Customer Service Review Questions Essay

What are some innate qualities or characteristics that make people unique? Innate qualities are qualities and characteristics that one is born with and has within them. Some innate qualities that make people unique are race, ethnicity, gender, height, natural hair color, and birth order. What external or societal factors affect the way members of a group are seen or perceived? Some external factors that affect the way members are seen the way they dress, talk, act, which religion they support, and how they communicate and treat people. What are values? Values are long-term appraisals of the worth of an idea, person, place, thing or practice held by individuals, groups or cultures. They affect attitudes and behavior. Do beliefs differ from values? Explain. Beliefs are convictions arising from repetitive experience showing some logical consistency. When beliefs get stronger, they from into principles and philosophies called values. So things start out as beliefs and turn into values that are held onto and passed down Why would some people be reluctant to make eye contact with you? There could be a number of reasons why one wouldn’t make eye contact with you. It could be a culteral thing, where it is considered rude to look people in the eye. It could be that they are nervous or shy and feel awkward making eye contact. Or the nonverbal cues that you’re giving off may have them a bit scared or too intimidated to approach you. When dealing with customers with a disability, how can you best help them? When dealing with customers with disabilities, the most important thing is to treat them equally as you would with any other customer that walks through the door. Be prepared and informed, be careful not to patronize, refer to the person and not the disability, offer assistance but do not rush to help without them asking, and lastly, be respectful. How can recognition of the cultural value of â€Å"importance of family† be helpful in customer service? Recognizing the importance of family would be helpful in customer service because it shows the customer that relationships are important forming a trust relationship with your customers. Customers like to feel secure and trusted when dealing with anyone in customer service so they know that they are feeling heard. What are some considerations for improving communication in a diverse environment? The diverse nature of the customer population requires businesses to be aware of the various ways people from different cultures interact in the business setting. Being aware of all the different cultures prepares you for whoever walks through the door and needs help understanding certain things and communicating effectively. Avoid jokes, sarcasm, and have respect for the person. How can you effectively communicate with someone who has difficulty with the English language? The best way to communicate with people that struggle with the English language or any language that is foreign to them is to use general nonverbal communication, like smiling. Avoid slang and sarcasm, as well as jokes. Stick to basic general terms. What are some techniques for effectively providing service to older customers? Effective techniques for dealing with the elderly are being respectful, being patient, answering any questions they have, try not to sound patronizing or bossy, remaining professional and don’t let biases interfere with good service.

Piano Concerto in a Major, K. 488

Mozart completed the Piano Concerto in A Major, K. 488, in March 1786 and it is a graceful piece in three movements. It used a small orchestra with two flutes, two clarinets in A, two bassoons, and two horns in A, along with the usual string orchestra. The first movement embodies the form called a â€Å"sonata form with double exposition. † This form is common in concerti and one feature of this form is that the first exposition does not end with a double bar and repeat sign indicating a literal repeat of the exposition.Instead the first exposition is for the orchestra without the soloist, and does not modulate to and conclude in the dominant, but stays in the tonic key throughout. When the soloist enters a second exposition begins which does modulate to the dominant key (or relative major if the work is in a minor key), and the second exposition does indeed cadence in the dominant. The only other variance from a standard (non-concerto) sonata form is the traditional cadenza, which occurs near the end of the recapitulation of the movement. The second theme is presented following a transitional section.In the first exposition it is in the key of A, but in the second exposition it is heard in the dominant key of E Major. This phrase ends with a half cadence, and the following phrase ends with a PAC, creating a double parallel period. The closing theme is more intense in character and features interplay between the winds and strings as well as frequent use of the borrowed subdominant chord. It includes a number of different melodic ideas and concludes with a strong beat PAC in A Major in measure 62. The second exposition begins in measure 67 with the first theme stated by the solo pianist.The major difference in this exposition is the modulation to the dominant key of E Major, which takes place in the Transition section in measures 82-98. This second exposition ends in a surprising way in measure 142 with the half cadence falling on the fourth beat of the m easure and the music abruptly ceasing, creating a dramatic pause that is followed by an entirely new theme, which begins the development section. This new theme is in E Major and provides virtually all of the melodic harmony heard throughout the development section.Following this embellished theme in E Major, the music begins to fragment this new theme and moves into key areas associated with the key of A minor as opposed to A Major. The keys touched on include E minor, C Major, F Major, and D minor. An especially nice passage is found in mm. 170-178. It features the clarinet and flute in a canon based on the ‘new’ theme, while the soloist maintains a running sixteenth note figure. Harmonically it begins in the key of D minor and traces the circle of fifths to a cadence on an E major chord in measure 178.Since E Major is the dominant chord of A Major this initiates a prolongation of the dominant of A Major in measures 178-189. A sort of â€Å"mini-cadenza† occurr ed in 189-198, which leads to the Recapitulation beginning in measure 198. The Recapitulation restates all of the themes heard in the exposition, now all in the key of A Major, with the soloist and orchestra interacting, unlike the first exposition. A particularly long Coda section begins in measure 261 with the reintroduction of the development section’s ‘New’ theme, presented now by the soloist alone, and in the key of A Major for the first time.Like the beginning of the development section, including the dramatic pause, it is followed by the placid restatement of the ‘New’ theme by the orchestra (290). This breaks off though and leads through a series of forte chords to the traditional tonic 6/4 chord paving the way for the cadenza. The cadenza is fundamentally a greatly expanded prolongation of the V chord. Following the cadenza the orchestra enters in a forte tutti statement with material drawn from the closing theme first presented in measure 4 9. A decisive PAC in A Major occurs in m. 309 followed by a prolongation of the tonic chord to the movement’s end.

Error Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Error - Essay Example For our companies set we have a good RMSE Mean absolue error is the average of the difference between predicted and actual value in all test cases; it is the average prediction error. It is similar to RMSE. Again The biggest MAE=0.080486 is for Technitrol, but even this small mean confirms the accuracy of our prediction. The t-statistic, which is computed as the ratio of an estimated coefficient to its standard error, is used to test the hypothesis that a coefficient is equal to zero. To interpret the t-statistic, you should examine the probability of observing the t-statistic given that the coefficient is equal to zero. Model parameters significance testing (Student statistics or t-statistics - variate with t-distribution), which is used for coefficient significance estimation in statistical sense, calculates with formula , where model coefficient estimation; null hypothesis (intial hypothesis) relatively to this estimation; Standard Error In our case, we take null hypothesis that our Beta coefficient is insignificant (). It allows simplifying the calculations, in spite of this hypothesis is opposite to desired (that Beta coefficient is significant) one. To define whether coefficient estimation is significant, we are to know the sample power (number of observations) (360 in our case), degrees of freedom, where number of model coefficients (n=2 in our case), and of course significance level - let's take as the most popular. In fact, significance level means the error of first kind probability during hypothesis checking. Let's find the table means for this case. So, =0.05 and In Student's distribution table the necessary mean is equal to 1.64 ("more than 60" row). Let's analyze this result for our companies. The least is 5,01341 for "Parkway Properties". Others are more. It means, that for all companies Beta-coefficient is significant (t-statistics is more than critical - from the table). On the other hand, we can provide t-test also for C-coefficient as critical value of t-statistics is the same 1,64. According to our results, the next companies have C-coefficients, which are not significant (can be not considered in our model). macdermid Raytheon gannett Navistar Ecolab Harsco Halliburton That's because the t-statistics for their C - coefficients are less than 1,64. For other companies these coefficient can't be considered as insignificant as their t-statistics exceeds critical value. They are parkway properties Jacobs engineering jp morgan Target Exxon Mobil technitrol American Express National fuel gas This fact can be explained with some market

Self improvement plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Self improvement plan - Essay Example I practice each grammar point until I can be able to use it easily. I will search for a book that has grammar exercises and answers. Online quizzes and activities will also be helpful. I will be focusing on a particular grammar point every time I study. Thirdly, I will be concentrating on grammar when reading the newspaper every morning. I will have to understand the reason why each sentence has been written in a certain way. Whenever I come across a sentence, I will be asking myself if I am to make the same sentences. When challenged, I will find exercises from textbooks for the grammar points and practice. Lastly, I will read and practice. The more I read, the better will be my vocabulary and grammar. If possible, I will be reading aloud; will help in listening to correct grammar as I read. I will also watch television at times more so what I am really interested in with BBC being a great

Social issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Social issue - Essay Example However, despite these gay movements, gay marriages are still banned in many states, and society still frowns at and hesitates to  accept this ‘deviant’ group. To deny the gay couples the chance to marry and enjoy the full benefits of marriage as accorded to heterosexual couples is unjustified and unjustifiable; in this regard, Gay marriages should be legalized in all the states in the US to allow gay couples to  get married without legal or societal restrictions whatsoever. The US constitution provides for equality and liberty with regards to matters pertaining to marriage and family life- these rights have elaborately been captured and protected in the constitution. To deny gay couples a right to exercise these same rights provided for in their own laws is totally discrimination, and it should not be encouraged. Gay couples deserve to enjoy the rights of freedom of choice with regards to their sexual orientations without discrimination. In addition to this, marriage is also one of the basic human rights, and thus, same sex or heterosexual marriage should be accorded to all, and sundry. Just as the interracial marriages, same sex marriages deserve protection, and should not be discriminated against denying same sex couples a right to marry is denying them their basic human right as provided for in the constitution. Allowing same sex marriages is bound to curb a lot more other social issues such as prostitution, infidelity, divorce and the spread of diseases such as HIV/AIDS studies have shown that such vices have been on the decline in many states that have legalized same sex marriages. For instance, the state of Massachusetts registered a 21% drop in divorce rates after legalizing gay marriages (â€Å"Should gay marriage be legal?†). In this regard, it is clear that instead of hurting heterosexual marriages as it is widely feared, gay marriages will in fact boost the marriage institution

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 9

Assignment Example It also involves sharing vision and the direction making it a mutual learning process for both the manager and the delegate; thus, it is a powerful employee empowerment tool. Delegation is a proper skill for supervisors at different levels since it involves working with the employees to establish goals by giving the substantial freedom on how such goals should be realized (Jha, 2004; Pratt, 1997; Elsig, 2011). Delegation is often different formwork directing since it does not involve telling the employee how to perform a specific task. In delegation, the employee decides the manner in which to perform specific task and this gives him freedom to perform his best, which can also be useful in gauging his abilities. This makes the employees fells important since he feels involved in the management and decision making of the company and this can be good learning tool for employees to improve their skills. Delegation can also be a challenge to employers since it involves giving control and confidence to the ability of others without knowing whether they will mess or perform well with the task entrusted with them. Delegation helps managers to free up a good time and to engage in other useful management activities. This helps the manager to reduce his workload so that he can engage in other areas for faster business process. Delegation is also important in fostering good relationship between the manager and the subordinate a condition necessary effective production process (Donado et al, 2008). This gives the subordinates the room and space to explore their talents thus flourishing their abilities making them feel important in return. With such trust upon the employees, they feel satisfied with their jobs and in turn increase the productivity of the company. The monotony broken through delegation is very important for skills improvement by the subordinates so that they can explore other fields in search for new talents and skills (Mitchelle, 2000). However, despite the se numerous benefits of delegation, the scholars have not focused on the negative effects of delegation in the management. Such minor negative effects can also have a significant effect to the management and profitability of an organization should be known. This may be due to lack of ideas on how to perform the task delegated and negative attitude of the employee (Sengul et al, 2004) Research question To explore the negative effects of delegation of duties to the subordinates To determine the extent in which the management delegate duties Methodology Qualitative research design will be employed to search for valuable information that will be able to explain the negative consequences of delegation of duties. The research design will be focused on the negative consequences, which rise form delegation of duties to the subordinate especially in the company set up. I will design a questionnaire, which will be designed in a manner to address the research questions. The sampling technique will be closed and open-ended questionnaires, which will be carefully designed according to the research objectives. This will enable us obtain a variety of responses form respondents form different levels of management. The study will be focused on workers and managers who are involved in delegation process in their day-to-day activities. The study will focus on 500 company workers form five different companies in different regions in order to come up with a representative sample necessary for this study.

