Work Ethic Essays - Employment, Work Ethic, Working Time

Work Ethic In today's society I believe we have lost the traditional work ethic of long ago. Being brought up in a traditional family and around a population mainly comprised of Amish, I have come to understand the work ethic that America has lost. Amish are people who lead a simple religious life unaffected by automobiles, electricity, modern appliances, or other modern convinces. This Simple puritan life is based solely around god with a strong work ethic as the backbone. Long hours are spent hand plowing the field with a horse, turning butter for family consumption, and taking pride in homemade items. Growing up around this, I see America as losing the strong work ethic of their fathers and grandfathers. People in general as showing the lack of dedication and pride in their work. Working in a factory this last summer, I saw that the corporate world functions on money and mass production. Worker Unions has also slid into a loss in pride. The main goal of workers is the personal gain of money, not quality and workmanship. Along with the work ethic in the corporate world is the work ethic based in the home. As technology increases and connivances arise, Americans are becoming increasingly lazy and the over all work ethic has been lost.

Male and Female Menopause essays

Male and Female Menopause essays Our physical ability peaks in early adulthood however, like the declining daylight after the summer solstice, our muscular strength and reaction time begin to wither. In later life, the stairs are no longer an option if the elevators around. The newsprint gets smaller and people begin to mumble. So begins the era in ones life scientifically known as the mid-life crisis. Women, because they mature earlier than men, experience this first. However men do not stay far behind. Menopause has always been a term related to just women and not men. Conclusive research and studies have proven that men go through menopause as well. Though men and women go through menopause, there are various differences in the way they experience it. For men, male menopause (also known as andropause or viropause) begins with hormonal, physiological chemical changes that occur in all men generally between the ages of forty and fifty-five, though it can occur as early as thirty five or as late as fifty-five. For women, menopause is an important part of their lives. Their bodies go through changes that affect her social life and her feelings about herself. Menopause is the medical term for the end of a womens menstrual period. It occurs when the ovaries stop making hormones called estrogen and progesterone. This causes estrogen and progesterone levels to drop and leads to the end of monthly menstrual periods. This usually occurs in women at the ages of forty-five through sixty, but can happen earlier. Men go through a change very much like women in their middle years, they like women experience the hormonal changes that affect their sexuality, mood, and temperament. The difference is that men dont experience the crisis; they just continue living. Men, unlike women, can experience menopause differently in the sense that they will go through the stages of their lives differently. Almost all women go thro...

Energy Transfer and Thermodynamics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Energy Transfer and Thermodynamics - Essay Example Kelvin = 373.150R C. rise of 30Celsius in Kelvin: Assume increase from 0Celsius to 30Celsius Kelvin = 30 + 273.15 = 303.15 Kelvin Kelvin = 0 + 273.15 = 273.15 =30Kelvin d. rises by 60F in R, K and C Rankine: Assume increase from -60 to 0 F Rankine = Fahrenheit + 459.67 R = -60 + 459.67 = 399.67 R = 0 + 459.67 = 459.67 = 600Rankine Kelvin: Kelvin = (Fahrenheit + 459.67) X (5/9) Kelvin = (-60 + 459.67) X 5/9 = 222.04 Kelvin = (0 + 459.67) X 5/9 = 255.37 = 33.330 Kelvin Celsius: Celsius = (Fahrenheit 32) X (5/9) Celsius = (0 32) X 5/9 = - 17.78 Celsius = (-60 32) X 5/9 = - 51.11 = 33.330C Question.5 Work and equilibrium: Work and equilibrium are related, for example when we consider two systems at equilibrium and some work is done on one of the object and temperature increases then the systems are no longer at equilibrium. Question.6 Equilibrium: hot water in a cup and the cup is at the same temperature as the water Stable state: filling a birth tab with water and yet draining the tab and therefore water will flow in and out and therefore the birth tab system is in a stable state. Uniform state: The universe is said to be uniform according to the second law of thermodynamics Question.7 Rechargeable battery: open, because it exchanges energy and matter with the environment and matter and this is why battery water is required. Household refrigerator: it is closed because it only exchanges energy with the environment but no matter is exchanged. Radiator: open water is added to the system after period of time. Question.8 Difference between a gas, a liquid and a solid In this we use water to explain the difference between gas, liquid and solid, for a solid which is ice molecules vibrate and do not move freely and that ice has a distinct shape, when we melt... This is the second law of thermodynamics that was coined by Clausius and Thomson, entropy is denoted as S and this law states that the entropy of a given system that is not at equilibrium will tend to increase over time, and that at equilibrium maximum entropy is achieved. Work and equilibrium are related, for example when we consider two systems at equilibrium and some work is done on one of the object and temperature increases then the systems are no longer at equilibrium. In this we use water to explain the difference between gas, liquid and solid, for a solid which is ice molecules vibrate and do not move freely and that ice has a distinct shape, when we melt ice we get liquid water and the molecules move freely, liquids do not have a distinct shape and will take the shape of the container. For gases molecules move freely and gases do not have a distinct shape, gases are compressible meaning that their density varies. The two heat convections include natural or free convection whereby fluid motion causes transfer of heat due to changes in density and heat advent convection or forced convection whereby heat transfer is due to movement of the liquid resulting from other forces. A closed Styrofoam cup, whic

