Measuring Public Ratings’ Impact on Financial Condition

MEASURING PUBLIC RATINGS’ IMPACT ON FINANCIAL CONDITION OF MASS MEDIA COMPANIES IN THE PHILIPPINES: AN ANONYMOUS RELATIONSHIP A Thesis presented to the Faculty of the College of Business, Economics, Accountancy and Management De La Salle Lipa In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree Business Management Major in Financial Management by Macatangay, Gladys Maralit, Joshua Montes, Jose Miguel Salute, Niel Patrick Acknowledged by Winnie D. Dimaano Thesis Adviser ABSTRACTThis study will aim to recognize the significant relationship of Public ratings/ media ratings to the subject mass media companies’ (ABS-CBN, GMA Network) financial condition and stock market performance for the years 2009-2011. The purpose of the study is to determine the companies’ public ratings/ media ratings for the years 2009-2011, to assess if there is a significant relationship between public ratings/ media ratings and the companies’ financial condition and stock market performance and to determine if public ratings/ media ratings have a significant effect on the companies.The public ratings/ media ratings will be gathered online through the websites of AGB Nielsen Philippines and Kantar Media. The researchers will be using secondary data collection technique in gathering information regarding the present study. The researchers will also use correlational research design to analyze the data. Descriptive design will also be used in the study. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT i ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ii DEDICATION iii LIST OF FIGURES AND TABLES ivLIST OF APPENDICES v Chapter 1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY Introduction 4 Statement of the problem 5 Operational Framework6 Hypothesis7 Research Objectives 7 Significance of the Study 8 Scope and Limitation 9 Definition of Terms10 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Related Literature 11 Related Studies12 Synthesis 14 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Research Design 15 Respondents of the Study16 Locale of the Study16 Research Tools an d Instruments16Data Gathering Procedure17 Data Analysis and Interpretation17 BIBLIOGRAPHY20 APPENDICES Chapter 1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY This chapter presents the background of the study, statement of the problem, statement of research objectives, significance of the study and the scope and limitations of the study. Introduction In the Philippines, one of the most influential systems of the society is media. Thus, this makes it one of the systems that the public knows the most and is familiar of.However, despite its familiarity, there are only few who are curious of how public ratings and public relations affect these companies’ financial condition in terms of its liquidity, solvency and stock value; and perhaps in the long run how it affects its profitability and revenue. In the past years, there have been two dominant Mass Media companies that are almost at par in terms of revenue in the country; The Alto Broadcasting System – Chronicle Broadcasting Network popularly known as ABS-CBN and the GMA Network (GMA), commonly signified to as â€Å"Kapuso Network†.These are major commercial television network in the Philippines owned and operated by the publicly traded Filipino media conglomerates. Public Ratings, in general has always been a part of these Mass Media companies’ way of showing their dominance over another and thus, the proponents came to an idea that perhaps public ratings have a significant effect on these companies financial condition and profitability ratio. The fact that these companies even spend large amounts of money to pay other market research companies to conduct a survey amongst the public is enough reason for the researchers to conduct a study about it.In general when conducting a study about Financial Management, it is common to have a study about the financial condition of a certain business or company concentrating only on one aspect of the company which is its financial statement. However, in this study the researchers would like to showcase the impact of public ratings to the financial condition of Mass Media companies in terms of its liquidity, solvency, and stock value and to prove if there is a significant relationship between these variables; as well as on its profitability ratio.Statement of the Problem This study will aim to recognize the significant relationship between mass media companies’ public ratings and financial condition from the year 2009 to 2011 here in the Philippines. The purpose of the study is to answer the following questions: 1. What are the public ratings of the two mass media companies in the years 2009-2011? 2. What are the companies’ financial condition/ performance in terms of: a. Return on Assetsb. Return on Equityc. Return on Investments 3.What is the Stock Market Performance/ Stock price of ABS- CBN and GMA network for the period 2009- 2011? 4. Is there a significant relationship between the companies’ public ratings and financial condition for the years 2009 to 2011? 5. What is the effect of public ratings to the media companies’ profitability and stock price performance? Operational Framework Hypothesis Ho1: There is a significant relationship between the media companies’ public ratings and financial condition. Ho2: Public ratings have a direct effect to the media companies’ stock market performance.Research Objectives It specifically aims to attain the following objectives: 1. Determine the public ratings of the two mass media companies in the years 2009-2011. 2. Determine the companies’ profitability ratios in terms of: a. Return on Assetsb. Return on Equityc. Return on Investments 3. Determine the Stock Market Performance/ Stock price of ABS- CBN and GMA network for the period 2009- 2011. 4. Determine if there is a significant relationship between the companies’ public ratings and financial condition for the years 2009-2011. . Determine the effect of public ratings to t he companies’ profitability ratio. Significance of the Study This study will be useful to numbers of sectors including the public, investors, brokers and traders, faculty, students and future researchers. For the publicThis study may introduce the value of public ratings to the public and may give them the idea that good public ratings does not only affect the media companies’ popularity or fame and its influence, but it also affects its financial condition in terms of its liquidity, solvency and stock value.For the investors This study is beneficial to the investors for they can have an additional basis in analyzing the past and the current financial condition of the media company they wish to invest at. The media companies’ public ratings would also help them analyze the which company profits more and which company gives greater opportunity for investment growth and diversification. For the brokers and tradersThis study is beneficial to the brokers and traders for they can have an additional basis in analyzing the companies financial health in terms of its liquidity, solvency and stock value.Thus, giving them basis for investment. For the facultyThe result of this study is beneficial for the professors to have a deeper understanding about what public ratings can really do to affect the financial condition of a certain company especially companies who directly concentrates on media usage for profitability. For the financial management students The result of this study is beneficial for them to learn more about the effect of public ratings which is commonly seen only as a basis for popularity.They can use it as a reference or guide to their study to further understand the factors that may affect a company’s financial condition. For the students and future researchersThe result of this study will serve as a reference to their finance courses. This will be useful to them by providing them essential details necessary in conducting thei r related studies. Scope and Limitations The study will focus on the significant relationship of public ratings to the financial condition of media companies in the Philippines in terms of liquidity, solvency and stock value.Specifically, the study will focus on public relations which may directly affect the public ratings of these media companies. Primary sources will be gathered by the researchers by visiting university libraries, reading articles and researches that are related to the study. Secondary resources will be also gathered via internet and finance websites These resources will prove that public relations have a significant relationship with public ratings. Furthermore, in determining the significant relationship between the variables (public ratings, liquidity, solvency and stock value), comparative analysis will be used.In order for comparative analysis to be done, the researchers gathered financial statements of both media companies from years 2009- 2011. The research ers also gathered the public ratings of these media companies that were gathered by market research companies that each media company has hired (Nielsen ratings and Kantar Media). Furthermore, the stock value for each company will be gathered. Definition of Terms Public Ratings Refers to media ratings issued by AGB Nielsen and Kantar Media market research firms in the Philippines that rate the subject corporations’ overall television viewer ratings.Chapter 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE This chapter presented literature reviews related to the study. The section presents the writing of different personalities both foreign and local conducted by the proponents during their research which have been beneficial to the study. It involves reference materials and detailed facts stated by few people and pioneer in the field of investment that will serve as the foundation for sorting out and solving problems that may be encountered in the development of the proposed study.Literature an d studies presented in this study contained information, concepts, and findings that were contributory and fitting for the selection and development of the theoretical framework of the study. Synthesis was also created based from the gathered information and facts in literature and studies. Related Literature Public relations is now recognized as an important tool of management in production, distribution, and finance. â€Å"To have the people in your ommunity think well of you and your company, to win a measure of acceptance on the part of certain special publics, and lastly, as you devoutly hope, to gain some degree of recognition on the part of the general public. † is what media companies should do to gain better and more effective relations with the public. Related studies According to a book of Romeo P. Virtusio entitled â€Å"How to make it in PR: PR Veterans Tell Their Stories (2007),† Public Relations has a significant effect on Public ratings also known as me dia ratings.In this article the author emphasized that Public Relations is a significant asset to a company’s Public Ratings. The article also showed that there are long run relationships between the two, both directly affects each other progressively. A study conducted by a group of students from De La Salle University Taft entitled â€Å"Public Relations Firms in the Philippines and Their Life Cycle (2009),† explained that PR bears distinguishing marks for a company’s life as â€Å"failures† and â€Å"survivors. The study mentioned that Public Ratings can seriously affect a company’s orientation or leadership profile, vision, client management, financial management, preferences for innovation, and risk- taking propensity. Public Relation firms equally keep pace with the dynamic market and other forces to recognize the stage of decline which can trigger their demise, as in the case of defunct firms, and steer well through the known external envir onment/ public. This study also elaborated further the real effects of Public Ratings to companies. The operating relations firms are the survivors.They keep pace with the dynamic market and other forces in the known external environment, They keep abreast of their organizational life cycle by means of organizational blueprints for updates, interest in cultural orientation and judicious application of technological changes. Adaptation through selection is resorted to by the firms, so that alignment with the very satisfactory if not excellent business performance can be attained, to assure themselves of longer life cycle. It is in this regard that the applicability of the â€Å"Stewardship Theory† in management could be tested.The firms survive on the strength of their organization, systems and structures and competencies alone, which can prolong their life cycle. But even the masterful application of innovative management orientation and well- plotted strategy, which combines entrepreneurial orientation and stewardship, the resultant business performance still serve as a significant determinant of their life cycle. The â€Å"failed† firms are those whose management took for granted or ignored the essential requirements for a healthy and robust business concern.Deviations from the factors of entrepreneurial orientation and stewardship, and control of elements in the internal and external environments, generally lead to failures. An article written by Oscar S. Villadolid emphasized that in Public Relations, knowing the culture of the market, the set of beliefs and the value systems, traditions and ways of doing things, is what makes a strategy for good PR more effective. Mass Media companies will never get high media ratings if they do not do this. SynthesisThe studies and articles presented are closely related to the current study considering the different variables used. The primary focus was to determine the relationships between Public ratings also known as media ratings and the mass media companies’ financial condition. The studies presented assessed the significant relationship between public relations and public ratings. This helped in scrutinizing facts that are viable information to the completion of the study. Chapter 3 RESEARCH METHDOLOGY This chapter discusses the manner by which the study was conducted.The first portion shows the research design and the purpose of using such design. The second portion discusses the source of data and the third portion tells about the method of data analysis. It also discusses the ways in which relevant data needed for the research was collected and treated. Research Design This research paper will assess the relationship of public ratings and mass media companies found in the Philippines in terms of their profitability ratios mainly focusing on the companies’ return on assets, return on equity and return on investments for the years 2009 to 2011.The study will also focus on the companies’ financial condition that would help evaluate their performance in terms of solvency, liquidity and stock value. The study will use descriptive research design in order to analyze the relationship of selected mass media companies in the Philippines. Likewise, the correlational research design will be used to determine the impact of public ratings on the variables that were presented for the years 2009 to 2011. Respondents of the Study The subjects of the study would be the mass media companies specifically ABS-CBN and GMA Network that are listed under the Philippines stock market.Locale of the Study The study will be conducted in the Philippines specifically in Manila where the subjects are currently situated. Research Tools and Instruments The data that will be used for this study will be the public ratings posted by the market research companies hired to assess the ratings of ABS-CBN and GMA Network. Likewise, it shall use secondary data such as Finan cial Statement and Stock market performance. In order to assess the relationship between the variables mentioned, the researchers will gather the Financial Statements of these media companies for the years 2009 to 2011.Data Gathering Procedure The mass media companies’ data about profitability ratio and financial condition will be gathered through the use of information and communications technology by surfing the internet and researching through world-wide web. In addition, other data that will be used in this study will be collected through the references coming from the Library of the De La Salle University located at Taft mostly in the General collection and Periodical section. The researchers will also use secondary data collection technique in gathering information about the study.Secondary data will be derived from journal articles, manual/handbook and magazines as well as in the different educational, governmental and organizational websites for some related informati on about public ratings and mass media companies. Secondary data will also be obtained from related studies conducted for academic purposes. Data Analysis and Interpretation The researchers will analyze the data through the use of different methods for research. To test the relationship between the mass media companies’ public ratings, profitability ratio and financial condition, the correlational research design will be used.Moreover, the regression research design will be used to analyze and compare the financial statements of the media companies and their respective public ratings for the years 2009 to 2011. Descriptive design was also used in the study. Correlation analyses will be done to determine if significant relationship among the variables used in the study is present. The strength of the relationship among the variable will be interpreted using the following correlation equivalents: Table 1 Interpretation of Correlation Coefficient Values Correlation Coefficient V alue |Interpretation | |0 to 0. 10 |No correlation | |. 11 to . 30 |Weak correlation | |. 31 to . 50 |Moderate correlation | |. 1 to . 30 |Strong correlation | |. 71 to . 99 |Very strong correlation | The formula to be used will be: [pic] Where: n= number of pairs x, y are the number of the variables to assessed. Bibliography Romeo Virtusio P. 2007. How to make it in PR: PR Veterans tell their Stories. Filipino Book of Public Relations: 65-78. Branka Bugariska. 2013.Measuring Media Impact on Reputation: The Case of Telecommunication Companies in Macedonia. (available online:http://www. slideshare. net) Oscar Villadolid S, J. J Calero. 2007. How we dealt with Media. Filipino Book of Public Relations: 79-84. Davies, Gary et al. 2003. Corporate Reputation Management: The Key to Successful Public Relations and Corporate Communications. In: European Management Journal Vol. 21, No. 2, pp. 201-212, April 2003 Doorley, John and Garcia, Helio Fred. 2007. Reputation Management: The Key to Suc cessful Public Relations and Corporate Communications. New York ,NY, USA: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.

