Minister who must respond to queries from the opposition during Essay

Minister who must respond to queries from the opposition during question period in the House - Essay Example On Thursday last week, some members of the opposition pointed out the sudden increase in the operating cost of some airplane. They also cited the case of a large number of people who have lost their job due to increased operating cost in the airline industry (Hsu, 2011). There was a proposal by some members for the carbon tax to be abolished in order to prevent loss of jobs and increase cost of living. The carbon tax faces some challenges in its current form and therefore requires your intervention. A number of environmental experts are of the opinion that the carbon tax should not be abolished; instead, it should be revised and a section of the contentious clauses such as cost be repealed (Gandhi et al., 2007). A report from the environmental shield agency has cited increased awareness and conformation to the carbon tax and advised against its abolition. A detailed, comprehensive and insightful statement is expected from you by 25th March, 2014 in order to convince the house members on the relevance of the carbon tax. Further, evaluate the contentious clauses and look for a solution from environmental experts. Gandhi, V. P., Cuervo, J., Gandhi, V. P., & International Monetary Fund. (2007). Carbon Taxes: Their Macroeconomic Effects and Prospects for Global Adoption A Survey of the Literature. Washington, D.C: International Monetary Fund Hassett, K. A., Mathur, A., Metcalf, G. E., & National Bureau of Economic Research. (2007). The incidence of a U.S. carbon tax: A lifetime and regional analysis. Cambridge, Mass: National Bureau of Economic

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand - Essay Example Humankind’s escape from the state of spiritual and eternal bliss to the mad quest for mundane obsession has repeatedly emerged as one of the favorite themes of discussion and criticism for literary artists in different times, although such process received different forms of literary manifestations. Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged is one of the greatest literary pieces deals with the same theme and during the course of reflecting over different aspects of modern existence it has provided considerable focus over different aspects of human life, starting from gender, spiritual, physical and philosophical discourses. The theme of â€Å"individualism and collectivism †¦ manifested within the individual’s soul† (Sciabarra 114) has recurred among Ayn Rand’s literary works at different points of time; however, in the Atlas Shrugged her mastery to treat the same theme has reached culmination as she has been able to fuse both literary techniques and philosoph ical arguments to their perfectly measured respective proportions. The storyline of Atlas Shrugged provides a reader with an interesting mode of characterization, and the main reason behind such characterization can be the author’s conscious effort to portray the characters as perfect representatives of the modern world of capitalist observation both towards life, society and social duties or commitments. Presence of the capitalist socio-economic discourse at the heart of the novel plays a very important role in the context of orienting the nature of characters and parts that they have played in contributing to the ongoing course of the story. On one hand, the author has narrated tale of a society, where immorality and extreme selfishness gnawed the foundation of morality and fellowship; on the other, suffering of individuals, their emotional tenderness and their spiritual and emotional suffocation within an extremely inhuman situation clearly indicate that every time the entire social system will

Book review Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Book review - Essay Example From a brief overview of this book, it is evident that the author has a passion for English Language. The appendices and glossary of the book create a picture of the book contents to the readers. The book also contains citations that tag along translations of the same. In short, the technical aspect of the book highlights the themes the author aims at displaying. Apart from this work, Lerer has worked on many other works including articles and recordings of the development of the English language. The major theme of the book is to trace the development of language as a result of the influence of historical backgrounds and occurrences. In his work, he draws attention to the key moments that led to the development of language. The first stage according to Lerer (pp.56) is the Caedmon era of the 7th Century; he wraps up his language on Christian concepts that shaped the daily living of individuals. These chronicles documented major events that unfold in the day to day living ranging fro m the normal conversations in the localities to language in courts. In his work, Lerer (pp.4) indicates, various forms of language came up including Language that was applicable in the courts. From his argument, it is justified to argue that Lerer (pp.5) indicates that language has had a series of developments till the novel language. Among the quotations include ‘ban’, ‘ham’ and ‘twa’ which Lerer quotes to have evolved to bone, home and two respectively. All culture and people have played a major role in the development of language at all levels in the society. However, he indicates that language development has greatly been influenced by know-how, globalization, war as well as politics. Through the above techniques, people have endeavored to communicate