Narrative of Fredrick Douglass

The greatest thing about reading Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass is that there are many different and interesting themes to learn from. Throughout Douglass’ story he teaches us many lessons and motifs, but one thing that stays constant is his belief in the fact that all men and women should be created equal, with equal rights without any constraints to his or her own individual freedom.The treatment of Douglass himself and the other slaves he worked with was unbearable and under such horrible circumstances that after reading his autobiography; it really makes me wonder what other types of things other slaves had to endure during their experiences. Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass shows its readers that even though times can get extremely hard, there will still always be hope even when you think there is none. One of the most important ways slaves were kept in bondage was not simply the threat of physical brutality; rather, it was through deep and sustained ignorance.Slaves were not allowed to read and write and were therefore generally not aware of the events outside of the plantation, could not communicate with each other well to provoke rebellion or conduct escape plans, and could not reach the sense of self-sufficiency and pride that came from being educated. Literacy brought with it an understanding of the larger world. It opened up before a slave the idea of justice and an understanding of history. Reading the Bible led to a truer comprehension of Christianity. Douglass was able to first engage with abolitionism when he attained literacy.He also became fully aware of the reality of slavery; he wrote â€Å"[Literacy] had given me a view of my wretched condition, without the remedy. It opened my eyes to the horrible pit, but to no ladder upon which to get out. In moments of agony, I envied my fellow-slaves for their stupidity† (Page 56). Ignorance was thus a way for slaveholders to keep their slaves manageable, happy, calm, and content. Once a slave moved beyond such darkness into a world filled with understanding, he was only able to do what Douglass eventually did – attempt to escape from his ties.While reading Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass it is almost like reading about how white men dehumanized their slaves. The first example of this is shown in Chapter 1 when Douglass’ mother passes away. â€Å"Never having enjoyed, to any considerable extent, her soothing presence, her tender and watchful care, I received the tidings of [my mother’s] death with much the same emotions I should have probably felt at the death of a stranger† (Page 43).This quote explains that Douglass, like many other slaves, never had much of any relationship with their birth mothers. Considering that some slaves are taken away from their birth mothers only a few short years after they are born it is easy to understand why Douglass felt this way. It’s extremely sad to read how a chi ld can feel almost no emotion after hearing of such a tragic loss. I imagine if that were to happen to me and how I would feel and can only feel disheartened by the fact that most slaves never got to have relationships with their mothers.Another example of such degrading behavior by the slaveholders is simply how they scarcely feed their slaves. They expect so much work and cooperation from them and think that any amount of food, big or small, will help them to get their work done. Slaveholders instill in the minds of slaves that being unfed, whipped and called awful names is the best kind of life they will ever have. These were horrible characteristics of slavery but were well depicted by Douglass in his autobiography. According to Nathaniel P.Rogers’ Southern Slavery and Northern Religion: February 11, 1844 (Page 139), it is explained that Douglass arrives to give a speech and to tell his story to an audience who is very apprehensive and uncertain about hearing him speak. H owever, they were very curious to see him. After giving his speech, which was well received by the audience, he was asked more and more questions and they wanted to know more about his life and journey through slavery in general. â€Å"There was great oratory in his speech-but more dignity and earnestness than what we call eloquence.He was not up there as a speaker-performing. He was an insurgent slave taking hold on the right of speech, and charging on his tyrants and bondage of his race† (Page 141). Reading this review makes me really happy to know that while he had an awful time as a slave, escaping and gaining freedom was the best thing that ever happened to him. It is satisfying to read that others can feel for Douglass, though not come close to imagining what he had gone through, but having some sort of sympathy and realization that he and many other slaves are great human beings with inspiring stories to share about he freedom they all deserve. He teaches us that while we all go through horrible things; there is always a silver lining and something to be learned. Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass has really taught me a lot about myself and about a whole other kind of people that I really had no knowledge of. I truly believe that Douglass makes his audiences believe in what stands for; all men and women should be created equal, with equal rights without any constraints to his or her own individual freedom. This autobiography has a lot to teach a person and I would recommend it to anyone.It is thoroughly enjoyable and is the kind of book that makes you look past just the text. It makes you think about your own life, putting it in perspective and realizing what is really important. It is an interesting story that not many have heard themselves and really know little about its topic. I suggest to anyone who wants to read this narrative that they keep an open mind no matter what their previous views, religious or not, are so that they can ful ly understand and accept this person’s journey through slavery.

Article Summary: “The Bottom Line: Marketing & Firm Performance” Essay

Leslie M. Fine, author of â€Å"The Bottom Line: Marketing & Firm Performance,† analyzes how marketing relates to how well the firm does overall. A majority of the article is focused on how customer relations’ impact firm performance and can affect shareholder wealth. Firms improving customer equity and reducing the firm’s cash needs, will influence the net present value of the firm. Within recent years, there has been an increase in the awareness that firms should be able to demonstrate that marketing actions affect financial outcomes. Along with this awareness, marketers have realized that the investor is also the customer, especially at the initial IPO, and leading companies to report customer equity statements and customer equity flow statements. The article notes various studies that have been conducted analyzing the impact of customer satisfaction in relation to areas such as the â€Å"stock value gap,† performance of portfolios and the impact of marketing, research and development and operations on firm performance. The studies concluded that â€Å"doing what’s right for the customer is doing what’s right for the firm and shareholder value.† Customer satisfaction has a significant impact on the â€Å"stock value gap† when compare to the top competitor, meaning the lesser the gap the higher the customer satisfaction ratings of the firm. In relation to portfolio performance, the study indicated that portfolios with firms that had high satisfaction scores produced positive trend portfolios. Over a 10-year period those positive trend portfolios yield better than others and more impressively better than the S&P 500. Through reading this article I began to see clearly the importance and relevance of marketing to the success of the firm. As shown by the research indicated in this article, firms should begin to place an additional emphasis of the marketing function throughout the firm. I was particularly interested in the idea of having a Chief Marketing Officer in the boardroom. The idea of having a voice for the customer in the boardroom is positive in all aspects. Firms with a CMO offer additional input if the goal of the firm is to pursue innovation, differentiation and complex branding initiatives. As seen in the articles for this week, innovation and differentiate can excel a firm greatly. Having a CMO will only offer an additional benefit to the firm. Fine also included a section on the â€Å"Bond strategies effecting the firm,† which analyzed that the perceived brand relevance and brand energy provide incremental information to explain stock returns other than the information explained by accounting measures. This section focuses on how mergers and acquisitions use this analysis to determine the value of the target firm. This was interesting to me due to the focus of mergers and acquisitions being on the customer base of the target firm. Typically, my first thought in relation to mergers and acquisitions would be to consider the balance sheet and stock value of the firm as to how the particular target firm could be beneficial. After reading this article I would like to know how much these studies have sparked firms to begin doing in-house research, as well as how many have began focusing on the customer as a driving factor to the shareholder value of the company and performance of the firm.

