How The Federal And State Governments Improve The...

Camryn Johnson Duffy U.S. Government 5.19.16 In 2014 the United States census recorded around seventy four million children under the age of eighteen living in America. Out of the seventy four million, around thirteen percent of those children will be diagnosed with some sort of disability before the age of five. Now that may not seem like a large amount of children, but it is large enough to have the education for those with a disability altered to help them learn in the most effective way. The education is even altered specifically for each student since no disability is the same. Unfortunately a personalized education, or even an education at all for children with disabilities was not always available. But we can see today how the federal and state governments have had a role on improving the education for those with special needs. The term disability can often be misunderstood and even used incorrectly. As stated before all disabilities are different and can range from mild to severe. The dictionary definition for disability is a condition that damages or limits a person s physical or mental abilities. When people think of a disability, they tend to think of Autism or down syndrome since they are so common. But there are many more disabilities that can be used to qualify someone for having special needs. Even ADHD or anxiety can be classified as a disability, but once again, disabilities have different levels of severity and can all be dealt with in a different way.Show MoreRelated Department of Education: A waste of taxpayer money or a necessity to our education system?1705 Words   |  7 Pages The United States Government has fifteen Cabinet level agencies which include topics such as agriculture to foreign affairs however there is one specific agency that spends billions of dollars a year which may or ma y not be needed. The United States Department of Education is an agency that could be minimized. The United States Department of Education should be minimized and the state and local departments should be in charge of their own education policies. In 1867 the original DepartmentRead MoreSenate Research Paper981 Words   |  4 PagesAssignment three Committees If I were to serve in the Senate, I would need to focus on things like; education, health insurance, and transportation. Personally, I think that the education system is very hard. The tuitions are high; especially, private school tuitions are very expensive. Middle-class people and poor people have a really hard time when paying the tuition. In Texas, it’s good to have health insurance because if you need to go to the doctor, you can. Otherwise, without health insurance homelessRead MoreDiscovering the Relationship between the Law and My School Essay1154 Words   |  5 Pagesand appropriate public education, determining where students can attend school, but nothing as a big litigation against the school. Also, it is addressed the differences in legal framework of public and private schools, and many other aspects of law that particularly relates the working o f schools, and the evaluation in the evolution of the legal systems of U.S.A over the past few years. Location of the Federal District Court the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals The federal district court in theRead MoreNational Debt Is Necessary For The Funding Of Federal Programs1210 Words   |  5 Pagesnecessary for the funding of federal programs. Government spending is not only a focus of the United State’s political system, but it affects one’s personal choices and lifestyle. There is a concern with where and why money is spent. A key aspect of government spending is allocated to education. Education is fundamental in how one benefits society and the economy. The United States education program is not only necessary for the success of the country, but it is in need of a more efficient system withRead MoreIntroduction. In Their 1995 Book Tinkering Toward Utopia:1740 Words   |  7 Pagesstudents were originally defined as those who were slow learners and unable to promote to the next age-appropriate grade alongside their peers. The concept of different children developing at different rates led to the formation of the IQ test. The categ orization of students by their level of intelligence followed suit. By the early twentieth century, special schools were developed for retarded children to provide them with opportunities for intellectual growth equal to those of their peers. As the twentiethRead MoreAspects Of An Appropriate Inclusion Setting1442 Words   |  6 Pagespeers, in the school they would attend if not disabled, to the maximum extent appropriate. There are still lots of controversial views in education as to how an inclusion setting is delivered, who is responsible, what makes this setting important and how to make it successful. When educator look at the definition of the work â€Å"Inclusion†, the laws clearly states â€Å"Inclusion is a term which expresses commitment to educate each child, to the maximum extent appropriate, in the school and classroom heRead MoreNo Child Left Behind Act918 Words   |  4 Pages The No Child Left Behind Act was put into place to make equilibrium of educat ion amongst all students. When in context, its provision seems to work against the goals of students with disabilities. On January 8, 2002, the No Child Left Behind Act was signed into law by President George Bush. No Child Left Behind legislation was established to improve the educational achievement of all students, including those with disabilities (Keys others, 2008; Turnbull, Huerta, Stowe, 2009). PresidentRead MoreSources Of Revenue And Funding988 Words   |  4 Pagessources. The primary sources are federal, state, and local funding. The majority of funding comes from state and local sources; whereas a small percent (usually 9-12%) comes from the federal level. The method by which schools receive funding is through the taxation process. At the state level, taxes are levied from taxpayers, both corporate and citizens via sales and income tax. At the local level, school funding comes from property taxes. Let’s explore the how the various sources of school fund ingRead MoreEssay about Reformations of School999 Words   |  4 PagesReformations of School Education plays a fundamental role in the development of any nation. History is witness that those nations who did not recognized the importance of education were doomed, and education played a key role in the success of the developed nations. A successful country like America faces many challenges regarding education. Some of these challenges are: how to better achieve educational opportunity, and to find ways to deal with such problems and educational dilemmas for AmericanRead MoreSchool Districts Are Financially Struggling And Looking For Ways For Saving Money961 Words   |  4 Pagesto save money. One of the methods that they have implemented is to decrease the number of students in Special Education classes by using inclusion, also called mainstreaming, by having the students included in general education classes. A districts Average Per Pupil Expenditure (APPE) can vary significantly for Special Education. The services are defined in each student’s Individual Educat ion Plan (IEP). Whereas one student’s IEP might mandate a single service, another may require several services

Hate Poem by Julie Sheehan - 790 Words

Tone is a major contributor to the work of the â€Å"Hate Poem†. â€Å"Tone is an aspect of point of view since it has a great deal to do with the narrator. Tone is the narrator’s predominant attitude toward the subject, whether that subject is a place, event, character or idea† (Writing Essays about Literature, Kelley Griffith page 46). When analyzing the â€Å"Hate Poem† by Julie Sheehan, â€Å"To understand the tone of the poem, we need to listen to the words, as we might listen to an actual conversation. The key is to hear not only what is being said but also how it is being said.† (Kennedy and Gioia) Her use of several styles of irony help with the tone she is trying to convey. She uses the word hate when it has the ability to actually mean it’s†¦show more content†¦After listening to her read â€Å"Hate Poem† the tone and its importance to the work as a whole changed. She conveys and attitude of sarcasm that is funny and brings vivid images to that humor. â€Å"The blue-green jewel of sock lent I’m digging from under mu third toenail, left foot, hate you† (Kennedy and Gioia). This is very sarcastic, a jewel of sock lent. How is lent a jewel? Toe lent is not related to love or hate, but contributes to her tone and brings a bit of humor to the poem. It is obvious that she loves this person very much because of her passionate word choices. It is actually love that engulfs her completely, not hate. She is being ironic when using hate not love. The title itself is ironic. â€Å"My sign in the background as you explain relational databases hates you. My hesitation when you invite me for a drive: hate. My pleasant â€Å"good morning†: hate. You know when I am sleepy I nuzzle my head under your arm? Hate.† (Kennedy and Gioia) The tone of these words are very gentle not hostile or angry. You do not sigh at people you hate. You do not sigh when you are angry. M ost of all, you do not cuddle with people you hate. If you notice she never refused the offer to go for the drive, more like she looked forward to going. This is not a tone of hate, but of love and companionship. When hating someone there is no hesitation, thoughts are stern and decided. Then to add to the tone she goes with rawShow MoreRelatedStephen P. Robbins Timothy A. Judge (2011) Organizational Behaviour 15th Edition New Jersey: Prentice Hall393164 Words   |  1573 PagesA16; D. Walker, â€Å"Incident with Noose Stirs Old Memories,† McClatchy-Tribune Business News (June 29, 2008); D. Solis, â€Å"Racial Horror Stories Keep EEOC Busy,† Knight-Ridder Tribune Business News, July 30, 2005, p. 1; H. Ibish and A. Stewart, Report on Hate Crimes and Discrimination Against Arab Americans: The Post-September 11 Backlash, September 11, 2001—October 11, 2001 (Washington, DC: American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, 2003); A. Raghavan, â€Å"Wall Street†™s Disappearing Women,† Forbes (March

Management Questions and Answers for Midterm Examination Free Essays

Identify and describe the three levels of the organizational hierarchy. Which types of Information systems serve each level? Answer: The three levels of the organizational hierarchy: Senior Managers Middle Managers Operational Managers Types of Information systems serve each level: Operational-level systems: support operational mangers, keeping track of the elementary activities and transactions. Management-level systems: serve the monitoring, controlling, decision-making, and administrative activities of middle managers. We will write a custom essay sample on Management: Questions and Answers for Midterm Examination or any similar topic only for you Order Now Strategic-level systems: help senior management tackle and address strategic issues. 2- List and briefly describe the major types of system in organization? Answer: Transaction Processing Systems (TIPS): are the basic business systems that serve the operational level of the organization. And it is also a computerized system that performs and records the daily routine transactions necessary to conduct business. Management Information Systems (MIS): serve the management level of the organization, providing managers with reports and often-online access to the organization’s current performance and historical records and primarily serve the functions of planning, controlling, and decision-making. Decision-support System (ADS): also serve the management level or the organization. ADS help mangers make decisions that are unique, rapidly changing, and not easily specified in advance. MIS differ from SEES: MIS serve at management level and SEES serve at strategic level. 5- What are the characteristics for ADS? How do they differ from those of SEES? Answer: Characteristics for ADS: (Inputs: transaction level data; Processing: Interactive; Outputs: Decision analysis; Users: Professional and staff ADS differ from SEES: ADS revere at management level and SEES serve at strategic level and its characteristics are: Inputs: Aggregate data; Outputs: projections; Users: senior managers. – Describe the relationship between TIPS, MIS, and SEES. The relationship between TIPS, MIS, and SEES: TIPS are typically a major source of data for other systems, data also be exchanged to MIS to produce reports, whereas SEES are primarily a recipient of date from lower-level systems. 7- List and describe the information systems serving each of the major functional areas of a business. Answer: Sale and Marketing Systems: System Description Organizational Level Order processing Enter, process, and track orders Operational Pricing analysis Determine prices for products and services Management Sale and forecasting Prepare 5 years sales forecasts Strategic Manufacturing and Production Systems Machine control Control the actions of machines and equipment Production planning Facilities location Decide where to locate new production facilities. Finance Accounting Systems Account Receivable Tracks money owed the firm Budgeting Prepares short-term budgets Profit planning Plans long-term profits Human Resource Systems Training and Development Tracks employee training, skills, and performance appraisals Operational Compensation analysis Monitors the rang and distribution of employee wages, salaries, and benefits Human Resource planning Plans the long-term labor force needs of the organization 8- What is a business process? Give two examples of processes for functional areas of the business and one example of a cross functional process. Answer: Business process refer to sets of logically related activities for accomplishing a specific business result, and also refer to the unique ways in which organization and management coordinate these activities. Example for functional area of business process: (Finance and Accounting: paying creditors, creating financial statements and managing cash accounts); (Human Resources: hiring employees, evaluating employees’ Job performance and enrolling employees in benefits plans) Example of a cross functional process: Order fulfillment process (Sales Department: Generate order and submit order; Accounting Department: Check credit and approve credit and then Manufacturing Production department: Assemble product and ship product, and finally Accounting Department: Generate invoice). Why are enterprise applications for organization-wide process integration? Answer: Organizations are trying to integrate their business processes because they want to enhance the performance of the organizations as a whole. The system takes advantage of corporate intranets and web technologies that enable the efficient transfer of information within the firm and to partner firms. And these systems are inherently cross-level, cross-functional, and business process oriented. The four key enterprise applications: Enterprise Systems, Supply Chain Management Systems, Customer Relationship Management Systems, and Knowledge Management Systems. 10- What are enterprise systems? How do they change the way an organization work? Enterprise Systems, also known as enterprise resource planning systems, provide a single information system for organization-wide coordination and integration of key business processes. Information that was previously fragmented in different systems can seamlessly flow throughout the firm so that it can be shared by business processes in manufacturing, accounting, human resources, and other areas. How to cite Management: Questions and Answers for Midterm Examination, Papers