with one another, in turn creation and development of language in the societies. Lerer (pp.28) argues in his work that language is beautiful and will always develop despite the situations or o ccurrences in the society. By virtue of language not being static, he praises the fact that even in times of appalling situations, language has never become futile. It is in light to this argument that language has experienced changes that keep unfolding as each day progresses. In fact, he indicates that at times when the human race experienced its worse times and phases, neither did language diminish nor disappear, but kept flourishing alongside events in the society. Lerer (pp.91) advises individuals not to despond whilst reading the English language. Though at times, the language may prove difficult to read and comprehend, readers of works must take initiatives of acquiring the best information from a certain material. He indicates that his work must not be viewed as a complex structure, but a mere conversation with the person who read his work. This is possible through his simple and understandable writing style, short and comprehensive chapters that display a clear transition f rom the earlier centuries to the present life. Throughout the book, one is bound to have a compulsion of the work though the themes are not quite interrelated in all chapters but dissimilar essays. This work brings to light the meagerness of studying English language. Lerer (pp.41) in turn, offers readers an opportunity to read and understand the language through explanations on the history and development of the language. He brings out propinquity on the changes that took

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology Essay

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology - Essay Example Understanding the RFID devices and how they work is critical for analyzing privacy issues that surround this technology. The main components of an RFID system are a chip/tag, reader, and database. A reader scans the tag for data and sends the information to a database, which stores the data contained on the tag (Federal Trade Commission 1-54). In the last several years this technology has gained popularity as a way to streamline different supply chain processes in various settings such as distribution centers, retail stores, hospitals and pharmacies (Davis n.pag [a]). RFID equipment vendors have been confident on the technologys adoption, but the consumers are worried that RFID technology can bring in unknown risks and is not cost-effective enough to be installed in a supply chain network. In reality RFID tags can be read much faster than bar codes indicating that RFID’s scanning capability can result in goods moving through the supply chain much faster than they do when bar codes are used. RFID facilitate quicker, more accurate recalls by enabling the tracking of a product’s origin and its location in the distribution chain. According to a survey conducted by the Computing Technology Industry Association (CompTIA), it was found that IT resellers and vendors are all set to add RFID solutions to their portfolios. However, the major problem is from their customers who are reluctant and are slow to embrace the technology. According to the survey, 84% of resellers, solution providers, systems integrators, and consultants are prepared to offer RFID products and solutions in the next three years. About 65.6% of them said their customers are yet to implement RFID solutions. This survey also pointed out that the adoption of this technology has been challenged by equipment and tagging costs, murky and unclear return-on-investment for supply chain applications, and a workforce skills shortage. Though the

What was the Social Cost of Industrialization in Great Britain Essay

What was the Social Cost of Industrialization in Great Britain - Essay Example The coming together of England and Scotland brought about the much needed peace and stability; thus, there were no barriers between them. This meant that the trade could occur between the two. Then there was the law that dictated the terms about the respect of contracts, which meant that any contracts that were made had to be respected and followed by the parties that made them. In addition, a legal system allowed co-operations or companies to have joint stock. This system fuelled the industrialization since there was the ability to have stock in different companies or organizations such as co-operations and even the merging of some1. Then there was capitalism; which was the availability of a free market that enabled entrepreneurs to be economically and socially capable of running their own businesses. These key factors enabled the industrial revolution in Great Britain2. The social cost of industrialization in Great Britain affected the lives of people, from the urbanization process, housing, standards of living, increase in population, jobs, labor, and creation of new ideas and inventions. Middle-class people came to rise, whereas ordinary people who barely earned a living now had to deal with the increased levels of opportunities for employment when the new factories and other employment opportunities popped up. However, even though there were jobs, these people had to bear the cost of that easy-come job. They had to endure long working hours and strict working conditions3. This was because the revolution had just started, and this forced them to maintain the hard work. Little earnings followed these harsh working conditions. Those who worked the longest hours were the people who worked in the steel industry. These little earnings did not help, as the little earnings did not provide a decent life, one that required looking decent, eating decent and proper shelter. Even though these