Research and development Essay

The Human resource management department of the business is responsible for the hiring and firing of the staff that work in Boots PLC outlet stores and any other jobs that are related to the company. Their main aim to make sure that there is the right amount of workers in the specified place at the right time in order to contribute to the maximum output that the staffing effort can help towards. The hiring and firing is very important as it makes sure that the right people are hired for the job that are in appropriate situations to fulfill vacancies. On the other hand however the firing is just as important. If staff are not pulling their weight or are incapable of carrying out the jobs they are meant to they may be fired. Also if there is no need for all staff then they may be laid off. This is a way of maximizing profits as less go on output of wages which is a great percentage of the businesses output. The HRM is also responsible for the training of staff. It is their responsibility to make sure that all staff is fully trained for the job they are employed for. These increases the customer reliability and satisfaction as when staff are asked questions they will hopefully know they answers and also that they are capable of approaching customers comfortably and in a good fashion. This adds to customer satisfaction and this is important to Boots it is also one of their objectives listed previously in the report. HRM are responsible for forecasting labour amounts and the amount of man power that will be needed at different times of the day week and year. If manpower is low in rush hours or periods such as Christmas then the company may not reach its maximum out put through mistake of their own. Staff receives appraisals when they work for Boots. This lets them know if the business is happy with them and if they are considered a valued member of the work force. The appraisals are again responsibility of the HRM department and they help to maximize business by insuring workers are reaching their full potential within in the business. Boots recently proposed to train up 7000 people to become more knowledgeable about technology so that the business will benefit from this. Boots PLC also employ a further 45% of their workforce on top of their usual numbers to help in outlet stores over Christmas period with tills, stock rotation and demonstrations. This shows the business has been planning the workforce amounts according to potential times of increases in demand. This area of the business can be very economical and save the business money when it comes to hiring and firing staff. This is however also very beneficial to the staff also. When jobs in the business become available instead of employing new staff they promote current staff. This saves money as described in management styles later on. The HRM area of the business works towards the organization and in turn globalization objective of the business. The statement of â€Å"we aim to develop staff and provide them with the right skills and attitude in order to achieve the organizations goals† suggests that it be aimed at all the objectives of the business, which will reflect on the globalization and expansion conclusively. The fact that more staff was hired acts on the objective of improving customer satisfaction as more staff means that there are more hands to deal with the tasks needed which leaves more staff to be available to help customers and aid them with their shopping needs. The Marketing section of the business is responsible for satisfying customers needs at the right prices and once again as in Boots objective consumer satisfaction. To do this the marketing section of Boots PLC is responsible for researching what the target markets want and interpreting what their future needs would be and how they will change. They persuade the customer to buy products by advertising. They either increase awareness by advertising to all on TV or radio, or advertise specifics. These include in store adverts for particular products, which they make the customer, think they need. Free demos of some products also help to draw in custom and Boots does this in its make-up and its perfume range where there is always trained staff available to recommend and advice. The marketing aspect of the business has lead to the birth of the Boots Advantage Card. Boots customer services is an outstanding department as they have been able to established customer loyalty by the use of this Advantage card. Referring back to Boots objectives the wish to increase customer loyalty is proven as the Advantage Card is used by more than 70% of all key customers. Boots objectives on marketing were to increase promotion and stature by globalization. This has been attempted by opening several firms in Taiwan. A strategy that separated them from their competitors and attracted thousands of consumers over the Christmas period was the three for two-mix and match strategy which was introduced after a market research poll into marketing strategies return the mix and match as a popular suggestion. This was reflected by the feedback it returned. It is very important to be able to forecast and predict what will happen to the market. In order for a company to success in the long term it must have an idea of where it is going. One of the best ways to do this, which also show the success of the business, is to look at its accounts. This will show if there is a gradual increase or decrease in profit and it will show what products sell, how they sell and in what quantity are they likely to still be required as the majority of tangible inessential goods reach saturation point and are no longer needed. The finance section of the business is the area that looks after the accounts and the money flow forecasting. The Financial area of the business makes sure all the finances of a business are properly recorded. This involves keeping detailed accounts either manually or on a computer of all the money that comes in, and how it comes in to the business and how and where it goes out. The financial information is used by Boots and published in the yearly reports to show how the business is getting on. Boots PLC uses computer technology to record all the information and trained staff regularly analyzes it to spot correlation in output or product relationships. This is done to try and find out where Boots could benefit from altering the market and changing product ranges or increasing product base. This section of the business is also capable of raising finance when the business needs to raise capital for an investment or expansion. There is only a small aspect of the objective system that it appears the financial function touches on. This is the objective to act towards modernization. Boots keeps its financial records in the form of computer files as apposed to storing them manually. This shows that Boots keeps up with the development of technology, which was a specific objective. This shows that an objective has been worked towards and met which has been beneficial as now the financial function is a lot less time consuming in storing data and retrieving it. Although there is always more problems with modern technology it is likely that in the long run it is less time consuming. Production is another one of the functional areas but as there is little that Boots actually produce due to the fact that they are in the tertiary sector this function does not really affect them. The only way it does affect them is that Boots must keep in touch with the production (secondary industry) business to ensure that they can meet the demands that they need in order to increase customer satisfaction. Coinciding with this the staff at Boots must check produce that is received from the production companies to make sure it is correct. This section does not really affect any objectives that the business has directly. However indirectly it does regard the objective of wishing to increase the proportion of their own brand. There is little evidence I can provide of this objective been carried out but they do have their own cosmetic range that goes by the name of No7. This appears to have been doing very well. The main cogs of the business are the Administration section. This keeps the day to day workings of the business going. Again these are skilled staff trained in their field and Boots pride them selves on the level of training and standards that their staff operates to. The administration maintains the business premises and equipment and if anything goes wrong they are responsible for fixing it of finding someone to do so. Anyone who works for Boots doing photocopying, printing (stationary jobs) catering, computer services, data storage, all these types of jobs come under the job description of Administration. As boots is expanding it is relying less on its own workers to carry out some of these tasks and it calls in people from out side the business, this is called ‘outscoring’, these people are usually found by the administration team. The administrative function as it is a necessity in the business and keeps it flowing hardly relates as a contribution to any objective at all. The only objective I can see that the administrative function applies to id the modernization of the company. This is due to the fact that in order for the administration staff to act efficiently they need to be modernizing as technology such as computers develops. This will benefit all areas of the business. As the target markets demands are forever changing and new fashions are coming in and the months of the years come in and out the products that Boots supply are always changing. It is hard to keep on top of the supply for goods, as there are so many aspects that alter the product demands it is hard to be aware of where they will go next. The research and development of the business is responsible for trying to find out where to go next. They keep the other parts of the business informed about changes as much as they can. This is a main part of the marketing for the business. The research and development sector look at sales figures, accounts, customer trends and spending and try and deduct where the majority of the money goes and also where it doesn’t. They do not look to replace products all the time but also to look for new products that would be beneficial to bring into the product range to increase sales or attract new business. It was the idea of the research and development of Boots to open the optician section of the business, as this was an area that they had not yet spread into and would be beneficial. The people in the research and development part of boots also look at other businesses and see how they operate, what they sell and how much they charge. All this contributes to the smooth running of the business. As Boots main objective is to produce a well-established firm that caters for the consumers needs research and development is a major part of decision making. Diversification is also reliant on this department as in order to diversify research needs to be carried out to find out which areas it would be beneficial to divert into in respects of the customers and the company as a whole. Boots has got a large research and development department. The paragraph below shown what affects the research and development has had on the company’s expansion. â€Å"The first Health and Beauty Experience store opened in Kensington High Street in September this year. It moves Boots into new areas of the expanding health and beauty market. Services include physiotherapy, osteopathy, homeopathy, herbalism, aromatherapy, reflexology and nutrition. These sit alongside beauty services including facials massage, false tan, ear piercing, pedicure, manicure, nail bars, and make-overs, plus lifestyle advice on weight management, smoking, sleep management, relaxation and stress management. All combine to offer a total wellbeing offer. † This paragraph gives list of some of the new products and services that have been introduced. These expansions in the business would not have been the result if research and development had not taken place. This shows that research and development has also contributed to the firm expanding, which was another objective of Boots.

