or whether job satisfaction instead influences motivation. Leadership Styl e and Job Satisfaction In the present study, leadership style was indicated to be positively related to employee job satisfaction. This finding is of value because it supports the research findings that indicate that leadership behaviour of managers has an important influence on subordinate job satisfaction (Madlock, 2008).It appears from the current findings that as the perceived use by employees of a participative style of leadership in which task-centered and people-centered approaches are combined to lead subordinates, employees are more satisfied with their jobs. Such a finding is of direct relevance to organizations because the present research has also indicated a link between employee job satisfaction and work productivity in such a manner that increased levels of job satisfaction are associated with increased labour productivity.Thus, the extension of the current research by investigating the link between employees’ perceived leadership style of managers and job sati sfaction provides organizations with a further area of focus to potentially maximize job satisfaction and thus to enhance performance of employees. Conclusion The organizational goal of helping employees find satisfaction in their work should be one of paramount importance, as it may be to the mutual benefit of the employer and employee. The present study suggests that employees tend to perform more productively when they are satisfied with their jobs.In order to capitalize on employee job satisfaction to potentially increase performance of employees, ways of maximizing job satisfaction may encompass managing workers by selecting a participative style of leadership, as well as by motivating employees by ensuring that relevant intrinsic needs such as recognition are fulfilled though appropriate restructuring of the job. Such endeavours may then be advantageous for organizations in terms of productivity gains in the likelihood that job satisfaction is improved upon. Appendix 1 LEADERS HIP STYLE AND WORKPLACE QUESTIONNAIREDirections: Think about how often your immediate supervisor engages in the described behaviour. For each item, select the number that best represents the behaviour that your immediate supervisor is most likely to exhibit. 1 Strongly disagree2Disagree 3Neutral 4Agree 5Strongly agree My immediate supervisor†¦ 1. Tells group members what they are supposed to do. 1 2 3 4 5 2. Acts friendly with members of the group. 1 2 3 4 5 3. Sets standards of performance for group members. 1 2 3 4 5 4. Helps others feel comfortable in the group. 1 2 3 4 5 5.Makes suggestions on how to solve problems. 1 2 3 4 5 6. Responds favorably to suggestions made by others. 1 2 3 4 5 7. Makes his or her perspective clear to others. 1 2 3 4 5 8. Treats others fairly. 1 2 3 4 5 9. Develops a plan of action for the group. 1 2 3 4 5 10. Behaves in a predictable manner toward group members. 1 2 3 4 5 11. Defines role responsibilities for each group member. 1 2 3 4 5 12. Comm unicates actively with group members. 1 2 3 4 5 13. Clarifies his or her own role within the group. 1 2 3 4 5 14.Shows concern for the personal well-being of others. 1 2 3 4 5 15. Provides a plan for how the work is to be done. 1 2 3 4 5 16. Shows flexibility in making decisions. 1 2 3 4 5 17. Provides criteria for what is expected of the group. 1 2 3 4 5 18. Discloses thoughts and feelings to group members. 1 2 3 4 5 19. Encourages group members to do quality work. 1 2 3 4 5 20. Helps group members get along. 1 2 3 4 5 Appendix 2 HOW MOTIVATED ARE YOU IN DOING YOUR JOB The following questions ask you how motivated you are in completing your job.Please indicate your response based on the following scale. (1 Strongly Agree to 4 Strongly Disagree) 1. You always put in your best effort in the things you do. 1 2 3 4 2. You exceed what you are suppose to accomplished 1 2 3 4 3. Your environment affects your mood in performing your task 1 2 3 4 4. You have a group of helpful colleagues th at make your work pleasant 1 2 3 4 5. Your pay is low so you perform at the minimum. 1 2 3 4 6. You work just to satisfy your basic needs 1 2 3 4 7. To have career advancement is important to you. 1 2 3 4 8.If you are lowly paid but given recognition for you work, you feel good. 1 2 3 4 9. You feel you are part of the organisation. 1 2 3 4 10. Do you feel enthusiastic about your current job. 1 2 3 4 11. Do you feel enthusiastic if you are given a new job scope 1 2 3 4 12. Are you looking forward to achieve the organisation goal. 1 2 3 4 13. You feel discourage when you are asked to perform a new task 1 2 3 4 14. You feel that you are important to the organisation 1 2 3 4 15. Overall, you feel the organisation plans for your future. 