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Spiritual formation can begin to develop in young children and may still be forming, or sibyl decreasing, throughout old age. Many occurrences in life can lead to the enhancement of spiritual formation, while there are also times that negative life experiences can decrease one's assurance in the Lord. Many things, even not knowing what to do to get that spark back with the Lord, can cause hitting a bump in the road of one's spiritual journey. However, in the Bible the Lord shows many ways to stay on track and keep growing in Him.The development of Spiritual formation and growth throughout the lifespan is rewarding, peaceful and most of all, what the Lord wants everyone to experience. Spiritual formation occurs throughout the lifespan, starting at a very young age and can continue through old age. How far one is willing to go to be formed spiritually is up to them. There are many obstacles in life that may prevent one from growing spiritually; however, there are also many occurrences in life that further spiritual formation.One of the most important things that someone can experience in life is spiritual formation, and there are many ways that it may happen. Spiritual formation is â€Å"the process of spiritual shaping and growth† (MacArthur, 2012). Children can tart being formed spiritually at an early age. Attending Sunday school, having a parent read Bible stories or sing Bible songs with them, and hearing about the mighty works of God can all assist in a child's spiritual growth. Assistance is necessary for a child to begin their spiritual journey. From an early age, children have significant learning and interpretative capacities† (Scott, 2004) which makes them extremely open to taking in what they see and hear. (In her journal article, Faith Formation Across the Generations, Marietta Martinets explains, ‘†We are not formed or fashioned into a people n isolation† (Martinets, 2007). We need assistance in taking the spiritual jo urney. A child cannot begin to know God if the Word is never introduced to them. Children grow in their understanding of discipleship as they listen to their parents or other adults talk about the challenges of being a person of justice† (Martinets, 2007). When a child is involved in church at an early age, memoirs are put into place through relationships and also through teaching (Merchantable, Kaiser, & Larson, 2014). These memories â€Å"will shape faith formation and draw the child closer to Jesus Christ (Merchantable, Kaiser, & Larson, 2014). Spiritual formation starts here. James Fowler introduced the theory on the 6 stages of faith.In his theory he explains the journey, through the lifespan, of spiritual formation. It is a very important theory to understand when it comes to spiritual formation across the lifespan. He introduces stage one as an imaginative stage, usually from ages 2-7, where beliefs are formed and the child is very easily persuaded. Negative teachings during this stage could be very damaging to a child's mind and could harm their spiritual journey. The second stage in Fowlers theory is hen a child starts to understand more clearly the real meaning behind the teachings.The fairy-tale like beliefs start to become more realistic and they are exchanged for more life like situations. The meaning behind right and wrong starts to be understood and a consequence and reward system is learned. Growth from this Stage may happen when obstacles are thrown in the ways that require thought and reflection on the actual meaning of Faith. Stage 3 is mentioned to happen around puberty, but actually, many adults find themselves in this stage also. Beliefs are formed from influential figures eke preachers, communities and the Government.This stage is called the synthetic, conventional stage, due to the fact that one's beliefs may not be truly thought about and they may be just going with the crowd. When one starts to realize a conflict between their personal beliefs and that of the power source, they may progress to stage 4. This stage is a more realistic stage, where a person may begin to reflect on their past behavior and really understand the true meaning of the Word. It is said that this is one of the hardest stages to adjust to. This stage requires crawling out of one's shell ND making a step towards God.The authority figures don't have as much say so for one in this stage, as they begin to form their own beliefs. Stage 5 is a step above figuring it out for yourself, and moves on to openly communicating with others of the same Faith in hopes of figuring out answers and receiving better understanding of the Word. Someone in this stage is a very important figure in humanity, as they have a lot of wisdom to spread. In stage 6, which is considered universalistic faith, one may sacrifice their entire self to serving God. Fowler explains that not many reach this tag. Johnston, 2009) As a child grows up into a young adult, it is possible that their spiritual formation is deepening and they are becoming closer to God. Fowler explains, â€Å"As people age, not only do they show more religious commitment, but scholars have also shown that the nature of their faith changes† (as cited in Eagle, 2008). The enhancement of one's spirituality can be obtained by doing many things. Adults seem to look to faith in helping to deal with a major sickness, to control emotional issues, to find security, and to ease worries regarding demise (Eagle, 2008).It is during these times that one may become closer to God and enhance their spiritual formation. Communities, churches, and influential figures may be contacted and relied on during rough times, making it important that one go to the right person for advice or direction during a serious time, so that they may be lead in the most Godly manner. Faith can be enhanced, but it also can be weakened. â€Å"Each new life experience, personal or otherwise, may potentially sh ake and challenge even the strongest religious foundations† (Eagle, 2008).There has been research guarding religious doubt and how it actually may help build one's faith. Studies have pointed out that when someone hits a bump in the road of life, it could end up making their faith stronger. There will be a time of doubt, of course, when disappointment, hopelessness, and depression may occur and during that time one's faith may weaken. It may be at these times when one's spiritual formation comes to a halt. However, â€Å"Religious doubts and questionings are resolved by conformity to prescriptions and/or the expectations of significant others† (Killing, Sorrel', Montgomery, & Colonel, 2006).In different terms, seeking out advice for resolution is helpful from ones that have seen the work of God in their lives and are knowledgeable of the faith, confirming one's own beliefs through another person's life trails and experiences. â€Å"Interestingly (and unfortunately), so me Christians choose to return to an earlier level of spiritual formation† (Cent, n. D. ). This may happen when a negative life event occurs; however, one's faith can always be lifted back up. â€Å"V'/tit proper love and care from those Christians who share life with them, most will become progressing Christians again† (lent, n. . ). The Bible tells about many ways to stay on track with growing spiritually. For instance, in Galatians God speaks about what the â€Å"Fruit of the spirit† (Gal. 5:22-23 ESP.) really is. This gives someone an idea of what they can expect when they trust in the Lord and how wonderful His love really is if it is sought out. The Bible also says â€Å"l can do all things through Him who strengthens me† (Phil. 4:13). This gives people hope that they can conquer all while on their journey through spiritual formation. That verse is a great foundation for anyone. Peter speaks about the effort one should make to effectively and rituall y live out God's word (2 Pet. 1:5-8). In that passage, one can see what the necessary talents are to live a Godly life. In Ephesians, God says, â€Å"we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ† (Epees. 4:15-16). There are many, many more scriptures that can help one with their spiritual journey. During times of doubt, scripture can lead a person in the right direction and help enhance their spiritual formation and also help them to understand what the Lord may want them to do in that time of doubt.Spiritual formation is something God wants everyone to achieve. A life is not worth living without God in it. Everyone's journey in growing spiritually will be different, some starting at a very early age in Sunday school, some starting later in their adult life. Everyone will have their ups and downs with their spiritual growth, some regressing when things get tough and others becoming stronger during the storm. God has given the people proper resources to be successful in life and to have faith in Him fully. Seeking out the Lord and progressing in one's spiritual formation is what living is all about.

Performance Management System Essay

A performance management system is the process in which an organization will involves its employees, as individuals and members of a group, in improving organizational effectiveness in the accomplishment of the organization’s mission and goals. Employee performance management includes: planning work and setting expectations, continually monitoring performance, developing the capacity to perform, periodically rating performance in a summary fashion, and rewarding good performance. Planning Work and other processes are planned out in organizations; one of the best ways the organization knows to ensure that the employees are effective in the organization is by implementing the employees in the planning process. This helps the employees understand the goals, what needs done, why it needs to be done, and how well it should be done within the organization. Monitoring Within effective organizations, projects and other assignments are monitored, positive monitoring is consistently measuring performance as well as providing positive and negative feedback to and from employee’s on their progress toward reaching goals. Requirements for monitoring employees performance is compared against their elements and standards in the organization, monitoring provides the organization opportunity to check the employees performance and the ability to measure the unacceptable performance. Developing Employee development should be evaluated and addressed; this form of developing can increase the capacity to perform through training, give tasks that work on new skills of higher levels of responsibility, improve the work process, and many other methods. When employees are provided with training and developmental opportunity’s, organizations encourage good performance, strengthen job-related skills and competence, and helps employees keep up with changes in the organization such as; new policy, standards, or technology. Rating Organizations will summarize employees performance allowing them to compare  performance over time or amongst a variety of employees, this allows the organization to see who the best performers are as well as the employees that need work. Rating is evaluating employees or a group of employee’s performance against the standards in a performance plan and assigning a summary rating record. There are rating of records assigned according to procedures included in the organizations appraisal program, which is biased on the performance by employees during an entire appraisal period. Rewarding Rewarding is when the organization recognizes the employees, either as individuals or a team for their performance and acknowledging their contributions to the needs of the organization. Positive performance can be recognized without waiting for nominations for awards, recognition can be implemented in all day-to-day operations within the organization. Using a Performance Management System Any organization that uses a performance management system creates positive work practices among the employees, as well it allows the management in the organization to see where the employees performance is at. Organizations need to gather information about employee performance in order to figure out who would be a good fit when it comes to promotions and who would be better equipped to handle more responsibilities. Performance management system helps the organization to determine which employees are best suited to hire from within, not only do they already know the operations of the organization, but the organizations management knows their work ethics and has already been monitoring their progress.

