The melian dialogue and the revolution at corcyra by thucydides Essay

The melian dialogue and the revolution at corcyra by thucydides - Essay Example nations would begin to doubt the depth of their strength as they would attribute their decision to free the Melians to them not being strong enough (Strassler). The Melians however argue that an invasion by the Athenians would do nothing but to alert the other neutral Greek states and would make them unfriendly to the Athenians and they could likely fear that they would also be overrun by the Athenians and this could make them take up arms against the Athenians, hence changing their neutrality. The Athenians argue that the neutral Greek states on the mainland would not act in this manner and that it is the unstable Greek states on the Island and the regions that have already been defeated by the Athenians that would likely do as the Melians said. The Melians however argued that it would be foolish and ignoble for them to surrender without struggling. The Athenians however replied by stating that the argument is not about nobility, but about maintaining ones’ sovereignty. The Melians further argued that the fact that they are weaker does not mean that they would lose easily to the stronger Athenian forces as they still stood a chance of winning the fight. The Athenians on their own part, claimed that the pendulum of victory would swing to their side as they are the only ones that have the right to hope on winning the war (Strassler). The Melians argued that the gods and their Spartan kindreds would come to their rescue as they are on the right part. The Athenians argued that strength is more valued over moral arguments by men and the gods as they claim that the strong can do as they please, while the weak are left with no choice than to bear any burden placed on

Information communication technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Information communication technology - Essay Example The use of the electronic mails has enabled people to keep in touch from all corners of the world. For instance, a software designer working on a project of the company can cooperate with team members who are situated in different locations. They can communicate through videoconferencing and various groupware programs soft wares. This work configuration is referred to as teleworking. This teleworking has been famous for the past years. It was predicted to gain high adopted but this has not been the case because organizations are not prepared fully for it. This has disempowered employees in many ways. However, teleworking has caused both positive and negative effects which must be studied carefully. In a networked business setup, workers can access all the information they need from the powerful PCs of the company. The presence of Wide web’s opens up the enterprises to the world thus creating more opportunities on their services. The Emergence of the internet as a communication channel has led to the growth of e-business and e-commerce. However, it has been a major issue since a few business enterprise and organization thrive as a result of this change in technology. Employees of many organizations lack a voice in decision making and sharing their thoughts through inventions. The key driver to the success of any business is by using Information Technology in supporting the staff through team works. This step will be a huge milestone since it will give them an opportunity to dream and come up with varieties of inventions (Davenport, 2005 p.51). The rate at which Digital networks is transforming workplace is incredible. The networked business entities have created a virtual business environment where by employees can now work from home. Work groups are distributed around the entire globe in almost all the fields of works. Their convergence is achieved through hosting meetings over the internet through videos and audios, regardless of their location (Davenpo rt, 2005 p.56). The advancement of these efforts has enabled them to share thoughts, goals and common interests of their respective fields of professions. This virtual environment has proven to be a positive impact to businesses since it enhances flexibility of work and duties. Organizations must shun the old and outdated models which they usually engaged in. The tendency of employees converging at the central place of work is boring since a few numbers of employees can keep up with that model today (Regan & O’Connor, 2002 p.8). Teleworking has become realistic today, enabled by ICT through mobile technology making staff members to continuously work from their homes. Studies and research works carried out reported that, regardless of ICT opening this option to an immense range of individuals, there is a much smaller percentage of those who practice teleworking. For instance in Europe, only seven percent of employees work from home on a regular basis. Recently, reports from Au stralia indicate that the numbers might shoot. Forty percent of the respondents confessed that they carried their assignments to their homes for completion. Conversely, that findings maintained there is still a huge percentage of workers who never do this, approximated to be sixty percent. The evidence in these researches points out that few people utilizes this golden opportunity of working from their homes. Telecommuting has benefit both for individuals, the organization for which one is working for and the society at large. Telecommuting allows an individual to effectively balance family demands and affairs and work. A researcher called Gajendran argues that, telecommuting minimizes job verses family feuds due to its positive effects on autonomy. From the

Performance Appraisal System Impact on Employees Apollo Tyres

