Night Essays (1222 words) - Human Rights Abuses,

Night From the View of an S.S. Officer This whole situation started out simple enough. The men and myself first moved into this little town called Sighet. The people there seemed so naive. None of them realized what was about to happen; none of them realized what happened when the Germans move into town. We first started by imprisoning the officials and made all the Jews were yellow stars. The Jews were then moved into a very small ghetto and cramped quarters. It was obvious that none of them had heard of the horror of the concentration camps and what awaited them once they left the safety of their homes. Me and some of the other officers tried to be nice to the Jews because I, personally, hated carrying around this gun. Once you were in the camp the site of these officers holding these weapons struck fear into the hearts of all in the camp. We had finally gotten all of the people of the town of Sighet onto the train and had started the journey towards Auschwitz. The condition on the train is something I don't think I could have stood for. The Germans were put in charge of the train in the middle of the journey. The officers were told to collect any valuable from the people on the train and if they refused to yield their valuables, the were to be shot. As I have said I hated carrying around this gun but I did have a job to do and I was willing to follow orders if need be. Luckily I never had to unload a single shot on that train. Some people on the train were in very bad shape. They were hallucinating and many of them simply couldn't take the heat and the smell any longer. They were beginning to go crazy. The officers had a meeting and we were told to tell them that they were all just going to a labor camp and the families would be kept together. The lying was also a normal part of my job. Little did they know that they were going to a terrible place in which the males and females would be seperated and all of the people had a slim chance of even making past the inspections. Before arriving at Auschwitz we came to a "filtering" camp called Birkenau. The men and women were separated and taken to separated and taken to the barracks. I hear the prisoners talking sometimes. Some of them have been in this camp for a while and some of them are friends to those who are just arriving. These prisoners know that only the youngest and strongest survive. I know some of them have to be lying about their age. Boys that are barely 15 claiming they are 18, but they only want what everybody else at the camps want; to stay alive. Some prisoners and myself were transferred to a camp named Buna. It was a four-hour walk to the camp and once we got there the prisoners were required to undergo more medical exams to make sure they are still fit to work. The dentist even went as far as to remove the gold crowns in prisoners' teeth. Things were going well for a few months although the officers, and myself would take nothing less than hard work and cooperation from everyone. One day we had an unexpected air raid on Buna. The planes showered the camp with bombs and that is when things started to get out of control. People were trying to get away, stealing items, and trying to sneak some extra rations of soup. The officers were told to publicly hang anyone who broke the rules during this attack. We were made to do it in front of the entire camp so they could see what would happen if a person disobeyed. I was put in charge of supervising the hanging, but I couldn't let morals get in the way. I was put here to do a job an d that is what I had to do. We exucuted 4 people in total, including a small child just for trying to get food. I was aware that the Jewish holidays were approaching

Motivating Employees through training

Motivating Employees through training Free Online Research Papers INTRODUCTION The success of any organization depends on the ability of managers to provide a motivating environment for its employees. Motivated employees are more productive, happier, and stay with the organization longer. One of the primary tasks a manager faces is to find out what motivates their staff. By understanding employee needs, managers can understand what rewards to use to motivate them. Advanced economies are constantly evolving. There is a general sense that the pace of change has accelerated in recent years, and that we are moving in new directions. Central to these notions is the role of technology, particularly information technology. The implementation of these technologies is thought to have substantial impact on both firms and their workers. Globalization and increasing international competition also contribute to the sense of change. In this environment, greater attention is being paid to the management and development of human resources within firms. Education and training are increasingly seen as an important investment for improved prosperity- both for firms and individual workers. This paper studies what motivates employees and designing a motivation program based on those needs, drives, and expectations. NEW TRENDS IN HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT With todays workforce, becoming increasingly diverse, and organizations are doing more to maximize the benefits of the differences in employees, Human Resource managers are evolving from the old school sideline player to the front-line fighters. Organizations are relying on managers to get the people who get the job done, and of course, make the company money. People have always been central to organizations, but their strategic importance is growing in todays knowledge-based business world like never before. An organizations success increasingly depends on the knowledge, skills, and abilities of its employees, particularly as they help establish a set of core competencies, which distinguish one organization from its competitors. When employees talents are valuable, rare, difficult to imitate and organize, an organization can achieve a sustained competitive advantage. In order to compete through people, an organization has to be able to do a good job of managing their human capital: the knowledge, skills, and capabilities that add value to the organizations. Managers must develop strategies for identifying, recruiting, and hiring the best talent available. Develop these individuals in ways that are specific to the needs of their individual firms, encourage them to generate new ideas while familiarizing them with the company strategies, invite information sharing, and rewarding collaboration and team work. The basis on which compensation payments are determined, and the way they are administered, can significantly affect employee productivity and the achievement of organizational goals. It is generally recognized that firms that innovate are more profitable, grow more rapidly and create a larger number of jobs. Within a firm, the process leading to innovation requires a high level of human capital among workers. In order to participate fully in this process, workers must not only acquire strong basic knowledge through the education system but also need to have opportunities to acquire training in the labour market. Training taken within the firm could extend the knowledge acquisition process and help workers to renew or adapt previously accumulated skills and enable them to fully contribute to the improvement of productivity or to innovation (see Figure 1). Figure 1 Human Resource Managements front-line fight is to get the organization in order. Evidence points to a more active interest in and careful implementation of human resource management. Management is, by definition, getting things done through people. If managers are to increase productivity, reduce costs, and improve their organizations competitive advantage, they must focus on how properly manage personnel. Creating effective motivation and leadership, recruiting