Moral development of Huckleberry Finn in book Adventures of Huck Finn Essay

Moral development of Huckleberry Finn in book Adventures of Huck Finn - Essay Example In comparison with the book 'The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" we see the other Huck, the boy who has become older. "His moral development is sharply contrasted to the character of Tom Sawyer1". Huck takes his life much more seriously than Tom does. The great difference between Huck and Tom lays in the fact that Tom continue to be a boy, who does not know any hardship in his life, whereas Huck grows up beneath our very eyes, overcomes a lot of difficulties, and gets his own experience. "The gradual development of Huck's ironic struggle to free himself form the moral hypocrisy, romantic conventions, and racial stereotypes of nineteenth-century America reveals a serious, essential satiric thematic purpose.2" On reading the book one may observe the contention of conflicting movements in the main character's spirit. On the one hand is the habitual for the people of that time attitude towards slavery and violence, and on the other hand is an instinctive desire to bid defiance to injustice of society. The author displays this contention with a great expressiveness and psychological persuasiveness. The first great changes happen with Huck when he realizes that his has nobody to care and to protect him. His own father, his only parent, has been constantly drinking. The only time he has really taken an interest in Huck is when he has decided to lay his hands on Huck's wealth. So, there is nothing strange that under such circumstances, Huck grows up very quickly. It is just impossible to remain a naive child, when you have to save yourself from your own father. "By and by he rolled out and jumped up on his feet looking wild, and he see me and went for me. He chased me round and round the place with a claspknife, calling me the Angel of Death, and saying he would kill me, and then I couldn't come for him no more. I begged, and told him I was only Huck; but he laughed SUCH a screechy laugh, and roared and cussed, and kept on chasing me up. Once when I turned short and dodged under his arm he made a grab and got me by the jacket between my shoulders, and I thought I was gone; but I slid out of the jacket quick as lightning, and saved myself." (Chapter VI)3On his wandering Jim and Huck meet two hoodlums, one of which masquerades as a King, and the other one plays role of Duck. Jim has had rather romanticized idea of what the nobility is, but Huck ruins his illusion:"Don't it s'prise you de way dem kings carries on, Huck" "No," I says, "it don't." "Why don't it, Huck" "Well, it don't, because it's in the breed. I reckon they're all alike," "But, Huck, dese kings o' ourn is reglar rapscallions; dat's jist what dey is; dey's reglar rapscallions." "Well, that's what I'm a-saying; all kings is mostly rapscallions, as fur as I can make out." "Is dat so" "You read about them once-you'll see. Look at Henry the Eight; this 'n 's a Sunday-school Superintendent to HIM. And look at Charles Second, and Louis Fourteen, and Louis Fifteen,

Behavioral Programme Assignment Essay Example for Free

Behavioral Programme Assignment Essay Our esteemed bank was established on 11 May 1921 and went public on 11 November 1921 in the name of Nadar Bank Limited at Ana Mavanna Building, Thoothukudi. Later we renamed as Tamilnad Mercantile Bank Limited. We had only 4 branches until 1947. The bank has now 388 full fledged branches and 732 ATM’s all over the India. In order to serve the rural areas, the bank extended services more in non-metro areas. Out of 388 branches, 344 branches are located in Rural, Semi Urban and Urban areas only. GROWTH: We are one of the oldest private sector banks which is continuously making profits and paying highest dividends. This was possible only with the dedicated employees at all levels who are energetic and are enthusiastic in the growth and prosperity of the bank. This made the bank to adopt the official motto: â€Å"Totally Motivated Bank† Achievements and Awards : The financial express in its survey on India’s Best Bank 2013 has ranked our bank No.1 among the Old Private Sector Banks. TMB has been rated 2nd Best Bank in Small Banks category by Business World under India’s Best Bank 2013 TMB has received the Best Banker award in Customer Orientation and Human Resources. TMB has received ASSOCHAM India 9th Annual Summit cum Social Banking Excellence Awards 2013 – India’s Best Private Sector Bank 2013. FUTURE VISION OF TMB: Looking Ahead: The vision of the bank is to develop the bank into a much stronger bank with  the higher level of modernization to handle the business volume. Noble thoughts and high ideas of the team of management charged with dynamic spirit of action will take the bank to a greater height, achieving growth in strength and exhibit the bank as a model bank in the Banking industry. The bank has set itself a high standard, be it in operation, customer service or compliance to regulation. Technology upgradation and March towards Hi-Tech Cyber Banking are the current mission of the Bank. VISION STATEMENT: â€Å"To be a progressive bank with strong brand equity, Enhancing the value for all the stake holders through Excellence in performance and good governance† Medium Term Goal: Aiming to increase its total business to Rs 1 lakh crore in the next four years and to expand our branch network outside Tamil Nadu. At present we having a total business of Rs 41,000 crore in 2013-14, and planning to open a large number of branches in Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Telangana, Gujarat and Maharashtra in the next 3 years. Our endeavor is to have 30-40 branches in each of these states. We are targeting a total business of Rs 50000 crore in 2014-15, and aiming to have a network of 800 branches in four years. Our medium-term goal is to make TMB a pan-India bank. After the expansion of branch network in the southern states, we will focus on widening our footprint in the northern and eastern regions of the country. ASSIGNMENT II CISCO WORK CULTURE Todays organizations face increasing demands for responsiveness, adaptability, innovation, speed, and responsible corporate citizenship. No organization can afford to dismiss the potential benefits of having a diverse and inclusive culture. So for Cisco, building an inclusive and diverse organization is an ongoing and essential business imperative. It truly believe it is their responsibility to: Empower our teams Eliminate biases Create