Managing Cutbacks at the Washington State Department of Social and Essay

Managing Cutbacks at the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services - Essay Example 97) affecting DSHS are as follows: (1) the program of reforms (cutting of expenses by 25%) instituted by President Reagan through the Economic Recovery Program; (2) Washington state’s tax system based on consumption and narrow economic base; (3) citizen legislatures that do not include potential leeway for increased taxes; (4) the increase in the state’s financial support for elementary and secondary education; and (5) state legislations ordering the recent cutbacks in spending for the last six months ending June 30, 1981. These are formal mandates of the DSHS since these rules, laws, legislations imposed by the federal government and other stakeholders (education sector) dictate the organization to design strategies to meet these mandates. Through the Economic Recovery Program that instituted diverse budget cuts across all federal and state funding programs, all agencies being governed are expected to adhere to these enactments, as proposed. The tax system of Washingto n State has been focused on sales and business tax that contribute to fluctuating revenues depending on the economic cycle. However, due to the conservative stance that persists, state legislators continue to support tax cuts despite the poor economic conditions that prevailed. There have been apparent favoring business establishments by giving concessions to deferred sales during economic difficulties which decrease state revenues while expenditures for social programs are expected to increase during these periods. The state opted to cut spending, instead, rather than increase taxes. On the other hand, the key informal mandates are: (1) no personal income tax; (2) shunned federal money; (3) advocated less dependence on federally funded social and health programs; (4) parallel spending patterned after federal grant funding patterns; and (5) the conservative

Corporate social responsibility british airports plc Essay

Corporate social responsibility british airports plc - Essay Example Seeing the potential of the project BAPLC share holders seek long term benefits and have also accepted that the approach for development should meet the need for corporate social responsibility. (CSR). Over the years the concept of CSR has graduated from that of philanthropy to greater involvement of corporate in communities and now is considered as a corporate-community partnership for sustained growth and development. This has also been institutionalised internationally through the Global Compact and in the European Union through the White Paper on CSR. CSR has thus emerged as a universally accepted norm of social responsibility for corporate. It has a number of components which are discussed in succeeding paragraphs. Universalisation of the principles of CSR and corporate governance crystallized during the World Economic Forum on 31 January 1999, when the United Nation's Secretary-General Kofi Annan asked business leaders to join the international initiative led by the UN known as the Global Compact. This was slated to bring together the companies, UN agencies, labor and civil society to support universal principles with reference to environmental and social issues. Formal launching of the Global Compact took place in New York on 26 July 2000. ... These principles are as given below:- (a) Businesses should support and respect the protection of internationally proclaimed human rights within their sphere of influence; (b) Business should make sure they are not complicit in human rights abuses. (c) Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining (d) Businesses should uphold the elimination of all forms of forced and compulsory labour (e) Businesses should uphold the effective abolition of child labour. (f) Businesses should uphold the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation. (g) Businesses should support a precautionary approach to environmental challenges. (h) Businesses should undertake initiatives to promote greater environmental responsibility (i) Businesses should encourage the development and diffusion of environmentally friendly technologies (j) Businesses should work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery. (Unglobal : 2006) The underlying principle of corporate governance related CSR is that the companies should undertake additional social responsibilities voluntarily which go beyond the regulatory frame work for good conduct of business and relate to the issues of social development, environmental protection, respect for fundamental rights of employees as well as the local population and adopt a policy of open governance. Thus society is an important stake holder in the company. This approach provides a unique opportunity for dialogue and management of change particularly in the present setting where BAPLC is establishing a new project in an area where local resistance is anticipated. The concept has support