Performance Appraisal System Impact on Employees Apollo Tyres 1.1 Introduction According to Mayo, 2000, Human resources management is an important function of a firm because the machines can be easily directed, repaired and utilised but employees are living beings with emotions and prejudices and cannot be easily directed, repaired and utilised. In 20th century the theoretical as well as practical aspects of the Human resources management got a scientific dimension, the consistent efforts of the management to improve the performance of the firm has resulted in the performance evaluation of human resources or employees. The employees are the building blocks of a firm and the defective block will deform the entire firm so it is the responsibility of the management to shape these building blocks according to the needs. The performance appraisal system is not new concept it has an age old history to tell but the modern appraisal system has evolved in the mid of 20th century. The performance appraisal system, which integrates many departments of the firm, is aimed at the enhancement of performance of the employees. The employees who are not scoring in the performance appraisal period are required to undergo training and skill development programme. The performance appraisal was believed to be a motivation factor but in practise many studies have shown that it is not always act as a motivational factor but sometimes has de-motivational effects on the appraised. The system which formulates the rules and regulations to motivate the employees to perform better in the next appraisal period can be called as a best suited system for that particular firm because there is no optimum method or procedure to be followed in a performance appraisal system in a firm. (Nishad, 2005) The motivation and de-motivation factors may be present in the same performance appraisal system. The appraisal may be motivational to some employees meanwhile it is de-motivating for others. The combined effect is a general thing in all appraisal system but the proportion of motivation to de-motivation factors should be high otherwise the entire objective of the Performance appraisal will be failed. (Seong and Lewis, 2009) There are many factors which affect the result of performance appraisal the main factor is the appraisal procedure and the evaluation criteria, the next important factors are social, cultural, economical and political aspects of the employees. The social and cultural aspects are known as permanent factors which cannot be nullified so it becomes the duty of the employer to plan a PA system which suits the socio-cultural aspects of the employees in addition to the due consideration for the political as well as the economics factors. (Nishad, 2005) 1.2 Background and justification of the study 1.2.1 Background of the Study Apollo Tyres Ltd is a multinational company having many divisions all around the world. It is a private sector company with limited liability. The performance track of ATL has attracted many foreign firms to initiate joint venture with this company in UK, US and African continent. The performance of this company and the varied product categories it offers to the customers are the key for its success. (Company profile, 2010) Apollo Tyres Ltd is emerging as a global tyre manufactures and it finds its strength in the availability of materials and labour at a lower price than its competitors. The annual revenue for 2009 financial year was 1.2 Billion USD. The main source of income is form the domestic production; recently the firm has acquired many other international firms such as the Dunlop Tyres in 2006 and VBBV of Netherlands as well as the Russias largest tyre manufacturing company Amtel-Vredestein NV. ATL has a direct market strategy and has 2500 showroom all over the world; majority of it are in India. There are 4000 dealerships India and more than 100 dealers internationally. (Company profile, 2010 and Stanley, 2009) The globalisation has brought many challenges to ATL as new multinational companies have entered the health care sector in India. ATL has coped with challenges with diversified product plan and for that it has invested billion of Indian Rupee, as a result the company has major market share in India. It is a matter of credit that around 10% of Tyre Products available all over world belong to ATL because of the export activities of the company. The company is so successful because of the work force it got. (Company profile, 2009) The workers are being provided by good facilities such as good working environment, good salary, flexible time schedule and holiday and festive allowancesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦etc. The Management has already providing them a contributory pension fund and insurance scheme for the employees. The educational scholar ships and education facility up to high school for the children of employees are provided by the company itself, apart from the residential facility. (Company profile, 2010 and Stanley, 2009) The annual report from financial year 2006 to 2009 has proved that the productivity has been getting decreased year by year. In 2006 it was 2.6% decrease and in 2009 it has reached the alarming 18% decrease. The management has a performance appraisal system since 1971 and counselling programme as well as skill development programmes are provided for the underperformed employees. Still the productivity graph records a downward growth. And this proposed study indents to find out the effectiveness and impact of the appraisal system on the employees and the productivity. (Stanley, 2009) 1.2.2 Justification of the study Every organisation around the world has vision and mission, whatever the philosophy behind the vision and mission there will be a common factor in the philosophy improved performance. The improved performance might bring profit to the organisation. The overall development of the organisation may be one side of the improved performance of the firm. the improved performance means the enhanced performance of the its various departments such as Human resources management, financial management, production and operations management, sales management, marketing management, customer care managementà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦etc. In all of these departments the human factor is a matter of serious consideration. The right people for the right job make all the differences. (Taylor, 2001) All the firms have some or other method to measure and analyse the performance of it. The analysis of this performance and the actions plans to be taken to improve the performance are of great importance of every firm. To manage the performance appraisal of its employees the firms have a separate appraisal department under the human resources department. The functions of appraisal department are integrated with other department such as financial department to coordinate the appraisal rewards and punishments, if any. (Qureshi, 2005) The performance appraisal is a complicated disciple of study because the appraisal result might not be the intended and assumed motivation of the employees. The studies have revealed that in many firms around world the appraisal process and remedial measures have resulted in the declined performance of the employees indicating the de-motivational effect of the appraisal system. (Nishad, 2005) The appraisal methods and criteria should be defined particularly for each firm because the appraisal results and the impact of the employees are very much depended on the external internal factor