Marketing :: essays research papers

1. A. An economic system is a nations system for allocating its resources among its citizens. Economic systems differ in terms of who owns or controls the four basic factors of production: labor, capital, entrepreneurs, and natural resources. In planned economies, the government all or most factors. In market economies, which are based on the principles of capitalism, individuals control the factors of production. Most countries today have mixed market economies that are dominated by one of these systems but include elements of the other. The process of privatization is an important means by which many of the world’s planned economies are moving toward mixed market systems. 2. A. The most common forms of business ownership are the sole proprietorship, the partnership, the cooperative, and the regular corporation. Each form has several advantages and disadvantages. The form under which a business chooses to organize is crucial because it affects both long-term strategy and day-to-day decision making. In addition to advantages and disadvantages, entrepreneurs must consider their preferences and long-range requirements 3. B. The difference forms of competition advantage are critical to international business. With an absolute advantage, a country engages in international trade because it can produce a product more efficiently than any other nation. But more often, countries trade because they enjoy comparative advantages: They can produce some items more efficiently than they produce other items. The import-export balance including the balance of trade and the balance of payments, and exchange rate differences in national currencies affect the international economic environment and are important element of international business. 4. A. Social responsibility refers to an organization’s response to social needs. Until the second half of the nineteenth century, because business often paid little attention to these needs. Since then however both public pressure and government regulation especially as a result of the great depression of the 1930s and the social activism of the 1960s and the 1970s have forced business to consider the public welfare at least to some degree. A trend toward increased social consciousness, including a heightened sense of environment activism has recently emerged. 5. A Management is the process of planning, organizing, directing, and controlling an organization’s financial, physical, human and information resources to achieve the organization’s goal. Planning means determining what the company needs to do and how best to get to get it done. Organizing means determining how best to arrange a business’s resources and the necessary jobs into an overall structure.

Japanese: The Law Of Inverse Returns :: essays research papers

Japanese: The Law of Inverse Returns Scott Barlow December 6, 1996 Shoji Azuma Japan 355 - 1 The law of inverse returns states that the better the foreign learner's Japanese is, the worse the reaction of the Japanese native population will be to the learner's use of Japanese. In this paper, I argue that the better the learner's Japanese is, the better the treatment to the learner of Japanese from native Japanese. I will argue this point by making three statements and then provide opinions and reactions of others whom I have interviewed over the Internet. The better the Japanese language that one has, the more the freedom he feels. I felt this feeling while I was in Japan and I could finally go to the bank and make a deposit or withdraw without fumbling and literally making up my own Japanese vocabulary. Until further Japanese study, did I find out that the word to "withdraw" money from the bank was the same as "taking something down," like from a shelf. These are the same words, but in Japanese it is the context that they are used is what is important. Not only does better Japanese save you the embarrassment of making a mistake, but having better in Japanese also helps natives feel less of a burden on them, than if you didn't speak good Japanese. In Japan as a missionary, I had the opportunity to visit a retirement home once a week. During our visit with the elderly, we also cleaned up. doing the normal housekeeping that was necessary for them to live in a cleaner, better environment. I am very glad that I had Japanese that I was able to understand the retirees, especially when the needed someone to talk to and when I was able to understand and help them clean where they asked me to. Through the understanding that I had then as a missionary in the Japanese language, I feel that the full-time workers there were less worried about us performing duties for them because we had better Japanese. This resulted in the better treatment I received as I was in Japan because of the position I was in able to serve. The second argument I would like to make on a related topic of being less burdensome to the Japanese. Everyone doesn't like a lazy person, although a lot of people in America like being the lazy person. In Japan if you aren't busy doing something, it is like being counter-productive and demeaning the existence of society. The better the learner's Japanese is, the more likely he is to be

