Operation Managerment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Operation Managerment - Essay Example Customer analyze employer in detail and hope that they build up excellent organizers at the entire levels, constantly engender confidence by open, sincere and apparent behavior, genuinely engross workers in decision-making and offer continuous advice, allow for collective exchanges in the place of occupation as long as intentions are conveyed, provide resourceful HR methods, willing to accept sundry and varying conditions and confer first choice to figure out and congregate customer needs (Cho and Park, 2003). I might prefer to be employed in Marketing Research field as it offers broad range of information used to classify and describe marketing issues; engender, treat, and appraise marketing events; supervise marketing performance; and advance understanding of marketing trends and methods. Due to the assimilation and alignment of the methods the organizations now meet their user needs splendidly.

A Comparison of how Fear and Tension Essay Example for Free

A Comparison of how Fear and Tension Essay Both authors use fear and tension in their stories. The Adventure of the Speckled Band was written in the nineteenth century and is set in Victorian England, whereas Talking in Whispers is set in Chile, and was written towards the end of the twentieth century, but both contain similar elements of fear and tension. The authors use different techniques in order to create tension and fear, and I will examine some of these in the course of my essay. I will begin by looking at Watsons novel. Fear and tension are created in three main ways in The Adventure of the Speckled Band; namely character, setting and plot.  First, I will look at character. The character that creates the most fear and tension in the story is Dr. Grimesby Roylett. He is a very angry, loud and impatient man. He is powerful and intelligent. He once beat his native butler to death. He is the terror of the village near his manor. He has no friends at all and says of himself, I am a dangerous man to fall foul of. He is described as a fierce old bird of prey, and he keeps wild animals. Doyle creates lots of fear and tension through the character of Roylett. He is described by his stepdaughter as a short tempered man with fits of rage approaching to mania, and then when Miss Stoner has left, Dr. Roylett comes in and proves all that has been said about him. Next, I will examine setting. The setting of the story plays an important part in creating fear and tension, mainly through Stoke Morran and its manor. The manor and its grounds are in the middle of the countryside, and therefore it is easy to imagine that it could become very dark and desolate there. Also, wild animals (a cheetah and a baboon) are kept on the grounds thus adding to the sense of fear. The manor itself is very large and old, just the place for a murder mystery and this really helps with the atmosphere. The manor for all its size is largely uninhabited, with only a few rooms being used. This gives it an eerie atmosphere, a place where anything could happen. Now, I will analyse the plot. Apart from a red herring near the start, the main part of the plot is how was the crime committed? and not who did it? as it is obvious almost from the beginning that Dr. Roylett is guilty. When Helen Stoner comes to Holmes, and talks about her sisters death, she mentions that her sisters last words were it was the speckled band and she says that the gypsies wore speckled handkerchiefs, and also that she thinks that the gypsies have been making the whistling noise. The reader jumps to the conclusion that the gypsies killed her sister. However, once you get to Stoke Moran, your ideas and thoughts soon change. Holmes tries to get into Helen Stoners room from the outside, but finds it impossible, so the reader thinks that the killer must have come from the inside, and that the killer is Doctor Roylett. When Holmes finds the dummy bellpull, the ventilator, the milk and the marked chair, it starts to look like Dr Roylett committed the murder in a very complicated way. When Holmes decides to spend the night in the room, the quiet and darkness, as well as Holmes saying that this was a very dangerous situation, makes this scene full of tension. When Holmes jumps up and strikes at the bellpull, the tension is both released and added to, because finally something has happened, but you are not totally sure what.  Doyle often uses rather long, unfolding sentences in this story. This has two effects; one, to make sure that the reader is well informed and can think about what is written, and two, it keeps the pace of action slow.

Impact of Feedback Environment on Employee Commitment

Impact of Feedback Environment on Employee Commitment This research paper examines the effect of feedback environment on employee commitment, with role clarity being the mediating variable in the public and private sectors organizations of Islamabad Rawalpindi city. From the previous researches a link was found between feedback environment and employee commitment at workplace, this study attempts to explore this link in the context of Islamabad. To create employee commitment amongst organizational members has become increasingly important in todayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s dynamic business environment, because this factor leads to employee retention and a low degree of turnover. For this study a sample size of 200 was taken and different private and public sector organizations were covered in the research work. The research was of hypothesis-testing in nature and responses were collected using standardized questionnaires for each variable. All three variables supervisory and coworker feedback and role clarity proved to be positively associate d with employee commitment; with the feedback from coworker source being the strongest in creating employee commitment followed by role clarity and feedback from supervisor source. The mediating effect of role clarity was not found to be significant and there is still an opportunity for further research in this area to explore this link. However the positive association of role clarity with employee commitment represents its importance in creating employee commitment, though its contribution is small, but this very dimension must not be ignored by the managers of the 21st century. Chapter 1 INTRODUCTION It has become necessary for business firms to satisfy all of their major stakeholders (consumers, employees, clients etc) to remain competitive in todayà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s dynamic business environment. The satisfaction and commitment level of a firmà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s employees is of key importance in determining its human resource strength, which in turn leads to their retention and make an organization able to satisfy the needs of its customers, consumers and clients in both the production and service sectors. Many variables have an impact on the level of commitment of a firmà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s employees, some of which are job satisfaction level (with intrinsic and extrinsic factors), the quality of leader-member exchange and the overall feedback environment that an employee works in. Many researchers put emphasis on providing feedback to employees in order to satisfy them and consider providing feedback