of the firm. The external factors such as socio-cultural traits of the employees, the economic and political situation of the geographical location of the firmà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦etc. The internal factors mean the nature of the jobs, the leisure and pleasure in the job, the working conditions, organisational cultureà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦etc. (Nishad, 2005) The appraisal theories when applied to the Asian countries the result may be devastating because the western appraisal theories have a great limitation in the Asian countries because of the social and cultural difference of the Asian people. So it is imperative to analyse the appraisal system on the basis of local factor which influence the management and the organisational behaviour of the employees. (Taylor, 2001and Nishad, 2005) In the proposed study, ATL- Kalamassery, in the Kerala state, India, is taken because the political and the economical situations of the state. The Kerala is world famous for the various political ideologies such as communism and socialism. The economic backwardness of the state is also factor to take this unit of ATL for the study. According to Taylor (2001) the social- cultural traits of the employees in India are very much different from the western countries. The social behaviour of Indians is sometimes unacceptable social etiquettes for westerners. The social bond and relations are different from that of the western countries. The proposed study would like to analyse the impact of the factors in the appraisal system and how far the appraisal system of ATL can manage its employees in the improvement of performance. 1.2.3 Literature Review Performance appraisal has a long history it emerged with the civilisation. When the people are interacting to each other in an orderly fashion then it may require some laws to govern the conduct of the people in the group. This preliminary law formation is called grundnorm which means the base norm, and these base norms were designed to control the conduct and also the distributed duties. The distribution of duties include various works; later on when these works required efficiency then performance of the individual and the groups were began to analyse. So it can be said that the performance appraisal was there in the primitive societies and in the course of time the application and the method of evaluation has been changed a lot. (Rajeev, 2000) According to Mayo, (2000), in the modern world, where everything is measured in time, the performance evaluation has great importance. The performance of each member of a group is important for the purpose of performance evaluation. After the industrial revolution new management theories came in to being and many of them went in to oblivion, those survived gave emphasis on the evaluation of the performance on the basis of scientific criteria. The industrial world tries to motivate its man power so that better performance can be obtained from each of the employees. The motivational aspect of the performance appraisal has been subject for deep rooted debates which are based on the many disciplines of study such as psychology, anthropology, sociologyetc. The complexity of the subject matter indicates the intricacies involved in the performance appraisal process and its impact on the employees. (Nishad, 2005) The motivational theories such as Vrooms expectancy theory and hygiene theory suggest that the employees are not motivated by giving them better facilities or salary but there is a mental dimension such as appreciation, recognition, career growth etc. The modern appraisal theory which is based on these concepts where as the classical theory of performance appraisal only support the deterrent method, that is, the employees who are performing well will be paid better and those who are not will be sacked. This approach has many loop holes such as the mental strain during the appraisal period the employees have and the lack of loyalty from the part of the employees and it was proved to be ineffective in motivating the employees. (Rajeev, 2000) The modern approach, meanwhile, support more over a lenient approach towards the employees. The basic philosophy is to understand the basic problem in the underperformance of the employees. The root cause may not be related to the employment or it may be related of some physiological problems, whatever it may the manager or the supervisor who is in charge of the appraisal process is responsible to understand it. The counselling process is designed to understand the problems and give suggestions to solve the problems of the employees. The training and improvement programmes are also conducted in many modern industries to increase the performance level of the employees. (Rajeev, 2000) The performance appraisal is usually begins with the formulation of the criteria on which each and every employee will be analysed. The criteria formation is very complex and will be unique according to the nature of employment as well as the philosophy of the management. The criteria then communicated to the employees and a time period will be given to them to opine about the criteria and after the evaluation of the suggestions from the various sources the management may change the criteria or stick on with it. The appraisal process will start and the each employee will be informed about the appraisal period. The appraisal result will be published publically and remedial measures will be taken thereafter. The remedial measures include the training and improvement programme and even the removal of the underperformance form the employment. (North, 2006) The problem with the performance appraisal begins when the employees are instructed to undergo the remedial measures. According to Nishad (2005), the social and cultural factors of the employees as well as the political strength are important factors that dictate the appraisal process. Unlike the western world in Asian countries the political strength of the employees unions is much stronger and the labour laws are much lenient to support the employees. The appraisal system in the Asian countries shall not follow the procedures of the western firms. The motivational factors and the de-motivational factors are different and contradictory in western and eastern world. The factors which motivate a westerner may a factor for de-motivation in Asian countries. According to Taylor (2001), the social-cultural aspects of the employees have significant effect on the appraisal system in the Asian countries. The trade unionism and the political inclination of these unions are other factors which will affect