Persuasion

For any Idea, effective negotiation and selling Is necessary in order to persuade your target audience. Through means of systematic persuasion the communicator will appeal to reason and logic to help change attitudes. or they may appeal to emotion and habit by means of heuristic persuasion to change beliefs. Every communicator aims to gain dfferent and desired results. For example, sales people, politicians, and leaders in other areas all have different goals and audiences, but use persuasion to their benefit. Cult leaders and other extremists in history have used persuasion to immerse ollowings and gain social loyalty.Over time they have evolved with different religious, political, and revolutionary motives. A cult by definition Is a small religious group that is not part of a larger and more accepted religion and that has beliefs regarded by many people as extreme or dangerous. They are typically characterized by their distinct beliefs and rituals related to devotion to a god or pe rson, are isolated from their surrounding â€Å"evil culture,† and have a charismatic leader (Myers. 252). These charismatic leaders of will use persuasion to influence the intentions, attitudes. eliefs, behaviors. and motivations of different Individuals (Thoms and Walden, 2007).Vulnerability in the larger community is the maln reason Individuals find consolation in cults (Richard, 2010). Feelings of inferiority, ignorance, social threat, and other such factors influence an individual's ability to be persuaded into a cult. After a person converts into the beliefs and practices of the cult, the cult's way of life becomes second nature. Isolation, and un-acceptance of the cult's beliefs by the larger community makes leaving very difficult. There have been several great cults round the world, with effective leaders, including Reverend Sun Myung Moon, Reverend Jim Jones, and Marshall Applewhite.In 1954, Reverend Sun Myung Moon founded Unification Church in South Korea. Capitaliz ing on the problems of his time, Moon's teachings viewed divided Korea as the frontline of the war between democracy and communism; God and Satan. Moon claimed a vision he received at sixteen years old was what called him to complete the Christ mission. His church preached a conservative, family-oriented value system and his interpretation of the Bible. He argued that, Christ was crucified and died having ot completed the mission of marrying and getting a perfect family (Dolan, 2000).Moon, a self-proclaimed Messiah, was to become parent to all of humanity. Moon's teachings were to pledge obedience to him since he was the Messiah. He attracted a worldwide following through a mixture of Christianity, anticommunism, and glorification of himself as a messiah (Myers, 252). Moon's ability to persuade people was in the need for a good family, which is a problem to many all over the world (Thoms and Walden, 2007). A push for peace Is another tactic that Moon applied to pursue the beliefs of the cult.After being excommunicated by the Presbyterian Church, unification Church was characterized by numerous wedding presided by Moon. The ceremonies gained international attention for joining thousands of Identically dressed brides and grooms. many of whom had never met 1 OF3 DeTore, In matrlmony. I ne grandeur 0T tne Dlesslng ceremonies was meant to craw mass attention to the Church, and highlight its emphasis on traditional morality. They also brought Moon fame and notoriety. The church still exists and continues to teach its beliefs and practices all over the world.In the 1970s Marshall Applewhite formed the cult Heaven's Gate. Applewhite and Bonnie Lu Nettles believed that they were â€Å"The Two† mention in the Book of Revelation and that they were on an important spiritual mission. During a six month stay in prison Applewhite refined his beliefs. He termed a physical and literal version of heaven in outer space, where he came from, the â€Å"Level Above Human. â €  He and Nettles believed that they were sent to help others reach this next level. Applewhite taught his followers that the earth was to be ‘recycled' to a new clean state, and they ould ride the comet HaleBopp to heaven (Dolan, 2000).In Heaven's Gate's teachings, the human body was Just a vehicle and that to ascend from this world people had to separate from all that was human in them. This included their earthly needs and desires. Applewhite persuaded individuals through talks he gave around the country and through video and written testaments he provided. Much of the strength and influence Applewhite held was largely in part because he weeded out his followers. Although he gained a mass following, Applewhite frequently excommunicated members for even the most minor infractions.He relied on intimate numbers, and uniformity of the group to strengthen and perpetuate his message. Members all wore baggy clothing, had short hair, and were kept busy performing tasks for the g roup or trying to curb their human nature (http://www. biography. com). In 1995, Applewhite believed the discovery of the Hale-Bopp comet was a sign that a spaceship was coming to take them to the Next Level. Although many do not understand Heaven's Gate's drastic measures of leaving this earth, it is important to note that Applewhite did not subscribe to the typical understanding of suicide.He and subsequently his followers believed that suicide was not taking the opportunity presented to them and instead waiting for the recycling of earth. In 1997, thirty-nine members, including Applewhite, poisoned themselves, wearing armbands and sneakers that said ‘Heaven's Gate Away Team' (http://www. biography. com). Peoples Temple founded by Reverend Jim Jones was meant to help the sick, homeless, and Jobless people of all races. In 1952 Jones Joined the Methodist Church and went on to gain a reputation as a healer and evangelist.However, the church's ack of interest in racial integrat ion forced him to branch out on his own. After building a following by preaching on a local radio program, Jones moved, along with over one hundred church members, to California. People Temple members lived secluded lives in California, but were even further isolated when Jones moved them to a compound he purchased in Guyana (Dolan, 2000). While Applewhite and Moon appealed to their followers desire to belong and salvation, Jones relied heavily on threats and physical imprisonment. Comparable to a prison, followers were given ittle food and were not allowed to leave.Armed guards secured the compound and members were regularly forced to prove their loyalty during suicide drills (http:// www. biography. com). Jim Jones faced a lot of scrutiny for reported widespread abuse to the members. A congressman and three Journalists were killed when they went to investigate the anuse clalms ana attempted to aloe detectors. Altnougn Jones repeatedly tnreatenea mass suicide, it was not until the interference of American congressman Leo Ryan that he followed through. More than nine hundred people, including Jones and over wo hundred and fifty children, committed suicide by lethal beverage (Dolan, 2000).There are varied reasons why people Join cults all over the world. However, it is mostly brought about by lack of one or more social, spiritual and physical satisfaction (Richard, 2010). Social and religious beliefs are evidenced in the above cases. Cult leaders have charisma, and use alienation, exploitation, and totalitarian views to control the behavior of their group (Thoms and Walden, 2007). Propaganda, mass media, and many other ideas are used to create heroic, idealized, and god-like images to influence and create converts.

Negative Classroom Behaviors Essay

In the classroom there are many opportunities for disruptions to the flow of learning. When the process of education is disrupted it affects learning outcomes and student progress. Educators and students both play a vital role is how smoothly the class is run. In this paper we will examine common disruptions in the classroom and look at carious ways that these disruptions can be resolved productively and efficiently. Through incorporating different discipline and classroom management styles most interruptions to learning can be avoided and the process of education can continue. Disruptions come in many forms and we will look at a few. We will first look at common disruptions in the classroom caused by students and then take a look at those caused by teachers. Yes teachers can be a disruption to the learning process and as we will see sometimes they cause more disruption than their students. It seems that often in today’s society when we think of the typical public school classroom, images of chaotic behavior, chattering students and paper being thrown quickly come to mind. This behavior, while not uncommon should not be the norm, there is a solution. The first three behaviors that we will address is the seemingly ever-present excessive talking, laughter and general outburst. It seems that no matter how many times the lights are turned off, names of students are written on the board, recess or free time taken away students continue to use their voices out of turn in excess ways, making instruction and learning difficult. Often times when students have an outburst in the class or the talking becomes excessive, teachers sometimes give a general knee-jerk reaction.  They may yell at the student who has been consistently talking to â€Å"be quiet or†¦ then some threat of a punishment is given and the student is quiet for a moment and the behavior is likely to happen again and the process continues. Educator Barbara Coloroso believed that students should be taught how to govern themselves accordingly and that whatever actions took place in the classroom they were not only responsible for them but that they were held accountable for them. Barbara guided educators to understand that an important part of education students was to also teach them inner discipline and self control. (Building Classroom Discipline, 11th edition, 2014) In her book Kids Are Worth It: Giving Your Child the Gift of Inner Discipline, Coloroso outlines key ways in which not only parents but also educators can teach children how to have inner discipline. Coloroso suggest that inner discipline be developed as follows; First students must be shown what they have done wrong, then given ownership of the problem hence making them responsible, following this students are guided on ways to solve the problem when appropriate. Finally Coloroso encourages to educators to ensure that during this entire process the dignity of the student is kept in tact. I imagine that by incorporating this strategy into my classroom management and discipline style my students will gain more self-control and become more aware of the consequences behind their actions. In this way, they will be far more likely to think before they act. Likewise I as a teacher will feel better about the way in which I handle disruptions. With the ability to handle each disruption as a possible teaching moment that encourages students to do better, rather than simply pointing out what they did wrong, students will develop a better sense of trust. Likewise by ensuring that in each situation the student is treated with dignity, students are aware of the respect I have for them and this respect become reciprocal. Two other common disruptions in the classroom are that of students who get out of their seats at inappropriate times and who take a long time to get organized, settle down and get started on their work . This not only disrupts learning for the student who gets up but it causes a distraction for those around. Often there are tedious reasons for why students are not in their seats. When asked why have they gotten up, a student may respond  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I was going to sharpen my pencil.† Likewise when asked why have they not sat down and began the warm up they may reply â€Å"I cannot find my pencil.† Educators Harry and Rosemary Wong created a classroom management and discipline theory that creates a way to eliminate many classroom disruptions. The Wong’s theory suggest, that beginning with the first day of class, students be taught that not only the classroom but that the entire school was a place for successful learning. This theory had to be accepted school wide in order to work effectively. In order to achieve that success teachers, students and administrators and support staff, must do their part. The Wong’s suggest that the biggest hindrance to learning is not the behavior of the students but the ineffective manner in which teachers disseminate information regarding the roles, rules, procedures and expectations in the classroom. (Building Classroom Discipline, 11th edition, 2014) Upon introduction to the class, teachers are encouraged to two things. First teachers must go over the roles, expectations and responsibilities of both teacher and student (Building Classroom Discipline, 11th edition, 2014). This is done over a period of several days and may continue through reinforcement throughout the first portion of the school year. In this way students not only understand where they fit in the classroom but they also know how everyone else fits as well. In my own classroom I can visualize my students on their first day. Part of my classroom management style will be to ensure that there is a procedure set in place for most of the foreseeable situations in the classroom. One thing that I will make certain to do, is to make the procedures detailed yet simple to understand and follow. In this way my students will be clear on what to do and when. For example, the student who has wasted ten five minutes of the 15 minute warm up time, will know in the beginning of the school year that sitting down and getting started on the warm-up up within the first three minutes of class is mandatory. If you are not prepared and do not have all of your materials, there are always extras that can be checked out from me and then returned at the end of class. Simple procedures like this will eliminate small disruptions and keep the learning process flowing. The next two disruptions are those students who lack respect for teachers and fellow  classmates along with horseplay in the classroom. Teachers must establish and demand respect in the beginning of the class. Students must know not only what is expected of them, but also what happens when they fall short of those expectations. Educator Craig Seganti teaches teachers how to take charge in the classroom. Taking the Seganti approach in my class will dictate that my students know that I am the authority in the classroom. Establishing this authority by setting the rules along with the consequences of breaking them, and enforcing them from day one will put me in control from the outset. When students see that there is no wavering in the rules, they will take what you are saying seriously. Establishing that the classroom is a place of learning and that anything that disrupts that will have consequences will if not completely eliminate, will certainly minimize disruptions. When teachers and students are disrespected in the classroom it would be good to incorporate civility in the classroom. P.M. Forni was best known for teaching students how to behave civil and with respect n the classroom. By encouraging students to conduct themselves in a way that reflects the â€Å"Golden Rule† students will be far less likely to tease and disrespect their teacher and classmates. (Building Classroom Discipline, 11th edition, 2014). Using these two strategies in the classroom will be of great value in the way the classroom is managed. Finally I want to take a look at three behaviors that are exhibited by teachers that cause disruptions in the classroom and halt the learning process. Disorganization, nagging and the inability to leave whatever you have going on at home, at home can cause the classroom environment to feel unsafe and chaotic (Building Classroom Discipline, 11th edition, 2014). Using a combination of strategies from authorities on classroom management can help with these hindrances to education. First knowing what you want your classroom to look and feel like I a huge help in getting and staying organized. Often times teachers become disorganized because they have lost control of the classroom. By establishing your authority in the classroom as suggested by Seganti, you are less likely to lose control and if this does happen it should be easier to regain. Constant nagging of students over trivial matters of work habits or behavior are not helpful. In the long run you are not taken seriously. Students must know how to behave in the classroom. Ensuring as suggested by Wong that students are crystal  clear on expectations and procedures, teachers will spend much less time nagging and more time teaching. Lastly when teachers are unable to leave their home life separate from their classroom the results can disrupt and devastate a classroom. Teachers must before anything else, know their role. As a teacher you are there to provide a safe learning environment for your students. When your personal life interferes with that, learning outcomes and student-teacher relationships are compromised. In my classroom I imagine that by establishing an initial foundation of authority based on my acknowledgement of my role as teacher and educator, I will be able to create safe, fun and effective learning environment. By creating my classroom management style, revisiting it when necessary and setting up rules and procedures from day one, I will have the freedom to teach without disruptions and my students will be able to achieve all of the learning outcomes that have been set for them. Reference Page 1. C. M. Charles Building Classroom Discipline, Eleventh Edition, 2014