and retaining the right personnel, rewarding and treating employees fairly, establishing an environment that supports the people and benefits the organization, the Resource Manager looks towards a future with exciting challenges and opportunities for managing an organizations most valuable resource its people. UNDERSTANDING EMPLOYEE DRIVES AND MOTIVATIONS Definition of Employee Motivation The heart of motivation is to give people what they really want most from work. The more you are able to provide what they want, the more you should expect what you really want, namely: productivity, quality, and service. When you think about it, the success of any facet of your business can usually be traced back to motivated employees. From productivity and profitability to recruiting and retention, hardworking and happy employees lead to triumph. Unfortunately, motivating people is far from an exact science. There is no secret formula, no set calculation, and no work sheet to fill out. In fact, motivation can be as individual as the employees who work for you. One employee may be motivated only by money. Another may appreciate personal recognition for a job well done. Still another may work harder if she has equity in the business. The way I believe you motivate people is to make it clear not only what goals the company is trying to achieve but also why the goals are important to society. It is important that employees feel a sense of passion and deep interest in doing a good job, no matter how big or little the job may be. Matching the right job with the right person will further help to motivate employees. An employee who feels mismatched with their job will feel frustrated and motivation will decrease. Many individuals express frustration in performing the same responsibilities repeatedly . The ability of a company to structure career planning programs, including job rotations, skills training, and project management assignments are of interest to many employees. Providing immediate recognition for a job well done is most rewarding. This will likely ensure work to continue to be good throughout the day, week, or month. If recognition is only given at specific times, employees will only be motivated closer to the time the recognition or reward is expected. Advantages of Employee Motivation A positive motivation philosophy and practice should improve productivity, quality, and service. Motivation helps people: achieve goals; gain a positive perspective; create the power to change; build self-esteem and capability; manage their own development and help others with theirs. Disadvantages of Motivating Staff There are no real disadvantages to successfully motivating employees, but there are many barriers to overcome. Barriers may include unaware or absent managers, inadequate buildings, outdated equipment, and entrenched attitudes, for example: We dont get paid extra to work harder. Weve always done it this way. Our bosses dont have a clue about what we do. It doesnt say that in my job description. Im going to do as little as possible without getting fired. Such views will take persuasion, perseverance, and the proof of experience to break down. Basic Principles to Remember 1. Motivating employees starts with motivating yourself. A great place to start learning about motivation is to start understanding your own motivations. The key to helping to motivate your employees is to understand what motivates them. So what motivates you? Consider, for example, time with family, recognition, a job well done, service, learning, etc. How is your job configured to support your own motivations? What can you do to better motivate yourself? 2. Key to supporting the motivation of your employees is understanding what motivates each of them. Different things motivate each person. Whatever steps you take to support the motivation of your employees, they should first include finding out what it is that really motivates each of your employees. You can find this out by asking them, listening to them and observing them. 3. Recognize that supporting employee motivation is a process, not a task. Organizations change all the time, as do people. It is an ongoing process to sustain an environment where employees can motivate themselves. If you look at sustaining employee motivation as an ongoing process, then you will be much more fulfilled and motivated yourself. 4. Support employee motivation by using organizational systems (for example, policies and procedures) do not just count on good intentions. Do not just count on cultivating strong interpersonal relationships with employees to help motivate them. The nature of these relationships can change greatly, for example, during times of stress. Instead, use reliable and comprehensive systems in the workplace to help motivate employees. For example, establish compensation systems, employee performance systems, organizational policies and procedures, etc., to support employee motivation. In addition, establishing various systems and structures helps ensure clear understanding and equitable treatment of employees . THEORIES OF HUMAN MOTIVATION Hierarchy of needs theory Abraham Maslow proposed the theory called hierarchy of needs theory . Maslow believed that within every individual, there exists a hierarchy of five needs and that each level of need must be satisfied prior to an individual pursues the next higher level of need. As the individual progresses through the levels of needs, the preceding needs lose their motivational value. The five levels of needs, according to Maslow are 1. Physiological Needs These needs include food, water, and sex, which are essential for us to survive. If these needs are not met, then all other needs will not be a source of motivation. 2. Safety Needs This refers to the need to feel safe from physical and emotional harm. 3. Social Needs These needs are concerned with social interactions with others. The individual needs to feel a sense of belonging, affection, acceptance, and friendship. 4. Esteem Needs Esteem is concerned with the feelings of self-confidence derived from achieving something, and the recognition and prestige that comes with that achievement. 5. Self-Actualization Needs This level of needs is concerned with achieving ones full potential and dreams. It is only when these needs are met that workers are morally, emotionally, and even physically ready to satisfy the needs of the employer and the customers. Two-factor theory Fredrick Herzburg developed another popular theory of motivation called the two-factor theory . Herzburgs findings suggest there are two factors that contribute to employee satisfaction and dissatisfaction. The first is referred to as motivators, which includes responsibility, advancement, and recognition. The other is known as hygiene factors. These factors include the work environment, management, salaries, and company policies. Unsatisfactory hygiene factors can act as de-motivators, but if satisfactory, their motivational affect is limited without motivators. Thus, Herzberg has put emphasis on the psychological needs of the employees in designing jobs. Reinforcement theory Another theory, developed by B.F. Skinner, is the reinforcement theory . This theory is a behavioral approach. The main point is consequences influence behavior. According to the reinforcement theory, there are four ways to modify behavior. The first and most affective way is positive reinforcement, which refers to rewarding a desirable behavior to strengthen the likelihood that it will be repeated. The second way a manager can modify behavior is negative reinforcement, which is defined as removing a negative stimulus in the environment after the behavior occurs. Another way to modify behavior is punishment, which decreases the chances of the behavior to occur. The last method of behavior modification is lack of reinforcement. The idea behind this method is that if