Abortion According to Aristotle Essay

Do you believe that abortion is morally correct? That taking away someone else’s life is an option? That abortion is following the Golden Mean according to Aristotle? Currently, many people believe that it can be an option, because the baby hasn’t been born yet. But others, including Aristotle will disagree. First of all, who is Aristotle? Aristotle was a philosopher who thought that an act is morally correct if it follows the Golden Mean. This is an action or a feeling responding to a particular situation at the right time, the right way, the right amount or/and the right reason. See more: Ethnic groups and racism essay Not too much and not too little. The key to the Golden Mean is in moderation. I picked Aristotle because I believe that he has the best ethical philosophy. I agree with Aristotle’s ideas about the Golden Mean because I believe that if you are a moderate person, you will not take anything to an extreme and you’ll make good decisions. He also believes in the Sofia Virtue which is that you have to think straight, learn well and act accordingly. This idea mostly settles in the consequences of actions and how you may respond on them. The Golden Mean also tell us that you need to require virtue because it shows how moral a person is, but what I don’t agree that if a person is virtues, they will know exactly when to stop on their own. I don’t agree with that idea because sometimes virtuous people are forced to do something they don’t like to do so they try to stop it, but they are unable. Currently, abortion is a major issue facing the world, especially for teens. Abortion is when there is a conscious or intentional termination in human pregnancy. There are two types of it: therapeutic and elective. Therapeutic is when the mother needs to abort because of health issues while elective, is when the mother wants to abort because she doesn’t want the baby. The two ways to abort are: medical and surgical. Medical is when the doctor gives the patient some drugs to terminate the pregnancy. The only problem with medical abortion is that it can only function for the first nine weeks after conception and the patient will receive strong cramps. The other way, the surgical is when the doctor removes the fetus by manual vacuum aspiration/dilatation/evacuation. These three different ways are by absorbing the organs or pulling the fetus part by part. This can only be practice for 15 to 24 weeks after conception. According to Aristotle’s thought, abortion is not following the Golden Mean because it is an action that doesn’t respond at the right time by making a decision at a wrong time, in the right way and the right amount of reason, by choosing an excess. Also, abortion is not following the Sofia Virtue because when you are making the decision to abort, you are not thinking straight, acting accordingly, and learning well because you are choosing an option that is an excess. Another idea that abortion is not following Aristotle’s beliefs is that people who are choosing to abort are choosing an excess instead the mean. In this case, the deficit will be keeping the baby and the mean will be giving the baby for adoption. Adoption will actually be a mean because it is what is morally correct and is the best for the baby because he/she will be with a family that will love them instead of a place where they won’t be loved. While keeping the baby will be a deficit because they might know that they weren’t wanted and that will harm the baby. Aristotle also thought that if someone was virtuous, they would know when exactly to stop on their own or begin. When we relate this thought with an example of rape and adoption, many people disagree because many girls want to stop the rape, but they can’t. Later, their consequences are that they are expecting a baby from someone who rapes them. According to Michael Smith, rape is the reason for 13,000 of 1. 3 million annual abortions (Smith, â€Å"Women’s Health†). It may not be too many people but you can ask yourself about how many babies are being aborted. 13,000 have been killed because of it, and I believe that it is morally incorrect, that the safest thing to do is give it to adoption. Instead of going to an excess, these girls should use the Sofia Virtue and think straight and make an appropriate decision that will not affect anybody. Based on the moral reasoning of Aristotle, the correct ethical response to abortion is abstinence. To have sex at the right time, in the right way by protecting yourself, and with the right amount of reason so that if there is an unexpected baby, you will be prepare for it. So when, you are in a situation that you’ll need to choose between an excess, mean, and deficit, you should consider the Golden Mean because it will make you think straight and act accordingly while making the decision and learning the consequences that it may bring. Work Cited 1. Aspiration. †08 Feb. 1009. Web. 05 Apr. 2012 http://www. rhtp. org/abortion/mva/. 2. Hill, Peter. â€Å"Contact Medical News Today. †Medical News Today. MedLexicon International, 27 Feb 2004. Web. 23. May. 2013 http://www. medicalnewstoday. com/contactus. php. 3. â€Å"What is Abortion? † What is Abortion? N. p. , 08 June 2010. Web. 22. May. 2013 http://www. bpas. org/bpasyoungpeople/what-is-abortion 4. Smith, Michael, W. â€Å"Woman’s Health. †Abortion- Reasons Women Choose Abortion. Healthwise 22, Feb. 2011. May 23, 2013 http://women. webmd. com/tc/abortion-reasons-women-choose-abortion.

Visual Arts - Cultural Artifact Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Visual Arts - Cultural Artifact - Assignment Example This paper reviews one of the most famous speeches in history by Abraham Lincoln – the ‘Gettysburg Address’ which can definitely be considered to be a cultural artifact. It indicates the past history and the trying times which the United States was going through at that time. It also set a historical precedence be the abolition of slavery and its ultimate success of having a colored person as its president, Barack Obama. In the process, the speech will also be analyzed using the parameters set forth in Geert Hofstede’s cultural taxonomy. The Gettysburg Address as a cultural artifact: It could be said that each and every American has read or at least heard about this famous speech. It provides the reader a succinct picture about one of the most important periods in American history. This is because of two reasons. One is that it brought about total abolition of slavery. The second was that it had been achieved at great cost namely the Civil War. Historically , this period and the artifact that reflects it are extremely significant. The following excerpt from the speech has been immortalized and will be loved by every freedom loving person on this planet. â€Å"It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth† (Lincoln). There are several factors that the reader gets to know from the speech as well as the above line which is in fact the last sentence. The first is the feeling of pride that it communicates. It gives the reader the confidence that America will remain united and that it will continue to be a great nation in the future also. I n other words, the speech has the power to unite all Americans even today. The third is the language and the marvel in the sense that such a short speech can be so powerful. The one factor (to a person uninitiated with US history) is that there is no direct reference to slavery and its abolition. What it does indicate to such a person is that a civil war is going on and that people who believe in freedom should continue what has been started. A lot of people have given up their lives for this cause. It talks about freedom in general and also that the United States is a democratic country run by its people. The historical origin of this artifact is well-known and is a result of the South opposition abolition. Specifically, the speech was delivered in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, on the 19th of November 1863 after one of the bloodiest battles of the War. Lincoln prepared the speech only the previous which was to commemorate the soldiers of both sides who had lost their lives in this part icular battle. It was held in the newly constructed cemetery that was to become the final resting place of Union soldiers (Beardsley). As mentioned earlier this literary artifact was created by Abraham Lincoln. It could be said that it was prepared and read by the President himself. It has not been and will never be modified or changed as it is a historical document of a real life event. The

Literature Review- Discuss some of the historical,social,economic and Essay

Literature Review- Discuss some of the historical,social,economic and political reasons many Quebecois support the notion of a s - Essay Example The more intriguing aspect is the whole issue of Quebec’s cultural distinctiveness, and that lack of this recognition places Quebecers as disadvantaged in many respects in favor of the English-Canadian majority. Based on this is a fight for cultural survival (Young et al, 1996). Historically, the fact that Canada’s foundation as a colony of France and thereby, the undying influence of French-Canadian culture, it is widely explanatory for Canada to exist without Quebec. However, a number of people profoundly assert that independence of Quebec would ensure that there are legislations that would secure Quebecers culture (Flett. et al., 1999). In addition, there is the increasing question as to whether Quebec’s independence and sovereignty would bridge the gap between the cultural nations that exist in the larger Canada, while ensuring equality and stability in Canada in a manner that no section is marginalized (Young et al, 2000). Socially, Canada is the envy of the world’s democracies due to its elaborate provision of quality of life, rights, and liberties to its citizens, both English-speaking and French-speaking. In this case, those opposed to separation use this argument to claim that separation of Quebec from Canada will not only divide them from their historical homeland, but also will lead to Quebecers losing the health and other human services that comprise the world’s most successful social structure. However, proponents of separation argue that the separation will only create a new political state but Quebec will continue relating with Canada diplomatically. Economically, the issues that have been raised revolve around monetary policy, currency, international trade, and relations (Carens, 1995). These factors, coupled with the need of Quebec to engage in international free trade, have upset the status quo. Political reasons surrounding the separation debates are many. One of the obvious political events that inform Queb ec’s need for sovereignty lies in the political movements that support separation (Flett. et al., 1999). Secondly, the Referendum outcome might have angered the Quebecers. In this case, Flett et al. (1999) observe that residents of Canada went through an ‘extraordinary turmoil’ on October 30, 1995, when the province, Quebec, conducted a referendum of separation from the larger Canada. They assert that the possibility that Quebec would likely secede was a real threat to the English Speaking Canadians (Bumsted, 1993). Flett et al (1999) observe that, since opinion polls had indicated that indeed Quebec would separate, the rest of Canadians were threatened and ‘distressed’ until the results were announced. It was in this threat that Young et al (1998) observe as seeing many Canadians participating in pre-referendum campaign championing for national unity, a move that is seen to have influenced that result at 50.4%. The authors argue, however, that the r esult was highly dramatized and this has been one of the reasons that have fueled Quebec’s constant need to secede (Flett et al., 1999). Despite the failure of separation to materialize, the Canadian Federal Government is aware that a number of people still fancy such separation, driven by the resulting economic and political benefits. Therefore, they tried to formulate another deal with the Quebec people such as the Constitution Act of 1982, an act that included,

Psychology- oral presentation-change in family structure Essay - 1

Psychology- oral presentation-change in family structure - Essay Example Sociologists believe that the neutral family developed with the growth of industrialization. A smaller family unit was more practical in urban areas that flourished during the industrialization era. The extended family is a type of family structure that is believed to have been prevalent among agricultural societies. There are two main reasons why this is a characteristic of rural societies. Firstly, in an agricultural society wealth is measured by the amount of land. This kind of wealth may have been in the possession of successive generations so one finds that parents, grandparents, in-laws usually live or stay close to the source of the wealth. Secondly, the labor force needed for the land came mainly from the family members so it was necessary to be in close proximity to the farm. These families are usually self-sufficient. One would find that this is also a patriarchal type of family as the oldest male member is usually the figure of authority. In industrialized societies, in some instances, the extended family may exist to facilitate maintaining cultural traditions as well as being financially viable. A good example is the number of Mexican Americans as well as Asian Amer icans who live as together and share living quarters. Other types of family structures include single-parent, reconstituted or step-family, communal families, and foster families. There have been political as well as socio-cultural changes in the world over the last century and a half that have led to the creation of these family structures. One of the greatest agents of change was the legal reforms in the 1960s that transformed divorces and marriages. Prior to these reforms, the granting of divorce was based on fault where either partner had to blame the other or prove the fault of the other in court. The first state in the United States of America to change this law was California through the enactment

Islamic finance Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Islamic finance - Research Paper Example The tradesmen in the Middle Eastern region of the globe were the main facilitators of Islamic financing processes following the principle of Sharia as described in Islam. These principles were similar to those followed by the European financial transactions at that time. The Arab people belonging to the Ottoman Empire engaged in increased trading activities with the Spanish people and were the forerunners in establishing a financial system which was based on a profit and loss sharing principle and removed the system of interest payment. These principles were followed in the financing of trade processes as well as for other enterprises. With time, the Asian and Middle Eastern regions emerged as important partners in trade for the European companies like the Dutch East India Company. Therefore, the European banks started to set up their operations in these regions. These banks followed the interest based principle. At that time, the conventional financial system was considered as more important due to the role of the financial systems flowed in the Western countries from the global economic perspective. The Islamic financing systems existed in small geographic regions and their activities were limited. It is indicated by the researchers that the first trends of Islamic banking were noticed in the way the Islamic institutions conducted the transactions and payment procedures related to trade in the medieval times. But the first noticeable Islamic finance process was established in Egypt during the 1960s. The movement related to Islamic finance accelerated in the 1970s wh3wen the Arab countries saw a boom in their oil capacity and the Islamic institutions renewed and modified their interest payment and other financial systems to adhere to the Islamic laws and principles. The high growth of the predominant Islamic countries in the Middle East contributed to the accelerated diversification and expansion in the Islamic finance and banking systems. The Mit Ghamr Saving s

