Underage Drinking Essay Example for Free

Underage Drinking Essay Joseph A. Califano, Jr. , Chairman and President of The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University once said, â€Å"A child who reaches age 21 without smoking, abusing alcohol or using drugs is virtually certain never to do so. † â€Å"Damn! †, I thought to myself as I rolled over and looked at the clock on the nightstand upon hearing my phone ringing at exactly 1:35 in the morning. I instantly new and felt something was wrong. â€Å"May I speak with First Sergeant Foy please? † growled the man with the husky voice on the other side of the phone line. â€Å"First Sergeant, this is Sergeant Miller of the Military Police station here at Fort Campbell. I have three of your soldiers here that are being charged with underage drinking and public intoxication. Can you please have a Sergeant First Class or higher here to sign for the soldiers? † â€Å"Yeah†, I barked into the phone. â€Å"I will be there shortly. † I hang up the phone without asking who the three soldiers were. Traveling back on base to Fort Campbell, my mind was racing back and forth between who the three soldiers were and what I would do to them as punishment when I arrive. Upon arrival at the military police station, there sat handcuffed Private First Class Lees, Private First Class Pierre and Private First Class Beck. All three, upon seeing my arrival, looked to the ground. Looking at them reminded me of the look my son gives me every time he does something wrong. Without a word, I signed for the three soldiers and called up their respective Platoon Sergeants, at least now knowing for sure they are already awake by that time, at 03:00 in the morning. I commanded the soldiers to stay at the barracks for the rest of the four-day weekend and be ready to see me at 09:30 AM after their first day back. The following Tuesday, the soldiers were then read their Miranda rights and are given a packet that they will have to take a lawyer to look. After which, they were given their corresponding punishments known as the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Punishments range from taking the rank from the soldiers, which we call a bust, and/or restriction to the post, and/or imposing extra duty, and/or taking monetary amount from the soldiers. These are, of course, up to the Commander of the unit. I, being a First Sergeant, am the right hand and senior advisor to the Commander of the company. Usually, whatever the First Sergeant and Commander agree upon will ultimately be the punishment of the soldiers. The following month, all three soldiers were given suspended busts, forfeiture of 300 dollars for one month, extra duties and restriction for seven days. One of the soldiers asked during his time with the Commander, â€Å"If I can vote, go to Iraq next month with my unit, serve my country with honor, combat terrorism and even give my life for my country at eighteen, then why can’t I have a drink or two with my friends before I leave? † Seven days later, we deployed to Iraq. The reason that I narrated this story first is simply to recognize the fact that underage drinking has become a problem in the United States of America and even in the Military. In fact, the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism stated, â€Å"By the time they reach the eighth grade, nearly 50 percent of adolescents have had at least one drink, and over 20 percent report having been drunk. Among 12th graders, almost 30 percent report drinking on three or more occasions per month. Approximately 30 percent of 12th graders engage in heavy drinking or binge drinking, that is having at least five or more drinks on one occasion within the past 2 weeks, and it is estimated that 20 percent do so on more than one occasion† (â€Å"National Institute†, 2003). These percentages are astounding whenever I think about everything else that goes along with underage drinking such as drunk driving, sexual misconduct and even death. But, as I contemplate on this serious social and health issue, I cannot help but think to myself the experiences I had with regard to underage drinking. At the time when I was still a minor, I remembered knocking a few beers with my guy friends at our football team’s victory party. I knew back then that doing these things were largely for the purpose of being able to ‘fit in’. I believe it would be pretty accurate to say that peer pressure, especially today, is indeed one of the main reasons why teens indulge in underage drinking. According to Wikipedia (2008), â€Å"Peer pressure is a term describing the pressure exerted by a peer or group in encouraging a person to change their attitude, behavior and/or morals to conform to, for example, the group’s actions, fashion sense, taste in music and television, or outlook on life (â€Å"Peer†, 2008) In my opinion, peer pressure is the most dangerous â€Å"weapon† used against teens today. Knowing that teenagers nowadays are too gullible or susceptible to society or friends’ influences, for me, peer pressure may indeed be considered a dangerous weapon used, though obliquely, by teens. It is very possible that what parents teach their children throughout from their childhood to teenage years are easily swayed and distorted by influential friends overnight. According to the Center on Alcohol Marketing and Youth at Georgetown University (2008), underage drinking is estimated to account for between 12 percent and 20 percent of the United States alcohol market. It also states that more youth in the United States drink alcohol than smoke tobacco or marijuana, making it the drug most used by American young people† (â€Å"The Center†, 2008). Tallying that up, it would take millions and millions of dollars that teenagers spend on alcohol, just to fit in or have to face the consequences of becoming a full blown alcoholic at an early age or even later on into adulthood. Teenagers must be made aware of the long term effects of alcohol use. Dependence on alcohol has also been linked to depression, anxiety, oppositional defiant disorder, antisocial personality disorder and other psychological problems, some more severe then the ones mentioned. Some way, we have to get it through to them that drinking alcohol can and in most cases will lead to harder drugs. It is considered a responsibility of the society to protect the welfare of its adolescent members. Communities as a whole must come together to help prevent the use of alcohol in our teens today. And this must be a concerted effort to work effectively. Parents have to look for signs of underage drinking actively. Look for signs like mood swings, sudden problems in school such as poor attendance, sudden disobedience of family rules, hanging out with a new group of friends that they do not want for you to meet, low energy and a lack of interest in activities, smelling alcohol on your kids breath or just any behavior that is not in the norm for your child. Take action immediately. Communication is a good means. Let them know the long term effects of alcohol dependency and make them feel they are not hopeless. If children can see their parents drinking, there is also a great tendency for the former to do the same. Therefore, parents must be warily responsible. Growing Kids’ (2007) article stated, â€Å"It is much better to show your children how to expect them to behave, rather than merely telling them. † Together as a whole community we can make a difference (â€Å"Growing Kids†, 2007). In the story I have narrated, the young soldiers, no matter how disciplined they are supposed to be, will still go through the ‘need’ to engage in drinking. At times, I think, who am I to prevent them from doing what they want? But thinking of the perilous effects of underage drinking makes me feel responsible for these soldiers. I have a role to play in their lives. The fact that I am of authority to them issues me the ‘privilege’ to teach them what is bad and swerve from such. The fact that the three soldiers were caught and put in military police custody already proposes a significant presence of alcohol influence even in teens who are supposed to be extremely disciplined and guarded. How much more those people who are freely able to decide for themselves without supervision of people in authority? The fact that sever military punishments, even if they were aware of it, did not stop them from consuming alcohol only shows the possibility for them not to care about the penalty or retribution that they will get. Are teenagers nowadays becoming less and less wary just to have fun and drink? Parents are not the only ones responsible for these young adults. We, too, are. If we would not do something for these kids, who will? Besides, it is the future generation that will be affected, and we would not want that to happen.