Effects of Segregation and Racism in Of Mice and Men Chapter 4 :: John Steinbeck

In the story, Crooks' home is, "a little shed that leaned off the wall of the barn." This suggests that he is isolated from the other men and treated like the animals he cares for and as such is made to live with them. Crooks' "bunk" was actually a long box filled with straw, which could further reinforce the fact that he is treated like an animal or it could show that he is poor and has low, if any social status. To say that Steinbeck seems to make his characters seem low and poor, Crooks seems to have a number of pleasant possessions, however, some are damaged but this could represent their amount of use. These include, "a single barreled shotgun" which suggests that he feels threatened and needs protection, although it could be a trophy from previous times in his past that he would like to remember. Also, he owns a "big alarm clock" which may show that he is punctual, ordered and that he requires being on time given the job but it may also show that because he is isolated from the other men, he relies less on others to awaken him in the mornings. ?A tattered dictionary? is another of his personal items, which could define his character as intelligent, but that he wants to be seen and it could be a way to prevent his constant loneliness from being a problem. Another piece of his home comes in the form of ?a mauled copy of the California civil code,? which can be used to represent his character?s intelligence plus that he reads to escape solitude, in addition to this point, as a coloured person in those times, Crooks? life must have been difficult, knowing his right as a person could aid in protection with which he needs. The last article in Crooks? inventory of significance would be his ?gold-rimmed spectacles,? which could enable him to see clearly, but may also allow him to view the world in a different perspective. The last point regarding Crooks? room may perhaps be seen as a relevant one, ?this room was swept and fairly neat?? could illustrate Crooks as a proud, aloof man. Finally, the fact that Crooks keeps his distance and demands that others keep theirs could again reinforce the point that he feels threatened and this would keep him protected. When Lennie enters the room, we learn more about the effects of isolation. Effects of Segregation and Racism in Of Mice and Men Chapter 4 :: John Steinbeck In the story, Crooks' home is, "a little shed that leaned off the wall of the barn." This suggests that he is isolated from the other men and treated like the animals he cares for and as such is made to live with them. Crooks' "bunk" was actually a long box filled with straw, which could further reinforce the fact that he is treated like an animal or it could show that he is poor and has low, if any social status. To say that Steinbeck seems to make his characters seem low and poor, Crooks seems to have a number of pleasant possessions, however, some are damaged but this could represent their amount of use. These include, "a single barreled shotgun" which suggests that he feels threatened and needs protection, although it could be a trophy from previous times in his past that he would like to remember. Also, he owns a "big alarm clock" which may show that he is punctual, ordered and that he requires being on time given the job but it may also show that because he is isolated from the other men, he relies less on others to awaken him in the mornings. ?A tattered dictionary? is another of his personal items, which could define his character as intelligent, but that he wants to be seen and it could be a way to prevent his constant loneliness from being a problem. Another piece of his home comes in the form of ?a mauled copy of the California civil code,? which can be used to represent his character?s intelligence plus that he reads to escape solitude, in addition to this point, as a coloured person in those times, Crooks? life must have been difficult, knowing his right as a person could aid in protection with which he needs. The last article in Crooks? inventory of significance would be his ?gold-rimmed spectacles,? which could enable him to see clearly, but may also allow him to view the world in a different perspective. The last point regarding Crooks? room may perhaps be seen as a relevant one, ?this room was swept and fairly neat?? could illustrate Crooks as a proud, aloof man. Finally, the fact that Crooks keeps his distance and demands that others keep theirs could again reinforce the point that he feels threatened and this would keep him protected. When Lennie enters the room, we learn more about the effects of isolation.