Meaning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Meaning - Essay Example The basement and crawl space are major sources of heat loss. They can be sealed by mechanical key locks as a ventilation mechanism. The crawlspace walls can be insulated with rigid insulation. As for the base walls, a layer of insulation can be attached either on the inside or outside4. 16. ICF (Insulated Concrete Form) Foundations: a green and sustainable building system that delivers a foundation or wall that is highly energy efficient, structurally  tough, and resistant to fire fire and sound. 17. Sump pump and French-drain locations: sump pump is located in the basement and collects water that has accumulated in the water collection sump basin. The French drain is a trench with perforated pipes or filled with gravel that redirects ground and surface water away from a given area7. Doors are covered in Section R612 of the 2012 International Code Requirements. For example, during the times of fire the doors deter the spread of flames and smoke. The owner needs to be aware the hazards the glass doors could pose15. iv. COM Check – building program that allows simplifies compliance for building officials, plan checkers, and inspectors by allowing them to quickly determine whether new commercial or high-rise residential buildings, additions, and alterations meet the requirements of the IECC and ASHRAE Standard 90.1, as well as several state-specific codes. Buildipedia. Structural Steel Framing . http://buildipedia.com/knowledgebase/division-05-metals/05-10-00-structural-metal-framing/05-12-00-structural-steel-framing/05-12-00-structural-steel-framing>. Web July, 22, 2009. Accessed april 24,

Company Budgeting System Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Company Budgeting System - Essay Example This section will describe the general steps that a company takes in its process of budget formulation. After that a brief description of the modern techniques of budgeting will be made with the intention that the concept of budgeting system can be understood more clearly. With a clear picture of the system of budgeting, it will now be helpful to discuss certain roles that budgeting plays within an organization. Thus, roles of budgeting as an instrument for planning and control have been depicted in the next section. The research paper then takes a move towards the practicalities of implementation of budgeting system in the real world by examining its scope in PepsiCo. In this section, the system that PepsiCo follows has been analyzed critically by taking data from the official site of the company. The annual report has been taken care of and also the financial result of third quarter of 2010 has been considered in order to evaluate the efficiencies of its budgeting system. The resea rch paper concludes with a few recommendations for the improvement of budgeting system in PepsiCo. The recommendations are made on the basis of investigation of the current scenario of the company and also on the basis of the certain general traits that a company requires to follow with regard to its budgeting system. The research paper has been prepared to analyze the budgeting system with respect to a company. The budgeting system of the company which will be analyzed in this research paper is PepsiCo. Inc. PepsiCo is one of the world’s biggest producers of foods, snacks and beverages. It has revenue earnings of over $60 billion and has 2, 85, 000 employees. The company was founded by Donald M. Kendall, CEO and President of Pepsi-Cola and Herman W. Lay, CEO and Chairman of Frito-Lay. The company was the creation of the merger of the two companies. The company has grown largely over the

Conflict of interest Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Conflict of interest - Case Study Example Most of the cases that are brought to the surface are of corruption, bribery, and money laundering. Despite the fact that these issues are worth concerning, but the conflict of interest that is exhibited by these institutions behind the scene and during interrogation phase is gross and vulgar (Hines & Reserve, 2014). Moreover, these acts not only violate the Charter of Human Rights, but it also disobeys the various international treaties, international law, and etc. Conflict of interest is a phenomenon that deals with the abuse of power, where public rights are compromised in order to obtain private gain. Everywhere all across the government and non-government organization one can find several examples of the officials who abuse their authority and position for obtain personal benefits. Conflict refers to disagreement, this disagreement can be on various levels, for instance it can be on the basis of violation of organization’s policy, it may be a disagreement in principle, or disagreement in practice and etc. Conflict of interest can also be dealt as an act of corruption, because it is the violation of trust, and misuse of a power entrusted to an official on a higher rank who is supposed to use the power for public security instead of personal profit. The case of Captain James CoBell is yet another example of a military official crossing his limits, and using his influence for satisfying his pleasure. CoBell was assigned the command of the fleet readiness commander Mid-Atlantic in 2011. In a press release by Naval Air System Command, quotes the investigation, by Commander, Fleet Readiness Centers "misused his position in using subordinates for personal favors, used abusive language toward his personnel and failed to properly account for personal leave," (Stewart, 2012). However, in response to the charges laid upon him, CoBell said that his tenure as Executive and commanding officer did not have any element

Reconstruction for Assigned Reading Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reconstruction for Assigned Reading - Essay Example The beauty of this partnership is that private investors by virtue of shouldering upfront costs have a powerful influence in terms of incentives to ensure timely completion of projects. The overriding factor of the PPP’s is that they have a customer service ethic that government operated roadways lack. These PPP’s enable investors to profit primarily toll revenue, though not highly popular, is better than higher taxes and more government spending. The toll-funded roads are a noble idea since they will primarily regulate congestion on the roads. By increasing the toll during peak hours and decreasing it during off – peak hours, motorists will save much time since they will not be stuck in traffic. This will in turn reduce stress among motorist and save fuel. This would result in an improved economy. Further, the environment will not be polluted since auto emissions are higher in heavy traffic and significantly lower when traffic eases. Although PPP’s are not new in America, they remain an under-used engine for transportation infrastructure investments. Greater public education about the economic and environmental benefits of PPP’s is needed while federal action is also needed to encourage states to employ the use of PPP’s in transportation

Poem Comparison Essay Example for Free

Poem Comparison Essay The three poems are written by Wilfred Owen are based on war, and reveal the horrors of war. They are sad, and he uses these poems to express his bad feelings and hatred for war. Despite their similarities, they differ in certain ways as well. For example, Anthem for Doomed Youth is about how nobody is concerned for the dead soldiers and their efforts, Arms and The Boy is about how war transforms people into bloodthirsty monsters, and Futility is about a dead soldier lying in the fields of France. Structurally, Futility and Anthem for Doomed Youth are similar because they are both sonnets. However, they once again differ in that Futility is a more irregular sonnet, written in two verses of seven and seven with a rhyme scheme of ABABCCC DEDEFFF. It is irregular because it has no iambic pentameter, and overall the meter is very inconsistent. It uses half rhymes such as â€Å"once† and â€Å"France†, or â€Å"star† and â€Å"stir†. Anthem for Doomed Youth is more conventional with verses of eight and six, with a rhyme scheme of ABABCDCD EFFEGG. It has iambic Pentameter. Arms and the Boy have three verses of four lines with a half rhyme scheme of AABB CCDD EEFF. It has an iambic rhythm.  Arms and the Boy have a contradictory title because boys and war should not normally go together. Arms and the Boy use a register of terms to make the boy sound horrible, like a monster. It uses words and phrase such as â€Å"Hunger of Blood†, â€Å"Madman’s Flash†, and â€Å"Famishing for Flesh†. These three terms show the monstrosity of the soldiers, and criticises their thirst for killing. He shows us his feelings of hatred and despair towards them. There is also a register of predatory weapons, such as â€Å"teeth, claws, talons, antlers†. This portrays him as an animal in two ways, one is for his savageness in being so determined to kill, but also in that, animals use their bare limbs for killing, and so does he (arms to operate guns and to use bayonets). Anthem for Doomed Youth also has a contradictory title because there is no anthem for the doomed youth, as shown by â€Å"What passing bells for those who die as cattle?† which shows they died without dignity, let alone a funeral or anthem. It describes what should be their funeral, but is not. It shows what they are not getting, but really should be  getting. The second stanza shows an ending for them by using word like goodbyes and â€Å"drawing down of blinds†. The second line is very clever because it reflects Shakespeare’s saying of â€Å"life’s a theatre, and all men and women merely players†. A show ends with drawing down of curtains or blinds, and their lives metaphorically end like that. Futility is about a soldier who is dying in the sun. We are told he is a farmer because of the line â€Å"At home, whispering of fields unsown†. It portrays the sun as a mother, because of the caring words used to describe it such as gently. It portrays the sun as a kind figure that woke up the soldier on a regular basis. On this occasion, it cannot. The sunbeams â€Å"toil† to keep him awake but that still does not work. This is because nature (the sun) cannot interfere with manmade affairs (war). There is snow present, which is a figure of death because it is cold and harsh, opposite of the warm and gentle sun. He is appalled how our limbs â€Å"so dear achieved† can be used as tools as destruction.