Freuds psychoanalytic theory of a personality

Freuds psychoanalytic theory of a personality Freuds Psychoanalytic Theory of Personality In the field of therapy, psychoanalysis assumes that an individuals behavior and emotions are a result of an assortment of factors that the individual is unaware. Sigmund Freud is mostly accredited as the pioneer of this field with most of his theories finding acceptance by most psychological schools of thought. In his book titled An Outline of Psychoanalysis, Freud explains that psychoanalysis finds its foundation on the id, the ego and the superego, as the forces behind the physical apparatus. Freud explains that the id consists of what is inherited, instincts and it is characterized as being unconscious. The ego on the other hand as Freud further explains, is characterized as being conscious and it is the force which â€Å"acts as the intermediary between the id and the external world† (Freud, 1989, p.14). The principals characteristics of the ego as Freud (1989) describes them, include the ability to perform voluntary movements when it is required, preserving itself such as creating a sense of awareness to stimuli by storing them in the â€Å"memory†, escaping excessive stimuli by â€Å"flight†, or dealing with reasonable stimuli by â€Å"adaptation†. The ego also has the characteristic of learning how to deal with expedient changes in the external environment to its advantage through â€Å"activity†. The ego in relation to the id controls the demands of instincts by satisfying them, denying them or postponing them to an appropriate time favorable with the external world. Tensions produced by the stimuli whether internal or external guide the ego. When these tensions are increased it results in unpleasure while their decrease results in pleasure. The ego will generally tend to achieve pleasure and avoid unpleasure. The superego on the other hand represents the influence of dependence on parents during childhood. The id mediates the demands of the superego, while the ego tries simultaneously to satisfy the demands of the id and the ego. Freuds psychoanalytic theory of personality defines conscious psychical ideas, as those one is aware, while preconscious ideas are those that have the potential of becoming conscious. This is in contrast to unconscious ideas, which cannot be explained. Ewen (1998) points out that Freud presented four stages in the sexual development of an individual; oral stage, anal stage, urethra stage, phallic stage and genital stage. The oral stage is characterized through satisfaction through the mouth such as sucking of mothers breast, which the baby gets pleasure. During the anal and urethra stage, the child achieves pleasure through excretion. At the phallic stage, the child is afraid of the father, and sees him as a rival and sexually fantasizes about his mother referred to as the Oedipus stage. The genital stage involves completion of the sexual function to achieve pleasure. Coon (2009) points out that Freud considered that the dynamics of personality involve a conflict of the id, ego and super ego, for example â€Å"the ids demands for immediate pleasure often crash with the superegos mortal restriction† (p.147). An example would be an individual craves for sex. The id will aim to achieve immediate satisfaction, an action that the superego will oppose. The ego on the other hand will be caught in the middle and in an aim to reduce tension; it may lead to actions of courtship. However, the id may overpower the ego and it may give in to seduction while if the superego excels, then the energy will be transferred elsewhere such as sports. In conclusion, it is evident that Freuds psychoanalytic theory of personality argued that humans are not masters of their destiny. This is true according to his arguments that unconscious forces and the fact that the personality of an individual is strongly determined by childhood experiences, govern human behavior. He also stressed that the personality of an individual is shaped by how one deals with sexual urges. Carl Rogers Theory Person-Centered Theory (for personality) The term client-centered therapy is synonymous with Carl Rogers. The humanistic approach philosopher is famous for his theory of personality. Rogers aimed at advising therapists to allow patients to discover their solutions. Through what he refers to as â€Å"unconditional positive regard†, Rogers argues that each individual has the ability to grow and develop, thus influence his/her self-esteem and self-actualization. In order for an individual to achieve this, it becomes imperative for the therapist to accept fully the patient through reflection with the patient. This implies that the patient autonomously dictates the course of the counseling session with the therapist only intervening to assist the patient in identifying certain factors. Rogers theory, although at first widely used in psychotherapy, became referred to as â€Å"person-centered† due to its expansion to other fields such as marriage, education and other diverse professional fields. According to Rogers, the idea behind this approach revolves around what he believes that an individual possesses â€Å"vast resources for self-understanding, for altering his or her self concept, attitudes, and direct behavior†. This makes it possible to tap these resources in a â€Å"definable climate of facilitative psychological attitudes† (Rogers, Kirschenbaum Henderson, 1989 p.135). For this to happen, Rogers highlights three conditions; congruence, unconditional positive regard and emphatic understanding. The first element congruence which also refers to as realness or genuineness implies that if the therapist involves himself more in the relationship without regard to professionalism or personality, then the greater the chance that the client will grow and develop constructively. The second element, unconditional positive regard refers to the creation of a climate suitable for change. This implies that the therapist acts does not judge the person, which greatly enhances the therapeutic process. The third element as Rogers pointed out, is emphatic understanding. According to Jefferies (2005, p.3), he points out that Rogers defined it as â€Å"entering the private perceptual world of the otherbeing sensitive, moment by moment, to the changing felt meanings which flow in this other person† (Rogers 1980, p. 142). This implies that the therapist is supposed to sense and understand the feelings and meanings of the client and has the ability to define and clarify not only those that the client is aware of, but those that may also be unaware.   In addition to the above elements, Rogers also pointed a number of conditions that are required for constructive personality change. The first condition is that of the person coming for help, which is a significant step in acquiring help since the individual realizes that he/she needs help. The next situation involves the counselor setting the goals straight to the client. According to the theory by Rogers, the counselor is supposed to explain to the client that he does not have the answers but he can assist the client to work through the solutions. The counselor will then encourage the client to be free to express his thoughts and this is through the positive, friendly, receptive and interesting environment that the counselor creates. The counselor then takes up to himself to recognize, clarify, and reveal the negative feelings to the client. After the client expresses the negative feelings, positive impulses, which aid in growth, are then created and the counselor has to likewise a ccept and reveal the positive feelings to the client. This paves the way for insight from the client and the counselor paves way for positive action and ideas. This decreases the need for help from the client (Horthersall. 