Friday, September 6, 2019
Evaluation Proposal Essay Example for Free
Evaluation Proposal Essay Abstract The driving force that stimulates the founders and leaders of the program LAs BEST to aggressively seek evaluations for the program is its genuine concern to be effective and efficient in delivering the goals of the program to disadvantage children, rather than a legislative requirement. The managements initiative of professionalizing practitioners in the after school program, particularly the staffs will make a significant impact on LAs BEST, because these individuals  are the key players in the implementation and overall support system that the program provides for the disadvantaged children participating in this after school program.  As the staffs are the ones involved in giving custodial care and making the learning environment/activities more engaging for the children.  There are many evaluations that were done for after school program as discussed by Scott-Little, Hamann Jurs (2002, p. 394); usually it is the children that are evaluated. Yet for the program to be effective, there is a need to evaluate the staff. This evaluation proposal is being submitted to meet that need, a methodological research has been designed to gather information that will guide management to create staff development sessions that will affirm and promote best practices for the program. It was also designed to gather perceptions of professionalism of the staff and to articulate the core knowledge and skills required by staffs in after school programs and how these may be acquired and updated, as well. Introduction             In 2002, Congress passed into law the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001. The passage of this act has significantly amended the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to expand State and local accountability and flexibility, and to stress the adoption of research-based practices. (Mahoney Zigler, 2006) It also contained a number of new provisions that specifically affected the program of 21st Century Communities Learning Centers (21st CCLC) that was authorized under Title IV, Part B, of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). It gave the States the responsibility to focus on the 21st CCLC program with specific purposes;  (1) to provide opportunities for academic enrichment, particularly to students in high-poverty areas and those who attend low-performing schools. And to help the students meet State and local standards in core academic subjects such as reading and mathematics; (2) to offer students a broad array of additional services, programs, and recreational activities, that are designed to reinforce and complement the regular academic program of participating students; and (3) to offer families of students served by community learning centers opportunities for literacy and related educational development. At the same time, centers help working parents by providing a safe environment for students during non-school hours, or periods when the school is not in session. (The Law, 2006). Description of the Program It was in 1988 (Factsataglance.2.doc, 2007) when former Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley created a program to address the growing concern of the community regarding the alarming increase of violent crimes that are mostly attributed to street gangs; the rising numbers of school drop outs, and the proliferation of illegal drugs being used by minors. In the belief that it was the city’s fundamental moral obligation to help these individuals, Bradley created a 55-member Mayor’s Education Council, consisting of leaders coming from the business, education, child care, government, entertainment and industry sectors of the community. These leaders were tasked to structure and implement the program which was called LAs Better Educated Students for Tomorrow or LAs BEST.            LAs BEST is an innovative after school program that provides a safe and supervised learning environment for children ages 5- 12 years old immediately after the close of each school day until 6pm without cost to parents. Working parents of inner-city children, particularly those belonging to the low-income family groups, are anxious about the safety of their children during the hours after school day. As explained by Riggs Greenberg (2004) these hours are considered high risk based on studies of previous researchers, especially if minors are left unsupervised. Many parents fear their children will be exposed to and /or be influenced by people with destructive behaviors exacerbated by poverty. And the children themselves have expressed their fears and threats on their well being in their immediate environment or neighborhoods when interviewed according to Huang, Gribbons, Kim, Lee Baker (2000, p. 20). Goals of the Program            The LA’s BEST program has been designed to provide custodial care, and to provide activities to meet specific educational, social, and motivational goals. (Huang et al, 2000) The program’s goals can be concisely summarized as; 1) to provide a safe supervised environment for the participants during the hours after the close of each school day until 6pm, and 2) to develop the learning experience of the participants through a positive support system in place that would address the participants’ academic, social and motivational needs. Brief description of the theory behind the program The theory behind the program is that when caring, responsible adults are connecting with the children in the hours after the close of each school day, these adults make the place safe to be for the children after school, and make the learning environment and activities more engaging for the children, and are considered as a key player in making a positive impact on the children’s academic achievements, enhanced social skills and emotional maturity. And in order for a program to deliver high quality service, priority should be given on professionalizing and training the staffs involved in the program particularly to the staff that will provide custodial care and learning activities to the children. Description of the Client With this in mind, this program evaluation is being done for LAs BEST with the aim of giving management an overview of the current skill level within the after school program of LAs BEST commenting on both skills, experience and training undertaken by staffs providing custodial care and learning activities to children. Information will also be gathered on employers expectations of skills needed by the staffs employed in this program both at present and in the future. The reason that this information is being gathered is to determine if there is a gap between the current skills level and the duties required to competently manage and implement the program. The information from this evaluation will be used to identify priority areas to be addressed in a proposed Staff Development Framework that LAs BEST wishes to develop. Evaluation Methodology Evaluation/Research methodological design employed Research for this evaluation will be conducted in two parts, the first part being; 1) a literature review of information available from LAs BEST commenting on current skill levels of the staffs providing custodial care and learning activities to the children. The literature review summarizes findings of research to be conducted into training, qualifications, and skill levels of the staffs in LAs BEST, 2) Informal interview of participants while gathering the literature review and, 3) Observational research commencing on site selection and interaction with participants. The second part will be the survey proper using the structure questionnaire for the skill audit survey; 1) gathering data from managers/supervisors participants and 2) gathering data from staff participants. Implementation measures The literature review summary will supplement information drawn from the second part of the research, the skill audit survey and, combined, will give a more accurate view of the current skill level of the staffs. The second part of the research for this report will be conducted through a targeted survey of managers and supervisors in LAs BEST and their respective staffs. A survey of eight questions concerning the skills of staff in relation to the duties they perform will be gathered from the managers and supervisors. While another survey of 14 questions will be gathered from the staffs. Outcome measures Findings from the two areas of research will be contrasted to find notable areas of commonality and discrepancy and the results of this comparison will be included in this evaluation. Issues that will be raised during the survey will also be included. Evaluation questions to be addressed through a targeted survey of managers/supervisors. How many staffs are involved in custodial care in your program? What are the learning activities that your program utilizes and how many staffs are handling each activity? Of the staffs nominated in question 1 and 2, how many have completed or undergoing training? Indicate levels of training undertaken by staff. Indicate whether staff, in the future, plan to undertake training and at what level. What duties are required of your staff? Identify areas in which staffs need to acquire skills. Do you have a workforce plan? Is professionalizing the staff identified as a training need within the plan? Evaluation questions to be addressed through a targeted survey of staffs What is your current employment type? (Please tick one that apply) __Full Time   __Part Time  __Casual       __Permanent __Contract __ Job Share __Flexible Hours __Other (please specify) _________________ On average how many hours per week do you work? __1 to 10 hours                     __31 to 40 hours                    __more than 60 hours __11 to 20 hours                   __41 to 50 hours __21 to 30 hours                   __51 to 60 hours How long have you held your current position? __less a year                          __3 to less than 7 years         __more than 10 years __1 to less than 3 years         __7 to 10 years What is your current job title? ____________________ Does a formal (written) description of your current position exist? __Yes                                                                       __Yes, but it is not up to date __Yes, I would be willing to provide a copy                       __No What duties form part of your role on a regular basis? ___________________ What skills do you use on a regular basis? ____________________________ How does your employer support your professional development? What is the highest level of education you have completed?  