to employees to be essential for maintaining and increasing employee motivation and satisfaction. Traditionally the yearly formal performance appraisal/review in private sector organizations and Annual Confidential Report (ACR) in public sector organizations have been considered as the ideal platform for higher authorities (departmental/organizational heads, supervisors, immediate bosses) to provide feedback to employees about how they view their performance. But employees generally report problems and shortfalls regarding the current methodologies used to asses their performance and characterize the overall process as being too much restricted to a performance appraisal period and involving only one feedback source (departmental/organizational heads, supervisors, and immediate bosses). A qualitative case study by Longenecker and Nykodym (1996) in the public sector illustrated some of the problems associated with traditional performance appraisal method. Employees noted that feedback in performance appraisal was problematic for improving employee motivation and performance, and as a communications tool to improve the manager/subordinate relationship and suggested that managers should: make more time available for providing performance feedback, increase their knowledge of actual performance, better clarify performance expectations, put greater emphasis on employee development, not dwell on negatives, provide more ongoing feedback, and increase two-way communication These suggestions indicate that supervisors/immediate bosses might adopt a number of specific behaviors to support feedback processes in the organization, which in turn might lead to an enhanced manager/subordinate relationship and increased employee satisfaction and hence employee commitment. Here we can see that feedback only after some specified interval and through formal sessions is not sufficient to improve work outcomes (job satisfaction, productivity, employee commitment, organizational citizenship behavior etc). Considering this very fact; Steelman, Levy and Snell (2004) proposed a scale, known as Feedback Environment Scale (FES) with a validation study to demonstrate how different facets of feedback sources (supervisor and coworkers) constitute the overall feedback environment within an organization. This new instrument measures a much more comprehensive view of the feedback environment and is more relevant to the organizations of today and the responsibilities of 21st-cent ury managers. FES may also be defined as a multifaceted construct with two major factors (Supervisor and Coworker) manifested in seven facets. Together, these seven facets reflect the contextual aspects surrounding the transmission of job performance feedback on a recurrent or daily basis (Steelman et al, 2004). In general; Employee commitment is oneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s psychological attachment to his or her organizations. The higher the level of Employee Commitment of an individual, the lower are the chances of his/her psychological and physical job withdrawal. Moreover; committed employees are generally productive and go beyond their job descriptions in improving their organizationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s products and services. Researchers have found a positive link between Feedback Environment Scale and Employee commitment. This link is mediated by a third variable called Role Clarity, which is defined as the subjective feeling of having as much or not as much role relevant information as the person would like to have Lyons (1971). This study is aimed to explore this link in a Pakistani context and more specifically in the context of Islamabad, After the confirmation of such a link, mangers can adopt a number of measures to improve employeesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ satisfaction, their level of productivity and employee commitment. Research Objectives To measure the level of performance feedback (from supervisors and coworkers) received by the employees of different organizations, both of public and private sector operating in Islamabad city. To Measure the level of employee commitment of employees working in different organizations To explore the link between feedback environment and employee commitment To suggest specific measures to be adopted in order to increase the overall feedback environment and employee commitment in organizations Chapter 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Feedback Environment In the past, the feedback environment has been defined as the type of job performance information that employees perceive as being available to them (Herold Parsons, 1985).but according to the refined and most up-to-date definition; the feedback environment refers to the contextual aspects of day-to-day supervisor-subordinate and coworker-coworker feedback processes rather than to the formal performance appraisal feedback session (Steelman et al, 2004). Consequently, up to now, an organizationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s feedback environment has been defined as the amount and availability of positive and negative feedback from different sources (Steelman et al, 2004). 2.2 Measurement of Feedback Environment Feedback environment in an organization is measured through a new multifaceted instrument, the Feedback Environment Scale (FES), which helps inform the feedback process in organizations. This new instrument measures a much more comprehensive view of the feedback environment and is more relevant to the organizations of today and the responsibilities of 21st-century managers. FES may also be defined as a multifaceted construct with two major factors (Supervisor and Coworker) manifested in seven facets. Together, these seven facets reflect the contextual aspects surrounding the transmission of job performance feedback on a recurrent or daily basis (Steelman et al, 2004). It is clear that employees receive feedback information from various sources (Greller, 1980; Morrison, 1993) but some authors suggest that supervisor and coworker feedback sources are the most practical and relevant from the feedback recipientà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s point of view (Ashford, 1989). Thus, the FES postulates two factors called Supervisor Source and Coworker Source and the following seven specific facets within each of those source factors: source credibility, feedback quality, feedback delivery, frequency of favorable feedback, frequency of unfavorable feedback, source availability, and promoting feedback seeking (Steelman et al, 2004). Source Credibility is conceptualized as the feedback sourceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s expertise and trustworthiness (Giffin, 1967). Consistency and usefulness have been demonstrated to be important aspects of feedback quality (Greller, 1980; Hanser Muchinsky, 1978; Herold, Liden, Leatherwood, 1987). A feedback recipientà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s perceptions of the sourceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s intentions in giving feedback will affect reactions and responses to the feedback (Fedor, Eder, Buckley, 1989). Favorable feedback is conceptualized as the perceived frequency of positive feedback such as compliments from supervisors and/or coworkers when from the feedback recipientà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s view, his or her performance does in fact warrant positive feedback. Correspondingly, unfavorable feedback is conceptualized as the perceived frequency of negative feedback such as expressions of dissatisfaction and criticism from supervisors and/or coworkers when from the feedback recipientà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s vi ew, his or her performance warrants such feedback (Steelman et al, 2004). Supervisor and/or coworker source availability is operationalized as the perceived amount of contact an employee has with his or her supervisor and/or coworkers and the ease with which feedback can be obtained (Steelman et al, 2004). Feedback seeking is defined as the extent to which the environment is supportive or unsupportive of feedback seeking. It is the extent to which employees are encouraged or rewarded for seeking feedback and the degree to which employees feel comfortable asking for performance feedback (Williams et al, 1999). 