Fashions Of The 1950s Era Cultural Studies Essay

Fashions Of The 1950s Era Cultural Studies Essay The 1950s were a fascinating time in the United States that left an impressive mark on our society. Fashion during this unforgettable time was extremely imaginative and expressive, and overtime evolved into iconic images that are repeatedly replicated in fashion today. The now famous styles are historical icons in our culture that are recognized by the majority of Americans. The fashion of the 1950s is very memorable to our society because it was, rebellious, captivating, and unique. The 1950s are often thought of as a time with conservative families who had well-behaved children that listened to their parents rules, and lived in cookie cutter suburban communities. While for many this was true, there was also a great deal of teenage rebellion that came out of this era. As the 1950s opened, Americas adolescents were basically a conservative, unrebellious lot.  [1]  At the very start of the 1950s teens idolized the same older generation figures as their parents, so factors for a rebellion were simply not there. However, in the early part of the decade younger idols arose and new cultural factors began the start of a teenage rebellion and, By the late fifties Americas teenagers had acquired a distinct subculture of their own. They had their own money, music, movies, television shows, idols, clothing, and slang.  [2]  They had found their own fashions and they centered on casual dress, instead of the upright fashion of older generations. This rebellion was ea sily expressed through exciting new fashions that had never been seen before. These styles became a vital aspect to the 1950s era that are now recognized and imitated in the fashion world today. The fresh clothing ideas for teenage girls included, rolled-up jeans, full dresses with crinolines, skirts paired with sweaters, casual blouses, blazers, tube dresses, sack dresses, two-piece bathing suits, and brown and white saddle shoes. High school boys were regularly seen in sport shirts, denim jeans with rolled-up cuffs, baggy pegged pants, pleated rouge trousers with a white side stripe, V-neck sweaters, slacks with back buckles, button-down striped shirts, blazers, and loafers.  [3]  Favorite color pallets and designs incorporated into these styles were polka dots, dramatic bright colors, and pale pastel colors.  [4]  One of the up-and-coming teen idols was Rebel without a Cause, James Dean, whose iconic look consisted of a white tee shirt and sport jacket.  [5]  This rol e model led to the same age group of boys showing their own rebellion through a tough attitude, black leather jackets, jeans, and tee shirts with rolled sleeves to hold cigarette packs. This highly rebellious crowd became known as Greasers, a very recognizable subculture. To continue, style in the 1950s was captivating for many Americans of the time. While the style of the rebellious teens is sometimes the spotlight of Fifties fashion, older generations also embraced new fashion ideas. Americans in the 1950s were caught up in many popular fads. Perhaps to take their minds off the looming threats to Americas Securityà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ã‚  [6]  In 1950 popular fashion designer Christian Dior created designs for his concept of the New Look, and it quickly became the epitome of fashion for women at the time. His model emphasized an hourglass shape (still popular today), skintight tailoring, narrow waist, and a full flared skirt. Along with this latest fashion ideal, it was also popular for Fifties women to wear fashion staples such as, stiletto heels, bright red lipstick, hats, and gloves. In the 1950s it was common for women to be housewives, but many were also working outside the home, Although womens roles were changing, the most popular fashions of the 1950s emphasized womens femininity and sexuality.  [7]  Overall, for women a look of professional feminism was portrayed, but with young girls a more fun look was trendy. The most memorable of these looks was that of the bobby soxers, consisting of two-tone saddle shoes, ankle socks, white shirts, soft sweaters, neck scarves, and poodle skirts. Poodle skirts are a staple of the 1950s that were frequently worn to Sock Hops and were, full circular skirts decorated with felt patches of well-coiffed French poodles and were the fashion rage for teen girls.  [8]  A sense of style was even welcomed by young children because of the popularity of Western television shows; therefore, children would often mimic the look of their favorite cowboy.  [9]  Even male fashion began to take a more attractive and less stiff turn, clothing such as smart suits, sports jackets, and trousers with permenant creases.  [10]  In conclusion, the 1950s appealing fashion gave women a look of sophi sticated feminism, gave men a look of relaxed professionalism, and gave younger generations a look of carefree fun. Finally, it is easy to observe that the clothing styles and fashions of the generations were unique to the time, but conformity was also an accepted idea at the time as well. Even the most self-expressive group desired to fit it, Teenagers were also very conformist: They were very concerned about what their friends thought of their dress, behavior, and ideas, and they tried very hard to be part of the group and not be labeled an oddball or individualist.  [11]  It could be surmised that the reason for this need to be the same through fashion may have stemmed from the emerging suburban lifestyle in the United States, which was all about conformity through appearance. Therefore, fashion during the 1950s was most often not about being an individual with your own personal style, it was based off of being apart of a universal style. The fashions were so highly received that they could be seen on almost everyone of the decade. For example, powerful businessmen of the time sported the i nfamous gray flannel suits, which were paired with narrow brimmed hats.  [12]  As a result of televisions invading homes, and movie theaters growing, admiration of stars like Marilyn Monroe and Audrey Hepburn, added to the aspiration to achieve a trendy look of glamorous sophistication and elegance.  [13]  Of course, there were exceptions to the conformity ideal, and these groups were known as The Beatniks. These were citizens who detested conformity and separated themselves from the popular fashions by wearing black turtleneck sweaters, blue jeans, and sandals for men and black leotards and short skirts for women. Ironically, the style that they developed to protest being the same became a conformity in itself.  [14]  To sum up, even though 1950s fashion could be vastly conformist, the styles themselves were definitely unique and something that the country had never experienced, but quickly loved and would continue to adore for generations to come. In conclusion, the fashion of the 1950s was filled with blends of trendy, relaxed, fun, elegant, and sophisticated styles. The original fashions of this beloved decade are still treasured in society today, and these fashions are often still imitated in various styles in the fashion world. Because 1950s fashion was rebellious, captivating, and unique, it has evolved into a memorable part of history that will always have an element of current fashions for years to come. The Fifties style sums up everything that is flattering, does not appear to be a contrived fashion statement, and shows classic good style.  [15]  