How relevant has your educational background been to your current position?  How have you kept yourself informed about after school issues over the past 12 months? How many years have you worked in this industry? Do you have a question that you feel should be included in future staff surveys? Do you wish to be contacted in regard to any issues you may have raised within your response to this survey? Manager/Supervisor Participants Manager/Supervisor participant surveys are designed to articulate staff observation and assess areas to determine and address the different needs of staff. Gathered constructive feedback will guide management to create staff development sessions that will affirm and promote best practices in the program. Staff Participants Hiring new after school staff member who are fully prepared is rare to find. The reasons are most newly hired staff just graduated from college and are completely new to the field; another reason is the hired staff is experienced in a traditional recreational program and/or in an education set-up and is immersed in a school culture that is totally different from an after school culture. The staff participant surveys are designed to articulate the core knowledge and skills needed by the staffs in after school programs and how these may be acquired and updated, and how staffs perceive professionalism. Study Implementation Procedures Project management            Before starting the evaluation formally, the following tasks are needed; 1) A meeting between the evaluators and LAs BEST management will have to be set-up to communicate and explicate the evaluation proposal; to reach an agreement on the scope of work to be done, timelines and deliverables; and to assimilate what other issues or concerns the management would want to include that is congruent to the evaluation, 2) the evaluation team must make themselves familiar with the program by making ocular visitation of the sites, interviewing managers/supervisors and staffs and take note of proposed modifications in the evaluation design to assimilate these individuals issues or concerns that is congruent to the evaluation. These proposed modifications will have to be communicated and explicated to LAs BEST management and upon their approval will be incorporated to the evaluation design prior to launch. Site recruitment            This proposal aims to make an exhaustive evaluation of all elementary schools across the City of Los Angeles that are included in the LAs BEST program, which are 147 sites as stated in LAs BEST literature. (Overview.2.doc, n.d.) Data collection and data entry The data collection tools that will be used in this evaluation are; 1) existing data or statistics from record files of LAs BEST that would yield demographic information as well as other personal data of the participants, 2) direct observation of participants during surveys and actual on site visitation, 3) survey questionnaires, and  4) informal interview. All surveys are structured to provide information on two major areas: how the managers/supervisors view the staffs; and how the staffs view themselves with regards to, 1) the knowledge and skills needed by after school staffs; and 2) the degree of professionalism of after school staffs. All data collected will be documented. Data analysis and reporting Collected data will be analyzed through calculating percentages and descriptive statistics. After data has been analyzed and interpreted, an evaluation report will be prepared comprising of; 1) an executive summary, 2) an introduction which describes the program, its components, the target population, and the goals and objectives of the program, 3) a methodology which describes how the program was actually implemented as well as how the data was collected, what instruments were used to collect the data and how the data was analyzed, 4) the results section of the data analysis containing concrete data, 5) a discussion section explaining how the data was interpreted, provides answers to evaluation questions, 6) discloses any problems or issues encountered in the evaluation, 7) suggestions on what could be done in the future to improve other similar evaluations, and 8) a recommendations section where recommendations are made based on findings. Study Timeline The overall project management timeline of the evaluation proposal is presented in the table below (see Table 1). The appropriate timelines for each task within each evaluation phase is also specified. Our goal is to begin the evaluation in May 2007 and conclude with the final reporting in October 2008. Table 1: Project Management Timeline            Evaluation Period Phase Task Phase 1 (Pre-Test) Meeting between evaluators and LAs BEST Management May 2007 to July 2007 Increase familiarity with sites May 2007 to July 2007 Deliberation and approval of modifications May 2007 to July 2007 Phase 2 (Test 1) Site recruitment (147 sites) August 2007 Literature Review August 2007 to October 2007 Informal interview of participants August 2007 to October 2007 Observational research August 2007 to October 2007 Phase 3 (Test 2) Survey Questionnaire Managers/Supervisors September 2007 Survey Questionnaire Staffs October 2007 to December 2007 Phase 4 Data Collection/Data Entry/Data Analysis May 2007 to March 2008 Reporting January 2008 to  April 2008 Phase 5 Presentation of Final Report to LAs BEST Management May 2008 References Factsataglance.2.doc. (2007). LAs BEST. Retrieved April 26, 2007. From http://www.lasbest.org/resourcecenter/index.php Huang, D., Gribbons, B., Kim, K., Lee, C. Baker, E. (2000). A Decade of Results: The Impact of the LAs BEST After School Enrichment Program on Subsequent Student Achievement and Performance. UCLA Center for the Study of Evaluation. Retrieved April 26, 2007 from http://www.lasbest.org/resourcecenter/ucla.php Mahoney, J. Zigler, E. (2006). Translating science to policy under the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001: Lessons from the national evaluation of the 21st-Century Community Learning Centers. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology 27,  282–294 Overview.2.doc. (n.d.). LAs BEST. Retrieved April 26, 2007. From http://www.lasbest.org/resourcecenter/index.php Riggs, N. Greenberg, M. (2004). After-School Youth Development Programs: A Developmental-Ecological Model of Current Research. Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, 7, (3) September 2004. Scott-Little, C., Hamann, M. Jurs, S. (2002). Evaluations of After-School Programs: A Meta-Evaluation of Methodologies and Narrative Synthesis of Findings. American Journal of Evaluation 23; 387. Retrieved April 25, 2007 from http://aje.sagepub.com The Law (2006) Office of Non-Public Education (ONPE) The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. US Department of Education. Retrieved May 3, 2007 from http://www.ed.gov/policy/elsec/leg/esea02/pg55.html
Thursday, September 5, 2019
Book Review Ghosts from the Nursery
Book Review Ghosts from the Nursery Ghosts from the Nursery: Tracing the Roots of Violence written by Robin Karr-Morse and Meredith S. Wiley offers the reader an in-depth look at child abuse and neglect. Karr-Morse and Wiley (1997) discuss the effects of abuse and neglect, looking specifically at violence in children. The book follows a young man, 19 year old Jeffery, who is on death row for committing a murder when he was 16 years old. Jeffery serves as a beautiful case study for the authors and readers to analyze and apply theories to. By looking at Jeffery and other children who kill, Karr-Morse and Wiley(1997) begin to discover the truths about the delicate and important years of infancy and early childhood. The authors look at child development and behavior particularly from conception to age two. With development and behavior in mind, they investigate the effects that abuse and neglect have on childrens trust, empathy, conscience, and learning during these pivotal years. Throughout the journey of this book, the reader learns a plethora of interesting facts about human development and how it is influenced by abuse and neglect. Throughout the chapters the readers are also given an opportunity to see the implications of such behavior with real life cases and studies. By taking the time to read Ghosts from the Nursery, one will not only have a better understanding of infancy and early child development but also understand why negative experiences affect children as they do and what it means for society as a whole. Upon the completion of this text the reader will have an appreciation for quality parenting and know the devastating effects abuse and neglect have on children and its influence in creating violent children. Critique This text offers knowledgeable contributions to the readers understanding of infancy and early childhood abuse and neglect. Karr-Morse and Wiley (1997) do an excellent job of explaining why the interaction of biological variables with environment variables results in pro-social or antisocial outcomes (81). Examples of this interaction are presented in every chapter with different situations and scenarios. The reader will quickly deduct that this is the most important connection to make and that children reflect what they have absorbed biologically and socially (Karr-Morse Wiley, 1997, 183). The text does a great job assessing a number of issues related to child abuse and neglect including but not limited to early brain anatomy and development, exposure to drugs in the womb, the interaction of parenting and temperament, and the impact of early trauma, head injuries, and emotional deprivation. Each chapter within