an environment where everyone feels welcomed, valued, respected, and heard. Commitment They aim to provide employees with all the resources, programs, and training necessary to achieve their business goals. They have been giving everyone an opportunity to operate at their best selves, and provide their customers with the best and most innovative products and services. How They Are Structured By partnering with their business leaders, human resource organizations, and key stakeholders and constituents, they have built a holistic diversity framework that is embedded in every part of Cisco. They have constructed an Inclusion and Diversity Coalition, a global team that advises and supports Cisco executives at the function and region level. Along with established inclusion and diversity ambassadors, it includes advocates in the field. The team helps to accelerate program execution by reinforcing inclusion and diversity communication and expectations. Ciscos employee engagement strategy: Ciscos employee engagement strategy has yielded several benefits through the use of collaboration tools. For example, the quarterly company meeting has gone through a total transformation. In the past, Cisco held the company meetings in a physical location, usually a local convention center near the headquarters in San Jose, California. Today the quarterly company meetings are virtual. Through the use of video and collaboration technologies, employees globally can participate in these meetings and interact with senior executives through a live chat (using Cisco Jabber ® technology). The entire event is recorded (along with chat transcripts and other documents) and shared with all employees. This approach has increased employee participation and provided a new venue for rich interaction between employees and senior executives, all of which have boosted overall employee satisfaction. Cisco uses a virtual format for other events as well such as the annual global sales experience (20,0 00-plus attendees) and strategic leadership offsite (3000-plus senior leaders). More than ever employees are conscious of their health and wellness, while employers are looking for ways to provide employees with high-quality healthcare options while keeping their costs under control. Cisco opened a state-of-the-art HealthCenter in San Jose for employees and has followed with centers at other sites. Through the use of technologies such as HealthPresence ® and unified communications, Cisco employees have access to some of the best healthcare systems around the world ASSIGNMENT III 3 Model Component of Commitment About the Model: John Meyer and Natalie Allen developed their Three Component Model of Commitment and published it in the 1991 Human Resource Management Review. The model explains that commitment to an organization is a psychological state, and that it has three distinct components that affect how employees feel about the organization that they work for. The three components are: 1. Affection for your job (affective commitment). 2. Fear of loss (continuance commitment). 3. Sense of obligation to stay (normative commitment). We can use this model to increase commitment and engagement in your team, while also helping people to experience a greater feeling of well-being and job satisfaction. Lets look at each of Meyer and Allens three types of commitment in greater detail. Affection for Your Job (Affective Commitment) Affection for your job occurs when you feel a strong emotional attachment to your organization, and to the work that you do. Youll most likely identify with the organizations goals and values, and you genuinely want to be there. If youre enjoying your work, youre likely to feel good, and be satisfied with your job. In turn, this increased job satisfaction is likely to add to your feeling of affective commitment. Fear of Loss (Continuance Commitment) This type of commitment occurs when you weigh up the pros and cons of leaving  your organization. You may feel that you need to stay at your company, because the loss youd experience by leaving it is greater than the benefit you think you might gain in a new role. These perceived losses, or side bets, can be monetary (youd lose salary and benefits); professional (you might lose seniority or role-related skills that youve spent years acquiring); or social (youd lose friendships or allies). The severity of these losses often increases with age and experience. Youre more likely to experience continuance commitment if youre in an established, successful role, or if youve had several promotions within one organization. Sense of Obligation to Stay (Normative Commitment) This type of commitment occurs when you feel a sense of obligation to your organization, even if youre unhappy in your role, or even if you want to pursue better opportunities. You feel that you should stay with your organization, because its the right thing to do. This sense of obligation can stem from several factors. You might feel that you should remain with your organization because it has invested money or time in your training. Or perhaps it provided a reward in advance, such as paying for your college tuition. This obligation can also result from your upbringing. For instance, your family might have stressed that you should stay loyal to your organization. Note: These three types of commitment are not mutually exclusive. You can experience all three, or two of the three, in varying degrees. Applying the Model at our TMB: Affection for Your Job (Affective Commitment): We are very fortunate in having dedicated employees at all levels who have been energetic and working with untiring zeal for the good growth and prosperity of the institution for the past 92 years. The name and fame of the bank are in a large measure, due to the efficient and diligent service of the highly loyal staff members and officers. This has enabled the Bank to adopt the official motto â€Å"Totally Motivated Bank†. Most of the employees in TMB are committed towards our organization. This has been proven through the  profits earned and dividends paid to the stake holders. Without the positive commitment of affectionate this would not have been possible. In TMB, employees treat themselves to be a part of the family. With this unique feature TMBian’s move forward and make the organization goals and achieve great heights. Fear of Loss (Continuance Commitment): Its important to do our best to grow affective commitment, and reduce our teams reliance on continuance and normative commitment, so that we can lead a team of