Fear Of Failure Among College Athletes Psychology Essay

Fear Of Failure Among College Athletes Psychology Essay In sport, motivation and fear of failure are among the vital determinants of an athletes performance. The current study aims to study the role of gender on the type of motivation and the level of fear of failure among college athletes. The sample would be athletes between the ages of 18 25 and who are a part of their college sports team. The Sports Motivation Scale and The Performance Failure Appraisal Inventory would be used to assess the type of motivation and the level of fear of failure respectively, among the participants. Results of the present study will aid in widening the scope of sports psychology and add to the field of psychology as a whole. Further, it will aid in giving an understanding into whether gender differences exist among athletes of Indian origin playing at the university level. Both counselors and coaches will have an insight into how better to ensure that sportspersons are reaching their full potential. INTRODUCTION With the growth of sports psychology, there has been an increased interest in the possible gender differences that exist with regard to sport participation and achievement (Branta, Painter Keiger 1987). The statement Participation in sport is primarily a masculine activity in American society (Czisma, Wittig, and Schurr, 1988) was stated owing to the number of males over females participating in sport. With regard to the Olympic Games, it was seen that in the year 1908, male athletes outnumbered females 53 to 1. In 1948, the ratio had decreased to 10 to 1. More recently, in 2012, this male female ratio compared to the past may be considered to have reached parity (Laine 2012). For the first time Saudi Arabia sent in two female athletes to compete at the games and statistics reveal that the number of females in the U.S team outnumbered the males by 269 women to 261 men. Even with regard to the medal count of the American contingent, the women won almost twice as many medals as the me n: 100 total medals as opposed to 59 for the men (Chappell 2012). One cannot ignore that socio cultural disparities exist across the world and in a country like India it is often considered that playing sport is not something that women do. Show of muscular strength is considered unladylike or masculine and this may keep girls from playing sports (Shakti 2005). Thereby, the question arises, to what extent do gender differences still exist with regard to sport? It is known that males comprise greater physical strength than women, this is largely on account of males having larger muscle mass ratio than females (Maughan R J, Watson J S, Weir J 1983). However, do males and females differ on internal factors such as the type of motivation and level of fear of failure? The current study seeks to investigate into this proposed question. Motivation Motivation may be understood as a combination of an internal drive that stems from within us and external factors that seek to influence it. The internal drive stemming from within is better known as intrinsic motivation, and may be defined engaging in an activity purely for the pleasure and satisfaction derived from doing the activity (Deci, 1975). A person who is intrinsically motivated, will engage in an activity irrespective of the presence of external materialistic rewards (Deci Ryan, 1985). Most researchers hold the view that intrinsic motivation may be looked upon as a global construct, Deci, 1975 and White, 1959 however came about with the ideology that intrinsic motivation may be subdivided into three categories 1) intrinsic motivation to know and understand here the primary reason for individuals to participate in an activity is to try something new or to learn a novel technique 2) Intrinsic motivation towards accomplishments here the main intention behind an individuals participation in an activity is for the individual to acquire mastery over a new technique or the accomplishment of goals set by themselves. 3) Intrinsic motivation to experience stimulation the focus here is sensory pleasure and excitement derived during the course of engaging in the activity. Peak experiences or aesthetic stimulating experiences are a part of this form of intrinsic motivation. Contrary to intrinsic motivation Deci, 1975 defined extrinsic motivation as those behaviors that are engaged in as a means to an end and not for their own sake. Originally it was thought that this form of motivation could only be influenced by external sources such as rewards. Deci, Ryan, Connell, Grolnick, in 1990 however felt that extrinsic motivation like intrinsic motivation could also be sub divided into the following forms 1) External regulation this refers to behaviours that are controlled by external rewards. 2) Introjections under this condition, external sources of motivation have been internalized, and internal forces such as guilt or shame serve to act as the drive. 3) Identification Under this condition the individual recognizes his/her behavior as worthy and of considerable value. Thus, the behavior engaged in is for external reasons but controlled internally by the individual. The last form of motivation, also known as Amotivation, is similar to learned helplessness (Abramson, Seligman, Teasdale, 1978). Amotivated individuals do not recognize a link between their actions and the outcomes, instead they undergo feelings of incompetence and lack of control (Deci,and Rayan 1985). In the case of Amotivation, neither intrinsic motivation nor extrinsic motivation is experienced and the end result may be that the individual ceases to participate in the given activity altogether. The link between internal and external forms of motivation may be seen in the cognitive evaluation theory formulated by Deci in 1975. This theory talks about the effects of external consequences on internal motivation. The cognitive evaluation theory talks about individuals motivation differing on account of their own perceptions of their ability to meet the desired goal, and the corresponding drive to do so. High levels of competence and self determination, results in increased intrinsic motivation and identification. On the other hand, it is seen that low levels of competence and self determination, results in a decrease in introjection, external regulation and amotivation (Deci Ryan, 1985, 1991). The cognitive evaluative theory is a sub theory of the self determination theory (SDT), which talks about the factors that drive individuals other than extrinsic rewards or reinforcement. It deals largely with psychological needs and conditions for individual growth which serve to be mo tivating factors. The extent to which a person is self-motivated or self-determined serves as the basis of this theory (Deci, Ryan, 2002). Thus, research has indicated a presence of both internal and external motivating factors that serve to be responsible of the extent to which a person immerses himself or herself in a given task. Further, it is based on these factors that the individual places value on task performance. Fear of failure Fear and anxiety are often misinterpreted for one another. Anxiety is generalized and the source is often hard to pinpoint. Fear on the other hand is a subjective emotion that triggers physiological changes (e.g., increased heart rate, muscle tension) and that has antecedents in the environment, leading to certain causal consequences in behavior (Gray, 1987). Fear results in an individual engaging in avoidance behaviours on account of an understanding that avoiding the situation at hand will prevent the unpleasant outcome that is feared from occurring (Barlow, 2002; Field Lawson, 2003; Gray, 1987). Theorists believe that fear as a construct exists from early childhood to adulthood (Field Lawson, 2003; Lawson, Banerjee, Field, 2007; Morris Kratochwill,1998). Fears serve an adaptive role during childhood towards real or imagined threat. They warn the individual of dangers that are lurking and motivate the individual to engage in escape or avoidance behaviours. However, on becoming excessive, intense, and persistent over time, fears may result in being extremely distressful thus act as a block towards academic and social progression (Field Lawson, 2003; Gullone, 1999). Three main forms of fear have been identified among children and adolescents, included are those of performance anxiety, social anxiety, and school phobia (King et al., 1998). The current study has its roots in performance anxiety and deals primarily with a fear of failure. Failure is known as the state or condition of not meeting a desirable or intended objective, and may be viewed as the opposite of success. As human beings, we all have an innate driven to achieve mastery in all spheres of life. Erick Erickson talked about a series of stages, each aimed at achieving mastery over specific domains. Mastery or success at each stage may be attained through repeated trial and error. It is only when failure is experienced and the individual overcomes it that success is arrived at. In todays society where cut throat competition is largely prevalent, individuals seek to go from one win to another. Loss or failure is something that is looked down upon and individuals begin to fear it even at a young age. A mild form of this fear may serve to be motivating but often it gets blown out of proportion resulting in a fear of failure. Athletes too, it is seen may generate a fear of failure when they worry about not getting what they want and have worked hard to obtain. On account of the growing nature of sports psychology, there has been an increased interest in the gender differences that may exist with regard to sport and sport related play. This study seeks to explain the gender differences specifically in relation to the type of motivation and levels of fear of failure that influence athletic performance. REVIEW OF LITERATURE Motivation and gender differences Considerable research has been done in the field of motivation and sport. Research has found that motivation has a direct influence on an individuals performance, persistence and learning (Duda, 1989; Vallerand, Deci, Ryan, 1987). It thereby, seeks to be a crucial factor in determining the extent to which athletes initiate, maintain and seek to grow in the field of sport. Further, focusing on the gender differences in types of motivation (intrinsic or extrinsic motivation), several studies have been done on the effect of scholarship and its relation to performance in sport. Ryan (1980) did a study on a sample of male football players and female athletes on scholarship. Results displayed that scholarship or an extrinsic stimulus, served to have a greater influence on the performance of male athletes than female athletes. Male athletes were thus found to have lower levels of intrinsic motivation on account of the impact of scholarship. In another study it was found that female athletes reported higher levels of intrinsic motivation than male athletes irrespective of the presence of scholarship (Fortier, Vallerand, Guay, 1995). Reed Cox, (2003) in a study titled The Effects of Athletic Scholarships on Motivation in Sport took a sample of 70 non-scholarship and 46 scholarship basketball players and assessed present and future levels of motivation. Results indicated that male scholarship athletes displayed higher levels of introjected regulation than female non-scholarship athletes, and higher levels of external regulation as compared to female scholarship athletes and all non-scholarship athletes. The current study was based solely in the country of Canada and the sample was taken from the sport of Basketball. Thereby this difference in the type of motivation among males and females cannot be generalized to other cultures or to sports that are played on an individual basis where team cohesion does not play a contributory role. Kingston et al., (2006) stated otherwise, and proved thorough a replication of a study conducted by Amorose and Hom, (2000) that regardless of gender, athletes on scholarship displayed higher levels of intrinsic motivation than non scholarship athletes. This indicates that external stimuli such as scholarship have a similar effect on the motivation of both males and females. Further, Kingston (2006) looked into aspects of extrinsic motivation, and found that collegiate male athletes demonstrated significantly higher levels of extrinsic motivation, specifically external regulation as compared to females. In a study aimed at measuring if gender and motivation type were related to athletes perceptions of team cohesion. Halbrook,. Blom, Hurley, Bell, Holden collected a sample of 253 male and female collegiate athletes. On administering the Sports Motivation Scale (SMS; Pelletier et al, 1995) and the Group Environment Questionnaire (EQ; Carrà ³n et al., 1985), results revealed significant positive correlations between perceptions of task and social cohesion with each of the three intrinsic motivation types and two extrinsic motivation types (i.e integrated regulation and identified regulation). Negative relationships were found to exist between amotivation and task and social cohesion. This study indicates that the Sports motivation scale is a good predictor of measuring the type of motivation among sports persons. Fear of failure and gender differences Fear of failure is also another crucial factor in determining an athletes involvement in sport. Unlike motivation that serves to be a driving force, fear of failure serves as a mar towards progression. H. A Murray (1938) was the person behind the conceptualization of dispositional achievement motivation as the combination of an individuals need for achievement which serves to be the approach motive and his/her fear of failure which acts as the avoidance motive. Both the avoidance motive and the achievement motive are characteristic of being stable in nature and are considered to have been socialized early in childhood (Birney et al., 1969; Conroy, 2003; Elliot Reis, 2003; Elliot Thrash, 2004; Hermans, ter Laak, Maes, 1972; McClelland et al., 1953; Teevan McGhee, 1972). This may in turn serve to be a contributory factor of gender differences that exist later in life. As stated above, classical achievement motivation theorists talked about the need for individuals to avoid failure and thus they thereby act or behave in ways that prevent the likelihood of experiencing the failure itself (McClelland, Atkinson, Clark, and Lowell, 1953). These early achievement motivation theories (Atkinson, 1964; McClelland, Atkinson, Clark, Lowell, 1958) defined fear of failure as the motive to avoid failure because one feels shame and humiliation upon failure. Thus, fear of failure is prominent under conditions where individuals feel their ability is being judged and where there is a high chance of failure to occur, resulting in the person to seek escape or avoidance of the situation (Atkinson Feather, 1966; Birney, Burdick, Teevan, 1969). Sports related research on fear of failure has associated it with youth drop out rates and barriers to sport participation (Orlick, 1974). Failure and negative social evaluation are predominant sources of worry among many young athletes. Young elite athletes worries were related to primarily to the fear of failure, fear of negative evaluation, feelings of inadequacy, and external control or guilt (Gould, Horn, Spreemann, 1983). Research done on samples of youth wrestlers (Gould et al., 1983; Scanlan Lewthwaite, 1984) and runners (Feltz Albrecht, 1986) indicated that the major source of their fears revolved around making mistakes, not performing to their ability, not improving on their performance, not participating in championship events, and losing. Winning and losing are a part and parcel of every sport and from a very young age winning is something that individuals strive towards, loosing on the other is something that they learn to dread. A win serves to be a standard of succ ess while a loss becomes a threat and is considered as failure (Scanlan Lewthwaite, 1988). Pressure to be the best and achieve high standards of sporting performances, can bring with it increased levels of fear of failure among athletes (Hosek Man, 1989). A multidimensional and hierarchical model of fear of failure has been developed that incorporates previous findings on fear of failure. This model has been based on the cognitive-motivational-relational theory of emotion (Lazarus, 1991). This theory talks about fear of failure being a result of the activation of cognitive schemas attached to situations that are fear provoking, on account of possible failure in those situations. Further, this theory states that individuals make evaluations of events and experience an associated anxiety on account of the meaning they attach to those situations. Thereby, an aversive interpretation of the consequences of failure leads individuals to fear failure itself (Birney, Burdick, Teevan, 1969; Conroy et al., 2001; Conroy et al., 2002). Conroy, Poczwardowski, and Henschen, (2001) used inductive content analysis to narrow down into five broad categories the aversive consequences of failure that individuals fear (a) experiencing shame and embarrassment, (b) devaluing ones self-estimate, (c) having an uncertain future, (d) important others losing interest, and (e) upsetting important others (Conroy, 2001; Conroy, Metzler, and Hofer, 2003; Conroy, Willow, and Metzler, 2002). In sum, it is seen that fear of failure is linked to maladaptive results in the undertaking of any given activity. In the year 2009, Sagar; Lavallee and Spray did a study titled Coping With the Effects of Fear of Failure: A Preliminary Investigation of Young Elite Athletes. Interviews were conducted on a one to one basis with nine young elite athletes (5 males, 4 females; ages 14-17 years) and revealed that fear of failure affected the athletes well-being, interpersonal behavior, sport performance, and schoolwork. This qualitative study indicates that there is a need for further research in the field of fear of failure with older athletes and how it may impact other related areas such as motivation. In addition, a quantitative study may serve to enhance the ability to generalize the results. Sagar, Boardley, and Kavussanu, (2011) found that male students reported higher levels of fear of significant others losing interest and a threat to their social standing.   Females on the other hand were more concerned with a fear of devaluing ones self-estimate, which in turn is said to be related to relatively lower competence levels in females as compared to males. In a study done by Elison, and Jeff, (2012) results revealed that females report fear of shame and embarrassment to a greater degree than males and fear of devaluing ones self estimate to a greater degree than males. Females also report need for approval and rumination to a larger extent than males. Thus, females tend to exhibit modestly greater fear of failure and perfectionism. The above studies indicate that there is a considerable need to make a contemporary research with regard to the prevalence of gender differences in the fear of failure of individuals within the sporting domain. Relationship between motivation, fear of failure and the role of gender Motivation it is seen may serve the role of approach or of avoidance. Contemporary goal theorists talk about the presence of two types of approach motivation, namely, mastery and performance goals. Mastery approach goals are found to correspond to high levels of intrinsic motivation while performance approach goals are found to correspond to high levels of extrinsic motivation (Elliot Church, 1997; Smith et al., 2002). Avoidance goals are said to correspond to the presence of Amotivation in individuals. Past research has repeatedly shown that need for achievement involves the taking up of mastery-approach and performance-approach goals, while fear of failure leads to the implementation of avoidance goals (mastery and performance) as well as performance-approach goals (Conroy, 2004; Conroy Elliot, 2004; Elliot Church, 1997; Elliot McGregor, 1999; Elliot McGregor, 2001; Elliot Sheldon, 1997; Schmalt, 2005; Thrash Elliot, 2002; Van Yperen, 2006). Another study done by Conroy and Elliot (2003) on 356 college students, revealed that fear of failure was positively related to mastery-avoidance, performance-approach and performance-avoidance achievement goals. Though this study has been done in the academic setting, it would be of interest to find individuals displayed similar mannerisms in the context of sport. Nien Duda, (2008) did do a study on 450 British male and female athletes. The study was aimed at identify revealing gender differences in the multiple achievement goal measurement model. Questionnaires assessing approach and avoidance achievement goals, perceived sport competence, fear of failure, and motivation regulations, were administered to the athletes. Only partial invariance was supported with respect to the antecedents achievement goals-consequences model. Further, gender differences were not revealed amidst the paths between fear of failure to mastery-avoidance goal, mastery-approach goal to intrinsic motivation, and performance-approach goal to extrinsic motivation. In a country like India, where gender differences are so apparent across several domains, it is important that we research into the extent to which gender may play a role in the field of sport. Further, this study revealed that both the Sports Motivation Scale (SMS; Pelletier et al., 1995) and The Performance Failure Appraisal Inventory by David E. Conroy are can be used to measure the type of motivation and levels of fear of failure among athletes. Indian Studies A study done by Rathee and Singh, (2011) measured the levels of achievement motivation, emotional and social adjustment among international and national players of various team sports. For this purpose, 240 Indian players were selected from the sports of basketball, hockey and handball. The achievement motivation test was administered to the athletes and results indicated that international players had higher levels of achievement motivation, and were better adjusted than national players. Further, gender studies indicated that there were little or no differences among the players at that level. The current study focused primarily on achievement motivation and did not consider gender differences with regard to the type of motivation (intrinsic or extrinsic) and the possible effect it may have on levels of fear of failure. Sporting participation of individuals at lower levels of competition such as inter college competitions has not be studied in the above case and there is need to d o so for national and international players come into the category of elite sportsmen and they thereby may have different factors influencing their participation. METHEDOLOGY Rationale for this study Psychology is a rapidly growing field and sport psychology in particular has found to be crucial in the churning out of ace class athletes around the world. In India, where gender differences are apparent across various domains, it is crucial that it be taken into consideration while dealing with persons in the counseling setting. Motivation and fear of failure serve to act as push and a pull factors for individuals indulging in any given activity. It is thereby essential that we investigate into these two variables and whether gender has a role to play in the field of sport. This will serve to add to the limited research done in the field of motivation and fear of failure, especially so with regard to the Indian context. Scope of this study The present study will aid in creating awareness in relation to the influence of gender in the type of motivation and the level of fear of failure that Indian athletes at the college level may experience. It will further aid in counselors and coaches to be more sensitive to the needs of athletes with regard to aspects of motivation and fear of failure. Operational definitions In the following is an understanding of the operational and constitutive definitions of the various variables under study: Gender: The state of being male or female (typically used with reference to social and cultural differences rather than biological ones). (Oxford dictionary) Motivation: Motivation may be understood as a combination of an internal drive that stems from within us and external factors that seek to influence it. (Deci 1975) Intrinsic motivation: intrinsic motivation refers to engaging in an activity purely for the pleasure and Satisfaction derived from doing the activity (Deci, 1975). Extrinsic motivation: extrinsic motivation pertains to a wide variety of behaviors that are engaged in as a means to an end and not for their own sake (Deci, 1975). Amotivation: experiencing feelings of incompetence and lack of control (Deci Ryan, 1985) Fear of failure: An association between a specific stimuli and threat triggers fear response and avoidance behaviour Because such behaviour is believed to prevent the unpleasant outcome that is feared (Barlow, 2002; Field Lawson, 2003; Gray, 1987). Indian: a native or inhabitant of India, or a person of Indian descent (Oxford dictionary) Colligate athletes: a term encompassing college and university level competitive sports personnel. Aim To study the effect of gender on the type of motivation and the level of fear of failure among colligate athletes. Objectives To measure the effect of gender on the type of motivation among athletes. To measure the effect of gender on the level of fear of failure of among athletes. To study the correlation between the type of motivation and the level of fear of failure among athletes. Research design The questionnaire method will be employed for the purpose of research. Here a certain sample of male and female participants will be studied in relation to the variables of motivation and the fear of failure using a single -point questionnaire assessment. Hypothesis In the following are the various hypotheses that were formulated: The motivation subscales of intrinsic motivation to learn and know, to experience stimulation, and toward accomplishments, as well as integrated regulation would have negative relationships with fear of failure. The motivation subscales of identified regulation, introjected regulation, external regulation, and amotivation would have positive relationships with fear of failure. There would be an interaction between gender and motivation type as well as gender and fear of failure. Sample The sample would consist of students aged 18 25. All individuals who are currently on the college team will be contacted from sports played on an individual basis such as tennis, table tennis, badminton and athletics. The participants will be from universities situated in the city of Bangalore. A minimum sample size of 60, including 30 men and 30 women is to be sought. Inclusion Criteria- Aged 18 25 Individuals who are currently of the college team. Individuals who are of Indian nationality or Indian decent. Exclusion Criteria- Individuals who do not have at least one parent who is Indian and is of nationality other than Indian. Individuals who are not of the college team. Tools: A Socio-Demographic Data Sheet was formulated for the purpose of obtaining information regarding the participants gender, age, ethnicity, form of sport, year of joining university, no years of having played sport and level of competition. To assess the participants type of motivation Sport Motivation Scale (SMS 28) by Pelletier et al., (1995) will be employed. It assess individuals on the type of motivation 1) Intrinsic motivation which includes intrinsic motivation to know and understand, intrinsic motivation towards accomplishments and intrinsic motivation to experience stimulation, 2) Extrinsic motivation which includes integrated regulation, identified regulation, introjected regulation and external regulation and lastly is that of Amotivation. Pelletier et al (1995) sampled 593 university athletes and found adequate internal consistency among seven of the eight subscales, with Cronbachs alpha ranging from .74 to .80. All subscales were found to have a high positive correlation between one another, with the correlation weakening only between amotivation and intrinsic motivation, which makes theoretical sense. This reliability was also verified in another study by Kingston et al., (2006) with collegiate studen t athletes; the mean Cronbachs alpha score for the subscales was at least .80, except for the identification subscale which was below .70. In addition, the SMS has shown strong logical validity and adequate content validity (Li Harmer, 1996; Pelletier et al., 1995). To assess the level of fear of failure of the participants The Performance Failure Appraisal Inventory by David E. Conroy is to be employed. Normative data of 440 males and females may be obtained. Initial research has found the subscales to exhibit acceptable internal consistency and has provided evidence supporting the factorial and external validity of the measure (Conroy et al., 2003). Previous research has proved that both these scales are appropriate for measuring the type of motivation and fear of failure of athletes playing at the university level. Procedure Pilot phase As part of the pilot phase, the head of the sports department of colleges in Bangalore will be contacted. Further, on obtaining permission to carry out the research, team captains of the various existing individual sports will be contacted and meetings set up with their entire team for the purpose of administration of the questionnaires. Main phase The sample would be collected from sports played on an individual basis. Post setting up meetings with the team, male and female participants are to be briefed in a group regarding the nature of the research. The participants are permitted to withdraw from the research if they wished to. Those who volunteer to be a part of the study would be each given an envelope containing two copies of the consent form, a demographics questionnaire, the sports motivation scale and the fear of failure appraisal inventory. Further, they would be first asked to fill up the consent form and the demographic questionnaire. A copy of the consent form is to be given to the participants for future reference. The instructions for the two scales (SMS and The Performance Failure Appraisal Inventory) were given separately and the respondents were asked to not skip any question or to think too much before giving an answer. On the completion of the questionnaires, the participants were to enclose it in self sea led envelopes and hand it over to the researcher. Analysis of data The data will be coded using Statistical Package for Social Sciences. Means and Standard deviations are to be independently calculated or male and female participants on their scores on the SMS and Performance Failure Appraisal Inventory. T-tests will be used to examine gender differences in the variables of motivation and fear of failure. Correlation analysis is to be made use of to analyze the association between the variables studied. Ethical considerations: The setting for administration was done in a comfortable arena that had good ventilation and illumination. A general outline of the study was explained to all the participants contacted for th