The End of the Cold War and the New Threats to Global Security

1.Introduction The end of the Cold War marked a new beginning for the international security agenda, and the demise of the simple bipolarity brought forward a revised agenda for human rights, international peace and cooperation and stability. The end of the Cold War triggered the rise of new threats and challenges to international security, and the advance of globalization led to the redistribution of power in the international system (Baylis & Smith, 2007; Brown, 2005). In the context of globalization, the capacity of the state was undermined and as a result state-to-state relations dramatically changed (Strange, 2002). Classic wars were gradually transformed into â€Å"modern wars† (Kaldor, 1999; Smith, 2006; Shaw, 2005). In this different political environment, the security challenges were no longer existent on a state-to-state level, because of the growing importance of sub-state actors. This essay will focus on the reorganization of the international system after the end of the Cold War, and will discuss the new challenges to global security, posed by the demise of the bipolar regime. The essay will support the view that with the end of the Cold War, the world became a more dangerous place, because of the multiplicity of actors on the international scene and the changed perceptions of military force, war and security. Changing perceptions of military force and war The end of the Cold War brought forward the change of the perceptions of military force in several different aspects. The impact of these changed perceptions upon the international security agenda has been undisputed, and will be discussed in detail. For clarity, the author has chosen to focus only on the most important security-related transformations following the Cold War – the new sources of threat such as nuclear weapons and terrorism, and the changing notions of war in the context of globalization. Their features will be discussed in the context of the changed dynamics of the international system.2.1 New sources of security threatThe end of the Cold War led to new security challenges, because of changing notions of military force and the new sources of security threat (Smith, 2006; Shaw, 2005). The first one is related to the rise of nuclear power. With the demise of the USSR, the simple bipolarity of the Cold War world was replaced by a multipolar world, where the centr ality of power was no longer clearly defined (Brown, 2005; Jackson & Sorensen, 2003). The rise of the Asian economic powers, the advance of nuclear and biological weapons in countries such as Iran, Israel and Iraq challenged the stability of the mutual deterrence principle, comfortably sustained during the Cold War (Hammes, 2005). Another source of security threat after the Cold War was related to terrorism, and the rise of sub-state actors (Smith, 2006). The War on terror, embedded in the Bush doctrine, was a clear demonstration of the changing nature of war, and the elusive image of the new enemy (Shaw, 2005). After 9/11 it became clear that terrorism was not a war against an enemy, but against tactics (Baylis & Smith, 2007). Its manifestations and capacity to destroy were as much the result of political construction, as of historically embedded perceptions about the East and the West and their manipulation by mass media and policy-makers. After the end of the Cold War non-state actors such as Al Qaeda and Hamas, became a new source of security threat because of their ability to operate internationally but at the same time to exist inside the state (Shaw, 2005). Also, the controversies, around states labelled as rogue and unable to comply with the international standards for peace and democracy such as Afgha nistan, Iraq, North Korea, Libya and Syria necessitated new means for meeting the challenges to threat and security. They will be discussed in section 3.2.2 Changing notions of war in a global worldHere it is important to mention globalization as a factor, which led to re-examination of the capacity of the state to observe human security and human rights (Strange, 2002). In the context of a borderless world, the international human rights agenda is inevitably revisited, and the main carriers of legal standards are no longer represented solely by state actors, but by the global civil society, comprising of International non-governmental organizations (INGOs). Because of these inevitable transformations, the very perception of security, threat and war changed in several important aspects. As Mary Kaldor famously observes, the end of the Cold War saw the rise of the modern wars, which lack time and space, because they are based on non-quantifiable demands often related to ideology, eth nicity, religion and the social construction of history (1999). The old wars were pushed away by new types of threats and conflicts, such as organized crime, and religious and civil wars. The early 1990s saw the bloody demise of former Yugoslavia, and a series of conflicts in Rwanda, Congo, Sudan and Somalia, triggered by the redefinition of political borders, the struggle over economic resources and ethnic and religious factionalism. In the context of globalization, the modern wars are interstate conflicts, executed by sub-state actors. In this sense, it is