2.3 Role Clarity Lyons (1971) defines role clarity as the subjective feeling of having as much or not as much role relevant information as the person would like to have. The importance of having role clarity (knowing the tasks and expectations of a job) has been shown in previous research that used both emotional and performance-related measures (Abramis, 1994; Jackson Schuler, 1985; Tubre Collins, 2000). Role clarity is a prerequisite for harmonious interactions with others in the role set (Mcgrath, 1976). The absence of role clarity leads to stress, intrapersonal tension and lowered job satisfaction (Cooper, Sloan Williams, 1988; Hall, 2004). Breaugh Colihan (1994) defined role ambiguity to be job ambiguity and indicated that job ambiguity possesses three distinct aspects: work methods, scheduling, and performance criteria. 2.4 Employee Commitment It is recognized that an employees commitment to an organization can be expressed in three particular ways: affective, continuance, and normative. Affective commitment is focused on an emotional attachment to the organization (Herscovitch, 2002). On the other hand, continuance commitment is when an employee stays with an organization based on a perceived cost of leaving (Herscovitch, 2002). In this case, the employee is staying because he/she thinks it will cost more to go find work elsewhere. Lastly, normative commitment refers to an employees moral obligation to stay with the organization (Herscovitch, 2002). This can arise due to the employee feeling that the organization has treated him/her well and therefore, he/she owes the organization a continued period of employment. In one sense, each type of commitment somewhat ties the individual to the organization; however, each impacts differently on the manner in which the employee conducts him/herself in the workplace. For example, a n employee with an affective commitment will often go above and beyond what is required of his/her position in order to assist the organization in meeting its goals. Employees with high affective commitment tend to be absent from work less frequently and display a higher work motivation and organizational citizenship (McShane, 2001). Continuance commitment, however, is negatively related to performance whereby employees tend to do simply what is required, have higher rates of absenteeism, and low motivation (Johns and Saks, 1996). 2.5 Feedback Environment, Role Clarity/Ambiguity and Employee Commitment Over recent years, there has been a surge of interest in the effects of the feedback environment on work-related outcomes (e.g. Norris-Watts Levy, 2004; Rosen et al., 2006). A favorable feedback environment is positively related to supervisory reported organizational citizenship behavior and that this relationship is partially mediated by affective commitment (Norris-Watts Levy, 2004). Another study tested a mediated model suggesting that the effects of the feedback environment on job satisfaction, and supervisory rated in-role and extra-role performance are mediated by perceptions of organizational politics. In general, this model was supported, again demonstrating the relationship between the feedback environment and several work-related outcomes (Rosen et al., 2006). A field experiment conducted by Tziner and Latham (1989) revealed increased work satisfaction and employee commitment when a goal-setting and feedback program was introduced, but it is not possible to draw the concl usion that this effect emanates from feedback only. Researchers have found a relationship between feedback and role ambiguity (Herold et al, 1987, Peiro et al, 1994, Sawyer, 1992, Teas, 1983, Vredenburgh, 1983). So, even though previous studies lend support to the hypothesis that feedback affects attitudes towards work, there is also a possibility that the uncertainty reducing effect of feedback is the link between feedback and work attitudes, through the intervening influence of role ambiguity. Resultantly, there is also support to hypothesize that feedback only indirectly affects attitude towards work with role ambiguity as a mediating variable (Anders et al, 1999). Mathieu Zajac (1990) conducted a meta-analysis of 48 studies and found that overall employee commitment was low when employees were unsure about what was expected of them (Role Ambiguity). In nine studies, Dunham, Grube, Castaneda (1994) found that employees understanding about the significance of their tasks were somewhat positively related to affective commitment, but not related to normative or continuance commitment. Workers need role clarity to be able to navigate on their own. To improve the opportunity for self feedback there appears a need to strengthen the connection between the individualà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s work and the organizational goals (Anders et al, 1999). Chapter 3 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK On the basis of literature review, a relationship between feedback environment and employee commitment was found, being mediated by a third variable, Role Clarity. The following hypothetical link between the variables was drawn and tested. 3.1 Operational Definitions 3.1.1 Feedback Environment (Independent Variable) Feedback Environment has been taken as the independent variable for this study which is defined by Steelman et al (2004) as the amount and availability of positive and negative feedback from different sources. As the feedback environment in organizations is generally measured using the Feedback environment Scale (FES) proposed by Steelman et al (2004), the same will be employed to measure the quality of feedback environment that takes into account two major feedback sources which are: Supervisor source Coworker source Feedback from each source has seven dimensions which are: 3.1.1.1- Source credibility Giffin (1967) defined source credibility as the feedback sourceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s expertise and trustworthiness. Perception of trustworthiness an individual imparts to other people. Factors that influence source credibility are expertise and reputation for honesty. 3.1.1.2- Feedback quality Feedback quality refers to its consistency and usefulness which are important aspects of feedback (Greller, 1980; Hanser Muchinsky, 1978; Herold, Liden, Leatherwood, 1987). 3.1.1.3- Feedback delivery It refers to the feedback environment in terms of sourceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s consideration and intentions in his or her delivery of the feedback (Steelman et al 2004). In simple words this dimension is related to the extent of empathy of the feedback source. 