the appraisal system adversely. The behavioural pattern of the employees have to be analysed before the formulating the appraisal strategy. The political philosophy of the political parties in Kerala varies from leftist ideology to the rightist capitalism. The political parties strongly support one or the other political ideologies; communism and socialism are the major philosophies which are being followed in the state for more than a century. The trade unions of the state are affiliated to anyone of the political parties and the trade unions enjoys the protection of labour laws of the land. (Ashok, 2007) Situation in the ATL is not different from the political situation of the state. The political parties have a great influence on the trade unions and the lives of the employees. Every employee in the ATL is affiliated to any one of the political parties. This is basically a survival strategy for the employees as well as the trade unions. (Ashok, 2007) The collective bargaining of the trade unions and the threat of strikes hampered the growth of many industries in the state. The current situation in the firm is also same and the management have to discuss and reach in a consensus to implement any change in work schedule or in bonus or in the salary. The strength of the management is in the bargaining power and that of the trade unions is in the unity and threat to strike. (Uppal, 2009) The performance appraisal system of any industry is under the scrutiny of the trade unions, the performance criteria should be passed by the trade union so that it can be smoothly run. The remedial measures are also supervised by the trade unions and any action which will be a potential threat will be strongly resisted by the unions. (Uppal, 2009) 1.2.4 Aim The present study aims to analyse the Performance Appraisal System of the Apollo Tyres Ltd and the motivating as well as the de-motivating effects of the appraisal system on the basis of the socio-cultural and politico-economical situations and to suggest the strategies and procedures to improve the performance of the employees. 1.2.5 Hypothesis (A) Null hypothesis H0 Impact of a performance appraisal system on the employees is depended on the social, cultural, political and economic environment of the firm and the employees (B) Alternative Hyposthesis H1: Impact of a performance appraisal system on the employees is NOT depended on the social and Cultural environment of the firm and the employees H2: Impact of a performance appraisal system on the employees is NOT depended on the political and economic environment of the firm and the employees The null hypothesis is statistical hypothesis that is tested for possible rejection under the assumption that it is true (usually those observations are the result of chance). The concept was introduced by R.  A.  Fisher (Gonick and Smith, 2006) In this proposed study, the null hypothesis considers the independent variables such as social, cultural, political and economic factors of the environment in which the firm operates. The null hypothesis is assumed to be trued based on the various secondary data. The alternative hypothesis is divided in to two part one with the factors such social and cultural factors and the second one is political and economic factors. According to Malhotra (2008), the social and cultural factors cannot be separated as it is has strong influence on each other. The social factor is formed based on the cultural factor and the cultural is nurtured and propagated through social circumstances. According to Cumbler (2003), The political philosophy is always related with the economy of the country, the political affiliation is more over has direct influence on the economy of the people. It is noteworthy that the communism and other labourer favoured philosophies are flourishing the third world countries because of the poor economic conditions. Once these countries become developed nations the leftist philosophies will cease to exist in course of time. 1.2.6 Primary Objectives of the Study 1. To analyse the performance appraisal system in general and particularly in the Apollo Tyres Ltd (ATL) 2. To understand analyse the significance of the performance appraisal system in achieving the goals and objectives of a firm 3. To study and analyse the transition of performance appraisal from conventional to modern and the major factors influenced the transition 4. To understand the motivating and de-motivating effect of the appraisal system on the employees in general and particularly in the ATL 5. To analyse effect of social and cultural factors and political and economical factors of the employees on the appraisal system in general and particularly in the ATL. 1.2.7 Research Questions To fulfil the primary objective of the study the following research questions are proposed Performance Appraisal its meaning and definitions What are the significance of performance evaluation system in accomplishing the organisational objective and goals? What are the differences in the modern as well as in the conventional appraisal system? What is the relation between the motivation of the employee and appraisal system? How do the socio-cultural and politico-economical factors of the employee affect the Appraisal System in a firm? Does the performance appraisal system in the Apollo Tyres Ltd have a motivational effect on the employees? What are the strategies that the ATL follows in the appraisal process to enhance the performance of the employees in the particular socio-cultural and politico-economical background? 2. Research method and Approach 2.1 Introduction The research method and approach is devised to study and understand Performance Appraisal System in the Apollo Tyres Ltd (ATL). The study involves the opinion of the employees and the management on the present appraisal system in ATL. The interview method will be used to understand the management side of story on the Performance Appraisal system in the ATL. The questionnaire method is used to understand the employee side story. The literature reviews are depended to make a frame work on the theoretical concept of the study. Various statistical methods will be used to analyse the data and it will be explained on the basis of relevant literature. The span of the research will be six months. In the month of March, 2010 the study will be commenced and the final report will be submitted in September, 2010. 