Political Cartoon Essay

This political cartoon shows President NoyNoy with the word â€Å"political maneuvers† written on his arm pushing two letters, the R and the H with difficulty because of big rocks with the words objection, 2013 polls and moral issues written on each rock. The cartoon also shows how hard it was for Pnoy because of the sweat on his head. Symbols that were used in this political cartoon are 1) the word â€Å"political maneuver† on Pnoy’s arm, 2) the letter R and H, and 3) the rocks with the word â€Å"objection†, â€Å"2013 Polls† and â€Å"moral issues† Looking at this political cartoon it only illustrates that Pnoy with his skillful tactics push RH bill passing through many objectives, through his political maneuvers, he will be able to have good performance and even crash political and moral issues thrown against him. As a teacher, I am a leader and as a leader, I am not fond of manipulating my student, their grades and even what is happening inside the class. We all know that Pnoy is a good leader whom played the most in achieving economic growth of our country is also known to be a person who wants to promote RH bill no matter how hard it is for the majority to accept it still he will not let it go. I am not against RH bill, and I am not pro abortion, it’s just I want to teach people lesson on giving birth among children whom they can’t support and will be like others begging on the streets and in the end be one of the government dependents. But I am not allowing manipulations or tricks just to fool us around, just to crash moral issues and other objections. I still believe in the moral values our late Pres. Cory imbued to our present president today and will do what is good for our country with due respect and transparency to all Filipino citizens. A pro-RH candidate shaking upon seeing two big feet with â€Å"Catholic Vote† written on it is shown in this political cartoon. This cartoon uses a big foot which represents the majority who opposes the RH bill because they called themselves Catholic, a Christian who lives in a Christian country and should be against violation of life and liberty. This only shows that being a pro-RH bill is a big threat to get big chance of winning in election. The cartoon shows how great is the power of the catholic people who are against the RH bill. A candidate must have a strong political spirit whom he can fight for what he stands for. Yes, majority of the people in the Philippines are Catholics but we must also realize that there are also Catholics who are  pro-RH bill. Catholic Church must not influence voters in not voting pro-RH candidates. Even they have strong influence among the Filipinos; still we must practice a free and democratic way of choosing and electing government officials. Knowing a candidate whether he is a pro or anti-RH bill will never stop him in wanting to serve our country. We must really know who among them are real and who are not. For me, the Catholic Church must not enter with the voting issues anymore, they must listen on how those candidates would love to serve our country whether they are pro or anti-RH bill.

Sicko Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Sicko - Assignment Example After seeing how well the universal healthcare programs worked for the people in Canada, England, France and Cuba, I would have to say that the program should become a norm for the United States as well. I truly believe that if it is implemented in the same manner as in those countries, then the system would actually work for us. Since we are already paying one of the highest taxes in the world, why not actually make that money work for the people paying for it by covering their healthcare costs? Granted that the cost subsidies would put the health insurance companies out of business and maybe the doctors will earn less under the system, but isnt the idea of healthcare to â€Å"help† people become well or prevent their illnesses? Isnt it the job of doctors to â€Å"do no harm† under the Hippocratic Oath? None of that is happening under the American system of healthcare at the moment so yes, it may not be cost-effective for the bottom line of the insurance companies and doctors who are used to fleecing their clients, but it is what will be in the interest of their patients and should therefore be done for them. I would definitely like to initiate the British form of universal healthcare in America. That is because nobody is turned away from the hospitals, the care is given without question, and the medicine is subsidized at a flat rate cost that is affordable to the working class and free to the retirees and jobless who do not stop needing medical care or medicines just because of their age or situations. That is why I would definitely be willing to sacrifice the quality of the healthcare for the quantity of the healthcare. Imagine, being able to get the tests that you need albeit in a schedule in Canda, while you need to wait for health insurance approval for the test in the United States and most likely get denied the procedure anyway. It seems like a no-brainer in that instance. The test will get done, you just need to wait your

Mayans Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Mayans - Essay Example He refers to his offerings as golden, implying that they are valuable. The statues, which Augustus removed, were made of silver. He, however, chose gold for the temple because it was more valuable than silver.2 He is interested in donating what he feels is the best to the temple. It shows his desire to give back to the society instead of benefiting himself, a sign of modesty. In another situation, Augustus describes how he had bailed out the public treasury, built roads, and financed major public projects.3 He also describes how he had built a strong army in his nineteenth year using personal resources. His modesty comes out clearly from his desire to achieve the societal goals rather than personal ambitions. Augustus modesty is also evident from the way he chose to store the silver statues he had removed. It seems he did not want to offend the people who had honored him by building the statues. He chose to put their names on his offerings to the Apollo

Impacts from hosting the Olympic Games on local businesses Literature review

Impacts from hosting the Olympic Games on local businesses - Literature review Example In most cases, the participants are professionals who are appropriately trained and the organizers of Olympic Games are well compensated for their efforts. In preparation for Olympic Games, host countries normally get involved in massive renovation projects that become beneficial to them for many years. It is essential to state that Olympic Games have both positive and negative impacts on the host country and most of these impacts associated with the Games are either social, or economic among others (Theodoros, 2007, p. 12). In most cases, when a country is hosting Olympic Games, there are high expectations by the local businesspersons that they will receive more business due to the coming of spectators to view the events but in some instances, such expectations are not met. For instance, during the recent London Olympic Games, local small business individuals expected an Olympic pump in their business but this was not the case. They claimed that this was just unusual because vendors attended the 2012 Olympics expecting to have fabulous volumes of sales in August, but it was not so. During the opening day of the Olympic Games, local traders registered a 10% decrease and throughout, there had been a 12% weekly and 16% rises in the footfall, in London West End businesses (Dreyer, 2011, p. 11). Most people state that trade has not been as good as some individuals may think and this is because the city appears to have been deserted by a majority during the day. In addition, small business owners felt that there were few tourists in the city willing to spend their money. According to Ed Francis who operates a Hampshire Hog in the western part of London, there has been a slight drop in daytime businesses since the commencement of London 2012 Olympics. The drop in trade has also been associated with the increasing number of local people who choose not to attend the Olympics and decide to take holidays out of the country. This means that local tourists who at times tak e rooms decrease in number (Leggat, 2003, p. 201 - 203). In most cases before the Olympic Games commence, local residents feel that demand for roads and the entire public transport network will be high. As a result, a well-coordinated multi agency is set up to manage such and ensure that people get to their places of work in time. In most instances, Olympic Games led to increase in the need for transport and as a result, it is always necessary to plan to ensure that the local individuals’ daily operations are not affected (Adam, 2005, p. 67). For instance, in London, the local parking and traffic management plans were set up to ensure that spectators were not allowed to park their vehicles near the venues. These steps were aimed at ensuring public safety, promoting efficient operations in the venues, and creating emergency routes. The freight industry was also very busy during the games and despite the fact that most roads were busy during the Olympics, freights always found their way through the challenging operating environment (Weed, 2012, 75-80). Mostly, the town councils are assigned the task of operating lorry schemes to ensure easy and fast delivery. They have always preferred night delivery to avoid late delivery and unnecessary traffic during the day. It is worth noting that games play a significant role in ensuring improvement of the local roads. For instance, in London, there was an improvement at Stratford and the Kings Cross. Furthermore,