people who feel passionate for their roles. In TMB, we having some Team members with continuance commitment, which not only impact their growth but also impacting other Team enthusiastic employees, or even lower the morale of the organization. To encourage positive changes, we will link peoples goals with those of the team or organization. If appropriate, we align our teams roles with their skills and interests, with techniques such as Job Crafting . Its important to help people find purpose in their work, which will help them to come out from the above commitment. Sense of Obligation to Stay (Normative Commitment): In our organization, some officers from STEP programme feel a sense of normative commitment since our organization has invested a lot in their training and development. Since they have been contracted for 5 years, they could not able to switch job even if they got better opportunity. To overcome this we are likely to develop affective commitment through explaining them about their growth in this esteemed organization and make them to feel experience positive emotions at their work. Further, we will encourage these people to thrive, and to enjoy the work that theyre doing. We make sure that we give praise regularly, and create a healthy workplace , so that these kind of people will be happy and productive. ASSIGNMENT IV Change is a common thread that runs through all businesses regardless of size, industry and age. Our world is changing fast and, as such, organizations must change quickly too. Organizations that handle change well thrive, whilst those that do not may struggle to survive. The concept of change management is a familiar one in most businesses today. But, how  businesses manage change (and how successful they are at it) varies enormously depending on the nature of the business, the change and the people involved. And a key part of this depends on how far people within it understand the change process. One of the cornerstone models for understanding organizational change was developed by Kurt Lewin back in the 1950s, and still holds true today. His model is known as Unfreeze – Change – Refreeze, refers to the three-stage process of change he describes. Lewin, a physicist as well as social scientist, explained organizational change using the analogy of changing the shape o f a block of ice Lewin’s Three-Step Model For Implementing Change Unfreeze: This first stage of change involves preparing the organization to accept that change is necessary, which involves break down the existing status quo before you can build up a new way of operating. Key to this is developing a compelling message showing why the existing way of doing things cannot continue. This is easiest to frame when you can point to declining sales figures, poor financial results, worrying customer satisfaction surveys, or suchlike: These show that things have to change in a way that everyone can understand. To prepare the organization successfully, you need to start at its core – you need to challenge the beliefs, values, attitudes, and behaviors that currently define it. Using the analogy of a building, you must examine and be prepared to change the existing foundations as they might not support add-on storeys; unless this is done, the whole building may risk collapse. This first part of the change process is usually the most difficult and stressful. When you start cutting down the way things are done, you put everyone and everything off balance. You may evoke strong reactions in people, and thats exactly what needs to done. By forcing the organization to re-examine its core, you effectively create a (controlled) crisis, which in turn can build a strong motivation to seek out a new equilibrium. Without this motivation, you wont get the buy-in and participation necessary to effect any meaningful change. Change: After the uncertainty created in the unfreeze stage, the change stage is where people begin to resolve their uncertainty and look for new ways to do  things. People start to believe and act in ways that support the new direction. The transition from unfreeze to change does not happen overnight: People take time to embrace the new direction and participate proactively in the change. A related change model, the Change Curve , focuses on the specific issue of personal transitions in a changing environment and is useful for understanding this specific aspect in more detail. In order to accept the change and contribute to making the change successful, people need to understand how the changes will benefit them. Not everyone will fall in line just because the change is necessary and will benefit the company. This is a common assumption and pitfall that should be avoided. Time and communication are the two keys to success for the changes to occur. People need time to understand the change s and they also need to feel highly connected to the organization throughout the transition period. When you are managing change, this can require a great deal of time and effort and hands-on management is usually the best approach. Refreeze: When the changes are taking shape and people have embraced the new ways of working, the organization is ready to refreeze. The outward signs of the refreeze are a stable organization chart, consistent job descriptions, and so on. The refreeze stage also needs to help people and the organization internalize or institutionalize the changes. This means making sure that the changes are used all the time; and that they are incorporated into everyday business. With a new sense of stability, employees feel confident and comfortable with the new ways of working. The rationale for creating a new sense of stability in our every changing world is often questioned. Even though change is a constant in many organizations, this refreezing stage is still important. Without it, employees get caught in a transition trap where they arent sure how things should be done, so nothing ever gets done to full capacity. In the absence of a new frozen state, it is very difficult to tackle the next change initiative effectively. How do you go about convincing people that something needs changing if you havent allowed the most recent changes to sink in? Change will be perceived as change for changes sake, and the motivation required to implement new changes simply wont be there. As part of the Refreezing process, make sure that you celebrate the success of the change – this helps people to find closure,  thanks them for enduring a painful time, and helps them believe that future change will