New House Decision Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

New House Decision - Essay Example This paper will assess the consequences brought about by economics on every major decision we made. Furthermore, this will show the important things to be considered in buying a house with a purpose of helping anyone who is in the quest of deciding to purchase one. Economic Principles The first thing to be accounted for is the opportunity cost. McConnell & Brue (2005) defined opportunity cost simply as the value of the forgone opportunity to obtain something else when coming up to a decision. Opportunity costs include the possible gains from investing the same amount of money in a business or stock market instead of using it to pay for the down payment (Derrick, 2009). To obtain a house would mean foregoing the chance of earning interest from a possible investment using the same money. It would also mean foregoing the opportunity of going to a postgraduate program or a doctorate one. There were actually several things one forgoes in deciding to buy a new house. Another thing to consi der is the tradeoffs, from which opportunity cost arises. According to McConnell & Brue (2005), trade off is when you give up one thing to attain more of something else. It is more likely the same with the opportunity cost. The difference is that trade off is the decision itself while opportunity cost concerns the value of the thing given up. In decision making, most of the time, one has to choose an option rationally. In the case, one either has to choose between buying a house or not. If one will opt to purchase a house, his ability to buy another good declines. For example, if one chooses to get the house located near to his or her office, a part of the savings will be lost which could intently be used in buying clothes. So, she will buy fewer clothes, or worse, she will not buy anymore since the same amount of money was used to get the house. Another example would be the same amount used to buy a house could be spent in sending a child to a prestigious school. To others, purchas ing a house would mean sacrificing the education of their children. To arrive at a decision, one has to consider the benefits over the costs. Since buying a house is a life-changing decision, one must think of it carefully. Purchasing a house offers the soon-to-be homeowner long-term financial-related benefits like tax savings. Some people even agreed that it’s the best investment to make. Quealy & Tse (2010) said that â€Å"property taxes, the interest part of the mortgage payment, and in some cases, a portion of the common charges, are tax deductible.† Basically, homeowners can deduct mortgage interest, points or the charges by the mortgage lender, equity loan interest of up to $100, 000, home improvement loan interest, mortgage tax credit, and real estate tax or often called as property taxes. Mortgage interest deduction can be the largest among all other deductibles since one can deduct up to $1 million. When one takes a loan for major house improvement, he or she can deduct the interest payment without any limit, provided that the said improvement adds value to the house. To sum it all, it will be a huge tax savings. However, these tax deductibles can only be claimed if deductions are itemized rather than standard deduction. Another incentive a homeowner can get is that the values of real estates, over the years, have appreciated. Along with this is the fact that the value of the house appreciates. The costs to be incurred in purchasing,

He Company Vision and Superordinate Goals Essay

He Company Vision and Superordinate Goals - Essay Example The report seeks to establish the relationship between United States Army Training and Doctrine Command’s (TRADOC) vision and super ordinate goals. Their interaction is affected by the organization’s staff, skills, structure, strategy, style and systems. The organization undertakes initial military training and education of agile soldiers, leaders and civilians suitable for any operational environment in a prolonged time. United States Army Training and Doctrine Command TRADOC is a command organization of the United States military that is situated in Virginia. According to US Army website (2012), the organization is involved in military training, formulation and development of operational doctrines and presiding over the development of new weapon systems. Vision The organization is involved in the development and training of soldiers, leaders and civilians. It also designs, integrates and develops capabilities and doctrines through professional use of equipments and fo rmations geared towards strengthening the United States military through army force generation. The attainment of this vision requires interconnecting of the staff roles to ensure efficient leadership and achievement of super ordinate goals. The organization management is charged with the responsibility of organizing the system structures and elements to ensure efficiency. ... This will enable the development of professional leaders and efficient military personnel (US Army, 2012). Additionally, the general applies the current technology in improving equipments and revolutionizing training to ensure that the personnel adapt to the changing technology. Some of the measures applied in improving the performance of the organization are professional examination of the future trends within the organization, proper role definition and prior professional planning for implementation of the proposed strategies. Super Ordinate Goals The super ordinate goals dictate the essential purpose of the organization. Most of these goals are related to the development of the essential work force. TRADOC is involved in leadership development whereby candidates are professionally trained to efficiently cope with the changing leadership environments. Leadership training involves the analysis of the current leadership deficits in the military and closing the information gaps and in consistencies that causes the deficits. A successful future requires efficient leadership that has the capacity to adapt and ensure mutual reinforcement among the organization’s elements (Bolman and Deal, 2002). The organization undertakes initial military training and education of agile soldiers, leaders and civilians suitable for any operational environment in a prolonged period. Another goal is the creation of dominant land force through evaluating, developing and integrating talents and abilities. Finally, TRADOC formulates doctrines and concepts that are flexible and efficient enough to adapt to the evolving technologies. The doctrines provide the guidelines required for

Spanish Countries Essay Essay Example for Free

Spanish Countries Essay Essay Now that we are in the 21st century the idea of a global village is fast becoming a reality, it is vital that we enlarge our worldview and reach an understanding of, and appreciation for, the cultures of the other peoples who share the planet with us. As cultural beings, we are raised with an certain way of giving order to the world around us but I also believe that we should embrace the cultures of those around the world. Known for its beauty extravagant tourist’s attractions the Caribbean island of Cuba, a communist state, is a multiracial society with a population of mostly Spanish and African origin. The island is known as the Republic of Cuba. Cuba is just ninety miles south of Key West, Florida; therefore its climate is subtropical or temperate. The climate is between 70Â °f and 81Â °. Cuba has a dry season between November to April and a wet season between May and October. Having such wonderful weather regularly makes Cuba an ideal tourist’s hot spot. Beautiful beaches and hotels also make the island a more desirable place to be. When in Cuba, there are more than enough things to do. Spain is a country on the Iberian Peninsula, and surrounded on the north by France, and Andorra on the east by the Mediterranean Sea. The capital and largest city is Madrid has a population of 3,010,492. The Spanish people are essentially a mixture of the indigenous peoples. Their population includes a mixture of ethnicities such as Roman, Mediterranean, Suevi, Vandals, and Visigoths, Teutonic people. Known for its natural beauty and people is a small country located in Central America. Located between the countries of Nicaragua and Panama, bordered by both the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean Sea is the Republic of Costa Rica. Even though it is a small country it has a very diverse landscape and a variety of weather as well. One unusual aspect of Costa Rica is that the country has no army and instead of a national hero being a general it is a young barefoot farmer. Costa Rica prides on the idea that they have gained through evolution what other countries have tried to attain through revolution.

Marketing Concepts at the Starbucks Company

Marketing Concepts at the Starbucks Company EXECUTIVE SUMMARY It has been argued by some people that they think marketing contributes to evils appearing in the world caused by the criticism referring to the effects caused by advertising. None of the critics are true because marketing is about finding the best strategy for gathering information about how consumers behave in the market providing those products that could satisfy their needs and wants when they are needed at that particular time such goods should be of good quality. This report will give a clear understanding of what marketing is all about its elements, benefits and costs of a marketing approach in todays business. The Micro and Macro environment concept the factors that influence marketing decisions. Segmentation criteria used for product in different markets. Factors influencing the choice of targeting strategy and the concept of buyer behaviour affecting marketing activities. How product development helps to sustain competitive advantage also process of how distribution can be arranged to provide customer convenience. DEFINITION OF MARKETING Introduction Researchers such as Chartered Institute of marketing came out with the conclusion that marketing in United Kingdom has changed rapidly in the last 30 years which is due to the advanced technology. Customers are the centre heart of the marketing, where by marketing is not only about selling the products, organisations need to have a clear picture of marketing concept and the importance of it in meeting the organisation objectives. Different authors came out with their own definitions of marketing as follows; Marketing is a human activity directed at satisfying human wants and needs Phillip Kotler, He finalise that marketing involve the process of selling and buying the products or services which is conducted in a professional way such as through advertising, promotions, social networks etc that aims at meeting the customers satisfaction.  [1]   The American Marketing of Association came out also with the definition of marketing saying that is an activity which set institutions that is processed to create a message that could be delivered to the customers also exchanging offerings that have value for customers, clients, partners, and society at large. The American Marketing of Association  [2]  . They have viewed that marketing is about going beyond what organisation does encompassing the great extent of activities that marketers undertake making sure their message is about certain product or services reach the customers that is marketing. P. Kotler and G Armstrong defined marketing as the process were by companies tend to create products of value for customers and building strong customer relationships in order to capture the value from customers in return  [3]  . Principles of marketing page 3. Authors came out with this definition due to that fact that marketing is not only involving on selling and buying it includes social and managerial process too where individuals and organisation as well can obtain their needs and wants through the process of exchanging value with others. American Marketing Association 1985 came out again with another definition of marketing which they said that is a process of planning by executing the process of pricing, planning and distribution of ideas that goods and services could create exchange that satisfy individual and organisational objectives. They explained that marketing is a process which is performed within the organisation  [4]  . Marketing strategy and competitive positioning pg 7 CHARACTERISTICS OF A MARKETING ORIENTED ORGANISATION Kohli and Jaworski (1990) defined marketing orientation as one or more departments engaging in activities directed towards the process of developing an understanding of customers such as their buying behaviour which is current and future needs and the factors affecting them, sharing of this understanding across departments and the various departments engaging in activities designed to meet select customer needs.  [5]  Marketing strategy and competitive positioning pg 8 It is argued that social and economic justification of customer wants and needs while at the same time meeting organisational objectives which is based on understanding that a sale does not depend on aggressive sales force, but rather on a customer decision to purchase a product  [6]  Introduction to Marketing 9th Edition pg 8. Characteristics of a marketing oriented organisation are as follows. Concentrates on the products that meets the customer needs and wants which are different from their competitors. Integrating the activities conducted within the organisation such as production to satisfy such wants. Making sure long-term goals are being achieved within the organisation by satisfying customer wants and needs legally and in a response way. A market oriented organisation need to identify their competitive arena and competitors which by knowing their strength and weakness which is assessing what the competitors are intending to do in the future or tomorrow and what they are doing today that could help the organisation to come out with better strategy to win the market share. MARKETING CONCEPT Felton (1959) defined marketing concept as a corporate state of mind that exists on the integration and co-ordination of all the marketing functions which, in turn, are melded with all other corporate functions, for the basic objective of producing long-range profits. It is characterised by achieving organisational goals which depends on identifying he needs and wants of the target markets and making sure desired satisfaction of the customer are delivered in an effective and efficient way than what competitors do. Kotler ELEMENTS OF MARKETING CONCEPT IN STARBUCKS COMPANY Starbucks is a leading retail company selling different flavours of coffee, snacks, to its customers. It started in US in 1971 then opened more branches in across all over UK high streets having 650 stores in UK and Ireland in 1998. Starbucks is targeting all kind of group such as young age, middle age also old age. Starbucks as one of the example showing how they have described the elements of marketing concept in their organisation which are customer orientation, organisation integration and mutually profitable exchange. CUSTOMER ORIENTATION MARKETING ENVIRONMENT IN STARBUCKS. An organisation can be structured in the certain ways that implements the goal of the organisation such factors can be interfered externally which is termed as Macro environment and internally known by Micro environment. Environment can change due to certain circumstances where by the organisation such as Starbucks can manage such change by having marketing plans, proper promotion, well distribution manner and proper pricing method in advance in case changes happened. Macro environment analysis These are the forces that affect the organisation externally in a very large part such as political, economical, social and technological (PEST) Political Factor This is relating to the huge amount of tax imposed to the business by the government which tend to interfere the organisation activities when it wants to maximise its profit. Political factor from other branches in other countries where could be wars, dictatorial government, civil wars that may influence the marketing environment of the organisation. Also laws imposed to the organisation where by the government restricting shops from selling alcohol at certain time, ethics practice child labour, health and safety, fair trade etc which organisations need to practice them. Economical Factor Economic factors such as recession which hard a big impact to the different organisations also to the consumer ability to purchase their product due to been unemployed and having debts. As UK joined European Union introduced free movement of goods and services that result to the occurrence of competitions among the organisation. The way income is distributed among the individuals impact the marketing activities such as higher income earners, middle and low earners these are economic factor influence marketing segmentation and decisions. Social factor Social factors that influence marketing decisions are such as demographic factors which is relating to the population where when the population increases creates good opportunity for the marketing activities but if it decreases results to great impact in the market. Age, marketers tend to target their market according to the number of age available in an area. Behaviour also may influence the marketing decision where by some ethnics may not be able to purchase certain products due religion aspects also due to consumers different in taste, style and fashion some may like the products others may find them not attractive. Technological factor This is spread of advance technology which is changing the world in rapid state where now consumers can buy their products online; or decide to but coffee machines and make their own coffee at home organisation can market their products through various social networks such as Facebook, Twitter which are being used by the people regularly such factors does influence marketing decisions when they decide to plan their marketing activities. PORTERS FIVE FORCES Porters Five Forces Model can be used by the company to identify its opportunities and threats of their competitors. Starbucks can use such model to be able to enter new reach markets. Starbucks has few competitors such a Cafe Nero, Costa coffee, Coffee republic such find it hard to compete with Starbucks due to that Starbucks have got good opportunity in the volume of operations. Starbucks is the leading coffee retailer in the world having good brand. (Kembell). Threats that Starbucks faces are cities that have small number of population due to having low number of competitors that Starbucks find it hard to compete. Starbucks is well known in the coffee market for its innovation and strong product differentiation. Starbucks has introduced the prepaid debit card; Seattles Best launched its version. STAKEHOLDERS ANALYSIS Stakeholder is any person who has the direct or indirect interest in the company. Examples of stakeholders are customers, suppliers, government, employees, other agencies etc. Stakeholders are of the great importance to any organisation without them the organisation wont be able be able to survive, their needs need to be met by organisations such operating marketing activities in ethical way, abiding to the laws and regulations regarding to business, protecting the environment from any harm, they can manage to sustain the marketing activities etc If such needs are not fulfilled they have the power to cause destruction in the marketing plan and decisions.