this text takes a profound look at these issues and how they relate back to childhood violence. Along with providing new and essential knowledge, each chapter is opened by reconnecting with the case study of Jeffery and providing the reader with a personal account of the implications of the issues being discussed. By reading each section carefully and deliberately the reader begins to understand all the variables involved in producing a violent child and the impact these variables have on the way the child processes information, or does not process information as it may be. Along with presenting valuable information to the reader and deepening the readers understanding of the child abuse and neglect, the text does have its downfalls. While reading, one will observe that ideas are repeated too often causing the reader to begin skimming the material. The authors have a tendency to be repetitious in their writing to a point that it hurts the overall affect of the book. Karr-Morse and Wiley also like to provide in depth explanations which detract from the main point they are trying to convey by shifting the focus to a minute fact, thus losing their readers attention. Along with in depth explanations, Karr-Morse and Wiley have a tendency to include too many supporting facts. Though interesting, the facts tend to distract the reader from the main arguments the authors are attempting to make. With these three issues in mind, the overall book is difficult to get through and a relatively slow read. With shorter, more to the point chapters, the authors may have b een able to retain their readers attention for longer amount of time. These improvements would also place more emphasis on the purpose of each chapter and how it influences the making of a violent child, rather than emphasizing the supporting facts. Overall, this text is very educational and a valued contribution to any mandated reporters collection of knowledge. It is suggested however, that Ghosts from the Nursery be read like a textbook and not like a book one would read before bed. With the knowledge of the writing style the authors express themselves in, one can successfully navigate their way through this book and come out the other side with considerably more knowledge in the field of child abuse and neglect. Implications There are numerous implications for anyone, particularly a teacher, after reading Ghosts from the Nursery by Robin Karr-Morse and Meredith Wiley. First and foremost, one must begin to understand the pervasive effects of child abuse and neglect and how important those first two years of life are on development. Abuse and neglect have many faces, some of which are well hidden from the publics eye. As a teacher, especially in preschool, it is imperative to be sensitive to these issues and the repercussions if not detected and treated. As an elementary or preschool teacher, one will be able to assess a childs basic physical, social, emotional and intellectual development in comparison to the childs peers and determine whether the child is on track or not. It is during the preschool years and prior that developmental delays as a result of abuse or neglect will begin to show up in the child. This information may contribute to the teachers inclination that abuse is or is not occurring. It is essential to know that abuse and/or neglect from the time the child is inside the mothers womb to present day can display itself throughout various times in the childs development, and in any one of the developmental domains. This text specifically assists the reader in their quest to better identify and understand the less obvious forms of abuse and neglect and comprehend what it means particularly for a childs social/emotional development. Looking more closely at the disruptive behavior disorders chapter in the text is also beneficial to an individual entering the education field. Children who have such disorders will become obvious during the early school years as they are overwhelming our preschools and child care centers. With children who have disruptive behavior disorders their parents often feel exhausted and angry, their feelings of affection stretched thin or greatly compromised (Karr-Morse Wiley, 1997, 104), placing the child at a higher risk for being abused or neglected and later developing oppositional defiant disorder or conduct disorder. Some of these children may be experiencing abuse at home, or come to school out of chaotic and neglectful circumstances that leave them physically and emotionally malnourished (Karr-Morse Wiley, 1997, 105). For a teacher, seeing a child who has a disruptive behavior disorder may be a warning flag to keep an eye on the child and family and offer them additional resources to ease any additional stress they may be experiencing. Consequently, from reading this text, one will have a thorough understanding of how child abuse and neglect affects a childs development and what that will look like in the childs behavior. For anyone entering the education field whether it be in the public school district or in a childcare center, those individuals will find themselves mandatory reporters of child abuse and neglect. By reading this text, and having a solid foundation of what abuse and neglect look like, one will have the knowledge to better be able to advocate for a childs needs when necessary.
What Is Power Electronics Engineering Essay
What Is Power Electronics Engineering Essay Power electronics involves the study of electronic circuits intended to control the flow of electrical energy. These circuits handle power flow at levels much higher than the individual device ratings. It has been said that people do not use electricity, but rather they use communication, light, mechanical work, entertainment, and all the tangible benefits of both energy and electronics. In this sense, electrical engineering is a discipline very much involved in energy conversion and information. In the general world of electronics engineering, the circuits engineers design and use are intended to convert information, with energy merely a secondary consideration in most cases. This is true of both analog and digital circuit design. In radio frequency applications, energy and information are sometimes on a more equal footing, but the main function of any circuit is that of information transfer. What about the conversion and control of electrical energy itself? Electrical energy sources are varied and of many types. It is natural, then, to consider how electronic circuits and systems can be applied to the challenges of energy conversion and management. This is the framework of power electronics, a discipline that is defined in terms of electrical energy conversion, applications, and electronic devices. More specifically, Rectifiers are probably the most familiar example of circuits that meet this definition. Inverters (a general term for dc-ac converters) and dc-dc converters for power supplies are also common applications. As shown in Fig. 1.1, power electronics represents a median point at which the topics of energy systems, electronics, and control converge and combine [1].Any useful circuit design for the control of power must address issues of both devices and control, as well as of the energy itself. Among the unique aspects of power electronics are its emphasis on lar ge semiconductor devices, the application of magnetic devices for energy storage, and special control methods that must be applied to nonlinear systems. In any study of electrical engineering, power electronics must be placed on a level with digital, analog, and radio-frequency electronics if we are to reflect its distinctive design methods and unique challenges. FIGURE 1.1 Control, energy, and power electronics are interrelated. All power electronic circuits manage the flow of electrical energy between some sort of source and a load. The parts in a circuit must direct electrical flows, not impede them. A general power conversion system is shown in Fig. 1.2. The function of the power converter positioned at the middle is that of controlling energy flow between a given electrical source and a given load. For our purposes, the power converter will be implemented with a power electronic circuit. As a power converter appears between a source and a load, any energy used within the converter is lost to the overall system. A crucial point emergesà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬to build a power converter, we should consider only lossless components. A realistic converter design must approach 100% efficiency. A power converter connected between a source and a load also affects system reliability. FIGURE 1.2 General systems for electric power conversion A circuit built from ideal switches will be lossless. As a result, switches are the main components of power converters, and many people equate power electronics with the study of switching power converters. Magnetic transformers and lossless storage elements such as capacitors and inductors are also valid candidates for use in power converters. The complete concept, shown in Fig. 1.3, illustrates a power electronic system. Such a system consists of an energy source, an electrical load, a power electronic circuit, and control functions. The power electronic circuit contains switches, lossless energy storage elements, and magnetic transformers. The controls take information from the source, load, and designer and then determine how the switches operate to achieve the desired conversion. The controls are usually built up with conventional low-power analog and digital electronics. FIGURE 1.3 a basic power electronic system Trends in Power Supplies : As costs of electronics decline, the power supply becomes a larger fraction of system cost and design effort. One major manufacturer estimates that power supply cost will soon reach 50% of the total cost of a typical electronic product such as a cordless telephone or personal computer. Thus, new technology developments in power supplies are critically important. In the past, bulky linear power supplies were designed with transformers and rectifiers from the ac line frequency