2.2 Research Methodology of the study The research methodology of the study is designed to understand the Performance Appraisal System in the ATL and the impact of present system on the employees. According to Kothari, (2002) the research method suitable for a study where the relevant literatures as well as the primary data are used the two research methods are generally used such as the exploratory methods and the constructive methods. The constructive methods are used when the subject matter of the research needs some frame of reference to handle the entire research results. For example, in international marketing research, sometimes, the cultural traits of customers have to be taken the basis or frame of reference of the study because this trait will affect all the research questions under study. 2.2.1 Exploratory research methods Exploratory research methods are wildly used in the secondary data accumulation. In this present study the literature review will be used to understand and to formulate the theoretical frame work of the entire study. The history of the appraisal system, the relevance of the appraisal system, the motivational as well as the de-motivational aspects of the PA system, the social and cultural factors as well as the political and economic factors will be extensively studied through relevant literature. The relevant sources will be explored to understand the subject matter of the study deeply thus exploratory research methods. (Kothari, 2002) 2.2.2 Constructive Research Methods Constructive research methods are used when the research result cannot be generalised due the influence of dominant factors in the study. (Kothari, 2002) In the present study the performance appraisal system is analysed based on the social and cultural aspect of the employees. The political and economical aspects are also considered for the study because all these factors have a dominant effect on the study. In other words, without taking these factors under consideration the research will be completed. The geographical location of the unit under study is in the Kerala state, India, which is an economically backward place and the political philosophies, such communism and socialism have formidable impact on the people living there. The social and cultural factors are different from the western world and the social bonds and family cohesions are very important aspects this culture. The social interaction and etiquettes are different from that of the western world so the theories applicable in the western world no longer stand good in these situations. So it is mandatory for this study to form a frame work on these factors to analyse th e subject matter of the research. 2.2.3 Questionnaire and interview method Interview and questionnaire methods are generally used to collect the data first hand (Kothari, 2002). In this study these methods are preferred to get the information on the appraisal system of ATL and the impact of such system on the employees. The questionnaires will be used to get the opinions of the employees on the performance appraisal system as well as the appraisal rewards and the methods of the PA system. According to Saunders et al., 2003 the open end interviews are useful to gather data in a larger perspective. The open end interview questions and the answers to it will give the interviewer the opportunity to ask other relevant questions to the interviewee based on the previous answer and can get more details from the interviewer. The interview questions are open end in nature and the questions will be asked to the officials of ATL. According to the answers of these officials other related questions will be asked to get more comprehensive view on the subject. This method is used to interview the officials only because there are very few in number. The questionnaire will be distributed to the employees and the responses will be collected back within one month of distribution. This method is adopted because in this unit there are 2100 employees and interviewing all them will not be possible due to time constrain. 2.3 Method of Study The proposed study requires both primary data as well as the secondary data to meet the objectives of the study. The method of study thus designed to collect the primary as well as the secondary data. The primary data will be collected from the management staffs and from the employees. The secondary data will be collected by referring books, Articles, the e-journals and paper journals, web sitesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦etc. 2.4 Primary data collections methods Primary data will be collected from the employees and the managers of the ATL directly. The employees will be distributed the self-structured close end questionnaire to be answered and 2 weeks time will be given to them to fill it and return. Managerial staff will be interview with open end interview questions. According to Saunders et al., 2003, the open end questions are very apt for interviewing a small sample in a study it also very effective because the open end questions will provide enough opportunity to ask more questions based on the answer for the previous questions and clarify the doubts on the statements if any. 2.5 Secondary Data collection methods The secondary data collection is highly recommended information gathering process in any research work. The researcher should be diligent enough to select apt resources and updated information. In management subjects the data collection should be done through updated resources and latest editions books, articles and journals because new concept and theories and its applications are emerging day by day and it is the responsibility of the researcher to find out the up dated information for his research work. (Kumar, 2005) The secondary data collection method includes access to the relevant and updated books, journals and articles. The website will be extensively used if the authenticities of the sites are known. The university library and online facility will be extensively used for this research. The data regarding the company profile will be gathered though company website and referring the ISO manual of ATL and the annual report which is available in the web site of ATL. 2.6 Method of Data analysis In the proposed study the primary data as well as the secondary data will be used to reach a conclusion and the recommendations. The primary data will be analysed with various statistical tools such as chi square test, ANOVA à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦etc and the variance analysis will be done to understand the impact of the statement with the literature review. Both the primary and secondary data will be simultaneously used to interpret the results of the research. 