3.1.1.4- Favorable feedback Steelman et al (2004) defined favorable feedback as the perceived frequency of positive feedback such as compliments from supervisors and/or coworkers when from the feedback recipientà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s view, his or her performance does in fact warrant positive feedback 3.1.1.5- Unfavorable feedback Unfavorable feedback is conceptualized as the perceived frequency of negative feedback such as expressions of dissatisfaction and criticism from supervisors and/or coworkers when from the feedback recipientà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s view, his or her performance warrants such feedback (Steelman et al, 2004). 3.1.1.6- Source availability Supervisor and/or coworker source availability is defined as the perceived amount of contact an employee has with his or her supervisor and/or coworkers and the ease with which feedback can be obtained (Steelman et al, 2004). 3.1.1.7- Promoting feedback seeking Williams et al (1999) defined Feedback seeking is defined as the extent to which the environment is supportive or unsupportive of feedback seeking. It is the extent to which employees are encouraged or rewarded for seeking feedback and the degree to which employees feel comfortable asking for performance feedback Responses about each dimension relating to both the sources will be gathered using the FES Questionnaire, proposed by Steelman et al (2004) in their validation study of the FES. 3.2 Employee Commitment (Dependent Variable) For the purpose of this study employee commitment has been defined as an employeeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s psychological attachment to his/her organization. Mainly the three component model of employee commitment by Herscovitch (2002) is used, which says that the commitment level itself consists of three parts; affective, continuance and normative commitment. Somers (1995) defined Affective commitment as an employeeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s emotional attachment to an organizational goals and values. Normative commitment is a perceived duty to support the organization and its activities, whereas; continuance commitment is however interacted with affective commitment in predicting job withdrawal intentions and absenteeism. The level of employee commitment was measured using the employee commitment questionnaire by John Meyer Natalie Allen (1991). Figure 3.1: The Theoretical Relationship between Feedback Environment and Employee Commitment with the Mediating Effect of Role Clarity/Ambiguity 3.3 Role Clarity/Ambiguity (Mediating Variable) Role clarity is defined as the subjective feeling of having as much or not as much role relevant information as the person would like to have Lyons (1971). Or simply knowing the tasks and expectations of oneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s job is known as Role Clarity. From the previous studies there appeared a relationship between feedback and employee commitment with the mediating effect of role clarity/ambiguity, and it was conceived in this study that the quality of feedback environment leads to role clarity or ambiguity as feedback serves the purpose of clarifying an employeeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s role which leads to employee commitment (Mathieu Zajac 1990, Dunham, Grube, Castaneda 1994). Role Clarity was measured using the standardized questionnaire proposed by Rizzo et al (1970). 3.4 Hypotheses: The following seven hypotheses were tested to explore the link between the following: Supervisory Feedback and Subordinateà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Role Clarity Coworker Feedback and Incumbentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Role Clarity Feedback Environment and Employee commitment Role Clarity and Employee commitment 3.5 Hypotheses Statements Hypothesis 1: Ho: There is no relationship between supervisory feedback and subordinateà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s role clarity Hypothesis 1: H1: There is a relationship between supervisory feedback and subordinateà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s role clarity Hypothesis 2: Ho: There is no relationship between coworker feedback and employee role clarity Hypothesis 2: H1: There is a relationship between coworker feedback and employee role clarity Hypothesis 3: Ho: There is no relationship between feedback environment and employee role clarity Hypothesis 3: H1: There is a relationship between feedback environment and employee role clarity Hypothesis 4: Ho: There is no relationship between supervisory feedback and employee commitment Hypothesis 4: H1: There is a relationship between supervisory feedback and employee commitment Hypothesis 5: Ho: There is no relationship between coworker feedback and employee commitment Hypothesis 5: H1: There is a relationship between coworker feedback and employee commitment Hypothesis 6: Ho: There is no relationship between feedback environment and employee commitment Hypothesis 6: H1: There is a relationship between feedback environment and employee commitment Hypothesis 7: Ho: There is no relationship between employee role clarity and employee commitment Hypothesis 7: H1: There is a relationship between employee role clarity and employee commitment Chapter 4 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY Research Design is a master plan specifying the methods and procedures for collecting and analyzing needed information. Having identified the variables of the study and developing the theoretical framework, the next step was to design the research in a way that the required data could be gathered and analyzed to arrive at a solution. A Survey was conducted, based on a questionnaire. The term questionnaire refers to a list of questions, usually printed, and submitted for replies that can be analyzed for usable information. 4.1 Purpose of the Study The research was of hypothesis-testing in nature. The characteristics of variables and their relationship were defined in the previous section. Hypotheses were formulated on the basis of relationships between the two main variables (feedback environment and employee commitment). Researches have shown that there is positive relationship between feedback environment and employee commitment. Those studies were conducted in different parts of the world and the current research is based on the hypotheses which are to be tested to find if there is a positive relationship between the said variables. 4.2 Type of Investigation The purpose of our research was to find out if there is relation between variables, the type of investigation chosen was correlation. 4.3 Extent of Researcher Interference with the Study The primary data was collected through the questionnaire. The data was collected in natural environment and the researcherà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s interference was minimal. 4.4 Study Settings The research was conducted in natural environment where work proceeds normally, i.e. in non-contrived settings. The study was based on Field Experiment where all activities were occurring in natural work environment. 4.5 Unit of Analysis In this study, individuals were studied separately. Research team studied the feedback received from the two sources (supervisor and coworker) and through the questionnaire investigated the relevant variables and their relationship. 