to provide low-level dc voltages for electronic circuits. Late in the 1960s, use of dc sources in aerospace applications led to the development of power electronic dc-dc conversion circuits for power supplies. In a typical power electronics arrangement today, an ac source from a wall outlet is rectified without any transformation; the resulting high dc voltage is converted through a dc-dc circuit to the 5V, 12 V, or other level required. These switched-mode power supplies are rapidly supplanting linear supplies across the full spectrum of circuit applications. A personal computer commonly requires three different 5V supplies, two .12 V supplies, a ÃÆ' ¿12 V supply, a 24 V supply, and perhaps a few more. This does not include supplies for 1 Introduction 3 video display or peripheral devices. Only a switched-mode supply can support such complex requirements without high costs. The bulk and weight of linear supplies make them infeasible for hand-held communication devices, calculators, notebook computers, and similar equipment. Switched-mode supplies often take advantage of MOSFET semiconductor technology. Trends toward high reliability, low cost, and miniaturization have reached the point at which a 5 V power supply sold today might last 1,000,000 hr (more than 100 yr), provide 100Wof output in a package with volume This type of supply brings an interesting dilemma: the ac line cord to plug it in actually takes up more space than the power supply itself. Innovative concepts such as integrating a power supply within a connection cable will be used in the future. Device technology for power supplies is being driven by expanding needs in the automotive and telecommunications industries as well as in markets for portable equipment. The automotive industry is making a transition to 42 V systems to handle increasing electric power needs. Power conversion for this industry must be cost effective, yet rugged enough to survive the high vibration and wide temperature range to which a passenger car is exposed. Global communication is possible only when sophisticated equipment can be used almost anywhere. This brings a special challenge, because electrical supplies are neither reliable nor consistent throughout much of the world. While in North America voltage swings in the domestic ac supply are often Given the enormous size of worldwide markets for telephones and consumer electronics, there is a clear need for flexible-source equipment. Designers are challenged to obtain maximum performance from small batteries, and to create equipment with minimal energy requirements. DEVICE TYPE CHARACTERISTICS OF POWER DEVICES Diode: Current ratings from 5000 A. Voltage ratings from 10V to 10 kV or more. The fastest power devices switch in BJT (Bipolar Junction Transistor): Conducts collector current (in one direction) when sufficient base current is applied. Power device current ratings from 0.5 to 500 A or more; voltages from 30 to 1200V. Switching times from 0.5 to 100 ms. The function applies to dc-dc circuits; combinations with diodes are used in inverters. Power BJTs are being supplanted by FETs and IGBTs. FET (Field Effect Transistor): Conducts drain current when sufficient gate voltage is applied. Power FETs (nearly always enhancement mode MOSFETs) have a parallel connected reverse diode by virtue of their construction. Ratings from _1 to _100 A and 30 up to 1000V. Switching times are fast, from 50 or less up to 200 ns. The function applies to dc-dc conversion, where the FET is in wide use, and to inverters. IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor): A special type of power FET that has the function of a BJT with its base driven by a FET. Faster than a BJT of similar ratings, and easy to use. Ratings from 10 to >600 A, with voltages of 600 to 1700V. The IGBT is popular in inverters from _1 to 100kW or more. It is found almost exclusively in power electronics applications. SCR (Silicon Controlled Rectifier): A thyristor that conducts like a diode after a gate pulse is applied. Turns off only when current becomes zero. Prevents current flow until a pulse appears. Ratings from 10 up to more than 5000 A, and from 200V up to 6 kV. Switching requires 1 to 200 ms. widely used for controlled rectifiers. The SCR is found almost exclusively in power electronics applications, and is the most common member of the thyristor family. GTO (Gate Turn-Off Thyristor): an SCR that can be turned off by sending a negative pulse to its gate terminal. Can substitute for BJTs in applications where power ratings must be very high. The ratings approach those of SCRs, and the speeds are similar as well. Used in inverters rated >100 kW. TRIAC: A semiconductor constructed to resemble two SCRs connected in reverse parallel. Ratings from 2 to 50 A and 200 to 800V. Used in lamp dimmers, home appliances, and hand tools. Not as rugged as many other device types, but very convenient for many ac applications. MCT (MOSFET Controlled Thyristor): A special type of SCR that has the function of a GTO with its gate driven from a FET. Much faster than conventional GTOs, and easier to use. These devices are supplanting GTOs in some application areas. POWER CONVERTERS The power processors usually consist of more than one power conversion stage where the operation of these stages is decoupled on an instantaneous basis by means of energy storage elements such as capacitors and inductors. Therefore, the instantaneous power input does not have to equal the instantaneous power output. We will refer to each power conversion stage as a converter. Thus, a converter is a basic module (building block) of power electronic systems. It utilizes power semiconductor devices controlled by signal electronics (integrated circuits) and possibly energy storage elements such as inductors and capacitors. Based on the form (frequency) on the two sides, converters can be divided into the following broad categories: 1. AC to DC 2. DC to AC 3. DC to DC 4. AC to AC We will use converter as a generic tenn to refer to a single power conversion stage that may perform any of the functions listed above. To be more specific, in ac-to-dc and dc-to-ac conversion, rectifier refers to a converter when the average power flow is from the ac to the dc side. Inverter refers to the converter when the average power flow is from the dc to the ac side. In fact, the power flow through the converter may be reversible. Power Electronic Applications (a) Residential Refrigeration and freezers Space heating Air conditioning Cooking Lighting Electronics (personal computers, other entertainment equipment) (b) Commercial Heating. ventilating, and air conditioning Central refrigeration Lighting Computers and office equipment Uninterruptible power supplies (UPSs) Elevators (c) Industrial Pumps Compressors Blowers and fans Machine tools (robots) Arc furnaces, induction furnaces Lighting Industrial lasers Induction heating Welding (d) Transportation Traction control of electric vehicles Battery chargers for electric vehicles Electric locomotives Street cars, trolley buses Subways Automotive electronics including engine controls (e) Utility systems High-voltage dc transmission (HVOC) Static var compensation (SVC) Supplemental energy sources (wind, photovoltaic), fuel cells Energy storage systems Induced-draft fans and boiler feed water pumps (f) Aerospace Space shuttle power supply systems Satellite power systems Aircraft power systems (g) Telecommunications Battery chargers Power supplies (dc and UPS)
Wednesday, September 4, 2019
Shakespeares Alls Well That Ends Well, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, and Hamlet :: Free Macbeth Essays
Finding Ourselves in Shakespeare's All's Well That Ends Well, Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, and Hamlet Who are we? Paul Simon said, "I am a rock." John Lennon said, "I am the walrus." Steve Miller said, "I'm a joker, I'm a smoker, I'm a midnight toker." Richard Nixon said, "I am not a crook." Basically, it boils down to this: people naturally don't really know who they are, or really are. These metaphorical song lyrics (excluding Tricky Dick) seem to be searches at an explanation of the self. People have been attempting to secure their identities forever. At first this search seemed synonymous with a search of an origin. Religious doctrines were devised to explain who people are and if not, how they should be. However, one's identity or soul or true self is not a stagnant or secure identity. One's character or self is always apt to evolve with age and experience, or quicker, depending on situations like if one is drunk (Cassio), etc. The ambiguity of people's personage is a theme Shakespeare explores in most of his works. He does so with many means: the use of costumes, magic, dishone sty, and most often with confusion. Characters in Shakespeare are never what they seem. Hamlet says, "I know not 'seems.'" Iago says, "I'm not what I am." Henry V says, "Presume not that I am the thing I was." What Shakespeare seems to be doing is breaking down identities. We develop a discourse of pattern-based predictions about who people are and how they will behave. When people act differently or out of our perception of their character we assume something is wrong. We all fester a natural tendency to seek black and white or at least know where people stand. Trust and honesty, declared and respected virtues, are based on this inherent need. Shakespeare again and again breaks these beliefs down by basing all significant action in his plays on people acting out of their perceived characters. Examples include the love quadrangle in A Midsummer Night's Dream; the rejection of Falstaff in Henry IV, Part 2; Othello's struggle with Desdemona's potential promiscuity; Claudio and Prince John's assumption of Hero's whorishness; the Archbishop, Mowbray, and Hastings' belief in the honor of Lancaster's inferred intentions; etc. So often in Shakespeare's plays, characters put on disguises and wear masks to hide who they truly are for some purpose or another. So much of his story lines depend on instances where people's assumptions are false perceptions of who someone really is.