2.7 Scope, Ethics and Limitation of the Study Scope The proposed study is on the performance appraisal system and the impact of it on the employees. The scope of the research includes the analysis of the various factors such as the social-cultural aspects and the political-economic factors of the environment in which the Apollo Tyres Limited is operating. The social and cultural aspect of the employees will be analysed and the suitable strategy for the appraisal system will be studied. The political and economic situation of the employees will be analysed and the performance appraisal approach of the management will be studied based on these factors. The scope of the research will be on the formulation appraisal strategy which will be suitable under the various research variables. The motivational and the de-motivational impact of the appraisal system will be analysed based on the four above mentioned aspects of the employees. Ethics According to Kothari (2002), a research study will provide accurate results and will provide a valid conclusion if it has followed a research ethics. In this proposed study the permission to do the research is obtained from the management of Apollo Tyres Limited, Kalamassery Unit, Kerala state, India. The survey among the employees of the ATL will be conducted confidentially. The questionnaire will not contain any whereabouts of the employees only the service, age, gender and positions. It will not ask for any personal details such as the address, name or any name of unique post. The research will seek the written permission from the management for the interview of the Management staffs so the evidence of opinion can be adduced in the Dissertation. Relevant literature will be collected and analysed to gather the knowledge base on the subject matter so that the research should have a through theoretical support. Limitations Short span of time is problem in the research as the time period is limited to three months. The data collection and the analysis of the primary data will be done with maximum speed and there is a chance the responses of the employees is not 100% true to the fact. The literature available on the performance appraisal is numerous and reading the relevant one requires great time. The limited time may limit the number of literature that can be analysed by the researcher. The data will be gathered through research aid wing of Indian Management Association (IMA). The representative of IMA will be hired for the purpose of the data collection; the knowledge limit of the person on the research objective may prove to be a problem in translating the questionnaire to the employees. The cooperation from the part of the employees and other management staff is essential for the success of the research. The research will suffer if there is limited cooperation from the staffs of the Apollo Tyres Limited. 2..8 Conclusion and Recommendations Conclusion The trade unionism and the political inclination of these unions are other factors which will affect the appraisal system adversely. The behavioural pattern of the employees have to be analysed before the formulating the appraisal strategy. The political philosophy of the political parties in Kerala varies from leftist ideology to the rightist capitalism. The political parties strongly support one or the other political ideologies; communism and socialism are the major philosophies which are being followed in the state for more than a century. The trade unions of the state are affiliated to anyone of the political parties and the trade unions enjoys the protection of labour laws of the land. Situation in the ATL is not different from the political situation of the state. The political parties have a great influence on the trade unions and the lives of the employees. Every employee in the ATL is affiliated to any one of the political parties. This is basically a survival strategy for the employees as well as the trade unions. The collective bargaining of the trade unions and the threat of strikes hampered the growth of many industries in the state. The current situation in the firm is also same and the management have to discuss and

Othello’s Female Roles Essay -- Othello essays

Othello’s Female Roles  Ã‚        Ã‚  Ã‚   Let’s look at the roles of the three lady-characters in the Shakespearean drama Othello. Their roles are not marginal, but are rather vital to the tragedy.    In the Introduction to Shakespeare’s Othello: The Harbrace Theatre Edition, John Russell Brown summarizes the role of the heroine of the play:    When considered functionally, Desdemona’s role may be seen to be every bit as demanding as those of the principals. The fact that she has far fewer words to speak and is on-stage for a much shorter time detracts nothing from the scope of the role, but rather shows that the actress herself can move the audience with the quiet authority of her stage presence and her realization of this girl’s courage and openness of mind and heart. (xviii)    For the women in Othello, life as they would have it was an uphill battle. Susan Snyder in â€Å"Othello: A Modern Perspective† reveals some of the hurdles which women had to face in finding a suitable role in society:    The pervasive notion of woman as property, prized indeed but more as object than as person, indicates one aspect of a deep-seated sexual pathology in Venice. [. . .] Iago fans to flames the coals of socially induced unease in Othello, fantasizes on his own about being cuckolded by Othello and Cassio. In an ideology that can value only cloistered, desireless women, any woman who departs from this passivity will cause intense anxiety. (295)      One key role for the heroine of the drama, Desdemona, is to support the general. David Bevington in William Shakespeare: Four Tragedies states that the hero equates the young woman he so deeply depends on for happiness, with his mother (226). A different role for the her... ...h, Inc., 1973.    Kernan, Alvin. â€Å"Othello: and Introduction.† Shakespeare: The Tragedies. Ed. Alfred Harbage. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall Inc., 1964.    Shakespeare, William. Othello. In The Electric Shakespeare. Princeton University. 1996. http://www.eiu.edu/~multilit/studyabroad/othello/othello_all.html No line nos.    Snyder, Susan. â€Å"Othello: A Modern Perspective.† Shakespeare: Othello. Eds. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York: Washington Square Press, 1993.    Wayne, Valerie. â€Å"Historical Differences: Misogyny and Othello.† The Matter of Difference: Materialist Feminist Criticism of Shakespeare. Ed Valerie Wayne. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press, 1991.    Snyder, Susan. â€Å"Othello: A Modern Perspective.† Shakespeare: Othello. Eds. Barbara A. Mowat and Paul Werstine. New York: Washington Square Press, 1993.   