a behavior is not reinforced in any way that it will decrease in frequency, and be eliminated. Expectancy theory The last theory of motivation this paper will cover is the expectancy theory , proposed by Victor Vroom. Unlike the reinforcement theory, this theory is concerned with internal processes that an individual undergoes in order to decide whether they want to put forth the effort to strive towards a specific goal. According to Vroom, there are three important elements to consider when determining motivation. The first element is valence, this refers to the desire an individual has to achieve a goal or fulfill a need. The second element is instrumentality, this is the belief that if an individual gives a certain level of performance, then a desirable outcome is expected. The third element is expectancy, this is the belief an individual has about the relationship between effort and performance, if one exerts a high level of effort, then one can expect good performance. What motivates people depends on their perception of the attractiveness of the goal and its attainability. Regardless of which theory is followed, interesting work and employee pay are important links to higher motivation. Options such as job enlargement, job enrichment, promotions, monetary and non-monetary compensation should be considered. ESTABLISHING COMPENSATION PACKAGES Work is about the money and earning a living. Work becomes not about the money only when employees have enough money to meet their basic living expenses. Establishing compensation programs require both large and small organizations to consider specific goals. Employee retention, compensation distribution and adherence to the budget must be carefully weighted against the overall organizational goals and expectations. Compensation must reward employees for past performance while serving as a motivation tool for future performances. Internal and external equity of the pay program will affect employees concepts of fairness. Organizations must balance each of the concerns while remaining competitive. For internal equity, an organization can use one of the basic job evaluation techniques to determine relative worth of job. The most common are the ranking and classification methods. The job ranking system arranges jobs in numerical order based on the importance of the jobs duties and responsibilities to the organization. Job classification slots jobs into reestablished grades with higher rated grades requiring more responsibilities, working conditions, and job duties. External equity can be determined by a wage survey. Data obtained from the surveys will facilitate establishing the organizations wage policy while ensuring that the employer does not pay more, or less, than needed for jobs in the relevant labor market. Base salary is only one aspect of a retention plan for important employees. By offering enticing compensation packages, equitable pay, flexible benefits and known incentives, an organization allows itself the luxury of identifying and selecting those, which meet the needs of the organization. In filling job openings above the entry level an employer usually finds it advantageous to use transferring and internal promotions. By recruiting from within, an organization rewards employees for past performances and sends a signal to other employees that their future efforts will payoff, while capitalizing on previous investments made in recruiting, selecting, developing, and training its current employees. The budget for salary, compensation, and benefits is not unlimited in most organizations. Thus, in addition to traditional increases to base pay, and variable rewards, such bonuses, profit sharing and gain sharing, I recommend attention to quality of work life rewards. These can include the following: Payment of a one-time, lump sum payment for a result or outcome that deserves recognition. Payment of smaller rewards with â€Å"thank you† notes for above the call of duty contributions These are not necessarily tied to an achieved result, but they are contributions, that when emphasized, increase the probability of results. Increased emphasis on additional benefits such as pre-paid legal assistance, educational assistance, and vision insurance. Increased opportunity for flexible work arrangements and job-sharing. An organizational emphasis on the training and development of employees. Clear career paths so employees see opportunities within your organization. In summary, organizations are moving toward salary and compensation systems that emphasize flexibility, goal achievement, and variable pay based on performance, and less emphasis on increases to base pay. They are using bonuses based on profit and accomplishment to add to employee compensation. The rising cost of benefits is causing rethinking of their place in the compensation system. Forward thinking organizations are emphasizing â€Å"quality of work life† rewards and recognition to add to the value of the total compensation package. Benefits Benefits and incentive plans are valuable rewards in recruiting and retaining essential employees. Benefits are an established and integral part of the total compensation package. In order to have a sound benefits package there are certain basic considerations. It is essential that a program be based on specific objectives that are compatible with the organizational philosophy and policies as well as affordable to the company. By utilizing a flexible benefits package, employees are able to choose those benefits that are best suited to their individual needs. On average, organizations spend 41 cents for benefits for every dollar of payroll. That is 29 percent of the total employee compensation package. Research reported in the journal, Personnel Psychology, suggests that employees only understand and appreciate between 31 and 68 percent of the cost or market value of the benefits they receive . Employees undervalue their benefits for many reasons including: employers communicate the value of the benefits poorly, the employees have little or no choice in benefits packages or options, and the employees misunderstand the market value of benefits. Firms that wish to maximize the value of their benefits expenditures need to survey their employees to ask them what they value and how much. Benefits surveys or focus groups are important first steps in understanding employee preferences. Relevant questions might include the following. What benefits are most important to you? If you could choose one new benefit, what would it be? If you were given X dollars for benefits, how would you spend them? Follow-up research about the cost of the benefits employees desire, can help you determine which programs will provide the most â€Å"bang for the buck.