Technology Fast Letters Review Essay Example

Technology Fast Letters Review Paper Essay on Technology Fast Letters Collection called rapid painting technique that is confirmed twice in the text. I am learning to write quickly, as well as the specific heat of passion ? in one of prozostihotvornyh pinning high hopes Nikonov Instead of preface when the authors monologue becomes so emotional that line just the same pull the reader to read fast fast- quickly. Perhaps because they were written. Single chip of this collection is the dating of the poems in addition to the godochisla worth the time of writing. Advantageously, the third-fourth hour overnight. Only a few verses stretched in time and were not written edinomomentno (well, according to the dating). Nikonov crumpled love for games with the reader (patchwork schematics NeHardKora which, by the way, no time will be commemorated in the pages), and it will be here. The first thing that comes to mind try to build verses chronologically (shuffle or in any other manner =)), but leave this chimerical model for assembly. But funny, the authors statem ent is that Nikonov lets the reader in his text, arguing with him in a few non-whites prose poems. In this stream of consciousness as if the author is protected from the attacks of the invisible crowd detractors constantly claiming that your poetry Lech x * ynya, in actual fact. And no youre not a poet. However, it seemed to me it does not let the reader the author of the pages of his manuscript, and his inner demons. Chimeras. A sort podoznatelny bestiary roaming on. quick writing technique, as opposed to NeHardKora seems typical collections of poetry, and not connected the product, however, this simplicity is deceptive. Technology is whether a confession, or an attempt to explain himself, or just gon, which combines these two approaches. In prose retreat that not only the author, but also the rhythm the same verses, Nikonov explains to the reader what it means for him to be a poet:! So I never wrote prose Never Well, think of yourself he entered it stood up, they came, the house stood, the sky hung fucking in the mouth no space, no accidents, and most importantly -.! Yes, we know that the main thing you just can not thats it, thats why I have a poet We will write a custom essay sample on Technology Fast Letters Review specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Technology Fast Letters Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Technology Fast Letters Review specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer But the most important thing, after reading this volume, with the ragged nerves stanzas of macabre dance of de kadenstkih images somehow becomes especially clear that Nikon almost the only, truly worthy of a modern poet. Well, it is, of course, IMHO, but it is such))) And the main are the final words: and if, among mocking sots.pamfletov and narcotic nightmares that occupied me these three years, the reader suddenly saw glimpses of the other, lining the sense in which I do not yet understand, that barely perceptible ripple in which the fever and passion that it was he who finished the collection of poems .