Do you think that theories of authorship are incompatible with the Essay

Do you think that theories of authorship are incompatible with the industrial context of film production - Essay Example The auteur theory is one of the most important theories of authorship. The term, politque des auteurs was coined by Francois Truffaut, who realized that American Directors often worked within strictly circumscribed parameters in reference to the kinds of films and the scripts they could direct, since these were often predetermined and allowed the directors little room to experiment with their own ideas (Keller 1930). The notion of the Director being the true author of a film first emerged through the views of Andrew Sarris on the distinctive nature of a particular director’s work. According to Sarris, Hitchcock was â€Å"great† and Welles was classed as â€Å"brilliant†, based on the view that over the course of preparation of several films, a director may reveal certain recurring characteristics of styles or themes, which are like his or her personal signature or stamp upon the film, identifying it unmistakably as their product (Sarris, 1979:650-665), irrespective of the collective nature of film production. It may be argued that American cinema in earlier decades was circumscribed by the industrial context of production and the concentration of power in the hands of studio top executives. The power wielded by the writers and directors of the film was considerably less than that wielded by studio heads and their creative control over the film much lower. Yet, despite these restrictions, some directors such as Hitchcock were able to achieve a personal style that was uniquely their own. In particular, where some directors such as Orson Welles and Jean Luc Godard are concerned, some recurring themes may occur in all their works, or their work may demonstrate a particular worldview or personal vision that becomes evident through their work. They bear the unmistakable personal imprint of the author, despite the plethora of external market and commodity pressures that may fashion the final products. For example, in the works of Godard, the

Discussion Summary-Assignment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion Summary- - Assignment Example Fellow classmates have provided a raft of examples and the corresponding lists of examples supporting each of the four proximity levels. Bishop Pearce provided the example of the Waterbrooke Assisted facility, located in Elizabeth City, NC. The facility provides personalized care including three meals and snacks a day, physician and psychiatric services. On environmental proximity, he identified each of the four levels drawing the work by (Sigh, 2010) to be the foundation on which he drew the four levels on proximity. The work drew a number of replies, most notably Kathleen, who wanted to know if the facility were next to hospital, would it have been a source of hindrance or help. Yvette De Leon, on the other hand cited the Arbors of Port Warwick Facility that is in Newport News, VA. The hospital provides 24 hours services to the residents, though only a meal day is provided. Just like the first contributor, Yvette cited (Singh, 2010), when updating the four Environmental Proximity Model. Kathleen Almeda, on the other hand, gave Dominion Village at Williamsburg that is owned by Five Star Senior Living. Â  Dominion Village offers assisted living, memory care, outpatient rehab services, and respite/short-term stays. Felisa Artis provided the example of the Consulate Health Care as the facility of choice, which specializes in post-acute care, operating 200 centers in 21 states. However, her focus is the one that is at Norfolk, VA. She explicitly provides the examples to match the four levels of proximity and a discussion ensues between the classmates and her. Jennifer Supples provides an example of a facility located 15 minutes from his place of residence, Willows at Meadow Branch which is part of the Consulate facilities. However, he does provide examples on the environmental proximity models. The level of services provided in the facilities were also different, for example, Paola Williams mentioned that Hopkins center for Rehabilitation and Healthcare,

NPR Verses Commercial Radio Shows Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

NPR Verses Commercial Radio Shows - Assignment Example The 3-hour show is hosted by Steve Inskeep and Monagne Renee. It is a very interesting show which offers a lot of news and entertainment to the listeners. Indeed, the organization of this show is very much different from the rest of the commercial radio stations. Since KASU 91.9 FM is not aiming at making any profit, it is purely committed to providing uninterrupted show. Meaning, all discussions, music and news are not frequently interrupted by advertisements the way it is in the commercial radio stations. This makes it so appealing and interesting at all times. In this regard, I would like to point out that KASU 91.9 FM should continue to be supported by the public. It is worth supporting since it has a lot of education, entertainment and news to offer to the listeners. Unlike the commercial radio stations, it does not generate money from commercial adverts. This explains why its content is properly designed to suite the entire society which listens to it. Therefore, they need to support all its programs by constantly contributing to it and listening to all its

Cross Cultural Communication Exam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Cross Cultural Communication Exam - Essay Example These shared traits, values and practices have been passed on from one generation to the next. These have all been developed from influences from their history, ancestors, environment and even geographical location. Thus, it can also be said that culture is an unconscious learning of a certain group’s inherent practices, and behaviors, and it forms the group’s identity that sets them apart from other cultures. In the context of one’s culture, one develops a worldview, value system, attitudes and beliefs common to the cultural group he comes from.2 Each culture has identified heroes, rituals, values and practices that represent who they are as a people. Heroes are people who have shown extraordinary virtues or skills that people want to emulate. People appreciate the heroes more when their culture is highlighted when the hero is given public recognition. Rituals are customs and traditions distinct to the cultural group. These are practiced in specific times such as special occasions. For example certain cultures perform certain rituals during religious holidays to honor their faith. Values are deeper concepts preferred by a cultural group such as the provision of utmost hospitality to guests or ascribing deep respect for elders. Practices are actions that sum up the cultural make-up of a group of people. For Muslims, for example, getting down on their knees to pray five times a day is a custom that reflects the people’s religious heroes, rituals, values and practices. The Oxford English Dictionary defines ethnocentrism as "regarding ones own race or ethnic group as of supreme importance"4. Although this is basically good because it promotes cultural identity, it may also breed arrogance and racism when it becomes amplified when the ethnocentric group is among other cultural groups. It then becomes a barrier in

Intercultural Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Intercultural Relations - Essay Example However, critics believe otherwise. Pointing to its â€Å"anarchic and competitive character† (Cox 2), they instead see globalisation â€Å"an exploitative phenomenon† (Prempeh 586) that â€Å"has often perpetuated poverty, widened material inequalities, increased ecological degradation, sustained militarism, fragmented communities, marginalised subordinated groups, fed intolerance and deepened crises of democracy† (Scholte 53). These adverse effects of globalisation as encapsulated in the following terms: â€Å"disempowerment, marginalisation, exclusion and inequality† (Prempeh 596) cultivate and encourage racial discrimination, especially so that historically racism has been an effective tool in rationalising and covering-up exploitation (Shah, section 1, par. 2; Sivanandan, par. 1) in favour of the powerful. Globalisation proponents proudly claim globalisation has equalised the playing field for all nations and races in almost all spheres of life; thus, it has transcended nation-states; that today we are more than our nationality but citizens of the world – we are a cosmopolitan – a multi-cultural world free from national prejudices. With this rosy picture being painted about globalisation, this world could have been a better and safer place to live in. But then, why do we have ogre things such as ethnic tensions/wars (â€Å"Greek Albanians† BBC News), racial profiling (Monbiot, par. 2), racial crimes like racial bombing (â€Å"Racist bomb† BBC News) and race riots (â€Å"Spain Struggles† BBC News), and war on terrorism (Bidwai, par. 18-19)? With these grim pictures around the world, anti-globalisation forces see globalisation nothing but a tool of neo-liberal market forces to systematically exploit the economy of the world through â€Å"racism, sexism, xenophobia, and other oppressions† (Gorski 4). Anytime, anywhere and anyhow, racism is evil. It is damaging as it disempowers people by