Deities and Lesser Spirits Essay

Deities and Lesser SpiritsGods represented in mythology possess different characteristics. Lesser gods or deities may have ultimate power, finitude, good, or evil tied to the stories that tell about their lives and existence. The purpose of this paper is to define the terms ultimate power, finitude, good and evil and identify four mythological deities that personify these terms. Apollo, who is also referred to as Apollon, was a Greek Olympian god. His mother was Leto, a bride of Zeus. Apollo was a god of prophecy, healing, disease and plague, music, song and poetry, archery and he protected young life. He had ultimate power as a god. Ultimate power is defined as Gods are considered immortal and in control of lesser life forms (Theoi Greek Mythology, 2000-2007). Apollo had invented the flute and the lyre. Suprisingly, he had built the walls of Troy while simply playing the lyre. The Theoi Greek Mythology (2000-2007) stated, Apollo guarded the cattle of Laomedon in the valleys of Ida. In these two examples, it appears he in fact was the god of music, song and protection of young life. Finitude means being finite. Therefore, a god that personifies finitude is one whom only existed for a limited time (Language of Light Glossary, n.d.). The god that was chosen that represents finitude is Christ. Christ represented God during his tenure on earth and all the finite limitations that humans, created by God, face. Life with its choices puts a black or white finish on an individuals moral standing. Death representing the end of the opportunity to make those choices was experienced by Christ himself. Christ while interacting with both the Jews and Gentiles admonished individuals for a variety of sins and life styles that were uncharacteristic of a godly life. Measures were not applied to actions (i.e. tithing) but standards were applied to acts (the act of giving). The life Christ lived provided an example of finiteness people live with during their short lives but the reward as seen through Christs resurrection is infinite life in the realm of heaven. The definition of good as it relates to the gods is sometimes hard to define. Good is defined as having sought-after qualities, kind, merciful, high  morale values, religious, successful, fair to mention a few. With regard to the gods, a good god represented the positive, non-evil powers. Having a bountiful harvest, producing many children, finding love, and being successful in business could be tied to a god protecting the people. Although when researching good gods there seemed to be a shortage as compared to the gods associated with power or evil. A god that represented good was the Aztec god Quetzalcoatl, who was one of many gods in the Aztec belief system. Quetzalcoatl is reported to have given man the science of agriculture and writing as well as being the god of the morning and evening star and the wind. Quetzalcoatl was considered a hero among those who worshiped him and he fought with other gods for what he thought was right. Evil is defined by one source as morally bad or wrong (WordNet Search, n.d.). An evil deity is therefore, one whose actions are morally wrong. An example of a deity that personifies evil is the Devil. The Devil is a deity in Christianity that is described as a fallen angel who rebelled against God. The Devil best represents the term evil because of his hatred for humanity and all things created by God. According to Bible stories, throughout the history of mankind, the Devil has tempted humans to rebel against God and follow him. To achieve that end, the Devil is said to tell to tell lies and intentionally deceive people. The Devil promotes of deceit, sin, and other morally wrong behaviors. In fact, the devil is said to be the cause of original sin, which is the reason for the Apocalypse, or the second coming of Christ. The Devil rewards those who turn against God with eternity in Hell. In conclusion, the gods of mythology possess different characteristics. The story of Apollo is example of a god with ultimate power as he had healing power and could protect young life. Quetzalcoatl shows us good as he was considered a hero and worshiped for fighting for what was right. Christ represented God during his tenure on earth and all the finite limitations that humans face, such as death. The Devil is the ultimate example of evil as he intentionally deceives and promotes deceit, sin, and other morally  wrong behaviors. Stories tell about the existence and lives of deities and lesser gods and from those stories, one must decide which powers they possessed. References Davies, N. (1973). The Aztecs. Norman, Oklahoma, University ofOklahoma PressLanguage of Light Glossary. (N.D.). Retrieved November 4, 2007 from http://www.goddirect.org/glossary/f.htmTheoi Greek Mythology. (2000-2007). Apollon. Retrieved November 2, 2007, from http://www.theoi.com/WordNet Search. (n.d.). WordNet Search. Retrieved November 1, 2007, from http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=evil&sub=Search+WordNet&o2=&o0=1&o7=&o5=&o1=1&o6=&o4=&o3=&h

Henry Fayol Father of Modern Management Essay

Present management practices and theories have evolved from classical management theory created by organisation pioneers, and one such influential pioneer was Henri Fayol. Henri began his career as an engineer in a large French mine and eventually succeeded to become the director, here he realised the lack of resources available to managers for developing management practices. Fayol’s did not believe in the old ideas of an individual born to rule, he believed that an employee needs to be motivated and among many other things, money is an important variable in motivation. He also said that managers should keep the morale of his employees high and keep them motivated so they can perform at their best. Fayol believed that by focusing on management practises he would minimise misunderstanding and increase efficiency in organisations and started synthesising his 14 principles of management, which are considered as the foundation and essential references for present management practices and theories. Fayol’s principles of management are still widely used in organisations by management to perform day to day tasks and other functions. His 14 principals acknowledged the importance of management hierarchy and key management process in any organisation. These principles are as follows (Study mode, 2013): 1)Specialisation of labour. Specialising encourages continuous improvement in skills and the development of improvements in methods. 