1 2 3 4Appendix 3 HOW SATISFIED ARE YOU WITH YOUR JOB QUESTIONNAIRE The following questions ask you about how you feel about your job at work everyday and how satisfied are you. Please indicate your agreement or disagreement on the following statements by indicating your appropriate response based on the following scale. 1 Strongly disagree2Disagree 3Neutral 4Agree 5Strongly agree 1. At this very moment, I am very enthusiastic about my work. 1 2 3 4 5 2. Right now, I feel fairly satisfied with my present job. 1 2 3 4 5 3. At present, each moment at work seems like it will never end. 1 2 3 4 5 4.At this moment, I am finding enjoyment in my work. 1 2 3 4 5 5. Right now, I consider my job rather unpleasant. 1 2 3 4 5 6. My job gives me a sense of achievement. 1 2 3 4 5 7. The amount of support and guidance I receive from my supervisor. 1 2 3 4 5 8. The overall quality of the supervision I receive in my work. 1 2 3 4 5 References FACTORS EXPLAINING JOB SATISFACTION AMONG FACULTY Jaime X. Castillo, Extension Specialist New Mexico State University Jamie Cano, Associate Professor The Ohio State University Journal of Agricultural Education 1) Locke, E. A. (1976). The nature and causes of job atisfaction. In M. D. Dunnette (Ed. ), Handbook o f industrial and organizational psychology (pp. 1304). Chicago: Rand McNally. 2) Organ, D. W. (1988). Organizational Citizenship Behavior – The Good Soldier Syndrome. (1st ed. ). Lexington, Massachusetts/Toronto: D. C. Heath and Company. 3) Herzberg, F. , Mausner, B. and Snyderman, B. B. (1959), The Motivation to Work. New York: Wiley. 4) Fred Luthans and Jonathan P. Doh, (2009), ‘International Management, Culture, Strategy, and Behavior 7th edition’, Mcgraw Hill, New York 5) http://www. nbrii. com/Employee_Surveys/Satisfaction. html 6) Dailey, R.C. and Kirk, D. J. (1992), â€Å"Distributive and procedural justice as antecedents of job satisfaction and intent to turnover†, Human Relations, Vol. 45, pp. 305-17. 7) West, M. and Patterson, M. (1998), â€Å"Profitable personnel†, People Management, Vol. 4, pp. 28-31. 8) Grant, L. (1998), â€Å"Happy workers, high returns†, Fortune, p. 81. 9) Hian Chye Koh, El'fred H Y Boo feb 2001. The link betwe en organizational ethics and job satisfaction: A study of managers in Singapore, Vol. 29, Iss. 4; p. 309 10) Ackfeldt, A. , & Coote, L. V. (2005). A study of organizational citizenship behaviors in a retail setting.Journal of Business Research, 58(2), 151-159 11) Farh, J. , Podsakoff, P. M. & Organ, D. W. (1990). Accounting for organizational citizenship behavior: Leader fairness and task scope versus satisfaction. Journal of Management, 16(4), 705-721. http://proquest. umi. com. eproxy. ucd. ie/pqdweb? index=5&did=1674096061&SrchMode=1&sid=3&Fmt=6&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1277568831&clientId=13279 12) Ali Mohammad Mosadegh Rad, Mohammad Hossein Yarmohammadian, (2006) â€Å"A study of relationship between managers' leadership style and employees' job satisfaction†, Leadership in Health Services, Vol. 9 Iss: 2, pp. 11 – 28 13) Paul E Madlock. 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Rationalism vs Empiricism Using Descartes 2nd Meditation & Hume Essay

Q3:What are the main differences between rationalism and empiricism as approaches to knowledge? Explain the advantages and disadvantages of each, using Descartes (Second Meditation) as the example of a rationalist, and Hume or Locke as the example of an empiricist. In your view which approach better explains the common-sense knowledge of the world that we take for granted? Common-sense knowledge is information we know and understand unproblematically. It could be that a spider has six legs, your two times tables or that in answering a multiple choice test, it is a good idea to bring a rubber and fill in your answers in pencil. It is information gained from ordinary life. Epistemology is a philosophical term in reference to the nature and limitations of knowledge. It addresses firstly what is knowledge, secondly how is knowledge acquired and thirdly the limitations of knowledge. Rationalism and empiricism are two approaches which seek to provide answers to these questions (Cottingham, 1988). Empiricism perceives that the development of concepts and ideas are dependent on the senses (Markie, 2008). Alternatively rationalism ascertains that reasoning, intuition and deduction are the ultimate vehicles to acquiring knowledge, not sensory experience. These theories do not necessarily exist in opposition of each other, but can co-exist to describe how one views the acquisition of knowledge in different fields (Markie, 2008). Throughout this essay, I will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each view using Descartes’ ‘Second Meditation’ in