Buddhist Education in Vietnam

Almost 85% of the entire population of Vietnam is Buddhist . The main reason for this vast acceptance of Buddhism is its very early entrance in Vietnam. Buddhism entered Vietnam in the beginning of second century. This was the Common Era and can be called as the first phase of the Buddhist education in Vietnam .The very first Buddhist education was given by a Taoist named Meou-Po, who later converted to Buddhism . According to many historians, even before this Taoist, some form of Buddhist education could be seen when the Chinese missionaries came to Vietnam .The Chinese missionaries came in Vietnam during the rule of Si-Nhiep. Later, two Indian monks also came from India to Vietnam, in order to practice and preach Buddhism. Ma Ha Ky Vuc and Khau Da La stayed in Vietnam for some time, later Khau Da La left whereas Ma Ha Ky Vuc stayed. Ma Ha Ky Vuc was a very religious man and used to fast for several days. According to him this helped purify his body and soul. These two Buddhist monk s first came to Northern Vietnam, which was called as Giao-Chi at that time. Mau-Bac, a Chinese Buddhist later came to Vietnam, in order to preach his religion.At that time China was the centre of a serious political conflict, hence many scholars in order to learn and preach at peace, came to Vietnam. This was a breakthrough for the Buddhism. These were the first people ever to bring in Buddhism in Vietnam. They were refugees from China and Pilgrims from India. As time passed by Buddhism became more accepted and most practiced religion in Vietnam. BEGINNING OF BUDDHIST EDUCATION A Hindu price, Gautama who did not like the idea of Hindu caste system, was the founder of Buddhism.Gautama did not believe that any man could be superior to the other and as Hinduism Brahmans are considered superior, he left this religion . Gautama had spent many years wandering and meditating. In the end he found answers to all his questions and hence found the path of enlightenment, â€Å"nirvana†. According to Buddhism, nirvana is the path to endless serenity. It is free from the cycle of birth, death and rebirth. Moreover, a person will achieve salvation if he believes in the four noble truths.These four noble truths are that a man suffers in all his consecutive lives; the reason for his sufferings is his wants for earthly things, when the person frees himself from all the wants of earthly things he then achieves deliverance. The last noble truth says that a person can achieve deliverance by following the eightfold noble path . So how did Buddhism actually spread? During the time Si-Nhiep ruled Giao-Chi, it was considered as a safe place. Mau-Bac came to Vietnam looking for peace and tranquility. After coming to Vietnam, he studied Buddhism from an Indian monk named Ksudra .Ma Ha Ky Vuc who also came to Vietnam got together with Mau-Bac and started preaching their religion. Ksudra also started helping them, hence people in Vietnam, who never knew what Buddhism was, started learning and accepting it. These were the very first people to start preaching and teaching Buddhism. Their teaching is the very early form of teachings found in Vietnam. After these, many Buddhist monks came to Vietnam. Khang Tang Hoi and Cuong Luong Lau were two monks who made a lot of difference. They translated many Buddhist books into Chinese.As Vietnamese culture at that time was influenced a lot by Chinese and Chinese was the official language used , hence translating these books made a lot of difference to people who could not read or write other languages . PHASES OF VIETNAMESE BUDDHISM The history of Buddhist education in Vietnam can be studied by dividing it into four separate phases or periods. – The formation of Buddhism in Vietnam. This started from the common era and lasted till the end of Chinese dominion – Climax of Buddhism. Buddhism was at its peak during the independence – The decadence after the Le Dynasty– Revival period. This starte d in the beginning of the 20th century and has not ended yet. The period before the Common Era lays the foundation for the beginning and development of Buddhist education in Vietnam. It was the time when Siddhartha Gautama, who will later attain enlightenment and will be called as ‘Buddha’ was born. As he was born in India, Indians were the first to learn Buddhism. Later when Buddhism came to China, many Chinese monks went to Vietnam in order to spread Buddhism. However, it believed that the Chinese and Indian merchants came to Vietnam for trading.They brought monks with them saying that the monks were the â€Å"calmer of the sea† These monks started preaching their religion in Vietnam. It was easy for them to teach their religion to many people at a time, as Luy-Lau, later known as Ha-Bac was the centre of all trading activities. All the merchants who came here to trade, and merchants who were travelling between India and China, stopped here to rest, therefore, monks were able to spread their religion very easily. Many missionary activities were started as a result. Monasteries were built and Buddhism became important.This was the first time ever in the history of Vietnam, that monasteries were built . The next period or phase proved to be best for Vietnamese Buddhism. In this period Buddhist studies were at their peak and many famous people and rulers converted to this religion. It was when King Dinh Tien Hoang came in to power. Buddhism has its own hierarchy of monks and priests who were accepted by the court. Buddhism was now supported by the royal court and this helped many positive changes to take place. Buddhists were now respected and were considered as learned people.They were asked advice by the royal court and the rulers before taking decisions. This helped them get involved in many political and religious decisions and hence providing many decisions to be taken according to them. This era truly proved to be the best for Buddhist studies and it became one of the most predominant religions. After this, many kings and emperors converted to Buddhism. Many laws came into practice in this era, which were influenced by Buddhism, and hence were in favor of the Buddhists. Van Hanh became a Buddhist in this period.He is known as the meditation master and has influenced many people to convert to Buddhism. Any ruler who was not Buddhists was at least the supporter of Buddhism and this was a very positive point for the Buddhists. In 1010 A. D, almost eight monasteries were built in Ha Bac. All other monasteries and Buddhist temples were also repaired. Tripitaka texts, which were in China initially, were brought in Vietnam. Thousands of Buddha statues and paintings were made and set up. Festivals were set up. Many new monasteries such as Sung Kharh monastery and monastery at Mount Ba were built. In 1086 A.d Dai Lam monastery was built in Ha Bac. Later in 1118 A. D Thien Phat was built which had almost 1,000 Buddha statu es . BUDDHIST STUDIES The entire Buddhist education comes from the studies of Buddha, who is the supreme teacher. All of the studies root from saddha, which is the faith in triple Gem. Depdnding upon these studies the students are taught according to the five rules. The students should know the rules, their reason and their appliance in daily lives. Most importantly, they should appreciate all these rules and believe in them. The students should know what is generosity and self sacrifice.These are essential elements that help the students overcome their worldly desires, their selfishness and greed. These five moral rules are dependent on each other. A student can gain by suta, which is by extensive reading of Buddhism texts. According to Buddhist studies the knowledge of a person is dependent on his inside belief of truth i. e. Dhamma. Calm and insight are the two main elements of any Buddhist teaching. In Buddhist education tasks and wisdom are dependent on each other. A student ca n attain wisdom by deep investigation, discussion and intelligence.This wisdom was the basic instruments which lead Buddha to salvation. This wisdom is the crown of all educations of Buddhism. Without wisdom, education is incomplete. Before French, people were chosen based on their education. These were officials known as â€Å"mandarins†. Learning was very important in those times. It was not just education but it lead a person to intellectual understanding, social standing, wealth and power. Buddhism came directly from India, hence there are many words in Vietnamese Buddhism which are influenced or are taken directly from India. The word Buddha is also taken as it is.However, as the Vietnamese culture is influenced a lot from the Chinese, hence when Chinese monks came to Vietnam, the word Buddha was replaced by the word Phat. In those days, Buddhism in Vietnam was influenced by Theravada Buddhism. It was seen as religion which helped good people and punished the bad. It was very difficult to teach Buddhism at that time as very little literature was available. Vietnamese had no written script; hence a few translations were made in Chinese. The era between 544 and 602 was an independent era and was helpful in spreading Buddhism

German Civilization and Expressionism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

German Civilization and Expressionism - Essay Example The essay "German Civilization and Expressionism " will examine the evolution of the Expressionist movement in film, and how this influence has impacted the world in terms of visual arts. As the film attracted a large audience in the U.S. and France, it became imperative to comprehend the nature of the Expressionist movement that had taken over Germany. It became clear that film could only be classified as art if the film’s image could be differentiated from pragmatic realism. Expressionism in film has the uncanny ability to rework and alter realism or reality. This is what the German film did in the 1920s, enabling the film industry to construct and create an emblematic world, which was completely separated from what is seen in everyday life. The influential power of the film, and as such the Expressionist movement, was brought out in the non-repetition of the world as seen every day. The general characteristics of Expressionism can be used to relate to Wiene’s film, w hich came at a time when Germany had already faced defeat during the First World War. It was at a time when the region was faced with poverty, discord, and anger among its people. Expressionism was used as a means to describe the mentality that most people had about the region. The notable themes of horror, insanity, and death in the film; The Cabinet of Caligari, are just but examples of the way the film was influential in the evolution of film at that point in Germany’s history. There is a perverted and warped perception of the world.

US Economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

US Economy - Essay Example The economy of the United States in the past few years has gone through a major slump. This slump has been seen through their real estate crisis, rise in unemployment rates, and their reduced competitiveness in the global economic setting.This economic crisis was not helped by the matching economic crisis felt in other western nations as well, such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, and similar developed nations. In so many ways, this crisis has been a result of the rise in oil prices which has affected the general prices of commodities and the transport of people and goods from one place to another. Much analysis is needed in order to fully comprehend the US economic crisis. This paper shall now analyze, compare, contrast the economic growth, unemployment, and inflation rates in the United States. This paper is being conducted in order to establish a dynamic and academic understanding of the topic, as well as its implications to the country’s progress. Discussion The US remains to be the world’s largest economy. Based on the CIA Factbook, their 2007 GDP was at $13.84 trillion which represents three times the size of the next largest economy which is Japan at $4.4 trillion (Economy Watch). With the creation of the European Union however, the dominance of the US was reduced with the European market presenting an equivalent of $13 trillion. The growth of the BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) has also threatened the US global dominance with China forecast to overtake the US in size in the next 30 years (Economy Watch). These are imposing threats on the US economy which have also been plagued by the housing crisis. The failure of the US housing and credit markets caused a major slowdown in the US economy with the 2007 GDP growth being 2.2%, plunging down to 0.9% in 2008. This represents a significant decrease in the GDP when the 10 year average was at 2.8% (Economy Watch). Similar to developed nations, services have been considered an impo rtant element of the US economy. In 2007, services comprised 78.5% of the GDP, the industry represented 20.5% and agriculture represented less than 1% (Economy Watch). About two thirds of the country’s total production has been dictated by personal consumption. And even as it is an economy which is considered free market, government regulations still protect some aspects of their economy like energy and agriculture (Economy Watch). In any case, it can instead be considered a consumer economy. As the largest economy in the world, the US consumer dictates about two thirds of the economy and is a major driver in the global market (Economy Watch). It is also driven by the basic interplay of supply and demand which dictates the prices of goods and services. The impact of the government in the US economy is important in terms of monetary decision making and fiscal policy conceptualization. The federal government considers all the possible initiatives in order to guarantee the growt h of the US (Economy Watch). The US government considers all economic tools, including money supply, taxes, and credit control in order to make the corresponding adjustments in economic growth. During such considerations, the US federal government has also been tasked to regulate the operations of private business concerns in order to control monopolies (Economy Watch). The government provides different services by giving support for national defense, monetary aid for research and development programs (Economy Watch). The national debt is one of the most controversial issues in the US. In 2008, its federal debt was at $9.2 trillion. This represents 67% of GDP and is about $79,000 for each American taxpayer (Economy Watch). American consumers have also become dependent on debt and re-mortgaging to higher loans while using their extra cash to fund their high purchases. Their debt totals are one of the largest in the world; however in terms of GDP percentages, it is still less than Jap an and other European countries. Moreover, much of the debt is

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 279

Assignment Example 36). This also implies that with such kind of scrutiny, they can look at people from a larger picture and can develop deeper insights about their motivations and perceptions more easily. This is one of the most complex personalities, and the individuals show great range of abilities. They can easily feel about others and are, therefore, empathetic and can easily compromise not just for their close friends but also the humanity (Berens, p. 46). This is why they find a niche in the human service industries, helping others to get over their sufferings both physical and psychological. With relative ease, the INFJs take responsibilities and can be entrusted leadership and management positions. The results are, therefore, accurate as they present a personality that is driven by value and not by mere sensing. This kind of value is developed with feeling and intuition and confirmed by judging. Although they are introverts and relatively less outgoing, these people easily adapt to situations owing to their dependence on feelings and judgment which allows them to learn about others even before their presence is noted. However, it is worth noting that their reserved nature is revealed by their reluctant to share their feelings and internal conflicts with people whereas they are the confidants of the same