important to mention that the growing presence of the sub-state actors has posed new challenges to the classic perceptions of security, because of non-tangible variables such as perceptions, as opposed to old-time military ambitions related to territorial invasion and economic gain. Meeting the new security challenges: a revised agenda for peace In order to meet the new security challenges, identified earlier, the international community had to devise a new agenda in the post-Cold war era. First, humanitarian intervention became important, and triggered as an effect of the revised agenda, where the security of foreign nationals, whose human rights have been violated by their home state became important (Jackson & Sorensen, 2003). Despite the ongoing political debate about the legality and legitimacy of humanitarian intervention, a norm of intervention was authorized by the UN Security Council in the 1990s, which was followed by operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1996 and Kosovo in 1999 (Baylis & Smith, 2007). Despite the criticisms that humanitarian intervention might stop the immediate killing of civilians but is not a reliable strategy for long-term piece, it reveals a shifted emphasis from military to human security in the years following the end of the Cold War. In this relation, another trend in dealing with conflicts became prominent – the imposition of economic sanctions for the purpose of exerting political, rather than military pressure u pon non-compliant states and communities. The post-Cold War agenda for peace also involved the reorganization of military forces, where the deviation from the Clausewitzian concept of war was obvious in the attempt to ameliorate and contain, rather than destroy or simply conquer (Smith, 2006). Examples of such wars of containment are the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition, the role of the global civil society and the growing influence of INGOs as advocates of peace and human rights deserve a mention. The importance of international non-governmental organizations in global policy-making has been undisputed because of the more complicated security agenda in the post-Cold War era. Also, because of the multiplicity of actors in the international system, and the new security needs, states and intergovernmental organizations are unable to deal with international crises without the development programmes and research, provided by the INGOs. Although their political success remains disputed, their role as independent observers and proponents of policy change is growing. Conclusion This essay has attempted to show the changing nature of the international system after the end of the Cold War. Today the international community faces different security threats based on a new perception of military force. Terrorism and the spread of nuclear power have shunned classic state-to-state conflicts, and as a result a new security agenda for peace and cooperation has been embraced. In the era of globalization, the transition towards collective security as a model of global governance, remains a challenge but also a prerequisite for peace. Bibliography: Baylis, J. & Smith, S. (2007) eds, The Globalization of World Politics. Oxford: Oxford University Press Brown, C., (2005) Understanding International Relations, Palgrave: Macmillan, Ch. 6, pp. 106-123 Clausewitz, C. (1977) ‘What is War?’, On War, Princeton: Princeton University Press Hammes, T.X (2005) ‘War evolves into the fourth generation’, Contemporary Security Policy, Vol.26, No.2pp.189–221. Jervis, R. (1991/1992) ‘The Future of World Politics: Will It Resemble the Past?’ International Security 16, no. 3 Jackson, R. & Sorensen, G. (2003) Introduction to International Relations, Oxford: Oxford University Press Kaldor, M. (1999) New and Old Wars: Organized Violence in a Global Era. Cambridge: Polity Press Shaw, M. (2005) The New Western Way of War: Risk Transfer war and its Crisis in Iraq Cambridge: Polity Press Smith, R. (2006) The Utility of Force: The Art of War in the Modern World London: Penguin Strange, S. (2002) The Declining Authority of States, in The Global Transformations Reader: an Introduction to the Globalization Debate, 2nd edition, Held and MacGrew (eds) Cambridge: Polity Press, pp.127-134 Van Creveld, M. (1991) The Transformation Of War NY: Free Press

Internal Control and Risk Evaluation Essay

In today’s society, internal controls are applied to support an organization’s managers to become more successfully to release the responsibilities by applying and understanding internal control concepts. Internal controls are most frequently saw as â€Å"a lot of red tape†; however, internal controls have different circumstances when confirming high moral and ethical values which should be communicated in an organization. Internal controls are essentially composed of five interrelated components which are communication and information, monitoring, control environment, risk assessment, and control activities. The four areas of concerns are accounts receivable, payroll, accounts payable, and inventory. The identification of risks in the system, how the risk would be merged into the flowcharts, the internal controls that must be used, and an evaluation of the internal control system, and outside controls must be used. The biggest