The Merchant Of Venice - Shylock: Villain Or Victim? Essay -- Merchant

Many people are villainous in the way they behave. Their villainous acts may be attributed to their desire to destroy others and in turn elevate themselves to a higher financial or social level. However, the root cause of their villainy may be a response to the treatment they have endured at the hands of others. In short, they have been taught villainy, rather than it being an integral part of their personality. In such instances, revenge can be a key motivator in inspiring them to act in a villainous way. It is on such occasions, where villains have themselves been exposed to villainy, that the distinction between villain and victim becomes blurred. Victims are usually characterised in the way that they are persecuted for circumstances, which are beyond their control for example their appearance. In plays and novels, the victim is sometimes a character included to highlight the prejudices and pre-conceptions of the social climate in which the play or novel was written. In the †˜Merchant of Venice’ it can be argued that Shylocks character undergoes a metamorphosis from villain to victim. However, in this essay I hope to discuss whether in fact Shylock can be defined as either villain or victim and to form an opinion of what Shakespeare intended. First we shall look at the aspects of the text that portray Shylock as a villain. We are first introduced to Shylock in Act I Scene iii where we learn of his usury. It is in this scene that Bassanio seeks Shylock out and asks to borrow money from him in Antonio’s name. Also in this scene do we learn of Shylock’s hatred for Antonio and the Christians: ‘ How like a fawning publican he looks! / I hate him for he is a Christian; ’ (Act I Scene iii) Shylock also displays elements of belligerence in his refusal to ever forgive the Christians. We also learn of his intent regarding Antonio’s life: ‘ If I can catch him once upon the hip, / I will feed fat the ancient grudge I bear him.’ (Act I Scene iii) Shylock also shows himself to be devious and cunning by hiding his hatred beneath a faà §ade of friendship in order to entice Antonio to become indebted to him, not just with money but with his life. Antonio is very naà ¯ve regarding the terms of the bond taking the ‘pound of flesh’ clause to be a show of friendship not hatred: ‘ The Hebrew will turn Christian: he grows kind.’ (Act I Scene iii) Perhaps he receives the terms... ...uted among his sworn enemies. Although Shylock pursues his revenge fervently he still has the audience’s sympathy because of the unfair and harsh punishment he receives. It strikes a modern day audience as grossly unfair that the severity of his punishment reflects not his crime, but his race. He is a victim of the Christians’ intolerance of other races and ideas. In conclusion, I feel that ultimately Shylock is a villain. The way he treats those he is close to, for example his daughter Jessica exposes his vindictive and ultimately evil character. He lets his lust for vengeance engulf all other aspects of his life and his complete lack of mercy towards Antonio renders him a villain in the eyes of the audience. We can only guess at the way in which Shakespeare intended Shylock to be portrayed. I feel that Shakespeare intended Shylock to be victim, he was created to challenge the pre-conceptions and ideologies of the Elizabethan era. Having said this, I feel personally that it is not productive for us to simply categorise Shylock as either victim or villain. Through Shylock, Shakespeare explores the way in which the line between the oppressed and the oppressor can become blurred.

Canine Heartworm Disease Essay -- Heartworm Disease Dogs

Canine Heartworm Disease Canine Heartworm Disease is a serious and potentially fatal disease caused by the parasite Dirofilaria Immitis. The disease can infect over 30 species, including humans, however dogs are the definitive host. The most common way this disease is transmitted from one animal to the next is through mosquitoes. A mosquito carrying infective heartworm larvae bites a dog and transmits the infection to them. The larvae grow, develop, and migrate in the body over a period of 6 to 7 months, in which time they become sexually mature male and female worms. this is the prepatent period. The worms then reside in the heart, lungs, and associated blood vessels. The worms begin to mate and release microfilaria into the blood stream. When a mosquito bites an infected dog it takes in some of the microfilaria in the blood. After 10 to 30 days there is larvae in the mosquito’s salivary gland which can then be passed on to the next dog the mosquito bites. Canine Heartworm Disease can also be transmitted to puppies through the placenta of an infected mother. However in this case the puppies will only be carriers, but this makes them at risk of severe reactions when starting canine heartworm prevention. Another way larvae can be passed is through blood transfusions. To prevent this all donors must be cleared of heartworm disease before donating. Dogs infected with Canine Heartworm Disease can have from 1 to 250 worms living in them for 5 to 7 years. The organs us...

Facing Death Again :: Graduate College Admissions Essays

Facing Death Again I've been having adventures this summer. In July I cranked my new new car up to 110 mph and flew alone for two days in the desert, saw a dead polar bear in a coffee shop, marched in a parade, and scattered Dad's ashes in an open meadow. For the most part, though, my adventures have been internal. I am making a feeble attempt at a teenage life crisis, but so far it hasn't amounted to much - just a lot of pacing, brooding, and long, exhausting mental hikes down roads not taken. My mom has been patient throughout. One of my melancholy realizations is that my remarkable network of teenage friends, once so closely-knit, are now scattered to the wind and so deeply entangled in their own lives that I have very few people left to talk to. At school I have a first-rate cadre of friends, and long lunches every day, but we keep each other, always, at a certain distance. Other old friends are reachable by phone, and I've reached, but there are always parties or impatient girlfriends in the background. It takes great resourcefulness, and much juggling of schedules, to pry loose a few precious minutes on the phone, and in those minutes there are bridges to be built and private languages to be rediscovered before any real conversation can take place. And my dearest friend, is off somewhere in the easternmost Alps, drinking Viennese coffee and nibbling on Viennese pastries, as far away as she could possibly be. "Midway this way of life we're bound upon, I woke to find myself in a dark wood, Where the right road was wholly lost and gone." My own attempt at a teenage life crisis is not near so dark or fraught with peril as was Dante's. In fact it's all so by-the-book and so perfectly on schedule as to be dreary: I turn eighteen, my father dies, and I'm on my way. With my father's death I now advance to the plate. I am up next. It is now officially my turn to face the reaper. Being the morbid, romantic fellow I am, I actually faced (embraced!) all this mortality business long ago. As a young lad I used to write "Respice Finem" on snowbanks and dusty windowshields: "Consider Your End." Death itself hasn't bothered me for a long time, and I'm old enough now to understand what Mark Twain said about death, that it becomes our best friend. Facing Death Again :: Graduate College Admissions Essays Facing Death Again I've been having adventures this summer. In July I cranked my new new car up to 110 mph and flew alone for two days in the desert, saw a dead polar bear in a coffee shop, marched in a parade, and scattered Dad's ashes in an open meadow. For the most part, though, my adventures have been internal. I am making a feeble attempt at a teenage life crisis, but so far it hasn't amounted to much - just a lot of pacing, brooding, and long, exhausting mental hikes down roads not taken. My mom has been patient throughout. One of my melancholy realizations is that my remarkable network of teenage friends, once so closely-knit, are now scattered to the wind and so deeply entangled in their own lives that I have very few people left to talk to. At school I have a first-rate cadre of friends, and long lunches every day, but we keep each other, always, at a certain distance. Other old friends are reachable by phone, and I've reached, but there are always parties or impatient girlfriends in the background. It takes great resourcefulness, and much juggling of schedules, to pry loose a few precious minutes on the phone, and in those minutes there are bridges to be built and private languages to be rediscovered before any real conversation can take place. And my dearest friend, is off somewhere in the easternmost Alps, drinking Viennese coffee and nibbling on Viennese pastries, as far away as she could possibly be. "Midway this way of life we're bound upon, I woke to find myself in a dark wood, Where the right road was wholly lost and gone." My own attempt at a teenage life crisis is not near so dark or fraught with peril as was Dante's. In fact it's all so by-the-book and so perfectly on schedule as to be dreary: I turn eighteen, my father dies, and I'm on my way. With my father's death I now advance to the plate. I am up next. It is now officially my turn to face the reaper. Being the morbid, romantic fellow I am, I actually faced (embraced!) all this mortality business long ago. As a young lad I used to write "Respice Finem" on snowbanks and dusty windowshields: "Consider Your End." Death itself hasn't bothered me for a long time, and I'm old enough now to understand what Mark Twain said about death, that it becomes our best friend.