Effects of Demographics on Performance Appraisals

Effects of Demographics on Performance Appraisals 23 Geddes This study examined the effects of demographic similarity and dissimilarity on perceptions of performance appraisals and reactions to negative feedback. When organizational members accept task-relevant feedback, they are more likely to maintain and/or modify their behaviors in ways that will improve future performance. In contrast, when employees reject supervisor feedback, more common when an evaluation indicates performance deficits, they may respond unfavorably (Fedor et al., 2001; Ilgen Davis, 2000). Fedor, D.B., Davis, W.D., Maslyn, J.M. Mathieson, K. Performance improvement efforts in response to negative feedback: The roles of source power and recipient self-esteem. Journal of Management, 2001, 27, 79-97. Ilgen, D. Davis, C. Bearing bad news: Reactions to negative performance feedback. Applied Psychology, 2000, 49, 550-65. 9 Catano The limitations of performance assessment, such as inflated ratings, lack of consistency, and the politics of assessment (Tziner, Latham, Price, Haccoun, 1996), often lead to their abandonment. Managers responsible for delivering performance reviews who are uncomfortable with the performance rating system may give uniformly high ratings that do not discriminate between ratees. Poor ratings detract from organizational uses and increase employee mistrust in the performance appraisal system (Tziner Murphy, 1999). Employees on the receiving end of the appraisal often express dissatisfaction with both the decisions made as a result of performance assessment and the process of performance assessment (Milliman, Nason, Zhu, De Cieri, 2002), which may have longitudinal effects on overall job satisfaction (Blau, 1999) and commitment (Cawley, Keeping, Levy, 1998). legally sound performance appraisals should be objective and based on a job analysis, they should also be based on behaviors that relate to specific functions that are controllable by the ratee, and the results of the appraisal should be communicated to the employee (Malos, 1998). Second, the appraisals must be perceived as fair. Procedural fairness is improved when employees participate in all aspects of the process, when there is consistency in all processes, when the assessments are free of supervisor bias, and when there is a formal channel for the employees to challenge or rebut their evaluations (Gilliland Langdon, 1998). In addition to perceptions of fairness, participation by employees in the appraisal process is related to motivation to improve job performance, satisfaction with the appraisal process, increased organizational commitment, and the utility or value that the employees place on the appraisal (Cawley et al., 1998). Tziner A, Latham GP, Price BS, Haccoun R. (1996). Development and validation of a questionnaire for measuring perceived political considerations in performance appraisal. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 17, 179-190. Tziner A, Murphy KR. (1999). Additional evidence of attitudinal influences in performance appraisal. Journal of Business and Psychology, 13, 407-419. Milliman J, Nason S, Zhu C, De Cieri H. (2002). An exploratory assessment of the purposes of performance appraisals in North and Central America and the Pacific Rim. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 40, 105-122. Malos SB. (1998). Current legal issues in performance appraisal. In Smither JW (Ed.), Performance appraisal: State of the art in practice (pp. 49-94). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 60- Maurer Structured interviews can be quite demanding for interviewees, combining social and cognitive processes (Campion, Palmer Campion, 1997, Dipboyes, 2005) 55 Levinson Because management by objectives is closely related to performance appraisal and review, I shall consider these together as one practice, which is intended: To measure and judge performance, To relate individual performance to organizational goals, To clarify both the job to be done and the expectations of accomplishment, To foster the increasing competence and growth of the subordinate, To enhance communications between superior and subordinate, To serve as a basis for judgments about salary and promotion, To stimulate the subordinates motivation, and To serve as a device for organizational control and integration. Major Problems. According to contemporary thinking, the ideal process should proceed in five steps: 1) individual discussion with the superior of the subordinates own job description, 2) establishment of the employees short-term performance targets, 3) meetings with the superior to discuss the employees progress toward targets, 4) establishment of checkpoints to measure progress, and 5) discussion between superior and subordinate at the end of a defined period to assess the results of the subordinates efforts. In ideal practice, this process occurs against a background of more frequent, even day-today, contacts and is separate from salary review. But, in actual practice, there are many problems: No matter how detailed the job description, it is essentially static that is, a series of statements. However, the more complex the task and the more flexible an employee must be in it, the less any fixed statement of job elements will fit what that person does. Thus, the higher a person rises in an organization and the more varied and subtle the work, the more difficult it is to pin down objectives that represent more than a fraction of his or her effort. With pre-established goals and descriptions, little weight can be given to the areas of discretion open to the individual but not incorporated into a job description or objectives. I am referring here to those spontaneously creative activities an innovative executive might choose to do, or those tasks a responsible executive sees need to be done. As we move toward a service society, in which tasks are less well defined but spontaneity of service and self-assumed responsibility are crucial, this becomes pressing. Most job descriptions are limited what employees do in their work. They do not adequately take into account the increasing interdependence of managerial work in organizations. This limitation becomes more important as the impact of social and organizational factors on individual performance becomes better understood. The more employees effectiveness depends on what other people do, the less any one employee can be held responsible for the outcome of individual efforts. If a primary concern in performance review is counseling the subordinate, appraisal should consider and take into account the total situation in which the superior and subordinate are operating. In addition, this should take into account the relationship of the subordinates job to other jobs. In counseling, much of the focus is on helping the subordinate learn to negotiate the system. There is no provision in most reviews and no place on appraisal forms with which I am familiar to report and record such discussion. The setting and evolution of objectives is done over too brief a period of time to provide for adequate interaction among different levels of an organization. This militates against opportunity for peers, both in the same work unit and in complementary units, to develop objectives together for maximum integration. Thus, both the setting of objectives and the appraisal of performance make little contribution to the development of teamwork and more effective organizational self-control. Coupled with these problems is the difficulty that superiors experience when they undertake appraisals. Douglas McGregor complained that the major reason appraisal failed was that superiors disliked playing God by making judgments about another persons worth.[1] He likened the superiors experience to inspection of assembly-line products and contended that his revulsion was against being inhuman. To cope with this problem, McGregor recommended that an individual should set his or her own goals, checking them out with the superior, and should use the appraisal session as a counseling device. Thus, the superior would become one who helped subordinates achieve their own goals instead of a dehumanized inspector of products. Every management by objectives and appraisal program should include regular appraisals of the manager by subordinates, and be reviewed by the managers superior. Every manager should be specifically compensated for how well he or she develops people, based on such appraisals. The very phrase reporting to reflects the fact that although a manager has a responsibility, the superior also has a responsibility for what he or she does and how its done. 57 Lievens High structured interviews appear to be less frequently used in personnel management practice than might be expected given their good reliability and validity. Meta-analytic research has demonstrated that low structure interviews are considerably worse than high structure interviews in terms of reliabilitry (Conway, Jako and Goodman, 1995) and criterion-related validity (Huffcutt Arthur, 1994 Marchese) 6- Brewer Organizational commitment is the extent to which employees identify with their organization and managerial goals, show a willingness to invest effort, participate in decision making and internalize managerial values[10]. 10. OReilly, C. and Chatman, J., Organisational commitment and psychological attachment: the effects of compliance, identification and internalisation on prosocial behaviour, Journal of Applied Psychology, Vol. 71, 1986, pp. 492-9. 3 Baruch The process of performance appraisal (PA) is of most importance in human resource management (HRM). In a broad sense, PA systems are used for two main purposes: as a source for information for management; and as a feedback instrument for individuals employed by the organization. In the first case, the applications of the use of PA serve a variety of management functions. These could be decision-making about promotions, training needs, salaries, etc. Where feedback is the main goal, the fundamental purpose is to provide the employee with information that will improve personal performance and effectiveness. Recently the second approach has gained more attention. Providing the employee with feedback is widely recognized as a crucial activity. Such feedback may encourage and enable self-development, and thus will be instrumental for the organization as a whole. 47 Kuvaas Performance appraisal (PA) is among the most important Human Resource (HR) practices (Boswell and Boudreau, 2002; Judge and Ferris, 1993) and one of the more heavily researched topics in work psychology (Fletcher, 2002). PA has increasingly become part of a more strategic approach to integrating HR activities and business policies and may now be seen as a generic term covering a variety of activities through which organizations seek to assess employees and develop their competence, enhance performance and distribute rewards (Fletcher, 2001) failure (see, e.g. Cardy and Dobbins, 1994; Murphy and Cleveland, 1995). 44 Klehe The distinction between what people can do (maximum performance) and what they will do (typical performance) has received considerable theoretical but scan empirical attention in industrial-organizational psychology. The distinction between typical and maximum performance holdwide -researching practical and theoretical implications for performance appraisal and research validating fundamental assumptions of the typical-maximum performance distinction is as yet unavailable. 31 Harung Management is by nature a holistic profession. Management calls for the necessary understanding of a wide spectrum of factual knowledge and theories (economics, finance, technology, law, etc.). It calls for competence in the particular type of business one is managing and the ability to take part in and oversee manifold processes such as communication, team building, group decision and production. 39 Ivancevich Feedback of performance appraisal information has received increasing attention in the applied organizational behaviour literature (Latman Wexley, 1981). Ilgen, Fisher and Taylor (1979) in a thorough review of the literature discussed the nature of feedback, element of the feedback process and the implications of feedbacks in the work environment. Another related approach to providing feedback is the use of goal setting procedures. There has been an increasing number of studies that indicate that goal setting can be an effective approach for improving attitudes and increasing performance (). 82 Tziner Investigations of performance appraisal instruments have focused primarily on their psychometric properties (Bernardin, 1977, Borman 1979, Tziner, 1984). The result of the field experiment provided strong support for the proposition that a performance review consisting of performance feedback followed by goal setting would favourably influence work satisfaction and organizational commitment to a greater extent than performance review comprising feedback only. A plausible explanation as to why performance feedback has an impact rests with the fact that people are basically feedback seekers (Ashford, 1986). Feedback is a vehicle trough which the appraisee receives information about how well he meets organizational expectations and work requirements. Performance feedback followed by goal setting caused nonetheless a considerable magnitude of improvement. Most researchers have reported little or no training of appraisal with regard to proposed appraisal instruments. 65 Meyer To say that the performance appraisal feedback problem has been an enigma for managers and personnel specialists is probably a glaring understatement. The appraisal and feedback program is one of the psychologists and personnel specialists popular topics in the personnel literature. Problems experienced with performance appraisal programs are myriad. Significant eyidence has shown that most managers find the program onerous and distasteful. Feedback regarding job performance seems necessary to justify administrative decisions, such as whether a salary increase is awarded and the size of the increase, or whether an employee should be transferred to another job or scheduled for promotion. Feedback should contribute to improved performance. The positive effect of feedback on performance has always been an accepted psychological principal. For employees who are not in an obviously dependent role, an appraisal discussion designed to serve communication, motivation, and development purposes should be based on the subordinates self appraisal. To improve the value of a feedback discussion based on self-review, the grading aspect should be eliminated. If a goal setting program is being used, such as Management by Objectives, this annual review discussion is not the best place to establish detailed job goals for the year. Training supervisors to handle this type of discussion could be valuable. It need not be any more extensive than the training given for conventional appraisal programs, 29 Gunn A boss should ensuring privacy, removing distractions, setting context, providing specifics, allowing time for dialoguebut thats all blocking and tackling. It fails to address the fundamental problem: a blurred line between feedback and criticism. Even if we simply point out or describe another persons behaviour as a neutral observer, we are acting as a critic. Feeling judged, the person to whom we are giving feedback is likely to head south emotionally. Open-ended questions help maintain the right frame for the conversation. Feedback is truly a gift.. .but its the giver who receives it. In the process of delivering feedback in an open-minded way, we are invited to explore our own thinking, our mental assumptions, with another person. 