Ageism in the Workplace Essay Example for Free

Ageism in the Workplace Essay Ageism can happen to anyone, young or old. Many times when discussing Ageism or age discrimination, most people consider older generations as those affected, but the reality is that younger generations can be affected by Ageism as well. Ageism is growing in America today, and there are many significant issues that are being associated with this form of discrimination. The purpose of this paper is to define Ageism and who is being affected by it. Those affected are experiencing a wide array of issues that can ultimately have serious and sometimes fatal consequences. Ageism is not something that cannot be cured, and there are definitely ways to overcome it. Ways to combat this problem, include education and mentoring. This paper will outline many different opportunities within these two areas and ultimately conclude with recommendations for organizational management to combat the growing issue of Ageism. Ageism Definition What is Ageism? In simple terms, ageism is defined as a form of discrimination targeting older adults, generally 55 years of age and older. Dr. Linda Woolf uses a definition by A. J.  Traxler to define Ageism as any attitude, action, or institutional structure which subordinates a person or group because of age or any assignment of roles in society purely on the basis of age. Ageism is different from other forms of discrimination in that an individual’s age is static unlike their race or gender (Woolf, 1998). What Dr. Woolf means by this is that a person’s age is constantly changing, and no one is exempt from experiencing ageism in some form. All of us at some point will be affected by Ageism, whether we stereotype others or we are stereotyped based simply on how old we are at that point in time. Ageism is slowly becoming a major issue within the workforce of America. Persons Affected Baby Boomers. There are some discrepancies in which period of time the Baby-Boomer generations actually begin and end, but for my research, the period is established as 1946 to 1964 (Gibson, Jones, Cella, Clark, Epstein Haselberger, 2010). Baby-Boomers were born in a five to six year period immediately following World War II. The current age range for Baby-Boomers would be around 63 to 68 years of age. This generation is obviously within the prime age range to be affected by Ageism. The consulting firm, Age Lessons, lists 3 R’s as areas of concern for Baby-Boomers: redundancy, relevance, and resentment from younger co-workers (Gibson, Jones, Cella, Clark, Epstein Haselberger, 2010). Boomers definitely have reason to be concerned about redundancy. In this day and age with so many layoffs occurring, many companies are looking at older employees, especially those within retirement age, as individuals to cut. The Boomer generation, having been around a while, most times is more expensive to retain than younger employees. Many older employees struggle to remain productive and relevant within the organization. They fear being left behind unless their employer offers them training opportunities (Gibson, Jones, Cella, Clark, Epstein Haselberger, 2010). The final R, and maybe the harshest, is resentment from younger employees looking to grow and advance within an organization, but feel they are being held back by the Boomer generation. I have seen this type of resentment first hand, and it can and does often lead to an unstable work environment. Generation X. Who makes up Generation X? Well there are many different ranges of time given to define this group of individuals, but a good estimate is 1965 to 1980 (Jochim, 1997). The age range of this group is now around 33-48 years of age. That doesn’t seem very old, and one would wonder how Ageism could be affecting this group. They would seem to be in their prime working years. The reality is that as of 2003, more and more young workers feel they are being discriminated against because of their age (Armour, 2003). Revealing statistics support this belief among young workers. In an article for USA Today, Jennifer Armour reveals that in 2003 the unemployment rate for workers 25 to 34 was at 6. 9 percent, well above the 3. 9 percent for employees 55 and older. A more recent poll by Gallup, as of April 2012, puts the underemployment rate for adults 30 to 49 at 14 percent, still ahead of the 13. 6 percent for adults 50 to 64. Compare both of these with a 12. 7 percent rate for adults 65 and older, and you can see that ageism can affect all ages. This is a startling increase since 2003 and speaks to our current economy and the mindset of employers when determining who to retain and who to let go. With so many young adults underemployed or unemployed, they are unable to attain the experience and skills necessary to help them grow and attain better jobs in the future (Jacobe, 2012). These issues combined could lead to significant repercussions for the future of American business. Issues of Ageism Health There are many issues that lead to Ageism in the workplace. One issue is the health of the employee. Generally, organizations worry about the health of their older employees and how it may relate to work attendance. One stereotype is that older workers seem to be more fragile and are not able to physically perform as well as their younger counterparts (Gibson, Jones, Cella, Clark, Epstein Haselberger, 2010). Issues of Ageism surrounding employee health are not only limited to physical requirements, but include mental aptitude as well. In fact, a 2001 survey conducted at Duke University found that nearly 80 percent of respondents age 60 and older experienced ageism such as people assuming they had memory impairments because of their age (Dittmann, 2003). Costs Many costs are associated with Ageism, but they are not all economic in nature. Costs to the elderly, costs to the younger generation, as well as social costs are a few that contribute to the problem. The discrimination of Ageism can affect individuals in many ways such as being denied employment or being passed over for promotion, just to mention a couple. One significant, yet subtle, blow can occur to the individual’s self-esteem (Palmore, 2005). The feeling of no longer being needed or wanted within an organization can have significant consequences to an elderly individual. It can lead to depression and a rapid deterioration of mental and physical skills. At the other end of the spectrum, is the much younger generation of workers. The costs of ageism can affect them as well. The costs to them are related to the topic of economic costs. According to Mr. Palmore, special programs that benefit only older persons, such as Medicare and Medicaid, are funded by the tax dollars of the younger employees within the workforce; the amount was greater than $300 billion annually in 1999. The final cost is the social cost to not only the elders, but the younger generation as well. The younger generation loses a significant wealth of knowledge to pull from while the elderly lose an opportunity for social interaction. Technology As time goes by, technology continues to progress at a rapid pace, and it is often difficult for individuals, as well as organizations, to keep up with the ever changing products. Many managers feel that older workers do not like change and lack the desire to learn new technology or simply have no valuable technical skills to offer (Gibson, Jones, Cella, Clark, Epstein Haselberger, 2010). In my own personal experience in the technology industry, I have supervised older employees who had the minimal skills to succeed but did not want to put forth the effort to learn new skills in order to advance. Likewise, I have had supervisors who are â€Å"old school† and had no interests in keeping up with the technological advances. This led to younger employees actually having a greater knowledge base than their manager. Education Education of older employees is also a concern for managers in today’s constantly changing environment. The changes of the work environment have brought new knowledge, skill, and ability requirements for all workers (Lee, Czaja Sharit, 2009). The question that managers have to answer is, do older employees have the necessary cognitive abilities to learn and perform these new requirements. As I mentioned