4.6 Sampling A sample is a subset of a larger population that contains its major characteristics. In this step the following decisions were taken: Who is to be sampled (sampling unit) How large a sample should be (sample size) How will sample units be selected (sampling technique) 4.7 Sampling Unit To get the representation from all levels of management and all types of organizations, employees form each layer of management were selected as sample from different organizations ranging from manufacturing to service, both from public and private sectors. Responses were gathered from the employees of the following organizations: Askari Bank, Balochistan Teachersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ Training Academy, Balochistan University of Information Technology, Engineering Management Sciences (BUITEMS), Cantonment Hospital, Chiltan Ghee Mills, Civil Secretariat, Concern Worldwide, Habib Bank Ltd, Mercy Crops, National Bank, PTCL, Islamabad Electric Supply Company (QESCO), SME Bank, Sui Southern Gas Company Ltd (SSGC), Telecard, Telenor, UNDP and Warid Telecom 4.8 Sample Size The sample size for the study was 200. Employees from each of the above-mentioned organization were asked to respond the questionnaires. 4.9 Sampling Technique Probability sampling was used for the research; in such type of sampling each member of population has an equal chance of becoming a sample. 4.10 The Questionnaire The Questionnaire had the following sections: 4.10.1 Section-1 (Demographics) The first section investigated about the respondentà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s demographical characteristics including: Age Gender Marital Status Qualification Managerial level Nature of work Experience in years The respondents were not asked to mention their names or disclose their identity and it was ensured to keep the information confidential. 4.10.2 Section-2 3 (Supervisory and Coworker Feedback Measurement) These sections contained questions about the supervisory and coworker feedback received by the respondents focusing on the following dimensions: Source credibility Feedback quality Feedback delivery Favorable feedback Unfavorable feedback Source availability Promoting feedback seeking The items of this section were obtained from the validation study of feedback environment (Steelman et al, 2004). 4.10.3 Section-4 (Employee commitment Measurement) This section contained questions about the level of employee commitment of the respondents. 4.10.4 Section-5 (Role Clarity Measurement) This section contained questions measuring the Role Clarity of the respondents. 4.11 Data Collection In this phase the research moved from papers to the field. Data was gathered in the form of responses from the respondents. Questionnaire was used as a tool to collect data and 100% of the respondents were surveyed through it. As mentioned above different organizations from public and private sector were visited to collect the responses. Questionnaires were distributed and taken back from the respondents after two to three days. Total time taken to complete the data collection process was two weeks. The respondents were guided about filling the questionnaires and the queries were responded properly. Chapter 5 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 5. Hypothesis Testing All seven hypotheses of the study were tested on the following parameters: Confidence level: (1-ÃŽÂ ±) = 0.95 (95%) Level of Significance: ÃŽÂ ± = 0.05 Statistic used: t-statistic Sample size: n = 200 Table 5.1: Results of Hypothesis Testing Hypotheses t-calculated t-tabulated Computation Result 1 2.20 +1.96 tcal>ttab Rejected Ho 2 1.97 +1.96 tcal>ttab Rejected Ho 3 2.13 +1.96 tcal>ttab Rejected Ho 4 3.74 +1.96 tcal>ttab Rejected Ho 5 6.88 +1.96 tcal>ttab Rejected Ho 6 6.18 +1.96 tcal>ttab Rejected Ho 7 1.99 +1.96 tcal>ttab Rejected Ho Where: tcal = the calculated value of t-statistic ttab = the tabulated value of t-statistic It is clear from the results of table 5.1, that all seven alternative hypotheses were accepted as the value of t-calculated found be higher than the value of t-tabulated regarding each hypothesis. This shows that there is a link between each of the independent variable (feedback from supervisor and coworker source, feedback environment and role clarity) with the dependent variable (employee commitment). 5.1 Correlation Analysis The second analysis involved regressing each of the predictors on the outcome variable i.e. employee commitment. The results are presented in table 5.2 A correlation matrix was developed for Supervisory Feedback, Coworker feedback and Role clarity with Employee Commitment. According to the results, all the three variables were positively associated with Employee Commitment. The association represents a positive linear relationship between the dependent variable; Employee Commitment and each of the independent variables. Table 5.2: Correlation Matrix for Employee Commitment Variable Supervisory Feedback Coworker feedback Role Clarity Commitment Supervisory Feedback 1.000 0.534** 0.123** 0.257** Coworker feedback 0.534** 1.000 0.139** 0.439** Role Clarity 0.123** 0.139** 1.000 0.097** Commitment 0.257** 0.439** 0.097** 1.000 ** p Coworker feedback was most strongly associated with Employee Commitment (0.439), followed by supervisory feedback (0.257) and role clarity (0.097). All relationships were statistically significant at p The correlation analysis of employee commitment as shown in table 5.1 indicates that all the associations (between x and y variables) were positive. This signifies that a positive linear relationship exists between x and y variable. Coworker feedback was most strongly related with employee commitment, followed by role clarity and supervisory feedback. All relations were statistically significant at 0.01 levels. 5.3 Regression Analysis The value of R2 was 0.195. The first independent variable, coworker feedback [0.419, P Table 5.3: Regression Analysis of Feedback Environment at workplace (Dependent Variable= Employee Commitment Variable Coefficient Standard Error Standardized Beta Intercept 1.783** 0.262 - Supervisory Feedback 0.029** 0.077 0.029 Coworker feedback 0.388** 0.071 0.419 Role Clarity

Zoonotic Foodborne Pathogens | Essay