2003). Social Cognitive Theory The social cognitive theory advanced by Albert Bandura, centers on the fact that human behavior can be understood, predicted and changed. The theory takes human development as an embodiment of three forces â€Å"environment conditions (learning), cognitive-personal factors and behavior† (Plotnik and Kouyoumdjian, 2010 p.458). The two authors further point out that cognitive factors involve beliefs, values, expectations, while personal beliefs involve the emotional, biological and genetic makeup of an individual. Behaviors on the other involve a myriad of personal actions such as talking, gesturing among others. Lastly, environmental factors are the social, cultural and economic factors. This is against the backdrop of the psychodynamic theory advanced by Freud, which argues that the personality of an individual is inborn, and Carl Rogerss humanistic theory that argues that humans are generally good. The social cognitive theory advances the notion that we are neither good nor b ad but our personalities are shaped by the three aforementioned factors that Bandura points. Personality development according to the social cognitive theory is shaped by four cognitive processes, which enhance the ability of an individual to develop, grow and change; language ability, observational learning, purposeful behavior and self-analysis. The language ability acts as a powerful means which ideas, goals, values and other factors can be processed and understood. Observational learning allows an individual to imitate and thus enhances the learning process. Purposeful behavior enhances the ability to predict, plan and set goals for events. Lastly, self-analysis acts as an internal process whereby an individual analyzes his thoughts and actions (Plotnik and Kouyoumdjian, 2010 p.459). According to Shaffer and Kipp (2009), â€Å"Bandura emphasizes observational learning as a central developmental process†, this simply implies learning from observation (49). This can be in the form of a child imitating his parents and learning how to speak a language or perform some gestures. Sigelman and Rider (2008) argue that observational learning diverts from conditioning precisely because it involves paying attention, constructing and responding. According to the theory, individuals intrinsically have cognitive control over their actions, a trait manifested during infancy when one realizes they can make things happen, and regulate their actions according to the consequences. This results in the development of self-efficacy. Sigelman and Rider (2008) describe it as the â€Å"belief that one can effectively produce desired outcomes in a particular area of life† (p.43). According to his theory, Bandura refutes the notion of studying rat behaviors instead of human be ings and argues that a human is very sophisticated with regard to cognitive behavior.   Although Banduras idea closely resembles that of social learning theory, he argued that his idea should be referred to as social cognitive theory since his theory centered on â€Å"motivating and self-regulating role of cognition in human behavior† (Sigelman and Rider, 2008 p.42). In Banduras model, an individuals thoughts and actions influence the interaction between the individual and his/her behavior. On the other hand, social influences and the environmental structures, lead to the development of cognitive competencies and belies, which influence the interaction between the individual and the environment. In his model, the interaction between the behavior of an individual and the environment is influenced by how the individual determines the aspects of the environment, which later modify the individuals behavior. Bandura uses the term reciprocal determinism to explain the phenomenon of a human being as being cognitive. This argument is based on his assertions that personalities are not shaped by the environment, nor are they biological, but through reciprocal interactions between the three factors.

Work Life Balance Programs Cost Or An Investment Management Essay

Work Life Balance Programs Cost Or An Investment Management Essay Work-life balance programs are fast gaining popularity in developed countries, even though they are viewed as novelties in Malaysia. Work-life balance programs can be defined as any benefits, policies or programs that help employees find ways to manage the demands of the workplace and life outside work (Ortega, 2006) or strategies, policies, programs and practices initiated and maintained in workplaces to address flexibility, quality of work and life, and work-family conflict (Bardoel et al, 2008). In other words, work-life balance programs are designed as a two pronged approaches to achieve meaningful achievement and enjoyment in everyday life (Joshi et al, 2002). There are many forms of work-life balance programs such as flex-time, child-care facilities at work, gyms and concierge services and paid vacations. Many reasons are cited for the introduction of work-life balance programs at the workplace, the most common being that it increases productivity as well as employee loyalty. While these are all valid justifications, the costs of having work-life balance programs should not be ignored. Therefore, do the benefits of work-life balance programs outweigh the costs? Going further, should these programs be considered a cost or an investment to the firm? While it may be easier to estimate the returns on investment of a project, it is difficult to financially quantify the impact of work-life balance programs. Thus, companies have to resort to a series of performance measurement tools that are indirectly related to financial return. The best performance indicators are in terms of human resource management. One of the benefits of work-life balance programs can be seen through recruitment. Successful work-life balance programs are powerful marketing tools for attracting new employees who are drawn to the company not just for good remuneration, but other perks too. Work-life balance programs also help to create a better relationship between employer and employee that can be mutually beneficial. One of the main sources of workplace stress is unreasonable demands made on employees time. Thus, programs that assist employees to better manage their time lead to greater job satisfaction. This is evident in the healthcare industry where employees have to work alternative hours in a very stressful and emotionally draining environment. Work-life balance programs in the healthcare industry like wellness programs and child care facilities bring balance and perspective to the lives of employees (Ortego, 2006). This leads to greater productivity, lower job turnover and absenteeism, greater esprit-de-corps and more loyalty towards the employer. In terms of operating costs, retaining employees reduces the cost of training new employees and the time it takes to train new staff to be competent. In fact, there is some evidence to support the argument that compan ies that offered work-life balance programs outperformed those that did not (Joshi et al, 2002). To evaluate if such programs are good investment, we need to examine them from three metrics, which are efficiency, effectiveness and impact (Bardoel et al, 2009). Efficiency metrics are those that measure the cost of work-life balance programs to ascertain the return on investment (ROI). Effectiveness measures are those that indicate how work-life balance programs affect the capacity and actions of employees in targeted talent pools. The third type of measure concentrates on the real impact of work-life balance programs on organizational performance by measuring the value added to an organization by a work-life balance program. Interestingly, research has found that managers often collect data on efficiency, but not on effectiveness and impact factors. This is a major limitation because efficiency measures do not reveal the value added to such programs. The second group of metrics termed effectiveness metrics, assess the outcomes related to the intended effects on individuals of work-life balance programs, for example through employee satisfaction surveys. Again, surveys are useful but they do not gauge whether such programs have positively impacted