Strategy Report ( FORD) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Strategy Report ( FORD) - Essay Example As part of the company’s business success, Ford UK managed to increase its car sales from 7,542 last February 2011 up to 8,957 last February 2012 (Ford, 2012b). One of the best strategies that made Ford become successful is its ability to expand its business through joint-venture programmes and acquisitions and close down the underperforming manufacturing plants. As part of the company’s global expansion strategies, Ford has been continuously entering into joint-venture with different foreign companies to improve and expand its production facilities. In 2008, Ford decided to acquire Automobile Craiova in Romania as its majority stake owner. After acquiring Automobile Craiova, Ford was able to operating its new vehicle production plant to serve the engine needs of its Ford B-Max (Ford Media, 2012a). Likewise, the company is also using this particular production plant to produce low-capacity engines for cars (de, 2009). Despite Ford’s continuous acquisition, the company is recently planning to close down its car plant in eastern Belgium (Associated Press, 2012). By doing so, the company can save a lot from its fixed operating cost. In response to the tight market competition in the world market of automobile products, Ford is being challenged to establish its production plant in another country. Through joint-venture and acquisition, the company was able to put up a new production plant within the earliest possible time. Since Ford is planning to close down its car plant in eastern Belgium, the company is expected to face serious problems with its employees and subcontractors. Therefore, future research will focus on Ford can enter into a win-win negotiation with the affected stakeholders. To investigate internal and external factors that can affect Ford’s strategy, a SWOT and PEST analysis will be conducted. Basically, the proposed research plan will make use of phenomenological approach to research. Since the main problem associated with

Everyday Use by Alice Walker Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Everyday Use by Alice Walker - Essay Example Mama had the right values; Dee's were a faade. Mama saw her daughters with honest clarity. Dee, "determined to stare down any disaster in her efforts." (Walker, p2) and Maggie, who "knows she is not bright. Like good looks and money, quickness passes her by." (Walker, p2). Dee hated their lifestyle, looked down on her slower sister and fought her way out, with Mama's help. Maggie asked for, and got little, but held onto the true meaning of family heritage and what each item really meant to it. Mama was a fair and realistic woman. Their differences showed in the discussion over each item. Mama and Maggie recalled the important aspects of family history, holding memories and people as valuable. "Aunt Dee's first husband whittled that dash." (Maggie whispered this), whereas Dee would "think of something artistic to do with the dasher." (Walker, p5) Mama understood that Dee was almost making an exhibition of her heritage, not appreciating its value, and with that understanding came her decision over the quilts. She prided herself on being capable, on valuing the results of hard work and appreciating the art and skills of the people who had created the useful items. Dee's proposal to hang the quilts did not match her beliefs. Mama valued the quilts and the other items as

The Penitent Thief Essay Example for Free

The Penitent Thief Essay One of the crucified criminals began to hurl abuse at Him, saying, Arent you the Christ? Save yourself and us.-But the other one, rebuking him, replied, Dont you even fear God, since youre under the same condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are getting what we deserve.   But this man has done nothing out of place.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Then he said, Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingdom.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Jesus said to him, I solemnly declare to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Brown (1976) noted that the story is peculiar of Luke.   At first both robbers scoffed.   They blasphemed the Holy One  Ã‚   (Matthew 27:44; Mark 15:32).Then Lukes account shows to us that One of the crucified criminals began to hurl abuse at Him, saying, Arent you the Christ? see more:night market essay pt3 Save yourself and us v. 39. It was one of the crucified criminals, that was hardened to the last. Near to the cross of Christ, he railed on him, as others did. -But the other one, rebuking him, replied, Dont you even fear God, since youre under the same condemnation? This shows the conversion of the thief upon the cross, here Christ was crucified between two thieves, and in them were represented the different effects which the cross of Christ would have upon the children of men, to whom it would be brought near in the preaching of the gospel. They were all criminals, all guilty before God. Now the cross of Christ is to some a savoir of life unto life, to others of death unto death. To them that perish it is foolishness, but to them that are saved it is the wisdom of God and the power of God (Henry,1991). Here we can see the extraordinary grace of God operating in the heart of the other criminal. For a short time his conversion was evident with the following turn of events:   when He rebuked his partner, and admitted his own guilt.   Furthermore, he even admitted that he and his partner fully deserved the terrible death on the cross And we indeed justly, for we are getting what we deserve. Let us take notice that he does not say, You indeed justly, but We. Note, that true penitents acknowledge the justice of God in all the punishments of their sin.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Then we can see him confessing Jesus, But this man has done nothing out of place Hendricksen, Williams (1979) explained that the other criminal who confessed Jesus had added his own testimony with respect to Christs innocence to all the other similar testimonies that had already been declared (by Pilate and Herod). God has done right, but we have done wickedly.