Analysis of Arthur Miller’s Presentation of Abigail Essay

Arthur Miller wrote the play â€Å"The Crucible† in 1953 which was in the middle of the McCarthy political ‘witch-hunt’ in America. However the story had appealed to the playwright for many years, therefore ‘The Crucible’ can be described as a political parable as it was inspired by the decade of McCarthyism. Miller wrote the play set in an area of Massachusetts called Salem in 1692 where some adolescent girls were dabbling with supernatural powers and witchcraft. They were eventually jailed and the jails were filled with men and women accused of witchcraft. Ultimately twenty people ended up hung. The inhabitants of Salem were rigid in their interpretation of the Bible, believing in witches and the Devil. They believed also that the Bible instructed them that witches must be hanged. This relates to the McCarthy trails that were happening in the USA during the 1950s as the trails were about the admission of adherence to communism, consequently witnesses were brought before the committee to name names. This naming approach was very similar to the process of witch trials; Miller then began to relate this to the public confessions as parallel with the naming of names at Salem in 1692. Subsequently Arthur Miller wrote a play in relation to this and uses Abigail to convey similar ideas to the McCarthy Trials in the 1950s. In the McCarthy trails the only way to clear your name was to name members of the extremist party, but even still a person’s reputation would be extremely tarnished. Therefore I will be looking at the presentation of Abigail and how it conveys this idea, in relation to the McCarthy Trials. During the beginning of Act One we discover Abigail is a girl who can’t be trusted and people don’t believe her. Paris refers to her as a ‘child’ so she is assumed as being young and questioned over how she can make up so many lies. From being referred to as a ‘child’ the audience makes an assumption that Abigail acts younger than her age and there is immense significance of this quote as she is referred to as a ‘child’ more than once and by different characters. Abigail has endless capacity for dissembling so she is a brilliant liar and doesn’t know when to stop. Her lies in this particular scene appear not to be very convincing as she is worried and anxious; hence she is lying for a way out. From this Abigail could be presented to be small and weak as she is forced to sit in a chair while Parris towers over her and doesn’t take any action of rejection. Parris is threatening Abigail to tell the truth as she is a compulsive liar; consequently it is extremely hard to get her to tell the truth. Our impression of Abigail develops later on in Act One as she loses her innocence since she becomes no longer believable to the audience, her lies are over looked by them as they realise she is withholding the truth. When Proctor enters Abigail starts to become nervous which is highlighted from her reaction whilst she is alone with him and he says ‘Ah, your wicked yet, aren’t y’! ‘ Abigail reacts with a nervous ‘laughter’ and becomes frightened of Proctor. Consequently Proctor acts powerful and continues to act powerful and dominant towards Abigail by forcefully saying ‘child’ to Abigail to give recognition of her still being a child, this is the second time that Abigail has been called a ‘child’ by different characters highlighting the importance. While Abigail does react angrily and infuriately to appear powerful and gain control over Proctor, her reactions are childish, she moans when she doesn’t get her own way, so she acts like a little ‘child’ which is why she is being called a ‘child’. This part of the play is foreshadowing events to come, we know that she is going to eventually turn wicked and evil so her innocence is lost as we realise that she will later turn wicked as the wickedness can be used as a way out. When Abigail is alone with the girls she takes control of them and becomes the leader of the group and the girls begin to look to her for an answer so they look up to her. They follow her lead so she has the power of the group. She gains this power of the girls by saying ‘I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you. ‘ Abigail threatens the other girls so they are so frightened of her that they follow her lead, this becomes clear nearing the end of Act Three. The word ‘shudder’ is onomatopoeia and this adds dramatic affect and gives you a real sense of the word and makes it come to life and sound real. It is this word order which Miller uses that makes you really think that this is going to happen if the other girls do not obey her. The adjectives used during this statement from Abigail are ‘black’ then ‘terrible’ and ‘pointy’ these are all threatening adjectives and are the type of words that you would visualize when a murder was taking place so this intensifies their anxiety. During this scene the audience discover just how devious and manipulative she can be, in this instance she shows this by being threatening and dangerous to the other girls. Danger changes sides towards the end of Act One during Abigail’s questioning as she starts to become frantic. She begins rushing out excuses as quickly as possible to conceal her lies, as she comes dangerous close to being exposed. Abigail is scared of the fact that if people don’t believe her, then she will be caught in the act of lying, she is anxious about this. Furthermore Hale says ‘perhaps some bird invisible to others comes to you’ thus implying an insight to the deviousness of Abigail. This provides inspiration later for Act Four; therefore implying Abigail is not innocent and is an untrustworthy character with a deeper meaning, perhaps Abigail is lying. Abigail proceeds out of this situation by catching on to the circumstances there are in hand and uses them as weapons to propose the excuse of making herself look like the victim in this entirety. Consequently people can’t accuse her, which because of her selfish behaviour leads her on to accusing Tituba by saying ‘She makes me drink blood! ‘ This describes Abigail’s destructive nature and the deviousness of Abigail’s thinking put into practice. From this I can call Abigail opportunistic as she has seen a way out; she has explored it and taken it. While this is selfish behaviour, it is certainly a very clever move by Abigail to relieve some of the pressure from her and give her a chance to think about what she is going to say next. The audiences’ response from this action taken by Abigail is that it is ludicrous that she can accuse somebody and say a few words and make the court believe her. This links in with the McCarthy trials because all the court was interested in was names and they were so desperate for a name that once one was named with a motive they seized it.

Learning Organization and Human Motivation Essay

Learning Organization and Human Motivation - Essay Example As companies and corporations become larger and more complex, so do the responsibilities of management and the call for structured strategies. In our world of exploding technological changes, the burden of change upon individuals becomes greater and there is also the continual threat of downsizing or being replaced by automation. There are innumerable theories regarding human motivation and especially over the past twenty-five years, these theories have provided a maze through which management has walked, trying this and that; some theories worked, others did not. Let us examine just a few theories that have withstood the test of time and are the core of the newer theories. We shall begin with the advent of Maslow's theory of a hierarchy of needs since it was Maslow who countered Sigmund Freud's statements of declaring people as inherently lazy creatures who are motivated at work only through reward, coercion, intimidation, and punishment (accel Team, 2005). A. H. Maslow brought management and workers out of the dark ages and delivered them into a refreshing affirmation of themselves as human beings rather than animals. According to Mazlow, the highest needs of a human are self-esteem and self-actualisation (Maslow, 1943, pp 381 - 383). In the workplace (according to Maslow), the ability to exercise c... In the workplace (according to Maslow), the ability to exercise creativity and decision-making whilst practicing new skills is central to the self-esteem of the worker. In terms of management, the harbingers of change began to emerge as the workplace became less oppressive and more balanced between doing and learning. Still, there was work to be done in terms of addressing psychological needs of workers in terms of balancing rewards for incentives and motivational learning within organisations. Whilst an individual is hired on the basis of knowledge and skill for the task at hand, once in the workplace, the individual needs the opportunity to climb higher, do better, if they so choose. This is where the balance of power can get sticky, for those in management also need to engage in learning and adapting to changing trends. If those on the higher end of the work spectrum fail to adapt and learn, those from below have the opportunity to move up and replace them; here is where fear becomes the motivating force, and its presence is counterproductive for all concerned. The most famous motivation theories, upon which nearly all current theories are based, originate from four theorists: Sigmund Freud (Theory X), A. H. Maslow Theory Y), Douglas McGregor (Theory XY) and William Ouichi (Theory Z). It must be noted that there are arguments regarding the authorship of Theories Y and Z; we are referencing them here with the corresponding theorists for the sake of convenience.