performance. Though financial ratios such as ROI are typically used to assess core competency, it should be remembered that ROI focuses on financial indicators whereas work-life balance programs use non-financial indicators. Impact metrics measure the ability of work-life balance programs to improve the quality or availability of a particular talent pool, for example to achieve competitive advantage by lowering absenteeism and turnover. To illustrate this cost versus investment dilemma, let us examine three types of work-life balance programs childcare, office gymnasium and flexible work hours. Childcare facilities are provided to entice workers from dual-income households where both parents work. There are many forms of childcare facilities such as in-house child care facilities, after school programs, subsidized child care, and referral services. The main benefit of having such a facility is to help employees cope with the demands of caring for their young children and their jobs and reduce stress among employees as they are assured about the safety of their children (Ortego, 2006). When employees are happy and well-adjusted, it is believed that they become more productive and can contribute more to the company. Other fringe benefits include tax reliefs and exemptions to employers (Deery, 2008), though this is only available in a few countries. On the other hand, the costs of maintaining such childcare facilities are numerous. They include the cost of setting up the facility, the cost of employing qualified staff to care for the children and other operating costs. Also, there is no empirical evidence to support the argument that such facilities promote productivity (Michel et al, 2009). In some cases, the employee might spend more time at the childcare facility instead of at work. In addition, it is almost impossible to quantify the ROI of a childcare facility. Another popular form of work-life balance program is the office gym. A gym is provided because it is believed that exercise promotes good health and reduces job stress. In turn, healthy employees are more productive and there are fewer cases of absenteeism due to poor health (Stimpson, 2008). However, running a gym is potentially expensive. Equipment must be bought, a special room must be prepared and in some cases, physical trainers must be employed. Setting up an office gym must also be done with caution as not all employees would enjoy working out to keep fit. Some may prefer other forms of exercise like swimming, jogging or playing tennis or some may not bother to exercise at all. Hence, it would be a waste of resources to set up a gym when few employees utilize it. There must be proper rules as to when the gym can be used to avoid abuse. In addition, if the gym is open beyond office hours, the cost of operation must also be considered. Finally, the cause and effect relationship of setting up an office gym and increased productivity are largely conjectural. The third type of work-life balance program mentioned earlier is flex-time. This is a form of work schedule that allows employees to select the hours they will work, for example a condensed work week or a shift (Deery, 2008). Flex-time is particularly attractive to those who have to juggle work with other demands like caring for aged parents or looking after young children if childcare facilities are not provided at the workplace. Flex-time is also beneficial for the company in terms of decreasing overhead costs. If employees work different schedules that do not overlap, equipment such as computers and desks can be shared. Companies that do business with firms in different time zones will also benefit as they are able to operate for longer hours and do not have to pay overtime Bourne et al, 2009). Nevertheless, there are some problems associated with flex-time including difficulty of communicating with employees who work outside regular office hours. There are also concerns about sta ff abusing flex-time. If the flex-time schedule is not structured properly, it could lead to the office being staffed sparsely during peak hours (Burke, 2005) and this is unacceptable. In conclusion, from a purely financial perspective, it would appear that work-life balance programs are more of a cost than an investment to the firm. These programs rely on qualitative measures to estimate their success whereas investments rely on quantitative indicators and attempting to reconcile both is problematic to say the least. However, it would be unfair to dismiss work-life balance programs as facile and unprofitable. Just because something cannot be measured with crude financial instruments does not mean it does not exist. The benefits of work-life balance programs on the happiness and well being of employees are well documented. When employees are happy, they become more productive and this ultimately benefits the organization. Therefore, companies should adopt work-life balance programs as long as they are not a severe financial burden. Question 2 Do you think work-life programs can increase retention? Why or why not? How could you assess whether such a program were a good investment? One of the key reasons cited for the proliferation of work-life balance programs is that they contribute to increased retention of employees. Before we answer how work-life balance programs do so, we first need to examine some of the key reasons for employee turnover. It is widely acknowledged that conditions at the workplace affect job turnover. There are many reasons why employees quit because of conditions at the workplace such as long hours, conflict with colleagues and superiors, lack of appreciation shown by employers and unclear job descriptions. For example, long hours at work and increased work intensity both contribute to adverse physical and psychological conditions and lead to negative family functioning (Burke, 2005). Workplace stress can be caused by long working hours, excessive workloads, weekend duties, inadequate physical activity and an unhealthy lifestyle. All these lead to a reduction in the quality of health. When employees are severely overworked and excessively strained, they experience symptoms of fatigue, depression, musculo-skeletal pains, sleeping disorders and an increase in chronic diseases (Tsui, 2008). When the situation becomes too stressful, employees leave their jobs, even opting for those that pay far less but involve less stress. If workplace stress is prolonged, it leads to burnout. Lee and Shin (2005, cited in Deery, 2008) examined the psychological dimensions of job burnout and concluded that it consisted of three components namely emotional exhaustion, depersonalization and diminished personal accomplishment. Burnout is potentially fatal as it increases the risk of coronary diseases, stroke and suicidal tendencies. Employees who lack time to spend with their family or maintain a social life are more likely to be emotionally exhausted, which impact negatively on their job satisfaction and eventually cause them to leave their organizations (Karatepe and Uludag, 2007 cited in Deery, 2008). The following diagram illustrates the relationship between stress and how retention can be improved by work-life balance programs: (Source: Deery, 2008) Also, employees quit their jobs because of dissatisfaction. The top reason why Americans leave their jobs is because they do not feel appreciated (Ortega, 2006). This dissatisfaction may stem from having inadequate job descriptions and unreasonable demands made by employers. Some may be insufficiently trained to perform their jobs or lack sufficient re-training when their job description changes. To compound the matter, there is no assistance for employees when they encounter technical problems when their jobs change and management is indifferent to their plight. All these contribute to stress and increased dissatisfaction with work. Obviously, remuneration is another factor that leads to job dissatisfaction. Employees become unhappy with their jobs when they feel they are inadequately