A Letter To Cuba Essay Example For Students

A Letter To Cuba Essay The revolution in Cuba was not a result of economic deprivation, nor becauseof high expectations in the economy, it was the political factors andexpectations which evoked the civilians to revolt. The Cuban economy wasmoving forward at the time before the rebellion but the dominant influence ofthe sugar industry made the economy assymetrical and encouraged no dynamic industrial sector. Because of the dependance on sugar, the unemployment rate ranged between 16 and 20% rising and falling with sugar prices, ebbing and flowing as the season changed. The rural wage levels were incredibly unsteady and unpredictable; the standard of living was low. Dependance on the sugar industry did not retard the economy of Cuba, just the wages of its workers. It was the leaders of the nation who reaped profit from this dependance, and it was the leaders of the nation who insisted on keeping the nation the way it was. We will write a custom essay on A Letter To Cuba specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now By the mid 1950s, however, the middle class had expanded to 33% of the population. Democracy, as we know it, broke down: the large middle class did not assert democratic leadership, there was no social militancy in the working class ranks, and the people found order preferable to disarray. Batista could no longer legitimize his regime . Failure in the elections of 1954 showed the discontent of the people, and failure in communications with the United States illustrated its discontent. Finally, opposing forces confronted Batistas power: there were street protests, confrontations with the police, assault, sabotage, and urban violence. This began the revolution in Cuba. America, with its stubborn ideas and misjudgements of character, forcedCastro to turn to the Soviets for alliance and aid. When Castro visited theUnited States in April, 1959, there were different respected individualsholding different views of him and his future actions. Nixon believed Castroto be naive, some others thought him a welcome change from Batista, stillothers called him an immature but effective leader, without a well formed viewof how to lead a revolutionary movement and not overly concerned with abstractof philosophical matters (p. 55). Why, then, did the United States impressnit-picky ideals like there should not be communists in the Army or in labor,or Cubas approach to the Batista trials is totally unacceptable, too casual,too nonchalant on this forming leader? Castro was like an inexperiencedmurderer with a gun in his hand: any rustle in the background could set offhis nervous trigger finger causing death, destruction, and liaisons with theU.S. S.R. When America expressed dislike of the trial procedures Castro washolding, of course he (Castro) would try to prove he was able to run hiscountry by himself and snub the U.S. ambassador. The United States had somuch invested in Cuba that it was stupid to think that Cuba could not retaliatewhen the U.S. cut off sugar imports. America was just too sure of itselfthinking it could get away with criticism and acts like that when an immatureleader was in control. Cuba was not totally dependant on the United States andproved itself so. If Cuba could not find help and support in America, it sought elsewhere for those who smiled on its actions and ideals. Castro found friends in Russia; the United States made this so. Succeeding and failing have alot to do with judgement. For the UnitedStates, the revolution was a failure because the result was a communist nationin the Carribean. For the revolutionarie s in Cuba, the revolutionaccomplished many of their goals: capitalism was abolished and socialisminstalled eroding class distinctions and eliminating private property, theworking conditions improved, womens rights improved, labor unions wererecogniz ed, the military became more modern and advanced, political order wasrestored, the status of the country improved from dependant to independant, andmany more. For the people of Cuba, therefore, the revolution can be viewed asa success (if communism ca n be seen as acceptable), but for America, theresult was a failure. .uc820c764657976f69fa97a804da40f70 , .uc820c764657976f69fa97a804da40f70 .postImageUrl , .uc820c764657976f69fa97a804da40f70 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .uc820c764657976f69fa97a804da40f70 , .uc820c764657976f69fa97a804da40f70:hover , .uc820c764657976f69fa97a804da40f70:visited , .uc820c764657976f69fa97a804da40f70:active { border:0!important; } .uc820c764657976f69fa97a804da40f70 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .uc820c764657976f69fa97a804da40f70 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .uc820c764657976f69fa97a804da40f70:active , .uc820c764657976f69fa97a804da40f70:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .uc820c764657976f69fa97a804da40f70 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .uc820c764657976f69fa97a804da40f70 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .uc820c764657976f69fa97a804da40f70 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .uc820c764657976f69fa97a804da40f70 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .uc820c764657976f69fa97a804da40f70:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .uc820c764657976f69fa97a804da40f70 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .uc820c764657976f69fa97a804da40f70 .uc820c764657976f69fa97a804da40f70-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .uc820c764657976f69fa97a804da40f70:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: A Study of Mankind Antigone Essay Latin America is one of the poorest and underdeveloped sections of the world.Because of this fact, it is difficult for its nations to compete and thrive inthe world market with modern nations as they struggle to industrialize andimprove their status. Capitalism, as a basis for an economy, means that eachman has to struggle to make a living, that each man may fail and starve, andthat each man may get a lucky break and thrive. We saw this struggle of thelower classes clearly in Mexico during their industrialization. With communism, a man may not become of greater status than he is born with, but then again that status is no better than his neighbors; this man is, however, guaranteed a certain amount of land, for example, and a certain home and a certain salary. To the poor, those threatened by the extreme of starving, this idea is very appitizing. To a nation undergoing change, where there are many poor and these poor co uld get hurt by the industrialization, communism is appealing in every way. The United States has to learn that it is not in total control. We cannot goaround condemning countries which hold procedures different than our own. The developing count ries in Latin America must struggle through economically and politically hard times to reach their own maturity; this means experimentating with different styles of government to find out which is best for the specific country. If America wants democrac y to reign over the Carribean, Central, and South America, it should make the idea appealing, show these countries that it can work. America should support strong democratic leaders, encourage capitalistic moves they (the countries) make, and advise the nations when they need or ask for it. Mexico is an example where democracy worked, in Cuba, it didnt. Force will get us nowhere in preventing the spread of communism, either will cutting off relations with countries who are still debating U. S. A. or U . S. S. R. America has too many interests in Latin America toforce it into alliance with the Soviets. If America is supportive and actslike a friendnot a dictatorthese nations will develop naturally and seethat democracy is the best for them.

The application and implementation of short term and long

Accent And Dialect

Accent And Dialect Accent And Dialect Accent And Dialect By Sharon Most people think of an accent as something that other people have. In some cases, they speak disparagingly about one accent compared with another. The truth is that everyone has an accent, because an accent is simply a way of pronouncing words. The reason that you can tell the difference between people from Boston and the Appalachians, or between London and Manchester is because each group of people has a different way of pronouncing the same words. In other words, accent is all about sound. When it comes to changes in vocabulary in different regions, then youre talking about dialect. Dialect refers to differences in accent, grammar and vocabulary among different versions of a language. For example, depending on where you live in England, one type of baked goods could be called buns, cobs or rolls. It is likely that when you speak in the dialect of a particular region, you will also speak in the accent of a particular region. However, incomers may speak the dialect of a region with a different accent. This may also apply to people who have emigrated from one country to another. They may speak a different form of a language from those born in that country. So, what does all this have to do with writing? Its simple. Most written English is based on a dialect of English. The variety of English known as standard English uses a certain type of grammar and vocabulary which is taught to students of English all over the world. They may speak with a different accent, but the dialect is basically the same. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:50 Redundant Phrases to AvoidTen Yiddish Expressions You Should KnowEmpathic or Empathetic?

Tools of Managerial Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Tools of Managerial Economics - Essay Example Competitive markets, Market power and imperfect markets are the three main areas of interest in managerial economics. Managerial economics underlies the basic factors which monitor the process of a manager - the external and internal factors. As the implies the internal factors lie in the purview of a manager and correspondingly microeconomics define the basic tenets of managerial economics. Thus managerial economics has a more limited scope - it is more application of microeconomics to managerial issues. Thus when we try to analyze a basically macroeconomic phenomenon, the fall of the Socialistic regime in Eastern Europe, we will be basically analyzing the forces which defined the characteristics of different markets in this market under several external forces, the most important being government intervention. Individuals are found to share common motivations that lead them to behave rationally in making economic choices - this is the foundation of managerial economics. This implies that an individual who, when faced the same choices at two different times, will behave in the same way during both the times (Varian 2005). The entire conceptual base is economics is built on the theory of Demand and Supply - the main pillars on which the subject stands. Thinking of the buying process as a contest, demand and supply are the forces which monitor and shape the strategies that the two sides adopt in the market. The aspect of nations it is demand and supply again which determine the level and efficiency in the macro levels of economic activity. The political and economic systems built by the communists in eastern Europe started on its route to collapse by 1973. A prime economic problem of allocation occurred - the planners in this socialist economy stressed on the allocation of a large share of its GNP to in armaments production and heavy industries. This investment, done at the cost of living, led to the immobilization of a large number of resources. Thus the U.S.S.R. was at one time leading the world in the production of several primary goods like coal, oil, electricity, steel, and cement, which was not getting reflected in the final products or finished goods. When one tries to understand the reason for the collapse of the system in U.S.S.R, one should realize that this is a classic example of how the extreme government expenditure has caused a nation's economy to go bankrupt. This is a classic example of a situation where a perfect market has been suppressed - factors of production were being employed at abnormal prices and market demand was being met by a monopolist - the state here. Economists and managers alike, build models of economic behaviour by inductive reasoning. The model is tested with actual empirical data. If the tests support the model, it can be accepted; otherwise, it should be revised. The situation in eastern Europe has thrown across several important information – like the growth of an economy in the midst of severe administrative bottlenecks, the lack of meaningful foreign trade, and political dissonance.  Ã‚  

Human Resources & EEOC Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Human Resources & EEOC - Research Paper Example Hence it is an integral part of the Human Resources Management in United States. It is headquartered in Washington DC (About EEOC, 2013). EEOC’s Vision is: â€Å"Justice and Equality in the Workplace† EEOC’s Mission is to: Stop and Remedy Unlawful Employment Discrimination (About EEOC, 2013) EEOC laws are applicable for almost all employers who have employee strength of minimum fifteen employees. In case of age discrimination, the firm should be of minimum twenty employees. EEOC laws also cover most employment agencies and labor unions. Hiring, firing, training, promotion, wages, benefits, harassment and all other work situations are covered by the EEOC laws. (About EEOC, 2013) The U.S. EEOC is a bipartisan Commission. The President appoints all of its five members. They are the Chair, Vice Chair and the three Commissioners (The Commission, 2013). The President also appoints EEOC's General Counsel (Strategic Plan for fiscal year 2012-2016, 2013). EEOC has a speci fic strategic plan and the three values that underlie the plan are: Commitment to Justice: The Commission has been entrusted by the Congress, with the duty of enforcing non-discrimination laws of employment for the nation. Accountability: EEOC is accountable to the nation, just like any other federal agency. Integrity: The Commission has to be objective in nature while investigating charges and adjudicating cases. Every person it serves or interacts with during work and every member of the EEOC workforce has to be respected and treated with good manners and professionalism. (Strategic Plan for fiscal year 2012-2016, 2013) Role of EEOC EEOC has the right to investigate any sort of discrimination charges against employers, duly covered by the EEOC law. Their investigation has to be fair and accurate in order to assess the allegations. If it is found that discrimination has taken place, EEOC will first try to settle the allegation. If they are unable to sort it out they have the right to file a lawsuit for the same. However, EEOC does not file lawsuits in every case of discrimination (About EEOC, 2013). EEOC also believes in â€Å"prevention is better than cure† that is, it tries to prevent discrimination through various awareness and technical assistance programs, before it occurs. Federal agencies are guided by EEOC on every aspect of equal employment opportunity program. Affirmative employment programs of federal agencies’ are being regularly monitored and evaluated by EEOC (About EEOC, 2013) The company distributes informative and educational materials and provides training, guidance and assistance to all stakeholders, including administrative judges who conduct EEOC lawsuits. (About EEOC, 2013) Laws Enforced by EEOC (listed in the sequence EEOC got authority): Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII), as amended. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA), as amended The Equal Pay Act of 1963 (EPA), as amended Section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended - prohibits employment discrimination against federal employees and applicants with disabilities. Title I and Title V of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), as amended. The Genetic Information Non-Discrimination Act of 2008 (GINA). (Strategic Plan

Engineering Management Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Engineering Management - Coursework Example Management style has an important role to play as appropriate management style can help employees perform their tasks efficiently and achieve their targets, meet organizational goals, keep the employees motivated and help organization make efficient decisions (Bryman, 1993). Not only this, management style has a major part to play in creating the organizational culture. This report highlights about the management style of one of the most renowned companies of the world, Apple Inc. The management style of the previous Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Apple has been analyzed and advantages and disadvantages of his leadership style have been discussed. Also the report provides different types of recommendation to the management of Ili Electronics Inc. to implement some of the characteristics in the company that could be helpful in increasing the morale and motivation of the employees and at the same time improve the productivity and profitability of the company. ... In an autocratic management style, the decision making authority and power lies with the top management of the organization and employees are not allowed to make their decisions. In such a management style, the employees of the organization are supposed to follow the instructions and orders given to them by the manager. Apple operates in an industry where innovation and creativity are very important factors, and other firms in the same industry encourage employees to think and be innovative and come up with different ideas (Silicon Beach Training News, 2011). In Apple the decisions are imposed, whereas in Google the management has given employees to the option to select the project they would like to work on and with whom they would like to work with thus these two management styles have been contrasting but both have been successful. 20% of the employees working time have been allocated by Google to come up with their own software concepts and ideas whereas all kinds of thinking and planning is done at the top level at Apple (McInerney, 2011). ADVANTAGES OF MANAGEMENT STYLE OF STEVE JOBS There are several advantages of the autocratic style of leadership which was adopted by Steve Jobs and these advantages are described below Standards Pre-defined In an autocratic management style, there are standards that are to be followed by the employees therefore they know what is expected of them and thus they can perform their tasks accordingly which would lead to the organizational objectives. Supervision In such a management style, the supervisors are present to guide the employees wherever they get stuck or faces problems and generally supervisors or managers are experienced and they have the