earlier, some older adults do not have the desire to learn new skills at such a late stage of their career, and this is an issue many managers are faced with. Attitude can play a large part in a manager’s decision to select older adults for the necessary training to keep those individuals gainfully employed. A negative attitude by older employees can lead to negative stereotypes and concerns about the trainability of such individuals (Lee, Czaja Sharit, 2009). Older adults, who display a desire and enthusiasm about learning new skills and abilities, have a greater opportunity to overcome the negative stereotypes and contribute significantly to any organization. Risks While efforts are being made to eliminate all forms of discrimination, it continues to occur today to many groups including older adults. Wendy Taormina-Weiss states, â€Å"Despite efforts to provide a level of protection that might be based upon compassion, ageism continues to lead to disempowerment of seniors in this nation. † The question becomes, what are the risks we are creating for seniors by discriminating against them because of their age? Poor health, reduction or loss of financial security, and social isolation are three major risks created by ageist beliefs (Taormina-Weiss, 2012). Many seniors have lived a long and productive life, and the need to make a contribution is important to them. By looking at them with these negative stereotypes and discriminating against them simply because of their age, the risk factors above can have severe consequences. Taormina-Weiss goes on to say that these risk factors can contribute to a lower quality of life, lower self-esteem, and ultimately a shorter life span. Combating Ageism Education Outsourced. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) prohibits age discrimination in the workplace for employees or potential employees 40 years of age or older. (Farrell, 2011). Assistance, such as Professional Employer Organizations (PEO), is available to employers to assist with understanding and compliance of the law. According to PEO Spectrum, one benefit of a PEO is that they co-employ with a client accepting half the risk of managing an organizations employees. Just as important, is the fact that PEOs provide training to supervisors and managers to not only improve employee communication and relations, but also to keep leaders up to date on applicable laws pertaining to age discrimination (Farrell, 2011). Other areas that PEOs offer training in is proper interviewing techniques, managing through a layoff, discrimination, and harassment (Farrell, 2011). Organizations should have liability protection insurance for a worst-case scenario such as a wrongful termination. The issue here is that liability insurance can be expensive. According to Farrell, most PEOs offer their clients coverage, but the cost can be as much as $5000 a year for a company with only 10 to 20 employees. However, with the proper training and education, such as that provided by PEOs, organizations can significantly reduce the risk of facing such a lawsuit. In-house. In a study conducted by several faculty members and students at Nova Southeastern University on the subject of Ageism, the authors recommended the TEAM approach in order to build diverse high-performing teams. The TEAM approach stands for team composition, education and training, awareness, accountability, and accommodation, and mentoring (Gibson, Jones, Cella, Clark, Epstein Haselberger, 2010). Team composition is the first and most important step. When building the team, you should ensure to include employees across all age groups. Education and training are also vital to your employees. Diversity training has become very important along with opportunities for older adults to receive training to keep technical skills current. Research shows that the 2008 U. S. Presidential election was notable for many things, mainly the difference in how each candidate reached their constituents; one used email and text messaging, while the other did not (Gibson, Jones, Cella, Clark, Epstein Haselberger, 2010). Organizations need to be aware of discrimination laws and ensure that all employees are aware of the requirements to be in compliance with said laws. The Human Resource department of an organization must be responsible for developing strategies to ensure that all employees, especially the Baby-Boomer generation, are given the same opportunities for performance and promotion (Gibson, Jones, Cella, Clark, Epstein Haselberger, 2010). The final peace of the TEAM concept is mentoring. Mentoring can be a two-way street in any organization. Not only do the older adults have an opportunity to mentor and train the next generation of employees, but the younger employees have an opportunity to mentor and train older adults to keep them current on new technologies and techniques. Mentoring Management. There are many opportunities for mentoring members of an organization’s management team. Many professional services are offered as well as opportunities from within an organization to use firsthand experience and knowledge. As discussed in the previous section, mentoring can and should occur in both directions. Knowledge should be gained from those adult co-workers who have been with an organization or industry for multiple years and have unique ideas and insights. Conversely, the younger generation of leader may bring a fresh set of ideas and beliefs that could make the organization more efficient. Two key areas of opportunity for mentoring managers is the use of Senior Mentors and Peer to Peer mentoring. Senior Mentors. Our own U. S. military is a good example of using Senior Mentors to assist individuals in upper leadership positions. These mentors help conduct exercises and offer advice to their still-active colleagues (Vanden Brook, Dilanian Locker, 2009). The majority of these retired leaders has experienced what our new leaders are about to experience and can offer valuable advice on how to handle certain situations and what steps to take in certain scenarios. While I could not find statistical data to show that the program has been effective in the military arena, I have no doubt that having the insight of someone who has held the same position previously is nothing short of valuable. Many of the same principles applied in military circles can be applied in the business sector as well. Retired military leaders know all too well the issues of discrimination, no matter what form, and can help guide the next generation of leader in avoiding these pitfalls. In the military, we sometimes find Ageism pointed in the direction of the younger generation because of a lack of experience. This scenario is where Senior Mentors can advise leaders to listen to their younger leaders and avoid the appearance of prejudice against them simply because of their age. Peers. According to Judith Germain, peer to peer mentoring occurs when the mentor is not in a position of authority over the mentee. Peer to peer mentoring can be very valuable in a group setting because mentors are able to pass on knowledge based on life experience and professional experience gained in the business arena (Germain, 2011). Too often we think of a peer as someone similar in age, but in the business world it relates directly to job title. Putting peers together from different age groups to exchange information and ideas goes a long way in helping them understand each other and eliminating any stereotypes about each other. Germain goes on to say that in this group setting with such a diverse group of leaders, the learning curve for the business owner is greatly reduced. In the long run, peer to peer mentoring offers a relaxed environment among managers of all experience levels to pass on valuable life experience and information. Employees. Mentors use their leadership to advise and nurture their employees either voluntarily or involuntarily (Gibson, Jones, Cella, Clark, Epstein Haselberger, 2010). As discussed earlier, managers and leaders need mentoring before they can mentor their employees. The information held by the leaders of an organization must be transferred to the next generation in order to assure continuity of key organizational functions (Gibson, Jones, Cella, Clark, Epstein Haselberger, 