58 Lindenberger They fear performance evaluations, so they avoid giving feedback. They dread the emotional part, so they refuse to risk saying anything that might make their colleagues unhappy. When they do give feedback, they send the wrong message by emphasizing only poor performance. 61 maylett Feedback has been used for decades as a measurement of past performance and behaviours. However, it wasnt until the mid-1980s that extensive use of 360-degree feedback became common for identifying strengths and development needs that might not be exposed in traditional performance evaluations. Similar to the 360 degrees of a circle, with the participant figuratively at the center of that circle, feedback is gathered from those most familiar with that participants performance: supervisors, peers, and direct reports. Most 360-degree feedback assessments and employee engagement initiatives fall under the umbrella of training and development, organizational development, or HR departments. It is important that these professionals understand the connections these instruments have to the bottom line. 13 Cook The importance of people to organizational performance has long been recognised (Pragald and Hamel, 1990), yet according to Fletcher (1993) more than 80 percent of UK organizations surveyed in the UK express some dissatisfaction with their performance appraisal systems, perceiving that they fail as a mechanism to develop and motivate people. The Achilles heel of the entire process, according to Kikoski (1999) is the annual performance review interview; line managers are under-preparated to handle the interview and reluctant to give negative feedback, leading to a situation where the people being appraised receive incomplete and inaccurate messages about their performance. The litterature suggests that people will only be satisfied with a performance appraisal peocess if it fulfils the criteria of fairness. It has also been suggested that a lack of appraisee trainibg in the PA process may cause discrepancies between expected and actual performance assessments which will contribute to dissatisfaction with the system (Bretz et al. 1992). People have been identified as the source of competitive advantage for organizations by numerous researchers (McGregor 1960, Barney, 1995, Prahalad and Hamel, 1990, Storey, 1991). People who are not appraisers, but are asked to provide input to another persons annual review, should also receive training to allow them to provide effective. The importance of training people to partecipate to PA is stressed by Bretz et al (1992) who advocate that it should be an ongoing process to achieve maximum effectiveness. Effective training should increase the effectiveness of the PAS and ultimately lead to greater organizational effectiveness. 50- Laird Mayfield documented that 90 percent of the people who had been evaluated expressed satisfaction with the performance appraisal procedure. While the idea of performance appraisal is almost universally accepted, its actual operation in some instances has failed to live up to its promise as an effective managerial tool. 64 Messmer Performance reviews can be a powerful tool for motivating team members to higher performance levels and improving relationship between managers and employees. - 16 deGregorio Research to date has clearly found that performance feedback is necessary in order to maintain and/or improve job performance (Catano, 1976; Erez, 1977; Kim Hamner, 1976; Komaki, Barwick, Scott, 1978). A self-appraisal instrument can provide a vehicle through which subordinate participation in the feedback process is ensured (Bassett Meyer, 1968; Kay, Meyer, French, 1965). The results indicated that performance appraisal based on a self-review was more satisfying to managers and subordinates than manager-prepared appraisals. Employees who have not previously participated in performance discussions are not always satisfied with the self-appraisal approach. In Bassett and Meyers study, such employees stated that when top-down appraisals were used, supervisor expectations were much clearer. 17 Dobbins If ratees are dissatisfied with the appraisal system or perceive it as unfair, they will be less likely to use evaluations as feedback to improve their performance (Ilgen, Fish Taylor, 1979). Similarity, dissatisfaction with appraisal procedures could potentially lead to employee turnover, decreased motivation and feeling of inequity. Past research suggests that appraisal satisfaction is a function of both the level of evaluation and the feedback provided by the evaluation. Ratees are also more satisfied with appraisal systems that provide useful feedback about job performance. As noted by Carroll and Schneier (1982), one of the primary purposes of the formal appraisal is to provide clear, performance-based feedback to employees. As noted earlier, it is widely recognised that appraisal system can provide employees with feedback concerning the adequacy of their job performance (Bernardin Beatty, 1984). Feedback can be defined as a subset of information that allow employees to judge the appropriateness or correctness of behaviours for attaining various goals (Ashford, 1986). 76 Segalla The future looked likely to prefer high performance, well trained and multi-lingual managers. 43 Jaworsky Supervisory feedback is a useful mechanism for controlling salespeoples performances (Teas 1983, Tyagi, 1985, Walker, Churchill and ford 1977). Importantly, supervisory control can be exercised at the input, process or output stages (Jaworsky, 1988). Further, given the positive feedback can pertain too to outputs or behaviours, the issue of comparative effectiveness of alternative types of supervisory feedback takes on greater complexity. The typology of supervisory feedback used in our study is drived from two dimensions. The first dimension is the locus of feedback, whether feedback pertains to a sales persons output or behaviour. The second dimention is the valence of feedback, whether feedback is positive or negative. Feedback is argued to improve performance through it informational and motivational effects. 35 Hiltrop Employees are expected to do their work and think of ways to improve it, achieve new levels of performance, contribute to change efforts and manage their own ongoing learning processes (Mohrman and Mohrman, 1993). Organizations will become more complex and ambiguous place to work (Handy, 1989) The role of the manager will become more lateral, with much more focus on people, customers and processes. As Cannon (1996) points out: managers are being asked to show their worth on a more decentralized workplace, worth valuated in terms of effectiveness in creating conditions in which people can deliver the best results. Most commentators agree that managers of the future will require a more extensive mix of skills and competencies than their processors. For instance, Allred et al. (1996) argues that, as more companies adopt some type of networked structure, managers need to have not only strong collaborative, partnership and relationship skills. In the organization of the future, managers role have been portrayed as those of portfolio specialists, whose work and income comes first and foremost from having high expertise in a particular field or subject that is essential to the business (Nicholson, 1996). Managers of the future will have to develop a much wider range of skills and competencies than their predecessors. According to Carson and Carson (1997) many organizations are burdened with workers who want to jump ship, but who stay firmly on board grasping for long-term security in the face of widespread job cuts. There is no doubt that the successful managers for the future will need a very different set of skills and competencies than their predecessors. 42 Jawahar A primary purpose of formal performance appraisals is the provision of clear, performance-based feedback to employees (Carroll Schneier, 1982; Ilgen, Fisher Taylor, 1979). The significance of feedback to the appraisal process as well as to the broader management process has been widely acknowledged (e.g., Bernardin Beatty, 1984; Ilgen et al., 1979; Lawler, 1994; Maier, 1958; Murphy Cleveland, 1995). Performance feedback has the potential to influence future performance (Ilgen et al., 1979; Kluger DeNisi, 1996), and significantly impact job and organizational attitudes (Ilgen, Peterson, Martin Boeschen, 1981; Pearson, 1991; Taylor, Fisher Ilgen, 1984). Thus, feedback is not only important to individuals but also to organizations because of its potential influence on performance and a variety of attitudes and behaviors of interest to organizations. Satisfaction with appraisal feedback is regarded as one of the most consequential of the reactions to appraisal feedback (e.g., Dorfman, Stephan Loveland, 1986; Giles Mossholder, 1990; Keeping Levy, 2000). For instance, Giles and Mossholder (1990) and others (e.g., Organ, 1988) have asserted that satisfaction as a measure of employees reactions is a more encompassing indicator of reactions to appraisal feedback than more specific, cognitively oriented criteria, such as perceived utility and accuracy of feedback (e.g., Keeping Levy, 2000). In summary, the central role of feedback to the appraisal process and the importance of examining ratees satisfaction with appraisal feedback are widely acknowledged (e.g., Ilgen et al., 1979; Keeping Levy, 2000; Murphy Cleveland, 1995). Satisfaction with appraisal feedback is likely to enhance employees feelings of selfworth and their feelings of positive standing within the organization (Lind Tyler, 1988). If organizations are to realize the benefits of performance feedback, they should take the appraisal process and particularly the feedback discussions between the rater and ratee seriously. Although satisfaction with feedback has been a focal construct in a number of studies, its nomological net is not well understood. The significant relationship between satisfaction with feedback and organizational commitment became non-significant when the influences of job satisfaction and satisfaction with manager on organizational commitment were statistically controlled. Results of this study indicate that the extent to which ratees are satisfied with the performance feedback benefits the ratee, rater and the organization. Ratees benefit as satisfaction with feedback is positively related to their job satisfaction and influences their future performance. Raters benefit as ratees satisfaction with feedback is positively related to ratees satisfaction with them, negatively related to turnover intentions, and influences future performance of ratees. 32 Heathfield Every method of assessing employee performance has its positive and negative characteristics. The traditional process of performance appraisal reflects and underpins an old-fashioned, paternalistic, top-down, autocratic mode of management that relies on organization charts and fear of job loss to keep troops in line. The traditional performance appraisal process treats employees as possessions of the company, fails to create a dialogue and rarely results in positive employee development and progress. Performance management is the process of creating a work environment or setting in which people are enabled to perform to the best of their abilities. Performance management is a whole work system that begins when a job is defined as needed and ends when its determined why an excellent employee left the organization for another opportunity. In a performance management system, feedback remains integral to successful practice. The feedback however becomes a discussion for both progress and personal business goals. 56 Liden Very little work has been done on the poor performers reactions to the leaders responses. Liden (1981) found that subordinates and leaders reported that the most common leader response to ineffective performance was to simply discuss the incident with the poorly performing subordinate. In such a discussion the leader is essentially giving negative feedback to the poor performer. Ilgen, Mitchell, and Fredrickson (1981a) found that poorly performing subordinates perceive specific feedback to be more helpful than general feedback. Similarly, results of a field study indicated that feedback timing, specificity, and frequency are all associated with subordinate satisfaction and perceptions of appraisal helpfulness (Ilgen, Peterson, Martin, Boeschen, 1981b). It was predicted that subjects would rate feedback containing consistency, distinctiveness, and consensus information (i.e., specific feedback) more positively than feedback containing information on none of these three dimensions (i.e., non-specific feedback). Subordinates rated specific feedback more positively than nonspecific feedback. Feedback including consistency, distinctiveness, and consensus information was rated higher than feedback containing information on none of these dimensions. This result supports the Ilgen, Fisher, and Taylor (1979) suggestion that subordinate misperceptions and nonacceptance of negative feedback might be corrected by providing more specific feedback. 19 Falcone In an era where intellectual capital defines any companys ability to stand out from its peers, measuring that human capital as a true asset may dictate the organizations ultimate success or failure. In reality, though, this challenge has gone mainly unresolved because managers see pertbnnance appraisal as an exercise that focuses only quantitatively on individual performance as the core foundation and building block of the performance review process. So much for the Golden Cycle of Performance Management, which is: Goal setting and planning. Ongoing feedback and coaching. Appraisal and reward. Under the current way of handling appraisals, the first two steps rarely get addressed, leaving the culmination in the third step more theory than reality. 27 Grensing-Pophal Many CU managers and business experts note that performance evaluation is perhaps the most important part of the interaction between supervisors and managers. 62- McGregor Formal performance appraisal plans are designed to meet three needs, one for the organization and two for the individual: 1. they provide systematic judgments to back up salary increases, promotions, transfers and sometimes demotions and terminations 2. they are a means of telling a subordinate how he is doing, and suggesting needed changes in his behaviour, attitudes, skills or job knowledge, they let him know where he stands with the boss. 3. They are also being increasingly used as a basis for the coaching and counselling of the individual by the superior. McGregor found that one of the bosss resistance to effective appraisal interview is related to the lack of skills needed to handle the interview. Training programs designed to teach the skills of appraising and interviewing do help, but they seldom eliminate manager