Organizational Commitment Essay Example for Free

Organizational Commitment Essay The focal point of effective human resource management (HRM) is on managing people within the employer-employee relationship. As banks are considered a very critical industry of the economy, it is important that the workforces supporting these banks are well motivated and are effective in delivering the necessary work output. It includes the productive utilization of employees to achieve the organization’s business objectives and satisfy individual employee needs (Stone, 1998). HRM seeks to strategically combine the interests of an organization and its employees (McGraw, 2003). Consequently, ineffective HRM can be a major barrier to employee satisfaction and organization success (McGraw, 2003). HRM practices in the banking industry play a key role in attracting, motivating, rewarding, and retaining employees. HRM practices include recruiting employees, selecting employees, designing work, compensating employees, and developing good labor and employee relations (Noe, 2005). For the purpose of this study, the researcher bundled five specific human resource management practices. These are HR planning, training, career development, performance appraisal, and employee participation programs. The researcher chose to bundle HRM practices since bundled HRM practices produce interrelated and complimentary functions. For example, training and development, and performance appraisal overlap each others’ results. The appraisal of an employee’s performance will show potentials and identify gaps in employee’s knowledge, skills, and abilities that will be filled in by training and development. Furthermore, the alignment of HR practices produce synergy contributing to increase productivity and corporate financial performance (Huselid, 1995). Bundled HRM practices contribute to overall firm performance by motivating employees to adopt desired attitudes and behaviors (Bowen Ostroff, 2004). Moreover, Chang (2005) argues that employees perceived HR practice as an exclusive and single practice rather than separate and diverse fields. According to Fishbein’s (1963) an individual’s overall attitudes towards each HRM practices can be represented by a summation of the belief held about each HR practices. It is important to study HRM practices and its relationship with work related attitudes, and behaviors. Attitude is a mental state of readiness that is organized through experience, applying a dynamic influence on the individuals response to objects and situations to which it is related such as job satisfaction and organizational trust. (Allport, 1935). On the other hand, behaviors are manners in which an individual or group conduct and respond to his/her environment like Organizational Citizenship Behaviors or OCBs ( Robbins, 2005). Employee perception of organizational banking practices and working conditions within the banks of Jamaica influence employee attitudes and behavior (Guest, 2001). Existing organizational practices within banks in Jamaica such as HRM should facilitate the development of desired employee attitudes and behavior that contribute to enhance firm performance. Previous studies have found that positive perceptions of HRM practices lead to positive employee attitudes and behaviors such as job satisfaction (Guest, 1999), organizational trust, organizational commitment, organizational justice (Greenberg, 1990). Job satisfaction, organizational trust and OCBs were the variables selected to be studied in relation with HRM practices as these three elements are key factors in organizational effectiveness and these variables are considered understudied. These facets affect and overlap each other’s functions and outputs that contribute to the development of HRM practices. Furthermore, this study contributes to the literature by examining a wide breadth of outcome measures within the same study. The study extends HRM literature in three ways. First, it provides additional research in the examining the role of HRM practices to employee attitudes and behaviors since there are limited studies in HRM conceptualized as a bundle (Chang, 2005; Guest, 2004; Huselid 1995). Second, it examines the proposition of Morrison (1996) on the role of HRM practices in contributing to extra-role behaviors. An examination of HRM literature revealed that there has no study conducted investigating HRM to organizational citizenship behaviors. Third, it also simultaneously examines HRM, job satisfaction, organizational trust, and OCBs in one study. Previous studies have examined these variables separately. For example, Ellickson (2002) and Bradley, Petrescu, and Simmons (2004) conducted the study on HRM practices to job satisfaction, Tzafrir (2004) examined HRM practices to organizational trust. Furthermore, since there are limited studies on HRM practices within the banking industry; this would contribute to the importance of HRM practices in the management organization. Review of Related Literature Human Resource Management Practices HRM contribute to the attainment of an organizations competitive advantage through the strategic implementation of a highly committed and competent workforce using an integrated range of cultural, structural, and personnel techniques. Effective HRM leads to an organization success by developing employees that contributes to the delivery of products and services bring customer satisfaction, business results, and shareholder value (Stone, 1998). The main purpose of HRM is to improve the productive contribution of people wherein the employees are being heard by the management and helping the employees to find new resources that enable them to successfully perform their jobs (Ulrich, 1997). The role played by human resource functions is best explained by determining the key objectives that they seek to align strategies, develop effective policies, systems and activities which are significant to the firm’s overall success (Torrington, Hall Taylor, 2002; Storey, 1995). HRM functions are critical in running an effective organization. Organizations need to have a competitive HRM functions in order to maintain a competent workforce and attain business objectives (Newman Hodgetts, 1998). HRM function includes planning, training and development, career development, performance appraisal, and employee relations. These functions help organizations to facilitate strategies that allow them to achieve efficiency and effectiveness (Stone, 1998). HRM functions must change in manner that it accomplishes new roles and new competencies. It also has to be transformed to deal creatively and practically with the emerging challenge. HRM practices have a tangible and various intangible organizational consequences. Prior researches have found support for the role of HRM practices in predicting organizational commitment (Davidson, 1998), job satisfaction (Bradley et al. , 2004), and procedural justice (Edgar Geare, 2005). Job Satisfaction Job satisfaction is a pleasurable emotional state resulting from the valuation of his or her work (Locke, 1976; Steijn, 2002). Even though job satisfaction is a highly personal experience, there are a number of facets that seem to contribute the most to feelings of job satisfaction. Steijn (2002) stated that mentally challenging work, adequate compensation pay, career opportunity, the ready availability of promotions, people that are friendly, considerate, or good-natured superiors contribute to job satisfaction (Johns Saks, 2000). For instance, the ready availability of promotions is positively related to job satisfaction. The promotion given enhances the perception of the employees that they are valued enough by the organization (Garrido, Perez, Anton, 2005). Previous studies have shown that compensation (Bassett, 1994), opportunity for advancement (Schneider, 1994), psychological climate, and leadership style (Howell Frost, 1989) are antecedents of job satisfaction. Organizational Trust Trust is an individual’s expectation, assumption, or belief about the likelihood that another’s future action will be beneficial, favorable, or at least not detrimental to one’s interests (Meyer, Davis, Schoorman, 1995). Trust is considered to be an essential component in organizations since it is a consistent mechanism that supports organizational change and development in an unpredictable environment than hierarchical power and direct surveillance (Kramer Tyler, 1996). Several studies clearly indicate that the formation of trust within workplace relationships is complex and elusive (Tzafrir, 2003). Furthermore, workplace trust is a necessary element for the development of competitive advantage through support, co-operation, and improvement of systems. Trust is viewed as a feature of the social foundation that begins interactions among parties (Mayer Davis, 1999). According to Kramer and Tyler (1996), there is a need for organizational trust for the reason of there are organizational needs that are not to be disclosed and one of the elements to address these requirements are employees that trusts their organization. Currall and Judge (1995) defined trust as an individual’s reliance on another person under conditions of dependence and risk. Dependence means that one’s outcomes are reliant on the trustworthy or untrustworthy behavior of another. Furthermore, risk means that one would experience negative outcomes from the other person’s untrustworthy behavior (Kramer Tyler, 1996). Previous studies have shown that psychological contract breach (Costa 2001), leadership style and organizational communication are antecedents of organizational trust. Organizational Citizenship Behavior Organizational Citizenship Behavior (OCBs) are behaviors that are discretionary, indirectly seen or recognized by the official compensation system, and as a whole encourage the effective functioning of an organization (Organ, 1998). It is also defined as an employee behavior that is above and beyond the call of duty and is therefore discretionary and not rewarded in the context of an organization’s formal reward structure (Konovsky Pugh, 1994). Social exchange is an explanatory mechanism to obtain OCBs. It refers to relationships that entail unspecified future obligations. Social exchange is a critical element in understanding OCBs. It is the theoretical basis and the starting point for OCBs to obtain. When HRM practices offered by the organization are perceived favorable by employees, they tend to reciprocate by OCBs (Organ, 1998). For example, when supervisors treat employees fairly, social exchange and the norm of reciprocity (Gouldner, 1960) dictate that employees reciprocate, and OCBs are the avenue for employee’s reciprocation. There are five dimensions of OCBs (Organ, 1998). First is altruism that involves all discretionary behaviors that have the effect of serving a specific other person with an organizationally important task or problems. The second is conscientiousness it is the extent that a person goes well beyond the satisfactory or required level in work attendance; the person exemplifies the brand of OCBs. Third is sportsmanship which the employees’ goodwill in tolerating less than ideal circumstances without â€Å"complaining and making a federal case out of small potatoes. † The fourth dimension is civic virtue which is the behavior that shows a concern for participating in corporate life for example, by performing tasks that they are not required to perform, and doing so for the benefit of the organization. It also implies a sense o involvement in what policies are adapted and which candidates are supported. The last dimension is courtesy which involves such actions as â€Å"touching base† with those parties whose work would be affected by one’s decision or commitments. Touching base refers to actions done by employees that their co-employees values (Organ, 1998). Previous studies have shown that procedural justice (Alotaibi, 2001; Organ, 1998), organizational commitment (Alotaibi, 2001; Mayer Allen, 1997; Moorman et al. , 1993 ), and job satisfaction (Alotaibi, 2001; Moorman et al. , 1993) leads to OCBs.

Application Reinforcement Theory By Managers To Shape Employees Behaviours Business Essay