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The short account showed us that the penitent thief or criminal not only rebuked his partner, admitted his guilt, and confessed Jesus as Innocent One.   He did one more thing Then he said, Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingdom (v. 42).Barnes (1997) mentioned that this is a phrase praying for favor, or asking him to grant him an interest in his kingdom. It implied that he believed that Jesus was what he claimed to be-the Messiah; that, though he was dying with them, yet he would set up his kingdom; and that he had full power to bless him, though about to expire. It is possible that this man might have heard him preach before his crucifixion, and have learned there the nature of his kingdom; or it may have been that while on the cross Jesus had taken occasion to acquaint them with the nature of his kingdom. When the penitent thief talk of Christs coming, it is impossible now to fix the precise idea which this penitent criminal had in mind. Whether it was that he expected that he would rise from the dead, as some of the Jews supposed the Messiah would; or whether he referred to the Day of Judgment; or whether to an immediate translation to his kingdom in the heavens, we cannot tell. All that we know is, that he fully believed him to be the Messiah, and that he desired to obtain an interest in that kingdom which he knew he would establish.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The promise which follows shows that this prayer was answered and that Jesus is here assuring those who come to Him in repentance.   Though it also tells us of His triumph over death in the cross: Jesus said to him, I solemnly declare to you, today you will be with me in Paradise(v.43).This was a case of repentance in the last hour, the trying hour of death; and it has been remarked that one was brought to repentance there, to show that no one should despair on a dying bed; and but one, that none should be presumptuous and delay repentance to that awful moment. By this word we are given to understand that Jesus Christ died to open the kingdom of heaven to all penitent obedient believers. BIBLIOGRAPHY Barnes and Nobles.1997.â€Å"Luke 23†. Barnes Notes, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1997 by   Biblesoft Brown, David. 1976. The Four Gospels. USA: The Banner of Truth Trust Hendriksen, William. 1984. New Testament Commentary: The Gospel of Luke. Great Britain: Mackays of Chatham Ltd. Henry, Matthew.1991.â€Å"Luke 23†.Matthew Henrys Commentary on the Whole Bible: New   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Modern Edition, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1991 by Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.

Motivation As The Key To Performance Improvement Commerce Essay

Motivation As The Key To Performance Improvement Commerce Essay There is an old saying-you can take a horse to the water but u cannot force it to drink; itll drink only if it is thirsty-so with people. They will do what they want to do or otherwise motivated to do. Whether it is to excel on the workshop floor or in the ivory tower they must be motivated or driven to it, either by themselves or through external stimulus. Motivation is essential for any business to survive and succeed. Performance is considered to be a function of ability and motivation, thus: Job performance = f (ability)(motivation) Ability in turn depends on education, experience and training and its improvement in a slow and long process. On the other hand, motivation can be improved quickly. There are many options and an uninitiated manager may not even know where to start. As a guideline, there are broadly seven strategies for motivation: Positive reinforcement/high expectations Effective discipline and punishment Treating people fairly Satisfying employees needs Setting work related goals Restructuring jobs Base rewards on job performance Essentially, there is a gap between an individuals actual state and some desired state and the manager tries to reduce this gap. Motivation is, in effect, a means to reduce and manipulate this gap. It is inducing others in a specific way towards goals specifically stated by the motivator. Naturally, these goals as also the motivation system must conform to the corporate policy of the organization. The motivational system must be tailored to the situation and to the organisation. Intrinsic motivation comes from rewards inherent to a task or activity itself the enjoyment of a puzzle or the love of playing.[2] This form of motivation has been studied by social and educational psychologists since the early 1970s. Research has found that it is usually associated with high educational achievement and enjoyment by students. Intrinsic motivation has been explained by Fritz Heiders attribution theory, Banduras work on self-efficacy, [3] and Ryan and Decis cognitive evaluation theory. Students are likely to be intrinsically motivated if they: attribute their educational results to internal factors that they can control (e.g. the amount of effort they put in), believe they can be effective agents in reaching desired goals (i.e. the results are not determined by luck), are interested in mastering a topic, rather than just rote-learning to achieve good grades. Extrinsic motivation comes from outside of the performer. Money is the most obvious example, but coercion and threat of punishment are also common extrinsic motivations. While competing, the crowd may cheer on the performer, which may motivate him or her to do well. Trophies are also extrinsic incentives. Competition is in general extrinsic because it encourages the performer to win and beat others, not to enjoy the intrinsic rewards of the activity. Social psychological research has indicated that extrinsic rewards can lead to overjustification and a subsequent reduction in intrinsic motivation. In one study demonstrating this effect, children who expected to be (and were) rewarded with a ribbon and a gold star for drawing pictures spent less time playing with the drawing materials in subsequent observations than children who were assigned to an unexpected reward condition and to children who received