Applications of Reference Checks in Selection Process

Applications of Reference Checks in Selection Process Discuss the reasons for carrying out reference checks and the effective ways to conduct it during the selection process. Based on numerous assessment methods available on hiring employees, reference checks are deemed vital as it is seen as a powerful tool that generates and gathers useful reports of knowledge on any applicant’s previous working history in terms of their accomplishment and history. A successful reference guiding process depends almost heavily on the principle which is based on behavioral consistency. This simply is because it is believed to be the most reliable principle based on analyzing and forecasting the future behavior of applicants in terms of job performance and also based on previous behavioral working history. Not only does this method guarantees choosing future candidates with a strong background of history in terms of previous history of job-related performances, referencing checking aids managers to determine and exclude future candidates that are known to have histories of inappropriate and unacceptable workplace related behaviors. References that are properly condu cted according to standard operating procedures aid organizationsin verifying successful job predictions and determining the right qualifications that helps put everything in place in order to make sure the selected organization manages to get the right person to fill in the job vacancy. This is important as by failing to obtain the right future employee will result in a lot of lost in terms of finance, time and the fact of maybe having to face a lawsuit for dismissing the candidate prematurely. A reference check which is well structured is a well-organized evaluation of a candidates previous job work-related performances. This is based upon exchanging dialogs with previous co-workers of the future candidate. Like any other pre-employment interviews, reference checking is at its optimum levels when it is coordinated to be structured perfectly along with the integration of thoughts into the potential hiring process. A well-structured check is almost a hundred percent, if not more successful than carrying out an informal conversation with the candidate’s previous co-workers. This is because it helps to gather useful information that will boost the hiring manager’s confidence based upon the results that he or she will obtain and at the same time, a well-organized referencing check will help to enhance any legal dispute that may occur in the near future. The following are the multiple options that can be structured besides the standard ‘having a casual conver sation’ .This can be shaped to be a successful tool that can easily be made to assess candidates with ease. But before that, what are some of the purposes of having to conduct references check you may ask? Well, one of the most important steps of planning process is to determine various purpose of having a reference check. This will help in 2 major ways; Firstly, this will help aid the various types of information that needs to be collected and stored and secondly, the process that will be conducted in order to obtain it . The data that is collected from reference checks may ultimately serve three different means. First and foremost, it helps to verify the truth behind the initial information that has been given by the candidates during their interview, on their application forms and lastly on their resume. Next, the data collected by reference checks helps in unveiling signs of undesirable and unacceptable previous history of behavioral work pattern. Last but not least, this method helps to determine the amount of development that the future candidate may require in terms of setting up future extra training to help fill in the ‘training-gap’ in order for the candidate to help achieve the goals and vision of the hiring organization. Now, back to the examples of various means of reference checks; Job related, the aim is to concentrate on the candidate’s abilities to perform the task and job that are stated along the lines from the statement of merit criteria. Organizing the check over this criterion gives a more detailed forecast of future job abilities .Observation, any information that is going to be provided by a referee has to be based on experience or observation or previously working with the candidate. This allows the referee to utilize his experience to further support the candidate by commenting on the abilities and performance of the candidate from their previous job. Standardize, A set of standard equal questions are asked toward all referees in all appointment procedures. This method ensures that there is a fair ‘playing field’ for all candidates and that they are respected and treated as one, equally. Behavioral focused, Almost all reference checks becomes more liberal and any jud gementing errors are greatly reduced simply by focusing on behaviors that are work-related. By asking proper questions and differentiating proper information with skills ensures that any fraudulent image pictured by the candidates is gunned down. Legal Defense, This has developed to become one of the greatest aspect that should be considered by all firms simply to be at the right side of the law and to be protected just incase of any unforeseen circumstances in the future. A detailed and proper reference check will help enable any organization to ensure that they uphold the requirements met by the government in their respective region. Reference checking is deemed as one of the final steps before actually considering hiring an actual candidate and it is important if not more important compared to the previous steps of the initial selection stages. It is vital that the outcome of this step is dealt directly with the ability of the candidate to perform the job required to do accordingly. It is important to plan basic questions that will allow you to ask the referee of the applicants and questions that will be directed directly to the applicants as well. Moreover, if the organization is dealing with more than 1 candidate, then specific questions should be prepared before hand as it will help to clarify any problems specifically towards each and every candidate respectively. As always, it is always better to prepare beforehand so that the time is saved and everything is checked before making the final decision. In order to conduct a proper standard of record keeping, its almost advisable to create a reference form that will include the name of the interviewer, the name of the candidate, the time and date , position that the applicant is applying for and last but not least, their previous workplace name. A standard set of questions should be included as well and the form should have sufficient space for addition notes that you will take down during their response to the questions that will be asked. One of the effective ways to conduct referencing checks is to conduct an interview with the potential candidates. Questions should be asked like they are asked in any other interviews regarding their pass experiences, ask questions regarding to their ability of carrying out the job given, their general thoughts on the job ,the output that they are willing to commit to , the ability to work with other employees regardless of their gender or race, their ability to get along with higher ranked employees who might not be easy going etc. Bear in mind that the reason is to extract vital information from the potential candidate. A clear picture of the candidate’s strengths and weakness should be gathered as the interview is conducted in order to finalized the referencing check. A referee that is brought in maybe interviewed as well in order to get a clear picture of the candidate’s pass job related experience and behavior. Another common step in conducting a referencing check is by verifying their education background. If the job scope requires a candidate with a strong education background, then it is almost required to firstly, contact the school register system in order to verify the validity of the certification. Next, it is important to contact the university or college of the candidate to verify their higher education degree. The last step to conduct a successful referencing checks is to hire an investigation team to conduct a criminal record search on the potential candidate. As mentioned earlier, a job with a higher job scope that will allow future employees to deal directly with customers definitely requires a proper security. Any applicant to the desired job should be required to sign off a waiver of any claims regarding the final outcome of the investigation. If say the background check comes back positive, then it should be forwarded to the organization’s legal counsel team for them to determine if the candidate is fit for the job or n ot . To summarize it, I feel that the importance of conducting referencing checks during any selection process is extremely vital. Not only will this allow any organization to employ the most suitable candidates for the job posting but it will help to prevent any organization from losing money in terms of facing law suits or time , in terms of conducting extra unnecessary training to fill In the training gaps that are require to carry out the initial job postings. There are several issues regarding this step in recent days and one of the main factors is that former employees especially in developed countries are almost reluctant to comment on their previous workers as they fear facing potential lawsuits. I believe, that in order to get the perfect candidate for the job, smaller companies , or in fact companies that works around their clients hand-in-hand which requires employees to enter their home , office etc. ( as in technicians, teachers , etc ) should consider outsourcing their refer ence checks to external companies in order for their future employees to be checked thoroughly from every aspect.

Californias Promise Essays -- State Government, State Deficit

In the 1960’s California experienced reverence through the reputation of being a promising great state. The increasing population as well as the massive publicity, contributed in highlighting this notion. However, in 2011, California no longer holds the same reputation in the eyes of its residents. With a current state deficit of $25.4 Billion, many Californians believe that the state is hopeless and can no longer regain to its past stardom. Famed Historian, Kevin Starr argues that California has lost its promise entirely; however, California has not lost its promise entirely for the fact that California is still the eighth largest economy in the world. California is able to function even with a dysfunctional government and institutional structure. California still has the potential to recover its reputation as a great promising state. By tackling the state’s dilemma, we are able to understand why and how California lost its greatness. Once we analyze the core probl ems of the state, such as the initiative process, the state legislature, and misrepresentation of the public, we will have a better understanding of how to tackle the issue. First, an obvious problem of the state is the usage of the initiative process. Originally, it gave â€Å"Californians the power to propose constitutional amendments and law that fellow citizens will vote on without the legislature’s involvement (Van Vechten, 20).† However, today, special interest groups have used this process abusively. In fact, initiative campaigns became an industry of its own in California. According to Mathews and Mark, â€Å"in 1996, annual spending on initiative campaigns in California topped $140 million (Mathews and Mark, 68).† Special interests groups that are financially well o... ...tion of 38 million people, California still has the potential to be great. If in fact California lost its promise, the state would not have that large of a population nor would it have the eighth largest economy in world. The problem of California is in the structure of the legislature and the institutions and practices that it has. There are unchecked power given to the people through the initiative process and there are fundamental structural flaws in the state legislature. By addressing these problems and critically thinking what needs to be reformed, California can potentially get its old reputation. However, we must reform without unconsciously changing the right things in our state. If California just reforms in the same way it used to, the states’ future may be ruined. Innovative means of solution is needed in order to stir the state to the right direction.

Rhetorical Essay: Shame is Worth a Try Essay

Dan M. Kahan’s â€Å"Shame is Worth a Try† was first published in the Boston Globe on August 5, 2001. In this essay, Kahan contends that the use of â€Å"shame† as a penalty of low level crimes is not only effective, but is an economical and humane alternative to imprisonment. It’s difficult to ascertain who Kahan’s intended audience is. However, because he uses examples of shame being used as an alternative sanction around the country; â€Å"Drive drunk in Florida or Texas, and you might be required to place a conspicuous â€Å"DUI† bumper sticker on your car† (Kahan 574) I would venture to say that the public at large is whom he is possibly targeting. This is further reinforced by the fact that the author chose to at least â€Å"initially† publish the article in the Boston Globe, a local Massachusetts newspaper. Kahan competently uses contrast and comparison throughout his essay to illuminate a subject that otherwise might be ignored. Nevertheless he ultimately falls short of being convincing, mainly, due to his lack of usage, of relevant facts and figures. Kahan opens his essay with the basic question â€Å"is shame an appropriate criminal punishment?† (574). He then explores examples of its use in various jurisdictions. â€Å"Refuse to make your child-support payments in Virginia, and you will find that your vehicle has been immobilized with an appropriate colored boot†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Kahan 575). Immediately after grabbing the readers attention with examples, Kahan presents a contrasting viewpoint. â€Å"Many experts, however, are skeptical of these new shaming punishments. Some question their effectiveness as a deterrent†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (Kahan 575). This further elicits the readers curiosity, bringing them to the heart of the issue. The author eloquently asks the question, â€Å"Who is right?† (575). He then goes on to use a logos style exploration, of both sides of the issue. Kahan’s main claim is that proponents don’t get that shame, can be as effective as prison, at a lower overall cost to society. Kahan further argues and finishes strongly with the statement that the overall question shouldn’t be â€Å"isà ¢â‚¬  shame a proper punishment, but how do we employ it’s use properly? The author does an admirable job of grabbing the readers attention right from the start by giving interesting, and relevant examples of how shame has been employed around the country. ie: DUI’s in Texas, child-support in Virginia. Moreover, his use of logos styled arguments throughout the article does an excellent job of articulating his viewpoint while keeping the reader engaged. Kahan gains the readers respect by presenting well reasoned and intelligent viewpoints in such a way that it’s actually hard to find any particular fault with his assertions. The authors choice to present an opposing view right from the start, although not as effective as it could have been, was an apropos way to strengthen his stance. In moving forward, Kahan counterbalances some opponents by making it perfectly clear that his stance for shame based penalties applies to minor infractions of the law only . â€Å"There’s obviously no alternative to imprisonment for murderers, rapists, and other violent criminals†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Kahan 575). By using examples of these shame based penalties from around the country, the author also makes it appear to the reader that he is knowledgeable in matters concerning our justice syste m. His strongest point though comes at the end of his article when he simply asks the question â€Å"Why not at least give it a try?† (Kahan 576). This seems to beg an additional question, since our current system is overloaded why not try a different approach? Kahans major downfall in this article is his insufficient use of relevant facts and figures. Although the author does reference one particular study by Harold Grasmick that shows â€Å"public disgrace exerts greater pressure to comply with the law than the threat of imprisonment and other formal punishments.† (Kahan 576). Overall it lacks the kind of â€Å"hard figures† it would take statistically to reinforce his claim. If the author had chosen to include some statistics on say, the effectiveness of alternative sanctions, or showed a cost analysis on prison sentences. He would have established a sense of trustworthiness with his reader. Unfortunately, due to the lack of those types of â€Å"hard figures† his essay lacks credibility. That lack of credibility, leaves the reader to wonder, just how knowledgeable is this author with this subject? If Kah an had just chosen to tell us a little about himself and his background, he could have very well hit a home run in the credibility department. He does after all have an exceptionally distinguished law career. Unfortunately, he fails to do so, thus leaving the reader with too many unanswered questions. The last major complaint of this essay is a complete lack of pathos style writing. Overcrowding, as well as, the shear number of offenders in our criminal justice system alone is staggering. This  hot button topic could have easily been used to stir up some emotion and passion in his argument. In this way, the author would have essentially legitimized his stance, as well as, inspired his readers to take action. For whatever reason though, the author chose to ignore this completely, and as such completely fails in winning over his audience. In the writing of this essay, Kahan addresses an important topic of our times. Our current criminal justice system is overloaded and wrought with problems, and addressing how to punish petty crimes is certainly relevant. Yet his article, despite illuminating this controversial and important subject, fails in delivering the facts needed to inspire any sort of change. Kahan does an admirable job of creating interest in a topic many might otherwise ignore. However, he ultimately falls flat in the execution and leaves the reader floundering, rather than informed. As a last note, Khans writing style might not always include the use of pathos. Unfortunately for him his lack of appeal to emotion in this particular essay will render it ultimately â€Å"forgettable†. Works Cited Kahan, Dan M. â€Å"Shame is Worth a Try† Models for Writers. Ed. Rosa Eschholz. Boston * New York: Bedford/St. Martin’s, January 2012. 574-578 Print