compensated for their efforts based on comparisons of the remuneration of their peers within the organization or within the industry. In the absence of other benefits that work-life balance programs of fer, there is little incentive for employees to remain within a company if they can earn more elsewhere. Female employees are faced with additional problems that their male counterparts do not experience. Despite advances in promoting equal rights for women at the workplace and the gradual acceptance that the traditional roles of both men and women have and need to evolve to reflect the changing times, female employees still feel they have to shoulder the traditional burden of being the perfect housewife and mother, in addition to proving that they are as capable as men at the workplace. Therefore, women are more vulnerable than men to suffer from stress caused by the conflict of managing the roles of employee, wife and mother (Michel et al, 2009). Often, it is because the workplace is inattentive or even hostile to the problems faced by female employees that compel them to leave the workplace when they start a family or when the demands of their family changes. These are some of the primary causes of employee turnover. High turnover is unacceptable, particularly amongst skilled or knowledge-based workers. Particularly in western countries which have declining birth rates and a tendency for job-hopping, the need to retain key staff is essential. Retaining existing internal resources such as good staff, is crucial to maintain an organizations success (Bourne et al, 2009). High employee turnover breaks the continuity of operations and this will adversely affect efficiency. For instance, when an employee leaves, there is bound to be a break in service until a qualified replacement is found and trained. High staff turnover can foster a culture low in morale and loyalty. From a financial viewpoint, there are two major costs associated with turnover which are replacement costs and preventative costs. Replacement costs are the costs of recruiting, selecting and training replacements; loss of output or efficiency during this process; possible wastag e; spoilage and efficiency due to inexperienced staff (Burke, 2005). On the other hand, preventative costs are the costs of retaining staff through pay, benefits and work-life balance programs. Hence, there is greater pressure for employers to strike a balance between eliminating unproductive employees and formulating new and innovative ways to attract and retain talent. There is some evidence to support the postulation that work-life programs can increase retention, provided that the main cause of workplace stress is juggling work-life balance (Osif, 2009 and Joshi et al, 2002). One, work-life balance programs like wellness and physical fitness programs help reduce the symptoms of stress and promote greater physical health. On the other hand, counseling and support groups help employees to manage their stress. While it is impossible and perhaps not desirable to eliminate all forms of stress at the workplace, such programs can contribute a great deal in managing negative stress. When employees are better able to cope with the demands of the workplace, they are less likely to suffer from burnout and less likely to leave. Secondly, work-life balance programs like flex-time are much welcome by working mothers and employees who may want to further their studies and work at the same time. Additional flexibility in terms of working hours will ensure that employees are not compelled to leave because they cannot work the traditional office hours. This will lead to greater retention. Thirdly, in a bid to retain the best and brightest, companies have to resort to novel ways such as work-life balance programs. Assuming that remuneration is similar between two companies, additional perks will go a long way to making a company the desired place to work. Even if a company offers slightly less salary than its competitors, some employees will be enticed to remain there because of the programs and fringe benefits others do not offer. Finally, companies need to show that they value their employees who often have to sacrifice so much for work. While the traditional viewpoint is to provide financial incentives, very often it is the non-financial gestures that make employees feel valued. For example, having office parties or company vacations may be more personal and sincere gestures to show appreciation when the company performs exceptionally well rather than just provide generous bonuses. In that sense, work-life balance programs can be viewed as the minor intangibles that collectively show whether the employee is valued or not. On the other hand, having work-life balance programs does not alleviate an employees woes if they are caused by other stress factors. For instance, if unhappiness at work is because of lack of sufficient training, then overcoming it would be to provide the necessary training. Findings suggest that training quality is positively related to training satisfaction, job satisfaction and the intention to stay in the company. Thus, this type of training is important as a means of retaining employees. In addition, there is no guarantee that such work-life balance programs will increase retention. No substantial longitudinal study has been conducted to ascertain the effectiveness of such programs in leading to long-term retention of staff, and the costs may outstrip the advantages in the long-run, particularly when the economy is bad and the company needs to cut expenses. In conclusion, there is some evidence that supports the notion that work-life balance programs can increase retention (Turner et al, 2009). Introducing flexible working hours and arrangements, providing better training, breaks from work and better work support all enhance employee retention by resolving some of the work-life conflicts faced by employees. Nevertheless, these programs can only be regarded as good investments if they are proven to improve retention of quality staff in the long term and contribute to the overall profitability of the firm. Question 3 Besides flextime arrangements, wellness programs, child-care options and fitness centers, describe three other common mechanisms to improve employees motivation and retention. Present steps to implement such mechanisms in a typical organization. A company can motivate employees through work-life balance programs. Apart from the ones described earlier, other programs like sabbatical leave, paternal leave and work naps are some of the other mechanisms that can improve employees motivation and retention. While sabbatical leave is normally associated with academic institutions, the scope of sabbatical programs is quite extensive, but basically they provide unrestricted time away from work so that the employee can do what he or she wants. For example, the employee can opt to take sabbatical leave to learn how to paint, travel extensively abroad or for further education. Sabbaticals are viewed as a means to allow critical talent time to recharge and people generally return supercharged and more productive than before (Pagano and Pagano, 2009). Basically, there are three defining characteristics of sabbatical leave. One, the time away is planned. Two, it is extended generally for at least four weeks with some firms offering up to three months and three, the employee is expected to return after the break. There is some psychological basis for providing sabbatical leave. Such a work-life balance program is viewed as a form of work motivation. Specifically, it fulfils Maslows Hierarchy of Needs theory. According to Maslow, needs are arranged in a hierarchy from the most basic to the highest level (Baron, 1998). There are five hierarchies of needs which are (in ascending order) physiological needs (the need for food, water and sleep), safety needs (need for security), social needs (need to belong), esteem needs (the need to develop self-respect) and self-actualization needs (the need for