be successful. Applying the model at TMB : At our bank we have followed the Lewin’s Three-Step Model while implementing our New Logo: Unfreeze: Even though our Bank has been established in 1921, the logo was set for the bank only in 1962. Since the logo was not competent to match to the current generation of banking and also not expressed the future face of the bank. It has been decided to change the Logo. After having various meetings with our stake holders, at last our Management got approval from our stake holders to change our logo. Our Management has started the process for changing the logo of our bank after 50 years. We are well aware that changing our established logo should be approached with a great deal of caution and forethought. Only a new logo design makeover (executed correctly) can infuse our company brand with new excitement, new blood. We are the leading private sector bank with strong development in modern banking and need a logo that is more in line with, and appealing to, our vision along with modern banking facilities. Change: After got approval from stakeholders, our bank started planning on designing the new logo which should express our vision along with modern banking facilities. The organization has ready to take risk by changing the Logo. The Dispel rumors by answering the questions asked by any one the openly and honestly and also relate the need for change back to operational necessities. Our organization has announced a contest among the staff members for creating a logo which should reflects our vision and Modern banking and also to make the staff involvement. Which made everyone feel that it’s a right time to change Logo of our bank and will give new face to our bank. Refreeze: With help of our all staff members our bank has designed a new log which described our vision and modern banking. The magenta-and-royal-blue combo is a colourful showcase of the brand’s illustrious past, where the inherent DNA of our bank customer orientation commitment to excellence takes center-stage. The complementary colours and the clear-cut typeface underline our bank’s new philosophy of staying in tune with the current generation. What holds the logo together and helps break the clutter is the clever play on the letter ‘M’. An amalgam of two upward arrows, ‘the Positive M’ clearly symbolizes our bank’s new promise – to be one step ahead of life. our New logo was created. On 03.05.2012, we have launched New Corporate Identity (New Logo) for our Bank in a grand function at Thoothukudi by our Managing Director CEO in the august presence of all the Directors of our bank. Change of our New Logo was communicated to people through various medium of communication. The New logo has brought a strong believe from the public that, our bank not only a have a traditional type of banking but also have the Modern banking.

Pay And Reward Management In Practice Management Essay

Pay And Reward Management In Practice Management Essay Introduction Before undertaking a critical analysis of collective and individual pay systems and how these systems have been affected by key socio- economic changes in Britain over the past thirty years, it is important to first define the meaning of pay, reward/ reward management, collectivism and individualism. From here the author will consider the key socio-economic factors that have influenced the change in practice and look at the development of reward management within the context of personal development. Pay, Reward, Collectivism and Individualism Pay is used to denote the wages, salaries or fees paid by employers in return for the provision of labour. (Hollinshead, Nicholls and Tailby, 1999, p. 332) The concept of reward has developed over the last twenty five years and has evolved from the concept of basic pay. Reward management involves the analysis and effective control of employee remuneration and covers salary and all benefits. It assesses the nature and extent of rewards and the way they are delivered as well as considering their effect on both the organisation and staff. (Cornwell website, 2007) Reward management therefore is a strategic pay control system, which is central both to the organisation and to the management of Human Resources within that organisation. The term Reward Management was coined by Armstrong and Murliss in 1988 and they and other scholars support the view that: Reward management is not just about money. It is also concerned with those non financial rewards which provide intrinsic or extrinsic motivation. ( Armstrong and Murliss, 1988, p.12) Collectivism or Collective Bargaining is the process of negotiation between unions and employers regarding the  terms and conditions of employment  of employees, and about the rights and responsibilities of trade unions. It is a process of rule making, leading to joint regulation. (Eurofound website, 2007). Collective Bargaining is fundamentally a representative process, in which Trade Unions, who represent the employee, negotiate with key organisational personnel i.e. managers, who represent the organisation, in order to reach agreement on the terms and conditions of employment. According to the WERS Report 2004 Inside the Workplace, collective bargaining is most prevalent in large organisations. The term Individualist, Performance Related Pay or Contingent Pay is the standard term used to describe schemes for providing financial rewards which are related to individual performance, competence, contribution or skill. (Armstrong and Stephens, 2005, p.231) Socio Economic Considerations Before delving into the detail of collectivism and individualism, it is important to look at the socio-economic changes that have taken place over the last thirty years. The rise of Thatcherism and the focus on the personal society and the concept of market forces have played a significant part in the changes to pay and reward within the workplace. The Thatcherist doctrine of the 1980s was heavily focussed on curbing the power of the Trade Unions. This she successfully achieved, but at some cost to certain elements of society. Although, still significant players, trade unions are not now as influential as they once were. For example, According to the findings of the WERS Report 2004 Inside the Workplace, the decrease in the number of Trade Union representatives (particularly within non public sector and small work places) between 1988 and 2004, has lead to a decline in collective power. Additionally, the report noted that pay issues were far less likely to be discussed in workplace