2010). When related to Ageism, managers must mentor their younger employees/supervisors concerning discrimination laws so that any issues with age discrimination may be avoided. Communication should be imperative in the mentoring process. With the proper mentoring program in place, valuable knowledge can be transferred, new and valuable friendships can be formed, and unnecessary litigation can be avoided. Conclusion Ageism is a rapidly growing form of discrimination. As we have learned, many Baby-Boomers today are experiencing or already experiencing this form of discrimination. Ageism is not limited to the Baby-Boomer generation, however, as many younger generations are experiencing this prejudice as well. Many factors have been discussed here including health related issues, social issues, and financial issues that arise out of this act of prejudice. These factors have a negative impact on employees of all ages and can have a significant negative impact on an organization if steps are not taken to correct any form of age discrimination. The good news for any organization is that there are ways to combat this growing problem. Organizational management should conduct an audit of policies and procedures to determine if they have allowed for any opportunities for this form of discrimination to occur. If so, they must take the necessary steps to correct the issue. Management should take advantage of every opportunity to educate their staff from top to bottom on applicable state and federal laws as well as internal policies and procedures related to any form of discrimination. Finally, it is recommended that management create and support a company mentoring plan. This plan should use outside resources, such as Senior Mentors, as well as current employees of the organization. With the proper policies, procedures, education, and mentoring programs in place, an organization can avoid any potential pitfalls of Ageism or other forms of discrimination.

Power and Politics of Performance Management

Power and Politics of Performance Management Organization politics are a reality in most organizations, and while game-playing might outwardly appear to be wasted time, it is necessary in order to secure resources, progress ideas, achieve personal goals, and often to enhance ones standing. It is naive to realistically expect to be able to stand aloof from organizational politics. You may be respected for doing so, but your progress will be limited and you will be seen as an easy target. (Buchanan Badham, 2007, pp 47-59) From a managing and leading people prospective, the later part will discuss about how power politics and control influence on the management of performance of individuals and organizational .what are the key aspects of the approaches of the power politics and controls over the management of performance. What is the good aspect and what is the negative aspect of those elements when we bring performance management into consideration on individual bases and on organizational bases. It will also identify what is meant by power, politics and control and the management of performance. All the relevant theories from the module and practical theories will be discussed in detail. Power and politics Management of performance: Before going into discussion about power politics and organizational control one need to discuss the dilemma of performance management. Performance management is not only about the employees performance but it mixture of how the organization as whole performing (internally and externally), its various department (sales, administration etc), budgeting, finance management, policies, services and products organizing groups for mutual task etc. According to Bratton Gold, pp 274, (2007) Performance management refers to the set of interconnected practices which are design to ensure that a person overall capabilities and potential are appraised, so that relevant goals can be set for work and development and, through assessment, data on work behaviour and performance can be collected and reviewed. On the other hand, Armstrong and Baron, pp 1-5, (2009) defining the management of performance as a process which contribute to the effective management of individuals and teams in order to achieve high level of organizational performance -as such, it established shared understanding about what is to achieved and an approach to leading and developing people which will ensure that it is achieved. Power and Politics: Power and politics are the ability or official capacity to exercise and control authority. It also has been known as an individual, groups, or states that have more control over others. Politics is defined as the art or science of government or governing, especially the governing of a political body, such as a nation, organizations, and the administration and control of its internal and external affairs. As businesses harness the power of technology to change and drive the bottom line, power and politics have been seen as the force behind this change. The managements bring important attributes to the table that lead the enterprises direction, from putting the companys strategic visions to finding short-term solutions, getting long-term targets, and bringing in partners who can change and improve the companys profits. Examine the persuasive and powerful individuals, and political base management in executive offices. A common feature among many will emerge: strong values and the abili ty to facilitate change. Thus it is understood how power and politics work together, and benefits each other well in the business setting. Although most individuals think as power as a force over something or someone, it is not identified as a political force. Power shared with political support has proven to be very beneficial in society or in organization. The former president of Pakistan General Pervaiz musharraf is an example of how he maintained power and politics in his regime effectively through a positive control which had influence positively on the country overall performance as comparing to its past. Leader is the key success for an effective performance of an organization. How far we can see power and politics: The topic of power is so vital and difficult to define in a single sentence yet people made different approaches towards power definition. Power can be exerted not only by some individuals over other, but also by some groups, sections departments, organization and indeed by some nations over other. (Huczynski Buchanan, 2007). Another writer Jay (1967) commented on the power definition as power lies in the acceptance of your authority by others -their knowledge that if they try to resist you they will fail and you will succeed, (jay, 1967). According to Gallagher (2003), power is the capacity to impress the dominance of ones goal or values on other. One can say that power is the source of individual authority and approached to get the thing s done. In other words the ability to make something happening or preventing it forms happening. On the other hand Organization politics can be defined as informal, parochial, typically divisive and illegitimate behaviour that is aimed at displaci ng legitimate power (Mintzberg, 1983). Organizations mainly consisted of organizational politics. Authorities or leaders usually exercising power have the same amount of politics. Working in organization one can see closely the relation of power and politics. It is believe that it is a reality in the organizations. According to Prasad, (1993) Politicking is one of the option for those who wish to influence decisions. It is believed that politics inside organization can be exercised for and against the organization. But most of the critics believed that politics mostly disrupt organizational efficiency and effectiveness (kacmar et al., 1999). Also it consuming time, restricting information and making communication difficulties (Eisenhard Bourgeois, 1988). It also creating the environment stressful, decreasing job satisfaction and making high level of employees turn over. Form a very way power and politics described as essential sources in the organizational life .some critics described as good well for organizational life and some criticised as negative element for organizational life and