Zoonotic Foodborne Pathogens | Essay Zoonoses describe diseases that can be transmitted from vertebrate animals to humans. Zoonotic diseases are common and are caused by various types of agents, such as bacteria, fungi, viruses, or parasites [12]. According to the study by Taylor et al. 2001 that out of the 1415 infectious organisms that are pathogenic to humans 61% of them are zoonotic [8]. And over 200 zoonoses related diseases are known [12]. Zoonoses related diseases can be caught from foodborne zoonoses, non-foodborne zoonoses, helminthic parasitic zoonoses, protozoan parasitic zoonoses and zoonotic ectoparasites. However this work is only focusing on the common bacterial related foodborne zoonoses. Every year bacterial foodborne zoonoses is the cause of millions of people becoming ill [12]. The most significant bacterial zoonotic pathogens associated with foodborne disease are Campylobacter, Salmonella and Escherichia coli O157:H7 [5]. Other bacterial foodborne zoonotic pathogens are Mycobacteria, Listeria, and Brucella all of which are from dairy products. The zoonotic foodborne pathogen Campylobacter causes the illness campylobacteriosis which causes often bloody diarrhoea, malaise, fever, nausea, abdominal pain and vomiting. The incubation period is usually between 2-5 days before onset of symptoms. Most Campylobacter infections are mild, without the need for hospitalization and with complete recovery within 10 days. However the severity of the disease varies and in some cases may be life-threatening or resulting in long term health problems. People that tend to die by the disease are often suffering from immuno-deficiencies, or other diseases like liver disease or cancer. Guillain-BarrÑ  syndrome (GBS) is a complication of Campylobacter infection that occurs in approximately 1 in every 1000 reported cases of campylobacteriosis (CDC, 2008, May 21). GBS an autoimmune disease that targets the nerves cells of the body may lead to permanent paralysis. Another neurological related syndrome that may occur subsequent to campylobacter iosis is Miller Fisher Syndrome. [2, 5, 10] In the UK there are approximately 55,000 cases a year of Campylobacter infection. Campylobacter jejuni being the predominant Campylobacter species that causes foodborne gastrointestinal illnesses in humans, other similar closely related species that causes diseases in humans are C. coli and C. fetus. C. jejuni are curved gram-negative, microaerophilic, thermophilic rods with optimum growth temperature at 40oC and low oxygen concentrations. It is these qualities of C. jejuni that enables it to colonise the intestines of warm-blooded birds and mammals. The reservoir for C. jejuni ranges from healthy domestic and wild animals such as dogs, cats, cattle, pigs, sheep, birds, chickens, rodents, ducks and geese. As C. jejuni is ubiquitous in nature food products particularly poultry meat, beef and pork are at risk of environmental contamination during processing. Campylobacter can survive in livestock water troughs, stock ponds, lakes and dairy lagoons all of which may introduce the infecti on into the animal flocks. Also rodents, wild birds, faecal contaminated equipment and footwear may all serves as potential vehicles of transmission of bacteria into the animal flocks. Once the infection is introduced into the flock rapid transmission between the animals occur with subsequent colonization of commercial meat that if undercooked may lead to foodborne enteritis in the consumer. Poultry meat tend to carry high bacterial numbers of C. jejuni, being the main source of infection in humans as it has a high level of consumption so the risk is greater. The consumption of unpasteurized milk should also be avoided as it is an identified source of Campylobacter, but pasteurization of dairy products eliminates the pathogen. [2, 5, 10] Control and prevention measures have been established in order to reduce Campylobacter pathogens entering the human food chain. These control strategies are aimed at preventing colonization of the pathogen in food animals through the implementation of strict bio-security measures, good hygiene practices at harvest level in an attempt to control and minimise the level of faecal contamination during poultry transportation, slaughtering and carcase dressing. Other incorporated control methods include decontamination strategies, rodent control, exclusion of wild animals and insect eradication that are potential carriers of the pathogen, and chlorination of drinking water to 2ppm. Gamma irradiation of animal carcasses is also effective at reducing the colonization levels of the pathogen in the carcass, but this method although endorsed by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and others is not well accepted by consumers. Increased public awareness of foodborne Campylobacter infection is nec essary as in the end the only measure to ensure reduce risk is at the consumer level through increased hygiene when storing, preparing and handling raw-meat to avoid cross-contamination via utensils and through adequately cooking of the poultry at recommended temperatures by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to ensure destruction of C. jejuni. Undercooked poultry has been responsible for >50% of cases of C. jejuni. [2, 5, 10] The second most common bacterial foodborne zoonoses pathogen reported is Salmonella which are gram negative rod-shaped bacteria that are closely related to the Escherichia, and is responsible for causing salmonellosis. Salmonellosis is associated with enteric infections and since the discovery of the first strain of Salmonella in 1885 called Salmonella choleraesuis there have been over 2300 strains known to cause salmonellosis; the most common being S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium. In the UK there are approximately 11,000 cases a year reported on Salmonella which causes gastroenteritis. Symptoms include diarrhoea, abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, and fever. In severe cases the diarrhoea may be bloody just like in Campylobacter infections. The incubation period for Salmonella varies from 6 to 72 hours. Complications may also arise such as bacteraemia or Reiters syndrome. Bacteraemia occurs when the Salmonella pathogen enters the infected individuals bloodstream. Reiters syndrome although uncommon may result from Salmonella infection, it is a disorder associated with at least two of three seemingly unrelated symptoms: reactive arthritis, eye infection and urinary tract infection. The people most susceptible to contracting Salmonella infection include immuno-compromised individuals such as AID sufferers, cancer patients, or transplant recipients. Or individuals that are in close proximity to other infected people, such as sharing a household, or individuals that possess pet lizards, birds, or reptiles. Salmonella has a low infectious dose, probably from 15-20 cells. [3] Salmonella are present in the environment as well as cold and warm blooded animals. The Salmonella serotypes in food animal species like poultry can be divided into host specific and non-host specific infections. The host specific infections are those that affect the bird host and are of little public concern, such as S. Gallinarum and S. Pullorum. They are the common serotypes implicated in poultry disease. As for the non-host specific infections they are the cause of Salmonella foodborne poisoning in humans such as S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium. Most of the serotypes associated with human foodborne disease cause no disease in poultry, but can be spread by them between flocks and once in the food chain the product is contaminated food. Poultry meat and products like eggs are the main source of Salmonella infection in humans. [3] Similar to the Campylobacter control strategies, on farm prevention and control methods are undertaken to control Salmonella in poultry. Strict bio-security measures and farm pathogen reduction strategies are the first steps in minimising the occurrence of foodborne pathogens in eggs and meat. Surveillance of poultry flocks for Salmonella should be conducted to identify any infected flock which can then be immediately dealt with using appropriate measures to minimise spread within the flock and the risk of transmission to humans. Infected flock should be slaughtered and disposed of appropriately to reduce human exposure to Salmonella. One of the ways in which poultry may contract Salmonella is through contaminated food, thus it is necessary