Market Analysis of Leasing Industry in Sri Lanka Essays

Market Analysis of Leasing Industry in Sri Lanka Essays Market Analysis of Leasing Industry in Sri Lanka Essay Market Analysis of Leasing Industry in Sri Lanka Essay This situation has changed drastically during the latter part of 2012. With these changes many banks and leasing companies experienced a slowdown in their leasing business activities Also Neffs have faced a fears competition from the Laces due to the rate differences In the assignment the author will analyze the current market situation and identify current issues and challenges faced by the Industry as a whole and by he selected entity Citizen Development Financial Services Pl COB. PESTLE analysis is conducted to analyze the environment and total market situation and SOOT was carried out to identify the strengths and opportunities to eliminate weaknesses. By application of marketing models, tool theories the author has arrived at a marketing strategy to go forward in next two years and also remedies for the challenges and problems. An actual Marketing budget is proposed along with actions and time lines for the implementation of the above. 1. Situation Analysis 1. 1 Sir Lankan Financial Industry Overview Characteristic of this island nation which has always surprised economists with its resilience and dynamic kinetics despite challenges that have impacted not only the region and the world, but the country itself, Sir Lankan once again posted strong economic growth, posted at 6. 5% at end 2012. This is remarkable given that this growth, though slightly reduced from the original projection still remains above both regional and global growth paradigms. The Sir Lankan banking and financial services industry is vibrant and market driven and hence as a consumer you are at an advantage. There are around 0 institutions, including commercial banks, licensed specialized banks (savings banks and development banks) and licensed finance companies. When we look at the statistics of the Central Bank we can clearly see the trend of increasing revenue and asset bases of non banking financial Institutes. Our target company which is Citizen Development Financial Services hereinafter refer as CDC , belongs to the Non Banking Financial Institutes and offers Leasing as their main product in product portfolio. Though there were some hiccup and fluctuation in global and Sir Lankan economy what we can e it Financial industry as a whole is not affected very much. Collapse of Ceylon group and its financial institutes made an effect but couldnt withhold the progress of the sector. 1. 2 Company Overview Citizen Development Business Finance CDC one of the Sir Lands fastest growing financial institution ( Sixth place in the NAB sector) , offering wide range of financial solutions to its customers through their Island wide branch network. . 2. 1 Vision of the company To be the financial power house that will foster entrepreneurial innovation and workmanship towards building up our nations economy to make sustained gains in living standards of Sir Lankan For the last few years after coming out of the Ceylon group umbrella as an Independent financial institute they have grown faster than the industry in terms of top line and bottom line. Branch network has expanded to 55 and also north and east aft er the end of ethnic conflict in Sir Lankan. Also for the past few years company is achieving its key performance indicators through Also they have come up in the corporate arena in Sir Lankan and recognized as one of the most valued brand in Sir Lankan for consecutive years. ( By LAM ) Source : Lankan Monthly Digest ( LAM ) Courtesy : Media Services (Pit) Ltd 1. 2. 2 External Environment- PESTLE Analysis It gives a birds eye view of the whole environment from many different angles that one wants to check and keep a track of while contemplating on a marketing plan. During the PESTLE analysis we are considering the macro environment in terms of Political, Economical, Social, Technical, Legal Environmental frameworks. Economical Interest rate movement, inflation rate movement and exchange rate movement have a considerable impact Central Bank tightened its monetary logic stance by raising policy interest rates ( raise of market interest rates due to this ) and imposing a ceiling on rupee lending. Possibility of further monetary-policy tightening will be heightened by CBS. Inflation has continued to remain at single digit levels for over 3 years declining on a on-year basis to a very low level of 2. Per cent in February 201 2 due to cautious monetary and fiscal policy CBS had largely ceased its intervention in the foreign-exchange market. This had allowed the rupee a certain degree of flexibility to flow. The relaxation of exchange-rate controls had led to appreciation for the rupee in recent past stabilization afterwards. The volatile global econ omic landscape Political Nobles, faced changes in taxation policy and some inconsistencies The increase in tariffs on imported vehicles impacted consumer purchasing behavior considerably, led to an emergence of difficulties in achieving lending targets. Prolific increase in the importation of motor vehicles, coupled with high demand for fuel, rising carbon dioxide emissions and traffic congestion, saw the Government strategies to reduce the encumbrances on its import payments, infrastructure and carbon footprint. This led to a revision on the excise duty on motor vehicles to lessen the burden. Legal The supervisory and regulatory framework continued to strengthen with several diktats issued for both banks and Elfs. Sells were subjected to assessment of fitness and propriety of Directors and key management personnel, as well as changes to definitions in the compilation of key indicators A panel of external auditors was appointed to conduct external audits of Nobles. Financial reporting is slated to improve further with the entirety of the financial sector becoming FIRS compliant, believed to be a mounding step in promoting greater harmonistic with international regulatory standards, which in turn prompts increased resilience. Environmental COBs prime business segment is in leasing and in that, being in vehicles. With vehicles being a primary source of carbon dioxide emissions, Companys responsibility therefore is to reduce these emissions and work toward minimizing the harmful impacts. Green initiatives by customers, business partners communities resulted better management practices via paper recycling, saving of electricity and water and even appreciation of Sir Lands unique wetlands. Technological Given the long term partnership we mooted with Commercial Bank Of Sir Lankan where the Command ATM network can be accessed by CDC customers First N.B. to have a fully operational Core Banking Solution networking entire operations Social Pressure from the socio-cultural variables prevalent in a multi-dimensional country like Sir Lankan, CDC has to focused on social variables . One such is the diversification into Islamic Finance which functions according to Shari ah law, based on parameters prescribed by internationally accepted Shari ah scholars. 2. Product Category Review Total leasing category in the country is growing at a steady rate and two major sectors Licensed Banking N.B.. As a total the whole industry has grown significantly over the past years. The following graph show the growth in industry, When you consider the total credit and loan facilities leasing plays a significant portion of that as a whole ( Including Banks Nabs ) 2. 1 CDC Leasing COBs prime business segment is in leasing and in majority is comprised with the vehicle leasing. Throughout the 1 7 years journey of the company their main product officer is being Leasing. Product portfolio of COB The above graph show the significance in the leasing products for the company which the revenue contribution is more than 50%. 2. Distribution profile CDC Distribution Chain Nell mainly comprises of four components a. Branches b. Area development offices c. Dealer Network d. Service Center above channels are catering to customers and their requirement and we have seen a rapid growth in distribution channels in last few years 2. Pricing overview , Offering Packaging Segmental Pricing Approach is being deployed through the product line. Even though the main product being CDC leasing there are sub products and rand for different segments have offered. Following table shows the offering portfolio. Product Category Key Brands Offering Leasing CDC Leasing This is the main brand of CDC when it comes to Leasing COB Batty Lease COB Mini Truck Lease These two brands to focus on providing lending to small truck segment Small Car Lease Brand which facilitate small cars below 1 000 C engine capacity CDC -AWE Lease This brand is focusing on attracting three wheeler 3. Competitive Analysis The leasing products were dominated by the Nabs in early year and then Commercial Banks started leasing as a product offer in their portfolio with increase of demand for motor vehicle leasing sector in the country. Imports of the vehicles have grown significantly year by year in each segments personal, Transportation, Trade land vehicles, motor Cycles T-Wheelers. Bank have a competitive advantage over the leasing rates since they can offer l ow rates compared to Neffs . The reason behind this is cost of funds for the banks are low where as Nabs cost of funds high since its mainly depending on the fixed deposits. 3. 1 Major Competitors in Leasing Sector in Sir Lankan Commercial Banks Non Banking financial Institutions Commercial Bank Pl Bank Of Ceylon Peoples Bank Wheaton National Bank Sympathy Bank Sealant bank Peoples Leasing Financial Services ( PL ) nana Iris Leasing Company Limited ( LOC) LB finance COB Commercial Credit Leasing Within the Nabs , CDC share a 4% of market share in leasing category where there is a huge potential for expansion and intrude in to competitor markets. . 1. 1 Competitor Pricing Overall pricing range of N.B. remains same and but different types of strategies used to attract customers a. Extended Durations Initially almost all institutions offered a duration of 4-5 years leasing term has increased up to 7 years to reduce the monthly installment payment. B. Structured Leasing Leasing is structured by SSH fitting the bulk paying amount to different stages Of the payment structure. E. G. Initial payment of 1 Million to be pay after end of the second year .

Word Choice Coarse vs. Course

Word Choice Coarse vs. Course Word Choice: Coarse vs. Course The words â€Å"coarse† and â€Å"course† sound exactly the same. They’re also similar written down. And as such, we understand why people get these terms confused. But these words also have very different meanings. So to make sure you use them correctly, check out our guide to what they mean. Coarse (Rough or Harsh) The word â€Å"coarse† is an adjective that means â€Å"rough† or â€Å"harsh.† We therefore use it to describe the texture or feeling of something: The coarse fabric rubbed against his skin. We also say that something is â€Å"coarse† when it is made of large, loose particles. If we say that soil is â€Å"coarse,† for instance, we mean that it is loosely packed and made up of larger clumps. We also say that language or behavior is â€Å"coarse† when it is rude or impolite: Her coarse language caused uproar at the funeral. This is a bit old-fashioned, but you will still see it used like this sometimes. Course as a Noun The word â€Å"course† is usually a noun (i.e., a word that names or stands for something). This term can actually have a few different meanings, including: A process of development (e.g., The course of history†¦) A route or path of movement (e.g., The blimp changed course†¦) An ongoing medical treatment (e.g., A course of painkillers†¦) A set of classes (e.g., A college course†¦) Part of a meal (e.g., A three-course meal†¦) An area over which something extends (e.g., Water course†¦) And while these definitions are quite varied, â€Å"course† is a noun in each case. Course as a Verb â€Å"Course† can also be a verb (i.e., an action word). In this case, it usually means â€Å"flow quickly.† For example, we may say a river â€Å"courses† through a valley. A river coursing. It can also be used to mean â€Å"chase,† particularly to hunt something with dogs. These uses are rare compared to the noun definitions above, but they are still worth remembering. Coarse or Course? The trick here is to focus on â€Å"coarse,† which has one main meaning (i.e., â€Å"rough† or â€Å"harsh†). Importantly, this means â€Å"coarse† is always an adjective. As such, if you need a word that modifies a noun, it will always be â€Å"coarse.† â€Å"Course,† meanwhile, can be either a noun or a verb. So if you need a word for a thing or an action, it will be â€Å"course.† Remember: Coarse is an adjective meaning â€Å"harsh† or â€Å"rough.† As a noun, course can be many things, including a process, a route, an ongoing medical treatment, a set of classes, or part of a meal. As a verb, course means to flow quickly. And if you’d like anyone to check the word usage in your writing, let us know.

Finance and accounting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Finance and accounting - Essay Example These will be the history, revenues and the major operations of the particular business. One of the globe’s biggest confectionery business is called Cadbury and besides its being one of the world’s largest it occupies the first or the second position in about 20 of the global 50 largest confectionery markets. It also holds position one as the most vastly spread as well as largest upcoming markets business as far as confectionery companies are concerned. It is home to approximately 45,000 employees as well as having direct business operations in around 60 nations. Cadbury Company was founded in 1824, courtesy of John Cadbury. He began by selling cocoa and tea in the United Kingdom. The operations of the company revolve around gum, chocolate and candy today. Some of the brands going across the globe, local and regional areas as favourites are with the inclusion of Flake, Dairy milk, Green & Black in chocolate, Crease Egg, Dentyne and Trident among others. As per 2009’s half annual results, the revenue of the business base improved by 4%. The 4% growth was as a result of a sturdy growth in the sales of chocolate while the trends showed improving candy and gum business. These half year results of revenue from confectionery business were shared as follows: On the other hand, there is the Standard Chartered Bank which was established in the year 1869 following a merger of Standard Bank and Chartered Bank. Thus, Standard Bank was founded in 1863 in British South Africa while the Chartered in 1853 in India, China and Australia. The aim of the two companies was to maximise upon expanding largely on trade and to gain worthwhile profits through financing the goods movement across Asia, Africa and Europe. This bank has a branch network translating to about 1,600 branches as well as outlets and around 5,500 Automated Teller Machines in well above 70

Ip1 personnel and organization policy Research Paper

Ip1 personnel and organization policy - Research Paper Example However, the tests are based according to the position up for recruitment and the type of responsibilities involved by taking up the position. However, Huffcut (2010) argues that interviews are compulsory inclusions of the tests since the give the candidate and the recruiter an opportunity to have a more indulging conversation and it makes recruitment easier and effective. In an existing organization, HR mangers are tasked with the responsibility of evaluating whether a position would be effectively filled with an external or internal candidate. An external candidate has an added advantage since they would bring new working experience in an organization. However, an external selection raises the question of the ability of the personnel to adapt to the new organizational culture (Muchinsky, 2012). An internal selection is appropriate since an organization would be able to retain an inbuilt experience and one that understands the existing organizational culture. This would however limit the rate of exposure an organization benefits from in terms of experience and new working criteria (Huffcut,

MAT201 - Basic Statistics Speech or Presentation

MAT201 - Basic Statistics - Speech or Presentation Example I purposely chose the number of phone calls received and not phone calls made in order to avoid any possible bias, which might arise out of conscious and purposeful dialing of the phone. The observation collected was based on randomly taken data for 10 chosen days and the nature of this dataset is time series. The data was collected such that a single day’s call would not stimulate any received call for the following days. This was consciously done in order to avoid bias. Median value corresponds to observation=(n+1)/2, again if the number of observation is odd then we choose the middle value after arranging the observations in increasing order. Whereas if we have even number of observations as we have here, we take the mean of the two middle observations and it yields the median. The mean value of 13.7 calls (14 approx) is much more than what I expected. The busy schedule usually cuts down the number of phone calls to 10 per day. The average should have been somewhere around 10 or 11. The standard deviation is usually used to find the spread of the distribution of the available data set; here the number of phone calls in 10 days. It can also be said that it is a measure of variability. Square root of variance gives standard deviation. To find out whether the given data set follows normal distribution or not we plot the frequency as we may see that we do not get a symmetrical curve, so our inference is that the data do not follow Normal distribution. As it can be observed that the obtained frequency curve is not symmetrical, and hence we infer that the distribution is not Normal because the Normal distribution is a continuous distribution whereas the number of phone calls in 10 days is off course a discrete variable. Hence the most likely distribution that might be used is the Poisson distribution. Now we continue collecting the data on the number of phone calls for five more days. Our basic question in this context would be whether this changes the