Structure And Culture Ikea And Lego Commerce Essay

Structure And Culture Ikea And Lego Commerce Essay In this assignment I am meant to be working for an organization holding a trainee management consultant and at the end of my training I have to submit a report. My report will be about two private organizations where I discuss their structure and culture, how it affects the business performance. I also need to research how each company deals with their employees and problems faced with employees. An important figure is picked for each company and have discussed the leadership style used by both. In addition I explore the classical approaches which are being used in the companys and the different techniques to management used by each organization. In my PowerPoint presentation, I offer a consultation to my client organization on motivational theories and effective teamwork. Acknowledgement I Sayarah Saleem confirm and acknowledge the fact that this assignment was done by me alone. I have researched and studied the tasks given and have given the references from where I have obtained the information. Executive Summary The two private organizations that I have chosen are IKEA and LEGO in my report because I think its they are good examples of describing the structure and culture of each organization. They are both different in their own way , with how they deal with employee issues and how the organization is run. One is family oriented and the other , which got an outsider as a CEO in 2004 in order to change the company around. Table of Contents Task 1 1.Report 1.1 Analyze the structure and culture if the two organizations. In your analysis you have to engage in a comparison and contrasting of their structure and culture. 1.2 Further clearly evaluate how the structure of each company supports its culture and how this relationship effects business performance. 1.3 Explore and state what each company does in order to identify and solve employee behavioral problems. 2. Understand different approaches to management and leadership. 2.1 Select a prominent figure one from each company and compare the effectiveness of their leadership styles. 2.2 How to the two companies practice the classical approach to management. 2.3 Evaluate the different approaches to management used by the two organizations. In discussing your answer you have to use your knowledge on contingency approach to management. Task 2 Presentation References Bibliography Task 1 Task 1:Report Understand the relationship between organizational structure and culture IKEA LEGO 1.1 Lego began in the early 1930s by a gentleman named Ole Kirk Kristiansen and till date kept with the family, passed on by generation to the next generation. Lego has been named twice the toy of the century and has maintained the toy, the building brick. The organizational structure that Lego uses which best suits them is the functional structure, this structure is most widely used by companies. Basically the company has different departments to which they have delegated people to, and heads of that department according to the function. Some of these departments are Sales, Accounts, product development etc. Using this structure allows them to show the pyramid of hierarchy. It gives a clear view of the organizational chart and who are at the highest rank. Lego being based in so many countries uses a divisional structure which consists of three segments, and these are market, product and geographical. The other company which I have chosen to analyze is IKEA. IKEA was founded in 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad . IKEA is the worlds biggest furniture company that concentrates on innovative, fashionable furniture at inexpensive prices. Mr. Kamprad didnt want any normal organizational structure for the company, instead he formed a complex system of foundations, holding companies and trusts. The companys structure then divided into three for each of his son. The reason he did this was to prevent taxs and also to make sure that the company would not be divided due to family dispute. In actual fact IKEA is being held by a foundation which has a group under them that controls the companies that runs IKEAs individual operations. Between the two companies it is evident that while one has a typical corporate structure , the other is so committed in creating equality amongst the family and a fool proof method to ensure that the company will not be divided in the future. 1.2 The same way that Ikea has created their organizational structure they have also supported the company culture by sharing that they not just want to hire people but have a chance of bringing in unique individuals to share the same values of the company. To make them feel as they are all associates in the company. Not only does IKEA evaluate the person based on skills and expertise but also if they have the same culture as IKEA themselves. The assumption is that skills are easier to develop than personality traits, attitudes and values This in return promises happier employees who feel as if they are working for their own. Employees who like, themselves want to buy furniture, take it home and assemble at home will also make the customers feel the same. Lego on the other hand concentrated on their Danish values of hard work , modesty and teamwork. They look after their employees with respect and high standards, also incorporating global principles for those working overseas. Lego has always been strict about following all laws, rules and regulations in the countries they are in. Their employees in return offer their company which is so largely respected , great service, hard work and offer nothing but the best to their customers. 1.3 There are several different leadership methods which companies take on, IKEA however have not confined themselves to one particular method, instead taken the best parts of each method and combined their own. There is the Autocratic style, which is the basic team and supervisor style, Democratic , which allows the employee to think and make decisions on behalf of the company. Laissez Faire , where employees are given few guidelines and limits to carry out activities , which gives them freedom but may result in less productive work. Consultative is like the democratic style, very alike. Finally we have paternalistic where the manager , supervisor has tough ideas where he will require input and ideas for developing the business from the employees. By doing this IKEA has been able to avoid large scale employee behavioral problems. This is not to say that they dont have employees who have been disappointed either by not keeping their promise on pay raises and not even considering thei r opinions. IWAY which is IKEAs code of conduct, assures their employees the right to organize and order all overtime be voluntary. They also ensure wages are paid on time and not be withheld. Employees are entitled to medical, social insurance and pension. This way IKEA allows their co-workers their freedom and benefit all legal rights. IKEA hires a law firm called Jackson Lewis to encourage workers to attend meetings in order to discourage unions. One of