to monitor the poultry feed status. It is recommended to use bactericidal treatment or heat treated food to prevent Salmonella contamination. Poultry food should also be contained in clean closed containers to prevent access by rodents or wild bir ds. Rodent control should be used as a repellent. Vaccines against Salmonella can also be used but should not be used as the sole control measure, rather as an additional prevention measure. Good hygiene practices should be used such as cleaning and disinfection of equipment and the bird house, disposal of litter in a safe manner especially contaminated waste to prevent exposure to humans, livestock and wild-life to Salmonella. The use of antimicrobials as a treatment of Salmonella infection in poultry should not be used as it may contribute to the development of antimicrobial resistance, or mask the infection during sampling. Also it is vital that public awareness and education of foodborne Salmonella infection is raised so that poultry consumers can take necessary precautions to avoid contracting the infection. The precautions that consumers can take include the cooking of meat adequately before consuming, cooking of eggs until the yoke is solid, not consuming food containing raw eggs, not consuming unpasteurized milk, and the washing of hands after handling any animals. [7, 10] The third and last foodborne bacterial disease to be discussed is the gram-negative rod-shaped bacterium Escherichia coli (E. coli) O157:H7. The O and H denotes the cell wall and flagella antigen number respectively. E. coli bacteria colonise the intestinal tract of warm blooded animals, such as humans and mammals. There have been over 700 serotypes identified but those that produce the Shiga toxin (Stx), such as E. coli O157:H7 have been associated with foodborne illnesses and is responsible for most of the E. coli related illnesses in humans. In the UK alone there are approximately 1,100 cases per year of E. coli O157:H7 with just a small dosage (

Developing and Implementing Change :: Business, Change

Change also known as innovation means to alter or to be different. It is not a new concept. According to Patronis Jones (2009, p.168) and Harris (2002, p.145), â€Å"change is the only constant† whereby it is an important part of an organisation and happens all the time. Without change, improvement will not happen. In the healthcare industry for example, without change, nurses will still be trained in hospitals (Anderson, 2005). Change can be either planned or unplanned. Unplanned change occurs suddenly due to specific circumstances whereas planned change is a longer process that involves planning to achieve a specific goal (Patronis Jones, 2009). In addition, change may be due to internal or external forces. Internal forces are factors within the organisation such as organisational values, beliefs and culture whereas external forces are factors that come from outside the organisation such as social factors, economic factors and legislations (Patronis Jones, 2009). Change can also be personal or organisational. However, according to Harris (2002) and Wainwright (2008), organisational change mainly involves personal change. This means that change always involve people who plan, implement and evaluate changes individually or within a team (Harris, 2002). Three types of change have been identified within organisations: transitional, transformational and developmental. Transitional change is the most common type of change; it is driven by management and involves small continuous changes in people, structure, procedures or technology to improve organisational performance (Gilley, Gilley & McMillan, 2009). Transformational change is driven by leaders and is competitive, â€Å"fundamental and radical† involving a change of culture and value system; for example the merging of two organisations (Harris, 2002; Gilley, Gilley & McMillan, 2009, p.76). Developmental change on the other hand involves a continuous dynamic change aiming at avoiding radical changes (Gilley, Gilley & McMillan, 2009). According to Gilley, Dixon & Gilley (2008, p.154), â€Å"transformational change is the key to realising innovation in an organisation.† For organisations to succeed and be competitive, they must support and implement continuous and transformational change (Gilley, Gilley & McMillan, 2009; Gilley, Dixon, & Gilley, 2008). The aim of the health industry is to provide quality patient centered care. However, the healthcare industry is facing an aging population and workforce. Skills and resources to manage complex and chronic illnesses are required. In addition, consumers are more educated about the healthcare system and want to manage their own health (Reithmeier, 2009). Developing and Implementing Change :: Business, Change Change also known as innovation means to alter or to be different. It is not a new concept. According to Patronis Jones (2009, p.168) and Harris (2002, p.145), â€Å"change is the only constant† whereby it is an important part of an organisation and happens all the time. Without change, improvement will not happen. In the healthcare industry for example, without change, nurses will still be trained in hospitals (Anderson, 2005). Change can be either planned or unplanned. Unplanned change occurs suddenly due to specific circumstances whereas planned change is a longer process that involves planning to achieve a specific goal (Patronis Jones, 2009). In addition, change may be due to internal or external forces. Internal forces are factors within the organisation such as organisational values, beliefs and culture whereas external forces are factors that come from outside the organisation such as social factors, economic factors and legislations (Patronis Jones, 2009). Change can also be personal or organisational. However, according to Harris (2002) and Wainwright (2008), organisational change mainly involves personal change. This means that change always involve people who plan, implement and evaluate changes individually or within a team (Harris, 2002). Three types of change have been identified within organisations: transitional, transformational and developmental. Transitional change is the most common type of change; it is driven by management and involves small continuous changes in people, structure, procedures or technology to improve organisational performance (Gilley, Gilley & McMillan, 2009). Transformational change is driven by leaders and is competitive, â€Å"fundamental and radical† involving a change of culture and value system; for example the merging of two organisations (Harris, 2002; Gilley, Gilley & McMillan, 2009, p.76). Developmental change on the other hand involves a continuous dynamic change aiming at avoiding radical changes (Gilley, Gilley & McMillan, 2009). According to Gilley, Dixon & Gilley (2008, p.154), â€Å"transformational change is the key to realising innovation in an organisation.† For organisations to succeed and be competitive, they must support and implement continuous and transformational change (Gilley, Gilley & McMillan, 2009; Gilley, Dixon, & Gilley, 2008). The aim of the health industry is to provide quality patient centered care. However, the healthcare industry is facing an aging population and workforce. Skills and resources to manage complex and chronic illnesses are required. In addition, consumers are more educated about the healthcare system and want to manage their own health (Reithmeier, 2009).