Tuesday, September 3, 2019
The Unconventional Kate Chopin Essay -- Biography Biographies Essays
The Unconventional Kate Chopin Kate Chopin, a female author in the Victorian Era, wrote a large number of short stories and poems. She is most famous for her controversial novel The Awakening in which the main character struggles between society's obligations and her own desires. At the time The Awakening was published, Chopin had written more than one hundred short stories, many of which had appeared in magazines such as Vogue. She was something of a literary â€Å"lioness" in St. Louis and had numerous intellectual admirers. Within weeks after publication of The Awakening, this social landscape that had appeared so serenely comfortable became anything but serene and anything but comfortable. Of all things, death led Kate Chopin to write. The death of her brother, her beloved grandmother, her husband, and lastly, her mother left her with an overwhelming sadness and six children to raise, prompting her move to write. With such earnest promptings, Chopin took up writing at age thirty-eight. The publication of the love poem "If It Might Be" in January 1889 marked Chopin's first appearance in print. Many of Kate Chopin’s writings wave a backward glance to her childhood. Kate's grandmother, Madame Charleville, spent much time telling Kate stories that stirred her interest about people's lives, minds, and morals. Madame Charleville's favorite saying was, "One may know a great deal about people without judging them. God does that" (Oscar 17). Young Kate must have paid a great deal of attention. Three decades later, when she came to do her own storytelling, she would continue to leave judgment entirely to God. Kate Chopin’s first novel, At Fault, also refers to sentimen... ...m Blake, Chopin was interested in innocence and experience, and both of these themes run within The Awakening. It was this book, though after her death, that made her loved. Kate Chopin died in August of 1904 of a cerebral hemorrhage. She was an incredibly talented writer. She wrote about real issues and real feelings. Light and shadow play in her fiction. Moods come and go, representing the diverse events Chopin experienced. Unfortunately, like many other authors, Kate Chopin was never recognized for these incredible talents until it was far too late. Work Cited Bloom, Harold. Modern Views On Kate Chopin. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1987. 125-133. Oscar, Steven. Kate Chopin: A Re-Awakening. New York: Rosen Publishers, 1992. 17-24. Thornton, Lawrence. "Kate Chopin." The Scribner Writers Series.CD-ROM, 2001: 1-9
Monday, September 2, 2019
Absenteeism and Attendance of Employees – Paper
Absenteeism and Attendance of Employees Employee absenteeism is one of the most common workplace problems facing employers in today’s workplace. Legitimate illnesses still account for the majority of employee absences, but some studies have shown that less than one-third of absences from the workplace are related to poor health. Most employers offer their workers vacation, sick leave, paid time off, or other kinds of paid and unpaid leave. A key to curbing abuse is to have an absenteeism policy that clearly sets forth which absences are allowed, and what behavior will subject the employee to discipline.Absenteeism problems can range from employees not calling in or not showing up for their shifts, taking sick leave when well, and exhausting their available leave every month, to requesting extra time off and establishing patterns of abuse. For these non-protected absences employers can, and should, discipline their employees. A company’s policy should be clearly written and disseminated to all employees. In addition, the employer should make sure to train all supervisors and managers to ensure that the policy is being fairly applied.It’s a good idea to spot check attendance issues in every department to make sure that company rules are being fairly imposed. Absenteeism is the term generally used to refer to unscheduled employee absences from the workplace. Many causes of absenteeism are legitimateâ€â€personal illness or family issues, for exampleâ€â€but absenteeism also can often be traced to other factors such as a poor work environment or workers who are not committed to their jobs. If such absences become excessive, they can have a seriously adverse impact on a business's operations and, ultimately, its profitability Read more: http://www. nswers. com/topic/absenteeism#ixzz2OV25Xt00 Absenteeism is the term used to describe the fact of an individual's missing his or her regular daily activity The habit ual non-presence of an employee at his or her job. Possible causes of absenteeism include job dissatisfaction, ongoing personal issues and chronic medical problems. Regardless of cause, a worker with a pattern of being absent may put his reputation and his employed status at risk. However, some forms of absence from work are legally protected and cannot be grounds for termination. Absenteeism is a habitual pattern of absence from a duty or obligation.Traditionally, absenteeism has been viewed as an indicator of poor individual performance, as well as a breach of an implicit contract between employee and employer; it was seen as a management problem, and framed in economic or quasi-economic terms. More recent scholarship seeks to understand absenteeism as an indicator of psychological, medical, or social adjustment to work. In this study absenteeism is defined as: temporary, extended or permanent incapacity for work as a result of sickness or infirmity The purpose o f the study was to investigate the incidence of learner bsenteeism in the country, the reasons why learners absent themselves from schools and examine the systems that exist to monitor and reduce learner absenteeism. Firstly, there are reasons for absenteeism associated with personal factors, such as illness, age, gender and learning difficulties. Secondly, absenteeism may be caused by socio-economic factors relating to food insecurity, problems with transport to school, the impact of HIV/AIDS on children and families How to Deal with Employee Absenteeism Employee absenteeism is one of the major areas of concern for organizations today.It reduces productivity and puts burden on the available staff. Let us take a look at some methods through which you can keep it in check in your organization. One of the biggest challenges that organizations face today is unplanned absenteeism. Frequent absenteeism from employees not only hampers the productivity of an organization, but it also affec ts the morale of hard-working employees. It is therefore essential that organizations get their act together and take necessary steps to reduce it. Absenteeism can either be for genuine reasons or culpable.It is the responsibility of a manager to identify employees who are frequently absent, and look for steps to counter it. Some researchers are of the view that punitive action is the only way by which unplanned absenteeism can be reduced, but this belief has few takers. You can persuade an employee to come to office but the chances that he would work wholeheartedly are slim. You don't want to create an atmosphere where your employees come up with new ideas to call in for a day off. This will also make it more difficult for employees who genuinely need a leave to tend to their personal or family issues.Besides, you can't have different set of rules for different people as this will lead to accusations of discrimination. Analysts have pointed out that an authoritarian style of manage ment is one of the prime reasons behind frequent absenteeism and tardiness. Managers who set up targets that are simply unachievable or blame everyone expect themselves for any failure, put their employees under a lot of stress. This is one of the major reasons why employees don't feel like coming to office. Organizations which fail to have an efficient leave policy in place also witness high absenteeism.In the absence of a point of contact, employees get more