Summary of an Introduction by Kamala Das

â€Å"An Introduction† is perhaps the most famous of the poems written by Kamala Das in a self-reflective and confessional tone from her maiden publication Summer in Calcutta(1965). The poem is a strong remark on Patriarchal Society prevalent today and brings to light the miseries, bondage, pain suffered by the fairer sex in such times. The poet says that she is not interested in politics but claims that she can name all the people who have been in power right from the time of Nehru.By saying that she can repeat them as fluently as days of week, or names of the month, she indirectly states the fact that politics in the country is a game of few chosen elite who ironically rule a democracy. The fact that she remembers them so well depicts that these people have been in power for repetitive cycles. Next, she describes herself saying that she is an Indian, born in Malabar and very brown in colour. She speaks in three languages, writes in two and dreams in one, articulating the tho ught that Dreams have their own universal language.Kamala Das echoes that the medium of writing is not as significant as is the comfort level that one requires. People asked her not to write in English since isn’t her mother tongue. Moreover, the fact that English was a colonial language prevalent as medium of communication during British times drew even more criticism every time she had an encounter with a critic, friends, or visiting cousins. She emphasizes that the language she speaks becomes her own, all its imperfections and queerness become her own. It is half-English, half-Hindi, which seems rather amusing but the point is that it is honest.Its imperfections only make it more human, rendering it close to what we call Naturality. It is the language of her expression and emotion as it voices her joys, sorrows and hopes. It is as integral to her as cawing is to the crows and roaring to the lions. Though imperfect, It is not a deaf, blind speech like that of trees in storm or the clouds of rain. Neither does it echo the â€Å"incoherent mutterings of the funeral pyre†. It possesses a coherence of its own: an emotional coherence. She moves on telling her own story.She was a child, and later people told her that she had grown up for her body had started showing signs of puberty. But she didn’t seem to understand this interpretation because at the heart she was still but a child. When she asked for love from her soulmate not knowing what else to ask, he took the sixteen-year-old to his bedroom. The expression is a strong criticism of child marriage which pushes children into such a predicament while they are still very childish at heart. Though he didn’t beat her, she felt beaten and her body seemed crushed under her own weight.This is a very emphatic expression of how unprepared the body of a sixteen-year-old is for the assault it gets subjected to. She shrank pitifully, ashamed of her feminity. She tries to overcome such humiliati on by being tomboyish. And thereafter when she opts for male clothing to hide her femininity, the guardians enforce typical female attire, with warnings to fit into the socially determined attributes of a woman, to become a wife and a mother and get confined to the domestic routine. She is threatened to remain within the four walls of her female space lest she should make herself a psychic or a maniac.They even ask her to hold her tears when rejected in love. She calls them categorizers since they tend to categorise every person on the basis of points that are purely whimsical. She explains her encounter with a man. She attributes him with not a proper noun, but a common noun-â€Å"every man† to reflect his universality—the fact that in such a patriarchal society, this is a nature inherent to every male by the sheer fact that he belongs to the stronger sex. He defined himself by the â€Å"I†, the supreme male ego. He is tightly compartmentalized as â€Å"the sw ord in its sheath†.It portrays the power politics of the patriarchal society that we thrive in that is all about control. It is this â€Å"I† that stays long away without any restrictions, is free to laugh at his own will, succumbs to a woman only out of lust and later feels ashamed of his own weakness that lets himself lose to a woman. Towards the end of the poem, a role-reversal occurs as this â€Å"I† gradually transitions to the poetess herself. She pronounces how this â€Å"I† is also sinner and saint†, beloved and betrayed. As the role-reversal occurs, the woman too becomes the â€Å"I† reaching the pinnacle of self-assertion.