Library System Essay Example for Free

Library System Essay This chapter deals with the review of Literatures and Studies. It also presents the synthesis of the review and its relevance to the present study. Related Literature AMA student Kariz Reinalyn B. Galano (et. al. Don Ricardo C. Lazaro, Rozmaigne Ann L. Sebastian, Kevin Patrick E. Viesca) (2012) cited in their approved thesis proposal at present ACLC has three hundred sixty five students enrolled. The institution is currently using a manual system in their Library and has weak security. Students can borrow books but need to return it within 5 school days. There is no proper monitoring on books being returned. There are no penalties imposed to the students as well. The only way the librarian will find out if there are still pending books not returned is during the end of semester at the inventory period. The librarian then will not sign the clearance of the students who failed to return the books. Another problem is the list of inventory of books. The students need to go and ask for the librarian’s assistance in order for them to search for the books. Karen Foss (2010), Library Director of the Catawba County Library System in Newton, North Carolina has expressed that it is difficult to find materials to help new public library managers cultivate their professional development. Most of the research and writings on library management have focused on academic libraries and only recently has there been more interest in the administration of public libraries. The skill and style of public library managers – the directors, branch managers, and department and service managers who are leading these institutions – strongly affects the culture of a public library. Library staff looks to these managers to help them navigate through the rapid changes that are occurring in public libraries as these changes in technology, roles, and user expectations strongly alter their daily routines of public service. Contemporary library managers need a wider array of skills and attributes than their earlier and more traditional counterparts and will need to seek continual professional development to remain effective as public libraries transition into the twenty-first century. These managers will also need to distinguish between management and leadership skills and learn to identify and mentor leaders within their staff who can assist in the transition. According to Alvin javelosa (2011) library is a collection of books, resources, and services, and the structure in which it is housed; it is organized for use and maintained by a public body, an institution, or a private individual. The term library has itself acquired a secondary meaning: a collection of useful material for common use, and in this sense is used in fields such as computer science, mathematics, statistics, electronics and biology. this study will help the library personnel or the librarian in monitoring the books accurately. Further, the use of cataloguing will be made easier through an advance system provided by this study. The librarian is encountering problems in doing transactions like borrowing books, checking the availability of books, returning and accessioning of books because all the transactions are being done manually. The process is time consuming. This proposed system will provide their library a computerized system making it more organized and easy to access. The advantage of this study is to make their current system more effective and efficient. This computerized library system is a transaction processing system (TPS) that will provide a convenient cataloguing, inventory, monitoring, accessioning, borrowing, returning, security and retrieving of records. html) According to Mohd Fairuz Anwar Bin Mahadi (2005), The Library management system will store all the books and members information that consist book number, book title, author name and racks to the system database. The system also provides search function to help students find the book by number of book. Search functions will search through the books database to look for the book and view where the book is situated. For the administrator user, only librarians have access to view or edit data from the system databases. Administrator user will handle administrative functions such create new LMS user account and decide the number of days allowed for the borrowed books. User needs to enter correct password and user id before user can access this function. From here, user can add, delete or update the book and borrower database. (http://library. utem. edu. my/index2. php? option=com_docmantask=doc_viewgid=3761Itemid=208) According to Donna M. Salinas (2010) Library is the best place in the school where the students review and study. It is the place where students study so our group aims to improve the manual operation of the library system. We thought of something that makes the time of students and library personnel decreases for searching and borrowing of books. (http://www. scribd. com/doc/56632694/library-system) Related Studies: According to Shelagh (2001) Fisher library management system is becoming marginalized in the context of ICT developments currently taking place within the library sector because suppliers have failed to keep up with such developments, or have been more concerned with keeping up with the changes in the core functions. The aim of this research, therefore, was to determine the feasibility of developing and disseminating a model system specification which could be used to assist and guide libraries in the procurement of library management systems. The premise was that if a core set of requirements for library management systems, as articulated by purchasing libraries, could be identified, it followed that it would be feasible to develop a model specification or ‘toolkit’ on which procuring libraries could draw. Identification of a potential core set of requirements could be identified primarily by undertaking analyses of  specifications produced by libraries for the tendering process in acquiring a library management system. Thus forty-one specifications were collected from libraries which had recently acquired a library management system, and these were subjected to various levels of analysis. The results are reported in Section 4. Secondly, it was decided that as library system suppliers were in receipt of large numbers of specifications produced by procuring library authorities they were in a strong position to comment on the feasibility, and desirability, of developing a model specification. Thus, a survey of UK system suppliers was undertaken to determine the collective view of suppliers on the role, content, quality and usefulness of the specification as a procurement tool. The results of the survey are reported in Section 5. A detailed account of the methods used in this Study is provided in Section 3. The next section (Section 2) provides a review of the literature on the role and content of specifications, and identifies weaknesses in approaches to producing specifications for the purchase of library systems. (et. al. Rachel Delbridge, Sian Lambert) (http://www. cerlim. ac. uk/projects/harmonise/harmonise. pdf) According to Veronica Adamson (2008) Changes in society and technology are impacting significantly on UK HE libraries and consequently on their management systems. Demographic changes, political and economic drivers are affecting university services and funding structures, and a ‘new realism’ of pragmatic economic and business considerations presides. (JISC SCONUL LMS Study Report, March 2008) Library management systems have developed in response to technical advances and user requirements, mainly in developing electronic interfaces, refining standards and access protocols, purchasing and acquisition processes and cataloguing systems. Increasing globalization of goods, services and communities means that technical platforms are now developed on an international basis and implemented for a worldwide network of users and contributors. A new market for library services and information provision has emerged, with Google and Amazon as a de facto paradigm and metaphor for discovery and delivery. Perceptions of the role and function of the university library are changing, developing and often conflicting, particularly in relation to the provision for collection and circulation, resource discovery, ownership and control, personalization  and seamless access to resources. Enhancing usability and accessibility for an increasingly diverse user community is of increasing importance for libraries. Today’s library users expect speed and immediacy of information discovery, one-stop access to aggregated services, user-generated open content, and personalized, workflow-related delivery to the desktop. (et. al. Paul Bacsich, Ken Chad, David Kay, Jane Plenderleith) (http://www. jisc. ac. uk/media/documents/programmes/resourcediscovery/lmsstudy. pdf) According to Herrera C Rocio (1987) the work habits of users in any activity requiring information, the importance they attach to obtaining it and the facilities at their disposal, their knowledge of these facilities, their assessment of their value and the possibility of their obtaining what they are looking for are the factors that affect user behaviour in the quest for information. The behaviour of the users of university libraries specifically is affected, in addition to the above factors, by others directly related to the university environment, such as teaching methods and the type of education provided. The countrys education system is a teaching-learning process largly consisting in an essentially repetitive pattern in which the student consumes and reproduces the concepts transmitted by the teacher. This model is mainly based on the university lecture system, in which the teacher simply gives a course of study and provides the pupil with a brief bibliography consisting basically of texts. The result has been that education has not become a critical and creative process and library resources have accordingly been under-utilized. As regards the response to the information services provided by university libraries, it can be said that research workers do not use the services properly since the role of the library as an agent for the transfer of information has been disregarded in the research process, this type of user tending to acquire information through informal channels of communication, such as personal contacts with other colleagues. In its turn, the library has neglected its task as a constituent part of the research enterprise, forgetting that one of the priorities of the university, in addition to its teaching role, is that of research, which is the source of much knowledge of benefit not only to the university but also to the community in general. The university library should pay special attention to ascertaining not only the specific information needs of each type of user but also user behaviour patterns in the information retrieval process, in order that these needs may be met and the factors responsible for the non-use of the library restricted to a minimum. This will be achieved through an appropriate methodology for conducting user studies, which will then provide guidelines for the organization of user training or instruction courses aimed at the various groups. These courses will influence the future response of users to information services. Since user behaviour in the information retrieval process determines the level of library-user interaction, continual monitoring by the librarian of changes in that behaviour is necessary. These changes are dependent not only on information needs but also on the possible impact of the introduction of new services. This shows that, over and above the matter of training in the use of library resources, user behaviour presents a number of special features, largely reflecting the fact that the information needs of those concerned are not well defined and that their request for information are consequently vague and very general. It follows that library staff should bear in mind their active role in promoting and publicizing their services and resources since, despite the continual emphasis placed on the role of information in development, it has been shown that users tend to dispense with non-essential information, the usual practice being to rely on memory, to evade the problem or to solve it with vague or incomplete information. However, it should not be overlooked that there is another group of users who consult libraries actively and effectively in order to satisfy their information needs; although accessibility influences the use that they make of resources, the most important thing for this group is their confidence and faith in the information system. (c Loreto M. Libia and Rua R. Ivan) (http://www. unesco. org/webworld/ramp/html/r8722e/r8722e0l. htm) According Neelakdan,B (2010) a sincere attempt has been made towards finding out ways and means for automating activities in the School of Chemistry Library. The objective of this study is to use the Koha Open Source software system for the automation of the major day ­ to ­day activities of the various section of the School of Chemistry Library, which is tiresome and cumbersome. After the investigation, the researcher has found that Koha Software is more suitable for the library Automation. This project had the basic objective of designing a bibliographic database for the School of Chemistry library, with which the automation of circulation routines is carried out. From this point of view it may be concluded that Koha is a useful package for the creation of a database and for information retrieval. This set of Manuals for the automation of circulation section is tested with the database created from the collection of chemistry department library. A sample database for a few thousand works and a database of the users/borrowers are created. With that test sample the Manuals for each function of the circulation section is tested with the available computer system. Koha is an integrated software system with all the required models for small to very large libraries. It is found that this automation projects will serve as a model for any library. (http://www. ipublishing. co. in/jarvol1no12010/EIJAER1014. pdf) According to Dio P. Doble (2011) A college strengthens its educational level through the advancement of its library. The Botolan Community College Computerized Library System aimed to enhance the procedures of the library, from manually operated to a computerized system. This proposal’s purpose was to ease the transactions in the library, i,e. , leading of books, storing of books, search engine for books, manage members of the library and secure the library system. The librarian and the library users still use the manual way of transacting of borrowing and returning of books. The librarian use log books in listing the books. They use library cards and card catalogues in searching for reading and reference materials. (http://www. scribd. com/doc/99431218/Computerized-Library-System)