Free Essays - The Seven Commandments of Animal Farm :: Animal Farm

The Seven Commandments of Animal Farm The Seven Commandments are the basic principles of animalism worked out by the pigs and described originally as "unalterable laws" by which the animals were to live. The Seven Commandments were written on the barn wall for all animals to see and read if they could. The original Commandments are: 1. Whatever goes on two legs is an enemy. 2. Whatever goes on four legs, or has wings, is a friend. 3. No animal shall wear clothes. 4. No animal shall sleep in a bed. 5. No animal shall drink alcohol. 6. No animal shall kill any other animal. 7. All animals are equal. Almost immediately after the Commandments are written the cows have to be milked. The milk they produce is taken by the pigs exclusively so the seventh Commandment seems to be undermined from the very beginning. When the pigs also start claiming the windfall apples, Squealer explains that they are not taking them as privilege but because science has shown that milk and apples are necessary for the pigs' "brain work". This at least satisfies the animals that they are equal to the pigs but it does not fool the reader. The first two Commandments are subtly broken in the first years of Animal Farm but there is no attempt to rewrite them. Snowball, the hero of the Battle of the Cowshed, becomes an enemy of the farm after his expulsion by Napoleon, while the resumption of trade via Mr Whymper causes some discussion but, as Squealer points out, trade was not banned in writing and Mr Whymper is not treated as a friend. The first alteration to the Commandments comes after the pigs move back into the farmhouse. The ban on sleeping in beds is changed in Napoleon's favour by the addition of the words "with sheets". At this point in the history of the farm the pigs do not quite have enough power to do what they like and Squealer is forced to change the Commandments to fit new circumstances. But sleeping in beds is a minor matter compared to murder, and the next alteration to the Commandments is far more shocking. After the failures of the winter and the collapse of the first windmill, the pigs use Snowball as scapegoat.

Essays --

Yiwu (China Commodity City) is located in the central area of Zhejiang province with a total land area of 1,105 square kilometers. The whole city governs 8 towns and 5 subdistricts, has a population of 670,000 registered as local domiciliary and 600,000 as external temporary Observation: †¢ Even after being such a big market, it was so well organized †¢ This was the main advantage for all the people requiring so many quantities at wholesale price †¢ This should be a learning for us B.2.8 KEQIAO TEXTILE MARKET: Shaoxing Keqiao textile town, known as China textile town Observation: †¢ It wasn’t a great experience for us †¢ And all the students were not happy as we were not expecting something like this CANTON TRADE FAIR: The Canton Fair is a trade fair held in the spring and autumn seasons each year since the spring of 1957 in Canton (Guangzhou, China). The Fair is co-hosted by the Ministry of Commerce of China and People's Government of Guangdong Province, and organized by China Foreign Trade Centre. There are three phases per session; two sessions per year. Spring session: April 1...

Each Generation Has Something Valuable To Offer

Every generation is known to embody different beliefs. Older generations believe deeply in their culture about how a man is the breadwinner and the woman is the housewife. However, in this generation, everyone is equal and has the freedom and the rights to do as they wish. The aged generations also believed strongly in religion by worshiping and praying. But, the current generation seems to be adapting atheism due to the development in knowledge and understanding of things better. My parents believe that staying home is a pleasant thing; however my generation assumes that having a social life is an important aspect.Back in my parents’ days, social life existed in form of dinners and functions with other families. But these days’ people like to party and dance. Talking about freedom, parents always try to prevent kids from travelling and exploring new things. This generation finds exposure to new things a way to gain knowledge and experience such as: People these days li ke to visit various places to explore comparing to older generations that dedicated their life to one place. People change at a considerable rate over time, and this pattern continues as new ideas and generation approach.Lifestyle has experienced a whole new level of technological advancements that has changed our daily lifestyle. Communication system has experienced a new transformation. A century ago, people used mail, telephones that took a fair amount of time to get the message through, but now things such as texting, social networking have made life very straightforward. Technology has advanced expeditiously that we can see each other from different parts of the world with devices such as a webcam. The idea of virtual life has been introduced with the invention of consoles such as the Ps3, Xbox.The world has developed so much with things such as the internet where you can find anything or buy anything with the click of a button. Comparing that to older times where you went to f ar away towns after months to get a few items just sounds ridiculous and shocking. In conclusion, technology has changed the way people live and will continue to do so with the development of new ideas. The values and ethics from the past generations usually provide a better understanding of life compared to todays. Culture and family can only be taught by someone that has experience and can share with the current generation such as our parents.Each generation has a valuable belief and is beneficial to each differently such as: Experiencing the outside world may provide better understanding for one, but the other may find it better to stay home and acknowledge things. Each generation also has loopholes that are unacceptable such as the comparison of men and women and also teenagers drinking & partying to be a part of their society. Values are not just important things that are meant for people to be followed and respected. Values show how one discovers the real himself and live thei r life by going through the stages of beliefs and lifestyle.