The Relationship Between Work Stress and Performacne Among Accountants Essays

The Relationship Between Work Stress and Performacne Among Accountants Essays The Relationship Between Work Stress and Performacne Among Accountants Essay The Relationship Between Work Stress and Performacne Among Accountants Essay THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WORK STRESS AND PERFORMACNE AMONG ACCOUNTANTS. BY KEMIGISHA GRACE 05/U/094/AFD/GV A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF VOCATIONAL STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT FOR THE AWARD OF DEGREE OF BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE OF KYAMBOGO UNIVERSITY. SEPTEMBER 2008 DECLARATION I, Kemigisha Grace, declare that to the best of my knowledge this dissertation is my original work except where otherwise acknowledged. Signature†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Date†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. APPROVAL This dissertation has been approved for submission Signature†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ LUTALO GODWIN Date†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. DEDICATION I dedicate this work to all accountants that have ever felt the bite of work stress emotionally, mentally and financially. AKNOWLEDGEMENTS First, I would like to thank God for continuously blessing me with the presence of mind, health, and faith to complete my Degree. I would like to thank Cathy, Baine and Justine for providing words of encouragement when I needed them. Mr. Geoffrey Haabaasa, Mrs. Anne Akankwasa, Mrs. Rebecca Gumisiriza, Mrs. Jolly Rubambarama, Mrs. Juliet Mikisa and Miss. Gloria Katusiime for your continued friendship, support, and willingness to assist as needed. To Mr. Lutalo Godwin my supervisor, what would I or the other students do without you; thank you so much for the great support and all you do for us as students in the Business Department. ABSTRACT The study investigated the presence and direction of a relationship between work stress and employee performance among accountants. The study tried to uncover the common sources and signs of stress among accountants, the extent of the relationship between work stress and performance, coping strategies applied and other factors that affect performance of accountants. The study was conducted in the central region of Uganda and in particular, the districts of Kampala and Jinja. A quantitative and correlation design was used and tests were applied to a sample of 100 accountants but data from only 86 respondents was utilized. A cross-sectional approach in which tests were applied at only one point in time was used. Accidental sampling was used to select respondents who then provided the required data in the standardized self administered questionnaires supplied to them. Data was presented in tables using frequency counts and percentages, and the inferential data was computer analyzed using a combination of CORREL and Pearson’s rank correlation coefficient techniques. The results of the study showed that there was a significant negative relationship between work stress and performance but no significant relationship between work stress and coping mechanisms. CHAPTER ONE 1. 0Introduction This chapter provides the background to the study, statement of the problem, purpose of the study, research objectives, research questions, scope of the study, significance of the study and definition of terms. . 1Background to the Study Work stress defined by Beehr and Newman as â€Å"A condition arising from the interaction of people and their jobs that force them to deviate from their normal functions. † Stress is produced when the stressor interacts with the individual’s appraisal to induce emotional, behavioral and psychological reactions. It is likely to occur where demands are high, the individual has low control, and the individual lacks social support. Organizations today are under increasing pressure to improve productivity while simultaneously reducing costs resulting in an epidemic of â€Å"Corporate Anorexia† (Hamel 1996). A new enterprise formula is emerging ; ? x2x3 whereby half as many people are being paid twice as much to produce three times more (Handy 1996). The rapidly changing work conditions and environment now more than ever pose a threat to the health of employees and in turn to the health of the organization. All organizations constantly strive to be the top performers in their industries, a goal that is jeopardized by stress and its effects. It is reported that the psychological, physiological and behavioral changes due to stress are associated with lower job performance; a consistently a negative outcome for the organization. In managing work stress, organizations are one step closer to excellence. Accountants need to be aware of the current stress statistics in the corporate world and the pressures they are constantly warned of. They should know where these pressures are most likely to stem from, how the pressures will change their behavior and performance and ultimately how to cope with these pressures. Many organizations ignore the possible impact of work stress on performance of their employees. Other organizations feel at a loss to do anything about the stress levels among their employees therefore leave it to go unchecked. Stress hurts the organization and continued indifference by organizations puts them at risk. The study is intended to identify the main sources of work stress, the signs of work stress, the ways stress affects job performance and how it can be managed. 1. 2Statement of the problem As organizations grow larger and more competitive, employees are faced with longer work hours, heavier work loads, shrinking pay checks and greater bureaucracy; some of the factors that make it increasingly difficult to perform. In this increasingly complex corporate world, stress is inevitable. And with stress come the associated evils: health disorders, violence at work, errors, mental disorders, drug abuse, and other stress-related disorders that impair the effectiveness of individuals. The consistently changing work environment has led to demands on professionals that are greater than they can handle. The pressure to deliver has created human time-bombs just waiting to go off and this has to be addressed immediately. 1. 3Purpose of the study The overall objective of the study was to ascertain the presence and direction of a relationship between work stress and performance of accountants. 1. Objectives of the study The study was intended to achieve the following objectives: 1. To identify the major sources of work stress among accountants. 2. To determine the signs of work stress that most commonly present among accountants. 3. To assess the relationship between work stress and performance among accountants. 4. To identify the Coping Mechanisms applied by accountants. 5. To identify other factors which significantly affect the performance of accountants. 1. 5Research Questions The study was designed to answer the following questions: 1. What are the major sources of work stress among accountants? 2. What are the signs of work stress that are common among accountants? 3. How does work stress correlate with performance among accountants? 4. What coping mechanisms do accountants apply in dealing with their stress? 5. What other factors significantly affect the performance of accountants? 1. 6Scope of the study 1. 6. 1Geographic: The study was carried out among accountants in the central region of Uganda because of the high density of accountants in this region. Data was collected in Kampala and Jinja. 1. 6. 2Subject: The study focused on work stress because it can be managed by organizations by adjusting the various organization variables. The study emphasized the relationship between work stress and performance among accountants as opposed to the other professions and areas stress is believed to affect e. g. health and psychological wellbeing. 1. 6. 3Time: The study was cross-sectional and all questionnaires were administered at once. The overall study took a period of three months. 1. 7Significance of the study The study may positively impact on HRM policies of organizations as they try to attain a favorable organization stress profile in order to boost performance. The study may push accountants to analyze their stress profiles and apply appropriate coping strategies. It may also aid budding accountants to proactively approach the corporate world with set procedures for dealing with stress on a personal level. The study may aid business students appreciate the relationship between work stress and performance among accountants. 1. 8Definition of Terms Absenteeism: This is a situation in which employees develop a habitual pattern of absence from duty or obligation. Biofeedback: This is a form of alternative medicine in which stress related symptoms are mechanically detected by measuring the quantifiable bodily functions like blood pressure, heart rate, skin temperature, sweat gland activity and muscle tension. Coping Strategies: These are the techniques individuals apply to master conditions of harm, threat or challenge when routine or automatic responses are not readily available. Presenteeism: This is a situation where employees report to work in spite of illness or where they are present at work and are accomplishing nothing or there is no work available to be done. Stress Profile: This is a report on the level and complexity of stress in an individual or an organization that is produced by using specific computer software. CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE REVIEW 2. 0Introduction This chapter presents the analysis of the sources and signs of stress work, the relationship between work stress and performance, the coping strategies applied to deal with work stress and other factors that affect performance as discussed in existing literature. 2. 1Definition of Work Stress and Performance Stress in general has been defined as â€Å"the pressures people feel in life† (Newstrom et al 1997) or an unpleasant emotional state resulting from the perception that a situational demand exceeds one’s capacity and that it is very important to meet that demand (Luthans 1998). Work stress in particular is defined as the harmful physical and emotional responses that occur when the requirements of the job do not match the capabilities, resources or needs of the worker (NIOSH). Performance has been defined as the way in which an individual does a job, udged by its effectiveness (wiki dictionary). 2. 2Sources of work stress Paul Froiland cited in Newstrom et al (1997) feels that the basic cause of work stress is a high level of job demands and little control over the work to be done. The generally accepted causes of work stress as identified by NIOSH include: Poor job design such that there is heavy work overload, few rest breaks, long work hours, hectic repetitive tasks w ith little relevance, underutilization of employees’ skills, and little control over work tasks. Poor management style composed of low participation by workers in decision making, poor communication in the organization, and Poor quality of supervision. Kreitner (1998) cited a research study, carried out at Southern Bell and other companies that showed the biggest source of work stress to be poorly trained and inept supervisors. Poor interpersonal relationships characterized by a poor social environment, lack of support from work mates and supervisors, harassment and discrimination by coworkers and lack of group cohesiveness. Poorly defined work roles; employees are plagued by conflicting and uncertain job expectations, too much or too little responsibility, and inadequate authority to match responsibility. Career concerns also contribute to work stress as employees worry about the security of their jobs, lack of opportunities for growth or advancement, and rapid changes in th e organization like restructuring. The researcher, Nathan Podsakoff, said hindrance stressors like job insecurity and red tape had a big negative impact on motivation and performance (NIOSH). Unpleasant and dangerous work conditions such as crowding, noise, air pollution, and ergonomic problems. 2. 3Signs of work stress NIOSH has documented the first signs that indicate employees may be stressed. This guide on the changes in behavior that may occur is summarized below: Work Performance Declining or inconsistent performance Uncharacteristic errors and accidents Loss of control over work Loss of motivation or commitment Indecision Lapses in memory Increased time at work Lack of holiday planning and usageRegression Crying Arguments Undue sensitivity Irritability and moodiness Over-reaction to problems Personality clashes Immature behavior Withdrawal Arriving late to work Leaving early Extended lunches Absenteeism Resigned attitude Reduced social contact Elusiveness and evasivenessAggre ssive behavior Malicious gossip Criticism of others Vandalism Shouting and bullying Poor employee relations Temper outbursts Other behaviors Difficulty in relaxing Increased consumption of alcohol or smoking Lack of interest in hygiene Accidents at home or work Unnecessary risk takingPhysical signs Nervous stumbling speech Tiredness Stomach upsets Tension headaches Rapid weight gain or loss Acute stress presents with anxiety, difficulty concentrating, poor memory, preoccupation, indecisiveness, presenteeism, recurring feelings of hopelessness, fear of disease, low self esteem, migraines, sleep disorders, and depression. Newstrom et al (1997) however caution that these signs may result from other conditions. 2. 