Application Reinforcement Theory By Managers To Shape Employees Behaviours Business Essay INTRODUCTION The aim of this paper is to explain the application of reinforcement theory by the managers to shape employees behaviors in order to overcome restraining forces of change in an organization. Goal is to explain the managerial aspect of applying reinforcement theory. For better explanation, some basic fundamentals of Organizational Behavior and Organizational Development will be used with special reference to reinforcement theory and how managers should apply strategies in lessening resistance to change amongst employees. Purpose is to help us better understand organizational behavior and organizational development techniques and theory and how to implement them in an organization. I will be including all the essential components of reinforcement theory,its principle,its application as how it should be implemented by managers,what are the restraining forces that comes in the way during changes and how management should try to overcome it. Reinforcement is an extremely important principle of conditioning used by managers to influence their employees in an organization. It is the process of shaping behavior by controlling its consequences. Reinforcement theory is sometimes known as operant conditioning as it focuses on th relationship between operant behavior and associated consequences. Continuous reinforcement strategies are implemented to sustain employees desire to work as they loose their interest in work over long period of time. Hence management should use the reinforcement strategies and theories to motivate their employees and benefit their organization to achieve desired results. ORGANISATIONAL BEHAIOUR THEORIES Organizational theories helps to motivate workers and employees so that they can perform their jobs in the best possible manner contributing to overall development of the organization. These provide courage and motivation to the employees in order to improve their working skills. There are two best known names for the development of theories :- Parlov who developed theory of classical conditioning and Skinner who developed theory of instrumental conditioning. CLASSICAL CONDITIONING Classical Conditioning is the type of learning made famous by Pavlovs experiments with dogs. It is used by trainers to condition (train) autonomic responses, such as the drooling, producing adrenaline, or reducing adrenaline (calming) without using the stimuli that would naturally create such a response; and, to create an association between a stimulus that normally would not have any effect on the animal and a stimulus that would. Classical conditioning reflects how an organism learns to transfer a natural response from one stimulus to another. It is association between two stimuli. This theory is difficult to explain wide variety of observable human behavior, specially issues involving complexity. It does not allow for choice in the response options available to humans and applied in daily life. It deals with cognitive thought process. OPERANT CONDITIONING Operant conditioning forms an association between a behavior and consequences. This process has a wider application than the classical conditioning approach as it provides shaping of behavior in particular patterns. The basic assumption of operant conditioning is that behavior is influenced by its consequences One of the distinctive aspects of Skinners theory is that it attempted to provide behavioral explanations for a broad range of cognitive phenomena. For example, Skinner explained drive (motivation) in terms of deprivation and reinforcement schedules. PRINCIPLES OF OPERANT CONDITIONING Some of the important principles of operant conditioning that can aid the manager to influence behavior:- POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT Managers often use positive reinforcer to influence behavior. A positive reinforcer is a stimulus which,when added to the situation,strengthens the probability of a behavioral response. It can be used to improve employees performance. Positive reinforcement is highly effective and used for two reasons. Firstly, it is used for the direction or motivation of the actions of other people and secondly it uses versatile concept of reinforcement as an explanation of behavior. Many organizations uses positive reinforcements to increase productivity, decrease absenteeism and workplace accidents. For Eg. An insurance company offered incentives at end of each month if the agent succeed to reach their target. Another example,chemical bank has set up programs to positively reinforce employee actions that lead to better customer service. Positive reinforcement can be monetary rewards as well as non financial rewards such as recognition,merchandise incentives etc. When positive reinforcements are used, the desired outcome is that the behavior is reinforced. NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT Negative reinforcement increases the frequency of a response following removal of a negative reinforcer immediately after the response. It strengthens the response as response removes some painful stimulus and enables the organization to avoid it. For example, exerting high degrees of efforts to complete a job may be negatively reinforced by not listening to boss. PUNISHMENT It relates to unpleasant reward for particular behaviors. It is defined as presenting an uncomfortable consequence for a particular behavioral response. It is increasingly used managerial strategy. This forms of reinforcements decreases the occurrence of the behavior in question. Organizations typically use several types of unpleasant events to punish individuals. Interpersonal punisher are used extensively including frowns,grunts,personal grudges and aggressive body language of an employee. Punishments can also be materialistic i.e, cut in pay, demotion, final punishment can be firing of an employee,transfer to another job,etc For example, punishing a worker who slows down the work may be an economically necessary step to alter behavior, another example can be loss of pay. There can be negative affects of punishment,it can cause undesirable emotional reaction,another problem is control of undesirable behavior becomes restricted to managers presence only. EXTINCTION Extinction can be defined as decline in response rate because of non reinforcement. It refers to stopping of the reinforcement,firstly it leads to reduction n eventually omission of reinforcement. An example would be if an employee is not acknowledged despite of his or her tremendous work,he will finally stop doing so. This form of reinforcement decreases the occurrence of the behavior in question. An important base for all these important principle is Thorndikes classic law of effect. Managers must strategically balance between the use of pleasant and unpleasant events occurring in an organization in order to meet their desired outcomes. However positive management procedures dominates in any well-run organization. Before applying reinforcements in an organization,managers also need to know as to when reinforcements should be used in order to influence level and rate of continued repetition of desired behavior. For this it is important to know the Schedules of Reinforcement. SCHEDULES OF REINFORCEMENT In an organization it is very essential to time the rewards and punishment and timing of these outcomes is known as reinforcement scheduling. There are different results of timing and frequency of reinforcement. Reinforcement schedules is widely used to explain different process of workplace such as absenteeism,motivation,different payment systems. Continuous and Intermittent Reinforcement Continuous reinforcements means that the behavior is reinforced each time it occurs and is the simplest schedule of reinforcement. If the reinforcement does not occur after each response ,an intermittent reinforcement schedule is being used. Ferster and Skinner argued that there are two basic types of intermittent schedules. First there are those schedules in which reinforcement occurs at fixed number of desired responses,secondly, there are schedules where reinforcements occurs regularly or irregularly. By combining these two ideas four intermittent schedules are made which they believe has different effects on behaviors. Four types of intermittent schedules are :- 1. Fixed Interval Schedule In fixed interval schedule,a constant amount of time should pass before a reinforcer is provided. In other words behavior pattern almost stops after a reward until the next interval . An example may be praise employees performance once a week and not at other times or payment of employees must be done weekly,biweekly or monthly. This is an monetary reinforcement that comes at the specific period of time. 2. Variable Interval Schedule It represents changes in th amount of time between reinforcer. Variable reinforcer varies in time and predictability. Examples of variable interval schedules would be managers giving special recognition to employees for successfully completing projects and promoting them to higher-level positions . If the manager does not changes its schedule,employee would anticipate his tours and adjust their behavior accordingly to be rewarded. 3. Fixed Ratio Schedule In fixed ratio schedule ,the behavior which you desire must occur number of times specifically before reinforcement takes place. It produces high reinforce rate at closing of reinforcements. For example,paying employees weekly checks that is determined to be paid in expected time. 4. Variable Ratio Schedule Unlike fixed ratio,variable ratio schedule varies in the number of repetitions of desired behavior. There is a high rate of responding in this schedule. Managers often uses variable ratio with praise and recognition. For example ,In an organization bonuses or special awards are given after varying numbers of desired behaviors . Variable ratio schedules produces desired behavioral change which is consistent and very resistant to extinction. ORGANISATION APPLICATION OF BEHAVIOURAL MODIFICATION Organizational behavioral modification is a more general term coined to designate the systematic reinforcement of desirable organizational behavior and the non reinforcement or punishment of unwanted organizational behavior. It is based on an assumption that behavior is more important than psychological causes (needs, values,motives held by individuals)(7) Application of behavior modification in organization follows step by step process:- 1. Managers must define and identify the behavior specifically. When a behavior is observable and can be recorded then it is being pinpointed. To be pinpointed as an important behavior,there must be positive answers to these questions: > can it be seen ? >Can it be measured? 2. Pinpointed behaviors must be counted by the managers as it provides a clear perspective of the strength of the behavior at the present or before change situation. By graphing these data ,managers can determine whether behavior is increasing or decreasing or remaining at the same. 3. ABC analysis should be conducted any managers of an organization. ABC refers to antecedents (analyzing antecedents of actual behavior), behavior (pinpointing critical behavior) and consequences (indicates contingent consequences). This helps managers to analyze performance analysis questions significant in programs. Questions may be:- Antecedents > Does the employer know what is expected? > Have they been communicated? > Are they clear about the standards? Behavior > Can the behavior be performed? > Could the employee do it if his or her life is dependent on it? > Does something prevent its occurrence Consequences > Are the consequences weighted in favor of performance? > Do we note improvement even though the improvements may still leave the employee below company standards? > Is the reinforcement specific? 4. Manager describes action plan and strategies after setting the first three steps. The strategies for strengthening desirable performance and weaken undesirable behaviors are positive reinforcers, negative reinforcers, punishment and extinction. Generally managers tends to use positive reinforcement in applying behavior modification programs but identifying it is not so easy. It can be identified by asking subordinates whats rewarding and another method can be by doing surveys asking about job preferences. 5. The last steps involves evaluation. This step is essential as it tells manager to review changes in behavior before the implementation of the program. Evaluation permits managers to measure performance on an ongoing basis. It also provide feedback to managers which help them to take corrective measures if any. Behavior modification helps to understand workplace behavior by making connections between stimulus,response and contingencies. Reinforcement theory is an important explanation of how people learn behavior. It is often applied to organizational settings in the form of a behavioral modification program. Although the assumptions of reinforcement theory are often criticized, its principles continue to offer important insights into individual learning and motivation. Assessing behavioral modification programmes in an organization has evolved a technique known as meta analysis. This collect studies using different sample sizes and weight them accordingly. One meta analysis of a larger number of studies found a 93 percent success rate which appeared in different target behavior and organizational settings. Organizational behavior modification is used widely among several organizations which includes united air lines,General electric, Proctor and Gamble, Michigan bell telephone etc. Organizational behavior modification is making and can make a positive contribution to organizational behavior. Absenteeism rates,quality of productions and employee safety behaviors appear to improve more often than not when using Organizational behavior modification. Hence a manager should understand that the employees are the most important aspect of an organization success, and towards the realization of its goals and so every employee must be motivated in doing his function. Motivation is significant factor in persuading a certain employee to work at his best . Therefore, it is essential that reinforcement strategies should be continuously conceptualized and implemented in order to sustain employees positive attitude towards his work. Employees tend to loose their interest in their work over long periods of time; so continuous reinforcement strategies are implemented to sustain employees desire to finish their job. The strategies are based on Douglas McGregors two different assumptions (Theories X and Y). > There must be continuous coercion and control of employees. > They must be directed always on what to do. Continuous monthly reward must be given to employees to boost their self confidence and improve organizations desired outcome. By using certain theories and strategies ,managers can help in reinforcing their employees by fulfilling their needs, giving them bonuses,treating them equitably,making them satisfied ,more goal oriented and focused, resulting in high outputs to an organization. RESTRAINING FORCES BLOCKING IMPLEMENTATION OF CHANGE IN EMPLOYEES Kurt Lewin ,developed a management technique known as Force field analysis and is used to overcome resistance to change in an organization. According to Lewin, there are driving and restraining forces which influence any change that may occur in a situation. Driving forces Driving forces are forces that tends to initiate a change and keeps it going. pressure from a supervisor, competition may be some examples of driving forces in an organization. Restraining forces are forces acting to restrain or decrease the driving forces. For example, poor maintenance of equipment may restraining forces against increased production in an organization. In a group process, there are always some forces that favor the change and some forces that are against it. Therefore an equilibrium should be established and it is reached when the sum of the driving forces equals the sum of the restraining forces. To make the employees accept the changes, manager should push driving forces and convert or immobilize the restraining forces. HINDRANCES TO OD CHANGE PROGRAMS Uncertainty regarding change Employees resist change due to the uncertainty and ambiguity associated with the old ways of doing things. Generally,people tend to become more independent and active as they grow older and wiser in a firm. They become anxious accepting changes,they have fear of unknown.they are filled with insecurity due to lack of information in new techniques. Threats To Position Power This type of threat is often seen in top management,which threaten them to lower their status or prestige in a group during the process of change. Social Factors Every individual have social needs. While working in an organization employee becomes members of certain informal group and so,any change or new adjustment will bring a fear among them. The stronger the group ties,the greater the resistance of change. Threat to specialization. Any change in organization may also threaten the expertise of specialized groups. For example, giving specialized training to all the employees was perceived as a threat by the experts in an organization. Threat to insecurity Safety and security are high priority for every individual. and this is the major factor for resistance to change especially on the job front. When employees feel that the security of the job is at the stake due to the change, they resist it. WAYS TO LESSEN RESISTANCE It is very important for the managers to overcome the resistance of change in employees by using some of the following strategies:- Effective Communication: One of the foremost reason for resistance to change is inaccurate information or in other words lack of communication. Thus effective communication program can help in overcoming this resistance. Managers should give necessary information about any change, its process and its working through training class and conferences. Reasons for change must also be communicated very clearly among employees. This will help in making employees understand about the necessity of change in an organization. Participation and Involvement: Participation and involvement can help employee to accept changes in an organization. It helps in removing their doubts and to win their cooperation in the change process. This involvement of the workers can obtain personal commitment and increase the quality of the changed decisions. Negotiation and Agreement: Negotiation and Agreement technique is very useful and can make change go much smoothly. For example, union agreement, transferring employee to other divisions etc. Leadership: Leadership plays an important role in overcoming resistance to change. A capable leader can reinforce a climate of psychological support for change. A strong and effective leader can exert emotional pressure on his subordinates to bring about the desired change. (8) Coercion: Managers may choose to coercion if all other methods fail. Coercion may be in form of explicit or implicit threats involving loss of jobs, lack of promotion, etc. Managers sometimes dismiss employees who resist change. It can seriously affect employees attitudes and may also have adverse consequences in the long run. Managers consider change to be an important ingredient to the success of any organization and therefore it is extremely essential for them to overcome restraining forces of change amongst their employees ,using such strategies and techniques. Gaining acceptance of proposed changes is the foremost job of the management as it directly focuses on Organizational Development. It is not the strongest of the species that survive nor the most intelligent but the one most responsive to change Charles Darwin CONCLUSION Reinforcement theory deals with motivating and influencing behavior of employee. It is sometimes also referred as operant conditioning. In order to understand manager and employees perspective it is important to know the organizational behavior techniques and theory. Reinforcement theory shapes individual behaviors and so organization uses this theory to influence their employees. There are several principle of this theory which include positive reinforcement which is in terms of some monetary reward or non financial rewards,negative reinforcement which include dismissal or some kind of negative activity taken by managers, punishment and extinction. Then it is also important to understand as to when this theory should be applied by the management and so its scheduling is also significant aspect. Reinforcement scheduling can be continuous schedule or intermittent schedule. Further this paper focuses on application of this organizational behavior theory by the managers ,explaining managers actions and controls. It also focuses on restraining forces blocking implementation of changed program established by manager and later it also describes how to overcome resistance to these changes.