Choose two questions from three questions Assignment

Choose two questions from three questions - Assignment Example All the same, despite how much we know, there are many myths and legends that have evolved over the years concerning this pivotal era and the war that ensued are, simply, not accurate. Much of this inaccuracy involves the institution of slavery and the slave trade. Although it remains a true crime of humanity and shameful act, it is not exactly the way the history books, television, and film would have us believe. One, particular myth is that the American Civil War was fought specifically and solely to put an end to slavery. We have been told that slavery is a direct evil and consequence of a capitalist system, however, that is hardly true. Slavery in many forms existed long before humans kept actual records, let alone established a capitalist society. Another myth concerning the institution of slavery involves the idea the slavery was a reaction to discrimination and racism, however, race played a very small role in slavery around the world. It was not until the 15th century that slavery became specifically associated with people of African descent. One of the most common myths of African slavery is the image of Caucasian slave masters capturing and netting African natives. This may have occurred in some instances, but the majority of African slaves taken from Africa were enslaved and sold by other Africans. Many believe the United States was the greatest recipient of transported slaves; however that is not true, 90% of the slaves brought directly by ship were taken to the Caribbean. Finally is the com plete misconception that once the African peoples were enslaved they became helpless and compliant. There are more than 250 different reports of slave uprising on board slave ships. These people continued to fight to maintain their freedom and later their history and culture. It was never possible for their Master’s to completely break them down (Mintz 1). From before the Revolutionary War the colonists of new world were already arguing the issue of slavery

The law relating to non-fatal offences against the person is in urgent Essay

The law relating to non-fatal offences against the person is in urgent need of reform - Essay Example The law relating to non-fatal offences against the person is in urgent need of reform Some words have been interpreted in case laws, for instance, the term malicious which is used in Section 20 and 18 is not defined by the Act but courts have defined it as mens rea in section 20 and â€Å"with intent† in Sec 18. Assault, battery, grievous bodily harm and actual bodily harm are some non-fatal offenses which are contained in Section 18, 20 and 47 of the Offenses Against Persons Act 18612. Generally, offenses against a person refer to any crime which is committed by use of physical harm or force against the victim. Non-fatal offenses include assault, poisoning, wounding and inflicting grievous bodily harm, and battery. Wounding or inflicting grievous bodily harm is a crime according to Sec 18 of Offenses Against a Person Act 1861 while administering poison is offense which is outlawed by Sec 24 of the same Act3. The law has not defined the word malicious which is contained in Sec 18 and 20. The law should be reformed to give a proper definition of malicious which in simple language may refer to bad motive of the offender. Conflicting arguments about mens rea have also been witnessed. Sec 47 of the Act provides the same mens rea as for lesser offenses such as a battery or assault. The law in this case is inconsistent since it not a requirement for the offender to realize the risk of injury and liability will arise even when the offender causes grievous body harm that result to minor harm . 4. The law is also inconsistent in the sentencing structure on the maximum sentence attached to each offense. For instance, offenses under Sec 39 of the Act carries a maximum imprisonment term of six months while an offense under Sec 47 provides for a maximum of five years imprisonment5. Mens rea which is equivalent in both Sec 39 and Sec 47 of the Act leads to variations in the sentence thus unjust. Sec 20 offenses of the Act are considered to cause more injury yet they carry the same imprisonment sentence as sec 47 offenses. According to justice and fairn ess principles of the legal systems, offenders should be morally distinguishable and be treated in a different manner depending on their motive of committing the crime. The Offenses Against the Person Act 1861, is completely outdated since it does not reflect the current social structure. New forms of communication, diseases and methods of committing crime have not been catered for in the law. For instance, Sections 18, 20 and 47 of the Act use the common word â€Å"bodily harm† which leaves psychological injury that the victim may suffer due to fear or medical complications due to transmission of diseases such HIV. For instance, Sec 18 of the Act makes it offense wounding and causing grievous bodily harm with intention to the victim, but it fails to give a clear definition of injury. However, courts have been of the opinion that injury should constitute both physical and any mental injury sustained by the person including unconsciousness, pain, and impairment of the mental a bility of the person. Sec 20, which makes it offense to wound or inflict grievous bodily harm and Sec 39 on common law assault and battery does not define the nature of injury which can result from the reckless or intentional application of force to the victim6. The law on mens rea of battery needs urgent reforms. The prosecution should prove the unlawful application of force to the other person or the recklessness of the offender in his or her actions. Sec 47

Final Project Of Zirconium oxide Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Final Project Of Zirconium oxide - Research Paper Example The flow chart shown below shows the process of Zirconium oxide production. The main raw material in the production of the nuclear-grade zirconium oxide is the zircon mineral (ZrSiO4) naturally occurring as zirconium sand. The zirconium sand consists of zirconium and hafnium whose properties are almost similar. Special separation techniques of precipitation, filtration and calcination are applied to separate the two products (Dhanaraj & Govindhan 444). The production of zirconium oxide is broken down into three simple steps; extraction of zirconium sand, removal of wastes (including hafnium) and conversion of the resulting compound into the finished product (zirconium oxide free from hafnium). The separation of zirconium and hafnium occurs at temperature ranges of 650-700 degree Celsius (Dhanaraj & Govindhan 444). The zirconium sand is mixed with K2SiF6. This converts the metal into K2ZrF6 which is soluble in water and K2HfF6. A sequential process of crystallization eliminates hafnium. The process results into pure form of K2ZrF6 which is ammonized to produce zirconium oxide. The production of 1kg of zirconia requires 0.7 kg of the zirconium metal that has to be extracted from the zirconium sand (Dhanaraj & Govindhan 444). The by-products obtained from the process of zirconia extraction are washed away in water to the sea. These elements are not harmful to the environment. The other byproducts are sold for utilization in other industries like the refineries of magnesium. The final stage of zirconium oxidation into zirconia requires the use of steam. This is carried out at high temperatures (Dhanaraj & Govindhan 444). The oxidation process is exothermic and yields substantial amounts of hydrogen. The equation for oxidation of zirconium is as shown. The production of zirconia utilizes energy in many forms. Electricity is used to heat up the reactors where separation of zirconium

Healthcare reform Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Healthcare reform - Research Paper Example The health reforms have targeted three major areas: uniformity of plans across gender, age and people with pre-existing diseases; accessibility to quality healthcare; and rein in cost (Whitehouse). The cost effectiveness would broadly be addressed by enforcing measures to control wastage, fraud and abuse in Medicare. The austerity measures and savings would further enable the healthcare industry to spread medical insurance to larger segment of population who have not been covered under healthcare plans due to lack of finances. $630 billion have been allotted in the budget of 2010 which would be used as reserve for the healthcare reforms over a period of ten years (OMB). Graham (2011) asserts that ‘Affordable Care Act offers the potential to address the needs of racial and ethnic minority populations, by bringing down health care costs, investing in prevention and wellness, supporting improvements in primary care, and creating linkages between the traditional realms of health and social services’. Thus, it can be successfully concluded that reforms initiatives in healthcare would go a long way in promoting equality and non discrimination at all levels of healthcare

American History Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

American History - Assignment Example Townshend Acts were pursuing the goal to tighten British control over the colonies’ trade. It specifically imposed some restrictions on the imported goods such as: tea, paper, glass, etc. In order to keep judges and governors independent from the colonial rule the Parliament decided to pay their salaries from the tax revenues obtained with the help of the Townshend Acts. In this case Britain tried to create an effective enforcement mechanism and keep controlling colonial trade and seas. At the same time Stamp Act failure proved that the British Parliament could not impose its decisions on the internal regulations in the colonies. It was difficult to resist this act since colonies heavily relied on trade relationships with Britain, and in this case Britain had an advantage and could dictate their rules. At the same time the colonial resistance was disorganized, there was no single political leader. 3. Why did colonists dump tea in Boston Harbor? What particular aspect of the Te a Act was most objectionable? After the Townshend Acts were approved the conflict between the colonies and British government escalated. The Tea Act of 1773 favored monopolization of the tea market; only the East India Company was entitled to carry tea from auctions in London and distribute it in the colonies. Clearly this decision was not welcomed in the colonies. Since tea was the subject of taxation under the Act, every ship had to pay this tax for the British government when arrived to the American port. Americans disagreed and claimed that only the legitimately elected colonial representative could impose taxation on them. The protest movement was able to prevent ships with tea from three main harbors. However in Boston the situation escalated: the Royal Governor allowed the tea cargo in the port and refused to return it to the British. In this situation protesters preferred to destroy the tea by throwing it into the water rather than complying with the British rules and pay ta xes for it. Boston Tea Party became a symbol of the resistance movement in the US. 4. How did the French effect the outcome of the American Revolution? France played a crucial role in the American Revolutionary War from Britain, the old French enemy. French society perceived this war as a war against the British oppression. France was able to support Americans by providing them with arms and troops even though it was not their initial goal. After the war period France was able to reinforce its image of the strong country, even thought French economy was affected by the military expenses. Hopes of the French government to become the main trade partner for the US fell short of expectations. 5. What became of the Indian nations east of the Mississippi River after the Revolution? How were they treated by the new American Government? After the Revolution a newly created American government followed the British example by controlling the Indians east of the Mississippi River. However the British tried to maintain peace and create special areas for Indians, the new government was interested in extensive colonization of the lands that belonged to Native Americans. Native American communities were disintegrated and their opinions split over which side they should stand for. The United States tried to assimilate Native Americans into their society. However Indians were hugely discriminated and later on the new government initiated relocation of Indians into the lands east of Mississippi River in 1830. By doing so they cleared the