self-fulfilment). Therefore taken in this context, taking a sabbatical leave to fulfil a longstanding desire is a form of self-fulfilment that will ultimately benefit the individual. However, employers generally tend to negatively view sabbatical leave of this nature as an indulgent form of fantasy and a waste of both time and money to the company. Yet, harbouring unfulfilled desires will adversely affec t productivity as the employee will feel frustrated. In addition, even the best job can seem monotonous after a while and sabbatical leave should be viewed as a way of gaining fresh perspective and overcoming work fatigue. There are some problems when instituting sabbatical programs which is why companies tend to avoid them. The first problem is lack of top management support. Top management must see the merits of such a program to implement it successfully. Secondly, there is a problem of scheduling. Too many employees taking sabbatical leave at the same time is a serious threat to business, especially during busy seasons. From the employees viewpoint, sabbatical leave can be problematic in two main respects. One, the employee may be worried that if he or she is away for too long, the company may decide that it can do without them. Two, returning to work after a lengthy sabbatical can be very stressful and intense since there will be a lot of unfinished work to attend to (Turner et al, 2009). However, sabbatical programs can be successful if well implemented. First, the company should determine the objectives of such a program, be it to re-energize employees, attract new employees or improve work culture. Two, the company should study the market to see what other companies are offering to come up with better programs. Three, employees should be involved in the decision making process to gain their input and insights. Four, the program should be developed by preparing a sabbatical leave policy. This should include support documents like departure checklists, timelines and scheduling requirements. Five, the program should be piloted to ascertain its effectiveness and adjusted if necessary (Pagano and Pagano, 2009). Frederick Herzberg developed a theory of motivation called the Two-factor theory that is similar to Maslows Hierarchy of Needs. According to Herzberg, job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction acted independently of each other (Baron, 1998). Hence, there are factors at the workplace that cause job satisfaction, whilst there are other factors that cause dissatisfaction. The positive satisfaction factors are collectively termed motivators. These include recognition of a job well done, a sense of achievement and personal growth. Hence, they reflect Maslows hierarchy of needs. However, Herzberg describes another set of factors called hygiene factors. Hygiene factors do not provide positive satisfaction such as company policy, and working conditions, but their absence could cause dissatisfaction. Therefore, work-life programs can be regarded as hygiene factors, the absence of which causes job dissatisfaction. While it is common for most companies to provide paid maternity for their female employees, few in Malaysia extend paternity leave to male employees, though it is common practice in Scandinavian countries. This is a fringe benefit that is being increasingly sought after by more and more employees. As the traditional roles of men and women evolve, more fathers now want to have a more hands-on approach to parenting. This means being with their wives during childbirth and tending to the needs of mother and child during the crucial period following birth. The Family and Medical Leave Act in America allows for a minimum of 12 weeks paid paternity leave while those in Scandinavian countries allow leave to be extended for up to three years (Joshi et al, 2002). While it is unlikely that Malaysian fathers will want to take such a long time off from work, more would like to spend a week or two with their recuperating wives and new infants. Therefore, providing paternity leave acts as a form of motivator to encourage male employees to remain with the company (Robbins and Judge, 2007). Implementing paternal leave at the workplace should not be too difficult as the procedure is similar to maternity leave. Hence the same documents for record keeping can be used. Taking a nap at work would seem extremely unprofessional and unproductive. Yet, some researchers conclude that taking short naps at work, termed power naps may actually increase alertness and productivity. The scientific argument in support of power naps is that it is designed to replenish down time during out circadian rhythm which normally occurs during the afternoon. Some of the benefits of power naps include increased memory, response time and cognitive skills. Taking power naps may be linked to the drive theory which is a theory of motivation that suggests that behavior is pushed from within by drives stemming from basic biological needs like sleep (Baron, 1998). The problems associated with permitting power naps at the workplace include the duration of the nap, scheduling and top management support. It is generally believed that a power nap of fifteen to twenty minutes is sufficient to yield the abovementioned benefits (Robbins and Judge, 2007). Anything longer than that will result in the employee falling into deep sleep which would result in sleeping difficulty at night. However, the company must decide when it is permissible for employees to nap. Some allow employees to nap during their lunch break while others prepare a schedule. While it is not necessary to prepare special sleeping areas since employees are perfectly capable of sleeping at their desks, it is important to ensure that such naps do not interrupt the flow of work. Customers must also not see employees napping as it would create a negative perception of the company. However, if implemented correctly, power naps may be amongst the cheapest and most beneficial forms of work-life balance programs. In conclusions, these are but a few examples of the many work-life balance programs that can be designed to provide motivation and improve retention of employees. Deciding on which to choose will depend on the size and nature of the organization, its work culture and the target benefits of such programs. Top management should keep an open mind about these initiatives for if conducted in the correct manner, the desired results can be obtained.

Puritanism and Pragmatism Essay -- essays research papers

Although they lived on the same continent, John Winthrop and Benjamin Franklin lived in very different worlds. These men are similar in some respects, but overwhelmingly they are different. For example, John Winthrop and Benjamin Franklin can be considered leaders in their time frame. Winthrop led the Puritans; Franklin led his country to war. Both men also possessed many of the same virtues such as patience and work ethic. Despite these similarities, John Winthrop and Benjamin Franklin had a different style of living and a different philosophy of life. These differences are most notable in regards to religion, economics, and science.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Perhaps the greatest difference between Winthrop and Franklin was their view of religion. Winthrop, a devout Puritan, governed Massachusetts Bay. Every aspect of life in a Puritan colony revolved around religion. The most important thing in order to establish Winthrop’s â€Å"city upon a hill,† â€Å"was the need for the people to obey their governors and for the governors to obey God. If they did, God would adopt and protect the wilderness colony as He had the ancient Jews† (Nash & Graves 31). Puritanism reflects the notion of pre-destination, indoctrinated by Calvinism, in which there are only two kinds of people: the elect and the non-elect. The elect were the people, usually ministers and high-ranking officers, who have been chosen by God to go to Heaven. The non-elect then, were the people who were not chosen. Fran...