4The Relationship between Work stress and performance Creating a high performance organization is the aim of all management teams and it is believed that stress can limit the achievement of this dream. Newstom et al (1997) and Wagner et al (1995) agree that low levels stress enhance job performance. Mild stress may lead to increased activity, change and overall improvement in performance. Selye (1956) emphasizes that stress is a necessary part of life and that it does not always have negative consequences; at certain moderate levels, stress can actually improve performance. However, many studies have shown that stress has various adverse effects that can be categorized under psychological, physiological, and behavioral effects. Psychological effects: The most common psychological effects of stress are poor decision making, loss of concentration, anxiety, loss of self esteem, depression, repression of emotion, displacement of anger, isolation, irritability and forgetfulness. Physiological effects: The researcher Blyth in 1973 identified a list of diseases with a fairly high causal relationship with stress and these were hypertension, allergies, migraines, intense itching, peptic ulcers, rheumatoid arthritis, nervous dyspepsia, skin disorders, overactive thyroid glands, diabetes mellitus and tuberculosis. Even though these ailments could have originated from other causes, it has been suggested that stress aggravates them. The physical effects create the most costs to the company through medical expenses and absenteeism. Behavioral effects: Work stress can increase behaviors like insomnia, drug and alcohol abuse, smoking, aggressive behaviors, over and under reacting, withdrawal, regression and declining performance. At very high levels, stress even leads to burnout and trauma. Most research on stress has emphasized the impact of stress on the physical health of employees (Luthans 1998). Whereas the physical ailments have a drastic effect on the individual, they have an equally serious effect on the organization. The largest cost to the organization is reduction in productivity but aside from this are costs related to lost company time in replacing employees, absenteeism, high turnover, increased client complaints and increase in work related accidents that disrupt production. Cole (1997) argues that the symptoms and effects of stress whether triggered by work problems or social problems, will eventually lead to reduced employee performance, loss of motivation and increased absenteeism. Stress interferes with human emotional, intellectual and interpersonal functioning; creativity and innovation which are crucial for excellent performance and the survival of an organization are compromised in the typical high stress workplace. (David Lee, an article on Employee Stress and Performance). Peter Nixon carried out a study on the relationship between work stress and performance and the results are illustrated below (Stewart 1997). 2. 5 Coping Mechanisms The organization and work conditions have to be altered appropriately if stress at the workplace is to be properly managed. Coping Mechanisms are the specific efforts, both behavioral and psychological, that people employ to master, tolerate, reduce, or minimize stressful events. The following methods have been suggested for the reduction of work stress in employees: Incorporation of ‘intent to reduce undue stress’ into the organization policies. Management should recognize the positive impact such an amendment would have on productivity. The policy could include factors like frequent counseling sessions and medical exams. The change of policy would automatically lead to change of plans, procedures and systems to ensure that a favorable working environment that protected the wellbeing of the employees was achieved. Management can aid employees improve their ability to deal with work stress by: oClearly communicating their expectations of employees and to them. Expectations may be communicated to a group of employees or to individuals. The aim is to verify the roles the employee is expected to fulfill and the scope of the position held. Devising a performance-evaluation-feedback system such that each employee is aware his performance based on the feedback received. Employees would then be able to know whether they are meeting management expectations or not, and if not, work towards a resolution. oEnsuring that employees are capable of carrying out work tasks by tightening the recruitment process or training employees. Job training programs provide employees with broader knowledge and skills to better ha ndle the expectations from their roles. Cole (1997) made general recommendations on how to reduce stress in organizations and they include: Designing jobs to permit maximum use of skills, allow employees discretion in carrying out job tasks, to be challenging and have variety. Developing participative management styles. Encouraging team spirit and inter-departmental communication Ensuring delegation of decision making. Giving employees authority to match their responsibilities. Limiting procedures associated with execution of tasks. Allow employees express their feelings to their superiors, colleagues or counselors. Provide sports and social facilities. Provide adequate canteen and restroom facilities. It has been documented that people work more effectively in a participative management style and are better motivated when work tasks meet their needs (CIPD). The quality guru, Demming, argued that about 80% of improvement required management effort and major changes in the work place, while only 20% of improvement could be instituted by front line managers (Beardwell et al 1997). On a more personal level, individual employees are advised to use relaxation exercises like yoga or to apply biofeedback and personal wellness (Newstrom et al 1999). The individual coping and preventive strategies include: Exercising to a sweat at least twice a week Meditation exercises can be used hand in hand with biofeedback Behaviorally conditioning oneself to circumvent stressful situations Redefining one’s thoughts about themselves and their ability to cope with stressful situations through self talk. Getting support from friends, family and colleagues during stressful periods. Ensuring one achieves holistic wellness by taking responsibility for oneself, eating well, using relaxation techniques, exercising regularly, and being sensitive to one’s surroundings. 2. Other factors that affect performance Results of a 40 year study by Ralph Goldman to explore the relationship between employee performance and the environment showed that factors like good ventilation, lighting, acoustics and indoor air conditioning could increase productivity by 6% (Kreitner 1998). The major factors that affect employee performance are: HRM Strategies : A strong causal link has been established between HRM and business performance by Patterson et al (1998). Compared to other management practices like strategy and investment in research, human resource practices explained 18% of the variation in productivity. Job design: Challenging jobs with adequate levels of authority and responsibility stimulate the performance of employees. Employment Benefits and Rewards: Employees are motivated to perform effectively and efficiently to reap various benefits and rewards which include bonuses, medical coverage, recognition at the work place, training and advancement opportunities and allowances. Employee level of Training and Training Requirements of the Job: The level of training of employees vis-a-vis the training requirements of the job plays an important role in that employee’s performance. An under-qualified employee will not be able to effectively carry out work tasks and perform as required by the organization. Organization Culture: An open organization culture enhances communication and encourages employees to exchange views and participate in decisions. This gives employees a feeling of control over the work environment, a state of mind that is believed to improve performance. Technology: The mix of technologies used in the organization affects the performance of employees. Organizations where all work e. g. preparation of ccounts and financial statements is done manually cannot compare to those that use computerized accounting systems. CHAPTER THREE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3. 0Introduction This chapter discusses the methods that were used to carry out the study; the research design, study area and population, sources of data, data collection methods, data quality control measures, data presentation and analysis methods, and the problems encountered and limitations of the study. 3. 1Research design The study was co-relational so as to determine the relationship between work stress and performance among accountants. A cross-sectional design was adopted so all tasks and measures were applied on one occasion and not to over a period of time because the study sought to determine conditions as they were and not changes in the relationship between the variables over a period of time. 3. 2Study area and population of the study 3. 2. 1Study area: The study was carried out in the central region of Uganda; in the districts of Kampala and Jinja. 3. 2. 2Population of the study: A sample of 100 accountants was chosen from organizations across various industries in the public and private sectors. Data collected from 86 respondents was used as 14 respondents did not return their questionnaires. 3. 3Sources of data Both primary and secondary sources of data were used 3. 3. 1Primary: The chosen sample of accountants provided data in the form of self administered questionnaires that were distributed to them. 3. 3. 2Secondary: Data was also obtained from existing literature i. e. pamphlets, journals, text books and the internet. 3. 4Data collection methods Two methods were applied in the collection of data: sampling and questionnaires. 3. 4. 1Sampling: Accidental sampling was used for the purposes of this study. The time frame in which the study was conducted did not give allowance for random sampling techniques to be used and only respondents who were available were served questionnaires. 3. 4. 2Questionnaires: Self administered questionnaires were used to gather data critical to the study. The standardized questionnaire contained 50 close-ended questions and 5 open-ended questions in 3 categories to be answered on a four point scale i. e. ranging from Never to Sometimes to Often to Always. The categories explored were; work related stress, performance, and coping mechanisms. Questionnaires were delivered to and collected from selected respondents. 3. 5Data quality control Standardized questionnaires were used to ensure uniformity of possible responses and this was further enhanced by the use of primarily close-ended questions. A four point scale was used to maximize simplicity as a wider scale would have created ambiguity and confusion among respondents. Questions were weighted according to the significance of the factor under consideration. This ensured that critical factors got appropriate recognition therefore giving more reliable results. 3. 6Data presentation and analysis Data was presented in tables by frequency counts or scores and percentages. It was then analyzed using correlation analysis and in particular, a combination of the CORREL and Pearson’s Rank Correlation Coefficient. The results of the study are presented and discussed in Chapter 4. 3. 7Problems and limitations There was a non-response rate of 14%. It is possible that the results are biased away from respondents that did not return the questionnaires. The public sector contributed 55% of the respondents while the private sector provided 45%. The results may be biased toward the public sector. Cost constraints necessitated the reduction of the number of respondents from 200 which was the desired sample size to 100 which eventually became the sample size. It may not be practical to extrapolate the results to all accountants in the region. Non-random sampling was used and the results are to a degree biased. CHAPTER FOUR PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS 4. 0Introduction This chapter presents analyses and interprets the results of the study. Presentation is done by frequency counts or scores and percentages and analysis is done using a combination of CORREL and Pearson’s Rank Coefficient Correlation techniques. . 1Bio Data The results in this section are presented in tables 1 to 4 under the titles age, sex, marital status and working hours (per week) of respondents. Table 1: Age of Respondents AgeFrequencyPercentage Below 301112. 8 Between 30 and 454451. 2 Between 45 and 552731. 4 Above 5544. 6 Total86100. 0 From the above table, majority of the resp ondents (51. 2%) were 30 to 45 years old followed by 45 to 55 year olds (31. 4%), then those aged below 30 years (12. 8%), and the least were aged above 55 years (4. 6%). Table 2: Sex of Respondents SexFrequencyPercentage Male5968. 6 Female2731. 4 Total86100. As shown in the table above, majority of the respondents were male (68. 6%) and the minority female (31. 4%) Table 3: Marital Status of respondents Marital StatusFrequencyPercentage Single2934. 0 Married5361. 6 Widowed44. 4 Total86100. 0 As shown in the table majority of the respondents were married (61. 6%), 34% were single and the minority (4. 4%) were widowed. Table 4: Working hours (per week) of Respondents Working HoursFrequencyPercentage Less than 3022. 3 Between 30 and 406373. 3 Between 40 and 601618. 6 Above 6055. 8 Total86100. 0 As shown in the table, majority of the respondents (73. %) worked for 30 to 40 hours per week, followed by those that worked 40 to 60 hours a week (18. 6%), then those that worked more than 60 hours a week (5. 8%) and finally those that worked less than 30 hours per week (2. 3%). 4. 