Mobile Technology in Education Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Mobile Technology in Education - Research Paper Example This research paper will focus on the use of mobile technology in the region of United States, its acceptability as well as its pros and cons on the population of United States. Mobile devices or technology used in educational settings is regarded as instructional technology which is used to facilitate the process of learning and helping in the improvement of performance of students and educators (Reiser, 2012). Mobile technology is not only being used within the setting of classrooms, it is even being used outside the classrooms for learning and development. A study was conducted by Bangert in which the author identified that a total of 249 students at an American university named Montana State University were using Smartphone in order to continue learning outside their classrooms (Bangert, 2014). There are various mobile devices being used for learning and development by the students belonging to different fields in the United States. For example: students belonging to the field of medicine are using tablet computers which are a form of mobile devices and these devices have been quite useful in preclinical education (Robinson, 2013). There are various benefits that can be attained through the use of mobile technology in classrooms. These technologies help in making different educational processes effective and efficient. One of the major benefits of using mobile technologies in classroom is that it can assist in submission of work. A study was conducted by Lindquist in which the researcher identified various methods through which students could submit various forms of assignments and tasks with the use of a mobile phone (Lindquist, 2007). The researcher identified that students can submit answers in text based form to their teachers by text messaging the answers to the teachers. The researcher even identified that students can post or send picture based

Assess critically the contribution Essay Example for Free

Assess critically the contribution Essay Taylorism is a form of job design, which stresses short, repetitive work cycles; detailed, set task sequences; a separation of task conception from task execution; and motivation linked to pay. Taylor argued that the principal objective of management should be to secure the maximum prosperity for the employer, coupled with the maximum prosperity for each employee (1911). Fredrick Taylor’s five principles of scientific management: 1. A clear division of tasks and responsibilities between management and workers. 2. Use of scientific methods to determine the best way of doing a job. 3. Scientific selection of the person to do the newly designed job. 4. The training of the selected worker to perform the job in the way specified. 5. Surveillance of workers through the use of hierarchies of authority and close supervision. Taylor proposed this by measuring what workers did against the time taken, to develop ‘one best way of working’ (1911). By using quantitative methods a workers output could be accurately measured. At the time of its inception Taylor found that firms who introduced scientific management as he prescribed became the worlds most meticulously organised factories (Nelson, 1980). Managers are responsible for identifying the best cost efficient work practices and training workers to become highly productive and affective in their specific work task. Taylor argued that it stands to reason that an employee becomes more productive when working at their speciality and concluded with stating that there are more benefits gained for both employees and employers from dividing workers. With linking pay to each task performed, Managers can thus control the workforce and output and consistently achieve desired goals. The piece rate pay system  pays workers in parallel to number of items each worker has produced, hence also providing employees with an incentive to work. Henry Ford’s theory (Fordism) referring to mass production in industry (Marcouse, 1996) united the idea of assembly line and Taylor’s theory of division of labour and payment. Fordism focused on dividing jobs into unskilled and semi-skilled tasks. Whilst managers at Ford vehemently opposed any relation to Taylorism, it can be said that Fordism retained the faults of Taylorism of an autocratic work environment with little room for creativity as well as the benefits of the piece rate system relying on financial motivation. Criticisms of Taylorism: 1.Assumed that the motivation of the employee was to secure the maximum earnings for the effort expended; and neglected the importance of other rewards from work (achievement, job satisfaction, recognition), which later research has found to be important. 2. Neglected the subjective side of work-the personal and interactional aspects of performance, the meaning that employees give to work and the significance to them of their social relationship at work. 3. Failed to appreciate the meaning that workers would put on new procedures ad their reaction to being timed and closely supervised. 4. Had inadequate understanding of the relation of the individual incentive to interaction with, and dependence on, the immediate work group. Taylor did attribute ‘underworking’ to group pressures, but misunderstood the way in which these worked. He failed to see that these might just as easily keep production and morale up. 5. Ignored the psychological needs and capabilities of workers. T he one best way of doing a job was chosen with the mechanistic criteria of speed and output. The imposition of a uniform manner of work can both destroy individuality and cause other psychological disturbances. 