vulnerability area is accounts rece ivable because of an auditing and accounting perspective this is where the point money is received into the organization. In the flowchart, account receivable is recognizable as the point where payments will be posted. Account receivable has a secondary risk area in which the late charges, interest and other fees are added. The area of payroll is where the main risk concern will always be an individual superseding payroll internal controls. An additional internal control that can be applied by use of flowchart designs will be for authorized individuals having access to the authentic payroll processing function that provide access for authorizations of direct deposit/ or the printing of the payroll checks. Authorization is the main internal control area with accounts payable. The nonexistence of authorization is the major weakness, which can be in the form of control overrides in the AIS and physical form. As associated to the flowchart, there is an important weakness that will  exist in the process from the requesting department to other areas. The most critical internal control point is the inventory because of the physical counts corresponding with the AIS records. On the flowchart, inventory is identified as the point where inventory levels are maintained and tracked because of the easy access the area poses the biggest risk. Risks in System The risk with using any accounting software will always have uncertainties. Some of the risks are human error data input, security breaches, and fraud that put increase pressure on management staff in maintaining or achieving financial targets which have intensified the risk of inappropriate accounting or disappointment to disclose associated party transactions. The statement above only means that the organization needs to have security controls that forbid management from manipulating data for investor purposes. Another essential risk would be the establishment of illegal programs which delete or access files, corrupt files by the installation of a virus, changing the programs that cause unacceptable data to process. â€Å"Threats and risks to databases might include unauthorized access that allows altering, deleting, corrupting, destroying, or stealing data† (Beard and Wen, 2007, p. 212). To conserve the loss of important data using backup files are crucial that will be over whelming to an organization. The organization’s good reputation will be at risk if essential information reporting is misused, misdirected, and could cause damage to the competiveness of the organization. Internal Risks and Controls In the society today many hackers is known to have both external and internal risks that can ruin an organization security systems. Therefore, the collection of data is critical to establishing virtuous security controls for external and internal that ensure complete secure transactions, verification of the data is valid, and free from errors. â€Å"Tapping into the organizations telecommunication lines can be an activity that may seriously impact the data collection† (Beard and Wen, 2007, p. 217). Integrating exceptional internal control methods are a requirement to address exposure to major risks in an organization electronic accounting system because the responsibility primarily on the management staff. Creating and maintaining active internal controls includes the assessment, testing, and documentation  of internal controls which includes operations, access, program development, and changes. Internal Controls to Mitigate Risk Eliminating risk of internal controls is by establishing some of the following: Maintenance of records that detail and reflect all transactions Disposition of said transactions including the disposition of the assets Record transactions accurately to permit valid financial statements in accordance with GAAP Implement timely and decisive detection of unauthorized transactions Evaluation of Internal Controls For Kudler Fine Foods to certify appropriate application of internal controls into the organization systems, control activities must exist. The internal controls will include but are not limited to activity or functional management evaluations, transaction assessments, reconciliations, statistics processing and physical controls, and separation of duties. The evaluation of application of internal controls inside an accounting system should be ongoing and frequent. Kudler Fine Foods must make sure the organization maintain acceptable resources, make available financial, operational, and compliance with correlated information. The organization employees’ obligations and control responsibilities should be successfully communicated while ensuring compliance is the number one imperative factor. Kudler Fine Foods channels must exist for every individual to report alleged improprieties and the employee recommendations are petitioned and acknowledged. References Beard, D. and Wen, H.J. (2007). Reducing the Threat Levels for Accounting Information Systems. Challenges for Management, Accountants, Auditors, and Academicians. Retrieved August 12, 2009 from: http://www.nysscpa.org/cpajournal/2007/507/essentials/p34.htm University of Pennsylvania, (2009). Internal Controls Self-Assessment: A Guide to Internal Controls. Retrieved August 13, 2009 from: http://www.sru.edu/pages/1511.asp