2Sources of Work Stress among Accountants Table 5: Sources of Work Stress among Respondents Sources of Work StressScore Percentage Job Design2716. 4 Management Style3621. 8 Social Support2414. 5 Reward Structure3420. 6 Work Environment4426. 7 Total165100. 0 As shown in the table, the main source of work stress among the respondents was Work environment (26. %), followed by the management style applied (21. 8%), followed by the reward structure in place in the organizations (20. 6%), then the design of jobs (16. 4%) and lastly lack of social support (14. 5%). More specifically, the results showed that numerous demands made of the respondents, insufficient remuneration to match job tasks, a poor work environment, poor attitudes to diverse perspectives at the work place, boring job tasks and inadequate resources to do the job were the causes of work stress common among majority of respondents. 4. 3Signs of Work Stress among Accountants Table 6: Signs of Work Stress among Respondents Signs of Work StressScorePercentage Exhaustion4117. 4 Limited Social Contact3113. 1 Difficulty Relaxing2912. 3 Leaving Work Early2811. 9 Irritable and Moody2811. 9 Others7933. 4 Total236100. 0 As shown in the table, the sign of stress most common among the respondents was exhaustion (17. 4%) followed by limited social contact with colleagues and peers (13. 1%), followed by difficulty relaxing (12. 3%), then leaving work early and irritability and moodiness (11. 9% each) and other signs (33. 4%). 4. 4The Relationship between Work Stress and Performance Table 7: Stress Levels of Respondents Stress LevelFrequencyPercentage Low78. 1 Moderately Low3338. 3 Moderately High4147. 7 High55. 9 Total86100. 0 As shown in the table, 47. 7% of the respondents showed moderately high stress levels, 38. 3% showed moderately low levels of stress, 8. 1% showed very low levels of stress and 5. 9% showed very high levels of stress. The results showed that 45% of the respondents suffered from ailments and disorders attributable to stress and the most common among the respondents were hypertension, peptic ulcers, allergies, depression and anxiety. Table 8: Performance Levels of Respondents Performance LevelFrequencyPercentage Low1213. 9 Moderately Low33. 5 Moderately High5968. 7 High1213. 9 Total86100. 0 As shown in the table, majority of the respondents (68. 7%) had moderately high performance levels, followed by respondents that had high and low performance levels (13. 9% each), and finally 3. 5% who had moderately low levels of performance. The results showed that almost 50% of the respondents worked outside formal working hours to finish their work, rarely took vacations, and had little or no control over how they performed on their jobs. Table 9: Correlation between Work Stress and Performance Work StressPerformance Work Stress1. 0000-0. 6312 Performance-0. 63121. 0000 As shown in the table, there was a relatively significant negative correlation between work stress and performance of -0. 6312. This means that there is a significant inverse relationship between stress and performance. 4. 5Coping Mechanisms applied by Accountants Table 11: Level of use of Coping Mechanisms Level of use FrequencyPercentage Low910. 5 Moderately Low5361. 6 Moderately High2225. 6 High22. 3 Total86100. 0 As shown in the table, majority of the respondents (61. 6%) showed moderately low levels of use of coping mechanisms, followed by 25. 6% who showed moderately high levels of use of coping mechanisms, then 10. 5% who showed low levels and finally 2. 3% that showed high levels of us of coping mechanisms. The coping mechanisms that were commonly used by respondents were exercising, setting time to relax, and pursuing religious/spiritual interests. 24% of the respondents said they dealt with their stress primarily through sleeping while 17% consumed alcohol. Table 12: Correlation between Work Stress and Coping Mechanisms Work StressCoping Mechanisms Work Stress1. 0000-0. 1169 Coping Mechanisms-0. 11691. 0000 As shown in the table, there was an insignificant negative correlation between work stress and coping mechanisms. This means that there was a very low and therefore insignificant inverse relationship between work stress and coping mechanisms. 4. 6Other Factors that Affect Performance Table 10: Other Factors that affect Performance Other FactorsFrequencyPercentage Financial Constraints 3034. 9 HR Policies1922. 1 Organization Culture910. 5 Technology2023. 2 Others89. 3 Total86100. 0 As shown in the table 34. 9% of the respondents cited financial constraints as the leading disincentive to their performance, followed by technology (23. 2%), Human Resource policies (22. 1%), organization culture (10. 5%), and others (9. 3%). CHAPTER FIVE DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 5. 0Introduction This chapter discusses the findings in relation to the objectives and existing literature. It also includes the conclusion and recommendations. 5. 1Bio data Of the 86 respondents, the majority was male, 30 to 40 years old, and married. The respondents were from various organizations in both the public and private sectors and were accountants and accounting officers by virtue of their positions and their tasks and duties. Majority of the respondents worked for 30 to 60 hours a week. 5. 2Work Stress and Performance The results showed that majority of the respondents felt that their jobs were boring, did not get adequate pay to match the work they did, their working conditions were poor, and they had many people at the workplace make excessive demands of them. These factors have been identified as some of the most significant organizational stressors (Luthans 1998). The respondents claimed to be exhausted and indicated that they did not maintain social contact with their friends and colleagues, found difficulty relaxing, and were irritable and moody. These signs have been associated with stress by many authors and researchers. The results showed that there was a moderately high correlation between work stress and performance among the respondents. This suggests that an increase in stress levels will lead to a significant drop in performance. These findings agree with Sanders (1983) who found that performance was optimal at moderate levels but reduced when stress levels were too low or too high. Jamal (1985) and Vroom (1964) also support the idea that â€Å"stress at any level reduces task performance by draining an individual’s energy, concentration and time. † Work stress in moderately high and high levels among employees, as some respondents showed, is not the productive type that organizations desire; it does not improve the use of resources or enhance performance. This type of stress disrupts relationships both at work and outside work, damages mental and physical health, and tarnishes one’s outlook on life. It is near impossible to be productive under such conditions. Up to 50% of the respondents were suffering from various stress related ailments and disorders like hypertension, ulcers, allergies, depression and anxiety. Newstrom et al (1997) has however cautioned that the signs and effects associated with stress may result from other conditions. 5. 3Work stress and Coping Mechanisms The main coping strategies respondents used were exercise, relaxation and pursuit of spiritual and religious interests. These are both proactive and reactive and probably served to protect the respondents from very high stress levels. The results showed an insignificantly low negative correlation between work stress and coping mechanisms. This might be attributed to personality factors like a hardy personality, a strong sense of commitment, an internal locus of control or the need to meet challenges in life. McGuigan (1999) said that a stressor is an event that can be perceived as stressful by an individual; and therefore what is distressful for one individual may not be so for another. Majority of the respondents had moderate work stress results but they did not cope with their stress the same way, probably because their personalities differed. While some could have been suffering under the pressure, others may have considered conditions to be normal or simply challenging. Dennis Warren in an article in the Montana Lawyer said â€Å"it’s our attitude toward what we do and how we do it. It’s out perspective- how we see and experience the challenges and difficulties in our lives. † Adults are believed to apply coping strategies at different levels as was suggested by Lazarus et al (1984) when they stated that â€Å"coping is constantly changing; involving cognitive and behavioral efforts applied to handle specific external and internal demands appraised as stressful. 5. 4Other Factors that affect Performance The results showed that financial constraints were the leading disincentives to accountants’ performance, followed by technology, Human Resource policies, and lastly organization culture. These have been cited by Kreitner (1998) as the major factors that affect employee performance. 5. 5Conclu sion In regard to the findings of the study, a conclusion can be drawn that; 1. There is a significantly moderate relationship between work stress and performance. Though some people may perform highly as they undergo moderately high and high levels of stress while others perform poorly in conditions of low stress, it is more common for highly stressed people to perform poorly and vice versa. 2. There is no significant relationship between stress and coping mechanisms. Most accountants do not apply coping mechanisms basing on their stress levels or as a way of dealing with stress; they do it as part of their way of life. 5. 6Recommendation Stress is a descriptive term used to cover conditions of a physical, biological, or psychological nature that typically cannot be controlled by people and therefore strain them beyond their powers to adapt (Gaillard et al 1994). Although majority of the respondents showed medium stress levels, accountants rarely recognize and admit that they are stressed until irreparable damage has been done. Wagner et al (1995) support this observation and mentioned that employees were afraid to admit that they could not overcome some of problems with their work tasks for fear of being labeled chronic complainers. It is important for accountants to try and minimize work stress and its effects, and more so to be proactive rather than reactive in dealing with their stress. It has been found that performance suffers where stress exists and stress should therefore be checked to counter its effects and in particular, loss of productivity or poor performance. This should concern management of the organization as they strive for increased performance and employee productivity. Organization structure, culture and policies should be evaluated and restructured so as to be supportive to employees and the duties they have to undertake. Management should also evaluate the design of jobs, pay structures, HR policies and practices, the working environment and organization stress profile, and take appropriate steps to bring the organization to a stress free state. References: Brian White, 2003. Dissertation Skills for Business and Management Students; Continuum. Fred Luthans, 1998. Organizational Behavior, 8th Edition; Irwin/McGraw Hill. G. A. Cole, 1997. Personnel Management, 4th Edition; Letts Educational, Aldine Place, London. Gaillard A. W. K. and J. M. Seyvers, 1989. Sleep Loss and Sustained Performance; Kluwer Academic Publishers. Gareth Morgan, 1997. Images of Organization, 2nd Edition; Sage. Ian Beardwell Len Holden, 1997. Human Resource Management; A Contemporary Perspective, 2nd Edition; Pitman Publishing. Jacques Barzun Henry F. Graft, 1957. The Modern Researcher; Jacques Barzun. Jamal M. , 1985. An article on â€Å"Relationship of Work stress to Job Performance: A Study of Managers and Blue-Collar Worke rs† published in Human Relations Vol. 38. John A. Wagner III John R. Hollenbeck, 1995. Management of Organizational Behavior, 2nd Edition; Prentice Hall Inc. John W. Newstrom Keith Davis, 1997. Organizational Behavior; Human Behavior at Work, 10th Edition; McGraw Hill. Paul Hersey, Kenneth H. Blanchard Dewey E. Johnson, 1969. Management of Organizational Behavior; Utilizing Human Resources, 7th Edition; Prentice Hall, New Jersey. Peter F. Drucker, 1999. Management Challenges of the 21st Century; Butterworth Heinemann. Robert Kreitner, 1998. Management, 10th Edition; Houghton Mifflin Company, New York. Rosemary Stewart, 1997. The Reality of Management, 3rd Edition; Butterworth Heinemann. Selye H. , 1956. The Stress of Life; Mc-Graw Hill, New York. Stephen P. Robbins Mary Coulter, 1999. Management, 6th Edition; Prentice Hall Inc, New Jersey. Laurie J. Mullins, 1996. Management and Organizational Behavior, 4th Edition; Pitman Publishing. Vroom V. H. 1964. Work and Motivation; Wiley Press, New York. Kworoba Elly, 2006/2007. Lecture Notes; Organizational Behavior; Faculty of Vocational Studies, Kyambogo University. Mwasa Patrick, 2004/2005. Lecture Notes; Stress and Stress Management; Faculty of Community Psychology, Makerere University. www. cdc. gov/niosh National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Journals. www. cipd. o. uk Chartered Institute of Personnel and development, 2006. Absence of Management. Survey Report; London CIPD. www. humannature. com An article on Employee Stress and Performance written by David Lee. www. matrix-performance. com www. mobar. com An Article on The Laws of Stress and Performance by Dennis Warren published in the 1998 issue of The Montana Lawyer. www. news. ufl. edu www. worc. ac. uk Gbola han Gbadamosi. A Paper on Perceived Stress, Performance Appraisal Discomfort and Core Self Evaluation in a Non-Western Context; University of Worcester. www. wikipedia. com