Busi 3103 Notes

ORGANIZATIONAL THEORY – STUDY LIST – KEY CONCEPTS PART ONE: INTRODUCTION TO ORGANIZATIONS CHAPTER ONE – ORGANIZATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONAL THEORY Administrative principles: closed system management perspective that focuses on the total organization and grows from the insight of practitioners – Bureaucratic organizations: organization design based on clearly defined authority and responsibility, formal record keeping and uniform application if standard rules – Change strategy: a plan to guide an organizational change – Chaos Theory: a scientific theory that suggests that relationships in complex, adaptive systems are made up of numerous interconnections that create unintentional effects and render the environment unpredictable – Closed system: autonomous, enclosed and not dependent on the external environment – Contextual dimensions: the characteristics of an organization, including size, technology, environment and goals. – Contingency: the applicable management approach to deal with unforeseen events – Effectiveness: the degree to which an organization achieves its goals – Efficiency: the amount of resources used to produce a unit of output – Hawthorne studies: studies worker productivity.Managers who treat their employees well facilitate increased employee output – Learning organization: everyone is engaged in finding and solving problems enable continuous improvement and capabilities of its own employees – Level of analysis: in systems theory, the subsystem on which the primary focus is placed; four levels of analysis characterize the organization – Meso theory: combines micro and macro levels of analysis – Open System: interacts with the environment for survival – Organization: social entities that are goal directed, deliberately structured and linked to the external environment – OB: micro approach to organizations with focus on indiv iduals in the organization – OT: macro approach to organizations that analyses the whole organization as a unit – Role: allows an employee to use their abilities to achieve outcomes and meet goals – Scientific management: claims decisions about organization and job design should be based on precise, scientific procedures – Stakeholder: any group within or outside an organization that has a stake in the rganizations performance – Stakeholder approach: (constituency approach) stakeholder satisfaction indicates the performance of the organization – Structural dimensions: describes the internal characteristics of an organization – Subsystems: divisions of an organization that perform specific functions for the survival of the organization. Functions include boundary spanning, production, maintenance, adaptation and management – System: set of interacting elements of inputs, transformation and output to the environment – Task : narrowly defined piece of work assigned to a person PART TWO: ORGANIZATIONAL PURPOSE AND STRUCTURAL DESIGN CHAPTER TWO – STRATEGY, ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN, AND EFFECTIVENESS – Analyzer (62) Competing values model: perspective on organizational effectiveness that combines diverse indictors of performance that represent competing management values – Defender: business strategy that seeks stability or retrenchment rather than innovation or growth – Differentiation strategy: used to distinguish an organization’s products or services from others in the industry – Focus strategy: concentrates on a specific regional market or buyer group Goal approach: concerned with output and whether the organization achieves its output goals – Human relations emphasis: competing-values model that incorporates the values of an internal focus and a flexible structure – Internal-process approach: looks at internal activities and assesses effectiveness by indicators of internal health and efficiency – Internal-process emphasis: competing-values model that looks at the values of internal focus and structural control – Low-cost leadership strategy: tries to increase market share by emphasizing low cost compared to competitors – Mission: organization reason for existence – Official Goals: formally stated definitions of business scope and outcomes the organization strives to achieve (also called mission) – Open-systems emphasis: competing-values model that looks at the combination of external focus and flexible structure – Operative goals: explain what the organization is trying to achieve, with focus on the actual operating procedures – Organizational goals: desired state the organization attempts to reach – Prospector: business strategy characterized by innovation, risk aking, seeking new opportunities and growth – Rational-goal emphasis: competing-values model that foc uses on structural control and external focus – Reactor strategy: business strategy in which environmental threats and opportunities are responded to in an ad hoc fashion – Resource-based approach: organizational perspective that assesses effectiveness based on how organizations successfully obtains, integrates and manages valued resources – Strategy: set of plans, decisions and objectives that have been adopted to achieve the organizations goals – Structure: formal reporting relationships, groupings and systems of an organization CHAPTER THREE – FUNDAMENTALS OF ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE Centralized: level of hierarchy with authority to make decisions – Chain of command: formal line of authority to make decisions Decentralized: decision making and communication that is spread out across the company – Departmental grouping: structure where employees share a common supervisor and resources, are jointly responsible for performance, and te nd to identify and collaborate with each other – Divisional grouping: people are organized according to what the organization produces – Divisional structure: structuring based on individual products, services, product groups, major projects, or profit centers (also called product structure or strategic business units) – Functional grouping: grouping of employees who perform similar functions or work processes or who bring similar knowledge and skills to bear on a task – Functional matrix: structure in which functional bosses have primary authority, and product or project managers simply coordinate product services – Functional structure: grouping of activities by common function – Horizontal grouping: organizing of employees around core work processes rather than by function, product or geography – Horizontal linkage: amount of communication and coordination that occurs horizontally across organizational departments – Horizont al structure: structure that eliminates both the vertical hierarchy and departmental boundaries by organizing teams of employees around the core work processes, the end to end work, information, and material flow that provide value directly to customers – Hybrid structure: combines various structural approaches (functional, divisional, geographical, and horizontal) tailored to specific strategic needs – Integrator: a position or department that is reated to coordinate several departments – Liaison role: person that is responsible to communicating and achieving coordination with another department – Matrix structure: strong form of horizontal linkage in which both product and functional structures (horizontal and vertical) are implemented simultaneously – Multifocused grouping: a structure in which an organization embraces structural grouping alternatives simultaneously – Organizational structure: designates formal reporting relationships, in cluding the number of levels in the hierarchy and the span of control of managers and supervisors; identifies the grouping together of individuals into departments and of departments into the total organization; and includes the design of systems to ensure effective communication, coordination and integration of efforts across departments – Outsourcing: contracting out certain functions, e. g. anufacturing,IT†¦to other organization – Process: organized group of related tasks and activities that work together to transform inputs into outputs that create value for customers – Product matrix: a variation of the matrix structure in which project or product managers have primary authority, and functional managers simply assign technical personnel to projects and provide advisory expertise – Re-engineering: redesigning a vertical organization along its horizontal workflows and processes – Symptoms of structural deficiency: signs of the organization structure being out of alignment, including delayed or poor quality decision making, failure to respond innovatively to environmental changes, and too much conflict – Task force: temporary committee composed of representatives from each department affected by a problem Teams: permanents task forces often used in conjunction with a full time integrator – Vertical information system: periodic reports, written information and computer based communications distributed to managers – Vertical linkages: communication and coordination activities connecting the top and bottom of an organization – Virtual cross-functional teams: teams comprising individuals from different functions who are separated in space and time as well – Virtual network grouping: organization that is loosely connected cluster of separate components – Virtual network structure: the firm subcontracts many or most of its major processes to separate companies and coordinates their a ctivities from a small headquarters or organization – Virtual team: made up of organizationally or geographically dispersed members who are linked through advanced information and communications technologies. Members frequently use the internet and collaborative software to work together, rather than meeting face to face SLIDES ONLY – BCG matrix (10): Consider market share and growth for product portfolios PART THREE: OPEN-SYSTEM DESIGN ELEMENTS CHAPTER FOUR – EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENT – Boundary spanning roles: activities that link and coordinate an organization with key elements in the external environment – Boundary scanning roles (Slide only) Buffering roles: activities that absorb uncertainty from the environment – Cooptation: when leaders from important sectors in the environment are made part of an organization – Differentiation: the differences (cognitive and emotional) among managers in various functional departments of an organiz ation and formal structure differences among these departments – Direct interlock: occurs when a member of the board of directors of one company sits on the board of another – Domain: an organizations chosen environmental field of activity – General environment: sectors that may not directly affect the daily operations of a firm but will indirectly influence it – Green environment: natural environment Indirect interlock: occurs when a director of one company and a director of another are both directors of third company – Integration: the quality of collaboration between departments of an organization – Interlocking directorate: formal linkage that occurs when a member of the board of directors of one company sits on the board of another company – Mechanistic: an organization system marked by rules, procedures, a clear hierarchy of authority, and centralized decision making – Organic: free flowing, adaptive processes an unclear hierarchy of authority, and decentralized decision making – Organizational environment: all elements that exist outside the boundary of the organization and have potential to affect all or part of the organization – Resource dependence: a situation in which organization depends on the environment, but strive to acquire control over resources to minimize their dependence – Sectors: subdivisions of the external environment that contain similar elements – Simple-complex dimension: the number and dissimilarity of external elements relevant to an organizations operations – Stable-unstable dimension: the state of an organization’s environmental elements – Task environment: sectors with which the organization interacts directly and that have a direct effect on the organization’s ability to achieve its goals – Uncertainty: occurs when decision makers do not have sufficient information about the environmental factors and have a d ifficult time predicting external changes CHAPTER FIVE – INTERORGANIZATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS Coercive forces: external pressures such as legal requirements exerted on an organization to adopt structures, techniques, or behaviors similar to other organizations – Collaborative networks: an emerging perspective whereby organizations allow themselves to become dependent on other organizations to increase value and productivity for all – Generalist: an organization that offers a broad range of products or services and serves a broad market – Institutional environment: norms and values from stakeholders that organizations try to follow in order to please stakeholders – Institutional perspective: under high uncertainty, organizations imitate others in the same institutional environment – Institutional similarity: common structures, management approaches and behaviors established by organizations in the same field. Interorganizational relationships: r esource transactions, flows and linkages that occur among two or more organizations – Legitimacy: an organizations actions are desirable, proper and appropriate within the environment’s systems of norms, values and beliefs – Mimetic forces: under uncertainty, this is the pressure to copy or model other organizations that appear to be successful in the environment – Niche: domain of unique environmental resources and needs – Normative forces: pressures to adopt structures, techniques or management processes because they are considered by the community to be up to date and effective – Organizational ecosystem: system formed by the interaction of a community of organizations and their environment, usually cutting across traditional industry lines – Organizational form: an organization’s specific technology, structure, products, goals, and personnel – Population: set of organizations engaged in similar activities with simila r resources and utcomes – Population-ecology perspective: the focus is on organizational diversity and adaptation within a community or population or organizations – Retention: The preservation and institutionalization of selected organizational forms – Selection: process by which organizational variations are determined to fit the external environment, variations that fail to fit the needs if the environment are selected out and fail – Specialist: an organization with a narrow range of goods or services or serves a narrow market – Struggle for existence: principle of the population ecology model that states that organizations are engaged in a competitive struggle for resources and fighting to survive – Variation: new organizational forms that respond to the needs of the external environment (mutations in biology) SLIDES ONLY – Agency theory (9-13): The relationship between Shareholders and Managers is dominated by this question, How can the Agent shareholder/owner make sure that the managers are acting in their best interest? – Transaction cost theory (21-25): The inclusion of all costs are considered when  making  a  decision  and not just the  market prices. CHAPTER SIX – DESIGNING ORGANIZATIONS FOR THE INTERNATIONAL ENVIRONMENT Consortia: groups of firms that venture into new products and technologies – Domestic stage: first stage of international development in which a company is domestically orientated while managers are aware of the global environment – Economies of scale: achieving lower costs through large volume production, often made possible by global expansion – Economies of scope: achieving economies by having a presence in many product lines, technologies or geographic areas – Factors of production: supplies necessary for production e. g. raw materials, land, labor – Global companies: no longer thinks of itself as having a home country â⠂¬â€œ Global geographic structure: an organization divides its operation into world regions, each of which reports to the CEO – Global matrix structure: A horizontal linkage in an international organization in which both product and geographical structures are implemented simultaneously to achieve a balance between standardization and globalization. – Global product structure: product divisions take responsibility for global operations in their specific product areas –Global stage: stage in international development in which the company transcends any one country – Global teams: work groups comprising MNC members whose activities span in different countries (transnational teams) – Globalization strategy: standardization of product design and advertising strategy throughout the world – International division: equal in status to other major departments within the company and has its own hierarchy to handle business in various countries  œ International stage: 2nd stage of international development where company takes exports seriously and is multidomestic – Joint venture: separate entity of sharing developments and production costs and penetrating into a new market between two or more firms – Multidomestic: company that responds to local customers and competition in each country independent of other countries – Multidomestic strategy: competition in each country is handled independently of competition in other countries – Multinational stage: stage of international development where a company has marketing and production facilities in many countries and more than one third of its sales outside its home country – Power distance: level of inequality people are willing to accept within an organization – Standardization: all branches of the company at all locations operate in the same way – Transnational model: horizontal organization with multiple centers, subsidiary ma nagers who initiate strategy and innovations for the company as a whole, and unit and coordination achieved through corporate culture and shared vision and values – Uncertainty avoidance: level of tolerance for and comfort within, uncertainty and individualism within a culture SLIDES ONLY – Core competency (5,6) – Diversification (7-11) PART FOUR: INTERNAL DESIGN ELEMENTS CHAPTER SEVEN – MANUFACTURING AND SERVICE TECHNOLOGIES Analyzability: a dimension of technology in which work activities can be reduced to mechanical steps and participants can follow an objective, computational procedure to solve problems – Continuous process production: completely mechanized manufacturing process with no sorting or stopping – Core technology: work process directly related to the organization mission – Craft technology: technology used for stable stream of activities where the conversion process is not well understood or analyzable – Engineer ing technologies: technology used when there is a substantial variety in the tasks performed, but activities are handled on the basis of established formulas, procedures, and techniques – Flexible manufacturing systems: using computers to link manufacturing components e. g. obots, machines, product design and engineering analysis to enable fast switching from one product to another – Intensive technologies: variety of products or services provided in combination to a client – Interdependence: the extent to which departments depend on each other for resources or materials to accomplish their tasks – Job design: the assignment of goals and tasks to be completed my employees – Job enlargement: the designing of jobs to expand the number of different tasks performed by an employee – Job enrichment: the designing of jobs to increase responsibility, recognition and opportunities for growth and achievement – Job rotation: moving employees fro m job to job to give them a greater variety of tasks and alleviate boredom – Job simplification: the reduction of the number and difficulty of tasks performed by a single person – Joint optimization: the goal of the sociotechnical system approach, which states that organization will function best only if its social and technical systems are designed to fit the needs of each other – Large-batch production: manufacturing process with long production runs of standardized parts – Lean manufacturing: uses highly trained employees at every stage of the production process who take painstaking approach to details and continuous problem solving to cut waste and improve quality – Long-linked technology: the combination, within one organization, of successive stages of production, with each stage using as its inputs the production of the preceding stage – Mass customization: the use of computer integrated systems and flexible work processes to enable c ompanies to mass produce a variety of products or services designed to exact customer specification – Meditating technology: the provision of products or services that mediate or link clients from the external environment and allow each department to work independently – Noncore technology: a department work process that is important to the