individuals well being. Power and politics can understand through its sources and tactics that how individuals exercising them through various means and controlling the whole sort of culture which automatically reflects on their performance. There are different approaches has been made by the writers, individualist and pluralist are the commons in them. Power as an individuals property: This type of power has been exercised by individuals with a Social and Interpersonal skills, Power can be seen in particular individuals inside the organizations (Huczynski and Buchanan, pp 435, 2007). Clearly stating who have the power and those who dont have. Individual property can be eliminated in two types of sources, structural sources and personal source based on managing with power theory (Jeffrey, 1992). Structural source: Individual formal role and position .the Ability of gaining support and allies, Individuals have fully control over information Reducing problems and uncertainty. Also have influence on the organization communication physically and emotionally, and the pervasiveness of individual activities within the organization. Such kind of power can be seen in accountants or accountant general officers and HR manager who have more power and authority than others. They hold a strong position and can be positive or negative effect on the organization overall performance. Individuals source: Power can be seen in Individuals, those who have more energy and physical stamina. The ability of focusing on energy and avoiding worthless efforts has fully understanding of other employees feelings. Individuals have a great capability of mental toughness and ability to control stress situation like conflicts and confrontations. All those Characteristics of power are known as more socialistic and talk about individual behaviour of its approach towards power. Power as a source of relationship According to French raven, pp 259-269 (1959) and Buchanan Budham (1999), Power as an individuals property yet it is property of relationship. French raven, pp 259-269 (1959), identified five types of power which are exercising within organization. Relationship power can be described as personal power and positional power. Each of these can be influence on the individuals behaviour, attitude and values. Figure 1. Types of Individual Power. (Source: French raven, 1959) Reward power: It is combination of different element such as resources, assisting employee or empowering them in some areas, sharing information, advancement, recognitions, personnel and emotional support of an individual authority exerting in organization. From political aspect, study found that politics influence on the reward power. In other word if the leader wants to give someone reward, politics can influence it from both positive and negative aspects. So, that would affect the overall performance of an individual from both aspects. On the other hand reward power can be a positive aspect of getting good performance and control of the employees in organization. So, one can see both positive and negative elements in such type of power. Coercive power: Authorities exercising the power of punishing individuals, firing them, and maintaining discipline and spreading the feelings of fear inside the organization, the leaders mostly delivered the massage of what their superior wants to do (transactional leadership). Politics may contribute in the form of other employees can get the massage what their superior wanted to do. Coercive power can be seen as negative in organizational culture, for example other employees may not be put their best in achieving the strategic goals and can turn hostile against the management which would influence on the management of performance and control of the individual and organization. In addition most of the critics seen it as a threat to employee well being. Using positive politics in such kind of power may give a massage to the employees to do what they asked to do. According to Hofstade, pp 42-63, (1980), culture does have high power distance and high uncertainty avoidance in some nations (i.e., Pakist an) has a significant influence on the performance and control of the organization or country. So to use some sort of coerciveness might be beneficial for the organizational performance and control. Expert power: This power based on facts or impression, the expertise of a manager to posses particular skills, knowledge and authorities capability of management issues and technique. The person may be given the power to make decisions for others individuals because he has an expertise on the particular subject area. Again it can be taken as positively and negatively influence on the management of performance. It can help others by getting things done on the right place and time but also can make barriers between the individuals and authorities if they take them in coercive manner, (Benfari Buchanan et, al, 2007 pp 51). Referent power: Leaders ability to rally his staff and urge them to cooperate in achieving the organizational goals (transformational leadership), the ability of the leaders to influence on individuals, we can call him as charismatic leader or manager who can influence his personality by his own values and perception in the organization. These leaders are able to move the organization toward the ideal perspective by coordinating the employees and integrating all system components (Cacioppe, pp 336, 2000). This type of power purely considers being positive for organizational culture and performance. Individuals mostly manipulate towards referent power, pure satisfaction prevailing over organizational culture. Legitimate power: Legitimate power is based on an individual formal position in the organization. It also can be known as position power. It is usually based on the compliances of individuals. Political perceptions in organization: Organization politics can be defined as Informal, parochial, typically divisive and illegitimate behaviour that is aimed at displacing legitimate power (Mintzberg, 1983). Organizations mainly consisted of organizational politics. Authorities usually exercising power have the same amount of politics. Working in organization one can see closely the relation of power and politics. It is believe that its a reality in the organizations. According to Prasad, 1993 Politicking is one of the option for those who wish to influence decisions. Its believed that politics inside organization can be exercised for and against the organization. But most of the critics believed that politics mostly disrupt organizational efficiency and effectiveness (kacmar et al., 1999). Also it consuming time, restricting information and making communication difficulties (Eisenhard and Bourgeois, 1988). It also creating the environment stressful, decreasing job satisfaction and making high level of employees turn ov er. Political behaviour needed to be considered more effectively and individuals have to be understood the causes and effects of politics in organization and its performance. Leadership may influence positively with powerful politics to reduce the level of high uncertainty, conflicts, building coalition with other, reducing the communication barriers between the employees and the managers or leaders, implementing strategic change and policies. Those who are in opposition can be tackling down on powerful politics, also handling trade unions or employees unions in the work place, etc. Politics can influence positively on organization and individuals performance and control. But most of the employees understand the philosophy of political behaviour in organization as a negative aspect of work life assuming that it is a self- serving aspect of getting promotion and personal objectives. Such behaviour can be identified as, hierarchical, associated with the influencing bad attitudes, destroying or abusing power and were not seen to be responsible towards organizational goals and interest of the employees. (Vigoda Poon, pp 138-155, 2003). In such political behaviour, individuals trying to surpass other in order to get more information and to get more power. Several factors are influencing on the political behaviour of an organization performance and can be known as personnel situational. Personal factors