19th Century Welfare Provision History Essay

19th Century Welfare Provision History Essay In what ways was 19th century welfare provision shaped by the socially constructed distinction between the deserving and undeserving poor and with what consequences for these different groups in terms of the type of welfare assistance available to them?. The origins of the Welfare State in the United Kingdom go back to Elizabethan times. The introduction of the Poor Laws was the first legislative attempt to ensure that the poor had the means to live. This method continued until the Industrial Revolution, when provision for the poor changed. The Welfare State in its modern form began with the introduction of reforms between 1906 and 1914 by the Liberal Government. These reforms included the introduction of National Insurance, Old Age Pensions and Free School Meals. In the increasingly complex society that emerged in the 19th century industrialised Britain, there was , and has continued t be, a need to support people who are unable to cope without state social welfare provision and br ing order to social life. The Second World War then led to the development of welfare legislation designed to ensure that everybody in the United Kingdom had access to quality healthcare. This resulted in the introduction of the National Health Service and a range of health education and disease prevention measures being introduced in post war Britain. In the period between the fall of the Roman Empire and the enactment of the first Elizabethan Poor Law in 1601 philanthropy was characterized by various hierarchical relationships within the feudal structure.   Help for others was pre-eminently a matter of royal contributions, but was also greatly supplemented by personal charity on the part of the wealthy.   Religion and concerns about life after death drove many to charitable works.   Churches continually increased their position in society and began to take a prominent role in philanthropic endeavours. Over time the church’s role evolved, becoming one of the main instr uments of charitable actions.   A historical perspective is important in understanding british social policy development. Loking at the influence of 19th century social, economic and political change, particularly the A wide range of personal motivations contributed to philanthropic participation, as helping others was seen as emotionally and socially stimulating. While much was accomplished in this period, charity was often erratic and did not always fully meet the needs of the recipients. Robert Morris (1986) Philanthropy can be defined as the provision of financial, material, and ideal resources for cultural, social, and educational institutions.   During the course the 19th century these aims increasingly came to fruition through foundations, limited dividend companies, membership organizations, or by bequests and donations, and were generally facilitated by middle to upper class people. Thomas Adam (2001) Charity organization movements were one of the key characteristics of Victorian era philanthropists. With the emergence of nation states prior to and during this period, poverty and social welfare gradually became embodied in law. State advocated reform was often frenzied, highly bureaucratic, and humiliating to the poor who received aid.   However, as the duties of governments increased, aid societies and philanthropists also expanded their organizational efforts.

Why US foreign policy towards Cuba has not thawed since the end of the Dissertation

Why US foreign policy towards Cuba has not thawed since the end of the cold war - Dissertation Example s in the field of foreign relations. More specifically, most of the researches involving this particular topic focused on the development of the foreign relations between the two. Indeed, the relationship between the United States of America and Cuba can be traced as far as the Spanish-American war, when Cuba attained its independence. The two began a good relationship but eventually became bitter after accession of Fidel Castro into power. This research offers an extensive review of the foreign policy of the United States of America towards Cuba, focusing on the primary sources such as the speeches of Fidel Castro, his books and the like. Chapter 1: (Condensed to 1,420 words) Introduction Background of the Study The relationship between Cuba and the United States started when the Spanish-American war ended. Spain was defeated by the United States in this particular war (Osieja, 2006; Wittkopf & McCormick, 2007). As such, the United States granted the then colonies of Spain their ind ependence with the condition that the United States could intervene in their internal affairs if it becomes necessary (Aronson, Rogers, Sweig & Meid, 2001; Gibbs & Gibbs, 2011). In line with this agreement, Cuba has also granted a perpetual lease in favor of the United States of its naval base at Guantanamo bay (Haney & Vanderbush, 2005). The two countries cooperated with one another for the next fifty years after the independence of Cuba (Wittkopf & McCormick, 2007). The United States play an important role in terms of aiding Cuba in quelling down rebellions (Wittkopf & McCormick, 2007). Furthermore, the United States also began to pour in economic investments into the country in order to help them develop. However, things began to change with the 1959 Cuban Revolution (Gibbs & Gibbs, 2011). Primarily, the United States expressed support towards Castro by imposing an arms embargo against the administration of then-President General Fulgencio Bautista. In fact, the United States imm ediately recognized the government of Castro (Wittkopf & McCormick, 2007). However, the Castro government began seizing private lands and nationalized private companies, including those of American origin (Haney & Vanderbush, 2005; Osieja, 2006). As a result thereof, the administration of then-President Eisenhower responded by imposing trade restrictions except for the basic necessities such as food and medicines (Gibbs & Gibbs, 2011). As a response to the alleged â€Å"Yankee-Imperialism,† Castro decided to start trading with the Soviet Union instead (Meacham, 2009). In this regard, the United States dissolved all diplomatic relations with the Soviet Union and from then on, the unfriendly relationship between the two begun (Wittkopf & McCormick, 2007). Indeed, the bitter relationship between Cuba and the United States worsened upon the accession of Fidel Castro in 1959. The relationship between the two has evolved into bitter arguments, political grandstanding and eventually resorted to an international crises (Wittkopf & McCormick, 2007). In fact, since 1961, the two countries have failed to enter into a bilateral agreement and would often call upon Switzerland as their mediator should they need to negotiate on certain matters (Aronson, Rogers, Sweig & Meid, 2001; Haney & Vanderbush, 2005). The relationship