Construction Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Construction Economics - Essay Example Vegetables, for example is a homogeneous product while soap is not. Because the consumer will not care who supplies the product, there is tougher competition among suppliers. There is freedom of entry and exit. Firms can easily enter the market without impediments brought about by old timers and should they decide that the market is no longer attractive, they can leave without problems. Suppliers of trout, for example, will experience this type of freedom. Lastly, there is perfect information, i.e., no unknowns in the market. Price, supply and demand information is available to all players regardless of size and status. Stock trading of Gold for example, has the information readily available for all players to use in their trade. It maybe hard to find a market under perfect competition, despite the examples mentioned above. However, it definition is made for the purpose of differentiating other market structures present in the real world (Baumol and Blinder, 2009, p. 199). Economics as a subject tends to be viewed as neutral and objective, even emotionless when expressed in terms of humanity. However modern economists have taken the view that motives and emotions do play an intrinsic part in economy principles and decision. Emotions affect businesses. In his paper, Gopal asserts that there is a fifth element in which business can retain customers and their profitability apart from the four P’s of marketing – a better product, a lower price, an attractive promotion, or a more convenient location (placement)—the fifth being people (2004). All businesses have human customers at the end of the chain, who are needed to realize profits. Gallup research found out that 70% of customers’ decisions are based on positive interactions with the sales staff (cited in Gopal, 2004), thus the evidence of an emotionally-driven economy. Staveren shares the same view in his dissertation that

Open source intelligence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Open source intelligence - Essay Example What’s more, this can be seen as an improvement from the 1981’s scenario whereby Israel attempted to set back Iraq’s nuclear program by bombing its nuclear reactor – such a process is very risky as it can cause massive loss of lives.1 Although Iran has, on different occasion, promised to cooperate - it has kept reneging on promises by embarking on uncompromising positions, which has been a major stumbling block. Once, a report by the IAEA director general revealed that Iran’s cooperation with inspectors has been erratic. In most cases, Iran argues that its nuclear program is developed as a source of energy, but it is very easy to read foul play from its pronouncements. It is Iran’s frustrating actions that have forced the United States to harden its stance, for example, by requesting the board of the International Atomic Energy Agency to stop issuing warnings to Iran and instead refer its nuclear program to the Security Council. As such, thes e desperate measures by the United States are understandable because, if action is not taken, Iran is likely to drive the world into a very compromising position in the future, consideration that it does not seem to cooperate any soon.2 Actually, the U.S. administration should heighten its campaign to push Iran to abandon its nuclear program.3 Furthermore, even the report by the American 007 agents supports that Iran’s nuclear program has not been peaceful. According to this report, it is not clear what Iran is currently planning, which implies that it could be planning to manufacture weapons of mass destruction. In view of this, this report proves untrue the allegation by past negotiators that the problem facing Iran originates from disregard to give the accurate information to the IAEA instead of an arranged disguise. As confirmed by this report, the Iran’s nuclear program could have led to production of dangerous weapons, only that this has always been aborted due t o pressure from the international community – after all there is evidence that this program has been under supervision of the Iranian army, whom central objective is linked to weapon.4 In fact, this is the argument that American Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice used to rely upon in order to win the support of the international community to put more pressure upon Iran. In addition, there was a cause for alarm because this report had mentioned that Iran possesses strong industrial, technological and scientific capabilities, which it can use to develop dangerous weapons any time in the future. Although it sounds interesting, there could be some truth in the America spies’ assertion that Iran is positioned to develop weapon in year 2015, especially considering its existence in supporting the war against the weapon. However, the report of the America’s spies cannot be taken as a gospel truth because they also have their own conflicting interests and objectives the y would want to achieve. 5 Although the U.S. intelligence is making great efforts in dealing with Iran’s nuclear program, as a mater of fact, there are numerous gaps that need improvement - especially concerning its ability to collect valid information. While some experts had posed questions against the report released by a U.S. congressional committee some years back, many others supported its arguments about the existence of gaps. Unless one experiences a biased opinion, it is not

Housing policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Housing policy - Essay Example From the graphical representation, it is noticed that US real estate business was highly affected due to the financial crisis. What originated as a crisis in the US housing and mortgage markets; had infected other sectors and spread globally. The financial troubles that the worldwide economies face today came on the heels of two bubbles, one in the housing market and the other one in the credit markets. A plethora of several dissimilar factors added to the housing market bubble and also those tangled with the credit market bubble. The inflating of the housing bubble can be considered by home sales and home prices. Housing sales and prices had been rising at a quick speed since the early-mid 1990s, until the recession began in 2006 - 2007. Several household transactions indices have turned down from 10 % to 30 % worldwide and by as much as 40% or further in certain markets. Still the additional reserved losses in household worth turn out to be more important when an individual believes how household procurement is financed. Since housing sector is extremely leveraged, a preliminary 20% equity stake in a household, acquired over the most recent years have been in all possibility wiped out. Therefore, the perception that household ownership is a better source of revenue of wealth gathering has been a thoroughly misleading thought (Bardhan & Et. Al., â€Å"The Housing Problem and the Economic Crisis: A Review and Evaluation of Policy Prescriptions†). The subprime crisis crashed household dwellers financially which included both owners as well as renters. Proprietors with no mortgage debt were probable to be in the slightest susceptible situation, although if they had designed to comprehend their asset gains, these had lost the worth. Of the 112 million household units in the US, there were 75.5 million landlords engaged in 2007. Of these, 23.9 million houses were mortgage free that tentamounted to lesser than 1/3 of the

India on The Move Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

India on The Move - Essay Example While this was attempted to be addressed through the, highly unpopular, forced sterilization program in the regime of Indira Gandhi during the 'emergency' years attention seems to have fallen by the wayside. The population continues to grow at a rate of 1.5% and India is expected to cross China by 2018. This is the result of higher birth rates coupled with increased life expectancy. At the root of the problem, however, lie poor literacy levels. Growth of the economy, to a large extent, is negated by the population rise and the number (and percentage) of people living below the poverty line continues to be at a staggering level of 44% of the population. The unemployment levels are also consistently high. With the unofficial figures estimating these to be above the 20% mark this indicates a lack of balanced growth. Since agriculture provides sustenance for more than 72% of the population, it seems obvious that this sector of the economy has been neglected at the cost of modernization in the more visible sectors like IT, manufacturing industry and services. Fractured and regionalized politics is perhaps the next biggest problem facing the country.

1 page - Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

1 page - - Assignment Example (5% level of significance) A telephone sales company with 200 sales staff uses a five-level grading system for annual performance. End-of-year bonus payments for sales staff are determined on their individual performance grading. Staff rated Grade 1 receive only the minimum bonus payment while staff rated Grade 5 receive the highest bonus payment. The company has an expected distribution of performance grades which it uses to budget for bonus payments. However the company’s financial director is concerned that the actual distribution of performance grades differs significantly from the expected distribution with proportionally fewer sales staff getting the lower grades and proportionally more getting higher than expected grades. Based on the latest performance grades, is the financial director right to be concerned? Use a 5% significance level. , we thus reject the null hypothesis and conclude that the actual distribution of performance grade differs from the expected distribution at 5% significance level and as such the financial director is right to be concerned. A packaging device is set to fill detergent packets with a mean weight of 500g. It is important to check the machine periodically because overfilling increases the cost of materials whereas underfilling leaves the firm liable to prosecution. A random sample of 25 filled packets is weighed and shows a mean net weight of 510g with a standard deviation of 15g. What conclusion can be drawn at the 5% level of

Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 20

Reflection - Essay Example ent stages; the first stage is usually characterized by individual centered ideas whereby each persons views life negatively and tend to behave in horrible manners. The second stage is caused by cultural characteristics which make people perceive their lives as unattractive. Consequently, the third stage of tribal development involves a situation whereby people tend to develop positive feelings about their lives and tend to think it is great while in the real sense it is not. The fourth of tribal development is characterized by a situation where individuals are united by similar positive achievements that are distinct from other tribes hence view themselves as great. Lastly, in the fifth stage people perceive life as great and come together to make decisions that affect the entire tribe. I also learnt that leaders have a great influence on the lives of each individual tribe member and has the responsibility to reach all the members especially at stage one of tribal development in order to enable the tribe to move to the second stage. Leaders also have the responsibility to connect the tribe with other tribes through interaction and consultation with the others. To begin with, I will apply the knowledge on consultation between different tribal leaders to conduct consultation with other leaders in order to facilitate the attainment of my group’s objectives as well as goals. In planning of the Group’s activities, I would conduct meetings with my group members in order to formulate common development objectives hence reducing conflicts that may occur. This knowledge has also increased my understanding that it is imperative for leaders to unite their groups with other groups in order to promote peace and development. These two documents discusses one common skill that is imperative in the improving workers’ performance in various fields; the Transdisciplinarity document discusses the importance of the ability of workers to integrate knowledge and skills from