leverage which can lead to higher absenteeism levels. How to Reduce Employee Absenteeism? Reducing employee absenteeism requires sustained effort, and the first and foremost step in this direction is to provide coaching to the team leaders/managers of your organization. Managers should be provided with adequate training to improve their interpersonal skills. They should also be reminded that the power that has been conferred upon them has to be used to make the organization a better place to work, not to boss around and put pe ople off.This will not only help you in addressing the issue, but also in tackling issues like employee turnover, and low morale among your staff. Having a clear leave policy is essential if you don't want your employees to abuse their privileges. It is important that you explain all the policies to your employees when you recruit them so that there is no scope for miscommunication. This helps especially in case of large organizations where it is virtually impossible to keep an eye on every employee. Having an effective communication system helps in maintaining transparency and keeps rumor mongers at bay.It dispels negativity and makes employees feel that they are being recognized as a part of the organization. Trusting your employees by giving them more responsibility instills a sense of confidence in them and creates a good atmosphere in the workplace. Rewarding employees who have shown good performance by missing lesser work days can go a long way in helping you deal with employe e absenteeism. It will not only help in recognizing hardworking employees, but also motivate employees to come to work rather than staying at home.Unplanned absenteeism costs a few million dollars to American companies every year, so it is important that you address this issue with utmost seriousness. If yours is a small or a mid-scale business, then the effects are much more grave. You can't completely wipe out this issue, but what you should essentially aim to do is to reduce the frequency of culpable absenteeism. Absenteeism – employees not showing up for work when scheduled – can be a major problem for organisations. As pressures increase on the budgets and competitiveness of companies, more attention is being given to reduce workplace absenteeism and its cost.Most research has concluded that absence is a complex variable and that it is influenced by multiple causes, both personal and organisational. Job satisfaction has been noted as one of the factors influencing an employee’s motivation to attend. INTRODUCTION To many in the world of work, absenteeism is one of those stubborn problems for which â€Å"†¦.. there is no clear culprit and no easy cure†(Rhodes & Steers, 1990, p. 1). Furthermore, as a general phenomenon it does not discriminate against individuals on the basis of sex, race and religion. Bydawell (2000, p. 5) postulates that â€Å"employers have the right to expect good attendance from their employees as employment is a contract between two consenting parties. †The author further states that absentee issues will undoubtedly arise within the employment relationship, and should be resolved in a manner which is fair and equitable to both the employer and the employee. Absenteeism can be very costly to organisations and enormous savings can be realised through effective management of non-attendance at work. Besides the cost implications, absenteeism is influenced by dozens of interrelated factors hich make it even more difficult to â€Å"quantify, qualify, or rectify†(Tylczak , 1990, p. 9). One of these factors which have been cited by different researchers is an employee’s level of job satisfaction in the workplace. In conjunction with this, George and Jones (2002, p. 93) maintain that â€Å"†¦many researchers have studied the relationship between absenteeism and job satisfaction in an attempt to discover ways to reduce absenteeism. †Early job satisfaction research has emphasised the underlying assumption that job dissatisfaction represents the primary cause of absenteeism (Steers, Porter & Bigley, 1996). McShane’s (1984) review as quoted by Steers et al. (1996) supported the notion that employees who are dissatisfied with various aspects of their jobs are more likely to be absent. Studies by McShane (1984) found â€Å"job satisfaction to be more highly related to frequency of absences than to number of days lost†(Steers et al. , 1996, p. 4 09) Rhodes and Steers (1990) propose that employee attendance is based on an employee’s motivation to attend as well as their ability to attend. According to George and Jones (2002), job satisfaction is one of the factors affecting an employee’s motivation to attend.It becomes important to measure the strength of the relationship between absenteeism and job satisfaction as â€Å"†¦.. positive attitudes can at times serve to â€Å"pull†the individual towards the organisation and the reverse can be expected when attitudes are more negative †(George & Jones, 2002, p. 94). An employees’ ability to attend is influenced on the other hand by factors such as family responsibilities, transportation problems, accidents and the like. Once all these variables are identified, managers may begin to understand why employees sometimes choose not to come to work when they are fully capable of attending.By the same token, it is â€Å"equally important for ma nagers to understand those circumstances in which people, for whatever reason (illness or otherwise), are genuinely unable to come to work†(Rhodes & Steers, 1990, p. 13). Absenteeism seems to be a behaviour that organisations can never eliminate, but they can rather control and manage it. George and Jones (2002, p. 94) note that â€Å"organisations should not have absence policies that are so restrictive that they literally force workers to come to work even if they are ill. Organisations may want to recognise that a certain level of absence is indeed functional. PROBLEM STATEMENT Tremendous pressure is being placed on companies to reduce costs either through downsizing, outsourcing or restructuring. For many employees, these changes can cause feelings of insecurity regarding the nature of their jobs as well as their future. Not having people at work increases the workload of fellow employees, reduces productivity and increases the cost of contract labour. Absenteeism In ter ms of the discussion, the three terms â€Å"absence, absenteeism and sickness absence†will be used as synonymous in meaning, implying that workers who were scheduled for ork and expected to attend, did not do so. Cascio (2003, p. 45) defines absenteeism as â€Å"any failure of an employee to report for or to remain at work as scheduled, regardless of the reason. †Milkovich and Boudreau (1994) define absenteeism from an organisation’s perspective as â€Å"the frequency and/or duration of work time lost when employees do not come to work. †Absenteeism therefore implies â€Å"an unplanned, disruptive incident; but more specifically, it can be seen as non-attendance when an employee is scheduled for work †(Van der Merwe & Miller, SUMMARY OF CHAPTERIn summary, this chapter highlighted the fact that absenteeism is pervasive throughout most organisations and can place huge financial burdens on organisations. A central concern in organisations is proba bly that some employees believe that it is their â€Å"right†to 13take sick leave whether they are sick or not. These short, unscheduled absences impact on work schedules, increase workloads of other employees and can also have a detrimental effect on productivity. Furthermore, this chapter emphasised that absenteeism is influenced by a number of interrelated factors ranging from family responsibilities to satisfaction on the job.Literature suggests that absenteeism is a major problem in many organisations, hence, the importance of focusing on this behaviour within the organisation. Various studies have attempted to examine the relationship between absenteeism and job satisfaction as absence is commonly viewed as one of the means of withdrawal from stressful work situations. According to Luthans (1995), research has generally revealed a consistent inverse relationship between job satisfaction and absenteeism, i. e. when satisfaction is high, absenteeism tends to be low and w hen satisfaction is low, bsenteeism tends to be high. ABSENTEEISM 2. 