consultative committees, if a Trade Representative was not present. Again, this demonstrates a move towards a new pay orthodoxy. Margaret Thatcher viewed market forces as a means to promote healthy businesses and expose the weaker ones, seeking to create an entrepreneurial society, with a focus on individual success and performance. This has been the prevalent idea since the mid 1980s and has influenced workers expectations of reward. (BCC website, 2004) The following extract from the Guardian, gives a helpful summary of the economic changes brought about under Thatcher:- The Conservative economic revolution of the 1980s casts a long shadow. It broke the power of organised labour, deregulated the economy and opened it up to global market forces. Geoffrey Howes 1981 austerity budget of public spending cuts and tax increases pitched Britain into mass unemployment and helped destroy the last vestiges of the post war welfare consensus. In 1978 there were 7.1 million employed in manufacturing, by 2008 that had fallen to 3 million. There has been no significant private investment in the de-industrialised regions. They have still not recovered their social fabric or productive economies and are now sustained by government spending. (The Guardian website, February 2010) There are four points to highlight from this quotation:- The rise of individual entrepreneurialism The reduction in the power of the Unions The break-up of large organisations, both manufacturing and other industries (coal.) In such organisations collective pay settlements were the norm, if those people are now employed at all now, it is likely they are in smaller businesses, which tend not have collective bargaining. The change from mainly an industrial, manufacturing economy to one where the service industry dominates. Over the last thirty years, the standard of living in this country has increased significantly for middle and working class workers but as a consequence, contemporary workers have far higher expectations, with regards to pay and reward and want their efforts to be individually recognised. High performance workers demand to be recognised and rewarded and thus both social and economic pressures currently exist to support individualist pay systems. The Development of Reward Management Pay management systems in Britain have changed considerably over the last thirty years and many of these changes have occurred as a result of important external and internal influences on organisations. The author has chosen to focus on the work of Armstrong (1988) to carry out this analysis, as he is a renowned scholar in the field of pay and reward in the U.K. Old Pay Systems The Early 1980s According to Armstrong and Murliss (1998), these were:- Pay based on the national going rate negotiated centrally with the main Trade Unions White collar and managerial fine pay structures, created to assist promotion increases that did not fall within the norms of income policy, were often open to abuse and resulted out of decaying job evaluation initiatives Limited Performance Related Pay or incentive schemes for office, technical, professional or managerial staff Incremental increases on fixed service-related pay were the norm Senior management Tax- effective benefits The late Enterpreneurial 1980s According to Armstrong and Murliss (1998), the entrepreneurial 1980s witnessed dramatic changes to pay systems. During this period pays role changed from being viewed as a back office function to a key management mechanism for change during the formation of the Enterprise Culture. Pay systems became dominated by performance related pay and incentive schemes. Armstrong and Murliss (1998) argue that during this period reward managements philosophy developed important features which demonstrated many similarities to Human Resource Management philosophy, including:- Treating employees as organisational assets Earning the commitment of these employees to the organisations core values and objectives Allowing staff members to achieve their full potential and to contribute fully to organisational goal achievement The Post Entrepreneurial 1990s Many of the simplistic pay models implemented in the late 1980s failed to achieve their objectives (Armstrong and Murliss, 1998) New Pay Systems The 1990s saw the adoption of a more strategically focused pay systems, which are still operational in contemporary private and public sector organisations. Armstrong and Murliss (1998) noted that the main developments to be incorporated into new pay systems in the 1990s included:- People-based pay, with emphasis on role adaptability and a move towards generic roles and job families, which focus on continual development and competence The introduction of second/ third generation performance- related pay, which focuses on improving performance rather than merely rating it Determining the value of employee inputs and outputs in Performance management i.e. development and motivation Recognising the employees as an organisational stakeholder, who is included in processes which affect their parts of the employment relationship for example pay According to the findings CIPD Survey 2004 of Performance Management, (cited in Armstrong and Stephens, 2005), 56% of the 566 respondents had some type of Performance related Pay. Armstrong and Stephens (2005) argue that many people view Performance Related Pay as a key people motivator, however they argue that non financial rewards i.e. the work undertaken and the working environment form an important part of the whole reward package. However, according to the findings of The e-research 2004 Survey of Performance Related Pay (cited in Armstrong and Stephens, 2005) the main factors for using Performance Related Pay are:- To acknowledge and reward superior performance To appeal to and maintain excellent personnel To enhance organisational performance To concentrate efforts on strategic values and results The Decline of Collectivism According to the WERS Report 2004 and Edwards (2003) the declining influence of the trade unions led to the decline of collectivism, which the WERS Report 2004 noted occurred between 1988-2004, particularly in non public sector and private organisations. The WERS Report 2004 noted that By far the most common pay determination in 2004 was unilateral pay setting by management. (WERS Report, 2004, p.19) i.e.individualism. Collective Bargaining in the Public Sector According to the WERS Report 2004, despite the decline of collective bargaining, it is still used as a means to set pay in larger organisations