no extrinsic reward[4] These articles on motivation theory and practice concentrate on various theories regarding human nature in general and motivation in particular. Included are the articles on the practical aspects of motivation in the workplace and the research that has been undertaken in this field, notably by Douglas McGregor (theory y), Frederick Herzberg (two factor motivation hygiene theory), Abraham Maslow (theory z, hierarchy of needs), Elton Mayo (Hawthorne experiments), Chris Argyris Rensis Likert and David McClelland (achievement motivation). The incentive theory of motivation A reward, tangible or intangible, is presented after the occurrence of an action (i.e. behavior) with the intent to cause the behavior to occur again. This is done by associating positive meaning to the behavior. Studies show that if the person receives the reward immediately, the effect would be greater, and decreases as duration lengthens. Repetitive action-reward combination can cause the action to become habit. Motivation comes from two sources: oneself, and other people. These two sources are called intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation, respectively. Applying proper motivational techniques can be much harder than it seems. Steven Kerr notes that when creating a reward system, it can be easy to reward A, while hoping for B, and in the process, reap harmful effects that can jeopardize your goals.[5] A reinforcer is different from reward, in that reinforcement is intended to create a measured increase in the rate of a desirable behavior following the addition of something to the environment. Drive-reduction theories There are a number of drive theories. The Drive Reduction Theory grows out of the concept that we have certain biological drives, such as hunger. As time passes the strength of the drive increases if it is not satisfied (in this case by eating). Upon satisfying a drive the drives strength is reduced. The theory is based on diverse ideas from the theories of Freud to the ideas of feedback control systems, such as a thermostat. Drive theory has some intuitive or folk validity. For instance when preparing food, the drive model appears to be compatible with sensations of rising hunger as the food is prepared, and, after the food has been consumed, a decrease in subjective hunger. There are several problems, however, that leave the validity of drive reduction open for debate. The first problem is that it does not explain how secondary reinforcers reduce drive. For example, money satisfies no biological or psychological needs, but a pay check appears to reduce drive through second-order conditioning. Secondly, a drive, such as hunger, is viewed as having a desire to eat, making the drive a homuncular being a feature criticized as simply moving the fundamental problem behind this small man and his desires. In addition, it is clear that drive reduction theory cannot be a complete theory of behavior, or a hungry human could not prepare a meal without eating the food before they finished cooking it. The ability of drive theory to cope with all kinds of behavior, from not satisfying a drive (by adding on other traits such as restraint), or adding additional drives for tasty food, which combine with drives for food in order to explain cooking render it hard to test. [edit] Cognitive dissonance theory Suggested by Leon Festinger, this occurs when an individual experiences some degree of discomfort resulting from an incompatibility between two cognitions. For example, a consumer may seek to reassure himself regarding a purchase, feeling, in retrospect, that another decision may have been preferable. Another example of cognitive dissonance is when a belief and a behavior are in conflict. A person may wish to be healthy, believes smoking is bad for ones health, and yet continues to smoke. Need theories [edit] Need hierarchy theory Main article: Maslows hierarchy of needs Abraham Maslows theory is one of the most widely discussed theories of motivation. The theory can be summarized as follows: Human beings have wants and desires which influence their behavior. Only unsatisfied needs influence behavior, satisfied needs do not. Since needs are many, they are arranged in order of importance, from the basic to the complex. The person advances to the next level of needs only after the lower level need is at least minimally satisfied. The further the progress up the hierarchy, the more individuality, humanness and psychological health a person will show. The needs, listed from basic (lowest-earliest) to most complex (highest-latest) are as follows: Physiology (hunger, thirst, sleep, etc.) Safety/Security/Shelter/Health Belongingness/Love/Friendship Self-esteem/Recognition/Achievement Self actualization [edit] Herzbergs two-factor theory Main article: Frederick Herzberg Frederick Herzbergs two-factor theory, AKA intrinsic/extrinsic motivation, concludes that certain factors in the workplace result in job satisfaction, but if absent, they dont lead to dissatisfaction but no satisfaction.[6] The factors that motivate people can change over their lifetime, but respect for me as a person is one of the top motivating factors at any stage of life. He distinguished between: Motivators; (e.g. challenging work, recognition, responsibility) which give positive satisfaction, and Hygiene factors; (e.g. status, job security, salary and fringe benefits) that do not motivate if present, but, if absent, result in demotivation. The name Hygiene factors is used because, like hygiene, the presence will not make you healthier, but absence can cause health deterioration. The theory is sometimes called the Motivator-Hygiene Theory and/or The Dual Structure Theory. Herzbergs theory has found application in such occupational fields as information systems and in studies of user satisfaction (see Computer user satisfaction). [edit] Alderfers ERG theory Main article: Clayton Alderfer Clayton Alderfer, expanding on Maslows hierarchy of needs, created the ERG theory (existence, relatedness and growth). Physiological and safety, the lower order needs, are placed in the existence category, while love and self esteem needs are placed in the relatedness category. The