Effect of Motivation on Employee Performance

Effect of Motivation on Employee Performance Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the Study In todays competitive world, employee is an important asset to every organisation. An organisation cannot progress without employees. However, the success of an organisation depends on how the management utilise their workers capabilities in achieving organisation goals and objectives. Employees need to be inspired as well as motivated to perform well and perform efficiently. According to Smith (n.d.), employees who like where they work will help the company make more money. Sears conducted an 800-store survey that showed the impact of employee attitudes on the bottom line. When employee attitudes improved by 5%, customer satisfactionjumped 1.3%, consequently increasing revenue by one-half a percentage point. Seeking ways to motivate and build worker morale pays dividends to any business or organization. The motivated worker is more committed to the job and to the customer. This shows that happy employees performed well which increases the quality and quantity of their work. Long time ago, employees were considered as merely an input to the production of good and services. However as time goes by, this way of thinking has changed as many studies has been done on the employees behaviour and job performance. An employees performance may affect the production of the company, from the quality to the quantity of the products and services. This is why the management must identify the factors affecting their workers performance. A high performance workforce is the most important foundation for organisations success no matter how big or how small the organisation is. Job performance is the ability and skill that an employee possesses in performing the job required by the employer. The level of performance by the employee is going to affect the organisations goal and productivity. Besides, employees performance may also be affected by the management of the company, the job itself or even the employees own behaviour. Good job performance provides great achievement to the organisation, harmony in the workplace and also employees self-accomplishment. Thus, to have a good workforce and good employee performance, organisation must firstly identify and understand the factors which affect the employees job performance in achieving companys goal. 1.2 Research Problem For centuries, individuals have questioned and performed research on the factors affecting employees job performance and yet the answers may vary from one another. Some researcher said that employees performance is influenced by their pay and some said they are not. Employees are an organisations important asset which is why good performance by the employees is essential in producing good job quality and productivity. Employees are the ones who are running the organisation on behalf of the company. They have the responsibilities to perform well for the company in order to achieve organisation goal and compete with other organisations in the same industry. Employees are the one who plan, manage, organise and run the business activities of an organisation. This means that poor employees job performance may reduce the quality of services and productivity which will eventually slow down the operation of the organisation and lead to wastage of resources such as money and time. Organisations may find ways to solve the problem by terminating poorly performed employees or even choose to ignore it which may lead to unsuccessful business or bankruptcy. By choosing to terminate underperformed employee could not solve the problem as time is needed to hire new employee and extra cost will be incurred for training new employee. Management should find ways that inspires their workers to perform well in order to achieve organisations goal and in order to fully utilise their resources. Management believes that by paying employees more (increase of wages), employees will tend to perform better. Perhaps it might be true according to some researcher. However, there are also recent studies that have shown that employees motivations are not solely affected by pay. Thus, this research is carried out to investigate the factors that affect employees performance. This research will attempt to evaluate the effect of four variables which are motivation, job commitment, job design and work environment. 1.3 Research Objectives The reason for this research is: To investigate if motivation has the significant affect on employees job performance. To investigate if job commitment has the significant affect on employees job performance. To investigate if job design has the significant affect on employees job performance. To investigate if work environment has the significant affect on employees job performance. Job design is techniques that are use in the job design exercise are such as job enlargement, job enrichment, job rotation and job simplification. The work environment or working place which an employee performs in, can affect his or her performance. Work environment can be divided into two categories which are physical environment and social environment. The physical environment includes safe working place with ample resources and equipment such as comfortable chair, lighting and etc whereas the social environment includes people that the employees are working with in the organisation such as working colleagues or subordinates, supervisors and etc. 1.4 Scope of the Study This empirical study consists of dependent and independent variables. The dependent variable is employees job performance whereas the independent variables consist of factors that affect employees job performance such as motivation (pay, benefits, rewards, etc), job commitment, job design and work environment. The population for this study take into account the employees working in the manufacturing companies in Penang and is randomly selected by using convenience sampling method. Questionnaires will be distributed to 150 employees. Questionnaires will then be collected back and data will be analysed using the regression testing that is use to test the effects of the independent variables onto the dependent variables. 1.5 Significance of Study It is definite that every organisation no matter how big or small in size the company is in the whole wide world needs people or employees to operate and manage their company. The significance of this study is to investigate the four factors relationship with employees job performance, as employees job performance is important in producing good job quality and maximum productivity. This study is also essential to find out the influences of the four factors to the organisations. An organisation is considered dead and cannot operate without workers. Well performed employees may lead the organisation to success and earn competitive advantage over competitors while poor performed employees may lead company to failure and even bankruptcy. Besides poorly performed workers causes insufficiency in productivity which indirectly waste company resources. It might also cause company to be defeated by its rival. Therefore this study will help managers and employees to understand better the problem affecting their performance and reduce the negative effects to the company. Chapter 2 LITERATURE RREVIEW 2.1 Introduction These days, the business world is becoming more challenging than ever. This increases the managements awareness that good job performance is the key success to the organisation. To have well-performed employees, various ways or techniques should be conducted to manipulate humans nature and needs to produce desired behaviours and well performance. For that reason, the first thing the management should do is to understand human (employees) needs and wants. Employee job performance is the ability of employees to perform effectively in their job required and they need to have understanding of complete and up-to-date job description for their position. Besides that, they also need to be aware of the job performance requirements and standard that they are expected to meet. Supervisors or the management of the organisation should then review their employees job description and performance requirements. Job performance can be reviewed in terms of overall efficiency in the job or in terms of specific components that the job compromises. The purpose of performance standards is to communicate expectations. Some supervisors prefer to make them as specific as possible, and some prefer to use them as talking points with the specificity defined in the discussion (University Human Resource Services, 2005). In general employees and supervisors use the performance assessment annually to sum up an overall review of how the job has been done over the previous 12 months, to identify whether organisational goals have been met, to identify areas which require additional efforts, and lastly to identify the achievement and development goals for the forthcoming year. Performance reviews typically take place annually, but can be scheduled more frequently. Performance review processes vary depending on whether your appointment is as classified or professional staff. For classified staff covered by a labour contract, the contract establishes the performance review process requirements (University of Washington, 2007). People who are joining the workplace today are not only looking for jobs that earn money, but are also looking for more opportunities such as self-development. They are willing to put more effort on their job when their own needs, goals, expectation and desires are met. For that reason, the management of the organisation have to find out the factors affecting the employees performance and come up with techniques to improve employees job performance. Management must also make sure that employees goals are in line with organisations objectives. As the world become more competitive, organisations around the world are also alerted by the need to compete effectively against each other. In order to do so, organisations need to prepare themselves by making sure the people in their organisation are able to perform well and compete competently. Job performance will be the key success for organisation as it enables employees to work at their best and maximize their contribution to the organisa tion. 2.2 History of Research on Job Performance According to Hersen (2004), â€Å"job performance is a complex, multidimensional construct that can be defined and assessed in varying ways. Job performance can be defined (and assessed) in terms of quantifiable outcomes of work behaviours (e.g., amount of sales measured in dollars, productivity level, number of academic journal publications, number of lines of computer code written) and in terms of behavioural dimensions (work-related communication, decision making, attention to detail) that are less quantifiable†. Employees job performance also stands for the level ability of every employee to work efficiently (in terms of quantity and quality) in their job as required or expected by their employers. The employees job performance is then evaluated by the employer, supervisors or the people in charge. The job performance can be evaluated in terms of effectiveness all together in the job and in terms of particular components that the job compromises. The employees performances will show the personalities, knowledge and experiences of themselves. Each employees performance level is different as each individual has different capability and behaviour. Employees poor level of performance may be affected by many factors which include motivation, job commitment, job design and the work environment of the organisation. Historically, many researchers have attempted to study the factors affecting job performance but it is not as simple as one may think and the answer may vary from one another. Buchanan (n.d.), who has done a study on the relation of job satisfaction and performance, pointed out in her study that â€Å"the relationship between job satisfaction and performance is an issue of continuing debate and controversy. One view, associated with the early human relations approach, is that satisfaction leads to performance. An alternative view is that performance leads to satisfaction†. She also mentioned that many researchers tend to relate job satisfaction and job performance in a specific fashion, which is a happy worker, is a good worker. Job satisfaction is defined as the extent to which people like (satisfaction) or dislike (dissatisfaction) their jobs (Spector, 1997). This definition suggests job satisfaction is a general or global affective reaction that individuals hold about their job (Williams, 2004). Job satisfaction is usually linked with motivation, but the nature of this relationship is not clear. Satisfaction is not the same as motivation. Several numbers of studies has found that there is only a limited amount of relationship between employees satisfaction and their job performance. For example, it was found by Brayfield and Crockett (1955) that there is only a minimal relationship between job performance and job satisfaction (Judge et al., 2001). The increased of job satisfaction does not necessarily mean increased of employees job performance. If the goals of the organisation are not aligned with the goals of employees, then employees are not effectively working towards the mission of the organisation. Therefore, Buchanan concluded in her study that each employees performance is normally determined by motivation, ability, and the work environment. The motivation factor is the desire of the employee to do the job; ability is the capability of the employee to do the job and lastly the work environment which is the tools, materials and information that is needed by the employee to do the job required. 2.3 Past Research on Motivation Affecting Job Performance In the past, employees job performance are traditionally been looked at in terms of ‘motivation. Many researchers have come out with a conclusion that employees levels of performance are influenced by the motivation factor. Examples of researchers are like Maslow (1954), who developed ‘the hierarchy of needs or Hezberg (1966), who developed the idea of ‘hygiene factors, such as pay and conditions which, if not ‘right in the eyes of the employee, act as de-motivators. There is also the work of McClelland who argued that people struggled to fulfil needs of power or influence and social interaction, amongst others. All these ideas have uses in the management of the poor performer. Sometimes, however; they seem to be too complex to use on a day-to-day basis and are more suited to giving the manager a theoretical understanding rather than a useful tool (Proud, n.d.). From the theory of motivation such as Maslows hierarchy of needs,modern leaders, executive managers or supervisors findmeans of motivation for the purposesof employees performance and workforce management. Motivation is always view as an important issue in the business world. This is because motivation is vital in every organisation as it will affect the productivity of the organisation. When the employees in an organisation are unmotivated, the productivity of that organisation will be decreased whereas compared to an organisation which have motivated employees the labour turnover will be lower and production will be higher. According to Dev (n.d.), â€Å"A Gallup organisation study indicated that companies with positive employee attitudes are 50 percent more likely to achieve customer loyalty, and 44 percent more likely to achieve above-average profits. Additionally, the study finds firms that measure in the top quartile with regard to employee engagement averaged 24 percent higher profitability, 29 percent greater revenue and 10 percent less employee turnover than businesses in the bottom quartile. The evidence is clear. Better people management practices produce better business results.† According to Bartol Martin (1998), â€Å"motivation is defined as the force that energises behaviour, gives direction to behaviour, and underlies the tendency to persist. This definition recognises that in order to achieve goals, individual must be sufficiently stimulated and energetic , must have a clear focus on what is to be achieved, and must be willing to commit their energy for a long enough period of time to realise their aim†. Thus, motivated behaviours are performed and controlled voluntarily by the employees themselves whereas supervisors or managers only act as the motivator to encourage employees to increase their level of job performance. Many people who are not motivated keep their performance to an acceptable level by expending only 20% to 30% of their ability whereas managers who know how to motivate their employees can achieve 80% to 90% ability levels and consequently higher levels of performance (Geoff, n.d.). Motivation comes in many different forms. It can be in a simple form like praise by the supervisors or managers, in the form of monetary (increase in pay), rewards, promotion, job security and etc. These factors are important because it will affect the employees level of job performance. Hence it is truly essential that managers and supervisors of an organisation knows how to motivate its employees in performing well and achieving organisation goals. According to Wagner (n.d.), â€Å"Abraham Maslow first introduced his concept of a hierarchy of needs in his 1943 paper, ‘A Theory of Human Motivation. This hierarchy suggests that people are motivated to fulfil basic needs before moving on to other needs†. Maslows hierarchy of needs is most often displayed as a pyramid, with lowest levels of the pyramid made up of the most basic needs and more complex needs are at the top of the pyramid. The basis of Maslows theory is that human beings are motivated by unsatisfied needs, and that certain lower needs need to be satisfied before higher needs can be satisfied. A satisfied need is not a motivator as the most influential employee need is the one that has not been satisfied. From the Maslows hierarchy of needs, management should understand and identify what their employees need and then satisfy them from the lowest to the highest level. Physiological needs are needs which are at the bottom of the pyramid, are the most essential needs to human living. In the workforce, organisation helps employees to satisfy their needs by giving them basic salary. Safety needs are security needs that include the needs for shelter from the environment and health insurance. In the organization context, employees express their security needs as a desire for job security with fringe benefits. The management should provide employees with safe working environment with ample tools and resources. These will be the factor that helps employees to perform well. Social needs are needs related to the need for friendship, love and sense of belonging. At the workplace, these needs include having good relationship with colleagues, superiors or etc. When employees enjoy working closely with each other, it may result in positive behaviour at work which will also result in better employee performances. The management can also help to satisfy employees social needs by showing direct concern for them. Esteem needs are the needs of self-respect, respect or recognition from others and a sense of personal achievement. When these needs are satisfied, the person feels self-confident and valuable as a person in the world (Simons et al., 1987). In the organisation, the management can fulfil employees esteem needs by showing their appreciation through promotion, rewards, recognition and etc. Self-actualisation needs are place at the highest level of the pyramid. These needs are associated to personal growth, self-fulfilment and the realisation of ones full potential. In this stage, the management can help the employees by giving them tasks that challenges their own intelligence. All the elements in the Maslows hierarchy of needs are the motivator for employees to perform well in their job. A motivated employee is usually someone with clearly defined goals who takes action which he or she expects to achieve. Besides that, motivated employees will be likely to put in more effort towards the organisation objectives and goals. A leader that recognises employee efforts and helps employees achieve and grow can help improve motivation which therefore increases job performance. According to Hong et al. (1995), Vroom maintained in his expectation theory that everyone works in expectation of some rewards (both spiritual and material), and welfare is one of them. In other words, the degree of reward influences the quality and quantity of work, and in turn productivity. So it is important for management to explore how to give the stimulus (welfare) in order to promote work motivation and performance. Image. Relationship between the type of employee benefit and impact on job performance However, there are some researchers that found out that motivation has limited relationship with employees job performance. They do not believe that money (salary and bonuses) is a good motivator. McNamara (n.d.), who did a research on employee motivation, said that â€Å"certain things like money, a nice office and job security can help people from becoming less motivated, but they usually dont help people to become more motivated. A key goal for the company is to understand the motivations of each of their employees†. Another researcher, Urichuck (n.d.), stated that â€Å"organisations could provide employee motivation through a bonus in the form of money at the end of a period. For sure they will be glad and grateful. They may even perform better, but what are their expectations at the end of the next period will be more money. External employee motivation is temporary and it is never lasting. Money is an external employee motivator. Its an incentive that once acquired, leads to expectations for more, bigger or better. Nevertheless the employees will not even realise that the company is facing a crisis. They will want a bonus at least equal to what they got last year, but preferably more, not less†. According to him, there is a survey on thousands of workers around the world that uses compared rankings by supervisors and employees on employee motivating factors. The typical supervisory group ranked the factors in the following order; high wages, job security, promotion in the organisation, good working conditions, interesting work, personal loyalty of supervisor, tactful discipline, full appreciation of work done, help on personal problems, and feeling of being in on things. However, when employees were given the same exercise and asked what affects their morale and employee motivation the most, their answers followed this pattern; full appreciation of work done, feeling of being in on things, help on personal problems, job security, high wages, interesting work, promotion in the organization, personal loyalty of supervisor, good working conditions, and tactful discipline. Note that the top three employee motivating factors marked by the employees are the last three felt to be important for them by their supervisors (Urichuck, n.d.). As a result, this research shows that motivation through the form of money, has limited amount of relationship with employees job performance while recognition is the most influential motivator that affects employees job performance. 