† Based on the data developed, you can adapt your benefit offerings or provide choices consistent with organizational objectives such as employee retention or performance. The success of an incentive pay plan depends on the organizational climate in which it must operate, employee confidence in it, and its suitability to employee and organizational needs. Importantly, employees must view the incentive plan to be equitable and related to their performance. Tuition Assistance Tuition assistance is an employer-provided employee benefit that is a win-win for your workplace. In a tuition assistance program, an employer pays all or part of an employees cost to attend college or university classes. Most employers, who offer a tuition assistance program, pay the full cost of the employees tuition, lab fees, and books. In most cases, employers cap the amount of tuition assistance available for employees. Either employers set a limit in terms of dollars available per employee per year or they establish the number of classes they will pay for per year per employee. When tuition assistance is available, the most common method for administering the program is to require employees to pay for their own tuition and books when they register for classes. The employee is then reimbursed when he or she submits the receipts and evidence of earning a C or above grade upon completion of the class. In some cases, where extensive funds are spent on tuition assistance, the employer requires that the employee sign an agreement to pay back the tuition assistance if he or she leaves the organization within a certain period. In these cases, the employer forgives a percentage of the tuition assistance for every year the employee stays with your organization . Tuition assistance makes sense for employers because you enable your employees to continue to grow and develop their knowledge. Your employees stay in the practice of learning and university attendance fosters an environment at work that supports employee learning. Performance appraisals Performance measures should be quantifiable, easily understood, and bear a demonstrated relationship to organizational performance. Performance appraisal programs serve many purposes, but in general, those purposes can be clustered into two categories: administrative and developmental. The administrative purposes include decisions about who will be promoted, transferred, or laid-off. Developmental decisions include those related to improving and enhancing an individuals capabilities. These include identifying a persons strength and weaknesses, eliminating external performance obstacles, and establishing training needs. In every enterprise, every form of employee compensation or reward is either contingent or non-contingent on accomplishment of desired performance. Contingent Reward is that which can only be had through doing desired performance. In other words, if the performance is not accomplished, the reward is not realized. Non-contingent Reward is that which can be had without doing desired performance. In other words, employees get it regardless of whether or not they accomplish desired performance. A key to building employee motivation for desired performance is to increase the amount of contingent reward and decrease the amount of non-contingent. The difference between the amounts of contingent and non-contingent reward we call the contingency differential. The greater the differential between contingent reward and non-contingent reward, the more frequently employees will choose desired performance over undesired performance . We should consider installing a differential pay program - a program that enables each employee to get a larger paycheck when s/he accomplishes a particular â€Å"bonus† performance criteria during the pay period. By doing that, we increase the net payoff that employees derive from pursuing desired performance, which builds their motivation for continuing to pursue it. Carefully designed performance standards that are reliable, strategically relevant, and free from either criterion deficiencies or contamination are essential foundations for evaluation. TRAINING Providing opportunities to learn new technologies, methods and accomplish new achievements are significant in capturing prolonged interest from high potential staff. Giving people the opportunity to gain exposure and implement new programs while building self-esteem and credibility is valuable for both the company and the employee. Opportunity and recognition of accomplishments can prove to be a much more lucrative incentive than any financial considerations a company may offer. Today organizational operations cover broad areas and require continuous training for effective job performance, evolutions in product areas, and corporate growth. In order to have effective training programs organizations can utilize a systems approach. Key areas of this approach include needs assessment, program design, and evaluation. Needs assessment begins with organizational analysis. Managers must establish a context for training by deciding where training is needed, how it connects with strategic goals, and how organizational resources can best be used. In designing a training program, managers must utilize principles of learning in order to create an environment that is conducive to learning. The evaluation of a training program should focus on several criteria: participant reactions, learning, behavior changes on the job, and bottom line results. There are two types of training, classroom training supported by the employer and on-the-job training supported by the employer. Classroom Training Classroom training (sometimes called formal training) is defined as training activities with a predetermined format, pre-defined objectives, specific content and progress that can be monitored or evaluated. Occupation appears to have a significant impact on the probability of taking classroom training, but not much on the probability of taking on-the-job training. The various categories of workers (except managers) are less likely than professionals to take classroom training. Thus, professionals not only have better access to training but they are also more inclined to take it, if available. Permanent workers are more likely than non-permanent workers to take classroom training (of around nine percentage points) and on-the-job training (five percentage points). Since firms are less likely to recover their investment in training for temporary workers, they will be less inclined to support training for these workers (especially the most costly training). Temporary workers may also be less interested in investing time in training if they see few benefits in it. Further, participation in classroom training increases with level of education, these two forms of investment appearing to be complementary. However, this effect appears to be limited to post-secondary education since the effect of a high school diploma (compared with no high school diploma) is not significant. Having a university diploma increases the probability of taking classroom training by 12 percentage points. The probability of taking on-the-job training does not appear to be substantially affected by the level of education. One possible explanation of this phenomenon is that this type of training is more useful at the beginning of employment in order to assimilate the characteristics inherent to the work performed, and that this applies to all workers regardless of level of education. On-The-Job Training By definition, on-the-job training is given during work hours and at the workplace (in a location that is not necessarily separate from the production facilities). On-the-job training involves four steps : 1. DESCRIBE the performance to be learned. 2. DEMONSTRATE how to do it. 3. REVIEW the employee doing it. 4. REINFORCE the employee for what s/he did well. If needed, Step 5 is REPEAT steps 2-4. Step 1 Describe DESCRIBE what the learner will be learning. In doing this, describe WHAT the task is, HOW it is done, and WHY it is done that way. Bear in mind, the ability to do something well usually depends on three components: Attitudes, Skills, and Knowledge. So be sure to describe the particular attitudes, or perspectives, that are vital to doing the task excellently. In addition, explain how excellent performance of the task is important to the company. Also, explain how it can contribute to an employees career development. Step 2 Demonstrate DEMONSTRATE how its done. If the tasks performance involves a particular speed, first demonstrate how its done at regular or full-speed, then demonstrate it at half-speed, or step-by-step. For the step-by-step demonstration, consider having the trainee/s read aloud the procedure for each step prior to you’re doing it, if applicable. Also, consider fortifying your demonstration with a follow-up visual aid (photo, video tape, computer CD). Step 3 Review Have the trainee try it while you REVIEW his/her performance. Before s/he starts, ease the tension by explaining, â€Å"No one expects perfection first time out. So just relax, enjoy it and give it your best effort - whatever happens will be fine.