growth category contains our self-actualization and self-esteem needs. [edit] Self-determination theory Self-determination theory, developed by Edward Deci and Richard Ryan, focuses on the importance of intrinsic motivation in driving human behavior. Like Maslows hierarchical theory and others that built on it, SDT posits a natural tendency toward growth and development. Unlike these other theories, however, SDT does not include any sort of autopilot for achievement, but instead requires active encouragement from the environment. The primary factors that encourage motivation and development are autonomy, competence feedback, and relatedness. Broad theories The latest approach in Achievement Motivation is an integrative perspective as lined out in the Onion-Ring-Model of Achievement Motivation by Heinz Schuler, George C. Thornton III, Andreas Frintrup and Rose Mueller-Hanson. It is based on the premise that performance motivation results from the way broad components of personality are directed towards performance. As a result, it includes a range of dimensions that are relevant to success at work but which are not conventionally regarded as being part of performance motivation. Especially it integrates formerly separated approaches as Need for Achievement with e.g. social motives like Dominance. The Achievement Motivation Inventory (AMI) (Schuler, Thornton, Frintrup Mueller-Hanson, 2003) is based on this theory and assesses three factors (17 separated scales) relevant to vocational and professional success. [edit] Cognitive theories [edit] Goal-setting theory Goal-setting theory is based on the notion that individuals sometimes have a drive to reach a clearly defined end state. Often, this end state is a reward in itself. A goals efficiency is affected by three features: proximity, difficulty and specificity. An ideal goal should present a situation where the time between the initiation of behavior and the end state is close. This explains why some children are more motivated to learn how to ride a bike than mastering algebra. A goal should be moderate, not too hard or too easy to complete. In both cases, most people are not optimally motivated, as many want a challenge (which assumes some kind of insecurity of success). At the same time people want to feel that there is a substantial probability that they will succeed. Specificity concerns the description of the goal in their class. The goal should be objectively defined and intelligible for the individual. A classic example of a poorly specified goal is to get the highest possible grade . Most children have no idea how much effort they need to reach that goal. Models of behavior change Social-cognitive models of behavior change include the constructs of motivation and volition. Motivation is seen as a process that leads to the forming of behavioral intentions. Volition is seen as a process that leads from intention to actual behavior. In other words, motivation and volition refer to goal setting and goal pursuit, respectively. Both processes require self-regulatory efforts. Several self-regulatory constructs are needed to operate in orchestration to attain goals. An example of such a motivational and volitional construct is perceived self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is supposed to facilitate the forming of behavioral intentions, the development of action plans, and the initiation of action. It can support the translation of intentions into action. See also: Health Action Process Approach I-Change Model [edit] Unconscious motivation Some psychologists believe that a significant portion of human behavior is energized and directed by unconscious motives. According to Maslow, Psychoanalysis has often demonstrated that the relationship between a conscious desire and the ultimate unconscious aim that underlies it need not be at all direct.[9] In other words, stated motives do not always match those inferred by skilled observers. For example, it is possible that a person can be accident-prone because he has an unconscious desire to hurt himself and not because he is careless or ignorant of the safety rules.[citation needed] Similarly, some overweight people are not hungry at all for food but for fighting and kissing. Eating is merely a defensive reaction to lack of attention.[citation needed] Some workers damage more equipment than others do because they harbor unconscious feelings of aggression toward authority figures.[citation needed] Psychotherapists[who?] point out that some behavior is so automatic that the reasons for it are not available in the individuals conscious mind. Compulsive cigarette smoking is an example. Sometimes maintaining self-esteem is so important and the motive for an activity is so threatening that it is simply not recognized and, in fact, may be disguised or repressed. Rationalization, or explaining away, is one such disguise, or defense mechanism, as it is called. Another is projecting or attributing ones own faults to others. I feel I am to blame, becomes It is her fault; she is selfish. Repression of powerful but socially unacceptable motives may result in outward behavior that is the opposite of the repressed tendencies. An example of this would be the employee who hates his boss but overworks himself on the job to show that he holds him in high regard.