Mip for Saint Maybe Essay Example for Free

Mip for Saint Maybe Essay â€Å"Ian had stopped rasping and ran a hand along the slat’s edge, trying to gauge the curve. All his years here, he had worked with straight lines. He had deliberately stayed away from the bow-back chairs and benches that required eye judgment, personal opinion. Now he was surprised at how these two shallow U shapes satisfied his palm. (347-348) 1. Context: This passages is found towards the end of the book in chapter 10,†Recovering from the Heart-of-Palm Flu† While making a crib for his soon to be child, Ian comes across this thought. This was around the time Ian and Rita had gotten married. It show how after Ian let and tried new things in his life that made him happier. Also this made him more open-minded as a person by seeing that there are more ways than just one to do things, and not being afraid of things that are different than what he is used to. Another interpretation is that Ian has been freed from his guilt and is now allowed to experience things, get on where his life left off so long ago. This is really the resolution of the internal conflict that Ian has been going through since the climax of the book at the start. He is now guilt free and able to enjoy life. This also really effects the kids, Thomas, Agatha, and Daphne, because they felt like they had ruined his life by having to raise him, and so they still felt like they owned him. Now they can feel content know that his life is moving forward. The Bedloe’s don’t have to carry their burdens and are all able to carry on now. 2. Significance: This connects to the essential questions and themes of Saint Maybe. Theme #2,† Redemption can only be achieved through forgiveness of oneself and others,† This shows that Ian forgave himself because he changed his life for the better. Had he not forgave himself he would still be using â€Å"straight lines†, or still be the same Ian who felt guilty about causing his brother’s death being cautious not using his â€Å"personal opinion†, and not being able to have â€Å"U shapes† or happiness with his life. So, in a sense, by being able to create what he did show that he has feels redeem, by being able to move on and try new things. This Passage also answers Essential Question #2, â€Å" Does forgiveness need to be earned or should it be given? † because it show how Ian had to work so hard to achieve the â€Å"satisfaction† of being set free from his guilt, or forgiven, for what he thought he did. Had he not tried he would have never been forgiven he would still lead a life of despair and depression and die not ever getting to enjoy his life. Another that can be answered is Essential Question #4,† Under certain circumstances do individuals deserve a second chance? †Cleary Ian need a second for what had happened. Ian blamed himself at first but since he tried so hard and changed what he is used to doing just for forgiveness he is entitled to a â€Å"second chance† a chance to live again and have a good outlook on life, to grow up. 3. Literary Devices: One literary device used in this passage is tone. The tone use here is happy and uplifting. This voice the author chose, by using worse like, â€Å"satisfied† and â€Å"surprised†, tells us he is now not the same depressed person that he once was and that he is content with where his life is now. He has stop dwelling on the past and changed for the better. Another literary device is used here is foreshadowing. It foreshadows that the rest of Ian life, and all the Bedloe’s lives, will not be plague with what had happened and will live normal lives. By being able to try new things such as the â€Å"U shapes† it shows that he has moved on and is able to try new things without the fear of making a mistake. In other words he is no longer a â€Å"saint maybe† and is a new man. This passage is really is symbolism for Ian’s forgiveness and him being able to move on. The â€Å"straight lines† symbolize Ian’s life before he forgave himself not able to put his own â€Å"†¦ judgment and personal opinion† in things because he felt guilty for what he did to his brother and was afraid to do anything like it again because he was so traumatized. After he forgave himself he was able to do the â€Å"bow-back chairs and benches† because he is able to use his opinions. He is able to do so because he is now a different person, a free (forgiven) man, able to do as he pleases, not able to doubt himself anymore. So the change in his style of wood working really displays the change in his life.

Advantages Of Bus Topology Computer Science Essay

Advantages Of Bus Topology Computer Science Essay A topology is defined as the layout of the network i.e. how the nodes are connected. This describes how the network physically looks or how the network is physically designed. The concept of a topology is important because each network card is designed to work with a specific topology. Conversely, if your network cable is already installed and you want to use existing wiring, you must select your network cards based on the preexisting physical topology. Ideally, you can design your network from scratch. Then you can choose your topology, cabling, and network cards based on what best meets your needs. Physically, a bus topology uses a linear segment of cable to connect all network devices. Devices typically connect to the bus (the cable) through T-connectors. At each end of the bus are terminators. Each terminator absorbs the signal when it reaches the end of the cable. Without a terminator, a signal would bounce back and cause network errors. The physical bus topology uses a logical bus to transmit data on the cable in both directions. In a logical bus topology, only one transmission can occur at any given moment. Otherwise, two transmissions would collide and cause network errors. Termination ensures that the signal is removed from the cable when it reaches either end, preventing possible network errors. Fig. 4.1 Bus Topology Advantages of Bus Topology : The benefits of a bus topology include the following: 1. This is less expensive topology because it requires less cable for networking because using only one cable it is possible to connect many computers. 2. It is an easy way to network a small number of computers. Disadvantages of Bus Topology : The drawbacks of a bus topology include the following: 1. One break in cable cause entire failure in network. 2. It is very difficult to correct the errors because the cable is not related to only one machine. 3. On a medium-sized to large network, reconfiguration is more difficult than the cable Management of a star topology. Star Topology The star topology looks like a star. The hub is at the center of the star, and all devices attach to the hub via a cable. Logically, the physical star topology operates as a logical bus topology by sending the data signal to all nodes at once. The hub at the center of the star works as a signal splitter, which means the signal is split and sent to all computers at the same time, with one exception-it is not sent back to the computer from which the signal sent. The signal is terminated at each network card, thereby preventing the signal from accidentally reentering the network. If this were to happen, data packets would travel the network endlessly-seriously slowing down network performance. Fig. 4.2 Star Topology Advantages of Star Topology : The benefits of a star topology include the following: 1. A star topology is more fault tolerant than other topologies, because a cable break does not bring down the entire network. 2. Reconfiguring the network, or adding nodes, is easy because each node connects to the central hub independent of other nodes. 3. Isolating cable failures is easy because each node connects independently to the central hub. Disadvantages of Star Topology : The disadvantages of a star topology are: 1. If the central hub fails, the entire network becomes unavailable. 2. This topology is more expensive than others to install because of the additional cable and equipment involved. Ring Topology: Physically, the ring topology is shaped in a ring. Cables pass from computer to computer until the ring is complete. When data is transmitted, each workstation receives the signal and then passes it on when the workstation is done with the data. Other than Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI), no current networks use a physical ring topology, because a break in the ring makes the entire network unavailable. Logically, a ring topology works by passing the signal, traditionally called a token, from one node to another until it reaches all the way around the ring. Token-passing schemes use the logical ring topology. Fig. 4.3 Ring Topology Advantages of Ring Topology : A logical ring topology ensures access to the network without the risk of collisions, which can occur in logical star or bus topologies. Disadvantages of Ring Topology : The drawbacks of a ring topology include the following: 1. If there is a break in the cable of a physical ring topology, the network becomes unavailable. 2. Physical ring topologies are difficult to troubleshoot. 3. Physical ring topologies are hard to reconfigure. 4. There is limited support for ring networks. 5. The costs for a ring network are significantly higher than for star or bus. Tree Topology Also known as a hierarchy network, The type of network topology in which a central root node (the top level of the hierarchy) is connected to one or more other nodes that are one level lower in the hierarchy (i.e., the second level) with a point-to-point link between each of the second level nodes and the top level central root node, Fig. 4.4 Tree Topology While each of the second level nodes that are connected to the top level central root node will also have one or more other nodes that are one level lower in the hierarchy (i.e., the third level) connected to it, also with a point-to-point link, the top level central root node being the only node that has no other node above it in the hierarchy (The hierarchy of the tree is symmetrical.) Each node in the network having a specific fixed number, of nodes connected to it at the next lower level in the hierarchy, the number, being referred to as the branching factor of the hierarchical tree. This tree has individual peripheral nodes. 1.) A network that is based upon the physical hierarchical topology must have at least three levels in the hierarchy of the tree, since a network with a central root node and only one hierarchical level below it would exhibit the physical topology of a star. 2.) A network that is based upon the physical hierarchical topology and with a branching factor of 1 would be classified as a physical linear topology. 3.) The branching factor, f, is independent of the total number of nodes in the network and, therefore, if the nodes in the network require ports for connection to other nodes the total number of ports per node may be kept low even though the total number of nodes is large à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ this makes the effect of the cost of adding ports to each node totally dependent upon the branching factor and may therefore be kept as low as required without any effect upon the total number of nodes that are possible. 4.) The total number of point-to-point links in a network that is based upon the physical hierarchical topology will be one less than the total number of nodes in the network. 5.) If the nodes in a network that is based upon the physical hierarchical topology are required to perform any processing upon the data that is transmitted between nodes in the network, the nodes that are at higher levels in the hierarchy will be required to perform more processing operations on behalf of other nodes than the nodes that are lower in the hierarchy. Such a type of network topology is very useful and highly recommended Mesh Topology Mesh The value of fully meshed networks is proportional to the exponent of the number of subscribers, assuming that communicating groups of any two endpoints, up to and including all the endpoints, is approximated by Reeds Law. Fig. 4.5.1 Fully connected mesh topology The number of connections in a full mesh = n(n 1) / 2 Fully connected Note: The physical fully connected mesh topology is generally too costly and complex for practical networks, although the topology is used when there are only a small number of nodes to be interconnected. Fig. 4.5.2 Partially connected mesh topology Partially connected The type of network topology in which some of the nodes of the network are connected to more than one other node in the network with a point-to-point link à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ this makes it possible to take advantage of some of the redundancy that is provided by a physical fully connected mesh topology without the expense and complexity required for a connection between every node in the network. In most practical networks that are based upon the physical partially connected mesh topology, all of the data that is transmitted between nodes in the network takes the shortest path (or an approximation of the shortest path) between nodes, except in the case of a failure or break in one of the links, in which case the data takes an alternative path to the destination. This requires that the nodes of the network possess some type of logical routing algorithm to determine the correct path to use at any particular time.