for example, in public sector organisations, for example, in the public administration and Utilities Industries. Collective Bargaining in the Private Sector According to the WERS Report 2004, Collective Bargaining was virtually non- existent in private sector organisations, for example, the Hotel and Restaurant Industry. In addition, the report noted that collective bargaining has not been replaced by any other single pay determination method, however mixed methods were less used and varying methods of single pay determination were used across the workplace. (WERS Report, 2004) Evidence of the Decline of Collectivism in the U.K. The decline in the use of Collective Bargaining in the U.K., as a pay determination method, over the last thirty years, is clearly illustrated in Table 1, Appendix 1. The Rise of Individualism or Performance Related Pay Some of the key reasons for the rise of individualism in pay systems in the U.K. can be summarised as follows:- The Terms and conditions of staff are increasingly important Aspiration and expectation increasingly staff want to be rewarded for doing a good job As mentioned above the socio-economic factors decline of the trade unions Increased competitive pressures Increasingly market forces constraining employers discretion Driving change (in pay and reward) is the need to strengthen the link to business performance , cost control, support for organisational change and recruitment and retention pressures ( Wright, 2007) As we have moved away from Collectivism, the last thirty years has been dominated by change and experimentation. Basic pay, which applies to the collective is supplemented and enhanced by pay systems that seek to differentiate between individuals in some way. Inconsistencies in Individualism/ Performance Related Pay From the research undertaken, it is clear that contemporary pay systems, some of the features of which are noted in brief on page 7, are determined through collective bargaining or Individualism/ Performance Related Pay, the latter of which has given rise to organisation- based pay setting, which has led to inequalities in pay in the U.K. since 1980. (Edwards, 2003) Individualism/ Performance Related Pay does not apply across the board to all categories of staff. Of particular note is the disparity in packages between managers and workers, for example, The WERS Report 2004 recorded that 45% of managers had company cars, while only 15% of workers had company cars and 38% of managers had private health care, while only 16% of workers had private health care. Performance related pay matrices, as illustrated in Appendix 2, are often used to determine pay increases in relation to performance and pay range position ( Armstrong and Stephens, 2005) Managers need to apply these systems both equally and fairly and therefore, there will need to be some form of mediation with all senior managers to ensure o harmonisation and the implementation of quotas, as not everybody can be rated, as excellent, as it would cost the organisation too much money. Decline in Popularity of Individualism/ Performance Related Pay Performance Related Pay became popular in the late 1980s, as noted earlier on pages 5-7, however, numerous reasons have lead to a decline in its popularity , for example:- Performance Related Pay has become surrounded by complaints about inconsistencies, as noted above, and (therefore) bias Managers who carry out appraisals and administer related monitoring processes often lack the necessary training Performance Related Pay assumes that performance is totally in the hands of the individual, however performance is affected by the organisation/ environment they work in The qualifying criteria for Performance Related Pay demanding and difficult to achieve ( Armstrong and Stephens, 2005) Labour Research, September 2000, reported some significant failings of Performance Related Pay in the public sector, by citing IRS Pay and Benefits Bulletin Survey, which found for example, that 75% of public PRP schemes were too insignificant to motivate staff and that 29% of public sector organisations felt PRP was too costly. According to Wright (2007), the Approach has moved on from simply collectivism and individualism to refining thoughts about individualism, taking into account staff engagement, trust and commitment. There is a need to develop management when looking at the design of reward systems. Wright (2007) cites Milsome (2005), who noted from the Reward Management Symposium (2005) that reward practices are rarely based on evidence of what produces good organisational outcomes and what does not. (Wright, 2007, p.159) Pay and Reward Today According to the CIPD (2010) Today the notion of linking pay to a wider definition of employee contribution is gaining ground. This emphasises not only performance in the sense of output (the end result that is achieved) but also the input (what the employee has contributed in a more holistic sense. (CIPD Website, 2010) It could be said that these developments demonstrate a more rounded and fairer approach to measuring individual performance. The CIPD (2010) refer to a members poll, carried out in March 2009 to gauge the effects of the economic crisis on performance management. It is significant to note 92% of the respondents believed there had been an increased level of performance management in general, 88% of the respondents felt that it was necessary to re-evaluate performance measures to replicate the more demanding work environment. With reference to rewarding performance, 63% of respondents felt that it was harder to reward good performance in the current climate and 90% of respondents felt that reward performance should include the use of increased levels of non-financial incentives. (CIPD, 2010) The results from the CIPD members poll clearly demonstrates the continued importance of performance management but it does also highlight that the current economic crisis has and is likely to continue to affect Performance Related Pay. Conclusion It is true that collectivism has declined and individualism has increased but it is not as simple as one approach replacing the other. Collectivism really started to decline in the Thatcher years with the destruction of the trade unions power and the support for individual endeavour in an attempt to improve the UKs economic performance. Thatcher was a great believer in meritocracy and open competition. This lead to the rise of the importance of the individual. Over the years we have seen this develop from being just about Pay to encompassing