contrast to Hume’s ‘Enquiry Concerning the Human Understanding’. I will then elaborate how the Empiricist perspective provides a better explanation to common sense knowledge of the world we live in. Rationalism Rationalism is a method in which the criterion of the truth is not sensory but intellectual and deductive. The rationalistic perspective survives on the assumption that firstly, there is a rational structure to the world and secondly, that people have the capacity to comprehend it. It utilises the deductive methods of logic to provide a model for all human knowledge and relies on intuition (Markie, 2008). This is not always the case, so this philosophy cannot be relied in all circumstances. Rationalism is founded on the thesis of Intuition/Deduction, thesis of Innate Knowledge or Innate Concept thesis separately or in some combination (Markie, 2008). The Intuition/Deduction thesis proposes that in a particular subject area, some information is known by intuition alone or that knowledge is gained by deduction from intuited propositions. Experiences are incapable of developing one’s knowledge but can catalyse thinking causing knowledge to progress from unconsciousness to consciousness (Cottingham, 1988). The Innate Knowledge thesis asserts that some knowledge is inherent within humanity like DNA, as part of our rational nature. The Innate Concept theory is based on the assertion that some of our concepts are not gained from experience (Markie, 2008). The rational nature organically possesses an individual’s concepts. Sense experiences might catalyse a process by which concepts are better understood but experience does not provide the concepts or determine the information they contain, rationality does (Markie, 2008). Other minor theories which are used less significantly to endorse Rationalism are the Indispensability of Reason Thesis and the Superiority of Reason Thesis. The Indispensability of Reason theorem states that we gain knowledge in a certain area when we utilise deduction and employ intuition. The Innate concepts and instances could not have been gained through the sense experience. The second strain stems that knowledge gained â€Å"a priori† through reasoning is superior to that gained through experience (Markie, 2008). In reference to Descartes’ Second Meditation, he explains how rationality can be used to pick up information that is not completely provided by the senses through the example of the hats and coats (Descartes, 1984). Rationalism can provide knowledge which is otherwise unattainable â€Å"Something which I thought was seeing with my eyes is in fact solely grasped by the faculty of judgement which is my mind. † Empiricism Empiricism is the other branch of epistemology, where knowledge is discovered through experience and observation, modelled on natural sciences. Knowledge is â€Å"a posteriori† catalysed by a sensory experience (Markie, 2008). Empiricism is not based on a definitive complete rational system of knowledge but does provide verifiable understandings and information, useful for everyday life (Hume, 1975). In David Hume’s piece â€Å"An enquiry concerning the human understanding and concerning the principals of morals†, Hume purports that the  Ã¢â‚¬Å"†¦most lively thought is still inferior to the dullest sensation. † Hume interjects that thoughts and ideas are less lively perceptions in contrast to impressions where we are encouraged to feel, experience and will (Hume, 1975). He labours his point through the example of the man in a fit of rage, as opposed to someone thinking of espousing those feelings. Rationalism only recalls the information or experience. It is incomparable to the intensity from the original experience provided by empiricism. It might appear that thoughts are without the same restrictions the body possess (Hume, 1975). In reality they have ‘narrowly confined limits with no more creative power than compounding, transposing, augmenting or diminishing the materials provided by the senses’. If a person is without the capacity of one of the senses, they are devoid of the information provided by that sense and are incapable of understanding information attached to that sensation (Hume, 1975). Restoring that sense enables them to receive sensory input, enabling them to conceive the attached ideas. This proves the importance of the sensory experience and that without it understanding is impossible. Comparison In my opinion, Empiricism better explains the common-sense view of the world. This is because knowledge gained through rational thought however much you can understand it, is not engrained or integrated into your core beliefs to the same degree as that gained through tangible experience. Knowledge gained through experience is more strongly felt and can be