2.4 Past Research on Job Commitment Affecting Job Performance Job commitment is the willingness of the employees to be devoted in completing the job assigned to them at minimum level of commitment or exceeding the amount that is required. The level of employee commitment to their job is often the key determinant of whether the employee performs as expected or exceeding the expectations. The level of employee commitment may affect employees job performance. Committed employees often performed well and results in companys success and increase of productivity level. Besides job commitment includes the level of employee involvement and employee loyalty to the organisation. Simpson (n.d.), who did a research on building employee commitment for business success, stated that â€Å"the indication of lack of employee commitment could be an indication of a company on the way to becoming another business failure. The workplace is changing dramatically and demands for the highest quality of product and service is increasing. To remain competitive in the face of these pressures, employee commitment is crucial. The two keys to success in todays environment of increasing competition and rapid change are an absolute passion for, and dedication to, excellence in customer service and the effective and enlightened management of our workforce. The employees commitment will lead to achieving desired standards in customer service and high job performance. Without employee commitment, there can be no improvement in any area of business activity. In the absence of good management, employees will simply treat their work as a job; a 9am to 5pm routine without any desire to accomplish any more than is necessary to remain employed. It does not take many uncommitted employees to prevent a business from prospering and thereby ceding a big advantage to its competitors†. Another researcher, Fink (1992), asserted that although there are many factors that affect employees performance, the key factor of employees performance is affected by employees job commitment. He defines commitment as an attitude that develops from a process called identification, which occurs when one experiences something, someone, or some idea as an extension of oneself. While all research on commitment treats it only in terms of identification with organisation, that is, its goals, values, and mission, on the other hand, he focuses on three-dimensional concept including identification with the work itself and with co-workers. He is sure that these are equally important because they can have powerful effects upon employee performance. As basis of his research he makes an interactive model that proposes: good management practices result in an effective reward system and employee commitment, an effective reward system results in enhanced employee commitment and employee performanc e, and employee commitment results in enhanced employee performance. As a result of his research in two companies, who has 418 and 430 employees, respectively, he found that there was significant correlation between employee performance ratings and commitment score in all categories, and also the correlation between performance and commitment for managers and operational employees grouped separately were significant in all categories. The higher the level of employee commitment to work; co-worker, and organisation, the higher the level of the performance will be. Based on Sutanto‘s (1999) findings, instead of concluding that job commitment only has significant affect on job performance, he has found that â€Å"there is also a positive and significant relationship between commitment to supervisors and performance. He also stated that employees commitment to supervisors have become a good predictor to performance rather than commitment to organisations†. After conducting a larger project to all 1,803 members of May 1993 graduating class of large north-western university, Becker (1992), has found that commitment to supervisors was positively related to performance. â€Å"Further, internalization of supervisors and organizations values was associated with performance but identification with these foci (targets) was not. A number of theorists and researchers have begun to view employee commitment as having multiple foci and bases. Foci commitments are the individuals and group to whom an employee is attached†. Thus, in order to increase employees performance, the study suggest that managers should focus on creating employees commitment to supervisors rather than creating employees commitment to the organisation. On the other hand, Cohens (1999) research supported the important status of job involvement as an antecedent to organisational commitment. Specifically, Cohen argued that those individuals with high levels of job involvement, which stem from positive experiences on-the-job (Witt, 1993), make attributions for these experiences to the organisation. Thus, having previously received benefits from the organisation and being obligated by the norm of reciprocity (Gouldner, 1960) to repay them, high job involvement employees feel compelled to reciprocate in some form. This increased affective commitment (i.e. where employees adopt the companys goals as their own and, therefore, desire to remain with the organisation to help it achieve its goals; Meyer and Allen, 1984; Mowday et al., 1979) and later was found to reduce turnover intentions, absence behaviour, and/or turnover, as well as increased job performance. Tough many researchers have confirmed that employees commitment result in high job performance, nevertheless some past researchers have also found that job commitment or involvement has limited affect on employees job performance. According to Rotenberry and Moberg (2007), â€Å"research finding a significant impact of job involvement on employee performance has met limited success (e.g. Brown, 1996; Brown and Leigh, 1996; Diefendorff et al., 2006 and Vroom, 1962)†. Diefendorff et al. (2002) stated that â€Å"research has been limited for two reasons. Specifically, they asserted that past studies had predominantly used inferior measures of job involvement, which led to their insignificant findings. In addition, Diefendorff et al. (2002) argued that the performance domain assessed in those previous studies needed to be expanded in order to ascertain job involvements true impact on performance at work. The researchers tested the validity of these propositions, but called for additional research in the area paying particular attention to theory development regarding the job involvement-performance relationship†. 2.5 Past Research on Job Design Affecting Job Performance Job design is the method of arranging various work elements in forming a job that suit the employees. Job design identifies what work must be performed to be precise, the content of the job, how it will be performed, where it is to be performed and the competencies required by the person who will perform it. Job design also facilitates the achievement of organizational goals and performance of the work the job was established to accomplish (Sharon, 1998). Job design is also important to avoid employees dissatisfaction. The design of the job must follow the organisations and employees requirement including the health and safety requirement. Besides, job design implementation includes methods such as job enlargement, job rotation, job enrichment and job simplification. The first, job enlargement, can be used to increase motivation by giving employees more and varied tasks. Tasks that reduce the amount of specialization required by the employee, as well as, extending the length of time he or she has to complete them. The second, job rotation, allows an employee to work in different departments or jobs in an organization to gain better insight into operations. This, in itself, does not modify or redesigns the employees job, but allows the opportunity to increase his/her skills and knowledge about other jobs. Job enrichment, the third method, allows the employee to take on some responsibilities normally delegated to management. The risk here is that the employee would be transferred too much responsibility and autonomy in the planning and control aspects of the job. Done right, however, the newfound control would invigorate the employee to work more effectively and thus increased it Effect of Motivation on Employee Performance Effect of Motivation on Employee Performance Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 Background of the Study In todays competitive world, employee is an important asset to every organisation. An organisation cannot progress without employees. However, the success of an organisation depends on how the management utilise their workers capabilities in achieving organisation goals and objectives. Employees need to be inspired as well as motivated to perform well and perform efficiently. According to Smith (n.d.), employees who like where they work will help the company make more money. Sears conducted an 800-store survey that showed the impact of employee attitudes on the bottom line. When employee attitudes improved by 5%, customer satisfactionjumped 1.3%, consequently increasing revenue by one-half a percentage point. Seeking ways to motivate and build worker morale pays dividends to any business or organization. The motivated worker is more committed to the job and to the customer. This shows that happy employees performed well which increases the quality and quantity of their work. Long time ago, employees were considered as merely an input to the production of good and services. However as time goes by, this way of thinking has changed as many studies has been done on the employees behaviour and job performance. An employees performance may affect the production of the company, from the quality to the quantity of the products and services. This is why the management must identify the factors affecting their workers performance. A high performance workforce is the most important foundation for organisations success no matter how big or how small the organisation is. Job performance is the ability and skill that an employee possesses in performing the job required by the employer. The level of performance by the employee is going to affect the organisations goal and productivity. Besides, employees performance may also be affected by the management of the company, the job itself or even the employees own behaviour. Good job performance provides great achievement to the organisation, harmony in the workplace and also employees self-accomplishment. Thus, to have a good workforce and good employee performance, organisation must firstly identify and understand the factors which affect the employees job performance in achieving companys goal. 1.2 Research Problem For centuries, individuals have questioned and performed research on the factors affecting employees job performance and yet the answers may vary from one another. Some researcher said that employees performance is influenced by their pay and some said they are not. Employees are an organisations important asset which is why good performance by the employees is essential in producing good job quality and productivity. Employees are the ones who are running the organisation on behalf of the company. They have the responsibilities to perform well for the company in order to achieve organisation goal and compete with other organisations in the same industry. Employees are the one who plan, manage, organise and run the business activities of an organisation. This means that poor employees job performance may reduce the quality of services and productivity which will eventually slow down the operation of the organisation and lead to wastage of resources such as money and time. Organisations may find ways to solve the problem by terminating poorly performed employees or even choose to ignore it which may lead to unsuccessful business or bankruptcy. By choosing to terminate underperformed employee could not solve the problem as time is needed to hire new employee and extra cost will be incurred for training new employee. Management should find ways that inspires their workers to perform well in order to achieve organisations goal and in order to fully utilise their resources. Management believes that by paying employees more (increase of wages), employees will tend to perform better. Perhaps it might be true according to some researcher. However, there are also recent studies that have shown that employees motivations are not solely affected by pay. Thus, this research is carried out to investigate the factors that affect employees performance. This research will attempt to evaluate the effect of four variables which are motivation, job commitment, job design and work environment. 1.3 Research Objectives The reason for this research is: To investigate if motivation has the significant affect on employees job performance. To investigate if job commitment has the significant affect on employees job performance. To investigate if job design has the significant affect on employees job performance. To investigate if work environment has the significant affect on employees job performance. Job design is techniques that are use in the job design exercise are such as job enlargement, job enrichment, job rotation and job simplification. The work environment or working place which an employee performs in, can affect his or her performance. Work environment can be divided into two categories which are physical environment and social environment. The physical environment includes safe working place with ample resources and equipment such as comfortable chair, lighting and etc whereas the social environment includes people that the employees are working with in the organisation such as working colleagues or subordinates, supervisors and etc. 1.4 Scope of the Study This empirical study consists of dependent and independent variables. The dependent variable is employees job performance whereas the independent variables consist of factors that affect employees job performance such as motivation (pay, benefits, rewards, etc), job commitment, job design and work environment. The population for this study take into account the employees working in the manufacturing companies in Penang and is randomly selected by using convenience sampling method. Questionnaires will be distributed to 150 employees. Questionnaires will then be collected back and data will be analysed using the regression testing that is use to test the effects of the independent variables onto the dependent variables. 1.5 Significance of Study It is definite that every organisation no matter how big or small in size the company is in the whole wide world needs people or employees to operate and manage their company. The significance of this study is to investigate the four factors relationship with employees job performance, as employees job performance is important in producing good job quality and maximum productivity. This study is also essential to find out the influences of the four factors to the organisations. An organisation is considered dead and cannot operate without workers. Well performed employees may lead the organisation to success and earn competitive advantage over competitors while poor performed employees may lead company to failure and even bankruptcy. Besides poorly performed workers causes insufficiency in productivity which indirectly waste company resources. It might also cause company to be defeated by its rival. Therefore this study will help managers and employees to understand better the problem affecting their performance and reduce the negative effects to the company. Chapter 2 LITERATURE RREVIEW 2.1 Introduction These days, the business world is becoming more challenging than ever. This increases the managements awareness that good job performance is the key success to the organisation. To have well-performed employees, various ways or techniques should be conducted to manipulate humans nature and needs to produce desired behaviours and well performance. For that reason, the first thing the management should do is to understand human (employees) needs and wants. Employee job performance is the ability of employees to perform effectively in their job required and they need to have understanding of complete and up-to-date job description for their position. Besides that, they also need to be aware of the job performance requirements and standard that they are expected to meet. Supervisors or the management of the organisation should then review their employees job description and performance requirements. Job performance can be reviewed in terms of overall efficiency in the job or in terms of specific components that the job compromises. The purpose of performance standards is to communicate expectations. Some supervisors prefer to make them as specific as possible, and some prefer to use them as talking points with the specificity defined in the discussion (University Human Resource Services, 2005). In general employees and supervisors use the performance assessment annually to sum up an overall review of how the job has been done over the previous 12 months, to identify whether organisational goals have been met, to identify areas which require additional efforts, and lastly to identify the achievement and development goals for the forthcoming year. Performance reviews typically take place annually, but can be scheduled more frequently. Performance review processes vary depending on whether your appointment is as classified or professional staff. For classified staff covered by a labour contract, the contract establishes the performance review process requirements (University of Washington, 2007). People who are joining the workplace today are not only looking for jobs that earn money, but are also looking for more opportunities such as self-development. They are willing to put more effort on their job when their own needs, goals, expectation and desires are met. For that reason, the management of the organisation have to find out the factors affecting the employees performance and come up with techniques to improve employees job performance. Management must also make sure that employees goals are in line with organisations objectives. As the world become more competitive, organisations around the world are also alerted by the need to compete effectively against each other. In order to do so, organisations need to prepare themselves by making sure the people in their organisation are able to perform well and compete competently. Job performance will be the key success for organisation as it enables employees to work at their best and maximize their contribution to the organisa tion. 2.2 History of Research on Job Performance According to Hersen (2004), â€Å"job performance is a complex, multidimensional construct that can be defined and assessed in varying ways. Job performance can be defined (and assessed) in