Legos important rules was to maintain employees safety, therefore they set a goal to reach the top ten safe places to work for employees by 2015. Their main concern was to improve and maintain the work-life balance; this is basically to retain the employees motivation and satisfaction with their position at Lego. Lego has their system of flexible work hours, work from home option which are all ideal mainly for a working mother has made themselves enter Working Mother Magazine 100 best companies list . Lego involve themselves in providing wellness programs and leave entitlement for the mother up to 26 weeks of leave with their job assured of. Families looking to adopt are entitled to $5000 and fertility treatments are fully covered. Task 2 2.1 Lego Jorgen Vig Knudstorp is a leading and most prominent figure at lego, he has had the most challenging role of having revive Lego as the company had taken a turn for the worst. Mr. Knudstorp knew that in order to change things around he needed to be trusted and relied on. Doing so Mr. Knudstorp would be able to incorporate new methods to revive Lego from its low. He was an intelligent man to believe that for things to be done he needed to managing at eye level which meant liaising with the production workers, engineers , discussing to reduce sales declining with the sales and marketing department. Jorgen Vig Knudstorp reminded the management that they were there to maximize the firms value, this would be identififying why till date the lego group exists. He wanted their to be a less strict structure and a more free management style from the bottom to the top, empowering employees to make decisions at all levels. Jorgen Vig Knudstorp used the strategic leadership style, this which made employees share values,visons and goals, strengthening them to make decisions with minimum monitoring. It is defined that a strategic leader persuades for change and looks for new ways ideas, and improvement to better the company in order to allow the company to move onward. IKEA Ingvar Kamprad the founder of ikea, being a school dropout and began making furniture at the age of 17 uses the democratic style of leadership to run his company. Mr. Kamprad encouraged parallel management so that each can manage their purpose effectively. The reason for this same level management was so that employees opinion and feedback will help them feel like they are required in the company. This in return makes the employees want to work harder and feel as if they are working for their own. Mr. Kamprad however did have many things under his control like the financial details and of the companys structure. He encouraged his employees to work hard with stern business beliefs however to still have fun whilst working for IKEA, he preferred giving guidelines, showing methods of how things should be done instead of revealing authority and giving out orders. 2.2 Since the classical approach is purely based on acknowledging the idea that only the economical and physical needs of the employee are important and that their personal life and job satisfaction are irrelevant, Lego however believes strongly in allowing their employees to work freely within the organization. It is a place where all share the same value, of empowering children to learn. Lego wanted to strive to be the best toy company instead of being the biggest. The classical approach includes scientific, administrative and bureaucratic management. The scientific management theory was developed by Frederik Taylor (1856-1915). This theory had 4 steps, firstly by sorting the job into smaller pieces, then to pick the most capable employees to perform the job and train them, finally supervisors are used to monitor them. This theory came about at the time that organizations were large and industrialized to increase productivity to its maximum. Henri Fayol ( 1841-1925) developed a fourteen principles of management. These principles were: Division of Labor: to increase production and quality through specialization Authority and Responsibility: Where authority is shown, responsibility must be given and this works both ways. Discipline; Respect and order for the agreements between the company and their workers. Line of Authority: Clear view of the company hierarchy Centralization: Authority is given only to the highest in command. Unity of Direction: All are on the same track to lead the organization. Unity of command: Employee receives instructions from only one supervisor/manager. Order: Every employee is placed where they would contribute the most. Initiative: Creating action plans and carrying it out. Equity: Take care of all employees fairly with respect. Remuneration of personnel: Payment of salaries to employees accordingly. Stability of Tenure: to provide long term employment. General interest over individual interest: the companys priority will be before the employees. Esprit de corps: Harmony of the employees brings a strong union. Mr. Kamprad of IKEA believed that the workplace should be like everyday life, being free and at ease, instead wearing formal work attire, addressing colleagues in a personal manner. The company arranges once a year for at least week for the managers to work in the showrooms and warehouses. New ideas and innovations were always welcome at IKEA, the employees were always encouraged to come up with creative solutions. How did the concept of customers picking up their purchases arise? This is when they realized in order to cost cut and provide quick service, to engage in customers in self-selection. The customers choose their items, write them down and go down to the warehouse to collect their items. IKEA has a mission of spreading the companies philosophies and practices throughout the organization by assigning IKEA ambassadors that had been specifically trained and placed strategically within the company. They would in turn train their subordinates and act as role models. In my report it is evident that both IKEA and Lego do not have a strict list of management procedures which have brought them to where they are today. Bearing in mind that in 2004, when Lego CEO Jorgen Vig Knudstorp joined the organization he needed to save the company from the dire state that it was in. This required that whichever practices that were taking place needed to be evaluated and changed in order to revive the company. IKEA being a family oriented company, is not particularly head by the founders sons. Instead created a holdings company that managed the IKEA organization which was run by Mr. Kamprads sons. By studying and researching both companies it is safe to say that there is no exact approach to management followed by each. The contingency approach also known as situational approach supports the thought that there is no one best way to management. Each organization just like humans and conditions can change and differ from time to time. Therefore by studying the current situation of the organization, will the management of the company know what practices to enforce. Management had to think of environmental factors, for example weather, technology that could alter the organizations productivity.