Definition Of Motivation Business Essay

Definition Of Motivation Business Essay One of the oldest, and most difficult, areas in psychology is the fundamental problem of why people are motivated to do anything at all, and if they do something, why that and not something else. The issue is really two fold; the nature of the driving force (where it comes from: what are its properties) and the direction and maintenance of the drive (what affects does it have on individual behavior). For Westwood (1992:288), motivation, as a concept, has certain specific features: Motivation is an internal state experienced by the individual. Whilst external factors including other people, can affect a persons motivational state, it develops within the individual and is unique to that individual. The individual experiences a motivational state in a way that gives rise to a desire, intention and pressure to act. Motivation has an element of choice, intention or willingness. That is, the individual experiencing a state of arousal (externally or internally generated), responds by choosing to act in a way and at a level of intensity that they determine. Action and performance are a function, at least in part, of motivation. It is therefore important in our ability to predict and understand actions and performance. Motivation is multi-faceted. It is a complex process with several elements and the possibility of multiple determinants, options and outcomes. Individuals differ in terms of their motivational state and the factors that affect it. Furthermore, the motivational state of an individual is variable; it is different across time and across situations. (John Arnold et al, 1995) There are two types of motivation as originally identified by Hertzberg et al (1957): Intrinsic motivation-The self generated factors that influence people to behave in a particular direction. These factors include responsibility, autonomy (freedom to act), scope to use and develop skills and abilities, interesting and challenging work and opportunities for advancement. Extrinsic motivation-what is done to or for people to motivate them. This includes rewards, such as increased pay, praise, or promotion, and punishments, such as disciplinary action, withholding pay, or criticisms. 2.2 The process of motivation Motivating other people is about getting them to move in the direction you want them to go in order to achieve a result. Motivating yourself is about setting the direction independently and then taking a course of action, which will ensure that you get there. Motivation can be described as goal -directed behavior. People are motivated when they expect that a course of action is likely to lead to the attainment of a goal and a valued reward-one that satisfies their needs. But managers still have a major part to play in using their motivating skills to get people to give of their best, and to make good use of motivational processes provided by the organization. To do this it is necessary to understand the process of motivation-how it works and the different types of motivations that exist. A need -related model of the process of motivation is shown in the figure below. This suggests that motivation is initiated by the conscious or unconscious recognition of unsatisfied needs. These nee ds create wants, which are desires to achieve or obtain something. Goals are then established which is believed will satisfy these needs and wants and a behaviour pathway is selected which is expected will achieve the goal. If the goal is achieved, the need will be satisfied and the behaviour is likely to be repeated, the next time a similar need emerges. If the goal is not achieved, the action is less likely to be repeated. This process of repeating successful behaviour or actions is called reinforcement or the law of effect (Hull, 1951). It has, however, been criticized by Allport (1954) as ignoring the influence of expectations and therefore constituting hedonism of the past. (Michael Armstrong, 2001: 155). Attain Goal Need Take Action Establish Goal Figure2.1: The motivation process (Source: Michael Armstrong, 2001:155). 2.3 Approaches to motivation 2.3.1 Theory X and Theory Y Douglas Mc Gregor proposed two distinct views of human beings: one basically negative, labeled theory X, and the other basically positive, labeled theory Y. Under Theory X, the 4 assumptions held by managers are: Employees inherently dislike work, whenever possible, will attempt to avoid it. Since employees dislike work, they must be coerced, controlled, or threatened with punishment to achieve goals. Employees will avoid responsibilities and seek formal direction whenever possible. Most workers place security above all other factors associated with work and display little ambitions. In contrast to these negative views the nature of human being, Mc Gregor listed 4 positive assumptions that he called Theory Y: Employees can view work as being as natural as rest or play. People will exercise self-direction and self-control if they are committed to the objectives. The average person can learn to accept, even seek responsibility. The ability to make innovative decision is widely dispersed throughout the population and is not necessarily the sole province of those in management position. Mc Gregor himself held to the being that Theory Y assumptions were more valid than Theory X. Therefore, he proposed such idea as participate in decision making, responsible and challenging jobs, and good go up relation as approaches that would maximize an employees job motivation. Critics of the theory: Unfortunately, there is no evidence to confirm that either set of assumptions is valid or that accepting theory y assumptions and altering ones acknowledgment will lead to more motivated workers. (Stephen P. Robins, 1993: 208) 2. 3.2 Human Relation Approach The main emphasis of the classical approach was on structure and the formal organization as the basic for achieving high levels of work performance. But during the 1920s greater attention began to be given to the social factors at work and to the behaviour of people in the organization that is human relations. The major impetus to the human relations approach came with the famous Hawthorne studies at the Western Electric company in America (1924 1932). The Hawthorne Studies have been subject to criticize and to a number of different interpretation. But however, the results are regarded; the studies have important implications for organizational structures. They generated new ideas on social interaction, output restrictions and individuals within work groups. The human relations approach marked a change in emphasis away from the precision of scientific management and led to ideas on increasing productivity by humanizing the work organization with the human relations approach, recognition was given to the importance of the informal organization which will always be seen as individuals and members of a social group, with their behaviour and attitude as the key effectiveness. (Laurie J. Mullins, 1992:59) 2.3.3 Scientific Management Approach The scientific management movement was pioneered by the American, Frederic W. Taylor. He saw workers who do manual work to be motivated by money, the greedy robot, and to be too stupid to develop the one best way of doing the task. The role of management was to analyze scientifically all the tasks to be done and then to design jobs to eliminate wasted time and motion. The application of scientific management resulted in significant productivity increases. However, the emphasis on specialization was to become one of the targets of critics of scientific management. They argued, that specialization was ultimately inefficient but, more importantly; it did not allow people to achieve their full potential at work. (Henry L. Tosi et al, 1994:9) Scientific management is often referred to as a machine theory model. It adopts an instrumental view of human behaviour together with the application of specialization and standard procedures of work. Workers were viewed less as isolated individuals and more as units of production to handle in much the same way as machines. The scientific study of work can lead to jobs becoming repetitive, boring and requiring little skills. The ideas behind scientific management have been largely discredited by subsequent management writers. There has been strong criticism of scientific as representing close management control over workers. By removing decisions about their work is cairned out, by division of labour, and by dictating precise stages and methods for every aspect of work performance, management could gain control of the actual process of work. The rationalization of production processes and division of labour tends to result in de-skilling of work, and thus may be a main strategy of ma nagement. (Laurie J. Mullins, 1992:56) 2.4 The motivation theories 2.4.1 Content theory 2.4.1.1 Maslow theory Without doubt the best-known theory is of Maslow (1954). Maslow supposed that people have 5 types of needs that are activated in a hierarchical manner, and are then aroused in a specific order such that a lower order need must be satisfied before the next higher order- need is activated. Once need is met, the next highest need is the hierarchy is triggered and and so forth. Higher Order order of progression Self-actualisation needs Self-esteem needs Social needs Safety needs Psychological needs Lower Order Figure2.2: Maslows need hierarchy Source: A.H.Maslow, Motivation and Personality, 2nd edition, New York: Harper Row, 1976) Psychological needs Psychological needs are the lowest-order most basic needs and refer to satisfying fundamental biological drives such as the need for food, air, water and shelter. To satisfy these positive needs, organizations must provide employees with a salary that allows them to afford adequate living conditions e.g. food and shelter. Employees need sufficient rest breaks to allow them to meet their psychological needs. Organizations may provide exercise and physical fitness facilities for their employees, because providing such facilities may also be recognized as an attempt to help employees stay healthy by gratifying their psychological needs. Safety needs Safety needs are activated only after physiological needs are met. Safety need refer to needs for a secure, predictable, habitable, non-threatening environment free from threats of either physical or psychological harm. Organizations may provide employees with life and health insurance plans, opportunity for savings, pensions, and safety equipment and secure contracts that enable work to be performed without fear and harm. Social needs Social needs are activated after both physiological and safety needs. They refer to the need to be affiliative-to have friends, to be liked, included and accepted by other people. Friends, relations and work colleagues help meet social needs, and organizations may encourage participation in social events such as office parties, sports days, competitions which provide an opportunity for meeting these needs. Many organizations spend vast sums of money on facilitate for out-of-work hours activities for their staff so that people in the same organization, but different sections or departments, may meet, chat and affiliate. Esteem needs Esteem needs refer to a persons desire to develop self-respect and to gain the approval of others. The desires to achieve success have personal prestige and are recognized by others all fall into this category. Companies may have awards, prizes or banquets to recognize distinguished achievements. Printing articles in company newsletters describing an employees success, assigning private parking spaces, and posting signs identifying the employee of the month are all examples of things that can be done to satisfy esteem. The inflation of job titles could also be seen as an organizational attempt to boost employees self-esteem. Self-actualizations needs Self-actualization needs refer to the need for self-fulfillment-the desire to become all that one is capable of being, developing ones potential and fully realizing ones abilities. By working to their maximum creative potential, employees who are self-actualised can be an extremely valuable asset to their organizations. Individuals who have become self-actualised supposedly work at their peak, and represent the most effective use of an organizations human resources. Critics of the theory: The theory has enthusiascally applied to the world of work. However, few have been able to find evidence of the five-(or two-) their system (Mitchell Nowdgill 1976), and there is precious little evidence that needs are activated in the same order. Furthermore, it is not certain how, when or why the gratification of one stimulates or activates the next highest category (John Arnold et al, 1995). 2.4.1.2 Adelfers ERG theory Growth needs Existence needs Relate dress needs Least concrete Most concrete Figure 2.3: Adelfers continuum of ERG needs. (Paul M.Muchinsky, 1993) Adelfers ERG theory is much simpler than Maslows theory, in that Adelfer specifies that there are only 3 types of needs, but that they are not necessarily activated in any specific order. Further, according to this theory any need may be activated at any time. The 3 needs specified by ERG theory are existence, relatedness, and growth. Existence needs These are material and are satisfied by environmental factors such as food, water, pay, fringe benefits, and working conditions. Relatedness needs These involve relationship with significant others, such as co-workers, superiors, subordinates, family and friends. Growth needs These involve the desire for unique personal development. They are met by developing whatever abilities and capabilities are important to the individual. Critics of the theory: ERG theory suggests that, although basic categories of need do exist, they are not exactly as specified by Maslow. The theory has not attracted as much attention as Maslow theory, but seems a reasonable modification of it. However, like Maslow theory it is potentially rather difficult to test (Furnham, 1992). 