The Outsourcing Fundamentals For Dell Computers

The Outsourcing Fundamentals For Dell Computers Dell is one of the leading PC manufacturers in the world. Its business strategy involves outsourcing a number of its operations such as sales order processing, distribution, after sales service. The focus of this report will be to critically evaluate and analyse one such outsourcing project of Dell of its technical support which was considered a failure. There are a number of reasons why Dell chose to outsource its technical support call centre. The main reason for doing so is that Dell saw this part of its operations as non core. It decided to outsource in order to concentrate on its core business processes which were manufacturing and design. The cost savings that an outsourcing deal offered also was a major factor in it doing so. Other factors such as to gain accesses to world class facilities , to share the risk involved, to accelerate redesign engineering process were also critical. After having decided to outsource a deal with Stream Global Services was struck. Stream took its call centre in India to operate the entire tech support of Northern America. After the first term of the contract the deal was called off and Dell decided to back source the tech support from Stream and bring it back in-house. The report analysis the key issues for the failure of this deal. One of the most important issues that resulted in the failure of this outsourcing deal is the drop in quality of service. After initial period the quality of service provided by Stream went down considerably which resulted in unsatisfied customer and complaints. This resulted in fall of sales and loss of market share. Other issues such as loss of control over the operations and loss of tacit knowledge, unable to meet the customer demand due to large increase in customer base, loss of intellectual property, lack of expertise too played a critical factor in its failure. The tip of the iceberg came when n egotiating a contract extension and Stream demanding more, which lead to Dell calling off the whole deal. Critical analysis shows that tech support may be a core competence of Dell, which they had to retain more control over. The possible recommendations are to offshore the call centre to a cost efficient location rather than outsource it. Put in a confidentiality agreement in place in order to protect from loss in intellectual property. Negotiate smaller lengths of contract and to choose quality over price as main criteria while evaluating vendors for outsourcing in the future. Contents 3 Introduction 4 Why Outsource 5 Non core function 5 Gain Access to World-Class Capabilities 6 Cost Saving 6 Accelerate Reengineering Benefits 6 Share Risks 6 Redirect Resources to more Strategic Activities 7 The Stream Story 7 What went wrong 8 Quality of Service 8 Loss of Control 8 Viability of Service Provider 8 Relative Size of Customer 8 The Issue of Trust 9 Lack of Expertise 9 Hidden and Uncertain Costs 9 Tip of the Iceberg 9 Conclusion Recommendation 10 1 . Offshore not out-source : 10 2. Confidentiality Agreements: 11 3. Quality over price: 11 4. Short term contracts : 11 References 12 Appendix 13 Appendix I 14 Sales of Dell from 1999- 2007 14 Appendix II 14 Market Share of PC Manufacturers 14 Introduction Dell is a multinational computer company which has managed to stay in the first place of computer system sales for over a decade. Ranked in the top 50 among the Fortune 500, Dell offers a range of IT products and services, including hardware, software, consulting services, support services, and managed services. Dell employs more than 100,000 employees at services, manufacturing, and design locations around the world. Its strong and revolutionized strategy of direct selling computers to the customers increased its success in the computer companies field providing it with a competitive advantage. Dell was founded in 1984 by Michael Dell a 19-year old teenager and it was named as PCs Limited. Starting with a capital of $1000 and the aim of selling IBM PC-compatible computers he managed to establish Dell as one of the most worldwide successful and profitable companies only after the first years of its function. The first year gross revenues amounted to $6 million. In 1985 Dell introduce d the first computer of its own design- the Turbo PC. In 1988 the company made its initial public offering at $8.50 a share and was renamed to Dell Computer Corporation.    By 1990 it had been expanded in 12 different countries. Six years later(1996), Dell began selling computers via its web site and offered online technical support at the same time and by the 1997 Dell was one of the top five computer makers in the world. As one of the worlds leading direct computer systems companies and a premier supplier of technology for the Internet infrastructure, Dells competitive advantage is its direct customer focus. Constant interaction with its customers online and via the telephone gives Dell the ability to understand unique computing needs that drive individual and enterprise productivity. Even though growth rates for the computer industry are expected to be less than previous years, Dell can still successfully operate, enjoying healthy sustainable profits. With its unique operation strategy and reduced inventory levels gives Dell a competitive edge over its rivals. Dell chooses to outsource a whole bunch of its processes of its operations. Right from most of its production line to sales order processing to distribution to after sales service. Outsourcing allows companies to focus on broader business issues while having operational details assumed by an outside expert. The main focus of this report will be around the outsourcing of its call centre for the technical support. Why Outsource The reasons why Dell chose to outsource its technical support are as follows: Non core function The main reason for its choosing to outsource this aspect of its operations is that Dell saw the technical support operation as not part of its core competence. A core competence provides a competitive advantage through being competitively unique and making a contribution to customer value or cost (Prahalad Hamel, 1990). Long Vickers-Koch (1995) expand the idea of core competences to core capabilities. They distinguish these two by noting that competencies relate to the skills, knowledge, and technological know-how that give a special advantage at specific points of the value chain, which, in combination with the strategic processes that link the chain together, form core capabilities, (p. 12). Dell clearly identified techincal support or the call centre as a non core part of its operations. They saw themselves as clearly being a computer manufacturer who sold customised computers to the users directly and chose to concentrate on this aspect of its business which turned out to be a mistake, we will look at why this was the case in the later part of this report. Gain Access to World-Class Capabilities By the very nature of their specialization, outsourcing providers bring extensive world-class resources to meeting the needs of their customers. Dell wanted to fully utilise this specialization that many of the outsourcing vendors had to offer. Partnering with an organization with world-class capabilities would offer access to new technology, tools and techniques that the Dell may not have possessed more structured methodologies, procedures and documentation; and a competitive advantage through expanded skills. Cost Saving Cost implications are critical factor for any company when it chooses to outsource and Dell being no different. The single most important tactical reason for outsourcing is to reduce or control operating costs. Access to an outside providers lower cost structure is one of the most compelling benefits of outsourcing. The overall operating cost of the tech support would be significantly lower if the project was off shored to a more cost efficient location. Although cost benefits would not be realised in the immediate future but over the long run it promised huge cost savings. Accelerate Reengineering Benefits Outsourcing is often a by-product of another powerful management tool; business process reengineering. It allows an organization to immediately realize the anticipated benefits of reengineering by having an outside organization one that is already reengineered to world-class standards process. Dell wanted to utilise the reengineered business process of the vendor to the fullest. Share Risks There are tremendous risks associated with the investments an organization makes in information technology like a call centre. Dell believed that by outsourcing they would become more flexible, more dynamic and adaptable to meet changing opportunities. This would reduce the risk both financially and strategically in the long term. Redirect Resources to more Strategic Activities Every organization has limits on the resources available to it. Outsourcing permits the redirection of resources from non-core activities toward activities that provide a greater return in serving the customer. Dell clearly saw tech support as its non- core activity and hence thought of outsourcing as a way to redirect its resources and attention to its core business activities like manufacturing and direct sales. The Stream Story After having decided to outsource the tech support and after careful vendor evaluation the eventual order for the outsourcing deal was struck with Stream Global Services. Stream was a business process outsource (BPO) provider specializing in customer relationship management services including sales, customer care and technical support services. Tech support for the entire North America was shifted to Stream located in Mumbai, India. The contract signed was relatively short term which needed evaluation in 4 years. Although, the initial few years of the contract was a success and the company started reaping benefits from sales and profit generation. In 2007 the sales growth started to take a downward turn. Dell started to lose its market share and HP had taken over the market as the premier brand. (Refer Appendix). While there were several factors in the downturn of the companys fortunes, the outsourcing deal with Dell was also said to be a reason. After four years into the deal and wh en the time for evaluation and re contracting came along Dell decided not continue its relationship with Stream and the outsourcing deal went bust. There were several reasons for the failure of this particular deal. What went wrong Quality of Service One of the main reasons for unsuccessful deal was that the quality of service that Stream was offering gradually went down. As with any outsourcing deal the vendor tends to provide high quality service to begin with but over a period of time this quality tends to drop due to several reasons. The average time per call went up, there was more waiting time etc. Dell started to receive a lot of complaints from unsatisfied customers, which was bad for the image of the company. Their competitors started offering better after sales services and Dell started to develop this reputation of having bad customer service. This resulted in sales dropping and Dell loosing market share. Loss of Control The main business strategy of Dell was that it sold computers directly to customers. It is paramount for Dell to know the needs of its customers. After having outsourced its tech support they started to lose control over this aspect. The market and customer demands are constantly changing and its critical for Dell to always be in close conjunction with these changes. Customer feedback is a medium through which they can keep track of the changing needs, but because tech support was outsourced they realised they did not have the control over feedback like they wanted. Viability of Service Provider Dell realised that Stream were not offering the services that was agreed upon. But due to flaws in the contract it was very difficult for them to make any headway into this matter. They realised that Stream did not have the technical proficiency that they had claimed to have had, thus resulting in lower service levels. Relative Size of Customer As the sales of the company grew there were greater customers needing technical assistance. This meant that there was a huge influx of customers for Stream which they did not have the capacity to handle at that time. This resulted in service levels dropping and quality going down. The Issue of Trust Intellectual property became a key issue as well. Stream at the same time were providing services to other computer manufacturers and IT companies which were if not direct but in direct competition with Dell. Hence, confidentiality became an issue with this relationship. Lack of Expertise Dell realised that Stream lacked the technical expertise that they expected. This was but natural as Dell was the experts in designing and manufacturing the computers and they had the technical knowhow of the product. Even with extensive training Stream could not fully gain the technical expertise possessed by Dell. Hidden and Uncertain Costs As in any outsourcing deal the uncertain costs and the hidden cost are always the main reason why any deal is called off. The outsourcer in this case Dell realised that there was a lot hidden costs that was involved in the deal and thus the overall cost benefits they had expected would not be realised. Tip of the Iceberg The final nail in the coffin of the deal came when the time for re-contracting had come along. As in many of the outsourcing cases the bargaining power of the vendor increases as the years go by. Stream had the knowledge that it had the upper hand when it came down to the bargaining power and demanded more money. Dell realised this and decided to bail out of the contract extension. It was a bold decision on the part of Dell because in-sourcing or back sourcing always is a tough task for any company as knowledge transfers becomes a critical issue. Never the less the decision to bring back its technical support in-house was made. After a couple of years Dell again outsourced its tech support but after having the experience of a failed deal they were more careful with this deal. Conclusion Recommendation The first and the foremost function of any company when deciding to outsource should be to evaluate its core competence. As mentioned above core competence gives a competitive edge over the competition. Clearly the technical support for Dell computers is a core function. The main reason for this being that as we saw that the sales started to drop and one of the reasons being the poor quality of customer service. After sales service is an order winner for most computer manufacturers as most of the customer choose to buy a certain brand based on the after sales support that they offer. Based on this analysis the following recommendations can be given. All recommendations given analysis its benefits and its limitations. 1 . Offshore not out-source : Dell should look to offshore the tech support part of its operations rather than outsource. This means that they should retain control of the operation but try and move it offshore for a cheaper alternative. India, Philippines etc are cheaper alternatives that should be considered for future operations. Benefits: They will retain much more control of the operations thus retaining the tacit knowledge and be in close contact with its customers. They will retain their core competence and will not end up losing their competitive edge. Limitations: Initial capital for this is very large. Another limitation is that as in the case with outsourcing the overall cost of operations is not significantly low .This is because with a outsourcing vendor the cost can be reduced by means of economies of scale. Dell will not have this luxury and hence the cost as compared to outsourcing will be relatively high. 2. Confidentiality Agreements: In order to safeguard the intellectual property of the company, some sort of confidentiality agreement needs to be made between Dell and the vendor. Benefits: The core competence of the company will not be shared with its rivals and Dell will not lose its competitive edge. Limitations : It is very difficult to negotiate such kind of contracts with any vendor and such agreement and at times do not hold much value in certain situations and countries. 3. Quality over price: When evaluating a vendor quality and not price should be the foremost criteria. The capacity of the vendor to offer a certain kind of service should be looked upon first. Most outsourcing deals are looked at from a cost point of view and quality gets overlooked. Benefits : Improved quality standards. The vendor will have means to cope with the change in customer quantity and demand. There will be less unsatisfied customers thus enhancing the reputations of the company which is diminishing quickly for its poor customer service. Limitations: Price goes up. Quality always comes at a price and better quality means paying more for such services. These vendors will not be able to meet the price standards of the cheaper vendor which will very often be the case. 4. Short term contracts : Dell should look at signing short term deals with the outsourcing vendors. Ideally the length of the contract should be 2 -3 years after which it should be evaluated. Benefits: Gives Dell more flexibility and opportunity to evaluate the situation of the deal. If Dell feels that the service levels are not up to the mark then it will give them an opportunity to re negotiate. It will put the bargaining power in the hands of Dell. Limitations: The problem with negotiating short term contracts with vendors is that quite often they try and increase their price as they are not guaranteed return on their investment. So they try and increase their profit margins so that they can compensate it for the short length of the contract. References Christensen, Clayton M. (2001), The Past and Future of Competitive Advantage, Sloan Management Review, 42 (Winter), 105-109.   J. Barthelemy, The seven deadly sins of outsourcing,  Academy of Management Executive  17  (2003) (2), pp. 87-97. Magretta J. 1998. The power of virtual integration: an interview with Dell Computers Michael Dell. Har-vard Business Review 76(2): 72-84. Long, C., Vickers-Koch, M. (1995), Using core capabilities to create competitive advantage,  Organizational Dynamics, Vol. 24 No.1, pp.6-20. Prahalad, C. K., G. Hamel. 1990. The core competence of the organization. Harvard Business Review. May-June. Quinn, J. 2000. Outsourcing innovation: The new en-gine of growth. Sloan Management Review, 41(4): 13-29. Quinn, J. Strategic Outsourcing: Leveraging Knowledge Capabilities, Sloan Management Review (40:4), 1999, pp. 9-21.s Willcocks L. Fitzgerald G., Feeny D., (1995). Outsourcing IT: The Strategic Implications, Long Range Planning, 28, 5.