The Role of Historians :: essays research papers

The Role of Historians Professional historians spend their lives pursuing the meaning of the past for the present." Everything that exists in today's world has some origin coming from the past. Everything that exists today and seems to be unique of its time has some basis from the past. It is a known fact that history has a tendency of repeating itself, and so to prepare us for the future we need to understand the past. History can give a person an answer to almost everything that is going on in the present, with what we call a historical investigation. History not only states facts but explains disciplines such as sociology, religion, psychology, anthropology and so on. It explains to us why certain events happened, such as the reason why six millions Jews died in the Second World War. The reason history gives us is anti-Semitism. The Nazis were a group that had as a goal to purify the world of what we call minorities and so to keep it a White, straight, Christian world. History explains the evolution of things, people, beliefs, laws and many more in order for us to understand why certain things are the way they are. In this article, we come across a few major points. Each of them is introduced in a very original way. The author uses a literal journey into the past as a means of comparing it to the present. One of the many points is an in depth definition of history related profession. What are they trying to accomplish and how they work to get what they are looking for. "Professional historians spend their lives pursuing the meaning of the past for the present." Historians study facts and records that previous generations have left, to find out what kind of lives they led and how they solved their problems. The way a historian works is very determined and simple to understand. A historian needs to first choose an important question he wants to answer. Then he needs to find research on the subject that already exists and which he can get access to. Next he has to judge the source that he has obtained, is it credible? Is it genuine? The article explains that there are two basic forms of historical evidence that exist, primary and secondary. Primary evidence records the actual words of someone who participated or witnessed the events in question. Or it can also be newspaper accounts, diaries, official statements, photographs, videotapes. Secondary evidence, on the other hand, records the findings of someone who did not observe the event but who investigated primary evidence,

Article Review: Learning Organizations Essay

A learning organization is any organization that uses its power to acquire knowledge while managing to stay innovative enough to remain competitive in a constantly changing environment. Learning organizations have four main objectives: To create a culture that not only encourages, but also supports an environment of continuous employee learning, critical thinking, and taking risk with new innovative ideas. Understands and allows mistakes while valuing employee contributions. Learns from their mistakes through experience, and experiment with these ideals Disseminate any new knowledge throughout the organization for rapid and successful implementation into the day-to-day activities. (BusinessDictionary.com, 2012) Article: Studying the Relationship between Components of the Learning Organization and Organizational Commitment (Forozandeh, Soleimani, Shah Nazari, & Nasri, 2011) Article Summary Organizational learning and the institutionalization of the learning organization are some of the most important factors of a successful business organization in today’s complicated, ever changing, and dynamic global business environment. The major capital in any learning organization is its employees and their commitment to the organization. The purpose of the article being reviewed is to study the relationship among components of the organization (System thinking, team learning experiences, Personal masters, mental models, and their shared visions) and their organizational commitment. The data collection was completed using the descriptive-field method on a cement company located in Iran; it consisted of 50 people, and was collected by means of a survey in July of 2011. Based on the results of the survey, there is a noticeable and significant relationship among every component of the learning organization and their organizational commitment (Forozandeh, Soleimani, Shah Nazar i, & Nasri, 2011). Author’s Conclusions  and Recommendations The authors of the article conclude that the results of their survey illustrate that the organizational commitment is one of the most important and effective factors in changing any organization to a learning organization. When the employees of a business have more of a commitment to the organization, the implementation of the learning organization is accepted with more facilitation, or the employees are more open to the idea. The results show that managers who want to establish a learning organization should provide the means for commitment towards the organization as much as possible. This factor will also help increase job performance and progress as well as help managers in the transformation towards the learning organization. Creating a learning organization on the other hand develops more commitment of the employees towards the organization. Reviewers Conclusion and Recommendations After reading the article, the authors conducted a survey to find the commitment to the organization and tried to establish how well the organization was creating an environment for a learning organization. Through a simple survey base of 50 employees, the authors were able to establish a link between employee commitment and the basis of a learning organization. This shows an important link between innovation and a learning organization: you have to have the commitment and dedication of the employees in order to implement an innovative and learning organization environment. Without the commitment of the employees (who are essentially responsible for carrying out any new implementations), you cannot foster a learning environment, as you will have employees unwilling to participate and be a part of the solution. This conclusion would be a factor for any organization in any business model to consider. In the new and ever changing global markets (as the market is no longer based on local or even continental markets), a company has no choice but to accept change and grow with the markets in an effort to remain innovative and competitive. To do this, you have to have a learning organization committed to and able to accept change. This will require a learning environment with the ability to learn and change as often as needed. In order to have a learning  environment, you have to have employee commitment! How these Concepts Apply to the Reviewers Organization The concepts discussed in this article would apply to any organization in many ways. The organization I work for is in the food distribution business, and one thing that is lacking is the ability to grow and become a learning organization. The organization is not willing to learn and grow with the ever-changing industry and as a result, they have begun to lose millions of dollars in business to their competition. One concept lacking in our business is the ability to change to meet the customer’s needs, they are only committed to their own wants. This environment is a perfect example for what a learning organization is not. Every suggestion to change given to upper management by the employees to help the organization or the employees are considered and essentially ignored. Some companies are not able or lack the ability to change with the environment, and shrinking sales and lack of employee commitment are the results. There is not a lack of trying from the employees, who value their jobs and want to see the company grow. However, you cannot foster a learning environment when you have a management system that is not willing to learn or change with their environment. References BusinessDictionary.com. (2012). Learning Organization. Retrieved from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/learning-organization.html Forozandeh, L., Soleimani, M., Shah Nazari, A., & Nasri, H. (2011, October). Studying the relationship between components of the learning organization and organizational commitment. Interdisciplinary Journal of Contemporary Research in Business, 3(6), 497-509. Retrieved from UOP Library October 22, 2012