2.4.1.3 Hertzbergs two-factor theory According to the two factors theory, people have two major types of needs. The first of these Hertzberg called hygiene needs, which are influenced by the physical and psychological conditions in which people work. Hertzberg called the second set of needs motivator needs, and described them as being very similar to the higher order needs in Maslows (1954) need hierarchy theory. Hertzberg at al. (1959) claimed that different types of outcomes or rewards satisfied these two types of needs. Hygiene needs were said to be satisfied by hygiene factors or dissatisfiers, such as supervision, interpersonal relation, physical working conditions, salary, company policies and administrative practices, benefits and job security. When these factors are unfavorable, the job dissatisfaction is the result. Conversely, when hygiene factors are positive, such as when worker perceive that their pay is fair and that their working conditions are good, than barriers to job satisfaction are removed. However, the fulfillment of hygiene needs cannot by itself result in job satisfaction. Unlike hygiene needs, motivation needs are fulfilled by what Hertzberg et al. (1959) called motivator factors or satisfiers such as achievement, recognition, work itself, responsibility and advancement. According to the theory, the factors that lead to job satisfaction are those that satisfy an individuals need for self-actualization (self-fulfillment) in their work, and it is only from the performance of their task that individuals can enjoy the reward that will reinforce their aspirations. Compared to hygiene factors, which results in a neutral state (neither satisfied nor dissatisfied) when present, positive motivator factors result in job satisfaction. Critics of the theory: Attractive though the theory is, it has little empirical support. There is no doubt attributable to the fact that various methodological errors were introduced in the early theory-testing work. These included the real possibility that all the results were the result of classic attribution errors, such that personal failure is attributed externally (to hygiene factors) and success internally (to motivator factors). Secondly, the theory testing work was nearly all done on white-collar workers (accountants and engineers) who are hardly representive of the working population. 2.4.1.4 McClellands Achievement Motivation Theory The need for achievement underlies the higher levels of Maslows hierarchy and also one of Hertzbergs motivating factors. The importance of achievement is emphasised by Mc Lellands, who has developed a theory of motivation which is noted in culture. The work of Mc Lelland is based on the concept of 3 main sets of needs and socially developed motives: The need for Affiliation The need for Power; and The need for Achievement People possess all 3 needs but the relative intensity of affiliation, power and achievement varies among individuals and different occupations. (Laurie J. Mullins, 1992: 206) Those most interested in power seeks positions of control and influence, those for whom affiliation is most important seek pleasant relationship and enjoy helping others; achievement seekers want success, fear failure, are task oriented and self-reliant. These 3 needs are not mutually exclusive. Many people are well motivated by all 3, but invariably one area is predominant. The implication of the theory in practice are that managers can identify employees who are self-motivated, those who rely more on internal incentives and those who could increase their achievement drive through training. (Shaun Tyson et al, 2000: 15) Critics of the theory: Mc Lellands theory implies an individualistic approach to the motivation of staff. The behaviour and performance of work group is as important as for individual motivation. (Laurie J. Mullins, 1992:207) 2.4.2 Process theories 2.4.2.1 Equity theory Equity theories, borrowed by psychologists from economics (Adams 1965), views motivation from the perspective of the comparisons people make among themselves. It proposes that employees are motivated to maintain fair, or equitable, relationships among themselves and to change those relationships that are unfair or inequitable. Equity theory suggests that people make social comparison between themselves and others with respect to two variables-outcomes (benefits, rewards) and inputs (effort, ability). Outcomes refer to the things workers believe they and others get out of their jobs, including pay, fringe benefits or prestige. Inputs refer to the contribution employees believe they and others make to their jobs, including the amount of time worked, the amount of effort expended, the number of units produced, or the qualifications brought to the job. Not surprisingly, therefore workers may disagree about constitutes equity and inequity in the job. Equity is therefore a subjective, not objective, experience, which makes it more susceptible to being influenced by personality factors (Furnham 1992:139). Equity theory states that people compare their outcomes and inputs to those of others in the form of ratio. Specifically, they compare the ratio of their own outcomes and inputs to the ratio of other peoples outcomes and inputs, which can result in any of the 3 states: overpayment, underpayment, or equitable payment. Implication for managers: The management implications are two-fold: firstly that comparative pay and benefits between different groups, sections and levels in an organization, are a major source of motivation and demotivation; secondly, employees need to feel they are fairly dealt with -that they and their colleagues are rewarded equitably for their efforts. Critics of the theory: As one might expect, equity theory has its problems: how to deal with the concept of negative inputs; the point at which equity becomes inequity, and the belief that people prefer and value equity equality. Moreover, the theory is too individualistic. (John Arnold et al, 1995). 2.4.2.2 Reinforcement theory These theories, for there are many, specify how a history of past benefits (or punishments), or reinforcements, modify behaviour so that future benefits will be secured. The direct application of behavioral modification principles to the work situation claims to provide procedures by which human performance can be shaped and altered. At the centre of behaviour modification is the concept of reinforcement contingency: the rate of performance will increase when valued outcomes (reinforcers) are made contingent on the performance. It makes no difference to the theory what the person needs, expects, values or wants, although these factors may impact on the differential power or effect of each reward (and punishment). Furthermore, people perform certain work-related acts that are subject to reinforcement (or punishment and extinction) contingencies. People work with a certain degree of effectiveness, and when a particular behavior result in a reward (there is reinforcement contingency bet ween, say, payment and work efficiency), performance improves. Learning theorists assert that all behaviour is shaped and sustained through the action of contingent reinforcement; work-related behaviours are simply special examples of this more universal phenomenon. (Furnham, 1992). Reinforcement and learning theories are among the oldest in psychology. There has long been a debate concerning the usefulness or otherwise of punishment as a strategy. Problems such as resentment and sabotage may accompany a managers use of punishment (negative reinforcement) is usually not effective, since it suppresses rather than eliminate undesirable responses. They also noted the more quickly reinforcement is given after the response, the more effective it becomes. Implication for managers: Jablonsky and De Vries (1972) have suggested the following guidelines for applying operant conditioning as a motivating technique: Avoid using punishment as a primary means of obtaining desired performance Positively reinforce desired behaviour and ignore undesired behaviour if possible. Minimize the time-lag between response and reinforcement Apply positive reinforcement frequently on a variable ratio schedule Determine environmental factors that are considered positive and negative by individual Critics of the theory: Being very practically oriented, it is very unclear what managers should do to motivate their staff if they are followers of learning theory. Sensitively, subtly and discretely applied, it works well, but sophisticated workforce is sometimes hostile to it. (John Arnold et al, 1995). 2.4.2.3 Expectancy theory Expectancy theory asserts that people are mostly motivated to work when they expect they will be able to achieve and obtain the things they want from their jobs. Expectancy theory characterizes people as rational, logical and cognitive beings, who think about what they have to do to be rewarded and how much the reward means to them before they perform their jobs. Expectancy theory specifies that motivation is the result of 3 different types of beliefs cognitions that people have. These are known as: Expectancy- The belief that ones effort will result in performance Instrumentality The belief that ones performance will be rewarded Valence- The perceived value of the rewards to the recipient Employee may believe that a great deal of efforts will result in getting much accomplished, whereas others believe there are other occasions in which hard work will have little effects on how much gets done. It is possible that even if an employee works hard and performs at a high level, motivation may falter if that performance is not suitably rewarded by the organization-that is if the performance was not perceived as instrumental in bringing about the rewards. If behaviour is not explicitly rewarded, people are unlikely to repeat it. Furthermore, even if employees receive rewards based on their performance, they may be poorly motivated if those so-called rewards have a low valence to them. Porter and Lawler Over the years, Porter and Lawler (1968) adapted and expanded the theory. According to this model, job performance is a multiple combination of abilities and skills, effort and role perceptions. If individuals have clear role perceptions, if they possess the necessary skills and abilities, and if they are motivated to exert sufficient effort, the model suggests that they will perform well. Abilities and skills refer to both physical and psychological characteristics. Role perceptions refer to the clarity of the job description and to whether individuals know how to direct their efforts towards effectively completing the task. Those who have clear perceptions of their role perceptions apply their efforts where they will count, and perform correct behaviours. Those who have incorrect role perceptions tend to spend much of their time in unproductive efforts that do not contribute to effective job performance. Expectancy Expectancy Instrumentality Extrinsic outcome / reward Outcome / Reward Satisfaction Performance Effort Intrinsic outcome / reward Perceived equity of outcomes / rewards Job design, Organizational policies and practice Ability and traits, Role clarity organizational supports, etc Figure 2.4: Porter and Lawlers expanded expectancy model Source: Adapted from Porter and Lawler (1968) Implication for managers: Arnold et al. (1991:176) argues that, if expectancy theory were correct it would have important implications for managers wishing to ensure that employees were motivated to perform their work duties: They would need to ensure that all 3 of the following conditions were satisfied: Employees perceived that they possessed the necessary skills to do their jobs at least adequately (expectancy) Employees perceived that if they performed their jobs well, or at least adequately, they would be rewarded (instrumentality). Employees found the rewards offered for successful job performance attractive (valence). Critics of the theory: Although some specific aspects of the Expectancy theory have been supported (particularly the impact of expectancy and instrumentality on motivation), others have not (such as the contribution of valence to motivation, and the assumption that expectancy, instrumentality and valence are multiplied.) Arnold et al. (1991) note how little attention the theory pays in explaining why an individual values or does not value particular outcomes: no concept of need is involved to address this question. The theory proposes that people should ask someone how much they value something, but not bother about why they value it. (John Arnold et al, 1995) 2.4.2.4 Goal Setting Theory This approach to motivation was pioneered by Ed Loche and his associate, starting in the 1960s and continuing with increasing strength and sophistication ever since. The above figure represents goal setting theory, and shows that the characteristics of a goal and attitudes towards it are thought to be influences by incentives, self-perceptions and the manner in which goals are set. In turn, those goals characteristics and attitudes are thought to determine behavioural strategies, which lead to performance within the constraints of ability knowledge of results (also called feedback) is thought to be essential to further refinement of behavioural strategies. Goal Setting Theory Participation in goal setting (Self-perceived) ability Financial incentive Goal commitment Goal acceptance Goal difficulty Goal specification Direction Intensity Persistence Strategies Knowledge of results Ability Performance Figure 2.5 Goal Setting Theory Source: Adapted from Psychology of work Behaviour by F. Landy. Copyright  © 1989, 1985, 1980, 1976. Brooks / Cole Publishing Company, a division of International Thomson Publishing Inc. By permission of the publisher. What does research say about goal setting? Some further comments can be made on the basis of research evidence first financial incentives can indeed enhance performance. Loche et al. (1981) report that this occurs either through raising goal level, or through increasing commitment to a goal. Second, and unsurprisingly, ability also affects performance. Third, research on goal setting has been carried out in a range of context and fourth, goal setting is magnificently deal about how managers can enhance the performance of their employees. Some other research has directly investigated specific potential limitations of goal setting. Earley et al. (1989) suggested that goal setting may be harmful where a task in novel and where a considerable numbers of possible strategies are available to tackle it. It seems that when people are tackling unfamiliar and complex tasks, goal setting can induce them to pay much attention to task strategy and not enough to task performance itself. Goal setting could be criticized in its early days for being a technology rather than a theory. It successfully described how goal focus behaviour, without really addressing why or through what process goals influenced behaviour. Furthermore, goal setting, suggests that people are most motivated by difficult tasks where success is (presumably) not certain. A continuing issue in goal setting concerns participation. Locke et al. (1981) concluded that there was no evidence from published research that participation in goal setting by the person attempting to achieve the goal produced better performance than if the goal was assigned to him or her by someone else. Kanfer et al. (1994) got students to attempt a simulated air traffic control task and repeated the findings that goal setting can harm performance of unfamiliar complex tasks. But they also found that giving people time to reflect on their performance between repeated attempts at similar tasks eliminate that effect. The breaks enabled them to devote intentional resources to their strategies without having simultaneously to tackle the task itself. (John Arnold et al, 1998) 2.5 Job satisfaction and motivation Locke (1976) defined job satisfaction as a pleasurable or positive emotional state resulting from the appraisal of ones job or job experience. The concept generally ref