Money :: GCSE Business Marketing Coursework

Money GET $40,000 WITH ONLY 6 BUCKS!!! THIS IS NOT A SCAM!!! Original post: GET $40,000 WITH ONLY 6 BUCKS!!! THIS IS NOT A SCAM!!! A while back, I was browsing these newsgroups, just like you are now, and came across an article similar to this that said you could make thousands of CASH within weeks with only an initial investment of $6.00 plus stamps! So I thought, "Yeah, right, this must be a scam!" But like most of us I was curious and kept reading. It said that if you send $1.00 to each of the 6 names and addresses listed in the article, you could make thousands in a very short period of time. You then place your own name and address at the bottom of the list at #6, and post the article to at least 300 newsgroups. (There are about 32,000 of them out there and that's quite a large market pool). No catch, that was it. Even though the investment was a measly $6, I had three questions that needed to be answered before I could get involved in this sort of thing. 1. IS THIS REALLY LEGAL? I called a lawyer first. The lawyer was a little sceptical that I would actually make any CASH but he said it WAS LEGAL if I wanted to try it. I told him it sounded a lot like a chain letter but the details of the system (SEE BELOW) actually made it a legitimate legal business. 2. IS OK WITH THE POST OFFICE OR IS IT MAIL FRAUD? I called them: 1-800-725-2161 and they confirmed THIS IS ABSOLUTELY LEGAL! (See 18, h sections1302 NS 1341 of Postal Lottery Laws). This clarifies the program of collecting names and addresses for a mailing list. 3. IS IT RIGHT? Well, everyone who sends me a buck has a good chance of getting A LOT of CASH ... a much better chance than buying a lottery ticket!!! So, having these questions answered, I invested EXACTLY $7.92 ... six $1.00 bills and six 32 cent postage stamps ... and boy am I glad I did!!! Within 7 days, I started getting CASH in the mail! I was shocked! I figured it would end soon and didn't give it another thought. But the CASH continued coming in. In my first week I made between $20 to $30. By the end of the second week I had a made a total of $1,000.

Marxist Perspective on Education Essay -- Education

Education system is seen as an important part of the superstructure in society. This statement was written in a Marxism perspective by individuals who see education not just an important part of the superstructure but as well an important aspect in a child life. Even though Karl Marx himself did not widely write about education, many of his followers did. This paper will look at how class and alienation which is a theory that Karl Marx wrote, plays a part in education and a general look at the perspective and how it relates to education. Secondly this essay will look at how other perspective not only relates to Marxism but as well as education. Lastly, this paper will look at how Marxism perspective can play an important role in the future of education. Class and Alienation is one of the theories that Marx’s came up with, which can also be used when looking at education. This is a theory that shows how a Marx’s perspective critiques the function of schooling society. According to Marxists, education does not give everybody a fair chance and that it uses the â€Å"alienation of schoolwork† (idea that children will do the work if they are rewarding for doing it), to socially control people until they are ready for ‘exploitation’ in the world of work (Functions of Education According to Functionalists and Marxists , 2009). Alienation for Marx was based on work where to alienated labour there was two steps, the first one was to alienate nature from man and second was to alienate man from himself from his own active function, his life activity so it alienates him from the species (Grusky, 2001). When looking at this statement and comparing it to education, one can see the similarities between the two. Marxist claim that alienation bein... ...rom http://socyberty.com/education/the-functions-of-education-according-to-functionalists-and-marxists/ Cole, M. (2004). US Imperialism, Transmodernism and Education: a Marxist critique. Policy Futures in Education, 633-643. Fekete, P. (2002). Perspectives on Education. 1-6. Grusky, D. B. (2001). Alienation and Social Classes . Social Stratification: Class, Race, and Gender in Sociological Perspective , 87-105. Kellner, D. (n.d.). Marxian Perspectives on Educational Philosophy: From Classical Marxism to Critical Pedagogy . 1-19. Nathaila, P. M. (2010). Not Neo-Marxist, Not Post-Marxist, Not Marxian, Not Autonomist Marxism: Reflections on a Revolutionary (Marxist) Critical Pedagogy. Cultural Studies , 251-262. Small, R. (2005). Marx and Education . Hampshire : Ashgate Publishing Limited . tubbs, N. (1999). Marx. Encyclopaedia of Philosophy of Education, 1-6.