Women in Business

WOMEN IN BUSINESS Course: HRMG 5000 Managing Human Resources Term: Summer, 2011 Paper #1: Women in Business Student: Daphne Westerlaken – van Westen Contact information: daphne. van. [email  protected] com University: Webster University Leiden Instructor: Arthur De La Loza -2Abstract There is a direct correlation between corporate finance performance and women in leadership roles. The number of female college graduates and overall percentage of females in the workforce is increasing. Therefore the pipeline of women has greatly increased and companies have to capitalize on this to ensure these companies are going to retain, attract and develop this pool of talent. An equal balance of qualified men and women can only be achievd when top management focus on what women want in their company, work-life balance, talent management and equal compensation. Therefore the performance of top management should be judged partly on their ability to groom and promote female talent. -3Introduction The numbers of female college graduates and overall percentage of females in the workforce is increasing. In order to ensure that companies continue to appeal to the best and the brightest men and women, companies need to promote the fact that there is equal access to opportunity for both genders. Catalyst, the leading nonprofit organization working globally with business to build inclusive workplaces and expand opportunities for women and business, has found that there is a direct correlation between corporate finance performance and women in leadership roles. Studies show a more equal balance of qualified men and women drives innovation, engagement and business success. This research paper will focus on the involvement of Human Resource Management to increase the number of women in leadership roles. What Women Want The majority of the women and especially Generation Y (born 1978 – 1994) are concerned about the impact of their life-work balance (e. g. family, child care) decision will have on their careers. BPW (Business and Professional Women’s) Foundation did research on this topic and found out that the most important employer characteristics for women are: 1. Opportunity for employees to self-manage 2. Emphasis on meeting goals, as opposed to how, when or where people do the work 3. Availability of and focus on career advancement opportunities Furthermore BPW found out that women are disconnected with employers when: -41. Employees judge each other based on the number of hours worked and not results produced 2. Employees at the top have more freedom than employees at the bottom. The overall percentage of females in the workforce is increasing and the Generation Y women are the workforce for tomorrow. Because of this, women will ensure the long term business successes. Therefore corporations have to retain, attract and develop women by fulfilling their needs by a multipronged approach: 1. Organizational level: Examine and adjust the prevailing mind-set of inputs over outputs. An environment that rewards a person’s presence is not conducive for encouraging people to apply tools that might improve their performance. 2. Management level: Managers need to be coached in and held accountable for the ways in which their practices enable or limit the effectiveness of their direct reports. 3. Individual level: Each individual should be encourages to identify where and when they work best. Quotas & Regulation Currently women occupy is just 12% of the seats on the boards of large European companies. The European Union warns that if listed European businesses have not made significant progress in raising that percentage by next year March, the European Union will consider mandating that they do through measures such as boardroom measures gender-quotas of the kind already in place in France, Spain and Norway. The proportion of women occupy the seats on the board of the listed France’s companies is expected to hit 20% next year, up from 7% two years ago. The pool of qualified women is finite and therefore the pressure is to prevent that pool from drying up. One of the reasons that -5qualified women are not in that pool, is because there are not visible to companies. Therefore companies and also women need to take actions like: 1. Develop and introduce mentoring programs (pairing senior women with company chairmen as mentors) 2. Build up systematically contacts (networking inside and outside the company) 3. Women have to inform company bosses of the progress in their developments 4. Chief executives have to promote women to their executive committees Regulatory back-up, like quotas, are required, because some men over 60 think that suitable females don’t exist because they have never had women as their peers, and they think women can’t take the pressure involved in serving on a board. Furthermore, these quotas forces companies to develop strategies and programs to retain, attract and develop high qualified women, who can enter the boardroom. But there is also a down side of quotas. Companies have to avoid pushing too low qualified women into boardrooms only to meet these quotas. This will harm the qualified women more than the quotas will help. Work – life Balance With women now making up almost half of the labor force in the Unit States and Europe, they are increasingly juggling work with care giving responsibilities at home. The solution for this dilemma is work flexibility and scheduling. There are several solutions and possibilities to increase the work-life balance: 1. Employees working at home. This can be achieved by teleworking. Telework means that employees work via electronic, telecommunications and Internet means. -62. Compressed work week. A compressed work week is a work week in which a full week’s work is accomplished in fewer than five 8-hour days. Example: four 10hour days. 3. Flextime: Scheduling arrangement in which employees work a set number of hours a day but vary starting and ending times. 4. Job-sharing: Scheduling arrangement in which 2 employees perform the work of one full-time job. Researches have shown that the approach of work flexibility and schedule not only help a company’s business success, it leads to increased employee productivity and retains and attracts the best employees. Equal Compensation The US labor statics for 2009 shows that women’s median full-time earning is 78. 7% of what men earn. The level of education doesn’t make any differences. The reasons for wage differences are complicated. Part of it has to do with many traditionally male-dominated professions, paying better than female-dominated professions. Part of it has to do that women choose to spend more time with family care than with their careers. But that is not whole story. A study showed that when all things are equal (other than gender), women faculty members get paid less their mail colleagues. Women earn on average 6. 9% less than men in similar situations, when the long careers of male faculty members, the relative productivity of faculty member and where male and female faculty members tend to work are taken in account. Why the difference? 1. 2. Sexism and discrimination Women don’t negotiate better salaries for themselves 7There’s not a lot women can do about sexist employers, but salary negotiations are under their control. These negotiations can be a stumbling block, because women are not well trained to negotiate assertively on their own behalf. But if they do, they may be penalized, particularly if the other negotiator is male. A study observed that men were more inclined to work with nicer and less de manding women who accepted their compensation offers without comment than they were with women who attempted to negotiate for higher compensation. Both women were equaled competent for the job. So that’s the double bind for women: if they don’t ask for a higher salary, they likely won’t receive one, but if they do, they may not be hired or promoted. Talent Management Catalyst, a nonprofit women’s research group, mentioned that only 11 chief executives of Fortune 500 companies are women, down from a peak of 15 in 2010. The McKinsey study showed that 37% of lower-level and middle management are female, while just 26% of vice presidents and other senior manager are women at Fortune 500 companies. McKinsey researchers found that female ambition declines at middle age. About 64% of women ages 45 to 54 old expressed a desire to advance professionally, compared with 78% of the men in the same age range. The comparable figures were 92% and 98% respectively, for women and men aged 23 to 34. The decrease of the desire to advance professionally of middle aged women is caused by their experience of not well fitted Talent Management Systems. Corporations can improve the odds for building diversity in the top management by increasing the number of women who make it from middle management to the vice presidential level. There are several opportunities, which companies can implement: -81. Companies need to spend more time coaching women and offering more leadership training and rotation through various management roles. 2. Companies should watch the women at the middle management level systematically and putting these women in programs that would help them to develop and get the next (promotion) hurdle. 3. Companies should be actively grooming women, making sure they have mentors and actively promoting their careers. 4. The performance of top management should be judged partly on their ability to groom and promote female talent. Conclusion & Recommendations Research has shown that there is a direct correlation between corporate financial performance and having a mix of women and men in senior leadership roles. Statistics show that the number of female college graduates and overall percentage of females in the workforce is increasing. Therefore the pipeline of women has greatly increased and companies have to capitalize on this to ensure these companies are going to retain, attract and develop this pool of talent. To capitalize the women talents, companies need to change their (masculine) corporate culture. In the majority of the companies, female employees don’t have same access to opportunities as their male colleagues. To increase the corporate financial performance, companies need to improve their corporate culture and the equal access to opportunities for both female and male employees. -9Every business and company is different and therefore companies need to found out what the needs are from their (future) female employees. In general, the most important employer characteristics for women are: 1. 2. 3. Opportunity for employees to self manage Emphasis on meeting goals, as opposed to how, when or where people do the work Availability of and focus on career advancement opportunities The work-life balance becomes more important for both female and male employees; due to that the number of women participates in the workforce is increasing. There are several solutions and possibilities which companies can implement to increase the work-life balance: 1. 2. 3. 4. Employees working at home (teleworking) Compressed work week Flextime Job-sharing Besides attract and retain female employees, development of these qualified women is important, because they will ensure the mix of women and men in senior leadership roles. Therefore it is recommended that companies improve their talent management with: 1. Coaching women, offering leadership training and rotations through various management roles 2. Watch the women at middle management level systematically and putting these women in programs that would help them to develop and get the next promotion hurdle . Actively grooming women, making sure that they have mentors and actively promoting their careers – 10 Without equal compensation, women will leave the company or are not interested to start their career with a company. Therefore is important that companies need to make sure that both women and men are equal compensated for the work they do. The final recommendation is more means of putting p ressure on companies. A regulatory back-up, like quotas, forces companies to develop strategies and programs to retain, attract and develop high qualified women, who can enter the boardroom. Unfortunately there is also a down-side of quotas. Companies have to avoid pushing too low qualified women into boardrooms only to meet these quotas. This will harm the qualified women undeserved. An equal balance of qualified men and women can only be achieved when top management focus on what women want in their company, work-life balance, talent management and equal compensation. Therefore the performance of top management should be judged partly on their ability to groom and promote female talent. – 11 References Mathis, Robert L and Jackson, John H (2011). Human Resource Management. South-Western, a part of Cengage Learning Jolis, Anne (2011, May 19). What Women Want. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved May 23, 2011, from http://www. WSJ. com SHRM Online staff (2011, April 26). What Gen Y Women Want: Autonomy and Self-Direction. Society for Human Resource Management. Retrieved May 3, 2011, from http://www. shrm. org Boulton, Leyla (2011, May 10). UK headhunter pledge new focus on gender. Financial Times. Retrieved May 19, 2011, from http://www. ft. com Manzano-Diaz, Sara (2011, May 20). Helping Women Advance in the Workplace. Council on Women and Girls. Retrieved May 25, 2011, from http://www. whitehouse. gov/administration/eop/cwg Peggy (2011, April 12). Equal Pay Day: Why don’t women just ask for more? Retrieved May 25, 2011, from http://www. scientopia. org/blogs/everydaybiology/ Lublin, Joann S, (2011, April 4). Coaching Urged for Women. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved June 14, 2011, from http://www. WSJ. com Prime, Jeanine and Moss-Racusin, Corinne A (2009). Engaging men in gender initiatives: What Change Agents Need To Know. Catalyst Zahidi, Saadia and Ibarra, Herminia (2010). The Corporate Gender Gap Report 2010. World Economic Forum Women in Business Women are becoming more involved in the business world by having well established careers and businesses that are performing very well all over the world. Their businesses are growing and contributing significantly to the economies of their countries. They have been able to develop careers and businesses in areas that were initially regarded as the domain of men. As they enter this environment, they have developed new styles of carrying out business and come up with ways that are different from those that were being used by men in the past. There are various reasons that have inspired the women to start their own businesses and join the male dominated territory. Some of these reasons are derived from the needs that these women have. Financial security and the need to achieve something in their lives are some of these reasons that have inspired the women to come up with various businesses. Other reasons include seeking independence and flexibility to allow then to determine how they want to work and when they want to work. One of the major challenges that women face as they carry out their business is the ability to balance their work and their family. The women face this challenge as they are not able to separate the business side of things and the family side. However, there are various steps that these women can carry out to ensure that they strike a balance between their business work and their family roles. Some of the steps include coming up with a schedule of events and time that can help the women manage their time. They can also talk to their families and make them understand the importance of the jobs and how much it means to them. Their families can then be in a position to respect the business and value it. Developing a work cycle that fits the family life cycle can also help the women to create more opportunities and chances of spending time with their families without affecting the performance of the business. 1. 0 Introduction Women in the recent past have become more involved in business with many of them starting up their own businesses. The rate of women starting their own businesses is increasing with the rate being twice that of the national average. Some of these women have more than a hundred employees in their businesses (Ericksen & Young, 1999). They have been going forward in their ventures and succeeding. These women have been able to prove that the world of business is not only a man’s world. They have gone and succeeded in areas that are considered male territory in business such as real estate, moving, restaurant business among others. The women have also maintained their characteristics and experiences of being mothers, daughters and wives as they carry on business. This paper discusses the experiences of women in business including the entrepreneurs and how they balance their work and family. 