Caged Bird by Maya Angelou Essay

Question: Explore the ways in which the poets in the following poems use imagery to vivid effect. Use examples from both the poems. Caged Bird by Maya Angelou Before the Sun by Charles Mungoshi The poem, Caged Bird by Maya Angelou, dramatizes the discrimination between the blacks and the whites. As this issue relates to the life of the poet, she expresses her way of thinking through this poem. The poet speaks about two birds, one which is free, expressing the freedom which the blacks desire, and another a caged bird, articulating their actual standing. The poet puts across her thoughts in order to evoke an emotion of sympathy towards the Afro-Americans, from the readers. To give a more vivid and an effective outcome, the poet has used various imageries to convey an array of feeling. The poet talks about the liberty of the free bird by saying, â€Å"dips his wing in the orange suns rays and dares to claim the sky†1. This sentence gives us the impression of how the free bird opens its wings and flies around in the blue sky, without any obstructions by anyone. This is a desire which the Afro-Americans in the society had, as they were always under restrictions by the whites. In the next stanza, we see that, Maya speaks of a caged bird that can, â€Å"seldom see through his bars of rage his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing†2. This image of the condition of the caged bird gives us the knowledge that it cannot fly or even walk, on top of it, the bars of the cage makes him furious. The Afro-Americans of the world were in the same position, where the limitations were raising their temper, however they could not demand and fight for their justice. There was a terror in the voice of the caged bird as the poet says that it â€Å"sings with a fearful trill†3. Being restrained from many matters of life, a dread of panic had entered the Afro-Americans. They were terrified of each and every move of the whites, although they longed for a day when they will gain freedom. â€Å"caged bird sings of freedom†4, through this sentence, the poet compares the caged bird and the Afro-Americans of the society, as both hopes for free will. A very strong imagery of the horror of the Afro-Americans is being given in the fifth stanza of the poem. Maya uses the words, â€Å"stands on the grave of dreams†5, to show how the hardships and frustrations of living in a segregated Afro-American community has forced the Afro-Americans to think that their wishes and demands have come to an end, as they are dominated by the rules of white people. An image of a grave tells us that the surrounding is dark, lonely and gloomy; therefore we get an impression about the kinds of thoughts which go across in the Afro-American group of people’s minds. They face so much of annoyance and dissatisfaction that, just a nightmare can make even their shadows scream of terror. The last stanza of the poem again repeats the lines in the third stanza, emphasizing on the yearning of freedom by the Afro-Americans, though having a dread in them. Therefore, we saw how Maya Angelou has used various effective imageries in conveying the sentiments and emotions of the Afro-Americans. The poem, Before the Sun by Charles Mungoshi, sensationalizes the emotions of a child who is in his childhood, but on the verge of becoming an adult. The boy is on the threshold of maturity. The poet speaks about a child, who is in his adolescence and who is very close to nature. Therefore, the poet uses vivid imageries of nature to convey the thoughts of the boy. The boy communes with nature and the universe. We read the poem through the boy’s voice. In the first stanza itself, we get the hint that the boy is close to the nature. We can see that, the child is waiting for the sun to come up as he says, â€Å"Intense blue morning promising early heat†6, so that he can have a new start of the day. The figurative meaning of this would be that, he is waiting for his manhood to come. His childhood is the night, which is innocent of the activities going on in the world, and the sun for which he is waiting is his adulthood, which will bring a new day in his life. This day is revealing, which results in a loss of innocence of the night, i.e. the boy’s childhood, as he will gain experience. The second stanza is an image, where we visualize the boy cutting a wood with an axe. This is a very effective image, as we actually have the vision of cutting of a tree and, the chips flying away. This is shown as Mungoshi says in this stanza, â€Å"The bright chips fly from the sharp axe†7. The word, â€Å"arc†, is very effective, as it has both, visual and an audible image, of the short span of time when the axe is whacked on the tree, and the chip of the wood, flies and settles down n the grass, making the shape of an arc in the air. The third stanza has an imagery of a, â€Å"big log†8, of wood being wanted by the boy to cut. A sense of achievement is being shown by Mungoshi, which the boy desires, as he is in his teenage years. The fifth stanza has again a very strong and an effectual imagery of the wood being cut, and dust coming out of the wood. The phrase, â€Å"It sends up a thin spiral of smoke which later straightens and flutes out to the distant sky: a signal- of some sort, or a sacrificial prayer.