the wider concept of Reward (e.g. longer holidays, flexible hours, private health, etc). In the early Eighties this type of Reward was the preserve of Managers, but is now applied at many different levels. This has been strengthened in recent years as a result of two key factors: (i) two recessions within the space of 20 years where companies have struggled to find ways to retain and reward skilled employees other than the traditional financial remuneration, (ii) the changing face of the UK industry from manufacturing to services. However, Collectivism still has its place in larger public organisations and some private ones, particularly where it is very difficult to differentiate between the performance of individuals doing exactly the same lightly skilled jobs, and where the going rate for the job is still a valid concept. Although Individualism does dominate, it has itself developed again in the last 15 years where it has moved from pure Performance Related Pay to systems which are more objective in their assessment and also endeavoured to focus on staff improvement and development. Bibliography:- Armstrong, M., and Murliss, H., (1998.4th ed.) Reward Management : A Handbook of Remuneration Strategy and Practice, Kogan Page, pp.1-57 Armstrong, M., and Stephens, T., (2005) Individual contingent pay, in Employee Reward Management and Practice. London, Kogan Page, pp.231-254 BBC News, Retrieved, 2nd January 2011 from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/3681973.stm, Cornwell website, Retrieved 7th January 2011 from http://www.cornwell.co.uk/people_management/reward_management.asp CIPD (2010) Performance Related Pay Factsheet, Retrieved 10th January 2011 from: http://www.cipd.co.uk/shapingthefuture/_eccrsplrst.htm?IsSrchRes=1 Eurofound website, Retrieved 6th January 2011 from: Edwards, P.,( 2003 ed.) Industrial Relations, Oxford Blackwell Hollinshead, G., Nicholls, P., and Tailby, S., (1999), Pay, in Employee Relations, London: Pitman Publishing, pp.332-377 Kersley, B., Alpin, C., Forth, J., Bryson, A., Bewley, H., Dix,G., And Oxenbridge, S., (2004) Inside the Workplace, First Findings from the 2004 Workplace Employment Relations Survey ( WERS 2004) Labour Research Department (September 2000) Performance -related pay failing in the public sector, Publications Online for Amicus members The Guardian (2010), Retrieved on 2nd January 2010 from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/feb/28/economics-conservatives-legacy-housing-election Wright, A., (2007), Through a Glass Darkly: problems and issues in reward, in Porter, C., Bingham, C., and Simmonds, D., (2008), Exploring Human Resource Management, McGraw Hill. London, pp.159-177 Appendix 1 The Decline of Collective Bargaining in the U.K. Membership % of Density % Covered by Collective Bargaining 1979 13 million 59 70 1997 7.8 30.2 33.3 2006 7.6 28.4 35.3 Constructed from data provided through the Workplace Industrial Relations (and Employee Relations) Survey series 1980-2004 and a certification Office report for 2007

Should We Balance National Debt? :: Argumentative Persuasive Economics Papers

Should We Balance National Debt? The national debt is a problem that the entire country has to deal with. The questions is whether or not to balance it? Morally the answer is yes. We should not leave this burden for our children to solve. If the deficit was balanced then this country would have more money to spend on other programs such as welfare or medicare. Fifteen percent of national spending is used to pay for the current deficit. With another 15% of our budget to spend on tax-cuts or other issues this could cause an economic boom. Some say that balancing the budget is not the right thing to do. It is said that by balancing the budget at the end of the fiscal year would cause the government to raise taxes therefore slowing down the economy. Some also say that we should not balance the budget because none of the countries that have paid for the bonds will never collect the money owed. They will just let the bonds collect interest therefore we are not responsible to pay back the money. This relies on that the bond holders never collect which we do not know for sure if they won't. We need to be prepared so if the bond holders do collect we can fullfill our end of the deal and pay the money we owe. To balance the budget will take years to accomplish and a little better handling of money than we currently doing. Since the Cold War is over we no lomger need to be spending as much money on defense as we have

Comparing Civilizations Essay

1. Write an essay comparing and contrasting two civilizations in one category from the River Valley Civilizations sheet. For example, you could choose Egypt and China and compare and contrast the governments. Your essay should have specific information. Be sure to explain both how they were alike and how they were different in that category. You can use the River Valley Civilizations sheet as a reference. Answer: Ancient Egypt and China were very similar but also differed in many ways. Their geography was alike. They both shared the same concept of writing. Both civilizations valued religion and made it a big part of their lives. The main difference between the two countries would be the intricacies of their cultures. This essay will compare and contrast the two ancient civilizations. Egypt and China both had an abundance of waters. For Egypt, it was the Nile River, for China, the Yellow River. These rivers were really important to both of the civilizations in many ways. They both had systems of writing that incorporated simple pictures. Both the ancient Egyptians and Chinese were polytheistic. The Chinese and Egyptians were both technologically advanced. Both of them even had complex irrigation methods. Also, literacy was limited to a select amount of people for both civilizations. When it comes to differences between the two civilizations, they often come down to the detail. For example, both of them had organized governments but Egypt’s was a Theocracy and China’s was a Monarchy. Social hierarchy differed between the two, as well. In Egypt, the Pharaoh was the sun and stars over the whole of Egypt, he was believed to be a reincarnation of God. In china however, home and family were at the center of life. The two both built great structures, but th e Egyptians made Pyramids while the Chinese built the Great Wall of China. The ancient Egyptians buried the dead with thought to preservation due to the belief that the souls could use their bodies in the after life.