including demographic factors, individuals characteristics, attitudes, needs and values and Situational factors like job autonomy, job variety and on the organization al level such as centralization and formulization (Poon pp 138-155, 2003). Formal situational perception of organizational politics: Job ambiguity: In job ambiguity situations, individuals are mostly unclear about their job role, not clear about their objectives or goal and what can they do to get rewarded. Most of the employees trying to secure their jobs and their personnel interests using political resources and can turn them in defensive political behaviour (Ashforth and Lee, 1990). Scarcity of resources: In the situation of pay rise, promotion opportunities etc individual compete for such resources May using politics to get promotion and to get career opportunities and developments and get positively relation to political behaviour. Trust climate: According to Das and Teng, pp 251-283, (2001), Trust is subjective state of positive expectations regarding another persons good-well and can exist at the personal, organizational, inter-organizational and international levels. Working climate of trust can motivate individuals positively and can be influence on the political behaviour of an organization. On the other hand it can reduce employee performance if there is lack of trust climate in organization. Job satisfactions: The work environment, where individuals feel satisfaction and security of their jobs, According to Lock, 1973 and Poon, 2003, job satisfaction is a positive emotional state that arise when people appraised their jobs or job experience. The level of decrease in job satisfaction can be seen in organization with higher political behaviour. Decision and policies based on higher political environment can create job stress as well. Employees turn over intention: Turnover of employee can be discussed from two aspects psychological and physical usually caused when the organization are high politicking, most of the employee give up their struggles towards the job targets mentally and physically in a work life based on political environment,( Kacmar, 1999). The listed below diagram can evaluate about the political perception in organization clearly. Figure 2. Perceptions of Organizational Politics (Source: Poon, 2003) Conclusion: Armstrong, P-A Baron, A., Performance management: An Overview, Feb 2009: Charted Institute Of Professional Studies. Vigoda-Gadot., E: Leadership Style, Organizational Politics, And Employees Performance, 2007. Vol. No 5, 2007. Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Bratton. J Gold, J. Human Resource Management, Theory And Practice. 4rth Edition, 2007: Published By Palgrave Macmillan New York. Chapter (8). Kacmar, K.M., Bozen, D.P., Carlson, D.S And Anthony, W.P (1999), An Examination Of The Perception Of Organizational Politics Model: Replication And Extension, Human Relations, Vol.52, pp.383- 416. Emerald Group Publishing Limited. Poon., M.L, June, Situational Antecedent And Outcomes Of Organizational Politics Perceptions: Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol, 18 No.2, 2003 , Emerald Publication. Buchanan. D Budham., R: Power Politics And Organizational Change: Winning the Turf Game: 1st Edition 1999, Sage Publication LTD, London. Cole, G. 1997. Strategic Management. 2nd Ed. London: Thomson Learning. Watson, G., Gallagher, K., 2005. Managing for Results. 2nd Ed. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, London. Huczynski., A, Buchanan., D: Organizational Behaviour, Sixth Edition., 2007, Part six, Chapter 24, Pearson education limited. http://managementconsultingcourses.com/Lesson30PowerOrganizationalPolitics.pdf access Managing human behavior in public nonprofit organizations ÂÂ  By Robert B. Denhardt, Janet Vinzant Denhardt, Maria Pilar Aristigueta Hofstede, G. 1980. Motivation, Leadership, and Organization: Do American theories apply abroad? Organization dynamics AMACOM Journal. 1(1), pp 42 63 Das, T.K. and Teng, B.S. (2001), Trust, control, and risk in strategic alliances: an integrated framework, Organization Studies, Vol. 22, pp. 251-83. Mintzberg, H. (1983), Power In and Around Organizations, Prentice-Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Kacmar, K.M. and Ferris, G.R. (1991), Perceptions of organizational politics scale (POPS): development and construct validation, Educational and Psychological Measurement, Vol. 51, pp. 193-205.

Physics and Surfing :: physics surf surfing

When a wind begins to blow across a flat body of water ripples form almost immediately, then wavelets, and finally nearly fully developed waves, having almost definite wave lengths and shapes. Surface waves will also form, during calm wind, where opposing currents meet. This is known as current rips and can be dangerous for small or overloaded boats. A good estimate of the wind speed can be obtained by observing its effect on the water. For example, at 5 knots only small wavelets can be observed. A 10 knot wind speed will produce a few whitecaps. At 15 knots whitecaps can be seen up to 30% of the area. At 20 knots whitecaps can be seen up to 60% of the area. At 30 knots whitecaps and spray can be seen all over and foam from the breakers begins to form. At 40 knots streaks of foam can easily be seen. At 50 knots visibility is reduced and the sea begins to take on a white appearance from all the foam. Current directions and speed will greatly affect the areas covered by spray and breakers. Factors Affecting Wave Heights: 1. Wind. 2. Wind duration. 3. Length and width of wind fetch. (This is the distance over the water in which the wind blows in nearly the same direction.) 4. Depth of the water. 5. Direction and speed of the current. 6. Rate of precipitation. 7. Air temperature. 8. Amounts of flotsam, ice, or seaweed in the fetch area. 1. How high will the waves get? Maximum wave heights (in feet) will not get any higher than * the wind speed in knots. This is correct over 90% of the time. Note: Wave height begins to increase when the depth of the water is less than or equal to 1/4 of the wavelength because the wave starts to touch the sea floor. 2. What is the difference between waves and swells? Waves occur where the wind is blowing. Swells are waves that have moved away from the wind generating area and frequently give warnings of an approaching storm. 3. What is the significant wave height? Significant wave height (SWH) is the average height of 1/3 of the highest waves, or the height of the waves an observer is most likely to report. The significant wave height is used in the marine forecasts. Table 1.Wave heights in relationship to the significant wave height (SWH) Most frequent wave height .5 x SWH

A comparison of Ancient Rome and Pre WW1 United States Essay -- essays

A comparison of Ancient Rome and Pre WW1 United States Title: The Roman Empire and the Early United States A comparison The purpose of this paper is to show the comparison between remarkable empires that were created in many years apart. I chose to compare Pre-World War I United States and the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire information is said to be recorded between 753BC – 1184 BC (ThinkQuest) and the Pre World War I information is between late 19th century and early 20th century (Encarta). Included in this paper will be in information comparing: Government, Economy, Military, and Religion. GOVERNMENT The Roman Empire had 3 different types of government during this period. During the 1st period Rome was controlled by a King, who acted as commander-in-chief during war times as well as the chief priest and judge (ThinkQuest). Decisions had to be approved by the Comitia Centuria and the Senate before the King could exercise his authority. The United States was set-up similar to the Roman Empire in regards to how decisions where executed. The United States government consists of a President, Congress and Senate. Taking these aspects into consideration, both the King and the President have to receive permission from other bodies of government before making decisions. ECONOMY Both the Pre World War I United States and the Roman Empire had vast amounts of agricultural products. The Romans had created a system equivalent to the United States, which seems amazin...