[citation needed] Unconscious motives add to the hazards of interpreting human behavior and, to the extent that they are present, complicate the life of the administrator. On the other hand, knowledge that unconscious motives exist can lead to a more careful assessment of behavioral problems. Although few contemporary psychologists deny the existence of unconscious factors, many[who?] do believe that these are activated only in times of anxiety and stress, and that in the ordinary course of events, human behavior from the subjects point of view is rationally purposeful. [edit] Intrinsic motivation and the 16 basic desires theory Starting from studies involving more than 6,000 people, Professor Steven Reiss has proposed a theory that find 16 basic desires that guide nearly all human behavior. [10] [11] The desires are: Acceptance, the need for approval Curiosity, the need to think Eating, the need for food Family, the need to raise children Honor, the need to be loyal to the traditional values of ones clan/ethnic group Idealism, the need for social justice Independence, the need for individuality Order, the need for organized, stable, predictable environments Physical Activity, the need for exercise Power, the need for influence of will Romance, the need for sex Saving, the need to collect Social Contact, the need for friends (peer relationships) Status, the need for social standing/importance Tranquility, the need to be safe Vengeance, the need to strike back In this model, people differ in these basic desires. These basic desires represent intrinsic desires that directly motivate a persons behavior, and not aimed at indirectly satisfying other desires. People may also be motivated by non-basic desires, but in this case this does not relate to deep motivation, or only as a means to achieve other basic desires. [edit] Other theories Reversal theory Motivating operation Taylor Frederick Winslow Taylor (1856 1917) put forward the idea that workers are motivated mainly by pay. His Theory of Scientific Management argued the following: Workers do not naturally enjoy work and so need close supervision and control Therefore managers should break down production into a series of small tasks Workers should then be given appropriate training and tools so they can work as efficiently as possible on one set task. Workers are then paid according to the number of items they produce in a set period of time- piece-rate pay. As a result workers are encouraged to work hard and maximise their productivity. Taylors methods were widely adopted as businesses saw the benefits of increased productivity levels and lower unit costs. The most notably advocate was Henry Ford who used them to design the first ever production line, making Ford cars. This was the start of the era of mass production. Taylors approach has close links with the concept of an autocratic management style (managers take all the decisions and simply give orders to those below them) and Macgregors Theory X approach to workers (workers are viewed as lazy and wish to avoid responsibility). However workers soon came to dislike Taylors approach as they were only given boring, repetitive tasks to carry out and were being treated little better than human machines. Firms could also afford to lay off workers as productivity levels increased. This led to an increase in strikes and other forms of industrial action by dis-satisfied workers. Mayo Elton Mayo (1880 1949) believed that workers are not just concerned with money but could be better motivated by having their social needs met whilst at work (something that Taylor ignored). He introduced the Human Relation School of thought, which focused on managers taking more of an interest in the workers, treating them as people who have worthwhile opinions and realising that workers enjoy interacting together. Mayo conducted a series of experiments at the Hawthorne factory of the Western Electric Company in Chicago He isolated two groups of women workers and studied the effect on their productivity levels of changing factors such as lighting and working conditions. He expected to see productivity levels decline as lighting or other conditions became progressively worse What he actually discovered surprised him: whatever the change in lighting or working conditions, the productivity levels of the workers improved or remained the same. From this Mayo concluded that workers are best motivated by: Better communication between managers and workers ( Hawthorne workers were consulted over the experiments and also had the opportunity to give feedback) Greater manager involvement in employees working lives ( Hawthorne workers responded to the increased level of attention they were receiving) Working in groups or teams. ( Hawthorne workers did not previously regularly work in teams) In practice therefore businesses should re-organise production to encourage greater use of team working and introduce personnel departments to encourage greater manager involvement in looking after employees interests. His theory most closely fits in with a paternalistic style of management. Maslow Abraham Maslow (1908 1970) along with Frederick Herzberg (1923-) introduced the Neo-Human Relations School in the 1950s, which focused on the psychological needs of employees. Maslow put forward a theory that there are five levels of human needs which employees need to have fulfilled at work. All of the needs are structured into a hierarchy (see below) and only once a lower level of need has been fully met, would a worker be motivated by the opportunity of having the next need up in the hierarchy satisfied. For example a person who is dying of hunger will be motivated to achieve a basic wage in order to buy food before worrying about having a secure job contract or the respect of others. A business should therefore offer different incentives to workers in order to help them fulfill each need in turn and progress up the hierarchy (see below). Managers should also recognise that workers are not all motivated in the same way and do not all move up the hierarchy at the same pace. They may therefore have to offer a slightly different set of incentives from worker to worker. Herzberg Frederick Herzberg (1923-) had close links with Maslow and believed in a two-factor theory of motivation. He argued that there were certain factors that a business could introduce that would directly motivate employees to work harder (Motivators). However there were also factors that would de-motivate an employee if not present but would not in themselves actually motivate employees to work harder (Hygienefactors) Motivators are more concerned with the actual job itself. For instance how interesting the work is and how much opportunity it gives for extra responsibility, recognition and promotion. Hygiene factors are factors which surround the job rather than the job itself. For example a worker will only turn up to work if a business has provided a reasonable level of pay and safe working conditions but these factors will not make him work harder at his job once he is there. Importantly Herzberg viewed pay as a hygiene factor which is in direct contrast to Taylor who viewed pay, and piece-rate in particular Herzberg believed that businesses should motivate employees by adopting a democratic approach to management and by improving the nature and content of the actual job through certain methods. Some of the methods managers could use to achieve this are: Job enlargement workers being given a greater variety of tasks to perform (not necessarily more challenging) which should make the work more interesting. Job enrichment involves workers being given a wider range of more complex, interesting and challenging tasks surrounding a complete unit of work. This should give a greater sense of achievement. Empowerment means delegating more power to employees to make their own decisions over areas of their working life. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motivation) (http://www.accel-team.com/motivation/index.html) (http://tutor2u.net/business/gcse/people_motivation_theories.htm)

Literary Themes In All Quiet O :: essays research papers

Some authors use themes to show the reader some perspective. Erich Maria Remarque’s book “All Quiet on the Western Front'; uses many themes but there are four main ones. Those four themes are the Lost Generation, futility of war, sound imagery, and the institutionalization or depersonalization of war. Some of these themes can be integrated together to make an alarming yet wonderful effect to draw the reader into the story of “All Quiet on the Western Front';.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the most prominent themes book is also the most saddening. That theme is the institutionalization or depersonalization of war. Remarque begins the story with Germany’s soldiers fighting an institutionalized war. Soldiers were trained to destroy and kill the enemy. By institutionalizing the war, it was made easier to kill someone just like you for no reason. But by depersonalizing the soldiers with their enemy, it left devastating effects on the mind and heart. Soldiers emotions were deadened and they became irrational. Throughout the story, Paul Baumer, the narrator does not talk about killing someone but as the story progresses, this changes. An example of Paul acting irrational because of the effect war had on him was when he was in the trenches and all of a sudden, a French soldier comes into the trench and Paul immediately stabs him without thinking about, for Paul is scared and emotionally scarred. After stabbing him, Paul leaves him alone to let him bleed to death. In that part of the story, Paul regains a little bit of his emotions because after he stabbed the man, he starts to feel very guilty about it. He tries to talk to the dead man and help the man’s wounds. When Paul looks at the mans wallet, he finds some information about the soldier and realizes that the soldier was very much like himself, the only difference was that they were fighting on different sides. Paul then starts to feel he killed himself and wishes no more of a part in the war.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The institutionalization of the war led to people thinking how futile this war really is. Because the war was so depersonalized for the soldiers of Germany, they start to feel this isn’t their war to fight. Their loyalties are lost. What could have been solved between world leaders in a peace meeting had been made into an all out war, making millions of people lose their lives.

Lifes Simple Pleasures in William Wordsworths I Wandered Lonely as a

Life's Simple Pleasures in William Wordsworth's I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud Edna St. Vincent Millay once wrote, "And all the loveliest things there be come simply, so it seems to me." This aphorism clearly accents the meaning of William Wordsworth's poem "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud." In his work, the speaker reminisces about a past experience in which he saw a beautiful multitude of daffodils swaying in the breeze. As he recollects this scene, the speaker gradually realizes the true beauty he had found that day. Often, some of the simplest things in life go unnoticed and untouched, when, in reality, they are the most precious. Consequently, it is not until after these extraordinary things are gone forever that their significance is truly understood. Through careful choice of similes, personification, and diction, William Wordsworth clearly expresses that it is the simple things in life, such as Nature, that is so important. One element Wordsworth incorporates in his poem to signify the necessity of simplicity in one's life is the simile. The speaker begins his recollection with the emptiness he holds inside as he "wandered lonely as a cloud / That floats on high o'er vales and hills" (Wordsworth 1-2). This simile symbolizes the speaker's yearning for something more fulfilling as he wanders through life. Often, clouds become separated from the rest and are left to wander aimlessly through the sky until they find more clouds to fulfill their emptiness. Wordsworth chooses a cloud to echo the speaker's state because, like a cloud, the speaker perhaps feels separated from everything in life and is simply floating through the patches of daffodils without a destination or purpose in hopes that someday he will discover fulfil... ...t: Gale Research, 1986. 389. Perkins, David. Wordsworth and the Poetry of Sincerity. Cambridge: Belknap, 1964. Pottle, Frederick A. "They Eye and the Object in the Poetry of Wordsworth." Wordsworth: Centenary Studies Presented at Cornell and Princeton Universities by Douglas Bush and Others (1951): 23-42. Rpt. in <http://www.galenet.com/servlet/LitRC>. Salvesen, Christopher. The Landscape of Memory: A Study of Wordsworth's Poetry. Lincoln: U of Nebraska P, 1965. Wordsworth, William. "I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud." The Bedford Introduction to Literature: Reading, Thinking, Writing. 5th ed. Ed. Michael Meyer. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 1999. 1127. -. "Preface." Lyrical Ballads. By William Wordsworth. 1957. 111-133. Rpt. in Nineteenth-Century Criticism. Ed. Laurie Lanzen Harris and Cherie D. Abbey. Detroit: Gale Research, 1986. 388-389.