The Orphan Characters of in Conrads Heart of Darkness Essay -- Heart o

The Orphan Characters of Heart of Darkness  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚      All Conrad's major characters are, in a fundamental sense, orphans. To men like Marlow, his parents offer him no predestined place in an ordered world, or, if such a place exists, they do not feel it is a real alternative for them. The knowledge of a hostile, annihilating force at the center of existence brings to Conrad's characters a constant sense of their personal vulnerability. Before this revelation, they were orphans in search of a ground for their lives, but they never doubted their ability to discover such a ground. For most of Conrad's characters, the experience of vulnerability marks the real beginning of their voyage. Conrad's novels are attempts to come to terms with this experience, to work out ways of living with or overcoming this knowledge, for only if some such way can be found can man ever attain a stable identity. Perhaps mind can confront the darkness directly and master it. Although this darkness is in its essence something alien to mind, if mind can asset its control over this force, if it can give it rational form and substance and thus fix the image of the "ombre sinistre et fuyante" the darkness will be robbed of its destructive potential. By assimilating its sources in this way, it might still be possible for man to achieve self, sufficiency. While he will not have found a father, found some source, which naturally confers its reality upon him, man will have made one. For most of Conrad's characters, the initial thrust of their attempt to assert sovereignty over the ground of their existence is directed toward its immediate source in the irrational. Ultimately, however, man's efforts to control the darkness must lead him beyond t... ...land; it is among the things they order better in France. Mr.Graham Greene, who has learned both from France and Conrad, has grasped this fact, and never proposes to make our flesh creep as Conrad and James in these stories do. Kurtz may be described as the logical consequence for any man of admitting a breach in those defenses that the guarding of personal integrity constantly requires. The line of human heads with which his station had been embellished only showed, Marlow reflects, "that there was something wanting in him- some small matter which, when the pressing need arose, could not be bound". Or- as it is expressed elsewhere - "his nerves went wrong". There are several other tales of this period- notably Falk and The End of the Tether-, which turn upon this theme. And it makes, if with a somewhat less lurid coloring, the basis of Lord Jim (1900). (22)