2)Authority. The right to give orders and the power to exact obedience. 3)Discipline. No slacking, bending of rules. 4)Unity of command. Each employee has one and only one boss. 5)Unity of direction. A single mind generates a single plan and all play their part in that plan. 6)Subordination of Individual Interests. When at work, only work things should be pursued or thought about. 7)Remuneration. Employees receive fair payment for services, not what the company can get away with. 8)Centralization. Consolidation of management functions. Decisions are made from the top. 9)Scalar Chain (line of authority). Formal chain of command running from top to bottom of the organization. 10)Order. All materials and personnel have a prescribed place, and they must remain there. 11)Equity. Equality of treatment (but not necessarily identical treatment) 12)Personnel Tenure. Limited turnover of personnel. Lifetime employment for good workers. 13)Initiative. Thinking out a plan and do what it takes to make it happen. 14)Esprit de corps. Harmony, cohesion among personnel. Out of the 14, the most important elements are specialization, unity of command, scalar chain, and, coordination by managers (an amalgam of authority and unity of direction). All of these principles have an influence in today’s management practices but it would seem that three of these play a major role modern management thought and practice. The three being: 1)Authority  2)Unity of direction 3)Remuneration â€Å"Authority† in classic management laid the foundation for present day company structures and practices, which helps present day management with hierarchy within organisations ensuring competent day to day operations between general staff and management. â€Å"Unity of direction† is practised as one the most important aspect of management and general staff today, where almost every successful business has a vision for future of their organisation and how each employee and their roles contribute towards the success of this vision. In order for any organisation to achieve their goals (vision), managers today ensure that they employ staffs who are most suitable to the available roles, herein comes â€Å"remuneration†, where managers offer employees fair payment and benefits for their services. This ensures that both parties (managers and employees) are satisfied with the outcome of employment. Fayol’s main contribution to present day management thought & practise will have to be the use of his experiences and observations to create a body of knowledge that included his 14 principles as guide to thinking and practise and elements of management as a description of the functions managers perform to this day. Fayol also brought to attention what he believed to be the relative importance of technical and managerial abilities of employees of different levels of authorities. This demonstrates that employees at worker level need more technical ability but as the move up the â€Å"scalar chain† the importance of managerial ability increase as the importance of technical ability decreases. Fayol’s observation paved the path to managerial studies and gave importance to having the properly trained/educated employee at different levels of the organisation. Fayol was also the first person to identify and describe the elements of a manager’s job and he labelled these elements as planning, organising, command, coordination and control. These elements formed what is known as the â€Å"management process†, this management process help determine what is required from managers and what practises shall be observed by managers. These elements are still key factors in present day manager’s role and responsibilities. The classical management theory of administrative approach concentrates on the total organisation where the emphasis is on the development of managerial principles rather than trying to find the best way to get the most done. This theory evolved mainly from the contributions of Henri Fayol, which were his 14 principles of management. These principles provide modern-day managers with general guidelines on how a supervisor should organize their department and manage their staff. Classical management theory is an approach to organizing that values productivity, the precision and efficiency that result from a division of labour, a hierarchical chain of command, and tight discipline. Fayol’s principle of division of work defines that work should be divided among individuals and groups to ensure that effort and attention are focused on special portions of the task. Fayol presented work specialization as the best way to use the human resources of the organization, from this definition it can be seen that Henri Fayol has made a major contribution with his principle of division of labour to the foundation and structure of classical management practices and theory. Henri Fayol’s synthesis of the 14 principles of management made very important contributions to classical management theory and practices. His perception of division of work evolved and helped define classical management. Fayol’s principles are still practised today by organisations, his ideas can be seen in modern day ideology of management through practises such as staff hierarchy (Division of labour), department managers and board members (Authority), company visions and ideas (Unity of directions) and salary packages including benefits and bonuses(Remuneration). It is obvious that Fayol’s ideas and principles are still in practice today and he can truly be called the father of modern management theory.