2. 1 INTRODUCTION Unscheduled absences affect almost every type of organisation. Hoque and Islam (2003, p. 81) describe absenteeism as a â€Å"subject to be studied, matter to be thought over and a problem to be solved. †Besides the direct costs associated with absenteeism, there are also indirect costs such as hiring of casual staff, reduced productivity, turnover and potential loss in revenue (Cole, 2002; Mason & Griffin, 2003). Robinson (2002) further notes that the indirect costs of absenteeism can be up to three times higher than the direct osts of absenteeism. It therefore becomes vital that organisations recognise the extent of this problem due to the high costs associated with continued unscheduled absences. The main problem is perhaps that many employees believe sick leave is a â€Å"benefit †like annual leave and they are entitled to take it, irrespective of the condition of their health. This has implications for organisations because it is difficult for an organisation to operate smoothly if employees fail to report for work. According to Robbins et al. (2003), having sick leave programmes in organisations, i. e. providing paid sick eave, actually enforces the wrong behaviour, which is absence from work. The authors argue that organisations should rather reward employees for attendance, not for being absent. Moreover, the importance of good attendance and its benefits should be clearly communicated to all employees (Bydawell, 2000). Rhodes and Steers (1990) maintain that people tend to have different perspectives or attach different meanings when viewing the topic of employee absenteeism. To the 20manager, absence is often seen as a problem to be solved, but to the employee it can take on a very different meaning.For the employee, absenteeism can be symbolic of deeper feelings of hostility or perceptions of inequitable treatment in the job situation or a way to sab otage the organisation for the poor work environment or other attributes of the job. TYPES OF ABSENTEEISM Van der Merwe and Miller (1988) classify absenteeism into three broad categories that help to understand the nature of this phenomenon. They are: (1) sickness absence, (2) authorised absence/absence with permission and (3) unexcused absence/ absence without leave. Sickness absence Sickness absence is a category where employees claim ill health as their reason for bsence. Requirements regarding medical/doctor’s certificates vary and are determined by company policy or the Basic Conditions of Employment Act (BCEA). The Basic Conditions of Employment Act 75 (1997) stipulates that a certificate needs to be produced after two days of sickness absence. Most managers have found that certification is not a guarantee of genuine absence as it has become easy for people to gain access to medical certificates. Van der Merwe and Miller (1988, p. 10) maintain that â€Å"having a criti cal attitude to short sick absence, and indicating to employees that heir absence behaviour is regularly monitored, is likely to result in a better norm of attendance. †2. 2. 3. 2 Authorised absence Absence with permission is where employees prov an â€Å"excuse†for their absence whether that be for holidays, study leave, special leave and the like. Normally such a request is included in the absence policy (Van der Merwe & Miller, 1988, p. 11). 2. 2. 3. 3 Unexcused absence All absences not falling into the two previous categories and where no reason is given, or not accepted, are regarded as unexcused (Van Der Merwe & Miller, 1988, p. 11). This ype of absence, when it reaches problematic proportions, will have to be pointed out to employees in question in order to bring their attendance in line with acceptable norms Employees who come to work later in the day or who leave earlier are normally not recorded on the leave records of employers and the supervisor is normall y aware of such absences (Wolmarans, 1994). CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Sickness absence has attracted attention in response to competitive pressures and tightening labour markets and by managing absence, organisations can achieve a better competitive edge (Johnson et al. 2003). For many organisations however, absenteeism management remains a daunting task, as it can place huge financial burdens on organisations. Aware of the indirect costs associated with absenteeism, management must determine what factors are responsible for absenteeism and how these factors can be addressed to curb this challenging problem. The main goal of the present study was to determine the impact of job satisfaction on absenteeism as research generally states that dissatisfied employees are more likely to miss work than satisfied employees (Aamodt, 2004; Saal & Knight, 1988). The study owever only found a weak, albeit inverse correlation between satisfaction and absenteeism. The role of other variables, for example personality, work-group norms, organisational commitment and family related responsibilities have not been included although their impact on absenteeism have been noted (Mowday et al. , 1982; Rhodes & Steers, 1990). In order to improve on this, it is suggested that further research be undertaken to ascertain the potential effect of these variables on absenteeism. 145Since the current research utilised a non – probability sampling method, certain groups may have been under-presented.Although the sample of 121 is considered appropriate, a larger, stratified random sample would have enabled greater precision and control with respect to the sample. Furthermore, the sample employed was relatively small, reducing the study’s generalizability to the larger organisation. Moreover, the small number of female respondents prevented meaningful comparisons being made. The study was conducted in one organisation in the Western Cape, which further limits its applicabilit y to a wider population. A cross-sectional design was used for the study as it provided the researcher with a napshot of the research elements at a given point in time. Even though this design is considered appropriate, a longitudinal study would allow for forming a better understanding of the true nature of absenteeism and job satisfaction as it uses the same sample over a period of time. The study is further limited in that it used self –report measures of absence, which is highly subjective. Johns (1996) as quoted by Siu (2002) – argues that â€Å"employees do not have accurate perceptions of their own absenteeism, some employees underestimate their own absenteeism and overestimate the absenteeism of co-workers†(Siu, 2002, p. 218).Further research should adopt more objective measures of absence. The second goal of the study focused on the relationship between personal characteristics and absence. Significant correlations were found and it is important for ma nagement to 146understand these dynamics in order to control absenteeism in the workplace. The importance of understanding specifically the impact of age on the work force will continue to grow, owing to changes in legislation (age discrimination, non-mandatory retirement) and also the impact of HIV and AIDS (Kacmar & Ferris, 1989). Organisations need to have stringent policies in place to control absenteeism, and a ulture of attendance needs to be cultivated amongst employees. Future research needs to also examine the absence severity rate (ASR) which indicates the number of days sick leave per incident over a period of time, which is how long employees are off when they do take sick leave (Mowday et al. ,1982). Excessive absenteeism can escalate to the point that it directly affects productivity, quality and morale. A final goal of the study was to examine the impact of personal characteristics on job satisfaction. While the study focused on personal predictors of job satisfaction , there re other variables (job and organisational) that may be better predictors of job satisfaction (Spector, 1997; 2000). It is suggested that further research needs to be conducted to identify these factors that contribute to employees’ job satisfaction. 