LASCAUX: The Most Famous Cave in all France :: Descriptive Essay About A Place

LASCAUX: The Most Famous Cave in all France Not too far away from the town of Montignac, in the western Massif Central and Northern Pyrenees, the cave of Lascaux was discovered. Four teenage boys and their dog discovered it. The four boys, Marcel Ravidat, Jacques Marsal, Georges Agnel and Simon Coenccus, were out on an expedition, but they found more than they bargained for that day. Their dog wandered away and they searched for him. In the process, the four boys discovered a cave that had been right below their feet for the past 17,000 years. They were not able to venture down into the 250-meter deep cave on the first day so they came back the next day prepared to enter the cave. When the boys first wiggled their way down into the cave they did not find anything. It was not until they reached an oval room that they first discovered paintings on the walls. These boys had uncovered paintings dating back to the Aurignacian (30,000-18,000 B.C.E.) (Laming, 34-41) and Magdalenian (15,000-10,000 B.C.E.) periods. It is belie ved that many of the paintings found in Lascaux were created between 16,000 and 14,000 B.C.E. The boys could no longer keep this cave a secret, so they told one of their teachers, Monsieur Laval. After accompanying the boys down to the cave, M. Laval started alerting historians to this new discovery. Within five days three historians were already on their way to visit the site. On September 17, 1940 three experts on Paleolithic art, Abbà © Breuil, Dr. Cheynier and Abbà © Bouyssonnie, crawled down into the cave; it was at this point the cave became authenticated. Soon after, many visitors began coming to the cave. What was it these people were so excited to see? When visitors first entered the cave they had to go down a twenty-meter slope, which led to the first hall, The Great Hall Of Bulls. The first thing they saw in the Great Hall of Bulls were the black bulls. Attention is quickly focused on them because of their great size compared to the other paintings. Also found in the Great Hall of Bulls are pictures of horses, deer, a small bear, and a primitive unicorn. â€Å"The strange so-called Unicorn appears to be walking towards the interior of the cave.

Impact of Use of Color in Yellow Fish by Ambai

Ambai, or C. S. Lakshmi (1944) hailing from Tamil Nadu, India comes on the forefront of modern Indian writers who have made a huge mark in World Literature as a whole. Her works are characterized by her passionate espousal of the cause of women, humour lucid and profound style and the touch of realism. She is one of the most important Tamil writers today, who have been included in the recently published book ‘Picador’ book of Modern Indian Literature by Amit Choudhuri. Most of her stories are about relationships and they contain brilliant observations about contemporary life.Exploration of space, silence, coming to terms with one’s body or sexuality and the importance of communication are some of the requiring themes of her works. The story, Yellow Fish is one of her most passionately feminine works. The imagery used here by Ambai is excellent and encapsulating as the reader finds his/her own passion stirring as the story comes to the end. The used of colours is v ery symbolic in its irony. Through the use of colours, Ambai has tried to depict the objects characteristics, adding more material to the images, like a real life image anyone from her audience has experienced.The ash grey sea, unlike the ‘blue green open stretch of space’ does more to depict the set of mind her narrator possesses at that particular moment of time. The fact that images of the ash-grey sea and horrific colour images of the fisherwomen’s clothes were inserted, ought to give the reader a premonition, of kinds, about the dark turn, the narrative is about to take a little way ahead. With the unwanted, thrown away fish too, comes an upsurge of images with vivid colours, the colour yellow being associated with the pale rusting leaves, that fall, and are left to lie around in the most discarded state.The narrative begins with the vivid description of the scene of fishing boats returning of the sea. It is high summer and the sand is heated up. Images of s ea and water are predominant. There is a juxtaposition of images of faded blue and the ash grey sea. The bright colors of the fisherwomen’s clothes: demonic red, blinding indigo, profound green and assaulting blue, stand vibrant against the white boats and the bodies of the men, darkened by the saltwater, the black hands of the fishermen and the brown of the wood and the white bellied fish.Image of the fish being unloaded is also particularly staunch since the ‘good’ fish is splashed on the troughs, and the rest, that is the ‘bad’ ones are thrown away. The sea and the water are life-giving sources for so many life-forms, but suddenly, our attention is drawn away from the din of the fisher-folk to a little yellow fish thrown away on the sand of the shore. The line catches our attention because Ambai makes it stand out with her expertise of speech, as if almost drawing our attention towards ourselves. The first person narrative fixes the perspective an d point of view of the story.The detail of colour follows as the narrator observes the varying colour schemes in the events. The colour of the fish is yellow, is significantly pointed out to us as it is put into limelight as it is one of the ‘bad’ fish caught by mistake and was brought home. The narrator takes her time to stoop and watches fish shuddering and gasping for breath. It is this image that wrenches the memory of a similar incident of gasping for breath by Jalaja. â€Å"Like Jalaja’s mouth,† stands alone forcing us to think about the abrupt change from one sequence of events to another.We’re taken into the imagery used by Ambai to show us the occurrences on that particular day, rather than actually narrating. The first image is that of the narrator standing outside Jalaja’s room constantly watching her little daughter struggle to survive. The next image is that of the ashes being brought home, in a small urn and the narrator’ s insistence that the mouth of the urn be left open and the ashes to be immersed in the sea. Apparently unrelated are the thematically linked with the deep use of images and metaphors.In both cases we witness an astounding struggle to survive. Gender differences emerge in the difference in attitude of Anu and Arup – Arup who fails to understand why Anu wants the lid of the urn open, and the loud sobs, hint at the intense grief buried in the narrator’s heart. She is trying to help her child breathe as she couldn’t earlier. For Arup it’s just ashes, whereas for Anu, it’s her daughter inside, whom she wants to liberate. Jalaja, born of water, whom she wants to release into the water, the open sea.All the pent-up feelings of helplessness, frustration and grief, that she could do nothing to save her daughter, resurfaces when the narrator watches the yellow fish gasping for breath and thrashing hopelessly to go back to the sea. The arrogant leap of the f ish can be metaphorically interpreted as the endless possibilities if oppurtunities are provided. It also points towards the overriding theme of self- liberation present in all of Ambai’s written works. Anu has also taken a plunge towards freedom from bondage of ideologies from grief taking her towards realization.