†9 This is a visual image, where the boy tells the readers, that how, when the wood is being cut, the smoke makes a spiral shape and moves up. The words, ‘flutes out’, tells us that the smoke makes a sound while going up, which is very similar to the sound of a flute. The boy considers moving away towards his adulthood by sacrificing his childhood, as a result he says, that the smoke which is going is, â€Å"a sacrificial prayer†. â€Å"The wood hisses, The sparks fly†10, is an imagery of log of woods burning in the fire, and the sparks makes a kind of sound. This fire can be the image of a sacrificial fire, as he imagines of sacrificing childhood. The last stanza of the poem has an imagery of the process of eating, as the boy says, â€Å"taking big alternate bites: one for the sun, one for me†11. The last line, â€Å"two little skeletons in the sun†, tells us that the two skeletons are two cobs of maize which the boy was eating, although, this image can be the remains of his childhood, which he sacrificed. Therefore, we see how Charles Mungoshi has used vivid and effective visions and sounds to portray the feelings of the boy in moving towards maturity and adulthood. In the end, it is seen that both the poems have one major theme in common, i.e. the desire of freedom. The Afro-Americans symbolized by the caged bird wants the freedom of rights and speech, and on the other hand the adolescent boy wants to enjoy the same lack of restrictions enjoyed by the adults. Both of them are impatiently waiting for their freedom. 1 Caged Bird, by Maya Angelou Stanza 1, l-3 2 Caged Bird, by Maya Angelou Stanza 2, ll-5-6 3 Caged Bird, by Maya Angelou Stanza 3 l-7 4 Caged Bird, by Maya Angelou Stanza 3 l-10 5 Caged Bird, by Maya Angelou Stanza 5 l-14 6 Before the Sun, by Charles Mungoshi Stanza 1 ll-1-2 7 Before the Sun, by Charles Mungoshi Stanza 2 ll- 5-6 8 Before the Sun, by Charles Mungoshi Stanza 3 l-12 9 Before the Sun, by Charles Mungoshi Stanza 5 ll- 20-25 10 Before the Sun, by Charles Mungoshi Stanza 6 ll- 26-27 11 Before the Sun, by Charles Mungoshi Stanza 8 ll- 38-41

Work Satisfaction and Motivation

————————————————- THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN REWARDS, RECOGNITION AND MOTIVATION AT AN INSURANCE COMPANY ————————————————- IN THE WESTERN CAPE ABSTRACT Increasingly, organizations are realizing that they have to establish an equitable balance between the employee’s contribution to the organization and the organization’s contribution to the employee. Establishing this balance is one of the main reasons to reward and recognize employees. Organizations that follow a strategic approach to creating this balance focus on the three main components of a reward system, which includes, compensation, benefits and recognition (Deeprose, 1994). Studies that have been conducted on the topic indicates that the most common problem in organizations today is that they miss the important component of recognition, which is the low-cost, high-return ingredient to a well-balanced reward system. A key focus of recognition is to make employees feel appreciated and valued (Sarvadi, 2005). Research has proven that employees who get recognized tend to have higher self-esteem, more confidence, more willingness to take on new challenges and more eagerness to be innovative (Mason, 2001). The aim of this study is to investigate whether rewards and recognition has an impact on employee motivation. A biographical and Work Motivation Questionnaire was administered to respondents (De Beer, 1987). The sample group (N= 184) consists of male and female employees on post-grade levels 5 to 12. The results of the research indicated that there is a positive relationship between rewards, recognition and motivation. The results also revealed that women and employees from non-white racial backgrounds experienced lower levels of rewards, recognition and motivation. Future research on the latter issues could yield interesting insights into the different factors that motivate employees. ————————————————- Notwithstanding the insights derived from the current research, results need to be interpreted with caution since a convenience sample was used, thereby restricting the generalizability to the wider population. ————————————————- ———————————————— ———————————————â€⠀- DATA GATHERING INSTRUMENT For the purpose of this study a quantitative methodology was followed and a questionnaire was used as the measuring instrument. According to Leary (2004), the major advantages of questionnaires are that they can be administered to groups of people simultaneously, and they are less costly and less time-consuming than other measuring instruments. The data gathering techniques used included a biographical questionnaire and the Work Satisfaction and Motivation Questionnaire as set out by De Beer (1987). ———————————————— BIOGRAPHICAL QUESTIONNAIRE The biographical questionnaire was a self-developed questionnaire that incorporated the following personal information of the respondents, gender, home language, marital status, age, race, job classification, education, qualifications, job grade and tenure. Refer to Appendix 2. ———â⠂¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€Ã¢â‚¬â€- WORK SATISFACTION AND MOTIVATION QUESTIONNAIRE The questionnaire as set out by De Beer (1987) incorporates the sixteen factors of Herzberg’s two-factor theory. The questionnaire consisted of nine dimensions that impact employee satisfaction and motivation. Refer to Appendix 3. ————————————————- THE NINE DIMENSIONS OF THE QUESTIONNAIRE According to De Beer (1987) the nine dimensions are as follows: 1. Work content probed the respondents’ feelings about the type of work they do. 2. Payment probed respondents’ satisfaction with their salaries. 