Nationally Known Leader Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Nationally Known Leader - Essay Example Obama’s charisma moved and continues to move the American society. Employing his charisma, he has successfully drawn the interest of the Americans. His influence to his country is development-oriented through reforming sectors that lag behind or pull the society behind. With his charisma, he has made it possible to influence American masses and garner their trust in his leadership. This does not mean that Obama faces no challenges in his line of work. However, the manner in which he addresses emerging leadership challenges is crucial in his leadership pursuits. The fire and emergency services can also apply Obama’s charismatic traits in the line of duty. This relates to reforming and dynamically improving services as social and economic contexts in the environment these services are offered changes (Chappelow 151). Charisma is basically an influential trait. The ability to move masses is crucial in pushing for reforms and improvement of services in the fire and emergenc y services. It is important to highlight that fire and emergency services can be predetermined, but they cannot be certainly states as to when they will take place. In this context, pushing for a crucial action that is based on uncertainty becomes a challenge. However, charismatic traits can essentially account for this challenge. Being societal oriented is a crucial trait that many world renowned leaders portray. Obama fits in this trait within the American context. His leadership style has depicted that every single person is essential and equally contribute towards the country when empowered. Obama focus his pursuits to the entire American society, both poor and rich. His concern for the society promotes equality, with reduced gaps between the poor and the rich. In the fire and emergency services, disasters are uncertain and they can befall any given individual. This critical part of society should ensure service to the entire society, regardless of their social, economic or poli tical orientation. There are often cases of delayed services to certain locales, while others are responded to when an alarm is mistakenly raised, even without an emergency. A result oriented leader works on goals and objectives set to achieve to realize desired outcomes (Vicere 26-33). President Obama is a result-oriented leader. He operates on strategic planning and processes that are designed to achieve the desired results. The fire and emergency services can also employ these characteristic or trait. Fire and emergency responses have results to achieve, with the primary concern being to prevent damage to property and life. Operating on a result- oriented pursuit will ensure that there are milestones to achieve and check against the final outcome that constitutes the result desired. Socially interactive leaders centrally establish functional relationships with the people they lead. Social relations are critical to account for leadership, meaning that a leader must be equipped wit h socialization aspect so that the people and the leader can both collaborate, rather than the people feeling bossed around. The power and authority bestowed to the leader by the people must be balanced in such a way that best suits both parties. In the Obama’s context, his social ties with the people make them feel that they bestowed power and

Journal Entry for Stephen Crane’s, An Episode of War Essay Example for Free

Journal Entry for Stephen Crane’s, An Episode of War Essay This short piece of American literature is a descriptive prose depicting a scene in the American Civil War. An unnamed lieutenant is wounded at his right arm while resting with the rest of his troops during an active battle. The story enables the readers to take part on the lieutenant’s perceptions on what is happening and how the battle was shaped and he is a participant or a victim of a battle unknown to him. The battle is fierce and tumultuous; it was able to take the innocent lives and anything on its way. All of this thinking happened while the lieutenant passed the line of the battle, while he was in search of the field hospital.  At the hospital, the wounded officer had a brief and unpleasant encounter with a surgeon who is rude and lied to him, saying that his arm will not be amputated. The story was able to envelop the soft and meek side of an army officer in a few lines of dialogue of having his right arm amputated. In the end, the lieutenant went along with the surgeon for a medical procedure but end up losing his arm. The army officer felt ashamed when he got home to his family and showing an empty sleeve. He was a victim of a war that could have been avoided and he will not have to lose his arm.

Emergency Management LA Riots Essay -- essays research papers fc

Table of Contents Page 3- Introduction Page 3 - Los Angeles Erupts Page 5- Figure #1- City of Los Angeles- Extent of damage Page 6- The Powder Keg and the Spark Page 7- LA- Rich vs. Poor, Black vs. White Page 7- Crack Cocaine and Gangs Page 8- Figure #2- Gang Territories 1996 Page 9- The LAPD- Protectors of Occupying Force? Page 10- Rodney King and Latasha Harlins Page 11- Long Term Planning Page 11- Prevention/Mitigation Page 11- Preparedness Page 12- Response Page 12- Recovery Page 14- Bibliography Introduction The aim of this assignment will be to provide an overview of the civil unrest which took place in the city of Los Angeles, California, USA from April 29 to May 2, 1992. In examining this incident I will endeavor to explain how and why it happened, who and what was affected and what the long term planning implications are for an event such as this. In order to do this I will present an overview of the four days of violence that gripped Los Angeles and investigate some of the root causes of the uprising. Finally, I will present my theories of how better or different prevention, preparedness, response and recovery could have minimized the effects of the incident. Los Angeles Erupts In the late afternoon of April 29, 1992 sparks of anger and alienation erupted in Los Angeles, California, USA. For 4 days violent civil unrest raged in this Metropolis of 9,000,000 (U.S. census population estimate for Los Angeles County, California State demographic Research Unit, California Department of Finance), causing the deaths of 54 people, injuring over 2,400 (University of Southern California, â€Å"The Los Angeles Riots 1992†, http://www.usc.edu/ isd/archives/ la/la_riot.html) and causing property damage of approximately $1,000,000,000 USD (Falkenrath & Rosegrant, 2000). Over these four days, more than 7,000 people were arrested on looting, assault, arson and weapons related charges (Salak, 1993, pg. 33). Starting at the intersection of Florence and Nomandie, in the predominantly black and hispanic inhabited area of LA known as South Central, a small group of 25-40 teens took to the streets and began a rowdy protest, striking cars with baseball bats and shouting anti police slogans. The Los Angeles Police Department responded with 6 officers and during the course of attempting to arrest 2 gang members,... ...nedy School of Government, Harvard University. Gimbarzevsky, B., 1995, Canadian Homicide Trends 1961-1994, https://teapot. usask.ca/cdn.firearms/gimbarzevsky/homicide.html Mancock, I., Tristan, C. & Lunn, J., 2004, Introduction to Emergency Management, CD ROM, Charles Sturt University, Australia. McMahon, R., 2001, Civil Disorder Resolution, Command Strategies and Tactical Responses, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN. O’Connor, A, 2000, CRASH Set Up Latinos to be Deported, The Los Angeles Times Newspaper Owens, T., 1994, Lying Eyes; The Truth Behind the Corruption and Brutality of the LAPD and the Beating of Rodney King, Thunders Mouth Press, New York, NY. Salak, J., 1993, The Los Angeles Riots, America’s Cities in Crisis, The Millbrook Press, Brookfield, CT. Staff writer, 1992, The Toll, Los Angeles Times Newspaper Vernon, R., 1993, L.A. Justice; Lessons From The Firestorm, Focus on the Family Publishing, Colorado Springs, CO. Wenger, Lt. Col. W., 1994, The 1992 Los Angeles Riots, A Battalion Commanders Perspective, Infantry Magazine, US Army , Fort Benning GA. Wilkinson, T, 1991, Korean Grocer Who Killed Black Teen Gets Probation, The Los Angeles Times Newspaper