Correlational Research

Correlational Research There are many types of correlational research. The commonality among all types of correlational research is that they explore relationships between variables. Where descriptive research only described what was going on, correlational research talks about the link between different things. It is important to understand that correlational research does NOT tell us that Variable A caused Variable B, but rather that they are somehow related. For example, if I told you that there was a correlation between domestic violence (violence between family members) and bowling, you would look at me strangely. But there is a relationship between the variables (variable 1- domestic violence, and variable 2- bowling). As more people bowl in the US, more domestic violence occurs. [pic]  Ã‚   [pic] Does that mean that bowling causes domestic violence- like you had bad game and take it out on a loved one? Or domestic violence causes bowling- like you fight with a sibling and feel the need to take it out on some pins? As you have already guessed- one does not cause the other to occur, but they are related- for every time people bowl, I can predict that domestic violence will go up, and every time domestic violence goes down I should be able to find a lane at the local bowling alley. There is a hidden variable that links both of them together. In this case it is winter time. In the winter more people bowl and more people stay in their homes (which increases the chances of domestic violence). Direction of a Correlation [pic] [pic] Before we examine the different types of correlational research methods, understand that correlations can go in two directions: positive and negative. †¢ Positive Correlation: when two variables go in the SAME direction. For example, domestic violence and bowling. When bowling goes up, so does domestic violence. When domestic violence decreases, so does bowling. [pic] †¢ Negative Correlation: here the two variables go in DIFFERENT directions. For example, consumption of garlic and dating (now I am making this one up). The less garlic you eat, the more you date. The more garlic you eat, the less the date. One variable going in one direction can be used to predict the other variable going in the opposite direction. [pic] Correlational Coefficient Scientists measure the strength of a correlation by using a number called a correlational coefficient. Now you do not have to know how they get the number, but you should know what it means when you see it. The number range from -1 to +1. If two variables (like studying and grades) have a correlation above zero (like +. 76) then you have a positive correlation and the more you study, the better grades you have. If the number is below zero (like -. 2) then you have a negative correlation and when one variable goes up the other goes down (like garlic and dating). If two variables have a correlation of zero then they have NO relationship with each other. The closer the numbers go to either +1 or -1, the stronger the correlation. The strength has nothing to do with whether the number is positive of negative. A correlation of -. 88 is stronger than one that is +. 56. The closer the number gets to zero (whether positive or negative), the weaker the correlation. Are you a little confused? Try this! Types of Correlational Studies There are many different ways to show a correlation between two variables. Let's discuss some of the more popular ways; the survey method and naturalistic observation. The Survey Method [pic] Perhaps the most common type of research around is survey research. Every time you receive a letter in the mail asking you to take a minute and answer a few questions, or get a phone call begging for ten minutes of your time to speak about how you feel about , you are experiencing the survey method of research. All surveys have one thing in common, they ask questions. Now there are good and bad things about surveys in research. The good- no matter how you do it, internet, mail, phone, in person- they are fairly cheap. You can cover large populations of people easily if you use the phone or internet. The bad aspects of surveys are that first, the response rate is REALLY low (for every 100 mailing you send out, you will be lucky to get one back). Second, people can lie on the survey so you can always question the validity of your data. Let's break down the survey method as a tool of correlational study. Pretend our hypothesis was the more garlic people eat, the less they date. First, we have to come up with some survey questions (pretend they ask about the amount of garlic one has eaten in the past 6 months and how much they have dated in the past sixth months). Hopefully, when people answer the survey, we will see that people who have stated that they have eaten a lot of garlic have also answered that they have dated less (a negative correlation). But who are we going to give the survey to? As with ALL types of studies (except some case studies) we must choose a sample of people to take the survey (a sample is just a group of subjects). We have to first identify a population of people from which we are going to get the sample. The population includes anyone who can possibly be chosen to be part of the sample. If we are studying anorexic women and their dating habits we would choose a sample from a population of anorexic women. In the case of garlic and dating, I am going to limit my population to single men and women between the ages of 18-25 from the Suwanee area (if I do not limit my population, then I would have to start contacting people from all around the world). Now, how do I pick people to be a part of my sample? Do I call all my single friends in the Suwanee area and give them the survey? That would not be a very fair way of doing it. To make the survey valid I MUST randomly select a sample from the population. Random selection means that every person in my population has an equal chance of being selected for the survey. If I can do this, then my sample has a greatly likelihood of actually representing the larger population I am studying. How do I randomly sample my population- I can randomly pick names out of a phonebook (but in a way that is unfair to single people in Suwanee who do not have phones)- in other words, finding a truly random sample is not easy. Naturalistic Observation Another correlational research method is called naturalistic observation (although you can also use it as a descriptive research tool as well). Naturalistic observation is when a researcher attempts to observe their subjects in their natural habitats without interacting with them at all. Pretend I had a hypothesis: children who experience violence in the home or violent people. If I wanted to use naturalistic observation I would find groups of kids and watch them in their home life and compare that to their social life. I would follow them around everywhere they go. I would never interact with them- but just watch. If I see that every time a child experiences violence at home they are violent, I could claim that violence in the home and violent societal behavior are related, but I would NEVER know if the violence at home is causing the violence in society (it could be one of a million other things). Once again, at most, these types of studies show correlation. The pinnacle of all science is if it proves causation. Correlational Research Correlational Research There are many types of correlational research. The commonality among all types of correlational research is that they explore relationships between variables. Where descriptive research only described what was going on, correlational research talks about the link between different things. It is important to understand that correlational research does NOT tell us that Variable A caused Variable B, but rather that they are somehow related. For example, if I told you that there was a correlation between domestic violence (violence between family members) and bowling, you would look at me strangely. But there is a relationship between the variables (variable 1- domestic violence, and variable 2- bowling). As more people bowl in the US, more domestic violence occurs. [pic]  Ã‚   [pic] Does that mean that bowling causes domestic violence- like you had bad game and take it out on a loved one? Or domestic violence causes bowling- like you fight with a sibling and feel the need to take it out on some pins? As you have already guessed- one does not cause the other to occur, but they are related- for every time people bowl, I can predict that domestic violence will go up, and every time domestic violence goes down I should be able to find a lane at the local bowling alley. There is a hidden variable that links both of them together. In this case it is winter time. In the winter more people bowl and more people stay in their homes (which increases the chances of domestic violence). Direction of a Correlation [pic] [pic] Before we examine the different types of correlational research methods, understand that correlations can go in two directions: positive and negative. †¢ Positive Correlation: when two variables go in the SAME direction. For example, domestic violence and bowling. When bowling goes up, so does domestic violence. When domestic violence decreases, so does bowling. [pic] †¢ Negative Correlation: here the two variables go in DIFFERENT directions. For example, consumption of garlic and dating (now I am making this one up). The less garlic you eat, the more you date. The more garlic you eat, the less the date. One variable going in one direction can be used to predict the other variable going in the opposite direction. [pic] Correlational Coefficient Scientists measure the strength of a correlation by using a number called a correlational coefficient. Now you do not have to know how they get the number, but you should know what it means when you see it. The number range from -1 to +1. If two variables (like studying and grades) have a correlation above zero (like +. 76) then you have a positive correlation and the more you study, the better grades you have. If the number is below zero (like -. 2) then you have a negative correlation and when one variable goes up the other goes down (like garlic and dating). If two variables have a correlation of zero then they have NO relationship with each other. The closer the numbers go to either +1 or -1, the stronger the correlation. The strength has nothing to do with whether the number is positive of negative. A correlation of -. 88 is stronger than one that is +. 56. The closer the number gets to zero (whether positive or negative), the weaker the correlation. Are you a little confused? Try this! Types of Correlational Studies There are many different ways to show a correlation between two variables. Let's discuss some of the more popular ways; the survey method and naturalistic observation. The Survey Method [pic] Perhaps the most common type of research around is survey research. Every time you receive a letter in the mail asking you to take a minute and answer a few questions, or get a phone call begging for ten minutes of your time to speak about how you feel about , you are experiencing the survey method of research. All surveys have one thing in common, they ask questions. Now there are good and bad things about surveys in research. The good- no matter how you do it, internet, mail, phone, in person- they are fairly cheap. You can cover large populations of people easily if you use the phone or internet. The bad aspects of surveys are that first, the response rate is REALLY low (for every 100 mailing you send out, you will be lucky to get one back). Second, people can lie on the survey so you can always question the validity of your data. Let's break down the survey method as a tool of correlational study. Pretend our hypothesis was the more garlic people eat, the less they date. First, we have to come up with some survey questions (pretend they ask about the amount of garlic one has eaten in the past 6 months and how much they have dated in the past sixth months). Hopefully, when people answer the survey, we will see that people who have stated that they have eaten a lot of garlic have also answered that they have dated less (a negative correlation). But who are we going to give the survey to? As with ALL types of studies (except some case studies) we must choose a sample of people to take the survey (a sample is just a group of subjects). We have to first identify a population of people from which we are going to get the sample. The population includes anyone who can possibly be chosen to be part of the sample. If we are studying anorexic women and their dating habits we would choose a sample from a population of anorexic women. In the case of garlic and dating, I am going to limit my population to single men and women between the ages of 18-25 from the Suwanee area (if I do not limit my population, then I would have to start contacting people from all around the world). Now, how do I pick people to be a part of my sample? Do I call all my single friends in the Suwanee area and give them the survey? That would not be a very fair way of doing it. To make the survey valid I MUST randomly select a sample from the population. Random selection means that every person in my population has an equal chance of being selected for the survey. If I can do this, then my sample has a greatly likelihood of actually representing the larger population I am studying. How do I randomly sample my population- I can randomly pick names out of a phonebook (but in a way that is unfair to single people in Suwanee who do not have phones)- in other words, finding a truly random sample is not easy. Naturalistic Observation Another correlational research method is called naturalistic observation (although you can also use it as a descriptive research tool as well). Naturalistic observation is when a researcher attempts to observe their subjects in their natural habitats without interacting with them at all. Pretend I had a hypothesis: children who experience violence in the home or violent people. If I wanted to use naturalistic observation I would find groups of kids and watch them in their home life and compare that to their social life. I would follow them around everywhere they go. I would never interact with them- but just watch. If I see that every time a child experiences violence at home they are violent, I could claim that violence in the home and violent societal behavior are related, but I would NEVER know if the violence at home is causing the violence in society (it could be one of a million other things). Once again, at most, these types of studies show correlation. The pinnacle of all science is if it proves causation.