2. Women in Business In the past, men have been involved in business establishing rules and structures to be followed in organizations. However more women are getting involved and becoming part of the business world in one way or another. They have been able to enter this male dominated environment and they have been changing the way things are done and making positive contributions to the development of businesses and org anizations. They have introduced new methods and styles of doing things that are very different from the methods were being followed by the men. Most of these women have formed their own businesses which they have developed from their own unique ideas and talents that they possess. In the United States alone, there are more than ten million businesses that have been started by women. These businesses have employed over 13 million people (Gunelius, The Importance of Women-Owned Business Certification, n. d). In 2008, such businesses were able to impact the national and local economies greatly and significantly generating sales of over $1. 9 trillion (Gunelius, n. d). Women have been inspired to work hard in their businesses pushing them to great heights and reaching new levels. These women are persistent and they leave undeniable marks on the economy they impact. Most of these women have made plans and they continue to make plans for the future of their businesses with about 37% of them planning to leave their businesses in the hands of their daughters (Gunelius, Statistics About Women Business Ownders from Center for Women’s Business Research, n. d). This will help ensure that such businesses owned by women will be here to stay. 2. 1 Reasons for Joining Business. There are various factors that make the women to join the world of entrepreneurship and leave their current employment levels. Other women who are merely stay at homes have been driven to start their own businesses. These women have been inspired to start their own business that range in all sorts of industries. Other women have been inspired to start businesses that they are able to operate from home. Some of the women use their professional skills and competencies to start their own businesses while others use their hobbies and talents as the foundation and acquire the skills that are needed. Majority of these women when starting these businesses do not have any business knowledge or background but due to their passion and ambition they are able to succeed. (a) Financial Security There are various reasons that make women get involved in business with some starting their own businesses. Most of these women usually state economic necessity as one of the reasons that they start their own businesses. They start this business as they look for a source of income to make ends meet. The income they get is used to sustain their family and provide for the needs of their family. Financial security is the major driving force for most women who join business starting their own businesses (Lake, Conway, & Whitney, 2005). (b) Flexibility and Independence Most of these women are mothers and they like to work using their own schedules so that they are able to spend more time with their children and family. They then choose the option of starting their own businesses that will allow them to be flexible and juggle their personal lives with their work. Having their own business allows them to freedom and independence to decide when to work and where to work from (Lake, Conway, & Whitney, 2005). Most of the women entrepreneurs choose to work from their homes and just create an office in one of the rooms in their houses. (c) Corporate Glass Ceiling Some women experience a situation where they are not able to proceed further in their careers. Corporate glass ceiling is a situation where certain careers in business cannot exceed a particular level in growth. In that career there are simply no other levels that can be achieved above the current level. Women who experience such a situation end up starting their own businesses that give them more options in their careers and more fulfillments. The women are driven by this inspiration and they become their own boss (DeYoung, n. d). (d) Solving a Problem Some women entrepreneurial spirit is started off by the need to solve a particular problem that they experience and others in the society as well. They then develop a solution to the problem and then make money out of it as they help solve the problem effectively. Some of these women include Julie Clark. She came across a problem of lack of educational videos for small children and from then started to make them for her babies. She later founded a company by name The Baby Einstein that was involved in production of educational videos for young children (DeYoung, n. d). (e) Personal Achievement Some women are driven to start their own business by the desire to achieve some goals or achievements professionally (Lake, Conway, & Whitney, 2005). For most of the women who are driven by this desire, tangibles are not part of their quest. They are driven by perseverance and the desire to achieve something on their won with their own knowledge and abilities and operate a business. From the business they start they are able to achieve and make a significant impact in their lives, their families and the people around them. 2. 2 Challenges Faced In Business Entrepreneurs face several challenges when they are starting off and as the businesses grow. Women however face more challenges and obstacles as they carryout their own business (Gunelius, Challenges Facing Women in Business, n. d). These challenges although they are many they are not able to deter them from carrying out their businesses and becoming successful. They have been able to overcome these challenges and continue growing their businesses. One of these challenges is the lack of equal opportunity in the business environment. (a) Gender Discrimination The business environment has for a very long time been male dominated. It has drawn very clear lines on gender, and these lines have extended in all business areas. There are very few businesses that have been regarded to be for women. Most women when they start of their businesses in areas that were not regarded for them, they face a lot of gender related discrimination (Gunelius, Challenges Facing Women in Business, n. ). This mostly happens to women who are of a different race or color than the men. Studies have shown that more women who are of African American origin are discriminated in the business environment (Lake, Conway, & Whitney, 2005). (b) Family Pressure Some of the women who start of their own businesses they are overwhelmed by the activities that are involved in their bus inesses and they are not able to maintain a balance between their businesses and their families. This is one of the challenges that face women all over the world who are also mothers and have families to take care of. The balance between the business and the family life becomes hard to achieve and in most cases their family life suffers. The family pressures then take a toll on their relationships and their roles as mothers (Gunelius, Challenges Facing Women in Business, n. d). (c) Unequal Opportunities One other challenge that faces many women, who start of their own businesses especially in an area that is highly dominated by men, is the lack of opportunities that are equal (Gunelius, Challenges Facing Women in Business, n. d). They face these challenges as they carry out their daily business activities and seek funds for their businesses. These challenges interfere with their businesses and they are not able to move and grow as expected. Studies have shown that most women do not receive equal opportunities in the business environment especially in financial institutions with over 67% of them reporting difficulties when accessing funds (â€Å"Women Entreprenuers,† n. d). 3. 0 Work/Family Balance As women become more involved in the business environment developing their businesses, they are constantly faced with the challenge of managing their time properly between their business and their family. They are constantly seeking ways to manage and balance these two important sides of their life. Entrepreneurship on its own enables the women to manage their time and develop schedules that suit their life and their families as well (Women entrepreneurs, n. d). They are able to attend to family matters and other family activities and still be able to carryout their businesses. The flexibility and independence allows to allocate more time when need be to the family in various stages of her life and make up for any time lost with her family. 0% of most of the working women are driven to start their own businesses in order to enjoy this flexibility and independence (Business Women and Challenges of Work, Family, n. d). Even though the women entrepreneurs have the freedom to be flexible and spend time with their families some are not able to balance the two. There are various steps that women can follow to ensure that they are able to balance their lives and manage their time properly be tween their work and their life and hence create a balance. 3. 1 Developing a Mindset and Keeping Perspective. The women who have difficulty managing their time properly and balancing their family life and work should be able to keep a proper perspective and mindset. They should stay focused in their relationships in their family as they are valuable aspects of their life. The relationships should be maintained at all times and decisions made should be able to maintain them. These relationships are very important as they are the sources of happiness and they influence how the work is done and the quality that is maintained (Ericksen & Young, 1999). The perspective and mind set taken should put this relationships first and the business second. Businesses and work should be seen as ways of supporting the relationships. This mindset when grounded can help in the decision making process and ensure that the decision s that are made focus on maintaining these relationships above all else. Work should also be treated with respect and the family should also be advised to respect the business time and value it. The women should show the families the importance of the work and what it means to them. They should also strive to do everything they can to make the work succeed. When they treat the work with a lot of respect and value the families are also able to see this and they in turn develop the same respect and value in that business (Isidro, 2010). 3. 2 Developing a Schedule A schedule can be made that can help the women to manage the time effectively. The schedule when followed can help the women to allocate enough time for the family and the business and avoid conflicts. Regular working hours can be established and maintained and any unexpected occurrence of events can be handled carefully and time compensated appropriately (Isidro, 2010). The schedule can also include frequent time breaks for the women to spend some time with the children during those breaks. The breaks can be used as a way of relaxing and spending time with the family and giving them undivided attention at this time. A schedule can also be made for the family vacations and weekends. Some women find it difficult to work when their families are at home during the summer and other holidays. Therefore a schedule can be made to include the time the family should take vacations and holidays together. The family can be involved in the making of the schedule to ensure that they are able to understand the importance of the vacation and the impact it has on the business (Business Women and Challenges of Work, Family, n. d). They will be able to offer their support and allow the women to work undisturbed and respect the working hours. 3. 3 Outsourcing and Delegating Women should not see themselves as super heroes and tend to take on all the activities of the business on their own. They can allocate some of the activities and tasks to some of the employees they can trust and then handle the more complex tasks. They can also outsource some of the work from other businesses to be able to save on time to spend with their families. They can stick to accomplishing only what they need to do on their own to ensure that the business remains productive. The faster they do their work the more time they have with their families. Getting a personal assistant when the business activities increase can allow them to spend more time with their families and still be able to make the businesses successful. Through networking the women can be able to identify other businesses that can be able to handle some of the activities of their business and outsource it to them (Lake, Conway, & Whitney, 2005). 3. 4 Being Fit and Healthy A woman managing her own business should strive to keep herself healthy and fit to ensure that she is able to carry out the business and the family as well. She should stay healthy and take good care of herself in a way that she is able to take care of her family. If she is able to take care of herself then she will be more likely to be in a position to take care of her family. When working she should only take up jobs that do not strain her mentally and physically. Once she feels that she is almost burning out she should relax and take a break. Prioritizing her activities and tasks should help her deal with only what is important. She should also learn to say no in certain circumstances and avoid feeling guilty when she says no. She should just strive to do her best and deal with her life one day at a time. She can also join support groups that can help her deal with some of the issues in her business. Such support groups can be identified through networks both in the community and online (Isidro, 2010). . 5 Match the Life Cycle and the Business Cycle Women entrepreneurs can seek to match the work cycle with that of the family in order to spend more time with them. They should not be in a hurry to accomplish so much in their business and forget their families (Gunelius, Challenges Facing Women in Business, n. d). They should instead work hard where they ca n and use the slow road since it will still get them there. They should also be gentle with themselves and come up with ways that will allow them to spend time with their families. The women can for example wake up early enough and perform some of the work that is needed urgently in order to ensure that they are able to spend some time with their family during breakfast. They can also use the weekend to recover some of the time that is lost during the week as they also take a break. Another way to ensure that she is able to spend more time with the children is to work late at night when the children are asleep and it is quiet since they are able to concentrate more and accomplish more tasks then. During the day they can then spend the time with their children and play with them. The women can also avoid answering phone calls when they are spending time with their families or replying to email. When they are with their families they can switch off their mobile phones to avoid interrupting the time they are spending with their families (Isidro, 2010). 3. 6 Family’s Commitment The family should be made to understand the importance of the business and how it is operated. Making them understand will ensure that they are supportive and committed to ensure that it is successful. It is important to teach them and let them know how the business is doing, whether the money is tight and when it is doing well. They can help and come up with ideas that can be used to improve and make it better and offer moral support when things are not going well (â€Å"Women entrepreneurs,† n. d). The women should also consider the needs of their families and support them when they need the support (Isidro, 2010). Some of the needs of the family can be handled at a later time while others need urgent attention. Women should be able to identify some of the needs that are urgent and handle them immediately. Several minutes can be used to solve a problem and avoid severe consequences. The several minutes can also portray concern to the family and the issue at hand. This is importantly helpful as it helps strengthen the family relationships. Constant communication with the family should help the women identify issues that are affecting the family and the needs that they are going through. 4. 0 Conclusion Women are becoming more involved in the business environment and performing very well. They have opened up their own businesses out of ideas they have developed. From these ideas they have been able to generate a lot of money for the national economies and contributed significantly to the society. Their businesses are driven by the need to help and the desires and passion of these women. Despite the challenges the women have faced that are unique to the business environment, they have been able to overcome them through perseverance and a lot of hard work. The women who have made it are able to inspire and motivate the other women to come up and develop their own businesses and succeed. They have also become role models in their society and all over the world through their achievements and successes.