† If it is a complex multi-step process, suggest that the person refer to the manual between steps. Finally, if applicable, have the trainee explain what they are doing while they are doing it. Step 4 Reinforce REINFORCE the trainee for good performance. To do this, point out what the trainee did well and praise him or her for it. This is vital to creating a positive attitude and motivation to continue learning. Therefore, no matter how weak the persons first performance might be, always pick out the strongest aspect of their demonstration and commend them on it. General Benefits from Employee Training and Development There are numerous sources of online information about training and development. Several of these sites suggest reasons for supervisors to conduct training among employees. These reasons include: Increased job satisfaction and morale among employees Increased employee motivation Increased efficiencies in processes, resulting in financial gain Increased capacity to adopt new technologies and methods Increased innovation in strategies and products Reduced employee turnover Risk management, e.g., training about sexual harassment, diversity training CONCLUSION Every employee has a need for self-expression, entertains plans for professional development and career advancement, wishes to be accepted as family member, feel respect towards management and pride in his/her work, receive acknowledgment and reward, be listened to and trusted. Through strategic communications, it is manager’s duty is to share with employees’ company goals, market, industry and business information and futures plans, and invite employees to give feedback. We must learn how to place people in a role where they can use their abilities and make progress towards the realization of personal goals. Misplacements can cause a company substantial financial loss due to turnover, accidents, lawsuits, rebates, refunds, loss of customers and sales. Fair benefits and pay is the cornerstone of a successful company that recruits and retains committed workers. If you provide a living wage for your employees, you can then work on motivational issues. Without the fair living wage, however, you risk losing your best people to a better-paying employer. It is important for employees to know that management is aware of their existence, recognizes them, remembers their names and greets them. Managers who fail to greet employees or respond to greetings lead to a high degree of de-motivation, lack of trust, and disloyalty. We must learn how to create a corporate culture and a supportive work environment. This is done through leadership and management excellence, a human approach, effective human resources strategies, positive discipline, fair and just treatment to all, clearly defined policies, career and personal development training programs (including cross-training and job rotation), organizational communications, tools to facilitate communication, team assignments, reward programs, objective appraisals, adequate pay, benefits and company activities . Research Papers on Motivating Employees through trainingThe Project Managment Office SystemAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaOpen Architechture a white paperResearch Process Part OneIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalTwilight of the UAWMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductPETSTEL analysis of IndiaBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfInfluences of Socio-Economic Status of Married Males

Argument papper draft #2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Argument papper draft #2 - Essay Example However, United Nations in 2000 asserts that there is variety in the average marital age difference across different cultures. For instance, in some African societies, the average difference in terms of age between married partners is three times that in most Western countries, revolving around 10 years in most cases. Moreover, 10 years appears to be the maximum acceptable difference on average for a romantic partner, particularly for women. This is because differences beyond 10 years are not seen as normative by most societies. Another way to explain men and women’s partner age preferences is to think of heterosexual relationships in social exchange terms. Social exchange theory proposes that how we feel about a given social interaction or relationship fundamentally depends upon the costs to be incurred and benefit associated with it. Basically, when rewards are more than the costs to be incurred in a relationship, we tend to feel good about it and will in most cases stay in it and vice versa. Conversely, an older man providing his resources for a young, attractive woman can be seen as a social exchange where he provides shelter, food, and security in exchange for sex with her bringing about an opportunity to procreate. Such an arrangement is likely to be seen as a favorable because it me ets important needs for both partners. Another explanation for men and women’s partner age preferences is by considering the social role theory which argues that the traditional division of labor between the sexes has resulted in women assuming the social role of providing domestic labor and men fulfilling the social role of providing. Thus leading women to look for financially stable men who are mostly older and men looking for younger women who look productive and attractive. The tendency for women to marry older men so as to have them provide for them is changing as more women are in the labor force as

Race, Gender & Ethnicity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Race, Gender & Ethnicity - Essay Example This information can be useful to several interest groups and it is easily understandable even for laymen. In total there have been â€Å"1226† executions in the last 35 years, which make the yearly average to 35 (Facts about the Death Penalty, 2010). The data indicates that in the 70s and 80s death sentences were very few. It has registered an increase from mid 90s and the bar chart allows an easy and clear interpretation of the data. After showing a decreasing trend for several years, it increased from 37 in 2008 to 52 in 2009 and fell to 38 in 2010. Thus, it will suggest that death punishment does not act as an effective deterrent. The site presents the data in an easily discernible manner so that users can easily understand it. The article offers data on the executed persons’ race that of the victims in the cases of death penalty. â€Å"687† or â€Å"56%† are Whites, Blacks constitute â€Å"424† or â€Å"35%† while â€Å"91† or â€Å"7%† are Hispanics and â€Å"24† or â€Å"2%† are from other categories (Facts about the Death Penalty, 2010). Whites constitute of the victims with â€Å"76%† and Blacks are second with â€Å"15%† while Hispanics and others comprise â€Å"6%† and â€Å"3%† respectively (Facts about the Death Penalty, 2010). These details provide the users with a clear idea of the racial orientation of the death penalties. The article further mentions about the discrimination in 96% states, based on the â€Å"pattern of either race-of-victim or race-of-defendant† and finds, based on research evidence that â€Å"98% of chief district attorneys† are Whites (Facts about the Death Penalty, 2010). This information, again, enables the users to understand the influence that race can exercise in the death penalty cases. The article also finds that since the year 1973, â€Å"130 people,† whose innocence has been proved, â€Å"have

Introduction To Service Industry Restaurants Marketing Essay