Modern Life Essay Example for Free

Modern Life Essay As beginning, human beings must assure that intelligence is the dominant factor on animals’ behaviors, attitude and conducts. Unfortunately, some people restrict animals’ level of cognition on same issues because of the fact that they are suggesting all attempts of animals shaped instinctively. People must become conscious to resign this kind of biases in that today’s studies on animals show us animals have more intellect, contrary to common belief. Additionally, according to a stunning experiment of a recognized institute in Japan, a chimpanzee knows the food is hidden under a stone and reach it effortless. Then, researches replace stone with a heaviest stone and the chimpanzee could not take the food alone. If two chimpanzees know about food, they work together. At first, they do not synchronize their collaboration in pulling the heaviest stone but eventually, they figure out reward of synchronizing to their pulling. Same experiment is again performed with a human and ultimately, chimpanzee appeals for help from the human partner. What is more, observers behold exciting indications which is related to chimpanzees’ attitudes such as looking up at human partner’s face, vocalizing, and taking the partner’s hand for soliciting (Hirata, S. Fuwa, K. , Chimpanzees learn to act with other individuals in a cooperative task, p. 13). These evidences also indicate that chimpanzees learn coordinate through trial and error method like a child or a dog. Meanwhile, there have been a lot of same studies and results on dogs which is mainly discussed in this paper as well. After all, people have to be convinced of animals’ intelligent and cognition skills. In the meantime, some people still have an idea whose children, old persons or disabled people should not be left alone even with trained animals. To deal with this lack of confidence, such people must realize the bare facts in real life experiences with guide animals. Related to this, the dog that may have done the most to shape the popular conception of dogs and their intelligence was a character born in a short story written by Eric Knight in 1938, Lassie. Lassie, the world’s best known collie, was not only affectionate and courageous dog but nearly was a human in her intelligence and understanding, doubtlessly. According to Stanley Coren, the author of The Intelligence of Dogs, reports that â€Å"We believed that this dog (thus, by extrapolation, all dogs) could think, plan, sympathize, feel pain, have emotions of sorrow and joy, remember complex facts, and even plan acts of retribution† (Stanley Coren, p. 10, paragraph 2). Most of the scenes people watched in the Lassie series, like when Lassie crawled under gunfire, sneaked through a tortuous maze of fallen electrical wires, jumped out windows or leapt through the air to knock a criminal down, actually can be seen in relationships between people who are in desperate straits and their own dogs under some special situations. Many of us know about Jack London and are familiar with his wolf like sled dogs. In all these kind of novels, the dogs had feelings, reasoning ability and intelligence. As an illustration, there is a memorable case which is an epic score in White Teeth; Shep recognizes that his protector is in a danger situation. He must find help immediately while seriously wounded Dan lies on the snow. After that, he remembers an old trapper who had the shack in the valley. He recalls the old trapper had been kind to him before. Then, he gives the same bark which he is always using to tell Dan he is ready to work and starts across the snow to find the closest possibility of help. As it can be seen through these kinds of stories, having a friendly canine in the land of living can mean two indications. They are a true blue friend and a survivor at owners’ emergency too. In addition to social benefits of having assistance dogs, there are considerable amount of advantageous for disabled people in wheelchairs. Having a disability often results in many soul-destroying statements most particularly if someone is obliged to live on a wheelchair. Imagine such a person; he or she always suffers from lack of confidence, social interaction with people in everyday life and also limiting independency. Then, regrettably this can go from bad to worse together leading depression, loneliness and isolated from society. Eileen Hobson who has a limiting of movement emphasizes the social benefits of having guide dog: â€Å"Because of him I have made many friends in the various parks that we go to. He is a great icebreaker, and now, wherever we go, people always want to stop and talk to me to ask about him† (Jenny Moir, p. 331). Furthermore, considering a person with mobility impairment, it is not difficult to estimate the complexity of overcoming daily backsets for them. For instance, dropping a key or a remote control on the floor, bending down to take a pair of slipper those are serious troubles for whom having paresis. At this point, trained dogs become guardian angel of people with wheelchair and kind of impairments. They can pick up the objects, open the doors and even, empty or fill the dishwashers. Additionally, Claire Graham who faced with developed paralysis following a seemingly simple virus summarize her life before the dog partner, Ulli, and after by â€Å"My disability gradually got worse and I had to stop work† and then she adds; â€Å"Since Ulli has been with me, not only has my physical health improved, but also emotionally I feel more positive, confident and not alone any more as I have Ulli with me every day† (Jenny Moir, p. 332). Therefore, people must understand the importance of dogs and their inherent ability to make fundamental changes in our lives, as Jenny Moir, the researcher of relationships between canine partners, says in her article Assistance Dogs and Independent Living for Disabled People; â€Å"A canine partner or assistance dog can put the ‘able’ back into the lives of people living with disabilities, and can quite literally opens doors that would otherwise have been closed† (Jenny Moir, p. 33). Although guide dogs for visually impaired people have long been accepted by the general public, there are some people who stand up for using robotic service dogs. They assert that service dog robots are more advantageous than guide dogs. According to a survey in Japan, rate of visually handicapped persons which take guide dogs is at too low percentage of % 10 nationwide (Development of a Guide-Dog Robot: Leading and Recognizing a Visually-Handicapped Person using a LRF, p. 193). At the this point, such people claim that it is less possible to improve the repletion rate of guide dogs for handicapped persons in a short time period due to required long training period in obtaining guide dogs (Development of a Guide-Dog Robot: Leading and Recognizing a Visually-Handicapped Person using a LRF, p. 94). This is actually insufficient occasion because kind of robotic guide dogs are programmed generally under some particular circumstances such as leading users with consideration of user’s walking speed and detecting obstacles and dangers for its user. Hence, those programming issues not only need huge amount of variants owing to disabled level or age interval of handicapped persons but also need high price. In addition to that guide dogs cost about 70 thousand dollars (Tom Ladyman, Can a robot be a safe and alternative to guide dogs? , videoscript). Moreover, there is some doubt for the guide dog robots in alerting and distinguishing between a stand still thief and a family heirloom urn. On the other hand, the program of leading users with consideration of user’s walking speed with the help of an autonomous maneuvering algorithm system integrated into robotic dogs has to vary from user to user and also off-roading and uneven surfaces . Additionally, if people consider battery life of robotics, a guide dog requires one meal a day and will keep working without it. Regarding memory, guide dogs quickly memorize all people normal routes and will take handicapped persons along them effortlessly. Therefore, it would be ridiculous replacing a super technological heap of microchips and sensors which are also deprived of emotion and affection with a dog. As a result, it clearly makes nonsense replacing modern guide dog robots with obliging dogs.

Importance of Homework Essay Example for Free

Importance of Homework Essay Homework, as I understand, is a practice and review of lessons learned as part of your studies, not an instrument that forces students to relearn an entire lesson,” comments Dr. George Roberts, a renowned psychiatrist and professor at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Roberts does not believe in assigning students enormous amounts of homework because he considers it unnecessary and a waste of time. However, not all school boards concur with Dr. Roberts, since they perceive homework as an essential part of education and learning. Most people will agree that homework is an essential part of education, but the question is, how much homework should be assigned on a daily basis? Everyone may have different opinions on how much homework should be assigned, but here is my stance on the situation. I believe that the homework load that teachers can assign should be limited so that students will not accumulate too much stress, get enough sleep, and have more free time to enjoy their hobbies and spend with their family and friends. First of all, extremely exorbitant amounts of homework have been causing stress in many teenagers. What comes to mind when you think about stress? Competitions, performances, or homework? Amazingly, homework is one of the top stress providers for students. 13 out of 100 teenage suicides are related to stress buildup at school, specifically from the large amounts of homework. Excess homework has even been proven to cause an increased maturing rate of hair, also known as the graying of hair. I’ve had my own experiences of stress caused by homework, and they weren’t too pleasant.