6. Had too simple approach to the question of productivity and morale. It sought to keep both of these up exclusively by economic rewards and punishments. Incentive approaches under the scientific approach tended to focus on the worker as an individual and ignored their social context. Pay system may result in a worker valuing quantity over quality. 7. Functional foremanship was deemed to be too  complex and an unwieldy mode of supervision. (Huczynski, 2013) Ways to alleviate the negative effects of Taylorism especially to worker motivation and performance and find new ways to job designs came about following the introduction of the American psychologists Fredrick Hertzberg two factor theory of motivation. Hertzberg had the idea that there were two sets of factors that affected motivation and job characteristics: Motivators: These factors refer to the extent to which a job offers opportunities for achievement, creativity, responsibility, opportunities for personal growth. These are intrinsic to the job itself. Hygiene factors: These comprise issue as the nature of supervision and supervisory style, the level of pay, working conditions, and interpersonal relations. These are extrinsic to the job. For Hertzberg it was only the motivator factors that have the potential to generate satisfaction and motivation. If hygiene factors are improved, they do not result in improved motivation, but if removed, will result in demotivation. To raise levels of motivation and therefore performance, following Hertzberg theory of motivation, companies needed to ensure that the hygiene factors were in place, and to also ensure that the ‘motivator factors’ (i.e intrinsic motivators) were incorporated into the jobs. In particular, jobs needed to be designed in such a way that workers could be given opportunities for achievement, responsibility and personal growth. Criticisms of Hertzberg two-factor theory: Can job characteristics fall neatly into two categories of motivators and hygiene factors? Can a job characteristic be both? (Example can pay be a motivator as well as a hygiene factor-?) Blunt and Jones (1992) They point out that some studies from Nigeria have indicated that hygiene factors, in particular pay, supervision and working conditions, acted as motivators. Machungwa and Schmidt (1983) reported on a study conducted in Zambia and found that material rewards and the physical conditions of work appeared to have both motivating and demotivating effects. This was interpreted by Blunt and Jones in the following way: if material rewards were inadequate they were demotivating, but they acted as motivators if they were perceived as reasonable. This appears to directly contradict Hertzbergs theory, but Blunt and Jones consider that this is only likely to be the case in less developed countries, as Hertzberg (1987) himself appears also to argue. However, one study does not refute a theory. Hertzberg did his original work on qualified professionals, such as engineers, whereas the people surveyed in the study above were manual workers. This in itself might be enough to account for the difference. In general, we can expect professional or managerial workers everywhere to be more intrinsically motivated than manual wor kers given the different nature of the work that the two groups undertake, but as we shall see the way work is organized may compensate for such differences in the relative interest value of different types of work The theory is regarded as a Universalistic theory; that it will impact all individuals in the same way in all work situations. It does not take into consideration that some people may not have a desire for personal growth, and are therefore unlikely to be motivated by job enrichment initiatives that give them higher levels of autonomy and responsibility. Hertzberg theory was superseded by Richard Hackman and Greg Oldham ‘the Job Characteristics Model’; which argued in a similar respect to Hertzberg theory, that if jobs are enriched this will lead to improvements in attitudinal outcomes (increased satisfaction and motivation) and improvements in behavioural outcomes (higher productivity and lower rates of absenteeism). Three critical psychological states: Hackman and Oldham argued that jobs should be designed in such a way that they are focused on the achievement of three critical psychological states: Workers must experience work as being personally meaningful-something that  they care about. Workers must experience personal responsibility for their work- accountability for their work. Workers must know if their work performance is effective-they must have knowledge of the results of their work activities. If these 3 critical psychological states are achieved, higher levels of satisfaction, motivation and performance will result from the worker. However this theory too has had its criticisms. Current literature now argues the importance and focus on team working, however one should acknowledge that the interest in team working is not something that is new to current times. Autonomous and semi-autonomous work groups were central to earlier theories of the 1960’s and 1970’s. Team working has now re-emerged as part of the lean production flexible working debates. An American Theorist, Harry Bravemen thesis known as the ‘Bravemen thesis argues to counter the popular view in social science and management literature that Taylorism has been superseded by