Report on the Condition of Psychological Pressure of College Students

Title page Resisting Pressure: Survey on Chongqing University's Students' Psychological Pressure Group6 Supervisor: Wang Xu Chongqing University May 7, 2012 Abstract page Abstract This survey examined the condition of Chongqing university's students' psychological health. Our main aim is to find ways to deal with the pressure we students face. 100 Chongqing university's students were surveyed on both pressure they face and ways they use to deal with that. We predicted that academic pressure,emotional pressure and the pressure of employment can be huge to our students and it's hard for them to deal with that.Actually,pressure from the above three aspects was not that huge for our students,no matter they are science students or arts students,girls or boys. Also,it seems like that our students have their own set of ways to handle these pressure. Still,there are a certain number of students find they struggle to handle pressure from the three aspects,suggesting that Chongqing university 's students mainly stay a healthy psychological condition,but there are still things we can do to improve that. Body Resisting Pressure: Survey on Chongqing University's Students' Psychological PressureNowadays,with the rapid development of China's economy,psychological pressure more and more appear in newspaper,TV,or someone's life,especially,a university student's life. Many factors can be pressure for a university student. For example,academic grade point(GPA),emotional problems or job-hunting difficulties. After summarizing most pressure factors, we classified them to three aspects:academic pressure,emotional pressure and pressure of the employment. So,how the three pressure source affect university students and how the students deal with that?As to psychological sources of stress for college students, foreign research results are generally believed to include academic factors, social factors, life and economic factors, career factors. [i] For example, Misra's research shows tha t the Students' largest source of stress are factors that directly related to learning , such as test scores and test results, the burden of learning;The second largest source of pressure are social environment-related factors such as economic problems, lack of time to communicate with parents and friends. ii]The Armeli group's study shows that students's anxiety caused by the pressure of two aspects;on the one hand, it's high academic expectations that caused them anxious;on the other hand, it is the will of self-development and maintaining good interpersonal relationships contributes to that anxiety. [iii]Domestic scholars found that the pressure sense of college students mostly come from life events when thay are trying to adapt to college life. Severe psychological problems are caused especially by life events which are linked to their personal lives, their parents and family, learning progress , and most of them are negative events. iv]Li Lun and Wang Qian, according to whose r esearch,they pointed out that the psychological pressure of college students can be summarized into the three categories: pressure from family, work , learning problems ,love and interpersonal problems. [v]Li Hong and Mei JinRong's study indicates that college students' main pressure source including:study,job-hunting,interpersonal relationships,life problems,romance,economy,society,tests,family,life and study environment,future,competence,personal affairs(development,outlook,confidence),health,competitiveness. 5 categories in total. [vi] However,it's not hard to see that the studies which have been done mostly are qualitative analysis . Most researches focused on frequency and type of event that caused pressure,but lack the discovery of the psychological experience of degree research. Therefore, we want to use the college students' psychological pressure gauge as a theoretical basis to provide a scientific analysis of mental health status of college students so to put forward some constructive ideas for college students to stay psychological health. . Method ParticipantsParticipants included 100 Chongqing university students (56 females, 44males;61 majoring in science,19 majoring in arts),most of them are in their freshman year,the other are junior students. Materials Stress in college students is texted by 25 questions listed in each of 100 questionnaires. We tested it in three different aspects–academic pressure,emotional pressure and the pressure of employment. participants are requested to make multiple-choice or single choice so let us know the degree of their psychological pressure. Pressure degree is measured on the basis of Students pressure measure table. vii]And ways to handle pressure are concluded from these analysis . Procedure As our first step,we gave away 100 questionnaires ,then we collected the data and made an analysis of it using the Students Pressure Measure Table,at last,we put forward our view and suggestions. Note:M–male( 44); F–female(56);ST–science students(61);AT–arts students(39) Academic pressure group Emotional pressure group I. [pic] [pic] Unexpectedly,a significant difference between science students and arts students was found. However,there was no obvious difference between boys and girls was indicated.We deduced that the former phenomenon was due to the following reasons:For one thing,science students are busy doing their homework or experiments ,when compared with arts students,they have less time to experience loneness and their life maybe much simpler. This point of view was supported by Figure 2—Academic performance was more important for science students than arts students. As the saying goes:Simple is beautiful. Simple life lead to a higher happiness level. For another,it's a new trend which was