Performance Management Cycle Properties

Performance Management Cycle Properties The performance management cycle is a premiere technique used by many companies to guide their performance management system. It is regarded as a continuous, future oriented and participative system; as an ongoing cycle of criteria setting, monitoring, informal feedback from supervisors and peer, formal multisource assessment, diagnosis and review action planning and development resourcing (Bach1999; Williams 2002). The Performance Management cycle involves a continuous learning process as stated by Kaufman, R., Thiagarajan, S., MacGillis, P.1997 Performance is not a one shot process, it is ongoing. The continuous improvement and quality management process is vital. An organisations survival depends on it to be done correctly and consistently. Though the above authors identified that it is a continuous process Bach1999; Williams 2002 went on to say that it is far more than a simple process, there are many facets of this cycle. The Performance Management cycle comprises of planning, monitoring, developing, rating and rewarding and back to planning again Neely (1998), but on the other hand, many view performance management to be one step process of appraising the individual only, but as the following cycle explains there is more to performance management than appraising. This cycle provides a framework to help organisations and employees better manage the process of performance management which aids in the future success of the organisation. This research will analyse each aspect of this cycle to assess how it relates to the processes being used at AATT. Performance Management Cycle PLANNING The first step of this continuous cycle is to plan. Planning entails developing and setting performance objectives. Armstrong (2004:488) defines objectives as what organizations, functions, departments and individuals are expected to achieve over a period of time. It is important that company values and goals used as the basis for goal setting be understood and communicated to all employees and managers. Objectives, or goals, are the foundation for good performance. These objectives are used to provide a well thought-out approach to the achievement of the desired performance level for individuals and teams. Employees are usually involved in the planning process, this helps them understand their goals of the organization, what needs to be done; why it needs to be done and how well it should be done. Many companies involve their employees in the process so they can identify and understand the required behaviours. This enables the company to produce plans to meet the objectives of the company and enhance the knowledge, skills and competencies, also reinforcing desired behaviours. This was reinforced by Ducker (1954), He stated that the planning process typically done by senior managers should be prepared by all employee, they should partake in the strategic planning process which would give the employees a sense of ownership and responsibility to fulfil their objectives. Drucker (1954) also contradicted his statement by saying managers are responsible for achieving results. However the researcher is of the opinion that the planning phase should not be left to the managers alone as the employee are the lifeline of an organisation and careful planning and involvement of the employee will encourage them to work along their seniors to foster a successful company. An analysis will be conducted to identify whether this step currently is being enforced at AATT and if the result of this is clear and concise objectives. Monitoring Monitoring entails continuously measuring performance and its effectiveness in achieving the organisation set objectives in the planning process. It also allows the company to update and refine any current and future demands which may arise. This enables the organisation to stay on the right part. During the monitoring phase, its important to keep notes. Document both positive and negative performance issues, and make notes consistently throughout the performance management cycle. Specific instances should be looked at when employees meet and exceed expectations, and when they fall short of performance goals. These notes should be objective, job-related and accurate, focusing on behavior and void of personal option and emotion. Based on these findings the supervisor will be able to identify the employees strengths and shortcomings. The shortcomings are then addressed in the developmental stage of the performance cycle. Development At the development stage the developmental needs of the employee are assessed and addressed. This phase focuses on the improvement of current knowledge and skills and also on the development of new ones. This improvement is done via coaching; training and giving assignments that challenges the employee to take on more responsibility which improves their skills and ability. At This development stage many companies offer training and developmental opportunities to their employees but on the other hand some companies completely disregard this stage of the performance management cycle as they see it as the employees responsibility to further their development and also they avoid the costliness of training programs. The researcher will look at how AATT assess and implements this phase and the employees reactions to implemented training programs. Appraising This phase of the cycle is most synonymous with performance management. It is regularly regarded as the only step in performance management, though this is not the case. At this phase in the cycle the employee is assessed on their performance. When used correctly, performance appraisals can be powerful career development tool and help a company retain its current workforce by boosting performance and morale. According to Flippo (1984) performance appraisal is the systematic, periodic and an impartial rating of an employees excellence in the matters pertaining to his present job and his potential for a better job. As stated this phase enables the company to measure the employee performance and assess if they are meeting the objectives set out at the planning phase, it also allows the company to identify the employee weaknesses, strengthens, and opportunities for further development/ promotion. He also went on to point out that it should be unbiased, this is of great concern for many e mployees as they something feels that the evaluator is prejudiced and they cannot highlight their concerns. The following factors are critical for an effective performance appraisal, these are: proper documentation, Clear cut objectives and goals, Simple understandable evaluation format, evaluation technique, communication and feedback. Picket (2003 pp 237-240) states that the performance review continues in many organisations despite evidence that it has the potential to be one of the most effective management tools in the entire kit. However, according to Steers and Black (1994), performance appraisal is one of the most important and often one of the most mishandled aspects of management. This scenario is one of great concern considering the importance of the evaluator to the success of the appraisal process; Imundo (1993 p158) stated that it is an inherent responsibility of those in managerial positions to pass judgment on what employees do with respect to meeting job requirements. He went on to say While individual employees are responsible for their own performance, it is supervisors who should shoulder overall responsibility for the performance of the unit under their direction. In light of the above, in todays organisation many managers have little or no training concerning the evaluation of employees. As a result of this lack of training supervisors are not equipped to provide proper assessment and effective feedback. Therefore sometimes employees are left up to the own initiative to manage their department and personal performance. Recent studies suggest that organizations fail to conduct effective rigorous, skills-based training and rater training with their managers (Fink, and Longenecker, 1998). Torrington and Hall (1991) stressed that appraisers need training on how to appraise and how to conduct appraisal interviews. However, many organisations stray from this and they provide the manager with the appraisal forms and instructions on how to complete the form and the rating schemes. This procedure currently utilized by organisations underhands the appraisal process. However, Bacal (2001 p 201) states that: Performance appraisal isnt about the forms. The ultimate purpose of performance appraisal is to allow employees and managers to improve continuously and to remove barriers to job success, in other words, to make everyone better. Forms dont make people better, and are simply a way of recording basic information for later reference. If the focus is getting the forms done, without thought and effort, the whole process becomes at best a waste of time, and at worst, insulting. Bacal highlighted that the mundane process of form filling is not what an appraisal is all about, you have to look at the bigger picture which is the successful attainment of the organisations strategic objectives and the success of the organisation. There are many techniques and methods to performance appraisal such as the traditional methods and the Morden methods. These are highlighted below: Traditional Methods Description Morden methods Description ESSAY APPRAISAL METHOD BEHAVIORALLY ANCHORED RATING SCALES(BARS) STRAIGHT RANKING METHOD HUMAN RESOURCE ACCOUNTING METHOD PAIRED COMPARISON 360-Degree-Performance-Appraisal Method CRITICAL INCIDENTS METHODS Management By Objectives(MBO) Method FIELD REVIEW CHECKLIST METHOD GRAPHIC RATING SCALE FORCED DISTRIBUTION The researcher will assess the above methods and examine the different approaches and methodologies which relates to Performance Management at AATT. If these factors are adhered to, they assist the company in formulating strategies for the employee future promotion and rewards. Rewarding The final phase in the cycle is rewarding. At the rewarding phase, the employee or team is recognized and acknowledged with regards to their ability to attain the organisations set objectives in the planning phase. These rewards may be monetary, non-monetary, such as praising the employee for a job well done, and promotions. The researcher will assess if and how AATT determines reward. What Should organisations manage? The most widely recognized and implemented approach to measure performance is the Balanced Scorecard Approach. This is now widely used as a strategy development and execution tool .This approach was developed by Kaplan and Norton (1992, 1996), it provides a system of aligning business actions to the vision and strategy of the organization, improving internal and external communications, and monitoring organization performance against strategic goals it focuses on measurement and evaluation using criteria that will provide a balanced view rather than using only the financial criteria. The four perspectives which Kaplan and Norton recommended that managers assess their employees on are: The financial perspective -This perspective measures the financial outcomes of the organisation. These may include profits, new commercial business ventures or it can be result based. The customers perspective An organisation success depends on their customers, as such, this perspective measures the customers satisfaction and their perception of the organisation. The data collected allows the organisation to gauge if they are effectively satisfying their customers needs and if there is a need for further improvement. The internal business perspective This perspective focuses on the organizations critical internal operations which enable the organisation to attain customer satisfaction. It includes the infrastructure, long and short term goals and objectives, organisational procedures, and human resources. The innovation and learning perspective This perspective cover the organisations ability to innovate, learn, and improve. This links directly with the values of the organisation. For the Balanced scorecard approach to be effective the manager should have the capability to observe and take note of several instruments and measures concurrently. It is frequently stated that one of the main benefits of the Balanced Scorecard, is that is translates strategy into action. However, despite its popularity Norreklit (2003) questioned the existence of a causal relationship between the different perspectives, the fact that this system does not address the needs and wants of all the stakeholders of a company; and the lack of theory behind the scorecard concept. Notwithstanding this criticism the balance scorecard approach has proven to be an appropriate tool to address the organisation performance and if the four perspectives are properly assessed in the end the company and their stakeholders will benefit from their success. As part of this research the researcher will use this universally known model to assess the performance measurement system at AATT. Performance management as a motivational tool. Understand each individuals motivations and triggers can assist an organisation to motivate their employee to perform at their maximum potential. Performance management is constantly associated with theories of motivation. There are several written motivational theories in literature, with the most popular being; Taylor (1890, 1911) Scientific Management, Maslows (1954) needs hierarchy theory, Locke and Ladham (1968, 1990) goal setting theory, Herzbergs 1957 two-factors theory, and Vroom 1964 expectancy theory. Frederick Winslow Taylor (1890, 1911), put forward the idea that workers are motivated mainly by pay. His Theory of Scientific Management argued that workers do not naturally enjoy work and so need close supervision and control; therefore managers should break down production into a series of small tasks. Workers should then be given appropriate training and tools so they can work as efficiently as possible on one set task. Workers are then paid according to the number of items they produce in a set period of time- piece-rate pay. As a result workers are encouraged to work hard and maximise their productivity. However this approach became repetitive and insulting to the workers as they felt like they were being treated like human machines. This theory is often linked to Macgregors two fundamental approaches to managing people, theory X and theory Y, namely theory X which speaks to employees being self-serving, unwilling to take on responsibility and essentially only working for money. It follows an authoritarian management style. On the other hand theory Y speaks to a participative management style saying work is as natural as rest or play, without the threat of punishment people will work to pursue organizational objectives and people accept and seek out responsibility, which is what the performance management cycle is all about, including the employee in the process. Elton Mayo went against those theories saying that workers are not just concerned with money but could be better motivated by having their social needs met whilst at work. This factor was ignored by Taylor. Mayo introduced the Human Relation School of thought, which focused on managers actively communicating to their employees, and treating them as individuals who have meaningful opinions. His theory most aligns with the paternalistic management style and incorporates elements of the performance management cycle, whereby employees are encouraged to give their opinion and work alongside management. Abraham Maslow (1954) in conjunction with Frederick Herzberg 1957 introduced the Neo-Human Relations School in the 1950s, which focused on the psychological needs of employees. Maslow put forward a theory that there are five levels of human needs which employees need to have fulfilled at work. These are identified in the figure below. It is a bottom up approach, he identified that if certain need cannot be met the person will not be motivated to move on to the other level. Whereas, Hertzbergs two-factor theory are hygiene factors and motivator factors. Hygiene factors speak to the need for a business to avoid unpleasantness at work. If these factors are inadequate for employees, they therefore can cause discontent at work. Hygiene factors include: Company policies and administration Wages, salaries and other financial remuneration Quality of supervision Quality of inter-personal relations Working conditions Feelings of job security Motivator factors are based on the individual need for personal development. When they exist, motivator factors actively create job satisfaction. If they are effective, then they can motivate an individual to achieve above-average performance and effort. Motivator factors include: Status Opportunity for advancement Gaining recognition Responsibility Challenging / stimulating work Sense of personal achievement personal growth in a job There are similarities between Maslow (1954) and Frederick Herzberg theories; they both suggest that needs have to be satisfied for the employee to be motivated. However, Herzberg argues that only the higher levels of the Maslow Hierarchy (e.g. self-actualisation, esteem needs) act as a motivator. The remaining needs can only cause dissatisfaction if not addressed. (Motivation in theory n.d.) These motivational theories can be applied to a wide range of management functions, but these will be used by the researcher to fulfil her objective of determine the Performance Management process as it relates to the motivation of employees in the workplace and how it is implemented in the organization and the impact it has on the motivation of employees. This chapter outlined literature key to the researchers study of performance management as it relates to AATT. The following chapter will address the methodologies the researcher will utilize to ascertain her objectives. Drucker, P., The Practice of Management, Harper, New York, 1954; Heinemann, London, 1955; revised edn, Butterworth-Heinemann, 2007 The Economist Guide to Management Ideas and Gurus, by Tim Hindle Flippo, E. B. 1984. Personnel management. 6th Ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company. Steers, R.M. Black, J.S. 1994. Organizational behaviour. Ed. ke-5. New York: Harper Collins. Grote, R.C. Grote, D. 2002. The performance appraisal question and answer book: a survival guide for managers. AMACOM. Les Pickett, (2003) Transforming the annual fiasco, Industrial and Commercial Training, Vol. 35 Iss: 6, pp.237 240 Armstrong, M Baron, A 2005, Managing performance: Performance management in action. Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, London. Weiss, Tracey B., and Franklin Hartle, Reengineering Performance Management, Breakthroughs in Achieving Strategy Through People, St. Lucie Press, Boca Raton, 1997. Pg 3-6 Kaufman, R. (1997). A Strategic Planning Framework: Mega Planning. In Kaufman, R., Thiagarajan, S., MacGillis, P. (Editors), The Handbook for Performance Improvement. San Francisco, CA: Pfeiffer Co/Division of Jossey-Bass Laurence S. Fink, Clinton Oliver Longenecker, (1998) Training as a performance appraisal improvement strategy, Career Development International, Vol. 3 Iss: 6, pp.243 251 Douglas Maxx, Robert Bacall. 2001. Perfect Phrases for Performance Reviews 2/E. McGraw-Hill Professional p 201. Neely A., Adams C. and Kennerley M, (2002), The Performance Prism: The Scorecard for Measuring and Managing Business Success, London, UK: Financial Times Prentice Hall Norreklit, H. (2003), The Balanced Scorecard: What Is the Score? A Rhetorical Analysis of the Balanced Scorecard., Accounting, Organisations and Society, Vol. 28, No. 6, pp. 591. KAPLAN, R. S. and NORTON, D. P. 1992. The Balanced Scorecard: Measures that Drive Performance, Harvard Business Review, Jan-Feb, pp. 71-79. KAPLAN, R. S. and NORTON, D. P. 1996. Using the Balanced Scorecard as a Strategic Management System, Harvard Business Review, Jan-Feb pp 75 -85. HERZBERG, F. et al. 1957. The motivation to work. 2nd ed. New York LOCKE, E.A. 1968. Towards a Theory of Task Motivation and Incentives, Organisational Behaviour and Human Performance, Vol. 14, No.2, pp. 157-189. LOCKE, E.A. and LADHAM, G.P. 1990. A Theory of Goal setting and Task Performance, New York, NY: Prentice-Hall. MCCLELLAND, P. C. 1975. Causal explanation and model building in history, economics and the new economy. Ithaca; London : Cornell University Press. Maslow, Abraham (1954). Motivation and Personality. Harper and Row New York: VROOM, V.H. 1964. Work and Motivation., New York, NY: John Wiley. TAYLOR, F. W. 1890. The rise of scientific management. Madison; London : University of Wisconsin Press. TAYLOR, F. W., 1911. The principles of scientific management. London : Harper Brothers. http://tutor2u.net/business/people/motivation_theory_herzberg.asp motivation in theory Neely, A 1998, Measurement of business performance why, what and how, The Economist, London.