crown molding Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Walls can be protected and enhanced quite simply without the mess of paint, wallpaper, and tile, ect. Applying Moulding to ones walls today is very easy and comes in large variety of styles and materials. It also adds architectural interest and a finished look to the room, which conveniently hides settling cracks and nails. When customize with a treatment it will fit any decor. Types of moulding:  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Architectural molding a.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Made of polystyrene or polyurethane b.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  With large profiles that mimic the look of built-up moulding c.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Will not warp, rot or split d.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Low maintenance material that saws and works just like wood e.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lighter than hardwood for easier handling  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Veneer hardwood moulding a.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Made by wrapping finger jointed pine moulding with a veneer of real oak, cherry or maple b.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The veneer is wrapped all the way around to the back completely obscuring the pine base once installed c.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The elegance of hardwood moulding at a significant savings  ·Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Prefinished moulding a.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Made from polystyrene b.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Lower cost than wood moulding c.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Comes ready to install ...

Logic: An Empirical Study of A Priori Truths :: Logical Philosophy Philosophical Essays

Logic: An Empirical Study of A Priori Truths ABSTRACT: I distinguish a priori knowledge from a priori truths or statements. A priori knowledge either is evident or is derived from evident premisses by means of correct reasoning. An a priori statement is one that reflects features of the conceptual framework within which it is placed. The statement either describes semantic relations between concepts of the framework or it characterizes the application of the framework to experience and the world. An a priori statement is not necessarily part of anyone’s a priori knowledge. I also distinguish empirical knowledge from empirical statements. Both statements and theories are empirical if they are designed to characterize features of experience and the world. Knowledge is empirical if it fits experience; thus, one must check to see whether it fits. We do not obtain knowledge of logical systems by rational insight of evident truths and careful deductions from evident truths. Adequate logical systems are developed by trial and e rror. Logical knowledge is empirical knowledge that is not generally a priori. It is empirical knowledge of (some) a priori truths and principles of our conceptual systems. Logical systems are empirical theories of these truths and principles. 1. A Priori Knowledge and A Priori Truths In reflecting on our knowledge of logic, I was puzzled because logical knowledge seems to have incompatible characteristics. This knowledge has some claim to a priori status, but logical systems are also developed and "tried out" to capture linguistic practice. Can an a priori body of knowledge have an empirical character? To answer this, we must consider what it is to be a priori. A priori knowledge has traditionally been conceived to be the product of insight and reasoning. Some truths are simply evident to someone who understands them and reflects on them. These truths are known to be such without being checked in experience. Other a priori knowledge is inferred by evidently correct reasoning (this is deductively correct reasoning) which begins from a priori knowledge. That a priori knowledge which is not evident must be obtained by chains of reasoning which ultimately begin with evident premisses. A priori knowledge is the knowledge which Hume claimed to be "either intuitively or demonstratively certain." (An Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding) It isn’t clear what there is about the objects of a priori knowledge that makes a priori knowledge possible. If we have a faculty of rational insight, on what does it "operate"?