3. Promotion probed for the opportunity that the organization offers for promotion. 4. Recognition probed whether the respondent was receiving the recognition and feedback for the jobs they perform. . Working conditions were probed as the fifth factor and looked at opportunity to mix with colleagues and interpersonal relations. 6. Benefits looked at whether the benefits such as pension, medical schemes and leave were satisfactory. 7. Personal probed the respondents’ feeling s towards their job. 8. Leadership or supervision probed the level of satisfaction with the manager. 9. General probed if the respondents’ had considered alternative employment, and hence their level of satisfaction with the organization. Appendix 2 ————————————————- BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION . Gender Male Female 2. Home / Preferred language English Afrikaans Xhosa Other 3. Marital Status Single Married Divorced Widowed 4. Age Under 20 years 21 –30 years 31 – 40 years 41 – 50 years 51 – 60 years 61 years & older 5. Race African Asian Colored White 6. Job Classification Specialist Line Manager Clerical/ Administration If you are unsure which category, please state your occupation: 7. Educational Qualification < Std 8 Matric Diploma Degree Masters Other (Please specify) 8. Job Grade PG 9 PG 10 PG 11 PG 12 PG 13 PG 14 PG 15 9. How long have y ou been employed at this company? Less than 1 year 1 year – 5 years 6 years – 10 years 11 years – 15 years 16 years – 20 years 21 years or longer Appendix 3 ————————————————- Work Satisfaction and Motivation Questionnaire 1. INTRODUCTION It is fairly obvious that people differ from one another in what they need and expect to get from different areas of their lives. Please think about the work you do and because most jobs are not perfect, consider what would make it better from your point of view. 2. METHOD FOR ANSWERING QUESTIONS With each question, you have a choice of three answers. Choose one of the following: TRUE = T NOT SURE = NS UNTRUE = U Mark your answers with a cross (X). 3. WORK CONTENT | T| NS | UT| 3. 1 I am interested in my work | 1| 2| 3| 3. 2 My work consists of a variety of work | 1| 2| 3| 3. 3 I receive training daily which teaches me something new| 1| 2| 3| 3. 4 My work is easy | 1| 2| 3| 3. 5 The amount of work is easy to handle| 1| 2| 3| 3. 6 I control the amount of work I do myself| 1| 2| 3| 3. 7 I am completely independent of others | 1| 2| 3| 3. 8 I regard the content of my work as responsible | 1| 2| 3| 3. I know exactly what my mistakes are | 1| 2| 3| 3. 10 I am allowed to decide on the methods for doing the work | 1| 2| 3| 3. 11 I am proud to say what kind of work I do | 1| 2| 3| 3. 12 My work is the way to future success | 1| 2| 3| 3. 13 I will not be dismissed without good reason | 1| 2| 3| 3. 14 I have the opportunity to take part when decisions are made | 1| 2| 3| 3. 15 I feel that my work is of value in my department | 1| 2| 3| 3. 1 6 There is not time for idleness | 1| 2| 3| 3. 17 I have a certain degree of authority in my work | 1| 2| 3|   | 4. PAYMENT | T| NS | UT| . 1 My salary is satisfactory in relation to what I do | 1| 2| 3| 4. 2 I earn the same as or more that other people in a similar job| 1| 2| 3| 4. 3 The basis of payment, for example overtime payment, is reasonable | 1| 2| 3| 4. 4 Salary increases are decided on a fair manner | 1| 2| 3| 5. PROMOTION | T| NS | UT| 5. 1 I will be promoted within the next two years| 1| 2| 3| 5. 2 Everyone has an equal chance to be promoted | 1| 2| 3| 5. 3 Staff are promoted in a fair and honest way | 1| 2| 3|   | 6. RECOGNITION | T| NS | UT| 6. 1 I am praised regularly for my work | 1| 2| 3| 6. I receive constructive criticism about my work | 1| 2| 3| 6. 3 I get credit for what I do | 1| 2| 3| 6. 4 I am told that I am making progress | 1| 2| 3| | 7. WORKING CONDITIONS | T| NS | UT| 7. 1 My working hours are reasonable| 1| 2| 3| 7. 2 I am never overworked | 1| 2| 3 | 7. 3 I get the opportunity to mix with my colleagues and to communicate on aspects of our work| 1| 2| 3| | 8. BENEFITS | T| NS | UT| 8. 1 My pensions benefits are good | 1| 2| 3| 8. 2 My medical scheme is satisfactory| 1| 2| 3| 8. 3 I never have problems with my arrangements for leave | 1| 2| 3|   | 9. PERSONAL | T| NS | UT| 9. I am given work in accordance with my qualifications a skills| 1| 2| 3| 9. 2 I work in the department of my choice| 1| 2| 3| | 10. MY LEADER/ SUPERVISOR | T| NS | UT| 10. 1 Is satisfied easily | 1| 2| 3| 10. 2 Will support me if there are problems | 1| 2| 3| 10. 3 Can be convinced and persuaded | 1| 2| 3| 10. 4 Is a warm-hearted person | 1| 2| 3| | 11. GENERAL | T| NS | UT| 11. 1 I have considered changing jobs | 1| 2| 3| 1. 2 I have been looking out for another job | 1| 2| 3| 11. 3 I am thinking of resigning| 1| 2| 3| | | | | THANK YOU | | | | Please check to make sure that you have not missed any questions. |