Dickens creates sympathy Essay

This Essay aims to examine the sympathy that Dickens created for his characters. I will be concentrating on two extracts from the novel â€Å"Great Expectations†. Extract one is when Pip and Magwitch meet initially; extract two is Pip’s first encounter with Miss Havisham. The three main characters I will be focusing on are Pip, Magwitch and Miss Havisham.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Great Expectations† was written in the 1800’s, a time which suffered from grave poverty due to the government who offer no relief to the poor. Poverty and squallier was all around. Pickpockets, prostitutes, beggers and drunks were everywhere, desperate for money. Dickens was particularly effected by this because o his own childhood trauma. He was born into the middle class which allowed him to obtain an education. This was until his father was imprisoned for multiple debts, which forced Dickens and his family into a diminished standard of life. This meant that Dickens and was forced to work from an early age. Whilst being poor himself he saw extreme poverty far greater than his own. He wrote about real life in his books, which showed the upper and middle classes, who read them, how awful the lifestyle of a poor person was.  Dickens creates sympathy for Pip through the use of setting. In the first extract Pip is in a cold, dark graveyard. This is and unpleasant place for a child to be because it is intimidating and a very lonely place for a child to be.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"And that small bundle of shivers growing afraid of it all and beginning to cry was Pip.† This illustrates that Pip’s environment is bringing him down. The fact that he is shivering shows how cold he really is. He is clearly upset about where he is otherwise he would not cry. The description of the graveyard in comparison to Pip makes him sounds extremely small. Pip is too overwhelmed by his surrounding which could be why he is so upset. Also, his feelings of loneliness are portrayed by his depression about his family situation. â€Å"I never saw my father or mother.† This gives the impression that he misses them greatly. Furthermore, it tells us that he never met his parents, possibly that they died when he was very young. This makes him upset because he never knew them or what they were like. So other than the quote which states he was crying he has yet another reason to be in a sad and depressed state. The graveyard is a lonely place for Pip, especially as he is surrounded by his dead family. However, in extract two, Pip’s environment changes. He is now in the huge house of Miss Havisham. The house is enormous yet it has lost its luster. A lot inside it looks unused, but old. Objects have lost their colours now with a hint of yellow.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"No glimpse of daylight was to be seen in it.†Ã‚  The quote helps to give the feeling of a dark and dreary place. This creates sympathy for Pip because he is in a huge house, that has long not been taken care of or used and he is scared and nervous. As well as this the scene creates sympathy for Pip by putting his in a place which is morbid and lifeless, a place which has no happiness which automatically would bring Pip down. The state of her house and the way Pip feels creates feelings of sympathy for Pip. â€Å"†¦everything with my view which ought to be white had been white long, long ago.† Again, this provides an old, lonely aroma which could potentially scare Pip. As well as being in a new place, the outlook of everything is a lot for a young boy to take in, for example; Pip says he feels â€Å"half afraid†. This setting would possibly make Pip feel uncomfortable. Also, Pip would be confused and nervous about what happened in the beginning for this once magnificent house to look the way it does. â€Å"†¦her watch had stopped at twenty minutes to nine, and that a clock in the room had stopped at twenty minutes to nine.†Ã‚  Pip was insecure and unsure of anything, and will want to know more yet hold back with fear.  In extract one, when Pip first encounters Magwitch, he is terrified. The interaction between these two characters is negative. Pip is intimidated by Magwitch. He is a lot taller, older and stronger than Pip. â€Å"†¦tilted me back †¦ his eyes looked most powerfully down into mine.†Ã‚  Magwitch is leaning over Pip, making him feel anxious and becoming very scared. Pip is very frightened as he is being threatened by Magwitch. â€Å"†O! Don’t cut my throat sir† I pleaded in terror†Ã‚  This creates sympathy for Pip because he is begging Magwitch not to cut his throat, pleading for his life. This is an intimidating situation for Pip and shows him to be desperate, which is understandable for a young boy in his position.  Dickens wants the reader to feel sympathy for Magwitch as well as Pip. We know that Magwitch is a convict by the way he is described, which does help create feelings for him. â€Å"A fearful man, all coarse grey, with a great iron on his leg.†Ã‚  This tells us that he is a convict because of the information given to us about the iron at the end of the quote. Additionally, it describes him as â€Å"all coarse grey† meaning he was from a prison, probably saying he was prison garbage. He is delineated in a way which makes him sound scared but determined. The fact he is a â€Å"fearful man† probably means he frightens others, just like he is doing to Pip. Along with this, Dickens includes a lot of detail about Magwitch’s state of health. This really creates sympathy because to be in that awful mess something horrible must have happened to him. â€Å"A man who had been soaked in water and smothered in mud< and lamed by stones and cut by flints†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This gives the image of Magwitch in the wild; he is wet through, covered in mud and cut quite badly all over. He is in a terrible state here and this creates mixed emotions about Magwitch as he threatens Pip. It raises questions in the reader’s mind as to what actually happened to him, to him act in the manner which he is doing. â€Å"While he ate the bread ravenously!†Ã‚  This concocts the idea that Magwitch is desperate for food, so much so that he threatens a child. Dickens is making the reader understand why Magwitch is threatening Pip. Dickens describes Magwitch to make him intimidating yet helpless. The sympathy for Magwitch builds up as the interaction between him and Pip grows. When he exits he is described as cold and injured.  Ã¢â‚¬Å"He hugged his shuddering body in both arms as if to hold himself together, and limped toward the church†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Ã‚  He lives in hope that the boy (Pip) will bring the file he wants and food. At this point Magwitch is very weak, sad. In addition to this he is insecure and vulnerable which makes you feel sorry for him.

Ethics in Environmental Conservation and Research Essay

Serious ethical challenges have confronted stakeholders in environmental conservation and research. The bulk of the challenges gravitates around the relationship between human beings and the non-human environment, and the impact of human activities on the continued existence of human beings and other elements of the non-human environment (Swart, 2008). Researchers have viewed these challenges through several ethical lenses to come up with different perspectives on the place of mankind in the system, and how human beings should interact with the environment. Ecological ethics originated from environmental ethics which, just like the Blackstone’s ethic of environmental rights and the utilitarian ethic of pollution control, focuses on the complex issue of human-nature relationship and the resultant environmental problems which include loss of biodiversity, pollution and scarcity of resources (Minteer & Collins, 2008). Ecological researchers emphasize that although human beings arevery important in the human-environment relationship, they must evaluate the benefits of their actions vis-a-vis the negative impact of such actions. Human beings must not harm the environment knowingly, particularly if the action leading to such harm is not necessary. According to Minteer & Collins, ecological conservationists must ask themselves whether â€Å"the expected value of an ecological study outweigh possible harm to research animals in the target population. † Because it allows a comprehensive view of the forces at play in ecological conservation and research, ecological ethics gives a better understanding of the ethical issues in conservation and research. Ecological ethics holds that the non-human environment is valuable and mankind must protect it. Blackstone viewed access to a clean and safe environment as a fundamental human right, meaning that no one should take away or compromise another’s right to a livable environment (Valezquez, n. d). At the core of Blackstone’s ethic is the argument that human beings must gauge and anticipate the impact of their actions to ensure that such actions do not threaten other people’s access to their environmental rights. Although Blackstone failed to give a clear guide on how it should be done, he argued that polluters should be held responsible for their actions. Non-human life is useful to human life as humankind depends heavily on the former to satisfy their needs. As such, human beings should protect the non-human environment and only assault the non-human environment to meet essential needs. According to the utilitarian ethic of pollution control, environmental problems are pointers to defects in the market. Utilitarians argue that human beings should invest in reducing pollution to the minimum possible, as it is harmful to the welfare of society. This implies that resources should be used when necessary and they should be allocated and used efficiently. According to Valezquez (n. d), utilitarians draw a line to separate the costs firms incur to produce a product (private costs), and the costs incurred during the production process but which the firms do not pay directly (social costs). These include the costs of pollution and health-care costs for pollution victims, and biodiversity loss. When firms consider only the private costs and overlook the social costs, resources are not utilized efficiently as firms do not invest in efficient production systems. The result of inefficient use of resources is wastages and pollution which contravene the very utilitarian principles on which the market system stands. Producers should therefore consider both social and private costs to arrive at the real prices for products. A prominent problem with setting the real price is that many firms are responsible for pollution and it is not easy to determine which firm is harming who and which is not. The most adequate of the three views is the ecological ethic. Ecological ethicists view mankind as part of a larger system which involves continuous interactions with the non-human environment. Mankind therefore stands to lose from environmental degradation and scarcity of resources. The utilitarian and Blackstone’s views may imply that mankind can justify environmental destruction by paying for the same and compensating those who are affected. According to the ecological view however, human beings have the important role of, not simply paying for harm occasioned by their actions but of, protecting the environment from harm and ensuring that harm is tolerated only when the benefits outweigh the adverse effects. References Minteer, B. & Collins, J. (2008). From Environmental to Ecological Ethics: Toward a Practical Ethics for Ecologists and Conservationists. Sci Eng Ethics 14: pp 483-501. Swart, J. (2008). The Ecological Ethics Framework: Finding our Way in the Ethical Labyrinth of Nature Conservation. Sci Eng Ethics 14: pp 523-526.