Marvin Bower

The late Marvin Bower, who transformed McKinsey & Co. into one of the best management consulting firms in the world, said that the â€Å"ability to inspire and require workers to be their best is the greatest resource of any business, and that the rewards for doing so include growth for the business itself, and growth in competitive position, size, and profits† (Edersheim, 2004, p. 65). Much literature about theories of motivation and work relate to the subject of inspiring employees to do their best (Gagne and Deci, 2005; Ambrose and Kulik, 1999). This paper explores how managers can use theories of motivating employees to make the workplace better, more profitable, and efficient. A manager’s job is to get things done through their employees, so knowing how to motivate employees is always a challenge that has never been easy. Many changes driven by worldwide social and economic forces are happening at the workplace. The end of the Cold War in the early 1990s and the globalization of businesses are transforming corporations – public and private, large and small – in a radical way (Stiglitz, 2002). Global competition and the rise of democracy are pressuring companies to be more competitive, agile, and lean, changing the nature of organizational structures and the relationships between managers and workers (Micklethwait & Wooldridge, 2000). Another change agent is the progress of information and communications technology, especially the Internet and mobile computing, which has altered the nature of communication within the organization and the quality of the workforce. Workers are more educated and knowledgeable, able to gain quick access to information and perform knowledge-based tasks in an atmosphere of teamwork and collaboration (Heerwagen, Kelly, & Kampshroer, 2005). As the workplace structure and the workers themselves change, management faces the problem posed by Gerstner (2002) after a successful ten-year effort to bring IBM Corporation out of a crisis: -How do you pull the levers of motivation to change the attitudes, behavior, and thinking of a population? Of course, different people are motivated by different things. Some by money. Some by advancement. Some by recognition. For some, the most effective motivation is fear – or anger. For others, that doesn’t (sic) work; it’s learning, or the opportunity to make an impact, to see their efforts produce concrete results. Most people can be roused by the threat of extinction. And most can be inspired by a compelling vision of the future. Over the past ten years, I’ve pulled most of those levers (p. 203). Effectively changing the attitudes, behavior, and thinking of workers demands that a manager knows what levers of motivation to pull in the first place. Much research has been done to identify empirically-proven theories and methods that managers can use to motivate their employees (Gagne and Deci, 2005, p. 333). Maslow proposed that a person is motivated by satisfying five levels of human needs: (1) physiological (hunger and thirst); (2) safety (bodily); (3) social (friendship and affiliation); (4) esteem (for oneself and others); and (5) self-actualization (growth and realization of potential) (Chapman, 2004a). Herzberg stated that work satisfaction results from the presence of hygiene factors like salary, status, working conditions, supervisor and management, security, relationship with subordinates, and policies, and motivational factors like achievement, recognition, work itself, responsibility, advancement, and personal growth. A worker will be satisfied if the motivation factors are met (Chapman, 2004c). According to Adams’s Equity Theory, what workers put into their work (inputs) is fairly balanced with what they expect to get out of it (outputs). Motivation will get the most out of employee inputs like personal effort and hard work by making the employee see it balanced by outputs (salary, benefits, and intangibles like praise and achievement) (Chapman, 2004b). Vroom’s Expectancy Theory states that three factors should be present for motivation to take place: valence (value placed on the expected reward), expectancy (belief that efforts are linked to performance), and instrumentality (belief that performance is related to rewards). Knowing each employee’s valence and expectancy, and showing the instrumentality between the two, will help the manager trigger the motivation of the employee. Porter and Lawler built on Vroom’s theory by proposing a model of intrinsic/extrinsic motivation, which states that people are intrinsically motivated if they do something they find interesting and from which they derive satisfaction, and that people are extrinsically motivated if they do the activity because they are satisfied with the tangible or verbal rewards attached (Gagne and Deci, 2005, p. 331). Schwab (1985) equates this with Herzberg’s motivation (intrinsic) and hygiene (extrinsic) factors but contemporary authors claim that it is closer to Vroom’s Expectancy Theory (Ambrose and Kulik, 1999, p. 257). All these theories may be said to be based on Skinner’s reinforcement theory, which states that behavior can be shaped, changed or maintained through the use of positive and negative reinforcement, implying that a person can behave in a certain way through the use of motivational levers. Motivation can be used to improve employee performance and productivity. As Bruce and Pepitone (1999, pp. 38-42) point out, employees can be motivated to do their work better, that is, improve their work performance, and to work more efficiently and more effectively, that is, improve their productivity. One way is to share information (like profit and loss or quality of service) on how your department is doing in comparison with others in or outside the company. Asking employees to help you solve a problem appeals to their need for self-actualization (Maslow) and helps them set high personal standards of growth and potential. You may motivate them with bonuses (Vroom’s rewards or Adams’s outputs) they will get if performance improves.   