147REFERENCE LIST Aamodt, M. G. (1996). Applied Industrial/Organisational Psychology (2nd ed. ). USA: Brooks/Cole Publishing Company. Aamodt, M. G. (2004). Applied Industrial/Organisational Psychology (4th ed). USA: Thomson/Wadsworth. Alavi, H. R. , & Askaripur, M. R. (2003). The relationship between self-esteem and job satisfaction of personnel in government organisations.Public Personnel Management 32 (4) : 591-599. Anderson, A. E. (2004). What’s absent in absence management. Employee Benefits Journal 29 (1) : 25-30. Anderson, N. , Ones, D. S. , Sinangil, H. K, & Viswesvaran, C. (2001). Handbook of Industrial, Work and Organisational Psychology- Volume 2 London : SAGE Publications. Anthony, W. P. , Perrewe, P. L. , & Kacmar, K. M. (1999). Human Resource Management- A strategic approach (3rd ed. ). Publishers: Harcourt Brace College. 148Armstrong, M. (1996). Personnel management practice (6th ed. ). London : Kogan Page. Atchison, T. (1999). They myths of employee satisfaction.Healthcare Executive 14 (2) :18-23. Bajpai, N. , & Srivastava, D. (2004). Sectorial comparison of factors influencing job satisfaction in Indian banking sector. Singapore Management Review 26 (2) : 89-99. Berkowitz, L. (1987). Pay, equity, job gratifications and comparisons in pay satisfaction. Journal of Applied Psychology 72 (4) : 544-551. Bless, C. , & Higson-Smith, C. (1995). Fundamentals of social research methods. An African perspective. (2nd ed. ). South Africa : Juta and Co, Ltd. Brief, A. P. (1998). Attitudes in and around organisations USA : SAGE Publications. Butler, J. (1994).To conduct an investigation into absenteeism in Cape Town organisations. Unpublished masters thesis, University of Cape Town. Buitenda ch, J. H. , & De Witte, H. (2005). Job insecurity, extrinsic and intrinsic job satisfaction and affective organisation commitment of maintenance workers in a parastatal. South African Journal of Business Management 36 (2) : 27-33. 149Bydawell, M. (2000). Managing people who don’t come to work. People Dynamics 18 : 15-19. Carr, M. , & Human, P. (1988). Job satisfaction and its relationship with demographic and work-related variables: A case study in the Western Cape, South Africa.South African Journal of Labour Relations 10 (3 & 4) : 60-67. Cascio, W. F. (2003). Managing Human Resources : Productivity, quality of work life, profits (6th ed. ). MacGraw-Hill Irwin. Chambers, J. M. (1999). The job satisfaction of managerial and executive women: Revisiting the assumptions. Journal of Education for Business 72 (2) : 69-75. Cole, C. L. (2002). Sick of absenteeism? Get rid of sick days. Workforce 81 (9) : 56-60. Connolly, K. , & Myers, E. (2003). Wellness and mattering: the role of h olistic factors in job satisfaction. Journal of Employment Counseling 40 (4) : 287-295. Cooper, D. , & Emory, C. 1995). Business research methods (5th ed. ). USA: McGaw-Hill. Cooper, C. , & Locke, E. (2000). Industrial and organisational psychology Blackwell Business. 150Cooper, D. , & Schindler, P. (2001). Business research methods (7th ed. ). McGraw- Hill Irwin Cooper, D. , & Schindler, P. (2003) Business research methods (8th ed. ). MacGraw-Hill Irwin. Cranny, C. J. , Cain-Smith, P. , & Stone, E. F. (1992). Job satisfaction: How people feel about their jobs and how it affects their performance Lexington Books. Cresswell, J. (2003). Research design-Qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches (2nd ed. ).USA : SAGE Publications. De Vos, A. S. (1998). Research at grass roots: A primer for the caring professions J. L. Van Schaik Publishers. Du Plessis, A. , Visser, D. , & Fourie, L. (2003). Die omvang en aard van afwesigheid in die werkplek; ‘n Suid-Afrikaanse gevalst udie. SA Journal of Industrial Psychology. 29 (1) : 58-67. Egan, M. , & Kadushan, G. (2004). Job satisfaction of home health social workers in the environment of cost containment. Health and Social Work 29 (4) : 287-295. Employee assistance programmes (June 2004). Employee Benefits. 151Ericson, D. (2001). Lessons in absenteeism management. Benefits Canada, 5 (4) : 89- 91. French, W. L. (1998). Human Resources Management. Boston, New York : Houghton Mifflin Company. Friday, S. , & Friday, E. (2003). Racio-ethnic perceptions of job characteristics and job satisfaction. Journal of Management Development 22 (5) : 426 – 442. Fried, Y. , Melamed, S. , & Ben-David, H. (2002). The joint effects of noise, job complexity, and gender on employee sickness absence: exploratory study across 21 organisations –the CORDIS study. 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Sunday, September 1, 2019
Fundamentalism Is Here To Stay Essay
The article â€Å"Fundamentalism Is Here to Stay†by Karen Armstrong mainly talks about a modern secular movement by separating religion from society, how people respond to change and ways the world’s different groups treat others. Fundamentalism is a non-violent revolt against secular society. They fight for their religion beliefs and how they feel with political power and intelligence. On the road to modernity, our economy has changed from agricultural produce to the use of technology. However, for fundamentalists, they can’t cope with the change, instead they choose to cling to religion. Western spirit of modernization is based on independence and innovation. In developing countries, modernization came with colonization, thus people were not able to forge new beginnings of their own. Further, fundamentalism represents a clash within civilization between new and old. Armstrong mentioned about Mustafa Kemal Ataturk created a modern Turkey by ordering to wear wes tern clothing, close down all religion institution and try to resist the fundamentalist way. Fundamentalists start to fight for the annihilation. There are groups in America still against the extremely modernized thinking of society, some of them even trying to destroy federal government. Armstrong said â€Å"Fundamentalism is here to stay†at the end, fundamentalism will not disappear. In my opinion, modernization gave whether the developing countries or the developed countries and economic advantage in the world. When these first countries modernized, they created such an unique and fresh idea that other countries try to modernize themselves so quickly. Although, developing countries could not innovate but only imitate. Japan is a perfect example of a country and a culture that can retain originality while undergoing modernization according to the article. Modernization can take a long and rough process based on every culture, value, traditions and etc. At the same time, modernization has changed in every aspect of people’s life. For fundamentalists, they believe what they believe, think what they think, love the life they used to live. In another word, who likes to be changed? For all the tragedies that attacked by the fundamentalists or total annihilation that caused by modern secular society, we need to understand each other in order to coexisting bot h ideas and preventing future act of violence. Hopefully, what happened in the past will warn us something. Questions: 1. What keeps the fundamentalists not open to change? 2. What are the differences for developed countries and developing countries when it comes to modernization? 3. How does fundamentalism effect on the road to modernity now? Vocabularies: 1. Fundamentalism: Reactionary movement to establish traditional religious values and texts as the primary and/or governing ideology in a society. 2. Ideology: A belief system that determines and guides the structure of a government and its relation to its citizens. 3. Ethnic/ ethnicity: Referring to a shared sense of common religion, race national, and/or cultural identity.
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