Fair Labor Standards Act

Today we are fortunate to have laws to protect us from being forced to work excessive hours without being fairly compensated. We have laws to protect our children from being forced to work at an early age and these laws protect us from working in unsafe and unhealthy conditions. In 1938 our 32nd president Franklin D. Roosevelt was able to have the â€Å"Fair Labor Standards Act† passed and signed into law. This piece of legislation was a land mark in our history.It banned most child labor; it set a minimum hourly wage and set the standard work week. This was the beginning that made employers develop records to keep track of the wages that they paid to their employees and records of the hours the employees were working. The Supreme Court had been one of the major obstacles to wage-hour and child-labor laws. In the 1936 Presidential race wage-hour legislation was a campaign issue and Roosevelt promised to seek some constitutional way of protecting workers.When President Franklin D. Roosevelt won the 1936 election by a landslide he was determined to overcome the obstacles of the Supreme Court’s opposition as soon as possible. Roosevelt and his Secretary of Labor, Frances Perkins tried to make a model for employers of government contractors in all fields, not just construction. But the Federal Government actually encouraged employers to exploit labor because the Government had to award every contract to the lowest bidder.President Roosevelt and Frances Perkins continued to try to get congress to pass acts to prohibit the labor of children and set minimum wages and hours. The â€Å"Fair Labor Standard Act† in a draft form was sent to the White House where two trusted legal advisers of the President, and with the Supreme Court in mind, added new provisions to the already lengthy bill. Roosevelt had told his Secretary of Labor, that the length and complexity of the bill caused some of its difficulties with Congress, and asked for it to be shortene d.Lawyers tried to simplify the bill but faced the problem that, although legal language makes legislation difficult to understand, bills written in simple English are often difficult for the courts to enforce. Because the wage-hour, child-labor bill had been drafted with the Supreme Court in mind, the bill could only be cut from 40 pages to 10 pages. The bill was voted upon May 24, 1938 and after the House had passed the bill, the Senate-House Conference Committee made more changes to reconcile differences.During the legislative battles over fair labor standards, members of Congress had proposed 72 amendments. Almost every change had exemptions, narrowed coverage, lowered standards, weakened administration, limited investigation, or in some other way worked to weaken the bill. What had survived was approved by the conference committee and passed the House on June 13, 1938 and then the Senate approved it. Congress then sent the bill to the President, and on June 25, 1938, the Presid ent signed the Fair Labor Standards Act into law. This affected industries that employed about one-fifth of the US workforce.About 700,000 workers were affected by the wage increase and 13 million more were affected by the hour’s provision. It mostly affected white males, and about 14 percent of women (http://www. u-s-history. com). Children under the age of fourteen were no longer legally allowed to work with some exceptions in the agricultural industries and family businesses. Children under the age of eighteen were banned from working â€Å"hazardous† jobs in mining and some factory jobs. This had greatly reduced the number of children injured by bad working conditions.Children between the ages of 14 and 16 have had additional restrictions on the number of hours they are allowed to work to encourage them to stay in school. During a school day they are only allowed to work three hours and no more than eighteen hours in a school week. Children are not allowed to work before 7a. m. and after 7 p. m. , and from June 1 through Labor Day they are not allowed to work after 9 p. m. The 14 and 15 year old also have addition al restrictions in addition to the â€Å"hazardous† jobs that they may not perform.These jobs include the food service industry such as baking, cooking, working in the freezers and meat coolers, operating food slicers, grinders, choppers and bakery mixers. Fourteen and fifteen year olds are also not to perform jobs that require loading or unloading goods on or off of trucks, railcars or conveyors and they are not to work in connection with maintenance or repair of buildings, equipment or machines. Employers may be assessed civil monetary penalties of up to $11,000 for each employee who is the subject of a violation of the Act’s child labor provisions.A civil monetary penalty of up to $50,000 may be assessed for each child labor violation that causes the death or serious injury of any minor employee, and these assessmen ts may be doubled, up to $100,000 when the violations are determined to be willful or repeated (LindenMeyer, 2004). In the â€Å"Fair Labor Standard Act† the federal minimum wage began at 25 cents per hour in 1938 and it has had over twenty amendments made over the years for increases. The latest rate of $7. 25 per hour was effective on July 24, 2009.In addition to a minimum wage employers must pay the employee’s wages in cash or something that can easily be converted to cash or legal forms of compensation, for example food and lodging. Employers cannot pay their employees with coupons or tokens that can only be used in a store owned by the employer. Discounts that are granted to employees by the employers cannot be used towards meeting the minimum wage requirement. There are a number of employment practices which ‘Fair Labor Standard Act† does not regulate.They are vacation, holiday, severance, or sick pay; meal or rest periods, holidays off, or vacations; premium pay for weekend or holiday work; pay raises or fringe benefits; or a discharge notice, reason for discharge, or immediate payment of final wages to terminated employees. The standard work week in 1938 was reduced to 44 hours per week, and if employees were to work over that they would be paid over time at a rate of their wages plus one-half wages for the additional time worked. By 1940 the standard work week was reduced to 40 hours per week (www. dol. gov/dol/oasam/programs/history/flsa1938. htm).Despite this law in 2006 a class action law suit was brought against Wal-Mart for not paying its employees for their overtime and forcing them to work through their breaks. Wal-Mart lost the law suit and the workers won $78. 4 million (Worth 2008 p 12). In 1961 an amendment was added to the â€Å"Fair Labor Standard Act† called â€Å"enterprise coverage†. It applies to employers whose annual sales total $500,000. 00 or more, or who are engaged in interstate commerce. The courts interpreted that the term interstate commerce to cover companies that regularly use the U. S. mail to send and receive letters to and from other states.The courts included that employees that use company telephones or computers to place or accept interstate business calls or take orders would make the employers subject to the â€Å"Fair Labor Standard Act† (Steingold, 2009). There are also exemptions to the â€Å"Fair Labor Standard Act† where some employees do not qualify for the provisions of overtime or the minimum wage requirements. These employees who are not entitled to it are called â€Å"exempt† employees. Employees that are always entitled to the overtime and the minimum wage pay provisions are â€Å"nonexempt† employees and they are blue-collar employees and first responders.Blue-collar employees include carpenters, electricians, mechanics, plumbers, iron workers, craftsman, operating engineers, construction works, and laborers. First responders are workers that are on the front lines of protecting safety and health. They include police officers, firefighters, medical technicians, ambulance personnel, and hazardous materials workers. Employees that are always exempt and are never entitled to overtime or a minimum wage are employees of seasonal amusement or recreational businesses, employees of newspapers with a circulation of less than 4,000 and newspaper deliver people, and workers of small farms.Some employees are exempt if they meet certain requirements; this is usually because the employees are being paid a salary that compensates them enough for the extra duties and responsibilities that they have. Executive, administrative and professional workers are exempt if they meet the specific guidelines. The requirements for an exempt executive worker are that they must manage other workers as a primary job duty and have at least two full time employees that they are in charge of. They must have the ability to hire , fire, discipline, promote, and demote others or make recommendations about these decisions.The executive worker must earn a salary of at least $455 per week. The requirements for an administrative employee to qualify as exempt are that they must primarily complete their work directly for the business’s management or administration. They must be independent workers and primarily use their own discretion and judgment on their work duties. The administrative employee also must earn a salary of at least $455 per week. The requirements for an exempt professional are that they complete work that requires invention, imagination, originality, or talents in the arts such as music, writing and acting.They may need to be a highly intellectual and have been trained in extensive studies such as law, medicine, theology, accounting, engineering, architecture, teaching, and pharmacy. The must also earn a salary of at least $455 per week. Outside sales people are exempt if they regularly wo rk away from the employers’ office and make sales or obtain orders or contracts for services or facilities. Exempt salespersons are generally paid through commissions and will require little to no supervision to complete their job.The exemption from the minimum wage and overtime pay provisions also applies to computer specialist that receives a salary of at least no less than $455 per week or not less than $27. 63 per hour. The law specifies that computer specialist’s primary duties involve applying systems analysis techniques and procedures. Designing, developing, documenting, analyzing, creating, testing, or modifying computer systems or programs, prototypes and/or machine operating systems. There are a number of employees that are exempt from only the overtime pay requirements.These include taxicab drivers, announcers, news editors, and chief engineers of radio and TV stations that have fewer than 100,000 people located in a town or city (Repa, 2007 and Steingold, 2 009). In 1963 an amendment called the â€Å"Equal Pay Act† had been added to equalize the pay scales for men and women who work at an equal skill, effort and responsibility. Congress felt that the differential in pay prevented the maximization of the available labor resources, they wanted to prevent labor disputes, and they did not want an unfair method of competition.They also felt that the wage differentials depressed the wages and the standard of living. Congress also wanted to eliminate stereotypes about the value of work performed by women. Congress exempted several forms of discrimination from the operation of the Equal Pay Act. These exceptions include shift differentials, restrictions on or differences based on the time of day worked, hours of work, and the lifting or moving of heavy objects. The Equal Pay Act also excluded differences based on experience, training or ability, as well as unusual or higher than normal wage rates which employers maintained for valid rea sons.The Equal Pay Act allows for unequal pay for equal work only when wages are set pursuant to a seniority system, a merit system, a system which measures earnings by quantity or quality of production, or other factors outside of sex (The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc, 1963 and Landsberg, 2004). In 2004 a class action suit was brought against Wal-Mart were 1. 6 million female associates that worked for Wal-Mart felt that they were discriminated against because they were women. These women tried to advance into higher paying positions but were passed over by men/boys who did not have the experience and knowledge that these women had.More than seventy percent of the Wal-Mart workforce is women, sixty-five percent of the cashier and greeter positions are held by women and only thirty-five percent of the assistant managers for Wal-Mart are women. The female employees of Wal-Mart are paid less than the male workforce for jobs that are of equal skill, effort and responsibility all for keeping prices lower for the consumer (Worth, 2008 p 8-12). The Fair Labor Standard Act requires employers to keep records of wages, hours, and other regulated items by the Department of Labor.Most of the information is generally obtained by employers in ordinary business practice and in compliance with other laws and regulations. Employees that are subject to the minimum wage provisions or both the minimum wage and overtime pay provisions must have employers keep the following records with personal information, including employee's name, home address, occupation, sex, and birth date if under 19 years of age, the hour and day when workweek begins and the total hours worked each workday and each workweek.These records also need to indicate the total daily or weekly straight-time earnings and the regular hourly pay rate for any week when overtime is worked and total overtime pay for the workweek. In addition to records for hours worked and paid the records also must include deduction s from or additions to wages, total wages paid each pay period and the date of payment and pay period covered. The Records required for exempt employees differ from those for nonexempt workers. Special information is required for employees that work from the home and for employees to where lodging is provided (http://www. ol. gov/dol/whd/regs/compliance/hrg. htm). The constitutionality of the â€Å"Fair Labor Standard Act† was unanimously supported by the Supreme Court it has been altered and amended on at least 43 occasions between 1938 and 2009. Those alterations and amendments have provided and clarified benefits to workers in various employment sections, and made increases to the minimum wage. As a hardworking American we have a right to be paid fairly for our work. It is unfortunate that many unscrupulous employers attempt to manipulate laws intended to protect workers in order to avoid paying just compensation.When this happens, employees can turn to the legal system to ensure that their rights are protected without being discriminated against or discharged for filing a complaint or participate in any proceeding under the Act. ? Repa, Barbara Kate. â€Å"Your Rights in the Workplace† Consolidated Printers Inc, July 2007 Steingold, Fred S. â€Å"The Employers Legal Handbook† â€Å"Manage you employees & workplace effectively†. Delta Printing Solutions, Inc, June 2009 The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. â€Å"Equal Pay For Equal Work† BNAIncorporated, 1963 Worth, Richard â€Å"Open for Debate Workers’ Rights† Marshall Cavendish Corporation, 2008 â€Å"Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. † Gale Encyclopedia of U. S. Economic History. 1999. Retrieved from Encyclopedia. com: http://www. encyclopedia. com/doc/1G2-3406400301. html Newman, Roger K. â€Å"Fair Labor Standards Act (1938). † Major Acts of Congress. 2004. Retrieved from Encyclopedia. com: http://www. encyclopedia. com/doc/1G2-3407400107. html LINDENMEYER, KRISTE. â€Å"National Child Labor Committee. † Encyclopedia of Children and Childhood in History and Society. 2004.Retrieved from Encyclopedia. com: http://www. encyclopedia. com/doc/1G2-3402800297. html Grossman, Jonathan. â€Å"Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938: Maximum Struggle for a Minimum Wage† www. dol. gov http://www. dol. gov/dol/topic/discrimination/agedisc. htm http://www. dol. gov/dol/oasam/programs/history/flsa1938. htm http://www. dol. gov/dol/whd/regs/compliance/hrg. htm http://www. u-s-history. com/pages/h1701. html â€Å"Equal Pay Act of 1963. † Major Acts of Congress. Ed. Brian K. Landsberg. Macmillan-Thomson Gale, 2004. eNotes. com. 2006. http://www. enotes. com/major-acts-congress/equal-pay-act