Use the tools depending on what you think your employees need. This first step can make your employees want to improve their performance and be more productive. Getting employees warmed up is good, but it is not enough. After getting them initially motivated, the manager has to help each one establish and achieve higher goals. Motivation can be a useful tool in goal-setting by pointing out targets that will bring employees out of their comfort zones to attain personal growth. Hiam (1999, pp. 213-216), warning us against confusing goal-setting sessions with employee manipulation, states that the motivational key is to make employee realize that aiming for a higher goal is good for different reasons, presenting both tangible (pay raise and bonus) and intangible (self-esteem and personal growth) rewards. Some employees are motivated by financial rewards, but many are equally motivated by seeing that their work is meaningful (Hiam, 1999, p. 222). In discussing the rewards of work, Bruce and Pepitone (1999, p.53) state that if employees are properly motivated and helped by their managers to aim for higher goals and succeed in achieving it, employees will feel that the work they do is fun and enjoyable, making it part of the reward itself that they are willing to share with the organization.   In effect, work becomes its own reward. Heller (1998, p.43) adds that motivation is a useful tool not only when setting higher work performance goals but in assessing the success or failure of employee efforts. Employee evaluation and assessment can be a forum for further motivation in two areas: to encourage the employee to build on strengths and accomplishments, leading the way for higher levels of future performance, or for helping the employee overcome personal weaknesses that hamper job performance. Through the use of positive reinforcement (praise and encouragement for success and achievement) and negative reinforcement (suggestions for improvement or behavioral change), managers can sustain organizational morale and help employees overcome falling enthusiasm or a lack of personal ambition. Hiam (1999, p. 122) notes that positive feedback (â€Å"You can do it because you’re good enough †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ) is more motivating than negative feedback (â€Å"Why can’t you do something that others can?†) and encourages managers to use positive reinforcement to build up employee motivation and morale, although negative reinforcement (not the same as negative feedback) may be helpful for disciplining or correcting employees. Boosting self-confidence is one of the best ways to maintain high levels of motivation in employees (Bruce & Pepitone, 1999, p. 114). The reason is that people grow in confidence when they see that someone, especially one in a position of authority, believes in them. This creates expectations that, as we learn from Vroom and Porter, motivate people. Therefore, a manager who believes in his employees can sustain high levels of motivation. Doing the opposite (showing lack of confidence and trust) can be fatal for the organization and the career of a manager whose task is to motivate and, therefore, trust and believe in his employees. It is a scientifically-proven fact that men and women are different (Ridley, 1999). They differ also in their motivation styles. Several studies (Su and Bradberry, 2004; Marano, 2003; Sachs, 1995) show how women and men differ (for example, women are more intuitive and perceptive, while men are more systematic and rules-based) in their communication and social skills, vital for the process of motivation. While men find it easier to motivate using the basic needs and tangible rewards, and women may be better at using higher level needs and intangible factors, all good managers, regardless of gender, should combine the ability to motivate using all the tools available (Gerstner, 2002; Sachs, 1995). References Ambrose, M. L. & Kulik, C. T. (1999). Old friends, new faces: motivation research in the 1990s.   Journal of Management. 25, 231-292. Bruce, A. and Pepitone, J. (1999).   Motivating Employees.   New York: McGraw-Hill. Chapman, A.   (2004a).   Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.   Retrieved November 11, 2005, from http://www.businessballs.com/maslow.htm Chapman, A. (2004b).   Adams’ Equity Theory. Retrieved November 11, 2005, from   http://www.businessballs.com/adamsequitytheory.htm Chapman, A.   (2004c).   Frederick Herzberg’s Motivational Theory. Retrieved November 11, 2005, from http://www.businessballs.com/herzberg.htm Edersheim, E. H.   (2004).   McKinsey’s Marvin Bower.   Vision, Leadership, and the Creation of Management Consulting.   (pp. 41-65).   New Jersey: John Wiley. Gagne, M. and Deci, E.L. (2005).   Self-determination theory and work motivation.   Journal of Organizational Behavior.   26, 331-362. Retrieved November Gerstner, L. V. Jr. (2002).   Who Says Elephants Can’t Dance?   (p. 203). New York: HarperCollins. Heerwagen, J., Kelly, K., and Kampshroer, K. (2005).   The Changing Nature of Organizations, Work, and Workplace. National Institute of Building Sciences.   Retrieved November 12, 2005, from http://www.wbdg.org/design/chngorgwork.php Heller, R. (1998).   Essential Managers: Motivating People. (1st American ed.)   D. Tombesi-Walton (Ed.). New York: DK. Hiam, A. (1999).   Streetwise Motivating and Rewarding Employees.   Holbrook, MA: Adams. Marano, H. E. (July-August 2003). The New Sex Scorecard. Psychology Today.   Retrieved November 15, 2005, from http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-2832.html Micklethwait, J. and Wooldridge, A.   (2000).   A Future Perfect.   The Challenge and Hidden Promise of Globalization. (pp. 122-139). New York: Crown. Ridley, M. (1999).   Genome, The autobiography of a species in 23 chapters. (pp. 216-218). New York: HarperCollins. Sachs, M. (1995). Men and women communication styles. Retrieved November 14, 2005, from http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/5000/5280.html Schwab, D. P. (1985).   Motivation in Organizations.   In L. R. Bittel and J. E. Ramsey (Eds.), Handbook for Professional Managers. (p. 585).   New York: McGraw-Hill. Stiglitz, J. E.   (2002).   Globalization and its Discontents.   (pp. 21-22). London: Penguin. Su, L. D. and Bradberry, T. (2004).   EQ and Gender: Women Feel Smarter.   Retrieved November 15, 2005, from   https://www.talentsmart.com/media/uploads/EQ_and_Gender.pdf Wikipedia (2005).   Retrieved November 12, 2005, from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/