Kurt Vonnegut and Slaughter House Five :: Biography Biographies Essays

Kurt Vonnegut and Slaughter House Five Kurt Vonnegut is one of the favorite dark humorists of the past century. Combining humor and poignancy, he has become one of the most respected authors of his generation. For twenty years, Kurt Vonnegut worked on writing his most famous novel ever: Slaughter House Five. The novelist was called "A laughing prophet of doom" by the New York Times, and his novel "a cause for celebration" by the Chicago Sun-Times. However, Vonnegut himself thought it was a failure. He said that, just as Lot's wife turned into a pillar of salt when she looked back, so his book is nothing but a pillar of salt. Kurt Vonnegut tied in personal beliefs, characters, and settings from his life into the novel Slaughter House Five. Kurt Vonnegut grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana. He alluded to Indiana in his writings frequently and considered himself a Midwesterner. There were three traumatic experiences Vonnegut talked about in this novel that happened to him as he was growing up. One was when his father took him to the pool when he was young and taught him to swim by the "drown if you don't" method. Another time, he and his family went out to see the Grand Canyon. As he was looking over the edge his mother touched him and he wet his pants. The third experience he mentioned was when his family was touring a cave, he was very scared and then the tour guide asked everyone to turn off all their lights and it was pitch black except for two glowing red dots from his dad (Modern Critical Interpretations 4). These experiences showed through Vonnegut's novel as his alienation from others throughout the book (Novels For Students 464). Kurt Vonnegut's personal beliefs in life, we also in Slaughter House Five. Vonnegut believes that only heart believes in freewill but it is non-existent. In his novel he writes about a group of aliens called tralfamadorians who come and take Billy to their world and put him in a zoo (Kurt Vonnegut Jr. 75). While Billy is with them, they teach him this also, and they are obviously the far superior race. Another belief that Vonnegut has, is that war is horrible, he says "war is not an enterprise of glory and heroism, but an uncontrolled catastrophe for all involved" (Novels For Students 265).

Brand Analysis †Louis Vuitton Essay

User Image Consumers are stylish, fashionable, aware of designer’s brands and look for quality and after sales services. Most of the users are mature (25+), female, working population with stable financial background. There is an increasing number of young LV users, who are fashionable trend-followers. LV users are usually less price-concerned. LV products are frequently used by the rich and famous, celebrities, models all over the world. Occasion Image LV produces series of leather goods for the business world, including briefcases, organizers, palm-cases†¦ all could be easily found in business meetings and offices. LV luggage could be found in Airport all over the world. Personal accessories like handbags, wallets, shoes, and clothing by LV are used by the celebrities in fashion shows, PR events, social gatherings†¦. Distinctive from Competitors The Competition In the challenging luxury market, LV faces quite a number of competitors. Hermes, Chanel, Gucci, Ferragamo and Prada are main competitors of LV. Just like LV, all of these international brands have their outlets around the world. Positioning We are living in an age of access to an incredible amount of product, consumers are no longer brand loyal to companies, and they want to know how the product will benefit them. To satisfy the potential customers, LV is promoting its image that provides consumers with added benefits on top of the practical use of its products. A person purchase a piece of the Louis Vuitton luggage, he is not only purchasing a piece of luggage, but prestige and style. Consumers buy LV luggage not just because they need luggage, but they want people to think that they are wealthy and stylish because this is the perception that Louis Vuitton sells with its luggage. It works because LV advertises its luggage as an exclusive line, not everyone can have it. To stand out from its competitors, LV positions itself as the leader for luxurious luggage. This could be seen in the advertising in magazines LV uses to communicate with their customers. And in the LV web page, a â€Å"Guide for the cosmopolitan traveler† is included, offering useful information to help prepare for international trips. Travelers can check out time differences, currency conversion tables, clothes sizes and measurement conversion charts, as well as useful addresses in the world’s major cities. Authenticity LV’s strength is the worldwide known good service to customer, its good quality for value and new designs. LV’s products safety exceed the requirements globally. Replicability A lot of the LV products are illegally replicated, but due to the unique canvas used for production; none of the fakes could achieve the quality and standard of the originals. Reassurance After using LV products, consumers are reassured of the good quality and value-for-money as promised by the advertising and promotions. Experience & Differentiation Consumers use and experience LV products, feel the difference between LV and other brands, lead to the differentiation of LV from the competitors. Consumer To the Louis Vuitton consumers, a LV handbag isn’t just a handbag, it’s a Louis Vuitton. Consumers will generally pay more for the LV name brand because it signifies some extra quality besides a handbag. LV products are appealed to people who would like themselves to be stylish,  and want others to think that they are fashionable, they want to differentiate their tastes from others and try to do so by purchasing LV products. Consumers were not looking so much to buy the non-brand products as everyone else. Instead, they looked to brands to help make a clear statement about their own identities. Consumers buy LV products are not just looking for quality and after sales services, they want people to think that they are wealthy because they can afford a pair of luxurious Louis Vuitton shoes. Suggestions More Distinctive from the Competition Louis Vuitton was very successful with consumers. It benefited from strong local in Japan, Europe and the US. This continued demand is due to the new products created by designer Marc Jacobs and the sustained quality of all Louis Vuitton products. To be more distinctive from the competition, Louis Vuitton may consider concentrating its business model to production of leather goods only. As most of the competitors are doing many business other than only leather goods. If LV could concentrate on leather goods production alone, it could become not just the leader, but the specialist of producing different leather goods. More Appealing to Consumers Branding and Lifestyle advertising is becoming increasingly popular because advertisers are trying to revive the idea of brand loyalty. To make LV more appealing to the consumers, here is also the idea: to make some products of the brand available only in small quantities, by limiting its production of certain products from time to time, or producing special edition of the same handbag in different markets, LV products could become  even more premium. This can satisfy the consumers who want to differentiate themselves from other LV users. LV could even create a trend for collection of limited edition LV products by the consumers.