terms of quantifiable outcomes of work behaviours (e.g., amount of sales measured in dollars, productivity level, number of academic journal publications, number of lines of computer code written) and in terms of behavioural dimensions (work-related communication, decision making, attention to detail) that are less quantifiable†. Employees job performance also stands for the level ability of every employee to work efficiently (in terms of quantity and quality) in their job as required or expected by their employers. The employees job performance is then evaluated by the employer, supervisors or the people in charge. The job performance can be evaluated in terms of effectiveness all together in the job and in terms of particular components that the job compromises. The employees performances will show the personalities, knowledge and experiences of themselves. Each employees performance level is different as each individual has different capability and behaviour. Employees poor level of performance may be affected by many factors which include motivation, job commitment, job design and the work environment of the organisation. Historically, many researchers have attempted to study the factors affecting job performance but it is not as simple as one may think and the answer may vary from one another. Buchanan (n.d.), who has done a study on the relation of job satisfaction and performance, pointed out in her study that â€Å"the relationship between job satisfaction and performance is an issue of continuing debate and controversy. One view, associated with the early human relations approach, is that satisfaction leads to performance. An alternative view is that performance leads to satisfaction†. She also mentioned that many researchers tend to relate job satisfaction and job performance in a specific fashion, which is a happy worker, is a good worker. Job satisfaction is defined as the extent to which people like (satisfaction) or dislike (dissatisfaction) their jobs (Spector, 1997). This definition suggests job satisfaction is a general or global affective reaction that individuals hold about their job (Williams, 2004). Job satisfaction is usually linked with motivation, but the nature of this relationship is not clear. Satisfaction is not the same as motivation. Several numbers of studies has found that there is only a limited amount of relationship between employees satisfaction and their job performance. For example, it was found by Brayfield and Crockett (1955) that there is only a minimal relationship between job performance and job satisfaction (Judge et al., 2001). The increased of job satisfaction does not necessarily mean increased of employees job performance. If the goals of the organisation are not aligned with the goals of employees, then employees are not effectively working towards the mission of the organisation. Therefore, Buchanan concluded in her study that each employees performance is normally determined by motivation, ability, and the work environment. The motivation factor is the desire of the employee to do the job; ability is the capability of the employee to do the job and lastly the work environment which is the tools, materials and information that is needed by the employee to do the job required. 2.3 Past Research on Motivation Affecting Job Performance In the past, employees job performance are traditionally been looked at in terms of ‘motivation. Many researchers have come out with a conclusion that employees levels of performance are influenced by the motivation factor. Examples of researchers are like Maslow (1954), who developed ‘the hierarchy of needs or Hezberg (1966), who developed the idea of ‘hygiene factors, such as pay and conditions which, if not ‘right in the eyes of the employee, act as de-motivators. There is also the work of McClelland who argued that people struggled to fulfil needs of power or influence and social interaction, amongst others. All these ideas have uses in the management of the poor performer. Sometimes, however; they seem to be too complex to use on a day-to-day basis and are more suited to giving the manager a theoretical understanding rather than a useful tool (Proud, n.d.). From the theory of motivation such as Maslows hierarchy of needs,modern leaders, executive managers or supervisors findmeans of motivation for the purposesof employees performance and workforce management. Motivation is always view as an important issue in the business world. This is because motivation is vital in every organisation as it will affect the productivity of the organisation. When the employees in an organisation are unmotivated, the productivity of that organisation will be decreased whereas compared to an organisation which have motivated employees the labour turnover will be lower and production will be higher. According to Dev (n.d.), â€Å"A Gallup organisation study indicated that companies with positive employee attitudes are 50 percent more likely to achieve customer loyalty, and 44 percent more likely to achieve above-average profits. Additionally, the study finds firms that measure in the top quartile with regard to employee engagement averaged 24 percent higher profitability, 29 percent greater revenue and 10 percent less employee turnover than businesses in the bottom quartile. The evidence is clear. Better people management practices produce better business results.† According to Bartol Martin (1998), â€Å"motivation is defined as the force that energises behaviour, gives direction to behaviour, and underlies the tendency to persist. This definition recognises that in order to achieve goals, individual must be sufficiently stimulated and energetic , must have a clear focus on what is to be achieved, and must be willing to commit their energy for a long enough period of time to realise their aim†. Thus, motivated behaviours are performed and controlled voluntarily by the employees themselves whereas supervisors or managers only act as the motivator to encourage employees to increase their level of job performance. Many people who are not motivated keep their performance to an acceptable level by expending only 20% to 30% of their ability whereas managers who know how to motivate their employees can achieve 80% to 90% ability levels and consequently higher levels of performance (Geoff, n.d.). Motivation comes in many different forms. It can be in a simple form like praise by the supervisors or managers, in the form of monetary (increase in pay), rewards, promotion, job security and etc. These factors are important because it will affect the employees level of job performance. Hence it is truly essential that managers and supervisors of an organisation knows how to motivate its employees in performing well and achieving organisation goals. According to Wagner (n.d.), â€Å"Abraham Maslow first introduced his concept of a hierarchy of needs in his 1943 paper, ‘A Theory of Human Motivation. This hierarchy suggests that people are motivated to fulfil basic needs before moving on to other needs†. Maslows hierarchy of needs is most often displayed as a pyramid, with lowest levels of the pyramid made up of the most basic needs and more complex needs are at the top of the pyramid. The basis of Maslows theory is that human beings are motivated by unsatisfied needs, and that certain lower needs need to be satisfied before higher needs can be satisfied. A satisfied need is not a motivator as the most influential employee need is the one that has not been satisfied. From the Maslows hierarchy of needs, management should understand and identify what their employees need and then satisfy them from the lowest to the highest level. Physiological needs are needs which are at the bottom of the pyramid, are the most essential needs to human living. In the workforce, organisation helps employees to satisfy their needs by giving them basic salary. Safety needs are security needs that include the needs for shelter from the environment and health insurance. In the organization context, employees express their security needs as a desire for job security with fringe benefits. The management should provide employees with safe working environment with ample tools and resources. These will be the factor that helps employees to perform well. Social needs are needs related to the need for friendship, love and sense of belonging. At the workplace, these needs include having good relationship with colleagues, superiors or etc. When employees enjoy working closely with each other, it may result in positive behaviour at work which will also result in better employee performances. The management can also help to satisfy employees social needs by showing direct concern for them. Esteem needs are the needs of self-respect, respect or recognition from others and a sense of personal achievement. When these needs are satisfied, the person feels self-confident and valuable as a person in the world (Simons et al., 1987). In the organisation, the management can fulfil employees esteem needs by showing their appreciation through promotion, rewards, recognition and etc. Self-actualisation needs are place at the highest level of the pyramid. These needs are associated to personal growth, self-fulfilment and the realisation of ones full potential. In this stage, the management can help the employees by giving them tasks that challenges their own intelligence. All the elements in the Maslows hierarchy of needs are the motivator for employees to perform well in their job. A motivated employee is usually someone with clearly defined goals who takes action which he or she expects to achieve. Besides that, motivated employees will be likely to put in more effort towards the organisation objectives and goals. A leader that recognises employee efforts and helps employees achieve and grow can help improve motivation which therefore increases job performance. According to Hong et al. (1995), Vroom maintained in his expectation theory that everyone works in expectation of some rewards (both spiritual and material), and welfare is one of them. In other words, the degree of reward influences the quality and quantity of work, and in turn productivity. So it is important for management to explore how to give the stimulus (welfare) in order to promote work motivation and performance. Image. Relationship between the type of employee benefit and impact on job performance However, there are some researchers that found out that motivation has limited relationship with employees job performance. They do not believe that money (salary and bonuses) is a good motivator. McNamara (n.d.), who did a research on employee motivation, said that â€Å"certain things like money, a nice office and job security can help people from becoming less motivated, but they usually dont help people to become more motivated. A key goal for the company is to understand the motivations of each of their employees†. Another researcher, Urichuck (n.d.), stated that â€Å"organisations could provide employee motivation through a bonus in the form of money at the end of a period. For sure they will be glad and grateful. They may even perform better, but what are their expectations at the end of the next period will be more money. External employee motivation is temporary and it is never lasting. Money is an external employee motivator. Its an incentive that once acquired, leads to expectations for more, bigger or better. Nevertheless the employees will not even realise that the company is facing a crisis. They will want a bonus at least equal to what they got last year, but preferably more, not less†. According to him, there is a survey on thousands of workers around the world that uses compared rankings by supervisors and employees on employee motivating factors. The typical supervisory group ranked the factors in the following order; high wages, job security, promotion in the organisation, good working conditions, interesting work, personal loyalty of supervisor, tactful discipline, full appreciation of work done, help on personal problems, and feeling of being in on things. However, when employees were given the same exercise and asked what affects their morale and employee motivation the most, their answers followed this pattern; full appreciation of work done, feeling of being in on things, help on personal problems, job security, high wages, interesting work, promotion in the organization, personal loyalty of supervisor, good working conditions, and tactful discipline. Note that the top three employee motivating factors marked by the employees are the last three felt to be important for them by their supervisors (Urichuck, n.d.). As a result, this research shows that motivation through the form of money, has limited amount of relationship with employees job performance while recognition is the most influential motivator that affects employees job performance. 2.4 Past Research on Job Commitment Affecting Job Performance Job commitment is the willingness of the employees to be devoted in completing the job assigned to them at minimum level of commitment or exceeding the amount that is required. The level of employee commitment to their job is often the key determinant of whether the employee performs as expected or exceeding the expectations. The level of employee commitment may affect employees job performance. Committed employees often performed well and results in companys success and increase of productivity level. Besides job commitment includes the level of employee involvement and employee loyalty to the organisation. Simpson (n.d.), who did a research on building employee commitment for business success, stated that â€Å"the indication of lack of employee commitment could be an indication of a company on the way to becoming another business failure. The workplace is changing dramatically and demands for the highest quality of product and service is increasing. To remain competitive in the face of these pressures, employee commitment is crucial. The two keys to success in todays environment of increasing competition and rapid change are an absolute passion for, and dedication to, excellence in customer service and the effective and enlightened management of our workforce. The employees commitment will lead to achieving desired standards in customer service and high job performance. Without employee commitment, there can be no improvement in any area of business activity. In the absence of good management, employees will simply treat their work as a job; a 9am to 5pm routine without any desire to accomplish any more than is necessary to remain employed. It does not take many uncommitted employees to prevent a business from prospering and thereby ceding a big advantage to its competitors†. Another researcher, Fink (1992), asserted that although there are many factors that affect employees performance, the key factor of employees performance is affected by employees job commitment. He defines commitment as an attitude that develops from a process called identification, which occurs when one experiences something, someone, or some idea as an extension of oneself. While all research on commitment treats it only in terms of identification with organisation, that is, its goals, values, and mission, on the other hand, he focuses on three-dimensional concept including identification with the work itself and with co-workers. He is sure that these are equally important because they can have powerful effects upon employee performance. As basis of his research he makes an interactive model that proposes: good management practices result in an effective reward system and employee commitment, an effective reward system results in enhanced employee commitment and employee performanc e, and employee commitment results in enhanced employee performance. As a result of his research in two companies, who has 418 and 430 employees, respectively, he found that there was significant correlation between employee performance ratings and commitment score in all categories, and also the correlation between performance and commitment for managers and operational employees grouped separately were significant in all categories. The higher the level of employee commitment to work; co-worker, and organisation, the higher the level of the performance will be. Based on Sutanto‘s (1999) findings, instead of concluding that job commitment only has significant affect on job performance, he has found that â€Å"there is also a positive and significant relationship between commitment to supervisors and performance. He also stated that employees commitment to supervisors have become a good predictor to performance rather than commitment to organisations†. After conducting a larger project to all 1,803 members of May 1993 graduating class of large north-western university, Becker (1992), has found that commitment to supervisors was positively related to performance. â€Å"Further, internalization of supervisors and organizations values was associated with performance but identification with these foci (targets) was not. A number of theorists and researchers have begun to view employee commitment as having multiple foci and bases. Foci commitments are the individuals and group to whom an employee is attached†. Thus, in order to increase employees performance, the study suggest that managers should focus on creating employees commitment to supervisors rather than creating employees commitment to the organisation. On the other hand, Cohens (1999) research supported the important status of job involvement as an antecedent to organisational commitment. Specifically, Cohen argued that those individuals with high levels of job involvement, which stem from positive experiences on-the-job (Witt, 1993), make attributions for these experiences to the organisation. Thus, having previously received benefits from the organisation and being obligated by the norm of reciprocity (Gouldner, 1960) to repay them, high job involvement employees feel compelled to reciprocate in some form. This increased affective commitment (i.e. where employees adopt the companys goals as their own and, therefore, desire to remain with the organisation to help it achieve its goals; Meyer and Allen, 1984; Mowday et al., 1979) and later was found to reduce turnover intentions, absence behaviour, and/or turnover, as well as increased job performance. Tough many researchers have confirmed that employees commitment result in high job performance, nevertheless some past researchers have also found that job commitment or involvement has limited affect on employees job performance. According to Rotenberry and Moberg (2007), â€Å"research finding a significant impact of job involvement on employee performance has met limited success (e.g. Brown, 1996; Brown and Leigh, 1996; Diefendorff et al., 2006 and Vroom, 1962)†. Diefendorff et al. (2002) stated that â€Å"research has been limited for two reasons. Specifically, they asserted that past studies had predominantly used inferior measures of job involvement, which led to their insignificant findings. In addition, Diefendorff et al. (2002) argued that the performance domain assessed in those previous studies needed to be expanded in order to ascertain job involvements true impact on performance at work. The researchers tested the validity of these propositions, but called for additional research in the area paying particular attention to theory development regarding the job involvement-performance relationship†. 2.5 Past Research on Job Design Affecting Job Performance Job design is the method of arranging various work elements in forming a job that suit the employees. Job design identifies what work must be performed to be precise, the content of the job, how it will be performed, where it is to be performed and the competencies required by the person who will perform it. Job design also facilitates the achievement of organizational goals and performance of the work the job was established to accomplish (Sharon, 1998). Job design is also important to avoid employees dissatisfaction. The design of the job must follow the organisations and employees requirement including the health and safety requirement. Besides, job design implementation includes methods such as job enlargement, job rotation, job enrichment and job simplification. The first, job enlargement, can be used to increase motivation by giving employees more and varied tasks. Tasks that reduce the amount of specialization required by the employee, as well as, extending the length of time he or she has to complete them. The second, job rotation, allows an employee to work in different departments or jobs in an organization to gain better insight into operations. This, in itself, does not modify or redesigns the employees job, but allows the opportunity to increase his/her skills and knowledge about other jobs. Job enrichment, the third method, allows the employee to take on some responsibilities normally delegated to management. The risk here is that the employee would be transferred too much responsibility and autonomy in the planning and control aspects of the job. Done right, however, the newfound control would invigorate the employee to work more effectively and thus increased it