George Berkeley’s Argument and Proof on God’s Existence Essay

Questioning about the eternal mystery about the existence of one Supreme Being may appear to be one of the most controversial topics to discuss. Wherever one goes in the world, people would always tend to take this issue of a God as a very sensitive and insightful issue to debate about. With this perceived controversy about the existence of God, a lot of philosophers have dared explore and expound on the topic better. Some of them presented positively appealing views; however there were also some who chose to present a rather contradicting and appalling statement about the reality of one Supreme God. And in dealing about this topic, one of the most surprising and rather intriguing arguments is from George Berkeley. Unlike any other, his claim appeared to be surprising as he argues that religion and science are not always two contradicting fields, thus, the ideas of God’s existence and science can indeed support each other. God and Science: Idealism and Representationalism More often than not, people have always encountered conflicting claims from religion and the fields of science. This may be brought by the conflicting bases of belief which the two fields have. Religion as the more mystic and supernatural field would tend to base its creed on beliefs established by tradition, time and holy scriptures, while science on the other hand would tend to base its conclusions on hard, cold facts. However, one interesting claim and argument is presented by the great mind, George Berkeley who disputed that science can also be compatible and supportive of the idea about the existence of one God (Berkeley Reading, 2009). He argues that the representationalist minds of men are the factors which make them skeptical about ideas such as a Supreme Being. This is because representationalism promotes the belief in things which can be supported and explained by material things. And this is the idea which Berkeley chose to debunk. He argues that, people can only avoid skepticism if only they will choose not to base things on material facts, because not all ideas and concepts are actually explained by these material bases. This is his explanation of Idealism and this is his first basis about his claim that a Supreme God indeed exist. Moreover, Berkeley insists that â€Å"the existence of God is far more evidently perceived than the existence of men† (Priest, 2007). Thus this implies that as people try harder to explain God existence than men’s existence it can be said that God appears to have a more significant reality and existence than men. As more people try to explain God as a supreme being, the more that the idea proves to be stronger. Berkeley believes this argument since he supports the claim that the belief in God’s existence is the product of all men’s ideas, as compared to the belief in men’s existence which is but an inference of one’s ideas. Therefore this logic implies that the evidence of God’s existence if far greater that the evidence of men’s existence (Priest, 2007). And this is another strong point of Berkeley’s argument about God’s reality. George Berkeley like Rene Descartes is a fan of science which is innately a material fact-dependent field. This is the reason why it appears rather surprising how he can explain such a supernatural concept with supporting ideas from science. It is also surprising and very puzzling how Berkeley can argue that matter is not always the basis of the explanation about the existence of things. And this is because he rather believes in the idea of â€Å"sensible things† than of â€Å"matter. † This also shows that Berkeley believes more on ideas over matter. However, he still relies on matter as basis of explanation since it can explain the existence of material things. And since God is immaterial, it supports his claim that God, indeed, cannot be explained materially like any other things people perceive as material. In several ways, this claim of Berkeley also shows that he supports the idea that not all things are material; that there are things which will not be ‘visible’ but rather be ‘sensible’. Thus for Berkeley, reality does not just stand on solid material bases but also on strong sensible perceptions. Assessment of Berkeley’s Claims In many ways, George Berkeley’s ways may appear puzzling and incomprehensible in some parts. This is quite understandable since people have been used to the notion that science is just based from real, concrete facts. Unlike science, religion and belief in supernatural forces has always based its creed on invisible, immaterial and rather intangible forces. But although science and religion appear to repel each other’s ideas and views, Berkeley was still able to merge these two fields in explaining his own perception on the existence of God. Berkeley’s effort of expounding on the idea of God’s existence roots from his need of having something that explains order and regularity in the world (Yuksel, 2005). Berkeley himself believes that aside from the material things and forces, there is one intangible and invisible idea whose existence is far stronger and greater than any other material force’s existence. Thus, since this inference is based on a personal need, it also appears that Berkeley actually based his claims on what he chose to believe in; that since he needed an explanation on the seemingly invisible force which promotes order in the world, he rather chose to explain it as God. It is undeniable that his differentiation of materiality and sensibility has been a struggle. Up to now, there are still some aspects of this claim which appears like a blur. One man previously challenged this claim by asking that, if Berkeley closes his eyes and he cannot see, does he also closes an idea or does he eliminates a material thing (Yuksel, 2005)? This challenges Berkeley’s argument that materiality is not always the sole bases fro truth, rather there is also sensibility. Although in many ways, Berkeley’s arguments may really seem puzzling and confusing, it also appears that he delivered his ideas in such a very systematic and well expounded way. Truly, people have their choice as to whether or not to believe in one Supreme Being. People also have the liberation as to how to perceive this Supreme God. And in this context, Berkeley also has his own way. It just so happened that the bases he chose are two of the most repelling and contradicting ideas in the world of humankind. Thus, it is understandable why his argument remains intriguing and puzzling in many ways. References â€Å"File Uploaded. † (2009). Berkeley Reading. Priest, S. (2007). The British Empiricist. New York: Routledge. Yuksel, E. (2005). â€Å"Descartes vs. Berkeley: On the Two Corners of the Triangle. † The Islamic Reformer. Yuksel. org. Retrieved March 18, 2009 from http://www. yuksel. org/e/philosophy/triangle. htm