The Active Role of the Media in Influencing Our Opinion on Global Polit

Introduction The globalization of media has broken down the communication barriers between countries and is now more readily available and accessible than ever before. This paper examines how the media plays an active role in influencing our opinion on global politics in regards to the Arab Spring and the new revolution making its way through the Middle East and North Africa. It will also examine the theories of the CNN effect and the Manufacturing consent and how these define the relationship between governments and the news media. The United States involvement with the Hollywood industry raises concerns about this relationship and emphasizes the importance to recognize the role of the media in global politics. Media today has made significant leaps in terms of advancements in technology since the beginning of the 20th century. Globalization has led to the breaking down of communication barriers between nation states and now news media can be accessed all over the world; giving exposure to events of war, economic, political and humanitarian strife. This in turn will lead to greater awareness of humanitarian crisis in places such as the Middle East. It has only been in the past two decades that ‘new’ media took the world of media even further. The term ‘new’ means to facilitate information sharing, one of the components of effective resistance; those in countries such as Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq use social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to show the rest of the world what the news media is unable to. This type of media was the beginning of an information revolution and the changing of the nature of conflict by strengthening network forms of organiza tion over hierarchical forms. Activists in Tunisia who were ag... ...n Foreign Policy.† Eurpoean Journal of Communication16, no4 (2001):523-544, http://ics-www.leeds.ac.uk/papers/pmt/exhibits/1848/robinson2.pdf (accessed April 16 2012) Entman, Robert. â€Å"Symposium Framing U.S. Coverage of International News: Contrasts in Narratives of the KAL and Iran Air Incidents.† Journal of Communication 41,no4 (1991): 6, http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com.ezproxy.auckland.ac.nz/doi/10.1111/j.1460-2466.1991.tb02328.x/abstract;jsessionid=1ED043007C2287AA69B7A3A2DD869C27.d01t02 (accessed April 16 2012) Robinson, The CNN Effect, 304 Ibid,. 304 Lacey, Anita. â€Å"How do we find out what is going on in the world?† Lecture, POLITICS 106, The University of Auckland, March 26, 2012. Castonguay, James. â€Å"Conglomeration, New Media, and the Cultural Production of the â€Å"war on Terror.† Cinema Journal 43, no4 (2004):102-108, Ibd,. 102+ Ibd,. 102+

The First Outbreak of the Illness :: Medicine Medical Influenza Essays

The First Outbreak of the Illness It was a quietly dull afternoon when they brought the first victim into the Emergency Room. He was a boyish 15 year-old, an adolescent sheep herder who appeared to be suffering from an unusually high fever accompanied by delirium. His uncle, the only relative to accompany the boy, said that his nephew was in good spirits until a few days prior when his health quickly deteriorated. [I was] a visiting doctor from Peru [and] the boy reminded me of home, where a majority of my childhood neighbors raised sheep upon the Altiplano. The hospital in which the boy was received was King Fahad Central Hospital in the town of Jazan, a small city in southwest Saudi Arabia near the Yemen border. It was early August 2000, and I was in Jazan as a participating physician in the first physician exchange program between the Saudi and Peruvian governments. My admission into this program was due to my youth, my specialization in pediatrics, and my familiarity with livestock culture. Though this are a of Saudi Arabia was similar to home in climate, it didn't help ... that the language of these indigenous people was so difficult to interpret. Thank Allah that I was surrounded by a sympathetic hospital staff. After administering fluids to relieve his dehydration, I had the boy x-rayed to see if I could find anything beyond the surface of his quickly-failing, physical condition. Upon review of the patient's cranial x-rays, it was found that there was swelling of the brain (encephalitis) along with kidney damage. Sadly, the boy was pronounced dead two days later, and with my inability to find a cure for him, the hospital was suddenly facing an exponential amount of patients suffering from the same condition. Desperate to find a clue, my fellow doctors and I spent whatever time available studying the cause for this mysterious illness. The most common factors between these patients were that all of them were herdsmen who happened to graze their sheep near a wadi (seasonal watercourse) a few miles north of Jazan. Instantly we assumed that this was a new, aggressive form of malaria with the vector being a mosquito. However, another colleague, Dr. Muhammad Almaradni, concluded another diag nosis--Rift Valley Fever. According to the World Health Organization, Rift Valley Fever (RVF) was isolated in 1930 during an

The Scarlet Letter 10 :: essays research papers

'Among many morals which press upon us from the poor minister's miserable experience, we put only this into a sentence: Be true! Be true! Be true! Show freely to the world, if not your worst, yet some trait whereby the worst may be inferred!';(Ch.24: 236) Hawthorne expresses the purpose of writing this novel in that short sentence. He creates characters who have sin and disguise these sins for their own salvation. Slowly these sins evolve the characters, it strengthens Hester, humanizes Dimmesdale, and turns Chillingworth into a demon. The story is Hawthorne's depiction of the effects of sin on the hearts and minds of humanity during the Puritan society through the characters Hester, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth. Hester's sin is that her passion and love were of more importance to her than the Puritan moral code, but she learns the error of her ways and slowly regains the adoration of the community. For instance, 'What we did had a consecration of its own. We felt it so! We said so to each other! Hast thou forgotten it?';(Ch.17: 179). Hester fully acknowledges her guilt and displays it with pride to the world. This was obvious by the way she displays the scarlet letter with elaborate designs showing that she is proud. Furthermore, she does not want to live a life of lies anymore when she states 'forgive me! In all things else, I have striven to be true! Truth was the one virtue which I might have held fast, and did hold fast, through all extremity save when thy good--the life--they fame--were put in question! Then I consented a deception. But a lie is never good, even though death threaten the other side!';(Ch.17: 177). Hester learns from her sin, and grows strong, a direct result from her pu nishment. The scarlet letter 'A' was as if a blessing to Hester changing her into an honest person with good virtues. Fittingly, she chooses to stay in Boston with Pearl although Hawthorne admits, ';…that this woman should still call that place her home, where, and where only, she must needs be the type of shame';(Ch.5: 73). She is trying to stay and face her consequences instead of running in the other direction. Most people would leave a town where they are looked upon as trash the scum of society. Finally, the colonists come to think of the scarlet letter as '…the cross on a nun's bosom';(Ch.