Introduction To Service Industry Restaurants Marketing Essay The food service industry continues to grow in volume and revenue every year and typically divides itself into two categories: full-service restaurants and fast-food restaurants. Each individual restaurant is in competition with other food service operations within the same geographical area. The fast food restaurant industry is highly competitive. McDonalds competes with other restaurants through the quality, variety and value perception of food products offered. McDonalds Corporations main competition comes from other fast-food restaurants; most notably, YUM! Brands Inc, Wendys International, Dominos and Burger King. Figure1: The total revenues of the major players in the fast food industry (www.ycharts.com) The figure represents the market share of McDonalds in the fast food industry. McDonalds Corporation (MCD) has company operated and franchise restaurants all over the world. They are the leading global food service retailer by means of over 30,000 restaurants in more than 117 countries, serving about 50 million people every day. Franchising plays a major role in McDonalds system with 26,216 were operated by franchisees (including 19,020 operated by conventional franchisees, 3,160 operated by developmental licensees and 4,036 operated by foreign affiliated markets (affiliates)-primarily in Japan) and 6,262 were operated by the company. Their total revenue in 2009 was $ 23 billion. McDonalds success in the fast food industry stems from their main success factors which are branded affordability, menu variety and beverage choice, convenience and daypart expansion, ongoing restaurant reinvestment and operations excellence. These success factors are used to promote McDonalds brand image, p rovide customers with quality products and differentiate themselves from other competitors like YUM Brands (YUM owns brands like KFC, Pizza Hut, Taco Bell and Long John Silver) After extensive research, analysis and valuation, it is found that McDonalds corporation is currently an undervalued company and rated as a Market Outperform and thus I recommend this stock as a Buy. Executive Summary The food service industry is one of high competition; however, McDonalds has been able to obtain the position as the leader in market capitalization with a market capital of $74.6B in 2009. While McDonalds has deployed high amounts of capital, the company manages its asset base with high inventory turnover while also maintaining cost efficiency. Industry Demand Drivers: The market of the food service industry attributes much of its growth to global sales and revenue. Despite tough environment, McDonalds delivered an exceptional year of growth, posted strong sales and increased market share around the world. In 2009, global comparable sales increased 3.8 percent, fueled by solid gains in the United States (+2.6 percent), Europe (+5.2 percent), Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa (+3.4 percent), Latin America (+5.3 percent) and Canada (+5.8 percent). Earnings per share for the year increased 9 percent to $4.11 (13 percent in constant currencies), while consolidated operating income increased 6 percent (10 percent in constant currencies). We also returned $5.1 billion to shareholders through share repurchases and dividends paid, bringing our three-year cash return total to $16.6 billion-notably at the high end of our stated target of $15 to $17 billion for the years 2007 through 2009. Globally, McDonalds caters and adapts to different cultures and societies, while still providing them with the same McDonalds experience. With a significant portion of McDonalds sales derived from international stores, foreign denominated sales should generate additional earnings leverage given the weakening of the US dollar against other currencies. McDonalds is well positioned: McDonalds is able to maintain a loyal customer base, and compete with the existing competitors by introducing variation to their menu, such as the Dollar Value Menu. Also, in order to adhere to a more concerned health concise society, McDonalds has implemented holistic approach which consists of High-Quality Choices for customers, Consumer-Friendly Nutrition Information and communicate responsibly. The Happy Meal, which has been a long standing childs favorite, now has options such as fruit instead of French Fries and all white meat chicken nuggets. As for one McDonalds company goals is to adhere to outstanding customer service, strengthens the maintenance of long standing customers, as well as develop new relationships with customers of a new generation. Franchising business model: Within Fast Food restaurants franchise models are common. Franchise models can grow faster using others capital. Franchises have to be pay rent and royalties based on a percent of sales along with minimum rent payments, and initial fees. On the other hand, company-owned models have greater control over pricing, operations and can close underperforming restaurants more quickly. In 2009 the total no of franchised restaurants was 26,216 compared to 25,465 in 2008 and the number of company operated restaurants decreased by 3.6%. The total revenue from franchises in 2009 was $7,286.2 Million an increase in 4% compared to 2008. McDonald Franchises Revenue from Franchises Key challenges and Adaptability Intensity of competition: Competitors of the industry also try to compete with similar products; therefore, leading to price wars. McDonalds created a Dollar Value Menu, in response to competitors such as Wendys 99 cent menu. Overall, the industry has tried various product differentiations in order to accumulate greater market share, but most consumers are drawn to the classics. McDonalds is doing more and more to compete with health focused restaurants like Subway. Nutritionist and other leading experts have been hired to join the McDonalds team in order to ensure that the correct items are added to the menu, while still keeping and improving the classics that they are famous for. For example, the chicken nuggets that we all grew up on are now 100% white meat. McDonalds is flexible in their menu to conform to the changing tastes of society. Bargaining Power of Suppliers: In recent years the industry has had a small problem with beef, because of the outbreak of the mad cow disease. This problem raised the cost of beef in Europe tremendously but the cost actually went up around the world because of the beef shortage in Europe. The suppliers that sell to McDonalds have a strong voice also because of the fact that the switching cost for McDonalds as a whole would be so tremendous, so any problems or disputes would be worked out with there suppliers. Comparative Ratio Analysis Ratio analysis helps us analyze the financial trends of previous years and extrapolate those trends into future years for McDonalds and its core competitors within the industry. It is divided into three areas: fundamentals, growth and profitability, and capital structure of the company. Liquidity ratios are used to determine how liquid the firm is, and how it will meet its obligations. This also helps us determine how risky the firm is by determining if the company is employing an adequate amount of liability or risk to generate profit. Profitability ratios give us the perspective profitability of the firm is operating. The ratios will help in accurately valuing the company at its current condition, compare its performance against competitors, and project the future results of the company. Fundamentals of McDonalds (MCD) vs. YUM Brands (YUM) Table 1 Financial Condition Company Industry Average SP 500 Debt/Equity Ratio 0.74 1.82 1.13 Current Ratio 1.4 1.3 1.4 Quick Ratio 1.3 1.2 1.2 Interest Coverage 30.6 18.8 28.0 Leverage Ratio 2.1 3.8 3.8 Book Value/Share 13.12 11.95 22.35 The industry average is calculated as an average of competitor brands like YUM, Burger King and Wendys. Current ratio: Since 1999 McDonalds has experienced a steady increase in their current ratio. The present current ratio of 1.4 is higher compared to industry average of 1.3. This increase shows that McDonalds has more ability to pay off their short term debts