human relations and other more sophisticated approaches; that there is in fact a tendency for workers and their jobs to become de-skilled through fragmentation, rationalisation and mechanisation. This argument of deskilling workers and jobs was continued in the context where it became known as McDonalization a term that came about after the publication of a book by Georg Ritz. McDonalisation is a form of work design aimed at achieving efficiency, calculability, predictability and control through non-human technology, to enhance organisational objectives by limiting employee discretion and creativity. He used the term to refer to the processes used at the growing number of fast food restaurants dominating the American market. McDonalds is a modern example of the Taylorised way of work. The tasks are de-skilled and simplified for an employee at McDonalds and limited by the  sophisticated technology of fast food preparation. Hamburger grilling instructions are detailed and precise, cooking times and the sequence of events dictated to make a burger. Drinks dispensers, French fry machines, programmed cash registers all limit the amount of time required to carry out a specific task and leave little room for the employee to do as they wish, little room for creativity or innovation to processes. This way of working ensures the aims of the organisation to achieve greatest efficiency, calculability, predictability and control all of the key elements described by the Ritzer’s ‘Mcdonalization’. Regardless of the fact that the de-skilling may lead to de-motivated employees, which may result in high absenteeism and high staff turn over; its ability to integrate new workers into the production processes and dismiss employees without losing knowledge form the organization allows the model to still be successful. Taylorism can also be illustrated in modern day call centres. A case study on a customer service call centre run by two British Companies, Martin Beirne, Kathleen Riach and Fiona Wilson found strong continuities with Taylorism, in relation to work design and operation. They found the work to be pressurized and highly paced with managements focus on productivity and cost minimisation. Most of the jobs were narrowly defined and closely monitored. The time duration of each call taken; the content of the conversation with each customer; and the advise also given to the customer was prescribed (from Beirne et al 2004). But modern day illustrations of Taylorism don’t end there. It is also seen in relation to ‘scientific selection training’. We’ve now moved away from an industrial economy towards a knowledge –based economy where an organisations competitive success depends on its talent. Much effort is devoted by contemporary organisations to select and recruit the right person for a role. Taylorism also placed importance and the introduction of scientific selection criteria by management to do a particular task. In line with his emphasis on scientific approach to selection, Taylor advocates scientific training as he argues that â€Å"it is only when business systematically cooperate to train the competent man†¦that it shall be on the road to national efficiency†. (Taylor, 1911: p 98). In the context of the knowledge  economy, organisations are generally encouraged to develop employees’ skills and knowledge. ‘Now one of the very first requirements of man who is to handle pig iron as a regular occupation is that he shall be so stupid and so phlegmatic that he more nearly resembles in his mental make-up the ox than any other type. The man who is mentally alert and intelligent is for this very reason entirely unsuited to what would, for him, be the grinding monotony of work to this character. Therefore the work man who is best suited to handling pig iron is unable to understand the real science of doing this class of work’. (Taylor 1911/1997 pg 59) â€Å"The task is always so regulated that the man who is well suited to his job will thrive while working at this rate during a long term of years and grow happier and more prosperous, instead of being overworked†. (Taylor 1911) Thus scientific management matched the worker to the job and in the process separated the conceptualization of work from its execution. It also provided safeguards against personal bias and individual favoritism, which is something that can still be applied to the current context of contemporary organisations. Taylorism is also found in the Saudi Educational system, for example metaphorically describing students as the ‘raw material’ of schools; controlling the movement of teachers students through class bells; conceiving of the curriculum as a product; dividing students into grades or dividing curriculum into units and individual lessons; describing the school facilities as a ‘plant’ are a result of a ‘factory model’ schooling that has its roots in the adoption of scientific management principles by educational administrators. Contemporary schools in Saudi are still largely influenced with its teaching and learning deeply rooted in ‘scientific management’ as seen with the following: 1. Schools are large and bureaucratized. 2. Students change teachers every year. 3. Teachers plan and teach alone. 4. Curriculum is fragmented. 5. Tracking students by ability levels. 6. Deskilling of teachers through alignment of teaching mandated curriculum and standardized tests. 