Macbeth Character Analysis Essay

In this essay I will write about the character of Macbeth and what my first impressions are of him, such as his bravery, strength, determination and courage. I will also write about how he is introduced, his reaction to the encounter with the weird sisters, his attitude towards Banquo, Duncan and Malcolm. Also, his relationship with his wife, Lady Macbeth. My very first impression of Macbeth was that he was was brave as the captain said, â€Å"For brave Macbeth – well he deserves that name†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Also, the captain implied that he is very strong and a great fighter, â€Å"†¦ With his brandished steel, which smoked with bloody execution, like valour’s minion carved out his passage, till he faced the slave†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . This means that he stands with his sword covered in blood which shows he has killed a lot of people and valour’s minion means bravery’s favourite. The captain also says how merciless Macbeth is as he kills the traitor Macdonwald, â€Å"†¦which never shook hands, nor bade farewell to him, till he unseamed him from the nave to the chops, and fixed his head upon our battlements†. This quote shows how merciless Macbeth is as it states that he ‘carved’ his way through the army, and how he killed Macdonwald even after bring tired and bruised without even speaking to him. He even paraded his head on the battlefield to show everybody what he had done. Our first impressions of Macbeth are that he is brave, merciless and a great fighter. The three witches soon appeared and told their predictions; â€Å"All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Glamis!† â€Å"All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, Thane of Cawdor!† â€Å"All hail Macbeth, hail to thee, that shalt be King hereafter!†. After Macbeth heard the wierd sisters he was too shocked to speak as Banquo said, â€Å"Good sir, why do you start, and seem to fear things that do sound so fair†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He finally answered back by asking them to tell more and in more detail. He started to question the three witches and himself as he was confused; â€Å"†¦I know I am Thane of Glamis, but how of Cawdor? The thane of Cawdor lives†¦Ã¢â‚¬  . He was trying to figure out what this all meant and how these creatures got this information. He again tried to question them but the suddenly vanished into thin air, â€Å"The earth hath bubbles, as the water has, and these are of them.†. He asked Banquo if this was real or if they had eaten some kind of hallucinogens or drugs, â€Å"Were such things here as we do speak about? Or have we eaten on the insane root†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He then started thinking about being Thane of Cawdor and whether or not this could be true. The two messengers came, nearly straight after the predictions by the three witches, and told Macbeth that he was given the title Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth was in shock and Banquo said that evil was at work, Macbeth asked the messengers why he was the new Thane even though the old Thane still lived. He thanked the messengers and said to himself that more was to come as this is shown in the quote, â€Å"Glamis, and Thane of Cawdor. The greatest is behind.†. This means that the greatest prize is still to come and this is referring to him being King. His first thoughts of the three witches after they appeared and told their predictions were that they were some kind of supernatural beings and so Macbeth tried to find out what they meant, where they received this information and why they were telling him this. He was first thinking this was some kind of hoax but after the messengers came and said that the King had named him the Thane of Cawdor, he began to consider what it will mean if the third prediction is to come true. Banquo is Macbeth’s best friend and he trusts him with his life and vice versa. He respects Banquo and he uses his advice most of the time. They are partners in war and in friendship and do almost everything together. He likes Banquo but he sometimes has different thoughts than him as this quote states, â€Å"†¦But ’tis strange: And oftentimes, to win us to our harm, the instruments of darkness tell us truths†¦in deepest consequences.† This quote means that the recent occurrences are unnatural and the forces of evil encourage them to do things, which are misleading, and there could be some consequences later. Duncan is the King of Scotland and Macbeth had given him the most respect he has ever given anyone. Macbeth was loyal to the King and fought for him and the country of Scotland. Macbeth thinks that Duncan is a good King and uses his power to good strength and also the fact that he has a good judgement, this quote shows this, â€Å"Strong both against the deed; then†¦besides Duncan hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been so clear in his great office†¦Ã¢â‚¬  This means that Macbeth thinks King Duncan is a good king who is not corrupt. Macbeth does not like Malcolm even though he is related to him, Malcolm is the heir to the throne and that is a bit of a pain in the neck. Macbeth wants to be king but cannot as Malcolm is the heir so, as you would imagine he is an obstacle in Macbeth’s ambition and target, this quote shows this. â€Å"The Prince of Cumberland-that is a step†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Lady Macbeth is Macbeth’s wife and Macbeth loves her very much and so he sends her a letter telling her that he has become the Thane of Cawdor, â€Å"They met me in a day of success†¦they have more in them than mortal knowledge†¦came missives from the King, who hailed me ‘Thane of Cawdor’†¦ â€Å" Lady Macbeth is the kind of person that gets what she wants and I don’t think that Macbeth likes this that much. She persuades him to murder Duncan nearly straight after she recieves his letter. Macbeth likes Lady Macbeth but he doesn’t like the way she gets her way but he still goes with the flow, â€Å"Was the hope drunk wherein you dressed yourself†¦and live a coward in thine own esteem†¦each corporal agent to this terrible feat. Away, and mock the time with fairest show†¦ â€Å" Here, Lady Macbeth uses reverse psychology by accusing him of cowardice and a lack of love or her. Overall the first impressions we get of Macbeth are that he is brave and a good fighter and that he is loyal to his country and the King. His first impressions of the three witches were the same as anybody else, surprise and that the witches are some strange people or that they are seeing things. He likes Banquo and respects him and he is very loyal to Duncan who is like a father figure to him. He doesn’t like Malcolm that much as he is an obstacle but he is still related to him. His relationship with Lady Macbeth is very good but you get the impression that she is very much in control of their relationship.

Pilgrimage Analysis Essay

Pilgrimage is the name given to a spiritual journey. There is more depth to a physical journey. It is about what it means spiritually to the individual. It is an emotional and spiritual journey. It is a journey from the heart showing love for God. The definition of true is ‘loyal’ so a true pilgrimage is a journey you take to show loyalty to God. To become a pilgrim, the person must leave their home and undertake a sacred journey, which may confirm and strengthen their personal beliefs in their religion. People can go on this journey alone or in a community. Many places in the world are very exceptional for Christians. Some are places where Jesus lived, such as Nazareth. Other places are special because a holy person is buried there. Many Christians go on their pilgrimages to Lourdes and Rome. People go on journeys to these special, religious places to order their lives in terms of what is good, beautiful and true. â€Å"Christianity is a journey into Christ a journey that mirrors every Christian mystery through life. As a Christian grows and changes, so he or she tries to move nearer to Christ. A believer’s ultimate hope is to be completely at one with him in eternity, when on the journey, Christians may use the physical act of pilgrimage to help them to focus on the need for spiritual nourishment.† People go to these places of worship as here they believe they can fulfil their beliefs, and show their devotion to their religion. They are making a holy journey. We call those who go on these special journeys ‘pilgrims’. They do not have to do this, there is nothing in the Bible which tells Christians that they must make pilgrimages. It is their decision made freely. Many people regard Lourdes, as a place of miracles and of wonderful and unexplainable events. A young girl called Bernadette had a vision of the Virgin Mary countless times and in these visions, Bernadette, was told how to find a natural spring. Many Christians go as they are ill and hope to be cured. But others go for the same reasons that they go to church. Another reason to go on a pilgrimage is to feel some of the holiness of the place and become closer to God. By becoming closer to God, we can feel like better Christians and this should help us to become better Christians and do as God intended us. People also go on pilgrimage to seek God’s forgiveness for the sins that they have committed. Some people go to ask and receive God’s help, like people who have an illness or are disabled in some way, may ask for a cure to heal them. People can also ask to be healed spiritually, as coming to their pilgrimage centre may make them realise that they have not been leading a good Christian life and it may make them change into good Christians. Rome is another main pilgrimage centres for millions of Catholics. In Rome, there are 7 pilgrim churches founded when the Roman Empire became Christian. People have been coming to Rome on a pilgrimage for the past 1600 years. The Church of St. Peter was built on top of the tomb of St. Peter who was the leader of the 12 apostles and the first ever Pope. St Paul’s church was built on top of the tomb of St. Paul, the great Christian missionary, who wrote most of the epistles in the New Testament. Rome is the home of the Pope and the Vatican is the headquarters of the Catholic Church. A pilgrimage to Rome is very special as it is the home of the Roman Catholic Church. Lourdes is a Pilgrimage centre which is much more recent, but it still receives over 2 million pilgrims a year. Water is a very special part of Lourdes a here there are the baths where you are fully immersed in Holy Water. You feel as if you are being cleansed of your sins, like a believer’s baptism as you are fully immersed in water like Jesus was fully immersed in the water of the river in Jordan when he was baptised by John the Baptist. Question 2 Many Christians believe that it is very important to go on a pilgrimage as it helps them develop into better Christians. As they go to the special, religious centres they become closer to God and begin to understand the religion more. By praying to God they become much closer, and their beliefs about the religion are greatly strengthened. The pilgrimage centres really have a great affect on the person spiritually. By getting away from their normal lives Christians who go on pilgrimages to Lourdes or Rome are filled with a special feeling of belonging when they go to a pilgrimage centre. At these special places Christians feel much closer to God as they are at special places where religious events have occurred in the past. Some people go on pilgrimages as groups, where they can help others who are less fortunate than themselves. Certain groups take children who aren’t so fortunate on pilgrimages to places like Lourdes and let them become closer to God. By doing this they are helping Jesus, as Jesus said â€Å"anything you do to your neighbour you do unto me†. People who may have turned away from the religion could also have their spirits renewed and change as a person to being a good Christian. Some people also feel that they can see their vocation when they come to a pilgrimage centre, which shows the huge affect that pilgrimage centres have on people. When people come on pilgrimages they leave homes behind and decide to forget all comforts and put God first. They are showing by going to these pilgrimage centres, their devotion to God and that their main aim in life is to be a good Christian rather than make money and have fun. They show that their main aim is on God and making God happy. Christians also come to Lourdes and Rome to ask questions, to ask questions about Christianity and how they can become a better Christian and make God happy. Christians also enjoy coming together and going on pilgrimages as then they are surrounded by many people who are like them, all on a journey to strengthen their religious beliefs and become better Christians. Christians also come to pilgrimage centres as they wish to ask God for his forgiveness for all there sins, and by coming on a long journey to a pilgrimage centre they can show to God that they truly are sorry for their sins and that they want to be better Christians. They can also show that God is most important to them as they are coming on a journey to show their devotion to him. The spring St. Bernadette had found was holy and had great healing powers. Now many people visit Lourdes and drink or bathe in the holy water. Many people have miraculously been cured of illness after visiting Lourdes. In Lourdes there have been many specialised things made to accommodate people suffering illness or those who have disability. The people who a go there to pray for themselves and to pray for others. Some pilgrims, who go there, volunteer their time when they are not praying to people who are less able than them. I have been to Lourdes myself and when I was there the feeling of Holiness was unbelievable. Just being there made me feel as If I was cleansed of all my sins, and I truly felt closer to God and being their strengthened my passion towards my religious beliefs. Question 3 After being to Lourdes myself I feel that the pilgrimage centre has become too commercialised. So many people are trying to make money out of the religiously spectacular area it has taken some of the special feeling away from visiting Lourdes. The point of going on a pilgrimage is to get away from our normal lives where all we think about is work and money and spend time concentrating on God and putting our religion first. By setting up shops around the area we are tempted to purchase items, which takes away the precious feelings of visiting Lourdes. The area around Lourdes is meant to be tranquil and peaceful and reflect the image of Christianity, but having loads of shops around the area provokes the town to turn into a busy, messy area where crime can increase and there is a lot of disrespect for the holiness of the pilgrimage centre. However, if a person does visit such a spiritually healing place like Lourdes naturally they would like to be able to take home with them a souvenir to remind them of their time in the area which changed them so much into a better Christian. Many people purchase items which are very special and can be used as aids to prayer, which makes them better Christians as this would bring them closer to God. If these special items do bring them closer to God then they are sacred items and are very precious. When I went to Lourdes I did purchase special items from shops in the area which I have used as aids to prayer and have in my house looking over me, protecting me. But I still feel that the area around Lourdes has become to commercialised as there are so many shops and some of the items sold in the shops are not very sacred and can bring down the preciousness of Mary and Jesus as they are not very respectful.