Compare and contrast ‘To His Coy Mistress’ and ‘The Passionate Shepherd to His Love’

Both of these poems explore the theme of love between a man and a woman. The desired outcome is the same, but the poets attempt to seduce their lovers in different ways. Andrew Marvell wrote ‘To his coy mistress' a cleverly written poem based on the phrase ‘carpe diem' or ‘seize the day'. It was an attempt to make a woman sleep with him. Christopher Marlowe wrote the poem ‘The passionate Shepherd to His Love'. This is a romantic poem about a man never wanting to be apart from him love and always wanting her to have the best. He pleads for the woman's love by offering his eternal commitment and a beautiful life. He repeats â€Å"live with me and be my love† throughout the poem to show he wants to be with her forever, he also says â€Å"and I will make the beds of roses† which exaggerates the natural beauty he is telling her she will have in the countryside, when she lives with him. The two poems use very different arguments to persuade the women to do similar things. The two arguments are close to being completely the opposite even though they are trying to achieve similar things. The period in which each poem was written has a very definite influence on the style, the persuasive language, imagery and vocabulary. The period in which the poem was written also affects the style of it. ‘The Passionate Shepherd to His Love' has a theme of love which includes the beauty of nature and presents this through idyllic imagery and offerings. In ‘His Coy Mistress' there are loving gestures and romantic thoughts but Marvell rights in such a way that the reader must be suspicious of his sincerity, he makes us think this by putting across a strong sense or urgency. But at my back I always hear times winged chariot hurrying near† this quote is saying that no matter what he does, in the back of his mind there I always a countdown until its to late for them to be together. He also paints a rather disturbing picture of the worms taking the woman's virginity that she is preserving â€Å"then worms shall try that long preserv'd virginity†. I would relate this to irony and bitter humour. Furthermore, Marlowe sets his theme in a picturesque, ‘fairytale' setting, by making lots of romantic suggestions and showing the woman how much he loves her using exotic language. On the other hand Marvell's poem does make wild and slightly romantic suggestions but, I would say that it is quite easy to think that he just wants to sleep with her, I get this thought from him repeating ‘come live with me.. ‘ it seams to be more like a bribe than expressing how much he loves her. At the begging of the poem he is more romantic â€Å"My vegetable love should grow Vaster than empires, and more slow† but as the poem goes on he turns more to the theme of her losing her virginity and time running out for this to happen. At this point I thought the poem was less of a romantic poem and more of a convincing one. From about half way into the poem he starts to talk as if they were one and almost like he had made the decision for her. â€Å"Let us roll all out strength, and all our sweetness, up into one ball† and â€Å"though we cannot make out sun stand still, yet we will make him run†. I think that this is a very powerful tone, and the mood The thesis in Marvell's' poem is that time will run out and it will be too late for her to lose her virginity. He suggests resolving this, they should sleep together as soon as possible. â€Å"And yonder all before us lie deserts of vast eternity, thy beauty shall no more be found† this quote is saying that she will not be beautiful forever and he wants to sleep with her before she is unattractive. In Marlowe's poem there isn't a thesis because even though he is urging her in the same way as in the other poem. He isn't expressing any problems to spoil the perfect life he is portraying. I think the viewpoint from both of the poems is as if the poet is speaking the poem as appose to righting is as someone else looking in on what the men are saying to the women. The men generally use different techniques to persuade the women to sleep with them. However there are some similarities, like the fact that they both paint a very pretty picture in your mind. In Marlowe's poem â€Å"And we will sit upon the rocks, Seeing the shepherds feed their flocks, by shallow rivers to whose falls Melodious birds sing madrigals†. And in Marvell's â€Å"Thou by the Indian Ganges' side Shouldst rubies find†. Obviously aside from the fact that he is stuck by the river humber. Flattery is a very persuasive form of language but it isn't used in ‘The Passionate Shepherd to His Love'. However flattery is used in ‘To His Coy Mistress', ‘thou by the Indian Ganges side should'st rubies find; I by the tide of Humber would complain' the speaker said that he would be by the river Ganges in India with rubies and he would be by the side of the river Humber in Hull. This quote shows the he puts her above himself or so it was meant to seem to the woman. He uses exaggeration to persuade the woman to sleep with him. ‘Like am'rous birds of prey' ‘let us roll all our strength, and all our sweetness, up into one ball' ‘marble vault, shall sound my echoing song' – theses quotes are examples of his use of over exaggerating things. Marvel's poem has a hyperbole near to the beginning of the text. ‘My vegetable love should grow vaster than empires and more slow' this is saying that if human life was infinite, it would not matter how long it took to seduce her. It exaggerates and is there to convince the woman he loves her. Furthermore the speaker suggests as a synthesis that she should sleep with him before it's too late â€Å"time's winged chariot hurrying near† and ‘then worms shall try that long preserv'd virginity'. He produces a very strong and convincing argument. In comparison Marlowe's poem is a plea to his love for her to move to the countryside with him ‘come live with me and be my love' and ‘the shepherds' swains shall dance and sing'. He idealises life in the country and makes it sound romantic and perfect ‘I will make thee beds of roses and a thousand fragrant posies, a cap of flowers, and a kirtle embroidered all with leaves of myrtle'. He ignores all the bad points and really exaggerates the good and what he is going to do for her when she arrives, which is a perfect home with amazing views, ‘a gown made of the finest wool' made from the prettiest lambs and ‘fair lined slippers for the cold, with buckles of th purest gold, ‘a belt of straw and ivy buds, with coral clasps and amber studs'. ‘To His Coy Mistress' uses much more figurative language in comparison to ‘The Passionate Shepherd to His Love' which doesn't any similes or metaphors. To His Coy Mistress' similes; ‘sits on skin like morning dew' – paints a very pretty picture in ones mind. ‘Like am'rous birds of prey' – this creates the effect that the man is very desperate in persuading her and it is also a very strong thing to say, much like his movites. ‘We cannot make out sun stand still, yet we will make him run' here the speaker is saying that he can't stop time from passing, but life is short, pleasure should be enjoyed while there is still time. he also implies a warning to prepare for death. In conclusion I think that the most persuasive poem is ‘The Passionate Shepherd to his Love' because he makes the woman feel special and he doesn't mention her losing her virginity or the idea that time is running out. Instead he implies that time is no object when you are in love with someone as beautiful as her. These poems have had a very defiant effect on me, this being that I started to look into the attitudes to love now and I thought about how and why they have changed over time. Also it immediately made me put myself in the receiving end of the poem and thought about how I would react to them individually.