7. Emphasis on monitoring /surveillance bureaucratic activity-scripted curriculum and scripted tests. Taylorism does not permit autonomy in work. Input by production workers in the organisation, planning, and direction of the manufacturing process was not allowed, requiring workers to do exactly what they were told to do and no more. This authoritarian approach to work can been illustrated in the schooling: That student’s are excluded from the planning, organisation and direction of the educational process. De-skilling of the teachers as their work is conceptualised by others (Ministry of Education who agrees the standard curriculum to be used in schools) and enforced by the bureaucratic outcome of accountability systems implemented in schools. The other way that Taylorism continues to influence the education system is through the use of individual rewards for individual effort (example the focus on a students individual test results). Taylor developed wage-incentive schemes emphasizing piecework and historically assembly line foremen attempted to stop any sort of worker inter action. Elton Mayo who introduced Human Relations theory based on his research at the Hawthorne electrical factory was to see how productivity will improve if the lighting condition changes and he followed Taylor’s scientific principles by testing the changes against a control, with part of the factory lighting being unchanged, (Kelly 1982). This lead him to conduct further experiments which vast doubts on Taylors assumptions about the importance of money in motivation (Marcouse, 1996). According to Huczynski and Buchan, the conclusions which can be drawn from Hawthorne studies are: 1. People at work are motivated by more than just pay and conditions. 2. Their need for recognition and sense of belonging are very important. 3. A person’s attitude to work is shaped strongly by the group in which that individual  belongs within the company. 4. The ability of the informal group or clique to motivate an individual at work should not be underestimated. (Huczynski and Buchanan 1991) . Another contributor to the Human Relations approach is Abraham Harold Maslow, an American psychologist who was best known for creating Maslows hierarchy of needs. They range from physical social to psychological needs. Maslow (1943, 1954) stated that human motivation is based on people seeking fulfilment and change through personal growth. Self-actualized people as those who were fulfilled and doing all they were capable of. The Human Relations models have changed management and how workers are in fact valuable employees and stakeholders of an organisation. The key difference between scientific management and the human relations model is highlighted when analysing the motivational techniques to increase productivity. Scientific management emphasises the use of financial measures in order to secure employers objectives whereas the human relations model argues that management should acquire the insight into the skills that will manipulate social factors in order to harness their employees social needs to managerial ends (Fincham Rhodes, 1999). Thus, behavioural science; motivation theories in combination with the humanistic theories of management, have added to Taylors principles and allowed for contemporary organizations to succeed where scientific management alone failed. Taylorism was an influential management theory of the late nineteenth century. Despite its relevance to its time the influence can still be seen in todays twenty first century: educational institutes, service sector and the manufacturing industries. Though there are limitations to his method, this principle has a considerable profound and lasting influence to all contemporary organizations because of  Taylor’s â€Å"preoccupation with the efficient use of resources†. This philosophy can almost apply to every organization, despite its work structure, such as structures of team working or job enrichment; one of the ultimate goals should be improve efficiency. As Braverman says, â€Å"the principle of scientific management is not a failed system, but a set of guiding principles which continue to inform and influence the role and function of modern management†. Some of the methods he advocates, such as division of labour, scientific selection and training, have become the features of modern society. More primarily, as efficiency is one of the enduring needs of all organizations, his preoccupation with the efficient use of resources thus becomes the driving force behind the evolution of subsequent management theories and the root of management practice. References: Huczynski, A. and Buchanan, D: Organisational Behaviour. Eighth Edition. Pearson 2013. Huczynski, A. and Buchanan, D.,1991. Organizational behaviour An Introductory Text. Second edition. London: Prentice Hall International (UK) Ltd. Hertzberg,F., B.Mausner and B.Snyderman: The motivation to work (New york: Wiley 1959). Taylor F.W (1997): The principles of scientific management. Mincola, NY (original work published 1911). Braverman, H (1974): Labour and Monoploy capital: The degradation of work in the twentieth century. New York Monthly review press. Kelly, John. (1982), Scientific Management, Job Redesign, Work Performance. Academic †¨Press. Marcouse, I. et al. (1996), The Complete A-Z Business Studies Handbook, Hodder †¨Stoughton. Ritzer, George. (2000) The McDonaldization Of Society. Sage Publications Inc. Taylor, Frederick W (1911) The Principles of Scientific Management, Harper Bros. Fincham, R Rhodes, P (1999) Priniciples of Organisational Behaviours, Oxford Univeristy Press. Nelson, David (1980) Frederick W Taylor and the Rise of Scientific Management, The University of Wisconsin Press. Maslow, A. H. (1943). A Theory of Human Motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370-96. Maslow, A. H. (1954). Motivation and Personality. New York: Harper and Row.