considered to be superior to knowledge gained by reflection (Hume, 1975). Without an experience of the subject in focus, the information is detached and reflection cannot proceed to occur. Intuition and deduction, however relevant, are open to deception and can lead to inaccurate assumptions. People previously believed the earth was flat and the earth was the centre of the universe, as this â€Å"information† fit their current schemas. It made sense but lead to wrong conclusions as it lacked testing. It is through empirical observation that accurate insight was reached. Their rational thinking followed logical deduction and was believed to be correct due to their intuition, but even rational thinking can be fallible leading to wrong assumptions (Descartes, 1984). It is proven that when people possess strongly held beliefs, they perceive information in such a way to support their current understanding and deny opposing views, filtering out information that does not fit their current schemas like putting blinkers on a horse. Although they believe their thoughts to be rational, their powers of deduction are compromised and can be rationally wrong. This significantly limits their ability to gain knowledge (Descartes, 1984). Conclusion Rationalism and Empiricism are two distinctly different views relating to epistemology and the degree of input that the senses provide in the formation of knowledge. Rationalism through intuition, deduction and rational logic ascertains certain knowledge which perhaps cannot be scientifically proven through observation (Markie, 2008). On the other hand, Empiricism understands the role of sensory experience and observation in order to develop one’s knowledge. In reality, both are useful and even essential to the formation of any knowledge. References Cottingham, P (1988) The Rationalists, Oxford University Press. Oxford; New York Descartes, R. (1984) Meditations. Second Meditation, ‘The nature of the human mind, & how it is better known than the body’, translated by Cottingham, J. in The Philosophical Writings of Descartes, vol II (Cambridge U. P. , 1984) pp 16-23 Hume, D. (1975) An enquiry Concerning Human Understanding [Section 2, ‘Of the Origin of Ideas’ (P. H. Nidditch, ed. , Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1975), pp17-22. Markie, P (2008), â€Å"Rationalism vs. Empiricism†, The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, viewed 2nd October 2011, http://plato. stanford. edu/entries/rationalism-empiricism/.

50p dq thanksgiving Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

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Sustainability in chemical engineering Research Paper

Sustainability in chemical engineering - Research Paper Example Sustainable chemistry is the â€Å"chemistry that contributes to securing the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs† (Christensen, 2009). Chemical Engineering is a course or program that plays a significant role in sustaining a society through manufacturing products and making processes for a better environment. Chemical Engineering contributes to sustainability through green chemistry. The terms ‘green chemistry’ and ‘sustainable chemistry’ are used interchangeably (Hardy, 2004). The purpose of green chemistry is to eliminate or reduce the risk of chemical hazards which in turn obviates the need to establish expensive exposure controls and prevents accidents leading to environmental incidents. Research in green chemistry is directed at alternative feedstocks, reagents and catalysts, environmentally benign solvents, and making of recyclable chemical products. This is achieved by giving bio-based feedstocks preference over petroleum-based sources. For example, the important intermediaries of commodity chemicals’ production; adipic acid, catechol, and hydroquinone can be produced from glucose as a raw material instead of benzene (Abraham, 2005, p. 168). While recycling increases the overall production, the cost of production is reduced because waste materials are used rather than getting disposed off. The importance of clean air, clean water, and safe environment highlights the significance of green chemistry. Chemical engineering has contributed to the increase of sustainability by introducing a range of efficient and productive systems including the large lake bio-complexity systems, systems dynamic modeling and ecological engineering and restoration. Sustainable development is based on the approach to service systems and industrial products’ manufacturing. Companies like General motors and HP are using â€Å"design for environment† techniques

Sprint Wireless Service RECYLING Program Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

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