Countries, Nationalities and Languages in English

Countries, Nationalities and Languages in English Sometimes people say, She speaks France. or I am from French. This is an easy mistake to make as countries, nationalities, and languages are very similar.  The chart below shows the Country, Language and Nationality of many major countries from around the world. You will also find sound files to help with correct pronunciation.   Countries and Languages are both nouns. Example - Countries Tom lives in England.Mary travelled to Japan last year.Id love to visit Turkey. Example - Languages English is spoken around the world.Mark speaks fluent Russian.I wonder if she speaks Portuguese. Important Note:  All countries and languages are always capitalized in English.   Nationalities are adjectives used to describe where a person, type of food, etc. is from. Example - Nationalities He drives a German car.We went to our favorite Japanese restaurant last week.The Swedish prime minister is coming next week. Click on the link below to hear the correct pronunciation of each group of nationalities. Each group of words are repeated twice. Important Note: Unlike other adjectives, all nationalities used as adjectives are capitalized in English. Important Notes All country names are unique. They are not similar to language or nationality names.Language and nationality names are often, but not always similar. For example: French - the language, and French the nationality are the same in the case of France.. However, English - the language, and American - the nationality are not the same in the case of The United States.All countries, languages and nationalities are always capitalized in English. This is because country, language and nationality names are proper names of countries, languages and nationalities. Pronunciation Files for the Chart Its important to learn the correct pronunciation of countries, languages and nationalities. People need to know where you are from! For help with pronunciation, click on the links below for different groupings of countries, nationalities and languages.   One SyllableEnds in ishEnds in ishEnds in ian or ean Pronunciation Chart Pronunciation File Country Language Nationality One syllable France French French Greece Greek Greek ends in -ish Britain English British Denmark Danish Danish Finland Finnish Finnish Poland Polish Polish Spain Spanish Spanish Sweden Swedish Swedish Turkey Turkish Turkish ends in -an Germany German German Mexico Spanish Mexican The United States English American ends in -ian or -ean Australia English Australian Brazil Portuguese Brazilian Egypt Arabic Egyptian Italy Italian Italian Hungary Hungarian Hungarian Korea Korean Korean Russia Russian Russian ends in -ese China Chinese Chinese Japan Japanese Japanese Portugal Portuguese Portuguese Common Mistakes People speak Dutch, but live in Holland or BelgiumPeople live in Austria, but speak German. A book written in Vienna is Austrian, but written in German.People live in Egypt, but speak Arabic.People in Rio have Brazilian customs, but speak Portuguese.  People in Quebec are Canadian, but they speak French.

Research paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 17

Research Paper Example Identity such as language, religion amongst others implies sovereignty, and from the struggle of the Native Americans in Hawaii and Alaska, albeit approached differently, defines the process towards sovereignty. This paper explores and discusses the sovereignty claims of the native tribes in Alaska and in Hawaii, the 49th and 50th states of the country respectively. As a matter of fact, efficient public service delivery can be disregarded for a chance to indulge in self governance. Nonetheless, with the federal government and the state governments responsible for a number of services for the people in Alaska, including the natives, the relevance of the Alaskan sovereign and the Hawaiian push for tribal sovereigns has been brought into question. The native Hawaiians situation with regards to sovereign assertions is markedly different from the Alaskan situation. However, the tribes in Native Hawaiians tribes had a centralized governing system with a royal queen being at the helm of the authority of the land before colonization and eventual annexation by the United States. Presently, the United States of America exhibit a three spiral form of sovereignty: federal, state and tribal governments. The sovereign status of the native tribes in Alaska has been defined as axiomatic, and this implies that the right to self govern is self evident. The Alaskan natives, similar to other tribes in the Americas, have governed themselves for thousands of years a similar pattern across America’s native tribes came. Assertions of tribal sovereignty as it is presently exist amongst the native Alaskan tribe took very many years to achieve fruition. During the years of sovereignty claims, the tribes used a combination political as well as legal activism. Sovereign assertion achieved by the native Indian tribes over the years is acknowledged within the federal corridors of justice, and entails the

Executive Compensation in Investment Banks Essay

Executive Compensation in Investment Banks - Essay Example Initially it was the investing public that was greatly affected, but as the crisis grew and the state had to intervene, it was the common man who stands out as most hurt, not only in the US, but across Europe and the world. Apart from bearing the full force of the crisis in terms of recession, unemployment, it is his money that is being used to bailout companies from the mess created for which he is in no way responsible. The media, the public and the politicians are busy naming the culprits for the crisis. The state regulators are trying hard to exonerate themselves by saying it did everything to prevent it and academicians are busy trying to analyse and suggest solutions. The analysts and executives who are being seen as the immediate malefactors are facing the media and public ire for the alleged role they played in the process. The important thing about this crisis is that it is not something that happened by a set of circumstances which developed overnight. There have been two similar occurrences, though of lesser magnitude in the last decade, the stock market bubble in the mid nineties and the crisis following the dot.com bubble burst in the earlier part of the century. At both times the reactions of the media, public and regulators have been similar, but apparently whatever remedial action taken by the regulators and the industry does not seem to have prevented the recurrence of the present crisis. Questions are still being asked on how this has happened Can these be prevented Are these inherent risks in a capitalist and market economy and therefore these are unavoidable If so, how should they be mitigated What and who is responsible for the present crisis What has been the role of the state and regulators The questions being attempted to be answered in these area are more specific namely if the executive compensation in investment banks are flawed and whether disclosures made in Reports and Accounts have given information to shareholders about long term prospects of the company to justify such high compensation and how these have affected shareholders wealth erosion in the present crisis. There is a universal agreement across academicians, industry, regulators and media that executive payments in investment banks are indeed very high. "Firms make lots of money, and use about half of it to overpay their employees."(Brown, 6) CFA UK's analysis of pay structure of employees of investment banks (Annexure A) and concedes that they are very high compared to other business sectors. Even if we concede for the moment that the remuneration and incentives paid to employees and CEOs of investment bank is disproportionate to what they really deserve, and this had a bearing on the crisis, this cannot be the reason for the crisis. Three articles have been chosen from three different sources-the media, academic research and industry association to see how much they agree with the statement. These have been taken from three different periods of time, one immediately after the previous crisis of 2002, one midway between the last two crises (2007) and one not more than a month ago after the full impact of the crisis was beginning to unfold (2008). The first one is written by Gretchen C. Morgenson et al. (2002) appeared in May 2002 in the Money and Business/ Financial section of