organization but is not directly related to the central mission – Nonroutine technologies: there is high tasks variety and the conversion process is not analyzable or well understood – Pooled interdependence: the lowest form of interdependence among departments in which work does not flow between units – Reciprocal interdependence: the highest level of interdependence in which the output of one operation is the input of the second, and then the output of the second operation is the input of the first. Routine technologies: technology that’s characterized by little task variety and the use of objective, co mputational procedures – Sequential interdependence: serial form of interdependence in which the output of one operation becomes the input of another operation – Service technology: characterized by simultaneous production and consumption, customized output, customer participation, intangible output and being labour intensive – Small-batch production: manufacturing process, often custom work that is not highly mechanized and relies heavily on the human operation – Sociotechnical systems approach: combines the needs of people with the need for technical efficiency – Task variety: the frequency of unexpected and novel events that occur in the conversion process – Technical complexity: the extent of mechanization in the manufacturing process Technology: tools, techniques and actions used to transform organizational inputs into outputs SLIDES ONLY – History of commercial technology (7) – Historical context of technology – Wo odward, Perrow, and Thompson (10-30) CHAPTER NINE – ORGANIZATIONAL SIZE, LIFE CYCLE, AND DECLINE bureaucracy| An organizational framework marked by rules and procedures, specialization and division of labour, hierarchy of authority, technically qualified personnel, separation of position and person, and written communications and records (p. 30)| bureaucratic control| The use of rules, policies, hierarchy of authority, written documentation, standardization, and other bureaucratic mechanisms to standardize behaviour and assess performance (p. 336)| centralization| Level of hierarchy with authority to make decisions (p. 332)| charismatic authority| Based in devotion to the exemplary character or heroism of an individual and the order defined by him or her (p. 337)| clan control| The use of social characteristics, such as culture, shared values, commitments, traditions, and beliefs, to control behaviour (p. 338)| collectivity stage| The life-cycle phase in which an organization has strong leadership and begins to develop clear goals and direction (p. 24)| downsizing| Intentionally reducing the size of a company’s workforce by laying off employees (p. 343)| elaboration stage| The organizational life-cycle phase in which the red-tape crisis is resolved through the development of a new sense of teamwork and collaboration (p. 326)| entrepreneurial stage| The life-cycle phase in which an organization is born and its emphasis is on creating a product and surviving in the marketplace (p. 324)| Formalization| The degree to which an organization has rules, procedures, and written documentation (p. 332)| formalization stage| The phase in an organization’s life cycle involving the installation and use of rules, procedures, and control systems (p. 26)| incident command sytem| Developed to maintain the efficiency and control benefits of bureaucracy yet prevent the problems of slow response to crises (p. 334)| life cycle| A perspective on organizational g rowth and change that suggests that organizations are born, grow older, and eventually die (p. 323)| market control| A situation that occurs when price competition is used to evaluate the output and productivity of an organization (p. 337)| organizational decline| A condition in which a substantial, absolute decrease in an organization’s resource base occurs over a period of time (p. 340)| personnel ratios| The proportions of administrative, clerical, and professional support staff (p. 32)| rational-legal authority| Based on employees’ belief in the legality of rules and the right of those in authority to issue commands (p. 337)| self-control| A person’s values are brought into line with the organization’s values to control behaviour (p. 339)| traditional authority| Based in the belief in traditions and the legitimacy of the status of people exercising authority through those traditions| SLIDES ONLY – Organizational birth and early life (4,5) †“ Nandy’s Model (6-9) – Genier’s Model (10, 11,18,19) PART FIVE: MANAGING DYNAMIC PROCESSES CHAPTER TEN – ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE AND ETHICAL VALUES adaptability culture| A culture characterized by strategic focus on the external environment through flexibility and change to meet customer needs (p. 60)| bureaucratic culture| A culture that has an internal focus and a consistency orientation for a stable environment (p. 363)| chief ethics officer| High-level executive who oversees all aspects of ethics, including establishing and broadly communicating ethical standards, setting up ethics training programs, supervising the investigation of ethical problems, and advising managers in the ethical aspects of decisions (p. 379)| clan culture| A culture that focuses primarily on the involvement and participation of the organization’s members and on rapidly changing expectations from the external environment (p. 362)| code of ethics| A formal statement of the company’s values concerning ethics and social responsibility (p. 80)| culture| The set of values, guiding beliefs, understandings, and ways of thinking that are shared by members of an organization and are taught to new members as correct (p. 356)| culture strength| The degree of agreement among members of an organization about the importance of specific values (p. 364)| ethical dilemma| When each alternative choice or behaviour seems undesirable because of a potentially negative ethical consequence (p. 372)| ethics| The code of moral principles and values that governs the behaviour of a person or group with respect to what is right or wrong (p. 369)| ethics committee| A group of executives appointed to oversee company ethics (p. 378)| ethics hotline| A telephone number that employees can call to seek guidance and to report questionable behaviour (p. 79)| external adaptation| The manner in which an organization meets goals and deals with outsiders (p. 357)| heroes| Organi zational members who serve as models or ideals for serving cultural norms and values (p. 359)| internal integration| A state in which organization members develop a collective identity and know how to work together effectively (p. 357)| language| Slogans, sayings, metaphors, or other expressions that convey a special meaning to employees (p. 359)| legends| Stories of events based in history that may have been embellished with fictional details (p. 359)| managerial ethics| Principles that guide the decisions and behaviours of managers with regard to whether they are morally right or wrong (p. 72)| mission culture| A culture that places emphasis on a clear vision of the organization’s purpose and on the achievement of specific goals (p. 361)| myths| Stories that are consistent with the values and beliefs of the organization but are not supported by facts (p. 359)| rites and ceremonies| The elaborate, planned activities that make up a special event and often are conducted for th e benefit of an audience (p. 357)| rule of law| That which arises from a set of codified principles and regulations that describe how people are required to act, are generally accepted in society, and are enforceable in the courts (p. 371)| social audit| Measures and reports the ethical, social, and environmental impact of an organization’s operations (p. 83)| social capital| The quality of interactions among people, affected by whether they share a common perspective (p. 355)| social responsibility| Management’s obligation to make choices and take action so that the organization contributes to the welfare and interest of society as well as itself (p. 372)| stories| Narratives based on true events that are frequently shared among organizational employees and told to new employees to inform them about an organization (p. 359)| subcultures| Cultures that develop within an organization to reflect the common problems, goals, and experiences that members of a team, departme nt, or other unit share (p. 365)| symbol| Something that represents another thing (p. 59)| values-based leadership| A relationship between a leader and followers that is based on strongly shared values that are advocated and acted upon by the leader (p. 377)| whistle-blowing| Employee disclosure of illegal, immoral, or illegitimate practices on the part of the organization’s officers and employees| SLIDES ONLY – Deal and Kennedy – Popular Typology of Organizational Culture (12,13) – Utilitarian ethics model (27) – Moral rights ethics model (28) – Justice ethics model (29) – Forces acting on manager’s ethics moment (30) CHAPTER ELEVEN – INNOVATION AND CHANGE ambidextrous approach| A characteristic of an organization that can behave in both an organic and a mechanistic way (p. 402)| change process| The way in which planned changes occur in an organization (p. 99)| creative departments| Organizational departments that initi ate change, such as research and development, engineering, design, and systems analysis (p. 403)| creativity| The generation of novel ideas that may meet perceived needs or respond to opportunities (p. 399)| culture changes| Changes in the values, attitudes, expectations, beliefs, abilities, and behaviour of employees (p. 397)| dual-core approach| An organizational change perspective that identifies the unique processes associated with administrative change compared to those associated with technical change (p. 411)| horizontal coordination model| A model of the three components of organizational design needed to achieve new product innovation: departmental specialization, boundary spanning, and horizontal linkages (p. 07)| idea champions| Organizational members who provide the time and energy to make things happen; sometimes called advocates, intrapreneurs, and change agents (p. 404)| idea incubator| Safe harbour where ideas from employees throughout the organization can be develop ed without interference from bureaucracy or politics (p. 403)| incremental change| A series of continual progressions that maintains an organization’s general equilibrium and often affects only one organizational part (p. 394)| large group intervention| An approach that brings together participants from all parts of the organization (and may include outside stakeholders as well) to discuss problems or opportunities and plan for change (p. 15)| management champion| A manager who acts as a supporter and sponsor of a technical champion to shield and promote an idea within the organization (p. 405)| new-venture fund| A fund that provides financial resources to employees to develop new ideas, products, or businesses (p. 404)| organization development| A behavioural science field devoted to improving performance through trust, open confrontation of problems, employee empowerment and participation, the design of meaningful work, cooperation between groups, and the full use of human potential (p. 415)| organizational change| The adoption of a new idea or behaviour by an organization (p. 98)| organizational innovation| The adoption of an idea or behaviour that is new to an organization’s industry, market, or general environment (p. 398)| product and service changes| Changes in an organization’s product or service outputs (p. 396)| radical change| A breaking of the frame of reference for an organization, often creating a new equilibrium because the entire organization is transformed (p. 394)| skunkworks| Separate, small, informal, highly autonomous, and often secretive group that focuses on breakthrough ideas for the business (p. 404)| strategy and structure changes| Changes in the administrative domain of an organization, including structure, policies, reward systems, labour relations, coordination devices, anagement information control systems, and accounting and budgeting (p. 396)| switching structures| An organization creates an organic structur e when such a structure is needed for the initiation of new ideas (p. 403)| team building| Activities that promote the idea that people who work together can work together as a team (p. 416)| technical champion| A person who generates or adopts and develops an idea for a technological innovation and is devoted to it, even to the extent of risking position or prestige; also called product champion (p. 405)| technology changes| Changes in an organization’s production process, including its knowledge and skills base, that enable distinctive competence (p. 97)| time-based competition| Delivering products and services faster than competitors, giving companies a competitive edge (p. 409)| venture teams| A technique to foster creativity within organizations in which a small team is set up as its own company to pursue innovations  | SLIDES ONLY – Four P’s (10) – Leavitt’s diamond (11) – Triggers for change (12) – Forces against change (13) – Lewin’s three step change management (14) – Change management five action steps (15-24) CHAPTER TWLEVE – DECISION MAKING PROCESSES bounded rationality perspective| How decisions are made when time is limited, a large number of internal and external factors affect a decision, and the problem is ill-defined (p. 34)| Carnegie model| Organizational decision making involving many managers and a final choice based on a coalition among those managers (p. 445)| coalition| An alliance among several managers who agree through bargaining about organizational goals and problem priorities (p. 445)| contingency decision-making framework| A perspective that brings together the two organizational dimensions of problem consensus and technical knowledge about solutions (p. 458)| decision learning| A process of recognizing and admitting mistakes that allows managers and organizations to acquire the experience and knowledge to perform more effectively in the future (p. 62) | escalating commitment| Persisting in a course of action when it is failing; occurs because managers block or distort negative information and because consistency and persistence are valued in contemporary society (p. 463)| garbage can model| Model that describes the pattern or flow of multiple decisions within an organization (p. 453)| high-velocity environments| Industries in which competitive and technological change is so extreme that market data are either unavailable or obsolete, strategic windows open and shut quickly, and the cost of a decision error is company failure (p. 461)| imitation| The adoption of a decision tried elsewhere in the hope that it will work in the present situation (p. 60)| incremental decision process model| A model that describes the structured sequence of activities undertaken from the discovery of a problem to its solution (p. 447)| inspiration| An innovative, creative solution that is not reached by logical means (p. 460)| intuitive decision making | The use of experience and judgment, rather than sequential logic or explicit reasoning, to solve a problem (p. 439)| management science approach| Organizational decision making that is the analog to the rational approach by individual managers (p. 443)| nonprogrammed decisions| Novel and poorly defined, these are made when no procedure exists for solving the problem (p. 433)| organizational decision making| The organizational process of identifying and solving problems (p. 33)| organized anarchy| Extremely organic organizations characterized by highly uncertain conditions (p. 453)| point–counterpoint| A decision-making technique that divides decision makers into two groups and assigns them different, often competing, responsibilities (p. 462)| problem consensus| The agreement among managers about the nature of problems or opportunities and about which goals and outcomes to pursue (p. 457)| problem identification| The decision-making stage in which information about environm ental and organizational conditions is monitored to determine if performance is satisfactory and to diagnose the cause of shortcomings (p. 33)| problem solution| The decision-making stage in which alternative courses of action are considered and one alternative is selected and implemented (p. 433)| problemistic search| When managers look around in the immediate environment for a solution to resolve a problem quickly (p. 446)| programmed decisions| Repetitive and well-defined procedures that exist for resolving problems (p. 433)| rational approach| A process of decision making that stresses the need for systematic analysis of a problem followed by choice and implementation in a logical sequence (p. 434)| satisficing| The acceptance by organizations of a satisfactory rather than a maximum level of performance (p. 46)| technical knowledge| Understanding and agreement about how to solve problems and reach organizational goals (p. 458)| – Organizational Learning: Single and Double -Loop Learning (Slide only) CHAPTER THIRTEEN – CONFLICT, POWER, AND POLITICS authority| A force for achieving desired outcomes that is prescribed by the formal hierarchy and reporting relationships (p. 481)| centrality| A trait of a department whose role is in the primary activity of an organization (p. 488)| collective bargaining| The negotiation of an agreement between management and workers (p. 498)| competition| Rivalry between groups in the pursuit of a common prize (p. 75)| confrontation| A situation in which parties in conflict directly engage one another and try to work out their differences (p. 498)| coping with uncertainty| A source of power for a department that reduces uncertainty for other departments by obtaining prior information, prevention, and absorption (p. 489)| decision premises| Constraining frames of reference and guidelines placed by top managers on decisions made at lower levels (p. 483)| dependency| One aspect of horizontal power: when one department is dependent on another, the latter is in a position of greater power (p. 487)| domains of political activity| Areas in which politics plays a role.Three domains in organizations are structural change, management succession, and resource allocation (p. 491)| financial resources| Control over money is an important source of power within an organization (p. 488)| intergroup conflict| Behaviour that occurs between organizational groups when participants identify with one group and perceive that other groups may block their group’s goal achievements or expectations (p. 475)| labour-management teams| Teams designed to increase worker participation and to provide a cooperative model for addressing union–management issues (p. 498)| negotiation| The bargaining process that often occurs during confrontation and enables the parties to systematically reach a solution (p. 98)| network centrality| Top managers increase their power by locating themselves centrally in an organizatio n and surrounding themselves with loyal subordinates (p. 484)| nonsubstitutability| A trait of a department whose function cannot be performed by other readily available resources (p. 489)| organizational politics| Activities to acquire, develop, and use power and other resources to obtain a preferred outcome when there is uncertainty or disagreement about choices (p. 490)| political model| A definition of an organization as being made up of groups that have separate interests, goals, and values in which power and influence are needed to reach decisions (p. 79)| political tactics for using power| These include building coalitions, expanding networks, controlling decision premises, enhancing legitimacy and expertise, and making a direct appeal (p. 494)| power| The ability of one person or department in an organization to influence others to bring about desired outcomes (p. 480)| power sources| There are five sources of horizontal power in organizations: dependency, financial resource s, centrality, nonsubstitutability, and the ability to cope with uncertainty (p. 487)| rational model| A description of an organization characterized by a rational approach to decision making, extensive and reliable information systems, central power, a norm of optimization, uniform values across groups, little conflict, and an efficiency orientation (p. 79)| sources of intergroup conflict| Factors that generate conflict, including goal incompatibility, differentiation, task interdependence, and limited resources (p. 476)| strategic contingencies| Events and activities inside and outside an organization that are essential for attaining organizational goals (p. 486)| tactics for enhancing collaboration| Techniques such as integration devices, confrontation and negotiation, intergroup consultation, member rotation, and shared mission and superordinate goals that enable groups to overcome differences and work together (p. 497)| tactics for increasing power| These include entering areas of high uncertainty, creating dependencies, providing resources, and satisfying strategic contingencies  |