from the sale of their currents assets. Overall, McDonalds is in fairly good shape because their current ratio is growing. Receivables Turnover: McDonalds has consistently been well below its competitors YUM with accounts receivables turnover. This means that they arent collecting their accounts receivables as promptly as their competitors. This prevents McDonalds from reinvesting and expanding their restaurants which is a major source of revenue. This also allows for a greater chance of default on their accounts receivables. Asset Utilization: This ratio indicates how profitable a company is relative to its total assets. The return on assets (ROA) ratio illustrates how well management is employing the companys total assets to make a profit. The higher the return, the more efficient management is in utilizing its asset base. McDonalds Asset Turnover has consistently been lower than its competitor YUM since 1999. Debt to Equity Ratio: The debt-equity ratio is another leverage ratio that compares a companys total liabilities to its total shareholders equity. McDonalds has maintained a fairly low Debt to Equity Ratio of 0.74 which means that the company has an efficient amount of equity that can cover the cost of its liabilities compared to Yum of 3.14 or the industry average of debt to equity ratio of 1.82. Book value per share: This is an indication of how much shareholders are paying for the net assets of a company. McDonalds book value of 13.12 is higher than the industry average (11.95) or YUM (3.05) Net Income: The net income for McDonalds suffered a dip of 23% in 2007 but recovered in the year 2008, 2009. The total net income in 2009 was $ 4,555 Million compared to YUM who had a net income of $1071Million Shareholders Equity: Shareholders equity represents the amount by which a company is financed through common and preferred shares. The average Shareholders Equity for MCD is $13,287M compared to YUM who has a $709M. Dividend: MCD has consistently grown in dividends over the years. This is one of the most attractive features of MCD. Comparing the dividends of MCD and YUM, MCD has 25% increase on YTY compared to YUM who has only 14%. Growth and Profitability Table 2 Investment Returns % Company Industry Average SP 500 Return On Equity 34.8 48.2 21.4 Return On Assets 16.2 13.1 7.5 Return On Capital 17.6 15.4 10.0 Return On Equity (5-Year Avg.) 22.7 29.0 16.4 Return On Assets (5-Year Avg.) 11.4 10.1 7.6 Return On Capital (5-Year Avg.) 13.0 12.5 10.3 The industry average is calculated as an average of competitor brands like YUM, Burger King, and Wendys. Revenue Growth: The global recession has affected the revenue of both the companies. By year 2009 the consumer demand and currency exchanges have helped recover to pre-recessionary levels. EPS and Growth: The portion of a companys profit allocated to each outstanding share of common stock. Earnings per share serve as an indicator of a companys profitability. The EPS for MCD is 4.11 which have increased from 9% from the previous year while the EPS for YUM is 2.26. The growth of EPS has been fluctuating due to the global economic crises. Profit Margin: A higher profit margin indicates a more profitable company that has better control over its costs compared to its competitors. MCD has a profit margin of 20% compared to Yum is 10%. Return on Equity (ROE): Return on equity measures a corporations profitability by revealing how much profit a company generates with the money shareholders have invested. The ROE for MCD is 34.8 which is less than the industry average of 48.2. From the above figure we can infer for 2009 the ROE for YUM is 180%, but this has not been consistent over the years. For a long term investor this is not good. Capital Structure Charts Table 3 Price Ratios Company Industry Average SP 500 Current P/E Ratio 16.4 20.9 22.4 P/E Ratio 5-Year High NA 6.8 15.8 P/E Ratio 5-Year Low NA 3.2 2.4 Price/Sales Ratio 3.21 2.33 2.03 Price/Book Value 5.30 7.11 3.21 Price/Cash Flow Ratio 12.70 11.90 13.80 The industry average is calculated as an average of competitor brands like YUM, Burger King, and Wendys. Market Capital: Market capitalization represents the public consensus on the value of a companys equity. McDonalds in 2009 had a market capital of $67.3B compared to YUM brand that had a market capital of $16.35B. It also represents the market estimate of a companys value, based on perceived future prospects, economic and monetary conditions. Price to Earnings Ratio: A stock with a high P/E ratio means that investors are expecting higher earnings growth in the future compared to the overall market, as investors pay more for todays earnings in anticipation of future earnings growth. From the table 2 McDonalds PE is 16.4, which is below the industry average of 20.4. However there are limitations since the ratio depends on the earnings per share. McDonalds earnings per share of 4.24 are above the industry average of 1.43. Price to Book Value: This ratio used to compare a stocks market value to its book value. A lower P/B ratio could mean that the stock is undervalued. From the above figure McDonald has a stable P/B ratio compared to the Yum. From table 3 the P/B ratio for McDonald is 5.31 which is below the industry average of 7.11. Price to Sales ratio: The P/S ratio measures the price of a companys stock against its annual sales. From table 3 we can understand that the P/S ratio for McDonalds is 3.21 compared to the industry average of 2.33. This means that the investor would be paying $3.21 for every dollar of McDonalds sales. Price to Cash Flow Ratio: This ratio compares the stocks market price to the amount of cash flow the company generates on a per-share basis. McDonalds has a Price/Cash Flow ratio of 12.70 which is higher than the industry average of 11.90. Conclusion In our overall analysis of McDonalds Corporation using a variation of methods and models, we have conclusively found that McDonalds is currently undervalued in the market and is a Buy. The Method of Comparables was used, which included such ratios as: Price/Earnings, Price/Book, Price/Sales, and Price Earnings growth ratio valuations. The ratio valuations were calculated by finding the industry average and using a varying of other factors to project an expected share price. The industry average is calculated as an average of competitor brands like YUM, Burger King, and Wendys. Price to Book Ratio $ Industry Average of Price to Book value 7.11 Current Book Value of McDonald 13.12 Estimated price of share $93.28 Current Market Price 69.37 Trailing Price to Earnings Ratio Industry Average of Trailing Price to Earnings Ratio 17.9 Current McDonalds earnings per share $4.11 Estimated Market price $73.59 Current Market Price 69.37 Dividends Yield Ratio Analysis Industry Dividend Average (%) 2.73 McDonald Dividend per share 2.2 Expected share price found by dividing McDonalds (Dividends per share)/ (Industry average Dividends yield ratio) $80.50 Current Market price $69.37 Forward Price to Earnings Ratio Industry Average of Forward Price to Earnings Ratio 14.73 Current McDonalds earnings per share $4.11 Estimated price of share $60.54 Current Market Price 69.37 All Data obtained from Yahoo finance on 13/016/2010 From the above calculation the estimated price of McDonald is between $60.54 $93.28. However McDonalds corporation has faced previous law suits on being held accountable for obesity, similarly following the litigation process of cigarettes and tobacco companies. The courts ruled against this issue in McDonalds favor, making this a remote future risk factor. In addition, MCD in its effort to be a more socially responsible corporate citizen, by supporting a healthier society, has developed light and healthy menu items in order to give customers additional eating options and in doing so, broadening the array of its customer base while offering its existing customer base with healthier menu options.