observed by many sociologists that boys majoring in science are more appealing for girls than boys majoring in arts.Combining with the fact that Chongqing Universi ty's Male to Female ratio is 7 to 1. It's no surprise that boys majoring in science are less pressed by factors like romance but money is a problem. Also unexpectedly,we found that girls we surveyed put more attention the academic factors,Perhaps that's why girls feel more happy than boys–girlfriends' mood may always changing but your GPA is always there. Is that a reason why girls are always studying hard than boys in college? II. [pic] [pic] [pic] We predicted that girls are more easy to feel lonely and have a stronger urge of taking with others.Moreover,they might be more good at dealing with their psychological pressure. Our survey results partly support our idea:most girls are not always troubled with the feeling of loneliness and girls do know how to deal with own pressure—they write letters or diaries;they can cry out or go shopping with friends.. Unexpectedly,compared with boys,they are less likely to talk about their problems than boys. So,why? After looking t hrough our data collecting results,here is the reason:among the 54 girls we surveyed,39 are majoring in science.As we all know,in some science majors,girls are rare,say,The Civil Engineering,so it's no wonder they don't like to talk about it:female friends around them,especially in a same class are are. So,how about build a relationship with boys,treat them as their â€Å"girlfriends†? III. [pic] [pic] [pic] Unexpectedly,it seems like that most students who received our survey all have a familiar results according to the figure1,2,3. Half students will be pressed by others' views ,pressed by the mainstream definition of success,and pressed by dealing interpersonal relationships no matter he or she,science or arts.This phenomenon can be explained by the theory of Group Psychological Effects. ,which says because of the need of seeking belonging sense,individuals will obey the norms and standards of a certain group. However,Group Psychological Effects are not equivalent to each member,that's why the other choose an opposite choice. Also unexpectedly,girls are more pressured by â€Å"success† though we traditionally thought that boy was the one who shouldered too heavy an expectation. All in all,we found that students in Chongqing University generally stay in a healthy emotional pressure level,and the existence of there pressure sources might be a good thing.Because it can help college students mature both physically and mentally thus they will learn to understand others and get along well with themselves. We always believe that EQ is more important than IQ,so the pressure can increase their EQ,even stimulate them to rebuild a better self. Job-hunting pressure group Discussion The purpose of this study was to find how different levels of pressure college students bear and put forward constructive methods to deal with that.We predicted that a large number of college students are experiencing or have experienced different levels of depression caused by pressure. In this study,those students that we tested mostly showed healthy psychological condition and a good knowledge of ways to let out pressure. Thus,our hypothesis was not supported by this study. But,how and why? Is it true that college students are living happily and without pressure given by society. We postulate that this result can be explained by the following reasons:First of all,the concept of â€Å"vanity† may explain this unusual phenomenon.Fear of being other people see themselves vulnerable and the trend to pretend optimism as all people like optimistic make them choose some options which are not true. Secondly,our participants mainly are freshmen,in their first year in university,the impact of pressure from the three sources are small as everything is new which attract their most attention. Last but not least,it's maybe cultural background that affects our students choice. For example,most westerners are used to express theirs feelings directly,however,we Chinese are more familiar with words like†just so-so†,†not bad†,which are not clear to escribe our feelings. And that may make an effect on our survey. In conclusion, the results of this study provide some fascinating insights into the pressure level Chongqing University students feel. Contrary to what we predicted, most students may indeed always stay in a good psychological condition and know a lot to get alone with their emotion. This research and other research to follow will contribute to knowledge of the main condition of Chongqing University students and good ways to deal with pressure. —and possible advantages—of skipping meals.The mixed results of this study suggest that we have much more to learn about resisting pressure in college. ———————– [i] Rawson H E,Bloomer K,Kendall A. Stress,anxiety,depression and physical illness in college students. [J]. The Journal of Genetic Psycholog y,1999,155(3);321-330. [ii] Misra R,Mc Kean M. College students' academic stress and its relation to their anxiety,time management and leisure satisfaction[J]. American of Health Studies,2000,16(1);41-51. [iii] Armeli S,Gunthert K C,Cohen L H.Stressor appraisals,coping,and post-event outcomes:The dimensionality and antecedents of stress-related growth[J]. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology,2001,20(3);366-395. [iv] Guo JinWu,She ShuangYu. A Preliminary Study of College Students' Sense of Life Stress. [J]Psychological Science,1996,19(2),;123-124. [v] Li Lun,Wang Qian. University Students' Mental Stress: Life Events And Coping Style Characteristics[J],Medicine And Society. 2002,8(1);27-31. [vi] Li Hong,Mei JinRong. Development of Stress Scale for College Students. [J]. Applied Psychology,2002,8(1),:27-31.