Gender Roles, Socialization and Relationships Essay -- Sociology

Watch the classical film Grease and one will understand how relationships function in western Society. The film tells a story of a boy (Danny) and a girl (Sandy) who falls in love. Through a series of misunderstandings they break up, but still care enough about each other that they still try revive their relationship. Through ballads such as Summer Night’s that are still popular today, the film shows how differently males and females view relationships. Danny, for example, describes his relationship in more physical terms while Sandy describes her relationship in much more emotional terms –such as what they did that night. Films like Grease are like a mirror, reflecting societal values and how it socializes its members. It makes clear that in relationships, males –like Danny—are socialized to view relationships as mostly a physical, sexual endeavor, while females –like Sandy— view it as an emotional bond, that is has resulted from a deeper c onnection between the two individuals within a relationship. It is tempting to believe that when couples say that they are â€Å"in love,† they view their love in the same way –that they have successfully â€Å"defined their relationship.† Love after all, is the only legitimate reason for marriage in western society and one should at least be on the same page before entering into a perpetual union (Henslin 468). Sociologists like to say that romantic love is composed of two components: sexual attraction (a biological response) and idealization of the other (a societal created response that promotes a bond between two individuals) (Henslin 468). However this is a very simple definition of love because it turns out that romantic love is in the eye of the beholder. Researchers of heterosexual love have ... ... completely differently. It is not stretch then to conclude that a dating couple who is watching this movie will be reinforced in what they already believe. The man will still view relationships as mostly physical and sexual and the women, as a means to satisfy her emotional needs and that of her offspring. Works Cited Dosser, David A., Jack O. Balswick, and Charles F. Halverson Jr. "Male Inexpressiveness and Relationships." Journal of Social and Personal Relationships 3.241 (1986): 241-58. Print. Gray, Peter. Psychology. 6th ed. New York: Worth, 2011. Print. Henslin, James M. Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach. 10th ed. Ally & Bacon, 2010. Print. Kanin, Eugene J., Karen R. Davidson, and Sonia R. Scheck. "A Research Note on Male- Female Differentials in Experience of Heterosexual Love." The Journal of Sex Research 6.1 (1970): 64-72. Print.

Are Television, Movies, and Music Responsible for Teen Violence?

Are Television, Movies, and Music responsible for teen violence? Most people would like to know why violence among teens is rising. Most people blame parents for the way the child acts. Others blame the kids they’re around. In my opinion, I don’t think neither parents nor peers are to blame. The media is responsible for teen violence in our society. The media teaches teens that violence is acceptable. Children will try to imitate the things they see on television.For example in Toronto, a six year old boy wearing a Ninja Turtle costume stabbed his friend in the arm for not giving back a toy he had borrowed. When the child is young and watches shows that have violence in it like SpongeBob Square pants children will want more violence when they grow older. The more they grow the more violence they want. This makes them less sensitive to violence. Only 16% of shows actually show the long-term effects of violence. The other way media portrays violence is by music.Rappers li ke Eminem have violent lyrics. One example is when Eminem wanted to kill his wife and ask his daughter to help throw her mom in the bottom of the ocean because he made a bed at the bottom of the ocean. When reporters ask him why he has such violent lyrics he blames his alter ego Slim for everything that happens, with his family, and work, that is bad. â€Å"I do promote violence and I don't care. †-Eminem. Artists don’t get in trouble for the negative message they send to teens. Rap music puts teens at risk to get arrested 2. times more. 66% of 13- to 17-year-olds believe violence in music is partly responsible for violent crimes. Music has a big impact on a teenagers life it helps up when were down and to make us happy. The last way media portrays violence is in Video games. More than 70 percent of American teenage boys have played the violent and adult-rated Grand Theft Auto video games. This will make them more aggressive. This can cause teens to fight with their pe ers by using what they see in the game to attack their peers. 8 percent of games show aggression that went unpunished. Video games are a form of entertainment among youth. 70 percent of children from ages 2 to 18 have access to video games at home. Teens that aren’t exposed to violence in media will be less likely to have violent behaviors. If parents don’t allow their child to watch too much T. V and play less video games than they will be less likely to have violent behaviors. People say it’s not the media’s fault if that is true than whose fault is it?Most teens grow up with T. V. Violence on T. V starts off young and they grow up with it and the more they grow the more violence they want. Violence in the media has negative effects on children. For example it increases aggressiveness and anti-social behavior. It also increases their fear of becoming victims because they see what happens and they are scared if it will happen to them. In summation media is a major component in the upbringing of a child whether good or bad, the key to stopping it is to not purchase it.